Beauty for Ashes is Apt in the retelling of beauty and the beast. With whimsy for days (which I love) and characters that enchanted me from the first page this story has it all. I adore books but only once in a while find one that blows me away. Beauty Reborn is one of the rare few books that completely capture me. I will be reading this one again and again.

It does touch on PTSD, Depression, and Trauma Response and Recovery but does so in a way to bring just the right of tension without being triggering.

"And beauty from ash, though it's ash still. The bad is not good, but through grace, we can make something good of it in the end."

Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham

I have always loved Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I really enjoyed this book.

Elizabeth Lowham does a create job capturing Beauty as intelligent and imaginative all at the same time.

Beauty and Beast (whose name is actually Andre) fit so well together and create a strong bond through their love of stories.

I especially loved the ending and felt like it tied the entire book together perfectly.

Beauty Reborn is a story of overcoming past trauma and learning to trust in yourself. Embracing the present instead of living in the past. Beauty may have been whimsical, but she overcame the horrors of the world with her family and Andre by her side.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of beauty reborn. this was ya but it was mysterious and dark and beautiful.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Fairytale retellings are fun, and I'm always interested to see the ways authors change the original stories to make them their own. Beauty Reborn did not disappoint me; in fact, I very much enjoyed reading it. The first part of the book was a little slow because of the time Beauty spent alone (and lack of dialogue resulting from it), but it wasn't boring. Through the fairy, the book explored the concept of regret and the ways that our mistakes shape us, but it never felt preachy.

Beauty (17 and then 18) was likable but relatable in her flaws. Yes, she was generally a good person. However, she was admittedly selfish at times (not that I blame her) and intentionally did things to anger her oldest sister, Astra (24). Her motivations for taking her father's place were quite valid and far more believable than simply an altruistic love for her family (though she did love them). I loved Beast (19), who was shy and gentle and patient. Each of them carried tragedy and pain that directly affected the story and how they got to where they were.

I will definitely watch for any other books this author writes.

Note: Implied past sexual assault.

I love this story SO much! My absolute favorite fairy tale ever is Beauty and the Beast, so I jumped at the chance to read Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham. I devoured this book in less than 24-hours I was that engaged. Beauty Reborn is an apt title. The main character, Beauty, does undergo a rebirth born out of time, space, and healing, but the fairy tale itself is also reborn through Lowham’s skillful storytelling. The fantasy aspect of this story is superb and unique and magical. I was wholly captivated by Beast’s castle, by the uber-fierce forest that surrounds his home, and the enigmatic blue fairy that pops up often to stir trouble all her own. In addition to the fantastical elements, I also really love the characters. Beauty is different. She is feisty and whimsical and so naïve. But she learns…my goodness, does this poor girl learn her lesson. What I love about her character the most is that she does mature and she comes to understand how to see the truth of a matter. She becomes cautious, she sees through image to truth, and understands that healing happens when a person’s truth is shared with trusted loved ones and then faced together. I really, really like Lowham’s version of Belle. I also like her version of Beast. I like how his supposed beastliness becomes a safe-harbor for Beauty. I like how he is opposite of a beast in his manner — he is unassuming, he is calm, and he is quiet. He listens and he pays attention to details. He is exactly the beast Beauty needs. And then there is the Gaston character — Stephan. Stephan is a true villain and his real-to-life villainy makes him incredibly ugly and sinister. I avidly disliked his character, and wanted Beauty to stay as far away from him as possible. The topics discussed in this novel are compelling as well. I especially resonate with the wish that people would be transparent about who they are. It would make life easier and safer if bad guys (and girls) had signs over their heads that stated, “I’m bad, stay away!” But that is not how life works. Instead, we have to be cautious and careful about who we let into our inner circles and into our hearts.

Beauty Reborn is a delightful Beauty and the Beast retelling that I wholeheartedly enjoyed and highly recommend. This book is fun and engaging and magical. If you are a fan of fairy tales, Young Adult lit with excellent and timely themes, or fast-paced and highly engaging stories, then purchase yourself a copy of this book today. You do not want to miss out on this captivating story!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

this was a 2.75 read for me and i wish i could give it higher but it just didn’t work for me

beauty reborn is a beauty and the beast retelling where beauty is the youngest daughter of a merchant who when bankrupt, has to sell all of their belongings and move to a small cottage and attend to the land. the same plot comes of beauty’s father picking a rose and beauty going in his place and this the beauty and the beast story begins..

yet both beauty and the beast feel very lackluster in this novel. it especially disappointed me on how throughout this entire book beauty continues to say that she’s a very whimsical girl like whimsy whimsy whimsy yet i never understood that as all her decisions are mainly rooted in logical behavior. she discusses philosophy a lot as it seems to be her passion so maybe that’s the whimsy she’s talking about?? but it was just so confusing because whimsy to me means head in the clouds not a grasp on reality and she very clearly was incredibly logical in the way she thought. i did appreciate her healing journey i thought that was one of the especially well done aspects of this book her trauma and the nonlinear narrative and her journey towards love again was really really good.

but everything else fell flat. all the characters are given hints of a personality but this book is both too short and not focused enough on the side characters to really give us characters to care for.

but unfortunately it’s not just the side characters that suffer from this..we are only told of beasts personality through beauty’s pov and beast is not the biggest conversationalist so all the characteristics we get of him are he’s nice. honest. observant. and engages beauty in conversation. i felt the chemistry was lacking so while their interactions were a little fun to read about, again i was not invested in anything that was happening..

I die hard love Beauty and the Beast so any retelling are right up my alley. This one was wow it did an amazing job with the parts of retelling the original story as well as making it all its own. It was almost nearly perfect but something just felt a little off with the story to make it an unbelievable 5 stars. This one sets solid at the 4 star mark. It was so worth the read and I would totally read its again.

This is a beauty and the beast retelling. I liked the focus on Beauty and what she is going through. The flashbacks worked for me and I liked how the layers were pulled back. I also liked the growth of the relationship between Beauty and the Beast. They come to trust each other slowly and it's sweet.

The idea of wishes is interesting. I do like the family dynamics. Beauty's siblings have a bit more dimension and I would be interested in seeing another book about Rob or possibly Astra.

This is an interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast. There's a magic castle and a tormented beast who had a curse place upon him until completion. Beauty goes to the castle in place of her father and there the story goes. Not everything is similar to the versions I have read and that kept the story interesting.

I loved the beast! Right from the start I was hooked. The author does a good job letting us see who he really is and how he connects with the castle. Beauty strives to discover who she is after her hopes are completely dashed by a suitor.

There's a message to the book and I think it's done well. What makes things beautiful? Are the things we truly wish for what we actually want in life? I think the story answers those questions. It' had more of a darker vibe. There is laughter and fun, with plenty of great magic, but it's still a bit oppressive at times. The sister is such a mean girl and I just wanted to put some duct tape on her mouth.

The cover is so gorgeous and I will look for more by this new to me author. A 3.5 star retelling for everyone who likes Beauty and the Beast, and for those who want to experience a little magic in their life. Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to try a new author.

TW: sexual assault (nothing graphic)

"Beauty Reborn" is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that explores why exactly Beauty would volunteer to go to the Beast in place of her father. Family loyalty is a powerful motivator, but can that really be all there is to it? Turns out, the answer is no. There is a reason Beauty wants to leave her life behind, and it's not because her family is newly impoverished or because of her overbearing elder sisters.

This Beauty is a lot more daring, outspoken, and, well, "whimsical" than others I've read about. A lot of retellings make Beauty very blatantly different from others in her town (probably taking a cue from the Disney movie's opening scenes) but Lowham takes a much more subtle approach. Beauty has an interest in a lot of heavier topics like philosophy, and wants to discuss them, despite the fact that most other people in her town don't fully understand what she's talking about. I wasn't thinking, "she's not like other girls" until about halfway through. Lowham's Beast is very shy, almost hesitant, preferring to hide from Beauty altogether instead of forcing her to be in his company. Beauty has two older sisters and an older brother in addition to her father, and to be honest I'm half in love with her brother; I enjoyed the fact that we got to spend time getting to know Beauty's family.

My one complaint is that the beginning act of this book is told at an almost breakneck pace. There's a lot of jumping around in the timeline - current events, flashbacks to give us details about current events, side stories, etc - that it took me a little while to get truly grounded in this world. The existence of magic and fairies doesn't seem to phase anyone, but neither is it commonplace. I don't really understand exactly how the magic system works, except that making a wish comes with a price. Little magic, like the workings of Beast's castle, seem to happen without a cost or thought. It just happens.

Overall I thought it was a great retelling that took different approaches to a very familiar story, and a wonderful debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I was gifted a copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to thank Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishers for sending me this e-arc in return for an honest review.

Beauty Reborn is a fitting title for the book, as it is about overcoming trauma and finding yourself again. I connected with Beauty so much, especially as she battled inside of herself with what had happened to her. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast, looks more at a character who wants to be free of her life, she seeks the Beast out because she hates what has happened to her. I loved how this story is more about Beauty and the healing she goes through to become a stronger person again. We are faced with a Beast who really, does not want to keep her captive, but as punishment of the curse is forced to have her stay. It is a beautiful book written for those who are survivers of sexual assault, that you can heal and become even stronger.

This was such a unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast! The author handled sensitive subjects very well. I enjoyed seeing how Beauty and Andre grew over the course of the story. The writing style was engaged and kept me wondering what would happen next.

Perfect read! Well written and poignant. Beauty Reborn explores how a woman who has been abused can love herself and others again. Beauty finds out how to love herself and find support in her family and friend, Beast, even though she was convinced by the abuser that she has no worth and no one cares or wants her. Beautifully written. You almost don’t recognize the abuse till the end.

2.5 stars on the base that it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that included him asking if she will marry him every day. It read quickly and conveyed what needed to be said in its short novel. The bad was that the story was rushed because everything was condensed down, and why I got the names, I felt that the author could have been a bit more creative like with Beauty's as they were with the sisters.

First, thank you Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I initially thought I would. I like retelling's of classics but I typically find that they are either far too changed and its a completely different story or not changed enough and its the exact same story. This was a great balance between the two.

I liked the main character and I liked see Beast through her eyes. I also enjoyed the interactions with the enchanted castle.

My only real complaint with the book is that there was not a lot of depth to any character outside of Beauty. The ending was also very short and rushed compared with the rest of the book.

Overall, it was a light fun read.

I picked this up because it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I liked how Beauty went to the castle by her own choice. I enjoyed the gradual progression of friendship and trust that develops between her and the Beast, especially as they read together and wrote notes to one another. Elizabeth Lowham created an interesting world where you need to be careful what you wish for, especially if fairies are around. A bargain, or wish, with a fairy never turns out the way you imagined it would.

I had a hard time with Beauty's reasons for being there. The author did a good job handling the subject matter, and it's mentioned in the blurb, if I'd taken the time to read it beforehand. Beauty is there at the castle trying to put some distance between herself, and the Gaston character of this story who romanced her then raped her. It put a heavier angle to the book than I had bargained for. The author covered this carefully, sparse on details, and more about Beauty's journey of recovery.

"I trust no man's word. But a beast's may have a chance."

Beauty Reborn is an interesting take on Beauty and the Beast that develops more of the backstories of our hero and heroine to make them more relatable and deep.

The author has a beautiful way with words that read at times almost like poetry. There were several passages where I was impressed with the way she wrote and the lyrical undertones of her writing.

I also really liked the magical elements that were woven throughout. It was fun to read a historical romance that still kept the magic alive in the retelling of this story.

There was a good balance between the tragedy of Beauty's experience and the hope and healing that can come with overcoming trauma. All sensitive topics were handled well, which I appreciated. Seeing Beauty and Beast overcome and heal together was refreshing. Also, I loved the just desserts to those who deserved it at the end of the book—I would be interested in seeing that story.

Unfortunately, this wasn't my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast. While, overall, I enjoyed the book, I had a hard time with the amount of repetition that slowed the story and some of the language that was too flowery to feel cohesive. I wish I had enjoyed this book more than I did.

My rating: 3.25 stars—I enjoyed quite a few parts of it, though I probably won't read it again.
Content: Discussion of rape (nothing explicit), some toxic relationships

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Shadow Mountain for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yes - read it.

This was a great retelling of Beauty and the Beast! I don't like when the story migrates so far from what we think the story really is. This didn't follow the Disney version which is also a very good thing!

There were a many different aspects to the story that I liked and that I thought added to it. I liked the many characters and found myself hoping they made the right choices when confronted with a decision. Even though I knew the many plot, I really enjoyed the story.

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

“𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩,” 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙨.”
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩. 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.
___

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this, but I enjoyed it so much!! It reminded me a little bit of the Disney classic movie, but also not at all. It’s quite dark with the theme of sexual assault (not on page) being one of the main highlights. It’s truly heartbreaking what Beauty went through and as her story unfolds, you can understand why she ran away and sought refuge in the Beast’s castle. I loved the slow burn of their enemies to friends to lovers relationship and how they connected through books. The descriptions of the castle and enchantments were so much fun! I highly recommend this Beauty and the Beast retelling!

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

A stunning re-telling that for me was the perfect blend of staying true to the original while turning it on its head.

Beauty is a young woman who uses her words and wit brazenly, as well as to fill the silence making light of life's trials, disguising a life shattered by an event that haunts her. This is a beautiful re-telling of a classic tale, I loved how it captures the classic tale, while digging deeper and even though I know the original well, it kept me guessing how it would end.

The lovely prose flows through the book, weaving a captivating tale perfect for lovers of fairy tales. It also deals excellently with the topic of sexual assault in a sensitive but powerful way, that would be appropriate in my mind for teen readers.

Beauty is a flawed character, who is clever but not always compassionate, thoughtlessly flaunting her wit, but my heart still went out for her because despite all of her bravado it is a cover for her true heart. I liked how the beast challenged her way of thinking with his quiet ways.

Overall, I devoured this well written re-telling of one of my favorite stories, I haven't read a book so quickly in a long time, and I didn't want it to end. I honestly wouldn't change a thing about this lovely re-telling, and hope to read more similar books from this author in the future!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.