A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Harper's life isn't easy.  Her dad is gone, and her older brother has fallen into a "job" working for the loan shark to whom their father was indebted.  Harper can do little more than serving as the lookout while he works because of her cerebral palsy, but their mother is home dying of cancer so Harper does what she can. 

One night she tries to intervene in a sketchy situation only to find herself suddenly in another world.  The season has changed.  The world has changed.  Her cell phone no longer works, and no one has electricity.  Where is she, and how did she get here?

Rhen was cursed by an evil sorceress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year until he can get a girl to fall in love with him.  To be trapped in this endless loop would be bad enough, but he also turns into a terrible beast at the end of each failing season and becomes a mindless danger to his people.

The only person who knows the truth is Gray, the captain of the guard, really the only one left.  All the other servants and guards are long gone.  At the beginning of each cycle, Gray is magically transported away to find another girl for the next attempt.  Rhen has almost given up hope, and Harper is not the girl he would have chosen for himself, but the more time they spend together, the more he admires her and enjoys her company.

Could it be possible after all these years for the curse to be broken?  Or will Rhen remain a curse to his people forever?

Brigid Kemmerer's take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale is an engaging and romantic read with high stakes and plenty of development for all the characters.  The representation of cerebral palsy is definitely a plus, and the author deals with the kidnapping/captive plot point well. Highly recommended for fantasy and fairy tale fans, grades 8 and up.