I really enjoyed Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. This story was beautifully written and really entertaining.

Likes:

I really liked the main character Nyx. She was smart, strong and stayed true to herself during the entire story.
Shade and Ignifex were so interesting and the character development is amazing, the story line works so well
As much as you can see the resemblance to Beauty and the Beast, the story really holds its own. I think that it would have done just as well if it was not described as a fairy tale retelling
Weaving in Greek mythology was so neat and just an unique twist to the old story
Characters you love and characters you hate, I always think that books need a mix of characters that create different emotional connections to get you more involved in the story
Gripes:
Really the only gripe I had is that, per my own lack of knowledge, I don't know enough about Greek mythology and sometimes I was really confused

For more reviews visit A Flurry of Ponderings