A Dark Beauty by author Clarissa Kae is Book 1 in her Victorian Retellings Series. It is a unique take on the Beauty and the Beast story. The book cover was intriguing enough to make me decide that I needed to read it.

This is the story of Georgiana, her father, and Lord Pichon, cousin to the Queen. It is easy to become enchanted with the clever and beautiful Georgiana. She is caring, witty, and can tinker with all types of mechanical things. I thought she was a wonder. Her father is a master at making and breaking locks. They previously had some difficulties because of a fire. Lord Pichon blamed Georgie’s father for his troubles.

The story loosely follows the fairy tale. This time the setting is London. The author has added some of her own details and mystery. It was easy to visualize the story as I read. All in all, it was an entertaining book.

There are a few surprises and twists to keep the story interesting. For me, I had a difficult becoming invested in this book. The beginning was a bit slow and the overall pace of the book uneven. Dialog in parts did not seem to slow smoothly. I had to reread a few sections. Even though it is fiction (and based on a fairy tale), there were a few instances in the story that were just unbelievable, but it is make believe.

If you or someone you know enjoy fairy tale retelling, this would make a great book. I rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit, but these are my honest words.

About the Book

Book: A Dark Beauty

Author: Clarissa Kae

Genre: Fairytale

Release date: March 9, 2021

A Victorian Twist on Beauty And The Beast

Bold and brilliant, Georgiana has a gift for fixing machines—from clocks to carriages—while her father has a penchant for finding trouble. In an accidental fire, Georgiana and her father scar the once handsome face of Lord Pichon, cousin to the queen.
Rumors of Georgiana’s gift raise her family’s status. Her incomparable beauty captures the eye of many gentlemen and the wrath of Lord Pichon. Abandoned by his peers and alone in his cold castle, Lord Pichon is determined to enact revenge.
When Georgiana’s father makes a terrible mistake, she sacrifices herself to pay his debt—as a lowly maid in Lord Pichon’s castle.
Her wit and warmth begin to thaw Lord Pichon’s estate, making him question his version of the past. Will her kindness break the beastly lord or will he hold her family hostage forever?

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About the Author

Clarissa Kae is a preeminent voice whose professional career began as a freelance editor in 2007. She’s the former president of her local California Writers Club after spending several years as the Critique Director.Since her first novel, she’s explored different writing genres and created a loyal group of fans who eagerly await her upcoming release. With numerous awards to her name, Clarissa continues to honor the role of storyteller.Aside from the writing community, she and her daughters founded Kind Girls Make Strong Women to help undervalued nonprofit organizations—from reuniting children with families to giving Junior Olympic athletes their shot at success.She lives in the agricultural belly of California with her family and farm of horses, chickens, dogs and kittens aplenty.

More from Clarissa

As a young girl most of the fairy tales talked about beauty as the only attribute but when Disney came out with Beauty and the Beast, my world was rocked. For the first time the heroine was a woman with a brain and a plan. I began researching the fairy tale and read every version. When my youngest daughter was born (with dark hair and big beautiful brown eyes) I named her Isla Belle. For as long as I can remember, I dreamed of writing a Beauty and the Beast retelling. And finally, that dream as come true.