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A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales - B&tB Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 30,612 ratings

I could save him, but he would ruin me.

The beast.
The creature that stalks the forbidden wood.
The dragon prince.

He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.

We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction.

The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter.

He’s our hope.
He’s my nightmare.

When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn’t punish me with death, as he’s entitled.

He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me.

Apparently, I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king’s power.

But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him.

It would mean my ruin.

_ _ _ _ _ _

This is a dark and spicy Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring an anti-hero, a strong heroine, and a humorous supporting cast. This is an enemies-to-lovers and possible fated mates story suitable for 18+. It's the first of a trilogy, ending on a cliffhanger.

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"It was the dark, romantasy, fairytale I've been wanting. It's raw and delicious andI couldn't put it down... The undeniable energy between them crackles with carnality. Beware the broody dragons and sex demons." - Lady of Bookshire
"Dark, funny and sexy. It is undeniably a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but not as you've seen it before."

"Beauty and the Beast like you've never seen before! Darker with twists and turns to keep you guessing. And that ending!"

"A dark retelling of a classic. Beauty and the Beast has never been this tantalizing before. A true page turner."

"A spicy spin on a classic tale. This is unlike any version of Beauty and the Beast that you've seen before. Lose yourself in this dark and dangerous world. It will leave you begging for more."

"These are woods you'll want to get lost in, at least for a time. A dark, sexy spin on a classic fairy tale."

"Deliciously dark take on an old school classic. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast will open your eyes to a different world, with a storyline that will keep you entertained welcome to a different kind of fairytale."

About the Author

K.F. Breene is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Amazon Most Sold and #1 Kindle Store bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With millions of books sold, when she's not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she's sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and out of work treadmill.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CN4DNCP
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published (October 8, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 8, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5149 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 386 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1955757097
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 30,612 ratings

About the author

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K.F. Breene
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K.F. Breene is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy novels. With over four million books sold, when she’s not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she’s sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children and out of work treadmill.

Sign up for her newsletter to hear about the latest news and receive free bonus content ➜ http://bit.ly/2GkThKC

Instagram ➜ @kf_breene

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Join the fan group ➜ https://goo.gl/KAg0Nr

Visit her website ➜ kfbreene.com

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Drop a line ➜ kfbreene@gmail.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
30,612 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book's story and found it entertaining. They appreciated the humor, witty banter, and mature characters. Many liked the Beauty and the Beast vibe and spicy scenes.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

656 customers mention "Story quality"522 positive134 negative

Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find it well-paced with tension and banter. The background is beautifully laid out, providing an engaging fairytale setting with adventure, mystery, and surprises. Readers appreciate the world-building full of suspense, intrigue, hardship, love, loyalty, and imagination. Overall, they describe the book as a well-written paranormal story with a touch of eerie mystery.

"...In defense of some of the poorly rated reviews, this book has no grammatical errors and a main character who is mature for her youthful age..." Read more

"...author's customary humour that I enjoy, good suspense with a touch of eerie mystery due to the fantastical nature of the story and great potential..." Read more

"...me laugh, and her journeys into the wood were full of action and adventure !! We get to read about the curse and quite possibly a cure !!!..." Read more

"...It's barely even spicy. The books was great well written. It's just when I see a dark romance I expect a certain level a depravity...." Read more

418 customers mention "Readability"381 positive37 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find the banter and side characters entertaining. Some readers say the books 2-4 are worth the wait after reading the first one.

"...So good, so, so good. My favorite Breene series and might be my favorite urban paranormal story ever!" Read more

"...that meant isn't wasn't quite a 5 star read for me, the book was still really enjoyable and I'll definitely be going on with the next installment...." Read more

"What an amazing read !!! Finley is a tomboy in a cursed village . Ever since the curse, everyone in the village has been sort of stuck...." Read more

"...the spice was a little too early in my opinion but was still an amazing book and can’t wait to read the next one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️..." Read more

331 customers mention "Humor"303 positive28 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it funny, irreverent, and fun. The banter is described as blunt, sarcastic, and creative. Many readers laugh out loud and even curse.

"...I would classify as an alpha and I LOVED her sass, resilience, inappropriate humor, foul language and strength...." Read more

"...It had this author's customary humour that I enjoy, good suspense with a touch of eerie mystery due to the fantastical nature of the story and..." Read more

"...Punishable by death. This book was very funny. Especially Finley's soliliquies to herself, and her snarkiness to just about everyone...." Read more

"...I did love the banter between Finley and Nyfain. Her humor was hilarious as was her animal...." Read more

310 customers mention "Character development"270 positive40 negative

Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the main character mature for her age, and the side characters humorous. The book is easy for them to visualize and appreciate the author's unique style.

"...this book has no grammatical errors and a main character who is mature for her youthful age (comments about immaturity ridiculous), having to grow..." Read more

"...The secondary characters were good, from Finley's family to those in the castle. My particular favourite was Hadriel, the mediocre servant...." Read more

"...I couldn't put the book down!! And I love the main characters personality. How she doesn't behave like a damsel in distress. Love love love...." Read more

"...I devoured this book and fell in love with all the characters I met." Read more

186 customers mention "Beauty and the beast"166 positive20 negative

Customers enjoy the book's retelling of Beauty and the Beast. They find it spicy, with an alpha dragon and epic demon orgies. The characters are relatable and sexy, like good couples porn. The foreshadowing is beautiful, though some find it cheesy at times.

"...a bit of an outcast, sarcastic at all the right moments, tough, beautiful and compassionate and uses her skills and smarts to try and find a cure..." Read more

"...It is very sexy and dirty.) Dedication from the author: “Grab them pearls...." Read more

"This book was really cute...." Read more

"...story and the characters are great and it does give a spin off on the beauty and the beast...." Read more

135 customers mention "Spice level"117 positive18 negative

Customers enjoy the book's spicy content. They find the scenes delicious and original. The characters are described as smart and capable.

"...That being said, the book certainly had a flavour of originality for me and I look forward to more world building in the next ones...." Read more

"This book is quite spicy ☺️, but I love that it has a good story line too. I couldn't put the book down!! And I love the main characters personality...." Read more

"...The spice build up is awesome…I have continued on with the series" Read more

"...This book has the right amount of spice. I felt the last half of the book was a bit rushed. Not a bad book but the pace was off for me." Read more

219 customers mention "Erotic content"142 positive77 negative

Customers have mixed views on the erotic content. Some find it steamy and romantic, with intimate scenes and hilarious dialogue. Others feel it contains too much sexual innuendos and kinky language.

"...This series is by far K. F. Breene's most racy to date, filled with both main characters and "sidekicks" that you will adore...." Read more

"...For some reason it just missed the mark, too much sex to be sexy maybe?" Read more

"...what she knows and they embark on a weirdly, hot, suspenseful, emotional adventure. Ends on a minor cliffhanger...." Read more

"...The sex gets more steamy and explicit (makes one wonder what sort of fabulous sex life the book author enjoys!)..." Read more

102 customers mention "Pacing"68 positive34 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it fast-paced and never slowing down, with a fierce and determined heroine. Others feel the scenes are crude and vulgar, with a slow buildup of sexy content.

"...Finley is herself what I would classify as an alpha and I LOVED her sass, resilience, inappropriate humor, foul language and strength...." Read more

"...The humor is amazing and I love the FMC she is hilarious,strong and independent,it's amazing...." Read more

"...It is very sexy and dirty.) Dedication from the author: “Grab them pearls...." Read more

"...I was hooked from the first page. I cannot wait to read the next book I this series." Read more

Beauty meet beast!
5 out of 5 stars
Beauty meet beast!
Beauty meet beast!Hello! I was not expecting this steamy rollercoaster ride!I went in blindly and man am I so glad I did. This book is smut - lots of smut. So if that isn’t your thing, this book isn’t for you.A strong willed- filthy and poor villager is on a mission to find a permanent potion to heal and undo what the demon king has done! But there is one huge issue- the beast that lurks in the woods she has to enter each time she needs ingredients! Can she succeed without being captured by the beast? He has plans and so does she and they both can’t seem to fight the animalistic pull!Sexy, exciting, interesting, unexpected and funny too! Of course I had to immediately start the next in the series because it kept me intrigued!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2022
    If you are easily offended or are looking for flowery, floaty novel, this book is not for you, move along. I have a really hard time not rolling my eyes at the one star reviews here, they seem to be written by people who read a few books a year or have a personal vendetta against this author. I'm an avid reader, read about a book a day, and across many genres. In defense of some of the poorly rated reviews, this book has no grammatical errors and a main character who is mature for her youthful age (comments about immaturity ridiculous), having to grow up in a really tough world. It's like the reviewers leaving really poor ratings didn't actually read the book.

    First off, if you do NOT appreciate a risqué series, this one is maybe not for you! I've read the series in it's entirety and book one (Ruin) is a slow build with some steamy goodness... the real heat shows up in following books in the series.

    This series is by far K. F. Breene's most racy to date, filled with both main characters and "sidekicks" that you will adore. In fact, you will be invested with so many of them you are sad to see their stories end when you get to the finale of this series. Filled with numerous alpha heroes, yes, but main character Finley is herself what I would classify as an alpha and I LOVED her sass, resilience, inappropriate humor, foul language and strength. No spoilers in this review as to the storyline, only a five star rating to encourage you to pick this up and read it! So good, so, so good. My favorite Breene series and might be my favorite urban paranormal story ever!
    36 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2021
    I enjoyed this book but thought it would knock me for six a little more. I think after all of the build up and warnings about explicit content (I'm a massive fan of this author - I've read most of her books and they're all 5 stars from me), I was expecting a little more of a punch but what I found seemed to be more gratuitous smexy scenes thrown in here and there to spice things up a little and make it seem like a more risque, erotic read. I didn't find anything shocking or treading over any sort of line at all. This isn't a comment on the author's work as I'm sure some readers will be clutching their pearls, but more on what I expected. I'm obviously reading a lot of content that jumps straight over that invisible line of what makes a darker, naughtier read because it just seemed like a couple of kinkier bits and pieces were scattered about briefly and that was as heavy as it got. There was plenty of steam that didn't push the envelope that far between the two main characters (which I was kind of expecting because my favourite books by this author have them sealing the deal in the second/latter books, rather than the first), but again, nothing I found out of place or ground-shaking. A word of warning for those that might find the random kink scenes offensive - read the flipping warning on the book rather than buying it and complaining. It's labelled as erotic fantasy so that might give you a bit of a clue. There are also a few 'c' bombs here and there, too, so if that's something that will make you tsk, tsk, you've been warned so park your disapproval elsewhere. Oh, and there's an itty, bitty cliffhanger but the next book isn't far away, so fear not.

    The story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. As you'd expect from a K. F. Breene book, there was heaps to love, including the spin she's put on a familiar tale. There's a rose garden, an enchanted woods, a scarred hero, a kind but punchy heroine who likes to read and a curse thrown over the kingdom by a demon king that is leading the inhabitants further towards unhappiness and death. The two main characters are both right up my alley. Lyfain, our beast and a dragon shifter, is growly, jealous, possessive and dominant with baggage for days. I really loved the author's shaping of his beast character to fit the narrative. Finley, his counterpart, is intelligent, 6 foot tall, a hunter with a lot of stereotypically 'male' characteristics, poor, a bit of an outcast, sarcastic at all the right moments, tough, beautiful and compassionate and uses her skills and smarts to try and find a cure for the sickness that plagues everyone in her village due to the curse (if you've read this author's work before, she'll remind you of most of her female characters but written in a way that makes her new in the different setting). As she has knowledge of plants and healing, this is woven threw the book which I really enjoyed. She's a shifter, too, but due to the curse, has never made the change and her understanding of this has a lot of gaps which I'm going to assume get filled in in future books in the series.

    The secondary characters were good, from Finley's family to those in the castle. My particular favourite was Hadriel, the mediocre servant. Demons abound due to the demon king's curse and his desire to take over Lyfain's kingdom. There are violent, gross demons and smexy-time ones who are there to debauch the castle inhabitants and make them hate themselves and life in general. I'm assuming (and hoping) this is built on more in the next book as while they complemented the story arc, the sexual ones didn't really offer this book that much apart from, once again, opportunities for some readers to pearl clutch. That being said, the book certainly had a flavour of originality for me and I look forward to more world building in the next ones.

    The story had a great start and finish, but I found some of the story line in the middle was Finley being hit by waves of arousal and trying to convince herself that she didn't have the hots for Lyfain. The curse was there, her work with the everlass plants was present, but there wasn't that much else standing out for me. That's not to say it wasn't entertaining - it was, otherwise I wouldn't have given it four stars, but there were some bits and pieces in this book that I wasn't expecting from this author. Again, not bad, just not always for me. There was the secret about Lyfain that most readers will figure out from the get-go (I don't think this was meant to be a deep, dark puzzle. At least, I hope not, because it was glaringly obvious), several 'c' bombs here and there (this didn't worry me as they didn't abound and where I'm from, this word is basically an adjective and/or a noun on a daily basis), solid dirty talk and a bit of repetition, particularly regarding how big and muscular Lyfain was and how Finley was 'only' a commoner.

    The other thing that wasn't up my alley were some of the phrases used in the intimate scenes, not because they went too far but because I found that they sounded like they came from a cheesy paperback. I'm talking overly explicit lines that seemed literal rather than explicit and gems like wet depths, sudden wetness (so much random liquid that Finley was like a walking Niagara Falls. I ended up feeling sorry for her because she was constantly aroused and it went nowhere for her), a needy *insert 'c' bomb*, more wet kitty cat (use your imagination here) and more gushing between body parts. I'm sure you're getting the picture. It got to the point that I was more concerned about hygiene because there was no running water to help with all this body fluid lol. And the one thing that made my eyes cross was...*SPOILER*.... the hero leaving Finley in the lurch without so much as a goodbye because... wait for it... it was for her own good. This is pet peeve of mine. I hate it in books, it's been done to death and it's cliché. This is a personal preference so don't get your knickers in a knot, but I'm mentioning it because I gave the book 4 stars. I'm sure this will all blow over in the next book, but it made me stabby in this one.

    Overall, while there were some elements that meant isn't wasn't quite a 5 star read for me, the book was still really enjoyable and I'll definitely be going on with the next installment. It had this author's customary humour that I enjoy, good suspense with a touch of eerie mystery due to the fantastical nature of the story and great potential for future world building. I'm not a betting woman, but if I was, I'd back the next book being even better.
    139 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2024
    What an amazing read !!!
    Finley is a tomboy in a cursed village . Ever since the curse, everyone in the village has been sort of stuck. And some are sick. Like dying sick. But Finley can use leaves and make marvelous potions that slow the disease down .
    Mostly .
    Through trial and error and the books in their local library, she does ok. But, in order to get the proper ingredients, she must go into the Forbidden Wood . That is where the very special everlass grows. And must be collected at night for the optimal benefits.
    The forest is now full of demonic creatures that can hurt, and even kill. But she is careful.
    Mostly.
    She has come across the dreded beast several times, but she always makes it back.

    Nyfain is the last noble alive in their cursed land. He is growing tired of the curse and its consequences, and needs a distraction.
    Finley comes along and here it is . Its a crime to steal from the woods. Punishable by death.

    This book was very funny. Especially Finley's soliliquies to herself, and her snarkiness to just about everyone. The whole palace scenes made me laugh, and her journeys into the wood were full of action and adventure !! We get to read about the curse and quite possibly a cure !!!
    But that is the next book !!!
    Yes, boys and girls , there is a cliff hanger here !!! A great read has me panting for the next !!!
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Avril Gómez
    3.0 out of 5 stars It was ok
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 28, 2024
    I really like it, at first it felt slow but got interesting and the history appear to be good, nice adult scenes
  • Luisa Andrade
    5.0 out of 5 stars this book messed with my head
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 15, 2022
    This is a retelling of the beauty and the beast but with more personality.
    The only thing that bothered me was to slow pace of the development of the story.
    It’s understandable but it bugged me a little.
    However this little detail did not messed with the quality of the story.
    It’s super intriguing and a little confusing but so good!!
    I love it!!
  • Dave Stanavech
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
    Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2022
    This is the first book I have read from this Author .I will definitely be reading the next one I enjoyed reading a different twist to an old tale. The characters are interesting I really like that Finley is not only beautiful but smart and courageous
  • Poetic Puppy
    5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I hadn't waited to read it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2023
    K. F. Breene is probably my favourite author. Even still, I decided to hold off on reading this series. I knew I’d get to it eventually; I’m just not overly keen on fairytale retellings. That’s not to say I don’t read them, it’s more that I haven’t seen many of them done particularly well. Having read the first book, however, I was hooked. There are little nods here and there to the original story that I thoroughly enjoyed but the world itself is so different and intriguing.

    I read many romance sub-genres, so I wasn’t too worried about the wilder, kinky aspects I was told this series would contain, but honestly, this first book was rather tame. Yes, we get a few glimpses at some of the weird and (possibly not so) wonderful things the castle inhabitants are into, but it really is only a passing glimpse. A Ruin of Roses is more geared towards setting the stage for the story to come. We learn the world, the people, the plot (which yes, seems to differ a little from what you might expect). I absolutely fell into this story. With her usual skill, Breene creates not only a story you need to keep reading, but a place you can picture, a cast you feel emotionally connected to and a journey you feel invested in.

    I have a love/hate relationship with spoilers, so I’m not going to go into detail about the specific things I enjoyed or my favourite moments. I will tell you that you will laugh, you will worry and you might get turned on. So if erotica is not your genre, then this probably won’t be the series for you, as book 2 is looking like it turns up the heat level. If, however, you’re a fan of snarky characters, alpha personalities, silly side characters and superb storytelling, then by all means… jump right in, you won’t be disappointed. I know I’m not.
  • Emma
    4.0 out of 5 stars It’s very good
    Reviewed in Sweden on January 26, 2023
    This book is very good but one thing I don’t like is the super long chapters still worth the money

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