BOOK REVIEW - THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED by PAGE MORGAN - THE DISPOSSESSED # 1 - HOT KEY BOOKS - YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE

By: Page Morgan
Published By: Hot Key Books
Released : Available Now
Details : Paperback from library, 341 Pages

RATING: 5 LUC STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Ingrid Waverley is a young woman to be reckoned with. Faced with her brother's mysterious disappearance after an abrupt move to Paris, she is determined to discover what has happened to him. Soon she and her sister Gabriella are drawn into a Parisian underworld more terrifying than they could ever have imagined, but watching over them are two impossible (and impossibly handsome) young men. Luc is a 'Dispossessed', an ancient gargoyle whose sworn duty it is to protect the humans who inhabit his abbey. Nolan has secrets of his own too. He is a member of the Alliance - a shadowy group dedicated to keeping Paris safe from the demonic forces that threaten to destroy it.

Secrets, danger and hidden powers stalk the girls in this beautifully imagined paranormal romance that will keep readers gripped from beginning to end - and one thing is for sure - you'll never look at a gargoyle in the same way again...

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

“What if I told you that the version of heaven and hell you believe in - the version most of the world believes in - is wrong? What if I told you there isn’t just one devil to fear in some fiery pit, but limitless demons that find their way to the earth’s surface? Wouldn’t you want someone to be aware of them? Someone who can fight them?”

That was a whole pile of gothic, Victorian YA excitement.

I LOVED , The Beautiful and the Cursed. I first saw this book over at Rachel’s blog from The Rest Is Still Unwritten , last year. 

When Hot Key Books approached me to review The Lovely and the Lost, I didn’t realize it was book # 2 of The Dispossessed series.

I promptly put my reserve in for The Beautiful and the Cursed at my little wee, local seaside library.

The year is 1899 in Faubourg Saint-Germain, Paris. Love me some Victorian era, Paris. Ingrid, her mother and her younger sister Gabby have moved to the old Abbey, L’Abbaye Saint - Dismas, Paris from London. 

Lady Charlotte Brickton will be opening an art gallery and her two daughters have gone abroad with her. The girls brother Grayson, had been sent in advance, couple months prior to find their residence.

Grayson and Ingrid are twins, nearly turning eighteen. Gabriella is fifteen, nearly turning sixteen.

Now people, you have to take into account the era this book is written is, 1899. It is a time where young girls are being married off young. Everything is proper, so the romance is also , proper.

This I loved. But at the same time...it's a little daring.

Enter Vander and Nolan.

Vander is the American who works in his bookstore and Nolan the Scotsman. I do like these two. Nolan I like that bit more. These two can banter.

“You did well,” Nolan said with a sly grin. “You should be onstage, Burke. I’m sure you could find work as an ogre or hunchback or some other disfigured beast, what with that ugly mug of yours.”

“It would be a shame to go onstage alone,” Vander said. “You could take the female role and finally show off those stunning legs of yours.”

These are a couple of young gents who have their eye on the young sisters.

Grayson is missing, the sisters and their mother are desperate to find Grayson and there are a lot of interested parties.

Let the excitement begin.

This tale has its dark moments, and it has its very Victorian era moments.

If you like The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, and Kady Cross’s Steampunk Chronicles, then I dare say you will enjoy The Dispossessed , series.

Now , there is no steampunk in this tale, not that I could see anyway, but there are gargoyles.

Smexi gargoyles. Smexi Dispossessed and there is the Alliance.

Enter Luc.

Luc must guard the occupants of the abbey where Ingrid, Gabby and Lady Brickton are residing. Luc lost Grayson to the Underneath, he isn’t going to lose his new charges.

It made Luc sick with fury at times that someone else - something else - directed his mind. His actions. Luc hadn’t missed being one of the Dispossessed in Paris. He would have much rather spent his eternal punishment high in the rafters of the north bell tower, curled up like one of the hunched granite gargoyles along the roof, wings wound tightly around himself, his scales slowly crusting over to stone.

But now he was awake, and in charge of whoever inhabited the abbey and rectory.


I really love Luc’s character. He is written really well and you can’t help sympathize with his lot in life and who he must answer to.

In well-practiced harmony, his pale skin rippled into a sheath of jet scales, his spinal column popped and cracked as it lengthened to support the rock-like muscles reshaping his arms, legs, and chest. The cartilage and folded bones of a pair of featherless obsidian wings split through the plates on his back. They erupted like charred black mountains and unfurled to a wingspan longer than Luc’s human height. The bones of his skull and face parted and slipped like fault lines shaken apart by an earthquake into the shape of a dog’s head - crumpled snout, pointed ears, and all.

He knew he was hideous to behold, and as he approached the loft door at a run and leaped into the night, he had every intention of using the terror his appearance inspired to battle whoever- or whatever - threatened Ingrid.


The Alliance treat the gargoyles with little regard, yet they need them.

I thought this was a beautifully told story of danger, deception and intrigue, wrapped up in a YA read and all that great Victorian era proper , dashing stuff.

Gabby would have to be my favourite out of the two sisters. She has spunk. There was a moment where a certain gentleman, who is a tad few years older, may have let his feelings be known to the younger sister with a rather scrumptious kiss. It felt quite daring, for the era.

Gabby spun around and pierced him with an icy glare, but then saw his puckish grin.

“You can be my nurse, he finished.

Gabby scowled at him and started to turn back to the window. But the sight of Nolan’s fingers undoing the top clasps of his collar stopped her. He then rucked up the bottom of his shirt, lifted it over his head, and tossed it aside. Nolan sat before Gabby, his chest and arms completely bare - and absolutely marvelous.


Gabby is quite a daring character. She behaved older than her near sixteen years.

“I apologize, but I haven’t a coat to warm you,” Nolan said, picking up on her thoughts like some sort of magician.

“I haven’t a need for one,” she replied.

“You’re a prickly little juniper, aren’t you?”

He sounded amused, just like the time he’d observed she had a bit of flint in her.


Ingrid has her hands full with two lads, who I like , but one I like that bit more. Ingrid had to leave London due to a very unfortunate incident. Ingrid’s character is quite intriguing the more you read.

Luc didn’t understand why his connection to Ingrid outshone those he had with other humans in the rectory. It wasn’t her beauty - though she did have that in spades. Her corn-silk hair, aubergine eyes, and dove-white skin had been imprinted in his memory almost as forcefully as her scent. Luc had lain awake the night before, surfacing her scent time and again, trying to understand what that underlying tang was. Obsessing over it. Overwhelmed by it.


Can the Alliance and the Dispossessed work together for the common goal of keeping the world safe from what lies in the Underneath?

You will have to read and find out. 

I can only assume that is Gabby on the cover of The Beautiful and the Cursed as she has dark hair and Ingrid is on the cover of The Lovely and The Lost, due to their hair colors. I may be wrong. They may be both Ingrid. I’m a bit unsure, the girl is sitting next to a gargoyle on the first book cover, which makes me think of Ingrid.

Forbidden love, demons, dashing moments, dark moments and some Victorian era romance made this a very exciting read.

I truly loved it. 

I am trying to get a hold of the # 1.5, Marco’s Story, novella as I want to read it. I liked Marco. He's a bit of a cranky pants, so I am intrigued about his novella.

Hot Key books have given me The Lovely and the Lost, #2 in the series to review and I have started it. I am very excited to see how it all plays out, especially the forbidden love and the other interested party, and watch Gabby.

Luc carefully laid the ivory comb next to its match on the table. She was ready to repeat her question when his hand unexpectedly came back up. Ingrid froze as he grazed his fingers through her hair, scattering a few pins to the floor. Then he gripped the back of her head, his tangled fingers tugging at her hair, and Ingrid thought she could finally read something in the way he looked at her: a longing so tangible that it made her ache.

Bring. It. On.

Michelle

OLD pic.

Me - 18 years old - Notre Dame - Check out the Gargoyles!!!
This poor lad has one of his horns busted off.
Hope it wasn't Marco.

This was many , many , many years ago so excuse the boofy hair!

I kid you not. 

After listening in French to something about the Bell in the bell tower, me and 2 of my accomplices actually went up on the roof of the Notre Dame. We lay at a slant and took some photos.

I don't believe we were supposed to leave the group and do that.