I really enjoyed this. A dark romance where there are redeeming qualities in guy makes me swoon. The underlying story with the crystals is so unique, I have never read anything like it before. If I didn’t know this was a beauty and the beats retelling, I wouldn’t know. Which I like, it lets the story have a life of its own. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Rebecca Zanetti for the arc! I really wished that I could say that I enjoyed One Cursed Rose, the premise and the idea behind it sounded amazing, but this just didn't work at all for me.

This is such an original story. It took a bit for me to make sense of the premise but such a great read. Thorn is a hot nightmare. His personality is totally out of bounds. His interactions with Alana are twisted and scorching. Not a read for the faint of heart but take a chance. It's awesome!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I've read many Zanetti books and loved them all. So you can imagine how disappointed I was that this book didn't even come close to the quality of my past RZ reads. It made me wonder whether it had been written by a ghost writer, then passed on to a neglectful editor.
<b>What I liked:</b>
The concept and many of the ideas in the PNR story
<b>What I didn't like:</b>
- The delivery and writing were sub-par; mechanical, unpolished, awkward, lacked nuance
- MMC was a cardboard character / FMC has little personality
- Lack of chemistry & the kink was awkward & misplaced in the story
- MMC patronized the FMC, diminishing her in the story
- Story elements often confusing / lacked development
- Lots of unnecessary / awkward talk about wealth that drove me crazy. 🙄 Him: ‘we arrive in my palatial kitchen’ / Her: ‘he had…battered but high-end combat boots’
Unfortunately, this was a 2-star read for me. However, I'm eager to read her newly released book #6 in the Anna Albertini Files series, which I'm loving - as well as her other books.

One Cursed Rose is book one in Rebecca Zanetti’s Grimm Bargains series. While I love RZ and a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, this one fell a bit flat for me.

This is set in a world where four families control the social media universe by harnessing the power of peoples emotions, senses and using crystals. Alana is the figurehead of Aquarius Social and Thorn the head of Malice Media. When Alana’s dad demands she marry a rivals son, Thorn kidnaps her. One Cursed Rose has corporate espionage, family backstabbing and steam all set against Thorn’s race to stop a virus from destroying his company and him.

So Sigh, I really wanted to love this one, I really did… it’s everything I enjoy, Beauty and the Beast and Rebecca Zanetti so while I though it was ok, I wasn’t blown away. The crystals aspect was too hokey for me, I get the cursed rose is dying so the Beast is and the crystal dying so Thorn is too but ehhhh. Alana has an unusual phobia that the reader knows plays a part in her backstory and you want to shake her to figure it out. Thorn an abnormal taste synesthesia, which I have no clue if it’s a real thing but it added depth to Thorn’s character that I liked. I felt the pacing dragged in the middle then wrapped up quickly with a resolution on who actually did the “cursing” a person I wouldn’t have guessed and thought was an odd decision. It’s marketed as a dark romance and maybe I read too many really dark romances but this was not as dark as I expected. Yes, there is kidnapping, BDSM, a sexy knife scene and spanking so I guess it’s dark.

Overall, not my favorite Rebecca Zanetti but I can see some readers will enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher (Kensington Books) and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own. One Cursed Rose has a publish date of June 25, 2024.

I'm a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast retelling (or really any fairytale) but this one was just not good for me. I think it is an ambitious idea and I think some elements worked, but for the most part this book was kind of a mess.

So, the world building is . . . the word I must use again is ambitious! I like the idea of crystals and energy being powerful and these families having a kind of magic, but it got very lost somewhere. Like, the lore would be interesting if any of it was ever explained? Exposition can be heavy handed, but this is like, negative exposition when it comes to the rules of this universe. It also doesn't seem internally consistent to me: so there are four families, each has a social media company and has an affinity with a kind of jewel. The magic is a secret from regular people, so how do people get involved in this even??? Unless you're born into one of the families, in which case, after a few generations, everyone would be related. And what do they even use the crystal magic FOR? We never see them use it for anything except generating more, coding, and once at the end of the book for a spoiler.

I could forgive a lot of this if the characters grabbed me, but . . . no. Alana is a garden variety Mary Sue- she's rich and gorgeous, but also brilliant! She reads in multiple languages! She uses her riches to save women from being trafficked! Alana is meant to be Belle, but aside from wearing yellow and being smart? Not sure what they have in common. Alana doesn't really want anything, except to help people in a vague way. She isn't lonely or longing for romance, despite being a virgin in her twenties because her dad would kill any guy she got involved with. She's a social media influencer, which is barely addressed (even though it is a job that does keep people busy) except for plot convenience.

The less said about Thorn the better- but I will say this: why are so many of the Alphahole romance heroes so much like Batman? His main thing is he is obsessed with Alana- he has been lightly stalking her for a while. We really don't know why she caught his eye, just that he has decided she will be his. Thorn is considered kinda monsterous for being a Mafioso and killing lots of bad guys, but I found him pretty bland.

I didn't buy the ending at all in terms of who "cursed" Thorn- I just don't see that character taking part in murder, though we didn't get much characterization of them anyway. I was indifferent to the rest of the plot, but I did want to finish it to find out what happened, so I can't say I wasn't a little invested.

I’ll start by saying I’ve always wondered if people were truly honest when they received an ARC copy, or if they even actually read the book. I can guarantee both here, and this is the first ARC I’ve ever received. I actually considered pre-ordering this book on Amazon because it looks beautiful, and I’m a sucker for sprayed edges. But I can affirmatively say I won’t now….this book just wasn’t for me.

The crystals/charging, sci-fi piece of this was lost on me. But I could have gotten over that. And dark romances don’t bother me, but the extreme kink does. No part of me wants to read about a woman being “spanked” until she’s bruised…and even less of me wants to read about a woman being whipped with a belt in her private area repeatedly while she’s sobbing. Maybe I’m just too vanilla, but there’s absolutely nothing you can do to convince me that’s pleasurable and not abusive. I love a good “I’ll hurt everyone that’s ever wronged you and scorch this earth for you” man. But “punishing” and “controlling” a woman…so much as to implant a tracker in her when she’s unconscious…yeah, that’s not my style.

The banter was okay, the plot twists just meh (I guessed them both ahead of time), and a lot of it was too forced. It would have been a lower rating for me, but the writing style was easy, I stayed engaged for a lot of it, and it was a quick read. If you want 50 shades meets stalker/dark romance meets sci-fi…this might be for you. But it’s a hard pass for me. 2.5 rounded down.

Beauty and the Beast meets the darker side of parasocial relationships in One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti.

In Alana’s world, one controlled by four ruling families at the peak of four distinct social media empires, she knows her role: continuously post on her family’s social media platform, garner likes and interactions, and help fuel the gemstones that keep her family and her family’s empire strong. But when Alana is kidnapped by Thorn, the scarred and beastly head of a rival social media family, she quickly learns to appreciate the darker side of life and realizes that the true beauty of the rose is only amplified by the thorns.

One Cursed Rose was a solid four out of five stars for me. I liked a lot of the elements that Zanetti included in her fairytale reimagining, but I actually would’ve liked to see her take the dark elements even further. Thorn was built up to be a scary shadow of a man, someone too dangerous and too scarred to have a place in normal society, but Alana barely brought it up and rival families were willing to marry him in a heartbeat. Most of the time we spent with Thorn, I forgot he was supposed to be someone to fear. Most of his worst deeds were off-page, so it was easy to just imagine Thorn as another rich guy who likes to take control in the bedroom.

I liked Alana; she knew her father saw her as less because she wasn’t the male heir, so she used her money to help out the less fortunate and tried to make a difference where she could. I would’ve liked to see Alana make a bigger deal out of her nights with Thorn, especially that first night, but she was, overall, a strong main character.

I thought the social media aspects of the story were very unique and not something I’ve run across in any type of fiction, let alone dark romance. The social media platforms were a bit hard to understand the dynamics of early in the story, and I could’ve either used more information and descriptions or less importance placed on the platforms themselves.

Overall, One Cursed Rose was a solid dark romance with plenty of Beauty and the Beast references and lots of characters to enjoy.

While reading this, I was incapable of shutting off my rational brain which tells me that if whoever the incredibly wealthy and dangerous (obsessed stalker) MMC is wasn’t wildly rich, they’d simply be viewed as a creepy predator. I don’t enjoy this dichotomy.

I didn’t enjoy the writing, the characters all felt incomplete, and I wasn’t able to get into the story. And that knife scene? Yeah, absolutely not.

This one really wasn’t for me.



Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the DRC

One cursed rose is a dark beauty and the beast retelling that revolves around the modern day romance of Thorn and Alana.
I have been on a fairytale kick lately so this was right up my alley. I was very excited to receive this pre release I had already had its deluxe copy in my preorders.

What I loved:
Give me a murderous, obsessive stalker any day of the week and I will go for it like a fish in water so this book had me intrigued from the start. It’s a dual POV which I love because you get inside the minds of both characters and can really feel the spark between them.
The chemistry between the two in this book was phenomenal. Thorn who’s not just morally grey he’s pitch black, and really pulls out the Beast while Alana is ever the Beauty in this dark, stalker romance.
I’m a sucker for dom-sub play and the spicy scenes in this book were really sexy and fun it kept me invested for sure. I also loved the details behind the death of Alana’s relatives. That was a twist I didn’t see coming and I love a good mystery.

What I liked:
I liked the concept Thorn was the head of the Irish mafia even though we really didn’t get details into that it gives us as readers a sense of why he’s a kill first ask questions later kinda guy. Who doesn’t love a good mafia romance? Am I right?! I know not everyone will agree but I found it relatable and really enjoyed that our FMC appears vapid but is a more than meets the eye kinda girl. We see more of her intellect and humor shine through as her romance buds with our dark love interest.
I enjoyed that the four governing families basically own twitter,tiktok, etc. and were all competing for the top spot. It brought a fun take on this book while I enjoyed it I think it would be better targeted to a younger demographic in that aspect.

What I found confusing:
the crystals. After finishing I understand their importance to the storyline but in the beginning it definitely threw me for a loop.
A big one, was in the way she’s presented at the beginning relayed more to me of an 80s rock band groupie than social media influencer. In the day and age of the clean girl aesthetic, the mix of bright colors and teased hair with red painted lips and red pumps are hard to conceptualize. is she living in the early 00’s? Nope, ok. When i think of famous influencers i think of soft curls, baby lights or balayage, a neutral clean makeup palette, she wears an array of white and beige neutrals with maybe a hit of rose gold or aquamarine accents. So it was hard to build that connection with Alana at first.

What I could live without:
the phobia our fmc has I felt was absolutely unnecessary and off putting to her character. To follow that, the thing with Thorn and tasting words, it was less cringy than her phobia but still deducted from the likability of the characters.
If that wasn’t bad enough her use of her social media presence to evoke emotion to come to the rescue at the end was not only anticlimactic and felt rushed, the eye roll I had from it was most definitely audible.

As a whole it was a fun read. I would say it’s a very loose retelling of beauty & the beast. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone, it just had so much going on that it gave me whiplash.


Tropes I love in this book
Mafia
Bondage play
Stalker romance
Enemies to lovers

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti is Beauty and the Beast meets Dark Olympus in all the best ways.

In a world where four families harness power based on a combination of engagement with their social media platforms and crystals, Alana Beaumont finds herself at the center of a dark scheme for power. Thorn Beathach, heir of one of the four families, has been cursed, but nothing short of death will keep him from carrying out his own sense of justice. When Alana is the victim of an attempted murder, the two begin a hard and fast descent into a dark mystery with roots deeper than they could have imagined.

This book was dark, steamy, and extremely captivating. While I'm not a huge fan of the stalking/obsession trope, our girl Alana certainly is and I love that for her. I hope that One Cursed Rose is just the introduction to this world and that the other well rounded characters have their stories told!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rebecca Zanetti's 'One Cursed Rose' is a spellbinding retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast' that will sweep readers off their feet. From the stunning cover to the captivating storyline, this novel is an absolute delight for fans of fairy tale retellings. Alana's feisty demeanor and Thorn's brooding charm make for a compelling romance that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night. Zanetti's creative incorporation of modern elements like adds a fresh twist to the timeless tale. With its lush world-building and intricate plot, 'One Cursed Rose' promises an enchanting escape into a world of mystery, danger, and forbidden love. Perfect for anyone who adores a captivating romance with a magical touch, this book is sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting more from Zanetti's dark romance series. Prepare to be spellbound from beginning to end!

I'm a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast retelling and this was nothing like i've ever read. It was darker, sexier and more magical. It was a great version of a beloved story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is the first time I've read a book by Rebecca and it won't be the last I'm a huge fan for retellings especially Beauty and the Beast so when I saw this book was a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast I had to jump into it.

Not only is the cover stunning but the story itself was so beautiful I absolutely loved Alana and her attitude she gave as good as she got. Thorn was a overly possessive morally Gray character that I ate up.

I thought the concept of the social media platforms and the combination with crystals was really cool coming from somebody who really enjoys her crystals it was a neat and unique addition.

I think the only thing I was really missing from this book was some more details on the other characters Maybe / hopefully the other characters will have books that we can get to know them a little bit more I'd love to see where Ella goes and I'm thoroughly interested in Justice and his story.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with an e arc.

This book sounded right up my ally but I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The premise was great but it did not keep me interested.

Crystals, gems and diamonds that run four elite families. powering computers and the people who can draw those powers. a group of elite social media influencers who are trying to out rank each other. There was a lot missing as to where these gems fit in to the story. There was a lot going into one story line and I found it hard to follow along.

I also wouldn't call this a dark romance although there was some dark elements it didn't have the romance element I was looking for.

I do believe this book has great potential as the charters alana and thorn were well described and I did quite enjoy their personalities.

One Cursed Rose is our first glimpse into a lush and succulent world of mystery, danger, and surprise. Nothing is as it seems in this world. What the eyes see and the heart feels are not always the same thing to the detriment or benefit of an unsuspecting person. When magic and normal meet, strange things are brought forth. Around every corner both wonderous and deadly things are unearthed and brought to light.

Thorn is either a deadly opponent or a welcomed conspirator to those who know him. Which one depends on who you are and what you do. The shadows hide more then just the absence of light. They hold secrets both deadly and beautiful depending on your heart. Alana loves her life in the spotlight. Her every move watched and captured on the screens of her followers. She live her real life in the shadows. They protect and comfort her enough to allow her to be herself. When Thorn swoops in and captures his heart in human form, what good will come from the shocking revelation? Will it brings his dreams closer to reality, or will it shatter what it left of his heart?

Alana lives on a vicarious balance of show and real. Life is a very real challenge when we can't see evil when it stares us sweetly in the face. Assuming she knows who to trust, she is shocked when Thorn forces himself into her life. Confused and disoriented, she runs at the first chance sure that he is not the right one for her. However, no matter how smart we think we are, we always miss things when we make assumptions. There is more to people then we can see at a first or even a second glance.

My heart has been completely overwhelmed and wonderfully surprised by this magnificently lush work of art. This world is filled with incredibly complex characters that will take your breath away. I found myself shocked and in awe of the wickedly twisted plot that proved to be a constantly moving target. Oh how delightful and extraordinary is the deadly beauty and cutting grace within these pages! Whatever you do, don't forget to add this book to your library ASAP.

This is a new series a little bit darker that we are used from R. Zanetti. All in all great story, funny, intriguing, and a story with suspense. What bothered me or to say what I had a problem with was understanding all about his "rocks/gems" and how they manipulate and give strength.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Thank you so much Kensington Books for sending me this ARC!

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti is the first book in a series of interconnected standalone retellings of popular fairytales. This one was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and a truly unique mix of fantasy romance and romantic suspense set in a modern world, I was hooked since the first and loved Alana and Thorn’s story!

After the death of her brother, Alana becomes the heir to her family’s business and the new target of her family’s enemies. When her father arranges for her to marry to strengthen their company, Alana is kidnapped by Thorn, a business rival who has been stalking her for a year and who is obsessed with her. Forced together, Alana and Thorn can’t ignore the growing attraction between them, but with Thorne’s curse threatening to take his life soon, they need to find a way to trust and help each other before they both lose their businesses and their loves.

The setting and the magic system of this book must be one of the most unique I’ve ever read, mixing fantasy elements (the magic based on crystals was so fascinating) with a modern setting and adding a bit of suspense was an excellent idea and Rebecca wrote it all perfectly, I can’t wait to explore even more of this fascinating world in the next book. The plot was perfectly paced and interesting, I was always on the edge of my seat and read the whole book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Alana and Thorn were amazing as the main characters, she was really smart and strong and I loved her banter with Thorn and how she didn’t just go along with everything quietly. Thorn was the kind of morally grey MMC we all love and OMG I know he is a stalker but it was so amazing to see how obsessed he was with Alana from the very beginning, there was definitely the case of he fell first and I just loved his POV and the twist on the ’beast’s curse’ here definitely made things more interesting. When it comes to romance Alana and Thorn were explosive together, I could feel their attraction from their first meeting and when they finally gave in the spicy scenes were *chief’s kiss*, I love these two and really hope we will see them again in the next books in this series.

One Cursed Rose is a really amazing read that I definitely recommend to everyone, it’s an interesting mix of different genres with amazing characters, interesting plot and scorching romance that will leave you wanting more, I already can’t wait for more books in this series!

I am not the target audience for this book, but I was intrigued with the premise of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and the publishers kindly let me read an ARC. It reminded me of books I've read by Christine Feehan, maybe a bit like Sherrilyn Kenyon and Gena Showalter, although their females tend to be more kick-ass, which I prefer. If you like that, this will likely also be your jam. It's a mash-up of BDSM, apps and AI, and crystals that are somehow tied in to everything. A quick read.

This fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast is set in current time. There are four companies who run popular social media programs. The trick is, they use gems and emotions to get people to follow their sites. Thorn and Alana are from competing companies and the story really starts when Thorn realizes someone is killing women who look like Alana. Thorn had been following Alana long before the killings started, both online and from the shadows. So, he kidnaps her and takes her to his private island to keep her safe.

I liked how Alana loved his library and surprised Thorne with her knowledge of multiple languages and interest in his diverse selection of books. Thorne seemed a little too eager to hurt others, and the moat around his island has a man-eating fish. But he also had a sweet side. Alana was very intelligent and educated, which was nice. She was my favorite character.

I would like to know more about the gems and their powers. And I really liked that I couldn’t guess who the villain was. I’m looking forward to another book in this series. Rebecca Zanetti is one of my favorite authors, and this is an interesting new direction for her.

I received a copy of One Cursed Rose from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.