What do you think?
Rate this book
Curses
Merit Cravan refused to fulfill her obligation to marry a prince, leading to a fairy godling's curse. She will be forced to live as a beast forever, unless she agrees to marry a man of her mother's choosing before her eighteenth birthday.
Tevin Dumont has always been a pawn in his family's cons. The prettiest boy in a big family, his job is to tempt naïve rich girls to abandon their engagements, unless their parents agree to pay him off. But after his mother runs afoul of the beast, she decides to trade Tevin for her own freedom.
Now, Tevin and Merit have agreed that he can pay off his mother's debt by using his con-artist skills to help Merit find the best match . . . but what if the best match is Tevin himself?
Tevin Dumont has always been a pawn in his family's cons. The prettiest boy in a big family, his job is to tempt naïve rich girls to abandon their engagements, unless their parents agree to pay him off. But after his mother runs afoul of the beast, she decides to trade Tevin for her own freedom.
Now, Tevin and Merit have agreed that he can pay off his mother's debt by using his con-artist skills to help Merit find the best match . . . but what if the best match is Tevin himself?
448 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2021
140 people are currently reading
13610 people want to read
About the author
Lish McBride
28 books1,317 followersLish McBride is the author of funny and creepy Young Adult books such as Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Necromancing the Stone; Firebug; and Pyromantic. She has published short stories in the Normal School, Tor.com, and the anthologies Cornered, What to Read in the Rain, Freaks & Other Family, and Kisses & Curses. She got her BFA in creative writing from Seattle University and her MFA from University of New Orleans. Lish is also currently a bookseller and event host at Third Place Books, a giant thriving indie bookstore just outside of Seattle. Her first book, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults title, Morris Award finalist, and won the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award. While she has no long term goals for world domination, she would like her own castle.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/lishmc...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/lishmc...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 646 reviews
November 17, 2021
I don't know if my brain is in post-covid or what, but when I first started reading Curses I was sure it had 280 pages. In fact, that is the reason why I picked it up in the first place. I wanted a short book that I would finish quickly.
However, as I was reading, the story went on and on and on... (I read it on kindle) and after I finally finished it it said it has 480 pages, which makes much more sense, as it dragged.
The story is gender swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with cast of characters that have potential to capture your heart.
I can't honestly remember when was the ast time I read about characters I can see myself wanting to revisit, because I find them so likeable and like I know them in a way.
It was probably years ago, back when I was reading Vampire Academy, Iron Fay and Clockwork Angel for the first time.
My favourites were Tavin and his cousin (Val I think, but don't quote me on that, I am terrible when it comes to remembering the names).
The story started off good and I was very excited, very invested into all that was happening, especially in all the characters making connections with each other.
There was a scene involving Tavin and one other female character that was NOT Merit, and their chemistry was so strong you could cut it with a knife. I wished for them two to be with each other, but I guess the author had another plan...
Closer to the middle the story started to drag and I lost the motivation to continue with reading (with pace I read with at the very start), and then as we got closer to the end, the story became little... ridiculous I would say.
At times it felt rushed, and the motive and the way the villain wanted to reach their goal were illogical to me.
However, as I was reading, the story went on and on and on... (I read it on kindle) and after I finally finished it it said it has 480 pages, which makes much more sense, as it dragged.
The story is gender swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with cast of characters that have potential to capture your heart.
I can't honestly remember when was the ast time I read about characters I can see myself wanting to revisit, because I find them so likeable and like I know them in a way.
It was probably years ago, back when I was reading Vampire Academy, Iron Fay and Clockwork Angel for the first time.
My favourites were Tavin and his cousin (Val I think, but don't quote me on that, I am terrible when it comes to remembering the names).
The story started off good and I was very excited, very invested into all that was happening, especially in all the characters making connections with each other.
There was a scene involving Tavin and one other female character that was NOT Merit, and their chemistry was so strong you could cut it with a knife. I wished for them two to be with each other, but I guess the author had another plan...
Closer to the middle the story started to drag and I lost the motivation to continue with reading (with pace I read with at the very start), and then as we got closer to the end, the story became little... ridiculous I would say.
At times it felt rushed, and the motive and the way the villain wanted to reach their goal were illogical to me.
December 11, 2021
After almost 2 months of torture I've finally finished this...
That should tell you something.
It's the way my most anticipated releases keep disappointing me... like I truly think that I am cursed.hehe see what i did there
I really don't have much to say, especially considering how long it's been and I barely remember anything about this book lol.
The two main characters, Merit and Tevin, were such bland characters. I could not for the life of me bring myself to like them. There was just nothing interesting about either of the two and I found myself just wanting to get the book over with because their POVs were long torturous. The rest of the cast was also very 'meh.' The only one I do remember finding occasionally entertaining is Ellery. Definitely one thing I did like about this book was the diversity!
This was more of the case where the side characters -- though they weren't really any good -- are much more interesting than the main characters.
I was so excited for a Beauty and the Beast reverse retelling and it makes me sad that it was so boring. I'm tired of having my hopes crushed :' )
Anyways yup this book just wasn't for me. It also didn't help that I was in the middle of a huge slump so definitely a horrible combo💀 I don't think I'll be trying any of the author's other books.
Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
_____
Dec.17, 2020:
Hey hey hey Edelweiss FINALLY accepts a request from me.😏
AND it's a reversed Beauty & the Beast retelling...
I'm already in love.
That should tell you something.
It's the way my most anticipated releases keep disappointing me... like I truly think that I am cursed.
I really don't have much to say, especially considering how long it's been and I barely remember anything about this book lol.
The two main characters, Merit and Tevin, were such bland characters. I could not for the life of me bring myself to like them. There was just nothing interesting about either of the two and I found myself just wanting to get the book over with because their POVs were long torturous. The rest of the cast was also very 'meh.' The only one I do remember finding occasionally entertaining is Ellery. Definitely one thing I did like about this book was the diversity!
This was more of the case where the side characters -- though they weren't really any good -- are much more interesting than the main characters.
I was so excited for a Beauty and the Beast reverse retelling and it makes me sad that it was so boring. I'm tired of having my hopes crushed :' )
Anyways yup this book just wasn't for me. It also didn't help that I was in the middle of a huge slump so definitely a horrible combo💀 I don't think I'll be trying any of the author's other books.
Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
_____
Dec.17, 2020:
Hey hey hey Edelweiss FINALLY accepts a request from me.😏
AND it's a reversed Beauty & the Beast retelling...
I'm already in love.
April 15, 2023
4.5 Stars
I loved this gender bending beauty and the beast retelling.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I loved this gender bending beauty and the beast retelling.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
June 9, 2021
6/8/21
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5/5 stars
I'm always up for a good retelling, but this one blew me away! I had no idea it would be this good. Curses was slightly absurd with hilarious dialogue, a chivalrous ostrich, and flying badgers(!!!), but it was also grounded enough that it didn't fly off the rails.
You know that the first thing I notice is the characters. I loved our whole cast! Our two main characters, Merit and Tevin, were fantastic. Merit had so much personality that she stood out from all the basic YA protagonists (thank goodness) and Tevin was absolutely adorable. While he might initially seem like a cutout of the perfect love interest and nothing more, he was plenty unique. Change my mind, but Hufflepuff love interests are the best.
Aside from the main characters, the secondary characters were all distinctive. Ellery acted as the older sibling of this found family dynamic and was always exasperated about something or another. I loved Val not only as wingwoman to Tevin but also for her subplot with Kirya, though I would have liked to see a little more there. I wish we got to spend more time with Amoury, as he sounded interesting from what little we learned of him. Latimer was also an interesting grey-area character. Yes, he did some awful stuff but he's not as bad as his parents. It'll be interesting to see what goes on there if we get another book!
Most of all, what I loved was the found family. Tevin and Amoury might be literal family, but the rest of them, as Ellery put it, are becoming DuMonts too. I love the camaraderie that comes with that trope and it definitely made me smile.
This was a pretty cut and dry Beauty and the Beast retelling other than the gender swap, but that made all the difference. It was just different while still sticking with the story, and I loved all the little nods that were thrown in to acknowledge elements of both the Grimm fairytale and the Disney movie.
This probably doesn't deserve its own paragraph, but there was something heist-ish at the end and I was absolutely living for it!
All in all, this was a fantastic book! I would highly recommend a read if you want a fun retelling!
--------------------------
1/7/21:
GUESS WHO JUST GOT A COPY! I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO DIE FOR IT!
--------------------------
12/17/20:
OH MY GOD THAT DESCRIPTION! I WILL DIE FOR A COPY OF THIS GLORIOUS BOOK
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5/5 stars
I'm always up for a good retelling, but this one blew me away! I had no idea it would be this good. Curses was slightly absurd with hilarious dialogue, a chivalrous ostrich, and flying badgers(!!!), but it was also grounded enough that it didn't fly off the rails.
You know that the first thing I notice is the characters. I loved our whole cast! Our two main characters, Merit and Tevin, were fantastic. Merit had so much personality that she stood out from all the basic YA protagonists (thank goodness) and Tevin was absolutely adorable. While he might initially seem like a cutout of the perfect love interest and nothing more, he was plenty unique. Change my mind, but Hufflepuff love interests are the best.
Aside from the main characters, the secondary characters were all distinctive. Ellery acted as the older sibling of this found family dynamic and was always exasperated about something or another. I loved Val not only as wingwoman to Tevin but also for her subplot with Kirya, though I would have liked to see a little more there. I wish we got to spend more time with Amoury, as he sounded interesting from what little we learned of him. Latimer was also an interesting grey-area character. Yes, he did some awful stuff but he's not as bad as his parents. It'll be interesting to see what goes on there if we get another book!
Most of all, what I loved was the found family. Tevin and Amoury might be literal family, but the rest of them, as Ellery put it, are becoming DuMonts too. I love the camaraderie that comes with that trope and it definitely made me smile.
This was a pretty cut and dry Beauty and the Beast retelling other than the gender swap, but that made all the difference. It was just different while still sticking with the story, and I loved all the little nods that were thrown in to acknowledge elements of both the Grimm fairytale and the Disney movie.
This probably doesn't deserve its own paragraph, but there was something heist-ish at the end and I was absolutely living for it!
All in all, this was a fantastic book! I would highly recommend a read if you want a fun retelling!
--------------------------
1/7/21:
GUESS WHO JUST GOT A COPY! I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO DIE FOR IT!
--------------------------
12/17/20:
OH MY GOD THAT DESCRIPTION! I WILL DIE FOR A COPY OF THIS GLORIOUS BOOK
July 20, 2021
3.5*
Curses is a gender flipped take on the classic beauty and the beast tale. Merit is essentially being forced to marry a MUCH older man that she has no interest in for the sake of her family and name. Instead of bowing to the wishes of her mother she refuses to even meet the man she’s betrothed to, and so a Godling (fairy) curses her to become a beast forever if she does not marry by her 18th birthday, but IF she finds actual love on her own before then she is allowed to marry him. That said she becomes more and more beastly in the meantime making it difficult to find a true love of her own. Yes, she has the ability to look normal at set times, but finding actual true love is difficult when you’re a noble born.
Enter Florencia DuMont. A thief and a con and probably not the best mom tries to steal flowers from Merit’s family for her own gain, and ends up trading her oldest son, our “beauty,” Tevin for her freedom. But Tevin brings more to the table than just a potential love interest for our “beast.” He’s there to help her find true love prior to turning 18, AND he also brings along a sort of found family into play in Merit’s life.
I don’t want to say TOO TOO much, but I want to say that I enjoyed the overall theme of a young woman/person being pushed to make choices that they don’t want to. I love that Merit was willing to sacrifice unknown consequence to be able to find her own happiness. I think that’s relatable for many young people. I also appreciate that the love story felt organic and wasn’t too quick in my personal opinion. While I did assume this would be a darker, gothic read, I ended up enjoying the overall quirkiness of the story.
All in all I think this is a great spin on the “tale as old as time,” and has an impactful underlying meaning that will be relatable to the readers it’s meant for!
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
Curses is a gender flipped take on the classic beauty and the beast tale. Merit is essentially being forced to marry a MUCH older man that she has no interest in for the sake of her family and name. Instead of bowing to the wishes of her mother she refuses to even meet the man she’s betrothed to, and so a Godling (fairy) curses her to become a beast forever if she does not marry by her 18th birthday, but IF she finds actual love on her own before then she is allowed to marry him. That said she becomes more and more beastly in the meantime making it difficult to find a true love of her own. Yes, she has the ability to look normal at set times, but finding actual true love is difficult when you’re a noble born.
Enter Florencia DuMont. A thief and a con and probably not the best mom tries to steal flowers from Merit’s family for her own gain, and ends up trading her oldest son, our “beauty,” Tevin for her freedom. But Tevin brings more to the table than just a potential love interest for our “beast.” He’s there to help her find true love prior to turning 18, AND he also brings along a sort of found family into play in Merit’s life.
I don’t want to say TOO TOO much, but I want to say that I enjoyed the overall theme of a young woman/person being pushed to make choices that they don’t want to. I love that Merit was willing to sacrifice unknown consequence to be able to find her own happiness. I think that’s relatable for many young people. I also appreciate that the love story felt organic and wasn’t too quick in my personal opinion. While I did assume this would be a darker, gothic read, I ended up enjoying the overall quirkiness of the story.
All in all I think this is a great spin on the “tale as old as time,” and has an impactful underlying meaning that will be relatable to the readers it’s meant for!
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
December 29, 2021
Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars
So cute! RTC
So cute! RTC
August 1, 2021
3.5/5 stars, a joyful and quite unique retelling
Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This really wasn’t what I was expecting going into a retelling of beauty and the beast. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, the gender swap was quite fun, but the overall retelling part felt a bit muddled. There were so many other elements in there that threw me off, but it was a really unique retelling nonetheless.
I think my main complaint of this book is that the world building is almost non-existent. There’s so many different “faerie” types and were never truly given an explanation for them. We’re just told that some of them curse people. I also can’t for the life of me remember any of the location names. The lack of world-building was the big thing that made it hard to read for me, but there is a lot of unique ideas in here.
This book took me a while to read, I tried to keep starting it and just couldn’t get in. I finally did sit down and read it, but it just felt a bit hard to get into at least for the first half. I think the story is quirky, and not in a bad way, but it just has so many components it can be hard to get into.
Merit was an interesting main character, in this story she is the beast, her curse from “disrespecting” her mother. She got on my nerves quite a few times, but I think she really just was a girl trying to find a way out of her curse. She was headstrong sometimes, and that’s what threw her off a bit for me. I wish there was a bit more character development besides just her curse, but she wasn’t the worst main character I’ve ever read from.
Tevin was my favorite out of the main two, he reminded me a lot of Jesper from Six of Crows. He’s quite fun and no matter what situation he’s in, manages to find a way to spin it in a great way. He’s struggled a lot through life and it was great to see him eventually have a good time with his life.
I can’t remember all the names of the side characters, there was a lot sometimes I got them mixed up. They had different enough names but there really was so many I had to remember, and I just couldn’t. A lot of them also didn’t serve a purpose besides furthering Merit’s story. Which was a little disappointing as I tend to love my side characters, but I felt most of them didn’t have enough substance.
Overall, it was a unique retelling of beauty and the beast. It was a bit disjointed at times, especially in the world building and romance, but still fun in unique ways.
Thank you Penguin Teen for the arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This really wasn’t what I was expecting going into a retelling of beauty and the beast. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, the gender swap was quite fun, but the overall retelling part felt a bit muddled. There were so many other elements in there that threw me off, but it was a really unique retelling nonetheless.
I think my main complaint of this book is that the world building is almost non-existent. There’s so many different “faerie” types and were never truly given an explanation for them. We’re just told that some of them curse people. I also can’t for the life of me remember any of the location names. The lack of world-building was the big thing that made it hard to read for me, but there is a lot of unique ideas in here.
This book took me a while to read, I tried to keep starting it and just couldn’t get in. I finally did sit down and read it, but it just felt a bit hard to get into at least for the first half. I think the story is quirky, and not in a bad way, but it just has so many components it can be hard to get into.
Merit was an interesting main character, in this story she is the beast, her curse from “disrespecting” her mother. She got on my nerves quite a few times, but I think she really just was a girl trying to find a way out of her curse. She was headstrong sometimes, and that’s what threw her off a bit for me. I wish there was a bit more character development besides just her curse, but she wasn’t the worst main character I’ve ever read from.
Tevin was my favorite out of the main two, he reminded me a lot of Jesper from Six of Crows. He’s quite fun and no matter what situation he’s in, manages to find a way to spin it in a great way. He’s struggled a lot through life and it was great to see him eventually have a good time with his life.
I can’t remember all the names of the side characters, there was a lot sometimes I got them mixed up. They had different enough names but there really was so many I had to remember, and I just couldn’t. A lot of them also didn’t serve a purpose besides furthering Merit’s story. Which was a little disappointing as I tend to love my side characters, but I felt most of them didn’t have enough substance.
Overall, it was a unique retelling of beauty and the beast. It was a bit disjointed at times, especially in the world building and romance, but still fun in unique ways.
July 8, 2021
Thank you to Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Best case of surprise gays.
Curses is a Beauty & the Beast retelling but where our female protagonist, Merit Craven, is cursed to be a beast for defying her mother's wishes. Unless she finds love or marries a man of her mothers choosing before her 18th birthday, she'll be a beast forever. Enter, Tevin Dumont, his mother has forced him to be Merit's helper in exchange for her freedom because she stolen something from the Cravens. Tevin must help Merit find a husband and avoid the scandal that ending in her original curse. For not only is Tevin mandated to help her, but Tevin has organized several of the cons that Merit fell pray to.
The main plot line is all about Merit finding a husband: the main action is Tevin escorting Merit to various events and advising her. Basically all of Merit's choices are terrible but she must find the least evil of them all. Merit's mother was a hard character to like. While on one hand she wants the best for Merit, she also goes about it the wrong way many times. There are several instances where Merit is pushed to the edge of her ability and the curse punishes her. The relationship between these two was complicated, but I did like when both of them tried to be better about communicating.
This book is such a slow burn. In between Merit going to parties and events, we see her start to truly befriend Tevin, his brother Amaury and his cousin Val. I loved seeing them all become closer to Merit and her healer Ellery, and her guard Kaiya. I think one of my favorite things was seeing Val pine over Kaiya. Plus Ellery's utter disdain and never being impressed by Tevin or his family. I loved them so much and having a nonbinary character was such a delightful surprise! Then there was Tevin and Merit, I didn't think I'd fall so in love with their relationship but I absolutely did. It was just too cute and their banter was the best.
The world of Curses was so complex. There are many types of magical creatures including fae and fae descendants. The world also has several kingdoms and we see many of them represented. I do wish we'd gotten to learn more about the various worlds and their customs, but as most of the narrative is focused on Merit, we mostly just see her culture. Overall, this story pleasantly surprised me and I very much enjoyed it!
Rep: Nonbinary side character, lesbian side character, possible sapphic side character--not confirmed.
CWs: Violence, alcohol consumption, drugging of side character without their knowledge, body horror--kinda, animal death, confinement in cage, death of a parent, emotional abuse, medical content--exams by healer, panic attack.
Best case of surprise gays.
Curses is a Beauty & the Beast retelling but where our female protagonist, Merit Craven, is cursed to be a beast for defying her mother's wishes. Unless she finds love or marries a man of her mothers choosing before her 18th birthday, she'll be a beast forever. Enter, Tevin Dumont, his mother has forced him to be Merit's helper in exchange for her freedom because she stolen something from the Cravens. Tevin must help Merit find a husband and avoid the scandal that ending in her original curse. For not only is Tevin mandated to help her, but Tevin has organized several of the cons that Merit fell pray to.
The main plot line is all about Merit finding a husband: the main action is Tevin escorting Merit to various events and advising her. Basically all of Merit's choices are terrible but she must find the least evil of them all. Merit's mother was a hard character to like. While on one hand she wants the best for Merit, she also goes about it the wrong way many times. There are several instances where Merit is pushed to the edge of her ability and the curse punishes her. The relationship between these two was complicated, but I did like when both of them tried to be better about communicating.
This book is such a slow burn. In between Merit going to parties and events, we see her start to truly befriend Tevin, his brother Amaury and his cousin Val. I loved seeing them all become closer to Merit and her healer Ellery, and her guard Kaiya. I think one of my favorite things was seeing Val pine over Kaiya. Plus Ellery's utter disdain and never being impressed by Tevin or his family. I loved them so much and having a nonbinary character was such a delightful surprise! Then there was Tevin and Merit, I didn't think I'd fall so in love with their relationship but I absolutely did. It was just too cute and their banter was the best.
The world of Curses was so complex. There are many types of magical creatures including fae and fae descendants. The world also has several kingdoms and we see many of them represented. I do wish we'd gotten to learn more about the various worlds and their customs, but as most of the narrative is focused on Merit, we mostly just see her culture. Overall, this story pleasantly surprised me and I very much enjoyed it!
Rep: Nonbinary side character, lesbian side character, possible sapphic side character--not confirmed.
CWs: Violence, alcohol consumption, drugging of side character without their knowledge, body horror--kinda, animal death, confinement in cage, death of a parent, emotional abuse, medical content--exams by healer, panic attack.
Want to read
March 11, 2021I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2021
* I received an eARC of this book through Edelweiss+ for an honest review*
Merit had found her one true love… or she thought she had. When she insisted on waiting for him, only to find that her lover was a cheat, she denied the heartbreaking news and refused to marry her betrothed. Her disobedience brought a terrible price: She must marry her mother’s choosing or a man who truly loved her before she turns 18, or she would stay a mindless beast forever…
OK, so till this point it’s pretty much how you’d expect from a Beauty and the Beast retelling, gender-swap excluded. From here on, however, the story took on a life of its own, developing into a unique tale of love and deception.
World-building:
The world-building was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Instead of a simple magical system, the author crafted a complicated world with so many possibilities and imaginations. There were three kinds of people in the society: The fairyborn, the human, and the fairy godlings. The godlings were often invited to events held by fairyborn nobles, granting gifts and curses to their liking, while mages, human with limited magical abilities, invented convenient magical objects that were similar to our technology. While this world could be a little bit confusing at first, and the world building did slow the pace a bit, I loved all the creative, fun cruses and magecrafts!
Characters:
As for the characters, meet Tevin, the eldest of the conning DuMont family. The DuMont family reminded me so much of the Renard family in Sky Without Stars , both families utilized their children to cheat money out of the wealthy, leaving a great burden on the children. In this case, Tevin had to use his good looks to charm young ladies to get money, and he was willing to do that if only to lift the burden from his younger siblings. I loved how he is an imperfect love interest for Merit, and that he also had his own beast to battle deep inside. Being with Merit allowed him the chance to truly be himself. I loved how he and Merit grew together throughout the book.
Curses also had some adorable side characters, with LGBTQ+ representation. Several of them have distinct personalities and could have had some epic stories themselves!
I LOVED, LOVED Val. She was one of my favorite characters in the whole book. She was brave, witty, and charismatic in her own way. She had an air of confidence that was more charming than Tevin. I’d love to be her friend and gladly received her flirtations.
Romance:
The romance was pretty slow-burn, so they didn’t kiss until late in the book, and both of them were apparently trying to deny their feelings for each other. Readers had to have a bit of patient comparing to other Beauty and the Beast retellings, yet the author did a good job making their feelings grow subtly and steadily. Don’t expect anything too quick or overly swoony, and then you will be able to enjoy this romance.
(Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying their relationship was not swoony! The sweetest thing was always worth the wait, and I don’t want to spoil that for you!)
The only thing I’m a bit disappointed with is the slow pacing. As mentioned above, the magical system can be a little bit confusing at first and it took a while to explained. Only when Tevin and Merit first met (around 25% in the book), did things really start to get more interesting. Also, there were some details in the book that seemed unnecessary, but I received this copy quite early (around January), so these little issues were likely fixed already.
Curses is a creative reimagination of Beauty and the Beast. It’s got great world-building, funny characters, and a slow-burn romance. While it is not the best B&B retellings I’ve read, it’s certainly the most creative one and quite enjoyable.
If you like the idea of gender-swap Beauty and the Beast retellings and you’re into indie authors, you might also want to try Beautiful Beast by E. J. Hill.
“When she opened her eyes, it was to see the footman faint dead away, the heavy door in his hands clattering to the floor.
Then her mother screamed.”
Merit had found her one true love… or she thought she had. When she insisted on waiting for him, only to find that her lover was a cheat, she denied the heartbreaking news and refused to marry her betrothed. Her disobedience brought a terrible price: She must marry her mother’s choosing or a man who truly loved her before she turns 18, or she would stay a mindless beast forever…
OK, so till this point it’s pretty much how you’d expect from a Beauty and the Beast retelling, gender-swap excluded. From here on, however, the story took on a life of its own, developing into a unique tale of love and deception.
World-building:
“Fairy Gift—same as a fairy curse, really, only the fairy in question thinks this one is a really good idea”
The world-building was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Instead of a simple magical system, the author crafted a complicated world with so many possibilities and imaginations. There were three kinds of people in the society: The fairyborn, the human, and the fairy godlings. The godlings were often invited to events held by fairyborn nobles, granting gifts and curses to their liking, while mages, human with limited magical abilities, invented convenient magical objects that were similar to our technology. While this world could be a little bit confusing at first, and the world building did slow the pace a bit, I loved all the creative, fun cruses and magecrafts!
Characters:
“You may look like a beast, but I am one.”
As for the characters, meet Tevin, the eldest of the conning DuMont family. The DuMont family reminded me so much of the Renard family in Sky Without Stars , both families utilized their children to cheat money out of the wealthy, leaving a great burden on the children. In this case, Tevin had to use his good looks to charm young ladies to get money, and he was willing to do that if only to lift the burden from his younger siblings. I loved how he is an imperfect love interest for Merit, and that he also had his own beast to battle deep inside. Being with Merit allowed him the chance to truly be himself. I loved how he and Merit grew together throughout the book.
Curses also had some adorable side characters, with LGBTQ+ representation. Several of them have distinct personalities and could have had some epic stories themselves!
“‘I’m proud of who I am,’ Val said. ‘And see no reason to pretend otherwise.’”
I LOVED, LOVED Val. She was one of my favorite characters in the whole book. She was brave, witty, and charismatic in her own way. She had an air of confidence that was more charming than Tevin. I’d love to be her friend and gladly received her flirtations.
Romance:
“Merit touched her lips and tried not to think about riding under the sweetheart bridge and the kiss that didn’t happen. She failed miserably.”
The romance was pretty slow-burn, so they didn’t kiss until late in the book, and both of them were apparently trying to deny their feelings for each other. Readers had to have a bit of patient comparing to other Beauty and the Beast retellings, yet the author did a good job making their feelings grow subtly and steadily. Don’t expect anything too quick or overly swoony, and then you will be able to enjoy this romance.
(Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying their relationship was not swoony! The sweetest thing was always worth the wait, and I don’t want to spoil that for you!)
The only thing I’m a bit disappointed with is the slow pacing. As mentioned above, the magical system can be a little bit confusing at first and it took a while to explained. Only when Tevin and Merit first met (around 25% in the book), did things really start to get more interesting. Also, there were some details in the book that seemed unnecessary, but I received this copy quite early (around January), so these little issues were likely fixed already.
Curses is a creative reimagination of Beauty and the Beast. It’s got great world-building, funny characters, and a slow-burn romance. While it is not the best B&B retellings I’ve read, it’s certainly the most creative one and quite enjoyable.
If you like the idea of gender-swap Beauty and the Beast retellings and you’re into indie authors, you might also want to try Beautiful Beast by E. J. Hill.
July 28, 2021
Thank you Penguin Random House for my gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
Curses is a beautifully told YA fantasy retelling of beauty and the beast and I absolutely lived every second of it!
Merit Cravan is the beast of this story (a female beast which I loved!) and has been Cursed by a fairy godling for not going forward with becoming betrothed to a prince of her mothers chosing (and was old enough to be her father if not older).
Merit must either marry someone who genuinely loves her before her 18th birthday or someone of her mothers choice (which is not at all promising).
Poor Merit is running out of time when Tevin Dumont comes crashing into her life.
Tevin is tired of being used by his parents as part of their cons - part of which is to lure rich girls away from their betrothed and tempt them to calling off their engagements.
Tevin ends up working with Merit to help her find a suitable suitor that won't lure her the way Tevin has done to other girls.
Tevin and Merit begin to have feelings for each other, but are these genuine or manipulation?And can Merit break the curse of the beast she's been spelled as before she turns 18 and the curse becomes permanent?
I loved this book it was so much fun and took me on a magical and memorable adventure! Each character was unique and enjoyable to the very last page!
Curses is a beautifully told YA fantasy retelling of beauty and the beast and I absolutely lived every second of it!
Merit Cravan is the beast of this story (a female beast which I loved!) and has been Cursed by a fairy godling for not going forward with becoming betrothed to a prince of her mothers chosing (and was old enough to be her father if not older).
Merit must either marry someone who genuinely loves her before her 18th birthday or someone of her mothers choice (which is not at all promising).
Poor Merit is running out of time when Tevin Dumont comes crashing into her life.
Tevin is tired of being used by his parents as part of their cons - part of which is to lure rich girls away from their betrothed and tempt them to calling off their engagements.
Tevin ends up working with Merit to help her find a suitable suitor that won't lure her the way Tevin has done to other girls.
Tevin and Merit begin to have feelings for each other, but are these genuine or manipulation?And can Merit break the curse of the beast she's been spelled as before she turns 18 and the curse becomes permanent?
I loved this book it was so much fun and took me on a magical and memorable adventure! Each character was unique and enjoyable to the very last page!
Want to read
June 9, 2019- gender-swapped "Beauty and the Beast"
- looks at fairytale gifts and curses—and how the two are sometimes indistinguishable
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE
- looks at fairytale gifts and curses—and how the two are sometimes indistinguishable
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE
October 18, 2021
It was refreshing to finally read a retelling of Beauty and the Beast where the main characters have the roles reversed, but the plot was not as good as I expected.
October 29, 2020
I was lucky enough to get a chance to read CURSES early. You need to preorder it. You need to do that now. Drop what you are doing. Why are you still reading this? You should be preordering CURSES.
Done? Okay good.
You need this retelling of Beauty and the Beast in your life. It is smart, because Lish wrote it. It is also hilarious, because Lish wrote it. And Lish manages to take a classic fairy tale you know by heart and make it feel completely fresh and original. There is a curse support group. It is everything. You need it. But you already preordered it, right?
Done? Okay good.
You need this retelling of Beauty and the Beast in your life. It is smart, because Lish wrote it. It is also hilarious, because Lish wrote it. And Lish manages to take a classic fairy tale you know by heart and make it feel completely fresh and original. There is a curse support group. It is everything. You need it. But you already preordered it, right?
September 7, 2021
Melissa Meyer says that this was "The Beauty and the Beast retelling that she had been waiting for".
Well, then she must have been waiting for an historical romance/ steampunk story with very small traces of Beauty and the Beast! Because, gawd, this was not what I was expecting from a Beauty and the Beast retelling... but I've read quite a few retellings, so I've become a bit picky...
Okay, I'm going to stop with the burn.
Maybe. o_O
This is not a bad story per se, but it is a bit of a mess.
The beginning was quite boring, there's tons of pointless descriptions regarding characters looks and ornaments, and clothes patterns and things as such.
Everyone is beautiful and dashing. There's queer characters, non binary and poc.
So, check, check... and check. Sorry, but it felt a bit too much on the nose, when we start getting educated on pronouns regarding another pointless character.
The main character was cursed when she was fifteen years old bc she didn't want to marry an old guy!
There's strong family relationships in this book, which is probably the best part of it.
Tevin Dumont, our "Beauty" has very strong bonds with his siblings and with his cousin Val (Valerie?), a tomboy who is described as a bit of a horny gunslinger; Wild, Wild, West meets Gossip Girl in Regency. -___-
His parents are con artists, and in this one, his mother is the one who steals the Beast's flower.
So, Tevin gets to meet Merit, our Beast who has been under a curse because she didn't want to marry some lecherous old man... so she got cursed by a Godling, vain and horrid fairy godmothers.
Problem number... I forget, So we have a very accepting society regarding gender identity, but women still are being sold like cattle.
Okay...
The curse
Well, there's a temporary "cure" for it. A tonic with some side effects, but it is something that allows Merit and the other members of the ton who have been cursed (there's mentions to other fairytales, since there's a support group for the afflicted) to have a reprieve from the thing.
I felt like that cheapened the thing?
The romance
It practically doesn't exist! The characters end up together because that's what supposed to happen, but the relationship between them was really weak.
I can see this becoming a series, because there were so many characters in it, but if it does happen I will not be following it.
It had some interesting ideas, but in the end the importance given to clutter was just too much.
Also, what was with the Prince's tail??
Well, then she must have been waiting for an historical romance/ steampunk story with very small traces of Beauty and the Beast! Because, gawd, this was not what I was expecting from a Beauty and the Beast retelling... but I've read quite a few retellings, so I've become a bit picky...
Okay, I'm going to stop with the burn.
Maybe. o_O
This is not a bad story per se, but it is a bit of a mess.
The beginning was quite boring, there's tons of pointless descriptions regarding characters looks and ornaments, and clothes patterns and things as such.
Everyone is beautiful and dashing. There's queer characters, non binary and poc.
So, check, check... and check. Sorry, but it felt a bit too much on the nose, when we start getting educated on pronouns regarding another pointless character.
The main character was cursed when she was fifteen years old bc she didn't want to marry an old guy!
There's strong family relationships in this book, which is probably the best part of it.
Tevin Dumont, our "Beauty" has very strong bonds with his siblings and with his cousin Val (Valerie?), a tomboy who is described as a bit of a horny gunslinger; Wild, Wild, West meets Gossip Girl in Regency. -___-
His parents are con artists, and in this one, his mother is the one who steals the Beast's flower.
So, Tevin gets to meet Merit, our Beast who has been under a curse because she didn't want to marry some lecherous old man... so she got cursed by a Godling, vain and horrid fairy godmothers.
Problem number... I forget, So we have a very accepting society regarding gender identity, but women still are being sold like cattle.
Okay...
The curse
Well, there's a temporary "cure" for it. A tonic with some side effects, but it is something that allows Merit and the other members of the ton who have been cursed (there's mentions to other fairytales, since there's a support group for the afflicted) to have a reprieve from the thing.
I felt like that cheapened the thing?
The romance
It practically doesn't exist! The characters end up together because that's what supposed to happen, but the relationship between them was really weak.
I can see this becoming a series, because there were so many characters in it, but if it does happen I will not be following it.
It had some interesting ideas, but in the end the importance given to clutter was just too much.
Also, what was with the Prince's tail??
September 8, 2021
1. The stakes in this book are so low that I just don't care about whether or not the curse is broken. Everyone knows the main girl is a beast, nobody seems to mind all that much, everyone's used to curses, and she doesn't mind being a beast either, except that she's slowly growing more feral and doesn't want to "lose herself" but also doesn't actually seem to care that much about it and is pretty good at keeping away from other people when she's having an "episode."
2. The romance is so shallow that it's actually slightly uncomfortable. Why do they have crushes on each other after knowing each other for like, 2 hours? They've barely spoken, the main guy for some reason grows a moral compass--but only with her--after meeting her for 2 minutes, despite the narrator telling us he doesn't feel remorse for his previous cons 5 pages before. Why? It's never explained. There are no stakes there, either, so I just literally don't care at all if they get together, especially because the curse isn't dependent on it for being broken.
3. Val spends all of her time staring at girls, and it's so gross and creepy. Literally, every time she's "on screen" she's staring at some girl and "pretending not to." I'm not exaggerating. It's literally every. single. scene she's in and the main object of her attention spends the vast majority of the book not even actually interacting with her.
4. The main characters are all so full of themselves, thinking that they're so much deeper than everyone else in society. Like, the main girls are supposed to be feminist, but then they refer to other girls by condescending nicknames based on one physical trait. Ok............................cool, I guess.
idk, the whole thing made me feel deeply unsettled, and not even because it was like...kind of dark. The characters were just super awkward from start to finish in a way that gave me secondhand embarrassment in almost every chapter!
2. The romance is so shallow that it's actually slightly uncomfortable. Why do they have crushes on each other after knowing each other for like, 2 hours? They've barely spoken, the main guy for some reason grows a moral compass--but only with her--after meeting her for 2 minutes, despite the narrator telling us he doesn't feel remorse for his previous cons 5 pages before. Why? It's never explained. There are no stakes there, either, so I just literally don't care at all if they get together, especially because the curse isn't dependent on it for being broken.
3. Val spends all of her time staring at girls, and it's so gross and creepy. Literally, every time she's "on screen" she's staring at some girl and "pretending not to." I'm not exaggerating. It's literally every. single. scene she's in and the main object of her attention spends the vast majority of the book not even actually interacting with her.
4. The main characters are all so full of themselves, thinking that they're so much deeper than everyone else in society. Like, the main girls are supposed to be feminist, but then they refer to other girls by condescending nicknames based on one physical trait. Ok............................cool, I guess.
idk, the whole thing made me feel deeply unsettled, and not even because it was like...kind of dark. The characters were just super awkward from start to finish in a way that gave me secondhand embarrassment in almost every chapter!
July 27, 2021
3-3.5 stars
I am always a sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings, so I was particularly interested in this genderbent variant. That being said, I found the overall story to be just okay.
What I really enjoyed is that Merit Cravan becomes a beast of her own volition because she refuses to to marry a suitor of her mother’s choosing. However, the caveat is that she will remain a beast unless she gives in prior to her 18th birthday, so obviously she has seconds thoughts about the whole remaining a beast thing.
I did enjoy the additional supernatural creatures aspect to this story. Merit crosses paths with Tevin Dumont who comes from parents that cursed him and his siblings with fae powers, which was a refreshing take on the fairytale.
What didn’t work for me was the pacing. The story felt like it didn’t have a continuous forward momentum. Instead we’d get lulls of Merit’s cursed background and then we’d finally make headway into figuring out how to break it.
I will say that I genuinely wanted to see something more original to the curse breaking than the story that we got. Again, I don’t think this story is bad by any means, but I definitely had higher expectations.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
I am always a sucker for Beauty and the Beast retellings, so I was particularly interested in this genderbent variant. That being said, I found the overall story to be just okay.
What I really enjoyed is that Merit Cravan becomes a beast of her own volition because she refuses to to marry a suitor of her mother’s choosing. However, the caveat is that she will remain a beast unless she gives in prior to her 18th birthday, so obviously she has seconds thoughts about the whole remaining a beast thing.
I did enjoy the additional supernatural creatures aspect to this story. Merit crosses paths with Tevin Dumont who comes from parents that cursed him and his siblings with fae powers, which was a refreshing take on the fairytale.
What didn’t work for me was the pacing. The story felt like it didn’t have a continuous forward momentum. Instead we’d get lulls of Merit’s cursed background and then we’d finally make headway into figuring out how to break it.
I will say that I genuinely wanted to see something more original to the curse breaking than the story that we got. Again, I don’t think this story is bad by any means, but I definitely had higher expectations.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
July 15, 2021
I will read anything that Lish puts out, but this was especially amazing.
I love love loved Merit. She’s sassy and determined. Tevin is delightful and doesn’t understand his worth. Together they have banter for days, an amazing set of friends and family, and the slooooooowest of slow burns unfurling of a relationship.
Plot wise, it was so good. There are a few moving parts, but nothing felt convoluted. I was invested in all of these characters and wanted everyone to get their HEA. Of course, I could have done with a million more kissing scenes, but I’m just being greedy. Besides, I got magical cats, flying badgers (fladgers), and did I mention the never ending banter?
Overall, it was easy to fall in love with this story and as always, Lish didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I love love loved Merit. She’s sassy and determined. Tevin is delightful and doesn’t understand his worth. Together they have banter for days, an amazing set of friends and family, and the slooooooowest of slow burns unfurling of a relationship.
Plot wise, it was so good. There are a few moving parts, but nothing felt convoluted. I was invested in all of these characters and wanted everyone to get their HEA. Of course, I could have done with a million more kissing scenes, but I’m just being greedy. Besides, I got magical cats, flying badgers (fladgers), and did I mention the never ending banter?
Overall, it was easy to fall in love with this story and as always, Lish didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
July 27, 2021
*breathes deeply in 346 languages*
I am still patiently waiting for the Beast to rip someone's guts out.
..............................................
So far?
~frustrated~
I am still patiently waiting for the Beast to rip someone's guts out.
..............................................
So far?
~frustrated~
February 10, 2023
(3.5/5)
honestly, i think i was expecting more, but this made for a speedy read that i, for the most part, enjoyed.
honestly, i think i was expecting more, but this made for a speedy read that i, for the most part, enjoyed.
August 29, 2022
A really fun and addictive Beauty and The Beast gender-bent retelling that I really enjoyed. Beauty and The Beast is one of my all time fave fairytales so I’m usually quite hesitant when it comes to retellings as I find they rarely live up to my expectations but Curses was an absolute delight. The humour was utterly refreshing and the characters incredibly charming, especially Tevin our gender bent Belle. I loved how witty this was and I definitely laughed out loud at slot of the shenanigans that transpired—especially that l ostrich wedding scene which was absolutely hilarious!
August 31, 2021
*** Many thanks to PRH international for free e-copy via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ***
Curses was fantastic and entertaining YA fantasy and retelling of Beauty and Beast about curses, friendship, family, manipulation, deception, trust, social class differences, accepting yourself, hope and love.
Writing was beautiful with timeless feel to it set in 1880s with world of faeries, mages, and curses that made it atmospheric.
Plot was fun and adventurous. This was more character driven and there were so many characters. Both Tevin and Merit were like characters we used to read in YA fantasy and yet I loved them both. Romance was lovely and slow burn.
Though this was a fantasy there was less worldbuilding. World wasn’t explained much. We jump into the world of faery godlings who could gift or curse, mages who couldn’t curse but invented magical things, and humans divided in commoners and those with faery blood that created social and class differences. It was interesting to read about Caen’s bloom that removed the curse for few hours.
Overall, Curses was entertaining, adventurous, and very well written well executed Beauty and Beast retelling with lots of characters, good message and lovely romance.
I highly recommend this if you love,
Retellings
Fantasy with less worldbuilding
more character driven
classic feel
rogue hero and kickass heroine
slow burn romance
balls and gowns
Less drama
No usual romance tropes
witty characters and dialogues
Curses was fantastic and entertaining YA fantasy and retelling of Beauty and Beast about curses, friendship, family, manipulation, deception, trust, social class differences, accepting yourself, hope and love.
Writing was beautiful with timeless feel to it set in 1880s with world of faeries, mages, and curses that made it atmospheric.
Plot was fun and adventurous. This was more character driven and there were so many characters. Both Tevin and Merit were like characters we used to read in YA fantasy and yet I loved them both. Romance was lovely and slow burn.
Though this was a fantasy there was less worldbuilding. World wasn’t explained much. We jump into the world of faery godlings who could gift or curse, mages who couldn’t curse but invented magical things, and humans divided in commoners and those with faery blood that created social and class differences. It was interesting to read about Caen’s bloom that removed the curse for few hours.
Overall, Curses was entertaining, adventurous, and very well written well executed Beauty and Beast retelling with lots of characters, good message and lovely romance.
I highly recommend this if you love,
Retellings
Fantasy with less worldbuilding
more character driven
classic feel
rogue hero and kickass heroine
slow burn romance
balls and gowns
Less drama
No usual romance tropes
witty characters and dialogues
August 1, 2021
This was surprisingly fun. The gift/curse of charm is rather interesting a wonderfully showcased through Tevin. I just enjoyed most of the characters immensely. This is certainly not a traditional Beauty and the Beast retelling but rather inspired and made into a different tale entirely.
July 20, 2021
This was the retelling I never knew I needed. Beauty and The Beast retellings are popular enough in YA, but a reverse Beauty and The Beast?!
One of my favorite things about retellings is that the story feels familiar while also surprising you. I loved the premise of the story and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of familial relationships! Merit is a fantastic main character, and while there's sympathy for her situation, I found myself admiring her strength and determination. Tevin (can I just say? Major Thomas Cresswell vibes. swoon) and the whole DuMont gang were so much fun to be around, and I desperately want a novella of this group just messing around.
I think the world and it's magic were my favorite part of this book. Obviously, staying true to the original fairytale, there's the curse, but Merit wasn't the only one cursed! The fact that there was a curse support group had me laughing so hard. I also loved the concept of magic playing into social classes and I really thought that was such a refreshing take on a social hierarchy!
If you like retellings, this standalone is a definite must read for you!
I received an e-arc of this title from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
One of my favorite things about retellings is that the story feels familiar while also surprising you. I loved the premise of the story and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of familial relationships! Merit is a fantastic main character, and while there's sympathy for her situation, I found myself admiring her strength and determination. Tevin (can I just say? Major Thomas Cresswell vibes. swoon) and the whole DuMont gang were so much fun to be around, and I desperately want a novella of this group just messing around.
I think the world and it's magic were my favorite part of this book. Obviously, staying true to the original fairytale, there's the curse, but Merit wasn't the only one cursed! The fact that there was a curse support group had me laughing so hard. I also loved the concept of magic playing into social classes and I really thought that was such a refreshing take on a social hierarchy!
If you like retellings, this standalone is a definite must read for you!
I received an e-arc of this title from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2021
This was such a fun read. I honestly did not expect to like it this much.
Also, Happy Publishing Day to this book! Go check it out!
Review will be up later today!
snippet from review:
...you can probably tell how much I enjoyed this book-- read it in one sitting through the absolute madness of a heatwave the UK is experiencing at the moment-- and enjoyed every page of this book. As mentioned earlier, this was my first introduction to Lish McBride and her work, and after reading this absolute stunner I will definitely be checking out more of her work. I would highly recommend checking out this book if you are a fan of fairytale retellings, godlings and a swoon-worthy romance.
Also, Happy Publishing Day to this book! Go check it out!
Review will be up later today!
snippet from review:
...you can probably tell how much I enjoyed this book-- read it in one sitting through the absolute madness of a heatwave the UK is experiencing at the moment-- and enjoyed every page of this book. As mentioned earlier, this was my first introduction to Lish McBride and her work, and after reading this absolute stunner I will definitely be checking out more of her work. I would highly recommend checking out this book if you are a fan of fairytale retellings, godlings and a swoon-worthy romance.
June 24, 2021
This is a gender bender retelling of Beauty and the beast you need to read this summer!
"That's the funny thing about curses," she said. "From the right perspective, they look an awful lot like gifts."
At the begging of this the definition between Fairy Curse & Fairy Gift. IS SOOOOO EPIC.
Wow. I enjoyed this but they were parts I skimmed. This has several POVs. I like the chapter titles. Neat idea. This is a stand-alone but I felt like there could be a companion especially for a certain big cat and possibly another DuMont. As always the side characters are my fave like Kate, Diadora, and Willa! Plot is predictable, the world-building is very imaginative and Parisian. I really hope the author keeps writing! Thank you so much to the publisher for this arc!
"That's the funny thing about curses," she said. "From the right perspective, they look an awful lot like gifts."
At the begging of this the definition between Fairy Curse & Fairy Gift. IS SOOOOO EPIC.
Wow. I enjoyed this but they were parts I skimmed. This has several POVs. I like the chapter titles. Neat idea. This is a stand-alone but I felt like there could be a companion especially for a certain big cat and possibly another DuMont. As always the side characters are my fave like Kate, Diadora, and Willa! Plot is predictable, the world-building is very imaginative and Parisian. I really hope the author keeps writing! Thank you so much to the publisher for this arc!
June 25, 2021
This was an entertaining twist on Beauty and the Beast, and I thought the role reversal was very clever. I enjoyed the writing, but had trouble fully grasping the scope of the world and all of its intricacies and terminology. There were a lot of characters and plot points to keep track of, which made the book a bit confusing. All of the characters were likeable, but I didn't particularly love any of them. I am a big fan of the "I won't fall for you, but I'll help you find love" trope as well as forced proximity, but I never really felt the connection between Tevin and Merit. I did enjoy Tevin's interactions with his cousin and siblings though, and I thought his family dynamic was the most interesting. There was some great humor throughout as well as action and adventure, but I still found my mind drifting quite a bit while reading. The quirkiness and whimsy of the book reminded me a lot of Ella Enchanted and Shrek. I would have preferred more closure at the end, but overall this was an enjoyable read.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
September 14, 2021
This book was surprisingly amazing. I mean it is your basic YA fantasy book but the characters are all so witty and funny that I actually found myself laughing out loud multiple times. I don’t think there is a side character that I didn’t like.
June 20, 2021
3 stars. 10 stars for the cover. Not to be a party pooper, but this one simply didn't live up to expectations.
A gender bent Beauty and the Beast retelling. Our "beast" has to find a husband that her mother approves of as she slowly but surely is turning into a beast (but she can use magic to look like a normal girl for set periods of time), and if she misses her deadline then she will be a beast permanently. She enlists the help of an obnoxious pretty boy whose mother stole flowers from the beast's garden to help her avoid no-good suitors as she has had her heart broken before.
I expected a more serious, darker read. This one was rife with tropes and ridiculous hijinks. The characters got on my nerves sometimes and I didn't like my monster girl as much as I had hoped to. The romance was slow burn and eye-rolling at times. It was a fun read but quite simply - forgettable.
But oh my God, that cover.
Thank you G.P. Putnam and Edelweiss for the ARC!
A gender bent Beauty and the Beast retelling. Our "beast" has to find a husband that her mother approves of as she slowly but surely is turning into a beast (but she can use magic to look like a normal girl for set periods of time), and if she misses her deadline then she will be a beast permanently. She enlists the help of an obnoxious pretty boy whose mother stole flowers from the beast's garden to help her avoid no-good suitors as she has had her heart broken before.
I expected a more serious, darker read. This one was rife with tropes and ridiculous hijinks. The characters got on my nerves sometimes and I didn't like my monster girl as much as I had hoped to. The romance was slow burn and eye-rolling at times. It was a fun read but quite simply - forgettable.
But oh my God, that cover.
Thank you G.P. Putnam and Edelweiss for the ARC!
Want to read
January 29, 2021I'm a sucker for a good Beauty and The Beast retelling so I hope this one joins the ranks
Displaying 1 - 30 of 646 reviews