Did I read ANOTHER Beauty and the Beast retelling? Yes. Yes, I did.
Synopsis: An unwilling girl, Harper, is pulled from our world into the kingdom of Emberfell in hopes she will fall in love with the crown prince, Rhen, and break the curse that surrounds the kingdom. But this monster and this curse aren't quite the same as your typical retelling.
Plot: At first I could only draw similarities between this and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Rhen vs. Rhysand? The worlds and situations all seemed too similar in the beginning. But, as the story started to progress, they really were nothing alike, and if I were honest...I prefer this one. (Please don't shoot me). There was a lot more nuisance to this plot besides just a curse and a love story. Forgotten kingdoms, evil sorceresses and possible love triangles just to name a few. Additionally, Harper had precarious situations with her family back home and was also pretending to be a princess in order to help the unexpected war Emberfall was finding itself in. A romance story at heart for sure, but there was a lot more to it than that with some simple nods to the original story I think Disney fans will appreciate. The pacing was perfect and kept me interested throughout the entire story. There wasn't a single moment I found myself bored or skimming to get through it.
Characters: I found myself going back and forth with loving and hating Harper. At moments she was very stupid and very whiney but later she grew into a strong badass character. There was clear character development as Harper found her place in Emberfall with her newfound family and friends. I also loved the representation Harper had with her cerebral palsy. It was clear the author put in a lot of research to portray that correctly and with care. The relationship between Harper and Rhen is definitely a slow burn but that made the connection super believable. It wasn't the insta-love that a lot of these retellings tend to have.
A solid start to this series. I will for sure be picking up the next one soon.
4/5 stars.
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