The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Tainted Beauty

Series: All That Glitters #1 (standalone within the series)

Author: Alesha Adamson

Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Aurelius has lost everything. Desperate to regain his worth, he makes a deal with a dragon, but it comes at a terrible price. Now the beast within him is out of control and it is too late to undo the damage he has caused. Then he meets her. The most enchanting woman he has ever seen. Melora is stuck in a life she never wanted- sold to the highest bidder to pay off her father’s debts. But when her father’s greed takes things too far, Melora sacrifices herself to save her sister from a monstruous dragon. Taken to the dragon’s gilded manor, Melora meets Aurelius. He is arrogant, proud, and infuriatingly persistent- but a part of him calls to her, makes her feel seen and valued as she hasn’t before. Captive in this glittering world, Melora is surrounded by secrets that threaten to destroy them. Why lies beyond the forbidden door? And why won’t he touch her? As the days pass, their time is running out. Will they be able to break the curse, or will gold taint everything?

This is my first ARC book, so I am a little nervous. Tainted Beauty by Alesha Adamson was really good. It is a Beauty and the Beast meets Midas retelling.

I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I think this one did a good job. I am not a fan of love at first sight, and there was not a little bit of that, which I loved. There was attraction at first sight, which is much more realistic. Aurie and Melora’s love story really had them get to know each other. There was also a lot of miscommunications and misunderstandings throughout the book between them, but it only strengthened their relationship.

I am not overly familiar with the story of Midas, but I actually loved how that was weaved into the story. It added a nice depth. As someone who is touch averse, I really enjoyed the fact that Aurie couldn’t touch people because of the curse. This book did make me wish there were book characters that were touch averse. While Aurie couldn’t touch people, he did want to.

There was a dual POV and, as always, I think it was that much better because of it! We got to see both sides of interactions and how they were both feeling. We got to see Aurie become less obsessed with material possessions (though I do wish this was focused on a little more) and Melora become more self-assured and confident.

I will say that sometimes the chapters felt a little long. I am a short chapter person, so these longer chapters were a little bit of a struggle.

I also loved the subtle religious undertones. I loved that when she was struggling, Melora prayed, and it helped calm her. I think we need more of this in books, where it is not super, throw it in your face, religious messaging, but the parts where you can see how much it is in your life. On this topic, since the characters did seem to belief in Christianity with the Great Creator, I am a little confused why some of their curses were Styx or Hades, which are Greek mythology. I mean it wasn’t a big deal; I was just a little confused.

I also really enjoyed how Melora was taken for a reason, and the reason is actually good! I won’t spoil, but it is much better than the reason for Belle being taken in Disney’s movie.

I loved the dragon in this book. Part of Aurie’s curse is to turn into a dragon when overly emotional. I think this book also makes Aurie more human and realistic than you typically see of the “Beast” in other versions.

I actually hope there is a sequel to this book. I want to see them after the events of this story.

Tainted Beauty is a wonderful Beauty and the Beast retelling perfect for anyone looking for a clean, fantasy romance, with wonderful twists on a classic!

Quotes:

“No one truly deserves forgiveness, and yet the Great Creator offers it freely- and asks us to do the same, no matter what someone has done. Holding onto bitterness only harms my own heart. I choose to let go, not because they deserve it, but because I want peace.”

“It’s important to understand that forgiveness doesn’t mean I condone their actions or that I’m saying what they did was okay. Quite the opposite. I’m just choosing to let go of the power they hold over me. Their actions can only harm me now if I keep holding on to them.”

“She didn’t belong to anyone- but he belonged to her- heart, body, and soul.”