Published: June 15, 2021

Beena Khan

I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Beena Khan lives in New York City. She is 27 years old and currently holds a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology. She enjoys reading, writing, and netflixing. She published her debut novel at the age of 26. She brings dark fairytales to life. She writes edgy new adult, contemporary, and mafia romances that give you a book hangover.

“I’m no beast. I’m a King.”

Roza knew a life of love, tenderness, and happiness. Until the night, it is all ripped away. Brutally, torturously, and permanently. Now, Roza knows life is hurt, anguish, and loneliness. Enzo is promoted to King before his time, and he is angry. Revenge, power, and control are things he demands. So when Roza is slow to yield, he is determined to break her. She must atone for the sins of her family—a pretty bird, caged and abused.

Wow. This is heavy. It’s dark and ugly and intensely twisted. Seeing Enzo as a young man, and learning some of the things that shaped him into who he is, makes his character make sense. But he is still a terrible human.

The characters in this book are so well developed. There is so much heart woven into every aspect, every detail. Everything is intertwined just so, and every tiny detail matters.

This is a heavy trigger warning, and this novel may not be for everyone. It handles very serious topics, and it is delivered ruthlessly. The cold, angry, brutal mannerisms of Enzo and his crew are shocking on paper. His brutality leaps from the pages in the cruelest of ways.

Roza is such a complex character. She is so strong but also so broken. Her works as she has known it is ripped away, and she watches her old life go up in flames. And her new life is filled with abuse.

I am so blown away by how far Beena Khan has come. This novel is so vastly different from her debut, and her writing has exploded. She has captured this twisted tale, her modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and transformed it into a tale of horror and tragedy. But in such a stunningly heartbreaking way.

This series only gets better with each book. The twist in this one, the puzzle piece that connects this book to the previous two, is a doozy. I cannot wait to see what connects this story to book four.