Great start to a new series! This book has it all! The banter, dark sexual encounters, which includes some intense spanking, and even some sweetness between the strong, possessive alpha-hole and feisty, smart, sassy female make this read super spicy and page turning!
Add some mystery, a serial killer, a curse and crystals that not only keep the social media sites running between the four main families but also saves the alpha’s life.
Hoping Justice gets his own story! Looking forward to continuing this series!

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti was one I picked up on a whim. I was in the mood for something different and the summary caught my attention. I'll admit, I'm on the fence with this one - it was a mash-up of beauty and the beast in the land of social media...

Alana Beaumont is the fmc and she is the sole heir to Aquarius Social, one of the four major social media giants and in order for her family to gain/maintain power, they need to align to another powerful family. The way to do that, according to her father, is to give her away in marriage to one of the competing families.

What Alana (and her father) don't know is that Thorn Beathach, the Beast, has been watching Alana and he isn't going to let that marriage happen. Not only because it is his empire that is driving Aquarius under but because Alana is his. What everyone doesn't know about Thorn though is that he is dying and if he can't figure out what is wrong with his gem, he may not be around much longer.

Zanetti has created an interesting world here - I wasn't sure how I felt about it all. Dark romance doesn't phase me but I just didn't really love these characters and for me that's what get's me invested in a story. In the end, this one was only ok for me and I'm not sure I'll pick up more from this series.

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

🥀 Beauty and The Beast Retelling
🥀 Possessive
🥀 Morally Grey MMC
🥀 Kidnapping
🥀 Violence
🥀 Rivals to Lovers

⚠️Definitely read trigger warnings on this one⚠️

I had no expectations going into this one. "One Cursed Rose" is a dark romance that centers around Alana and Thorn. Alana is an heiress to Aquarius Social while Thorn is the head of a rival social media company, Malice Media. The author definitely had an interesting take on social media as all 4 companies are powered and ran by crystals.

Alana is often used as a pawn by her father to further their company. He even tries to arrange for her to marry Cal from Hologrid. He is a complete douche.

It definitely is an interesting read. I do wish a few of the plot lines would have been expanded more.

"You're my reason for breathing, and you were meant to be mine."

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

One Cursed Rose is the first in a brand new series by the very gifted Rebecca Zanetti. This a dark romance story that follows Alana and Thorn as their lives become intertwined. Thorn is dying with no cure in sight, or so he thought. She is his obsession, but might she also be is salvation? Read One Cursed Rose to find out.
I enjoyed reading this dark take on Beauty and the Beast, but I was confused about whether the characters were human or not. Even though I was confused I couldn’t put it down. I have to say that I did not see the identity of the evil person coming. It is totally different from anything else that I have read before and I can’t wait to read what happens next in book number two.

Thorn is a monster. He is a killer. He lives in the shadows, and he likes it that way. But now that he has seen Alana he knows he must have her. She is a bright spot in an otherwise dark and lonely life. Alana is a social media star. She is loved by millions, but no one really knows her. She has a few close friends that know who she truly is. When the high-pressure world of social media causes danger, Thorn steps in a takes Alana against her will. Now they must work together to figure out who is causing all the danger. Will they solve the mystery before it’s too late?
I thought the beginning of this book was awkward. Is Thorn supernatural? Is he made of shadows? So the answer is no but the beginning of the book kind of suggests that. And then there is the fact that social media worldwide is controlled by a group of families that use crystals to power their empires. Are the crystals magic or are the people magic or what? I still don’t totally understand that aspect, but it is a major part of the story. I like the strange dynamics between the competing families. Once Thorn and Alana cross the line from captor/captive to two smart people working together, the book gets so much better. I thought the beginning was so slow but by the midway point the book really sped up and it was much more enjoyable.
I figured out who the bad guy was before the reveal but I will say that the bad guy was a good choice. I even liked the reasons why . And then there is another bad guy. I liked that reveal, too. I was glad that the author chose to have many things happening at once because it added to the excitement of the story.
I did not realize that this is a modern take on Beauty and The Beast but once I learned it, I smiled because it changed my opinion on some of the elements of the story. It also changed my rating. I think this is a creative story. I will read more from this author in the future just to see what comes next.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book because of the slow/rocky start, but I'm so glad I continued on. This dark, fantasy romance is written from a dual POV that relies heavily on social media and crystal. Alana, a social media influencer, and the heir to a family business grabs the attention of business rival Thorn, who has been infected with a virus that is killing him. What's is unique about this story is that social media and number of likes power the crystals. There is more than Alana than her looks, just like there is more to Thorn's than his dark & dangerous side.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

One Cursed Rose is a new ‘dark romance’ release from Rebecca Zanetti. This was my first time reading one of her books.
Alana is the daughter and heir of tech giant Aquarius Social. After her brother’s death responsibility falls on her to maintain the success of the company. Alana is huge on social media and is a successful influencer surrounded by a team of her friends that keep the cogs of the machine running. In her downtime she helps victims of violence and diverts much of her money to helping others, something no one really knows about. Under the control of her father, Alana is told she is to marry the son of another successful tech/media company and she is not enthusiastic about this development.
Thorn Beathach is the mysterious boss of the direct competition for Aquarius Social. He is obsessed with Alana and tracks her every move. He is an enigma and known to be brutal and cunning.
After an assassination attempt on Alana’s life, Thorn kidnaps her. It appears this was the plan all along but this major step was brought forward due to the attempted murder.
This book was slightly strange and had the odd plot hole where I was left scratching my head trying to understand. So it appears than different crystals are used to power technology. Alana is charged with ‘recharging’ the crystals and Thorn is suffering from some new illness that he and his crystals have been infected with, making things difficult for his company. I found this so confusing. It felt really out of place and unexplained. It appeared out of nowhere at the beginning and didn’t really make much sense throughout.
It was corny in places and it felt like a challenge of ‘let’s fit every popular microtrope into this book’. I understand it is labelled as ‘dark romance’ but apart from the gang activity and the slight stalking, it didn’t feel that dark but that might be because I have developed some sort of immunity to it now after reading some intense books.
It definitely had beauty and the beast vibes but I just didn’t feel a connection to the characters or the plot. It didn’t excite me or keep me wanting to read more.
I love that so many enjoyed this book though. Maybe this wasn’t the one for me.
Thanks for the eARC!

Do you have a favorite fairy tale?

One of my favorite fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast. I was excited to see that One Cursed Rose was a dark romance rewrite of the Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale.

Alana Beaumont is a young twenty something social media influencer. She is the heir to Aquarius Social, which is one of the four major social medial companies. The four families that own the four main social medial companies have been rivals for centuries. They gain power from different gems or crystals that are specific to a family, and they use this power to run their social media networks. Thron Beathach is the owner of the current number one company, Mafia Media. He is obsessed with Alana and he saves/kidnaps her during an assassination attempt. Why is someone trying to murder to Alana and is it related to her brother’s mysterious death? Who is working against Thorne and freezing his gems?

My thoughts on this novel:
• I loved that this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling and that is what first caught my attention.

• One Cursed Rose was an engaging and very readable story.

• This is a dark mafia romantic suspense fantasy novel.

• I really enjoyed the mysteries and the suspense in this novel and that is what kept me reading and unable to put the book down.

• I enjoyed that this was a dual narrative novel with Alana and Thorne telling the story in alternate chapters.

• One Cursed Rose is the first in a new series.

• I liked the secondary characters. Alana’s friends, Thorne’s brother, etc. were all great. I wanted to know all their background stories and I’m hoping that they will get their stories as the series progresses.

• Alana came off as a spoiled rich kid at first, but she is smart and has depth. I liked her. Thorn is morally gray. He is sexy, knows his own mind, and does like to help people. But he also kills people and stalks Alana. There is great banter between the two.

• I would have liked more description of how exactly the crystals worked.

• This was the first dark romance that I’ve read, and I am not sure about the “dark” elements. Are all dark romances all like this novel and very spicy and violent? Or is this extreme kink? I didn’t like that the heroine was an inexperienced virgin with the families talking about her virginity and her getting tested before an arranged marriage to ensure her purity. This did not seem like something that would be happening in 2024. The sexually experienced hero basically rapes her, beats her, threatens her, and does whatever he wants. But it’s okay because she eventually enjoys it? SPOILER ALERT: Thorne puts a knife in Alana’s vagina and also beats her with a belt on her clitoris while she cries and begs him to stop. This was too far for me and quite frankly, horrifying. SPOILER END. It reminded me of the 1970s and 1980s romances with this type of thing. I was not a fan of the very graphic and long descriptions in the violent sex scenes as the novel went on. I ended up skimming these chapters.

Overall, The Cursed Rose was a very engaging story, but I had to skim through the graphic sex scenes.

One Cursed Rose- Grimm Bargains #1

By-Rebecca Zanetti-I love her Dark Protectors series

Publication date 6/25/24 , read 6/26/24

📃 Page count: 368 kindle

Quick Summary: Alana Beaumont is the heir to Aquarius Social, her family's billionaire social media empire. Her father Mathias wants her to wed her to the competition, and create a coalition aimed at stopping anyone who would try to take them down. When an assassination attempt is made on Alana, Thorn Beathach, a wealthy and ruthless recluse who never shows his face rescues and kidnaps her. He is one of the opposing media companies, Malice Media, and he has been obsessed with Alana stalking her. Now he has her, and it will be up to them to cure Thorn's curse and change how they gain followers using magical crystals and their own gifts.

🤷🏾‍♀️ What to Expect:

⭐dark romantic suspense
⭐️ billionaires
⭐️ Beauty and the Beast retelling
⭐️ arranged marriage
⭐️ enemies to lovers
⭐ social media
⭐ paranormal magic


🤔 My Thoughts: I liked strong and intelligent Alana even though she was a little naive for trusting her father and cousin Nico. I loved Thorn because he was the ultimate anti-hero. He was a violent killer, but knew Alana was his to claim. Their encounters were a bit aggressive for me, but he always protected her. Their banter in the library sold me on their romance. I even liked the mystery surrounding Alana's brother Greg and her mother Lanetta. I hope the books that follow will feature Justice (My MVP), Scarlett, Quinlan, and even Ella.

Rating: 4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice level 5/5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 explicit s*x, spanking, bdsm, h is a virgin

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC🌹! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

A vaguely dystopian story where the world is run by four families who have their own social media companies with computers powered by various crystals that make the families more powerful than governments. Thorn Beathach owns Malice Media while Alana Beaumont, the woman he’s been lusting after from afar is heir to Aquarius Social.

I love Rebecca Zanetti as a rule but I’m a bit on the fence with One Cursed Rose, a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast with shades of Cinderella thrown in for good measure. There were parts that I loved, the mystery/suspense element was first class with a serial killer lurking in the shadows who was killing women who resembled the heroine, Silicon Valley princess Alana, and just saying completely gobsmacked when the villain of the piece was revealed. I even enjoyed the dark and somewhat kinky relationship between Alana and Thorn although I would’ve like to know more about just why he was so obsessed with her. Where it lost points with me was with the whole four families and social media with its brainwashing scenario. I’m unsure if it was following a dystopian or a sci fi trope at this point, all I know is that I was half expecting Dr Who to make an appearance to destroy the machines. Running adjacent to this storyline were subplots involving the Irish mafia and the trafficking of children. Overall, I’m left feeling confused more than anything else.

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti

This is a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast. There are other storyline that may possibly be in the additional books in the series, most likely Cinderella, so keep that in mind.

The "retelling" is very very loosely tied in that our antihero Thorn has beastly qualities and our princess is beautiful and loves a good book. Oh and of course the curse, but that's kinda a given with the title.

So, if you've gotten this far in the review you are clearly intrigued, here's where we might go off the rails a bit. Do you believe in magic? You good with some seriously violent events? If you answered no to either of these questions, this is not a good fit for you, so move along.

However, if you can get behind this fictional world, I feel the author did a good job with the world building. Although my pet peeve is if you had four super powerful, possibly somewhat immortal families, wouldn't they be in different parts of the world, controlling their "perctange"? But I get it, the story and the overlaps and the social media aspect, the insightful interfighting between the families wouldn't hold up with distance. At the core this story is a power struggle, a couple of unsolved mysteries, a blossoming love story, betrayal, some pretty dark kinky times and lots of bloodshed. It's interesting and keeps you guessing.

I was very excited for this book. Dark romance plus a fairytale reimagining? Sign me up immediately! But I was left feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the time I finished. I think it was trying too hard to be too many things (Beauty & the Beast retelling, mafia romance, modern-urban fantasy, obsessed stalker romance, mystery/thriller with s0me kink) and parts got spread too thin.

Characters:
Alana - a perfect example of "don't judge a book by its cover". She's attractive, brainy yet appears ditzy, but she was also very immature. A lot of her "poke the bear" antics came across as childish instead of cute. She liked to talk a big game, but she had zero abilities to back it up. There's a scene near the beginning where her and her friends are trying to help victims of abuse and other charities, but none of it is ever mentioned again. It appears to have been thrown in to make readers not assume Alana is just a social media influencer... even though that's exactly what she is?
Thorn - a knock-off Zade Meadows. That was the vibe I got from him throughout the entire book, and if you've read Haunting Adeline, you'll know why. He's also supposed to be Irish, but except for the handful of times he speaks Gaelic, nothing about him shows us that. Not his "normal" speak, his mannerisms, or any of his lifestyle. It seems to be a random ethnicity thrown in to make him more attractive. He kept running around killing people and making all these declarations to Alana, but other than that, his personality reminded me of a piece of wood.
Justice - I liked him a lot. He was probably my favorite character by the end of the book. I liked that he pushed Thorn and stood up for what he wanted. Hope to see him in future stories so he can be more fleshed out.
Ella - I have a love/hate relationship with this character. I hope her choices get talked about more in future books. I'm sure she'll be the main character of one of them due to her background and storyline.

Plot:
This book was a lot of tell not show, unfortunately. There were several plot points going at any given time. <spoiler>The resolution of Thorn's curse had more jargon with crystals and computers that didn't fully make sense, which was a let down for me.</spoiler> The "big bad" made sense in some ways but was a complete cop out in other ways. <spoiler>The person who cursed Thorn shouldn't have also been the same person who was attacking all the women AND the person behind Alana's kidnapping AND the person behind Alana's family deaths.</spoiler> It was too convenient and just too much. There was also a lot of mention of the families being gangs, with Thorn being the head of the Irish mafia in SF, but we never see it? It was just kind of dropped. Along with the storyline in the beginning of Mathias getting everyone hooked on drugs to mess with the real estate market. Those could have been decent subplots, but they never went anywhere.

Relationship:
I didn't feel a strong connection with the main couple. The book opens with Thorn watching Alana and talking about how much he wants her. It's apparent he's been following her for some time. But we never see *why* or *how* his obsession starts. I really just needed more overall.

World:
There was little to no world building. The crystals, social media, powers, and all the tech jargon didn't make much sense unless you were already a tech whiz, which I'm not. I had to reread many passages because of this, and I was still confused more often than not. I feel like it could have been explained a lot better instead of being classified as "complex" before the story moves along, leaving readers with more questions than answers.

Three things I liked:
1. When Alana discovers Thorn's library. I like that the author kept that part of B&tB. I love a good library, and I like that Alana actually spends time in there and reads the books.
2. Thorn's honesty rule. I like that he doesn't hide things from Alana and tells her exactly what he has done and will do. So many romances have the MMC being secretive, and it gives me the ick.
3. Thorn and Justice started off as having a more employee/employer relationship, but by the end, you could tell they'd turned more brotherly. We get to see small steps they take to get there, and while they're not at the hugging and spending quality time together stage, they definitely feel more affectionately towards one another. Their relationship was a nice edition to the story.

Overall, the story was okay. While confusing at parts, mainly due to the tech and crystal aspects, the writing was easy to read, and I was engaged enough to finish the story. I am also looking forward to the next book, if only to (hopefully) get more Justice.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Based on the blurb I really wanted to like this book but it unfortunately was not for me. The concept of this beauty and the beast retelling is great but lacked execution and explanation. Especially in regards to crystals/charging, they were the main focus throughout the story but there was no explanation on what they do.

This book definitely felt rushed and would have loved having some more world building as this book felt more fantasy than dark romance. The main characters felt lacking as they literally had no connection. There was also never any sort of reasoning as to why Thorn is so obsessed with Alana so much that he stalks her. It all just felt really off.

It wasn’t a terrible book by any means but it just was not right for me. I think others could enjoy it.


You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
Enemies to lovers
Kidnapping
Fairytale retelling
Possessive MMC
Morally Gray
He Falls First


Thank you so much to Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington Books & Netgalley for the gifted copy.

Brilliant. Dark. Twisted. SUSPENSE!. Sizzling Hot. There is no other way I can describe Rebecca Zanetti’s “One Cursed Rose.” Nothing else I’ve been reading can compare. Loved the excitement, the suspense, and the fire of Rebecca’s newest release “One Cursed Rose.”

The story takes place in the heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto California - I worked there!!! There are several main themes. There are four all-powerful families, running things around the world since, well since forever. These four families now have unique social media platforms, each charged and powered by the crystals. A unique crystal powers each family’s base, their social media platform, and keeps them alive and in power. Aquarius Social - Alana Beaumont’s (the Beauty) family, powered by aquamarines; TimeGem Moments, Sylveria Rendale, a nasty woman - powered by diamonds; Malice Media, Thorn Beathatch’s (the Beast) family, powered by garnets; and Hologrid Hub, the Sokolov family - amethysts.

The basis, creation, and execution of this overarching social media concept, how they are powered, raise the intensity, along with the writing, characters, storyline, and mostly everything else. The understated paranormal activity with the families and their crystals creates more intrigue, and the passing mention of another well-known family you might recognize was just more icing on the cake.

Dark would be the world of Thorn and his view of the world and how he controls it. Twisted is how these families function and work inside their worlds and the rough justice that seems to be the only way to make the bad stop. The way the story plays out creates ongoing suspense and intrigue throughout the book, and I don’t think you’ll guess the true players until the end. Sizzling hot, yep, that would be Thorn and Alana the two main characters, just on the right side of dark!

“One Cursed Rose” is the retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” but, for adults, and to be honest, I think it seriously deserves screen time. Definitely for adults - if you enjoy the dark, mixed with romance, suspense, action, and wild passion, and a story that will stay with you long after you are done - You must read this book, I could not put it down, I cannot wait for more, going to reread it! It was truly amazing.

2 stars

Sadly, this one didn't work for me.
Between the stocklom syndrome romance and the crystals/charging plot (filled with plot holes), it lost me around 30%.
The banter was okay, but I wish the whole sci-fi/magic with the crystals was better explained.
Overall, I usually liked RZ writing, but this was a miss for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me preface this by saying that this book was not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I did enjoy certain aspects of the story. I enjoyed the fantasy element of crystals being used as a power source for social media, however, this aspect is lacking in development. I did not feel that how it worked was clear enough; there were confusing elements. There being four legacy families that have been around as a kind of royalty since the beginning of time was interesting and we do get to meet them; some more than others. This book had mafia vibes throughout and there was a good amount of mystery/suspense. There was a twist that came that I actually did not expect. There were also some good side characters. I am rather intrigued by Ella, so if we get a story with her in it, I would pick it up.
The part of the story that I did not particularly take well to were a few of the sex scenes. I was expecting dark since the note and the beginning of the book did warn of such things, but I was caught off guard by the whipping of female genitalia with a leather belt to the point of orgasm - that was not expected, and quite frankly strange to me. Not to mention the scene with the knife. Maybe it’s something in dark romances that I am just unfamiliar with and there is a market for it - I am not that target audience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-arc. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

5 Cursed and Dark stars ★

OW, just OW. This was one of my most expected books in my TBR list and I must say it didn’t disappoint one bit.

Information and knowledge are power and the four families know that. Alana Beaumont’s family is the owner of one of the most powerful and successful media company, and she is the face of said company, her interactions with the interface gain her family’s company ounces of energy and they climb to the top; only to be left second by Malice Media owned by mysterious Thorn Beathach.

After deciding that his daughter will be married with a man she doesn’t want or love just to ensure the continuity and reach of his company, Mathias Beaumont is not expecting to be signing his daughter to being kidnap by said mysterious owner Thorn Beathach who’s responsible for Aquarius downfall in the podium over the last year.

Being kidnapped is not part of Alana’s plans, however, she soon discovers there’s more than catches the eye in Thorn Beathach.He’s fighting his own battles and has a curse that has the clock ticking for him to find a cure to ensure his life stays on this side of the vail. He has another side that he doesn’t let people see much, a side that Alana is learning to know and love. He is overbearing and controlling, as well as thoughtful and pays attention to details that many overlook.

True to her style, Rebecca Zanetti delivers us with a true captivating retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast, with the twist of darkness thrust upon the characters. We have action packed scenes and steamy moments that make this story a spellbinding one. With many avenues to pursue, we have the story of the main characters but also the mystery of what really happened with Alana’s brother’s death, among other topics that will keep the reader hooked until the last line. This book is a new style for Mrs Zanetti, however, true to her writing style, she delivers a storyline that will engage the reader in a rollercoaster that won’t stop until the last written word and will leave you wanting for more. Can’t wait for what’s next!

***Disclaimer: I’ve applied and received this book as an ARC via NetGalley and this is my honest review***

Thorn’s obsessed with Alana and stalking her. Alana is that sparkly party girl with all the followers in social media, or at least that’s the persona she tries to look like.
Both are hiding a lot of secrets: Thorn is sick and slowly dying and Alana is helping women and children.
Both of them are from 2 of the 4 different families that manage the crystals. Every family has an affinity to one crystal. And all have developed AI social media apps. Their platforms use that advanced AI technology to analyze their users emotions in real time, then their crystals get power and so they get power and energy, and with that energy they improve their health and longevity. It’s not magic per se but something paranormal. People doesn’t know about this, only the families that have a treaty.
Thorn hasn’t been seen in years but when Alana's father wants her to marry a guy from another company/family (so together they can kick back the other 2 families), he kidnaps her and takes her home with him. And then they start to know each other and their relationship kicks off.
Alana is such a sweetheart and innocent, and Thorn is all alpha protective and possessive, but sometimes sweet with Alana. There’s a lot of banter, and very hot smexy times.
Mysteries about her brother’s death, about her nightmares, about Thorn and his illness, about her father, and more. It’s a really engaging plot.
There’s a trigger warning about violence.

Safety details: virgin h (she had her first kiss at 15 with an older guy), no virgin H (only thing about his past is that he had a night of sex and nothing more with those women from his past but didn’t seem like he was a manwh0r3), some unwanted OM drama and a little unwanted OW drama too (nothing big and none interwoven with their pasts).

I took the plunge into the world of dark romance with One Cursed Rose. It was described as a romantasy twist on Beauty and the Beast with a magical crystal sci-fi edge. The crystals and concepts across social media and internet wars between four families was rather interesting, and I would have loved this to be placed out more. The animosity between each of the families could have been played up to accentuate the dark connections between Alana and Thorn
For the most part, all the characters seemed very shallow and over the top. I would have describe them as one-dimensional however there were glimmers of interest and intelligence that again would have grounded the story and character much more if they were extrapolated. I’m sure this book will be a firm favourite for those who love kidnapping and violent lust tropes. Alana’s history with languages and Thorn’s toxic childhood were elements that needed more exploration, because when they were visited, the context of those scenes was much stronger.
The idea behind the power of gemstones, and the way different gemstones brought balance to each other was a keystroke theme for this book. Each family was renowned for their affiliation and connection with a particular gemstone (Alana was aquamarines, Thorn was garnets) and the power play over these crystals and ther power in crippling each other’s corner of the social media technology market could have added a 21st century Wall Street vibe to the story.
After re-reading the synopsis on netgalley after I finished the book, I can see why I might have had an interest in this story and what elements it needed to bolster in order for me to feign a stronger interest. I understand the concept behind a dark romance book, but it just wasn’t my thing: Alana and Thorn’s relationship was unconventional, and they were both flawed and manipulative in their own way. I’m all for love-hate connection but in a less ludicrous and more realistic form.