In this modern-day fairy tale, Nona is living under a curse cast by a spiteful witch. She's trapped in a rapidly aged body surrounded by talking animals who used to be her family members. When an injured hiker appears, Nona takes him in to save his life. But Charlie doesn't look at her as if she's an elderly lady, it's almost as if he sees her true body underneath. What is happening and is this a chance to break the curse?

This was an interesting take on a modern fairy tale. The characters are delightful but the plot was a little confusing in places. There were some aspects of the curse that made Nona an unreliable narrator, so I would have liked to see some Charlie chapters to bridge the gap. Overall a light and funny read.

I loved Come As You Are. But The Curse of Nona May Taylor by Jess K Hardy is on a whole new level.
This book had me completely invested in this story.
This sweet fairytale retelling was written very well.
And the characters were swoons. I smiled throughout this entire book. It was charming, uplifting, and sweet.
An engaging modern day fairy tale.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

️*Title: The Curse of Nona May Taylor, a standalone
*Release date: 11/1/23 read: 9/25/23

*Author: Jess K Hardy

*Book cover: very witchy, cozy wilderness

*Format:e-ARC

*Page Count: 292

*POV: h Nona

*Setting: Montana

*Genre: PNR, fantasy

*Tropes:

✅ magic
✅ animals
✅ witches
✅ cursed w/amnesia
✅ music/ singing
✅ LGBTQIA +


Look out for:
⚠️ murder, h is a virgin, a threesome

*Synopsis: Nona, her family and her agent are cursed by a witch Rebecca and hey don't know why. Nona was a folksinger on the raise until she woke up 5 years ago as an 83 year old woman with farm animals as her family. Nona believes only true love's kiss will break the curse.


Characters:
Nona-23 trapped in elderly woman body by a jealous witch who stole her career.

Charlie Brown-24 a mysterious handsome hiker Nona nurses back to health after a leg injury.

Penny Sheldon- Nona's mother turned into a talking hen.

Wally- Nona's stepfather turned into a talking pig. He's a war veteran with PTSD

Bridget- Nona's older sister turned into a talking fox.

Jack-Bridget's husband turned into a talking rabbit.

Fritz- Nona's manager and bff turned into a talking ferret.

Rebecca- the witch who cursed Nona. She visits and torments them at the secluded cabin they stay in.


*Review: I loved their sense of family regardless of their circumstances. They loved each other unconditionally and wouldn't let Nona feel guilty about the curse. I loved the twists and turns Rebecca and Charlie took us on. There were some hilarious scenes about Nona "seducing" Charlie in an attempt to break the curse as an old woman. Also, their love filled night together when everyone was given a little respite. I thought the beginning was a little crazy with talking farm animals, but there's plenty of heart and magic that carries this novel to the next level.

*Rating: 4/5

*Spice level- 4/5


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC🖤! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

The Curse of Nona May Taylor by Jess K. Hardy

Delightful surprise! Great escape into a magical modern day fairy tale that drew me in more with each page.

What I liked:
* Nona May Taylor: musician, singer, on her way up when cursed with her family, loving, caring, generous, never gives up, has lived for several years as an octogenarian, really liked her
* Charlie Brown: arrives in the story as an injured hiker but proves to be so much more!
* The way Nona’s menagerie – also her family – worked together supporting one another living on the mountain in the form of animals when they were cursed at the same time Nona was. (pig, chicken, fox, rabbit, ferret – each individual and worth getting to know)
* Thinking about what it would have been like to be in the situation Nona and the rest found themselves in
* The magical element of the story with the two types of magic users and how they fit into the story
* Wondering if the curse would be broken and if so, how
* Larry: a very special bear
* The backstory and history of more than one character and how all the threads were woven together
* That I was drawn in, began to care, and was invested in the outcome
* That I did NOT give up in the first few chapters when I thought about doing so – so glad I kept reading!
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how difficult it must have been for all of them and wondering how someone could be so hateful to do what they did to Nona and her family

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

It's been five years since the witch cursed Nona. Five years since she switched bodies with her, taking her fame, and casting her into an old, aging body. Five years since her family and manager were turned into talking animals, and they were forced to move to a reclusive cabin. There's only one way to break the spell, and in true Beauty and the Beast fashion, a handsome, injured hiker is found in the snow nearby. Before you can sing "Be Our Guest" the critters are already filling Nona's head with hopeful suggestions about breaking the spell and becoming human again.

I feel guilty about this, but I stopped reading after page 60. I skimmed the rest of the book to see if perhaps I had misjudged, but unfortunately, Nona May was not my vibe. That doesn't mean it won't be someone else's vibe, though.

First, what I liked: talking critters, especially Larry, the cookie loving bear. I thought Hardy did an excellent job establishing the different family members, and their love for one another. Hardy also created a lovely world for Nona, and established it well. There's humor, family love, and delightful discussions about food.

What I didn't like: I felt like there was too much going on, some in far too short an amount of time. Some chapters were interesting, but others lagged. This was definitely more of a tell than show book which is one reason why I lost interest. The climax/ conclusion felt rushed, and in some ways, a bit too convenient. In fact, many things seemed too convenient to the point where there didn't seem to be a real struggle.

Fans of romance novels would probably enjoy Nona May. It's quirky and humorous, and it does have fairy tale aspects. The Curse of Nona May Taylor has some nice moments, but overall fell flat for me. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book, even if it wasn't my cup of tea.

3.5 stars

**Thank you to Netgalley & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.**

I've enjoyed every single thing I've read by Jess K. Hardy, and this was no different.
I liked the original spin on the retelling of Beauty & The Beast.
Our story revolves around Nona, who was once a young folk singer, but one day was cursed to be an eighty-three-year-old woman and her family and friends were turned into animals, ones that could still talk.
The story sets us up, with Nona & co having already spent five years in this state, and they live in a secluded cabin in the woods, where it's currently snowing.
One day they come across a hiker who is injured, and suddenly everything is turned upside down.

The way the story evolves, and all the tidbits of information we get along the way, build and build until it all starts to fall into place.
I enjoyed the relationships between Nona and her family, especially her relationship with Fritz & Charlie, the hiker who is definitely more than he seems.

This book is a feel-good, sweet romance fairytale retelling with a bit of spice thrown in, which we all know Hardy can do very well.
It was a nice little break between heavier reads.

This book is the craziest delightful jumble of a romance. There’s a rockstar, witches, a curse, a magic house, talking animals.
Elements of several fairytales.
I just loved this book. It was what my and sweet and funny and lovely.
Nona is cursed. She is 83 but really she’s 23. All of her family have been turned into animals.

This is a really enjoyable twist on the classic beauty and the beast story with Nona a country singer being turned into and old lady and her close family and manager being turned into animals due to her upsetting a witch by kissing a boy. Yet, when an injured lone hiker stumbles into their forest domain during the grip of winter, their lives take a new turn.

I found the romance between Nona and Charlie sweet but I felt the addition of the Fitz strange as the age gap was pointed out a few time and his gentle let down of her when she was first interested in him it didn't feel like it fitted with the strong bond between Nona and Charlie

Overall I enjoyed the book and would look out for more by Jess K Hardy. Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for this arc. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

The Curse of Nona May Taylor is a really interesting take on a Beauty and the Beast retelling; interesting in the sense that I feel like I personally have not read something like this before. It's a very unique take on a familiar tale and for that, I have to give it brownie points. I also really enjoyed Jess K. Hardy's writing; I don't know what it is about it but Hardy made me feel so much as I read this story. The writing was beautiful and I really felt like I was experiencing this world.

However, without spoiling, the middle is where things go a bit haywire. I felt the revelation (which I kind of saw coming, I won't lie) came a little bit too soon and it could have been done a little bit later in the book. Once the secret was out, I had a hard time keeping my interest in the story and I was essentially just skimming through. Also, I did feel like at the end, there were somehow multiple plots being mixed in (including traces of a murder mystery) and they only partially worked. However, I will still say I enjoyed reading this book.

Personally, I may not have enjoyed this as much as I wanted to, but I am sure there are other people out there who would love The Curse of Nona May Taylor a lot more.

Nona, her family, and her manager were cursed when a witch saw her kissing a boy and wanted to steal her life and budding fame. Nona is cursed to be old, while her loved ones are turned into animals. The story follows a Beauty and the Beast plot line, when a hiker is found injured in the woods and has to heal at Nina’s cottage.

I have mixed feelings on this books. On one hand, I thought it was incredibly funny, the characters were very distinct and differentiated (and the relationships between most of the characters were really adorable!), and a somewhat chaotic, yet interesting spin on a classic fairytale.

Without getting too deep into spoilery territory, there were a few points that I felt were off-putting/not explained in terms of the story. The relationship between Nona and her manager Fritz (several years older, and started being her manager when she was a teenager), felt uncomfortable at times. I think if she were aged out of “jailbait” range (the term used in the book) this multifaceted relationship would have felt a lot less odd.

I thought the witches plot point(s) were super interesting, but I would have liked a little more explanation/information about that side of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this!

I first were caught by the title, and the premise but, when I find out it was a kind of retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" plot, the book got my full attention! The narrative is prett compelling, the reader can follow up what's happening easily, and the characters are well built as well. I liked a lot!

Nona May Taylor is a young folk singer who kisses the wrong man and angers a witch, who causes her to age sixty years and turns her family into a pack of talking animals. Nona and her family have basically given up on reversing the curse, content to live their lives on a mountain in Montana, when they find an injured man who just might be the one to break the curse.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, minus the narcissism and furry monster. Hardy has written a fun, cozy, whimsical, wintery tale. Nona isn't a monster, she never was she just fell in love with the wrong man. (In the beginning it says something about her kissing the wrong man, and it almost implies infidelity on his part - but that is NOT the case, so don't be put off by that if infidelity is a hard no for you.

I think my favorite part of The Curse of Nona May Taylor is the cast of talking animals. Her step father is turned into a pig, her mom a chicken, her sister a fox, her brother in law a rabbit, and her manager a ferret. Oh, and there's Larry the talking magical bear who loves cookies.

This was my first of Hardy's books, and I really enjoyed it! I think some of the magical/witchy stuff was intentionally vague, and I think the backstory with the witch families came across as a little convoluted, especially with the guardianship of the Rose? But I enjoyed the book enough to get past it.

Tropes include:
-Beauty and the Beast retelling
-fated mates (as much as they can be in a contemporary romance, but they have that sort of feeling, so we're going with it)
-hurt/comfort
-batshit step mom
-musician romance
-HEA/growing old together

Thanks to Netgalley and Jess K. Hardy for the ARC! I received this copy for review, and this is my own opinion.

I absolutely loved this story!!! As a reverse Beauty and the Beast story, I loved Nona right from the start! Her badassery-- living off the land in a cabin in the woods-- made her so fun to me. I also loved the dynamic between Nona and her family of animals all living together, it was written in an extremely funny way. I had to warm up to Charlie because I just didn't see much of his personality until about a third of the way in, but then I immediately fell in love with him. As I learned more and more about Charlie and Nona and their respective pasts I loved them both so much more. I was expecting the soft fantasy element here, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes of magic and curses and spells was fun to have scattered throughout the story. I also ultimately loved the ending here as Charlie and Nona battle it out with the witch to get all their lives back and have their happily ever after.
Absolutely loved this one! Thank you for the ARC!!!!

Twenty-three year old folk singer Nona was cursed 5 years ago by a jealous witch. Not only does she now look like a little old lady, but her family and manager have been turned into animals. The group moves into the Montana wilderness to live out their lives and try to break the curse. Over the years, they've grown to accept their fate in most ways, refusing to let the witch win by being miserable.

Then a young hiker injures himself and the group is forced to either help him or let him die in the wilderness. Charlie, the hiker, seems to see right through the magic, and the more time they spend together, the younger Nona seems. Is he the key to freeing them from the curse??

Nona's family totally stole the show. If I'd been trapped in the body of an animal for 5 years, I'd be off my rocker. They all kept going with a laugh and a smile, and it really put into perspective how your attitude affects your life.

The only reason this isn't a 5 star read is because of what happened between Nona, Charlie, and Fritz. It kind of came out of left field and didn't seem necessary. It didn't advance the plot or the romance.

Fans of Howl's Moving Castle will love this story! It has magic, humor, and dives into the importance of finding your inner strength. Charlie was a total cinnamon roll who wanted nothing more than to make Nona happy. The way he approached the whole cursed business was pretty genius, and his devotion will make your heart smile.

If you like magic, mayhem, and men who are ridiculously devoted, grab this book!

Thank you, Jess K Hardy and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this story! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a new and refreshing retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Bonus points for the epilogue as no loose ends were left

4 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

This is a cosy, quirky little fairytale retelling.
I really enjoyed the writing style and found some parts of the book very cute and some laugh out loud funny.

I was a bit confused by what the book was trying to be. The story felt a bit all over the place and some of the focus points in the story felt odd and unnecessary. For example, the inclusion of the threesome felt completely out of character by that point in the book and given that it was a fade to black scene, it just seemed like it didn’t need to be there. There were also some references to the FMC being underage and ‘jailbait’ which was a bit uncomfortable.

Honestly, Nona is holding herself together remarkably well for a 23 year old woman who was turned into a grandma (her family was also basically turned into a petting zoo) by a jealous witch.

*more in depth review to come

A jealous witch switches places with a young pop star, transforming the young woman into an elderly woman, and her family and her manager into animals. Only true love can break the curse.

It has been five years and Nona is comfortable living in her grandfather’s isolated mountain cabin. But her family and manager are not happy being animals. So when Charlie, a young hiker, is wounded and taken in, they hope this is Nona’s chance for love. And it does seem odd how taken Charlie is with Nona, and how he seems happy to be with her in the cabin. But the longer he is there, the younger Nona becomes; will this be her true love?

I liked Charlie, he was so sweet and patient with Nona. I also enjoyed reading how Nona provided for her animals, keeping the woodpile for heating the cabin, growing and hunting to provide food for everyone. Nona’s mother was hilarious. When Larry came into the story, it just got better.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of The Curse of Nona May Taylor. These thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a cute, fast, and fun read. I really liked the characters, especially the “farm family.” I would have liked to have the backstory of the players involving the curse and/or more information on our “hero’s” family. There is plenty of humor making it an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Jess K Hardy for the eARC.

I so wanted to love this one. And there are certainly parts I did enjoy. But I think it either needed to be 50 pages shorter or at least 100 pages longer.

The first half is really, really good. But after that it kind of felt like it kept losing track of the story it wanted to tell.

With less pages, it would've been more cohesive and endearing. With more pages, the characters and plots could've been more fleshed out giving it a more epic feel.