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 love Beauty and the Beast retellings and this one did not disappoint. The author managed to keep the story original and exciting while staying true to what I love about Beauty and the Beast. I rarely read this type of sci-fi, but every time I do, I love it. The characters were complex, compelling, and even the ones where I did not like them as a person, I loved how they were written. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes!

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.

I loved this version of a futuristic version of Beauty and the Beast with a little Terminator thrown in. There really isn't much I can say that you don't already know or that would give the plot away. I can say that I couldn't put the book down and that it's for adults and not children at all. Also that I am more scared of robots now then I was before.

This is my first official review so bare with me.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and was binge reading to find out what would happen. I love retellings so I thought that this would be a perfect match. In the beginning I was pretty bored and didn't care about the world building but as the plot progressed so did my interest. I will say that I was surprised that some of the couple scenes were so vivid, then I looked back and saw that it was a new adult. Some parts, I thought were unnecessary but other than that it was a very enjoyable beauty and the beast retelling.

The story-line, while strange, was enjoyable. It was well-written and smooth reading. The story theme seemed to fit with a teen novel but I was disappointed in the sex being brought up. It wasn't needed and made the character more "creepy" than it should have. That reason alone makes this book hard to refer to any friend or acquaintance.

A quick and exciting read, Rita Stradling had captured my attention within the first chapter.

A Fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in a futuristic world where AI robots live amongst humans.
We follow the typical story line you would expect from a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Girl is locked in tower, girl tries to escape tower, girl falls in love with captor, couple live happily ever after but throw in evil AI robot's and "forbidden" romance between a "robot" and her scarred captor.
I can't add much more detail without spoiling the whole story.

I loved all the characters in this book.
I love that the relationship between Alainn and Lor isn't fast paced and thrown in your face.

What I didn't like initially was the AI robot theme, it was a bit weird (robot sex slave weird) luckily this story wasn't like that at all and I had to finish reading the book in one sitting, I needed to know how the story ended.

Secondly I don't think the whole Cara best-friend back story needed to be included, I felt that it deterred from the story line and wasn't relating much to the overall story that we follow.

Thirdly there isn't much mention of Alainn's mother, I feel this could have been included more instead of the Cara backstory.

But overall, a great fairytale retelling and a quick n' easy read.
4 Stars - Recommended to ages 18+ due to adult themes

Most fairytale retellings are set in the historical past, mostly to go along with the original fairytale, but Stradling had different ideas; it was refreshing to see a different spin on one of my most beloved fairytales. I was hooked from the very first line in the blurb. Honestly, there are only a few aspects that Stradling took from Beauty and the Beast. The rest of the story was purely original and innovative, with its own storyline, turns, and plot twists. Some differences, other than the book’s setting and the fact that it involves AI and furturitic technology, is that there are no talking animals, dishes, household appliances, or wardrobes. Alainn also isn’t a prisioner so the Stockholm Syndrome conspiracy isn’t there, which is nice when you think about it.

The characters themselves and their personalities were believeable. Alainn is determined to keep her father out of prision to the point of willingly pretending to be a robot in a strange man’s home. I respected her for her fierceness and love of family (I guess that’s where she’s a lot like Belle and probably why I loved her so much). Mr. Garbhan, the book’s main male character, is physically flawed to the point where he hides himself from Alainn, even though he believes her to be a robot. Growing up he never left his home so he was never around people much and that has seemed to have shaped his people-skills (or lack thereof). This is how his character relates to the beast. His surrounded in mystery and it kept me wanting to know more.

The romance between Alainn and Mr. Garbhan is slowly built, which I appreciated tremendously; It made the storyline more believable, but once it got started Stradling did not disappoint. She gave readers enough to feel their chemistry, but not so much as to turn this book into erotica. Readers never forget the genuine fondness between the characters, even in the heat of their passion.

“Love didn’t seem like something that could be organized or contained; it should be messy and emotional, like exploding and imploding with someone at the exact same time.”

Overall, I loved this book. It combined my all-time favorite fairytale with a new and highly innovative framework. The only aspect of the story I would change or bring out more is the backstory of the AI. How did they find a place in society? Why were they evolving? In a world that still had our modern-tv conviences (cars, televisions, etc.) why did this particular society want robots? I don’t want to give too much away but asking these questions so I’ll stop their, but it seemed like Stradling just took the main plot from other AI movies, books, etc. and used it here….kind of as a foundation. (Robots turned evil because they feel superior to us..that plot). This is all my opinion of course and it worked well to answer my underlying questions about Stradling’s furturistic society.

An interesting take on a classic fairytale, the romance was sweet but I felt the world building let it down a bit. I think fans of Beauty and the Beast will really enjoy this twisted tale.

Rita Stradling has done an amazing job at this futuristic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. There is so much depth in the characters and the love scenes aren't overwhelming like a lot of books portray. Toward the end, I was on the edge of my seat, unable to figure out how the characters were going to get out of their situation. That's always a good book when I can't guess what was going to happen before it happens. Four stars for Ensnared!

Ensnared è un retelling della fiaba della Bella e la Bestia ambientato in un mondo futuristico in cui robot più o meno antropomorfi fanno ormai parte della vita di tutti i giorni, essendo impiegati come poliziotti, autisti, infermieri e medici.

La "Bella" della storia è Alainn, una ventiquattrenne che vive con il padre e il fratello, entrambi programmatori e sviluppatori di automi. Per proteggere il genitore da una sicura detenzione, la ragazza si offre di raggiungere la "Bestia", ovvero il misterioso Mr Lorcann Garbhan, nella sua torre, e fingere di essere il robot che l'uomo aveva ordinato, ma che il padre non è riuscito ad ultimare.

Nella torre futuristica ma irreparabilmente isolata dal mondo esterno, Alainn troverà una realtà del tutto differente da quella che aveva immaginato, e ciò che temeva potesse essere una soffocante prigionia, si rivela una porta verso il suo lieto fine.
Ma un automa ormai più intelligente dei suoi creatori e capace di riprogrammarsi potrebbe avere un'idea molto diversa di quale sia la felicità per tutto il genere umano...

La Bella e la Bestia è una delle mie fiabe preferite, e naturalmente sono stata entusiasta di leggere in anteprima Ensnared, anche se l'ambientazione non mi aveva convinta del tutto, preferendo setting più "bucolici" o medievali.

Di sicuro la trama è originale, ma l'esecuzione lascia un po' a desiderare.
Tra i personaggi, l'unico che mi sia piaciuto è Lorcann, la Bestia destinata a vivere rinchiusa nella sua torre dalla maledizione degli abusi subiti nell'infanzia.
Ricchissimo e circondato da qualsiasi cosa di cui abbia bisogno, all'uomo manca ciò che desidera di più al mondo: un essere umano con cui riuscire ad interagire e costruire un rapporto basato su sentimenti veri.
Da qui l'idea di farsi costruire Rose, un automa dalle fattezze umane con cui esercitarsi, per poter poi riuscire a passare del tempo con una persona in carne ed ossa.

Alainn, che di Rose prende il posto, è una ragazza che si sente emarginata nella sua stessa casa per il suo essere intellettivamente "normale" rispetto al padre e al fratello, e che non dà molto valore alla sua vita, soprattutto a causa di una spaventosa esperienza di qualche anno prima.

Connor Murphy, il padre della protagonista, è un inventore con la dipendenza per il gioco d'azzardo, nonché un codardo, e l'ho disprezzato molto per le conseguenze che il suo egoismo ha sulla figlia.
Colby, il fratello di Alainn, benché alla fine della storia sia di aiuto, mi è sembrato comunque egoista almeno quanto il padre, e concentrato solo sui suoi obiettivi.

Gli altri personaggi sono alquanto inutili ai fini della storia; Greg, ad esempio, amico di Alainn e suo capo, pare messo lì giusto perché vi fosse qualcuno che ricordasse Gaston, mentre il lavoro da soccorritrice di montagna di Alainn, così slegato dal contesto, voleva forse essere un richiamo al suo amore per la natura - qualcosa di vivo, dunque -, o, quel che mi auguro, mostrare la differenza tra un mondo non ancora robotizzato e la città che ormai non può più fare a meno degli automi, ma che si rivela così un luogo freddo e privo di empatia.
Tra i robot, Rose è di sicuro da film horror: macchina in un certo modo senziente e molto più intelligente della gran parte degli esseri umani, riesce anche a porsi degli interrogativi etici, ma poi, prendendo come riferimento la moralità dei suoi creatori, sceglie di mettere la vita umana al secondo posto dopo i suoi scopi.
Le scimmiette sono carine ma, ancora, pensare che siano solo dei robot fa venire la pelle d'oca.

La scrittura è molto spigolosa, per niente elegante, e spesso Alainn rasenta il volgare, facendomi pensare più volte a lei come a uno scaricatore di porto, piuttosto che a una ragazza.
La storia tra lei e Lorcann è abbastanza appassionante, ma avrei preferito che l'autrice non indugiasse nelle descrizioni dei loro rapporti intimi. Sembra che ormai nessun romanzo moderno possa essere immune da contenuti maturi più o meno espliciti!

Non mi è piaciuto il background di Alainn: la sua esperienza passata è troppo terribile e violenta, e non è per nulla necessaria alla caratterizzazione del personaggio.

Pur essendo questo il racconto dell'incontro tra due persone spezzate e problematiche, Lorcann non ne esce "guarito": che riesca ad avere una relazione con Alainn e ad interagire - probabilmente solo virtualmente - con altre persone non basta, ed alla fine della storia ciò che mi ha fatto paura è stata proprio la prospettiva di una vita della protagonista con lui. Qui non si tratta di accettare l'altro ed amarlo così com'è, ma di chiudere gli occhi davanti a problemi gravissimi, e non fare nulla per cercare di risolverli.

L'ultima parte è stata molto noiosa, tutto avrebbe potuto risolversi in poche righe; il processo è stato ridicolo e ha quasi del tutto fatto fuori gli interrogativi sulla eventuale pericolosità di robot troppo umanizzati e intelligenti. Un monito, forse, per un futuro non troppo lontano.

This book is described as a futuristic retelling of Beauty and the Beast but it did not hold any of the same magic for me that the original story does. The idea behind the story is unique and interesting but I felt that it did not live up to its potential. The characters are flat and the backstory is thrown in at odd times for both of the characters. The bonding of Lorccan and Alainn felt forced and a bit rushed. The build up of suspense regarding the AI was lack luster and, although the ending tied up all the loose ends, it fell flat as well.

I do feel like the author has potential but this book just didn't live up to it for me.

It is hard to say that I loved this book, I normally don't do Sci-fi or AI novels. Yet this was amazing. Even though it starts off having you feel like you're three chapters in, this retelling of Beauty and the Beast makes you think and traps you in this world that feels familiar and foreign.