A Dark Book with the dark ending | A Review of Fairy Tales From the Underworld Part 1 by L.C Moon

I got this arc from Netgalley. This book is the first in the series named Fairy Tales From the Underworld #1. It is written by L.C. Moon. The book was dark and gripping and I read it in one sitting 😅 which says something about the book.And would you look at the book cover....I loved it.

Here is the Goodreads description of the book;

This is not a romance, but it is a love story.

In A Bedtime Story, L.C. Moon invites readers into a somber fairy tale, where the beasts and monsters inhabit its protagonists, whispering over their shoulders. This is not a romance, but a raw and psychologically driven erotic tale, exploring themes of trauma and identity through the twisted love story of two profoundly broken souls.

Laura Spencer was a child of the moon, resilient yet delicate, using fantasies to escape her harsh reality. Kayne Malkin was a child of the underworld, molded into becoming a formidable predator and ruthless member of the Russian Mafia. Their paths, never meant to cross, fatefully intersect in a dangerous dance seeped in underworld intrigue.

In this unrelenting tale delving into the ugly and untamed sides of love and humanity, Beauty meets the Beast, forever changing the course of their lives.

Part of the "Fairy Tales From the Underworld" series, this first installment serves as a lyrical introspection on the cycle of abuse and how monsters are created through the lens of dark erotica, prompting readers to confront their own darkness.

Original instrumental soundtrack by Lana Chacra available on all streaming services.

Trigger warnings: dubious consent, mentions of self-harm, suicide, and murder. Please heed this warning: A Bedtime Story is NOT a romance. If you are seeking escapism through a dark romance whose characters are easily redeemed and that adheres to conventional tropes, this book will not meet your expectations. Also, it's worth noting that Part I concludes with a cliffhanger.

GENRE
Dark, Beauty and the Beast retelling, BDSM
THEME AND TONE
Emotional
LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE
Easy to read but melancholy
CHARACTERS
Okay-ish Characters. At the start of the book MMc is just like a robot without showing an ounce of emotion and Laura's emotions are all over the place. But as the story progresses more colors of Kayne's personality are introduced and he becomes interesting and Laura stays the same. I liked how the character roles reversed by the end of the book.
TROPES
☙ Forced Proximity

☙ Enemies to Lovers

☙ Love/Hate

☙ Marriage Pact (sort of)

☙ Beauty and the Beast

MY REVIEW

Oh my God. This book made me lose my mind. I am feeling conflicting emotions because this book made a marmalade of my mind 😣. Now I will need a really hilarious book to cheer me up.. This book is melancholic and sad on another level. It was also suspenseful..I was at the edge of my sea the whole time expecting something bad to happen at every page.

The story of Aleksi and Aniska in between the story of Laura and Kayne was a beautiful one. Loved that tale. Apart from that, the book is totally surrounded by emotions all over the place. Although emotions are very beautifully portrayed. I was angry at Laura then I was angry at Kayne. I do admire Tanya because she seemed like a strong woman despite whatever tastes she had. But she did not deserve what happened to her. I did not like that part at all. She loved Kayne in her own twisted way.

Laura was annoying at times. Like girl, grow the hell up and learn the ways of the underworld. She was still stuck in her old way of life. She couldn't change herself, she could not change him but she had to stay with him and she had to be sad about it all the time. That pretty much summed it up her whole character.

On the whole, the book is very well written But YOU ARE WARNED...it is not a happy ending fairytale.