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A Curse So Dark and Lonely

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A Curse So Dark and Lonely

By: Brigid Kemmerer
Narrated by: Kate Handford, Davis Brooks, Matt Reeves
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About this listen

 Bloomsbury presents A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, read by Davis Brooks, Kate Handford and Matt Reeves.

A New York Times bestseller!
"Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale." – Jodi Picoult

In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives listeners another thrilling romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.©2020 Brigid Kemmerer (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Magic Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Royalty
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The story with the Beauty & the Beast wist was really enjoyable. it's definitely a Young adult listen. Slow burn style.

Slow burn

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The narrator for Ren was a bit wooden but he’s a somewhat buttoned down character so it was perhaps appropriate. Interesting characters, good twists.

A good rewrite of Beauty and The Beast

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Loved it! Great twist on an all time favourite fairy tale (^_^)
Especially love how the heroine is actually disabled and still kicks a**!

Loved every bit of it.

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Can I just reiterate how much I ADORE Beauty and the Beast retellings???
They are truly something else. Brigid Kemmerer did not disappoint when she gave us Harper, Rhen and Grey. I LOVE THEM SO FREAKING MUCH! Her writing was incredibly easy to follow. After reading such a dense classic like Anna Karenina, this was a much needed fantasy novel. I enjoyed the world she built so effortlessly. Despite knowing this story (B&B) like the back of my hand, I still found that the twists and turns in this particular instalment surprising. Although, I did guess the major plot twist at the end (AND THAT DAMN CLIFFHANGER!!), it didn't impede my enjoyment at all. The uniqueness of the creature surprised me too. How to take a classic and make it new? Reimagine parts of it and Kemmerer did not disappoint in that manner at all. The representation of disability, in my opinion, was amazing, but could have been delved into a little more. While I cannot speak to the accuracy as I do not know much about cerebral palsy, the fact that a strong female protagonist has it and still saved an entire kingdom is badass and I think this book does wonders in that case. All in all, I'm trash for a classic love story, so would I recommend you read this? HELL YES!

A MUST READ!

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The story itself is wonderful, it's a fresh new take on beauty and the beast and from the start I was enraptured. About halfway through the audio book I decided I just simply couldn't listen to the female narrator anymore. Her tone really annoyed me. Bought the book to read instead and loved it!

The female narrator is irritating

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The story was written rather well. I liked the females performance,
Overall it was an entertaining listen. I finished it rather quick. I just think everything could have been solved if someone had taken someone somewhere and did what they did at the end.
Regardless, the ending was really good and unexpected. So now I will need to know what happens next.

Loved the ending.

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