The Blessing and the Curse by The_Black_Arrow
Summary: By pretending she is falling for Edward, Bella is fulfilling Esme's dying wish. But sexy, possessive Edward can read her mind. Will she ever get into his? Can Bella forget the pain of her teenage years, and can she resist his relentless seduction? AH.
Twilight - Rated: M - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 21 - Words: 137,424 - Reviews: 10395 - Updated: 9-7-10 - Published: 5-31-09 - Bella & Edward
This interview was won in an auction to benefit Fandom Gives Back Eclipse/Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation sponsored by So You Think You Can Write.
The Blessing and the Curse is one of those stories that sucks you in from the very beginning and once started is next to impossible to put down. The_Black_Arrow’s descriptive prose is so spot-on, reading her story is like watching a film. This Bella is insecure and conflicted. This Edward, aka Curseward, is possessive and jealous. The supporting characters are richly developed. This is not a happy, feel-good story. Darkness, angst, and sadness prevail for much of it, but what keeps readers involved is the connection between the characters. Bella and Edward share a bond that goes beyond the natural world into the spiritual. An excerpt from the prologue:
On one side of the coin, it was a blessing, because Bella had her soul mate by her side since the moment she first opened her eyes on this world.
But on the flipside, the blessing was her curse: her wicked soul mate could hear her thoughts, read her like a book and use what he wished.
Bella Swan and Edward Cullen are born on the same day to BFF mothers Renee and Esme, who consider them soul mates. When Bella is the tender age of five, Renee dies and Charlie’s profound grief renders him unable to properly care for her and she moves in with the Cullens. Bella and Edward‘s close relationship is marred by his increasingly possessive behavior in their teen years, culminating in a traumatic event that forces Bella to flee the country. The story begins with her return to the Cullen home after a six year absence in which she has made a life for herself and is now engaged. Why does she return? What does Edward do when he finds out Bella is engaged? Will Bella be able to resist Edward’s overwhelming, all-consuming need for her? For the two or three people in the fandom who haven’t read this story: Go. Read. Now.
