Beauty’s Curse
By Traci Hall, author of Love’s Magic
In this reversal of the Sleeping Beauty story, gorgeous Galiana Montehue—resisting her family's efforts at arranged marriage—scorns all her suitors and finds true love only after she awakens an injured knight from a deep sleep. As the novel begins, Galiana has come to view her beauty as a curse, and she fears for her future. Wishing for an adventure, just one, before she is forced to settle down and marry, she takes a stroll in winter's first snowfall with her younger twin brothers and, following them into the forest, is horrified by the sight of a knight drawing a sword on one of the boys. Without thought, she throws a rock and hits the knight on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Taken prisoner by the knight's men, Galiana finds herself locked up in a strange manor house where she is forced to care for the incredibly handsome victim of her well-aimed throw, but when the young man finally wakes from his coma, the household’s happiness turns to sorrow upon hearing he is now blind. By this time, Galiana has become very fond of her knight, and he in turn is fascinated by her gentleness and her wit. Because he is unable to see Galiana's beauty, she trusts him, and by the time his eyesight returns, the young knight is ready to ask for her hand in marriage. He also reveals his true identity—as a spy for Prince William. As he describes his life-and-death mission to find an ancient, magical stone known as the Breath of Merlin, Galiana knows her wish for meaning and adventure has come true, and she joins her prince in his fight against the forces of treachery and ancient magic.
Beauty’s Curse is a delightful story that charms and entertains while teaching a moral about all that is truly important in life!”
~ Heather Graham, New York Times Bestselling Author
“Chock-full of royal intrigue and wry humor, hall weaves a deft, not-to-be-missed interpretation of Arthurian-era Britain.”
~Nina C. Davis, BookList (September 2009
4 stars – Romantic Times …”This novel is a perfect mix of adventure and romance, with a heroine swept into a whirlpool of intrigue with an irresistible knight. Authentic dialect and well-written descriptions recreate the medieval era perfectly. It's a tale of magic and intrigue that will have you believing in true love.” —Gail Pruszkowski
4.5 “BEAUTY'S CURSE was a captivating story full of passion, drama and intrigue. I loved the complex characters and events that brought this story together. Galiana has to prove that she is more than a beautiful face, and with Rourke not able to see her, she is at first pleased to finally find someone who can't judge her by her looks, though after a while, she is a bit annoyed with his comments that she is anything but gorgeous. Usually I hate court intrigue of any kind, but I found that it wasn't drawn out into many misunderstandings in this story and I really enjoyed how it all played out. I also enjoyed secondary characters, and would love to see Jamie Fitzhugh with his own story. I look forward to reading more by Traci E. Hall, she is a talent that I had not before discovered…” Aemelia Night Owl Romance Book Reviews
