"I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light."

Content Warnings:
- Blood
- Death
- Murder
- Loss of a loved one
- Terminal illness
- Attempted suicide
- Violence
- War themes

Pros:
- This book filled me with so many emotions! Anger and happiness mainly. Sadness, not so much.
- Unique characters - loved Harper for her sass, strength, and stubbornness. Also liked Grey's character arc from beginning to end.
- Loved the action scenes
- Loved how Kemmerer included the most important parts of Beauty and the Beast, while also adding her own additions to make it a retelling. For example, how it was a time loop versus just a time blip.
- I could easily distinguish between Rhen's and Harper's POVs.
- I liked the unique addition of Harper's cerebral palsy to give it somewhat of a disability rep. I believe the way she was brought up thinking it was a disadvantage versus learning how to overcome it allowed her character to grow in this book.

Cons:
- The twist was kinda mindblowing, but I hate the trope of "secretly royalty"
- Also disliked the love triangle trope (however subtle it was) and wished Harper had ended up with Grey. I HATED Rhen from the get-go, and he didn't change throughout the story. At the end, he was still a stuck-up, arrogant prince. I don't even think he loved Harper, just loved that she helped him get out of the loop.
- Thought that Grey, since he was kinda a main character, but also kinda not, had the most character development throughout the book, which made me a little sad since the story wasn't really focusing on him.

Overall, I found A Curse So Dark and Lonely a TAD overhyped (like many of the popular books I've read this year) but I did enjoy it!