Beauty's Cursed Sleep

Cursed Beauty #1

by Mary E. Twomey

If you knew the date you were going to die, how hard would you work to make your life count?

When Rory knows from birth that her life will be cut short, she’s determined her impact on the magical community won’t fade when she dies at the predicted age of twenty-five. Her curse from Malaura has shaped so many of her choices, but as the deadline nears, Rory realizes that in her attempt to make the biggest splash in the shortest amount of time, she’s forgotten to actually enjoy her life.

When an escape from her breakneck schedule leads to possibly meeting the man who could break her curse, Rory has to decide if falling in love is worth risking what’s left of her life, and his life, too.

This is book one in the "Cursed Beauty" trilogy by USA Today Bestselling Author Mary E. Twomey. All books in this series can be read independently.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Ebooks, Paranormal, Young Adult, Fairy Tales

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2018

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her three adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking, and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.

While she loves writing fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal tales for her readers, Mary also writes romance under the name Tuesday Embers.

Visit her online at www.maryetwomey.com.

Reviews

[Celia Buell (semi hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might be mostly through with my fairytale retelling phase (or maybe not, who knows), but I still enjoy a good one from time to time. I tend to like Sleeping Beauty ones a lot because authors can do so much with them, and anything would be better than the original Grimm (rape) or the original Disney (boring) versions. For Beauty's Cursed Sleep, I really liked how much Rory grew into herself before the curse and let the curse direct her passion and drive, because she knew her time was limited. There aren't a lot of versions where Aurora (or whichever name is given to the Sleeping Beauty) has a life before the curse or outside of that and romance, so I really appreciated seeing her as a strong woman with her own life and goals, even though this is heavily influenced by her knowledge that she doesn't have a full life to live.

I also appreciate that the love interest hasn't been the central focus of Rory's life. I appreciated the bonds she had with family and friends and how she had to work Cordray into these relationship structures in order to love him fully. I also appreciate that he was flawed, and not a perfect prince (unlike cocky Henry, aka Prince Charming for book 3). They worked well together, and I liked that they were both outcasts and hiding from something, which ended up being a rendition of the same thing.

But it's this thing that they're running from that I don't understand about the book. Why is the community the way it is? In some ways, the reader feels thrown into the middle of the story before it's even began in this first installment of the Cursed Beauty series. What is Malura's backstory or her exile? Why is the town the way it is? And what is this "Pulse," seemingly the only thing that makes the world any different from the one we live in today? The characters have every modern technology and seemingly no magical means of transportation, communication, or even magical creatures in the world. I feel that the world-building needs to be more thought out here. Magic is a given, so what?

I'm hoping some of these questions are explored further in the other two books in the series. I definitely want to read at least the next one Beauty's Cursed Beast, especially after the way Rory and Adam ended things in this book. I want to see how Adam changes because I always love the beast's transformation into a caring person in Beauty and the Beast retellings. It's interesting as well that we already know Adam through a very one-sided view of him, but there's definitely more to it. So I'll probably buy that one sooner rather than later.

As an aside, what's with all the Disney names? You could do anything you wanted with the story and you choose to give everyone their Disney name, down to fairly insignificant characters and/or those whose name was made public after their movie. That wasn't necessary at all.

[Kitlina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing rendition of Sleeping Beauty.
I always love to read a good retelling of the famous classic fairy tales. And this one captivated me.
I can't wait to read Adam's and Henry's stories also.
So so so good. And Cord was swoon worthy.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/26/2019)! 🎁

[Bookish.Midnight. and. black · Rating 1 out of 5]

Freebie.
I love retellings but unfortunately, this one was a bad one. A lot of redundant phrases, a lot of details and I don't know, the writing was bad. DNF at 15%

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Sleeping Beauty with a Gilmore Girls vibe

24yo Rory is 4 months away from her sleeper curse being enacted - as if that’s her biggest worry. What’ll become of the Education Foundation for the non-magicals such as her Deadpulse self if she falls asleep & never wakes? Only a true love’s kiss can break the curse and tho she has a prince who keeps proposing in jest and a froghtfully disfigured financier mogul as BFFs, they’re more like siblings. Fed up with responsibility, Rory decides to take a week of vacation - more like escape everyone - to Prince Henry’s cabin in the woods and stumbles on his rather Lethal neighbour Cordray.

Loved the magical system - people being examinated for having a Pulse aka a magical ability and Lethals needing more control than other magic users who were mildly less dangerous. Loved how the author makes you think even in the last pages - how the ise of a seemingly harmless ability can be just as deadly as the use if an unchecked Lethal. Adored the snarky funny bits - Cord called Electric when in Malaura’s clutches and having magic = having a Pulse, lol. Loved how zero magic complemented too much magic in Rory’s and Cord’s case - was hoping that’d be the solution to their problem, but nope, the author found a better way and gave Rory hope. The pill to neutralize magical abilities reminded me slightly of X-men’s vaccination efforts to keep dangerous/unwanted powers under control. And all that snogging and Cord & Rory being drawn to each other was sooo sweet and innocent but with a promise of sizzle. Rory reminded me of Rory Gilmore, actually - her level of responsibility of running an organization to support her family’s endeavours. Curious to read up on Adam (the Beast) in the next book and I also hope Prince Henry (Charming) will give up his hilarious antics and find a girl of his own, now that Sleeping Beauty is off the market.

Cord’s skin is dark caramel - I figure that counts as #bipoc.

Recommended for lovers of darkish NA fairytale retellings with geeky heroines, hilarious sidekick princes and swoonworthy unlikely heroes. You’ll love this if you like twisted urban Sleeping Beauty retellings with hints of BnB.

[Jeanna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fairy tale re-tellings and Sleeping Beauty was a fav growing up. This book was a super fast read. I loved the land that was created the Pulse that people had seem very dangerous even if you're not a lethal I think getting to change the free will of anyone with a magically gift is a grey area. But it was fascinating. I loved Cord and Rory. Their pull to each other was magical and for a fairy tale story I'm 100% okay with that. My only complaint and it is small. I would have like a little more heat. I felt like this was suppose to be a darker romance and I didn't get that feel. There was some small amount of torture but I wouldn't have really called this dark. Overall I loved it!

[Kate Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good! 😍♥️ I loved the writing style so much ♥️ got it finished in less than 6 hours so I say that it's amazing♥️ I could not put it down. Contemplated going to bed or finishing the book♥️ guess which one I chose? 😅♥️ If you love fairytale retellings, you should give this one a try😍♥️

[Lyha Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good version of sleeping beauty

Enjoyed this riveting fairytale. I can't wait how prince charming and the beast turn out! Will definitely be reading thosd

[Jordan Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been sooo good as a multibook series. Giving us more time for the love story, the danger, the fight. It's a good idea but I wanted to know more about the world, the magic system, and the politics. It was a little thrown together but a nicely paced quick read.

[Rebekah Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF- Apparently, making out with strangers will solve all my problems.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers. It's a no frm me

I really wanted to like this book. It combined magic, PR rather "pulse", w a romantic retelling of sleeping beauty. It even had the beginning of some other offshoot stories. Unfortunately, I think the writing style just wasn't for me. There was a lot of batter and maybe over explanation all in 1 sitting instead of it being flushed out.
Summary: The story is of a chancellors daughter not having a pulse and who has been cursed by the kings evil sister. The daughter feels the need to do good before she falls into coma on her 25th but on a whim realized she works way too hard and needed to get away. She goes to her bff home and meets a secluded man who has a deadly pulse. They fall in love immediately. She works a lot. He follows HR. There are some kidnappings. Everything works out. I don't know, it had great bones its just that something didn't do it. I ended up skim reading towards the end to get through it which for me means that I wanted to know what happens but not w all the fluff. Lots of gushy love between family friends, and romance.
Rated PG maybe PG13 for kissing. No sex and no cussing.

[Adriane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one, the magic style is unique, the characterization both familiar and new, and the character descriptions bring them vividly to life. I will definitely read more of this series.

[Sarah English · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Cordray’s gloved hand never left Rory’s, as if the twin souls had decided they’d been separated long enough and wouldn’t tolerate another minute of division"

Fairytale retellings aren't something I read often but Beauty's Cursed Sleep peaked my interest because I just love the idea of a cursed girl being woken up by true loves first kiss. While I did enjoy Marys unique way of telling this version of the story I found that it was just missing a little something extra to turn it into a great Sleeping Beauty book.

Rory, as a female lead, was strong and knew her own mind. Instead of letting the Curse define her she used her status to build up her own Foundation to get funding for traditional Education in Avondale. She is a real workaholic, however it was nice to see her play the rebel and take some time away for herself but I wish we'd got to see more of her letting lose before her cursed birthday arrived. I did also love her relationship with her Uncle, Bodyguard and friend Harry, they had a lot of funny moments.

Cord was an interesting character, as a lethal he's not viewed that highly by most people so has just kept to himself in his cabin out in the woods. I like that he cared a lot about Rory and would do anything to keep her safe including cutting off his own magic by taking the pill (I think there should have been a better name for that to be honest). I do wish we could have found out more about him as an individual rather that just as Rorys boyfriend, plus the amount of kissing they did was cringe.

The plot I thought had promise, I loved the incorporation of a magical world where everyone has a special unique power or "A Pulse" as its called. I was a little let down though by the fact there is so much build up to Rorys cursed day, but when it finally happened it was a bit anticlimactic and it almost skimmed over. That seemed to be the case on quite a few occasions too, important parts of the story were just glossed over and explained away in a short sentence.

I really believe this book would have benefited from being in two parts or at least being made longer. The first half of the story was detailed which I enjoyed but the second was rushed through as if the author had just run out of steam and wanted it finished. I want to know how Malaura got to Rory, how Cord developed his powers, I wanted to see Rory actually wake up and especially how she found her Pulse. I would have given the book more stars if those things were included but overall it was a decent read.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written modern remake of an old fairy tale, with a few twists.
Three friends have been there for each other alk through their younger days: the chancellor's daughter, cursed at birth by the king's evil sister and deposed queen, a formidable sorceress; the Prince, a happy go lucky prankster who is nevertheless very loyal to his friends; and the son of a wealthy real estate mogul, who took his parents' death too hard in the wrong way with eventual disastrous consequences. In a kingdom full of both magically endowed and ordinary people, the only girl on the group of 3 friends, cursed with death until her uncle turns the curse to a coma, works the hardest to ensure that she does the most good while she is awake. The only cure for the coma is Love's First Kiss, and as yet, love hasn't found Aurora, aka Rory, in her limited orbit. Will she find love in time? And what disaster befell Adam, the son of the real estate mogul, at the hands of the same sorceress who cursed Rory? Rory, the most loyal, still checks in on Adam despite his churlishness at his curse and his awful behavior, and Henry, the prince, goes with her.
See how the fairy tale works out. With Rory's and Henry's on again, off again, extravagant (on Henry's part) relationship a prank Henry uses to lighten up the gloom and doom as Rory's 25th birthday approaches, most people are fooled that it might be the real thing. Will it fool anyine interested on Rory? Or will she be able to explain it's just a joke between her and Henry to keep the press on a subject outside of the curse on Rory, and to inject a little fun via Henry's over-the -top performances? And will she find true love in time?

[Piros OlaSz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern Sleeping Beauty with magic

Im a retelling person and Aurora’s story is not my fav. Actually here it was okey but it was a bit too slow and descriptive for me with a bit of repetition. So 2,5 star

Setup:
Modern world ✅
Love at almost first interaction ✅
Magic ✅

I didnt much get a good understanding beside the caramel skin of Cord how he looked like neither much Aurora so I mostly visualized Disney’s characters.
While Henry (best friend and prince charming) was a good character I think it seemed a bit more time and time again…
I found a bit of time loop on Remus age, saving baby and how much time passed here and there but as feom saving Rory at 12Y she to be 25 so he must be around 37…. Right?
Anyway maybe my overthinking of Uncle’s age shows how slow Story’s story was… I know Adam to follow too as my fav story on B&B but not sure if I’ll read it…

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A modern twist on an old Fairy Tale. Rory (Aurora) is cursed to fall into a coma on her 25th birthday she has spent her whole life making every moment count. Drowning in work, weighed down with the uncertainty of the curse she decides to take a break - and that turns everything upside down. Will Rory risk loving someone everyone deems a threat, will that love be enough to break a curse that is set to take effect in less than a year? Will the man with secrets of his own let go of everything and love Rory back with all his heart?

The strength of friends, family and first loves makes the hopeless parts of life feel as if there is hope.

Yes, I ordered the other three books in this series.

[BecReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story

This is an interesting retelling of sleeping beauty, trials and tribulations in the stories we know brought forward to a more modern setting with more magic (actual magic and the magic of this story) thrown in.

I am excited to see what happens with the next installment, as the cast hints at the story of the beast and the story of prince charming.

This tale brought me to tears, dragged me between the pages to soak in the happiness, and was so sweet in its build up of a relationship that fought through the social stigma in this fictional world and the fates of the curse of sleeping beauty. Not just for her, but for everyone that surrounded and supported her.

⭐ - 4/5
🌶️ - 2/5
❤️ - 5/5

Wonderful, wholesome, entirely enjoyable 💕✨ Xx

[Sunniva Berg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to start with saying that i love fairytale retelings, but sadly this was a huge down for me. I had so much trouble getting through the book and i was really close to DNF it. There was some moments that saved it plot wise, but it still ended up being my worst read so far. I never like giving bad grade or rating on a book. But for me it seemed like the relationship between the main character and her love interest was rushed and her friends ended up confusing me more than anything. At the same time it seemed like things that got described got forgotten a few pages after

[Paula Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. I love the Disney rewrite with the more adult theme. How do you live your life when you know at 25 you're going to fall to a curse. well, you get your life in order you get ready for the curse and with no man in sight to break the curse except your two best friends Prince Charming and the beast you drop everything and run away to take some time for yourself. You try to hide away from your very overprotective high-powered family, and only with magic everywhere your not to hidden. Could the overprotective nosy neighbor be your salvation? Or just?

[Sherie Novotny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love fairy tale retellings, and as such, this did have a lot going for it. I did like the imagined characters, the plot, etc. However, there is a reason for the phrase 'kill your darlings' in editing. This book would have benefited from some serious editing. There were many redundant phrases, extra analogies that did not help the story, and some overly melodramatic writing here and there. So to conclude, good story, but needs editing.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
Beauty’s Cursed Sleep was an interesting retelling of Sleeping Beauty - with magic. Main character Rory (Aurora) is surrounded by her uncle Remus and best friends Henry (Prince and future King) and Adam (son of a prominent businessman). In a change, Rory is the daughter of the Chancellor.

I felt like the plot was very coincidental and things happened very quickly without any character or plot development. Despite this, I really enjoy the whole thing, until the end which felt rushed.

[Ali Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - but I round up. This was an easy read and a cute retelling. I liked the liberties the author took and the weaving of Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming and The Beast as childhood friends because yes! The only thing that I was meh about was the overwhelming dump of insta-love... and conflict resolved in the same breath that it started in. I will be interested to read the next story and liked the angle the author took with the magic system.

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous Retelling of Sleeping Beauty

Wow. I loved this book and powered through it faster than I usually read. I love how the author wove modern life with old traditions and magic. There’s castles and cell phones. Bodyguards and evil queens. Really great world building. It’s awesome. If you love retellings, if you love strong heroines and fabulous heroes, if you believe that love conquers curses, then you are going to adore this book. Highly recommend.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun for me to read a fairytale retelling. This one was for Sleeping Beauty, and it was sweet and true to its fairytale origins. The most interesting part to me was the tie in to Beauty and the Beast with one of Rory's male friends. I'm sure her other friend, Henry the Prince, also has a story in this series, and these would both be fun to read. Recommended if you're in the mood for a fairytale as I was.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes the Sleeping Beauty story and adds some very unique twists and asks the reader some complex questions. This is book one of this series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rory is a very likable character and I found the start to her story very interesting and entertaining. Can't wait for book two. This is my frank, freely posted review.

[Susan Lyttek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much romance, not enough fairy tale

The fairy tale plot I enjoyed and would have liked more intensity to it. However, it was interrupted by way too much passionate kissing and talk about body parts. Even stuff with Rory and her friends was more interesting than the endless "I want to kiss him or her". Not my type of book. Do not plan to read more by this author.

[Jellybean The horseshoe crab · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise had promise, the characters though did not. There was a lot of banter that just wasn’t needed, and some characters were just not Believeable or way too much. Some were just over the top. There was just some wordings or phrasing’s that just didn’t read well….
All build up no follow through

[Keith Bornmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s an ok story DNF

I don’t know why, but I lost patience. I got bored and shipped to the last few chapters. Even then, I just wasn’t interested enough to finish.

I appreciate that there aren’t a lot of bad words and no sexual content. Just heavy kissing. But, then again, I skipped a lot.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has the crux of a good story, but there was a lot of characters, a lot of head-hopping, and the romantic elements were very surface. As we got towards Aurora's birthday and associated curse, the tension really increased and the overall climax was good. Wish I could've been involved to beta read this novel and smooth out some of the kinks because its likeable, just in need of a bit of polish.

[Erica Besore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like there’s always something so disjointed about bringing a fairy tale into modern times, maybe because the old is kept while adding in new things. This story could have been so much better if things didn’t move at lightning speed, leaving little time for character development. Main plot points were there but there wasn’t enough fluff or building for it to make sense.