A fantastic second book! I was totally mesmerized with this continued fantasy adventure in the Belles’ world. Well-written, great pacing, spot-on plotting and character development— I highly recommend this book.

In this sequel to The Belles, author Dhonielle Clayton, brings us back to the lush, gorgeous, and oh-so-dangerous world we left in book one.

In this book, our villainous queen is determined to capture and control our Belles – and Camille and her companions are determined to stop her…at any cost.

Readers should know that book 2 takes a little bit of time to really get off the ground. In the first third or so of the book, I found myself wondering why Camille didn’t seem like…Camille. She seemed to have lost her fire and was largely overshadowed by her two companions (and some completely adorbs mini dragons).

Eventually, though, Clayton finds her pace again and we’re thrust into that dangerous world with a very bold and brave Camille leading the charge.

I ended up thoroughly enjoying this world once again and finishing it only to wish there was simply more!

I don’t know if the author has more stories planned in the world of the Belles, but I certainly hope so!

*ARC provided via Net Galley

When I read the Belles earlier this year I was astonished at the world building and world that the author had created. Clayton proves that with this title, lightening strikes twice. Clayton uses imagery and action to keep the reader hanging on to the pages. The characters and settings are also like able and realistic.

I didn't love this as much as I loved The Belles. Perhaps I missed the world-building, which was so unlike what I usually read. This book was essentially all action, which left me yearning for something more.

[I really didn't like the choice to bring the action to its final crescendo, then remove the main character and have her friends summarize what happens when she wakes up later. I wish the readers could experience the final resolution first hand, not just hearing about it after the fact.

If you loved the first book and really want to know what happens, this is certainly worth the time. I just can't say I enjoyed the journey as much as I did the first time.

The Everlasting Rose was a fantastic read, and the writing definitely lives up to its gorgeous cover. I loved The Belles when it came out last year and I'm so glad I got to read it early! It picks off right where The Belles ends and the pacing is perfect. It never drags and Clayton continued to flesh out the world of Orleans in exciting ways. I loved the edition of the resistance group, the Iron Ladies. Like The Belles, The Everlasting Rose continues its exploration of the commodification of beauty and its toxicity. It also expertly asks what the truth is and what happens when it gets manipulated - painfully relevant for today's society. I do hope Clayton revisits this world and I'm excited to see what she writes next!

Clayton has built a remarkable world in The Belles series. I love everything about her world-building skills and I could lose myself inside of Orleans forever. Her characters are strong, fierce women, with great power and compassion and teach invaluable lessons to teens today. I love books that have strong female role models for the next generation, and this book abounds with strong females, even the villains. There was action, suspense, mystery, and tons of intrigue. This book gave a whole new meaning to the word "beauty". There are not enough good things I can say about this series.

I really enjoyed the Belles, so I was very excited or this sequel! It was well executed and interesting and I had no trouble getting into the book and finishing.

I also appreciate this cover has a bit more "edge" to the design. We struggled to get the Belles checked out sometimes because the cover was so flowery.

The worldbuilding is beautiful in this series, but I felt that this book both lagged in storytelling and raced through it's key moments. Either way, there are many profound moments throughout that it is a fitting end to the series.

The MUCH anticipated sequel to The Belles is on its way in 2019-- and it is worth waiting for! If you're unfamiliar with The Belles, it may be helpful to check out my review of Dhonielle Clayton's first book in this YA Fantasy series lush with commentary on societal beauty expectations and power. Basically, the Belles have control of arcane magic to shape the bodies and manners of human beings. Without them, people fade to gray (gris). When a twisted monarch takes the throne, however, the Belle power is under attack, as are the Belles themselves. 

Camille, former favorite of the Queen, is on the run with two Belle sisters and her former body guard, Remy. Together they must avoid capture and lead the resistance against the queen, which includes uniting with some unusual allies. Who can Camille trust? The answer is: almost no one. 


Lots more interesting world-building in this book, including more details about how Belles are "born" and mythology on where they came from. The idea of beauty is less of a focus here. The tagline "The Resistance is Here" on the cover really hits at the essence of this book. Corrupt power has to be met with resistance, both violent and nonviolent. The development and use of Belle magic in battle scenes is a real change here-- and an interesting one.

Only downside for me was a bit too much reliance on newsprint and letters to build the plot in the first quarter of the book. When a character is "reading" so much important information rather than gathering it in a more active way, it can slow down the flow a little. Otherwise, tons of great scenes, awesome character development, and a new host of teacup pets to wish were real.

Over all, a satisfying second book, with hints that a third could be possible here? No cliffhanger, exactly, but lots of details that leave the reader eager to return to Orleans.

I love this duology. The premise was so interesting, I will be reading it again so I can pick up things the first time I read the books. I would love to have more stories tell us what else was going on with the other characters. I really enjoyed how the story looked at beauty, is it worth the price, the pain?

When I read THE BELLES, I absolutely adored it. Dhonielle Clayton's delectable prose and rich storytelling plunged me headfirst into the extravagant world of Orleans. She turned the sickening standards of beauty on its head. It would have been a five-star read for me, if not for the treatment of her gay characters and fat characters who met very grisly ends. Instead, I rated it a 3.8 stars which I rounded up as 4 stars. When I sat down to read the sequel, THE EVERLASTING ROSE, I was absolutely pumped. However, now that I've finished this story, I regret to inform that this sequel did not enchant me like its predecessor. All of my favorite characters returned to the stage, but their performances were lackluster.

The engrossing prose was there, but the execution of the plot left much to be desired. If EVERLASTING ROSE was the conclusion of this series, I wasn't particularly satisfied. It ended on a high note, but I was low key disappointed with the journey it took to get there. This was a solid three-star read for me.

With that being said, I would love to see what Dhonielle Clayton does next. She is fully capable of spinning a breathtaking tale, but this installment missed the mark for me.

Would I recommend this book despite my views? Most definitely! As an educator, I want my students to see characters like themselves on book covers and within books. Though I did not enjoy the quality of Camille's story, I appreciate that a character like hers exists.

I really loved The Belles and was very excited to read The Everlasting Rose. I struggled to get into the book at the begin, even when I was so excited to continue reading the story. Near the middle, I suddenly couldn’t put the book down and was reminded of why I enjoyed this tale so much. It’s a beautiful and unique story. The message is important, especially in today’s society.

The Belles was a unique, action-packed tale filled with vivid imagery, solid character development, and a plot replete with intrigue and suspense. This sequel exceeded all of my expectations. As Camille races against time to reunite her sisters, save the Belles, find Charlotte, and stop Sophia's twisted plans, we are once again drawn into the dynamic and captivating world of Orleans and the mysterious Iron Ladies.

Some scenes were predictable, but most plot twists were completely unexpected. Sophia appears to always be five steps ahead of Camille and you never know when or if the tides will turn in Camille's favor. I would have loved to see a little more about the Iron Ladies but this is a solid follow-up to The Belles saga.

I really enjoyed this sequel to The Belles. The book starts out a little slow at first, but once I got farther in, it was harder to put down. Clayton's descriptions really allow the reader to feel like they were in Orleans with the Belle sisters.
While still a great read, there was definitely not as much action and intrigue in this book as in the first book. I expected more of the gasp inducing twists that The Belles gave me. There were some loose ends so I’m thinking (hoping with fingers crossed) that there is a third book in the works.
Overall, a slight letdown from the first book, but I would definitely still recommend it to readers who loved The Belles.

Love this series! It is original, exciting, and twisted - Clayton blends modern/ages-old issues of the corruption and power of beauty and body image with dystopian intrigue, young adult self-discovery, and adventure.

While I enjoyed the first book in the series, this book was not nearly as good. The plot was slow moving, the characters less believable, and the story less interesting. I also felt the word hourglass as a unit of measure was used too much - so much so it was distracting. Just use the word hour - as other characters did later on in the book.

This sequel to The Belles gave me everything I was left wanting at the end of the first book, and then some. As with The Belles, the pace of the book felt a little slow at first, but as I got into it I found it harder and harder to put down. This series would be great for use in an English lit or interdisciplinary class that explores the use of fantasy/allegory/dystopia as social commentary, or one exploring themes of intersectionality, oppressive beauty standards, or the complexities of privilege and oppression.

Second titles in series are usually a disappointment for me, however, this would be a definite read for fans of her first book, Belles. Camille, still strong willed and set on saving her sisters from the evil queen Sophia, comes to life in this title. Through her adept use of language, the author puts the reader into this created world based on New Orleans. She is skilled at descriptive writing. Although the plot is a bit predictable, the book is hard to put down once opened. A good choice for readers 12 and up. For those who enjoy love triangles, this title will fit the bill. There are many loose ends at the end, so I image a third title is in the works. I would recommend it to readers who enjoyed Uglies, and similar titles.

I really wanted to like this, as I quite enjoyed the first book, but I was just... bored. The first two-thirds felt like a classic second book in a trilogy, with a lot of setting things up with not a lot of action. I swear, they spent 2/3 of the book just moving from inn to inn and hiding. The last third picked up, but by then it was too late for me to be very invested. I also really wish that romance had just been left out of this one - the world is so interesting, and the premise, that I wish that had been explored more instead.

I did appreciate the continuing metaphor for how standards of beauty relate to race in our own culture. I feel like that was more fleshed out or alluded to in this book than even in the first book of the series.

I enjoyed The Belles so much that I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. For the most part, I was not disappointed. It was great to return to Orleans with Camillia and Remy and see what was in store for them in this installment.
Clayton’s world building is so wonderful and all of the little details pop right off of the page. I enjoyed exploring new areas in the world and returning to the old ones as well. There are still some aspects of this world that are confusing (post balloons and all the powders), yet it is easy to look past them and accept them as part of the magic. There were some snippets about how this world was created and some of it’s past, yet I still want to know more of Orleans’ history.
Camillia, Remy, and Edel go through some great changes that further their characters and keep the story flowing. The dialogues were usually to the point and not too extensive. I was with these characters and felt their emotions as they did. The pacing of the novel was done quite well. There was action, romance, suspense, and a bit of horror all laced together to keep the pages turning.
The ending, for me, felt quite rushed and unfinished. The “final battle” was sort of underwhelming and rushed. I would have liked to have seen more of a stand of between good and evil, yet this was cut off quickly and settled easily. The short follow up left the reader hanging about the fate of this world. There is a brief letter stating that there will be change and then we are done. I do like this world and definitely didn’t want to leave it on those terms, but I’m not sure if there is enough for a whole new story to go on. I did some research to see if there would be another installment and found that there is a slight possibility, yet nothing in the works. If this is the final installment, it is a disappointment. If this story does stretch into a trilogy, I will be excited, but a little cautious.