Quick Stats
Age Rating: 14+
Overall: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5

I did enjoy this book, but the more I’ve sat with it, the more I’ve wavered between giving it a 4 star rating vs. 3.5 stars. I think I’m going to keep it at a four.
Pros: The idea behind this story, the idea behind the world, the characters.
Cons: The execution of the world building, the pacing, and the ending.
The characters were, for me, the most enjoyable aspect of this book by far. I loved every single one of them and thought they were well developed and relatable (with the exception of the prince, who felt pretty two dimensional). I liked the idea behind the world, but it was very confusing at times, and there were areas of the world building that needed something more to flesh it out, especially surouning the fairy godlings. The plot itself was interesting and engaging, and it took the beloved “beauty and the beast” story and made it its own in a really unique way. However, the pacing of the story undermined the plot. In many places, the story dragged and felt boring, and then we got to the end and everything moved way too fast and left things feeling rushed. I understand that with a fairytale retelling, you want a happily ever after, but this was just way too much in that respect. It felt unnatural and out of character for both Tevin and Merit.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and if it sounds like something you’d be interested in—go for it, but it didn’t live up to its potential.

The main thing in this novel that had me hooked was the dialogue. The witty, joking dialogue had me hooked on the story and in love with the characters. This gender-swapped retelling put a new twist on the classic tale which I loved. I adored Merit and Tevin and loved them as characters and their relationship.

Curses was a reverse retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was pretty straight forward except that the beast was a girl instead of a boy. The story was pretty interesting and fast paced even though the plot was predictable. I loved the way the characters were depicted in this book.

I personally love Beauty and Beast, so when I saw this version, I grabbed it ASAP. Merit was the MC/ Beast. Her mother wanted her to marry rich, old man to carry forward your their line. But Merit wanted to marry for love and she refused to marry him. The Godling who had come to bless this couple and cursed her.

She had to marry by her 18th birthday to the man of her mother's choice or for true love. If she didn't succeed, she would become a beast forever. Tevin was a conman whose mother was a prisoner of Merit. His ruthless mother exchanged him for her own freedom. Thus began an alliance and dalliance between Merit and Tevin. Their quest to get her a husband and the bond between them.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Read it if you like retellings.

I was so excited to read this one, because I LOVE B&tB retellings, but I unfortunately did not have the time due to a move.

okay i spent so long trying to gain the motivation to read this book. at first i received it as an arc and was on track to finish it by the time it came out. however, i got to the 50% mark and i just could not get through it. i didn’t really like any of the characters, way too many different sub-plots i got so confused as to whose story i was reading now and i just felt like i was dreading to pick up the book. at about 60% i couldn’t read it and i ended up just skimming it until the end.

the story is an interesting concept, just poorly executed.

thanks penguinteen and netgalley for sending me the arc!

I am always a sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings, so I was particularly interested in this genderbent variant. That being said, I found the overall story to be just okay.

What I really enjoyed is that Merit Cravan becomes a beast of her own volition because she refuses to to marry a suitor of her mother’s choosing. However, the caveat is that she will remain a beast unless she gives in prior to her 18th birthday, so obviously she has seconds thoughts about the whole remaining a beast thing.

I did enjoy the additional supernatural creatures aspect to this story. Merit crosses paths with Tevin Dumont who comes from parents that cursed him and his siblings with fae powers, which was a refreshing take on the fairytale.

What didn’t work for me was the pacing. The story felt like it didn’t have a continuous forward momentum. Instead we’d get lulls of Merit’s cursed background and then we’d finally make headway into figuring out how to break it.

I will say that I genuinely wanted to see something more original to the curse breaking than the story that we got. Again, I don’t think this story is bad by any means, but I definitely had higher expectations.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 4.25/5 stars

I really enjoyed this one! It was easy and fun to read and kept a lot of the fairy tale elements while also imagining a brand new world for this story to play out.

I loved all the characters so much! With the switching of povs not only between our two main characters but also a few others it allowed for a full understanding of all of the wonderfully well rounded characters. The only thing I did not like with this was that the povs sometimes switched in the middle of a chapter with no section break or warning which could be a little confusing.

My favorite, of course, was Val, the badass, sharp shooting, shamelessly flirting lesbian. I adored her. The only thing I wished I got from her was an ending! I was so rooting for her and her main love interest and we never got to know if they got together.

Now for my least favorite: Tevin’s parents. Oh my god they were the worst! I was definitely supposed to hate them because these people have absolutely no redeeming qualities. Florencia willingly and enthusiastically traded her son to the beast! I mean, they were just awful.

I thought it was so interesting how they referred to Merit and the beast almost as two separate entities. It was super interesting and brought a new perspective to me. It was really cool to see the curse and the beast slowly take her over through the writing.

Wow I shipped Tevin and Merit so much! They both definitely differ from the original Belle and Prince a lot, but they still work together so well. I loved how Tevin saw Merit’s truth right from the beginning and how Merit saw that he was more than just a con artist. They get each other from the start and I loved it so much.

There were pieces of the original story that I missed in this one, the rose, Belle’s bookishness, and the talking furniture are all things I think could have fit wonderfully into this story but weren’t there. I get wanting to deviate from the original, but I would have absolutely loved to see Merit’s furnitie come alive.

Now for some things I didn’t like. The writing did take a minute to get into. I thought in the beginning it was a little basic, but as the story went on it got better. Secondly, Tevin and Val’s relationship. I loved their friendship, but at times it was just so weird. He’s just a little too close to someone who’s his cousin. Here’s a big one: Merit is not plain or pretty, but perfectly in between. Gross. Just let characters be ugly or plain if they are. Not everyone has to be pretty! The automaton magic also. It felt like it was just included for convenience and to deviate from the original but for me it didn’t really fit the vibes.

Here’s a really big one: the narration misgendered a non binary character. It was only for a few sentences, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. Before Tevin is officially introduced to Ellery, he refers to them as ‘he’ a few times before the others start using the correct they/them pronouns and he corrects himself. It is one thing for a character to accidentally use the wrong pronouns for someone while speaking and quickly correct themselves, but the narration should always be correct. How hard is it to always use the right pronouns? Yeah, I really hated that.

Another thing I didn’t like, Merit occasionally (or really very often) takes a tincture to escape the beast for a few hours. While that is fine, the idea of the curse is that someone must fall in love with a beast. How does that happen when Tevin mostly sees her when she’s human? It just takes something really true and touching out of the love story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! It was a fun and easy read, and a great retelling!

I would recommend this if: you are a fan of retellings, you like easy to understand fantasy worlds, you don’t mind and open-ended ending for your fave side characters.

I would not recommend this if: you don’t like retellings, you are in the mood for a high or epic fantasy

I absolutely loved this one- it was an enchanting, creative take on the Beauty and the Beast Retelling with a magical, fantasy world I ache to live in- fairies and godlings, ladies and curses, enchanted forests, magical flowers- all the best that the fantasy genre has to offer

It was filled with snarky and witty characters, dialogue that had me rolling, and most prominently, a found family that has buried itself into my very soul!

I was so excited for this because Beauty & the Beast retelling?! Yes, please and thank you. However... what I read was not that enjoyable and I cannot exactly put my finger on why I struggled so much with this. Maybe it was the long, drawn out chapters that went on for no reason or perhaps it was the lack urgency on anything. It was a brilliant concept and I'm absolutely here for it, but the delivery left me feeling "MEH'.

Y'all, this book was so fun! I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling and this took that and turned it a bit on its head in the best way (and with fairies)! Almost like a gender bent retelling but...better and unique! I loved the writing style and the humor throughout this book. I loved how likable everyone was, too. If you like the fake dating (/courting) trope then I think you'll enjoy this book, too.

Merit and Tevin seemed to fit so seamlessly together in terms of building a friendship that then turned into romance. I also like how the two were genuinely good people and how Merit truly tried to be herself despite being a beast. Tevin also had his own motivation, in terms of making sure his siblings were taken care and out from under the manipulative eyes of their parents. Yes, you could say this book was predictable but did we expect it to be anything else? I think that's why everything felt so natural as well. I felt bad for the strained relationship between Merit and her mother, but I think it was all about realizing how much pressure Lady Zarla put on Merit when she obviously didn't listen to her daughter in the first place.

I liked how the author didn't really make us hate or dislike, per se, any of the teenaged characters. Mostly it was the adults being awful, and while I wanted to find fault with some of Merit's suitors, the thing is they're all nice. The closeness Merit has with her guard, Kaiya, and her healer, Ellery, was really nice to see as well. It was just so nice to see a slew of characters where no one wanted to backstab one another or had an ulterior motive (sort of). The focus was Merit and that was perfectly fine.

I would have liked to learn a little more about the fairies. They seem to be a every day part of life but I felt a little detached from them despite the events of the book.

Because I read a digital copy, I wasn't sure if this book came with a map, but I sure hope the finished copy does. But despite reading a digital copy, it was difficult to go back to look at the list of characters which would have been no big deal if this were a physical book. Just a random qualm I have.

A fun take on a gender reverse, beauty and the beast retelling. A must read for fans of Beauty and the Beast, Bridgerton, and fantastical lore. Action packed and full of sweet, young love.

Curses was a delightful YA fantasy. I loved the world of fae, humans, and godlings all living amongst each other. I was intrigued by the book being a reversed gender retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Merit has been cursed by a Godling and must marry someone for love or of her mother’s choosing by her birthday or remain a beast forever. In comes Tevin to make sure Merit is a desirable wife to her mothers list of suitors. Tevin makes me swoon, he’s handsome and says all the right things. He is charming. I loved all the side characters like Val! I’m hoping the author writes more in this world because Val needs to get her happy ending with Kaiya. I’d also love to explore more of the side characters and their curses, like Willa and her gifted sister Diadora.

I am a huge fan of fairytale retellings, and this did not disappoint. The author has a way with words that had me forgetting I was not in the story!

Overall: An interesting Beauty and the Beast retelling; however, not my favorite.

Pros:
Gender-bent Beauty and the Beast. As the main driving point, this really was done well.
The Scheme. Yall know I love a good scheme and as far as ploys go, this is a good one. It keeps you wondering how it’ll pan out.

Cons:
Tone. I was expecting something a bit darker, especially based on this premise and cover; however, it was more light and humor filled.
Romance. It was exactly as you would expect, which is not necessarily a negative on it’s own. The negative here is that by the end of the book, it just feels unrememberable.

I had such a fun freaking time with this novel. From the gender role reversal of the beast, the charming conartist, the outrageous curses, ostriches (yes, ostriches) and so much more that separates it from the original story.

Merit was an easily likable MC. Humble, kind and a fun little bit of sassafras rounded out her persona. Tevin... Oh man.. there are not enough words to describe how much he made this novel for me. From start to finish he brought the humor and all the charm into this novel. Highly enjoyed his positive outtake on situations and ability to get out of almost any situation. Even the side characters like the DuMont clan and Fae royals had a depth that was easy to connect with even if there were a lot of them to maneuver through. There is a little LGBTQ+ with one of the characters but not in depth.

I felt this was more character based and didn't see too much in the way of world building. I did enjoy what brief mentions there were of the lands but would've liked a little more background on the Fae magic. Also, this is definitely over 400 pages for those who follow Goodreads page counts. I did not realize that when I planned my reading schedule.

Truly a fun and quirky, gender swapping retelling that had me cheesy grinning as I read. Thank you, Penguin Teen , for the opportunity to read and review this gifted copy in exchange for a review. I'd recommend to readers who enjoy a more off the beaten path retelling that doesn't linger on the darker side of things.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars

This genderbent Beauty and the Beast retelling follows young noblewoman Merit, who must find someone to marry before her eighteenth birthday to avoid remaining a beast forever. She enlists the help of young con man Tevin to find a suitable husband, but soon finds that maybe her perfect match is right in front of her …

This was a really fun little standalone with a cute romance and tons of heart! I really liked the cast of characters, which abounded with charming rogues and badass ladies <3

I don’t think I was expecting the story to be this light-hearted and quirky, so it took me a few chapters to get into. I also kind of wish the stakes had been higher throughout — the bulk of the story focused on balls and meeting suitors rather than action, and I tend to prefer stories with more of a balance of action and character moments. But I enjoyed the banter and intrigue, as well as the dramatic love confessions of course!

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers looking for a light fantasy without a ton of heavy worldbuilding or action but tons of humor and heart!

Curses is honestly one of the most unexpected novels I’ve ever read. I was expecting rich, elaborate schemes, a looming castle, and tense romance. Instead, I got a lighthearted romp through picturesque European kingdoms and sweet friendships. Call me crazy but I would genuinely describe this as My Lady Jane meets Shrek. That sounds shocking. I know. It might not get better but bear with me anyways.
Both Merit and Tevin are pretty cliche characters. However, the atmosphere makes their relatively shallow character arcs okay. It feels right for a little bit of flirtatiousness here, and a little bit of weightless banter there. That’s not to say that they both completely lack depth; Merit has to deal with being a beast and gaining her mother’s approval while Tevin is dealing with abuse from his parents. Their romance was a whirlwind of looks to love which really threw me off. But I guess that’s the Disney approach working its magic.

“Love had to be a gift freely given, something unknowable to someone who only calculated the cost of certain things.”

Back to my little comparison. You see, the setting of this book takes place largely in adorable towns and comfortable mansions, with some pretty landscapes along the way. The writing style, the banter, the characters, and even the plot were all unpredictably wacky. I never knew quite what would happen next, only that it would be quite entertaining and perhaps self-aware. So now you see why I bring up My Lady Jane.
The classiest movie of all time (excepting, perhaps, the sheer genius of The Bee Movie) has a very unique storyline. Curses has the same sort of fresh, fun, slightly insane feeling to it as well! For example, I was pleasantly surprised to see references to lesser-known fairytales, such as the story of the two cursed sisters where one speaks with toads and snakes and the other jewels and diamonds. Also! The whole “i’m not in love with you but i need to help you find true love” plotline was so well-done. Also also, stopping a wedding. You know, the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that Curses is secretly a Shrek retelling in disguise*.

*not really but also…what if…?
I thought that the friendships and family relationships were a nice touch! There wasn’t a lot of petty drama or easily preventable miscommunications, just a lot of loyalty and understanding and love. It was actually rather refreshing. I also* think that this is a book that will appeal well to the older middle-grade audience and the young YA one, considering its content!

“Couples continued to dance and eddy around them, as if they were a boulder in a river – timeless, steady, and unmovable.”

*okay believe it or not but i’ve already edited out SEVERAL iterations of “also” because i guess that’s my favorite word now. clearly, i do not have very long, connected thought trains.
Curses is a uniquely fun adventure that the genre of YA retellings desperately needs. On the other hand, I think I was personally blindsided by how upbeat it ended up being. It felt very much like taking a nostalgia train to the days of watching Disney movies as a child, and just accepting whatever crazy plot point was thrown in. With all of that in mind, I’m going to be totally transparent and do something I’ve never done before. My personal rating for this book is 3 stars, mostly because I was in the mood for a more serious, faithful retelling. However, I’m also going to give this 4 stars, because screw my mood, this was a really well-executed interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast story. I don’t know if that’s allowed in book world but I’m doing it anyways!

I enjoyed this book which is about Merit who is forced to marry a prince or her curse will activate once she turns 18. I'm a huge sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings and when I heard about it, I knew I had to read this book. It's also a reverse Beauty and the Beast where the girl is the beast and the guy is the beauty which I never read before in this style. It's a story that I never knew I needed in my life! I enjoyed the storyline and thought it was well structured. The pacing was well done and I loved how the author's writing flowed throughout the novel. This book was also in Merit and Tevin's pov which I enjoyed.

I enjoyed both characters Merit and Tevin. Both characters had wonderful character development but I have to say it's the same style of character development in other Beauty and the Beast retellings. I still enjoyed both characters a lot and love how Merit is badass and is the one turning into the beast. I also enjoyed the side characters in the book and loved how they were very involved in the story. There were also enemies to lovers' romance and I totally shipped the couple together!

The ending was well done with this book and I read this book pretty quick! It's an amazing Beauty and the Beast retelling and probably my second favorite after ACOTAR. Overall I enjoyed this book which I had very few minor problems with. I totally recommend you guys read it especially if you enjoy A Curse so Dark and Lonely and Of Curses and Kisses.

Giving this one an enthusiastic 4.5!
The reason: Character development and light humor!
This is not the brooding Beauty/Beast parallel you may have envisioned. With an almost regency-genre setup, Merit and Tevin's relationship evolves from 1) the lady who bargained with a reluctant fortune-hunter to 2) a genuine friendship between two individuals who lack confidence in themselves as romantic partners to 3) that lovely next step beyond, where mismatch weddings are disrupted with magical mandolin strumming, an ostrich, and a wildcat repaying a debt. The characters are strong, likeable and individuals that the reader wants to root for.
The author, Lish McBride, cleverly fills out the cast with varied support characters: vain Freddie; slightly silly but dear Cedric; the loyal but cursed sisters; observant and mysterious Amuary; devious, colorful and slightly distasteful mom and pop DuMont... and I could go on! Two characters of note -
-Helpful Ellery - loved that alternative pronouns were highlighted and only tripped up a few times with the reading flow around it.
-Cocky, charming Val - a character that is uncomfortable with traditional female perceptions and thrives as her own person throughout the majority of the story as the official 'best friend'.

Final Opinion: Give this fairytale a chance! It won't take you long to realize this light, fun read is worth your time. #PenguinTeen #NetGalley #Curses
This is an honest opinion based on an eARC

"I love you, Merit. Who else is going to yell at me and throw cake when I'm terrible?"

"Beastly girl is right. You will get your gift from me this night." Merit Cravan = absentee from her own betrothal ball. She refuses to marry her betrothed (old man). The refusal led to her curse. Her curse gives until her next birthday- which is only six weeks away. Tevin DuMont... doe eyes. heart eyes. I'm charmed. A trick of the light. No one could be that handsome. A deal is struck! Curses is an adorably cute story with some seriously LOL moments. There may or may not be a moment like this...


Lish McBride's novel has some of the best side characters! The DuMont brothers *chef's kiss*. Diadora and Willa, Merit's cursed friends, who are akin to Ron Weasley and the slugs.

Yikes. My FAVE scene is between the sisters and Tevin. Tev may or may not be shirtless. Must read to find out! McBride's gender swapped Beauty & The Beast is perfect for YA fans looking for a magical retelling.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
-magic & mages
-Belle & Adam (beast)
-charms & cons
-an absolutely enchanting (literally) LI
-romantic grand gestures
-#IsThisAKissingBook: it's not a kiss...it's combustion. "She just had the wits kissed out of her by the worst possible person."

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for an advanced copy!

Song: Stubborn Love by the Lumineers