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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Beauty and the Beast retellings are always my favorite! I’ve read as many as I can, and am always looking for more. While this book mentions the cons of the previous books in the series, it doesn’t take place there. You get snippets of the con where the characters met, which is different, but no less. Depending on the story, I sometimes like the villain more the hero, much like Rosie, and while Vance proves to not be a true villain, his dark side still calls to me in that way. Definitely a fun read and an enjoyable series that was an easy read.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute premise since I like redeemable villains and relate to nerdy girls, but poor execution with an underdeveloped plot and relationship. The best part was the dog.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Books are not really just books at all, but doorways. They are portals into places I've never been and people I'll never be.”
Beauty and the Beast is really one of my all time favorite retellings. While Vance Reigns is not remotely beastly looking he is/was/and has been mostly a jerk in his life and he is playing the Villian in the new Starfield movie. He is the proverbial bad boy. Always in trouble, always looking to up his career and not really happy in his life. When he gets in a bit of trouble he is sent to a dinky little town to live in a weirdly small castle in said provincial town and get his crap together.
Rosie Thorne (see what she did with her name already) lives in said town but has been fantasizing about the boy she met and had a magical night with at the last ExcelsiCon. He was in costume the entire night, so she doesn't know his real name or what he really looks like. She does in fact know he has a nice butt, but that is about it. Imagine her surprise when she finds out the person she connected with is 'The' Vance Reigns. Not who she expected and now she is stuck with him trying to catalogue a bunch of books in this strange mini-castle in the middle of her town.
Okay I like these books a lot. There is just something about the quirkiness of the characters and how it is a fairytale re-telling geeked up just enough. These books are full of pop culture references and quick witted conversations.
“I’m terrible at cooking.”
“And that is why we practice and say to the god of burnt food—not today.”
I really enjoy most of all of the stories. They are so fun that I blow through them in practically no time and now I'm at the end of the written books and will have to wait for the next one.
I have one small little irk about the books. Look, I get it, lets be diversity driven but does everyone in the books need to be so sexually fluid. I mean in the real world, am I just out of touch or are 40% of the people really that fluid in their sexuality? Sometimes I feel like in these genres side characters are just thrown in with that to fit a certain criteria or quota and sometimes I think it cheapens the story. We need to have a gay character or two, a bi character or two, a non-bianary character and maybe something else involving skin color too just to be hip. Like there is a magic number you have to get to for the story to be published.
But like I said I've had so much fun with all of these books that it is a small irk and maybe I'm just an old, not sexually fluid fuddy duddy, not hip to all the cool YA crowd.
I really liked this one. It had the beauty and the beast vibes, but definitely modern day upgrades made it more relatable
DNF: I could only get through a few chapters. I wanted to hang in for a fun, light-hearted book, but seems this YA just didn’t do it for me.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes