Sleeping Rose

Rumple's Curse #1

by Erin West, Nicole Kelley

Sleeping Beauty like you’ve never seen her before. A curse spun of beauty. Being abandoned, a jaded Rose learned how to survive at a young age. When she meets four mysterious men, everything begins to spiral out of control. By allowing them into her life, they each fill a void within. But they also bring changes that will rock the foundation of her world. As the budding relationships grow, Rose learns that everything isn't as it seems. Hidden secrets come to light, impacting the course of her life forever. To persevere, Rose must embrace her new destiny. If she doesn't, she could lose everything she holds dear. Sleeping Beauty meets Rumpelstiltskin in this steamy urban fantasy reverse harem retelling. It’s intended for mature readers (18+) due to sexual situations, swearing and violence.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Fae, Shapeshifters

153 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2018

Reviews

[Linnéa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book with lots of potential. But even though I usually love reverse harem stories I feel like the characters needs more work. It was very one dimensional when it felt like all any of the characters think about was sex. It’s usually not something that bothers me. But when the book focuses more on the sex aspect than character development I just get a little bored.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

I so just fell in love with book! We get to meet Rose who had a rough childhood and is working as a stripper secluded in the only world she has ever known. This all changes when some really sex men crash into her life and all of them come with this weird tingle. What follows is some of the most comical male fighting mixed in between steamy scenes and the danger they all happen to find themselves. Each page felt like a new magical adventure that I got to go one and the characters are so well developed I fell like I have known them forever yet I know better. This is one of the best fairy tale mash ups I have read in awhile and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre. In case you can't tell I absolutely loved it so I give it 5/5 stars. Now when do we get book two?

[Natalie H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised I finished this one. Every single character was some level of insufferable. Eli being the worst. Every guy was possessive and rather than a reverse harem it felt like a love triangle, which I really can't stand. Rose wasn't any better with the stubborn damsel in distress and traitorous body. It was painful to listen to and I lost count of how many times I said ffs. I accidentally skipped a chapter so didn't hear the forth guy come into it, but yet another one possessive and arrogant. Drake and Orin had some caring moments but mostly I can't tell who I should be feeling sorry for. Not one I'll be continuing.

[Amethyst Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book. It takes a little bit to orient yourself because things seem to fly all around but it will make more sense by the end. Should be a great series to follow! This is a very unique re-telling of Rumpelstiltskin/sleeping beauty with lots of different species of otherworlders, hot guys, lots of alpha action and passionate moments. Fun/ quick read.

[Kayla Pipkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jumps right into the relationship.

I didn't feel things were explained very well.
Jumps around a lot.

It is a unique storyline, but I'm not sure I grasped what the concept was supposed to be exactly.

Interested to see what will happen.
But not sure I would recommend.

We see all types of paranormal creatures in this book.
Vampires, shifters, demons, and fae.

Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.
Though haven't really gotten to understand how that comes into play yet.
Maybe in future storylines.

I just felt like the whole thing was rushed and the relationships didn't get to develop.
I know we will see more, but what I saw in this book didn't really grab my attention.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad as far as RH go and I liked how kick ass and independent Rose was but there were a couple of things that eally bugged me and kept me from rating it higher.

1. That Rose felt a connection with Eli and is equally interested in him. He is an unpleasant, arrogant a-hole with no redeeming qualities at all - NONE. And he treat Rose abominably.
2. How Rose treats Drake. She lives with him, accepts him as her mate and moves in permanently then moves her one night stand in with them cause she has feels for him too. Then she is all well I have feelings for him too so you just have to deal and rubs his face in it with no regard for Drake's feelings.
3. She has feeling for 3 men. She is all torn and conflicted cause she wants them all and cannot conceive of being without one of them. then right at the end she is kidnapped and taken to hell by the 'dark prince' and basically spend the last chapter being drawn to her kidnapper and barely even considers the 3 guys she was so into.

Rose is the only one that felt like an actual character. The 4 guys are incredibly one dimensional and boring in their cliche, so any so-called connection between rose and the guys is all tell no show.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (7/27/2018)!💝

Blurb:
A curse spun of beauty.

Being abandoned, a jaded Rose learned how to survive at a young age. When she meets three mysterious, men everything begins to spiral out of control. By allowing them into her life, they each fill a void within. But they also bring changes that will rock the foundation of her world.

As the budding relationships grow, Rose learns that everything isn't as it seems. Hidden secrets come to light, impacting the course of her life forever.

To persevere, Rose must embrace her new destiny. If she doesn't, she could lose everything she holds dear.

[Kayla Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great start to a new series that I look forward to devouring!

Rose was fun and easy for me to relate to and the men... Oh the men! I want two or three of them for myself as well ;)

This definitely had everything that I could want in a first book. It had mystery, it had depth, it had humor, it had steamy steamy scenes that were well placed and made sense. I practically devoured this book. I started it this morning and was done mid-afternoon (real work be damned!).

Definitely can't wait for the next book to learn even more about not just Rose (and what she is - though I have my suspicions) and her delectable men.

[Sandra Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun take on a Sleep Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin with an RH Paranormal twist. I loved Rose although she is closed off at the beginning she seems to open up more as she meets the guys. I really liked the mixture of races with the guys especially Drake the Shifter and Oren the Fae. Her times with both of them is really hot! I am on the fence so far with Eli and Bael but I have a feeling it will all come together with all of them. The ending was great with learning about the curse and what Rose is meant for. Really Great book overall!

[Carrie Pack · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a very interesting book. Rose an independent woman finds her self needing and craving the new men she's met in her life Elijha and Drake And Oren all seem to have a hold on Rose she's unsure why but she can't stand the thought of losing these men from her life when her life is threatened Eli the vampire Drake the wolf shifter and Oren the Fae all put their differences aside to protect the women they believe is their mate.

[Sophy Sorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I felt about the book. I like the storyline but I feel as if so many things are missing. I don’t feel any type of Chemistry between her and the guys and I don’t see anything special about her besides being lustful for the men. She’s a virgin but doesn’t act like it. I don’t want to give away too much so I will leave it there. Interesting to see how it plays on the next book. Hopefully I get to see more interaction with her and the men besides lust.

[~*Kelli*~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This listen started off pretty fast paced and I was getting confused a little by the scene changes. But after the first few chapters it started to be a lot smoother. If you like insta attraction then this book will def be for you. I don't mind it but I do wish there was a little more back story and build up for each of the guys and the MC. Overall it kept me enthralled and I went right into book 2

[Tracey Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from page one and found myself liking the characters immediately. Rose is a young woman who finds herself drawn to 4 males who all claim her as their mate. Eli the vampire who is hiding feelings, Drake the shifter who is a true gentleman, Oren who is fae who is more direct and the dark prince who is more dominant. The cliff hanger conclusion just wants you to read more.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious fairytale! This story has it all vampires, werewolves, fae, and other underworld beings. The passion Rose felt was so strong with each of the men who fell for her. What a cool twist to sleeping beauty. I can’t wait to continue the series to find out what happens.

[Allison Bumpus · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy hotness! this book was not short in steamy scenes, but never once neglected the storyline as some books tend to. I loved this story and it's interesting take on a classic fairytale. not a fan of Eli and I dont know What the authors could do to change that....feeling really sad that I dont have the next book to sink my teeth into though!

[BJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very uneven writing style made the story incoherent to me, characters popped in and out, and we didn't find out the h's name until 10% into the story. The disjointed style made it difficult to connect to any of the characters and the h had an awful attitude. I'm over h's from foster background, sigh- she has unnatural strength, she just accepts it, so do people around her? The Hs are taciturn and OTT, a fae, vamp and wolf shifter - they seem to hate each other, all believe they are her mate. Then there is the big bad guy they are all wary of - but I lost interest and had to force myself to finish. Did not like it, too many tropes, h is a hot mess and not nice.

[Amber Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I could not put this one down. All the tension between the men...and how they just jump into Rose's life. Just a fantastic story and I cannot wait to read more!

[Brianna Masson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me laughing at times which is not that offend, the suspense is great it keeps you sucked in. Fair warning you will get sucked in this book is hard to put down Im excited to see where this series goes.

[Crystal Bookreader Amason · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic! I have no idea how this is gonna turn out but I'm reading as fast as I can to find out. this book has it all. humour, sexiness, action, magic and so much more. can't wait for the next book!!!! a must read.

[Ola Adamska · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story had a REALLY good premise, but the execution of it failed me miserably...
The story starts abruptly, don't get me wrong I like that kind of beginning as it sets the pace of the story. Not the story starts like that, but after that, we get so LITTLE background information about characters that we are supposed to connect with... crap, at some point I wondered if I knew anything about them! So I could not follow them with that much of interest as I wanted to feel... Needs adding a background to the story.
Secondly, what is going on in the beginning... how can some stuff appear that are magical (wolf that would leap at her) and she is not AFRAID due to some glint in its eyes... and WTF... in a human world where h is human! Well... I would FREAK out for sure and run away or be still in the very place!
I hope that book 2 will be better than this one as the story had the premise for sure...

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool Story

Supernatural. Rh. 4 Alphas. Vampire, Wolf Shifter, Fae, Demon. Fate Mates. Jealousy issues on MMMM part. Bold, brazen, snarky, Snowflake heroine. Fast paced. Story of a young women finding herself. Funny. On her night off, Rose, meets a vampire who just won't leave her alone. This starts a series of events. Which lead to some nice stimulating scenes and a lot of questions. A brilliant start to this series. I loved the story. It has me making theories and asking questions. I'd love to see POV from the guys once they get more acquainted. Happy Reading.

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to throw my kindle so many times. I barely made it through till the end. Rose was irritating and frankly stupid throughout the whole book. Eli was an asshole. Drake was a doormat. Oren was pretty ok. Bael was out of nowhere and only appeared at the end.
So apparently Rose has four mates and throughout the whole book each of the boys go at each other's throats saying they're her mate etc etc she then runs away any time they "fight" over her. Honestly she just runs away when things get a little heated. She was extremely naive and childish and would refuse to listen to reason. The guys weren't much better all they did was fight over her and get jealous of each other. Lots of push and pull yet she jumps their bones and then runs away afterwards. Nope definitely not continuing this series.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine it. Rose is just a regular dancer who's been doing this gig for a while. She's used to it. But tonight, when she goes out to get in a few hours at her job, she's told to basically take a hike. Ouch. Right? Instead of just going home and calling it a night, she decides to go out for a drink. Too bad her night doesn't end there. First, she crosses paths with a strange but beautiful wolf. She feels a connection but doesn't quite understand it. Of course, things don't stop there. She hits up a new club only to capture the attention of the one and only elusive Elijah. Needless to say that things are about to get really complicated for Rose as gorgeous man after gorgeous man comes into her life. They each tell her the same thing - she's theirs. What's a girl to do? Rose believes that she's just an ordinary human, but she's about to learn that she is anything but ordinary. Gorgeous men, steamy connections that call to her from each of them, and a dangerous foe who is hunting her and things are about to get real crazy in Rose's life.
Sleeping Rose by Jen L. Grey and Nicole Kelly is book one in their Rumple's Curse: A Reverse Harem series. Rose is an engaging character and I love and admire her strength overall. She has a solid head on her shoulders despite all that she has been through. You get hints that she knows that there is more to her than meets the eye, but she just doesn't know quite what. I have to admit that right now I'm drawn most to her connection with Drake. Drake is practically the perfect guy that all women dream of. I like that each of the different men has dynamically different personalities. I think that this helps to make them truly engaging characters and helps to drive the story. Granted, when it comes to Rose, they are all quick to go supreme macho man and proceed to argue or fight over her. But I applaud that overall she handles the situations well and doesn't take sides. Now if only the men could develop some sense for five minutes. Right? LOL!
I love how well written this book, and it flows at a great pace. I am curious as to whether Rose has had any supernatural/paranormal encounters before she's met these men. Because if she hasn't then she is very quick to accept them for who and what they are. She's not even phased by the fact that each one falls into a different group. Now, this could be because of her own differences she can feel inside of herself. I have to say that right now Eli is my least favorite character. He's a total JERK! I don't get his deal. I have some questions about him though...his he fighting his attraction to Rose or his he just addicted to her blood so he feels that he "needs" her.
Now, be forewarned, while this book does have Rumple in the title (sort of) and tells you that this is a Rumplestiltskin and Sleeping Beauty retelling, this book doesn't touch on that for most of the story. You might start to question whether this is true or not but just hang in there. When most of the players in place the authors will give us exactly what it is that we are looking for.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I couldn't get enough. The story is literally action-packed, whether it's Rose by herself or with her men, the hits don't stop coming. The characters are unique, engaging, and fun to read about. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger but it's not a major one that will drive you too crazy. I will admit that I'm more than eager for the next book in this series. I'm excited to read what happens next as Rose deals with her men and learns more about herself. This is a book to pick up if you have read anything by these two authors before and enjoyed it. You'll be adding this book to your to-be-read shelf in no time flat! So what are you waiting for?! Grab your copy and dive in!

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice RH retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, with hints of other classic tales in a twisted way, too.
Rose has been working as a stripper for 8 years, until she went out one night to an exclusive club and her life was turned upside down. Finding out about the existence of the supernatural world is definitely a life changing situation, and now she has an arrogant, bossy vampire stalking her. And he is not the only one supernatural entering her life - a black wolf, a fae, and a demon prince all fight for her exclusive attention. However, there is another creature that wishes to find her, and his intentions are not so noble.
I must say that I enjoyed most of the story, it never-ending energy and fast actions taking places one after another, but still, there were some things that bothered me.
First of all, I get that Rose had her fair share of experience with abuse and even the one kill, but still, witnessing the massacre and brutal violence and even killing another person of her own did not even move her a little. Any normal person would have reacted to that - and even supernatural who is not accustomed to it would. What would it say about her morals then? (Reference to the ending of the book, open for the future.) Another thing, she accepted the supernatural world also very quickly, without second thought, and even without much surprise (at least, for me it did not come it out that way). Strange. Last thing, being all independent, stubborn, and "capable to take care of herself", she sure as hell let the guys manipulate her pretty quickly. Okay, she tries to stand her ground a little, but every time she gives in very fast.
And, the last thing bothering me are her guys. Seriously, they annoy me to no end, irritate me with their behavior, the only acceptable one and by far my favorite is Drake. I had hard time coming to terms with them being the center of he attention. I hate these types in the real life, and with my no-shit attitude, they would not stand a chance, mate or not -I'd rather die alone as a crazy cat lady. Hard to connect with Rose in this aspect.
But putting my biased view aside, the book was great. Fast pacing, action-packed, messing the real with the supernatural in maybe a bit chaotic way, but then each revelation came with a surprise and hooks the reader more. The world building is intriguing, the storywriting really speaking to the reader, and I finished the book within several hours in one go without any problems (except my obviously irked emotions lol). I really liked Mia's character, although she is only a side one, and hope to see more of her in the future. I would also love to explore the supernatural world in more detail, as I feel there is much to explain - this introduction was like a bomb, here are the facts and deal with it. But one can deal with it rather easily and let the imagination wander before we get all things explained.
Fairly good read, and despite my objections, I would love to continue this story, hopefully less emotional than now.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 3.5 stars


Reverse harems have become my obsession over the past few years and I love retellings so a Sleeping Beauty reverse harem retelling sounds like it would be something I could like and I was not wrong.

The story is set in Atlanta Georgia and follows Rose who, after meeting three very different men, life becomes very complicated. These guys aren't normal and things start getting weird.

Rose's life has not been easy, she was raised in the foster system and bailed as soon as she was able to. She's used to being on her own and taking care of herself and after years of counting on no one but herself she isn't use to the attention or determination Duke, Elliott, and Oren show her. I like how Rose stands up for herself, she doesn't let the guys dictate how she lives her life. When they act like children she calls them on it, and let them know what she's feeling, she handles most things maturely even when the guys are being unreasonable.

The guys are very different, Duke is a caring wolf shifter who has a calming effect, Duke truly cared and I liked him the most because of it. Oren has this playful side but isn't upfront, while Eli is an utter ass. He is arrogant, demanding, and controlling. I understand some of his feelings but mostly his actions are unjustified. I don't care for Eli and I don't like how he treats Rose. I don't see how he can be redeemed but I do like how Rose handles him. Then there's Bale who is a whole new thing on his own, while he is controlling there is something that drew me in.

As for the story, I listened to the audio version narrated by Lexi Evans and while the performance started out shaky it leveled out nicely. I had a few problems with repeating the same scenario over and over a couple of times and I had a problem with the guys not really explaining or addressing the supernatural to Rose. It was obvious that Rose was clueless and they knew she was but never bothered to explain the supernatural world to her. I wish more was explained about the supernatural community in general. Also some of the characters' reactions, especially Rose not asking obvious questions, seem a little weird.

Other than that I had no other problems, the more the story went on the more I wanted to know where everything was going. How the guys are going to deal with the situation, how will Rose deal with her new reality as a supernatural, and how everything will work out but mostly when will Eli get his act together.

Sleeping Rose is only just beginning and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes, how Rose's relationships will develop, and see Rose get a handle on her new life.

[Tracy Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Rose, a lonely and jaded stripper, is an interesting take on some classic fairytales. The action and revelations start out from the very first chapter, as she meets, and attracts, some seriously possessive and alpha supernaturals. For the majority of the story, Rose is in a constant push and pull with her mates. They do not play well with others, or, many times, Rose. I found myself conflicted between wanting to knee them in the balls or jump their bones, there really is no in between with her love interests. This is not a slow burn, but rather an Insta type lust/love that consumes all the main characters. Rose is at times conflicted regarding her feelings and wanting more. The story has a lot of turmoil and angst occurring with all the main characters, and a boat load of stubbornness. Towards the end of the book, the outside conflict occurs, suggesting that there is even more to Rose's story than she could even imagine. The main love interests leave a lot to be desired, besides physical attraction, there's still so much unknown about them, but we start to get a clearer picture of just who Rose might be. Everything is still a mystery, in the end, even with words of an oracle to guide Rose. Will she and her men be able to work together to defeat a dark force? Or will they succumb to their jealousies and leave themselves open to destruction? This is the first of a series, and I am anxious to read more, to get the answers I so desperately crave. I believe, with time and subsequent books, Rose and her men will grow and learn to work together, I only hope it comes in time for them!

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars
This book is a unique RH story featuring a string, yet fragile main character named Rose and four very different love interests. Rose has had a difficult past and has always felt apart from others. Her world takes a wild turn when she meets four very different but appealing men who all claim her as their mate, which is problematic since they don't get along and are very jealous. Near the end, a powerful enemy is revealed and a prophecy given, leaving readers with a cliffhanger.

I have to give the authors kudos for creating an interesting and unique story, but I found myself struggling to finish the book. The writing was fine in that there weren't a lot of errors, which I appreciate since I'm pretty picky about proper grammar and whatnot, but I felt distanced from what was happening and not very invested in the characters. There was an emotional component missing and even though we spend a lot of time in Rose's head, perhaps too much, I still didn't care much for her or fully understand her motivations and reactions. I'm not a fan of insta-love either and there was that and a lot of insta-lust. Rose has an inexplicable attraction to the guys and cares about them, even when they act downright creepy or unforgivably rude and demanding. The majority of the book centered on the romance drama and we don't find out about an enemy hunting for Rose until the end. That sounded much more interesting and I would have liked for that to have happened earlier.

This book wasn't my favorite but I'm intrigued enough to wait for the next book in the series.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved and hated this book.
Good news. The werewolf is my favorite character. I love literally everything about him. Like I can go on and on. If I got to pick a mate for Rose that would be the one. He's the best one of the four. Eli is a great pompous, annoying, non-sparkly vampire. Oren is the stuck up know it all fae. Not gonna lie, I didn't argue she got drunk that's her own fault and I laughed at Rose. Not so much a fan of the demon prince, but I will forgive this cause I'm SUPER picky about my demons and not everyone can live up to my unrealistic expectations. The story shows promise. For a Rumpelstiltskin story I was expecting Rumple... but it's set up he can show up next book, so I'm not annoyed at this.
Bad news. I felt the main character we have to follow around is just straight up stupid. Like she's 'trained to take care of herself' but then lets guys do literally everything for her. I have a job and I'm an independent young woman, but I need someone to take care of me and I can't do this by myself and a stupid vampire got me fired. I don't know which drives me more nuts. She just accepts the supernatural world right away with NO problems. Or that every time she goes to process stuff that's been told to her she ends up having sex. Or she just found out she's a fae and I'm not going to stalk the guy and demand to know more answers. Instead she's going to sleep on it and get distracted by sex. I found myself just asking 'but why is she doing this?' and 'why would she not do this?' for the last half of the book.

[Miranda Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

You hear that? Exactly. That’s my stunned silence after reading this book. I’m suffering from literary whiplash, here. I was immersed in this amazing and fantastically crafted story and now I’m back, begrudgingly, into the real world again and just aching for more.
This story is about Rose, an exotic dancer who takes no punches and isn’t afraid to throw her own. A strange series of events takes off when she meets a man named Eli at an upscale club. Things snowball from there and suddenly Rose finds herself being the point of attention of FOUR different guys, all of them sexy and alluring in their own unique way. She wants to follow her heart, but how can she do that when her heart is calling out for all four of them?
No matter what your cup of tea is, you’re sure to find your favorite kind brewing in this steamy and emotional story. Or maybe you should just grab some extra strong coffee, because if you’re anything like me you’ll want to stay up late into the night reading this gripping and addictive story.

[UNLIMTED · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rose with thorns.

This story was really good and as the story progressed and more and more characters were introduced it kept getting better and better.
Action, snark, LOTS of steam, and an intriguing plot line make a fun read. Should be a very fun series since book 1 has me hooked.
So at first I thought the sleeping beauty/rumpelstiltskin story line was not going to show itself because it felt more like a twist on Twilight. It comes but not until near the end of the book.
This story does start out with a kick ass girl having to pick between a vampire and a wolf shifter so I was totally getting a Twilight vibe but then a sexy fae is thrown in and boom...magic! I laughed so hard when the three men and Rose rip on the whole vampire/wolf stereotypes that surface as Rose is trying to understand what is going on and reference Twilight itself.