Beau and Bett

“There’s a little bit of beast in every person. And in every beast, there’s a human heart with a story of how it got to that place...”

The last few lines of the last paragraph in this book LEGIT took my rating of this book up from a 3 to a 4. It hit my heart hard and was something I could relate to. I seriously LOVE the last paragraph ❤️

When I first started reading this, I thought it was a bit dry and all over the place. I didn’t give up on this book and I’m glad because it ended quite perfectly in my opinion. The characters were well written and I like the role reversal, with Bett being “the Beast” and Beau being “the Beauty.”

It was a fairly quick read and I was able to read it in less than 24hrs. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, enjoyable teen romance with a twist on Beauty and the Beast, then I’d recommend this book.

Classic ~ Charming ~ Sedate
tl:dr: Beauty and the beast is in the eye of the beholder

This YA/ NA romance novel updates beaty and the beast into contemporary teen life. The beauty is a smart housekeeper's son and the beast a rich, snotty girl. The two spend time together outside the confines of high school only to first deal with some personal baggage and then fall in love. I love a remixed classic, and the characters, particularly the male protagonist, Beau, are appealing. While there isn't new ground being covered, the sweet story is enjoyable and the love story is gently told.

3.5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the overall theme of this story that there's always something that makes us act like we do and it doesn't necessarily mean we're evil, sometimes if not most times, we're just hurting.
This is a short read and if you get past the dialogues that at some point made me want to take a pause and take a stroll or snack- then you'll love how curious Beau is and what's so relentless about Bett.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Oh boy! So first things first, Beau and Bett is a modern-day retelling of the beauty and the beast; however, if you didn't know that, you wouldn't put those two together. That's not to say it wasn't an enjoyable story and didn't mirror beauty and the beast in certain ways, because it sure did! Beau and Bett is a story about hardworking, family oriented Beau who does everything he can to make his family's life easier when an accident with his mom and a certain girl, Bett, leaves him in charge of clearing the charges. Beau works at Bett's father's farm to pay off his family's debt and who he thought was rude and full of herself turns out to be rather charming and sweet, even a little closed off and shy.

Beau and Bett's romance is slow, not clearly evident at all points because their friendship is very developed. My favourite part was that most of the book was the chase, the will-they-wont-they. Bett finds a true friend in Beau, not just a technical one and Beau looks forward to his weekends of manual labour because he gets to spend time with Bett. They're never nauseating, never too cheesy because they're actually quite bashful of each other. Then there are the side characters who are all just amazing. Papa with his cajun french and mom with her endless spunk! Not to mention the rambunctious twins and amazingly innocent, misguided and a little lonely, Khalil. Oh and Ray, what a dream.

So needless to say, I really did adore this book! This book was provided to me as an ARC by Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Overall rating: 4.0
Would I recommend? Yes! It's a fun read. Bett's a fun character, so is Beau. Everyone's a little flawed. Everyone's dealing with either money or family or just plain and simple teenager issues. I think it does a wonderful job capturing the uncertainty of simply being a teenager.

I don't why I am so surprised, but I absolutely loved this! I found it on Netgalley and didn't realise it was a 'read now' book, so I suppose that's what made me a little hesitant, but I'm so glad I requested it.
Beau and Bett was honestly one of the cutest contemporary novels! While it's not hugely based on Beauty in the Beast, that wasn't the selling point for me anyway - I was totally drawn in by the cover because it is STUNNING.
I don't think I hated a single character throughout the whole story, and the relationship between Beau and Bett was so freaking cute. Not in a romantic kind of way, but in that nice-summer's day way. You know that feeling of bliss you get when you're comfortable in the sun with an ice-cream or something and there's that smell of nature and freshly-mowed lawn? No? That's not a thing? Well, now it is.
I have so much and yet so little to say about this book - it's a struggle to articulate what I'm feeling, but I can say that I loved it.
The minute this is released on shelves is the minute you need to have it on your shelf! (Understatement of the century)

I really enjoyed this retelling of a classic disney movie I liked that the roles where switched the guy was “beauty” and the girl was “beast” I would totally recommend this for anyone that likes retellings of classics

This was a unique take on the tale of Beauty and the Beast set around a couple of high schoolers.
One rich, the other not so much.
I enjoyed this particular take mainly because of the role reversal here. We saw Beau as “Beauty” and then we have Bett who even at her own school is named “the Beast.”
I enjoyed watching these two, who are so very different, come together, even in the friendly sense. It was nice to see Bett coming out of her shell, admitting things to Beau she wouldn’t admit to anyone else. Getting insight into her family, while at the same time, enjoying the dynamic that Beau’s own family brought to the table.
Apart from the couple themselves, it was also interesting to watch Beau as well, change his way of being and eventually coming to enjoy the company of other friends who at first, he almost seems put off by. The role of friendship throughout this story, even more than the romance, was fantastic.
Overall, even though this author is new to me, I’m incredibly glad for the chance to be able to read this story. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This beautifully written story showing how love blossoms in unexpected places was perfect. The friendship that grew through Beau's interactions with Bettina is genuine and heartfelt. It shows that even though people may come from different types of backgrounds,that love ignores all boundaries.

4 stars
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, I devoured it in one sitting. I loved the fact Bett is the "beast" and the roles are reversed. It gave a freshness to the story.
Beau goes to work at Beth's families ranch in order to repay a debt. Beau is this loveable, caring character that gets to know the real Bett. He sticks up for her and defends her when he doesn't really know why. Bett is misunderstood and has a good heart. I loved the development between these characters. Very enjoyable read!

This book is a Beauty and Beast retelling. I usually love fairytale retelling and this one was no exception! It was an easy read and lovely to get through.

This time the roles were reversed and Bettina, the female love interest was the 'beast'.

We see the story from Beau's POV. Beau is such an amazing character. He's loyal and caring. He loves his family and decides to give up his weekend so he can help them. He also looks past what others say to see Bettina's true self.

He doesn't judge her and along the way, he gets to know her. Even when he barely knows her, he refuses to believe that she is a beast and sticks up for her.

Bettina is a great character too! She is misunderstood but she doesn't really care what others think about her. She has gone through a lot and people have made her out to be something she is not but she still perseveres.  She is a little manipulative but I think she can be forgiven because we all do somethings that are wrong to get what we want.

Through the story as Beau works at Bett's family's ranch, they talk and become friends. Their feeling develops gradually and blossoms into something so sweet and adorable. Overall, I really loved the book!

I enjoyed reading this story. I will admit it took me a while to get into the story line. I did enjoy the switch of the boy being the beauty and the girl being the beast. This is definitely a YA/Teen novel. It fits that demographic and they are teenagers in high school. It is getting a bit harder for me personally to get involved into these types of stories, but that's just me getting old.

I really loved this book. It could have been cheesy as a take on Beauty and the Beast but it wasn’t at all. I thought I was going to hate ‘the Beast’ - she was set up very well, but I ended up liking her a lot and really empathizing with her. I think teenage girls will feel for her trying to fit in but also I loved that Beau wasn’t trying to fit in - he was his own person, regardless of what anyone else thought. Beau had some great messages to give throughout the book but they were delivered in a teen friendly way so they weren’t patronizing. I look forward to using this book with my Middle Schoolers. A great read.

An ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I was excited about this fairytale retelling and it didn't disappoint. I loved how the roles were reversed but I think that if you didn't know that this was supposed to be a modern retelling, then you wouldn't figure that out from reading the book. I think that it did include some elements from the original, but it doesn't follow the exact events from it.

I loved the characters of Beau and Bett. Beau is hard working and family oriented and Bett turns out to be charming and sweet, although a bit closed off and shy.

Their romance was a very slow burn. I loved/hated it because you really become invested in their relationship but my favorite part of it was the chase and the will they or won't they. Their friendship is developed at the forefront and their relationship comes later, which I really appreciated and enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Amberjack publishing for giving me an ARC for an honest review.

I received this from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

3.75 stars.

This book was very cute. I did enjoy it but if the title did not say a beauty and the beast story. It was a cute read. The book was short so the story was a fast read. I did love the 2 main characters. I do recommend this book.

A great modern day beauty and the beast retelling. I loved the gender reversal. Beau could have been a little less awkward but I see what Kathryn was going going for and she executed it get well. Overall I say it's a solid 4 out of 5 stars and would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a good fluffy YA read

This book was different from any other Beauty and the Beast retelling I have read. Beau is a responsible young man who helps take care of his injured father and younger siblings. Through circumstances beyond his control he ends up working at a ranch for a wealthy family where he meets "the beast" the ranch owners beautiful and mean daughter, Bett. This retelling was original and thought provoking.

This book was totally adorable!! The gender reversal was perfect, especially with people embracing who they really are in today's society. Sometimes women are the mean ones and that's okay. Sometime men are the kind, soft ones, and that's okay too. I'm really glad the author kept it French with the names "Beau LeFrancios" I was kind of laughing at that. In real life, I know a lot of "Francios". More than their relationship, I adored their friendship and the fact that I was feeling impatient about them taking the next step. This novel is something to warm your heart, just like the original tale. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

One of those reads with characters who stick with you. Beau is devoted to his family. He tries to balance that loyalty with the desire to fit in at school, make his crush into something more (maybe?), and protect his family when it comes to it. When an ugly car accident befalls his mother when his father is out of work, Beau rises to the occasion to provide that protection. The arrangement for the financial obligation turns completely unexpected in some unusual ways.

This book was such a sweet read. You can really see details from the original tale but it didn't feel like a retelling, which I loved about that. I wasn't overwhelmed with the old material, it really felt like a sweet contemporary romance with hints to "Beauty and the Beast". Beau felt like a refreshing male character and that's what I loved about him. Bett was also a very nice surprised, I loved how hardworking she was.

· “If you were lucky in love, you sure as hell were lucky in life.” ·

I guess it’s only fair to begin my review by admitting the obvious—I’m a big sucker for Beauty & The Beast retellings! But this one? This one took the retelling to a whole new level, for there’s a very clever swap in characters’ roles and that’s what sold me the story in the first place!

Btw, can we take a moment to stare at the cover? Isn’t it just beautiful ♥?

Now, let me point out a few of the things I loved about this book. The first one is no doubt the POV—we have a first person male protagonist that manages to drag us into the story in a very convincing way. In my opinion, Beau makes for a great narrator, showing us his world and Bett’s too through his eyes and keeping it real all along (even when he’s describing Bett’s many outfits, he sounds like a guy, which is obvious but does mean the author did a great job at knowing her characters). That being said, the story flows beautifully and it kept me wanting to know more.

Another thing I loved was to be dissapointed. Yes, that’s right. I was slightly dissapointed at the way Bettina turned to develope as a character because it was nothing like I expected her to be. However, that was a very good thing. Because I was pleasantly surprised. The more Beau described her, the less I felt I knew her and the more curious I became.

And even though Bett’s story is a sad tale, it was really nice to discover she wasn’t that clichè “beast” I was expecting, but something entirely different.

Lastly, Beau’s family is also an important element I’d like to point out. The LeFrancois’ may not have it all (in fact, they may not even come remotely close to having it all), but they have love and they have each other and that pretty much means the world, right? After all, knowing you have a family you can count on to celebrate a special ocassion or to rely on in a time of need is priceless.

So, in short, I’d say that “Beau & Bett” made for a great retelling with some excellent twists, a beautiful narrative voice (and cover!), and great morals.

So the story of Beauty and the Beast is my all time favorite. ALL TIME. I went into this expecting to like it just based on the fact that it is another rendition of it. What I wasn't expecting was to completely be blown away by it, and left in a book hangover afterwards.

Ya'll. This writing. HOLY COW. Blew me away. And the story? Aaaaaaamazing. I have no other words other than that, as I can't seem to form words that properly describe how wonderful this story was.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this retelling of beauty and the beast. It was a bit slow to start but got better as the plot progressed. The author did some clever twists from the original story. Not the best retelling I've read but overall, enjoyable.

Hoping to right a very expensive wrong, hard working Beau LeFrancois agrees to work off payment on the Diaz Ranch after his mother causes damages to Bettina (Bett for short) Diaz's SUV. Beau can handle just about anything, but Bett is something new altogether. Prone to disappearing in the middle of conversations and not having the best first impression, Beau can't always figure Bett out and wonders why her classmates have nicknamed her "The Beast". As Beau's debt winds down, so do the days left with Bett as he slowly pulls layer by layer back to reveal the raw truth behind her unfiltered, yet guarded social awkwardness that is anything but "beast" like.

Beau and Bett is a short, sweet, contemporary spin on "Beauty and the Beast" with an all too real message in today's world of speaking up and out for yourself. While Bett was hard to like at times if I'm being completely honest, the reasons later revealed behind that behavior made complete sense. She was broken and alone before Beau came along and he was the only one who not only wanted to understand her, but MADE the time to understand her. Sound familiar yet? ;) Allllll the heart eyes!

Of course with stories like these you are not without conflict and there are certainly little pops here and there throughout, but it is with little to no angst (even the lie mentioned in the book blurb) which definitely works in this case. And I'm a girl who loves her some good angst, so that's saying something!

If you are a fan of "Beauty and the Beast" retellings or just enjoy a good, sweet, clean contemporary with an important message, this is the book for you!

I really enjoy fairy tales and this modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast was fun.

The roles are switched in the teenage romance, with the poor beauty being Beau, and Bett as the haughty beast.

The dialogue was crisp and fun, and the book, while faithful to the fairy tale, offered enough fresh ideas that it made the book enjoyable. I would recommend this book for YA readers who enjoy fairy tales and romances.

I look forward to the next book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley.com, the author and publisher for my ARC.

Beau and Bett was a cute story. I enjoyed reading this book. I do wish that the plot didn't start towards the end. It made the ending feel rushed and it made me a bit stressed. The ending was better than I expected though. Overall it's a fairly good read.

I enjoyed following the story and seeing what happened to the characters. Well written and a great read.

Beau & Bett by Kathryn Berla
Rating: 5/5
Queer: N/A
ARC: Yes, I received an ARC for an honest review.
Summary: A modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When Beau’s mother gets into a car accident with Bettina, Beau offers to work for her family to repay the debt. Beau spends his weekends at Bett’s ranch, and to his surprise, Bett starts hanging around him.

Review:

Holy shit! I was nervous going into this book because I absolutely adore Beauty and the Beast. I also had concerns about this book making it seem like a handsome guy saving the ugly girl, because that’s not a lesson I wanted to read about. But not only does this book completely ignore that kind of narrative, it’s so, so, so important and good.

Beau’s mind was so much fun to be in; it felt very comfortable, relatable, and honest. I loved his family, and his friendships outside of his budding relationship with Bettina. His interactions with Khalil were so ridiculously important. I’m very grateful for their friendship. Their discussions surrounding consent and kindness were great and felt very organic. I appreciated that Beau never put his crush on Masie, never made it something she had to deal with, and how he accepted that they were friends. Beau was such an awesome character, and I appreciate him so much.

Bettina... oh my, Bett. What an incredible, fun character. I’ll admit the first part of the book was a little slow, but then when Bett shows up, it sparks to life. She’s such an interesting character, and one that I wish I could just hug. She’s brave, smart, funny, interesting, and likeable. I appreciated her wackiness and all of her outfit changes. Her mistake was rough to read when I neared the end, but I’m so glad she made it. It allowed for this beautiful book.

I’m definitely going to be rereading this book at some point. It drew me in, and the world felt so real. The characters were all very much unique in their own way, and not copies of one another. It was a fun read, and one I’ll definitely be recommending to people.

Content Warning (MILD SPOILERS):

* Bullying (mentioned, a few instances described)
* Past sexual assault (not described heavily in detail, dealt with care, older boy attempts to force a younger girl)
* Cat-calling (but this behaviour is immediately called out for being bad, and handled really well)
* Hospital scene (not described heavily)
* Snakes (not described heavily)
* Flu and mentions of v*mit and diarrhea (not described heavily)

A sweet and quick read, great for fans of Alex Finn. It had everything you'd expect from a fairy tale retelling, but with clever gender swap of the usual beast and beauty scenario and a beast that is more misunderstood than wicked. I liked the relationship building between Beau and Bett, and the loving interplay Bett has with his family. If anything, I wish there had been more time spent on the secondary characters like Khalil and Brett's parents because they all just seemed like such enjoyable characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read my first ARC read! This was very worth it and I do not regret reading it at all! I’m glad that this book is being published soon and you all should try to read it.

I requested for the ARC of Beau and Bett on NetGalley after I saw the “a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast” on the cover. I was expecting something like Beauty and the Beast; however, the book didn’t live up to its name. I was very surprised when I started reading about half the book since that was where the romance part started. Although the book wasn’t quite a modern retelling of B&B, it was a great read.

I usually don’t read YA romance except for John Green’s books. Beau and Bett definitely went to the top of my list! The relationship between Beau and Bettina was very sweet.

At the start of this book, I wasn’t immediately hooked. However, there was something going on that started quite late in the book. The pacing is great and all the descriptions and settings were vividly written.

Read the review on my blog: https://knottypapers.home.blog/2019/05/21/beau-and-bett-arc-review/

3.5 stars
It took me a while to get into this book. At first, the characters felt flat and one dimensional. Everything seemed surface and Beau and Bett's actions were confusing and didn't make sense. Bett was hot and cold and awkward and Beau couldn't make up his mind how he felt. Around the halfway point, things started to come together and when we got the backstory of why people call Bett 'the beast', I saw her as a real person who had actual emotions. Beau got better over the story too, I'm glad he cared about Bett and treated her better. The side characters were blah, Beau's dad's accent was irritating and the whole side story of the wedding had almost no purpose. It did have cute moments, I liked Beau and Bett's banter and how they opened up to each other. It could use some fleshing out, overall an okay read.