Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for offering me an advanced copy of this book! On the near eve of the release date for A Curse of Roses, I, unfortunately, can't offer any large or expansive review. I got about 40 pages into the book before I decided to put it down for good. A Curse of Roses just was not for me. I was so here for the representation - a sapphic fairytale romance? Based on Portuguese legend? I've read NOTHING like that before, and I was excited.

However, the writing style just didn't click for me. I'm sure it's nothing the author did poorly, and I'm sure that there are plenty - TONS - of people who are going to devour this story and rate it highly, but I just personally could not connect and was not drawn in. It felt, in my opinion, a bit juvenile. I don't like to force myself to finish books that I'm not enjoying, and while I personally did not enjoy this book, I'm confident it will do well amongst young adult audiences.

I absolutely loved this book and the story . I felt immersed within the storyline and didn't want to put it down! I did lack interest in the book at several points and it was hard for me to get into.

A Curse of Roses is a brilliant, spell-binding sapphic story that feels like a treasured fairytale for the modern age.

I was initially drawn to A Curse of Roses because of its stunning cover, enticing synopsis, and the unique concept at the heart of the book. Luckily, all of these elements played out perfectly and the beauty of the cover precisely matches the beautiful content hidden inside.

A definite highlight of the book is our wonderful protagonist, Yzabel. This is completely her story of self-discovery and learning to accept herself and utilising her position for the benefit of the greater good. She’s charitable and has a huge heart for the people, being a truly caring royal, and wanting to enact real change. Unfortunately, her gender and hidden abilities are perceived as holding her back and instead she is forced to become a passive, silent object. The story centres around her reclamation of her voice and discovery of her own identity. Indeed, I loved how Pinguicha reminds us that LGBTQ+ people existed in every period, despite what historical erasure may want us to believe. It’s vital that everyone can see themselves reflected in a variety of stories and that we remember their historic presence pretty much everywhere. The central romance was great and it felt like it grew naturally and the pacing of it was well-executed. You could feel their chemistry sizzle off the page, as it slowly built up into mutual attraction. Yzabel’s self-conflict with her extreme religious beliefs was presented in a nuanced and realistic way for me.

Pinguicha’s discussion around religion was intriguing, particularly its misuse in order to silence and subdue certain groups. It’s presented as one of the key patriarchal structures in the story and certain figures within it distort and twist their version of religion in order to control and manipulate Yzabel. They want to weaken her in order to exert more control, ostentatiously for the benefit of her eternal soul. This contrasts brilliantly with other communities we come across, who draw on each other’s strength and inspire one another to achieve. Powerful women are a potent force and one that has historically been oppressed in order to try and eliminate it. Here, Pinguicha celebrates the strength of women in all its various forms. Strength can come from your inner character and indeed your femininity. Far too often, this is considered a weakness, but here it is celebrated. Religion is also respected, with Yzabel embodying what she sees as Christian values of charity and kindness. This kind of complex presentation that acknowledges and works through internalised homophobia is so incredibly important.

Pinguicha’s writing is simply entrancing. The story is so gorgeously written, with the prose practically weaving this intricate world around you and drawing you into Yzabel’s story. Her attention to detail is sublime, with the magic, world-building and mythology all being exquisitely crafted and fleshed out. I love how it’s based on the Portuguese version of the legend of The Miracle of Roses and I was inspired to go out and research more about this legend after reading. You can tell how meticulously researched the book is, with all these little details helping to fully immerse you in this rich world. I especially loved how elements of Portuguese history and culture were so interwoven into the story, making it stand out from the crowd. This original slant exemplifies the brilliance of #ownvoices narratives. Also, the writing was so lyrical and delicate, it really felt like a great legend was being passed down through generations.

A Curse of Roses is a fascinating exploration of power and interrogating how the beliefs and ideology we’ve always trusted may hide darker truths.

**Thank you for Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

Rating- 3.5/5 stars

A Curse of Roses is set in a Kingdom in Portugal where the people are starving and it follows our main character Yzabel as she goes to an Enchanted Moura named Fatyan to break her curse of turning food into roses. However, in exchange Fatyan asks for a kiss that will set her free. This causes Yzabel to experience unfamiliar feelings for a woman while being engaged to a King and trying to help the people in the kingdom.

I suck a summaries so I hope that makes sense! First of all I would like to say that I adored the concept of the book. The magic system is very intriguing and so is the plot. It had me hooked and wanting to know more. Along with that Yzabel and Fatyans relationship is so precious and adorable. I loved seeing their feelings for each other grow and seeing Yzabel come to terms with her feelings. They just made me feel so warm and happy.

Although I really enjoyed many parts of the book I personally thought that magic system could have been explained a little more. I was confused on how the magic started and the whole premise of it. I also was a little confused on the plot because a problem would arise but would immediately get solved within a chapter or two. It threw me off a little and had me very confused on what was happening. My last complaint is that it was way too short. I need more Yzabel and Fatyan with their cuteness and I just wish we got a little epilogue showing how everything wrapped up.

Other than that I absolutely adored the book. The relationships and characters had me smiling the entire time and I really connected with them. The authors writing is very easy to read and flowed nicely. Overall the book is cute but does deal with a few heavy topics which I also enjoyed. I would probably recommend this book if you’re looking for an adorable sapphic romance that deals with a few heavy topics.

4/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc

I really surprisingly loved the book! I was a bit confused at the start due to the writing style but going on forward i really enjoyed the tale

This is by far the hardest review I've ever had to write. A Curse of Roses is the book I've been waiting for all my life and the book I wish I had as a little girl growing up in a conservative environment, with so much hatred for herself due to her differences.

There are no words to explain what it means to me to see a Portuguese author write a sapphic Portuguese retelling with Santa Isabel as the main character. Yzabel is a highly beloved person in Portugal’s history due to her kindness, charity, and her work towards peace.

Yzabel of Aragon, later Queen consort of Portugal, is mostly known through the legend of the miracle of roses. Yzabel was pious in her faith and devoted to helping others, against her husband’s wishes. She would sneak out at night to hand out bread to the poorest Portuguese citizens and, one night she was caught by her husband, King Dinis (or Denis). When he asked what she was carrying in her skirts, Yzabel said it was roses and the bread she had been hiding had suddenly turned into roses, proving her innocence.

A Curse of Roses follows the young future Queen as she arrives in Terra da Moura to marry Denis, the King of Portugal. However she is plagued by a curse where the food she touches turns into flowers, and she isn't able to eat. She manages to hide the truth but her close friends fear for her life. Yzabel hears the legends surrounding the Enchanted Moura and with her friend, Brites' blessing she goes in search of a solution to her curse. And Yzabel meets Fatyan.

Yzabel faces many issues: She is struggling with her curse, and keeping the truth away from her betrothed in fear of his reaction (women have been killed for less); Portugal has it's own curse with the red plague, and many Portuguese are going hungry outside the castle's walls. Yzabel wants to help but she feels the restraints set by the King, who does not wish to give anything to his subjects. Lastly, she doesn't know how she feels towards Fatyan. Is it a different kind of friendship? Additionally, Yzabel must learn to accept herself as she is despite what is preached by the men of God and abandon her previous ill-based opinions.

This is a character-driven story as Yzabel learns that her curse is, in fact, a great blessing. That she can be the Queen she wishes to be, and how valid her feelings are. Since Yzabel is deeply religious, it has a great impact on her development and the story. It's important to see her stumble and fall as she learns to accept herself as she would any other. I saw myself in Yzabel as she quickly forgave and was kind to everyone but herself.

The romance was just perfect. It didn't feel rushed or instant to me. Yzabel and Faty's is a relationship of trust and friendship, with mutual respect. Faty supports and helps her unconditionally as Yzabel also works to help release Fatyan. I loved reading their scenes and how sweet they were to each other, it was heartwarming to see.

I loved the dedication: to those who have been erased, a nod to the erasure of queerness from history. Queer people have always existed but so much information has been lost to time and intentionally erased since it didn't suit society's heteronormativity. Considering how conservative Portugal is, I am beyond thankful this book exists. I want teens, especially those who share a similar situation to Yzabel, to see that they are valid and they are special.

A Curse of Roses is going to change so many lives. It certainly changed mine.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

A retelling of a Portuguese legend with LGBTQ+ themes which had me very excited.
The story starts with Yzabel, cursed with the ability to turn food into flowers she has spend the last few years barely eating and when she sees how portuguese people are suffering from starvation she decides to get help from an enchanted Moura to get rid of her curse.

The author explains very well the magic system and i was so thankful for that.
The themes talk about in the book were really important and once again i am so grateful that they were mentioned (self- harm, homophobia,starvation, religious justifications for all of them)

The characters were kind of a miss for me and the way Yzabel reacted with some things were not my cup of tea.

I must also say that i didn't feel like i got any background of Portugal and the few that there was wasn't enough.

Moreover, i read Girl, Serpent, Thorn a few months back and i get the same exact vibe. Let's remember that i didnt quite like Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

Even though I was a little bit let down i still want to support the author and will be checking out her next works c:

TW: This book contains religion-based self harm, homophobia, internalized homophobia, body horror, and misogyny

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing me with this arc to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book holy crap. First the cover. Stunning. Enchanting. It's literally what got me interested in the book in the first place. I knew I wanted to read it before even reading the plot summary. But when I did read the plot summary I was officially sold.

I'm a sucker for queer retellings. Especially in a fantasy setting. I'm also a sucker for a story about self-acceptance and questioning one's beliefs. Something I think all of us have had to go through at one point or another in our lives.

This book is fast paced, the characters are fleshed out and mostly likable. There were definitely points where they made decisions that irked me to no end but overall they felt like real, flawed people. And honestly nothing is worse than a character who has zero flaws and doesn't evolve throughout the story.

I did like the love story, obviously, but it did kind of feel like it happened rather quickly. Not insta love fast but enough to kind of make me find it less believable. But overall I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more from this author.

A Curse or a Miraculous Gift?
Yzabel spent most of her life convinced that her innate, and unavoidable, ability to turn food into flowers was a curse destined to kill her at a young age. As a devout Catholic she abhorred the waste of food, particularly as she watched the poor around her starving from shortages. She routinely mortified her flesh and fasted continuously, praying to God to free her from the curse, so that she could fulfill her purpose of making life better for the Portuguese peasants. It was not until Yzabel met Fatyan that she began to understand that perhaps her curse was actually a gift from God, and that by mastering it, she could use it to turn flowers into bread, to feed the poor at no cost, other than her own effort. A Curse of Roses is an excellent teen read, as it takes widely accepted negative thought patterns and turns them on their head, showing the importance of perception and the prevailing gentle nature of love and acceptance. See the source image

A Curse of Roses is based on the story of Portuguese Queen Isabel, and her husband Dinis. In the Miracle of Roses, Isabel was caught feeding the poor against the will of her betrothed, King Dinis. The king did not oppose feeding the poor because he was cruel, but rather because he didn’t see a way to do it fairly and on a large enough scale; according to history he was actually fairly progressive and kind for his time. But when he saw all the bread that Isabel was carrying turn to roses, he understood that it was a sign from God, blessing her charitable efforts. I can see why Diana Pinguicha would find inspiration in such a beautiful story, and I applaud her ability to weave in the ideas of accepting oneself, and the differences of others, into the narrative of ruling justly, while still providing for those who have the least.

The Enchanted Mouras are also based on Portuguese legend, reputed to be seductive female shapeshifters, who have been held in one place by a curse. Fatyan can only be set free to try to break her curse through a kiss…and when Yzabel kisses her, she does more than just free Fatyan, she also frees her own latent sexual desires. So, at the same time that Yzabel is grappling with acceptance of her gift, she also has to grapple with her own sexual nature. She slowly comes to the realization that she is in love with Fatyan, which she Pin on Enviable Engravingsviolently rejects as a dreadful sin. Yet, as Yzabel travels along the path of self discovery and acceptance, she begins to understand that all love is beautiful when its aim is to help two people be the best versions of themselves. As a believer, she realizes that she must accept herself as God created her, and that there can be nothing ugly or abhorrent in what He has created. This part of the story arc really resonated with me, as I thought about friends and former students who had similar struggles with accepting their sexuality. I hope that this book will find its way into the hands of those who are questioning their own self worth, and that in it they will find glorious validation.

A Curse of Roses belongs in every public high school media center, and in the hands of every parent who questions how to help their child accept the love and gifts that are out there waiting for them. Beyond that, it is a tale rife with magic and intrigue, and even one almost spicy love scene, for those more interested in reading just for fun. All in all, this is a great read, and I highly recommend it!

4.5 hearty stars!
*This review originally appeared on LitBuzz

What an unexpected GEM! It took me a few pages to understand what an incredible story this would turn out to be, and I’m so glad because I LOVED IT. Set in the 13th?? Century yes, the 13th! This super unique fantasy isn’t like any other LGBTQ+ YA novel we’ve seen before. The focus on the main character is special, and as the reader we really witness not only the protagonists character development but those around her as well.

The narrative is so well written, the description of places, people.. FOOD was page turning, and you bet I kept reading! I finished this book in less than two days!

Because the novel is set in the 13th century, the language is also appropriate for its time, and it’s quick to grasps concepts and meanings. I’m happy to support not only an own voices debut, but also one set in Portugal. There’s magic, there’s intrigue, there’s romance. It checks off all my boxes, except… That I wish it was written in first person. BUT It still deserves ALL the stars because it was SOO GOOD and I totally recommend it!

My initial review for A Curse of Roses was simply “lesbians have won with this one!”, and that’s absolutely true and tells you a lot about what you should expect from this book. But let me expand on that a bit.

First of all, the book might not be using modern sexuality labels, on account of it taking place in 13th century, but it makes it very clear that Yzabel is a lesbian. And this is a major part of the novel, maybe even the most important part: Yzabel coming to terms with being a lesbian.

Because, you see, she grew up with extremely strict christian beliefs; when we meet her she uses a cilice on a daily basis to mortify her flesh and “atone” for her “sins”. Her fasting is caused as much by her following the doctrine of her faith, as it is by her literal inability to keep food in her mouth due to the curse. Her whole life seems to be resolving about the laws put down in the Bible, to the point where no one around her can even understand why she puts herself through such trials. She was brought up a certain way, with the Bible and the talk of martyrdom of her saint aunt, and a magical curse running through her veins - all of which turned her into a pious girl who hated her own flesh and blood.

Her upbringing also means that the thought of women loving other women never crossed her mind. And once it does, she views it through the lenses of her faith: as something sinful. A Curse of Roses does an absolutely brilliant job of talking about this, of showing Yzabel’s struggle to reconcile her desires and the teachings of Christ.

It’s also interesting to note that Yzabel is quicker to forgive others their transgressions (or even admit whatever the society views as such is actually nothing more than a way of life & doesn’t have to be forgiven) than to forgive herself. It’s a great strength of her character, the way she chooses kindness time and time again; the way she doesn’t judge others but instead tries to understand their point of view.

The greatest example of that being Yzabel’s treatment of Denis’ mistress. Not only does Yzabel not resent the girl, she’s actually making sure that the relationship is one based on consent and that the girl isn’t being raped by Denis.

But that strength can also be a flaw, and yes, the narrative does acknowledge that, in two ways. One, Yzabel was called out a few times throughout the story on how treats herself in contrast to how she treats others, and those conversations helped her grow and accept herself. And two, those around Yzabel who wish her harm (or simply wish to exploit her position), use her piousness and her belief that she’s tainted (because of the curse and later because of her attraction to women) to manipulate her.

All this to say that the pacing of the book and the way the plot is handled in general is very smart. It uses characters’ flaws to its advantage, it doesn’t spend unnecessary details on things that Yzabel - the only character from whose perspective we view the world - would not know about. And I do believe that is something that A Curse of Roses should be applauded for. It’s absolutely not bad writing for certain details to only be revealed as very much telling instead of showing, when you take into consideration the POV character had no way of knowing about them before. Yzabel is as much surprised as the reader, and that’s a good thing.

I’ve seen people try to argue that the pacing is actually off, that the book is too slow, that it’s boring and nothing happens for whole chapters, but it seems that those people don’t take one thing into consideration: this is a character driven novel. There’s Yzabel’s curse, there’s magic in other forms, there are prelates stealing from the Portugese crown, there are women being accused of witchcraft, but at the end of the day this is a coming of age story of a catholic lesbian in the 13th century. And when viewed as such? The slow parts make perfect tense.

The fact that A Curse of Roses is focused so much on the characters also means that the romance is great. In some regards, Yzabel and Fatyan are a juxtaposition of each other. Yzabel believing in every word of the Bible instead of her own mind & Fatyan having strong opinions on every subject. Of course, it’s not simply black and white like that, and both of them change, but once again, this is something that even the narrative mentions: the girls complementing each other. And it’s one of the reasons they’re so drawn to each other. Because the attraction is obvious from the first time they meet (not to Yzabel, but to Fatyan and surely to the reader) and it only grows stronger and stronger as they spend more time together, in close proximity.

And yet, the romance actually blossoms very slowly. No, it’s not insta love just because two girls want to be close to one another immediately after meeting. It’s not insta love just because they see beauty in the other and don’t want to let go of that. In fact, it takes most of the book for Yzabel to even accept that she’s a lesbian and that it doesn’t go against God’s wishes. That romance is as much central to the story as Yzabel learning to control her gift, and it’s given all the attention it deserves. And what I love most is that once Yzabel does accept it, there’s no shame in it anymore, to the point of there actually being a sex scene in the later part of the book. Not saying that I want to read about teenagers having sex, but that it’s extremely refreshing to see sapphic girls allowed to have that.

The writing itself is very beautiful, as well. It feels a little bit like poetry at times, it’s full of metaphors. The language is flowery, but not in a way of purple prose, where the meaning is lost for the sake of pretty sentences. More, given the subject at hand, the prose takes some liberties to build a magical atmosphere, heavy with the scent of roses. There are instances where a more natural word order is forgotten to create something poetic from a mundane description. It’s wonderful.

Another argument people seem to be making against A Curse of Roses is that magic isn’t described well enough. Which… is just flat-out not true? In reality, magic is a vital part of the novel and as such is written about often. And not only when Yzabel turns food into flowers, but with other characters as well. There’s a whole discussion at some point about the differences between the magic of Yzabel or Fatyan and the magic of Brites, how the girls simply possess magic but Brites had to learn to perform it. It’s clear, from everything we know about Yzabel, why she feels resentful toward her gift at first; it’s clear why some characters are trying to use magic for evil purposes; it’s clear why a lot of them have to hide the magic at all cost.

But the most outrageous offence I’ve seen against A Curse of Roses is that it’s anti-feminist (coupled later in the review, with a statement that Denis was actually a nice guy and that Yzabel was wrong to judge him the way she did, more on which in a second). And I just can’t understand how it’s possible to take that away from a book about a girl who makes sure the mistress of her fiancé actually loves him and is happy, who runs shelters for old and sick prostitutes because she believes they need protection, who is allowed to literally help run a kingdom.

And Denis? Sure, he’s not a villain here, but he didn’t give Yzabel reasons to assume he would be okay with her magic. On the contrary, his views on witchcraft are pretty clear when he imprisons a woman without much evidence against her. And while he might otherwise be a very patient and even caring man, it’s important to remember that Yzabel mistrust is as much about him as it is about how she herself views her own gift.

This is a very long-winded way of saying that A Curse of Roses is a beautiful tale of century long curses and people using any means available to them to ensure they experience some happiness in life. It’s a wonderful story of a lesbian learning to accept herself, enriched by magic and roses.

Every book has its flaws, but this book had a lot of them. I thought it was an interesting idea, but it ended up having half-baked plots and personality-less characters.

Starting with our good elements of the story, I was very moved watching Yzabelle's journey as she learned that it was okay to like the same gender, and God loves you no matter who you love. I also enjoyed the middle of the book, where everything was running smoothly and the pacing was just right. But, the pacing still had many issues

This book went from slow at the start, great at the middle, and rushed in the end. Another thing to think about with pacing was that this book could get very off-track, especially talking about religion. I understand how important religion is to this story and how much of a theme it is, but there could be pages upon pages just talking about whether or not God accepted Yzabelle and if she was sinning loving Fatyan and what not. I just think that those periods could have been simplified a bit so that the book kept going.

I also found that the detail was less than mediocre. I don't know anything about Portugal, and I didn't learn anything from this. It was very hard to imagine this world that Yzabelle was living in. The characters were also not very detailed. I found that there was no character development and that neither of our main characters had any flaws to start or end with, which caused them to be very unrealistic. The magic system was also not very good, I would've loved learning more about the powers someone might have, or all of the people who had a Sahar, but that was never developed. Besides all of that, I also could not imagine what anything looked like, sounded like, tasted like, smelled like, or any sense you could name because nothing was put into detail.

Sadly, I did not like the romance very much despite the LGBTQ+ representation. I found no chemistry between Fatyan and Yzabelle, and this was a major insta-love story which is not something I appreciated. I wish this romance had just been developed a bit better.

This book also had one plot in the first half and another in the second. The first one was Yzabelle trying to control her magic. The second was feeding the town and defeating the people that believed that blessings are bad. I believe that a book should have one single plot, with maybe a side plot or two, but not just a plain two plots.

Another problem with the plot that I had was the fact that there was a giant plot hole here. I don't understand why Yzabelle didn't tell Denis (her fiance and king of Portugal) about her Sahar from the second she stepped into Portugal, especially since she was very close to dying because of it. Yzabelle does say in the very end why, but her reasons make no sense. They were: I thought you would kill me, you locked my ladies maid up for practicing magic, and you threw me in a dungeon for trying to use it to help the citizens of Portugal. Number one, why would you think that if you had no reason to? From what I could tell, she didn't have one. Number two, that just happened, years after she came to Portugal. Number three, same answer as the last, that just happened and years after she first stepped foot in Portugal.

I found it really hard to see beyond all of the religion in this book. Trying to wade through all of that to find the story hidden underneath was a lot of work.

Every time I request a YA book on NetGalley, I panic a little when I remember how hit and miss I am with the YA genre. When I do enjoy a YA novel however, I'm really loving it. A Curse of Roses absolutely falls under that 'love it' umbrella.

A Curse of Roses, tells the story of Yza, a kind-hearted princess forced into an arranged marriage with a man she doesn't love, all fight a curse that turns any food she touches to flowers, a curse that's slowly killing her. In a desperate, last-ditch attempt to save herself, she turn to the enchanted Moura Fatyan, who promises both to cure her and help her train this 'curse' into something that might also allow her to help her people. Slowly, they fall in love. but battle homophobia and political drama.

What's fascinating about this story and what I think makes it so compelling is the small scope. Yza has grand goals of improving the lives of her countrymen, but the focus on this story is on her and the local villagers within her immediate reach. The cast here is small, with only a handful of important named characters, but the politics and court drama never feels empty. It's these two points that really allow Yza's own story, her fight against that terrifyingly internalized homophobia, the development of her relationship with Fatyan, and her partnership with her "husband'". Even the climax of the story is "minor", so to speak, and the story is stronger for it.

The homophobia in A Curse of Roses stems primarily in Yza's Christian faith, something I (and I imagine other readers) am uncomfortable with due to personal background. Yza's internal turmoil of coming to realize she loves women, her deeply internalized homophobia, leads to extreme anguish and even there are mentions of self-harm as well as one fairly intense scene of self-flagellation that I had to take a pause at. While Yza manages to overcome these struggles without losing her faith in God and, in my opinion, well explored, the subjects were deeply uncomfortable to me, who's faced extreme homophobia through Church and have left because. Reader be warn.

Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. The tight scope and small cast made for a tightly woven sapphic story of a young princess trying her best to help her people, while finding love for the first time.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped but I'm pretty sure the issue is more me than the book. There were just certain aspects that weren't really for me. But I really liked the relationships between the characters (both romantic and platonic) and I loved seeing Yzabel's growth throughout the book.

When you’ve spent your whole life being told that your gift is a curse, that your health and safety are contrary to what God wants and that who you love is sinful and wrong, how can you truly help those around you?

Any time Yzabel touches food, it turns to flowers. Not only does her curse keep her starved, but its magic is dangerous in Catholic Portugal … a sign of the devil. In an attempt to rid herself of her curse, Yza seeks the help of an Enchanted Moura. But instead of ridding her of her curse, the Moura must change her perspective, helping Yza wield her blessing to help the famine-stricken people of Portugal before they starve and before Yza’s betrothed - the king of Portugal - finds out.

It is important to note the author’s trigger warnings before reading this book. Religious-based self harm, religious-based eating disorders and religious-based internalized homophobia are constant themes throughout the novel. Regardless, I enjoyed reading this coming-of-age story, where a young girl breaks free of the shackles of her twisted religious education and learns that God’s love does not bring pain, starvation and suffering but love and acceptance.

While the story seemed to lag at parts, I was invested in the relationship between each of the characters, which only grew and intensified throughout the book. Unfortunately, I felt the character that was identified as the villain was not fully developed; his involvement in the plot seemed like an afterthought, as he wasn’t truly introduced until two-thirds of the way through the story.

This was a book that stayed with me after reading. The premise is intriguing and yet disturbing at the same time. The religious themes throughout are well written though this book does come with trigger warnings for eating disorders and homophobia

Oh my goodness!!! This book is fabulous!! I have preordered it for my whole family to read! Pinguicha did a fabulous job with this novel!! I am in love!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yzabel is the princess of Aragon and goes to Portugal to marry the king and secure the peace between both reigns. While doing that, she has to hide from everyone the curse that makes every meal transform into flowers. She goes to rescue and Enchanted Moura, who is the only one who can help with her curse.

As a turn of events, they fall in love. This is my favorite part of this book, together with the fact that it is related a lot to how Yzabel, who is really religious, can accept herself without feeling she is disappointing God.

First of all, I want to comment that I am from Catalonia which, if I am not mistaken, was part of Aragon at the time this book is set, so I am excited because Yzabel is from the same place I am, I was so happy with this little thing while reading. Also, I was expecting a book with lots of magic, love, and action and I wasn't disappointed, although it was not what I imagine at all.

About the characters, they were quite good but I felt like I didn't get enough of them, I would have loved to know them deeper, I finished the book feeling like I just got the surface of who are they and what they want. I miss more conflict, for me, it is like the biggest antagonist was Yzabel lack of confidence.

Then there is religion, I kind of like how the book shows it as a way to love yourself the way you are and if God made you that way is for a reason, I want to say that I am not a religious person at all but I kind of like the approach of it Diana gave.

To end, love was the theme of the book and, as I commented earlier, I like it a lot, but let me go deeper into it. When people read a book about the love they expect a love story, which appears here to obviously, but this book gives so much more than that. This is a book about self-love and acceptance. Yzabel has huge problems with herself and her sexuality, what is translated into self-punishment, you can see how everyone around her just wants to protect her and she doesn't realize that, all she can feel is how everyone will hate her true self if she goes out. To see her improvement page to page was everything.

To sum up, I like this book a lot because I find the message it gives is a really important one nowadays but I missed more action and deep on the characters.

Reading this book I had no expectations since I knew nothing of Portuguese mythology or history but the author’s description of the world drew me in. It is a very interesting plot, that makes me want to read more of Portuguese’s mythology. I loved the characters, although Yzabel could be too self sacrificing at times. Also her relationship with Fatyan was very slow burning and at times I wanted it to sped up, but that’s just me. There are some scenes that can be hard for some to read but overall I really enjoyed this story.