Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to let me read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have to be honest in that I was widely skeptical in picking this one up. Once I heard that it had elements of yet ANOTHER Beauty and the Beast retelling, my guards went up and I left this galley ignored for the better part of 6-months. The book had actually already been released before I picked it up, and it was because of a friend who had just gotten a galley of the sequel (A Heart so Fierce and Broken) and said it was even better than the first book. So I let me guard down, found the galley and dove in.

When I think of Beauty and the Beast retelling, my mind and my heart immediately go back towards A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas which I loved IMMENSELY- so this was one of the issues I had in picking the title up in the first place. In the end, I'm really glad that I gave this book a shot because the series has now become one of my favorites and the third book's release is definitely highly anticipated!

Once I actually read the book, I realized that there really wasn't a whole lot of parallels between Beauty and the Beast and this book aside from the fact that Prince Rhen is a beast, they live in a castle mostly alone, and that he was cursed by an enchantress. Every other riveting detail from the story stands firmly on its own and I was absolutely sucked into the story and invested in every single character.

About halfway through my read through, I found that I wasn't able to dedicate as much time to reading as I would have liked due to teaching and testing season, I purchased a copy of the audio book via Audible that I would read on my commute to and from work. One thing that I absolutely loved about the audio book production in particular was a chapter much later in the book that is from the point of view as Rhen as the beast and the chapter is just empty in the book format. In the audio production, this chapter is replaced by the freakiest monster-like heavy breathing I've ever heard in my life- the sound literally gave me chills. Really lent itself to the telling of the story.

The chemistry between Rhen and Grey was adorable, and the chemistry between Rhen and Harper was downright swoon-worthy, and the chemistry between Grey and Harper was so comical- every single character was so well-rounded and thought out. In terms of character design and character development, Kemmerer has it DOWN. World building was outstanding (how could it not be with a name like Emberfall!?). I loved just about everything about this story and can't wait to finish the series with A VOW SO BOLD AND DEADLY when it releases in January 2021. I am so ready!!

I don’t have much to say about this book other than it was a breath of fresh air. The turn of events at the end wasn’t all that shocking however, i can’t wait to read the next book to see how everything progresses. This book is worth reading.

Surprise ending!
A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is one of the best fairy tale retellings that I have read.
The writing demanded my attention from the first chapter and each chapter ends in a bit of a cliffhanger! I had to force myself to stop reading to go to bed. Harper is kidnapped but for reasons that are different from what she ever expected. She’s been kidnapped from Washington D.C. to help break a prince’s curse. Prince Rhen and his top guard, Grey, are the only two that know about the curse and the secret that Rhen is horrified about. Lilith cursed Rhen years ago and he’s turned into a violent monster every season since. Once he changes, he has no memory or control, and because of that he’s ending up killing the royal family, his family. Harper doesn’t like Rhen at first but she understands him better the more she gets to know him. Grey is an intimidating guard but a kind and caring soul. Each season, Rhen becomes a different creature but he’s always violent and ruthless. Harper helps Rhen and his kingdom by pretending to be a princess. A cruel ruler threatens to take over the kingdom and Harper and Rhen tell her that the princess’s father is sending reinforcements to stop her. Rhen, Harper and Grey continue to work together and become closer. This story is full of action, loyalty and bravery and ends in an intense surprise, 5 stars!

“When my sister died,” Freya says quietly, “it was very sudden. I had no time to say goodbye. But she knew I loved her. I knew she loved me. It is not the moment of passing that is most important. It is all the moments that come before.”

I love all things Beauty and the Beast and Brigid Kemmerer so I was super excited to read this book. And it completely lived up to my super high expectations! This was full of danger and romance, slow wooing and battles, training and magic- and some pretty intense court intrigue. It was easy for me to get lost in this story right from the beginning and I was not even a little bit ready to let it go at the end. The story was dual narrated by the two main characters, Prince Rhen and modern girl Harper, who was so far out of her element. I loved both of them and the heated banter between them- even while my heart was shipping another love interest for Harper... Overall this was one of my favorite reads from 2019 and I can't wait to read the next book and get more Grey.

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”

I had a very difficult time getting into this book (which makes me sad, because I know so many people loved it!!)

In the end, I enjoyed it, but I did not love it. I think people who are Beauty and the Beast purists (like myself) aren't the target audience for this. But if you're a fan of the story, and don't mind slight changes, then you'll likely love this one!

I really enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This was just one of those books for me that was very readable and hard to put down.
Can't wait to read the second one!

I LOVED this book.

It's brilliant. It's incredibly well-written. The characters are brilliant (Rhen and Grey are swoon-worthy, Jake is the sarcastic sibling I never knew I needed, and Harper is just... AH, so powerful and incredible). The stakes are high, the detail is immense... it's just fantastic.

Plus, Harper's cerebral palsy was SO well-done! 5 stars, Ms. Kemmerer, for including this as a major aspect of Harper's character - I love how her CP is written realistically, yet doesn't diminish Harper's phenomenal strength one bit. LOVE. IT.

The only warning I would give is that it gets DARK. It's not dark all the time, but when it is, it's gory, it's detailed and it's explained in incredible detail. This is great, because it increases the captivation of the writing and the immersion of the reader - but if you're faint of heart, beware, because ACSDAL doesn't hold any detail back.

SUCH a great read, though - and that reveal at the end!! Can't WAIT for book 2!!

I read and loved Brigid Kemmerer’s Letters to the Lost. Since I also enjoy a good fairytale retelling, I was looking forward to this read. However, it didn’t quite end up being for me.

The characters fell flat. I never built a connection to the MCs or their plight. Harper in particular. She’s reckless and rewarded for her recklessness. For example, she steps in to save some villagers (courageous, if foolhardy in her lack of ability to actually defend them), but then she has no idea how to help them long term. In fact, she plans to return home as soon as possible; she’s not going to be there to see things through to the end. Rhen has to intervene on her behalf on both counts.

The world building is minimal. I never felt like I got to see the full scope of the world. Some plot points involving other countries are introduced but never resolved. I would have liked to see the effects of Rhen’s curse more fully explored and that more time was spent on his kingdom instead of introducing additional plot points that won’t be fully developed until book 2. As it is, I never fully felt urgency for Rhen and Harper’s respective situations.

After the first quarter or so of the novel, I ended up skimming the rest of the novel. That said, I did finish it because I was curious where Kemmerer would take us with this novel. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy fairytale retellings with an independent, strong-minded female lead.

An incredible read. I was hooked from page one; dying to see how it all would end.
A curse So Dark is a great reminder that no matter how well hidden, we all have secrets & burdens to carry. Our secrets however; don't define who we are, it's how we respond to them that matters.

Can't wait for book 2!

Kemmerer brought some unique twists to a classic tale. Rhen makes your heartbreak as the cursed prince and Harper is a 21st century badass. You will love your time in Emberfell and will wait with baited breath for the second book before you even finish the last page.

Within the first couple of chapters you could tell that it was a modern take on Beauty and the Beast. With that being said you knew how it would eventually pan out. There were a couple good twists, and I really enjoyed the two worlds colliding. It will be interesting to see how the next book goes, as it will have to step away from the beauty and the beast narrative.

I adored this book so much, such a beautiful Beauty and the Beast retelling. I loved Harper as a main character, and I can't wait to see what the second one will bring!

My heart is still pounding after the last quarter of the book. I can’t stop thinking about it!

Fairy-tale retellings always go one of two ways, a messy story that verges on boring, or absolute ingeniousness. With A Curse So Dark And Lonely, it happens to be the second one.

I’ll be the first to admit I’d seen the book around so many times, picked it up, admired the cover, and then put it back down. I’ve never regretted it more than now, after finishing this incredible book and realizing I could have had Harper, Rhen, & Grey in my life so much sooner.

Harper (Princess of Disi) is absolutely hilarious and also just someone you root for. Her reactions to the fantastical world of Emberfall are exactly what anyone else’s would be, and yet through her less than perfect past, she may just have the answer of how to solve the Kingdom’s problems…or at least by them some time.

Rhen has almost given up, and I love him with all of my heart. I found it an interesting choice to have the “beast” character already well different from the boy who was curse. He and Grey had been doing this for years, and he’s exhausted what he believes are all his options. Every time Rhen seemed ready to give up, I too wanted to shake him and show him all he’d done, how much he cared, what an amazing person he was. If Harper wasn’t going to fall in love with him, I’d be more than happy to take her place.

Scary Grey, the last member of the Royal Guard, strict and loyal. He follows instructions to a tee, and yet behind it all you can see the person, the man who played with the kids, who is Rhen’s closest friend, even if they’d never say it, who stood by no matter what.

How I loved all three of them, the three each their own person, with their own voices and beliefs. What I would have gave to have even a little more to read of them and adore. Believe me when I say that this story is so beautifully written, the world so incredibly detailed and yet so realistic. Do not miss this book! You will regret it forever.

I can’t wait to read the sequel; my mind is still buzzing far off in the land of Emberfall (HOW DARE THE EPILOGUE HURT ME LIKE THAT!). I’ve already even requested it as a sequel. This will definitely be a book I highly recommend to people coming through. A favourite for sure!

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book! I'm a sucker for most Beauty and the Beast re-imagination, and I was particularly drawn to this one because the voices of Harper and Rhen were so compelling. A lot of teen books use the alternating first person POV but I felt the voices particularly distinct in this one; there's also one usage of this format that made me gasp and cover my mouth with my hand (and then feel the feels), so there's that. Harper in particular has my whole entire heart, and the way she navigates her cerebral palsy and life in general is inspiring. Well paced, dark at times, and overall a super engaging read.

Kemmerer is a writer who can bridge the gap from sensitive realistic fiction to fabulous fantasy and do it brilliantly. Her tales of troubled teens are as engaging as her stories of fantastical worlds. Here she weaves a tale of a monstrous prince who’s cursed to kill as a beast. The Beauty in this book is Harper, a girl who’s not the perfect princess but a daring girl who suffers from cerebral palsy. She’s smart and compassionate; actually perfect, just as she is. As expected, Prince Rhen proves he is more than the monster who kills all those around him. But there are complications to his story and there’s more needed than just a girl falling for him.

This is a book that is hard to put down. It will hold reader’s interest right up to the very end. Harper, Rhen and his loyal guard Grey, are all beautifully developed. Harper’s family adds another dimension – especially since they’re from the 21st Century. Once finished, anticipation for the next book in the series will be high, especially with the exciting ending. This is a series not to be missed. It sizzles with danger, drama and deepening feelings.

I found this story had very good pacing but at times it felt like the story was too long and certain aspects were repeated. The story could have been told in less pages. What I loved is how the author portrayed Harper, she is such a strong character and is not defined by her cerebral palsy. I definitely can't wait to continue with this series though I can see that there is a huge love triangle coming in the next book and I think it may become much but that is something that is to be seen. Overall the story really captured my attention and I wanted to continue with Harper and Rhen to see how they would deal with everything.

I absolutely adored this story, and everything it had to offer. I couldn't stop reading about Harper, Rhen and Grey, and quite honestly I've grown attached to these characters. The world building in this was stunning, and I can't wait to be back in Emberfall when the next book comes out.

I honestly went into this with fairly low expectations, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. Though I love the Lunar Chronicles and am a fan of fairytale retellings, I had heard mixed reviews about this and haven’t read a Beauty and The Beast retelling before. I really enjoyed how Harper was from “our world,” it added a new layer to the fantasy story of her learning about Emberfall and finding herself. I also loved how political the plot was, which added a nice break to the romance (even though I did love the relationship between Harper and Rhen!). Lastly, I thought it was a great deviation from the original that Harper didn’t know Rhen was “a beast” and how we saw him take form. I’m definitely immersed in this world and am excited to read the next book in the series!

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY follows Prince Rhen and teenage Harper, whose worlds collide when Harper is transported into his world in order to break the curse ruining his kingdom of Emberfall. Harper, who lives in present-day Washington, D.C., is not thrilled about being wrenched out of her life while her mother is dying, her father is absent and her brother is desperately trying to keep the family afloat. Meanwhile, Rhen has almost given up on saving his kingdom, but falling in love with Harper is his last chance to break the curse and be rid of the monster devastating his kingdom.While the entire plot is based on the need for Harper and Rhen to fall in love, that is not what they spend most of their time focused on. A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY is powerful because it is not entirely focused on the romance but the implications of the romance. Along the way, Harper helps Rhen repair his kingdom, which was probably my favorite element of this book. Even though she is new to his world and customs, Harper steps up when Rhen has almost wholly given up. Almost immediately after I started reading this book, I knew I would soon fall in love with these characters, their humor and their opposing worlds. The novel is always enjoyable, and I could not keep myself from laughing when Rhen started calling Harper “my lady” because it goes against what someone from today’s society, like Harper, would ever be called.

One of the first characters that Harper meets is Grey, Rhen’s commander of the Royal Guard. He brings her to Emberfall to break the curse. The castle is inhabited with only Rhen and Grey at the start of the book, but readers soon meet several other characters. However, the cast of characters is relatively small, which means that the main characters develop and their relationships are first and foremost in the story. While Grey starts the story closed-off, he quickly became the most interesting character for me, and the one I am most interested in learning more about in the sequel.

I don't care what y'all say, you can pull Beauty & the Beast retellings out of my cold, dead hands.

This book was as enchanting and angsty as I was hoping it would be. I read well over 200 pages of it in one sitting the night I picked it up, which at my current mental state should be considered an Olympic feat. I was glued onto the story from the main character's strong will to the love interest's angst-ridden curse. The writing, though not entirely glowing, did sweep me away.

The first issue I had with the book is the parallel universes between our real world and their fantasy world. It was entirely personal preference, but I found that bringing elements of our modern world into a fantasy world made the story cheesy and almost took away from the magic of it. Moments that aimed to be funny just ended up falling flat for me because in my head, the two worlds are quite non-transferable and I guess the author didn't blend them seamlessly enough for my taste.

Next, although I love the idea of this enemies to lovers story where it's driven by a curse, I think the slight romance that did develop felt somewhat forced in the sense that I didn't really feel any chemistry between these two characters. They were great partners in war and there was certainly tension between them, but they were never thrust into any circumstances that tested their romantic compatibility; it was all war-driven. The romantic scenes in this book were brief and chaste, and I felt it was missing just a bit of development and emotion.

I had more minor problems with this like the storyline being slightly tinged with unrealistic plot points and the characters' emotional reactions to major events feeling stunted, but overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this. I think it was a refreshing take on Beauty & the Beast, even if a bit heteronormative. I loved the side characters and this was such a fast read, not to mention the main character has cerebral palsy and it was integrated as a character trait rather than a plot point. I'm not fiending to pick up the sequel, but I definitely will give it a go when it comes out because I'm definitely interested in seeing where the characters' journeys, physically and emotionally, go from here.