I was extremely excited for this book as I love the tale of Beauty and The Beast. I was even more excited because this story revolves around the beast. I must say thank you Net Galley for letting me read and provide an honest review for this book, it is an honor.

This book fell flat for me though, while it was a good story I wasn't enthralled by it. It was decently fun to read, the plot was good. My main issue with this story was the way things were described. I would still recommend this book to anyone interested in retellings, as like I said it was an enjoyable read. It just wasn't as good as I hyped it up to be.

I rate this book 2.5 stars, I did enjoy it but not as much as I would have liked. There were a lot of things I found problematic, as well as things that I thoroughly enjoyed. I may still give this book another shot at a later date.

This book was bizarre.... I tried getting through it but the plot wasn't at all what I expected, I didn't enjoy the writing, and the story was boring. I felt like nothing at all happened. I got 30% in then skimmed to 50% and still nothing was happening. I think the idea of the MC not being "Belle" was interesting but because she was bewitched herself, she was only able to observe everything that was happening which I found extremely boring.

DNF 50%

This book is one of my biggest disappointments of this year. I was beyond excited to read it because I adore retellings and I'm always on the hunt for one of them, and the premise of this novel sounded amazing and so unique, but I ended up hating the book.

One of my main issues with the novel was the writing. I don't usually pay much attention to the writing style when I read a book, unless it's either very good or the opposite. In this case, I wasn't the biggest fan. I didn't clicked with it. I didn't like how the interactions between the characters were done or the descriptions of places.

The characters were so plain, lineal and had barely any development. I disliked the most of them, and as I kept reading I distanced myself from them and the whole story till the point I didn't care about what happened to them. The protagonist was especially annoying and dumb.

The story itself was quite anticlimactic. The beginning wasn't bad, but there came a part where nothing was happening, and I was so bored. There wasn't any important information provided to us until the last 20% of the novel, and frankly, when I reach that point I didn't particular care about any of those big revelations.

I had such high hopes, but overall I found more things that I didn't like that the ones I did, so sadly I had to give this book 1.25 stars.

The Good
I wanted to like this book. A “Beauty and the Beast” retelling? Count me in. “Beauty and the Beast” is my all-time favorite plot cliche. And this book promised not only to be a retelling, but a twist on the old story, with a love triangle that (dare I say it?) sounded interesting and enough to complicate the story significantly. All that is to say, the premise of this story is amazing.

The Bad
The execution, however, is where it falls completely flat. First of all, there’s an extended rape scene. So huge trigger warning there. I found it very cringey and not really relevant to the whole story the way it was done. I don’t think that we shouldn’t write about rape, but I think that we should think critically about how and why we’re doing it and what happens to our characters next. I just didn’t feel like it was handled well.

Then the story just drags on and on but I never felt invested in any of the characters. I could see everything happening and I knew enough of “Beauty and the Beast” to understand where the story was going to go, even with the new love triangle element. And even that wasn’t handled well, because honestly everything hinges on the love triangle in a way that’s supposed to be a shocker but isn’t at all.

Oh, and the major backstory and mystery surrounding the beast are all explained by a character that we only meet briefly through paragraphs and paragraphs of dialogue. Lucie doesn’t even figure it out on her own. Someone else has to tell her. Again, this just feels sloppy. I think the outline for this novel was probably great, but then the ball got dropped when it was actually written out.

On another note, I’ve seen several reviews saying that this book glorifies a rapist and abuser, and I wouldn’t go quite that far. Plot-wise, there is definitely a strong argument to be made that the person glorified is not a rapist. However, I also see why people are saying this and again think that this problem is due in large part to execution.

The Verdict
I do not recommend. I almost one-starred this, except that I like the idea so much that I bumped it up. That said, I still don’t recommend the actual book. Just let your imagination play with the idea instead.

I am a fan of fairytale retelling and I did like many things about this book. I liked the ending in which beast was the truly beautiful person in the story. And, while I understand why the author needed a horrifying incident to happen to our heroine, the circumstances of her need for revenge make it difficult to suggest this book to teen readers.

I really enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast! It's one of my favorite Disney movies, mostly because of Belle (Go books!) and I was interested to see how things would play out in this retelling. This was a dark book, probably more like the original then the movie.

The idea that the guy who was transformed in the Beast was both a really, really bad guy and then not the Beast at all, just another person in this different body, was pretty interesting. It's a different take then the guy becoming the beast and learning how to be a better person. So that was very interesting to read about!

I felt bad for Lucie, she's had it tough, being a peasant whose father has died, and basically sent away from home to protect herself from her step-father's wandering eye. But things go from bad to worse because of Jean-Loup. Really hated that guy! But there were some moments once Beast arrived on the scene, were I was like, something bad is going to happen and I don't want to read it!

The actual part with Rose is maybe the last third or so of the book. More important was the things that happened beforehand, like Lucie being a servant, that weird thing with the maybe ghost, and the sorceress lady. But how everything worked out, that was a elegant solution and I loved reading it!

This book was a really fantastic retelling with such a different focus, and I enjoyed reading it so much!

I'm saddened that I didn't enjoy this more, especially since I had been waiting over a year for this book's release. This is a more dark and twisted take on the classic Beauty and the Beast story, which I appreciated. I thought the writing perfectly matched the book's theme.

Unfortunately, the pacing was slow and nothing really seems to be happing plot-wise for a good chunk of the story. The scene with Lucie that happens very early in the book was completely unexpected and I think a warning should be issued for unsuspecting readers. The way Jean-Loup/Beast's storyline evolved was convincing to me, but I could see how it wouldn't be to others and how some readers would take issue with Lucie's eventual relationship with Beast.

It was a lovely take on the classic Beauty and Beast tale. The unexpected twist was an interesting nod. I would love to have a sequel with Rose.

DNF at 41% and was shocked that I wasn't further because it felt like I should have been. I love fairy tale retellings and I wanted to like this one; but, it was poorly written. I was able to continue past the rape scene, which was shocking but should have stopped there. The plot is slow and repetitive once the beast is changed. Additionally, Lucie's character development is off-putting. I didn't like any of the characters and decided not to waste another couple hours of my life.

No. No no no no no. I'm going to keep this review pretty short because I could not and did not finish the book and there was nothing I liked about what little I read. It is so problematic.

This book was an immediate DNF for me after a certain scene I'll talk about later, but if it hadn't been for that, I probably would have shelved it as a DNF anyway because of the writing alone. It was so bad. Everything is told, not shown, and Lucie read as a bad fan-fiction heroine. I found myself cringing a couple times from the very first chapter. That's not how you want to be introduced to a book.

As soon as the master of the castle, Jean-Loup, returns, Lucie is instantly infatuated with him. She becomes obsessed and everything she does as a servant is done in a way so she can look at him. Again, it read like a bad fan-fiction. It wasn't written in a way where I could believe Lucie was intrigued by him and maybe even attracted. Everything was done to an extreme so that I was turned off from the story.

But the part that made me go "nope" and close my ebook with as much vigor as I could (there's only so much you can do when you don't have an actual, physical copy to slam shut in anger) was an event that happens maybe 10% into the book, which is as far as I read. I don't really consider it a spoiler since it happens so close to the beginning of the book, so I'm just going to go ahead as say it: Jean-Loup rapes Lucie. It happens with hardly any warning and completely shook me. This whole book was clearly set up to be a romance between Jean-Loup and Lucie, and that is why I stopped reading where I did. There was no way I could read over 300 pages of bad writing about a sexual assault victim falling in love with her rapist. That's just disgusting.

I don't have anything else to say, so I'm going to leave it there. I was definitely disappointed, because when I'd read the description for the book, it sounded like an awesome and unique version of "Beauty and the Beast," but I couldn't get past the bad writing and the problematic material. Hopefully the next ARC I get is better.

WOW!
Much thanks to the crew at NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this early copy.
I love fairytale renditions and have been on a bit of a binge with Beauty & The Beast ones recently.
I gotta say this book right hear kinda blew everything else out of the water.
This was a beautifully crafted, entirely new take on one of my favourite stories!
She managed to add an edge to the story I didn't know it needed while still staying true to the original tale.
I devoured this and hope all of you get a chance to do the same!

I don't know what to make of this book. I'm a massive Beauty and the Beast fan, it's my favourite film of all time. It was a good adaptation of the story but was hard not to compare it to the original Disney tale.
I would recommend reading this book to others. Thank you for letting me read and review this book,

A BIG Thank You to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me a copy of “Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge″ by Lisa Jensen in exchange for my review.

When I first started reading this book, I honestly did not expect to enjoy it. This story depicts a dark retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. Moreover, I really didn’t like the idea of the main characters portrayed in a negative manner. Having said that, I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would.

Let’s start with the story line. Frankly speaking, I found the story to be dragging in the first half and I had trouble with the pacing. The plot is indeed very dark and disturbing in the first few chapters as it deals with rape and suicide. However, once the transformation happens and the two protagonists are stuck in the Chateau, the story shifts pace and nothing really happens for a while to progress it. True, it is interesting to see the nuances in the Beast’s personality initially, but I found this to be repetitive after sometime. However, the story considerably picks up in the second half when Rose enters the Chateau. There are lots of twists and turns that happens after she arrives, and I found myself glued to the book. I also loved the climax of the book and was satisfied with how the characters were treated.

Now let’s talk about the controversial topic that others are talking about this book, which is the victim falling in love with her rapist. I completely agree that if that were the case, I would have hated this book and put it down immediately. However, I disagree with respect to this story because I feel that the Beast and Jean-Loup are two completely different identities. It is clear that the Beast does not have any idea about the actions or the personality of Jean-Loup and vice versa. Furthermore, they don’t even look alike when they transform into their form. So while they may be using the same body to transform in, I felt that they were two completely different people and Lucie could clearly distinguish between both.

Lisa Jensen has written this story in a beautiful and majestic manner. Her words are like fine wine and compliment to the setting and timelines of the story. The cover design of the book is also amazing and I hope it remains the same for the final publication. Overall, this was an interesting retelling to Beauty and the Beast and I rate it 4/5 stars.

Has rape in it, so probably not something for my children's library in a school, but great for high school and up. It is well written and a cool twist on a classic fairy tale. I will recommend it to friends and family, just not appropriate for my readers at work.

I loved the story but I feel with the rape scene that it may be to violent as a story i would use in my classroom. It is more for young adults. Great story and adaptations of Beauty and the a Beast

DNF this book at 16%.
When I read "when the chevalier's cruelty is revealed" in the synopsis, I didn't expect rape. There should be a warning before starting the book.

I had really high expectations from this book since it was supposed to be a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast but the rape scene in the beginning really put me off the book. Surprisingly it had no trigger warnings for rape or attempted suicide either. I tried really hard to get into it but a rapist cannot redeem himself. It just wrong on so many levels. The book can be saved if the rape scene is edited out of it in my opinion.

I loved this book and I honestly want to go back and read it again sometime soon. I hope to read more from the author in the future.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Like many a reader, I’ve always been a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast! What girl didn’t love the Disney movie seeing a reader get to be the hero of the day? Plus I totally rocked the ponytail in my youth as well, lol! I’ve since read many a version of the beloved tale as well as a handful of retellings too. Lisa Jensen’s Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge was definitely one that tool the story to new levels, ones that would make you see the classic story in a new way, which I feel like is the point of every retelling.

I do want to forewarn you that this story starts off with some darkness, and I will get to that momentarily. In this story, we journey with a young woman named Lucie who has come to the Chateau Beaumont to work as a maid. The master of the house, Jean-Loup is quite the catch; eligible bachelor, easy on the eyes, and a charmer to boot. Though—and here’s where the darkness starts to come in—as to be expected, he’s also selfish and has many moments of cruelty. Especially when he rapes Lucie, this is where the warning is necessitated, especially since it seems that this is being marketed as Young Adult. Though it’s what happened to Lucie sets the course for Jean-Loup as Lucie seeks refuge with a medicine woman, one who has great powers and abilities as well.

From this point, you can imagine what happens next. The mysterious woman gives Jean-Loup a test and he fails, causing him to be transformed into a beast. Everyone in the house has left him, except Lucie who takes delight in seeing everything taken from him. Then she too is transformed into a silver candlestick, though she is still sentient…think Lumiere minus the face and ability to actually talk. Though she still sees and thinks and all that for she is our storyteller. She continues to watch the newly formed Beast try to get by with his new way in life taking great joy in when he can’t seem to do the simplest of things and loses his temper frequently.

It’s unclear how much time passes, but then Lucie starts to notice a change in the Beast. One that is most strange, for it seems like he no longer remembers his life as Jean-Loup and instead embraces life and everything it has to offer.

Though what would this story be without a Beauty? There’s a point in the story where the classic fairy tale comes into play and soon a young girl named Rose comes to the castle in her father’s place. She intends to stay in the Beast’s domain forever, keeping him company. Falling in love wasn’t something she ever intended, and something that Lucie didn’t want to happen whatsoever. For if the Beast were to have someone love him and agree to marry him, his curse would be broken and he’d return to his human form.

Just when you think it might be time for the happily ever after part of the story is when Lisa takes the reigns back into her hands and turns the story on its head. She added a great deal of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming that I found I quite enjoyed! I always enjoy a new twist to a beloved fairy tale, it practically makes up a new story entirely without totally detracting from the original, as I know some readers don’t always like the changes made to the classics they love—though sometimes I wonder if they confuse Disney for the actual fairy tale, but I digress.

I feel like the point in fairy retellings is to change things up, make us see the story in a different way, but still keeping true to the finer points of the story. A great fairy tale retelling should have aspects of the original one to give us that familiarity, but then take the story to new heights and mix things up a bit, and Lisa does exactly this!

When it comes to fairy tales, I never really expect that fast-paced, head-on kind of action. Fairy tales always take time to build things up and give the proper backstory. They are definitely for the patient reader—and though I may not be a patient person, I am a patient reader. i.e. waiting for the next release doesn’t count because at that time I am no longer reading and therefore a reader! Lol! I enjoy a good buildup when it comes to fairy tales, mind you. I loved the magic that was present in this one, literal and figurative. Seeing the familiar parts of the fairy tale and a little bit of Disney perhaps was heart-touching. Lisa’s own added flair and style made this story even more remarkable!

The ending wasn’t one I was expecting either. Again, I commend Lisa on making this story her own. While Lisa’s first book, sadly just didn’t hold the same kind of magic for me, I can easily say that this one did and even went beyond my expectations. Beast was a truly magical and heartfelt read that will allow you see the tale as old as time in a new light and will have you rethinking almost every other fairy tale you read as well, but in a good way! Beast has definitely marked its place on my list of favorite fairy tale retellings and I would highly recommend this one to all fairy tale retelling fans! This book was beautiful and superb and I can’t wait to see what Lisa will do next!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge releases July 10, 2018

Anyone who knows me knows I love fairy tale retellings, with my favorite by far being beauty and the beast. My absolute favorites are Heart's Blood by Juliette Marillier and Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. Alas, I digress. I was excited to add A Tale of Love and Revenge to my armoire of B&B retellings, but I was sorry disappointed. I generally do try to force myself to get through at least 60% of a book I receive for a review, but I am ashamed to say I only made it through 30% of this book before DNFing. Lucie seems like a fine and likeable character at first. Not a strong minded heroine, mind you, but hey- not all start out that way. So I read on. And while Lucie is tolerable, Jean-Luce was simply not. I did not appreciate the way his character was as either the chevalier or the beast.
As human he was unlikeable, as a beast he was...fake? I'm not even sure if that's the word. It was enough so that I couldn't continue on to see where the huge changes in personality came from.

Perhaps I could not get into the story because it was trying to too hard to be French and not hard enough to be a story. Who knows, really?