WOW!
This book was touching!
Basically it follows a rich french girl and how she wishes to become a naturalist.
Her dad looses the money and she has to marry her brotherly friend, then she runs away a day before her marriage and comes across this beast, and the beast tells her more and takes care of her, overall it was a fun read.
Though the end was quite a bit unexpected!
I wish there was more, like I NEED MORE!
It's so good
My rating ♪5 out of 5♪

Fun fairytale retailing of the Beauty and the Beast. I love to find great independent novelists and I enjoyed this one a lot. I highly recommend it to all who like historical fantasy in the 1800s. I really enjoyed that the people which are normally portrayed negatively in the traditional and Disney tale were sympathetic characters here and that the tragedy came from the situation more than anything. It made for very emotional drama. And the setting, motives and characters really work very well.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I am so, so, down for lesbian Beauty and the Beast. If the straights get 50 new BatB retellings every year, we should at least get this one. Amateur Naturalist was fun, but never quite lived up to my expectations.

For starters, the "Celeste is overwhelmed by the elements and has to seek shelter" thing described in the description doesn't happen until about the 40% part meaning we don't even get to meet the Beast until halfway through the book. Once the BatB stuff is introduced, it also all plays out rather predictably for a retelling.

This was sweet, I'm happy it exists, but it was also fairly average.

This book is so incredible. The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist is a lesbian Beauty and the Beast retelling set in 19th century France, about a girl trying to prove herself as a naturalist by investigating a beast in her forest. I thoroughly missed historical fiction, and it was such a relief to come back to it with such a great novel. Queer historical fantasy is my favorite subgenre of literature, and it has yet to let me down. Amateur Naturalist a slow burn and more character-heavy, but I loved following Celeste through her journey and figuring out the mystery behind the beast. Everything about the beast was fascinating, actually, and I sincerely hope there will be a sequel.

Adorable, smart and witty MC..

Quirky animal sidekick…

To die for library in an abandoned chateau…


Queer Historical Regency Fantasy/Romance..

Yes, please!

The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley @feedthewriter

I LOVED this book! It’s characters are endearing, the setting is romantic and the writing delightful.

Celeste is an amateur naturalist, happy to spend her days sketching animals and dreaming of finding a mentor in Paris at the 1867 Exposition Universelle.

When her family loses everything, Celeste finds the perfect solution to save them all, or is it? Lost in a snowstorm she soon discovers, not only do things rarely goes as planned, but they aren’t alway what they seem either.

The realness of the tasks completed upon first staying in the chateau was something I enjoyed and appreciated, I can’t expand on that without spoilers!

I’m so happy this is first in a series because I can’t wait to read about Celeste’s next adventure!! This is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time.

Regency romance readers (low steam factor) and anyone who loves strong, witty, female MC’s will love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ceinwen Langley for this free, digital ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

A passionate & ambitious protagonist you can't help but adore and root for, featuring notes of Beauty & the Beast.

Synopsis:

1866, France:
Celeste Rossan is well known for her eccentric predilections; she would tenfold prefer to be absconded in the forest, kneeling in mud, sketching bugs, than dancing and enduring insipid small talk.
description
Double underline on the, 'No men,' part is you catch my drift...
Although a scioness of a well established wealthy family, she has no interest in the traditional life that would thereof follow; marriage, drawing rooms, and children.
description
Much unlike her sister, Genevieve, who would like nothing as much as to do all the above with Etienne, their childhood friend and local most coveted/ eligible bachelor. No, playing house is not in the cards for Celeste, who aspires to travel the world, have grand adventures, and make significant discoveries as a Naturalist.
description
The not so small concern is how she will attain a mentor due to her gender, but she is comforted by the notion that surely her family wealth may provide some aid in terms of persuasion.

Her plans are however thwarted when her father’s shipping business,
description
is waylaid by a crisis; suddenly the family business is ‘in the red’. Three ships were lost and as a result money gets tight and they have to move to an unfashionable side of town into an cramped apartment and rent out their home. An opportunity to save her family from ruin presents itself, and she resolves to consign herself to a life she never wanted, but as the reality of what she would be subjecting herself to becomes clear and begins to cement in stone, Celeste will be faced with choosing a subdued, but safe future, or taking a frightening risk that may very well be the gateway to a grand adventure.
description
There is a lot more to the story, but I won't divulge it, as I believe it is best experienced first hand!
What Charmed:

♡The narrative voice is engaging, witty, and occasionally quippy. I just got sucked into the story right away.

♡Celeste! I just adored her, she is a protagonist that is easy to admire and root for.
description
♡Compelling conflict, I really felt torn on what the best decision was- it was not obvious- well it was, but it was not easy, and 'twas something many individuals had to contend with due to society and it's conventional expectations. Especially with Lucile Lajoie.

The Brass Tacks:
➭I have a poor track record with books that have stunning covers, and I do declare that I found this story just as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. Even when I had to put this book down due to the real world, I kept finding my mind muling over the story and eager to return to it, which from my diagnosed ADD standpoint is a credit to it's enthralling narrative.

I will admit this is my first LGBT Historical Romance, and now I feel utterly chagrined to have not righted that oversight sooner- that was some heteronormative BS on my part- not cash money of me at all! My Guncles raised me better, and I shall strive to round out my HRs diversity more.

In short, I simply adored this, and I believe it is an excellent start to the series. I will be awaiting the sequel to our heroine's misadventures on bated breath!
description
I highly recommend!
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.

Because the world is too wide and varied not to explore"

Autor: Ceinwen Langley
Puntuación:⭐⭐⭐.75
Nivel de Inglés: B1-B2 (Inglés Británico)
Género: Historical Fiction, LGTBTQIA, Young Adult

REVIEW:
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book tells us about Celeste, a girl in 1800 who wants to be a Naturalist, she likes science a lot and being able to discover new things. He has a good life until one day his dad goes bankrupt and his world falls apart along with his dream of meeting the best Naturalists.
It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but with LGTBTQIA representation and it is well posed, only that I lacked more suspense and it was somewhat predictable. The beginning was a bit lazy but after the middle it gets interesting. I like the author's pen makes you get into the world I create as well as understand the anguish of the characters. I loved meeting Celeste, she is a super strong woman but there were decisions that could have been made differently but at the same time I understand why I take them and the time in which I lived was very conservative. I feel like the love story is missing something to make it feel more real but it was still good.
I recommend them if you like retellings and the author is independent so I wish her a lot of success and I would love a second part.
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RESEÑA:
Gracias a Netgalley y a la autora por darme la oportunidad de leer el libro a cambio de mi opinión honesta. Este libro nos habla de Celeste una chica en 1800 que quiere ser Naturalista, le gusta mucho la ciencia y poder descubrir nuevas cosas. Tiene una vida buena hasta que un día su papá cae en quiebra y su mundo se viene abajo junto con su sueño de conocer a los mejores Naturalistas.
Es un retelling de la Bella y la Bestia pero con representación LGTBTQIA y esta bien planteado solo que me falto más suspenso y era algo predecible. El principio fue algo flojo pero después de la mitad se pone interesante. Me gusto la pluma de la autora hace que te metas en el mundo que creo así como entender la angustia de los personajes. Me encantó conocer a Celeste es una mujer super fuerte pero había decisiones que podrían haberlas hecho diferentes pero a la vez entiendo porque las tomo y la época en la que vivía era muy conservadora. La historia de amor siento que le falta algo para que lo sintiera más real pero aun así estuvo bien.
Se los recomiendo si les gustan los retellings y la autora es independiente así que le deseo mucho éxito y me encantaría una segunda parte.

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for a review! Wow...there are so many things I loved about this book. It was a wonderful beautifully written story of a girl desperate for independence. This book came off as a queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The abandoned chateau, the French setting and the beast that’s cursed.

Celeste is an amateur naturalist hoping for recognition for her work. She is fascinated when she comes across a killing of red deer. Interested in a new species, Celeste begins investigating. When her family is in financial ruin she accepts her friend’s marriage proposal. She runs away and makes everyone believe that she’s dead! She comes across an abandoned castle there only to find its occupied by a beast! The two strike a friendship and well...I’ll let you read it!

I loved Celeste’s character, her development was amazing and the romance well developed. The beginning was a little slow, but I truly loved learning about Bridget and Eloise in the flashbacks! I’m so glad this is a series! Can’t wait to see what Celeste discovers next! 4.5/5 ⭐️

I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. I rated it a 5/5, it includes two of my favorite types of books to read, queer and historical. It was extremely well written and had my hooked for the majority of the story, I will definitely read more from this author in the future!

I received an eARC in return for an honest review, all opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for the opportunity.

What an absolute delight. I have read many historical fantasy stories and many fairy tale adaptations, and this is one of the best.

A lovely sapphic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this independently published novel is absolutely enthralling - I devoured it in only two reading sessions. Elements of the French fairy tale are in evidence, but the story unfolds primarily as the misadventures of an aspiring young natural scientist under rather unfortunate circumstances.

The world building, relationships, and details in this book were very lovingly presented, and well executed. There are strong themes which explore the ideas of acceptance, humanity, and difficult love. The writing is lush and evocative of Marie Brennan’s Lady Trent series. The practical descriptions of life in this time period are evocative of Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Magician series. I adore both of those series so this was a very pleasant read, and one I will come back to. As it is a little spooky, this would also be an excellent fall read, especially to curl up with a nice cup of something warm.

3.75/5 ⭐

I went into this wholly unwitting and with no expectations - curious about the description and enticed by the lovely cover design - but Celeste's unlikely escapades turned out to be such an unexpected delight! I hadn't dipped into a historical fiction-fantasy hybrid in a while and The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist definitely reignited my enthusiasm for this literary cross-section - Celeste is largely a really likeable and relatable character and it's hard not to cheer her on as you watch her evolve and learn from her errors as she is driven to make difficult choices. It's also easy to get drawn into her naturalist passions and endearing eccentricities, and the picturesque exposition and her love for the diversity of the earth's legion of creatures - and documenting what she considers to be unthinkable, world-changing discoveries - make for a pretty enveloping, engaging reading experience. The plot is a little predictable every now and then and some of her decisions could conceivably raise a few brows, but the repurposed lesbian beauty-and-the-beast-style romance is well-developed and believably carried out, and the ending leaves enough undisclosed that I'd be happy to stay tuned to the central couple's ensuing exploits.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feed the Writer Press for kindly passing on this ARC! 💫