I absolutely adored this story! A Regency take on the movie "She's All That" and boy was it such a feel-good read. I'm not kidding when I say that this book took me less than 3 hours to read! I was NOT moving from my spot once I got started. If you are a fan of slow-burn regency romances this one is for you! Especially if you are into the YA genre. I need more!

Billed as a retelling of the 90s movie She's All That, I was pretty excited for Bellegarde. I loved that movie and wanted to see how the author could bring it to life. Yet, the author's choices didn't work for me. The writing/narrative style will likely bother several readers. Imagine Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet but reversed - with modern dialogue, modern ideas re: sapphic romance, and high school drama (popularity contests and all), all set in some version of the 1700s, arguably during the time of Marie Antoinette, with historical fashion and lords and ladies. It was honestly so off putting. I found it hard to ground myself in the world. 
 
I did like the female lead. She is the only reason I even finished the book. 

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and HarperTeen for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bellegarde is an interesting historical fiction that just abandons the inconvenient constraints of the times, such as time-appropriate social norms, in favor of advancing the plot. While this seems to defeat the purpose of historical fiction, it is refreshing every now and again to read a story that posits the idea of how things could have been. Evie is a working-class girl who is bullied; Beau is an aristocrat who makes a bet with a half-brother to woo her, 10 Things I Hate About You style. This was a fun, fast read with sweet characters and a happy ending.

Eh, If you like '90s rom-com nonsense, this is your jam. Indeed, it's me, not this book.  It is the perfect book when you need complete fluff.

Evie, the bakery owner's daughter, is enjoying her quiet life being unassuming and dreaming of one day being a designer. The Court of Flowers Ball is around the corner and after a periodical goes around that lists her as one of the hopefuls for winning the Bellegarde Bloom, her world gets turned upside down. Beau Bellegarde is constantly in the shadows of his older half-brother, Julien. After a bet over his future, Beau makes it his personal mission to make Evie the Bellegarde Bloom. Fans of Bridgerton and YA romance will enjoy this book.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rags to riches. It's a fun little romance with a great plot. I believe it was supposed to be a period piece, but it felt more modern. But I liked it.

Echoing other reviewers' sentiments about the book, this did not feel like a historical read at all. Not much about the way the characters talked and interacted with each other would indicate they are not in modern times.

Take She’s All That and make it historical and you get this wonderfully cute YA romance. I had a lot of fun reading this one. If you loved She’s All That and you love historical romances you’ll love this book. Thank you Netgalley and HarperTeen for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely a cool plot. However for the time it took place, it felt like the language was a bit too modern. It’s the classic rags to riches story where she teaches the guy about his privilege and suddenly he is entranced by her. Nothing new there. It definitely felt like a mix between a YA Bridgerton and classic high school teenage drama. It wasn’t bad, just a bit naively constructed and predictable. Overall, it was a nice read though.

I enjoyed reading Bellegarde by Jamie LIlac.  This was the first book by this author and I am looking forward to reading more soon.  Happy reading!

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

I really enjoyed this book! Jamie Lilac transports the reader similarly to Bridgerton or your favorite fairytale but to 18th century France. Evie, the village bakers daughter, has always been content with her life of baking but fascinated with fashion. With deep love for her parents and little sister thought, she decided following her dreams and interests was never in the cards for her in order for her to help support her families bakery. This all changes with Beau Bellegarde's interest in Evie as he exposes her to fancy dresses, and some of the countries best designers who take an interest in her designs. 
This book gives heavy Bridgerton and Cinderella vibes with the elaborate events and designer dresses. I loved how light this book was and while it might not have been the most serious or historically accurate book, I still really enjoyed how fun it was. There is a little bit of a love triangle between Evie, Beau, and another male character, but unlike a lot of love triangles, this one did not bother me a ton because it felt purposeful apart from just creating a wedge between the two main characters.  
This book is also considered a YA novel, so the romance is not spicy and there are not any overly adult themes, but the story and issues covered did not feel overly childish either. 
Overall, I would definelty recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and fun read that will transport them to a drama filled 18th century France filled with pretty dresses, elaborate events, and lots of baked goodies!

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Bellegarde is a very cute story that won't reach its intended audience. Marketing did this one dirty. I picked it up for the same reason a lot of other people did per the reviews. 

A historical Parisian retelling of She's All That it is not. It's just She's All That. With a little Gossip Girl and Hilary Duff's A Cinderella Story sprinkled in. You could have set this anytime, anyplace with minimal changes, and ended with the same exact story. 

If you are picking this up for a period piece -- don't. 

Do pick this up if you liked the aforementioned movies or if you like The Princess Diaries or a book that feels like a DCOM.

I liked the characters. I was taken aback by  the use of modern slang and situations. There was marginalized representation that felt just as modern and out of place as the rest of it. The story itself was short and sweet. I felt like it could have benefited from some length. 

There was just a lot of tying up of loose threads into neat little bows, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out where the author got the thread. Especially at the end, resolutions felt messy and unearned. 

The secret backstory between the lead and the love interest felt small and silly when revealed and not like the kind of thing that would shape events for a literal decade. And even though I couldn't figure out why it was so igregious, when they reconciled, it still didn't feel like a good fit. It's a step up from instalove. A very small step. That somehow overcomes the non-issue obstacles that were shoe horned in. 

If taken for what it is, it's a simple story that I did enjoy for the most part. It's just sad to me that marketing tried to pawn it off as something it's not, when plenty of people would have read and loved it for what it is.

"Bellegarde" by Jamie Lilac is a captivating Historical Fiction novel that seamlessly blends elements of Romance and Teens & YA genres. The author's exquisite storytelling transports readers to a bygone era, while the heartfelt romance adds a layer of emotion that resonates deeply. Set against a backdrop of historical richness, the book paints a vivid picture of love and challenges that young characters face. With its well-researched historical details and engaging plot, "Bellegarde" is a compelling read that leaves a lasting impression on fans of both romance and historical fiction.

i just couldn’t get past the modern language and whole feel of this book. if you’re gonna rip off she’s all that and make it historical…actually make it seem historical. i felt like i was reading about woke gen z-ers. no thanks.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC of this novel. The blurb of this novel being a She's All That retelling was way on the nose and in reading, was exactly what this is. I like adaptions and remixes and retellings of what has come before but I want it to have a new spin. This was pretty much beat by beat of the movie and was a bit heavy handed at times. I liked this book enough but when what I can see in my mind as I am reading is the movie and not the book characters, that is disappointing. I like the author's writing and would read again with another plot and hope they evolve from doing a beat for beat remake. 2.5 stars.

Fun & easy to read!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I’m obsessed!! I’ve always been a fan of historical romances and now add in my all time favorite movie She’s All That I’m sold!  This story was so sweet and I’m so happy I found it.  

Jamie paints a world so beautifully and the character are so well done and developed.  I would recommend this book for all ages - I think everyone can find something they enjoy about it!

I really enjoyed this! It promises Bridgerton meets She's All That and completely delivered on that promise. The descriptive writing was such a highlight from the cakes and the dances to the flowers and the fashion, I wanted to live inside the pages. It was pure joyful escapism. This would be a great read for fans of Lex Croucher's historical romances. 
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a combination of some my favorite things: a hint of Bridgerton, a pinch of Gossip Girl, wrapped up nicely in a She's All That paper. I absolutely adored this book. It was just the mash-up I needed. It was a lighthearted fun, romantic read.

So much fun to read this little gem.  It felt like a blend of Bridgerton, Gossip Girl and She's All That with a little fantasy slant to it.  Simply a delight.

There isn't anything new here and that was definitely the fun of it.  The familiarity of a known plot with the twist of giving it a fresh group of characters a few new tweaks just makes it that much better.  Evie and Beau were an interesting matchup and I really enjoyed seeing them dance around one another.  They would make progress and then one of them would goof something up.  But it was all worth the wait to see how it would work out in the end.  

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.  I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.