So, while it's hyped as a BATB vs Twilight kinda thing, that didn't really happen.

There's hints and inspirations (character named Bel, rose tattoo/birthmark, Vampire King called The Beast because he's been in a rage since his fiance was murdered). But, yeah, that's it.

There's a little nod toward Alice in Wonderland too as Bel falls into the Vampire world.

If you can just read this for itself and not want a rehashing of either BATB or Twilight, then it's a decent little YA tale.

*Digital review copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher.

Just an overall bad book. In beginning was promising then it just got boring. Never finished book.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review:

Oh boy...where to begin...this book was not hard to finish, but I won't lie, I thought it was cringe-worthy. Four stars for Hunter. I over hyped myself on this book because the cover was interesting, the synopsis caught my attention, and because of the Beauty and the Beast (BATB) element, but after I finished it the a couple days ago....yeah, I kind of wish I hadn't wasted my time reading it.



There are NO details, and it read like 1-2-3. It was bare bones as far the skeleton of the novel goes. And it ended way too quickly for me; it probably would have been slightly better if the story was longer.

This book had potential. There were concepts put forth that I really enjoyed, but Hunter sort of just laid them there in front of me and left them there, as if they'd grow and become something on their own. It was rushed and ended abruptly.

I also thought she made too much out of Ezra's first love. It made Bel feel like a consolation prize or something. Their love wasn't epic or real or anything the way Bian, his first love, was written.

The biggest question I had though was this: how is this a BATB retelling?

If it was simply because of the rose mark on Bel's back...that doesn't really make this a BATB retelling, just saying. Ezra was the "Beast," but there was nothing Beasty about him lmao! There was nothing in this story that remotely seemed similar to either the Disney version or the original.

Bel was super whiny and not at all like the real Belle. She complained about her friends, her mom, her life, et cetera. It was getting super annoying, especially towards the end. Her character didn't grow, probably because the story wasn't long enough or there were no details or because it wasn't planned out carefully like most successful books are.

Adding on about Ezra....he was the complete opposite of Beast. He was a whiny vampire prince who threw tantrums whenever he didn't get his way. He was even narcissistic.

The other characters felt like they were just thrown in for the sake of the story, but didn't tie in AT ALL.

I did enjoy reading it....somewhat. I was just disappointed with myself for getting worked up over it. I mean, the world building was beyond awesome. I wish I could have gotten to see more of it. And the fate of Bel's mother. We don't get much on her and there's a bit left to be said about her role in the story. If Hunter were to rewrite and better the story, I would definitely rate it better. Or if she wrote a sequel to help this novel out.

So....no I wouldn't recommend this book per se...unless someone was interested in bone dry reading and books that read too quick and make no sense.

So "Beauty and the vampire" was one I was really looking forward to.
Not only was the cover of this book visually stunning it was one that the blurb really intrigued me.
capturing my attention then reeling me in.
The idea of a vampiric beauty and the beast, which just so happens to be one of my favourite Disney stories, really appealed to me in every way.
So Cheerleader Bel with her mum AWOL and her best friend and crush flirting it up elsewhere finds herself on the Eve of her 17th birthday transported to an alternate world.
the underground Onyx City where she is now a vessel for creatures of the night and property of the royal house itself.
A place Where magic abounds and Vampires rule.
So when Bel trespasses in the royal gardens she comes to the attention of the vampire prince, Ezra Blade.
So this was a tale of two halves for me.
I loved the first half of this book and was disappointed in the second.
I felt that this should have been longer and there was so much more that could have been made of this fantastically fresh idea.
There were Ideas that were put forward but not always explained like the Infirmary, it was such a chilling concept but not expanded on.
A missed opportunity for sure.
I also felt too much was made of Ezra's first love being totally beyond compare totally making Bel seem like the consolation prize.
Even the ending here when he doesn't express verbally the same sentiments back at Bel shows a lack of commitment on Ezra's part.
I felt overall the second half of this was rushed and so much more could have been achieved here.
The finish also I found to be very abrupt indeed.
Don't get me wrong I did enjoy this, it was just disappointing that this reality hadn't been expanded on in more depth.
A shame as the world building here was fantastic.
One other slight nitpick I would have liked to see the mums fate as she was a class A Biotch who needed exterminating.
"Beauty and the vampire" could do with a bit of an overall and the ending ekeing out a bit.
If that was done I can guarantee a higher rating from me.
I met in the middle when it came to rating this, three stars.
I would definitely read a follow-on to this as I'm curious where this could go.
And as I said earlier this is a greatly imaginative idea.
So I was provided with an ARC of "Beauty and the Vampire" By Netgalley of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This isn't a bad book by any means. I actually enjoyed it. It's a super duper fast read. It's very short. The story is solid, a Beauty and the Beast retelling with vampires. My biggest problem in this book is the lack of details. It's very A-B-C. No frills, no added lace, just the bare bones of the story. Which if you're into that, that's great, you'll love this. I wish there was more, I wanted to fall in love more with this rich world and the characters, I think the love between Bel and Erza would've worked out better if the book was longer.

Now, the story goes like this, Bel lives a poor life with a mother who is a flake, if she's even at home. She's in love with her best friend.... also, she sees things. Yeah, she's not a normal teenager to say the least. Then before she knows it, she's taken into a whole new world, the world she used to see in her visions. Also, she sees Erza, the guy she's seen for years. So, maybe she's not crazy at all, just... different. She's also gifted and she agrees to help the prince with her gift if he'll send her home when she's done. Though nothing is as though she thought it was.

It really is a good story, I just wish there was more and the cliff hanger makes me want to bang my head into a wall, I mean... you can't just leave me hanging there! I NEED details. I must know what else happened. I want even the dirty details. I just want more. That's the bottom line to this review. I needed more.

Will go live on my blog: 3/10/2018
http://sweetcherry69.blogspot.com/

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The blurb of this book sounded very promising, but the execution was sadly lacking. Writing the review several days after I have read the book and I’m struggling to remember much about it. It was not memorable. I found Bel to be a likeable character but I just did not connect with the story.
I would not recommend this book, there are better books out there to read.

This was a DNF for me, which was a shame. The first few pages start out promising, but unfortunately that doesn't last. The characters are bland, uninteresting and boring. The story is badly written, doesn't make a lot of sense in places and lacks substance. There is nothing engaging about the story or the characters.

I could NOT put this book down. It's a fast read, and while it is a little predictable, it was thoroughly entertaining. I only wish it had been longer, with more time spent on the development of Bel and Ezra's relationship!

I adored this book! Beauty and the Vampire is a stunning interpretation of the much loved classic tale 'Beauty and the Beast' I was drawn in by the beauty of the Onyx city and the twists kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was install for Bel next.

Honor student and cheerleader, Bel Winter, works hard to be a normal teenager. But deep down, she knows she is far from normal. The glowing rose-shaped mark on her shoulder is her first clue. 

As her 17th birthday draws close, Bel’s friends fear she is losing her grip on reality. Yet, Bel believes. The visions she sees are real. The men in black capes who come out of the shadows are real. 

And they are coming for her... 

On the night of Bel’s birthday, at the stroke of midnight, her world goes black. When she wakes, she is thrust into a new and frightening world—the underground Onyx City. 

It is a place rife with magic and creatures of the night. 

It is a place of dark beauty, dangerous intrigue and ruled by a beast—the ruthless vampire prince, Ezra Blade. 

When Bel makes a desperate attempt to escape her captors, she trespasses through the royal gardens, and is caught by the prince himself. Now, her fate is in his hands. Though she fears the mercurial Ezra, Bel knows he alone has the power to release her from the Onyx City. 

Can Bel tame the beast? And convince him to set her free? - Goodreads

What can I say about this book? A lot actually. Firstly let me begin by saying I liked it. Something about this book just sucked me and I liked it. But there were a lot of holes in this read.

Firstly the book promises a heart stopping romance. That isn't exactly the case. The romance is there and its cute but heart stopping? It doesn't even come close. What is missing in the romance is the actual courting, the stories they build together when no one is looking. In other words, the build up is missing. The attraction is there. Bel and Ezra are attracted to each other but author adds things to make it seem as if they are destined for each other. 

For instance, Bel is special and she sort of knew Ezra before meeting him and I am cool with that but the author didn't go deeper into that. There are no dreaming of a mystery man, there is no flashes of them being together. Bel sees a man she is attracted to, sees his goons and that is it. 

Another thing that bother me, is Ezra isn't a beast. He is mourning and he is angry about it. The author could have did so much with Ezra and not even on a physical level but his internal torment could have been more detailed and provided a bigger struggle in his relationship with Bel. He gave in too easy and I have an issue with that. 

There is a lot of holes in this story. Mythology, traditions all of that could have added to the story making it richer and more entertaining. Also there was predictability in one situation but it is huge. 

But the worst offense of this book was the ending. IT FREAKING STOPS MID THOUGHT. It is the most crap ending that pissed me off. It was there. What you have been waiting for was there and then the author stopped. Dude, I was pissed. 

Despite all of this, I really liked this book and I think it is a good foundation for at least a book two. Anything more than that, I'm not sure. Would I consider this a retelling of Beauty and the Beast? Nope, but the author does add some cute references in the book. 

Overall, I liked the book. I guess I'm a sucker for vampire romances *Kayne Shrug*. 

3 Pickles.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I absolutely LOVE the cover. It’s beautiful. However, the story was just not very cohesive for me. The writing was off. It didn’t make sense in a lot of places.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beauty and the Vampire started off really good. I liked the main character. She is your typical out of place teenager that is in love with her best friend. As the book progressed it took on a Beauty and the Beast theme. The main character, Bel, is taken by vampires who have a prince nicknamed the beast. Unfortunately, I do believe this book could have been really great without trying to spin it off Beauty and the Beast. The vampire world is really interesting. I would like to know more about the world. There had been a fae war with the vampires. There are nine realms in his kingdom but we don't really get to know about them. There are so many lost opportunities here to be so much bigger than what it is. The book is a young adult love story that falls flat. The prince is experienced. He old. He's lost love in the past. He is supposed to be guarded but yet falls for Bel pretty fast. I just really think it's unrealistic, even for a fantasy book. I did enjoy the book. It was a very fast read. I read it within 3 hrs. I beg the author to please expand on this universe. You have something that could be amazing.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. The lack of contractions, general writing style and immaturity plus 'woe is me' attitude of the heroine ruined any positives there may have been with the story.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.***

Overall it was an okay book, but I wish there was more...for example what happened to her supposed friends after she looks through the mirror? Does she get revenge on her mother?