Review // One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti

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One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti

Rating -
Standalone - Grimm Bargains #1
Release - June 25, 2024
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / enemies-to-lovers / retelling
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit scenes
Source - eARC provided by NetGalley
Length - 400 pages

Information is power, and those who control it live like gods.
In my world, billionaires play deadly games of insult and influence where magic is the dirtiest weapon of all. Here, even a powerful princess can be swallowed by the darkest of shadows . . .

My name is Alana Beaumont, and due to a recent tragedy, I’m the sole heir to Aquarius Social, a family business being systematically dismantled by an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to give me in marriage and create a coalition with a competing family, so I’m torn between my thirst for revenge and my duty. Now I just have a week to finish my hunt before the wedding.

There’s nothing like an assassination attempt to cut short the best of plans—even worse is my unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the Beast whose social media empire is driving Aquarius under. The richest, most ruthless of them all, he protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.

Thorn may think he can lock me in his castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

Anyone who pays attention to my reading habits knows that Rebecca Zanetti is an author I HAVE to read. No joke. Anything she writes, I want it. Hearing about a dark romance from one of my favourite authors? You know I had to get my hands on it. So here's what I liked:

➤ Beauty and the Beast... twisted and screwed.
➤ rivals to lovers plot. You know it's going to be hot when their relationship starts off with animosity, defiance, and misunderstandings.
➤ Thorn's a stalker. Watching his prey's every move, but never really getting to know her... until he kidnaps her!
➤ a stunning AND smart heroine. Alana was so much more than she seemed and I enjoyed watching her embrace her power.
➤ the fantastical elements with the gems. I still don't really understand the power that these stones have, but I'm very interested in learning more.
➤ the bond that grew between our protagonists. It may have been a tad unorthodox, especially with the way Thorn courted Alana, but it was entertaining.

My only issue with this story — aside from the missing information about the gems, their power, and how and why they're relied upon — was the fact that I was promised a dark romance and this wasn't it. Aside from the kidnapping, the captivity, the killing of people (by Thorn), and the mystery surrounding some other deaths, there wasn't anything really dark. It was more suspenseful than anything else. It did read differently than anything I've read from this author before. I had to remind myself a time or two about who actually wrote this story because the tone felt very new.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense with a splash of the supernatural in their love stories.

Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over forty romantic suspense, dark paranormals, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Upcoming series are: The Blood Brothers, The Realm Enforcers and The Scorpius Syndrome.

Visit https://rebeccazanetti.com for more information!