| Title | : | One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargains, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1496748352 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781496748355 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published June 25, 2024 |
In my world, billionaires play deadly games of insult and influence where magic is the dirtiest weapon of all. Here, even a powerful princess can be swallowed by the darkest of shadows . . .
My name is Alana Beaumont, and due to a recent tragedy, I’m the sole heir to Aquarius Social, a family business being systematically dismantled by an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to give me in marriage and create a coalition with a competing family, so I’m torn between my thirst for revenge and my duty. Now I just have a week to finish my hunt before the wedding.
There’s nothing like an assassination attempt to cut short the best of plans—even worse is my unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the Beast whose social media empire is driving Aquarius under. The richest, most ruthless of them all, he protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.
Adam may think he can lock me in his castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.
One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargains, #1) Reviews
-
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley @netgalley for the e-arc. All Thoughts are my own.
Alana is the sole heir to Aquarius Social. Her fathers solution to the family business being dismanteled is to give her in marriage to create a coalition.
There’s nothing like assassination to cut short the best laid plans.
I don’t know if the dark romance I read is on the extreme end, or what, but I didn’t find this to be a dark romance. Maybe you could say it has some darker elements? But I wouldn’t go as far to say it was a dark romance. So, to say I felt misled is an understatement. I also couldn’t get into the idea of the gems powering the computers. I kept looking for an understanding of how this worked, but I felt the world building was lacking in this regard. I never could fully comprehend why they were so heavily relied on, or what their role fully was.
Now with all that being said, this book did have some elements I enjoyed. I loved the suspense elements of the story; they kept me wanting more and on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I also really enjoyed the dual points of view. Stories written this way are some of my favorite because I feel they fully allow me to be immersed in the story and get to know the characters.
This book is the first in a new series, and overall, I don’t think that it kept me invested enough to keep reading it. I do think that it was entertaining enough, just not so much that I care to continue. -
One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti
Grimm Bargains series #1. Fairy tale retelling. Dark romantic suspense with paranormal / magical elements.
Alana Beaumont works at Aquarius Social using emotions to gain followers and power the network crystals. It’s a “family” business and ratings are everything.
Thorn Besthsch owns Malice Media in direct competition with Aquarius Social. He follows Alana, not only from her postings, but he’s also in the dark shadows wherever she goes. When Thorn uncovers an assassination attempt, he intervenes and kidnaps Alana himself. He considers her his now to protect, and keep. Unfortunately someone has loaded a virus to his computer systems which is freezing the garnet that powers everything. And that freezing from the inside out is having the same impact on Thorn himself.
Stalker much? No, it’s just the current trendy dark mafia romance where Thorn must dominate and protect Alana from everything including herself.
The best part for me besides the banter is Alana spending a lot of time in Thorn’s library. It’s huge and well stocked with ladders all around and comfy couches. She finds obscure books of poems, books on gems and so much more. It’s only later that Thorn realizes she can read over a half dozen different languages including his native Gaelic.
Thorn is probably considered an anti hero. He’s demanding, authoritatively harsh and dominating. Killing, or fighting or ordering those things done is just in his nature. There are pieces of humanitarian philosophy there, but it’s certainly not the reason he has hungry man-eating fish in his moat! Or how he tortures / questions others.
Additional mysteries are interwoven in the story including the death of Alana’s brother (which occurred before this book started) as well as a serial killer that seems to be stalking Alana lookalikes. Or is it just a miss from Alana herself?
Action packed and spicy hot spankings make this book breathtaking and provocative. You won’t want to put it down until the end.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. This is an author and book I will purchase all formats and more to share with avid reader friends. -
Whoa! I was not expecting this wonderfully dark read when I started.
Thorn definitely lived on the dark side. He had all the fierce attributes that I crave in a hero including a bit of stalking and the “mine” mentality. He was a scary dude even to a reader like myself that enjoys mixing in a bit of darkness every now and then. Alana intrigued me as much as Thorn did. She was the complete opposite of him, bright and shiny hiding her intellect and true purpose behind her smile.
While I loved both Alana and Thorn as separate characters, when they were together they were explosive. Their interactions lit my Kindle on fire. They were white hot and went places that i never expected to see them go. I swear I had to turn the a/c down! This is not your vanilla retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
With all that was amazing with the main characters, it would have meant nothing to me without the wonderfully orchestrated storyline that went with them. This feels like a different world. One based on our current addiction with social media. I was definitely intrigued by the connection these characters had with their program servers and my interest continued to grow as the story progressed.
With the addition of suspenseful twists and turns, as well as amazing characters that I hope will receive their own stories, there is no denying that this book has superseded any that I’ve read by this author previously. Bring on the darkness Ms. Zanetti!
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam -
This is going to be a hard one to give a comprehensive review to, mainly because the dichotomies are so pronounced.
On the one hand, Rebecca Zanetti is an amazing writer. Man, she can write suspense and thrillers while weaving fabulous romance in and add intriguing side-stories like nobody’s business! Whether it’s paranormal or just straight up suspenseful and scary, her books are always page-turners. And this one is no different. It is hard to put down, for sure!
On the other hand, this is the first book of hers in memory that isn’t completely tight and understandable. There are tons of plot holes that aren’t explained and just left oddly hanging. For instance, what is up with the odd mention of child trafficking, or the Italian Mafia mention? Or all the references to the crystals, how they power computers, how they affect people to the point of being able to kill them with viruses? It’s all part of the story but the holes in understanding are huge! Also, so many small threads that are never closed. And, that is weirdly unlike this super talented author.
On a personal note - the whole “dark” romance aspect didn’t work for me at all in this instance, either. I just can’t wrap my head around (and therefore accept) shoving a knife inside a woman, or whipping a woman’s private parts (between her legs) with a belt being a turn-on or, for that matter, ANY part of making someone fall in love. Nope, nope, nope.
So, while I love the writing style and the suspenseful aspects were top-notch, I would probably recommend other works from this author if one is taking a gander. -
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating 3.25
Rebecca Zanetti is an author I enjoy and have been reading for years. So when I hear she's written a dark romance I thought I would give it a try.
I enjoy dark romances, but I am picky on which ones I decide to read. Not all are to my taste.
The hypothesis of this story is based on four families who run large/popular social media programs. The catch is that these programs run on gems, crystals and diamonds. It is also generated or strengthened by their fans and people responding to their posts.
We have our hero, Thorn who is head of one of the social platforms and he's become obsessed with Alana. Alana is a popular influencer of a rival platform and family.
This is a retelling of beauty and the beast. LOVED that part.
Thorn- loved him. If you like alpha, strong, I mean STRONG hero's he's your man. But can also be very sweet too.
Alana-loved her as well. She is a beautiful, smart (but hides it) and sweet heroine.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, the synopsis does a good job of that. But I will say it had a little bit of everything in this story line.
Now why only a 3.25 rating, even though I loved the MC.
Here are the negatives.
It was hard to follow the basis of the gems and crystal and how they relate to the running of the media platforms and the power they generate to the hero and heroine. I think there needed to be a more detailed laying of ground work on explaining all the workings of how they all interconnected and worked. I think it would have made the story smoother and more enjoyable. I would have been even more invested.
This is a personal preference here, butttt a bit much on the kinky sex. I would have perfered more love making. I did skim scenes as it became a bit much.
And warning there is some graphic violence.
And the ending was a little confusing and long on the gems and how they resolved Thorn's curse.
Epilogue was way too short.
Things I enjoyed.
The banter and chemistry are off the charts. That absolutely had me hooked. Loved these two together.
The secondary characters. Had me intrigued and wishing for their stories.
Liked that I had no clue who the villain in the story was.
Action and mystery.
I probably will read the next book. But am hoping that some things are made more clear and the kinky stuff is toned down....or will do some skimming again if not. 😬 -
Fantasy/Paranormal is not my genre of choice. I love Rebecca Zanetti, but I've never gotten into her series where there is extensive world building and I had a tough time getting into this book. The set up of crystal's energy running the world and four families that run the social media of the world just didn't grab me. I am so not the audience for anything social media related. Facebook and Goodreads are the extent of my social media universe. An influencer, to me, is just an egocentric narcissist. People who are that easily influenced are just sheep, really dumb.
Alana is the daughter of the founder of a social media site, Aquarius Social. She is their major influencer, but she tries to use her power for good, charities and saving the abused, one case at a time.
Thorn Beathach is mysterious, violent and the head of a rivel, Malice Media, to Alana's company. He also is stalking Alana and has major thing for her.
Based on the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast". But make no mistake, this is no Disney version.
My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way. -
Ok, I'm totally intrigued! I don't think I've read anything like this before. This is a beauty and the beast retelling with a very unique twist to it. It's a bit mysterious with the crystals and why some families have an affinity to certain stones. It seems there is great power with the stones, but a lot is unknown in this first book. I enjoyed the main characters. Thorne was obsessed and I like that he took what he wanted. He's dark but I a good kind of dark. Alana is more than what she shows to others. She strong and smart. I liked them together. I'm very interested to see where this series will go. This was a great first in the series!
-
As you know I am always game for a Beauty and the Beast retelling and was excited to dive into Rebecca Zanetti’s dark romantic fantasy. From the world that blends magic and technology by utilizing social media I quickly found myself caught up in this story of power, danger and romance.
In this world, five families control the magic and gain power and wealth through social media and the powering of gemstones used to run their servers. It was a unique setup. We meet Alana Beaumont, who by outwards appearance is a wealthy socialite who parties, wears designer clothes and posts it all on social media. Her family, the Beaumonts, run Aquarius. They’ve recently suffered a tragic loss. Alana’s brother died in a tragic car accident, only she suspects foul play. Now stocks are slipping and her father wants to merge families through marriage; with Alana as the bride.
Alana is not just a pretty face. She is smart, can wield stones and has no intention of marrying. Someone else things Alana is smart, sexy and his….. when her life is in peril he swoops in and saves her. Some might call in kidnapping. Thorn Beathach, the Beast whose social media empire is driving Aquarius under and who has a dark reputation as a killer, brings Alana to his lair.
The tale that unfolds was sexy, suspenseful and full of twists as we learn Thorn has been cursed. I loved their back-and-forth banter, his neanderthal ways and her fire. A little BDSM, sweet gestures, and chemistry kept me vested in the romance even as I thrilled to learn who cursed Thorn, if Alana’s brother was murdered and who tried to kidnap Alana.
An interesting cast of side characters, including a Gaston, made for an intriguing tale. Zanetti’s story was well paced and the world solidly developed, allowing me to become completely lost in the story.
There are triggers to be found for some and some grey areas involving consent, but I had no issue with it. If you love rivals to lovers, sparks, suspense, mystery and romance weaved into your fantasy retellings, you’ll want to add this one to your summer reading list. I look forward to the next novel in the Grimm Bargains series.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer -
Thank you to Kensington and BiblioLifestyle for the free copy in advance of publication. I was really excited for this one but really wasn’t sold on it being succession meets dark mirror—there were similarities for sure, but it was not nearly at their level.
I read this on the beach and it was a perfect beach read, but also one that I was mostly hate-finishing by the end. The concept of crystals powering the internet and getting powered by social media exploding hearts, which in kind granted power and longevity to the owners of the internet companies was absurd and full of plot holes, as was the rest of the book (in my opinion). So much happened in it, but none of it really mattered. I thought the spice was mostly written well, but also that the book was extremely rapey and I just couldn’t get behind that. Like there were legitimately points where the FMC said no and the MMC was all “you know you want it, baby,” not even taking into consideration the whole context of her having been kidnapped/the power dynamics. There were honestly just lots of choices made with this story that didn’t make any sense nor serve the narrative.
All that being said, I do think there is an audience for this book. But woaaaah, bear, I am not it. -
Mystery Aspects Lacking
3.5 Stars.
Gotta Have Romance with a Kick
July 2024 Group Reads
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This started out great. Moving quickly with fast action.
But around one third of the way in the pace started slowing down. It's started having trouble keeping my attention. I thought maybe it was my mood. And that was a small part of my problem. But by two thirds in I realized what the problem was.
The MC's are often described as The Best in intelligence etc. Yet every time either one of them got close to what was going on and who was behind the attacks on both of them they just let other things distract them or ignored the information.
The other problem was when the main culprit finally makes a big move where Alana is in danger & she and Thorne know who it is, the action wasn't smooth. It was a definitely lacking.
Also the ending with Alana figuring out the solution to Thorne's Curse and who was involved was discombobulated and way too forgiving.
There were way to many words used that went nowhere. The mystery/suspense just wasn't conveyed properly. It really felt like the author was going for word and page count and not paying attention to WHAT she was writing.
The romance was great for the most part. Thorne really shines. The sex scenes were very hot Hot hot.
As much as I live this author, I'm not sure I want to read the next book in this series. -
First off I got confused because this books was being sold as a fantasy. It is not. It’s a “dark” (aka I Hate Women And Love To Abuse Them Disguised As A Kink) and a “mafia” romance to boot. I HATE mafia books. I already know the “men” (boys) are toxic and abusive and the “women” (girls/females) are Not Like Other Girls. I have never wanted to have kids, but god damn am I glad I don’t have to raise one in today’s society. What today’s girls and women have to deal with while growing up and listening to books like THIS is honestly concerning. Not to mention boys read this shit to learn what girls “like” and thus an incel was born. But incel is quickly losing its toxicity and becoming normal it seems. Sorry (not really) but I’m gonna kink shame here, especially when I was NOT warned about it to begin with. But a knife? Shoved up your vagina? Really? How on earth is that enjoyable or sexy? Boys growing up to become sadistic and women growing up thinking that their behavior is ok. Whoever enjoys this needs a bit of therapy. 🤦♀️
I’ll be staying clear of this author going forward and getting a refund. -
Anyone who pays attention to my reading habits knows that Rebecca Zanetti is an author I HAVE to read. No joke. Anything she writes, I want it. Hearing about a dark romance from one of my favourite authors? You know I had to get my hands on it. So here's what I liked:
➤ Beauty and the Beast... twisted and screwed.
➤ rivals to lovers plot. You know it's going to be hot when their relationship starts off with animosity, defiance, and misunderstandings.
➤ Thorn's a stalker. Watching his prey's every move, but never really getting to know her... until he kidnaps her!
➤ a stunning AND smart heroine. Alana was so much more than she seemed and I enjoyed watching her embrace her power.
➤ the fantastical elements with the gems. I still don't really understand the power that these stones have, but I'm very interested in learning more.
➤ the bond that grew between our protagonists. It may have been a tad unorthodox, especially with the way Thorn courted Alana, but it was entertaining.
My only issue with this story — aside from the missing information about the gems, their power, and how and why they're relied upon — was the fact that I was promised a dark romance and this wasn't it. Aside from the kidnapping, the captivity, the killing of people (by Thorn), and the mystery surrounding some other deaths, there wasn't anything really dark. It was more suspenseful than anything else. It did read differently than anything I've read from this author before. I had to remind myself a time or two about who actually wrote this story because the tone felt very new.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense with a splash of the supernatural in their love stories. -
3⭐️
lmao this was so ridiculous but also really funny and it doesn‘t take itself seriously.
It‘s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but make it modern, include some social media, some very unclear magic system involving stones and their ability to be charget by humans & be connected to computers. Also, there‘s a virus that can affect people. Think trojan turns covid.
Anyway, at the centre of it we have Alana and Thorn who have the most ridiculous (Stockholm Syndrome) relationship ever. It‘s supposedly dark romance, but to me it was light grey.
So much didn‘t make sense - such as the distribution of shares, how medicine works, plot inconsistencies… etc. But I still ate it up and it was a ton of fun.
Which is why I‘m giving it 3⭐️. I can‘t give it a higher rating in good concience, but give it a try if you want to be entertained and like to switch off your brain every once in a while.
Also, this was the funniest sentence: „My clit jerks in denial“. Girl, same, I hate it when my clit has a mind of its own. 😂
The publisher sent me this book for review consideration but all opinions are my own. -
listen. ok. KISTJISMFDSOFJ
i never read dark romance, so for my one big pick i read the mafia boss of romance books. welcome back fifty shades of grey welcome back every fairy tale retelling ever welcome back haunting adeline welcome back mafia romances welcome back etc etc etc
the premise itself is a clusterfuck in the most entertaining way possible. the main character is a social media influencer whose family owns the social media site. the site powers magical crystals that she's spiritually connected to. only 4 families in the world control the magical crystals. (from what i can tell they're all white. only four families in the world and one of them is italian). also they're so territorial they're basically the mafia. secretly, our heroine helps abused women. she looks like a bimbo but she's not. she's a virgin because her father is so protective over her. are we going to freudian analyze how the love interest is similarly territorial? absolutely not. she is the belle of our story, alana.
the beast of our story is some american irish motherfucker named thorn. he's an obsessive stalker sociopath who kills child sex traffickers but is also a reclusive billionaire who also has his own social media empire and apparently runs a mafia. because of course. don't worry he's beautiful (in the most masculine way possible) except for the scar on his face (it doesn't stop him from getting mad pussy). he smells like testosterone and cedar. and every time our belle speaks he tastes honey and the sound of her voice drops straight to his bawls. his crystals are cursed and so he's dying.
what happens in this book? fuck if i know. girlie gets kidnapped by him, they have sex, then unkidnapped but he still shows up every so often so they can have sex. i expect nothing less. alana's chapters are soooooo normal it's kind of insane when they're having a normal conversation and then suddenly there's a pov switch and the next thing you know she's bent over. but, i know what i signed up for!!! the sex itself is just kinda standard bdsm material idk. at some parts, though, i couldn't help myself from laughing.
so much to laugh over. so much. he gets mad at her for "hiding her intelligence from him" although he's been stalking her for years and it's been on full display he's just a moron. he thinks about how she learned more languages to read more books and instantly thinks about jerking off. the entire disney fairy tale catalogue has equivalents in this world. when they go to the equivalent of cinderella's stepmother's house, they get served pumpkin soup. that alone was enough to send me into stitches.
this book knows it's kind of off the wall and leans into it. it's not meant to be played entirely straight. there was an air of silliness permeating the entire thing. i was living. i was crying. i was listening to the audiobook during work and laughing at my desk and would've been mortified if anyone asked what i was listening to but none of my coworkers gaf about me so i was safe.
at one point, ryan gosling was mentioned. this was a personal attack. even worse, my friend sent me a picture of ryan and "no i was kind of being a jerk about the whole hymen thing" (real quote from the character compared to ryan gosling). yes, i did cry.
every so often, traditional romantasy terms would slip through like "male" and "mate". hello?????? everyone here is human and mates aren't a thing. like... okay... i know what you are and i know who this book was written for.
the twist at the end? bad. but insane. so entertaining. soooooo entertaining. guardians of the galaxy ass ending. so much was happening. so much. i was cry laughing. jesus wept. do i know why women find this sexy? only theoretically. did i find it sexy? not really. was this the most entertained i've been in week, months, maybe even years? yes. YES.
as a romance, i give it one star. as an entertaining read, i give it five stars. for the sake of my sanity, im ultimately giving it three stars. -
This was good, I didn't think I would like it because of the rocky start but I was interested till the end of the book. This is a dark romance so please check the tw's before you read it cause there are a lot. It's a dual POV that follows the fmc Alana, a social media influencer, and the heir to a family business after her brother dies. The mmc who is some sort of mafia villain is obsessed with her and kidnaps her bit and as they get to know each other she realizes that she is attracted to his dark side despite his villain ways. There's also a fantasy element to the book because the mmc is infected by a bug that's killing him by freezing his insides and the crystal energy part. The romance worked for a dark romance, there's some non-consent, knife and razor play, light BDSM and it's quite spicy. There's also a mystery element as they try to figure out what happened to the fmc's brother. My biggest issue was the virgin fmc trope, it's icky especially when its a point that the characters discuss. Overall I liked it and if you like dark romance that's also loosely inspired by The Beauty and the Beast you should check this out.
-
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
One Cursed Rose is the first book in this authors newest series "Grimm Bargains" and it was first off so nice to see her get back to mainstream romance as she has been releasing romantic thrillers of late. I was so intrigued by this one, and I do love a wonderful fairy tale retelling and this one was definitely at the top of the list of very authentic showcased. I just adored everything that we got to see from this one. It had everything you can expect from a Beauty and Beast retelling and even has the library in it. So that was fun. But what we also get is a blend of magic as the heroine has some psychic witch like abilities connected to crystals and I just found all the world building so fascinating. Rebecca Zanetti succeeds in everything that she writes, and this book is no exception.
First Line
The Shadows shift uneasily in the chilly night as I prowl against the brick buildings, rainwater dripping from the eaves high above.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Thorn
The Heroine: Alana
Summary
Alana is the heir to Awaurius Social, she is a bubbly entertainer and has a connection to the crystals that no one else has. There is a certain magical property in crystals and how her family has built such a prestige and successful business with it. But her father is pushing her towards a arranged marriage to secure a connection to another family and she has very little choice in the matter. But then where she least expects it, an assassination attempt is made on her life and she is taken captive by a secretive rich mogul, Thorn Beathach. Thorn knows that Alana is his and will always be his but there is one major problem ....he is cursed and is slowly dying from a ice curse that is making him slowly die from the cold and only certain crystals help hold off the curse. While Alana is in his large castle, they form a deep connection, but real life happens and Thorn is forced to let her go. But Alana and Thorn are meant to be even if fate has other plans...
What I Loved
One Cursed Rose is one of the TOP TIER Beauty and Beast retellings that I have ever had the pleasure to read. I have no idea what this author plans for this series, but I can tell you I will be preodering these and keeping a close eye on release dates from here on out. I am not sure why I took so long to read this one here, I kept putting it off but it was STELLAR in every way! If you love edgier romance or dark romance, then I can't recommend this one enough. So many fun aspects and it definitely was a retelling that just worked and Zanetti really capitalizes on the retelling aspect while also adding in her own twists here and there to make it her own. But I can tell you if you love more close connected retellings, you can't go wrong with this one.
One Cursed Rose had quite a few elements in it that quickly won me over. First off...the hero. The hero, Thorn, is a man of mystery. There is so much darkness surrounding him. He is scarred and cursed, but he also keeps to himself. He is broody and grumpy and controlling. He knows Alana is his fated heart and stalks her at times. He also is a man you don't cross nor can hide from. He also has brothers who are just as secretive as he is. Then we have our heroine who is his opposite in every way. She is passionate, a go getter, bubbly and endearing and so hilarious. She loves to battle Thorn in her own way and seeing her find her own strength against this powerful man was a hoot. The spice in the book is top tier if that is what you need in a romance, then it definitely has that but these scenes can easily be skipped over if you aren't a fan of spice as well. The romance was so deep and rich in this story, and the author really developed the relationship building aspects to the story just right.
What I Struggled With
There wasn't much I struggled with to be honest, and it was a five star. It didn't quite make it to 6 star status, but it was a close call.
Narration
Superb in every way. It really was so well mastered and really developed the feels that you can expect from a Zanetti romance.
Overall View
One Cursed Rose is a utterly engrossing fairytale retelling that will make your heart skip a beat and deliver thrills and sexy vibes from beginning to end! A true gem!
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance, Dark Romance
Character Types: Alpha Male, Captive Heroine
Themes: Pining Hero, Curses, Psychic Abilities
Tropes: Fated Love, Fairy Tale Retelling-Beauty and the Beast
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A mix of both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Rachel L. Detmer
Greer Rivers
Katee Robert
Song This Book Inspires
My Blood by Ellie Goulding
Recommendation For Reading Order
No
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Narrators:
James McAdams
Felicity Munroe
-
This is touted as a dark romance with echoes of the Beauty and the Beast story. I found it less a dark romance and more a romantic suspense with some kink . I think this is because the author at heart is a hopeless romantic herself so incapable it seems of truly wanting her characters to suffer. Yes Thorn is without a doubt controlling and dominant but from his first meeting ( ahem kidnapping ) with Alana he tells her he loves not likes her. Yes that's a bit of a crazy stalker vibe but as much as he feels she is his so too does he know that he belongs to her !
Alana is seen as a pampered Princess but in reality she is a clever woman who is heartily underestimated. I loved that about her and it made her choices so much more believable. There is mystery here as Alana has recently lost her brother and is now expected to fill his role but there's also a subplot as Alana lookalikes are turning up dead ! Its a good thing Thorn is determined to protect her even if he cannot save her from himself !
This story revolves loosely around social media but not powered by electronic devices as we are used to but by certain individuals who can interact with crystals and although the metaphysical science is explained I think the reader has to just go with the flow and sink into this idea to get the best out of this new series. It certainly made it unique and I'm obviously all for that. A good start to what I'm sure will be an entertaining series and I look forward to continuing this journey.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair -
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I’ll start by saying I’ve always wondered if people were truly honest when they received an ARC copy, or if they even actually read the book. I can guarantee both here, and this is the first ARC I’ve ever received. I actually considered pre-ordering this book on Amazon because it looks beautiful, and I’m a sucker for sprayed edges. But I can affirmatively say I won’t now….this book just wasn’t for me.
The crystals/charging, sci-fi piece of this was lost on me. But I could have gotten over that. And dark romances don’t bother me, but the extreme kink does. No part of me wants to read about a woman being “spanked” until she’s bruised…and even less of me wants to read about a woman being whipped with a belt in her private area repeatedly while she’s sobbing. Maybe I’m just too vanilla, but there’s absolutely nothing you can do to convince me that’s pleasurable and not abusive. I love a good “I’ll hurt everyone that’s ever wronged you and scorch this earth for you” man. But “punishing” and “controlling” a woman…so much as to implant a tracker in her when she’s unconscious…yeah, that’s not my style.
The banter was okay, the plot twists just meh (I guessed them both ahead of time), and a lot of it was too forced. It would have been a lower rating for me, but the writing style was easy, I stayed engaged for a lot of it, and it was a quick read. If you want 50 shades meets stalker/dark romance meets sci-fi…this might be for you. But it’s a hard pass for me. 2.5 rounded down. -
Thorn’s obsessed with Alana and stalking her. Alana is that sparkly party girl with all the followers in social media, or at least that’s the persona she tries to look like.
Both are hiding a lot of secrets: Thorn is sick and slowly dying and Alana is helping women and children.
Both of them are from 2 of the 4 different families that manage the crystals. Every family has an affinity to one crystal. And all have developed AI social media apps. Their platforms use that advanced AI technology to analyze their users emotions in real time, then their crystals get power and so they get power and energy, and with that energy they improve their health and longevity. It’s not magic per se but something paranormal. People doesn’t know about this, only the families that have a treaty.
Thorn hasn’t been seen in years but when Alana's father wants her to marry a guy from another company/family (so together they can kick back the other 2 families), he kidnaps her and takes her home with him. And then they start to know each other and their relationship kicks off.
Alana is such a sweetheart and innocent, and Thorn is all alpha protective and possessive, but sometimes sweet with Alana. There’s a lot of banter, and very hot smexy times.
Mysteries about her brother’s death, about her nightmares, about Thorn and his illness, about her father, and more. It’s a really engaging plot.
There’s a trigger warning about violence.
Safety details: virgin h (she had her first kiss at 15 with an older guy), no virgin H (only thing about his past is that he had a night of sex and nothing more with those women from his past but didn’t seem like he was a manwhore), some unwanted OM drama and a little unwanted OW drama too (nothing big and none interwoven with their pasts). -
This book wasn’t what I hoped for at all.There was no plot nor character development.I didn’t understand the world itself.I liked the love Interest but again I think it was forced.A lot of people were telling me that if I love Sarah M J mass this book was for me but honestly I think they were in crack because you cannot compare this shit to Sarah’s writing.🩷🩷Love u Sarah 💗💗
Lets go to characters
MC-Alana
I think this girl deserves the clown emoji ngl 🤡
She was honestly kinda stupid this whole book.Asking stupid questions and whenever the love interest was literally talking about killing causes he’s a psychopath she would get wet.Like girl he could carve you into pieces.stfu
LI-Thorn
The name says it all-the author does not love him to give him a decent name.Like his brothers name is Justice-Like this isn’t the store next to Claire’s😭😭.The whole book he was honestly killing people for what he thought was a good reason but I think he was just bored.He was following her the whole time and was obsessed with her.like bro if u want something so bad then just get a dog and let it follow u around.He is always super obsessive.Like I get it she’s hot but calm down son.
Most of the other characters were kinda irrelevant so I’m not going to mention them.
⬇️⬇️
Plot-The plot honestly didn’t make sense-like how are u going to charge crystals😭and how does it power the media world-I feel like the author just needed something so she just added that but it didn’t make sense.
setting-The setting was ngl non existent.The only bit I got was Thorns house which had a moat🫢yes a moat.And it was this old house on the water like bro you are not Dracula.
The spice🌶️🌶️🥵-I am usually all about spice and I think it’s definitely needed but I also know when the spice just isn’t spicing and it was this book.
Overall-This book overall isn’t bad it just needs some work and revising.It wasn’t my cup of tea but if you like this stuff I would recommend. -
Modern retelling of beauty and the beast, with SPICE. This is a dark romance. Beautiful foil cover, sprayed edges, reversible dust jacket. I devoured this book. Loved the characters, Thorn is so possessive, but a big softy. Can’t wait for more in this series!
-
I'm glad I read this via Libby rather than buying the beautiful special edition. This book was a mess.
The romance was so weird in that they'd never met but because he told her she'd want him, she did. She wasn't even at his place for very long. An undeniable crush, sure. But straight up in love?! I didn't buy that.
Also, how are you going to make these magical gems a central plot point but not explain in detail how they work? The magic in this world is never explained either. Or the four families.
I hated it. I finished it only so that I could feel justified in my hated. -
For me it is actually a DNF. It seems like a good plot in itself, it is the need to have painful sex acts inflicted on a virgin to like it that ruined it for me. Totally ruined the plot for me. Sex and spice are one thing but this need to get on the 50 Shades of Gray bandwagon is annoying. Another book I did not read.
-
2⭐️
"For her? It's already too late. She looks up, and our eyes lock. Hers widen. Her pupils contract. Definitely too late."
I was excited for this one but ultimately, it just wasn't for me. It felt like it was trying too hard to be too many things. A Beauty and the Beast retelling, a mafia story, an obsession-filled stalker romance, with ultra-modern things like the crystals. It was just all over the place and didn't end up being any of those things well enough.
It doesn't seem that I'm alone in not understanding whatever the hell was going on with those crystals. They were powered by social media? But made people live longer?
This is billed as a dark romance, and I think that stands. It has a obsessed, dominant male and some kink, s&m style scenes- if that's not your thing, beware. But I think it failed to show any actual connection between Thorn and Alana. I just didn't feel any genuine romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
📚 Summary: Alana Beaumont is thrust into a world of magic, power, and dangerous games as the heir to her family's business. With an unseen enemy dismantling her legacy, her father arranges a marriage to form an alliance. An assassination attempt and an unwanted rescue by the mysterious Thorn Beathach, the Beast behind a powerful social media empire, complicate her plans for revenge.
👨👧 Main Characters: Alana Beaumont is a strong, determined heroine grappling with duty and vengeance. Thorn Beathach, a powerful and enigmatic billionaire, adds layers of mystery and intensity to the story. His complex persona oscillates between wanna-be-sweet and extremely controlling, making him a compelling yet controversial character.
💞 Romance: The rivals-to-lovers plot is intriguing, with their relationship starting off with animosity, defiance, and misunderstandings. Alana's stunning and smart character is a joy to watch as she embraces her power. The bond between Alana and Thorn grows in an unorthodox way, making their dynamic intense. However, some BDSM elements, including moments of what were to me non-consensual pleasure moment, may not resonate with all readers.
👧 Side Characters: The supporting cast adds depth to the story, enriching the narrative with their own subplots and motivations. They contribute to the high-stakes world and I can't wait for Ella's story.
✍️ Writing: Rebecca Zanetti's writing shines with suspense, thrilling twists, and engaging storytelling. Her ability to weave romance into a suspenseful narrative is commendable, making the book a gripping read despite my misgivings. The fantastical elements, particularly the magical gems, add intrigue, even if their full powers remain a bit unclear.
🌟 Overview: "One Cursed Rose" offers a fresh take on "Beauty and the Beast" with a modern twist, blending magic and social media intrigue. While the story captivates, some elements, particularly the dark romance aspects and the rushed ending, may leave readers divided. The darker aspects of the narrative and mafia-esque elements make it a unique and interesting read.
📲 QOTD: What's your favorite modern retelling of a classic fairy tale?👇
#BookReview #RebeccaZanetti #OneCursedRose #BeautyAndTheBeastRetelling #ModernFairyTale #BillionaireRomance #EnemiesToLovers #DarkRomance #Bookstagram #FantasyRomance #MagicAndMystery -
I wouldn’t say this is a romantasy as there isn’t much of the fantasy element, but I would consider this more a dystopian dark romance. There is definitely a lot of TWs in this so if you’re triggered by murder, mafia, kidnapping, non-consensual steamy acts, possessiveness, then don’t read this.
I enjoyed seeing our FMC growing into herself and recognizing her worth. When she starts standing up for herself, not only to Thorn but her dad and Nico too, I finally start to respect her. Nico was slimy right from the beginning for me so his surprising act wasn’t too surprising. Thorn is your typical mafia boss who likes control and unalives anyone who stands in his way.
Overall, this confused me a lot with the crystals and gems plot and very predictable in the romance development.
Thank you to Kensington books for sending me an early copy for review. -
This was a delicious dark romance retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I really enjoyed this one and the concept of the crystals being used for their energy was intriguing if a little cringey in that it was being used for social media companies. However I guess that is what everything is about these days! I also liked that one of Alana's friends seemed to be representing Cinderella - maybe a hint at a possible next retelling?
Thorn is a great morally grey (leaning towards black) male character and shows his love for Alana in some interesting ways, but you can tell that he has a heart of gold despite the questionable methods he employs. -
It was an okay read...
I can surely say I loved Ms Zanetti's previous books more...this dark re-telling of fairy tales is an interesting concept on its own and I applaud to anyone trying to re-write something so intertwined into our memory and history of growing up, in a fresh and unique way....
BUT I did think the whole resolve of the plot was a bit messy and rushed and a bit sloppy...regardless, the writing is well done as usual and the interactions between the main characters were intense and charged with chemistry...
I certainly liked that *wink*
When you read on the cover of the novel : "Sexy and utterly engrossing!" - J.T. Geissinger, bestselling author, who is, in fact, one of your favourite authors, including Miss Zanetti, then what's there to think about...
You don't just jump, you ask how high!
I'm in... -
4.5 ⭐️
-
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I didn't fully understand the crystals, and I'm not convinced this is a fantasy, or even dark romance? Unsure on how this is a beauty and the beast retelling either. I didn't like the writing style and the smut just made me uncomfortable.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the DRC
