After reading and loving the first book in this series, The Belles, I was thrilled to get an advance copy of The Everlasting Rose. It certainly did not disappoint. All of the characters that I loved from the first book made an appearance, and we got to dive deeper into the fascinating world of Orleans. 

Whereas the first book really painted the picture of what this world is like, the second was full of action and intrigue. We got to see more of the world itself, traveling between several of the various islands that make up the kingdom. Getting to travel to the different locales was fun because Clayton's writing makes the world come alive for her readers. In some books I find a lot of description tedious and unnecessary, but I absolutely love Clayton's prose. 

It was fun getting to dive deeper into the relationships that Camille has with those closest to her, mainly with Remy and Edel. Edel was spunky and impulsive, and it made for a very interesting dynamic between the two Belles. And Remy...I love him so. Getting to know him better and see the relationship between he and Camille grow was one of my favorite parts of this book. 

The threat of Sophia's tyrannical rule was ever-present...but also not quite as terrifying as the first book. I think the fact that for the majority of the book she is not physically present made it feel a little less unnerving for me than the first book was. She was still a terror, but not in the same way. 

I enjoyed the message that there should be less of an emphasis on outer beauty. It was subtle but powerful. I like when a moral issue isn't shoved in your face. This was done very well here. 

Overall, I really enjoyed The Everlasting Rose! It was fast paced, beautifully written, and a wonderful companion to the first book in the series. 

My Rating:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

I gave The Everlasting Rose 4.5 STARS! If you enjoyed The Belles, you will not want to miss this one!

I really enjoyed the first book of this series and I was really excited when I got the ARC from NetGalley. The author's writing is amazing and can be lyrical at times. The characters are developed more in this book than in the first one, but the pacing does suffer due to that.

I am a standalone kind of person and of course, I feel that the two books could have been on beautiful tome. I would remove the pricing charts for the procedures and some of the repetitive conversations.

If you enjoyed the first book then I would recommend this one to you. You will not be disappointed.

Clayton done did it again and made me fall in love with a beautiful, yet terrifying world. The world development was amazing along with the character developments. We get to see a new side to Orleans that was amazing to read about

This is the sequel to The Belles which introduced us to a world that is obsessed with beauty and the belles who are able to alter based on their magical arcanes how you look. The favorite has run away and is determined to keep her sisters together and save the next generation from the tyrnanny of Sophia. Sophia is determined to drain the belles and control all aspects of beauty. She wishes that she can destroy her abilities and that the future generation would not have it. Their a special group called the Iron ladies who rejects beauty and who want to change the world to one that does not revolve around it. I have really enjoyed this series.

My biggest issues with sequels is that they don't always live up to the hype or expectations that I've built in my head. However, Dhonielle Clayton has created a delicious sequel that perfectly concludes this series. I was so pleased with the pace and action in this book that I quickly devoured this tale.

In The Everlasting Rose, we start out with Camille who has recently escaped Sophia's evil clutches is now scrambling for a plan to not only help free the Belles, but to bring an end to Sophia's cruel and corrupt reign. While Clayton has a knack for descriptive writing, the balance in this story between beautifully written scenes and action packed adventure is the perfect blend. I enjoyed many unexpected twist and turns in this novel, as well as the deeper themes that carryover in to our own societal issues. This book is especially great for teenage audiences who often struggle with image and societal demands. I loved the character storylines in this sequel. Camille's transformation was completed in this series, which made all her other relationships and interactions so pleasurable to watch. Overall I thought this was a wonderful conclusion to this duology and a story with a great message.

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Will submit to Amazon 3/5

After the Belles I was thrilled that I was granted an ARC of Everlasting Rose. While there were parts I thoroughly enjoyed, there were more that fell flat.

First, I really thought Camille's story arc was amazing. She was no longer the bitter moping girl from most of The Belles. She was strong and ready to continue the path laid before her at the end of the first book. She knew what she must do and she was ready to do so no matter the cost. Camille had found her purpose and the strength to see it through.

Second, I loved that other groups and people rose up alongside Camille to set things right. A rebellion sympathizer group called The Iron Ladies and newspaper called The Spider's Web, her sister Edel and former bodyguard Remy (and her new beau but I will get to that in a moment).

The in-depth background and lore of how, and why Orleans became obsessed with beauty while zealots twisted the Belles into fitting their agenda is both powerful and insightful. Armed with this knowledge the metaphors into slavery became more poignant as the outer facade of Orleans falls.

Queen Sophia becomes hellbent on Belles being replicated, bought and sold to the highest bidder; enslaved for their magical abilities.
Thereby, creating a structure of slavery and class oppression based on enhanced "beautification," and the demoralization of all natural born physical attributes.

Here is where the story left me wanting more. The Iron Ladies are a powerful group of women with dogged determination but we just don't get enough of them or about them. "The Revolution is Here" is a captivating tagline for Everlasting Rose. The Iron Ladies encapsulate that resistance and yet their appearance feels too little, too late.

Remy. I have no issue with the her bodyguard taking up arms in the rebellion against Queen Sophia. I even applaud the choice of a male figure that would do so. However, the romantic relationship with Camille takes away from the impact of his choice. Let his choice be because he see the egregious nature of what is happening and that alone. Nothing else should be the precipice for his choice. The relationship feels unnecessary and forced. I have said this recently in another review. Not every book needs a romantic relationship. Everlasting Rose is definitely one of them. The very theme of the book rails against the idea of it (not that women don't need romantic relationships, just not in this context). Let men stand and fight with women against this stereotype of beauty and the themes of how women are oppressed, and classification. However, have men that lift them up soley out of belief and not lust or love.

Lastly, the pacing is way off. The majority of the book Camille is just wandering around looking for her sisters. I get it. She wants to protect them but at the sametime Queen Sophia and the wealthiest citizens are committing craven acts. a
At least bring in The Iron Ladies along the way or have her find them sooner, or something, anything. The way the plot unfolds Camille is just hiding out for a majority of the book.

Once the action does start there isn't that much book left. The climax and resolution are incredibly rushed. It is underwhelming and disappointing. So much time is wasted up front that could have been used for this ultimate stand-off.

There are so many things to like about Everlasting Rose that feel unfulfilled by a poor structure. I loved the Belles and ultimately and am glad I read Everlasting Rose. Anyone who loved the Belles will enjoy Everlasting Rose.

The timely themes around slavery, classification, society's value on beauty and the treatment of women everyday is reason enough to celebrate this duology.

Story wise, it will bring closure to the duology, the cliffhanger at the end of The Belles, and really allow everyone to cheer on Camille's growth overtime.

The Everlasting Rose is an excellent sequel to last year's The Belles. Clayton once again creates this beautiful world with outstanding world building. It's impossible not to feel immersed in the story. The characters are strong and well-written. I dare you to try and pick a favorite! There is action, romance, and an addicting plot. Here's to hoping there is a third in the series. This has been an incredible ride so far. Highly recommend this series to anyone interested in fantasy and beautiful dresses (whether YA or not).

While I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I found that The Everlasting Rose flew by and really held my attention. The world building is so amazing that it is easy to visualize everything that is happening. I loved the idea of post balloons and tea cup dragons!

The once naive Camille has found herself thrust into a position in which she must act and take ownership. What is not so obvious is who she can and should trust and what she can do to set things right in Orleans. The most obvious thing in the book is how harsh and unlikable Sophia is and how horrible life will be for everyone if she is left to rule.

I liked how the The Spider's Web newspaper and The Iron Ladies were woven into the story as Camille's allies even though their methods were not the same and their traveling means were insane.

The Everlasting Rose does not disappoint!

I received an Advanced Review Copy of The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton from the Publisher Disney Book Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is a sequel to The Belles, and you must read it before you read this (I loved the Belles which is why I couldn't wait to get my hands on this!) ALSO this review will assume you've read The Belles so proceed with caution

What It’s About: In Orleans people are born gray and crave beauty. The Belles are gifts from the God of Beauty and they give beauty through their treatment. When they are of age, they all get sent to the capital city where they show their talents and the queen decides on the favorite who will take care of the royals. However, things have changed and fallen apart. The former favorite, Camille, is now on the run after escaping from the evil Queen Sophia and is working to help the rightful Queen Charlotte to the throne before its too late.

What I Loved: This story is what I love in a fantasy dystopian book, resistance to a crazy government and fighting the battle from the outside. This book has many twists and turns and I could not put it down. The villain is so evil but at the same time, she is relatable as we see what a society that stresses the importance of beauty can turn you into. Additonally, there are some badass females fighting back which is crucial for me.

What I didn’t like so much: I didn't want it to end! I felt like I needed more closure and didn't want to leave the characters.

Who Should Read It: People who like dystopian fiction. People who like strong female characters. People who want a unique dystopian plot.

General Summary: A society's love of beauty threatens to be the thing that tears apart the whole country.

Hm, where do I begin with this review. Overall, I enjoyed The Belles but thought that there could have been more time committed to the worldbuilding. The same could be said about The Everlasting Rose. This book opened up right on the heels of the drama in book one and it took me a bit of time to orient myself. The Everlasting Rose was an interesting conclusion but it's probably not one I would remember. A lot of the action happened off scene with barely any time dedicated to the villain who made such an impression on me in The Belles. There were some interesting analogies about slavery and the treatment of your fellow human being, but as a series it needed a bit more.

Let me start this review by saying that The Belles was one of my absolute favorite reads of last year. It was a 5-star read. Hands down. I loved being launched into the world of The Belles in Orléans. I absolutely adored Camille Beauregard and couldn’t wait to continue her story.

The Everlasting Rose picks up exactly where it left off in The Belles, which I really appreciated. I would like to first say that Dhionelle’s writing is absolutely beautiful. She describes scenes with such lush imagery that you are able to fully immerse yourself in her scenes. However, I was incredibly disappointed with the plot execution of this story and left wanting for that beautiful story that I first read with The Belles.

This story revolves around Camille’s desperate search to find Charlotte, the heir to the throne of Orléans, who is the only one who can stop Sophie’s sadistic reign. Additionally, Camille must also track down her sisters, the other Belles, who were kidnapped following the falling out of the Belles versus Sophie. I honestly felt like the plot was meandering around trying to find the sisters, but not actually amounting to much action. Additionally, we weren’t offered any more character depth than that of the first book, which I was definitely longing for; especially when it came to Camille and Rémy.

The last 20 percent of the book, when Camille and Sophie face-off, is incredibly intense and an absolute page-turning showdown. Nevertheless, I felt that because the plot took so long to build up to this integral moment, the rest of the story was incredibly rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Books for providing an eARC of this book. This did not bias my review, and these opinions are entirely my own.

Rating: 3 stars

The Everlasting Rose is the sequel to last year's The Belles. This story is set in a world where human kind is born grey skinned, red eyed, and overall miserable but the belles are a small group of girls who have the power to manipulate the human body and create beauty which becomes a commodity.
I really enjoyed The Belles, I thought the world was really interesting and the magic was pretty cool as well but for me, this sequel was just kind of disappointing. Near the end, the main action and climax were really thrilling and exciting so I loved that part but the entire rest of the story just dragged me along until I finally got to that exciting moment. I was honestly kind of bored for most of the story and it felt like nothing was really happening. I didn't care about what they were doing and I found myself wanting to just get through the story to be done with it which is such a shame because I really hoped this would be an exciting conclusion to the story and it wasn't.

I absolutely loved Belles! I am so hypnotized by this creative world that the author has written. The story continues and does not disappoint!

I think that I enjoyed this book a little bit more than the first one. It wasn’t too long, although it almost felt too short. About 2/3rds of the way through I started thinking that there was no way to wrap it all up, but it does. The ending therefore was a tad rushed, but still was satisfactory. The pacing was much better though and there were some pretty exciting scenes.

I enjoyed Camellia’s character a bit more in this book, she has had to grow up quick and get her act together enough to accomplish the impossible. She continues to struggle with who to trust, and unfortunately she put her trust into the wrong people sometimes. Her inner dialogue was great, especially as she is trying to expand and control her power.

Reny is still my favorite character, and the two of them together was just adorable. He was so tender and protective of her at the same time, but he also able to let her make the decisions and take care of things when needed. He also trusted her to carry out part of the mission without him.

The plot was faster paced than the first book. Although a lot of the plot was about their hiding from the world, and running away from the people who want to hurt them. But at least this allowed us to see more of the world of Orleans. The last 50 or so pages were pretty intense and the confrontation between Sophia and Camellia was amazing. I love the world the author has created and that is what kept me engaged with the books. I love the mix of magic and science, especially when it became know how the Belles come to be.

I have to put in a special plug for the tea cup dragons. They were all adorable, and I really want one! They were a nice touch to the world.

Overall this was a good sequel to the first book. It gave us more background information on the Belles and how they work. It ended in a satisfactory way, but I would like to see more books set in this fascinating world. The overall message about how obsession with beauty can destroy was interesting.

The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton picks up where The Belles left off. With Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard Rémy on the run, they're on a mission to find Princess Charlotte and put a halt to Sophia's reign of terror.

Similar to how I felt about The Belles, The Everlasting Rose was okay, but it didn't blow me away. I did find it more engaging than the first book in the series--there was more action and more excitement--which was nice. It was well-written, but I never felt sucked into the events. I read the book but never felt committed to the characters.

I still maintain that the story concept is an interesting one. While I didn't always love the execution, I can fully appreciate the story idea. I liked the addition of the Spiders and Iron Ladies in The Everlasting Rose. It was a nice contrast to the world's constant desire for beauty. I liked the Iron Ladies' message and their goals for the world, though I would have liked to know more about them. Are they good? Are they bad? I would have liked to understand the group's motives better--it seemed like there was a lot left unsaid.

The ending was a whirlwind. So much happened! So much could have gone wrong! I think the ending adequately brought the book to a full closure though, which was appreciated.

I was hoping for more character depth and development in The Everlasting Rose, but most of the characters still felt shallow and flat. Sophia continued to be my favorite character. She was bad and twisted, which made her interesting.

While I can't say I give The Everlasting Rose rave reviews, if you've already read The Belles and liked it well enough, you'll find The Everlasting Rose equally enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 I loved this sequel to The Belles even more than the first book! The rebellion storyline is fantastic and well done. I am really hoping for a book three!

Spoiler-Free Review (To Be Updated After Release):

I have been waiting for an eternity for this book and it still managed to exceed my expectations. Dhonielle Clayton is a master of world-building, coding, and evocative prose. Camille's journey through this finale is exciting and agonizing, leaving you wondering who, if anyone, can she trust?

This book was a fine sequel to the first book. I think the series is especially important because of its representational elements and strong emphasis on diverse beauty. The main character and each of her sisters are named after flowers from different cultures and their appearances seem to link up to their names (e.g., Edel named after the edelweiss is described as very white and pale and blonde, Padma after the Indian lotus flower is described as having dark hair). In this world obsessed with beauty, skin color is refreshingly not on any sort of hierarchy, it seems. While we do need to think and talk about race in our society, this book is going to be a great fantasy break for teens that just want to see themselves represented as the beautiful fantasy heroine for a change. The world building is amazing too, with a fantasy world loosely based on New Orleans.
That being said, something about the pacing for this book just felt… off. The first two-thirds suffers a bit from Harry Potter 7 “everlasting camping trip” syndrome, and the finale wraps up incredibly quickly. In fact, things wrapped up so quickly that I thought there was going to be a cliff-hanger ending and a third book until about the last ten pages.

The Everlasting Rose just about picks up from where the Belles left off. The Belles, Camille and Edel and the guard Remy are on the run as Sophia is hunting them down. Sophia begins to change the beauty laws and places more demands on the current and future Belles, ultimate goal is to make being beautiful the ultimate law, though never prettier than her. Finding Princess Charlotte has become necessary in order to stop Sophia from becoming crowned. Camille finds friends but learns some valuable lessons on trust.
This story followed the same intrigue as the first though this time it isn't about who is the best but who is the smartest and the fastest in order to beat Sophia. I was intrigued throughout the whole story. While the story could easily end where it did, I could see potential in another book coming out?

More adventure and tension is woven more thickly to the pages of the sequel to The Belles. The Everlasting Rose finds Camille, Remy, and Edellwies running, hiding, and planning to exact revenge and right the wrongs that have been done to the Belles. The old lesson that just because it is how it has always been does not make it right is very apparent throughout and a favorite lesson of mine when learned. I can only hope for a third story and can imagine what it will center around, but if there isn't, I am happy with how it was left.