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Cursed #3
Beloved
The final installment of our romantic M/M Beauty & The Beast series!
Nick Fairfax believes that his romance with Lord Bane Dunsaney is over. Bane has chosen revenge against Nick’s family over his love for Nick. And Bane’s secret - that he is the guardian of a tiger spirit - has also caused a wedge between them with Nick still in the dark about Bane’s true nature. Can they overcome these seemingly insurmountable problems and find their happily ever after?
Cursed: Beloved is the third and final book in the Cursed series.
Want to start at the beginning?
Cursed: Broken, Book 1, is free! Read the start of this romantic journey of Nick, a sensitive young man who gets coerced into becoming a secretive billionaire's PA to save his family's fortune... and Bane, the billionaire with a dark secret that he fears will put Nick's life in danger.
https://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Broken-...
Raythe Reign produces escapist, romantic M/M shifter, fantasy, scifi, adventure, and urban fantasy books and graphic novels.
Other Gay Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Series by X. Aratare:
Cursed: Smoke is a 20,000 word alternate version of the start of Nick & Bane's romance... in a sugar-daddy gay club! It's an alternate timeline and can be read and enjoyed on its own.
Get it FREE here: http://welcome.raythereign.com/free-s...
The Merman Series
The Merman is a 5-book gay paranormal romance series, containing psychic powers, a mostly-naked merman lover, an evil scientist, and true love beneath the waves.
Book 1, Transformation, is free and available on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Transformation...
The Artifact Series
The Artifact is an M/M detective romance series. The books feature some beloved tropes of both the M/M and bodyguard romance genres! There's a hot bodyguard, his determined young client, an ancient golden sarcophagus, an evil cult, and unsolved mysteries in both their pasts...
Book 2 came out in spring 2016. People who love this series really love it. Check out the first 2 books here:
The Bodyguard Book 1 (Artifact Series):
https://www.amazon.com/Bodyguard-Book...
The Bodyguard Book 2 (Artifact Series):
https://www.amazon.com/Bodyguard-Book...
About Raythe Reign
Raythe Reign produces mostly M/M works following the classic advice - write what you most want to read! As a result, our stories are works of entertainment and fantasies, full of action, adventure, sexy romance, heroes, and villains.
We publish stories in both serial and book formats. Visit the X. Aratare author page for more of our series and stand-alone works.
Nick Fairfax believes that his romance with Lord Bane Dunsaney is over. Bane has chosen revenge against Nick’s family over his love for Nick. And Bane’s secret - that he is the guardian of a tiger spirit - has also caused a wedge between them with Nick still in the dark about Bane’s true nature. Can they overcome these seemingly insurmountable problems and find their happily ever after?
Cursed: Beloved is the third and final book in the Cursed series.
Want to start at the beginning?
Cursed: Broken, Book 1, is free! Read the start of this romantic journey of Nick, a sensitive young man who gets coerced into becoming a secretive billionaire's PA to save his family's fortune... and Bane, the billionaire with a dark secret that he fears will put Nick's life in danger.
https://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Broken-...
Raythe Reign produces escapist, romantic M/M shifter, fantasy, scifi, adventure, and urban fantasy books and graphic novels.
Other Gay Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Series by X. Aratare:
Cursed: Smoke is a 20,000 word alternate version of the start of Nick & Bane's romance... in a sugar-daddy gay club! It's an alternate timeline and can be read and enjoyed on its own.
Get it FREE here: http://welcome.raythereign.com/free-s...
The Merman Series
The Merman is a 5-book gay paranormal romance series, containing psychic powers, a mostly-naked merman lover, an evil scientist, and true love beneath the waves.
Book 1, Transformation, is free and available on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Transformation...
The Artifact Series
The Artifact is an M/M detective romance series. The books feature some beloved tropes of both the M/M and bodyguard romance genres! There's a hot bodyguard, his determined young client, an ancient golden sarcophagus, an evil cult, and unsolved mysteries in both their pasts...
Book 2 came out in spring 2016. People who love this series really love it. Check out the first 2 books here:
The Bodyguard Book 1 (Artifact Series):
https://www.amazon.com/Bodyguard-Book...
The Bodyguard Book 2 (Artifact Series):
https://www.amazon.com/Bodyguard-Book...
About Raythe Reign
Raythe Reign produces mostly M/M works following the classic advice - write what you most want to read! As a result, our stories are works of entertainment and fantasies, full of action, adventure, sexy romance, heroes, and villains.
We publish stories in both serial and book formats. Visit the X. Aratare author page for more of our series and stand-alone works.
271 pages, ebook
First published September 11, 2017
103 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
X. Aratare
90 books710 followersX. Aratare is the pseudonym for Raythe Reign's Gay(M/M) books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 15, 2018
It did finally get interesting at about 75%. I don’t have the energy to review except to say the ending was so contrived as to induce significant eye rolling.
AUG 2018 (entire series): OMG I’m trapped in a Harlequin novel. “The Indian man”. “The billionaire”. A tiger that wags its tail and whines like a dog. A tiger that can’t swim and doesn’t like water. A tiger that can leap from tree to tree...at 400+ lbs? Countless miscommunications. Countless exclamation points. An MC who is a ball-less, gutless wonder. Oh, did I mention the choking melodrama?
AUG 2018 (entire series): OMG I’m trapped in a Harlequin novel. “The Indian man”. “The billionaire”. A tiger that wags its tail and whines like a dog. A tiger that can’t swim and doesn’t like water. A tiger that can leap from tree to tree...at 400+ lbs? Countless miscommunications. Countless exclamation points. An MC who is a ball-less, gutless wonder. Oh, did I mention the choking melodrama?
October 7, 2019
So one thing I noticed about this series is that it's long; it takes 3 books to get across a complete story. On the one hand, I appreciate the attention to detail and ability to portray more than just a cursory - or instant - character development. On the other hand, there were a few instances where the miscommunication or rush to judgment felt overplayed while the story also dragged on a bit. I did enjoy the narration of the story as a whole so I'm thinking the pros outweighed the cons.
What I found myself really struggling over was the complete re-habilitation of Nick's family. All of them realized their mistakes, learned from them and found redemption...and while I believed the brothers' growth, their father's just seemed too quick after a lifetime of greed, spitefulness, lack of ethics, etc. to just disappear practically overnight. Yes, I'm sure a good confrontation and write-off (as Nick, finally, provided) might have shocked a loved one into recognizing their faults, into examining their behavior, the change itself occurred too quickly IMHO.
But this is a Fairy Tale, so I guess it comes with the territory.
What I found myself really struggling over was the complete re-habilitation of Nick's family. All of them realized their mistakes, learned from them and found redemption...and while I believed the brothers' growth, their father's just seemed too quick after a lifetime of greed, spitefulness, lack of ethics, etc. to just disappear practically overnight. Yes, I'm sure a good confrontation and write-off (as Nick, finally, provided) might have shocked a loved one into recognizing their faults, into examining their behavior, the change itself occurred too quickly IMHO.
But this is a Fairy Tale, so I guess it comes with the territory.
February 10, 2020
Man I forgot to review this when I finished it several days ago so I’ve lost a lot of my initial feelings on it.
What I do remember is liking it , although I thought the drama at the end was a bit too much, it served a purpose so I cannot really complain.
All in all, this was a good book and the series was quite enjoyable.
I might pick up another book from this author. Who knows?
What I do remember is liking it , although I thought the drama at the end was a bit too much, it served a purpose so I cannot really complain.
All in all, this was a good book and the series was quite enjoyable.
I might pick up another book from this author. Who knows?
October 20, 2020
18+- RTC- Very enjoyable
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Steam: 6 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Steam: 6 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
January 6, 2018
Well, the semi-ending had a twist I wasn’t expecting until it started to happen. Part of it I did expect, though. Part 3 was a horrendously tearful read, so if you’re that way inclined, have a box of tissues at hand. To the author (should you read this) while your stories are good, you need a proofreader who can catch those errors as they are distracting to those of us who see them so easily.
December 26, 2021
2.5 rounded up
Better than book 2, but didn't quite live up to the potential in book 1. Things got way too mushy, and I found basically every character super frustrating. Bane's character growth was super uneven and not really believable, as were Nick's reactions. The use of italics was excessive, there were far too many flashbacks, and there is absolutely NO reason for Omar to be continually referred to as the "Indian man". JUST CALL HIM BY HIS NAME. Honestly, just the use of epithets in general was annoying "the billionaire" etc, but the racist undertones of referring to the one POC by their ethnicity was a lot to take in. There were some interesting concepts here, but there just wasn't enough to make this a trilogy--two books, possibly even just one, would have sufficed and made this a much better/tighter read.
Better than book 2, but didn't quite live up to the potential in book 1. Things got way too mushy, and I found basically every character super frustrating. Bane's character growth was super uneven and not really believable, as were Nick's reactions. The use of italics was excessive, there were far too many flashbacks, and there is absolutely NO reason for Omar to be continually referred to as the "Indian man". JUST CALL HIM BY HIS NAME. Honestly, just the use of epithets in general was annoying "the billionaire" etc, but the racist undertones of referring to the one POC by their ethnicity was a lot to take in. There were some interesting concepts here, but there just wasn't enough to make this a trilogy--two books, possibly even just one, would have sufficed and made this a much better/tighter read.
October 24, 2020
3 books that could have been told in one. I really liked Nick and Bane but it just went on too long!
August 25, 2022
I’m gonna miss this group!
March 1, 2025
This was an dull, repetitive work that should have been a novella, not a trilogy.
February 25, 2023
This is a whole-series review.
TL;DR: Cool story, slightly shallow in some parts, but gives a satisfying HEA. It would be a decently good read except it's plagued by technical issues that are front-and-center levels of distracting. I finished the series because I wanted to know how Nick and Bane turned out, but I won't read this author again for a long while due to the issues.
The longer version...
Alright, so this is probably the most polarizing series I've ever read. There are things about it that I loved and things that I fucking despised.
Is it a sweet, intriguing story with a unique background? Yes. I especially loved the portrayal of the tiger spirit, very adorable. It was definitely a different take on "shifters" and one that kept me turning pages.
I also liked the pacing for the most part, as well as the interweaving of the back history. Some parts, particularly in book 2, seemed to drag a bit, but it wasn't anything crazy. The resolution of family and "endgame" stuff near the end of the third book felt a bit rushed. I would have to limit my rating to a 4 for that reason, but still a good read...
And if those were my only thoughts, I would have indeed rated this an overall 4. But so far I've just covered the things I liked. Now let's talk about the fucking problems.
Let me first say these next things are basically technical issues. I normally don't care about that too much. Seriously, mistakes happen, no biggie. I rarely knock ratings for technical issues unless they are egregious, and even then it's usually just a minor half-star bump or so. What I'm about to list off, though, yeah I'm giving that rating a FULL 2-STAR DROP. It's that fucking bad.
HOLY REPETITIVE PHRASES, BATMAN! The epithets are out of fucking control. Do you know how many times the author says "the billionaire" or "the billionaire's" to refer to Bane or something of his? 107 times. That's an average of once every 5-6 pages. Yes, I counted with a search. "The billionaire" this and "the billionaire" that. Jesus, he's Bezos, we fucking got it the first 5 times (i.e. in chapter 1). It's even more stupid when you realize that not much of the story has to do with how rich Bane (or anyone else) is... why the fuck does it matter if he's a billionaire?
Another insanely repetitive phrase is used nearly as many times, describing Bane's "Siberian blue eyes". I'm not kidding people. It is used verbatim over and over and over just like that. It is so fucking cringe after the first few times.
And the icing on the cake for repetitive phrases, while also doubling as some of the most passively racist shit I've ever read in a novel... I present you the phrase "the Indian man," aka Omar! I think he's referred to as "the Indian man" just as many times as he's called by name. You are NEVER allowed to forget he's Indian. Ever. He's a cool character (though a tad bland), but holy fuck, author. Do a find/replace in your text editor for these phrases. The books will be instantly better. Did I mention Omar is an Indian man?
Finally, I save the most infuriating thing for last: the fucking use of italics. So normally, as basically everyone knows, authors use italicized words to convey emphasis. Well, if that's the case here, then this author really wants to emphasize the fuck out of EVERYTHING. Italicized words are used a MINIMUM of 5 times per page. PER PAGE. PER FUCKING PAGE. I'm not kidding, not exaggerating. At all. It was so distracting that I nearly DNF'd this series a handful of times despite really liking the story. Oh, and there was an Indian man, too, Omar I think is his name.
I eventually trained myself to completely ignore the italicized words and then it wasn't quite as painful. But it still fucking sucked. Whenever some dialogue rolled around that actually called for emphasis, I spent several moments re-reading and deciding whether to mentally inject emphasis and where. It was exhausting, and that was in between reading about the billionaire and his Siberian blue eyes.
I once again remind you that I do not usually care much for technical issues. So for me to bitch about this... yeah I will not be reading any other of this author's work for quite some time. Which is sad because they are clearly talented at creating interesting stories and characters. But damn does it need an editor. Or even just a single beta reader, fuck. Hopefully their future work will not have these problems and I can revisit later.
There's an Indian man in this story, by the way. Can't remember his name anymore, but he's definitely Indian, and a man. He's the billionaire's servant, you know the billionaire with the Siberian blue eyes.
Fucking eye roll.
Broken (#1): 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 because cuteness, dropped to 2 for technical issues
Bound (#2): 3 stars, dropped to 1 for technical issues
Beloved (#3): 4 stars, dropped to 2 for technical issues
TL;DR: Cool story, slightly shallow in some parts, but gives a satisfying HEA. It would be a decently good read except it's plagued by technical issues that are front-and-center levels of distracting. I finished the series because I wanted to know how Nick and Bane turned out, but I won't read this author again for a long while due to the issues.
The longer version...
Alright, so this is probably the most polarizing series I've ever read. There are things about it that I loved and things that I fucking despised.
Is it a sweet, intriguing story with a unique background? Yes. I especially loved the portrayal of the tiger spirit, very adorable. It was definitely a different take on "shifters" and one that kept me turning pages.
I also liked the pacing for the most part, as well as the interweaving of the back history. Some parts, particularly in book 2, seemed to drag a bit, but it wasn't anything crazy. The resolution of family and "endgame" stuff near the end of the third book felt a bit rushed. I would have to limit my rating to a 4 for that reason, but still a good read...
And if those were my only thoughts, I would have indeed rated this an overall 4. But so far I've just covered the things I liked. Now let's talk about the fucking problems.
Let me first say these next things are basically technical issues. I normally don't care about that too much. Seriously, mistakes happen, no biggie. I rarely knock ratings for technical issues unless they are egregious, and even then it's usually just a minor half-star bump or so. What I'm about to list off, though, yeah I'm giving that rating a FULL 2-STAR DROP. It's that fucking bad.
HOLY REPETITIVE PHRASES, BATMAN! The epithets are out of fucking control. Do you know how many times the author says "the billionaire" or "the billionaire's" to refer to Bane or something of his? 107 times. That's an average of once every 5-6 pages. Yes, I counted with a search. "The billionaire" this and "the billionaire" that. Jesus, he's Bezos, we fucking got it the first 5 times (i.e. in chapter 1). It's even more stupid when you realize that not much of the story has to do with how rich Bane (or anyone else) is... why the fuck does it matter if he's a billionaire?
Another insanely repetitive phrase is used nearly as many times, describing Bane's "Siberian blue eyes". I'm not kidding people. It is used verbatim over and over and over just like that. It is so fucking cringe after the first few times.
And the icing on the cake for repetitive phrases, while also doubling as some of the most passively racist shit I've ever read in a novel... I present you the phrase "the Indian man," aka Omar! I think he's referred to as "the Indian man" just as many times as he's called by name. You are NEVER allowed to forget he's Indian. Ever. He's a cool character (though a tad bland), but holy fuck, author. Do a find/replace in your text editor for these phrases. The books will be instantly better. Did I mention Omar is an Indian man?
Finally, I save the most infuriating thing for last: the fucking use of italics. So normally, as basically everyone knows, authors use italicized words to convey emphasis. Well, if that's the case here, then this author really wants to emphasize the fuck out of EVERYTHING. Italicized words are used a MINIMUM of 5 times per page. PER PAGE. PER FUCKING PAGE. I'm not kidding, not exaggerating. At all. It was so distracting that I nearly DNF'd this series a handful of times despite really liking the story. Oh, and there was an Indian man, too, Omar I think is his name.
I eventually trained myself to completely ignore the italicized words and then it wasn't quite as painful. But it still fucking sucked. Whenever some dialogue rolled around that actually called for emphasis, I spent several moments re-reading and deciding whether to mentally inject emphasis and where. It was exhausting, and that was in between reading about the billionaire and his Siberian blue eyes.
I once again remind you that I do not usually care much for technical issues. So for me to bitch about this... yeah I will not be reading any other of this author's work for quite some time. Which is sad because they are clearly talented at creating interesting stories and characters. But damn does it need an editor. Or even just a single beta reader, fuck. Hopefully their future work will not have these problems and I can revisit later.
There's an Indian man in this story, by the way. Can't remember his name anymore, but he's definitely Indian, and a man. He's the billionaire's servant, you know the billionaire with the Siberian blue eyes.
Fucking eye roll.
Broken (#1): 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 because cuteness, dropped to 2 for technical issues
Bound (#2): 3 stars, dropped to 1 for technical issues
Beloved (#3): 4 stars, dropped to 2 for technical issues
May 7, 2019
I had mixed feelings about this series. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the story idea and the tiger spirit take on the trope. On the other hand, it was filled with numerous mistakes that a good editor should have caught. I also got really tired of seeing the word 'billionaire' by the end. Just for curiosity, I did a search for each book:
Book 1 - 10
Book 2 - 65 !!!!!
Book 3 - 30
Sixty five instances of billionaire in a single book? I've read hundreds of billionaire romances and they seem to find ways to describe the male lead as anything but 'the billionaire'. And poor Omar, 'the Indian'. That got tiresome as well.
I also felt bits of the story dragged on without advancing the plot. There was some repetition like when witnessing the mist the second time using almost verbatim the words of the first instance. This happened in all three books, but it stood out in the third book. Maybe because I just wanted to get on with it already?
At least Bane's background story was revealed, which was a definite positive. I'm mixed on the whole parental resolution thing. As much as some stuff dragged on, the resolution seemed too quick and convenient.
This story would have been so much better as one, maybe two books, with a better editor to polish everything up.
Book 1 - 10
Book 2 - 65 !!!!!
Book 3 - 30
Sixty five instances of billionaire in a single book? I've read hundreds of billionaire romances and they seem to find ways to describe the male lead as anything but 'the billionaire'. And poor Omar, 'the Indian'. That got tiresome as well.
I also felt bits of the story dragged on without advancing the plot. There was some repetition like when witnessing the mist the second time using almost verbatim the words of the first instance. This happened in all three books, but it stood out in the third book. Maybe because I just wanted to get on with it already?
At least Bane's background story was revealed, which was a definite positive. I'm mixed on the whole parental resolution thing. As much as some stuff dragged on, the resolution seemed too quick and convenient.
This story would have been so much better as one, maybe two books, with a better editor to polish everything up.
June 1, 2018
What do you mean, there are no bad guys? And happily ever after for everyone... not even a shred of no-perfect?
Uh.
Well... I enjoyed it, but I did feel like I had a small case of diabetes by the end.
Uh.
Well... I enjoyed it, but I did feel like I had a small case of diabetes by the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2017
felt a bit dragged, 2 books instead of 3 would be better
Want to read
June 26, 2025🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/23/2020)! 🎁
March 21, 2022
The third and final book in this retelling of Beauty and the Beast did provide good closure. The book starts with everything from the last story finally coming to a head as Bane’s tiger spirit finally shows himself to Nick and Nick learns the full truth of Bane, his past, his “curse/blessing” of having to host the tiger spirit, live two lives (his and the tigers) and be immortal and outlive everyone else.
There’s definitely some much needed realization and character development within Bane and Nick forces him to truly embrace the spirit he holds inside him and treat the Tiger as a part of him and as a blessing rather than as a curse. Bane and the Tiger spirit also finally become one and aren’t constantly feeling like they are playing a endless game of tug of war or fighting for “control” over their shared being. I think this was probably my favorite character development in this series as it was touching how Bane and the spirit finally bonded over what they both had lost on their past lives but finally learned to appreciate each other and their bond as well as their love for Nick. I will say, however, the slight sexual tension between the spirit while it was in Tiger form and Nick was a bit uncomfortable to read. Nothing happened but it was a bit, umm, awkward at times.
I think the only thing that threw me was the ending. I did like the shock twist of the farmer (who I actually forgot about) discovering Nick and Band (in the Tiger form) and him trying to shoot the beast but Nick jumping in the way and literally taking a bullet for his lover Bane and the Tiger spirit. Obviously being a fairy tale, we couldn’t have Nick die, so Bane decides to try and separate the tiger spirit he holds inside him to give to Nick, ensuring Nick will survive and live forever but immediately enduring Banes immortality and live will end as a trade off for Nick’s life. This was very touching as it showed Bane fully learned to love and trust another so completely that he’s die for him as it would be worse than living eternally without his lover. Nick, in the limbo between life and death, however, discovers this plan from his late mother’s spirit and learns of a way for both of them to live, and obtains another Tiger Spirit as well and thus Nick and Bane both quite literally live happily ever after forever and ever.
Overall, I like this series and X. Aratare does write good gay romance novels, I will say these books did have sone redundant features. Bane was referred to as “the billionaire” almost every other chapter, Omar, was always being called “the Indian man” which honestly, for such a good supportive character seemed a bit annoying that was the only way the other could refer to him. We get it, he’s Indian, but his connection to the tiger spirits and literally the Earth Mother, who is magically the magic goddess of this series would make me think he could have a more creative description. There were also a lot of big character developments in Nick’s father and brothers that seemed a bit rushed but to be fair, Nick finally calling out his fathers toxic behavior and him nearly dying did seem to make them cherish their love for Nick and want to rekindle their family so I suppose it made sense overall (plus, clearly in most fairy tales, we want lessons but still have a happy ending).
Overall, a good series. I loved the Merman series before and this was was still pretty interesting. I just wish we had more knowledge on the spirit works as I was a little confused by why there was another Tiger spirit for Nick despite being told countless times that the spirit Bane had was the spirit of ALL tigers but again, it’s a good steamy at times. Male x male romance / fantasy novel and it overall tells a good story.
There’s definitely some much needed realization and character development within Bane and Nick forces him to truly embrace the spirit he holds inside him and treat the Tiger as a part of him and as a blessing rather than as a curse. Bane and the Tiger spirit also finally become one and aren’t constantly feeling like they are playing a endless game of tug of war or fighting for “control” over their shared being. I think this was probably my favorite character development in this series as it was touching how Bane and the spirit finally bonded over what they both had lost on their past lives but finally learned to appreciate each other and their bond as well as their love for Nick. I will say, however, the slight sexual tension between the spirit while it was in Tiger form and Nick was a bit uncomfortable to read. Nothing happened but it was a bit, umm, awkward at times.
I think the only thing that threw me was the ending. I did like the shock twist of the farmer (who I actually forgot about) discovering Nick and Band (in the Tiger form) and him trying to shoot the beast but Nick jumping in the way and literally taking a bullet for his lover Bane and the Tiger spirit. Obviously being a fairy tale, we couldn’t have Nick die, so Bane decides to try and separate the tiger spirit he holds inside him to give to Nick, ensuring Nick will survive and live forever but immediately enduring Banes immortality and live will end as a trade off for Nick’s life. This was very touching as it showed Bane fully learned to love and trust another so completely that he’s die for him as it would be worse than living eternally without his lover. Nick, in the limbo between life and death, however, discovers this plan from his late mother’s spirit and learns of a way for both of them to live, and obtains another Tiger Spirit as well and thus Nick and Bane both quite literally live happily ever after forever and ever.
Overall, I like this series and X. Aratare does write good gay romance novels, I will say these books did have sone redundant features. Bane was referred to as “the billionaire” almost every other chapter, Omar, was always being called “the Indian man” which honestly, for such a good supportive character seemed a bit annoying that was the only way the other could refer to him. We get it, he’s Indian, but his connection to the tiger spirits and literally the Earth Mother, who is magically the magic goddess of this series would make me think he could have a more creative description. There were also a lot of big character developments in Nick’s father and brothers that seemed a bit rushed but to be fair, Nick finally calling out his fathers toxic behavior and him nearly dying did seem to make them cherish their love for Nick and want to rekindle their family so I suppose it made sense overall (plus, clearly in most fairy tales, we want lessons but still have a happy ending).
Overall, a good series. I loved the Merman series before and this was was still pretty interesting. I just wish we had more knowledge on the spirit works as I was a little confused by why there was another Tiger spirit for Nick despite being told countless times that the spirit Bane had was the spirit of ALL tigers but again, it’s a good steamy at times. Male x male romance / fantasy novel and it overall tells a good story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2021
Wow! Just WOW!!🤩🤩🤩🤗💖
Ok so like the Cinders And Ashes novel also by X. Aratare (if you haven’t tried it and your into M/M fiction series, you should DEFINITELY check it out!!)
I couldn’t put these books down! Seriously addicting and captivating!
If you don’t know me by now, well I will speak lol the beans and tell you.
Beauty And The Beast is my favorite Disney movie hands down And while waiting for the 4th installment for Cinders And Ashes… you can only imagine why this was my next “series of choice”.
OK! So FIRST OFF.. I love how the series is MASSIVELY different from the original. Besides the obvious (M/M aspect) it takes you through FANTASTICALLY created story that WILL have you you CRAVING to read the next chapter!
While this is obviously a recreated version, I LOVE. How some of the “essentials” that make up the original Beauty And The Beast are worked into this 4 book series even though they are brought up in different ways!
The journey through which Nick goes through to get close to Bane is trippy while also very admirable.
Also slightly relatable but that’s another story lol.
Babe has also live through the years caring burdens from his life (100 years ago) that sticks with him. making him this perfect brooding billionaire thy is stuck in his ways until he meets Nick. Knowing that he (Bane) has a BIIIIIG secret, he pursues Nick in the strangest of ways.
Striking a deal with the Fairfax Family because of their constant need to bring down companies, Puts nick in a crazy situation. One that he excepts to help his father and two brothers regain control of their company again.even though they don’t deserve his act of kindness.
For one year Nick has to stay at the mansion and work for Bane. love grows and drama comes to light.
I loved the story line ( Hats off to the author!) . Also loved the fact that it moved smoothly instead of dragging out for two pages to explain parts of the book without being to forward! There are some intense parts that might make you question things but its remarkable how the story is played out.
I’m not gonna lie… I cried, laughed and smiled a few times. It’s romantic and will have you craving more!!
Start to finish. I loved it💖💖💖💖🤩
Ok so like the Cinders And Ashes novel also by X. Aratare (if you haven’t tried it and your into M/M fiction series, you should DEFINITELY check it out!!)
I couldn’t put these books down! Seriously addicting and captivating!
If you don’t know me by now, well I will speak lol the beans and tell you.
Beauty And The Beast is my favorite Disney movie hands down And while waiting for the 4th installment for Cinders And Ashes… you can only imagine why this was my next “series of choice”.
OK! So FIRST OFF.. I love how the series is MASSIVELY different from the original. Besides the obvious (M/M aspect) it takes you through FANTASTICALLY created story that WILL have you you CRAVING to read the next chapter!
While this is obviously a recreated version, I LOVE. How some of the “essentials” that make up the original Beauty And The Beast are worked into this 4 book series even though they are brought up in different ways!
The journey through which Nick goes through to get close to Bane is trippy while also very admirable.
Also slightly relatable but that’s another story lol.
Babe has also live through the years caring burdens from his life (100 years ago) that sticks with him. making him this perfect brooding billionaire thy is stuck in his ways until he meets Nick. Knowing that he (Bane) has a BIIIIIG secret, he pursues Nick in the strangest of ways.
Striking a deal with the Fairfax Family because of their constant need to bring down companies, Puts nick in a crazy situation. One that he excepts to help his father and two brothers regain control of their company again.even though they don’t deserve his act of kindness.
For one year Nick has to stay at the mansion and work for Bane. love grows and drama comes to light.
I loved the story line ( Hats off to the author!) . Also loved the fact that it moved smoothly instead of dragging out for two pages to explain parts of the book without being to forward! There are some intense parts that might make you question things but its remarkable how the story is played out.
I’m not gonna lie… I cried, laughed and smiled a few times. It’s romantic and will have you craving more!!
Start to finish. I loved it💖💖💖💖🤩
September 16, 2017
A truly fantastic ending to a beautifully atmospheric modern day Beauty and the Beast!
Everything has been building up to Nick and Bane dealing with, well, The Deal, and the The Beast. The thing is, Nick thought The Deal was done with and he doesn't know at all about The Beast. So when everything comes crashing down together major choices have to be made.
I loved how this book really looked at all sides when it came to the issues it had brought up. It seemed that everything should be clear cut; if Bane is losing Nick because of the whole revenge plot against Nick's family, then he just has to give that up. If Bane wants Nick in his life, he just needs to be truthful about his curse. And if Nick wants to live a life free with Bane, he just needs to tell off his family and move on. But nothing is ever as cut and dry as that and this was explored and exposed in this well written action packed finale. From learning about Bane's first transformation into the the Tiger spirit and the fear it caused him, to considering that fact that breaking the deal just for Nick could be another manipulation, there were many paths to take and it wasn't always clear which one was right. Even with Nick's family, there was so much more there, layers of hurt and confusion and mixed up love as a broken family tried to heal what had been hurt so long ago. Nothing is left unexplored and the build up of the past two books is all well brought together in this amazing conclusion!
I loved how this entire series was always filled with love. Everything really boiled down to that. Nick trying to leave his family, both because of the love he never felt was there, and the love for his art. Bane trying to deny love in his life and being broken himself from the love that had been twisted in his own past. And in the end, that love and the hope and beauty of it managed to bring together a new life and new future for all of the involved characters. Well worth the read for fans of shifters, fairy tales, and any romance lovers!
Everything has been building up to Nick and Bane dealing with, well, The Deal, and the The Beast. The thing is, Nick thought The Deal was done with and he doesn't know at all about The Beast. So when everything comes crashing down together major choices have to be made.
I loved how this book really looked at all sides when it came to the issues it had brought up. It seemed that everything should be clear cut; if Bane is losing Nick because of the whole revenge plot against Nick's family, then he just has to give that up. If Bane wants Nick in his life, he just needs to be truthful about his curse. And if Nick wants to live a life free with Bane, he just needs to tell off his family and move on. But nothing is ever as cut and dry as that and this was explored and exposed in this well written action packed finale. From learning about Bane's first transformation into the the Tiger spirit and the fear it caused him, to considering that fact that breaking the deal just for Nick could be another manipulation, there were many paths to take and it wasn't always clear which one was right. Even with Nick's family, there was so much more there, layers of hurt and confusion and mixed up love as a broken family tried to heal what had been hurt so long ago. Nothing is left unexplored and the build up of the past two books is all well brought together in this amazing conclusion!
I loved how this entire series was always filled with love. Everything really boiled down to that. Nick trying to leave his family, both because of the love he never felt was there, and the love for his art. Bane trying to deny love in his life and being broken himself from the love that had been twisted in his own past. And in the end, that love and the hope and beauty of it managed to bring together a new life and new future for all of the involved characters. Well worth the read for fans of shifters, fairy tales, and any romance lovers!
July 19, 2024
worthwhile reading all 3 books
I begun reading fictional books right after I retired last year from my 43 years of practice within the medical field. Since physicians need to read journals to be up-to-date , I did not have enough time to read non medical literature specially when one have 3 medical specialties after the name.
Now that I retired, I started reading romance stories and I can tell you, these 3- book by the author X. Ararte is one of my favorites. I am impressed with the multiple characters with different personalities, with the complicated twist and turns the stories have in each of the 3 volumes. These stories are so different than an ordinary M/M romance books starting with people who are characterized as sexually pre- occupied, then eroticism at the middle of novel the resolution of happily ever after ending.
The stories in these book have also ethics and morality undertones, which to me we need to be reminded of specially nowadays .
I begun reading fictional books right after I retired last year from my 43 years of practice within the medical field. Since physicians need to read journals to be up-to-date , I did not have enough time to read non medical literature specially when one have 3 medical specialties after the name.
Now that I retired, I started reading romance stories and I can tell you, these 3- book by the author X. Ararte is one of my favorites. I am impressed with the multiple characters with different personalities, with the complicated twist and turns the stories have in each of the 3 volumes. These stories are so different than an ordinary M/M romance books starting with people who are characterized as sexually pre- occupied, then eroticism at the middle of novel the resolution of happily ever after ending.
The stories in these book have also ethics and morality undertones, which to me we need to be reminded of specially nowadays .
July 3, 2020
Great ending to the three book story
The author does a great job wrapping up the story here. The story arc moves well and we see the growth in not only the MCs but secondary characters as well.
From an incident that occurred in book one I was pretty sure where and how the ultimate crisis would happen. I had it a bit wrong but ultimately a similar situation. This one was so much better than I could imagine and so satisfying.
This three book series is strongly recommended but be sure you have the time to read all three books because you aren’t going to want to leave them alone for too long!
The author does a great job wrapping up the story here. The story arc moves well and we see the growth in not only the MCs but secondary characters as well.
From an incident that occurred in book one I was pretty sure where and how the ultimate crisis would happen. I had it a bit wrong but ultimately a similar situation. This one was so much better than I could imagine and so satisfying.
This three book series is strongly recommended but be sure you have the time to read all three books because you aren’t going to want to leave them alone for too long!
December 24, 2018
The plot:
Again, advanced steadily with at a nice pace. Was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable to read.
The sex:
As before, MxM, sensual and romantic, no kink, enjoyable and satisfyingly well-spaced
The characters:
As before, the characters are likeable and fun to learn about. Many get a second shot at redeeming themselves, and that’s a nice touch.
Tl;dr:
Fully enjoyed this short series. Characters that were tropey but likeable still, sex that was romantic and satisfying, and conflict and plot progression that was well-paced.
Again, advanced steadily with at a nice pace. Was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable to read.
The sex:
As before, MxM, sensual and romantic, no kink, enjoyable and satisfyingly well-spaced
The characters:
As before, the characters are likeable and fun to learn about. Many get a second shot at redeeming themselves, and that’s a nice touch.
Tl;dr:
Fully enjoyed this short series. Characters that were tropey but likeable still, sex that was romantic and satisfying, and conflict and plot progression that was well-paced.
July 24, 2020
Oh, this was beautiful. I absolutely loved the inner dialogue between Bane and the tiger spirit. It was so cute.
The ending was absolutely wow. The whole part of the Moon Shadow had me on my toes.
My only complaint was that sometimes there were way too many lengthy descriptions. Every meal, every walk was so deeply described that it got boring after a while.
Other than that, I loved this book and this whole trilogy.
The ending was absolutely wow. The whole part of the Moon Shadow had me on my toes.
My only complaint was that sometimes there were way too many lengthy descriptions. Every meal, every walk was so deeply described that it got boring after a while.
Other than that, I loved this book and this whole trilogy.
June 19, 2021
Beloved (Cursed #3) by X. Aratare – This is the third installment in a serial, and they can all be found on Kindle Unlimited. You know when the writer has so thoroughly messed up everything in the main character’s life that it looks like one massive snarl? Well at least Bane couldn’t make it any worse! Lol! I did love how all the threads were woven back into harmony! But see now I want to see Jade’s story! Happy Reading!
September 30, 2021
Beauty and The Beast is my favorite fairytale. I like to read most any retelling of it. Bane and Nick is one of my favorite retellings. Nick finally discovered Bane’s secret and it all worked out. The spirit was freed from his “prison”, Bane was freed from his “prison” and Nick was able to break free and be his true self. Bane was able to be the man he was destined to be thanks to Nick. I love a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2025
A great end to a winderful trilogy
The story of Bane and Nick tumbles into book 3. Banes fear of the Beast and fear of what the Beast could do to his love over powers everything, especially his reasoning. Nick can't understand what's going on and why Bane refuses to release his family of the deal. This books brings us through twists and turns and what's important redemption with a surprise at the end. Read it and enjoy.
The story of Bane and Nick tumbles into book 3. Banes fear of the Beast and fear of what the Beast could do to his love over powers everything, especially his reasoning. Nick can't understand what's going on and why Bane refuses to release his family of the deal. This books brings us through twists and turns and what's important redemption with a surprise at the end. Read it and enjoy.
March 30, 2020
Beautiful ending
I cried during this book even if I knew it probably would follow the original story and happily.
I loved the Beast and Banes and Nick together and I'm really happy that many of the carachters in the book had a chance to redeem themselves.
And after so long time alone, hurt and angry Bane and the Beast finally got their mate.
I cried during this book even if I knew it probably would follow the original story and happily.
I loved the Beast and Banes and Nick together and I'm really happy that many of the carachters in the book had a chance to redeem themselves.
And after so long time alone, hurt and angry Bane and the Beast finally got their mate.
April 12, 2020
Retalilling? Amazing
I really enjoyed this 3 book series. Loved the way it was laid out. To me, it didnt feel like a retelling but a whole new adventure! Love the characters, the descriptive senses and wonderfully paced flow! Look forward to rereading this story and more by this author
I really enjoyed this 3 book series. Loved the way it was laid out. To me, it didnt feel like a retelling but a whole new adventure! Love the characters, the descriptive senses and wonderfully paced flow! Look forward to rereading this story and more by this author
September 14, 2020
A smartly written bit of smut for we gays
This is my first time reading M/M “romance” and my expectations were low. But in comparison to the “lady novels” I snuck fr9m my mom this series is creative, definitively gay, charming and readable. And yes I got a chub at points. I’d suggest getting the trio they’re a fun read. Got me back into reading after a break.
This is my first time reading M/M “romance” and my expectations were low. But in comparison to the “lady novels” I snuck fr9m my mom this series is creative, definitively gay, charming and readable. And yes I got a chub at points. I’d suggest getting the trio they’re a fun read. Got me back into reading after a break.
November 15, 2020
Enjoyable
Perhaps it didn't need 3 books, but i did enjoy them. Yes there were parts I didn't like such over use of certain phrases (younger/older man, Indian man, siberian blue, etc) but the characters made up for it. Nick was kind and principled but not a doormat. Bane was gruff on the outside but really just was lovely.
I liked the way it ended though
Perhaps it didn't need 3 books, but i did enjoy them. Yes there were parts I didn't like such over use of certain phrases (younger/older man, Indian man, siberian blue, etc) but the characters made up for it. Nick was kind and principled but not a doormat. Bane was gruff on the outside but really just was lovely.
I liked the way it ended though
June 3, 2023
A beloved read!
Can they overcome their seemingly insurmountable problems and find their happily ever after?
Now, this book was the most amazing and lovable book in this series.
A truly enjoyable conclusion. Enjoyed every moment of it.
Full of curses, beasts, fortune, destiny, consequences and love.
Perfect for readers of fairytale retellings.
Can they overcome their seemingly insurmountable problems and find their happily ever after?
Now, this book was the most amazing and lovable book in this series.
A truly enjoyable conclusion. Enjoyed every moment of it.
Full of curses, beasts, fortune, destiny, consequences and love.
Perfect for readers of fairytale retellings.
November 11, 2017
I LIVE FOR THIS BOOK
I have been impatiently waiting for this final book and it was so worth the wait. The love between all three parties was so beautiful that I found myself clutching my chest. Bane and Nick forever.
I have been impatiently waiting for this final book and it was so worth the wait. The love between all three parties was so beautiful that I found myself clutching my chest. Bane and Nick forever.
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