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annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
Requesting the Raven and the Dove on Netgalley was one of my best decisions ever. Not only because that book was amazing and I'm now counting down the days until the second book comes out. But mostly because I discovered Kaitlyn Davis as an author. She writes how I wanna write and therefore also how I wanna read. Every book I read by her so far had been such a joy, such perfectness and therefore I just couldn't start another book today. I had to read this one.
And once more I enjoyed the writing style so incredibly much. Davis writes from the heart. She doesn't focus on the action of the story, although it's there and there's totally something happening, but she focusses on the emotions of her characters. Every sentence breathes whatever emotion is rushing through the main character's veins and therefore I feel that same emotion rushing through mine. For me that's what reading is about, that's why I dive into stories. I want to feel something.
It also helps that both Cole and Omorose are amazing characters! They share a few traits with their fairytale counterparts, but they are mostly unique. I could especially identify myself with Omorose. How she has so much power and bravery flowing through her, but how somehow she freezes when other people are around. How she puts others before herself. And how she is willing to learn and grow and change her mind. But, although Cole is not my type, I really liked his character too! I loved how his upbringing and personality were connected. It was so easy to understand where he came from, why he acted the way he acted, why he was the way he was.
And last but not least, in an amazing and original way Davis turned the plot from Beauty and the Beast into a story that fitted her world and managed to show us more of it along the way. I had certain assumptions when going into the story and most of those were wrong. I loved how all the well known elements of the Beauty and the Beast story was there, but how they were not in your face or obvious, how they were twisted and used differently.
Aaaah! There are so many more things I wanna say! The relationship building is great, the pacing is perfect, the character growth is wonderful. I was crying a few times. AND THAT ENDING! IS IT NEXT WEEK ALREADY? I WANNA READ THE CINDERELLA ONE!
And once more I enjoyed the writing style so incredibly much. Davis writes from the heart. She doesn't focus on the action of the story, although it's there and there's totally something happening, but she focusses on the emotions of her characters. Every sentence breathes whatever emotion is rushing through the main character's veins and therefore I feel that same emotion rushing through mine. For me that's what reading is about, that's why I dive into stories. I want to feel something.
It also helps that both Cole and Omorose are amazing characters! They share a few traits with their fairytale counterparts, but they are mostly unique. I could especially identify myself with Omorose. How she has so much power and bravery flowing through her, but how somehow she freezes when other people are around. How she puts others before herself. And how she is willing to learn and grow and change her mind. But, although Cole is not my type, I really liked his character too! I loved how his upbringing and personality were connected. It was so easy to understand where he came from, why he acted the way he acted, why he was the way he was.
And last but not least, in an amazing and original way Davis turned the plot from Beauty and the Beast into a story that fitted her world and managed to show us more of it along the way. I had certain assumptions when going into the story and most of those were wrong. I loved how all the well known elements of the Beauty and the Beast story was there, but how they were not in your face or obvious, how they were twisted and used differently.
Aaaah! There are so many more things I wanna say! The relationship building is great, the pacing is perfect, the character growth is wonderful. I was crying a few times. AND THAT ENDING! IS IT NEXT WEEK ALREADY? I WANNA READ THE CINDERELLA ONE!
ameserole's review
3.0
These book just seem to fly by and I'm really digging them.
Withering Rose is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. We are in the same world that the first book was in - just in a different place. In this, you meet Omorose who is currently cursed and is trying to pull an Elsa. Conceal, don't feel. If she doesn't use her magic.. then there's hope that she wont die. Yet, she knows that it won't last forever because her curse is death.
Along the way she runs into Cole. They are both pretty secretive and I really wanted to know what happened to all these places after the first book. We all know there was an earthquake and then things pretty much went to shit after that. So, this whole take on Beauty and the Beast was pretty interesting. They were both cursed and in the end they are trying to still be together.
Of course this had some drama and I really liked getting to see Asher and Jade again. Their whole relationship brings me joy and everything that happened in this book with them made me smile. I'm intrigued to see what is going to happen in the next book with her little sister.
Withering Rose is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. We are in the same world that the first book was in - just in a different place. In this, you meet Omorose who is currently cursed and is trying to pull an Elsa. Conceal, don't feel. If she doesn't use her magic.. then there's hope that she wont die. Yet, she knows that it won't last forever because her curse is death.
Along the way she runs into Cole. They are both pretty secretive and I really wanted to know what happened to all these places after the first book. We all know there was an earthquake and then things pretty much went to shit after that. So, this whole take on Beauty and the Beast was pretty interesting. They were both cursed and in the end they are trying to still be together.
Of course this had some drama and I really liked getting to see Asher and Jade again. Their whole relationship brings me joy and everything that happened in this book with them made me smile. I'm intrigued to see what is going to happen in the next book with her little sister.
amethystbookwyrm's review
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for giving me this book to review.
Withering Rose is the very enjoyable sequel to Gathering Frost, which is a unique twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. This story is fast paced, has good world building and an easy read. Also there is romance and a nice fairy-tale story.
Omorose is quiet and timid which makes her an unusual YA heroine, but she is also caring and kind. To begin with Cole is secretive and has a temper, but he is also sweet and very lonely.
The ending of this book gives clues to what is going to happen in the next book Chasing Midnight and I am looking forward to reading it. I would recommend Withering Rose to those who enjoyed the first book in the Once Upon A Curse series Gathering Frost.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
Withering Rose is the very enjoyable sequel to Gathering Frost, which is a unique twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. This story is fast paced, has good world building and an easy read. Also there is romance and a nice fairy-tale story.
Omorose is quiet and timid which makes her an unusual YA heroine, but she is also caring and kind. To begin with Cole is secretive and has a temper, but he is also sweet and very lonely.
The ending of this book gives clues to what is going to happen in the next book Chasing Midnight and I am looking forward to reading it. I would recommend Withering Rose to those who enjoyed the first book in the Once Upon A Curse series Gathering Frost.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
book_worm_04's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me want my own Cole! So far this is my favorite couple of the series!
kim3100's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book confirms what I thought for a while. I just love retellings of fairytales. This story is based on beauty and the beast, but with a very strong protagonist. It is a short read for in between and I loved it!
This book confirms what I thought for a while. I just love retellings of fairytales. This story is based on beauty and the beast, but with a very strong protagonist. It is a short read for in between and I loved it!
courtofsmutandstuff's review against another edition
3.5
These are really solid, easily bingable books that are "twisted takes" on fairy tales. I liked this better than book 1, especially as it seemed to develop the love more between this couple vs book 1, but I still think Davis relied a little too much on the Beauty and the Beast trope to convey the falling in love than things on the page.
I'm going to keep going through the series (I can get through the audiobook so fast and it's enjoyable enough) but I'm also not telling any of my friends to read it either. If you're hungry for YA fairy tale retellings, these will hit the spot for you.
I'm going to keep going through the series (I can get through the audiobook so fast and it's enjoyable enough) but I'm also not telling any of my friends to read it either. If you're hungry for YA fairy tale retellings, these will hit the spot for you.
dani_bugz's review
2.0
Actual rating 2.5
While predictable, fluffy, silly and demanding many eye rolls, I did enjoy Withering Rose. It certainly wasn't anything special and I wouldn't go out of my way to get a copy, but if you happen to find a free version and have nothing else to read, it's a decent time waster!
While predictable, fluffy, silly and demanding many eye rolls, I did enjoy Withering Rose. It certainly wasn't anything special and I wouldn't go out of my way to get a copy, but if you happen to find a free version and have nothing else to read, it's a decent time waster!
whitney0498's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for an honest review and I absolutely loved it. This story is a twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. In the classic fairy tale the beast is the one that is cursed to being a beast and the one with the curse on his life span. In this book instead of the beast having the curse it is the beauty with the curse that she doesn’t know how to get rid of. This book just had me guessing on how she was going to break her curse of if it was even possible. I just couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait to read more of this series. It was a truly beautiful story that drew me into to their world and had my heart strings pulling for Cole and Omorose. This story has it all. It has magic, love, romance, and a self-less act. It has everything in it that makes a fairy tale truly wonderful.
chllybrd's review
I gave it 3.5 stars
I didn't fall in love with GATHERING FROST, but I liked it enough to be interested when I saw that WITHERING ROSE was available for review.
Davis introduces a new take on Beauty and the Beast in WITHERING ROSE. Omorose is from the magic side of things and is forced to keep her magic under lock and key to keep herself safe, but she can't do it anymore and heads to the only place she can think of that will let her be herself, the realm of the Beast. I found Omorose very determined despite her fears. She didn't give up and didn't let herself be pushed into doing things even though it would have made things easier. Cole was pretty gruff, but quickly grew on me. He is very protective of his people and Omorose quickly become one of them and more to him. Together the pair fit and complimented each other. The romance was sweet and the relationship ended strong.
Some will be happy to know that Jade and Asher from book one made an appearance in WITHERING ROSE. Those that know my reviews know that I love seeing past main characters throughout a series. Book three—which will be a Cinderella retelling—will feature someone related to Omorose, so I hope that we get to see all of the characters together at some point during it. I enjoyed WITHERING ROSE more than I did GATHERING ROSE and I hope that book three brings my enjoyment up even more.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't fall in love with GATHERING FROST, but I liked it enough to be interested when I saw that WITHERING ROSE was available for review.
Davis introduces a new take on Beauty and the Beast in WITHERING ROSE. Omorose is from the magic side of things and is forced to keep her magic under lock and key to keep herself safe, but she can't do it anymore and heads to the only place she can think of that will let her be herself, the realm of the Beast. I found Omorose very determined despite her fears. She didn't give up and didn't let herself be pushed into doing things even though it would have made things easier. Cole was pretty gruff, but quickly grew on me. He is very protective of his people and Omorose quickly become one of them and more to him. Together the pair fit and complimented each other. The romance was sweet and the relationship ended strong.
Some will be happy to know that Jade and Asher from book one made an appearance in WITHERING ROSE. Those that know my reviews know that I love seeing past main characters throughout a series. Book three—which will be a Cinderella retelling—will feature someone related to Omorose, so I hope that we get to see all of the characters together at some point during it. I enjoyed WITHERING ROSE more than I did GATHERING ROSE and I hope that book three brings my enjoyment up even more.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.