My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A huge shout-out to Julie at One Book More as it was her cool review that had me adding this to my TBR instantly.

Once again, I am lured by the magic words, Beauty and the Beast. The retelling of this classic story always ALWAYS manages to grab my attention and it says something about my interest that I have almost 3 more books with the same theme in my ARC list.

Nancy O’Toole’s The Rose and The Claw however uses the old tale in creating 2 characters that evoke sympathy and compassion. Rose is a Verdian widow who wants to give back her soldier husband’s arms to his mother and help his soul in the afterlife. But her arrival to Kelvia takes an unexpected turn with the people being agonistic, the major reason being that Kelvians and Verdians have been at war with each other for many years. Forced into the cursed magical Rosewood Manor as a caretaker, Rose begins to see the man hidden behind the mask of the beast.

Rose is such a vibrant and colorful character that I couldn’t help but cheer her on at every scene. Her dialogue banter with Kris was one of the highlights of this novella with Kris being his genteel best. The romance is lighter but the affection and the warmth of friendship that develops between Kris and Rose were exciting and endearing. The story takes a different turn with the background of war and the turbulence of politics of 2 countries and having both Kris’s and Rose’s points of view thru the story gives a different perspective to the tale of intrigue and mystery surrounding the castle of Rosewood Manor.

Scintillating, perfect for fans of the tale as old as time☔☔☔☔☔

Many thanks to the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

A woman on a mission…

Rose Gardner never thought she’d leave the small town of West Ridge. But when her husband dies at war, she must return his arms to his place of birth to set his spirit to rest. After traveling into enemy territory, Rose falls into a trap. Held captive in an enchanted manor, she finds herself face to face with a beast who is equally horrifying and kind. Will she manage to complete her quest or be pulled in by the secrets of the manor?

A man haunted by his past…

Trapped within his own home and in the body of a hideous beast, Kris never wanted to share his prison with another. As much as Rose may draw him in with her beauty and stubborn strength, he knows she must escape before the next full moon. After all, he remembers all too well what happened to the previous caretaker.

The dead won’t let him forget the blood on his hands. 

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