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.

I actually preferred this sequel more than the first story. When I read The Belles a few months ago I found it slow placed and overly descriptive. It felt like all the action took place in the last 25% of the story. That problem is remedied in The Everlasting Rose which keeps a steady pace throughout the story. The Belles flowery descriptions on every scrumptious petit dessert they ate or every beauty powder quickly grew tiring. Thankfully there are less of those descriptions and more world building. We discover more about the arcana and the powers each Belle has. Not a fan of love triangles in YA stories but this one was written differently from the norm and the outcome was unexpected. I also enjoyed the many twists Dhonielle wrote in this story.

I received an ARC from Disney Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As this one started out things were a little bleak for Camille. She was on the run, hiding from the evil Queen, trying to save her sisters and Princess Charlotte. I was pretty impressed that Camille managed to do so well on her own. Sure she had a bit of help, but they stayed one step ahead of Sophia, learn what was going on and collect more allies along the way. My heart broke as I read the same diary entries that Camille did. I hated what had happened, hated more when I learned how the Belle’s changed over the years.

The Iron Ladies were interesting. There were times I wasn’t sure that they and Camille had the same agenda. In the end they worked well together, which made it easy to finally get close to Sophia and expose her for what she was. Along the way big prices were paid, but I think all the Belles are in a better place, although that could change at any time with the upcoming trials.

I wasn't able to read this one because the file was corrupted I'm not sure what happened but I tried multiple times on my e-reader and computer and was unable to read it. I'm still looking forward to picking up the book when it comes out though. Rating given based on expectations from book one (unable to post without a rating).

The Belles was one of my favorite reads last year so this sequel was highly anticipated for me. And I was not disappointed! I love the world that Dhonielle Clayton has created. Her descriptions are so vivid which makes it so easy to just fall into step with her characters. The Everlasting Rose picks up exactly where book 1 left off. The action starts right away and doesn’t stop until the last page. I’m not sure if this will be the last book in this series or not. You’re left with a satisfying ending but still kept the door open for more. And if she wants to keep writing in this world then I will continue to read it.

Thank you Disney for the free arc. I devoured the first book so was eager to read this one. It did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Camille and Remy and psycho Sophia. I felt the ending was a little rushed as it concluded rather quickly in a few pages. When it was over, I did not want it to end. I want more.

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I initially thought it would. After reading the first book, I was sucked into the world of Belles and needed to know more about Camille, Sophia, Charlotte, and all of the other characters. The writing continued flawlessly from the first book and it did not take long to read the entire book. Less than 24 hours actually!

There is room for more Belles books to be released, but also has a satisfactory ending if Dhonielle Clayton chooses to have it remain a duology. I loved that we found out more about the other side of the Belles and Sophia herself as she prepares to become queen.

Dhonielle Clayton spins a wondrous world of beauty and the dangers of it when beauty becomes the sole purpose of living.

What a delight to return to Clayton's world in The Everlasting Rose. I loved The Belles, so it was a pleasure to dive in what feels like conclusion of the duology. Some readers may find the pacing of this novel to be challenging, but it rushes to a finish and ties up story lines. The story is an exploration of beauty and the cost of acquisition. A must read for fans of the dystopian genre.

First off.... I don't comment on covers all that much but this time I have to say compared to the cover on the first book, this cover is not my favorite
Luckily that was not the same for the book, I really enjoyed this second book in the series, . I still totally love the world that Clayton has created. Still so very vibrant and enjoyable We get to see even more of it this time around as out group splits up , that can sometime be a bad thing in a book and is not always a favorite but it really worked this time .
I also enjoyed how much Camellia has grown and how much she believes in herself. Not just her that made a leap but everyone grew a bit in this book and since last..
Some parts were a bit slow or felt to drawn out but overall it was a very fun and enjoyable read.
If you enjoyed the first book, you will most definitely enjoy this one as well .
So overall I will rate it 4★ , Enjoyed a it very much except the few slow spots it had for me.

I absolutely salivated over this book from the moment I finished the The Belles... it was worth the wait! Everything I wanted to happen, basically, HAPPENED in grand fashion. I can't wait to get this audio to really enjoy this tale, but for a quick read because I was just so excited, this was excellent. LOVE this author and this duology has been simply amazing. Have to say... August surprised me. Not sure I really bought into that, but it didn't destroy the book for me. Great read.

It's been a while since I read The Belles, but I love sequels which make it easy to slip back into the world. Some of them immediately hit the ground running and they don't slow down, but The Everlasting Rose, even though it happens pretty closely afterwards, still allows you the time to ease back into the book. And what I was struck with almost immediately is how gorgeous Clayton's writing is.
World Building

But in The Everlasting Rose Camille and her sisters have to figure out not only how to save the kingdom, but also what it will look like afterwards. Sophia is obsessed with ultimate power and beauty. Unable to stand anyone who is more beautiful than her and aiming to exert absolute power over the beauty modifications, Sophia is a terrifying force. And so while Camille and her sisters know they have to do something, like find Charlotte, how they can really resist is difficult to figure out. Especially as Sophia's powers begin to tighten in a vise like grip.

I wish I could enjoy this book, because I loved <i>The Belles</i>. However, this book desperately needs a prologue or something to remind the reader what happened in the last book. It has been a very long time since I read book one, and I was so lost during this book that I could not enjoy it. Please consider adding one before publication.

Sharply polarizing with a simplistic plot compared to the series starter’s complexity and nuance, Clayton’s sequel does little more than wrap up the story line and bring a resolution. All the villains share similar physical features, which I found disturbing (though someone may find a tiny bit of an exception, the general type is there), and I am sorely disappointed that the sequel was not better than it was, given the skill Clayton demonstrates in spinning a tale. I am torn about recommending it simply because readers will want closure, but they may not like the closure they get.

Thank you for an early copy!

The Belles was my favorite Fantasy YA novel of 2019 so I was over the moon to get the second one! I adore Clayton's writing style and the interesting world she has crafted.. I will not give anything away since this is the second novel but just know it was amazing, intense, and well-written.

I really enjoyed reading the sequel to The Belles. Though I did enjoy the first book more, both books in the series are very creative and well written. It reminds me of the luxurious living the people had in the capital in the Hunger Games. Highly recommend this series for anyone interested in the fantasy/dystopian genre.

I didn't love this one quite as much as the original, but it was still a pretty satisfying read. I felt like it was lacking some of the development that we saw in The Belles. The feelings between Remy and Camille feel sudden and unrealistic given we don't see a large chunk of their time together on the run--and then they are separated during this book. The same can be said of Camille and her sisters. These bonds were the ones I enjoyed most in the first book, but because Camille is somewhat on her own in trying to save the world, we don't see those relationship bloom and change like I hoped.

The second half really picks up as Camille meets the Iron Ladies and their castle informant (surprise!), attempts to save multiple sisters, and forms a plan to bring down Sophie. I wish there had been more, actually. Once the climax happens, the falling action seems hurried and just...not enough. I know I read somewhere that this duology might be expanded, so maybe that's why it felt unfinished somehow.

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed by this sequel/conclusion. The Belles was a unique YA book that had me turning pages because of the dramatic court politics and lush worldbuilding. The Everlasting Rose, while I still devoured this book, didn't live up to my expectations for the last book in a duology. Clayton's biggest strength with these books is the world she created. The Everlasting Rose continues to immerse the reader in a world that is decadent yet rotten to the core. My main issue with this book is that I feel like the ending/resolution just wasn't satisfying. Part of this book is about Camille dealing with her anger and I just felt that by the end of the book, she really didn't? I finished the book and felt let down because things seemed to wrap up too easily. The first book had so many twists and turns but this one really didn't.

Overall, I'm happy that I read the conclusion so I know how the duology ends but I find that I'm left feeling a bit adrift after finishing The Everlasting Rose.

Meh. The second book in a series is what makes or breaks you. I was blown away by the Belles. I got it in a book box, and devoured it, it was fantastic. I felt like this book was bridge between two books but didn’t really go anywhere. Just lots of...nothing. Very disappointing after such a fantastic first book.

Thanks Netgally for the advance review.

I did not like this as well as the first book. It had been so long since I read the first book that I did not remember a lot of the details/characters and there was not a lot of review to catch the reader up with the beginning of the story.

I really enjoyed the world Dhonielle Clayton was able to create in this book series. You see the dark side of human nature and it’s desire for perfection at its absolute worst, while being propped up on those that have to be used to create the facade. It’s beautiful and dark and terrifying all at the same time and I love it.