Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I loved Heather Rose Jones’s “Alpennia” books, with all their derring-do, politics, and intelligent romance, so I grabbed her new book, The Language of Roses, without nary a glance at the description. It soon became clear to me that this was yet another (yawn) retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” with hints that it will be a lesbian romance. But Jones is a thoughtful author who has never followed the predictable path, so I hung in there during the set-up as the eldest daughter of a merchant who foolishly plucks a rose takes his place in the home of a terrifying Beast and his icy sister, invisible servants and all. This daughter, unlike her boy-crazy sisters, has never fallen in love (hint, hint) and regards marriage as a duty or a financial agreement, with mutual respect and friendship the best she can hope for. Even if she is a stranger to romance, she loves her family deeply and is fearless and passionate in their defense.

From the very beginning, like a twining rose vine, Jones examines the nature and varieties of love. Is it more than intense, all-consuming physical attraction, and if so, how? The story kept remining me of the different hormones involved in infatuation (dopamine and norepinephrine) versus long-lasting, committed love (oxytocin). Jones doesn’t preach or descend into lengthy exposition on the neurochemical nature of love. Instead, she takes the reader on a journey of trust, comfort, cherishing, and self-sacrifice.

As a final note, I encourage readers to not judge this book as a solely a lesbian romance. If you do, and if you think that’s not for you, you’ll miss out on something remarkable. The characters are universally appealing, as are the emotions. There are enough plot twists and unexpected details to keep the pages turning. It’s an absorbing, rewarding read.

I received this book for free for an honest review from Netgalley.

This wasn't my favorite read but I definitely did enjoy some parts of it. It's definitely someone else's cup of tea but I am glad that I can recommend it to those that I know will enjoy it.

The Language of Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which also pulls in elements of other fairy stories (the girl from whom pearls drip from her mouth whenever she speaks, the fairy wife enduring three strikes and then leaving), featuring an aromantic lead character who is not going to follow the fairy tale and fall in love. It also features Grace and Eglantine, who are in love despite Eglantine’s courtship by Philippe, Grace’s brother.

And that’s perhaps already saying too much — it’s worth experiencing this storyline for yourself and seeing how Heather Rose Jones works it out and weaves together the fairy tales. It was very satisfying for me despite the novella length: I enjoyed it a lot. Alys is a lovely character, interested in helping those around her, in being kind, and also in being true to herself.

I could wish to see a little more of the aftermath — not just as a “and they all lived happily ever after”, but what Alys’ role is exactly in the life of the estate after everything is over and done.

This was an interesting re-telling of Beauty and the Beast that actually makes the enchanted rose a character, It felt very short but hits all of the original fairy tale beats of the story with a sprinkling of the Enchantress and what other characters are thinking and experiencing. This did not blow me out of the water but enjoyable for a few hours.

This was...OK. And it's very hard to say much more about it. The writing was beautiful, as usual for Jones, and it was a really interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast tale, but I couldn't really connect to the characters. This might be partly because the book jumps between multiple POVs and
while they all technically take place chronologically, some mention past events. Additionally, I sometimes needed quite some time to figure out who was talking at the moment (and much longer to figure out about what).

Heather Rose Graham takes on the French folk tale “Beauty and the Beast”, and crafts a lovely, queer retelling involving a beast (naturally), but also the Fae and friendship.

The language throughout is beautiful, and I love how main character Alys finds her voice and what is important to her, while Fae Grace (the Beast’s sister), and her deep love for Eglantine, must find a way to break the curse they all labour under.

It’s a dark tale, but Alys’ friendship with Grace was so integral to my loving this wonderful interpretation.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Queen of Swords Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was just so good. I loved that Alys didn't have to fall in love with Phillip, like there was no "you just haven't found the right one" but instead acknowledged that platonic love is an extremely valid form of love. Also, SAPPHICS!!!!!!! It was overall a very nice, queer, retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The Language of Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but unlike a lot of the ones we've seen so far. I really enjoyed this story and I'm glad I got it on Netgalley!

When Alys's father trespasses onto the Beast's property and steals one of his roses, a debt must be paid. Alys volunteers to be the one that will now go live with the fae Beast and his sister instead of her sisters. When she gets there, the Beast is temperamental and unpleasant, but he is trying hard around Alys. But, he keeps asking her if she loves him and if she'll marry him. Alys has never been in love - so how can she answer without lying? But she discovers that if she does not, the curse will have dire consequences for the Beast's sister Grace, who Alys has become friends with, and also the mysterious Rose Lady that Alys keeps dreaming of.

Beauty and the Beast has had many retellings, but the ones where it's not as simple as "just fall in love"/ "romantic love fixes all" are always especially interesting and dear to me. With our protagonist being aromantic, I knew I was in for a treat. This story follows much the usual Beauty and the Beast setting, and I really enjoyed the bits of the world we were shown (even if the focus wasn't on that). What this version also does differently is that it adds the Beast's sister, who because of the curse, is turning into stone. My only complaint about the setup of the book was, that initially, I found it hard to understand due to switching POVs - but that confusion was just momentary, and I caught on pretty quickly.

I think the focus of the book, and also my favorite aspect, is the main character Alys. She is caring and compassionate, and also very headstrong and determined. She was really great to follow as a protagonist. I really liked how level-headed she was in all of these situations she found herself in. The other characters were all, for the most part, well-rounded and written well. The Beast in this story is not the typical one you'd be expecting. He is trying to impress Alys in hopes she'll marry him and break the curse - but in truth, he's a temperamental man, who doesn't really take no as an answer. I found the Beast's sister to be a lovely addition, in the way the forms a quiet friendship with Alys, and how she ends up caring so much about her. I also very much enjoy the side plot-line of Grace and Eglantine (I always love a good sapphic rep). I really enjoyed the ending, in terms of the fate of the characters - I don't enjoy the concept of forgiveness and redemption being handed out freely left and right, and this book did exactly what I hoped it would.

The writing style is something that really stood out to me while reading. The prose was quite magical and captivating. Right from the beginning, I was enchanted (pun intended), and wanted to know more, to read more I ended up reading this book in one sitting, start to finish. Didn't even take breaks.

My biggest complaint, and the reason this is 4 and not 5 stars, is the ending. Or rather, the pacing of the ending. As I already said, I truly did enjoy the ending in terms of what happened, but not so much when we consider how quickly it unfolded. The main issue I had with the end being so rushed, is that it left too many unanswered questions. The entire book we, alongside Alys, were discovering pieces of information about the curse and putting it together like puzzle pieces, and a big reveal at the end left me puzzled. I wish some aspects were more explored, and just explained to us more in-depth.

All that said, I still enjoyed this book a lot, and would highly recommend it. I would especially recommend it to people who love good retelling and are looking for something with a new perspective!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

This is a really interesting fairytale like retelling. There is a cast of diverse characters that made this story so enjoyable. For a novella, the story felt flushed out. Sometimes, in a shorter story, you feel there could have a been a little more meat, but I didn't feel this way with this book. There are some instances where I got a little confused with the narration, but it didn't last long. If you're interested in a fairytale retelling with LGBTQ+ representation, then give this book a go!

I was not expecting this beautiful retelling of The Beauty and the Beast. I loved all the twists that made it its own story- like the incorporation of fae and a LBTQ+ love interest. The underlying story was there but there was enough changed that made it new and captivating.
Typically I need a substantial amount of dialogue to keep my interest but this book didn't have much and I was still holding on.
I really liked the main character but wanted to shake her family. I'm glad for the ending because she deserves some happiness!
Heather did a great job of taking this childhood bedtime story and weaving it into a darker tale to follow us into adulthood.

Beauty and the Beast isn’t my favourite fairytale, or my favourite Disney movie, but it’s a story that I’m always drawn to retellings of, because I’m fascinated by how authors choose to reinterpret the elements that are less palatable in the modern age. Thankfully, Jones delivers on that front, in a few different ways.

Knowing that this book featured an aromantic heroine, Alys, was a big drawcard of this book. The representation isn’t explicit – unsurprising given that this book is set in the 1700s, when such words weren’t available – but Alys does very conceptualise that she has never and will never feel romantic love for others, and that this doesn’t make her broken or defective, just different from her sisters, who cannot wait to marry. She stands true to this throughout her time with the Beast, even when pressured, and while I won’t spoil the ending, comes to realise that other, non-romantic relationships can be equally important. There’s also a highly plot-relevant sapphic relationship between the beast’s sister, Grace, and another character.

The other thing I found interesting about this book is how it deals with the Beast’s… well, beastly nature. Rather than trying to humanise him, this book clearly calls out abusive behaviour where it occurs (not just from the Beast but from others), and makes it clear that this is considered unacceptable. It’s not a huge theme of the book, but it’s a nice touch compared to the ham-fisted way the topic can sometimes be treated in retellings.

While I really valued the representation and themes in this book though, I have to acknowledge that it never really excited or surprised me – hence why I’m only giving it 3 stars. The narration is somewhat overwrought and rather distant; I felt like I was watching this story from a distance rather than truly experiencing Alys’ full emotional discoveries as she slowly came to understand herself better. Part of this is the decision to use multiple POVs to tell the story; some of the side characters reveal things to the audience before Alys works them out, which I felt undercut the experience of seeing her react to deceptions and betrayals the reader already knew about. The setting is also rather generic; this book is set in roughly 1700s France, like the original story, but it could have been set in any generic medieval place and it would have been hard to tell the difference.

All that said, I’m glad to see that the already diverse range of Beauty and the Beast retellings continues to be expanded, and it’s worth checking this book out – particularly if you’ve never read a book with an aromantic heroine before.

The prince and his sister has been cursed, the fairy is just biding her time now and a local traveler enters the castle grounds - this Beauty and the Beast retelling does not involve a romance but an aromantic heroine adressing the underlying cruelty of it all.


I think the writing is beautiful but left me more confused than enthralled. I love purple prose - when it makes me feel something. I spend more time unraveling all the connections between all the POV characters and I frustrated with the ephemeral writing style. Sometimes, a more overt phrasing, especially in the beginning would have helped to set the scene properly. A little less subtext, more straight-up text.
Maybe it's also the fact that I am not one for mysteries or terrible at figuring them out.

For so many chapters with a cast of recurring points of view, I'd wished we had skipped the alluding chapter titles (The Traveler, The Beast, The Watcher, etc.) and just named most or all of as their names instead. Their voices were not distinct enough for me to easily recognize from which perspective I was reading and it made for a frustrating experience. I love an omniscient POV and an outsider perspective that gives hints as to what might come but I could not enjoy these chapters because I was still relocating myself in the story. With thirty chapters to 200 pages, it was just too much.
And we didn't even get the arguably most important voice: Phillippe, the beast. He was so underdeveloped in comparison to everyone else. He did not need to be redeemed or even humanized, I just wanted to see a fuller picture of his character.

But I loved Alys and Grace. Alys, who has no words to describe why won't fall in love but is determined to help out her family and unafraid to step into the unknown. And Grace, who female lover was taken from her and who is stuck with her volatile brother, but still helpful and kind to anyone new she meets. It was those two (and the unnamed narrator of a few chapters) that kept me intrigued enough to go on and follow where the story would take me.

And the ending is very satisfying, I loved the resolution and the final showdown as the magical timer was almost running out. Now, reading back on my notes and quotes, I can appreciate the setup and payoff more. Sadly, it did not make for a good first time reading it.

2/5 ⭐️

This is a untold retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but make it aromantic, with fae and LGBTQ+ rep.

The writing is beautiful, very poetic, but every chapter is a new narrator and I was confused for a lot of the book.

There are some strong, flawed and well descripted characters, but none of them evolve over the 2 years of this story. They leave the story has they begun it: with the same flaws.

I get where the author wanted to go (show flawed men that in the end don’t get their happy endings), but the story doesn’t allow this theme to be used in depth. It’s a story with multiple ethics and morals and philosophical points, but they are all depicted in a very shallow way. I would have liked the story to go further with those themes. They live together for two years, how can they not change at all?

I liked the sorcerer’s magic and the invisible ones. I loved the LGBTQ+ rep. And the length of the story was short so it is a very fast read. It is exactly the kind of standalone books I like to read between big books of sagas!

The « plot twist » at the end was foreseeable and included a major chronological mistake ( the mother was gone for 31+ years, and left when Alys was 7 YO. So that makes Alys to be 35 yo minimum at the beginning of the story, so why was Alys still an eligible woman in her town ?! If it’s not a mistake, it was not well explained. Maybe lost in the too many narrator’s POV ?)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Queen of Swords Press for the ARC!

This is a fantastic, new and exciting retelling of Beauty and the Beast. With twists and turns that will have you second guessing your instincts, without completely deviating from the bones of the story, Heather Rose Jones has concocted something fantastic in the language of Roses. The Prose is lovely and the historical setting makes this book feel like a period piece while sprinkling in a little bit of magic. I loved the twist on the witch of the woods, I felt like the classic villain was reborn here into something new. I also found the varying POVs compelling. It really rounded out the story telling and helped me understand the direction of the story. I would absolutely recommend this book in the future.

Thank you Queen of Swords Press for the ARC!

This was such an interesting retelling of the classic fairytale. With a very unique premise and new and interesting characters that draw you in, I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

The tale of Beauty and the Beast has been interpreted multiple ways in different formats, for example the recent film Belle takes aspects of the classic tale and puts it into an internet age. The Language of Roses by Heather Rose Jones takes the tale in a direction that explores the aspect of what if the Beast had a sister that was also cursed.

The general premise of The Language of Roses is that Alys has taken the place of her father as punishment for trying to steal a rose. The “beast” Philippe needs the power of love to lift his and his sister Grace’s curse. Alys is taken care of, however doesn’t love Philippe. The Disney kid in me sees the immediate parallels between Belle and Maurice, but again, there are several differences. There are a lot more female-led characters, along with Philippe’s sister Grace (who also reminds me of Elsa from Frozen), Alys has two sisters, and you meet other female characters along the way.

It’s almost unfair of me to have a baseline in the back of my head because Heather Rose Jones twists the story and by the halfway point, Langage is a completely different story from the Disney interpretation. When Alys finds the titular Language of Roses the story really takes off into interesting directions introducing a non-verbal communication and messages via dreams. The realm that was created sparked my motivation to continue reading. Heather Rose Jones uses the English language in such a creative and descriptive way, that even sometimes I was left confused. I will shout out that I loved the description of the night sky as, "Pearl studded velvet black.”

I caught a minor tinge that the two men included were generally perceived as bad, whereas the women made the better decisions. Philippe was providing, but did nothing to really to Alys’ liking. Her father also gave me these vibes like women were more property, especially when the idea of having brothers was brought up. He also has a bit of ignorance, whether that’s due to Alys’ hesitations or his own personal twisting of narratives. I understand that this book has a queer undertone with lesbian emphasis, as a male, I’m rolling my eyes in embarrassment to both male characters.

On a technical level, this book’s chapters jump between first and third person. When I read the book, I’d read a few chapters and came back to it in a few days. Because of the structure, I’d forget who was narrating or which character I was following. Generally it was Alys, but sometimes we followed Grace, sometimes we followed other characters that I don’t want to spoil. The Language of Roses also follows a lot of female characters and once in a while I was stuck playing the pronoun game where I didn’t know who “she” was referring to.

The complexity of the characters and the book is both it’s advantage and disadvantage. The flowery language of the book is interesting, but if you weren’t a person who loved European mythologies with fairies, you may be confused. It took me a bit to realize what a “palanquin” was.

I’m fairly new to the concept of Aroace (which means aromantic asexual). One of my favorite YouTube Animators, Jaiden Animations, just made a video explaining her being Aroace. She does a better job explaining it than I ever will. I can see a character like Alys being Aroace, but I’m not the one in charge of labeling people. That being said, if you are Aroace, you may see a little bit of yourself in Alys, which can help you create your own path to your identity.

Overall, I think The Language of Roses has an audience out there that will love this book. Fairy Tail European setting with Magic and Mystery following Alys. For me, the language barrier of the book and the constant changing between first and third person between chapters made this book difficult to read.

Grade: C


A big thank you goes out to NetGalley and Queen of Swords Press for giving me the chance to read this ARC!

Once upon a time a rich merchant got lost on his way home and sought refuge in the great manor. After he had his fill of food and took his rest, he plucked a single rose from the garden. But this rose came with a price and now Alys, his eldest daughter, has taken the place of her father's punishment and come to live the Beast and his sister. What will she discover in this abandoned castle with unseen servants and the mystery of a girl who disappeared long ago from the very place Alys now lives.
Growing up I was obsessed with the story of The Beauty and the Beast in any shape or form I could get my hands on. So when I saw the cover for “The Language of Roses” and read the premise I was excited to hear how this story played out. The retelling of fairy tales is a not by any means a new idea, but the way that Heather Rose Jones retells the story of The Beauty and the Beast certainly stood out from any other retelling I have ever read before.
Let's start with the characters and how Ms. Jones managed to make me fall in love with them even with such a short story. The cast of characters is diverse, but also very complex. For example; the Beast in this story is considered both charming and cruel even in his cursed form. It was a very clever way of stating a common misconception about what an toxic or abusive individual looks like. It's clear that the author crafted her characters with purpose and put a lot of thought in the way she wanted to have them interact and parallel one another. I applaud Ms. Jones for being able to depict growth that felt realistic and worked for despite the book only being around one hundred and thirty pages.
I would be remiss to not mention how it warmed my heart to have a beautiful gay couple in this retelling. Their story is center stage and not overshadowed or used for merely a plot device. In truth it is the core of The Language of Roses. Being able to see a relationship that resembles my own idea of love in a fairy tale (and my favorite fairy tale at that) was truly a gift that I can't say thank you for enough.
Next let's discuss the prose. My very first note I made during my initial read of The Language of Roses was on the author's prose. Heather Rose Jones so clearly chooses her words with care and arranges them to form sentences with intent. It was as if I was looking at a beautiful painting and for every minute I observed the painting the more details I found. She's an artist with her words and so I found myself reading in earnest.
By far, however, my favorite part of The Language of Roses was the plot and the way that Heather Rose Jones retold the story. It seems an obvious thing to say that one enjoyed the plot of a book, but in this case I think it requires an expanded explanation as to why. The author is such a clever storyteller and from the beginning of the book makes sure to leave breadcrumbs for the reader so that when plot points are revealed you are able to trace your way back to find those foreshadowing moments. She utilizes the changing points of view with talent and ease in order to deliver details and expand on character's thoughts and feelings. There's a beautiful weaving of the original story's core into the book while maintaining the lessons and ideas Heather Rose Jones wants to share. She does not remained tethered to outdated ideas nor do the changes made come across as artificial. Heather Rose Jones manages to pay respect to the original story while staying true to her own inspiration.
The only critique that I can think to mention isn't necessarily a critique. I simply wish the story was longer. If there was more I feel that the plot could have been slowed to allow for even more details and lore. However I think that Ms. Jones does a beautiful enough job in the short story format.
I look forward to buying a physical copy of this book and sharing it with others!

I'd like to thank NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

5 / 5 Stars


The Beauty & The Beast has always been one of my favourit fairytails when I was little and it still is to this day. Which is why I'm very picky when it comes to retellings. If I were to tell you all about why the story is that dear to me, we'd be sitting here for a while. So let's not do that.

When I saw that this book featured an aromantic MC I knew that I had to read it. And I'm very glad I did.

In case you cared, I'm glad to report that a book titled
'The Language of Roses' does indeed feature some very beautiful prose and writing style, such as multible distinctive voices. The very first chapter, for example, read like a poetry book and for a second I was a little confused, but later on, after realising who it was that spoke to me, I couldn't help but smile.


This is still a story about love, but it's also a story about toxicity, abuse and neglect. It's a story about setting yourself free.
But It's not a story about redemption.

It’s funny how forgiveness has almost become the destination for all journeys to healing. It’s become commercialized and exploited to the extent that forgiveness loses its true meaning, becoming a cover for abusers. Because if forgiveness is the end of all paths to healing, if you're going to forgive me anyways, no matter what, then the act of abuse doesn’t really matter.

Victims are supposed to erase their anger, hurt and pain. They are expected to suffer and forgive again and again and again, while society ignores one crucial thing:

Forgiveness is a privilege, and those who want it have to earn it.

While

You have the right to not forgive your abusers at all.

You don't have to forgive, even if they changed, even if they didn't mean it and even if they're sorry. Your feelings matter. Your pain matters. And the book does an amazing job in embodying that. I could say more, but I don't wanna spoil too much. So I'm just gonna leave it at that.



The end of the book had me more than a little emotional, I'm not gonna lie. Because it's filled with a lot of theme, a lot of heart and a lot of love. Truly a great retelling and an amazing and powerful story.

Old versus new. This comparison applies to several things I can say about this book. This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and while I know the original story pretty well, this one strays from the familiar storyline and had me guessing a couple of times about what would come. The story is a nice mix of a historical time setting with a very clear paternal society, a sapphic couple and an aromantic character, and it also touches upon toxic relationships. I still recognized it clearly as Beauty and the Beast, but I found this a very refreshing and surprising read.

I’m a fan of the Alpennia series by this author especially because of the beautiful prose, which I again immediately recognized in this book. I have to mention though, that I got confused a bit during the first part of the book with the POVs, as it was not always immediately clear in which POV I was in and I realised after a while that the book is also written in both first and third person depending on the POV you’re in, which took some getting used to.

This was a rather quick read, I think the length lies somewhere between a novella and a full-length book and I easily recommend this to those who like a surprising and well written retelling of one of the classic tales.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.