"I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light."

*Picks heart off floor* WOW!! WOW! WOW! You know when you finish a book and you can't even find the words to express your love for it? That's me right now. I LOVED this enchanting and captivating story.

When I heard it was a Beauty & The Beast retelling I was intrigued and hesitant. I don't mind retellings, so long as they're original. And boy was this one unlike any others I've read! It swept me right off my feet and I couldn't put it down! When I first picked it up, I was worried it might be cliche and drawn out since it's over 400 pages. NOPE! I was wrong. I never wanted this book to end.

There was SO much more to this story than just a fairytale retelling. It was packed with beautiful writing and inspiring underlying messages. I cherished all the characters ( well besides Lilith) especially Harper, Rhen and Grey. I loved that even though Harper has cerebral palsy, that didn't make her weak or crippled. She was fierce, fiesty and inspiring!

Then, of course, there are the drool worthy, broody men. Prince Rhen made my heart about swoon right of my chest. I mean even his name was sexy!!! He's stolen my heart and has been added to my book boyfriends list! Grey was a dreamboat too! I loved the friendship that Grey had with both Rhen and Harper.

The romance in this was slow burning and angsty! There were times I was so giddy and had a big ol' goofy grin on my face! I thought it was so well done in that it wasn't super cheesy or unrealistic!

This book deserves all the hype because it was truly wonderful! It was packed with adventure, brilliant plotting, and a beautiful but yet subtle love story. It may only be the middle of February but so far this is one of my favorite reads of the year! ( Even over King of Scars... yup, I said it! )

I'm DYING for the next book in the series even though the ending made me so happy! I can't wait for more!! If you love YA fantasy or fairytale retellings, you've gotta read this one!

I loved this book!! An interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast, full of surprises, twists and turns, and likable characters.

I was really intrigued by this book when I saw it on Netgalley, and I knew I had to request it. Unfortunately, it was just okay for me, and I didn't like it as much as I wanted to.

I had a really hard time getting into it, especially at the beginning. It was about a quarter of the way in that I started to like the story a little more. The dual POV didn't work for me, and it was hard to tell who was narrating because Rhen and Harper's chapters were really similar, and they sounded pretty much the same to me. I could only read a few chapters at a time before needing to put it down. I just really struggled with it.

I think a lot of my struggles with A Curse So Dark And Lonely come from me being bored. I really liked the idea of a modern day re-telling where Belle ends up in a magical land to break the curse. It just took a while to get there. I couldn't completely root for Rhen and Harper, and I felt like they had no chemistry. I had a hard time with the fact that they basically abducted girls, hoping they would be the one to break the curse. And for a while, it seemed like she would end up falling for Grey. I was surprised it didn't go that way.

Speaking of Grey, I was surprised by everything that happened with him at the end of the book. I know there's a sequel, and while I don't think I'll pick it up, I am curious to see where things go for him. It's strange, because this book read like a stand-alone, but with how things ended, there is room for more story.

I wish we had more of Harper's life before Emberfall. All we really know about her is that her mom's dying of cancer, her dad's not in the picture, and her brother has taken up her dad's work because of the debt he left them in. I honestly couldn't tell you anything else about her and her life. Still, it was interesting to see her get settled into life at Emberfall.

It did get a lot more exciting at the end, and it was nice to actually have some action, as opposed to all of the traveling that happens in the book. I don't mind a bit of traveling but I needed something to break it up a little bit. It was too bad we didn't get more of it throughout the rest of the book.

My Rating: 2 stars. I liked Grey, and Harper was a really thoughtful, kind character but I really struggled to get through it. It's a cool take on Beauty And The Beast, though.

*A Curse So Dark And Lonely was read as an e-arc in exchange for a fair and honest review

This book! So much perfection! Lately I’ve honestly been slogging through a lot of my reading. I’ve been tired and unmotivated and most of the books I’ve read have felt really long. I don’t think it’s been the books’ fault—it’s just the state of mind I’m in. And then I picked up this book. And I flew through it. Every time I put the book down, I was just waiting for the moment I could pick it back up. It was pure magic.

It’s hard to imagine a fresh take on the Beauty and the Beast story, but this one has so many nuances: First off, there’s the heroine with cerebral palsy whose condition doesn’t define her in any way–it’s just a fact about her (but that doesn’t mean it’s ignored). It is so incredibly refreshing to see this! Then there’s the concept of having a Beast whose been attempting to find his Beauty for a very long time, and he’s lost all sense of hope. We don’t have a Gaston character in this version of B & B, but the villain is truly despicable without being a caricature. And, of course, a slow burn romance that’s sure to enchant you.

Easily the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I’ve ever read, this book kept me furiously turning the pages to find out how the characters I’d come to know and love would fare. This is truly spectacular storytelling, and I can’t wait for the next book!!!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

Thoroughly enjoyed! What a fun YA novel. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales and Kemmerer makes it her own. Elegant writing, fierce characters, fantastic world-building. I flew through this book and can't wait to recommend it to my customers.

This book blew my mind. I loved the story line...a retell on Beauty and the Beast but not. The characters were written fantastically with a back and forth POV. The ending left you wanting more which I am so glad the publishers knew because they have already announced book 2.

I really enjoyed this book. I'll admit it's a bit long and there's a lull like 3/4 of the way in, but other than that, I think it was a great book. I'm a sucker for a "fish out of water" kind of story. It's always fun seeing a character interact with others from a different world and try to navigate the customs of that new world.

I think the characters really made the book for me. Both the main and secondary characters were very interesting and whether I liked or hated them, I enjoyed the emotions Brigid brought out in me towards them. Harper is such a strong and independent character and it was fun seeing her react and interact with a Prince character, Rhen, and also with Grey, who is all about duty and etiquette. I definitely wanted to know more and more about each character, even the villain, who I hated, which was a pleasant surprise for me. I totally have a soft spot for Freya as well, who is basically Harper's handmaid or "lady in waiting".

Brigid does such a good job with representation without rubbing it in your face, which I really appreciated. A lot of the time, authors force it because it's what's expected nowadays, but that's certainly not the case here. Everything flowed very nicely and felt genuine.

I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to the next one to see how everything plays out. Brigid has made it a point to state that there isn't a love triangle, but I wouldn't have minded if there was. I liked both Rhen and Grey and would've like to see that dynamic play out, but there's definitely more than enough drama to hold you over without adding that.

I really liked the mix of fantasy world and real world. Has a bit of romance that at one point was a bit meh but luckily it was over quick and related to story. I loved the different POV, one being male, other being female. Female character is pretty bad ass and male character was enjoyable too so this is definitely a book that would appeal to both genders. Author did a good job with the world building as well.

Content Warning: Abduction, Torture/Assault (by the antagonist), Death.

"You alone can break this curse. You must find a woman to love you."

Who doesn’t love a Beauty and the Beast retelling? Everyone, right? Normally, I do (except for A Court of Thorns and Roses). Re-imagining a tale as old as time should be something that breathes new life into it. A Curse So Dark And Lonely may have been a little dark and a little lonely, but not enough to pull me into its depths. Everything that was in this book has pretty much been done before. Nothing really sets it apart from anything else I’ve read. There was only one real surprise throughout the entire story. Up until about 80% through the book, I was bored as a gourd.

I really don't have a lot to say about this book. The one main thing I liked most would be that the main character represented the Cerebral Palsy community. How well represented, I cannot say. I felt at times there were inconsistencies with depiction. I understand the basic effects that this may have on the human body, but I do not know these details intimately. I can only go off how much and when this factor was brought up and discussed throughout the plot--and it felt lopsided. At times, Harper’s disability was talked about in excess, but there were other times where it was nonexistent. In general, there was a lot of telling, and not showing with the characters, actions, and setting. One example--for whatever reason, I thought Harper was a male character at the beginning of the story. I’m not sure if it was me not paying enough attention, or the writing, or a combination of both. But every time I was reading from Harper’s perspective until she arrived in EmberFall, I didn’t recognize this fact. (It probably would have helped if I had read the synopsis better…)

Unfortunately, I really didn’t like Harper, or any of the characters that much. While she was much more developed than the other characters, with having more of a backstory along with her brother. The two had been in trouble for a while, as their father left after their mother had been ailing with cancer. Despite this face, I felt especially Harper's interactions with other characters to be rather childish and it became quite annoying after nearly 500 pages of dialogue. When Harper referred to Grey, Rhen’s captain of the guard, as a “scary man,” I was like, please, STOP! On top of this, the main romance, which is supposed to be iconic, wasn’t, because of this very nature. I was glad, however, that the romance was kept at a PG level, with only some kissing.

Character portrayal overall wasn’t very strong. The antagonist, Lilith, was awful. Supposedly being this mega-powerful witch of the age, she was petty and one-dimensional in nature. Her cruelty was without merit, and forced her into being a sadistic being. Rhen, the “beast” was less likable than Grey, his commander and personal guard. I liked how Grey respected his word, no matter what. If anything, his loyalty and sense of honor were good examples of a respectable character, even if he had made mistakes in the past.

One thing which was a huge miss in this book was that there was basically no world building, whatsoever. I don’t know about you, but with a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I BETTER get to be acquainted with the Beast’s magnificent castle. The little that was divulged wasn’t executed well. The author only included what was necessary to the plot, rather than cater to genuine wonder.

Overall, this book left me wanting a lot more, especially for an original plot. This book simply did not deliver that. Nor did it entice me to read about these characters in the books to come.

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Kissing.
Violence: Some.

My Rating: ★★

I thought this was an original take on the beauty and the beast fairy tale. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Harper's independence and empathy and how Rhen's personality had a lot of depth. Sweet romance.

This book!! I love Brigid’s books, but this was the first fantasy I read by her and I was a little nervous. It was FANTASTIC!! And that ending?! Whaaaaaaaa!?!? I can’t believe I have to wait a year until book two. Amazing!!

When buzz about A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY started to circulate, I knew I needed to read this one ASAP. A Beauty and the Beast fantasy retelling? Yes please, sign me up! After reading the synopsis and seeing that the female protagonist has cerebral palsy, I knew this book was a must for me. As a person married to someone with CP I know that they can be vastly underestimated and overlooked. I LOVE, I mean looooove, how much strength and perseverance the author gave this character.

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY is told through alternating points of view. One through, Harper, a simple girl from the wrong side of the tracks, whose family is on the brink. Her mother is dying of cancer, her father is gone, and her brother is trying to pick up all the pieces and keep her safe. The second through, Rhen, a cursed prince of Emberfall who is stuck in a seemingly endless and hopeless loop of despair and destruction. The only way to break the curse is for someone to fall in love with him. It's been three hundred seasons of bringing girls from the "other side" (aka modern day America) to Ironrose castle with no success. But this time is different. Rhen has one last chance to change his future and the future of his kingdom.

Although Harper and Rhen are the two narrative voices of this book, they are not the only important characters in this story. Grey, the princes sole remaining guard and Lilith, the enchantress of Emberfall both play large roles. Lilith with make you want to throat punch her and Grey will make you question your loyalties. Will the kingdom of Emberfall be saved? Can Harper learn to love the surly cursed prince?

I can honestly say that I loved every second of this book, it will probably end up as one of my top 10 reads of 2019. I was hooked from the very beginning and I wasn't quite ready to let it go when I finished. And that ending... OMG!!! What a nice little twist the author added. It's going to be a long wait for the conclusion to the story. This was my first book by Brigid Kemmener and I thought her writing and storytelling were fantastic. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books. If you love YA fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, magical realism, broody and strong characters, then I cannot recommend this book enough. You won't regret it!

*Advanced copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Back in March 2017 I opened a book called Letters to the Lost and I didn’t close it until it was finished. I wouldn’t stop until all 391 pages were done and I had let Brigid Kemmerer thoroughly break my heart. That was also the day I fell in love with her writing. So when I heard about A Curse So Dark and Lonely, a book that is a retelling of my favorite fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, I was so there for it. Two readings of it later, I am COMPLETELY IN LOVE, love beyond measure, with this book and these characters.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is about Harper, a girl who is ‘transported’ from her home in DC to the kingdom of Emberfall. Having no idea why she was taken she confronts Rhen and Grey, her captors and soon finds out that Emberfall is cursed. Wanting to get back to her family Harper makes a deal to help Rhen and Emberfall rebuild their trust in one another and their trust in the Royals. But as Harper gets herself deeper and deeper into their story she learns there is so much more going on and starts to feel less like a prisoner and more like a person that belongs there even though her heart is with her family in DC.

My explanation of the story honestly doesn’t do it justice. It really is hard to explain just how amazing this story actually is. It is filled with flawed people and action and love and heartbreak. It has monsters and royalty and evil witches. It has sweet, heartfelt moments, moments of sadness, and moments WHEN CAN I HAVE MORE?! It truly hits all the marks and you won’t want to put it down. You will be left hugging the book and never wanting to let go. Rhen, Grey and Harper will steal your heart and you will gladly give it to them.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’m being as vague as possible. All I can say is you need to read A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I promise you will be happy you did. It is just that good!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book, but I wanted to wait as close to the release date as I could for this book for the simple fact I had so many others to read. It was had to wait on this one but I did and it was worth the wait. I am a huge Beauty and the Beast fan. Any retelling... I must read. I love finding those that are loosely based and that have something special and different in the retelling. This book was that for me. The story was a retelling but it felt and read like it's own. It was well done and action packed and oh the characters. I just loved them all.


Rhen is a cursed prince. He mingled with the wrong enchantress and now his kingdom and his life is in dire straights. Not only is he cursed to be a beast but this beast hunts and kills. His family is gone, his kingdom is starving and now there are rumors that they are under attack. He has tried many years, many times, with many girls. Nothing seems to break the curse. He is tortured, his guard is tortured, his kingdom is tortured.

Harper lives in the Washington DC. Her mother is sick. Her brother is stuck cleaning up their fathers mess. Life is hard...and now she has been kidnapped to an alternate world called Emberfall. Kingdoms are real, monsters are real, the prince is cursed, the guard is mean, and she is stuck.

Harper and Rhen both know she can't break the curse, no girl can break this curse. Rhen is insufferable. The kingdom is harsh and no longer enchanting or beautiful. She spends her first days plotting her escape... but they longer they are together... they start to see each other differently and they come together to not just break a curse... not to save themselves... but to save a kingdom.


I adored this book. I was worried at first. I mean first off its a big book to read. Second... there are so many Beauty and the Beast retellings out there... not all of them are good. I am always a little afraid when one comes out and it's got the hype, its sounds awesome... I want it to be awesome. This book was awesome. I really did adore it. The characters are well developed, unique, and so complex. The story had it's own element and stood on its own. It was a retelling but really it was all it's own. The structure was there but everything else was different and beautiful.

I really think the characters are what made this story come to life. They were all so strong and lovable and different from each other. The only thing these characters shared was the strength and loyalty they have in their character.

Harper was a strong girl with a voice. She was dealt a harder hand at the beginning of her life but she makes it work for her not against her. She has a hard life but she doesn't let it get her down. She loves her family fiercely, but most of all she is a selfless and giving person. When she first reaches Emeberfall she only wants to get back home... but whens he realizes she can't and the people of Emberfall are in trouble... she gives herself the mission of doing what she can to make their lives easier, forgetting her own trouble.

Rhen is stubborn but he is caring. It doesn't show much and even though in his past he was reckless with matters of the heart, his kingdom was important to him... especially after the curse when he is the only one of his family left. Unfortunately he is in no shape to fix the thing that are wrong so yes he does give up on everything but breaking the curse. He figures break the curse help the kingdom. It is Harper that helps him see differently.

There is romance in this book... of course what would this retelling be without romance. And of course being a retelling of Beauty and the Beast... we all know the end....one way or another things happen to break the curse. So yes the romance was there and it was just right. From hatred, to helping each other, to friendship to selfless love.


The entire book is just good. Yes it's a little long and the beginning was a tad bit slow for me and so that is why the rating isn't as high as it could be. But let me tell you that is the only thing that made me not rave fanatically about this book... which I still kind of am. I can't wait for the next book.




Loved this book. I will await the next installment not so patiently. If you like fantasy, Beauty and the Beast, strong female characters, and a great romance... read this book. Like now!

Harper is having a really tough year, and that’s even before she’s kidnapped off the streets of DC and transported to a different world. Taken to Ironrose castle by a stoic guard named Grey, Harper learns she is the last hope for saving the kingdom, and Prince, of Emberfall.

“Ironrose is not enchanted.”

“Fine. Than what is it?”

“Cursed.”

Crown Prince Rhen is cursed to relive the same three month season over and over until he can find a girl to fall in love with him. At the end of each season, he turns into a monster and goes on a killing spree before a new season begins. After more than 300 of these seasons, his monster alter ego has terrorized the kingdom and murdered everyone in the castle. Everyone except his Royal Commander Grey, who remains loyal to his long ago oath to the Prince.

As far as Beauty and the Beast retellings go, this rated solidly in the middle. I liked a lot of things about it, but it didn’t have that 4 or 5 star “wow” factor. Harper and Grey were great intriguing characters, and I’ll definitely be reading Grey’s (likely) sequel. Harper has cerebral palsy, and while she acknowledges it and the limitations she’s physically under, she doesn’t let it define her and knows how to play to her strengths. She’s also kind, intelligent, and brave, and (gasp!) not much is really said about her looks, which I loved.

It was different, but refreshing to have the romance be veeeeery slow burn. I wouldn’t even call it a romance, but a potential/likely romance. That allowed Rhen and Harper’s relationship to progress naturally, from dislike and distrust to mutual respect and trust. But while we’re on the relationship, I was confused for a while as to who the romance would actually be between. Honestly, there was equal if not more chemistry between Harper and Grey, and if we’re being REALLY honest, equal chemistry between Rhen and Grey. I almost thought this was gonna go full MMF, but a certain reveal squashed that. Still...I’m never really here for love triangle nonsense so I didn’t appreciate the ambiguity.

For the bad...A few details about the curse were confusing or lacking, the worldbuilding was minimal, as well as fleshing out the characters. There were several things that rubbed me the wrong way. Namely...Rhen. His flippant attitudes about the previous 300 girls were disappointing and misogynistic. 300 girls, and Harper is the only “different” one of the bunch? Because she fights back and tries to escape? I don’t buy that 300 KIDNAPPED girls would have just gone “oh! Castle! Jewels! Dresses! Well that’s alright, then!” like he claims. Sorry, I can’t like a hero who only thinks highly of the Mary Sue heroine and disrespects every other female.

So overall...it was enjoyable. It was far from perfect, but I’ll read the sequel because Grey was by far the most compelling.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope. Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley. Beauty and the Beast was my favorite Disney movie for a very long time, so much so that I made a point to eat at the Be Our Guest restaurant for my honeymoon. So, when I saw that this book was a retelling of one of my favorite movies, I knew I had to try it out. I was somewhat nervous that I wouldn’t like the author’s version of the fairy tale, but I was also excited to see the new perspective she brought to this classic.

The two main characters of A Curse So Dark And Lonely, Prince Rhen and Harper, are both complex and engaging characters. Prince Rhen’s dark and complicated past make him a fun character to learn about and I enjoyed watching him develop over the course of the novel and learn more about his past. Harper is a bit more of a realistic character, including her illness and difficult family relationships. She doesn’t always react in the best way, but I found her to be a believable and interesting reincarnation of my favorite Disney princess. Many of the secondary characters were also intriguing, although not quite as complicated.

The story, which I originally thought was going to be much more like the Disney Beauty and the Beast, was less of a retelling and more “inspired” by the fairy tale. So I was surprised by a number of the twists the author added to this plot, beginning with the Prince’s curse and Harper’s cerebral palsy. There were a few sections in the book where I wondered how long the author would be able to hold my attention with a story that I already knew so well, but just as I doubted, she’d throw a new twist in that pulled me back in.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely is mostly set in Prince Rhen’s fanastical country of Emberfell. It’s clear the author put some work into the development of the world’s politics, magic and dynamics. However, I felt like the world was a bit too generic, especially with all the other twists added to the plot. After finishing the book, I couldn’t think of much that set this world apart from the worlds in other fantasy books I’ve read in the last year.

Brigid Kemper’s retelling of Beauty And The Beast features a unique and intriguing cast, including a dark male protagonist and realistic female male character. The plot, although sometimes predictable and slow, had many twists that I didn’t see coming. With all the twists and interesting turns in the plot and characters, I was disappointed to find the setting was fairly generic and unmemorable.

This was one of the best Beauty & the Beast re-tellings I have read in awhile. It was certainly a unique twist and I am a huge fan of Brigid Kemmerer and her writing. It is a blend of contemporary (MC Harper is from present-day Washington, D.C.) and a lot of fantasy (most of the story takes place in a fictional/fantasy world called Emberfall). Plus, love this cover!

I adored all the characters (with the exception of the Lilith - who is downright evil and is a little more of a stock character in this story).

I think the build up and romance between our Beast (Rhen) and our beauty (Harper) is well-done and definitely wasn't insta-love.

There will be a sequel (probably featuring Grey) and I can't wait!

A Curse so Dark and Lonely completely consumed me once I started reading it! I kept telling myself it was late, and that I needed to go to sleep, but I just could not put this book down. Rhen and Harper were both trapped in tragic circumstances, and I felt compelled to continue reading until I knew how their story ended. It was devastating and beautiful, but also entirely believable.

I loved Kemmerer's spin on Beauty and the Best, and thought Harper was fierce and wonderful. She's stubborn and strong, and she's willing to risk her life to save others. I don't think she ever thought of herself, because she was constantly trying to find a way back to her sick mother and troubled brother. Even after spending time with Rhen, Grey, and the people of Emberfall, she was unwilling to leave them if there was a possibility she could help save their lives. Her struggles were realistic, and she didn't accept her new surroundings without a fight.

I don't typically like love triangles, and I'm not saying this has one, but there's an opportunity for one to occur. Honestly, I wanted Harper to end up loving both guys and spending her life living with both. I know that sounds really weird, but they both had qualities I admire, and I think they would have been happy in a three-person relationship.

I also like that Harper has cerebral palsy. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the author's reminders, I would have completely forgotten about it. Her condition doesn't define her or affect what she's capable of. She's willing and determined to try new things, and she accepts herself exactly the way she is. Lilith called her broken, but I never saw her that way. She rides horses, runs from potential kidnappers, tries to save a women she doesn't know, and risks her life for a world that she's not a part of. I think Harper is a character that will inspire readers to be better versions of themselves.

"They believe her limp is the result of a war injury, but Harper is quick to correct them. 'I was born this way,' she'll snap, 'and I'm going to die this way, so teach me to work around it.' They love her for it."

Rhen mentions being a douchebag prior to the curse (and even a little at the start), but we also see how he's changed over the many seasons he's had to live through it. He's learned to care about his people, and he worries about their safety and whether or not they trust him to be in a leadership position. He's been physically and mentally tortured, and still tries to protect those around him. I didn't love everything about Rhen, but I understood him and his actions.

Grey was mysterious and unintentionally charming. His words and movements are very calculated, and he manages to say a lot with very few words. He's loyal to a fault, and his loyalty has cost him a lot over the years. I was unsure about him at first (when he retrieves Harper), but he quickly gained my trust and respect. I'm curious what his role will be in the next book!

A Curse so Dark and Lonely may be a retelling, but Kemmerer easily made it her own. I loved her twists on the original story, and I'm happy she chose to include the surrounding kingdom and not just the cursed castle. It added an interesting and unique perspective! Harper and Rhen couldn't sit around and worry about themselves, because they had to work together to save his kingdom from an invasion. Truthfully, it was probably better for their relationship.

I really, really loved this one! This book wrapped up nicely, but definitely left room for more.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 28, 2019.

Where to start with this book! While "A Curse So Dark and Lonely" by Brigid Kemmerer starts off slow, by the end of this almost 500 page-long book I was flying through pages dying to know what was going to happen next in this re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast..

The novel centers around Harper, a teenage girl with high functioning cerebral palsy living with her cancer-stricken mother and older brother Jake. Their father borrows money from the wrong people, and Jake falls into the role of henchman in order to protect Harper and their dying mother. One night, while Harper is standing watch as Jake goes on one of his "jobs", she witnesses a woman being dragged down the street by a strange man.

Harper being Harper, she grabs a crowbar and tries to save the girl. Instead she is teleported to Emberfall, a magical land with a prince who, as the title suggests, is so very dark and lonely due to a curse placed on him by a scorned sorceress. Prince Rhen must re-live the same season in his castle over and over again until he can find true love. After going through hundreds of girls, with truly monstrous outcomes, he finally meets his match with Harper - a fiercely independent woman who does not let her disability control her life and is adamant about not falling in love with Rhen.

While Harper and Rhen's will they, won't they love story dominates most of the book, there is plenty of action and adventure for teens looking for more than just romance. In regards to characters, Rhen's loyal Guard Grey is one of the best developed characters in the novel. He is loyal to the prince, yet there's an air of secrecy that surrounds him that makes the reader more interested in Grey's story than Rhen's (I ever began shipping Grey and Harper at one point because they develop such a wonderful relationship). There is also a good amount of world building as we learn about the people of Emberfall and their neighboring country who on the verge of declaring war due to the dysfunction of the royal family in Emberfall.

I'm excited to read the next book in this series "A Heart So Fierce and Broken", which is expected sometime in 2020!

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult and Kirkus on 1/29/19.

BOOK REPORT for A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Cover Story: Thorny
BFF Charm: Platinum and Let Me Love You
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Talky Talk: Feminist Fairy Tale
Bonus Factor: Living With A Disability, Retelling With A Twist
Relationship Status: The Final Rose Goes To…

Cover Story: Thorny

The tangle of thorns brings to mind more of a retelling of Sleeping Beauty than a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I do love the moody colors and how it all screams, “I am fairy tale, hear me roar.” It’s not totally original but it’s not an embarrassing brown-bag-it either.

The Deal:

Harper’s life is going downhill fast. Her father split on her dying-of-cancer mom, leaving their family with his massive gambling debt. Her protective yet gentle older brother has resorted to breaking knees for the very same debt collectors in an attempt to pay off said debt, but Harper’s worried he’ll lose sight of his humanity. Being the youngest—and having cerebral palsy—means she often gets stuck as the look-out, unable to help in any significant way. But she sees her chance to be a hero when she spies a man trying to abduct a woman in the same alleyway she’s hiding in. The upside: Harper manages to rescue the woman. The downside: she gets herself accidentally abducted instead.

Once upon a time, Prince Rhen made an error in judgment and his entire kingdom has paid a terrible, terrible price. Doomed to repeat the same season over and over until he finds a woman to fall in love with him, Rhen has lost track of the days he has repeated; the countless women his very last guard, Grey, procures to break the curse; and the amount of times he’s had to hear those damned magical instruments play a jaunty tune over the blood and mayhem in his castle. But the enchantress who started it all, Lilith, has finally given him a deadline: this will be his last season. If he does not succeed in his task, the kingdom of Emberfall will belong to her, and Prince Rhen will be stuck as the monstrous creature he turns into at the end of every cycle—forever.

When Grey returns to Emberfall in the midst of defending himself against a scrawny, spitfire scrap of a girl, Rhen knows they are doomed. But maybe, just maybe, that determination Harper exhibits is very the thing they need to break the curse…

BFF Charm: Platinum and Let Me Love You

I kind of worry that writing down everything I liked about Harper will make her sound like a Mary Sue, because she isn’t. She’s tough because she’s had to be, but not in a jaded, hardened way. She doesn’t need anyone to save her, necessarily, but she doesn’t think she has to do everything all on her own (thank God). She’s tenacious about finding a way home, but not so single-minded that she can’t see reason. She’s a little sassy but also kind-hearted. She has cerebral palsy, but it doesn’t define her; it’s just something she has to live with and sometimes make accommodations for. I’ve often enjoyed that Kemmerer’s characters feel like real, multi-dimensional people, and Harper is no exception.

Prince Rhen is, by the time we meet him, worn the fuck out. The guy has seen his family killed, his subjects traumatized and starved, and he knows he’s slowly killing his kingdom. Plus, even though he couldn't feel less like flirting, he still has to attempt to charm the pants off strange woman after strange woman. I liked that Kemmerer put a bit of a spin on the reason he was cursed; he had a lapse in judgment, but he wasn’t a completely cruel and selfish individual to start. He is rich and privileged and also just turned eighteen—so he needs to be a better leader, but, hey, most people aren’t perfect at the art of leadership in their late teens. Meeting Harper and getting a new perspective on his situation causes him to grow and stretch himself, and I think there would come a time when we could be good friends. Maybe he’d even let me ride his awesome horse!

Swoonworthy Scale: 7

While not exactly enemies, Rhen and Harper don’t hit it off right away. He’s her kidnapper and she’s not exactly swooning over him, making her a useless ally in breaking his curse. They get to know each other the old-fashioned way, by talking, and begin to appreciate more about one another as they learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses (a phrase that I’m sure is tickling your loins as we speak). One of the most fundamental keys to creating a strong relationship is trust, and it plays an important role as Harper and Rhen slowly let each other in…but they also keep some potentially damaging secrets to themselves.

Then there’s Grey, Rhen’s personal guard, who was on the receiving end of Harper’s way with a pipe and generally distrusts her around his charge. He’s the still-waters-run-deep kinda guy, who, of course, is great with children and can handle himself in a fight. I thought I was seeing some vibes between him and Harper, but rest assured this isn’t exactly a love triangle. Kemmerer is good at making well-rounded friends for her main characters…probably because she’s already setting them up for their own books in her head (as I assume the companion book to A Curse So Dark and Lonely will be about Grey).

Talky Talk: Feminist Fairy Tale

While I am always all about a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I loved that this book started off with the familiar but just kept going with it. Like, what would’ve happened if Belle had asked the Beast what transpired for the rest of his subjects that weren’t servants in the castle and inquired about how they were getting on? And then pushed him to do something about it? I never really thought about it. (Was Belle one of the Beast’s subjects? Her village seemed to be doing just fine. Were they enchanted to simply forget there ever was a royal family? Did no one outside of their corner of France realize the area had zero oversight and that it was always winter?)

Kemmerer explains the enchantment around the castle only affects the people in it (and there are no people left since this is not a sanitized fairy tale. There are real stakes with blood-spattered rooms and definitely a lot of death) but regular time has kept marching on for the other residents of Emberfall. Without guidance and closed ports/borders, the entire country is slowly starving. To top it all off, they now have to defend themselves against a potential invasion. The story quickly takes on a lot more gravitas than simply focusing on two people learning how to fall in love. While I am always all about a good romance, I am always here for good world-building, political intrigue, and real-life problems.

Bonus Factor: Living With A Disability

I’ll be honest: I was expecting Harper’s CP to be discussed more in-depth, but at the same time it was okay that it wasn’t. It was just one part of Harper, and definitely not the most interesting thing about her. It’s a disorder that can range in severity, and while I don’t know exactly where Harper is on that spectrum, I do know it can be a lot more debilitating for many. There was a fist-pump-y moment when Lilith the enchantress offers to “fix” Harper’s leg and Harper doesn’t have to think before she says flatly, “My body is not broken.”

Bonus Factor: Retellings With A Twist

I already touched upon the biggest part of this in the Talky Talk, but I am happy for stories that manage to create a fresh new take on a much-loved theme.

Relationship Status: The Final Rose Goes To…

Wait—what? There’s no enchanted rose in this version? Oh. Sorry, Book, if I had a final (magic) rose a la The Bachelorette, you would totes be getting it. You stood out in a crowd of fantasies, and while the home date was a little, uh, rough (maybe invite me over when you aren’t on the verge of war with your border countries?), I still saw your humor, your strength, and your hot Prince. Let’s make this last past the honeymoon. (And if you think he’s up for it, your sequel can totally star in next season.)