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! 💫