Crown of Briars review

I devoured this book! With so many books I read being part of a multi book storyline, I was looking forward to a standalone.

I was pleasantly surprised by how in depth the mysteries in the plot became, at one point I wondered if the threads would be able to be tied off neatly in the chapters I had left to read…. I should have had more faith in our fearless author! R. L. Perez not only tied off every thread she had woven, it was done in a way that left me feeling satiated when I expected to feel rushed.

The magic system created for the FMC was intriguing, and although I concede it wasn’t required for the story, I personally would have loved to explore that more.

As we know, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I loved the little nods to the original childhood classic in aspects such as the FMC’s name and the use of the rose. I wouldn’t recommend it for your past child self though coz she gets SPICY! 🌶️

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, would definitely reread it again, probably multiple times.

Thank you to R. L. Perez and Willow Haven Press for the NetGalley read!

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I didn't want to put it down and I loved every minute of the ride! I read 3 ARC books this week and this is by far my favorite and the only one that didn't disappoint. I am a sucker for fairytale retellings and this Beauty and the Beast retelling had its books into me with every page that I read. I was a little hesitant about the names of Sybelle & Varius because I wasn't a huge fan of them (they just sounded weird to me), and sometimes names can just make or break a book. But after a while they didn't bother me because I was hooked in deep with the story. Thank you so much for letting me ARC read this because this is one book that I will definitely be recommending to my friends! I can't wait to get my hands on physical copy so I can display it on my trophy shelf!

Crown of Briars is a captivating Beauty and the Beast retelling that blends rich fantasy worldbuilding with a fresh, imaginative twist. R. L. Perez delivers a fast-paced story filled with magic, high-stakes intrigue, and a courageous heroine whose journey is both emotional and empowering. The familiar fairy-tale elements are woven into a vivid and original setting, and the growing relationship at the heart of the story adds just the right amount of romance. A great pick for fans of fairy-tale retellings and immersive fantasy adventures.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️2.5

Okay, so I went into Crown of Briars with pretty high hopes because Beauty and the Beast retellings are just 🤌 👩‍🍳 💋 😭 and… this one just didn’t fully do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to know what would happen, but I wasn’t exactly flipping pages like they were on fire.
The romance fell flat for me, it went from hate to extreme love/passion within just a few pages, and that kind of insta-flip just doesn’t vibe with me. I also didn’t feel the passion between the main characters, which made it hard to get invested in their relationship. On top of that, there wasn’t much character development outside of the two MCs, which left the world feeling a little shallow.

Things that did stand out:
✨ Azure (loved her character, but still not sure how important her role really was — kind of felt like a dragon was just tossed in there)
✨ The magic castle setting (always a win)
✨ The gems-for-magic concept
✨ Enzira and Ramia
✨ Varius

But there were some plot points that made me scratch my head , like how Tislora could go from being basically in love with Varius to just… letting that go?? Felt a little too quick and left holes in the story.

Overall, this one lands at a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me, about equal likes to dislikes. If you’re in the mood for a standalone romantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast, this one does fit the bill. It just wasn’t a new favorite for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book, all opinions here are entirely my own 💕

You had me at Beauty and The Beast retelling!
Oh my! So much to say. I loved Sybelle! She was so well written and reminded me of why I love fierce main characters so much!
It has everything you want in a fantasy story: romance, dragons, castles, magic and of course a unique system.
I was looking for more slow burn recommendations and Crown of Briars was the perfect read for July!
The ending had me awake at 1 am, so yes I can and will recommend this precious story forever!

Crown of Briars, a book that is a part of the Crowns of the Fae series, was my first read from the author R.L Perez. I was pleasantly surprised. The Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories. I thoroughly enjoyed Perez's spin on the story and the intriguing concepts she added, especially her idea of what the Fae are like in this fairytale world she has built. I find it interesting that rather than the fae being seperated into two different types: unseelie and seelie as you would find in many fantasy books, the fae in Perez's world are both seelie and unseelie as evident by the two forms they are able to transition too.
My only complaint would be that I found the pacing a bit slow until I finished reading the first half of the story. I found the pace really started to pick up once Sybelle arrived in the Shadow Court and had married Varius. Sybelle and Varius have a lot of chemistry. I enjoyed their slow burn romance and would give the spice a rating of level 4. Perez did an excellant job with her main characters' development. I am interested in seeing more of this world Perez has created and look forward to reading the next book in this series. I highly recommend reading Crown of Briars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and to R.L Perez for the opportunity to read this arc copy. All opinions expressed in this review are solely mine.

🌹 Crown of Briars by R.L. Perez 🌹
📚 Crowns of the Fae, Book 2 (Standalone Retelling)
⭐️ 4.25 / 5 | 💫 Genre: Romantasy | 🔥 Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Cursed Hero, Magical Realms, Forced Proximity
🎶 Theme Song: “House on a Hill” – Eric Nam & Em Beihold

✨ "For everyone who was disappointed when the Beast turned human." That dedication alone set the tone - and Crown of Briars delivers.

Summary
In this Beauty and the Beast retelling, R.L. Perez casts her spell in a fae world where the beast is far more than a cursed prince - he’s feral, a little bit morally gray (just a bit), and a reluctant ruler of a realm riddled with secrets. When a headstrong mortal is forced into his territory, what begins as survival turns into a battle of wills, desire, and identity. Magic pulses through every page, and emotional stakes rise as the characters wrestle with power, vulnerability, and love in the shadow of ancient curses.

What Worked Well
Atmosphere & Worldbuilding: Enchantingly dark, the fae realm is richly imagined and immersive, with vibes that feel like A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Kingdom of the Wicked. The enchanted castle is a fun touch.

The Beast: He’s not just a love interest - he’s a character study in loneliness, rage, and reluctant hope. Beast lovers, this one’s for you. 🫶🏻

Slow Burn Romance: Tension, banter, and longing. It doesn’t rush the connection, and it pays off beautifully.

Themes: Beauty in differences. Love that doesn’t require changing someone to be worthy.

Gentle Critique
Some pacing issues here and there - while the world is beautiful, a few scenes lingered longer than necessary, especially when the stakes were already high.

Still, the emotional payoff, the chemistry, and the feral yearning more than make up for any minor bumps, and the back half of the story is just 😘👌🏻.

Favorite Quotes
“You want the monster, don’t you?” he whispered, voice gravel and moonlight. “Then stop pretending you don’t.”

“There’s a kind of beauty in the broken. You just have to be willing to bleed for it.”

“He wasn’t made of softness or salvation. But gods help her, he made her feel like she was.”

Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever whispered “don’t change back” when the beast turned human, this book is your redemption arc. R.L. Perez doesn’t just retell a classic - she reclaims it for the wild, the dark, and the beautifully monstrous.

Thank you @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review, and @rlperezbooks for this fantastic read!

What a ride! This book was wonderful so easy to get into and be immersed in the world. Our FMC is thoughtful and reflective but also not willing to take any shit. The MMC teasing her had me giggling and kicking my feet. Plus a shadow daddy? Say less. The retelling is done really well and in an interesting way and though I was able to predict some things I was caught off guard as well and that was awesome! The spicy scenes were fantastic and super well done. Overall a super enjoyable book and once I was about halfway I was ignoring chores to read!

Crown of Briars is such an interesting and clever retelling of Beauty and the Beast!
Rating: 4.0 stars

Sybelle is a strong FMC; smart, cunning, resourceful. Her life has been preparing for this one job - becoming wife to the Wraith King. She has purpose and a plan to rid her kingdom of the shadows that encroach from the Shadow Court, but not all is as it seems as she learns to navigate her new reality. Varius, our MMC, is under a huge amount of stress, trying to keep his goodness intact, while determining how best to break the curse on his people. He's a bit hot-headed, even when trying to be emphatic and vulnerable. When Sybelle comes to be his wife, he finds himself drawn to her against his will. Figuring out this new life together while secrets are kept, tensions are high, and undeniable chemistry flares between them, makes for a captivating story with interesting magic systems, riddles, and an enchanted castle.

The push and pull between Sybelle and Varius was fantastic. Varius expected Sybelle to treat him as a monster, and Sybelle saw the main inside. I found myself wishing they had confided in each other sooner, but then the story would have been what it is. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and would recommend this to anyone who loved Beauty and the Beast but wished it had more depth, a more complicated curse, and spice.

This was an amazingly constructed retelling of one of my all time favorite stories, beauty and the beast. I was captivated from the first page. This book gets you hooked fast. No where in it did I feel like it was a slow burn. It has everything I was looking for. The magic welder’s in this story were my favorite. I haven’t read this author before but I’ll be reading more in the future.

Crown of Briars is a dark and steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Every generation the Earthen Court ( humans) are required to provide the Shadow Court ( Fae ) with a human bride. This protects both courts from the Wraith Kings deadly shadows. But this is a lie and the bride is actually a sacrifice to help break a curse. Cursed by a witch long ago, the Unseelie Fae are stuck in their monstrous forms and the Wraith King transforms into a beast every full moon. Meanwhile his people are dying from the deadly shadows.

Sybelle , the MFC, is this years bride. Half human, and half fae, she was raised with the sole purpose of killing the King. Her training and Fae powers capable of over powering the king and destroying the Shadow Court. She is sent to marry the king but once there, starts to question everything she was taught about the Fae.
Varius, the MMC and the Wraith King, is a broody shadow daddy with a tail, claws, wings and horns. He is also respectful and protective of his wife.
Together they learn to trust each other and work towards breaking the curse.
This is a true enemies to lovers story with a slow burn and some spice sprinkled in.

And yes- it has all the tropes we love:
-arranged marriage
-enemies to lovers
-monster romance
-magical castle/doors
-sentient library
-bookish MFC
-slow burn and spicy
-broody MMC

This was a fun, easy read.
If you are a fan of fairy tale retelling, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and R.L. Perez for choosing me to receive this ARC

This book had me instantly hooked, and by the end, I found myself wanting to go back and experience it all over again from the very beginning. I can honestly say this is one of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings I’ve ever read.
From the very first chapter, the story drew me in and refused to let go. The pacing was spot-on, maintaining a steady rhythm that never felt slow or rushed. I came into this book with zero expectations, but the moment I realized it was a reimagining of one of my all-time favorite tales, my curiosity was piqued, and it absolutely delivered.
The world-building was lush and richly detailed. At first, the magic system felt a bit unclear, and I struggled to grasp its origins and mechanics. However, as the story progressed, the pieces began to fall into place beautifully. The way the magic shaped individuals and specific groups was cleverly revealed, adding depth and complexity that unfolded naturally without relying on heavy exposition. It became clear that the narrative was intricately crafted, with each chapter carefully placed to build both the plot and the emotional tension.
The chemistry between the main characters was exceptional. The slow burn, the banter, the forced proximity, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic were all executed with precision and just the right amount of emotional weight. The push and pull between them felt authentic and deeply satisfying. By the time I reached the final portion of the book, I was truly on the edge of my seat, heart racing and completely immersed in their journey.
The main characters were wonderfully layered, full of vulnerability, strength, and growth. Their development was a joy to witness. However, the same depth did not fully extend to the side characters, who occasionally felt underdeveloped or a bit rushed. Similarly, while the central romance was compelling, it could have benefited from a bit more time to build a stronger and more organic connection.
That said, the fantasy elements—particularly the magical lore, histories, and political dynamics—were woven with care and skill. The world felt immersive and believable, even when steeped in the fantastical. At times, it read like a mature young adult novel, blending whimsical world-building with moments of intensity and passion.
As someone who has only briefly explored monster romances, I was delighted by how seamlessly the fantasy elements were integrated into the story. It struck a lovely balance between romance and adventure, between character development and plot progression.
Overall, this was a captivating and enchanting read. If you enjoy romantasy, stories with magical depth, or Beauty and the Beast retellings with a fresh perspective, this one is absolutely worth your time.

I had never read a R.L. Perez book. This will NOT be my last R.L. Perez book. I was thoroughly entertained and invested in this story.

I love a fantasy novel that presents me with a whole cast of characters who are developed well and a story that is driven by action and real thought. I loved seeing how each character would go about solving the problems they were facing.

Sybelle and Varius had me rooting for them on DAY ONE. I felt their instant chemistry and knew there had to be some way for them to be together. This also being a Beauty and the Beast retelling I loved how Perez was able to put pieces of the original tale but give us a new flavor. I think the use of fae was really good. I loved too that there were various types of magic and they didn't get lost or too confusing.

Also, DRAGON. I loved Azure. She was such a beautiful dragon character and I wish I had a dragon bestie of my own.

This book has everything you are looking for if you want a romantasy with some tension, spice, and action.

I'm a big fan of fairytale retellings, especially Beauty and the Beast🥀. As long as there's a fresh twist added to it, I'll read it, and I'm happy to say this one delivered.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and part of an interconnected standalone series. Sybelle is a princess who is promised to the Wraith King as part of a bargain struck years ago, where a human wife is sent to the Shadow Court in exchange for protection against his deadly shadows. What no one realizes is that these brides are actually being sacrificed to help break a curse. The curse has trapped the Unseelie fae in their monstrous forms, preventing them from shifting into their more human-like Seelie forms.

I loved the different ways magic was portrayed, from the magical gemstones to the sentient castle. It helped by opening doors to places you needed to be rather than where you wanted to be, and it assisted Sybelle in the library whenever she was looking for specific books. She also has a sassy best friend in the form of a dragon🐉 named Azure, with whom she can communicate via a special gemstone.

Sybelle and Varius, the Wraith King, are wary of each other. There is no trust due to the history their kind has endured, especially Sybelle. She has heard all her life about the atrocities the fae in the Shadow Court have committed towards her people, and thus has been trained to kill the king. But once she sees a different side of the Court and fae she was taught to fear, she questions everything she knows.

The romance was just the right amount of sweet and spicy. They learned to trust in each other, and I'm glad that whenever they had an argument or doubts, they would listen to each other.

What I like about this series the most is that so far, in both books, I haven't seen the twists coming. I suspected some things, but I was thrown for a loop when the reveals were not what I expected.

If you enjoy spicy, fairytale retellings, this is a great one to read. Can't wait to continue the series with the next one being a Snow White retelling with Sybelle's other best friend.

One of the reasons I was so thankful to receive this ARC is because it was a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales Beauty and the Beast. Honestly the author took the bare bones of that childhood story and ran with it. She threw in some shadows, and claws, and fantastical creatures with giggle inducing banter and some forced proximity enemies to lovers that was 🤌 Chef’s kiss.

I’d say that although it was a bit slow to start I was still hooked by the first few chapters. I wanted to keep learning about our fiery Sybelle’s plan and what Varius actually was hiding. As you get deeper into the story you learn so much more about how the magic system works in this world and the curse becomes more volatile the stakes just start to reach higher and higher. Each scene between the FMC and MMC was so intentional, like you couldn’t skip a single interaction without missing something important or emotionally charged.

Sybelle? She’s not your typical damsel in distress. She plots and adapts and continues to reveal her inner struggles throughout the book that just make you want to wrap her up in a big hug and say “Yes girl we’re slaying some enemies”. Variussssss 😭 Talk about dark, broody, territorial, but slid vulnerable and a huge softie. I truly loved this pairing. We got so much tension filled banter and when things finally got a bit spicy? you’ll definitely think it was worth the wait.

Overall I’d say this book was dark and romantic while still being deeply emotional. It gave me nostalgia but still rewarded me with an excitingly fresh new world. So if you’re into romantasy fae courts, Beauty and the Beast vibes that pack a punch, and slow burns that truuuuly make you burn alongside the characters then this is an absolute must read.

Again thank you to NetGalley and R.L.Perez for gifting me this ARC in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Beauty and the Beast—but not as you know it. 🥀 This reimagining delivers spice, betrayal, and best of all, a dragon that steals the show. I was hooked by the fresh take on familiar tropes and the unexpected layers woven into the story.

The world-building was intriguing, though I found myself craving more depth and detail. I’m hopeful that a sequel will expand on the lore and give us a deeper dive into the realms and characters introduced here. It took me longer than usual to finish the book.

Character development was key, I especially liked that beauty wasn’t tied to traditional humanoid standards—choices and identity took centre stage, which felt refreshing and inclusive (seelie and unseelie).

While some plot twists were easy to spot, others genuinely surprised me, keeping the tension alive and the pages turning.

I would love to see fan art of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love this retelling, the world is fab with great details, the characters are likeable and interesting and there is just enough spice to be fun. This book takes the classic Beauty & the Beast story and sets it in Fae courts. The FMC is likeable, and her companion is wonderfully sassy- i do wish we had seen more of Azure! The spice was appropriate and not overdone, which was appreciated as It felt natural to the plot.

Wow. Just wow. This kept me in my toes and I swear I was entranced. I loved the chapters being broken up by the point of view of the beast or the beauty. I loved how it was a retelling of the beauty of the beast but it had so many things all on its own you almost couldn’t tell. I loved the dynamic between all the characters, main and supporting. It’s an overall good romantasy with some pretty good smut.

An interesting take on beauty and the beast retelling.
I did enjoy this book. Both main characters were likeable, their banter and chemistry was undeniable.

I have read a few retellings of beauty and the beast, this book for me was a great and fresh new take.

There’s fae, a dragon, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, slow burn, blood bargains, curses, secrets and political intrigues. So if that’s your vibe this book is for you ❤️

4/5 stars! 🌟
what a brilliant retelling of beauty and the beast! one of my favourite fairytales. I managed to read all this in 24 hours. It was an interesting twist on the story.
One thing that needs mentioning.. the bumps and barbs... I was not expecting that 🤣

I really enjoyed this. thanks to netgallery for providing me with this ARC!