Name: A Ruin of Roses
ISBN: 9781955757096

K. F. Breene

I could save him, but he would ruin me. The beast. The creature who stalks the forbidden wood. The dragon prince.He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction. The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter. He's our hope. He's my nightmare. When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn't punish me with death, as he's entitled. He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me. Apparently I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king's power. But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him. It would mean my ruin._ _ _ _ _ _This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast.

A Ruin of Roses

Anna Stewart

Takecia Bright

Loved it

I liked this rendition of beauty and the beast. It was funny and spicy. Can't wait to read the second book.

I’m not always into retellings but I love this one! Not as spicy as it was described to be however I still enjoyed reading. I find the main FL funny and enjoy plot! Will be continuing this series.

Jess 

🧸

this book felt like reading acotar but its the beauty and the beast version and I really didn't hate it except the sexual scenes were kinda umm off maybe? anyways

Sandra

It honestly just reminds me of a Wattpad story in the best way possible. It’s kinda comforting because of that. The plot kept reminding me of acotar and it’s definitely NOT pg dear lord. But like I love it and will read the next one of the trilogy

Andrea Rodriguez

Ok I actually really liked this. It reminded me so much of ACOTAR (I mean, duh.. another beauty and the beast retelling, right?) Definitely spicier though and not as complex world building, imo.

I enjoyed Finley as our MC. She was intelligent, witty, funny, independent, fierce and compassionate. She lowkey sometimes gave me ~nOt LiKe OtHeR gIrLs~ vibes, but it wasn't too bad. Honestly, she really was a badass and I loved the back and forth with her animal and the whole journey learning to work together in harmony. 

Nyfain was.. frustrating, but gah. I am a sucker for a man who is as possessive as he is hot and cold. I loved the little glimpses we got into his past, specifically with his mother, and found his vulnerability in those moments to be so endearing.

Also, one of my favorite things about this book: Hadriel. What a fucking character lmao I want more of him in the next one.

That ending, though. I am definitely impatiently waiting for the next book. Just a few more days!

This retelling was spicy and a rollercoaster! Loved it. The mysterious ways of this tale was absolutely luring. I loved the characters! I am such a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast, it's not surprising to say I was super excited to give this book a shot. It didn't disappoint, the plot had a wonderful twist... must have book two! 

Fin had my heart from the start. She was selfless but at the same time she made sure to show off her badass determination when it came to giving her opinions. Nyfain was sexy and protective but at the same time not overpowering. The side characters had me cracking up, so bold and helpful. Everyone was so comfortable in their skin, it was mesmerizing to see how a book can promote so much feminism and sexuality. 

The mix of characters and monsters were captivating. The premise of the whole story will definitely keep you tied to the book, this is a spicy tale so enter with caution. The world building really got me as well, I imagined everything beautifully set like Beauty and the Beast but with a dark sexy twist.

If you love retelling and spicy reads this one is definitely up your alley! I totally recommend it. I am for sure going to continue the series!

Huge thanks to the author for sending me a copy! All opinions are my own.

Kacy Rulison

While this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it is only a tad predictable. The spin that Breene puts on it is amazing and fun. There are also quite a bit of twists that break up the natural predictability of a retelling. I love the realness of the characters. The quirkiness and weirdness of the MC gives her a relatability that I really enjoy. It ranks very highly for me. Lots of good spice and didn't get repetitive as can happen in some cases. I am very excited to read the rest of this series.

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Beauty in the Beast is a tale as old as time—pun intended. It’s been retold countless times, and yet it always offers something new. A RUIN OF ROSES’s take on the story is raunchy, unapologetic, and humorous. Let me tell you a bit about it.

After a mad king made a deal with demons and subjected the entire kingdom to a terrible curse, Finley has to buckle up to guarantee her family’s survival. Not only has the curse locked down everyone’s shifter forms, but it caused a mortal sickness slowly decimating the population. Finley’s mother has already died from it, and now it risks killing her father, too. Through trial and error, Finley devises a tonic that helps slow down the sickness. Downfall? The plant she needs is the Forbidden Woods, guarded by a terrible beast. When the beast catches Finley, he takes her away to his castle instead of killing her. It turns out the beast is a man: Prince Nyfain, the last of the dragon shifters. Finley soon realizes the curse affecting the kingdom is far more complicated than she imagined, and in the midst of her heated bickering with Nyfain, she discovers she may be the only one who can help him break the curse, and the price could very well ruin her. What happens next? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!

A Ruin of Roses had a winning combination of fast plot, entertaining dialogue and fun characters. The language was at times a bit “mature”, but I didn’t particularly mind it, especially since it’s written in first person and I found Finley’s outspoken and unapologetic attitude endearing. I immediately clicked with her, and enjoyed getting to spend some time with her and her family before being thrust into the heart of the story. The world-building was delivered little by little as we followed Finley in her journey, without excessively long and verbose passages, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It helped to set the story apart from the retelling, though the original story remained recognizable through some key elements, characters and events presented through a very original lens. 

The castle scenes were probably my favorite. We’re presented with a cast of comical secondary characters, an abundance of interesting supernatural activity, and quite a bit of debauchery. Spice levels were extremely high in this book, and this reflected perfectly in the relationship between Nyfain and Finley. The attraction between them moves very quickly, which doesn’t mean they’re quick to profess eternal love to one another. We’re talking lust, and lust doesn’t know slow burn. I do think I would have liked a few more key scenes between them, especially toward the ending, but if you like spicy couples, then you need Nyfain and Finley in your life.

Overall, an amazing read! I had a lot of fun reading this book, and recommend it to lovers of retellings and fast-paced, spicy adult reads.

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Ley Stanton

There is a lot going on in this book. The worldbuilding is an interesting take on Beauty and Beast but there were definitely some underdeveloped areas. I think there was a lot of potential for something completely transformative. Sometimes I was really into the plot and sometimes I just had to take a step back and say "what" because it just went a little overboard. Less is more sometimes. There were just way too many things going on. And the romance...not a fan. I like the couple but their romance is just strange to me.

Michal Stone

Absolutely most basic Beauty and the Beast retelling ever—almost everything was exactly the same EXCEPT for the sex. 
While sex scenes don’t bother me, this one felt like it was just for shock value, though I was interested in the way she looped it into the story. (It felt like the use of sex was supposed to be deeper than surface value…..I’d love to ask Breene myself honestly.) 
If you want to read a ✨spicy✨ book then this is for you. If you want a unique Beauty and the Beast retelling, keep moving. 
I’m gonna read the second one though, so maybe that says something about it. 🤷‍♀️

Ann Sabu

I love her. There was to much smut for me but loved the plot and story line

I could save him, but he would ruin me. The beast. The creature who stalks the forbidden wood. The dragon prince. He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king. We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction. The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter. He's our hope. He's my nightmare. When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn't punish me with death as he's entitled. He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me. Apparently I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king's power. But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him. It would mean my ruin. _ _ _ _ _ _ This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast. It is a full length novel at 80k words and suitable for 18+. This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger.

A Ruin Of Roses

Scarlett A.

2/⭐️ - 3/🌶 (not with MC's)

Sadly it’s a no for me.

Amira BEN

DNF 41%
There's nothing innovative about this retelling imo
There's no plot and I feel like there is just some context for the sake of writing spice which sometimes I don't mind let's be honest haha but here it somehow bothered me because there was some potential.
The dialogues and therefore the characters where juvenile. (What with Hadriel and his shame- any existing verbs lol) and the FMC got desires for the MMC so fast that it took me by surprise.
Overall, nothing memorable.

Wow. When K.F. Breene said she was letting herself off of her leash for this book, she really meant it. There were plenty of times where I was blushing bright red frantically turning the pages so I could figure out what was going to happen next. In my opinion, the spice in some parts may put her Darkness series to shame. This book was fantastic, and such a quick and fun read. The chemistry between Finley and Nyfain was unbelievable, and now I wish I had a surly beast to be mine. 

A Ruin of Roses is a dark Beauty and the Beast retelling with a kick-ass heroine, an alpha-hole who is dark and tatted up (yummy!), and amazing dialogue and chemistry between the characters. What makes this Beauty and the Beast retelling stand out so much for me is that the concept is something I have never read before, and it was really refreshing. Fans of ACOTAR who want to experience the darker side will absolutely love K.F. Breene's new book. I can't wait for the next one!

Elaina Wells

Kaitlyn Waggoner

This book was spicy, but the writing seemed slightly juvenile and was hard for me to get into.

Jess Schell

While the ending of this book did end up catching my attention - I will say I struggled through the beginning. The writing style is a bit juvenile and an occasion more graphic than I'd like. I enjoyed this book in the same way I would enjoy a smutty Wattpad guilty pleasure. It certainly has its audience, I just don't know if that's me.

Shelby Goodwin

From the bottom of my Beauty and the Beast obsessed heart, I wanna thank author K.F. Breene for the absolutely amazing swag box and gorgeous paperback copy of this fabulous fairytale retelling! All thoughts and opinions expressed below belong entirely to me.

As a devout lover of all things Belle and Beast since before I can remember, I was hooked on this dark fantasy romance literally from the first page. I have read countless BATB retellings and this was by far the most unique, but still so true to the original. There are TONS of fun Easter eggs throughout for those in love with the original Disney film, but of course with a spicy twist at every turn! My favorite aspect? DRAGONSHIFTER BEAST. Need I say more?!

The heroine of this one was so badass and well developed; even from the start, I felt like I knew her and couldn’t help but relate to her every thought and decision. I love that her skills as a healer came about because of hard work and study; her expertise is unparalleled but you can tell it’s because she has devoted herself to the science of it for the betterment of the village, which I found so endearing.

Once in the beast’s castle, I was in awe of the lore of it all. Breene is brilliant and has spun such a haunting tale with the most colorful cast of characters! I felt all the Masque of the Red Death vibes, with bold colors, gothic energy, and nonstop smut galore. The ending of this installment left me reeling and begging for more, and I am so happy that an ARC for book 2 just recently hit my Kindle because I don’t think I could wait much longer for things to keep heating up!! Definitely an 18+ read, recommended for adult fans of dark fantasy romance.

Tatiana Alvarez 

Actual Rating 4.5!

I have been in such a reading slump so I was extra thankful for this book! It definitely helped pull me out of it and now I need the next one like right now because of that ending!

A Ruin of Roses is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling. Finley, our main character, tries desperately to keep her family and town alive. A curse has befallen the town, years old now, that suppresses the shifters inside of them and causes terrible sickness. She knows that the only way to beat this is to go to the source...the beast in the woods.

Wanting to save her family, Finley is captured by the beast and brought back to the castle locked in time. However, this is where she discovers that the beast is actually a man, an extremely sexy man by the name of Nyfrain. With him, she can feel the shifter inside of her, desperately wanting the dragon shifter more than life itself. And he wants her too, but if Nyfrain takes her, no one else will have her.

This book is sexy and witty. I actually loved the side characters the most, I thought they were so funny and quirky. 

This is definitely for more mature readers because there is a lot of sex talk and sexual acts. Because I am who I am, I wanted more, LOL, but I still liked what we were given.

I need book two now!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

“Deliciously dark” has never been more appropriate. This book was so good!

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairytales. I read the original version, I watched the Disney movie a thousand times, and one of my favorite series ever begins as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Needless to say, when this book crossed my path, I was immediately intrigued—even more so when I was told it was going to lean on the smuttier side. 

GAAAH IT WAS AMAZING!

Fangasm moment aside, let’s dive into the elements I enjoyed about this story like the professional reviewer I pretend to be. 

We’re eased into the worldbuilding without long passages of info-dumps. We piece it together by following the protagonist, Finley, through her everyday life in a village of a cursed kingdom. I was immediately intrigued by the curse, the demons, and the infamous beast lurking the woods. And it certainly helped that I loved Finley. She’s strong, capable, intelligent, and she has a very ironic voice that made reading things in her perspective fun. I also adored her interactions with her siblings, especially her older brother. 

As far as the story goes, A Ruin of Roses is that type of retelling that I love above all else: the ones where you can actually tell what story is being retold. These days, books are marketed as retellings but they hold little to nothing to the original fairytale. Here we have a totally unique story with elements that echo the original tale: the beast, the castle, the curse, some pivotal plot points. It’s the little details that will make me say “I loved A Ruin of Roses!” whenever someone on Instagram asks about retellings.

And then, of course, there’s the romance. There’s instant chemistry, there’s tension, banter and several toe-curling moments. Nyfain singlehandedly blasted through my ovaries. Dragon shifters, what a blessing!

So should you read this? If you’re into romance like me, then absolutely! This is a fast, intense, spicy read and a perfect fairytale retelling. Read it now and thank me later.

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own.

Tess

“When others look at you, they might see your surface beauty. I wanted you to know that when I look at you, I see the beauty of your soul, and I am in rapture.“ ♥️

Finley’s village has been sick with a curse and the only way she can help the sick is by collecting the leaves 🍃 of a healing plant, which grows in the Forbidden Wood protected by a terrifying beast. 

One day she is captured by the beast for stealing and taken to a castle. 🏰…

This is a dark, Beauty & the Beast inspired, twisted fairytale. It is spicy and the 🔥 tension between the characters is felt all the time. The crazy sexuälized environment that surround these characters is wild. Go into this blind if you like surprises! 🤣

Read this if you like ⤵️

🥀 Dark Romance 
🥀 Twisted Beauty & the Beast Fairytale
🥀 Bookish Heroines
🥀 Enemies To Lovers
🥀 Captive/Captor 
🥀 Fantasy — potions, magic, demons, etc
🥀 Series With Cliffhanger (Book 1/3)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 
A Ruin Of Roses by K.F. Breene 

🌶🌶🌶🌶/5 — POSH Spice Level 🔥

Sarina Sherman

3.5 stars ⭐️ 
Tbh I have no idea how to rate this. On one hand I really liked it, but on the other it was just so ridiculous and over the top. It almost felt like a parody of a fantasy romance. The use of language, the smut, all so ridiculous 😂 the plot is pretty good I have a lot of questions. It did make me laugh a whole lot, I really like our heroine. Will deff be reading the next book!

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

It was an okay book. I didn’t really see anything important about it. I was bored while reading. I was really hoping to enjoy it, but I was just counting down the pages for it to be over. 