I loved this book it was a delightful tale with wonderful characters and settings. I received a review copy from NetGalley but the views and opinions expressed herein are my own.

As a long time fan of Rebecca Zanetti, to say I was excited for this book would be an understatement. If there's one thing I love more than a modern day beauty and the beast retelling, it's when it's a dark romantasy. I mean when a book is described as a technopunk Succession meets Black Mirror with a sexy Beauty and the Beast twist, I'm salivating. SALIVATING I tell you!!

Alana Beaumont and Thorn Beathach come from two opposing companies. In a desperate need to gain the upper hand in his company, Alana's father tells her that she's going to marry the playboy son of a company that they want to merge with, only for Thorn to kidnap her when they first meet.

Alana is not exactly thrilled over an arranged marriage but she's even less thrilled to be kidnapped by the grumpy killer, Thorn. The chemistry between them is an irritating twist she didn't see coming.

I have to say I was super conflicted over my rating. While I enjoyed some elements of this book, like the romance and chemistry between Thorn and Alana, I found myself struggling with the others. The world building took a bit to actually wrap my mind around but then I couldn't find myself to connect or be intrigued by it. Companies that get powered by crystals through social media is a unique twist, but it just didn't click for me. I suppose it just felt lackluster and felt lacking for a romantasy type of read. I did enjoy the darker elements, and the suspense was what ultimately kept me turning the pages.

Ultimately it was just one of those middle of the road type of reads for me. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. It's not something I see myself coming back to but I'm intrigued enough to continue the series.

This book was an interesting experience for me as I don't usually touch darker romances, but the story was stunning and the Beauty and Beast retelling was great! Truly an enemies to lovers book, a trope that I will always enjoy

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of One Cursed Rose.

Morally grey is my favourite colour!

Enemies to lovers, spice, possessive MMC, please and thank you.

A dark, taboo Beauty and the Beast retelling with a very vivid cast of characters, including a morally gray MMC who is possessive and OTT? Not to mention an enemies to lovers trope? All in one GORGEOUS book? Yes, please! I really enjoyed this book and absolutely made sure to preorder the special edition as soon as I was able!

Hold on to your crystal balls because One Cursed Rose is serving some serious dark magic vibes with a modern twist on Beauty and the Beast

Alana Beaumont is not your typical damsel—she’s fierce, bold, and torn between revenge and duty. When an assassination attempt sends her straight into the clutches of the mysterious, ruthless Thorn Beathach, things get real steamy, real fast.
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What you will find in the pages…
🥀Enemies to Lovers
🥀 Kidn@pping
🥀Fairy Tale Retelling
🥀Possessive MMC
🥀Morally Gray
🥀He Falls First

Imagine a billionaire Beast who rules the shadows and refuses to show his face, but still can't resist pulling Alana deeper into his dark world.

Oh, and did I mention the social media empire drama, magical crystals, and deadly family rivalries? 📲🔮 It's a power play where everything, including Alana’s heart, is at stake.
“Thorn: You’re racking up punishments faster than a demon collects debts.
Alana: You’re the damn demon keeping score.”

🔥Their chemistry is electric, their banter sharp, and the tension? It’s a delicious slow burn with an edge that’ll leave you breathless.

Thorn may think he can dominate Alana, but this Beauty’s ready to make her own rules.

Will she end up shackled, or will the Beast meet his match?

With plot twists you won’t see coming, a sexy, obsessive anti-hero, and a dark, seductive love story that’s anything but typical, this is one dark fairytale you have to read. ✨💀

Add it to your TBR if you’re into steamy retellings, mafia-like power plays, and a romance that’s as twisted as it is irresistible. 🔥📚

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I mostly enjoyed the general storyline of this book, however there was a whole lot going on and to keep track of. The magical properties of the stones, the different family lines and their members that are outcasts, the dynamics between the families and the undercurrents of the Beauty and the Beast theme. 3.5 stars.

This book definitely exceeded my expectations! This was a very taboo beauty and the beast retelling with dark romance, dominance, touch her and I'll kill you, mafia-esque vibes and I loved it!

Alana is the sole heir and face of Aquarius Social and although her Father is currently at the helm, she has a lot of responsibility that is very much in the public eye. He plans an arranged marriage between Alana and the son of a rival company to gain more power but before this can go ahead, a failed assassination turns into a very successful kidnapping at anothers hand.
I really admire the thought that went into how these companies work; using minerals and crystals to energise their servers and keep the companies afloat while also giving the owners more power and longevity. I have to admit it took me a while to understand it but the moment something didn't make sense, I was pushed to read more in order to find out and put the pieces together.

My favourite character was absolutely Thorn, the good guy in disguise! The way these characters are written is just incredible, we slowly learn things about each character that made me feel so much empathy and compassion for their situation. The small net of characters made it easy to make assumptions and kept me guessing who the real bad guy was but I was still gobsmacked at the end.
Some scenes flowed really well however there was some chapters where there should have been quite a tense atmosphere but I just didn't get that, and a few chapters that could have been a bit shorter and still had the same impact. The ending I feel could have been a little longer which would have given a greater sense of danger, in my opinion it ended a little harshly and I would have loved to read just a little more and be kept on the edge of my seat.

I would absolutely reccomend this to all of my dark romance readers, the romantasy community and even some who haven't ventured into this genre yet. I think fans of Scarlett St Clair and Emmerson Hoyt would love this. This was a great read and I would love to read more!

A contemporary romance with elements of beauty and the beast in the world of social media and information security. Whew! That's a mouthful!

Alana Beaumont is the heir to Aquarius Social and in order to survive the business environment she's got to merge with another company by way of arranged marriage. Only Thorn Beathach (aka the beast) decides he's not going to let that happen because he wants her. If only he wasn't ill with some unknown illness.

There's some intricate world building here that is a mash up of traditional sort of paranormal elements and contemporary delivery via the web. I found that to be fresh and kept me turning the pages. In spite of Thorn being a bit creepy at the start, I did like Thorn and Alana together.

Overall, I thought there were interesting aspects of this dark crime family-type rivals-to-lovers romance. This is the first book in a series, so I'm curious as to where this is going to go. There were some places where I was left scratching my head, so I hope these questions get answered in future installments. A good start to the series.

3.25/5 stars! This is the first book in the Grimm Bargain's series by author Rebecca Zanetti. This is a PNR and didn't quite live up to my expectations by this author. Rebecca writes amazing crime thrillers, but I didn't feel the same energy in this story. There were too many plot points and things didn't line up concisely. I think I will stick to her crime books.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I love dark romance story and this book hot the spot, I am a slow reader and it took me awhile to finish but I didn't want this story to end. The character was entertaining and the story line fitted well with i love reading. I highly recommend this book .

3.5 Stars ⭐️

Well, I generally start every review of a book by Ms. Zanetti by singing her praises and saying that she is one of my favorite authors, because, well, she is. This book, however, was different from anything that she has written before; it was a retelling of a Beauty and the Beast tale, and it was a DARK retelling.

I will say that at the very beginning, I almost DNF'd, which was a bigger shock to me, believe me. It just didn't feel like I could get a handle on the writing style and the world building was thrown in later as a sort of after thought. I was confused with the magic system - even though it was definitely unique - but it just didn't mesh for me in the beginning and was more confusing than explanatory. Luckily, I kept going and somewhere near the 50% mark, I felt like the story finally found its footing and I found myself really invested in the very unique relationship between Thorn and Alana. Yes, it was dark and yes, Thorn was an OTT alpha male, but I sure did like him. And I liked the dynamics between the two of them.

There is, of course, an interesting set up of 4 families who are basic royalty in a world where power comes from crystals. Each of the family has a specific type of crystal that powers their business - i.e. garnets, aquamarine crystals, diamonds, etc.. and everything revolves around social media.

Thorn has been poisoned (or cursed) and is desperately trying to find out WHO did it and f they can find a cure. There is also a couple if unexpected twists, but whether those twists were believable - well, the jury is still out.

This was definitely not my favorite of Ms. Zanetti's books. But she has written so very many books that I have adored, and everyone is allowed a one off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books | Kensington for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Who can resist a fairytale retelling? Not me! One Cursed Rose is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Alana, heir to her father's social media company is the beauty and Thorn is definitely a Beast, although this has more to do with his actions than the way that he looks. The two of them are from rival families who both run social media platforms, but when Alana finds herself rescued/kidnapped by Thorn, it's clear that there's more than just a spark between them.
This is a dark romance and while it was gripping and I was really drawn in, I usually prefer slightly less dominant men, or at least those that can accept their lover as an equal partner and not feel the need to punish them when they don't follow rules.
The world that this is set in is a little hard to follow. Each of the four families that inhabit it has an affinity with gemstones or crystals. These are then used to power the computers that run the social media platforms. The interactions and follows on social media also add to the power that these crystals and the platforms have. I didn't really understand all of this. I do wonder if it will become a little clearer in future books. (I think I can already spot Cinderella and her 'ugly' sisters). The world also possibly has some kind of connection to Rebecca Zanetti's other series: The Dark Protectors. It mentions the Kayrs family at one point for no real reason, they are key players in that series.
The villain of the story took my by complete surprise. I had no idea that it was going to be them, but I really enjoyed this twist when it was revealed.
This was a gripping read and one I really got into. I think that I'd like to read more in this series, although I did have a couple of reservations about how overpowering Thorn was and how the world actually works.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

A beauty and the beast retelling with a sci-fi modern twist!

Four families have been in power since the dawn of age, now each one competes against the other with their social media platforms. Whoever gets the most exploding stars (likes) gets the first rank.

Alana Beaumont is our beauty, her father is pushing her into an arranges marriage with the son of a rival family to merge their platforms and rank higher, only she gets kidnapped on the night she meets her to-be jerk husband by Thorn Beathach.

Thorn Beathach is the dark scarred beast no one has met and lived to tell the story, also the owner of the first social media platform in the world.
However, his days are numbered after getting infected by a virus from the crystal he charges for the company.
So the last thing he decides to do? Kidnap the beauty he had eyes on for years, swears to protect her for however long he lives.

The chemistry between the two couldn't even be cut with a knife, it needs a chainsaw😮‍💨
The world building was well written, easy to follow. Some action scenes woven into the story perfectly and a shocking plot twist!
As someone who believes beauty and the beast has been overused in retellings, i strongly urge you to give this one a try, it's one of the few i very much enjoyed!

Considering this is an interconnected series, and based on the characters, i assume we are getting a Cinderella for the next book!

One Cursed Rose is a new Beauty and the Beast retelling by romance author Rebecca Zanetti. Part urban fantasy, part mafia romance, this is a romantasy light on the fantasy and heavy on the romance.

Alana Beaumont (Beauty) is the heir to her family's social media empire. In her world, social media empires are fueled by the power of crystals, which certain families have a natural affinity with. These crystals fuel the success of social media platforms and, in turn, are refueled by engagement on social media and by the efforts of the family members who "charge" them.

Thorn Beathach (The Beast) is the mysterious, scarred leader of a rival social media empire. He has a type of synesthesia where voices (but strangely not other sounds?) taste like things to him. Most peoples' voices taste repulsive to him, but Alana's, of course, tastes like honey. This, combined with her being hot, has made him obsessed with her. He, predictably, kidnaps her, and informs her that she will now be his. Alana is, understandably, annoyed by this, but finds herself wildly attracted to Thorn. Meanwhile, he has been cursed in a roundabout way by a freezing spell on one of his crystals, resulting in him literally freezing to death alive. While trying to seduce Alana, he is also trying to prevent his death and break the curse.

✅ Mafia romance
✅ Urban fantasy (minimal fantasy)
✅ M/F romance
✅ BDSM elements
✅ Female lead is a virgin (of course)
✅ Fairytale retelling (Beauty & the Beast)
✅ Romantic suspense

This didn't quite work for me. Parts of it were fun, and I was in the mood for an escapist read when I picked this one up. With that being said, this felt like a mishmash of tropes and ~coding~ mixed with loosely developed magic systems and a lot of sex. As a book about sex - this wasn't bad. As a book about...anything else...this was less good. The plot was boring, the resolution was sudden, and the magic system was wildly underdeveloped. This felt like it tried to be too many things at once - was it a mafia romance with an Irish mafia lead? Was it an urban fantasy where social media is run on magic crystals? Was it a crime romance where a serial killer is hunting the main character? There was a lot happening. Overall, this was enjoyable, but not the best book I've ever read.

⭐⭐⭐ - I liked It

📅 - One Cursed Rose is available now!

DNF @10%

This one isn’t for me, and that’s okay! It’s about four ruling social media companies/families except they operate like a mafia. Each company has crystals and social post engagement powers the crystals and gives the families healing properties and longer lives. But one of the companies is owned by a vigilante creature that likes to murder people? I'd classify this as paranormal/magical realism.

The “Beauty and the Beast” theme pulled me in, but I’m not sure. The MMC stalking the FMC feels intense, while the magic system feels juvenile. I didn’t make it very far, but already I’m like no.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

Very interesting take on Beauty & the Beast. Since Rebecca Zanetti doesn’t write dark stories I wasn’t sure what to expect. This is not as dark as I expected, which I am really glad, but definitely darker than she usually writes. Some of the twists are so unexpected and so good. One thing I didn’t care for was the social media aspect of the story. I know it is important for the story, but I am not a fan of social media. It does not take away from the story, but did not add anything for me either. Looking forward to the next book.

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti is the first book in the Grimm Bargains Series. This is a forbidden and dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
 
Alana is the heir to a media empire and her father arranges to marry her off and she tries to find a way out of it. Alana is sassy and wants to go her own way and I liked that. But before the wedding happens, someone attempts to assassinate her and she is rescued by Thorn Beathach, the head of the rival media company and that’s when things get interesting.
 
Thorn is a coldhearted and cutthroat businessman, and he has clear goals. He is rich and ruthless, and everyone refers to him as the beast and Alana quickly learns why. Thorn is such an interesting character but there are a lot of layers to him, and I feel like this book only scratched the surface.
 
The coolest part was Thorn‘s house and especially his library. There are also mysterious and magical elements interwoven in this story that mainly have to do with technology and they weren’t fully developed and at times I would have preferred if it was only a dark romance. Other than that, the book is pretty spicy, and I flew through it.
 
Overall, One Cursed Rose has a very unique concept and it’s definitely a new spin on a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but something was just missing for me. 3,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books the author for the gifted e-book.

I enjoyed this book. The story had a captivating mix of "Beauty and the Beast" with a darker twist.

The story revolves around four families who control social media using crystals to power their servers. The main character, Alana, is the only heir to Aquaris after her brother's tragic car accident. Thorn, a competitor with an attraction to Alana, is also dying from the inside out, linked to the crystals. As the story progresses, Alana's father's decision to merge companies by marrying off his daughter changes everything. When Alana's life is in danger, Thorn steps in to protect her, sparking an intense love affair between them.

The book is brimming with unexpected twists, engaging dual perspectives, and remarkable character dynamics, particularly the banter between Alana and Thorn. Alana's friends also play a strong supportive role. While the ending felt rushed, the book kept me thoroughly engaged until the last page, especially as details about Alana's brother's death and Thorn's cure were revealed.

If you're a fan of retellings, fantasy, and dark romance, you'll love this book.

Side note: Check the trigger warnings before reading