Another sweet PG young adult romance from Ashley Poston's Once Upon a Con series. This series is a staple for our Young Adult shelves in the library and this one will certainly be added. While this Beauty and the Beast retelling did not do much to add anything new to the old trope, it was a sweet escape and thoroughly readable.

Rosie Thorne is a Starfield fan whose mother introduced her to the series. She is mourning her mother's recent death and struggling to figure out what she will do after she graduates high school. Driving home one night a dog runs in front of her car and she follows it to try to get it home safely. She is lead to a house known as "the castle" that she believes is abandoned. Upon entering the house, she discovers a library full of Starfield novels and more. She also encounters the current occupant, Vance Reigns. Vance is one of the stars of the Starfield movies and is a stereotypical bad boy. A valuable books is damaged during their encounter and Rosie volunteers to clean and organize the library as repayment. She and Vance must learn to work together and see past the assumptions they've made about each other.

This will be popular with fans of fairy tale retellings that don't stray to far from the source material. Fans of the previous books in the series will likely enjoy reading this one as well.

A retelling of beauty and the beast? yes please! I find my students loooooove fairy tales and I strive to keep my classroom library stocked with good retellings. This is such a great one because it's a modern twist on it! I'm pretty sure if I could find 20 retellings of each fairy tale my students would devour them. This is going to be a great addition to my classrom.

This book is plain old fun. The author acknowledges at the end that she wrote it for herself and not everyone will love it, but I really enjoyed it. All the great rom com tropes and mishaps you could want! Plus great representation.

The next book in the Once Upon a Con series. Bookish and the Beast is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that follows Vance from the last book. He is in hiding because of a tabloid scandal and Rosie Thorne chases a dog into his house and damages a rare first edition book and has to work off the cost of the damage.

I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. The representation in this book was well done. It didn't cause big problems they were just characters that were part of the story. I am a big fan of how Ashley Poston includes representation in this series and Bookish and the Beast was just as well done.

As I read the story I loved the moments when I recognized the characters from the original story. I have already preordered the book and it will be on my list of rereads.

5 stars.

This book was magical and if I could give it 10 stars, I would! It got me out of a <i><b>bad</b></i> reading slump. I could not put it down.

The book follows Rosie Thorne as she finds herself having to catalogue books to pay off a debt. Set within the same world as her previous novels, the author immerses the reader into a new story. This book has <i>ALL</i> the Beauty and Beast elements, and so many cameos. Little things that you wouldn't expect to show up do, and they just make the read so. much. better. The beast, played by Vance Reigns, is a Hollywood bad boy compared in popularity to Kylo Ren. As if I needed another reason to pick the book up. The chemistry between Rosie and Vance is real and the story flows so organically that I burned the midnight oil wanting to get to the end. The author builds a world inside of the book that is easy to relate to, from the Starfield fandom, to the pop culture references, I think I as a teen would have been delighted with this book. The representation was phenomenal and not enough good things can be said about this book. I can’t wait to recommend it to my teens at the library.

10 out of 10 out of 10 out of 10!

Thank you <b>Netgalley</b> & <b>Quirk Books</b> for the chance to dig into this book!

Ashely Poston's books are always so cute and lighthearted! Geekerella is by far my favorite, but I couldn't resist the chance to read a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Just as adorable as all other Poston books. But by far my fave!

I’d been looking forward to this for ages. And the retelling didn’t let me down!!!

After reading the three books in the Once Upon a Con series, I would say this is amongst my favorites. As evidenced in her afterwords, Poston put many of her passions into this text, and I found Vance and Rosie to be a more likable crew than other pairings. However, the fairytale retelling genre is growing a little stale... this is my fourth Beauty and the Beast retelling I’ve stumbled upon this year alone. I appreciate the world Poston built within this book, but it still follows the same predictable arc as the other books in the series.

With this being the 3rd in the series for Ashley Poston, I pretty much squealed when I discovered I could read 'Bookish and the Beast' early. Ashley really knows how to talk to a nerdy fangirl like myself with all her fandom references. This book wasn't any different and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you can't tell from the title, this book is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. A tale as old as time? Most definitely but an incredible modern take on it!

We follow Rosie Thorne as she tries to make it through her senior year of high school as sane as possible. She's dealing with college applications, living in a small town and the persistent advances of a guy wanting to take her to prom. You can't help but feel sorry for her! While all this is happening, she ends up meeting film star Vance Reigns who is particularly salty!

He's hollywood royalty who has been banished to this town to hide from bad press. He's moody, bratty and not a massive fan of reading. However, he has a secret that ties both he and Rosie together. Like Beauty and the Beast, Rosie ends up trying to 'tame the beast' by getting to know him and seeing the real side of him. If you love enemies-to-lovers, then you will love this!

Rosie was such a perfect Belle and her friends were incredible, especially the sassy Quinn! They are non-binary and wanting to take the role of Homecoming King/Queen for themselves! I love that there is LGBTQ+ representation in Ashley's books!

There's such a small moment in the book that I really related to and that's why Rosie and one of her friends are fangirling over a new trailer. I did this SO many times with Harry Potter and Marvel that it really made me smile. Honestly, I think everyone should read this series because they're all connected in small ways and my fellow nerds will definitely relate to a lot of what happens.

Bookish and the Beast is coming out August 4th so preorder now and enjoy!!

What an absolutely delightful book! I knew that I would enjoy this, as I adore Poston's Once Upon a Con series, and my expectations were absolutely met.

The thing that is most charming about this series is the combination of everyday fans and the actors playing characters they admire, and Bookish and the Beast tackles this dynamic best. I adored Vance's cameo in The Princess and the Fangirl and was so excited to see his perspective. As the villain of the franchise and of Starfield, Vance has a really interesting insight into celebrity life and culture.

Rosie was a lovely character and I loved her bookish nature, but she was definitely the most generic heroine of the series so far. However, I really loved her wonderfully supportive friend group and her dad -- especially as he's a single dad just doing his best! She was a sweet character, but definitely not the most interesting character in the story.

As you'd expect with Poston's books, Bookish and the Beast is a lovely contemporary fantasy retelling that deals with darker issues (CW for parental death before the book begins and harassment). She's one of the few contemporary YA authors I read and I just adore this series!

Ashley continues to provide a delightful, warm, and full of heart series that I fall in love with all over every time I pick up a her next book. Great for fans of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and for people that have a deep love for the fan communities of shows such as Star Trek, Firefly, and more.

Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston is a fun young adult romance that plays on the timeless classic Beauty and the Beast. Due out Aug 4, this novel focuses on Rose Thorne and her (lack of) love life. That’s ok though, she has her books. Rose is a beauty, a bookish beauty who truly doesn’t understand how pretty she is since she 1. Isn’t popular, 2. Prefers books to boys, and 3. Is still grieving after the loss of her mother a year ago. The book starts out at a geek convention for some of the hottest sci-fi worlds around. Everyone is dressed in cosplay and this is where Rose finds the love of her life. They spend the entire night talking over hashbrowns in a diner. They agree to not exchange any information so that they can keep this magical night magical.
Vance is a real-life movie star and a real life pain in the rear. Right now his stardom is on the rocks due to another bad decision in a string of bad decisions. So his mother and step-dad have banished him to a “castle” (at least that’s what the locals call it) at the edge of a small town. When Rose and Vance’s lives collide, neither feels the other is anything to pay attention to. They couldn’t be further from the truth. Can this bookish beauty reach past the beast that is a self-absorbed Hollywood heartthrob?
#netgalley #BookishandtheBeast #AshleyPoston

Here we go, another YA Beauty and the Beast retelling. I had high hopes that this one would have a unique and clever spin, but reading this one felt like reading more of the same. It’s the third book in the Once Upon a Con series, of which I have read neither of the other books. That’s not a problem though as this series seems to be one in which the characters overlap, rather than follow on from one another. This one follows struggling Rosie Thorne who has a magical night with a cosplayer she knows nothing about - not even his name - and Vance Reigns, Hollywood royalty turned Tabloid disaster.

As much as I enjoy reading retellings, especially comparing how multiple retellings of the same source text can be so different, this one fell a little flat. It ditches the magic of Beauty and the Beast and opts for the contemporary romance route, focusing solely on character. Grumpy Vance and soft Rosie are an unlikely match and when their worlds collide, there’s plenty of tension. Lacking in anything different, this one is pretty formulaic as far as contemporary romances and retellings go.

That’s not to say it’s a bad book. The writing is smooth, the pacing is fast and the book is over before you know it. The friendship group is exactly what I want to see in a YA novel, it’s uplifting rather than toxic and I was glad to see some non-binary representation. I loved the build up to homecoming and Rosie’s school-life drama (although Garrett seemed like one of the most random and underdeveloped characters I’ve ever come across!). I wish there had been more of a focus on Vance’s life in the spotlight, but as it was all described through his memories, it was limited. I also didn’t appreciate the glimpses into the universe the characters are fans of/involved in. When a book dumps you in another book with no build up, why do they expect you to care?

I won’t be reading the other books in this series but if you’re interested I’d say pick and choose the retellings that seem most interesting to you and don’t feel like you have to read them all.

I just really love the Once Upon a Con books. There's a certain level of nerdiness they contain that just speaks to my soul. It's like they hit the part of me that talks about Star Wars every day, still tears up over Battlestar Galactica, and will ship Zutara until my dying day. And no other books are quite the same. I just love it. Bookish and the Beast stayed true to that formula, and it worked so well. Reading it was like revisiting an old favorite book, immersing myself again in a world that feels like home.

While the rest of the series never quite hit the high level that Geekerella did for me, they're all great, and Bookish and the Beast boasts its own special charms. Yes, Beauty and the Beast retellings are overdone, but it just fits so well in this universe! Rosie and Vance are so great, and their story obviously needed to be told. They're both so fierce and feisty, I don't think I can pick a favorite. They compliment each other, and their stories intertwine and build off of each other so well. They're supported by a really fun and diverse cast, all playing well together to make something truly magical. Oh, and there's an adorable german shepherd named Sansa, so obviously this book is fantastic.

The story is very obviously a Beauty and the Beast retelling from the very beginning, but it's still its own story. Poston has always done a great job of making these retelling feel fresh. I loved the small town setting of this one. The story hits all the beats it should as a familiar retelling, evoking the love I have for the original, while still bring enough newness to the table to make me love it on its own.

The pacing was really good. Switching back and forth between Rosie and Vance's points-of-view kept the story moving along at a fast pace. The ending felt a little rushed, but didn't really take away from my overall enjoyment. 

I highly recommend Bookish and the Beast, as well as the entire Once Upon a Con series. These books are special, I've never read anything quite like them. I hope that someday Poston revisits this world, but if not then I'll still treasure these books and the stories they contain. My fellow nerds who are new to the series will love it, and those returning for this latest book will get just exactly what they're hoping for. So make sure this is a book you check out, and, as always, look to the stars, aim, ignite!

*This review will go live on NovelKnight on July 11, 2020.

I'm glad that I read the Acknowledgements following this book. The reason? Ashley Poston included a statement about how Bookish and the Beast evolved out of a compilation of her absolute favorite tropes and stories. She explains that this book may not be for everyone but that the perfect book is out there for each of us (of if it's not-maybe we get to writing, eh?). I applaud Ashley for going for it and basically writing her very own wish fulfillment novel. The problem that I have with this book is that it basically read as a compilation of tropes and other stories; a franken-story of brooding Byrons and bookish girls who don't even know they're beautiful, with such overt references to Beauty & the Beast that it became cringey.

Basically, a beautiful nerd meets a mystery man at a fantasy convention and they spend one magical night together (eating waffles and stuff - this book is very PG) never to speak again. One month later, the beautiful nerd happens to follow a wayward dog to a castle-house in the woods and crosses paths with a bad boy actor who just happens to be playing her ultimate fangirl crush in a movie adaption of her favorite fantasy story. The bad boy actor has been banished from Hollywood after his latest misadventures. She destroys a valuable collectable by accident and as payback, works organizing books in the library of the castle-house.
Spoilers here: the bad boy actor and beautiful nerd realize that they spend the night of the fantasy convention with *gasp* each other! First of all, it took me so long to figure out that they were both wearing masks at the convention and that's why they didn't immediately recognize each other. I was bamboozled for quite some time about it.

That's my main gripe with this book: other than the franken-story-ness, the plot is so contrived and barely explained that I found myself having to backtrack multiple times to check if something was explained or if I was just supposed to be making assumptions. A pretty light and funny read at times, I just don't think this particular book is the one for me.

I love this series! Bookish and the Beast is another wonderful addition to Ashley Poston's modern-day twisted fairy tales. It's a lot of fun and will be enjoyed by not only YA readers.

I loved this book. It was so cute and kept me entertained. I laughed, got goosbumps, and gave audible sighs while I read. Imagine meeting the villian from your favorite fandom in real life! This is the best nerdy geeky enemies to lovers rom com! Quick and easy; I sailed though this in a day beacuse I just couldnt put it down!

Rosie Thorne is stuck on her college application essay and on that mysterious cosplayer. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. She finds safety and happiness in the Starfield universe: books, movies and TV reruns. On the other hand, Vance Reigns is Hollywood royalty with all the drama and tabloid scandals that come with it. When he's forced to hide out and his path collides with Rosie's, a rare book is accidentally destroyed. This means Rosie, who's already struggling financially with just her dad, has to work to pay the debt.

I expected this to lead to a very easy work together with Vance, but sparks definitely did not fly to start, unless glaring daggers counts, which made this story all the more enjoyable to read. Rosie is a quirky, fun character, and the Poston clearly allowed all of her own loves, sci-fi and fandoms, to come through, which made Rosie's love of these things even more authentic. I also really liked that Rosie has a gender-neutral friend who was in the story without any explanation or background, which made it feel even more accepted.

Overall, this book was a cute YA love story with a sci-fi lovers' twist.

Content: profanity, sexual references
16+

Things that I liked: The books. Vance's growth. Rosie's mother. Deep and meaningful friendships. Beauty and the Beast. Rosie's strength. I couldn't stop reading.

Things I didn't like: The whole non-binary character thing. Maybe it's just not something I'm used to, but it didn't feel organic and the pronouns made reading difficult.

The story definitely kept me turning pages. But at the end I was just sort of left feeling like I'd eaten nothing but candy all day. Unsatisfied and a little off. I can't really point to anything specific that made me feel that way. I guess I just didn't find the depth in the story.

Bookish and the Beast was a Freeing and Redemptive Read

You guys probably know by now that I love fairy retellings. Yet for some reason I rarely get locked in to Beauty and the Beast retellings- well this was the exception! I’ve been really enjoying the “Once Upon a Con” series so far, for all its wondrous geekiness and cuteness- but this took that love to a whole new level. I was hoping that it would hit the spot right now… and it did! It turned out to be *exactly* what I needed.

Starting with an extract from the series’ fictional show, Starfield, we’re given a little sampler of the sweet story to come. From the enemies-to-lovers vibes here and the quirky meet cute, I knew I was going to fall hard for this book. With masses of misunderstandings and a low-key Pride and Prejudice feel, I developed a real attachment to the romance.

Part of my love for this stemmed from admiring the main character, Rosie. Not only is her name, Rosie Thorne, basically the best, but I also liked how she handled the difficult hand she was dealt. There were some particularly moving moments about grief that gave the narrative another dimension. I also couldn’t help but relate to her as a massive reader 😉

I also liked how the love interest was both understandable as the Beast-like character- yet is also given room to grow. And the other additions to the cast were greatly appreciated (particularly the Gaston insert). And this even had a fantastic father figure- which you don’t get enough in contemporary.

Oh and of course, this had some cool concepts and detailed layers from the fandom aspect. I always enjoy how each of these books builds on the Starfield universe- I look forward to finding out more about that as much as the new love story!

Throw in some delightfully geeky references, some chuckleworthy scenes, a pang-inducing budding relationship… and you get the kind of book that left me starry eyed. This didn’t just deliver on the “aww” moments- it gave me all the *feels*! It was wonderfully adorable and surprisingly rewarding.

Above all, I could tell that the author cared deeply about this one- it came across in the emotionality and joy of the narrative. It was precisely the escapism I needed right now and my favourite of the collection so far!

Rating: 5/5 bananas