A review by llamallamacallurmama
Bitterburn by Ann Aguirre

4.0

**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers.  I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.** 

4/5

Audio (Megan Green)

Summary:  Beauty and the Beast retelling where a young woman used to serving as the backbone of her father’s new family after the death of her mother offers herself as part of her struggling village’s tribute to the mysterious monster of a nearby castle - before finding things are not at all as they might have seemed.

Stats: HR/Fantasy, M/F, open door, stand alone.

Notes: I enjoyed this - especially the open and affirmative approach to sex.  The plot dragged and raced a bit, but I thought it was well done over all.

OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:

Death of previous partner, death of parent, death of pet (brief description, pet rat), child abuse (whipping - mentioned, neglect - described), alcohol, masturbation, death, description of corpse, blindfolding, scarred MMC, torture (of MMC, in the past), infertility (side character), ill child, attempted sex trafficking/planned rape, planned drugging, parental favoritism, poverty, mmc hits something out of anger, death of an infant animal, murder/mercy killing, vague references to SA of MMC, concern of pregnancy risk, 21F/several hundred years old M