One of those reads with characters who stick with you. Beau is devoted to his family. He tries to balance that loyalty with the desire to fit in at school, make his crush into something more (maybe?), and protect his family when it comes to it. When an ugly car accident befalls his mother when his father is out of work, Beau rises to the occasion to provide that protection. The arrangement for the financial obligation turns completely unexpected in some unusual ways.

Beau and Bett by Kathryn Berla

Read: 04/16-04/16

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

After Beau LeFrancois’s mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—and no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch.

Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz—also known as “The Beast” at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her. That is, until he catches Bett in a lie.

A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What I Liked:

I really liked the setting of this book. It was so easy to picture Beau and Bett working on her family’s ranch. This was also a unique twist on the Beauty and the Beast fairy-tale. I especially liked that the roles were gender swapped. It also had a great modern twist to the classic story. Beau was a great main character. He was a hard worker and would do anything for his family. Berla did a great job of developing his character.

What I Didn’t Like:

Unfortunately there were quite a few things that I was not a huge fan of in this book. The main part being the character development. Beau’s character was the only well developed character in the book. Bett’s character had so much potential considering she was the beast, but she was one dimensional. And if I had to be honestly her character was not a very good representation of young women. There was so much that could have been done with her character but, Berla didn’t even scratch the surface. Each time I was left wanting more from her character. The other side characters also could have used more development and seemed only to be there to fill the time when Beau was not at the ranch. Lastly, the pace of the book felt a little rushed. I would have liked more time between Beau and Bett first meeting and falling in love because they had chemistry but it was only just beginning by the end of the book.

Overall, this modern retelling of a classic fairy-tale had a unique twist and a lot of potential but didn’t quite hit the mark.

Rating: 5/10

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The concept of a contemporary gender-flipped retelling of beauty & the beast is very appealing, and in many ways this book is successful in pulling it off. Unfortunately, the chemistry between Beau and Bett often feels more forced than the situation they're in, leaving the book lacking tension.

It's interesting to bring class war and gender dynamics into the story by placing it into a contemporary setting and switching the genders of the beauty and beast. The writing style is straightforward and easy, mirroring the character of the narrator, Beau. It's great to have a romance like this from the perspective of a boy, as this is something lacking in a lot of young adult fiction. Beau's reactions to situations often read like a 'how-to' on being a not-terrible boy, with him always being careful to behave in a non-creepy way. It's cute, and I'm always down for books that have positive, alternative role models. Beau is a lot of things a manly man is expected to be - he's strong, handy, a hard worker - but he's also happy taking on chores for his mother, taking care of vulnerable people, and being vulnerable himself.

Berla's 'beast' is the most interesting part of this loose adaptation. Bett initially appears to be a mean girls style bully, known as 'the beast' for her cruelty. The real reason behind her reputation, which I won't reveal because spoilers, is the most compelling and believable part of the book. Without giving too much away, the beast in Beau and Bett is the same as the one that looms over all of us - that's right, it's the patriarchy!

Beau & Bett is a classic , tale as old as time enemies-to-lovers narrative, but the enmity is never super apparent. Beau's initial dislike of Bett is based on hearsay that he's not particularly convinced by, while she's keen on him right from the start. It seems like Berla is afraid to make her characters too unlikable, in case she can't convince us of their romance later on. The interplay between the two characters never makes a whole lot of sense, as Berla fails to convince either Beau or the reader of Bett's beastliness. With two fairly pleasant characters, there's little tension or reason for them not to date, and so the plot plods towards its inevitable conclusion with only a few small bumps along the way.

Berla is selling a fairytale romance, and if you're after an uncomplicated boy-meets girls story with a fun reference point, it's an easy read that will deliver.

This book was different from any other Beauty and the Beast retelling I have read. Beau is a responsible young man who helps take care of his injured father and younger siblings. Through circumstances beyond his control he ends up working at a ranch for a wealthy family where he meets "the beast" the ranch owners beautiful and mean daughter, Bett. This retelling was original and thought provoking.

This book was totally adorable!! The gender reversal was perfect, especially with people embracing who they really are in today's society. Sometimes women are the mean ones and that's okay. Sometime men are the kind, soft ones, and that's okay too. I'm really glad the author kept it French with the names "Beau LeFrancios" I was kind of laughing at that. In real life, I know a lot of "Francios". More than their relationship, I adored their friendship and the fact that I was feeling impatient about them taking the next step. This novel is something to warm your heart, just like the original tale. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

I really loved this book. It could have been cheesy as a take on Beauty and the Beast but it wasn’t at all. I thought I was going to hate ‘the Beast’ - she was set up very well, but I ended up liking her a lot and really empathizing with her. I think teenage girls will feel for her trying to fit in but also I loved that Beau wasn’t trying to fit in - he was his own person, regardless of what anyone else thought. Beau had some great messages to give throughout the book but they were delivered in a teen friendly way so they weren’t patronizing. I look forward to using this book with my Middle Schoolers. A great read.

An ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I was excited about this fairytale retelling and it didn't disappoint. I loved how the roles were reversed but I think that if you didn't know that this was supposed to be a modern retelling, then you wouldn't figure that out from reading the book. I think that it did include some elements from the original, but it doesn't follow the exact events from it.

I loved the characters of Beau and Bett. Beau is hard working and family oriented and Bett turns out to be charming and sweet, although a bit closed off and shy.

Their romance was a very slow burn. I loved/hated it because you really become invested in their relationship but my favorite part of it was the chase and the will they or won't they. Their friendship is developed at the forefront and their relationship comes later, which I really appreciated and enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Amberjack publishing for giving me an ARC for an honest review.

I was provided a copy of this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is not so different from the normal light-hearted teen summer romance. However, with that being said, it is a decent light read that warms the heart in the end. I feel like there aren’t enough teen romance books where the main character actually behaves maturely and have an adult way of thinking and it is refreshing.

I would recommend this book if you want a cute little read on a nice summer day at the beach or in the park.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2765413842

I received this from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

3.75 stars.

This book was very cute. I did enjoy it but if the title did not say a beauty and the beast story. It was a cute read. The book was short so the story was a fast read. I did love the 2 main characters. I do recommend this book.

A great modern day beauty and the beast retelling. I loved the gender reversal. Beau could have been a little less awkward but I see what Kathryn was going going for and she executed it get well. Overall I say it's a solid 4 out of 5 stars and would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a good fluffy YA read

A modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast where the roles are reversed. When Beau's mom gets in a car accident he goes to the family and offers to work off the debt for the damage caused. While there he encounters Bett, who has earned the nickname The Beast. As time passes Beau and Bett get to know each other better and learn there is more to a person than first impressions.

Beau works hard to help out his family and after the car accident he works off the debt at Diaz Ranch. I liked that he wants to help his family and is willing to contribute any way needed. The more time e spends at the ranch the more he gets to know Bettina and the two start to become friends.

When you first meet Bett she gives the impression of being a spoiled, self-entitled snob. As time passes and the more you get to know her you see how lonely she is and how much she desires to have a friend. The more you get to know about Bett's life the more you can sympathize with her, especially when you hear about how she got the nickname The Beast. Bett wants to prove that she is more than what you see in a first impression. It was fun to see Bett help Beau with the ranch work and you see how much pride she has in the family ranch.

I enjoy reading Beauty and the Beast retellings and while there are some similarities this is not a total retelling. The ending did feel a bit rushed, but otherwise the pacing was steady. Overall, this was okay, it's a quick predictable read that has some cute scenes.

If you know me you know how much I adore the Beauty and the Beast story and I'm a sucker for any retellings. Contemporary is always a hit or miss for me so I was nervous to start this. I feel like this could Have been a really fantastic book but unfortunately it didn't do it for me. I will say I probably wasn't the intended target audience and younger readers who love contemporary stories would love it more then me for then likely.

I feel like this book is just full of stereotypical teen drama and angst that I hate and the characters just seemed shallow, especially Beau. I feel like it encompassed what every older generation things teens are like without actually sitting down and talking with very many and that's what bothered me the most. They just didn't feel like they had a lot of depth despite it being obvious the author was trying for it. It's so unfortunate as well because there's a part of this book that deals with the topic of sexual assault and because of the development of the characters and the rest of the story it just felt wrong and handled poorly and maybe this is entirely just me but it just sat with me wrong.

While I didn't care for Beau much at all and many of the other characters, I did enjoy Bett's character a little more. She was weird and quirky and I felt for her in a way I didn't with the other characters.

The whole thing just felt very unreal and just plain cheesy most of the time. I also feel like it just didn't do the Beauty and the Beast tale justice what so ever which makes me sad. There wasn't a lot that made it a BATB retelling besides these two characters from different social classes kind of falling in love. Obviously there's a lot of changed to be made since it's a modern retelling but still. I think the biggest thing missing was the fact I never believed Bett' role as the Beast. Which of course we know she isn't from the orgional tale but there's a certain joy in retellings and the orgional of slowly revealing the beast's true nature and we never really got that? When we first meet her for real in the book there's a certain niceness that's always there? I don't know if that makes any sense but you know. I also feel that spark and chemistry in the romance was missing. I just didn't see it? I think part of that is it happened to quickly and just felt rushed. I don't know I have conflicting feelings on this book.

Again I do think there's a select few who would enjoy this and I obviously kept through with it so there's a little part of me that enjoyed some aspect of this book but I just felt like it tried too hard to be something it wasn't. I think there's a lot more I can say about this book but I don't want to make this a million miles long so I'll end here.

I enjoyed reading this story. I will admit it took me a while to get into the story line. I did enjoy the switch of the boy being the beauty and the girl being the beast. This is definitely a YA/Teen novel. It fits that demographic and they are teenagers in high school. It is getting a bit harder for me personally to get involved into these types of stories, but that's just me getting old.

This was an interesting take on beauty and the beast. I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would but it was pretty interesting. It took me a minute to get into but it was a pretty ok read. It's a nice modern take but I wouldn't call it a favorite.

Die Beschreibung des Buches passt nicht zum Inhalt. Statt die "Schöne und das Biest" erinnert es eher an "Romeo und Julia". Deswegen bin ich von dem Buch enttäuscht, auch wenn es sich ansonsten gut lesen ließ.

I enjoyed most of Beau and Bett. I liked the story but struggled with a lot of the dialogue. Overall I thought it was a fun read and would definitely recommend!

This beautifully written story showing how love blossoms in unexpected places was perfect. The friendship that grew through Beau's interactions with Bettina is genuine and heartfelt. It shows that even though people may come from different types of backgrounds,that love ignores all boundaries.

I could not finish this book. Bett was annoying, Papa’s Cajun accent was hard for me to read, and Beau was so stupid. Like, why did he have to be so simple? But, I liked the family dynamics.

4 stars
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, I devoured it in one sitting. I loved the fact Bett is the "beast" and the roles are reversed. It gave a freshness to the story.
Beau goes to work at Beth's families ranch in order to repay a debt. Beau is this loveable, caring character that gets to know the real Bett. He sticks up for her and defends her when he doesn't really know why. Bett is misunderstood and has a good heart. I loved the development between these characters. Very enjoyable read!

I was so happy to read this and for it to not be a copy and paste retelling of beauty and the beast. I also loved the reverse roles that the author gave the characters - I thought it added the much needed "freshness" to a retelling of a classic story. But - I did think there was a lack of character development.

It was a fairly easy read and a fun read during a snow day!