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The Ruined Maiden
"I will break you, Tessa Kelsinger, and then I will take what I want."
As the daughter of a lord, Tessa has always struggled with the constraints of her position. She wants to live her own life, marry whom she wants, and, most importantly, inherit her father’s keep before her uncle can steal it from her. But when her eight-year-old cousin, Duncan, wanders into the Dying Woods, awakening a powerful vampire king, all of that is lost.
Now, to save her cousin, she must become a courtesan in King Dante’s court, a place of renowned perversion where gorgeous vampires indulge in the taste of innocent beauties. It is in his service that she must bend to his every wish, even forced to bear the painful past that fuels her guilt.
When a werewolf tries to kill her, however, she learns that Dante has an affliction of his own, one that has kept him from finding love over these past centuries. Together, they set out to heal the other, hoping to find peace. But it won’t be easy.
Dark forces conspire against them, including ancient gods who seek to plunge the world into slavery. To survive this, Tessa must forgive those who have wronged her, including the one person she has never been able to absolve—herself.
The Ruined Maiden is a spicy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with the following tropes.
Happy for now
Dark Fairytale
428 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2023
8 people are currently reading
9398 people want to read
About the author
A.D. Winter
7 books155 followersI'm a first-time author who loves urban fantasy and all things that go bump in the night. If you want to read a laugh-out-loud story with endearing characters and no cursing, follow my author page for updates.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 17, 2023
I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author to beta-read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Captor/captive dynamic
✅ Beauty and the Beast retelling
✅ Magic and vampires
✅ Pace
✅ Characters
✅ Smut
✅(🆗) Romance / Hate to love
✅(🆗) Plot
3.5 stars
To save her young cousin from a dark fate, Tessa offers herself to the dark vampire king when he comes to her home to ask for retribution because someone crossed his border. That’s how she ends up going to his castle and being forced to become a courtesan. This is a gothic Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mysterious vampire king, an old secret, and a deadly curse to break before it’s too late.
The world-building is well done, in general, the information is revealed when we need to know it, logically and smoothly, and while there are a few small info-dumps in some of the conversation, it’s nothing too heavy or boring. The author managed to create a dark and gloomy ambiance that reminded me a little of the vibe in A Ruin of Roses by KF Breene, but it is less smutty and the political aspect of the plot is more developed. Overall, it is a well-paced book. It’s easy to get into the story from the first chapter, and easy to read “just one more chapter”.
I like Tessa as a main character, she is brave, strong-willed, and determined. She has convictions and stands by them, except for a few confusing times when she gets mad at Dante for not wanting to take her, only to be anxious about him maybe wanting to have sex with her a few pages later. Overall, she is a good, compelling, and relatable main character. The other characters are likable enough, and the love interest is compelling enough to keep me invested in his relationship with Tessa and to want to know what would happen to him.
The main romance was mostly well-developed and slow enough for me to get invested in it. I like the fact that Tessa can recognize that Dante was never particularly cruel or mean to her and that she has some conflicted feelings about him, but the fact remains that she is a maiden forced to become a courtesan. The conflicted feelings are well done and depicted, but the fact that she feels like a fool and is almost offended when Dante says that he does not intend to have sex with her does not exactly fit with the whole “maiden forced into sexual labor” part, but on the other hand, it does show how there is sexual tension between Dante and her, even though she doesn’t want to spend time with him and become his courtesan. Still, I would have enjoyed their relationship more if there had been more resistance on Tessa’s part. I feel that she gave in too easily and let her hormones drive her instead of her brain. Once their relationship is “established” though, it’s smooth sailing.
Overall, this was a nice take to the Beauty and the Beast tale, with a dark ambiance and some vampire lore mixed into it. It has a good pace and is easy to quickly read. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger either, but there is definitely an opening for more adventures for Tessa and Dante in future books.
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✅ Captor/captive dynamic
✅ Beauty and the Beast retelling
✅ Magic and vampires
✅ Pace
✅ Characters
✅ Smut
✅(🆗) Romance / Hate to love
✅(🆗) Plot
3.5 stars
To save her young cousin from a dark fate, Tessa offers herself to the dark vampire king when he comes to her home to ask for retribution because someone crossed his border. That’s how she ends up going to his castle and being forced to become a courtesan. This is a gothic Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mysterious vampire king, an old secret, and a deadly curse to break before it’s too late.
The world-building is well done, in general, the information is revealed when we need to know it, logically and smoothly, and while there are a few small info-dumps in some of the conversation, it’s nothing too heavy or boring. The author managed to create a dark and gloomy ambiance that reminded me a little of the vibe in A Ruin of Roses by KF Breene, but it is less smutty and the political aspect of the plot is more developed. Overall, it is a well-paced book. It’s easy to get into the story from the first chapter, and easy to read “just one more chapter”.
I like Tessa as a main character, she is brave, strong-willed, and determined. She has convictions and stands by them, except for a few confusing times when she gets mad at Dante for not wanting to take her, only to be anxious about him maybe wanting to have sex with her a few pages later. Overall, she is a good, compelling, and relatable main character. The other characters are likable enough, and the love interest is compelling enough to keep me invested in his relationship with Tessa and to want to know what would happen to him.
The main romance was mostly well-developed and slow enough for me to get invested in it. I like the fact that Tessa can recognize that Dante was never particularly cruel or mean to her and that she has some conflicted feelings about him, but the fact remains that she is a maiden forced to become a courtesan. The conflicted feelings are well done and depicted, but the fact that she feels like a fool and is almost offended when Dante says that he does not intend to have sex with her does not exactly fit with the whole “maiden forced into sexual labor” part, but on the other hand, it does show how there is sexual tension between Dante and her, even though she doesn’t want to spend time with him and become his courtesan. Still, I would have enjoyed their relationship more if there had been more resistance on Tessa’s part. I feel that she gave in too easily and let her hormones drive her instead of her brain. Once their relationship is “established” though, it’s smooth sailing.
Overall, this was a nice take to the Beauty and the Beast tale, with a dark ambiance and some vampire lore mixed into it. It has a good pace and is easy to quickly read. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger either, but there is definitely an opening for more adventures for Tessa and Dante in future books.
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January 20, 2023
Spectacular!
Update:
This story was spectacular, I never thought it could be better, But AD did it again.
The extra chapter was amazing, It would really be great for Devora & Ravin to have their own story.
Amazing plot, with fascinating characters, it hooked me from the beginning till the end. Romance & action intertwined together creating an unpredictable captivating world.
Update:
This story was spectacular, I never thought it could be better, But AD did it again.
The extra chapter was amazing, It would really be great for Devora & Ravin to have their own story.
Amazing plot, with fascinating characters, it hooked me from the beginning till the end. Romance & action intertwined together creating an unpredictable captivating world.
January 15, 2023
Edit: I added a star because I read a slightly edited ending that will hopefully be what is published. It made things so much better to me! The fact that A.D. Winter is so open minded and truly interested in the reader's experience shows me this author is only going to keep getting better!
Original Review:
I really enjoyed this book until the end. It was an interesting take on a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I enjoyed a lot of the characters. Tessa was strong and fierce. Dante was serious book boyfriend material. And I would die for a book about Devora and Raul! But then literally the last couple pages had me so mad and made me look at Tessa and Dante's relationship completely differently.
*spoilers*
The fact that they both just accepted that he should go marry someone else blew my mind. They fought for each other and he broke the law to turn her into a vampire. But they're not even going to try to find a solution other than him marrying a princess. The princess hasn't even contacted them requesting a wedding to unite the vampires. They just decide he should go marry her. I was so into them taking back Tessa's home and I thought it was going to end on a high note but instead that just threw me off so much. To me it made it feel like their relationship wasn't worth fighting for for either of them. I literally would beg this author to rewrite those last couple pages before officially releasing this book 😂
Original Review:
I really enjoyed this book until the end. It was an interesting take on a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I enjoyed a lot of the characters. Tessa was strong and fierce. Dante was serious book boyfriend material. And I would die for a book about Devora and Raul! But then literally the last couple pages had me so mad and made me look at Tessa and Dante's relationship completely differently.
*spoilers*
The fact that they both just accepted that he should go marry someone else blew my mind. They fought for each other and he broke the law to turn her into a vampire. But they're not even going to try to find a solution other than him marrying a princess. The princess hasn't even contacted them requesting a wedding to unite the vampires. They just decide he should go marry her. I was so into them taking back Tessa's home and I thought it was going to end on a high note but instead that just threw me off so much. To me it made it feel like their relationship wasn't worth fighting for for either of them. I literally would beg this author to rewrite those last couple pages before officially releasing this book 😂
January 3, 2023
Well written book. The author brings the reader along the story line and keeps the story alive and enlivens it with twists and turns that hold the interest of the reader. This author has a bright future in the literary world. An author with the capabability to shine in many areas and make a big splash in in his/her endeavors. Watch out for this one.
Richard (Van) VanHook
Richard (Van) VanHook
Want to read
January 24, 2023The book is LIVE!
Before I give the link, however, I want to thank you.
Your reviews helped me out immensely, and your input was a godsend.
Seriously, without your help, the book wouldn't be what it is. So thank you.
Okay, so here it is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK74567T
The ebook price is correct at $2.99, but the paperback price is way off. It's supposed to be at $13.99, but Amazon is dragging their feet to change it. Forgive the inconvenience.
Aside from that, however, enjoy! :)
Before I give the link, however, I want to thank you.
Your reviews helped me out immensely, and your input was a godsend.
Seriously, without your help, the book wouldn't be what it is. So thank you.
Okay, so here it is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK74567T
The ebook price is correct at $2.99, but the paperback price is way off. It's supposed to be at $13.99, but Amazon is dragging their feet to change it. Forgive the inconvenience.
Aside from that, however, enjoy! :)
January 1, 2023
First book of 2023 finished and what a way to start out the new year!
Based loosely on The Beauty and the Beast, The Ruined Maiden is a dark fantasy that is jam packed with action, romance and fun characters that kept me turning the pages.
In an effort to save her cousin, Tessa offers herself to the dark vampire king and goes to serve his court as a courtesan. But there is more to the handsome vampire king that initially meets the eye. A centuries old secret, a curse, and an attraction that Tessa tries to dampen make this a spectacular tale of intrigue, magic and spice!
While I felt at times I had read this premise before (hints of ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash, King of Battle and Blood), The Ruined Maiden reminded me why I didn't care that it was familiar. Who DOESN'T love sexy vampires and the stubborn maidens that try to resist them? This book works so well because it gives the audience exactly what we want and more. We get the action, the adventure, the conflicted feelings and of course, lots of spice.
The Ruined Maiden might not break new boundaries in this genre, but it's a truly excellent addition to the shelf of anyone who has enjoyed books above and is anxious for more. A.D. Winter is a very fun writer and I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to what she comes up with next (hopefully a sequel??).
Based loosely on The Beauty and the Beast, The Ruined Maiden is a dark fantasy that is jam packed with action, romance and fun characters that kept me turning the pages.
In an effort to save her cousin, Tessa offers herself to the dark vampire king and goes to serve his court as a courtesan. But there is more to the handsome vampire king that initially meets the eye. A centuries old secret, a curse, and an attraction that Tessa tries to dampen make this a spectacular tale of intrigue, magic and spice!
While I felt at times I had read this premise before (hints of ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash, King of Battle and Blood), The Ruined Maiden reminded me why I didn't care that it was familiar. Who DOESN'T love sexy vampires and the stubborn maidens that try to resist them? This book works so well because it gives the audience exactly what we want and more. We get the action, the adventure, the conflicted feelings and of course, lots of spice.
The Ruined Maiden might not break new boundaries in this genre, but it's a truly excellent addition to the shelf of anyone who has enjoyed books above and is anxious for more. A.D. Winter is a very fun writer and I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to what she comes up with next (hopefully a sequel??).
March 9, 2023
I read this book in two days and just couldn't put it down.
I honestly enjoyed it. It was a fun read and the characters were interesting. I did go through a few emotions reading this book such as anger, sadness and happiness.
My favorite character would have to be King Dante. I hated him at first but as the story progressed I got to see different sides of him which made me feel differently about him in the end.
I was really lucky to have won this book in the Goodreads giveaway before it officially launched!
There was a fair amount of spice but it was tasteful.
I honestly enjoyed it. It was a fun read and the characters were interesting. I did go through a few emotions reading this book such as anger, sadness and happiness.
My favorite character would have to be King Dante. I hated him at first but as the story progressed I got to see different sides of him which made me feel differently about him in the end.
I was really lucky to have won this book in the Goodreads giveaway before it officially launched!
There was a fair amount of spice but it was tasteful.
February 5, 2023
Outstanding! As a fan of vampire books since junior high (which was a few decades back) this book was wonderful for an adult vampire novel. Tessa was a fabulous protagonist to root for. Looking forward to reading more by A.D. Winter.
December 20, 2022
A truly exception gothic retelling of the classical tale
“The Ruined Maiden” by A.D. Winter is an original retelling of the classical gothic tale “La Belle et la Bête” (1740). Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve’s original story is without any doubt my most beloved “fairy-tale”, I use this term loosely, as I’ve always considered the story a veritable gothic tale, and by far most interesting that any popular (and I must add diluted) Disney versions out there.
I had very high expectations for A.D. Winter’s retelling, and I must admit Winter not only didn’t let me down, but exceeded by large any wishes I might have, but writing a veritable gothic tale, with a truly resolute, literate and independent protagonist as Villeneuve’s original counterpart, and successfully incorporated all and any of the original tropes into her retelling, recreating the gothic atmosphere without making a ‘clone’, on the contrary she has crafted a brand-new tale that blends elements of the gothic tale, with a new twist on the curse trope, and offers a fresh, modern and strong female very capable to overcome her ‘fate’ and mold it to her expectations. The story is eternal, the plot interesting and credible and the characters both enjoyable enough and truly horrifying, depending on who they are and their role in the story.
I will not further go into specifics A.D. Winter’s tale deserves to be fully enjoyed without spoilers. Let me just reiterate that this is my own opinion the second-best version of the tale, just because de Villeneuve’s would forever be my favourite one [sorry I know I’m biased 😊], which makes anyway Winter’s by far the very best retelling of the story!!!
“The Ruined Maiden” by A.D. Winter is an original retelling of the classical gothic tale “La Belle et la Bête” (1740). Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve’s original story is without any doubt my most beloved “fairy-tale”, I use this term loosely, as I’ve always considered the story a veritable gothic tale, and by far most interesting that any popular (and I must add diluted) Disney versions out there.
I had very high expectations for A.D. Winter’s retelling, and I must admit Winter not only didn’t let me down, but exceeded by large any wishes I might have, but writing a veritable gothic tale, with a truly resolute, literate and independent protagonist as Villeneuve’s original counterpart, and successfully incorporated all and any of the original tropes into her retelling, recreating the gothic atmosphere without making a ‘clone’, on the contrary she has crafted a brand-new tale that blends elements of the gothic tale, with a new twist on the curse trope, and offers a fresh, modern and strong female very capable to overcome her ‘fate’ and mold it to her expectations. The story is eternal, the plot interesting and credible and the characters both enjoyable enough and truly horrifying, depending on who they are and their role in the story.
I will not further go into specifics A.D. Winter’s tale deserves to be fully enjoyed without spoilers. Let me just reiterate that this is my own opinion the second-best version of the tale, just because de Villeneuve’s would forever be my favourite one [sorry I know I’m biased 😊], which makes anyway Winter’s by far the very best retelling of the story!!!
February 20, 2023
The cover is better than the book
I didn’t really like this book, it was filled with too many gimmicks and the writing was too poor to finish. I gave out at about 80%
The dialogue was very repetitive and I found myself saying, “thanks captain obvious” way too many times.
The author over wrote many scenes where some areas would have been better left to my own imagination.
The main character was annoying and got mad when it was convenient for the plot, which made some of the scenes not make sense.
Idk the whole book seemed amateurish.
I didn’t really like this book, it was filled with too many gimmicks and the writing was too poor to finish. I gave out at about 80%
The dialogue was very repetitive and I found myself saying, “thanks captain obvious” way too many times.
The author over wrote many scenes where some areas would have been better left to my own imagination.
The main character was annoying and got mad when it was convenient for the plot, which made some of the scenes not make sense.
Idk the whole book seemed amateurish.
January 6, 2023
am I the only one who thinks this is the Blood and Ash series by JLA with just a different book name and cover? idk it seems that way... I am gonna read it and see...
February 3, 2023
if this was a standalone, then i wanted duncan to return in the last chapter.... if it is going to be a series, then it should have been a slow burn and i'm not reading the next one! 😌☝
March 20, 2023
i won a giveaway for this book and i never received it so i’m salty 🤷♀️
May 1, 2023
mind you me compré este libro en amazon pq no me aguantaba las ganas de leerlo....
Read
August 20, 2023DNF
February 12, 2023
Interesting story - I liked the Dracula / Van Helsing elements to this a lot. This definitely didn't feel like a typical vampire story, and the book did an excellent job of revealing key details and legends at the right times. The romance in it was also not bad, and the ending to it was perfectly set up for another story. The beginning was a little strange (could have just been that it was so different coming from the last book I read before this), but once I got a couple of chapters into it, I was really into it. This book just came out so sadly I can't read the next one yet, but I'd recommend this for fantasy / romance lovers for sure! If I manage to realize whenever the next one comes out, I'd love to read it. Even if there is no second book, I think it does pretty well as a standalone novel.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews