Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

This is a cute, queer Beauty And The Beast-ish retelling. Though is this story the beast isn't unlikable or "ugly" which I kind of expected him to be, but I didn't really mind that. A retelling doesn't have to be just like the original (why would you read a retelling if it was the exact same in the first place.)
The characters are very adorable, there's a lot of queer rep, the romance is cute, and the story is great!
I kind of wish it was longer. I wanted the romance to be more slowburn, but maybe that's just me.
All in all it was a very enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it!

Overview:

🆗 mlm romance
🆗 Faux enemies to lovers (misunderstanding to lovers)
🆗 Medium burn
🆗 Fairy tale retelling

The Fatal Rose is unique yet familiar- a retelling with some new ideas but ultimately outside of being queer, we are looking at the same plot beats in a YA fairy tale retelling. This book is nauseatingly safe.

Florian was cursed by his evil brother in a challenge for the throne. Now living in the shadow of his own kingdom, his staff and family have become tree creatures.

Ren is a poor young man working to take care of his family. When his mother goes missing, he finds that she has been captured by a mysterious person known as the Master and his tree servants for picking a garden rose.

A story about beauty and the beast you may ask? Almost- but The Fatal Rose falls into the typical YA trap of "every main character must be good and likable, actually. Florian is kind and actually quite handsome despite being cursed. Ren is empathetic and learns very quickly that his captor is not his enemy and that his actions are justified. if you want a story attempting to do Beauty and the Beast while eliminating the core of the story.

This could be any story about a cursed person- I am not sure why the author wanted to do Beauty and the Beast when

1- The beast isn't ugly
2- The beast is a nice person.

There are some positives though. I found the first hunk of this very readable and fun. If you are looking for a generic mlm romance that is cute and sweet and generally about two nice folks doing their best, this could be a great book for you. We often talk about the need for space for mid queer stories and I think this absolutely qualifies as that.

I strongly recommend if you like queer stories and want a quick and easy read, I would recommend The Fatal Rose.

The Fatal Rose is a delightfully queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The cast of characters includes multiple queer identities, each of whom have their own paths and stories. While it doesn’t necessarily delve greatly into the struggles of being queer, it does make for a wonderfully romantic read in an atmosphere of love and acceptance. The main characters, Ren and Florian, come from vastly different worlds, but they come together under a curse and the story of their affections blooms from there. Along the way we meet people who are similarly cursed and watch as Ren navigates these new relationships and struggles with his own feelings. I adored this read because the romantic element was so heartwarming and Ren’s emotional development was so real and brilliant. I appreciated it as a queer adaption of a beloved tale and enjoyed the sweet romance between our leads. If you’re a fan of fantasy and fairy tales, this book is for you!

Thank you to Sarah Bryant and Evernight Teen for providing me a free digital arc of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

Beauty and the Beast has long been my favorite fairy tale. I've read multiple versions of it and seen multiple film and television versions. I've read or seen versions that were contemporary, historical, teen, adult, queer, science fiction, et cetera.

I have my favorites on page and onscreen, but I get excited when I find a new adaptations or rewritings. And so I requested The Fatal Rose. Besides teen, queer protagonists, there are are some changes to the background story. The "Beast" aka the Master is an innocent victim of jealousy and homophobia. That was an interesting change, but other than that he wasn't developed much.

Ren ("Belle") is not too unlike original Belle although his mother is the head of the family and his sister is very young and sick. There are some hints of him being troubled due to being objectified by many people around him, but he seems to get over it relatively easily.

The best part of the story is the side characters. The author presents them in a way that I don't recall reading or seeing before. I liked it a lot and wish we had seen more interaction among them and between them and the main characters.

I did have some issues with the world building. Obviously magic plays a huge role in the original story. And in The Fatal Rose, the existence of magic is known. By the 1st chapter, magic has...disappeared? Or gone into hiding? There is no satisfactory explanation given. And the magic within the castle allows its denizens to be aware of modern day changes and to access modern day books while supposedly being trapped and isolated.
That was a plot convenience that didn't work for me.

The pacing of the romance was hit or miss. At first it seemed too fast, then it slowed down to the point that I was struggling to read it, then it intensified in a manner that felt like it came out of nowhere. Ren is there for 5 to 6 months, but the passage of time wasn't well conveyed.

My biggest complaint is the Master's actions regarding previous civilains who have stumbled into the magical trap of his estate. His response to them seemed very out of character and wasn't really addressed with the gravity it should have been.

So, I wanted to love this, but it was only okay, mostly because I have a soft spot for the original Beauty and the Beast and because I appreciate what the author did with the side characters.

Beautiful retelling of an age old story. Beautiful setting, lovely characters (even the 'beast' is lovely,) and an unbreakable curse unless true love is found. All the correct ingredients for a story made modern and yet still mired in the past. If you love retellings, especially with M/M main characters, then I wholeheartedly suggest giving this one a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Evernight Publishing for a copy of The Fatal Rose in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great, i loved ren he is the best.
And his relationship with Florian was super cute and very sweet, never thought of a queer beauty and the beast retelling would be as good as this

Ren is a 17-year-old waiter at the local bar. He works there to help get Food for his mom granny and little sister. When his mom gets a phone call saying one of his dad‘s lost ships had been found and that she must go so she can claim the bounty. Needing money desperately the mother plans to go, but Rin will not let her leave until she takes the only cell phone the family has and only after he put a tracking app on the phone. Excited for the money she will get she asked Ren and his little sister what can she get for them while in town they both say just come home safe and when she insists Rin says get a rose 4 Em. When she doesn’t return, her little family is beside their self with worry. Not being able to sit there doing nothing Ren decide to go out there his mother. He borrows his cell phone from his Turkish neighbors downstairs and tracks her to a lonely mountain. This is where Rin will encounter the strangest person he has ever met while walking in the woods he sees a May it in surrounded by a gate and by the gate he find his mom‘s cell phone. When he walks into the mansion he is making his way through looking for his mom when a man Bellows what are you doing in my home! This will start the best and the worst time in Brands life. This is a beauty and the beast reimagining instead of the traditional man and woman it is a love story with two men. I love beauty and the beast it is my favorite Disney story and I am always critical of retellings but I thought this one was so I want to say beautiful even though it’s a book and I don’t know why. It was so nicely written the love story was authentic and although that was magic it didn’t seem over-the-top or ridiculous it seemed organic if that makes sense. I wish I could find this book and post it on my wall oh I love this book it was magical beautiful romantic I loved it and the plot was done so intelligently. I love original plots and although this is a retelling I thought this was so original. Until now I thought Laura Burton had the best beauty and the beast reimagining but this one totally comes close second and there’s no third. I love this book la blah blah of this! If you love the retail retailings in authentic romance with a little magic you need to read this book. It also has 28 each other which is always a bonus. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own I was given this book by net galley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily. #Fatal rose,#SarahBrian, #NetGally

*Received as a free ARC*
This was such an excellent book! Somehow, I wasn't imagining the time jump, but it made the story so much better! Florian's struggle to come to terms with his sexuality is one many people, especially teenagers, can relate to. The notes of drama and romance hit just right against the fantasy. I would highly recommend reading this as soon as possible!

One of the best beauty and the beast retellings I've read. It didn't feel forced. The relationship between the two of them felt organic and real. It was nice to see a twist to a fairytale and it done right.
The halflings were such a cool idea too. Along with the picking of the rose. It made so much more sense that picking a rose and then facing the consequences because the rose was a human once.
I really enjoyed reading this.

Beauty and the Beast have gone under a radical change in this gay version of the beloved classic. Despite some minor changes concerning the characters, everything else is there. However, the Beast has to make a boy fall in love with him. The rest is history. I loved the creative way the author developed the whole plot and also how she managed to keep the charm alive.

A fatal rose gives an original twist to a fairy tale that everyone knows through and through. Although the story was a bit cliché, it did not bother me at all. It actually felt very sweet at the same time. There are plenty of new elements, such as the origin of the curse and the queerness of various characters. There is also a lot of originality in the appearances of the secondary characters. Both Florian and Ren also go through a lot of personality developments, it is nice to follow their search for themselves and love (as well as learning and daring to believe that they are indeed capable of love and are entitled to it) from close by.
It takes a while before you really start to learn (in more detail) about what is going on in the castle, but once halfway through, I really found it hard to put this book down. It reads very smoothly.
One thing I didn't really get though is why Ren is so bent on making up for all the things he missed because of dropping out of school (I know education is important but I don't see how it fits into the rest of the story).
The reason why I keep my rating at 4 stars is because I would have liked a little more action as well, besides the emotional journey of the characters. I also didn't feel that I was getting very attached to the characters, although they didn't leave me indifferent either, absolutely not.
So I can only recommend this book to people who are looking for a familiar story with a new twist, where the original Beauty and the Beast story is still very much present, and who are not looking for a sweet story.

The Fatal Rose by Sarah Bryant is a queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When Ren's mother is drawn into a magical world and trapped there - Ren quickly offers himself up as her replacement. His family needs her, and he is convinced he can escape. Time changes everything for Ren though and that's how the story begins its engagement of the reader.

I enjoyed the overall world that was created by Bryant. The idea of a curse that would slowly disfigure someone rather than it being immediate was interesting. The fact that it would take time for Florian to become something “other” made the story more dramatic and intriguing. I did struggle a bit with a lack of back story for the magic. I’m accustomed to magical worlds having more backstory and history regarding magic. I wanted to know how it was used, how it was woven into the world, what energy is the magic? Perhaps, I have been spoiled by some of the authors I read, but I was curious.

While I enjoyed the relationship building between Ren and Florian, the pacing felt a bit off for me. Florian’s character seemed to change quite quickly – unlike the original beast – he never really felt like a monster to me. Ren and Florian became close quickly and Ren seemed to lose any apprehension he had quite quickly.
I did enjoy some of the supporting characters and Ren’s family was beautiful. There were a lot of wonderful characters in the book – sadly, I felt I connected more with the supporting characters than the two MCs.

The writing was pleasant with some beautiful and lyrical descriptions. There were a few POV switches that I found a little confusing. I feel as though the story would have been more cohesive if the book had stayed in Ren’s POV. That’s just a personal preference.

I liked the story but was a little disappointed in some of the substance.

The Fatal rose is a modern day take on beauty and the beast

Ren and his family are poor and live near the docks and he works hard to keep food in their table to help out his mother

One day a call is received that says that a ship that he been his dads was found and there was a fortune on it and that the mother had to go to Nice to get it. Little did they know that it was a trap and the mother escapes into the woods and falls into another trap.

She initiates her own curse inadvertently and the story moves on from there.

If you have an issue with gay romance then you should keep moving on but this was a really good book!

This was such a cute but meaningful book. I always love Beauty and the Beast retellings, especially when they're gay. I think that they can be so powerful because they explore the depths of human character while also having romance and the development of trust. This had those things, it showed identity and how it changes after a terrible event, then how to grow afterward. This had a powerful message alongside a sweet romance.

Alright. First, overall: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. YA isn't my thing, so there were very YA-specific things that had me rolling my eyes, but that's fine. The representation in this book was nice to see. The plot very closely followed Beauty and the Beast, so there wasn't much to anticipate besides the obvious ending--which is totally fine.
All of that said, hang your disbelief up at the door because I had trouble suspending it adequately for the first couple of chapters. The prologue went from huh to wtaf in record time and a fair amount of the set up was.. hard to take as anything other than 'author said so, hence it is.' And that's fine. I get that some stories are like that. It just.. had this not been a netgalley review for me, I might not have given it a chance beyond the first chapter. Glad I did, though.

I'm a huge fan of retellings, and an MM Beauty and the Beast retelling sounded right up my alley. This book does a great job taking the original tale and morphing it into something believable for the modern-day. The changes made to the curse all made sense, and were interesting. I was also a big fan of Ren right from the start. He had a lot of personality and felt very realistic. I didn't get the same strong connection with Florian, but that might be because he had an old feel about him that most likely was done on purpose since he's been alive so long. I loved the prose, the descriptions were all well done and I could easily picture things. The dialogue after around twenty percent was stilted at times, but not bad by any means. To avoid spoilers I won't say much about plot, but I was quickly invested in them getting their HEA, especially Ren, who again, I loved from the start.

All in all, a solid retelling with an enjoyable cast, a lush world, and a couple you find yourself rooting for. Definitely recommend for anyone who loves looking for all the tiny differences authors make in retellings. I would read another book by this author for sure.

This was such a lovely surprise. I expected this to be a decent and fast little read but I was utterly charmed by it. It's a sweet story with an endearing cast of characters and the romance is adorable. I really enjoyed this one and was kept interested throughout.

There was a lot I loved here: the beautiful storytelling, Ren and his family, the focus on the setting and gardens in particular. Unfortunately there were also aspects amongst these that I felt didn't work well upon execution (a large one being the experiences of horrific fetishization that Ren faced being glossed over later on in the story), but there is a story with a lot of heart here.

It’s now a week into pride month, and how better to celebrate than a queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast? When it comes to fairy tales, there are not a lot I can think of that are more rife with source material for reimaginings, than a story about a beautiful maiden who comes to love a hideous beast. My love for monster romance aside, that’s just a great premise. However, as I’ve gotten into discouvering more queer fiction I haven’t yet encountered many fairytale retellings, let alone ones that stay firmly rooted in YA. As such, I wasn’t too sure what to expect with The Fatal Rose. However, I was most assuredly, pleasantly surprised.
As a story, this has all the pining I could want. The progression of the relationship between Ren and Florian, from their initial antagonism, to later friendship, and final romantic involvement was just cute to bear witness to. I’m always a sucker for a protagonist caught up in a “he loves me, he loves me not” mental loop; and this story had two of them! However, it also touches on themes of objectification, gender identity, and bodily autonomy in a way that didn’t feel heavy handed.
My one little quip is that I really didn’t like the dream sequences, because they just felt like a McGuffin to move the story along. A deus ex machina, if you will. Which were absolutely not necessary and just became addedages of exposition. But, in all honesty, that is such a small thing when compared to the enjoyment I got from the rest of the novel.
Overall, a really fun book to pick up if you’re looking for an easy, yet fantastical read.

Actual rating is 3.5

I really enjoyed reading about Florian he was a pretty good mc, the writing was good and easy it made the book a pretty quick read, and I think it was a very original take on the fairytale. Now the reason I gave it a 'lower' rating, is becasue I didn't particularly enjoy the romance between the mc and Ren. I thought the pacing of it and their chemistry wasn't very well done and it took ma out of the story quite a lot at times.