A young woman jumps at the chance to save her family (and humanity) in this adult fantasy romance.

I struggle with writing reviews when I feel apathetic about the novel. Heart of the Fae has so many elements I usually enjoy - a feisty and independent heroine, a compelling yet damaged hero, an atmospheric and intriguing setting - and yet I enjoyed them so very little in this novel. That's not to say this story is poorly written. It does a remarkable job twisting the elements from the original Beauty and the Beast tale to make something entirely new, yet eerily familiar.

While the fantasy element of the novel compelled me to keep reading, the romance left me not really caring. Not only did I not connect to Sorcha and Eamonn as individuals, I did not connect to their romance. If I don't care about the characters, it ultimately means I do not care about the story.

tl;dr A compelling twist on Beauty and the Beast that just did not connect with me.

(Received a copy from the great Emma Hamm)

This is an awsome retelling of Beauty and the Beast, mixed with the magic and mythology of the old Irish. Love getting to know the different forms of fae (and knowing if I ever meet one and know its true name

I just love everything about this book, from the creative and magical world, the fully formed characters to the beautiful writing.

Emma takes the classic tale of beauty and the beast, and puts her own unique spin on it. The creativity of this retelling was definitely a selling point for me. The mix of a classic tale and Celtic folk lore.

At the start Eamonn is a stone cold Fae, who won’t let anyone in but through out the story, we see the wall around his heart fall and piece by piece his heart warms.

Sorcha is a feisty and strong heroine. In the human world she is seen as dangerous, a woman who has opinions and is strong willed. She never falters, she knows she can help and will do anything to get the men of the world to see that. Even when she falls for Eamonn she doesn’t lose that side of her.

These two are classic opposites attract. The warrior and healer. This was a slow burn and it was executed beautifully. Sorcha didn’t fall immediately, she had a backbone and stud up for herself. Eamonn actually tried to be a better person and spend time with Sorcha, changing his ways. Even though it was a slow burn we still felt the attraction between the characters. It was subtle but there.

I was captivated from the very beginning and was consumed by the story.
It definitely has to be one of my favourite retellings,



Content warning: Violence. Explicit scenes.

This was a pleasant surprise!

Sorcha is a midwife who’s adopted family consists of prostitutes and her “Papa”, the man who runs the business. A terrible plague is spreading, and Sorcha beseeches the Fae to help, who then send her on a quest in hopes of leading to a cure for her sick father.

This is marketed as a romance, but, while the h does meet a man, and certainly there’s some romance in it, it’s not a main theme of this book( so be warned if that’s what you’re hoping for).This centers around the h journey, the creatures she meets and trying to navigate her way around the manipulations of the high Fae.

I really enjoyed this book. The h was annoying sometimes, but I appreciated that she wasn’t perfect, and she didn’t always make the right choice. She is smart though, and makes choices understanding the trickery and dangers the fae represent.

There were a few continuity issues. Places where the h knew something she shouldn’t have, knows someone she has never met, etc. But I’m not a very picky reader, so while these moments were a bit confusing, I found it easy to overlook.

All in all a good book, and I’m excited to dive into the sequel.

Oh, be warned, this is a cliffhanger!

it's like Sarah J. Maas, but good

2.5 stars

Trash, and not the fun kind. There's so much wrong with this book and I'm too tired and annoyed to enumerate, aside from saying Juliet Marillier did this genre SO much better.

3,5/5
I’ve come to realize that Beauty and the Beast retellings are so my thing! There’s endless ways to twist the original story and I love the dynamics between the ‘beauty’ character and the ‘beast’ character.

Emma Hamm brings the story to the fae realm and builds a strong backstory for both characters. The beauty, Sorcha, is a midwife who lives in a brothel with her family. To save said family from a beetle plague, she is forced to make a deal with fae. The deal demands that Sorcha goes to a mysterious fae island and brings back a certain someone - the beast character, Eamonn, who was banished there by his brother the king. Eamonn is a sulking (obviously), huge (again, obviously) fae, who has gems protruding his skin wherever it’s broken (not so obvious, but an interesting interpretation). There’s also a lovely cast of side characters, which is a highlight of any good Beauty and the Beast story.

Heart of the Fae ended up being a bit of a ride. I didn’t get hooked until Sorcha and Eamonn meet, and the ending is hugely unsatisfying - even as a first part of a series. The in between is very good though, especially because of the banter and character chemistry. I think I just have to continue and read Veins of Magic. My favorite Beauty and the Beast romance retelling still remain Juliet Marillier’s Heart’s Blood.

After seeing this book every time I turned around I decided to give it a go.

This is a beauty and the beast (Irish) retelling

I was hooked from the start by this feisty red headed healer. Sorcha lives with her (adoptive) Father and sister in a brothel, and she does NOT back down. Even when the men trying to find a cure for the plague beetles literally eating people from the inside out talk down to her and deny her help. She is determined to find a cure for it. Which leads her into the world of the Fae.

We also get the perspective of the "beast". I shall not give you his name because he will gift it to you. He was destined to be King but after being stabbed in the back by his brother and hanged for 3 days. ... he's a little "disfigured" and a lot banished to an island of forgotten. Then one day a red head washes up on his shore and shocks his whole little Kingdom.

The woman who's suppose to be misses Potts is like one of my favorites.

Yes people will say the romance was kinda fast but you know what?!? I fell in love with him just as fast so SUCK MY BIG TOE.

Also there's a little smut in it.