Fantasy/Paranormal is not my genre of choice. I love Rebecca Zanetti, but I've never gotten into her series where there is extensive world building and I had a tough time getting into this book. The set up of crystal's energy running the world and four families that run the social media of the world just didn't grab me. I am so not the audience for anything social media related. Facebook and Goodreads are the extent of my social media universe. An influencer, to me, is just an egocentric a$$hole. People who are that easily influenced are just sheep, really dumb.

Alana is the daughter of the founder of a social media site, Aquarius Social. She is their major influencer, but she tries to use her power for good, charities and saving the abused, one case at a time.

Thorn Beathach is mysterious, violent and the head of a rivel, Malice Media, to Alana's company. He also is stalking Alana and has major thing for her.

Based on the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast". But make no mistake, this is no Disney version.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

I think this is absolutely my favorite retelling. This was a fun read that kept me on my toes. I’m a big fan of crystals and I love how the author interpreted them and made them useful. I definitely will be purchasing a hard copy of this! Love love love this book:)

My god. This definitely had some wonderful story and good spice. I loved this so much. I knew I had Toruń out and get a physically copy. Run don’t walk to get this book and devour it like I did

The blurb sounded amazing and so I was excited to read this book. However, it didn't work for me and I was definitely left disappointed. The writing was weird as was the aquamarine crystals and rose quartz thing. I've read and loved many books by this author but this one just wasn't for me which is why I DNFed at 6%.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice 🌶🌶🌶

Thanks Netgalley for supplying this ARC to me for an honest review!

🍎 Urban Romantasy
🍎 Beauty & the Beast Retelling
🍎 Taboo & Dark
🍎 Steamy
🍎 Forced marriage attempt - rescued by MMC
🍎 Spicy
🍎 Brooding grumpy dangerous MMC
🍎 Possessive, protective

I have to say I was a little thrown with the world building - a contemporary/urban setting.

This book was full of the banter that I was hoping for. Alana & Thorn are quite the funny and entertaining couple. Alana the current heiress to Aquarius Social is the object of obsession of Thorn a rival social media owner. Alana is being forced into marriage with another social media heir to gain more fame and influence through their social media platform after the death of her brother. She begins to learn about her past and the death of her brother. Through her searches she finds love in Thorn and grows her found family with her friends and some cousins. Thorn is there to save the day with some lovely banter or lessons to teach Alana. Along with saving her a time or two from near death.
This was a super fun and easy reward. Definitely recommend. So happy that I got to read this through NetGalley before my physical preordered copy arrived!

This is the first book in the Grimm Bargains series that roughly reflects the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. The beauty is Alana who is the sole heir after the death of her brother from her family's social media business, and possesses the power to charge the family's aquamarine gems. Her father attempts to create an alliance by marrying her to a competitor family. Before this can happen she is kidnapped by the beast, Thorn, who is extremely rich and owns his own social media empire. I really enjoyed the storyline of cutthroat social media power houses, the leaders are successful influencers who gain power from followers and the ability to charge their family gems. Gems are at the core of the social media businesses. I am a fan of RZ and have read all of her series and I enjoy a good enemies to lovers storyline... But personally I do not believe I am a fan of the dark romance genre. I like the steamy romance but not a fan of the more physical side that borders the abusive. 3 1/2 Stars - I listened to this book in audio format, and the narration was good. Thank you Rebecca Zanetti and Kensington Books via #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is set for June 25, 2024. #OneCursedRose #NetGalley

I’m so excited for this series! Rebecca Zanetti’s approach to retelling of Beauty and the Beast was such a unique take on the story we know so well. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover Rebecca’s writing!

I love that she made the Beast (aka. Thorn) so much more villainous. 6’4”+ and morally grey? Yes please! The “touch her and 💀” vibes were on point and I appreciated that Thorn also has some sweetness in him.

Alana was a great FMC and I loved that she had so much power within her father’s company - even if he was trying to find another heir for his legacy.

I do think there could have been a bit more explanation about the power of the crystals and how they are connected to each person/family, but I think there’s likely more to come as the series continues.

Overall, a great read for anyone who loves a fairytale retelling. I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Rebecca Zanetti for an early review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

2.5 stars.

I’m a huge fan of Zanetti’s romantic suspense series, especially Laurel Snow. So I wanted to try RZs venture into dark romance.

I wasn’t a fan from the start. From the first chapter, it felt like I was dropped into this world with little idea of what was going on and who the characters were….i couldn’t connect with either Thorne or Alana because I had no idea of their core needs and wants. The opening chapter felt like an onslaught of information dumping. And again, why should I care about the characters when I have no idea who they even are?

Wasn’t a fan of the male lead. I found him quite annoying and toxic. Will not be continuing this series, but will still be eagerly anticipating the next Laurel Snow 😂

A beauty and the beast retelling! Sign me up. Alana is sole heir to Aquarius Social who is about to be married off to a rival social media company to keep them afloat. An assassination attempts spoils those plans. Alana is taken for her own protection by her mysterious rival Thorn Beathach. Neither of them is what the other expected. Will the beast be able to keep hold of his beauty and his company or will they be each other’s downfall.

Firstly, I adore when a book starts on page one and doesn’t start with world building that drags on. For that I was pulled in immediately. I was take by surprise how much I liked the twist of magic and social media. I like the suspense through the story and I’ll be honest I didn’t see that plot twist coming. I can usually guess them but I was way off base here and I LOVED being wrong.

Things I loved:
-the magic system intertwined with modern social media, way to address social consumption and influence!!!
-beauty and the beast retelling
-thorn and his entire story
-the banter between Alana and Thorn
-the mystery
-the pacing
-the spice.
-the Gaston character. My husband isn’t convinced he’s the villain! Haha
- the frozen heart concept unexpected version of the curse.

The spice alone deserves a 10/5 the spice was spicing!! I learned a few things about myself reading this, very unexpected things. A nice nod to BDSM

Things I didn’t enjoy:
-a few of the side characters were bland and the all of a sudden a huge part of the plot.
-the open dialogue about the FMCS virginity it gave me the ick.

I’d highly advise reading the trigger warnings- certain events may bring up some feelings. Just go in prepared.

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and Rebecca Zanetti for the arc in exchange for an honest review. 4.5/5

Zanetti is a master of romantic suspense, A mesmerizing tale spun by a masterful wordsmith. The fusion of enchantment and innovation, paired with a bold alpha and spirited alpha female, imbues this narrative with a delightful zest and allure.

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti
Grimm Bargains #1

Fairy Tales were my thing as a child and one wedding gift from my parents was the complete set of Andrew Lang’s Fairy Tales in multiple volumes with each book a different color. Myths, legends, and fairy tales are still fun and dark ones like this appeal in more intriguing ways.

What I liked:
* Alana Beaumont: bright, beautiful, social media influencer for her family’s media business, can charge gems, good friend, learns a great deal about herself in this book as she falls for Thorn
* Thorn Beathach: dark, damaged, deadly, ruthless, protective, owns a media business, takes care of his own, suffering from an unknown virus, fell for Alana the first time he saw her
* The fairy tale link to Beauty and the Beast
* The way gems are used and how they are charged
* The serial killer subplot and who the killer ended up being
* The supporting characters that I hope will have books of their own: Quinlan, Scarlett, Ella, Rosalie, and Justice
* The way Thorn and Alana are drawn together and are good with and for one another and that they both righted wrongs and took on evil people in their own ways
* Wanting to read whatever book comes next

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the evil people in the story and what they were willing to do

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This was a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast with some fantastical elements, the magic system was really interesting and you can definitely see the groundwork for future books in the series (that I will definitely need to read)!! Thorn is out hero (more like anti-hero), he is a alpha male through and through, he's authoritative, dominating, lowkey/hihgkey a stalker which was honestly hot as hell! Alana is by no means a weak FMC but she does give in to him pretty easily, I would've like to see a bit more fight from her, instead she just said he needs to realize it's the 21st century a lot. Other than that I loved their relationship and the way the curse was woven into the story was super unique and a very fresh take on a timeless tale!

This dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast from Rebecca Zanetti was completely out of her normal lane. It was super dark and I struggled at first to enjoy it. It took me awhile to warm up to the male main character, Thorn, but I hung in there and I’m glad I did. I should have trusted that Rebecca wouldn’t let me down!

I was initially drawn to this book due to my affinity for Beauty and the Beast retellings, a genre that I particularly enjoy. The integration of a magic system centered around crystals, intertwined with a technological twist, was particularly intriguing, offering a unique narrative angle.

The characters, despite being opposites, complement each other effectively, and their banter adds an enjoyable dimension to the story. Additionally, the development of side characters added depth and richness to the narrative, further enhancing the reading experience.

I am curious to see how the story will unfold and look forward to exploring its future developments.

First let me say how much I adore Rebecca Zanetti's books. Her Dark Protectors series, Laurel Snow thrillers, and Anna Albertini Files are some of my favorite reads. I am not, however, a dark romance reader. I knew I might be taking a chance on not connecting with this book when I was offered an advance copy....but the cover is so beautiful, I just had to try it.

I have to say, I am glad I read it. It's pure Zanneti in the interesting characters and intriguing storyline. It is dark in places, and I did skip pages, but I think fans of dark retellings of fairy tales will enjoy this book.
4.25 stars for the cover and because I love Rebecca Zanetti's writing.

"One Cursed Rose" is the new series by Rebecca Zanetti. It is considered by the author herself as a dark romance, which is why I hesitated to request it at first. But since I have really enjoyed most of her books so far, I thought, "why not."

I come away from this reading very mixed and, to this day, I still don't know how to categorize the novel. I admit, I didn't understand everything. Was I just not in the right mood, or is it because I really struggle with fairy tale retellings? In any case, it took me a long time to write this review, and that's never a good sign for me.

"One Cursed Rose" is the first volume of a series titled "Grimm Bargains." For now, there will be three books featuring a group of friends who hide their true selves behind a beautiful social facade. It is a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," one of the volumes will be a retelling of "Cinderella," and I haven't yet guessed which fairy tale is planned for the third friend.

When I say I didn't understand everything, it's because I felt that the author didn't know if she wanted to write contemporary, fantasy, or fairy tale. Just as I felt that Rebecca Zanetti didn't know if she wanted to write dark or somber, either she's not comfortable with it, or she didn't necessarily want to commit to a truly dark hero (which worked out for me, I must say, lol).

The plot is quite simple: a wealthy hero falls in love with an heiress whose father has arranged a marriage for her. As a dark character, he kidnaps her. What I appreciated is that the entire story isn't set in a closed environment. And the hero isn't that horrible either. The story is written in the first person from both points of view.
Nevertheless, this book did not make me want to read the other volumes. Moreover, as much as I love the story of "Beauty and the Beast," I dislike the story of "Cinderella."

DNF but filing this one under it’s not the book, it’s me. When I requested this I thought ooh, fairytale retelling and Rebecca Zanetti, I’m in!! But I’m not in much of a romance mood lately and while I tried this one it really isn’t working. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

In a world of the four mafia families, we follow Alana and Thorn.

Alana is told by her father that she has to marry Cal Sokolov (a member of a different family). She doesn’t want to.

Thorn is the hero of the story, except he’s morally grey. He does things people would consider dark, but he has his reasons.

Thorn and Alana were interesting characters and I loved how crystals were used and charged each platform that each family owned. There were different crystals connected to each family and there was always one member who could charge them better than anyone else.

I love most retellings I read and when I realised it was a beauty and the beast retelling, I knew I wanted to read it, especially as it was a mafia retelling.

I loved this story and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

3.5 stars.

One Cursed Rose is a modern-day billionaire romance based on Beauty & The Beast.
Main characters - Alana (beauty) + Thorn (the beast)
Beauty and the Beast was my favourite Disney movie growing up..this is like 30+ years of fandom right now. Multiple pieces from the score currently sit in my top 25 most-played songs... to this day. So, here is how I feel about:
One Cursed Rose - a darkish modern-day billionaire romance based on Beauty & The Beast.
Main characters - Alana (beauty) + Thorn (the beast)

Thorn is giving me a watered-down version of Zade Meadows. I won't go into it here because I feel like it would give up too many spoilers.

It was a good modern take on the story. I liked that she was torn between "the beast" and another socialite who is gross. You have tragic backstories and Thorn has loyal servants. You can see that the author has also created a world that includes other fairy tales. Alana has a friend named Ella who has an evil stepmother and stepsisters who banished her from their(her) family business.

Truthfully, I had a hard time getting into this novel. I would say at about 40%, I was still not sure how I felt about what I was reading. I wasn't pulled in yet. But I kept going and I am glad I did. There were some good twists in the story and the pace picked up. And once we got more into the "curse" - I started to like Thorn, and I wanted to see what would happen to him. I liked the way the curse... cursed Thorn. I was torn about how I felt about Alana. Sometimes I felt like she was super badass and other times I felt like she let things slide too easily.

As far as the magic/social media combination - this is where I may spoil without meaning to spoil - so warning!

I liked the idea of crystals playing a part in their power socially and that there was a magic element to the plot. I did not like that it was combined with their computers and social media. I get they need to make it more modern and unique. But I feel like crystals are part of a modern culture already and didn't need to be combined with social media. I didn't like the engagement with the followers and that contributing to the power of the crystals. I feel like that's so not magical. It was a miss for me. I didn't like it. I didn't like the result of that either. (again, trying not to spoil.)

I will likely read the next book - especially if it's about Ella. Cuz I hated her stepmom and I would like to see her taken down. However, she is very integrated with computers and I just don't know if I wanted to read more about that.