Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis
Hester refuses to love. Every woman in her lineage has died shortly after the birth of their first child, and she doesn't want to be the next on the list. Unfortunately, she is drawn to a mysterious man that she meets in a cave, and her feelings prompt her to start researching the women in her family. What she finds there will change the way that she sees the world, and the way the world sees her.

Review
Sadly, I didn't like this book as much as I hoped to. I found it difficult to start, as the prologue was dry and did not grab my attention. I kept going, but the story simply lost steam in the middle and I got a bit bored. I did enjoy the two timelines, and fond the switch to be fairly easy to follow.
The main character, Hester, was not as annoying and clueless as she could be, but there were still times when I just wanted to beat her over the head. The males in the book, with the exception of the priest, were not developed at all. Even Ezra, whose motivations should have been fairly clear, was just a bit flat.
I really enjoyed the mermaids in the book. They were slightly different and horrible, which I thought was great! The plot was interesting, and one of the more original ones that I have read lately.

My Recommendation
Readers that enjoy historical romances with a twist of paranormal would like this book, but it probably won’t be paced fast enough for the average teenage reader. I give it  3 /5  - Rent it/Borrow it.