I liked this book more than I thought I would. When I saw it was a retelling, I had kind of figured out it was going to be like all the other "Beauty and the Beast" style books I've read. But this one had enough of it's own plot that I was really interested in finding out the ending. I liked the characters a lot, and I would say the only major issue I have with it is how fast the relationship between Lor and Alainn went from basically hating each other, to having sex all the time. I wanted to see more of their relationship grow as Lor leans to be near humans. I think it would have been interesting to see Alainn trying to teach him what it really means to be and interact with humans, as he doesn't really have much experience with it. Other than that, this was a fun read, and I will probably wait until December and then get a copy of the actual book to read it once it's been finished and published.

I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review. This beauty and the beast retelling was unlike any other. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and couldn't wait to see what would happen to them. Allain was a fun and honest chracter that had a pretty horrible family life. The way Lorrcan received his scars was mentioned briefly and I found the reality horrible!

A few cons for me were:
One character believed the other to be a robot yet engages in a romance. Again this was briefly explained, but I feel more information would be a plus.

The story fell flat at times and I was getting bored of all of Roses schemes at the end.

Although there were a few issues I fee, like this was well worth the read and enjoyed the romance aspect of it.

I love Beauty and the Beast retellings. Honestly, my hopes for this book really weren't that high, I don't particularly like books about robots, but this book has completely changed my mind. I absolutely loved it. I felt such a deep connection with the characters and the plot was just so exciting. I think this story has done the classic fairy tale justice. I already want to read it again. I can't wait to read other books by this author.

I enjoyed the dialogue of the book and the slow romance between Alainn and Lorrcan, however the book was really lacking in world building.

The idea behind this sci-fi retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" sounds a weird at first, but it works well. The NA book is set in the near future, where AI, holograms and robots have become normality. And that, combined with the classic plot, is an intriguing premise. Using AI instead of magic to control character choices and act as the antagonist is innovative and fun to read about. Cute monkey-robots instead of talking animals are also a new angle to a common Disney trope. The chemistry between the characters is great, and I love all the different emotional and physical scars that are involved and partially overcome. The story is well-balanced between fast-paced action and quiet moments. Other reviewers have criticized the holes in the world building, but if you read it like a fairy tale, those holes do not matter - nobody in fairy tales explains where magic came from, so neither does Rita Stradling have to explain how holograms and AI developed. While it does have a simple romantic, sugary fairy tale charm, this novel also raises some serious questions about ethics in the face of fast advancing technology. However, these topics are not overbearing. All in all, 5/5 stars - great addition to the vast collection of "Beauty and the Beast" retellings.

Actual rating 3.5.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was pretty good but unfortunately not better than that. One thing I loved is that it's very clearly a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's not one of those where you have to fight to see the similarities and I appreciated that a lot.

I liked Alainn and Lor, I thought they were both fairly well fleshed out although we never do explicitly find out what Lor's nightmares are about, even though I can give it a pretty good guess . Alainn was very likeable, she was determined but thought everything through before she took a risk and I appreciated that the romance was relatively slow burning, although I'm not convinced it was completely believable.

Lor seemed like a good guy who wanted to get better (he was severely agoraphobic and germphobic) and was willing to put himself in difficult situations to do so. I understand how he fell in love with Alainn/Rose/Jade much more than the other way round.

I found that there were significant problems with pacing within this book, I didn't realise how long Alainn had been with Lor until her brother mentioned it had been several months. This just wasn't clear enough for me, I felt that it had only been a couple of weeks and up to this point I was annoyed at how quickly the two had fallen for each other. If the passing of time had been more explicit, I would have been more on board with the romance from when it started.

There were several cringey sex scenes, I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of sex in books but the way some of it was phrased here was just silly. It tried to be overtly sexy without being explicit and the phrase (ish I can't remember the exact quote) 'he pulled me on to his erection' is in no way attractive. I do think that the excitement of sex and a new relationship was captured pretty well though. Especially when they were working together and all Alainn could think about was the next time they'd sleep together.

Also, the writing style was a bit weird. One minute it felt really juvenile, with lots of repetition of specific phrases, 'the smug bastard' being one of them, and the next switching to technical and much more complicated language. I felt that sometimes the style just didn't work as it didn't gel together very well.

Another issue for me is that I feel that the book could have been around 50-100 pages shorter. I don't think the story arc with the monkey robots was necessary at all (although they were pretty cute) and the whole skiing thing could also have been removed. Also the back story with Alainn's best friend seemed totally irrelevant, it should have been focused on more or removed entirely in my opinion as it added almost nothing to the plot.

Overall I really did enjoy this, the characters were all well done (Rose and Rosette were so perfectly horrible too) but there were too many problems for me to give more than a 3.5.

The buzz for this book couldn't happen at a better time! With the upcoming live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, readers will be drawn to the "tale as old as time" offered by Rita Sadling's book... as they should be!

To begin: be aware that the audience for this book is definitely not children. I highly recommend adhering to the 18+ warning as the scenes get quite graphic. I would not put this in a YA section or in a high school library.

This book has been a wild ride from the first few chapters onwards! From the blurb, this story merely seems to be Beauty and the Beast retold as a sci-fi, but the blurb promotes the similarities a bit more than what the book actually is. Therefore, the retelling wasn't overwhelming as it could have been; there were just enough inspiration to recognize the plotline.

While sci-fi stories never really captured my attention, this kind of world-building kept me on my toes. The AI robots throughout the story were realistic to the point of being uncanny, and I would occasionally get goose bumps throughout my reading. Gone are the friendly Lumière and Big Ben, to be replaced by a robot named Rosebud, who is Alainn's sole ally for a while. The tower is dark and the walls are made entirely of screens that change at Rosebud or Lorcann's mere command. As terrifying as it is, it's also pretty cool and it made me think about where we will be in several years, technology-wise.

While the primary characters were great, the secondary characters were borderline unecessary. This story could have comfortably sustained itself with Alainn, Lorcann, and the AI robots... perhaps with the addition of two or three supporting characters. Unfortunately, characters like Greg, Karen, and Cara were irrelevant, in my opinion.

Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to an adult audience who want to read a modernized, sci-fi romance inspired by Beauty and the Beast. I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The anticipated publication is December 2017.

Could not make head or tails of what was going on in this book. Maybe only millennials need apply.

I was super excited when I saw this was a Sci-fi retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I was sold, I absolutely love Beauty and the Beast. I love how this story was unique but still true to the original story.

Alainns father, Connor is commissioned to build a robot for mr Garbhan (the robot looking exactly like Alainn).
However falling behind with his work and unable to produce the functioning AI by the deadline and fearing being put in to prison for fraud, his current unfinished robot hatched a plan to use the real Alainn in the place of the finished robot to be swapped at a later date.
Alainn fearing she will be trapped in the tower forever reluctantly went along with the plan.
Not usually being a massive fan of sci-fi or love stories I did manage to read the book in a day. It was really easy to read and although the story was loosely based around Beauty and the Beast (so I knew the general story line) it did manage to keep me hooked from beginning to end.
Generally I think the book started of weak and grew stronger and stronger as the storyline grew. I do thing the robot aspect of the plot over complicated things and I did find myself wondering what on earth was going on in places.
As far as love stories go I found it pleasant, Alainn wasn't the usual loved up wuss you find in most romance stories, she was independent and strong willed. However Alainn's useless father and Mr Garbhan were irritatingly pathetic and I wanted nothing more than them to 'man up' and fix the situation.
Overall I would give the book a strong 3 STARS, the more I read the better he book got. The ending was the perfect was to finish off the book, after all who doesn't like a happy ending. And I would definitely recommend to a friend.

Ensnared is a creative retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the near future. In this world, lifelike robots with artificial intelligence are available to those rich enough to purchase them.

The "beast" in this tale is quite unusual in that he is portrayed as being incredibly vulnerable, suffering from agoraphobia and mysophobia. Raised by abusive parents, he is afraid of the world and completely isolated - taught from a young age to believe the scar on his face makes him repulsive.

Meanwhile, the "beauty" is a foul-mouthed, determined and resourceful young woman masquerading as a robot!

This was a strange and complicated romance, quite out of the ordinary. The hero and the heroine are in such a peculiar predicament - it's fascinating to watch love bloom between two people when one of them is pretending not to be human and the other believes they are developing feelings for someone who isn't "real".

As bizarre as the concept is, I found it a compelling love story. I looked forward to reading more from this author.

Ensnared was a tough one when it came to deciding upon a rating as there were things I enjoyed and things I disliked about it. In the end, I have settled on three stars, and here's why. On the plus side, I loved the idea for this Beauty and the Beast retelling: setting it in the future with a sci-fi twist. The situations in which the two leading characters started the story were interesting, and the work had the potential to be really compelling, but a few things let it down. Firstly, the relationship and character development for the leads peaked at the mid-way point and then plateaued, so, as a reader, you lost that strong connection with them. The twist in the plot came late, and was then resolved in a single chapter, which was a tad anti-climatic. Meanwhile, there were a few grammatical problems, including a few instances of comma splicing, among other things. Some of these mistakes were minor. I notice them because I'm an editor, but perhaps not all readers would pick up on them. The one thing that was unforgivable in my eyes, though, and which occurred twice, was the use of the incorrect phrase "I could care less". This should *always* be "I couldn't care less". The version without the negative is saying the exact opposite of what the writer means, yet I see it more and more frequently, especially among US authors, and it is one of my pet peeves. That is one of those things I can't let go.

Overall, I would recommend Ensnared to YA/NA readers who enjoy fairytale retellings. It has a lot going for it, despite the issues I outlined, and if you can overlook those, you'll probably enjoy the tale.

I was intrigued by the blurb for this title. I am a huge fan of the beauty and the beast storylines and this one really grabbed me. I will admit that I am not normally a fan of futuristic storylines but this one kept my attention and I was immediately engrossed in this refreshingly different book!

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love retellings, and when I saw this one, I jumped on the chance to read it. I have to say this is one of the ones I've liked the most, because it was based on the tale, but still had a lot of surprises.
The characters were peculiar, but likeable, even if it the plot by itself was a little bit crazy, as most good books tend to be.
Also, it had really funny points, even though they decrease as the story advances.

I really enjoyed it, as it was short and didn't drag on. I suggest giving it a chance!

A. I., scientists, serums.. this was a different kind of fairy tale! Artificial Intelligence bots gave the story a chilling edge, while Alainn and Lorccan's romance was a sweet, slow burn I enjoyed. My only complaint is the storyline was frustratingly long! I'm glad I pushed myself to finish because the ending was good, but there were times I wanted to shelf as DNF. Ensnared was a unique twist on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale that could have been tighter in the plot, but the characters were intriguing enough to keep me going.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was... wow. Definitely one of the better stories that got to me in 2017, and... just a unique and entertaining read. I immediately clicked with the author's writing style and easily fell into the flow of it and Alainn's POV. This sci-fi adaptation of Beauty and the Beast was beautifully told, I thought. For a second, I'd forgotten that it was such an adaptation, which made me appreciate the story even more when small references or similarities would come up. Otherwise, it stood as a fascinating story all on its own, constantly making me think about certain aspects of my favorite childhood fairy tale while regaling the scenes I'd just taken in with Alainn and Lor. They were both really complex characters for me, and in the beginning, my mind couldn't sit still, always wondering what would happen. The set-up was definitely weird but great at the same time, one of those ridiculous situations that you can't help but want to watch til the very end. The romance was a little fast-paced for me, but it worked with the pacing of the story overall, and with the way Al and Lor were, I honestly thought it fit them quite well. The additional characters were interesting, and the thought of AI and other machines having an ounce of what it means to be human was a good back drop to the main idea of Ensnared.

I definitely enjoyed this and consider it a favorite at the moment. It was pretty funny, outrageously so with Al's dry humor and utter sarcasm. I loved Lor's reluctance to rejoining the world, digging up the courage to do things he'd be raised to abhor. The supporting characters were pretty good as well, certainly enough to make me want to throw my kindle across the room during certain... altercations. Overall, a loose adaptation that I think you'll find uniquely entertaining.

Ensnared is a near-future retelling of Beauty and the Beast in a world where robots and artificial intelligences are becoming common place. Can I just say, I was so excited for a Beauty and the Beast retelling?!

I love books about Artificial Intelligences, because they open up so many questions about ethics and morals and Ensnared was no different. Alainn Murray is the daughter of man who builds robots with human-like artificial intelligence and has been tasked with creating Rose, a robot intended to be sold to the mysterious Lorcann who lives in a tower in the city.

Finding herself caught between a rock and a hard place, Alainn finds herself taking Rose’s place and entering Lorcann’s tower and giving up much of herself in the process. While she’s there she begins to question the morals of the robots her father has created and she starts to unravels the mystery that is her ‘captor.'

I found the beginning of the book to be slow to get into, as the world and the backstory are built up. It’s our world, but not, and adjusting the casual acceptance of artificially intelligent robots took a second to address. Otherwise, Ensnared follows the general story plot of Beauty and the Beast quite well, with a mysterious, reclusive man keeping a young woman trapped in a tower.

I enjoyed that not all was what it seemed, with all of the characters. Alainn was a very intriguing leading female character - at times strong and weak and unapologetic for either. Her frustration at her situation felt real and honest and raw. Lorcann’s mysterious behaviour was intriguing - even more so when the truth is revealed. I enjoyed the complexity of the various artificially intelligent characters, who all had motivations of their own.

I did feel that a lot of the side characters were not as well-fleshed out; Alainn’s friends seemed to appear and disappear as the plot dictated. Her backstory with her friend Cara was, I felt, unnecessary, however it didn’t slow down the narrative (it just felt out of place).

Overall, I enjoyed reading Ensnared. Aside from a slow start, the pacing was good, the storyline intriguing. I love that it made me think, long after I finished reading it, about the moral and ethical dilemma’s that artificial intelligences pose in the long run.

I gave Ensnared 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I'm not sure about what I was expecting from this book... but certainly not this.

It was like reading a kind of mixture between a sci-fi version of The Beauty and the Beast with some scenes of 50 shades of gray . To be true, this is not the real issue. I could have accepted all this if only it had been written in a realistic way, but everything felt just so made up.

And the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of "made up" is that annoying insta-love between a secluded bacteria-maniac man and a fake robot girl. She doesn't know almost anything about him and is trapped in his tower, but yet she can fall in love in like two weeks just by dining with him and almost never seeing him in the face? I know that this should be a kind of retelling of a tale, but I was hoping in something more complex and elaborated.

The other characters aren't very round neither. I partially appreciated Rose, the AI robot, because through her behaviour she handles the theme of "the dangers of technology". Are we really sure that trying to create androids similar to humans and with the ability of making choices is safe for us? Will these innovations turn against us one day?

Apart from this, even if it was a light reading it wasn't as involving as I hoped.

To be blunt, if I could rate this book zero stars, I would. I wouldn't even give it half a star - it does not merit it.

Let's start with the premise. It's a good one, a futuristic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, right? But the rose is not a rose, instead a robot named Rose. And the Beast is not a beast but a heavily facially-scarred man. At this, we get to the first sticking point. In the original, the beast is a man who is cursed to look like a horrific monster. So, is the author comparing the looks of a scarred man to those of a horrific monster? Apparently so. And if you follow that thread, then the curse appears to be either child abuse at the hands of his mother (which, I will come to later), or his terrible immune system which means he can't leave the house (in itself, framed as a result of his abusive mother never letting him leave). What seems like a good premise quickly turns into a mess.

So the premise is a problem. But perhaps the writing can solve the issues.

Not so. To begin with, the writing itself is tedious and the story drags immensely. I actually ended up skimming long scenes just because nothing was happening.

Secondly, Lorccan (the "beast") is a controlling and manipulative arsehole. I have numerous quotes saved related to this, but in the interests of keeping this review short, here are a choice few.

"You will come to the dining room every day at six exactly. If I am not in there, you will wait for me until I am. If I do not come, you will leave the dining room at seven." "Yes, sir." "You will not call me sir. You will call me Lorccan or Lor." "Yes, Lorccan" "And you will never come out of your room at night, ever." This he almost yelled.


"I cannot ingest food," Alainn told him. "I was assured that you could. That you could ingest it, then clean it out of your system by bringing the food back up," he sounded almost angry as he said it.


"You can go to your room," he said in a low voice. Alainn nodded. "Okay." "Go straight there. Once you are inside, you will be locked in for the night."


"Where are you?" she asked. "I am in my office, but I can see you." His voice sounded no less annoyed as he answered.


"What is going on?" he yelled. "I have... important computations to do. My systems are telling me my computations are more important than eating food with some man in the dark." He said nothing but after a second, his footsteps approached the bed. She swallowed hard and scooted to sit on the edge. "You will come to dinner." He was close, a hulking shadow directly before her.


So yeah. And this is the relationship I am supposed to be rooting for. There's absolutely no character development whatsoever either. Also, when she refuses to do as he is ordering her to, he gets upset and asks why she is so insistent on upsetting him. Tell me how this isn't a prime example of an emotionally abusive relationship.

Alainn, for about half the book, is pretending to be a robot for Lorccan. And it's during this first half of the book that they start a sexual relationship and apparently fall in love (though where that development is in the text defeats me). Which is terrible, because this is a huge deception, and Alainn is perfectly happy just keeping it up while also flirting with Lorccan. Don't you think Lorccan deserves to know not everything is as he thinks it is before you start up your relationship, Alainn? The first sex scene also happens immediately after Lorccan wakes up after a nightmare. I don't know about you, but on waking up from a nightmare, I feel pretty disorientated and not at all sure of what is going on. Lorccan, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have this problem. And there's no residual fear from the nightmare either. Alainn vaguely expresses not wanting to take advantage of him while he's vulnerable, but she doesn't seem like she's actually going to not have sex with him if he says he is.

There's also the whole thing where Lorccan's nightmares (and presumably his inability to go outside - though this is never explained, and if it is supposed to represent the curse, never resolved either) turn out to be a result of horrific abuse by his mother, which his father helpfully tells him is because his [Lorccan's] scars upset her. And there's never anything in the narrative to point out that this is abusive and victim-blaming in itself. And the abuse is genuinely only mentioned once. One time. All it does, is tell you what Lorccan's nightmares are about. And then it's abandoned. The true definition of using abuse as a plot device.

And then there's the point this review makes well. That Alainn does not care about Lorccan until she sees his scars and realises that she wants to help him. Which is framed as her "hero complex". Just when you thought this couldn't get messier, it does.

Also, there's hardly any evidence of a so-called "hero complex" anyway. More like Alainn's reckless with her own life, and others'. And then there's the whole 'her best friend was killed in a kidnapping' which a) why was she kidnapped? Because of her father's debts? Not made clear, and b) she appears to have suffered no effects as a result of the trauma. Maybe that is realistic, but if I'm supposed to believe that bringing up her best friend, as the robot does at one point, it doesn't make sense for her not to be thinking about her at least once besides this moment. Another thing that seems like a plot device just thrown in as an afterthought.

TL,DR; why didn't I dnf earlier.