Beautiful Curse by Jen McConnel #BookReview #Giveaway

Beautiful Curse
by Jen McConnel
Release Date: December 2014
Swoon Romance

Sixteen-year-old Mya Jones is cursed.

She is, hands down, the most beautiful creature on earth. But beauty can wound, and Mya finds herself reviled and shunned by her peers. If there is even a chance that she could start over, Mya longs to take it, no matter the risks.

So when the strange Mr. Merk offers her a new life away from home, Mya is hesitant but hopeful. Only she didn't count on the mysterious Ross, or her feelings for him.

BEAUTIFUL CURSE is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid.

As much as I love great mythology, I am not as familiar with the story of Cupid and Psyche. So when I saw this was a retelling, I definitely wanted to read it. Jen McConnel does such a great job with the Greek myths that I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed in Beautiful Curse and I wasn’t.

Although the story started a little slow for me, I love Jen’s writing so it was still engaging and when we finally find Mya at Ross’s lovely abode, it really starts to jog. I’m fascinated by the world that is created within the walls of the palace and has a very Beauty and the Beast feel to it. (which I think is based on the tale of Psyche and Cupid as well). I like books that put me in that dreamy state like this one does. I wanted to wander around the palace myself and deal with invisible butlers and servants.

This is such a great retelling and manages to modernize and older tale. Even the task that Aphrodite gives to Mya to complete make more sense for this day in age. It’s kind of funny actually. I like too that there still manages to be a slight twist from the original story to make it, it’s own thing. Plus I like that Mya is not perfect and has her moments of weakness. I also like the lesson she learns in the end.

As always Jen McConnel handles the retelling of a greek myth beautifully. I hope she continues to do more because it makes the stories interesting to read. I love mythology but I really love how she revitalizes the stories. So that someone who might not be into the originals as much are still learning the stories.

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga.

Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.