Hearts at Dawn
Every night since his twelfth birthday, aristocrat Orin Rush transforms into a beast. He doesn’t know why he’s cursed, but nightly he locks himself away with his books searching for a cure. In 1870, Orin and his brother travel to Paris. While renting an apartment, Orin meets Claire Turin, who runs a photography studio. They share many common interests; however, Orin tries distancing his feelings from her. A madwoman once told him one way to break the curse was to take a heart, and he’d never kill another human to save himself. But is there another way?
It’s no spoiler to say this is a reworking of “Beauty and the Beast” set during wartime with the enchantress as our narrator and the beast standing center stage. There’s even a carpet of roses from which thorns occasionally sprout. The book opens with a poignant magic lantern show, ushering readers into a world of hidden magic and painful regrets. Our omnipotent narrator admits to cursing Orin as a baby as revenge towards his parents. From there, the story picks up with Orin in his twenties. Despite escalating hostilities surrounding the Franco-Prussian Wars, Orin’s love for a lusciously-penned Paris keeps him in the country. Orin’s relationship with his brother is fun, providing laughs but also a heartfelt family dynamic. Meanwhile Orin and Claire, while drawn together, fear love for different reasons.
With a vibrant atmosphere, multilayered and endearing characters, details of photography craft, creative storytelling, and layers of magic, Hearts at Dawn is an enchanting romance.
