Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreaker #1)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 507

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

I picked this one up on Kindle sale awhile back and let it languish on my iPad for months. Why? I started reading this book and just couldn’t stop. This Beauty and the Beast retelling is right in my wheelhouse. I love a good fairy tale story with wicked evil, not quite perfect heroes, and plucky heroines. This story isn’t quite surprising, but I loved how Kemmerer put her own spin on the classic tale. I loved Harper and all her insecurities and strength. I loved Rhen and his secrets and charm. And Grey was a delightful surprise full of loyalty and surprising tenderness. I was gutted by the last section of this book. And I’m desperately wanting to finish out the series with book #2. Guess I will have to put that on June’s TBR pile.

Cursebreaker Series

• #1 A Curse So Dark and Lonely

• #2 A Heart So Fierce and Broken

Next up on the TBR pile: