The Fatal Rose

Gahhh this was super cute: Beauty and the Beast but make it gay!

Florian is your average 18 year old... if by 'average' you mean over 350 years old and horribly, irrevocably cursed. Florian can see the light at the end of the tunnel and is chagrined to find anything, or anyone, able to stop him from reaching it: enter Ren. Sweet, down on his luck and cursed with exceptionally good looks, all Ren wants is to keep his family fed and safe (without resorting to anything illegal). So when a mysterious ship once belonging to his long-deceased father filled to the brim with riches washes ashore, Ren feels that the situation is just too good to be true.

Ren and Florian could not have met under worse circumstances, but from their anger and despair maybe something beautiful can grow. And although all Florian has ever known in his life has been thorns, perhaps Ren can help him to see the beauty that is in his life, or maybe the clock will run out on their real life fairytale.

I really enjoyed this read, a sweet YA fantasy about two boys from literally two different worlds coming together to save one another. A great read for fans of Beauty and the Beast or just retellings in general!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishing house for allowing me to read this e-arc in exchange for honest feedback.
Great book! im so happy i read this during pride month. They got me all up in my feels.

This was such a cute but meaningful book. I always love Beauty and the Beast retellings, especially when they're gay. I think that they can be so powerful because they explore the depths of human character while also having romance and the development of trust. This had those things, it showed identity and how it changes after a terrible event, then how to grow afterward. This had a powerful message alongside a sweet romance.

Beauty and the Beast have gone under a radical change in this gay version of the beloved classic. Despite some minor changes concerning the characters, everything else is there. However, the Beast has to make a boy fall in love with him. The rest is history. I loved the creative way the author developed the whole plot and also how she managed to keep the charm alive.

One of the best beauty and the beast retellings I've read. It didn't feel forced. The relationship between the two of them felt organic and real. It was nice to see a twist to a fairytale and it done right.
The halflings were such a cool idea too. Along with the picking of the rose. It made so much more sense that picking a rose and then facing the consequences because the rose was a human once.
I really enjoyed reading this.

*Received as a free ARC*
This was such an excellent book! Somehow, I wasn't imagining the time jump, but it made the story so much better! Florian's struggle to come to terms with his sexuality is one many people, especially teenagers, can relate to. The notes of drama and romance hit just right against the fantasy. I would highly recommend reading this as soon as possible!

This book was great, i loved ren he is the best.
And his relationship with Florian was super cute and very sweet, never thought of a queer beauty and the beast retelling would be as good as this

This book is in the running for this year's best read for me. My all-time favourite trope when it comes to books/stories is hurt/comfort, and this book was just the right amount of hurt and the perfect amount of comfort. Ren's strength and bravery, Florian's determination and kindness, the beautifully written story... It was nothing short of perfection.
It took me an embarrassingly long time while reading to realize that this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but when I did, I got worried, because I don't like that story, at all. But in The Fatal Rose they changed all the things I didn't like about the original, and the result was a story I loved with all my heart. I read the last 3% of it for hours, literally, always putting it aside after a sentence or two just so it would last longer, and when it was eventually, inevitably over, I couldn't help but feel sad.
An absolutely heartwarming read, characters you can't help but adore, genuine relationships, communication...! So many stories nowadays lack communication so badly that it becomes annoying, but in The Fatal Rose, the characters actually communicate with each other (instead of sweeping their problems under the rug), and it is such a delight, especially the communication between Ren and Florian.
Words can't describe how much I have loved this book, it landed among my favourites, and I'll be recommending it left and right any chance I get, because this is wonderful in every way.