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Hedgewitches' Tales #1
Poppies & Roses: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast
It's 1918, and the world is at war. Lieutenant Lord David Montgomery barely escaped a deadly hand-to-hand encounter in the trenches, and as he lies in the hospital he receives a mysterious visit from a hedgewitch in the dead of night. She curses his battle wounds to never heal until he learns to love and finds love in return. Weak and shellshocked, he is sent home to England, but his war-depleted household is unable to care for him and keep the manor in one piece at the same time. David's housekeeper insists on hiring a private nurse. Reluctantly, he agrees, not knowing what whoever comes will make of the unnatural nature of his injuries. Clara Prescott just needs to continue earning a wage while she recuperates from the horrific ambulance accident that broke her leg. She accepts a position caring for the lord of her home town in England despite the bad memories coming back stirs up. Clara is an excellent nurse thanks to the secret training as a hedgewitch she received while she was a girl. Even though that training abruptly ended with her mother's death, she does her best with the knowledge she has. She knows returning is a risk given her tarnished reputation in town, but all she has to do is survive until her leg heals and then she can go back to Flanders.But Clara has no idea just how perfect she is for this particular job...
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2018
4 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 11, 2018
The second "Beauty and the Beast" retelling set during World War I that I read for the 100th anniversary, and sadly just as disappointing as the other.
Editing wasn't that big an issue with this, to list a positive, and the characters were better done also, the female especially, plus the author is a better storyteller. Then what was my problem with the book? Magic! Stupid magic!
As I said in my review of the other retelling, the abundance of PTSD-suffering soldiers is a perfect opportunity to create a very attractive "Beast" figure as well as an excellent war (or even anti-war) story with the ongoing conflict. Allison Norfolk did seize the opportunity by taking a soldier freshly out of the trenches as her protagonist and decided to use shell-shock in place of the "curse" on Beast . . . and then blew it up by adding magic and witches.
Yes, you read it right: witches. Real witches with magical powers, not any Salem-style poor souls or those Wiccan people. Actual witches. Turns out that, while our wounded English hero is convalescing after a nearly fatal hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier in No Man's Land, he Talk about unbelievable and implausible as well as completely unnecessary. The soldier never has to deal with and fight through the dire consequences of shell-shock as a result of this cheap trick, all he has to do is suffer his "curse" like a good (barking & hollering) boy and fall for the nurse who suffers his tantrums.
I'm so disappointed. Once more, I've stumbled upon a great historical tragedy being used as an excuse for romance, one of my chief pet hates as a reader. I still hope to one day find a great fairy tale retelling set in World War I (Hayden Wand, hopefully it'll be you), but this wasn't the day and this wasn't the book.
Editing wasn't that big an issue with this, to list a positive, and the characters were better done also, the female especially, plus the author is a better storyteller. Then what was my problem with the book? Magic! Stupid magic!
As I said in my review of the other retelling, the abundance of PTSD-suffering soldiers is a perfect opportunity to create a very attractive "Beast" figure as well as an excellent war (or even anti-war) story with the ongoing conflict. Allison Norfolk did seize the opportunity by taking a soldier freshly out of the trenches as her protagonist and decided to use shell-shock in place of the "curse" on Beast . . . and then blew it up by adding magic and witches.
Yes, you read it right: witches. Real witches with magical powers, not any Salem-style poor souls or those Wiccan people. Actual witches. Turns out that, while our wounded English hero is convalescing after a nearly fatal hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier in No Man's Land, he Talk about unbelievable and implausible as well as completely unnecessary. The soldier never has to deal with and fight through the dire consequences of shell-shock as a result of this cheap trick, all he has to do is suffer his "curse" like a good (barking & hollering) boy and fall for the nurse who suffers his tantrums.
I'm so disappointed. Once more, I've stumbled upon a great historical tragedy being used as an excuse for romance, one of my chief pet hates as a reader. I still hope to one day find a great fairy tale retelling set in World War I (Hayden Wand, hopefully it'll be you), but this wasn't the day and this wasn't the book.
July 9, 2018
Loved this book! Even though it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast so I knew exactly how it would all turn out, the setting (England during WWI), plot and characters kept me turning pages. I read this one in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great summer read from a brand new author.
It was released on Kindle on June 28.
It was released on Kindle on June 28.
January 20, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written book. The story and the development of the characters are engaging and kept me reading, eager to see what happened next.
I normally don't like fantasy books, but the elements of witchcraft in this book were a clever way to add a whimsical touch to a classic love story.
The author obviously research not only the facts of World War I, but also what it was like to have lived through trench warfare, PTSD (then known as Shellshock), and life at a somewhat neglected country manor in that time period. She portrayed how life for Britain's nobility began to change beginning with that war.
I would highly recomment this book.
I normally don't like fantasy books, but the elements of witchcraft in this book were a clever way to add a whimsical touch to a classic love story.
The author obviously research not only the facts of World War I, but also what it was like to have lived through trench warfare, PTSD (then known as Shellshock), and life at a somewhat neglected country manor in that time period. She portrayed how life for Britain's nobility began to change beginning with that war.
I would highly recomment this book.
June 30, 2019
Unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Set in World War I, aka, what was then known as "The Great War," the mother of a dead German soldier curses the man who killed him, so that he will not heal from his injuries. He remains alive, though, as his blood does not turn septic due to the curse, as the hedgewitch who cursed him wants him to remain alive until he learns to love. This man, Lord David Montgomery from England, is sent home when his injuries do not heal. David hires a nurse to take care of him since he is bedridden due to the open wounds. His nurse, Clara, also happens to be a hedgewitch, although with little training, and tries to heal him.
David is really easy to like. It isn't like he enjoyed killing in the war, and suffers what can be termed to be "shellshock" or PTSD from it, on top of having to deal with the unhealed wounds. Clara is easy to like as well, as she just wants to do her job, and truly enjoys helping people. You also get to know some of the servants as well, who care for their employer.
Although you know this is going to have a happy ever after, the journey there is fun with some surprises. Clara has her own problems to deal with as she used to live near Lord Montgomery's home and people know her. Let's just say there are a few people you want to punch for how they treat her, and even spread gossip about her!
Would like to reread this. Great job.
Set in World War I, aka, what was then known as "The Great War," the mother of a dead German soldier curses the man who killed him, so that he will not heal from his injuries. He remains alive, though, as his blood does not turn septic due to the curse, as the hedgewitch who cursed him wants him to remain alive until he learns to love. This man, Lord David Montgomery from England, is sent home when his injuries do not heal. David hires a nurse to take care of him since he is bedridden due to the open wounds. His nurse, Clara, also happens to be a hedgewitch, although with little training, and tries to heal him.
David is really easy to like. It isn't like he enjoyed killing in the war, and suffers what can be termed to be "shellshock" or PTSD from it, on top of having to deal with the unhealed wounds. Clara is easy to like as well, as she just wants to do her job, and truly enjoys helping people. You also get to know some of the servants as well, who care for their employer.
Although you know this is going to have a happy ever after, the journey there is fun with some surprises. Clara has her own problems to deal with as she used to live near Lord Montgomery's home and people know her. Let's just say there are a few people you want to punch for how they treat her, and even spread gossip about her!
Would like to reread this. Great job.
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September 9, 2023A sweet, clean Beauty and the Beast tale set in World War 1. Beauty is a nurse, ambulance driver & hedge witch (I liked the strong take on Beauty's character) hired to care for a cursed Beast. Curses and counter-curses, oh my.
How does this tale reflect the OG Beauty and the Beast?
🌹 There's a curse & true love's cure (HEA of course!)
🌹 Beast is deformed and healed
🌹 Beauty is humble
🌹 Beauty returns to the Beast
🌹 Beauty is wary of "marrying up"
Beauty & the Beast Fan Fiction List
How does this tale reflect the OG Beauty and the Beast?
🌹 There's a curse & true love's cure (HEA of course!)
🌹 Beast is deformed and healed
🌹 Beauty is humble
🌹 Beauty returns to the Beast
🌹 Beauty is wary of "marrying up"
Beauty & the Beast Fan Fiction List
November 8, 2020
So I will always read a beauty and the beast retelling, but this was particularly cool because I recognized the author from a fan forum we were on together lo these many eons ago. I’m so glad to see her take on the story now and I love how understated the magic in the story is. And how much thought she put into the curse itself.
It was a really good historical romance novel with the fairy twist and I’m so glad it’s out there in the world.
It was a really good historical romance novel with the fairy twist and I’m so glad it’s out there in the world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews