I honestly feel like maybe I'm being a bit generous with four stars. I enjoyed the book don't get me wrong. I loved the Beauty and Beast retelling. However, I felt like I spent a lot of time wishing certain major elements were a bit more clear. The magic concept isn't really explained well and sometimes is hard to follow the connection. The author will mention certain things and then never bring them back up or only rarely insert them as if they have been an element all along. We get random mentions of the Irish or Italian mafia, but they don't go anywhere and then are thrown back out at some random point in the story. It also felt like certain plot points were just tossed in and then ignored. I realize it's the first in a series, but considering that some of these things should have been more flushed out. 

I also struggled a bit because it felt like the resolution to this story was rushed. It also honestly didn't make a ton of sense. 

However, all that aside the romance element was great. Thorn and Alana have some amazing banter between them. I adore the fact that she lets him maintain this incorrect image of her until it suits her. She is a pretty powerful character and we get to see her slowly embrace what that actually means for her. Thorn is the typical broody morally gray characters in all dark romance stories. He has a background he doesn't want to share and will do whatever it takes to get and keep Alana. I think the slight shift on the Beauty and the Beast element was an interesting concept. I didn't really enjoy the last little bit of the novel because it felt like it was a completely separate story that we hadn't been prepared for like at all. I am a bit on the fence about the series as you can tell. It does have some spicy moments though and it's a fairly quick read.