I stumbled across this book by sheer and utter, this book cover is pretty let’s see what it is about. I genuinely love all things Beauty and the Beast.
This story was really simple to get into but, there were some times where I felt like it was a bit crammed. There was too much going on as far as the story line goes. There were too many characters to be focused on. Like there was Goldilocks and the Bears and Red Riding Hood, the good part of the story just so happened to be like a war between the two. I think that was nice but, it took away from the story a bit. Towards the end, it all started to make sense because they were all linked in some way. I still liked the story because having a female beast was so cool versus the original way. All the other characters that were originally what we know and love are all different names that are not too different from the names, so you know what the names are. A pretty good retelling.

I enjoyed the character of Charming, and felt that his character and dialogue were funny and worked well with the reversed Beauty and the Beast part of the book. I liked that there were two other men trapped in the castle too and this added to the storytelling and the strange but romantic tasks they had to complete.
I liked the other characters, Roland and the princesses, working together to uncover another aspect of the plot. However, I think this took away from Charming and the Beast. The events in Beast's castle were the parts that I enjoyed most and would have liked more on that rather than going back and forth between different perspectives.

Title: Beast ( Book 2 of charming)
Author: Jade Linwood
Pages: 360
Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 for good reads)
Spice level: 🫑Plain but tasty

Arc Copy (gifted) - review left voluntarily
UK publish date - 25th March 2025

"If you go down to the woods today.."

This was an endearing take on "beauty and the beast" but gender swapped.

At the time, I hadn't realised that this was a second book to a series, so I went in blind. The book itself was still easy to read even though I hadn't read the first book "charming". However, I think it would have helped.

The book is a fairytale romance with no actual intimacy, flirting etc. It's a short, cosy read for anybody who likes reading.

I enjoyed the characters. The strong females of the other princesses (versions of Rapunzel, sleeping beauty and snow white) and the clever ways Hansel and Gretel, red riding hood and Goldilocks were incorporated. However, I did find myself trying to figure out who was who and compare the storylines to the original story.

There are multiple perspectives in the book, which due to the amount of characters were a bit confusing sometimes. (Trying to remember who is who)

Charming was a lovable rogue but had little depth to him. I think this is where not reading the first book failed me as I didn't have much backstory.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book. I look forward to reading more of this series.

You'll love this book if you like
- fairytale influences
- strong female characters
- no spice
- loveable rogues
- different character pov

This book is a unique twist on Beauty and the Beast, blending fantasy, romance, and a bit of intrigue in a way that feels fresh and exciting. Jean-Marc “Charming” Arundel, a former con artist with a lot of charm (pun intended), finds himself trapped in a mansion with a fearsome Beast—who turns out to be a noblewoman cursed by a fairy. What I really loved was the mysterious vibe throughout the story, with Charming and his companions having to participate in increasingly strange and romantic activities, like reading by the fire or picnicking in a menagerie. As the clock ticks down, you’re left wondering how this all fits together and what’s really at stake for these characters.

The mix of a Beauty and the Beast retelling with The Bachelor elements—plus werewolves and bears—really makes this story stand out. The slow-burn romance between Charming and the Beast, combined with the eerie atmosphere of the cursed mansion, creates a sense of tension and anticipation that kept me hooked. It’s definitely a different take on familiar fairytale tropes, and if you like your romance with a dash of fantasy and mystery, this is a great read!

I wanted to love this book because the premise sounded so good, and I adore Beauty and the Beast. However, I didn't realize this was a sequel. It got a bit confusing with the characters from the first book (I'm assuming) thrown in the mix for the majority of the book. I was expecting it to focus more on the Beast concept. I suppose if you had read the first book and enjoyed it then you would enjoy this one as well.

A topsyturvy fairytale jumble. It’s spun around the curses had an emphasis on feminism with the princesses. It sprinkled in some funky humor like in the movie Shrek. Although not as overly pervy and dark in their humor. It was enjoyable, funny, sweet and unexpected.

I adored the previous book in this series, Charming, and was absolutely ecstatic to see what the sequel would bring to the table! I unfortunately found it falling a little flat in my expectations. I wanted more of the story to focus on Charming and the “Beast”, and found going back to the original characters from the first book took away a lot of enjoyment for me.

The book was okay. It was a little bit all.over the place for me but still a nice easy read. Thank you netgally for letting me read this early.

A.G. Linwood's Beast is a wickedly funny and creative retelling of classic fairy tales, with comedy, adventure, and a dash of romance. Following the adventures of Prince Charming, it brings together a collection of former fairy-tale heroines, one very reluctant hero, and a haunted house with secrets to keep. With a plot as quirky as it is smart, Beast defies convention without losing an ounce of its fairy tale heritage.

Jean-Marc Charming Arundel, aka Charming, is a cad—dishonest, flirtatious, and always in trouble. He's on the move, staying barely one step ahead of those trying to catch up with him in a world where every woman he ever wronged appears to have an axe to grind. And when he arrives at a strange, magical house surrounded by rose bushes that appear to be moving of their own accord, he is caught up in a high-stakes game.

The manor house imprisons Beast, an ugly but pathetic being, sentencing him to loneliness. Along with Hans, a chivalric student, and Will, a boy pragmatist who senses a responsibility, Charming is responsible for discovering the secret behind the curse of the house and the reason why they were selected.

With a deadline on leaving and the ghosts of the past chasing him, Charming will need to draw on more than his fabled charm if he is to survive.

Jean-Marc Charming Arundel – The Fallen Prince
It's that kind of nice hero: the kind of hero whom you just want to bang your head and want to knock some sense into every now and then, but charm gets the better of you in the daytime. Well, he's charming, and he's smart, and at escaping trouble by fleeing, brilliant-but now he might just find himself in one place he can't charm his way out of.

His development during the course of the novel is quite fascinating to notice. He describes his affliction in his usual pomp at first, but with the course of the novel, the layers are slowly unwrapped—his guilt, his repressed sorrows, and the inner turmoil of holding on and staying upright.

Beast – The Mysterious Host
Beast is not an agony-racked prince trapped inside the body of a monster. She is capable, strong, and conscious woman cognizant of the limitations within which she must work. Her interactions with charming are most compelling throughout the book—she will not be tricked by deceit.

Her internal struggle—between human former self and beast she is now—such is a pathos that invokes pity in her.

Hans & Will – The Other Captives
Hans is an intellectual who treats the entire experience as some sort of master thinking challenge. His thoughtful, analytical nature provides a relief from more emotional strife exhibited throughout the novel.
Will, however, is practical, committed, and very much bothered about what he had lost. His agony gives the story its reality because it reminds readers that ordinary people do get touched by this type of paranormal occurrence.

Minor Characters
The solid supporting cast of a cohort of Charming's retired fairy-tale heroines with motives adds humor and narrative tension. Power imbalance as both a society theme, a theme between relationships, a curse theme, and a theme concerning the nature of fate is engrossing.

Charming's past is finally catching up to him. This novel does the whole idea of charm and wit taking you so far before you then have to pay the piper and account for things. All the characters are, in some way or another, stuck due to something outside of their control—bargains, curses, expectation. The novel poses the question of whether or not destiny is predetermined, or if maybe an individual has the ability to make their own.

Beast's curse is physical as well as symbolic for fight with self-esteem and identity. The novel is asking whether people (or beasts) can ever change or not. The novel tantalizes by the implication that love is both a trap and redemptive, particularly where there is imbalanced power.

Linwood's text is full of snappy dialogue, witty repartee, and fairy tale metatropes. The book is never overstuffed but manages to get the emotional bang for its buck when it has to. The novel is an actual page-turner, and there are just enough turns and twists to keep the reader guessing. The action, the humor, and the navel-gazing are well in balance.
The magical house, black roses and otherworldly magic, is evocatively, beautifully described.

A clever, fresh retelling of fairy tales. Intelligent, pleasant heroine. Good character development and understated relationships. Gothic, atmospheric world-building.

Terry Pratchett Discworld fans will appreciate the fantasy convention skewings and humorousness. The Princess Bride fans will appreciate the swashbuckling adventure and irreverent humor. Readers of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver will appreciate the twist given to fairy tale mythology.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★
Writing Style: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
World-Building: ★★★★☆

Trigger Warnings:
Mild violence
Curses & magical coercion
References to past betrayals & emotional manipulation

Beast is pure delight—a funny, intelligent, and completely inventive retelling of the fairy tale. If you're reading for the questing, the humor, or the sheer genius of deconstructing Prince Charming himself, then this book is for you.
A fantasy novel must-read if you enjoy clever dialogue, edge-of-your-seat world-building, and a touch of magic.

This book was not for me at all. There was so much going on that it all got so confusing and it was hard to keep focus on the main plot. I feel like there was more that the author could’ve did with the plot but it was just wasn’t the best and tad bit boring.

This wasn’t for me. Writing felt lackluster and the plot was a bit all over the place. Also worth noting this is book 3 in a series which I wasn’t aware of before starting.

This was a lot of fun.

I haven't read the first book, Charming, which presumably introduces the titular prince and the variety of ladies he has rescued. Fortunately, there was enough backstory provided - and without it being super info-dump-y - that that wasn't too much of a problem; I picked up fairly quickly that Charming is every Prince Charming, that he's therefore regarded as a conman and a rogue by the rescuees who have now banded together, and that there's also some sort of curse on Charming himself, organised by Mephistopheles, that the ladies need to work with Charming to break. Which is all well and good until Charming gets pulled into yet another curse - the focus of this novel, which is of course the Beauty and the Beast one. And it's gender-swapped, with Charming as the Beauty and a woman as the Beast.

It's interesting to read a flipped B&B, especially when it's primarily from the man's perspective (now I want to read a flipped version from the woman's perspective). Because of the sort of story this is, Charming never finds Beast particularly offensive, and indeed appreciates many of her qualities from early on. The novel does acknowledge that other men have not been as generous, with some reduced to gibbering wrecks because they're incapable of seeing past the idea of a very large furry bipedal 'animal' coming towards them while inside a house. There's no great interrogation here or psychoanalytical discussion of what it means to have been transformed; that's not what this novel wants to do. But there is commentary on Beast having to use a tankard rather than a wine glass, and not wanting to eat in front of potential suitors, and a few other notes that compare how a well-bred lady of the pseudo-medieval society would be expected to look and behave compared with how she looks now.

Other fairy tales also get a look-in here, in particular Red Riding Hood and Hansel & Gretel; they are likewise fractured in really fascinating ways. Linwood seems to have had a lot of fun playing with all of these stories and thinking about how to make recognisable and yet just a bit other. (Red's hanging out with werewolves; Gretel is traumatised from her childhood - and not by a witch - and now protects herself with bears.)

Fast-paced in a good way, easy to read, some delightful characters: this book was great.

What if Prince Charming is not only devastatingly handsome and as charming as his name, but also a con-man, liar and fraud? That’s what the first book in this series explores, together with the princesses he’d duped (Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel etc.) who were hot on his trail and out for payback. In the follow-up book Charming himself is caught up in another twisted fairy tale as he ends up in the stately home of an ensorcelled beast along with two other hapless victims, Hans and Will. The beast is as much a prisoner as they are, and only solving the riddle can save her. Charming might even have feelings for her, but he has a date with Mephistopheles, and time is running out. Our princesses need to free him. They come across two potential enemies, or maybe powerful allies, in the Bear Witch and Red Cap (analogues of Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood). More delightful grown-up fairy tale nonsense from the assured pen of Jade Linwood. And though this has a satisfying ending there’s obviously another book to come. Looking forward to it.

This was so fun! I love the gender-swapped take on Beauty and the Beast. It's a great retelling and I enjoyed these characters.

thank you to netgalley, rebellion | solaris and author jane linwood for this ARC of this book.
this book arrives march 15, 2025.
this wasn’t for me.
and i did invest time and even money to making sure i gave this book a fair shot. this book was given free for the review but i did buy the first to make sure i had all i needed.
this was a rough and unhelpful start as i really did not like book one. and my qualms with book one continue to book two. there’s so many story lines around and none of them engage me. the idea is up my alley but i cannot get into these.
unfortunately for me, i did not like these but am sure it will find its audience.

Thank you Jade Linwood, Rebellion and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for my honest review.

To keep it short, I DNFd it at 31%. I was confused a majority of the read. It felt like there were too many 3rd person povs to keep track of. I wanted to like because beauty and the beast is my favorite fairy tale. I was also still determined to read the book even after finding out it was book two and I hadn’t read book one. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t keep going.

This was a fun story. The amount of widespread fairy tale characters who were drawn into the story was delightful, and I enjoyed the way they were all reimagined - Rapunzel as a sorceress, Belle as faerie-touched, Goldilocks as a powerful but untrained witch - even Puss in Boots makes her cleverly -wrought appearance.
Prince Charming’s thread was my favorite of the colorful tapestry of the story. Watching his growth as the story progressed was a joy, and I definitely found myself rooting for the Flynn-Ryder-esque rogue. I was hooked all the way through to the end!

If you love a retelling of a fairy tale then this one is for you. A fun fast pace read with all the fairy tale tropes we all know and love.

Although I didn't know that there was a book one, I think as it is a retelling as a reader you are familiar with the characters so instantly makes you feel comfortable reading it.

It is an easy read and one to read if you need to escape reality for a little while.

This retelling had some great twists and turns and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a fairy tale. Thank you to NetGally and Jane Linwood for my advanced copy.

Ohhhh I did not like this at all. I like a good fairy tale retelling but it didn’t really seem like the author added anything super groundbreaking to the story. The writing seemed juvenile as well

I enjoyed this book way more than the first as the reader you knew what the heroes were working towards way more clearer.
This also helped to follow along the shifting of pov’s and stories as there were quite a lot going on.
I did also love Charming having somewhat of an redemption arc but still am bit annoyed the fact that his brother has been mentioned a lot since 1st book but we know almost nothing else about him and his story.
I do think it is a very fun fairytale twist and found it exciting to guess what fairytale a character is from whenever someone new was introduced to us