This book was a new take on Beauty and the Beast with a dark romance twist in a world where gem stones hold all the power. I will admit, some of the jargon and tech talk went a bit over my head, but overall it was an original concept on a tale as old as time.

Our two main characters are Alana and Thorn. Thorn is the beast/mafia/tech boss who is obsessed with Alana. He is also slowly freezing to death from a curse that was put on his main power source. While it was not true loves kiss that thawed him, Alana was still the one to save the day.

Alana is our fmc who is constantly under valued. She has secrets of her own and may be the smartest and most powerful person in the book. When Thorn kidnaps her she puts up a good fight but eventually does fall for him.

The twist in the book I did not see coming. I was trying to guess who the bad guy was throughout, and was shocked when it was revealed who it was.

Overall this book was a new edition to the many Beauty and the Beast retellings. It was different than most, but still had the same themes as soft girl saves tough boy. There were many aspects that I wish were expanded upon and some that still do not make total sense to me. This has been advertised as spicy read, but all in all there are only a few spicy scenes in the book.

Make sure to read triggers before

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review

I just finished One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti and I am obsessed! This book totally took me by surprise in the best way possible. It's set in a fantasy world where four families get their power from social media apps charged by crystals. I know, it sounds wild, and I'll admit, it was a bit confusing at first, but by the end, I had it all figured out and it totally paid off.

The story is a dark romance/romantic suspense with serious Beauty and the Beast vibes. We get a dual POV from Alana, a savvy social media influencer and heir to her family business (after her brother's mysterious death...) and Thorn, a brooding, top-of-the-game social media giant who's low-key obsessed with Alana. Like, he kidnaps her to save her from a murder plot - because that's a totally normal way to show you care, right?!

Thorn is dealing with a virtual bug that's destroying his crystals and slowly killing him. Meanwhile, Alana's world gets turned upside down when she finds out her brother's death might not have been what it seemed. Oh, and did I mention that dead Alana lookalikes start popping up? Creepy and intense!

Alana and Thorn are such a great pair. Alana's always pushing Thorn's buttons and proving she's way more than just a pretty face and a socialite. She's super smart and doesn't take any crap from anyone. And Thorn, with his possessiveness and protectiveness? Swoon! You can't help but root for these two.

Overall, I'm giving "One Cursed Rose" a solid 4.5 stars. I devoured it and was left wanting more. If you're into dark romances/romantic suspense, you've got to check this one out!

Ok I have ALOT of feelings here.

I loved the idea of this beauty and the beast retelling. I feel like it felt like something new not something done a thousand times before. The concept is super cool and the foundation of this world feels like it could be something really unique and compelling. With that being said I would say that this book feels unfinished. I feel like there are parts to this story specifically with regards to the crystals that needs more information. Even for the first book. Actually especially for the first book because I feel like there is too much left unknown. I would also say that for me personally it ended way to abruptly. I'm not sure if this couple are going to continue on or if this is it for them but that ending was just way to quick to wrap up what was needed to be wrapped up.... I say that not knowing if there is a second book to them. If so.. I wouldn't be so frustrated.

Now on to the actual characters because I'm a very character driven reader and despite the questions left in the story... the characters sold me 100%.

Thorn is not a grey man he is firmly in the black. Now does he do bad things for some good reasons... YES. HOWEVER... he also just does bad things because he feels like it too. Now kidnapping his obsession was obviously included in that. But listen... I was here for his crazy ass. His obsessive, OTT, stalker, you will obey and I will worship you ways. Yum. It's not for everyone, I get it. Some of his ways are creatively questionable. But still I was here for him and his flavour of craycray. This man WORSHIPED Alana in every non healthy way possible. Delightful.

Alana is a whole lot more than she seems. She lives her life in the spotlight but people only see what she wants them to see therefore they see only what they want to see.. the surface bubble. The sweet cutsey young woman who loves to party and shop and post online. Under that is crazy smarts and so much unpredictability. She's also just strong from the inside out. She'll stand for herself and those she cares for. She loves hard. She's genuinely sweet even when she's forced into a corner.
Lord she was given everything she never knew she wanted. It was hilarious to read about her fighting her desire because her body was on page and her smart mind was screaming DANGER. She's a complex character and I found myself constantly surprised.

They are dysfunctional. There really is no other way to describe it. Yet they worked. She pushed him in ways no one else would. He forced her outside her bubble. They broke one another so they could rebuild together and that wasn't an easy journey. There are moments you question everything.. but I was so rooting for them. The chemistry is next level. The connection off the charts.. The journey is a rocky one. One I wished we got more of with them together. But nonetheless I enjoyed them and and intrigued to see where Rebecca takes this in the future. I do hope she gives us more of them for sure.

This is a very dark romance. That being said, I really enjoyed it. Lots of intrigue and steamy scenes.

I loved everything about this book! I can honestly say I've never read anything like this. I liked the twist they put on everything with the crystals. Also, I hope people realize this is a series and some questions that don't get answered in the first book could be answered in the next one. The characters were great and the twist towards the end definitely caught me off guard. I can't wait to read the next one!

One Cursed Rose is a spicy twisted hang onto the edge of your seat action packed retelling of a classic with a interesting cast of character's and a unique plot twist keeping the motivation for the killings, stalking and other grey area activities a closely guarded secret right to the end .
I received a advance readers copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I really enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling with k1nky spice and a spin!

THOUGHTS 💭
💎 The tropes in this book are so good: grumpy/sunshine, touch her and ☠️, v1rg1n heroine, fantasy, Beauty & the Beast retelling.
💎 People underestimate our FMC, Alana, and I loved watching her prove them wrong.
💎 Thorn is the “villain” of our tale and P H E W, was he a good one.
💎 The book is based on a really interesting premise that gems and social media reactions power the world; it brought a unique fantasy edge to a contemporary book.
💎 The Beauty & the Beast retelling was well-written and this spicy version is one of my new favorites!
💎 We learned so much about this world and the characters that the ground has been laid for more; I can’t wait!

Thanks so much to Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

One cursed rose is a fantasy romance novel. This book took me a bit longer to read but it was still really good. I couldn't put it down.

So I wouldn't use this book for students...BUT let me tell you! The romance is real. I normally don't like these kind of romances between characters but Zanetti made it work. I'm excited for more of her future works!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington books for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

One cursed rose is a beauty and the beast retelling that is classified as a dark romance. I personally think it’s more of a Sifi/thriller/romance. I didn’t see much in the means of “dark” romance, though that’s my opinion. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style for this book, I found it hard to read. The story was also missing information. The whole attention around the crystals is rather odd because you don’t know what exactly they do. But the story is heavily based around them. I also feel as though the ending was rushed. The romance aspect was also off setting because there really wasn’t any connection there, the Mmc was possessive but lacked real heart so to speak. This book just fell short for me.

Dark romance revolving around warring social media families. Crystals & colors some type of charging magic. Beauty and the beast. A lot of potential but the romance got snagged in everything else going on. Solid banter and fair amount of steam. However the “magic” was confusing and unclear.

One Cursed Rose
By Rebecca Zanetti

I preface this review by saying I am a fan of Rebecca Zanetti’s work. I have read everything of hers, across all genres. I have also read “dark” romance and romantic suspense and enjoyed it.

That being said, this was not one of my favorites of Ms. Zanetti’s books. The characters just didn’t work for me. The H was downright cruel at times and our heroine would get freaked out and then just forget about it. Also, she just seemed SO young (and dare I say dumb?).

As for the plot itself, that I enjoyed. The hero’s illness, the attacks on the heroine, trying to figure out whodunit, the plot twists…all quite involved and interesting. I just didn’t like either the H or h.

If this continues as a series, however, I will keep reading as my favorite character was the H’s brother!

I enjoyed the story quite a bit. I will say, I got lost in the parts of the story where the focus on the crystal’s or the computer tech parts, I just had a hard time during those parts. Overall I enjoyed the love story as well as the whodunnit story. Definitely worth the read! I was fortunate to be part of the early reader review opportunity for this book.

This book was really good. It was better than I thought it would be. It reminded me of the fifty Shades Of Grey Series. The ending was really good. I love reading books by Rebecca Zanetti. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

An alternate future type book with an emphasis on social media! I thought this was an interesting take on the power of social media and a future where the big social media companies control the power (which maybe the kind of do!). I wasn't super excited about some of the MMC's control-freak type attitude. So trigger warning if rough play without initial consent is a problem.

I loved this book! I honestly haven’t read very many dark romance books but this was so good that it opened me up to read others! I loved the mystery of this book as well especially with all the plot twists! I would definitely suggest this book. Morally grey mmc, he falls first, forced proximity, beauty and the beast retelling, dark romance.

Rebecca Zanetti is my all time favorite author and this is a can't miss first book in her new Grimm Bargains series. A dark spin on Beauty and the Beast. The engrossing, original and supremely creative story sets up endless possibilities for more twisted tales. I may need to reread this novel to find all of the hidden meanings in this futuristic power struggle between good and evil. I can't help but compare the four families of social media to our current muddy landscape and wonder if the author is a soothsayer. Long time fans of Zanetti will relish the Easter eggs from her Dark Protectors and her friendship with author Lexi Blake.

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!

Give me a good beauty and the beast retelling any day. This was a unique spin on a classic. I love how tech focused this read was, it gave it a sci-fy feel with a touch of Mafia. Each social platform was owned by a family who would fight each other to stay on top and at times take out the competition if needed.

A cool mix of science and magic. Zanetti took AI and put it in a fairytale. And it worked! It worked reallllll good. I am eagerly awaiting Ella’s book!

I sought this book out I received the opportunity for an ARC thanks to Netgalley. Trust me you won’t be disappointed, there’s even an epic library.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Kensington for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, I am going to make this short and to the point. This was just not my cup of tea! I honestly thought this was a fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast and not an explicit dark romance with serious trigger warnings. The vague/confusing world building, toxic relationship between the two main characters, extreme graphic violence, and one scene in particular was especially disturbing, all contributed to why this book wasn’t for me!