Publication Date: 01st Nov 2023
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Gender-Flipped Fairytale Retelling
3.5 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining but could have been better
Nona May Taylor was cursed by a witch to become an old woman, while the witch enjoys Nona’s stardom and career as a singer. Nona is content in her secluded cabin with her family and her agent, who were also cursed by the witch.
However, Nona saves Charlie, a hiker, and is nursing him back to health. He brings her hope, and Nona realizes maybe there’s a chance to break the curse. Is Charlie indeed her true love? If yes, will the witch let it happen without a fight?
The story comes in three parts in Nona’s first-person POV.
What I Like:
The family dynamics are the highlight of the book. Nona is eighty-three years old (though her actual age is around 22) and the only human in her family. The rest of them have been cursed to become various animals.
From the beginning, readers can see the love and bonding between Nona’s family members, the agent included. They are quirky and have distinctive personalities, even though they don’t get an in-depth characterization. It’s refreshing to read about such positive family dynamics despite their situation.
The setting is also well done. The snow, cold, cabin, and woods create the right atmosphere for the plot. There are quite a few instances of hunting for food and dressing the dead animals (I don’t mind it; mentioning it for others to be prepared).
Charlie is adorable and a sweetheart (despite one of his decisions). It is easy to see him and Nona as a young couple in love even though there isn’t enough ‘show’ where it’s necessary.
There is enough humor to make the reader chuckle a few times. The story is more or less lighthearted and very much surface-level (this is a disadvantage too). The first half is definitely stronger. The most enjoyable part of the second half is Larry.
There is no third-act breakup or miscommunication. And we also get an epilogue to present the story with a neatly tied bow.
What Could Have Been Better for Me:
The book is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast. While I’m not bothered by that, I do wish the whole concept of the curse and the actual story behind it is better presented.
As the reveals begin in the second half, the story switches to romance, which still works to an extent. However, the plot gets more and more convoluted as it progresses.
It could have still worked if the threads were handled in detail. Instead, we get random bits and pieces of information in an attempt that bring them, which doesn’t entirely succeed.
NGL, the threesome caught me unawares. I’m not sure why it is even there except to tick it off a checklist. Also, given the ages and their past, it makes the whole thing awkward. Some relationships don’t have to be defined by sex, and the sort of pity angle makes this even worse.
The climax could have been a lot stronger. It started well, but the villain is a caricature, which made the whole thing feel OTT. Confrontations in snow remind me of Breaking Dawn (something I enjoyed a lot more).
An item that plays a prominent role in the plot is quite easily obtained and used so causally that I didn’t even feel its presence and power. Moreover, Aunt Lulu and her cabin could have amplified the atmosphere but have a limited role.
To summarize, The Curse of Nona May Taylor is a medium-paced, lighthearted read with talking animals and a love story. This would have worked better if the subplots were more cohesive and detailed or removed to retain focus only on the core story.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pinkity Publishing, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #TheCurseofNonaMayTaylor
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