Beauty of the beast by Rachel L Demeter.
Fairy tale retelling book one.
Although this started as a really good read it got slow. I didn't like parts of the book. Her 'sisters' for one. This is not what I expected. Loved the cover but not the story. 2*.

Arc provided by netgalley
This book took me way to long to get through. I love beauty and the beast retellings and at first I was pleasantly surprised by the mature tone this book took; but the plot dragged and the characters were a bit dull and one dimensional. Isabelle s character seemed to only be used as a temptation for men for more than half the book and that was the extent of her character. Adams story was interesting but a bit convaluted for the first half. I did like the mix of beauty and the beast and what felt like phantom of the opera but overall I just dont think this book was for me.

I didn't initially review this for a few very specific reasons, that I don't feel comfortable going into right now.

I missed the boat to download this and it archived but I recently read it on a different platform and still wanted to leave a review! I'm a big fan of fairy tales so a 'grown up' version was right up my street. I really enjoyed this book - it was interesting and I loved the descriptive writing. Was difficult to put down!

I love fairy tale retellings, especially romantic ones. I read this in a hurry.

WOW, this book swept me off my feet! As unexpected as it was, Beauty of the Beast was the best kind pf surprise. The writing, the characters, a lush setting, and a unique twist on the tale everyone ought to be familiar with, this book was just AMAZING.

An interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the characters but unfortunately I wasn't able to connect. Re-tellings fans will enjoy this!

I didn't like the writing and the story was moving too slowly for me. It just didn't keep my interest.

Interesting concept, but it sank far too deeply into the realms of sentiment and cliche.

Amazing book. I have a blog review and goodreas review to be published in the next few days, I'll update here once I have published them

I love Beauty and the Beast so I had to read this and I'm so glad I did!! Probably more than. Totally more adult and I love it. Goodness it was beautiful. The descriptive language, how it was so much darker than the original, and duh, the romance. I spent hours just sitting and reading. I didn't want to put it down. I got so invested in the characters because she made them so human and the emotions they bring out in you are wonderful.

This is an adult retelling of Beauty and The Beast. The characters backstories are very well written although there is an over use of descriptions sometimes.
If you're a fan of historical, gothic love stories I'm sure you'll love this.

I loved it! I'm a sucker for a good re-telling and this is definitely a great one! I'm excited that there will be more re-tellings soon. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

Beauty and the Beast is my all time favorite fairytale that I'll never get tired of and I always love reading its retellings including the ones that are set in modern world but I mostly like to read the ones that are placed in historical or fantasy setting. I haven't heard of Beauty of the beast before but when I accidentally came across a cover reveal of this book, I couldn't tear my eyes off it. The cover definitely looks beautiful and captivating with its thorns and roses. I can also see that this book is slowly gaining popularity. Anyway, personally I enjoyed reading this book and It's kinda darker than the normal retellings so it's highly advised to read it with caution because of certain scenes in the book.

I loved Isabelle! She's a strong female protagonist who is stubborn, feisty and fearless. She's one of those heroines who wouldn't give in without a fight but she also got a vulnerable side to her that makes her more realistic. Adam is a great character. He's a broody, angry and aloof guy who has hard time in trusting others and he has a pet dog named Stranger, his only companion in the entire castle. His horrifying past has left him scarred on the outside and broken in the inside. When Isabelle comes into his life somewhere in his lonely heart he finds hope. The relationship between Isabelle and Adam is complicated at first but eventually they start to open up to each other and their grief brings them even more closer. The romance is definitely slow burn and I'm glad that it isn't insta-lust or insta-sex thing which happens in most of the adult reads. I enjoyed how their relationship grew from friendship to love. There is lots of sexual tension between them and their chemistry is definitely hot, steamy and swoon worthy. The way they are enamored with each others beauty seemed a bit over dramatic sometimes but I wasn't bothered with it much. As for the secondary characters, I hated Raphael and his mistress Vivian. Raphael is beautiful on the onside but totally ugly on the inside. He's not only a drunk but also has lots of issues. Vivian is a bitchy character who likes Raphael and she hates Isabelle because of his obsession with her.

The plot is well written and beautiful! It's a mix of three wonderful tales Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and the phantom of Opera. The dark and realistic twist of the tale made the story even more interesting to read. The pacing is perfect and I never got bored while reading it. I liked the dual pov of the book and the writing style is simply beautiful but I did find some parts repetitive which kinda annoyed me a bit but not enough to hinder my enjoyment. The world building is good but honestly, I wasn't really paying much attention to it because my focus was mostly on Adam and Isabelle. I also loved the character development of Adam who has turned from bitter angry person to sweet, loving and caring person.

Overall, I loved it! This is really an emotional dark tale and it's definitely going to one of my favorite B&B retellings list. I immensely enjoyed it and I can't wait to know what the author has in store for us next.

BEAUTY OF THE BEAST was a beautifully written twist on Beauty and the Beast—with a little bit of a Cinderella feel mixed in.

I was completely engrossed in BEAUTY OF THE BEAST from the beginning. You quickly get a feel for Isabelle's inner strength as she finds a way to take her ailing father and flee from the monster of a man she agreed to marry before he showed his true colors. A little of Isabelle's heart is shown when she tries to get her greedy step-sisters to come with her even though they make both her and her fathers life miserable to try and save them from poverty when they're gone. Her strong will makes an appearance when she approaches a castle in a snow storm and demands shelter for her and her ill father from the man that tries to turn them away. Adam is bitter due to the cards that he has been dealt in life. It took me a little bit to warm up to him, but his true colors start to bleed through as Isabelle awakens his heart and shows him how to live and trust again.

As a couple, Isabelle and Adam were amazing. They both had issues that had to be worked through, but both had a way of helping the other grow. I never doubted their connection or relationship—even though they both doubted it at multiple points throughout the story.

The world was fantastic. I'm not really a fan of historical settings, but I was so engrossed in the characters and storyline I hardly noticed. I loved every single second of BEAUTY OF THE BEAST and wish there was more story to read, but I was pleased with how things ended. I'm excited to see what story Rachel Demeter brings to life next.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty of the Beast (Fairy Tale Retellings Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Rachel L. Demeter 
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review.

A story for every girl who wanted to be with the Phantom and every boy who believed himself to be the Beast, Ms. Demeter has created a Gothic fairytale in 19th century France and it's imaginary

Creating the perfect fairy-tale retelling as told by a mixologist. 1 shot of Bronte (I think Charlotte tastes best but some will see Emily as more to taste), 1 shot of Gaston Leroux, two shakes of Chinderella. Shake and strain into a glass and top off with Charles Perrault. The influence of all these writers and their heroes and heroines makes this a glorious retelling of Beauty and the Beast with just a little Jane Eyre and a little Phantom of the Opera. It's a Gothic romance, which doesn't mean moodie GenX'rs and Millennials drowin in black eyeliner but rather the writing style. Ms. Demeter makes the style all her own with her deep descriptions that set the tone of each scene perfectly. She also displays emotions, not by naming them but by showing the outer actions and the face that reveals, even for an instant the disparity.

Ms. Demeter has created a lovable story that is 50% Beauty and the Beast (Disney not Perrault) 40% Phantom of the Opera and 10% Cinderella written very much in the style of the Bronte sisters. I fell in love with Adam the same way I fell for Mr Rochester, Eric (The Phantom – he does have a name) and the Beast. But was overwhelmed with the number of unnecessary characters. The servant and the mistress were totally unnecessary. And once again, someone left out Beauty's brothers.

All in all a passionately written, Gothic romance with a penchant for an adjective overdose.

4 stars out of 5

A nice play on the Beauty and Beast that everyone knows! This was a grown up version and I enjoyed reading it.

I'm just so happy, this book is so, so wonderful!!

And yes, it's another Beauty and the Beast retelling, what did you expect? I can't resist these things, I think I've lost count of all the retellings I've read of this story. IT'S JUST SO PRECIOUS. I can't get enough of the girl's kindness and the beast's vulnerability, they make me happy, and their love makes me happy.

This book in particular is a retelling with a darker, more realistic twist. The hero, Adam, was badly burnt when he was just a young boy, and has been hiding for 25 (YES, TWENTY FIVE) years, not wanting the world to see his scarred face and body, and especially avoiding people, since he finds it very difficult to trust others after what happened to him, which we more know about as the story progresses.

It broke my heart to see that Adam is actually quite nice! He didn't do anything to get all that! And he is just such a good person...

I loved him, he is an incredible human being, and being able to read from his perspective as well was great, I really enjoy it when books include different POV's, so you get to know what goes on in the heads of both heroes. And Adam cared so much for Isabelle, he had so much goodness in his heart and he was oh so sweet and innocent.

"Would she give me my first kiss?"

Isabelle is just as loveable, she's as kind as she's beautiful, and has been caring for her father since he became blind, which broke my heart into very tiny pieces. It's really heartbreaking to see her talk about her dad before he got ill and lost his sight, it felt like he was a different man.

Her sisters are a pain though, I couldn't believe how selfish they were! I don't even know what Isabella's dad was thinking when he married their mother, since apparently they behaved just like her. I blame the dad, I do.

Isabella is also engaged, but the guy is a complete douche. Not that she always saw him that way, she actually liked the man, until he started to show his true colors, but poor Isabelle didn't want to break off the engagement, since her dad needed all the attention he could get, and her fiancé Raphael had the money for that.

Oh and not only is he a douche, but he even keeps a mistress and parades her in front of Isabelle...

Normal behavior for a man back then, but that's something I won't tolerate when it comes to my beloved heroines.

Adam and Raphael are complete opposites, and it's endearing to see Adam try to make Isabelle forget about Raphael's mistreatment. The way their relationship develops is done very well and beautifully, I even found myself falling more and more in love with these two characters, since we get little pieces about both of them along the way.

I also loved the role Adam's passion for music played in this. He's an amazing musician and, even though we can't hear his playing and singing, I could definitely feel from the pages how beautiful his music was and how it affected Isabelle.

And I have to say that I'm so very glad we got an epilogue, and a great one at that! I always want my books to let me now what happened to the characters afterwards and, in Beauty of the Beast, it is done perfectly.

My Thoughts

“She could only focus on the man before her—this strange man who both frightened and excited her, who cried out in the night, who could touch her with an impossible gentleness, and who knew the depths of a darkness she couldn’t comprehend.”

Beauty of the Beast is a stand-alone historical romance, an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast (see disclaimer below). I found this version to be a great retelling of one of my favourite tales and it truly is a mash of Beauty and the Beast (following the storyline) with Phantom of the Opera (a severely scarred man who turns recluse) and finally Cinderella (two mean stepsisters).

“Adam’s external scars weren’t the worst of his pains; likewise, his true torment lay deep inside, seared across his soul.”

This is a story about bravery - a girl who ran away from an abusive relationship; a boy who endured both physical and mental scarring from an early age. When their paths cross it becomes a tale of survival to friendship to love. Adam and Isabelle are a good couple, and with so much of the book dedicated to just the two of them, it’s nice to go through every step of their relationship from beginning to conclusion. In fact even the additional characters have good depth; for example, the background to Gaston.

“Self-disgust twisted inside him. He was truly a beast, a monster, and in every sense of the word.”

It’s a rich read with a dark feel (again, see disclaimer below) but one also filled with hope. Why not five stars? One of the issues I had concerns the repetition of words/phrases throughout the story that got a little tiresome, for example:

“I am losing myself to her”

And although the chemistry and sexual tension is both profound and prolific, at times, it seemed the author just included one too many sessions that, I felt, did not fit with the story. Steamy XXX scenes that proved detrimental to that particular passage, time and place.

“It took every bit of his willpower not to scoop Isabelle in his arms and devour her lush, crimson lips.”

Overall, however, I like the artistic license the author took with this classic tale - spinning her own plot twists and turns, but still maintaining allegiance to the original story. Adding that touch of realism (there are obvious differences from the original tale) to magical fantasy was well done. For what you have here is a new, darker, adult version that is very readable. I loved the writing, the characters even the cover truly encapsulates this clever read.

“Suddenly she felt like she’d been thrust into a fairy tale—into a world of magic and romantic hushed secrets.”


Disclaimer: This is an edgy, historical romance retelling of the classic fairy tale. Due to strong sexual content, profanity, and dark subject matter, including an instance of sexual assault committed by the villain, Beauty of the Beast is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

FINAL DECISION: I really wanted to like this one, but I just didn't. I found the story too wordy, the characters not interesting enough and I just had to force myself to even finish the book.

THE STORY: A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Prince Adam Delacroix has remained secluded since the death of his family. Scarred both emotionally and physically, Adam rules his castle until a beauty, Isabelle Rose, comes to his castle and offers herself in exchange for her father. Together the two must overcome the past and the dangers of the present.

OPINION: A am a huge lover of Beauty and the Beast type stories. I expected this book to be much better than it was. I got bored almost immediately and it took far too long for things to happen and too many words to describe just about everything. As a result, I felt very disconnected from the characters and the story. If I had gotten this book in another manner (purchase or gift) I would have DNF'd it and moved on. Because I got it for review purposes, I felt necessary to write a review indicating that I just was not impressed by the book.

The characters did not feel real to me nor did they feel part of a dreamy fairy tale style book. Instead, the characters felt distant and not particularly intriguing.

The book promises a more sexual, dark telling, I think I expected too much. In fact, this book wasn't particularly dark compared to other available romance books and certainly did not have sexual content as explicit as many books these days. I think that the warning is only in comparison to the Disney fairy tale.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book contains a sexual assault by the villain.

CONNECTED BOOKS: This book is the first book in the Fairy Tale Retellings series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 1.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.