I always love when I can find books that combine two of my favorite genres, so I was immediately interested in this one which features both historical fiction and fantasy. And, for the most part, it all came together well! Perhaps more than the fantasy elements, I enjoyed the historical setting of this book. You have the ballroom dancing scenes, the carriages, and, of course, the warring factions of the London police force and the street gangs. Of course, in this world, the streets gangs are often made up of magic users who are hunted for their forbidden abilities.

I also enjoyed the general premise of the story, with our main character agreeing to marry the man she believes runs a powerful gang and who is responsible for her mother's murder. Her mission is to be under cover long enough to bring the necessary proof to her father, a powerful man bent on rounding up all magical individuals. Of course, not all is as it seems, and she quickly realizes that everything is much more complicated than she originally assumed.

While I liked both the hero and the heroine, I did struggle a bit on the romance front. The middle of story seems to drag, both in the plot and in the romance, with very little happening. I often found myself becoming distracted and setting the book down during this section. At points, it became a waiting game as the reader is ahead of the characters themselves with what is going on, so you're left waiting for them to catch up.

Overall, this was a satisfying read. It didn't quite reach the highs that I was hoping for, but the writing was solid, especially the historical setting. Readers who enjoy both period piece stories and fantasy are likely to enjoy this one.

It was time for another debut author for me. When Beauty and the Blade popped up on Netgalley, I was a bit curious: a retelling is always a hit-or-miss in my opinion. And since I have a high preference for the Disney original, you need to have a really good story to compete.

Fortunately SC Grayson spins the story so much, that there is not a very big resemblance to the Beauty and the Beast story. It is also much more harsh than the sugary sweet Disney story. But it is the edge and bite, that makes this story very interesting.

So, in all, I would really recommend this story. And I’m also looking forward to Little Red Shadow, the second part in this series. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Really sweet first book in series with excellent character development and some truly likeable characters. Looking forward to the next book in the series

I love seeing this being advertised on Instagram because I already reads one of the best books of the year! I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read it again!

I regret waiting so long to read this, I loved it! It was an incredible read, small hint to beauty and the beast but not what I'd call a major thing to this book.

I loved Contessa and Nate, their relationship and the things that they went through, it was so wonderfully written. The mystery of it too I was constantly intrigued wondering.who and what will happen next!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of beauty and the blade. this was a cute little fantasy romance. similar to others but always a good comfy read.

One of the better storybook retellings I've read in awhile! I couldn't put it down. The characters were engaging, and even though I knew the basis of the story already... I still loved it.

This was amazing!! I have been on a Beauty and the Beast re-telling kick, and this was the best one yet.

Contessa is the daughter of the Chief of Police in a slightly altered London of the past. Her father has dedicated his life to hunting down magic-wielders, those called "Talented" by their supporters and the "Cursed" by their detractors. Contessa has been raised as a weapon, taught espionage and strategy. The man who murdered her mother, The Beast, has recently asked her father for her hand in marriage, despite never having spoken to her. Contessa and her father agree that she will marry The Beast, the suspected head of a criminal gang called The Lions, in order to get evidence proving his guilt so that she can revenge the death of her mother. What unfolds is a romp through the criminal underground, with magic, kidnapping, and pickpocketing.

Contessa is a fun heroine and I loved the love interest. I'm usually not a fan of mafia romance or of (mostly) spice-free romance, but this one was very good! I hope the next book is released soon. I'll definitely be reading it!

Beauty and the Blade by S. C. Grayson is an excellent read. Wonderful world building and a flowing plot, it's a great and creative Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Beauty and the Blade by S. C. Grayson might just be one of my favorite beauty and the beast retellings!

A brief summary:
Contessa, the daughter of the royal chief of police, is certain that Nate, the supposed leader of the gang Lions, murdered her mother. Contessa agrees to marry Nate and get the truth off of him and get revenge for the murder of her mother. Little does she know, things may not be as it seems.

Despite what everyone else thinks, the ‘beast’ is actually kind. She decides to give him the benefit of the doubt to find out more about him and his ways. The more Contessa finds out the more she begins the doubt everything, and everyone, she knows.
~~~~~

I absolutely loved this enemies to lovers romance between Nate and Contessa. The plot twists had me gripping onto the edge of my seat. The book had a perfect pace.

Chapter 18!!!

At the end, I did not want to stop reading their story. I can’t wait to continue reading this series.

~ Thank you NetGalley for gifting me this arc for my honest opinion. ~

Beauty and the blade by @s.c.grayson received ARC from @netgalley and @cityowlbooks .

Once I started this book I just devoured it !
A really enjoyable story with a hint of a beauty and the beast retelling .
Easy to follow story with great characters that you instantly connect with .

Set in regency London which is a great backdrop this has magical hints but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a fantasy book at this stage .
A great sow burn romance which is totally worth it too . Was rooting for it right from the first page .
I’m so stoked to find out it’s book 1 in a series and I can’t wait for more .

Available on kindle unlimited now too . @amazonkindle

This is a retelling of a story that I have many different versions of this one, our MC (Contessa) marries the man that killed her mother in order to exact revenge on Nathaniel Woodrow (the Beast). The story takes place in regency era London, always an interesting time to read - all those dresses 😯. It is an enemies-to-lovers, as one would expect from a yBeauty and the Beast retelling. What I liked about this version of the story are the unexpected twists that come about and the overall character dynamics. The side characters, Gregor, Julian, Rhosyn, and the ever-charming Kristoff were so much fun to read. It was a face paced enjoyable read. I would have loved if this story was told partly from the Beast’s POV. However, that may have given away some of the twists to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-arc. The opinions expressed above are my own voluntary, honest opinions of the novel.

A fairytale retelling story with a mixture of fantasy and paranormal romance. The author does the reimagining of Beauty and the beast and it’s an exciting take on the classic fairytale. I am a big fan of retellings and this story did not disappoint! An entertaining plot and characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you to City Owl Press: Mystic Owl City Owl Press: Mystic Owl , I received review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was a good enemies to lovers romance with some action and little hint of mystery to it.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC.

I was intrigued by the Beauty and the Beast elements but I feel like I was let down. Overall, I really did enjoy this book but it just didn't seem like a retelling to me aside from the male lead, Nate, literally being called the Beast.

Our story follows Contessa, who marries "the Beast", to avenge her murdered mother by gaining the trust of the Beast and evidence of his crimes. However, once she gets to know Nate (the Beast) and his circle she starts to realize things aren't quite as they seem.

Beauty and the Blade followed through on the enemies to lovers trope, Contessa truly hated Nate and seeing their feelings grow for one another was beautifully done and they ended up having one of the sweetest relationships I have read about. I also really like that Contessa wasn't a weak, damsel in distress and that Nate nurtured her strength and independence.
However, I wish there was more background on the Talented/Cursed aspect of the story. Hopefully we will learn more with a sequel.

My favourite things, Beauty and the Beast retellings, enemies to lovers and slow burn. I was destined to read and love this book. I love a clever, strong and wilful lead, I’m definitely going to buy a physical copy for my shelves and you’ll want to get it too

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest opinion

✔ enemies to lovers
✔ arranged marriage
✔ slow-burn
✔ fantasy elements

real rating 3.75

This is an entertaining historical romance mixed with fantasy, and I truly enjoyed it. However, I found it predictable and the cliché at times. I was very intrigued by the blurb of this book, and I wanted to read it immediately.

I absolutely loved Nate! Of course, I knew he wasn't as bad as he was pictured -the misunderstood villain with a heart of gold- and I still enjoyed his story. Contessa was incredible, too, I think the slow burn felt a bit rushed, but if you consider months went by, it's understandable.

The magic system needs a bit more development, but it was fun to read about the Talented. The ending was, again, predictable but cute and perfectly round. That's why I'm not sure how this will become a series, but I'm still intrigued to know.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction meets fantasy in this ARC novel I received from NetGalley.

This is an excellent Beauty and the Beast retelling. Which is my favorite kind of retelling. When I read the synopsis I knew I wanted to read it.

Contessa, daughter of the Police Chief, marries the man known as the Beast the leader of the notorious Lion gang. He murdered her mother, who died in her arms, and she’s out for justice. But the more she sees of the Beast and the life he leads, the more she learns things aren’t always what they seem. No one is who she thinks they are.

I loved how clever the MC is. She’s confident and calculating, she makes decisions carefully and based on her knowledge and observations. I love that she is open to learning more about the world around her and isn’t afraid of a challenge. Her and the male MC gradually learn about each other and build a trusting relationship. That I find quite cute and romantic.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me and ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

I’m big into fairy tail retellings and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite. Contessa is the daughter of the Royal guard chief. She is married off to “The Beast” who is a gang leader to try and get inside info on him and his operations. What Contessa doesn’t see is that she is about to have her eyes open about who to really trust and her opinion on people she thought she knew, is going to change.

I LOVED this book. Nate “the beast” and Contessa are so cute. I love how gentle Nate is with Contessa and asking for consent on literally everything lol. At first I thought Joseph was going to be like Gaston but he wasn’t. Her dad was more like Gaston in my opinion. I also didn’t expect her father to be the one who killed her mother. That literally shocked me. Kristoff and Gregor are also refreshing. I loved them together.

All in all this book was great. My only complaint is that is wasn’t longer lol. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves retellings.

4 stars!

I must say this book ended up surprising me in the best way. It started out a little slow and I was kind of going back and forth deciding if it would get better. The turning point for me was when they started playing chess and becoming more comfortable with each other. Maybe their marriage wasn't such a lie after all.

I loved the way that their partnership bloomed into something real and beautiful. There are many, many Beauty and the Beast retelling nowadays, but this one really stood out. The time period seems similar but with a bit of steampunk, industrial flare. The terf war aspect also added another layer to the complexity of the characters and their situations.

I felt like the realization of the truth could have been built on more but overall I really enjoyed this. The trust that was built and the crumbling away of the Beast's shell to reveal the brave boy inside was well written. The independence and willingness to learn from Contessa was also beautifully done, painting her as a true force to be reckoned with.