When you hear of a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, they all tend to be really similar in some way, and after awhile you just can't pretend you sense much originality after so many so alike each other. But this was really original and really enjoyable.
Before I decided to ultimately read this book (and ended up really enjoying it), I read a few unhappy reviews on it, and really questioned whether it was worth it to read. You see, there is some triggering content in this novel with no forewarning, although there is build up, it is my belief that you should never assume someone to assume what is about to happen without some sort of content advisory. In that sense, this book can surely be seen as extremely problematic, and if this turned you off and you decided to read no further, you would only be aware of the disturbing plotline that entails our main character, Lucie, falling for her abuser. If you're very critical and of course read no farther, this can certainly be seen as the case. However, bearing all of this in mind, I trudged on, and I will examine how the book actually dealt with this to a point where I didn't find it deeply disturbing and at least somewhat acceptable, so it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
In this book, the beast and the prince are separate entities. This was a very original thought, one that the explanation of I found confusing, the way that it is explained and tied altogether left a bit to be desired, at least in my opinion, but this persists that Lucie can indeed fall for somebody who is not her abuser, even if these two people aren't entirely separate. This was an interesting concept to see explored.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was the writing, written to mirror olden language, so this was sort of like a historical fiction, which added to my enjoyment of the story.
Lucie isn't exactly an unbearable character, but she wasn't all that enjoyable either. Under her circumstances this is easily understood, however, I just can't say that most people enjoy reading to the narration of a Mary Sue-like character, constantly feeling helpless and mopey, but it does help that she spends most of the story making observations rather than directly contributing. I didn't find this aspect boring, either, I think that it worked really well for the story.
Speaking of which, I really like how the story brings about the enchantment of all the various furniture items and includes Lucie in this, I found this to be very creative, and in general a lot of the details from the original story are twisted and transformed into intriguing prospects to fit this particular narrative, and it was enjoyable to read.
If I had to describe this particular re-telling to anybody, I would say that this entails the Beast, simply as he is and his own being, and of course an OC x well known Disney character.
Have you ever been frustrated about the details of the prince's redemption? Have you ever considered that it was truly the Beast that Belle fell for, so why does she so easily accept him as a human, the body she fell for vanished? And, if you're just one of those people who preferred the Beast over the prince (hey man, we've all been there), never fear! There is a book for you,my friend, and it's this one!

I went into this book expecting a twisted Beauty and the Beast retelling and it definitely lived up to twisted.
I want to mention Trigger Warnings for Rape and Suicide
As it doesn't mention these warning before reading

In the first couple of chapters there is a rape scene and i felt like you had no warning or inkling beforehand which could be harmful for most people to read. For me personally i think it was an unnecessary scene because there is no mention of it being solved and also the plot want's you to feel sorry for him
(just like the original book) but how, can you think, That my opinion of him will change.

The same being for the attempted suicide, It was spoken about but soon after was forgotten and is also a very harmful topic to be brought up and just abandoned.

I feel as if there wasn't really a main plot and had a very strange point of view, As our main character is turned into a candelabra so she cannot move or talk. For the plot Im not sure i understood what message Lisa Jensen was trying to get across

Unfortunately i had to skip multiple pages just so that i could finish it. Honestly i was hoping that we would get some justification at the end.
However SPOILER ALERT!! they both lived happily ever after, yes you heard me. HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH ONE ANOTHER!!!

When Lucie begins working at Château Beaumont she is besotted with it’s master Jean-Loupe, despite the rumors of a curse. That is until she is affected by his monstrous personality. A spell is cast on him turning him into a beast and Luce gets her wish to watch him suffer. But as time passes she learns that the beast that has taken Jean-Loupe’s place is actually nothing like the cruel man.

The Story
This book was not at all what I was expecting, and while I thought the unique point of view and change in the story was pretty great, the pacing was quite slow and a little on the darker side. I was almost pushing myself to just finish the book, until about 75% when I was finally invested enough into the characters to actually care about the ending. And while it was almost necessary to have all that transpire, there wasn’t enough to break up the monotony. I think a big portion of that was due to Lucie’s POV because there wasn’t a lot actually involving her, I felt like we spent a lot of time just…sitting there basically looking out a window.

Trigger warnings: rape and suicidal thoughts

The World Building
I appreciated the story being kept in it’s French roots, despite being a retelling. I also loved how descriptive the book was with how Beast was dealing with the transformation and adjustment to his body – going from a human man to a beast with body parts he was not used to.

I also really liked the changes in the enchantment of the Château and how the roses play a part of the story. I liked how it added to the humanity that was within beast.

The Characters
I think the part that really stands out with this book was the Jean-Loupe/Beast combination. The drastic changes between the curse set upon them really sets this apart from other BATB retellings that I have come across. I think it’s in the fact that Beauty doesn’t change him per se, but the fact that the goodness is within him to begin with and it is such a drastic difference from who he was in the beginning of the book.

As you may have guessed, Beast is a retelling of the classic and well-loved story Beauty and the Beast, and it's one retelling that really turns the story on its head.

This was such a roller coaster for me and had me constantly changing my mind and guessing where things would go next. I can safely say that Beast is entirely unpredictable at almost all parts of the story, and I truly did not know at the end whether I would fully love or hate this book. In the end, however, I very much enjoyed this book and was also so pleased where the story ended, as it felt incredibly satisfying on all points and caused me to just back and think about what a gorgeous and well-told tale this was.

Before I get into the real bulk of this review, I just want to note that this book is not going to be for everyone. Back when I read Alias Hook, I discovered that Jensen's writing style was very unique, somewhat dense due to her descriptions, and fairly divisive. Personally, I love it, so I already knew that if people disliked Beast for the writing style that that would be fine with me. After finishing the book, I went to Goodreads and noticed a lot of DNFs for this book and I just want to say that this is a book in which the ending/reveals are crucial to understanding the events prior to that, so DNF-ing too early will not give a good impression of what this book is really about. There is also a content warning here for rape, which you might be able to guess is coming, but also feels sort of out nowhere, so do be aware of that (more information at the end of this review). Now all that aside, let's jump into my review!

As far as retellings go, this one was incredibly unique to me. The way Jensen takes the original storyline and twists it fully into her own story was incredible well-executed. What I most enjoyed was how many elements from the original story and actively engaged with the themes and plot points used in the original, which in turn created an extremely thoughtful and through-provoking story. There is such a fine line between not changing a retelling enough and changing it too much, and Jensen balanced the line perfectly. In addition to this is Jensen's gorgeous prose that flows so easily and makes it easy to just keep reading and never want to put the book down. There were so many lines that I had to highlight because of how relevant they felt to life, no matter the time period or situation, and that is always a sign of a great writer to me.

There are not all that many characters in this book, with the main ones being Lucie, Jean-Loup/Beast, the wisewoman, and eventually Rose. Lucie is an incredibly interesting character and one who constantly surprised me with her actions and let her desire for vengeance and justice overtake her--both of which felt entirely justified to me, so I found myself completely immersed in watching how she navigated all of her emotions and the circumstances she was thrust into.

I don't want to say much about Jean-Loup/Beast because of the potential for giving away too much, but suffice to say he was, at different times, a combination of: frustrating, horrible, wonderful, and confusing, but at all times he was compelling. The last character I want to mention is the wisewoman, and she is probably my favorite from this book. She really lived up the 'wise' part of her name and I loved her personality, despite how little she showed up in the book. I really enjoyed her different roles in this book and how she handled various situations.

This is a slow, completely character-focused book, so if you need action and constant plot intrigue to keep you engaged, you might not enjoy this one as much as I did. If you don't mind a slow plot, descriptive prose, and a majorly character-centric story, then I would absolutely recommend you give it a shot.

Overall, I've given Beast four stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I'm not sure why I requested this book. It just wasn't my cup of tea and I couldn't finish it.

Beauty and the Beast is one of today's most highly romanticized stories. Movies, books, collectible items, have all been made in the name of this story. I can't count on my hands how many retold novels have been published in the past five years alone of this grand story of a girl falling in love with a beast. A beast giving this girl his library and then his heart. It's a beautiful idea but it truly is a facade.

We start this book through the eyes of a girl, a girl who is heading to a town to beg for a job at some rich guys house. The guy happens to be Beast before he was Beast, AKA the Chevalier. And the girl happens to be Lucie, a girl who becomes a maid at his chateau.

Lucie being a maid for the Chevalier means that she is his and he does something pretty brutal to her and that causes a string of reactions that lead to him being cursed and becoming Beast. Lucie might have been there when it happened but she was definitely not the one who caused it. This was something that was a long time coming. But is this curse really what it seems to be? Is the Cavalier really who he seems to be?

This story started out slightly average. A bit boring if you want blatant honesty. There was a girl who needed to escape her stepfather's house before he noticed how her body had grown. So with that right there the book starts out with a demeaning sexual tone. And with that tone already set, I don't truly understand the anger behind a lot of people's reaction to the sexual assault scene while they didn't say anything about the stepfather thing.

Everyone always says how much they love this fairytale but the aspect they love so much is the library and the love story. I don't think anyone truly grasps the real nature behind this book. In its depths the story is about a man who was already a beast, a witch just did the world of making his exterior match his interior but we never really stop to think what exactly the Beast did to become such a horrible man. Surely there has to be more to the story of just a man being spoiled and turning away an old lady seeking shelter. Lisa Jensen put a face to that horrible thing and people are mad about it. Essentially a man was already a beast inside and when he became a beast on the outside something changed and he became a real man. Showing someone who they truly are by giving it a face is humbling.

This book is very refreshing and while, yes I am kind of sad about my favorite story being portrayed as something so harsh, it seems more realistic than just a fantasy story of a girl, a beast, and a library. This book has a moral to it, that moral being that sometimes what is viewed as a curse from outsiders is actually the truth and what is viewed as the truth is actually the curse.

In the end, I am so very glad the author decided to write this book the way she did. Belle got her library and Beast got his happily ever after, even if they weren't the normal ways that we are used to hearing about.

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I was provided an eARC copy of the book by Candlewick Press. In no way has the publisher or the author influenced my review; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first time I have ever chosen to DNF a book. I stopped at about 32% because I just couldn’t bear to push myself to read any further. I don’t like to DNF Books because I personally feel like you have to read the full book to form a fully informed opinion on it. The reason I chose to DNF it is because when I read about this book, when I requested it there was no trigger warning attached or mentioned about this book at all. It was supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast’s point of view. I was really excited about! Until I got to the rape scene about 20% of the way through the book. It came out of nowhere and really threw me for a loop. I was disgusted especially because the MC is supposed to fall in love with her rapist even after that? I pushed myself to read a little further but in the end I just couldn’t. I ended up only reading 1/3 of the book.

The writing style is kind of amateur and juvenile. The flow of the book is kind of odd too, it jumps from one place to another at whiplash speed. To me it felt like when you’re on the bumper cars and jerk forward at top speed only to bump into another car and quickly come to a full stop. That kind of jerking forward motion is how I felt the book progressed. I ignored it for the most part but it certainly didn’t make for an enjoyable read. 

Finally I have to talk about the lacklustre characters that exist in this book. I didn’t read far enough to really get an impression of “The Master” (aka the Beast) which I’m and of itself is a failure. So in that regard I will be focusing on the main character Lucie. Good lord Lucie was an annoying lovesick swooning girl after she meets the Master. I hate those heroines where their world is changed and made amazing by a man. I find it over dramatic and demeaning. Also, I felt like she turned into quite the woman scorned afterwards and especially when she was watching her revenge on the Beast. I just felt like overall Lucie was very shallow and didn’t really have any depth of character. 

Overall I was extremely disappointed to find that the publisher didn’t give any trigger warnings when promoting this book. When I was expecting a wonderful Beauty and the Beast retelling, instead all I got was juvenile writing style, characters with no depth to them and a rape scene that I had no idea was coming. I would not recommend this book, it would only be a waste of your time.

I really and truly enjoyed this book so much. It sucked me in so completely that I was so deep in my feelings about the characters and what was going on. It was heartbreaking what happened to Lucie and I am happy I did not let that make me mark this as a "did not finish" book. This book is so much more than that one act of violence. It is a beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast that showed the Beast winning in the end. I enjoyed that thoroughly and loved the lessons that were all through the book. I fell in love with Beast and his kindness and sense of righteousness. He was so different from Jean-Loup it was like they were completely different people. I also came to like Lucie as she grew throughout the novel. She went from a naive girl with a crush on the master of the house to a woman who learned what love really was and how to live her life for herself. This was a perfect retelling of the classic that is one of my all time favorites and I truly enjoyed it so much. It was a fairytale ending that showed me the after. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well this was certainly a different take on Beauty and the Beast. Probably not my favorite telling of it but it wasn’t so bad. In the beginning there is a rape scene that I felt should have been disclosed as it may trigger some of your readers. I feel it had some long, drawn out parts, especially when they were changed and to the candle stick and Beast. The story seemed to slow down for me. What I liked was the different perspective on the fairy tale that this book tells. It was hard to separate my feelings of Beast and those of Jean-Loup. Knowing that they were apart of each other made it hard to like Jean–Loup. Or to even forgive him for being a horrid person. Overall, I think it was a pretty good book with a little bit of a plot twist.

Lucie is a compelling and rather unique character, and the contrast of inner and outer beauty is well done, but holy shit the rape scene is too much for the rest of the book. Either the book needed a warning in the summary, a less graphic description, or something to make it work and not feel as sudden. I was prepared due to other reviews, but without that my rating would be much lower. Otherwise a decent and unique retelling.

DNF @ 16%.

I'd seen the reviews for this book before I picked it up, but a lot of times I don't agree with the masses, so I gave this one a go anyway. Suffice it to say, I agree with the masses. I won't bore you with details - there are other reviewers who lay it out for you.

This book is not for me.

I wavered back and forth on whether to give this one or two stars. As many others have already stated, the graphic rape right at the beginning of the book was nearly enough to make me DNF. It wasn't necessary to the plot and the author easily could have used other instances to show just how awful the character was. But once again, it's used as a pointless plot device. I managed to push on, scrape by, and finish. The rest of the book on its own wasn't bad, and I found myself intrigued as to where exactly the story was headed. Honestly, without the nonsense at the beginning, I probably would have rated this slightly higher, because I thought the twisted fairytale was actually rather inventive. I don't think I'd recommend this to my teens, at least not without a good warning first.

This book sounded like it had so much potential. I love beauty and the beast retellings and this one sounded cool. But it wasn’t…

I made it 20% in and gave up. Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC of this book, but unfortunately I have to DNF it and write the shortest review for an ARC I ever have.

The rape scene was graphic and super uncomfortable. I’ve read many dark stories where the abuser is the hero (Pepper Winters’ Monsters in the Dark series) but they’re done tastefully, and there is no rape in it. This took a pure monster and romanticized it.

I didn’t like the writing itself. The dialogue fell flat and the writing seemed juvenile.

Overall I just have so much better things to read right now.

When I heard another retelling of Beauty and the Beast ws coming out, I was excited. It is one of my favorites! Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge left me with a horrible taste in my mouth and I DNF at about 30%. It should come with several trigger warnings as it contains very graphic scenes. I tried to get through that but I could not..Plus the fact of trying to romanticize the situation just made it 100 times more disgusting.

Before beginning, let’s provide a trigger warning: there's a rape scene early in the book. It is uncomfortable to read and highlights the viciousness that is the “prince.” It is not easy to get past this, but it does offer the story something tangible to attach his cruelty to. That being said, no, it is not going to be for everyone, especially not for rape survivors and not for young readers. It is a rough scene, no pun intended, and it is going to turn many people off.

That being that, it gives the story a little realism to attach to the prince, this cruelty that goes beyond just selfishness. Yes, the prince has always just cared about himself and has been cruel, but now there is something tangible to attach to the cruelty, and that will create emotion to the story. There are layers of emotion to the story as it twists the story, turning Lucie into the lamp, and watching the Beast develop. The character representation is fantastic, turning the tables on the beast. There is a sort of dissociative disorder going on here with two distinct personalities coming to life. Beast has no awareness of Jean-Loup, being the submissive personality, but as the story goes on and he becomes more aware of his ruthless personality. The dichotomy between the two characters is incredible and makes the novel stand apart from other retellings that are just about a guy learning to change his way. No here, it is about a good man overcoming the monster inside him. The story is about the Beast being the hero, the good guy, and not the Prince. He was always the mask, the monster, the real beast of the story. Moreover, that is what so compelling about the novel, to see this character develop and the story develops around him.

As far as stories go, it was interesting. It had a solid foundation and an exciting way to develop the protagonist while capturing the essence of the original beauty and the beast. So are so many elements that intermingle to tell this new version of the narrative, but there are also many shifts, Making Lucie the lamp was both intelligent and unique. It gives the story a new perspective to follow as it tells the story. The victim is the one who is telling the story, and that is what makes it interesting. Again, this is not going to be a story for everyone, but the empowerment that the victim gains, the power to recover and face the monster that hurt her, it is empowering to the reader. It shows character growth; it shows stability. Because of that, it is worth reading, to see how the story and the characters evolve.

TW: sexual assault, attempted suicide

There are disappointing books, books that are so bad they make you sorry you ever wasted time on them, and then there's Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge, which falls into the "dreadful and made my stomach roil" territory. And y'all, I was H Y P E D for this, so imagine how bad it had to be for me to be so fucking mortified by it.

First of all - let's get this out of the way: the "wrong done to Lucie" that is referred to in the blurb? It's rape. I love seeing important and real topics being discussed in books, but I find it quite, quite horrid that the blurb purposefully stayed hazy when it came to this. Mind you, being raped by Jean Loup (=beast as human) is what starts Lucie on her journey of revenge, so no, mentioning it in the blurb would NOT have been a spoiler. At the least, this novel deserves MASSIVE trigger warnings for both the rape scene and Lucie's attempted suicide shortly after that.

And, look, maybe I'm being nitpicky here, but the sexual assault absolutely devastated me, because it was used as a plot device. I felt like its purpose was to make the readers and Lucie see that Jean-Loup was a terrible person, and to give conflict to their romance, because yes, this is a mothereffing romance. *cries because why*

I could go on and on about this novel. I could go into detail about how the writing felt juvenile and repetitive, about how the characterization was weak, or about how the overall "beauty and riches don't equal a good person!!!!" message is not! new! or! unique! at! all!. But I won't, because I literally cannot spend more of my time and energy on this book. I don't even know how to end this review, I'm just... so angry and let down by this. I suppose a good bottom line is this: be aware of the trigger warnings going into this, and take care.

This review has been published on my blog, One Way Or An Author! You can check it out over here: https://onewayoranauthor.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/arc-review-beast-a-tale-of-love-and-revenge/

Well, this made for a rather peculiar retelling.

Before I begin the actual review, I do want to let readers know about certain important triggers that they should be notified of:
- 12% into the book, a rape scene occurs where the heroine experiences it - and the consequences - first hand. It is mildly described.
- 16% into the book, the heroine is devastated after the rape and tries to drown herself.
These are not light topics, and it was rather shocking to see it in the story, and so early. The revenge after the rape is what serves as Lucie’s driving motivation - and basic plotline - of the book. Soon enough, Lucie’s wish for revenge is granted when the handsome chevalier who attacked her gets transformed into a hideous beast, forcing all the servants to flee. Everyone leaves except Lucie, who gets turned into a candelabra so he can see his ugliness every day. Or something like that. It was a weird explanation for keeping her there.

Now that Lucie is a candelabra, she can’t speak or feel time. But the chevalier, or Beast at this point, knows that she’s sentient and banishes her in a dark drawer or room or something. A period of time passes, and suddenly the door is opened and the Beast is kind. Is this Jean-Loup? How did he have a 180 degree turn in personality? And how will this newfound knowledge affect the Beast’s future after Belle (from the original story) comes into play…

“This is what he thought of me once, an object to be used and discarded. But look at me now! I am strong, as I never was before. I am here to show him what he has become. I will illuminate his crimes.”

The thing about this retelling is that it’s just… weird. I can’t quite wrap my head around the “twist” the author wrote, and I really think there was a better way of executing it. After finishing, I kind of just had the reaction, “What in the world just happened.” The plot went into directions I didn’t expect, I give you that, but it also rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn’t quite comfortable about the fact that Lucie’s driving motivation was revenge from being raped, and I’m not sure how I feel about the mitigation of this plot point being addressed. I did appreciate the author’s message about how beauty isn’t everything in the world, and how if you dig beneath the surface, you can find hidden facets.

I do admire Lucie’s resilience throughout all her troubles, and her determination in getting justice. There was an odd dynamic, though, because the central characters were just Jean Loup, him as a Beast, her, and Belle, which lends for a quietly intense atmosphere. The setting wasn’t very explored (I suppose we just know that we’re in historical France where magical things happen) and the main focus of the story was just the twisty retelling. I usually enjoy Beauty and the Beast retellings, but something about the twists in this one was mainly uncomfortable for me. None of the characters were really explored past their superficial descriptions and actions, save Lucie.

Perhaps readers who want a darker twist of Beauty and the Beast would be drawn to this one. I myself didn’t really quite mesh with it, and I wouldn’t really recommend it for readers drawn to romantic stories. Revenge, perhaps. But romance? I never quite felt a connection, especially as the whole plot point with rape kind of ruined the whole premise for me. The one word I would use to sum this book up was just ODD, and more with negative connotations than anything.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Thank you Netgalley and Candlewick Press for the review copy!

Content Warning: rape, abortion, abuse, sexual harassment, gore/blood, suicide attempt

I really wish this would have had a trigger warning before I picked this...
I struggled through this book... I am actually at a loss for words when it comes to this book just because the abuse that occurs is just brushed aside. It is like after you have been hit by a man or by someone and they just buy you some flowers and say sorry and expect everything to be ok after that...

Pros:
Lucie is not representative of "Belle" or "Beauty", which I thought was an interesting take on it. I don't think I've ever read a retelling that was told from a third party perspective before, while still being involved in the actual plot, so I liked how that was a unique take on the story.
The twist with Jean-Loup's mother was unique and could have been interesting if done correctly. However, it all felt a little too late to have much impact.
Cons:
Trigger Warning: Lucie is sexually assaulted by Jean-Loup. Now, I'm not saying that difficult topics like sexual assault and abuse shouldn't be written about, because these things are important and need to be discussed. But this topic was handled SO poorly, and it was honestly just really disgusting as it's used entirely to show us how "bad" Jean-Loup is and nothing more. Not only that, but we're supposed to romanticize Jean-Loup! Alright, so even the blurb states that Beast is entirely different from Jean-Loup, and of course everyone loves a good redemption arc...but sexual assault is not exactly one of those things I, or many readers, want to forgive, and Jean-Loup's personality change purely because of a curse feels cheap and forced.
Every character, especially Lucie, is completely bland. I do not exaggerate when I state that Lucie is the most passive character I have ever read about.  No, I am NOT talking about her assault, but essentially everything else that happens to her. It's like her only purpose is to be carried along for the ride and tell us what's going on.
The writing style was stiff and awkward. I know, this is completely subjective, and maybe I'm being all too harsh, but I literally felt like I was being "told" everything, as opposed to really experiencing it or being shown it through Lucie's eyes. It was one thing after another, with no real feeling, emotion or deeper thought. Again, I know writing style is totally up to taste, but for me it was all entirely too formal.
Other:
I don't know if this book is fairly labeled as a YA novel. It's true, Lucie is a teenager, but that really seems to be the only aspect about this book that "fits" the YA genre. Perhaps this book is simply being mis-marketed, I don't really know who the right audience might be, but I have a feeling it's not what most YA readers probably expect.
Final thoughts...
It pains me to say this, but I honestly had to force myself to finish this. I didn't feel it was fair to leave a rating, especially a poor one, for a book I didn't completely read, and fortunately, this is fairly short. But I did end up mostly skimming the second half just to reach the end. My investment at that point was pretty much gone.

Overview
Warning: There is a rape scene involving the main characters in the beginning of the book.

Lucie, the heroine, was sent away by her mother to obtain a job at the Château Beaumont. She is trained to keep her head low, keep quiet, stay invisible, and do not wander from her assigned chambers. But one day, Lucie catches the eye of the handsome chevalier, Jean-Loup and she is no longer invisible. One night, she forgot to put away an object, and in fear of retribution, she steals the housekeeper’s keys to return the object back in its place. One night, Jean-Loup forces himself onto Lucie, throwing her into a downward spiral that will also lead to Jean-Loup’s downfall.

Thanks to a witch, Lucie was able to view the downfall of Jean-Loup as he turns into a beast. What she wasn’t counting on, was that in her icy rage, she would also be transformed. With her transformation, Lucie was able to watch Jean-Loup rage and despair over his new shape, until one day, she realizes that Jean-Loup was no longer present in the Beast. Beast became his own entity separate from Jean-Loup, with a personality that is a complete 180 from Jean-Loup’s.

And then, what we know as the traditional Beauty and the Beast story begins, but with a twist.

My Thoughts
So, I really wanted to like this book. And to be honest, if I could cut out the first 6 chapters, I think the book would be perfect. Maybe add just add brief back story explanation during flashbacks, in order for the reader to understand Lucie better. But, I do think that I would have enjoyed the book better without the beginning.

I really enjoyed the twist on the story, mainly that the Beast is the true face and the “princely” face was the false face. I have read some other reviews where readers despair that Lucie falls in love with her rapist, but in truth, Jean-Loup and Beast are two completely different people. I felt that the author didn’t do an injustice to Lucie, especially considering the time period this story is supposed to take place in.

As with many books I enjoy, Lucie goes from a simpering, naive girl into a strong woman willing to open her heart and mind. I’m sure the therapist I was seeing last year would have something to say about my feelings on this, but I’m not going to look too much into it. 🙂

Conclusion

So, the copy of Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge that I received was an advanced copy that was not completely edited and formatted for public sale (I hope). It was distracting, but I am holding under the assumption that the actual public sale copy will be edited and formatted better. I will not count off on that.

While I enjoyed the different spin on a beloved tale, I felt that the author probably could have done something different with the beginning. It was a little sluggish and hard to read for the first 6 chapters. But once the witch comes into the picture, the story picked up and pulled me in, and I found myself enjoying the story more.

I give Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge 3.5 stars.