A Curse of Frost and Fate

by Verika Sloane

~*~ Immerse in a tale of fantasy, passion, and magick with this sizzling Nutcracker reimagining. Guaranteed HEA ~*~

[Previously titled: Twelve Nights to Forever]
THE NUTCRACKER PRINCE IS NO DOLL...
Christmas at her childhood home usually ends with Klara getting tipsy with her eccentric godfather. The night she was caught in the middle of a battle between a prince and a madman? That had to have been a dream. Being flung into a wondrous realm of fairies, magick, danger, and desire? Feels more real than her world ever did.

Prince Jaemis can claim no future, cursed by Mogran the Mouse King, cut off from his kingdom. Dark magick brought a dream come true in the middle of his waking nightmare. Klara is everything he wants and cannot have, but she must return to her realm before it is too late, before the veil between their worlds is no more. He doesn't want something to live for, when all he's marked for is death.

Klara's destiny is tied to the prince's somehow, and also to a sinister plot neither of them will fathom.
It's a battle to survive, to separate friend from foe, and to uncover secrets of the past that could change the future.

Because, as they say, true love is something more than a fairytale...

Genres: Christmas, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Fae, Fiction, Holiday

442 pages, Paperback

Published November 5, 2022

About the author

Ms. Sloane is the author of hot, paranormal romance for those of us who yearn for the escape to the dark side. She adores a hero with a fierce sense of honor, but who will break all the rules for his woman. Her favorite kind of heroine can do bad all by herself, and will do even more for true love. In addition to writing romance, Verika loves smell of burning leaves, haunted hotels, big lady hats, period piece movies with angst, and martinis that taste like dessert.

Become a Sloane Slayer for new releases, giveaways & freebies: https://www.verikasloane.com/subscribe

Reviews

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ Nutcracker Retelling

This book was engaging and interesting enough, but it was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors and was entirely too long – unnecessarily so. The story's cute, and by the end I surely was invested in seeing where the characters ended up, but it was extremely frustrating to read.

As I said, this is a re-imagining of the story in the Nutcracker, so there are many similarities, with some new additions to keep it interesting and not too predictable. It was a little spicy, and very much romance filled which I can always appreciate.

Overall, though, it felt like I was reading a very long fanfic – and I usually don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way, but… it's not good, really.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️.5 / 5

*Thank you Net Galley for the eARC*

[Nina Quill]

DNF 32 %

[Spiritedbookishbabe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried reading this book and it ended up being a DNF for me. It was boring for me. I couldn’t keep my eyes open, it was putting me to sleep. I tried again the next day and it was the same result so I put it down and I haven’t picked it back up

[Sara Books & Tips · Rating 4 out of 5]

[🇮🇹Recensione in italiano sotto]

❓DO YOU LIKE CHRISTMAS AND THE NUTCRACKER STORY?

“𝑨 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒉𝒊𝒎”

✨If you answered YES to the previous question, then this is the book for you! This is a retelling of the most famous ballet from Čajkovskij, re-imagined as a fantasy with a sparkle of romance.

☃️Klara goes back home for Christmas time and she wants to spend her holidays with her family. Everything seems to be as always: chatting, bickering with her siblings, sharing gifts and so on. One day, the wonder Uncle Voss (a character that I fell in love with from the beginning) gives to our Klara something to drink that makes her dream about a prince and a monster fighting for saving her life. But that’s a dream or not?

🫧Reality and dream alternate in her routine for a while, until the moment she gets stuck in a new realm, where magic is real. A realm with immortal fae, magicians, various creatures, a balance between darkness and light, dethroned king and queen, a mortal curse and… she found out that the villain wants her to finally take all the power he needs to rule.

💥I absolutely loved how Verika choose to develop the connection between Klara and the prince, Jaemis. Their love story is a slow burn, complicated but not like all the others. I like the way they learn to know each other, how they handle their being a human and a fae. But, mostly, I loved the fact that they are wonderfully sweet and cute.

💫I also liked that we get to know a lot of different species of magic creatures, alliances, and the way that all of them interact. In doing so, the descriptions have to be well managed and the author did it. I never get bored reading those parts.
Action, descriptions, passion and feelings alternate perfectly, and you’ll find yourself more and more curious.
The only part that I can blame is that I found several grammatical mistakes or strange structures in the syntax.

••••••

🇮🇹RECENSIONE IN ITALIANO:

❓AMATE IL NATALE E LA STORIA DELLO SCHIACCIANOCI?

☃️Se avete risposto di si alla domanda, allora questo libro fa per voi! Si tratta di un retelling del più famoso balletto di Čajkovskij, re-immaginato come fantasy romance.

🫧Klara, la protagonista, torna a casa per Natale e vuole trascorrere le sue vacanze con la famiglia, tra chiacchiere, bisticci, regali e tutto il resto. Ma un giorno, quando lo zio Voss (un personaggio che ho amato sin dal primo istante!) le fa dono di una bevanda particolare, si ritrova a sognare un principe de di un mostro che combattono per lei. Ma sarà davvero un sogno?

💥Realtà e sogno si alternano nella routine di Klara per un po’, fin quando non si ritroverà bloccata in un nuovo reame, dove la magica esiste. Un luogo abitato da fae, stregoni, creature di vario tipo, un precario equilibrio tra luce ed oscurità, un re e una regina detronizzata, una maledizione mortale e… lei scoprirà che il villain la vuole per ottenere finalmente tutto il potere necessario per regnare indisturbato.

💫Ho adorato il modo in cui Verika ha scelto di sviluppare la storia dei due protagonisti. La loro è una storia di amore che cresce lentamente, è complicata, ostacolata da mille fattori diversi, e diversa da tutte le altre. Mi è piaciuta molto la dinamica tra i due, come hanno imparato a conoscersi a vicenda, come hanno gestito la loro differenza nell’essere fae ed umana. Ma in particolare ho amato il loro essere dolci e cute.

👉🏼Mi è piaciuto anche il worldbuilding, il fatto che abbiamo incontrato specie diverse, le loro dinamiche, le alleanze, la politica tra i vari regni interni. Le descrizioni non sono mai noiose, ma anzi, si alternano benissimo con l’azione, la passione e i sentimenti.
L’unica nota dolente sono i svariati errori grammaticali che ho trovato e l’uso di strutture un po’ strane all’interno delle frasi.

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars, I have complicated feelings

Thank you to BooksGoSocial for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I remember seeing that this was a nutcracker retelling and I was so excited as I'm obsessed with both the original story and the ballet that is based on this same story. Growing up a dancer the nutcracker was one of my favorite ballets to watch so I am very aware of each piece of this story. While it is a retelling, a lot of this story just really didn't feel fleshed out and that's a bit of a disappointment. The world that the Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Mouse King come from is supposed to be fantastical and otherworldly, but in this rendition, it felt very flat. I didn't care for the lack of time spent focused on the world, even if they were visiting multiple places in this realm. It didn't contain that spark of magic that lots of great magical worlds have.

This was indeed a unique take on the story, and I really wanted to love this story, but I think towards the end things started to go wrong for my enjoyment of the plot as well. In the beginning, I enjoyed seeing how Klara and her family existed in the present day, as I really do enjoy modern retellings of classic stories and fairytales. However, once Klara entered the realm of the nutcracker, the plot really slowed down and all it focused on was the "pining" between Klara and Jaemis. This was not what I expected from the story, which is fine I was just hoping for a little more about the rest of the story besides just the spice that was presented.

Sometimes, things also just didn't make sense. The ending of the story rubbed me the wrong way especially, and I can't really pin down why. One problem might have been that there was a "final battle" that happened in the story, but it was placed at a weird time and it felt like there were multiple climaxes. I didn't really enjoy this, because while there was an interesting plot twist it just didn't feel climactic, everything was very anti-climactic which was disappointing. As well, things wrapped up in a weird way that I didn't really expect, and I felt that there could have been better explanations for some things that happened.

In terms of overall writing, I think it wasn't a bad story and could have definitely been better with a bit more attention to detail in multiple aspects. My biggest complaint about her writing style is that the dialogue between characters always felt a little forced, besides Klara and Jaemis as they were the main couple. Most of the characters were very one-dimensional which made me really sad because I love a lot of the characters from the original nutcracker story.

All that being said, it isn't a great book upon reflection but I didn't dislike every aspect of it. I really enjoyed seeing bits and pieces from the nutcracker as I'm obsessed with that story, and will definitely be seeking out more nutcracker retellings. But there were aspects of the story that just didn't click with me and I was expecting other things from the story. I'm really disappointed because I wanted to love this story, but I will keep my eye out for other nutcracker stories in the future.

[TW: drinking and drugs mentioned, imprisonment of family members, death of loved ones mentioned, betrayal, sexual scenes]

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

tl;dr The plot of the book is a bit split in two, where the plot and sub-plot switch places. Those being: stop the bad guy, save the world--and: sex???? Is it possible???? Can we?? What if the author writes that we do, but says that we didn't, and we spend several chapters figuring out how to have the sex we already had??

Honestly, sub-par book for me. Way too much telling and not showing, no emotion or depth, and too much face/chest flushing and nipples hardening. Way too much plot was focused (wasted imo) on them avoiding sex, despite already having had sex, and then trying to figure out if they can have sex, then having sex again. Many many times.

Not tl;dr:

The plot itself had potential to be pretty fun. A retelling of the Nutcracker tale with some twists to things. But the author does a poor job at immersing you into the world. Most of the writing was telling, things like, "He did this," or "She felt this emotion," with little else. It almost read like an outline where details were supposed to be added later.

Klara, our MC and famous/wealthy travel vlogger (I cringed too, yes), is thrust into a world of fantasy and magic that happens to resemble her favorite fairy tale--The Nutcracker. She learns of the prince's misfortunes and wants to work together to both get her back to her home while also saving his.

And to be blunt--there is hella insta-lust here, with both characters. Like non-stop. Obsessively. Too much. An abnormal amount. It got insanely annoying tbh. (This is not a slow burn. I saw some reviewers saying this. No. They are in love the moment they lock eyes and have sex almost right away.)

Speaking of, it's a little...weird, that so much of the plot is dedicated to the "tension" between the two leads and them having not had sex...despite them having had sex? I don't know if the author only counts penetration WITH ejaculation, like, inside, as sex, (which is weird in and of itself, to say the least) but like, they literally did everything but that. Like, literally everything but that. They had sex. I don't know why every character, including the two of them, is acting like they didn't.

And speaking of, it's also really weird that he thinks the curse he has is like an STI. Which is his motivation for "not having sex" with her (despite...you know, already having sex with her). (The author knows they didn't, like, have to include that, right?? Like, no one would've thought that. Not a plot hole to address.) Just the sex topic in this book is super weird and awkwardly done. And there is just too much "omg boobs, omg hotness" with no depth that it feels like I'm reading a book with teenagers rather than 30 year olds.

(I will also mention, after he becomes aware that the curse won't harm her, "sex" becomes "making love" once he can ejaculate in her. So I guess in the end...I have no idea what this author thinks sex is. My partner joked how it's sad they never ended up having it x'D)

This really reads like an early draft that needs a lot of clean-up. I noticed there was a couple spelling and grammar issues, though this is an ARC, so that's understandable. So maybe some plot bits will be fixed up for the final release??? But as is, it's very rough and very difficult to get through. I started skimming pretty often because so much, and I cannot get this across enough, is just sex. Them lusting for each other, them having sex, them being sad for not having sex, them trying to find out if they can have sex, them being happy they can have sex, having more sex, just...I'm over it. x'D

The "main" plot with the bad guy is 1000% more interesting, but that doesn't say much, since there is a lot lacking there too. There is no emotional depth, I don't feel anything for the hardships the prince has had to experience. We're constantly told he has a lot to deal with right now, and told that he's sad, and told that he misses his old life, and told that he's angry about his curse, and told this and that. Short quick sentences that don't go into any detail. Please let me feel SOMETHING for these characters.

It's also impossible to picture what any character looks like. Everyone is basically described the same, like a Ken or Barbie doll, perfect and beautiful, just different hair, apart from the villains, which are ugly in some manner. Though I do appreciate the author's attempt at trying to include more character 'depth' with the side-characters, but all that depth amounts to the same thing as the main characters--relationships and sex. Seriously, a good chunk of the book and character details is everyone being horny or in love.

For how long this book is, not a lot happens. This should've been trimmed, so much could've been left out. Like other reviewers have pointed out, the writing is very juvenile. This definitely needs several more rounds of editing.

I saw other reviewers mention their dissatisfaction with the MCs falling for a (very obvious) trap laid by the villains. I can't say I found it unbelievable, given what we know of the characters. They definitely didn't seem smart enough not to fall for it. 🤷‍♀️

The very end, though what I predicted, was probably the best part for me, but that might've been since it wasn't about sex for once. x'D But for real, I did like that it was something the reader could deduce, and previous plot devices were followed through on. (Her attachment to the nutcracker doll was also cute.)

I can't say it's one I'd recommend, at least not in its current state, unless you know what you're getting in for.

[Reece · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC from NetGalley

2.5 stars

This was really far too long. The cringe factor was high. The errors.. Crowned molding. The author tries to throw in big words that she perhaps doesn't 100% understand or is mistaking them for other words. At any rate, we end up with things like "he felt the warmth and sanguinity of the sun under a nubilous sky"

Let's assume we mean:

san·​guine ˈsaŋ-gwən
: marked by eager hopefulness : confidently optimistic

which doesn't make a lot of sense in this context as it is used to describe the sun, particularly under a nubilous sky.

nubilous
in British English
(ˈnjuːbɪləs IPA Pronunciation Guide )
ADJECTIVE literary
1. cloudy; misty
2. vague; obscure

Ah the warmth and confident optimism of the sun under the cloudy... wait.

Also, the guests took part in a syncretized dance.

syncretized; syncretizing
transitive verb

: to attempt to unite and harmonize especially without critical examination or logical unity.

Wat?

The writing was really juvenile to me. The writer does things like use the same word too close in succession which is just lazy to me. Everything is explained as if you are an imbecile. There are so many things that could have been left out that would have brought the word count down to something more reasonable and also would have just been better. For example, there is a point where a character is trying desperately to cross a perimeter which is denoted by a sparkle in the air. She races for it, being chased, and then "suddenly yanked back by her cloak's hood, her fingers brushing the sparkling shield" would have been enough to tell the reader she had gotten very close without "showing just how close she'd gotten." Not needed.

Semi-spoilerish?
The ending was just a travesty. Both MCs are duped in the most obvious way, and I actually had to skim many pages because the cringe was so thick and uncomfortable.

I actually said out loud more than once, a la Austin Powers to Robin Swallows, "WHY WON'T YOU END?" Which, in hindsight, should have been my cue to DNF this one.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confession time: I got carried away with excitement after the first couple of chapters because the structure reminded me of another series that I love, but as I read on, the same feeling didn't come. I kept thinking I could blame the Nutcracker base for it, but it wasn't as prominent as I struggled.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good take and a good story, it's probably that my expectations ruined the fun for me.

The characters were mostly fun, the plot was solid, and there was enough magic to make it work. If only the romance felt a little less insta-lovey and the spacing was a little faster. Which I understand is a contradicting statement, but I felt the plot dragging while at the same time the romance was running miles ahead.

I have received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Smut Scale: 🌶️.5 (there are a few scenes in this but they are all rushed and glossed over rather than being overly graphic. 'you blink and it's gone' kind of scenes)
Heat Scale: 🔥

[m]

DNF at 45%
2.5-stars

I found this really difficult to get invested in. There’s a lot of info-dumping and dialogue that just spells things out. There’s over the top instalust that is talked about A LOT in internal dialogue as well as by everyone around them and then pretty quickly acted on. After that they’re in love I guess 🤷🏼‍♀️

The MMC has this martyr attitude like he can’t have even a little happiness because his parents are imprisoned and he has this curse - all I really know about him is he’s super handsome and used to love to laugh. The FMC I know even less about. She’s just wholly invested in this realm and the Prince.

And it’s needlessly long. There’s a whole conversation about whether to bring a horse with them or not and in the end she brings the damn horse and rides so well the Prince doesn’t believe she’s inexperienced 🙄

It’s not a bad concept overall but needs a lot more work.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huge thanks to NetGalley for this copy in exchange of an honest review.
A winter tale, a nutcracker retelling, a kingdom under a spell, a cursed prince.

This is an adult version of the nutcracker.
It sounded so promising, has a gorgeous cover and the nutcracker being one of my favorite tales and with the plot so enticing, I thought I would really like this book. But unfortunately I didn’t find myself vibing with the writing at all. It was too fast and a bit unnecessarily long, the main characters felt very superficial and the story lacked construction and world building. The amount of cringe in this book was high.
It had potential but the execution was felt short.

[Bevany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smutty faerie version of the nutcracker. This book was fun and caught the spirit of the nutcracker story without feeling like a Christmas story. Based on the nutcracker story, it is still its own world with multilayered characters and world building. The introduction of faeries and magical creatures was a fun addition to the story, and smut readers look no further as there are several scenes throughout the book to keep you satisfied.

[‧₊˚ ellie ♡ (إيلي) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Verika Sloane and Netgalley for the eARC on Netgalley. I started this book with high expectations but unfortunately it let me down. DNF at 11%. I did not like the extreme info-dumping and unnecessary details from the beginning. I wanted so much to get invested into this but sadly, I couldn't. A lot of the reviews for this book share the same sentiments with mine, and I don't really think this novel has a strong plot and sensible characters.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Verika Sloane for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange with an honest review.

Honestly, this story was really hard for me to get into. It just didn't hold my attention long enough for me to really enjoy it. It was just too long for my liking and it just didn't fit the description and what I had gotten excited for.

The concept is great, and it could be a good book with a decent plot, it just needs some work to get there.

[AR · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Nutcracker retelling that sounded promising but the execution was way less than satisfactory. Clunky writing laden with awkward info dumping, inconsistent worldbuilding, and incredibly weak characterization made this one fall flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Lauren ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This...did not tickle my pickle.

A Nutcracker retelling with a Christmassy aspect and some spice had me sold on this story, but truthfully, it fell short for me. Or long, I guess. It was really, really long. Or it just felt that way, but at one point, I wondered if it would ever end.

The world building and the atmospheric feel of the book gave it a touch of magic. I didn't detest the main characters but I didn't love them either. The dual POV did admittedly help a little.

The spice wasn't bad, for what little we got. Certainly a take on the Nutcracker I've not come across until this book.

Also - the title irked me a little. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but the style of title has been done to death at this point. A Court of Thorns and Roses. A Curse of Frost and Fate. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Children of Blood and Bone. They all just blend together in my head whenever I think about them. Sure, they're all different but they certainly aren't unique. Nothing stands out about it for me.

It was the writing that brought this book down to 3 stars for me. It was peppered with grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and the misuse of certain words and phrases that had me scratching my head and wondering if I was the one in the wrong. The book needs heavily edited. A quarter of it could be cut out and the rest needs a good spell check and a thorough reread to correct the little mistakes. They just cheapen a book.

All that being said - if you want a twist on the Nutcracker that you've maybe not seen before, give this book a read.

[Alessia Doni · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the fairy tales with love, magic and adventures, then you cannot miss this retelling of the Nutcracker , which is one of my favorite Christmas stories.
From the beginning you will be surrounded by the magical Christmas atmosphere that will follw you in what will become a true dream with open eyes. In fact, Verika has convey to manage all her love for the story of the Nutcracker and create a magical retelling with truly well-described and real settings and characters. Infact, you won’t struggle to live the Christmas traditions of Klara and her family for a moment and one second later finding yourself fighting against a curse in another realm!
I adored Klara and Jaemis: the former is a strong, independent woman, who does not hesitate to give everything she has for the people she cares about and to fight for what she thinks is right. And it is also a pure and genuine person that the world in which we live doesn’t deserve.
Jaemis instead.. well, can I have him for Christmas?! I loved his character: he is loyal, courageous and cursed. Aware that his history will not end with an happy ending,he is willing to give up all of himself and to give up even those last moments of happiness that are granted to him in order to protect his kingdom and the people around him.
i’ve also loved the way in which the relationship between the two was built: immediately there was a great chemistry between them that evolved into a relationship of mutual trust, which, managed to bring a little "light in the lives of both.. especially in Jaemis'.

✨In conclusion, I can say that it is a reading that reaffirms the importance of love, family and friendship during this period. I also assure you that it will make you smile, move, scream and that in the end you will want to have a Crush in the house!

[Steph (Teacups & Tropes) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first requested this, I had no idea what it was about. I was completely sucked in by the cover and I was fairly certain I had seen this title pop up on TikTok and Instagram. Color me surprised to find out that it is a Nutcracker retelling!

I actually am not familiar with the Nutcracker at all. I'm probably one of the only people on the planet who doesn't know anything about the original ballet LOL. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I was more familiar with it. Overall, I thought it was a ok read but it was long and had some serious spelling and grammatical errors that were hard for me to over look. Hopefully in the published copy, those were addressed since I know the ARCs we receive normally go through one more round before publication. The spice was decent and I'd be willing to see what else this author puts out in the future.

[Elizabeth Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a spicy reimagining of the Nutcracker universe and so I was really looking forward to reading this and getting stuck in.
Klarna finds herself sucked through a veil into the Nutcracker realm where she meets Prince Jaemis. A cursed prince who needs to save his kingdom and his royal parents from the Mouse King and Queen who have taken over his lands.

I enjoyed the general plot of the story and I did enjoy the pacing. I did find some things hard to grasp such as the love between Klara and Jaemis after two days and although this is an ‘enchanted love’ I did find myself rolling my eyes a little. If you like graphic sex scenes then this is right up your alley. I found Klara to be likeable and did like the different POVs between her and Jaemis it added more depth for me. Altogether a good story and a decent escapism tale.

**** Spoiler****
I did lose my way when right after waking from a dark magic coma within moments of laying her eyes on him they were bang at it and that was abit too far out of my reach for me!

[Tarnparit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Curse of Frost and Fate is a HEA retelling of The Nutcracker.

Klara is an ordinary girl, who is thrown into a magical world and spends her entire time trying to understand and forge connections with everyone around her. Jaemis is the cursed prince, who feels a burden to save the world around him. They both try to fight this 'forbidden' connection between them, as they try to get Klara back home.

I read this with absolutely no knowledge on the original story of The Nutcracker, so I have no way of comparing it to the original. However, just from reading it and catching onto The Nutcracker vibe that is associated in pop culture, I can say that this book succeeded in retelling a mesmerizing tale of love, good vs evil, and magic.

There was so much to learn about the different types of creatures and the magic that surround the fantasy world, yet all these concepts are swept under the rug to create a focus on the romance. I would have enjoyed more world-building, in place of the two main characters pining after each other, but I cannot deny the obvious chemistry between them. While I would have preferred a more not instant love storyline, it was delivered well with the "meant for each other" trope.

It was a pretty fast paced book, with loads of fluff. There is nothing 'dark' about this retelling. Overall, this book is a cozy holiday read for anyone that likes fairytale retellings with a little more passion and chemistry. Reading it gave me classic yet heartwarming feeling.

Thank You NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[benita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curse of frost and fate is about Klara who falls asleep and wakes suddenly up in a different world. A magical world. She meets the prince Jaemis, who she spends a lot of time with. But he’s hiding something, and Klara wants to figure out why.

Although a slow start, I really ended up enjoy reading this. Jaemis was my favorite, who craved to be near another person again, but because of his secret he doesn’t allow himself the joy of company from another being. I can understand he’s afraid, and I can understand the frustration from Klara. If Jaemis was here I would give him a big hug. He deserves that.

The plot was promising and when I started reading this, I had never read a Nutcracker retelling before. It was amazing and I’m so happy I got the chance to read it! I would recommend this to all fantasy readers out there, and if you like smut, read this! Other than that,

Happy reading!♥️

I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Verika Sloane for letting me read the eArc for this book!

It’s a lovely retelling of the Nutcracker story and a great holiday read for the Christmas period. However, it personally wasn’t my cup of tea, hence the 3 star rating. However, for others I can imagine they would absolutely love it. It has great world building, magic and some great tension between the main characters.

[Veerle Nijhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The only reason it’s 4 stars is because the grammer wasn’t good the entire book. English is not my native language, so I had to read some parts again.

The story is magical! And the romance slow burn! It was a great read!

[Katt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book too fast! It was great top to bottom I almost didn't even read it because of some of the reviews but do it! Read this book! The romance between the main two characters and how they talk to eachother is just 🥰🥰 gah no words. Love this book!

[Air · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Our aesthetic and worldbuilding in this one can be a great read around the holidays and fill that void of something to set the mood. But sadly think a lot of this fell short for me after I hit the halfway mark. There was a lot of promise in the description and the idea of a Nutcracker retelling but I don't think this necessarily lived up to that.

Maybe if it was reworked and some things changed I would probably be able to give it 4 stars instead of 3. I wasn't a big fan of the main character as she came off as really unlikeable and somewhat spoiled but with no purpose to it or redemption relating to that. So I think it wasn't intended but it honestly made it worse. Maybe I'll come back to this eventually.

[Robyn Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every word of this book, it has everything you need for a cosy Christmas read with a little bit of added spice.

I love a classic retelling and this one is up there in my top 10

Hopefully we’ll get to see more of Galindria in the future.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.
This was an interesting read. I liked how there was travel to a new world and that we got to experience it. It felt like the author made a list of things the Nutcracker had to have and they incorporated it however possible. It felt like there were too many 'extra' things that were added to the story when there could have been more of a focus on the story and romance.

[Jazelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

What if your favorite childhood story, one of magick and romance, was real? On Christmas Eve, Klara finds herself whisked away to the magical world of Galindria, cursed by darkness in this present-day retelling of The Nutcracker. She believes Prince Jaemis (cursed by Mogran the Mouse King), the realm of magick he calls home, and the fae creatures she meets all to be a dream; one inspired by her favorite ballet and perhaps a bit too much to drink. Still, she can't deny the instant connection she feels when the cursed prince enters her life; a connection that could spark her biggest adventure yet.

Verika Sloane's attempt to create a magical world based on a familiar tale is commendable. The world-building isn't so complex that you get lost, with a blend of familiar fae creatures (like the Sugar Plum Fairy) alongside a few new ones each offering their own interesting histories. Her descriptions of Galindria are beautifully attention-grabbing and engaging--enough that you can fall into the world of Galindria while keeping one foot in reality (much as Klara does at the start of the book).

The romance between Klara and Jaemis, however, feels a bit rushed, even for such a long novel. The couple was more interesting while their sexual tension simmered. Once it reached a full boil, the smut (which was a bit uncomfortable to read, given the word choice) seemed to take over the plot. Once the couple "makes love" (an antiquated term I wasn't expecting to hear from Klara, who became more heart-eyed than heroine with every page), they're too distracted by one another to see the crystal clear answers directly before them. The story dragged on a little too long, especially since the conflict's resolution is blatantly clear early on.

Klara and Jaemis, who grew up in different worlds, did learn how to learn from one another's strengths and perspectives, though. Klara is willing to take adventurous risks in the name of love, while Jaemis never makes the mistake of seeing Klara as a damsel in distress in need of saving.

That being said, the story could have used some restructuring. While the entire plot seemed to drag, the romance was rushed. Everything from the smut to the "I love you's" felt ingenuine, forced. There are a number of word choice mistakes that seem juvenile, and some concepts were over-explained.

If you're looking for a Christmas-y read and a happily ever after, this cute retelling of a classic tale is right up your alley. However, there's plenty of room for growth between the plot and writing style.

[Dominique · Rating 1 out of 5]

This retelling of The Nutcracker was a great idea and interesting concept, but I found myself confused as to who the intended audience was. I know this is a romance, so it would be geared for an adult audience, but the dialogue of the characters at times felt so juvenile that I kept thinking they were actual children. Especially in the beginning when the family is gathered for Christmas Eve and 20+ year olds are speaking in a way a 8 year old would speak in a classic movie. For that alone I had a hard time making my way through this book. Unfortunately I just couldn’t keep going after 25% of the way. The world building was lacking, our main character is supposed to be almost 30 years old but seemed to act like a teenager, and my least favorite trope (insta love) was used right off the bat. This simply was not my cup of tea, but if you like things like that then this is the book for you. I think this book would have potential if it had been workshopped a bit more.

[Dee Hancocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star read for me.
I loved the cover of this book, and I requested an E-ARC before even reading what the story was about. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the E-ARC.
I enjoyed the nutcracker retelling with a nice bit of smut on the side. The story was enchanting and the romance was very sweet, I like the whole fated mates troupe but felt that this was a little rushed.
The book could have been shorter but I enjoyed the vivid world building, cast of characters and elements of magic along the way.
A good escapism read for December.

[Karinosa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, I have started and re-started this book. I have struggled to stay reading and engrossed into this read. I had some issues with the kindle version of this download. I could not see any words with the black background (my usual setting) and had to change to the lighter one. The way the book is lay-ed out seems to bother my brain as well. It seems choppy and for the life of me, I could not fix it! I felt That a lot of the beginning of the story seemed “long winded” and in general just struggled. It is very rare that I DNF a read. Unfortunately, this is one of those times.