ARC Review - Of Curses & Beauty by Elle Blackenstoe

 Thank you so much Elle Blackenstoe for sending me this ARC!

Title: Of Curses & Beauty

Author: Elle Blackenstoe

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Standalone 

Pages: 245

Synopsis:

One curse to bring them together.

One kiss to tear them apart. 

All her life, Alaine has suffered the weight of her beauty and she is tired of it. When an unexpected debt threatens her family, Alaine is urged to accept a lucrative marriage to her worst nightmare. She flees to the nearby forest and encounters a witch that offers to help her. The last thing Alaine expects is to be taken away, stripped of her beauty, and abandoned at a curious cottage with no way out.

Daric has been cursed for centuries when a strange young woman wanders into his secluded corner of the woods, claiming to be a lost beauty. For years, his only goal had been to escape the enchanted cottage and exact revenge against the witch that ensnared him. But sharing his curse with Alaine might not be so bad, especially if she’s the one that can break it.

Daric yearns to see them both free. Alaine knows her family is counting on her, but as her reluctant friendship with Daric blossoms into something more, she must decide if saving her parents is worth losing him and returning to the marriage she escaped.

Review & thoughts:

Of Curses & Beauty is a standalone YA Beauty and the Beast retelling and a debut novel from Elle Blackenstoe that I really enjoyed!

Alaine is considered a great beauty in her village, which often causes her problems in the form of unwanted suitors. When a family situation forces her into engagement with a man she hates, Alaine makes a wish and finds herself stripped of her beauty in a cottage in a middle of a forest. Prince Daric spent 300 years cursed in a cottage unable to leave and the unexpected visitor fills him with both hope and dread that another innocent life is forced into his hell. But the more time Alaine and Daric spend together, the more they feel attracted to each other and the more they hope they might be the answer to each other’s problems. 

Of Curses & Beauty was a really fun and quick read. The author did some interesting twists on the Beauty and the Beast tale and I liked seeing all the references to the original tale. I enjoyed Alaine and Daric’s romance, since it was a short book, the romance was a bit of insta love, but they were so sweet together it didn’t bother me much and I liked the forced proximity aspect. The main characters were likable and it was fun to see their relationship grow, my only complaint is that the book might have been a little longer to make them more fleshed out. 

Of Curses & Beauty is a fun and enjoyable YA Fantasy Romance book with sweet romance and likable characters. It is a really great debut novel and I will definitely read more from this author in the future, I enjoyed the writing style and the fun twists on the original tale.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5