I couldn't get through this book. The writing was okay. But I couldn't relate to the characters at all. I just wanted more.

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, but unfortunately the story just didn't live up to my hopes for it...

My biggest issue is that there were no warnings when I first received the book. The book starts with a brutal rape scene near the beginning, followed by an attempted suicide scene and the cycle of abuse is continued through the book. Themes such as these should be clearly marked as many people might find them triggering or just prefer not to read books containing such themes.

This book just wasn't for me.

I had really high expectations of this book, Beauty and the Beast being one of my favorite fairy tales. Unfortunately the story just didn't live up to my hopes for it..

The book starts with a brutal rape scene, closely followed by an attempted suicide scene. I still decided to give the book a chance, but the story was too slow-paced for my liking and I didn't feel conencted to any of the characters.

This book just wasn't for me..

I was incredibly disappointed in this book, especially since this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Not only was there no warning that the book would contain a brutal rape scene, but the cycle of abuse in the story made my stomach turn and I thought about not finishing it several times. 

Moving past that, the writing was choppy at best and the author seemed to have trouble putting together a story that flowed naturally.

Beast was fantastic. It transcended everything I ever thought about Beauty and the Beast in a truly delightful way. I was always kind of on the fence about the original – but Jensen embraces and departs from it in all the best ways. This is such a unique re-telling that truly hooked me. Not only is there gorgeous writing within Beast, but the storyline is captivating and the characters are compelling.

Is there even more to say? Beast is littered with highlights. Actually that sounds so much worse. It is adorned with highlights that just demonstrate how beautiful the writing was to me. Not only was it gorgeous, but it was insightful. There were quotes that kind of stopped me in my tracks because they were so poignant.

I love Beauty and the Beast, and I like retellings for B&tB, but not this one. First off, there’s a brutal rape scene which was just awful and almost made me DNF the book. Second, the writing felt choppy and didn’t flow well. Not impressed at all. And the ending, just nope. I just can’t accept that ending. In all honestly, if this wasn’t a Netgalley ARC, I wouldn’t have finished this book.

A fairytale that needs to be consumed as a whole...in more ways than one. It's told as if it's a live spoken narration by the protagonist, full of exclamations and realistically simple ways of framing the situations she's in. The plot also has a very fairy-tale-esque richness to it, the new storyline matching the tone of the original story almost exactly with a delightful total weirdness characteristic to all fairy tales. I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast stories where the Beast is a civil gentleman, and a retelling true to that original characterization appealed strongly to me. And it worked! His mooning monstrosity was a delight.

That being said.

The criticism that it says something unfortunate about abuse and being abused isn't unwarranted. Don't get me wrong, it absolutely doesn't romanticise abuse or imply abusers can be redeemed, and the tone of the book is consistently to "kill" the nefarious Jean-Loup, not change him; even before we even find out about the enchantment, the concept of the Beast being a literal different person and Jean-Loup a secondary presence is mentioned at least twice. it's there. It's tangible. 

The problem is the subtle play between Jean-Loup and Beast occupying a dual presence, the brutal and unwarned rape scene that really has no place not being in the summary, and the existence of the cycle of abuse (tension, incident, reconciliation, calm) that mirrors her interactions with both versions of the Beast so closely that the final third of the book felt like a natural part of the cycle. Intellectually, it's easy to separate the actual events of the story from that narrative, but the spectre of symbolism casts a noxious shadow on the piece. 

It makes no effort to clearly define the actual setup, and when it's time to reveal its great twist, it doesn't do nearly enough to establish Jean-Loup as an actual, honest-to-god separate person. The book is based on the original fairytale/novella, which was an allegory for fearing abuse from their husbands. It's an inescapable theme; you have to supplement it with something else to get a right-headed story out of it. From the shock of sexual abuse to the transformation into a beast clearly taking several days, almost as if it's there to insist that "no, this Beast is totally still Jean-Loup, you guys, I promise', it seems almost contemptuous at the idea of people engaging with it seriously.

The most chilling aspect is, of course, that Beast leaves her lying around alone for days, even when he clearly knows about her intelligence and is in want of company, and he doesn't talk to her at all until the moment before the fairytale starts...at which point she's swiftly carted off to Rose. They have no chemistry, because they almost never interact, not even in a one-sided sense. Almost all her narration on him is speculation on how much he's changed, valuable time they could have spent bonding was wasted on "but has he changed though?", and as a reader I'm not told he's a literal different person until the very end of the book. She's treated like a thing, up until she declares her love and gets whisked away, and I can't understand the reasoning behind it.

This is what I mean by the spectre of symbolism; this is all unintentional, caused by the author knowing the Beast is an individual, without keeping in mind how it would read blind. It's awkward and poorly told.

On the other end, the main symbolism in the book - Lucie's sense of bodily autonomy symbolized by her physical form - just trails off until it's necessary for her to change again. It's not tied to her actual bodily autonomy at all, and doesn't react to anything except the plot needing her to stop being an object, and if there's any message hidden there, the writing was too murky to make anything out of it. You'd think it might feature a beat as straightforward as Jean-Loup treating her like an object while she's human and Beast treating her like a human while she's an object, but no, they both discard her unless they feel they need the company. The Beast seems to do everything in his power to avoid acknowledging her, at times. Yikes!

It is, simply put, a good story with interesting prose delivered in the worst possible way.

Ok, so there are parts of this story that I really enjoyed, and other parts I didn't. Essentially, the first 25% of this book was pure drudgery for me. I hated the fact that our "beast" character was a rapist. This story point ended up tainting a lot of my potential to enjoy the story. There is a plot point that some would say fixes this later in the book, but it still doesn't excuse that this was a focal point in this novel. 
I also had a love/hate relationship with Lucie, our main protagonist. She was mostly so milk toast through the whole novel. I want a character with some strength to her. I do feel that she finds this by the end of the novel, but I was vert disappointed with another plot point that kept her around. It works, but its a little more weird than what I wanted to walk in to. 
I wanted to DNF this book multiple times. This retelling was a bit of a hot mess for me, and I really love retellings.

I'm in awe and humbled by this clever tale told through the eyes of a lowly chambermaid. I was expecting splendor and grace, I wasn't prepared for the cruelty that comes with the abuse of power and wealth. 

It is a wonder how stories are told of "the prince as the hero and the Beast as the spell" when in truth the Beast is more deserving of love and beauty. We are often disillusioned by a handsome face instead of recognizing a kind heart, a gentle soul.

Beast is completely captivating. It is beautifully written and powerful in truth.

I received a copy of this for a fair and honest review. I love fairy tales. This a Beauty and the Beauty retelling. This is a much darker and sinister adult version the classic children's version I have known. It is no Disney version either. Long the way you meet characters such as Lucie, Jean-Loup, Madam Montant, Mere Sophia and even Rose.  As the story goes on it makes my challenge all that I know of the classical version. Don't get me wrong the main parts of the story are still the rose, candlestick, the library and the underlying love story. Just another way to tell the story. There were moments I was so angry I did not want to read more. There were moments that were tender and loving. There were moments when I wanted to cry. That is something all great stories should do and that is keep you emotionally invested until the very last word. That is exactly what this tale did for me. I would recommend it to anyone who loves the classic version, but I have warned you that it can get a little twisted as well.

I think I've read at least half a dozen Beauty and the Beast-inspired books in the past year in historical romance, contemporary romance, and young adult. It's one of my favorite types of stories. This one is unique in that it takes place during the original time period in France and features some wonderful twists that turn the story on its head. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The first difference you'll notice is that this story is narrated by Lucie, a young woman in desperate need of a serving position. Despite the frightening rumors about Chateau Beaumont and its handsome young master, Lucie inquires about work and is grateful to receive a position as a maid. All is well until the master, Jean-Loup, returns to the chateau. At first Lucie can't understand why he has such a reputation. He's breathtakingly handsome, and she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But Jean-Loup soon shows his true colors and commits a horrible crime against Lucie, one that leaves her heart hardened, her hopes shattered, and revenge her sole reason for living.

Enter an enchantress who also believes a reckoning is due for Jean-Loup, and you know the rest . . . or do you?

In her author's note, Lisa Jensen says she's always loved Beast more than the prince, and so she set out to give him the happily ever after he deserves. In Jensen's tale, nothing is quite what it seems. Even Beauty--or Rose, as she's called in this tale--has ulterior motives. And Lucie, who could never have imagined what her fervent desire for revenge would set into motion, is consigned to watch it all unfold, shocked to discover her heart is not dead after all, and helpless to prevent Rose from bringing Jean-Loup back.

I was so smitten with Jensen's creative spin on the story that I could not put it down, and I could not wait to see what would happen and who would get their happily ever after. I've seen more than a few readers say they could not get past Jean-Loup's behavior in the beginning to read the rest of the story, but if they had kept reading, they would have seen an entirely different story than the one they imagined. This is a brilliantly creative retelling of the classic tale that held me spellbound from beginning to end.

I'm always down for a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, though it is largely a story of Stockholm syndrome and a woman settling for a partner who has some serious issues with violence. Most of us will always turn up for a modernization of it, and I was excited to read this book. Though the writing is lush and the setting imaginative, I found some things in the plot problematic.
I was definitely caught off guard by the rape.
Lucie goes to the castle as a servant, and once she sees Chevalier de Beaumont, despite wanting a wholly different life than the one her mother had, despite knowing that her position is tenuous in this new household, and despite hearing that the Beaumont line is cursed, she needs only to see him to become obsessed.

The rape was shocking, but in a way, it seems as if that were the only thing which *could* happen; Lucie was entranced by someone who she'd heard was cruel, but it was as if all of her sense drained out of her, because he was "beautiful."And that's all it took. This seemed to me to underscore a complicity in her rape - well, she'd been raped, sure, but she HAD been mooning over him, right? And she put herself in his way.

That was disturbing enough, but that after that violence, that she eventually a.) becomes inhuman, rejecting her body deliberately for a body which could not be hurt, and b.) is still used by him as his light - and longs for him when he is gone, takes a traditionally clunky but redemptive romantic fairy tale and turns it into something darker.  Lucie goes from being desperate enough to suicide to longing again, in just as obsessive a fashion - for the attention and affection of this Beast. 

This is a gorgeously written book, and many will enjoy the sweeping romanticism of a dangerous lover, and a vulnerable innocent. But I think the subtext is more than a little confused, and once one includes the violence and misogyny of rape as a plot device, the book is lost for me.

Although I enjoyed the lovely writing, the enchanting world-building, and the truly intriguing take on a well-worn tale, in the end it simply was not enough to outweigh certain tragedies of character that kept my heart from fully investing in the story. I was so excited to read this unique novel and I am sorry that I cannot provide you with a more favorable response. I do, however, believe that there is an audience out there that will swoon for its magic.

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

First of all, I love me some fairytale re-tellings...yum! Second, I absolutely love  Beauty and the Beast, it is my favorite. That being said it pains me to say I DNF this book...... I barely got into this book...... I did not make it out of the first chapter. Sorry to the author but the scene in this first chapter was too much (not even going to go into detail because I've previously read others have) and I just could not go on.

Hard read. I didn’t enjoy the book at all and it honestly was a little traumatic for a lover of the Disney version. The rape made me honestly hate this book. 

Such a disappointment since I’d been anticipating this book since I saw the cover the first time last year.

This was not my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast. First of all, there is a rape scene and attempted suicide, so be aware if you decide to read this book. I felt that that scene is completely unnecessary. There were other ways to prove Jean-Loup's cruelty. The Beast's backstory was a little thin for me too. It seemed like the author was trying to justify Lucie's falling for the one who raped her by not making him the same person? Not a fan. I was also disappointed by Rose, the Belle of this story. She seemed kind of spacey and a bit of a mean streak too. The only thing I liked about this book was that it stuck fairly close to the original story.

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge is a unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast that takes an unexpected approach to the story. Told through the perspective of a chamber maid, this version takes a darker turn, inverts expectations, and questions what we think we know about beauty and monstrousness. 

This is one where saying to much will spoil the story, but you should be aware that there is a trigger warning for rape, and one that takes place early on. While that scene is not overly graphic, it also does not look away. But keep in mind that this is also not the story you think it is, so reading to the end pays off in a good way. I think if you expect a traditional version of Beauty and the Beast you might be very turned off, but just trust me that the book in NO WAY excuses the rape or offers redemption to the rapist. It just takes awhile to reveal how that is true. There are also trigger warnings for suicidal ideation and intent, and abortion, as well as violence toward animals.

Ultimately, I thought this was an interesting take on a classic fairy tale that plays with familiar tropes in unprecedented ways. It also explores important ideas. It was well written and a very quick read. I do recommend it, and guarantee that this isn't something you've seen before. I agreed to read and review an early copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book beats all the retellings I’ve read so far!
From the moment I saw the cover I was curious, then I read the blurb and I knew right then and there that I need to read this book, I WANT to read this book.

P L O T
A revenge plot, but then it isn’t. It’s so much more. I don’t know where to begin with this book.

A young maid seeking justice for what’s been done to her, but then she discovers the secrets that lay within the family of Chateau Baeumont. So many plot twists, the story is clearly its own fairytale. 

A Tale of Love and Revenge; it’s not just love between the two main characters but also the love of a mother to a child.

I must say, the history and secrets kept hidden in the chateau is very sad. Our purpose for our actions may be made purely out of love but we sometimes fail to foresee the consequences and we may end up paying it for the rest of our lives or sometimes be haunted by it even in death.

C H A R A C T E R S
So many wonderful characters all created with much thought and care. One is driven by revenge, one beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside, one was hidden in the dark for many years and knows not of the world outside, one seems to be thinking only of only paying off a debt of gratitude and bargain <i>(I really have mixed feelings with this one because sometimes I think the person’s goal is wrong but there are also times where this person is selfless.)</i> and two are crazy for money and would hope for their sibling to die so there will be one less person to divide the family’s money with.

Until the very end I wondered if Lucie will be the one to break the curse. She put the curse on the chevalier in the first place, and the irony if she’d be the one to break it in the end.

W R I T I N G
Lisa Jensen is a wonderful storyteller. It’s like after she saw or read Beauty and the Beast, she took a step back and analyzed the entire story in a different angle with a different light. She explains how this wonderful story came to be in her author’s note by the end of the book.

O V E R   A L L
It was beautiful, magical and touching. I cried a couple times while reading this, my little heart aching for the characters. I love the way this book ended and of course there are no open doors left.

If you love retellings and Beauty and the Beast with lots of plot twists, magic and emotion, then this book is for you. Though I’d recommend this to anyone because the message is clear and it needs to be delivered.

I tried, I really tried, but I also really should have read the reviews of the ARC first before requesting it.. This way, I would have saved myself a lot of anxiety and time trying to read this.
The writing itself, while good. However, I expected more because back when I read an excerpt of Jensen's "Alias Hook", I was rather beguiled by her exquisite prose. In this book, though, the style is rather depressing and simple, since the protagonist has a way of putting herself down.
I would have appreciated a trigger warning for the graphic and extensive rape scene (chapter 4) and the suicide attempt (chapter 6). I do not appreciate rape in my YA lit, not even if it furthers the plot, and cannot condone a complete 180 of a rapist whom the protagonist subsequently falls in love with.
Also: sarcastic awesome points for disenfranchising a rape victim and taking away her agency by quite literally objectifying her (in this case: turning her into a candle holder).
I am sorry but I had to DNF for the sake of my mental well-being (my anxiety was triggered like crazy reading this), but I wouldn't necessarily absolutely discount this book for everyone. There might well be some readers who find some important and worthwhile themes and a valuable reading experience in this. I am just unfortunately not one of them.

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.