A Curse of Gold and Beauty by Mary Mecham

 

What if Rumpelstiltskin and the miller’s daughter fell for each other?

    Meg is cursed, bewitched with breath taking beauty at the cost of absolute obedience to her father. Rhys, her best friend, is also cursed. He is able to spin straw into gold, but each pump of the treadle exacts a terrible price. Two souls were never so perfect for each other, but fate seems determined to pull them apart.

    When the King holds Meg hostage and demands gold, she must decide… Is she willing to let Rhys suffer if it saves her own life or will she accept the King's punishment and let Rhys go free?

    A YA clean romance, fairytale retelling.

Review: "A Curse of Gold and Beauty" is a wonderful spinoff (sorry, couldn't help it) of the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin. While it is a unique tale all on its own, "A Curse of Gold and Beauty" is sprinkled with glimmering tidbits and nods to the original story. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt, and every time I noticed an aspect of Rumpelstiltskin, I was all “I found another one!”.

    I really liked both Meg and Rhys. Physically, they are exact opposites of each other and one could say, not a good match. However, neither of them cares about Meg's otherworldly good looks or Rhys' ability to spin straw into gold. Together, they could be fabulously rich and famous, but all they want is freedom and the ability to quietly love each other. Their souls are so sweet, and I loved reading their story. 

    I can also confirm that this is a perfect young adult book. It is a clean, safe read but filled with all the sweet romance that one could ever want.