Harper lives a hard life. Her body doesn't let her do everything she wants to, but she pushes through to help support her brother. But when they are transported into a fantasy realm full of magic and danger, she'll work hard to help the prince regain control of his kingdom and hopefully be able to return to her own world. Though the longer it takes to accomplish those goals, the more unsure she becomes about just what she really wants out of life.

I've loved almost everything Kemmerer has written, and this is a go-to as a recommendation for those looking for a great fantasy romance series. It was one of my favorites.

This was a bit long, but I enjoyed it. I haven't read a fairytale retelling (ish) in a long time. I appreciated that there was no insta-love or a love triangle really (although I can see that happening further in the series).

An interesting twist on a beauty and the beast fairytale that also includes a cool time travel aspect between Rhen’s kingdom and Harper’s home. Harper as a character was such a good role model for kids struggling with confidence.

I loved this story SO much. I loved the romance, the action, and the characters were very nuanced and real, even the secondary characters.

Loved this start to a trilogy! Really fell for the worlds (both the real world and the fantasy world) that Kemmerer created, and the characters live in my mind rent-free!

I'm sorry but I did not like this one at all. I knew it was a retelling going in and I usually hate them, but I guess I was kind of hoping this one would be different. It wasn't. I had a really hard time finding my footing in the timeframe it was supposed to be in and the storyline was just too much ACOTAR to be coincidence

3.5 stars

Unexpected, fascinating, and so readable - this book surprised me! I enjoyed how atmospheric it was, and loved that the protagonist had a disability. It's a unique and fresh spin on a well-known story. I look forward to reading the sequels.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this story - but I felt connected to the story as soon as it began. I read this book in one sitting (and a little bit since I stopped to eat dinner).. For those who don't know, this book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I liked every minute of it. I felt connected to the character I actually enjoyed the differences from the original, and it felt fresh to me. I loved the cover and I loved the concept and the idea of a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. All in all, I really enjoyed this read!

If it sounds like a Beauty and the Beast retelling, you know I will be picking it up. I absolutely loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Got this ebook as a Staff Pick of the Month contender for Indigo Books and I am so glad that it won.

I’ve struggled to identify with YA characters as I’ve gotten older and have kind of made the shift to adult romance, but then a group of friends pushed this on me and we read the series together and OH MY GOSH. I had always loved YA fantasy, but hadn’t found one in a very long time that held my attention long enough to even finish it, much less binge a series back to back to back. I’m about a third of the way through the second book, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, right now and it’s amazing. I’m #89 in line for A Vow so Bold and Deadly at my library so hopefully things hurry along. Anyway, I loved the world and the characters and the writing, and I’m so excited to continue my journey reading through these books! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Harper had me worried at first. Well, the whole book did because it started off very sassy teen and I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for it, but then I grew to really love her! And I loved the disability rep. Harper has Cerebral Palsy and walks with a limp. The people in the magical alternate dimension don’t understand this kind of disability and find her to be weak or injured, but she has no problems sticking up for herself and proving that she can do anything. She’s sweet, caring, empathetic, and really turns the castle upside down. This girl definitely isn’t like all the other girls who have been kidnapped by the prince’s guard commander to try and break the curse.

2. Grey is my favorite character in this book. He’s the guard commander, and I LOVE him. He’s honorable and protective and such a great guy. He’s the romantic of the two male main characters, and he coaches the prince on how to not be a cold, unfeeling jerk. If we’re likening the characters to Beauty and the Beast, which this book is a retelling of, then Harper is Belle, Rhen is the Beast, and Grey is Lumiere. Also, was he named after the grey stuff? As in “try the grey stuff, it’s delicious!” I’m convinced of this. I need to write to the author. Ok, I just did. Anyway, he’s also pretty swoony sounding.

3. Prince Rhen? He’s fine. I actually really liked him, but he was a bit broody and intense and… pouty? for my liking. He’s the typical royal personality you find in fantasy, and I guess he’s a really good Beast because he’s got that “I hate everyone, now love me so I can be human again” attitude down. I hope I get to see more of his personality in the second book, because right now he’s pretty flat.

4. The supporting characters are great. Harper, Grey, and Rhen end up at a little inn and I love the characters they meet. And as they find people to join their army against a rival queen, they encounter some really interesting people with stories that I loved.

5. The romance is pretty minimal, but I didn’t even care.

6. Oh my gosh, this is a very overwhelming book to try and review.

7. I love the world! And I loved the spin Brigid put on Beauty and the Beast. Curse has the bones of Beauty and the Beast, but Brigid has added so many interesting and amazing details that make it so different. The enchantress is a recurring character in the story, there’s another kingdom threatening invasion, there’s… traveling between dimensions, the beast (or monster, as they refer to it in the book) surfaces every season and Rhen can’t control it (think of a werewolf and a full moon). It’s all so good and fresh and unique.

8. The writing! I love Brigid’s use of words and descriptions of scenery and feelings.

9. I finished and immediately needed more. This doesn’t happen to me often. Usually I need a break, but I am plowing on through and can’t read fast enough.

I’ve read a LOT of Beauty and the Beast retellings, and I thought for sure nothing would ever satisfy me to the point that Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses did. I still love ACOTAR more than anything, but I also really, really loved Curse. Like, I can’t pick just one and that makes me really happy. Maybe there is room in my life for more B&B retellings and maybe I do still love YA fantasy (it was heartbreaking to decide I didn’t anymore). Anyway, I’m not sure I’m making sense. Bottom line, A Curse so Dark and Lonely has made me realize that perhaps I gave up on a genre I once loved too soon because I thought there was nothing left for me there. So, now I’ll venture back and see what else there is for me. I highly recommend this book, and cannot wait to see what happens next!

I REALLY loved this story. I'm not usually one for magical realism, but since it wasn't a huge part of the story (the modern world) it didn't bother me so much. I love Harper and Grey. Rhen is cool too, but Grey is bae.

I love that Harper isn't the typical "wanna be princess" who is gorgeous and perfect. She has a disability and she is such a deeper and more relatable character because of that.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a solid YA novel, in the sense that if you’re a fan of YA I’m quite sure you’d enjoy this book. Harper is a teenager with cerebral palsy who gets pulled into a fantastical world with a cursed prince named Rhen and his captain of the guard Grey. The best part of this book was their interactions; the three leads had great chemistry and played off of each other really well. Harper has always been underestimated because of her disability and now she finally has a chance to stand up for herself. Consequently Rhen and Grey never view her as weak.

I did think it was funny how hard this book was trying to justify that there was nothing problematic in this retelling. Harper has internal monologues about how it isn’t Stockholm Syndrome and how they couldn’t bring her back home even though they want to. Look this is Beauty and the Beast there is always going to be some moral ambiguity. Best just accept that.

This story’s biggest flaw is its world-building. I never truly believed that this fantasy world was anything more than a castle, a long road, and an inn. When the characters are exploring the castle it feels real, when the characters leave the castle the world feels thin. I could never believe that there were other kingdoms and villages because it just wasn’t descriptive enough. That made a lot of the climax underwhelming because I just don’t believe it when they were talking about the all the people in the kingdom.

Still I found the story compelling and fun and I would recommend it to anyone who loves YA fantasy.

A fresh take on Beauty and the Beast that isn’t afraid to take some risks and add some changes. Can be a bit overwrought, the ending is slightly rough, and it definitely takes itself far too seriously... but different and fun. ★★★½

I originally didn't read this when I first got it as an ARC but I am so glad I finally did. I absolutely love it. There is a good pace and the double viewpoint helps keep the reader focused and keeps the attention really well. The pacing is well done. I loved the lore and the insight we get from both characters.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I've had this magnificent book basically rotting away on my Kindle since November of 2018 (I looked at the date I downloaded it) but did I read it in 2018? No. 2019? No. 2020? YES, FINALLY ... in flippin' August. The shame I feel in letting this book sit unread on my digital shelf is drowning me because I loved it so much and I should have read it sooner.

"Where did you come from?"
"Your worst nightmare."

This book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast so you know going into it what to expect and if you're like me who reads retellings like they'll disappear if you don't, then you especially know what to expect. Or that's what you think. Because Brigid Kemmerer turns this fairy tale on it's head.

"I want to know it's real."

The characters are so layered and complex you'll want to scoop them up and protect them. I'v talked to several people that absolutely love Grey and I love him too but I really feel for Rhen. He's had hundreds of "seasons" where he needs to get the girl to fall in love with him to break the curse but they don't. They don't fall for him or they die or Rhen dies and the season resets. Can you imagine how heartbreaking and discouraging it would be to have hundreds of women not fall in love with you. And then to top it off at the end of each season you turn into a mindless monster killing machine. Oh! and you're often physically tortured by the one that cursed you???? I do love Harper and Grey but I really want Rhen to find some happiness.

"honeyed biscuits, jam and sliced cheese, a pot of tea and a pitcher of water"

The quote above is just one of the delicious descriptions of food. I love when authors include scents into their stories and this author definitely delivered!

"I was born this way," she'll snap, "and I'm going to die this way, so teach me to work around it."

Harper has cerebral palsy but even though it limits her body she doesn't let it limit her spirit or determination. She's such a strong character who I can see myself admiring years from now.

I 100% recommend this book if you love Beauty and the Beast retellings or ya fantasy books!

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This was a wonderful romance and I can't wait for the sequel.

I received a copy of this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that was okay, but not rivetting and the characters were also just okay.

Beautiful fairy tale retelling that grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go, but at times I struggled a little to fully connect to the characters. I also had to remind myself it was only inspired by Beauty and the Beast when the storyline differed.
Still a wonderful fantasy read perfect for dark and stormy nights.

I had a lot of expectations when I started this book after seeing glowing reviews from all my friends but unfortunately it didn’t live upto it. The characters remained bland and the plot wasn’t exciting enough to keep me glued to the pages. There have been sooo many Beauty and the beast retellings over the years that everything that can be done with this trope has been tried and nothing truly unique is left to make it more interesting I guess.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to let me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have to be honest in that I was widely skeptical in picking this one up. Once I heard that it had elements of yet ANOTHER Beauty and the Beast retelling, my guards went up and I left this galley ignored for the better part of 6-months. The book had actually already been released before I picked it up, and it was because of a friend who had just gotten a galley of the sequel (A Heart so Fierce and Broken) and said it was even better than the first book. So I let me guard down, found the galley and dove in.

When I think of Beauty and the Beast retelling, my mind and my heart immediately go back towards A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas which I loved IMMENSELY- so this was one of the issues I had in picking the title up in the first place. In the end, I'm really glad that I gave this book a shot because the series has now become one of my favorites and the third book's release is definitely highly anticipated!

Once I actually read the book, I realized that there really wasn't a whole lot of parallels between Beauty and the Beast and this book aside from the fact that Prince Rhen is a beast, they live in a castle mostly alone, and that he was cursed by an enchantress. Every other riveting detail from the story stands firmly on its own and I was absolutely sucked into the story and invested in every single character.

About halfway through my read through, I found that I wasn't able to dedicate as much time to reading as I would have liked due to teaching and testing season, I purchased a copy of the audio book via Audible that I would read on my commute to and from work. One thing that I absolutely loved about the audio book production in particular was a chapter much later in the book that is from the point of view as Rhen as the beast and the chapter is just empty in the book format. In the audio production, this chapter is replaced by the freakiest monster-like heavy breathing I've ever heard in my life- the sound literally gave me chills. Really lent itself to the telling of the story.

The chemistry between Rhen and Grey was adorable, and the chemistry between Rhen and Harper was downright swoon-worthy, and the chemistry between Grey and Harper was so comical- every single character was so well-rounded and thought out. In terms of character design and character development, Kemmerer has it DOWN. World building was outstanding (how could it not be with a name like Emberfall!?). I loved just about everything about this story and can't wait to finish the series with A VOW SO BOLD AND DEADLY when it releases in January 2021. I am so ready!!