This had a great story behind it, but I feel the writing and the characters were a bit to young for my taste, even for a YA. There was a lot of detail into smaller things (im going to the castle, going on a carriage ride etc) that really distracted me from the story overall.

Like I said, there is a great story behind it, but I would go into knowing the writing is younger.
2.75/5

Beast retellings with a splash of jekyll and Hyde.
This is a delightful young adult fairytale. The characters really made this a million times better. Finn deserves a novella!!! I loved him way more than the prince.
While I loved the storyline, I did have to remind myself I was reading YA at times when Jessamyn was giving not like other girls vibes lol and the Beast was super childish at first.
I did guess all of the twists but I fell in love with the characters and wanted to see how it played out. I made a joke about what I thought was going to happen so when it did I was so shook 🤣 BETRAYED AND DISMAYED. It's okay though because no one liked them anyway.
BUT GIRL WHY IS IT SO LONG?!! Anyways that was cute and I loved it, for fans of the Disney Twisted Tales!
thank you to NetGalley and Catherine Downen for this ARC it is available now 😊

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.


This was neat! If you like retellings, and beauty and the beast is your jam-
Adding in a twisty element of magic, witchcraft, and a bit of jeckyl and Hyde- it’s perfect. My only thoughts were that maybe this could have been made a duology-
It was a LOT happening. But, I wasn’t bored or overwhelmed!

What an interesting story, with a Beauty & Beast plus Jekyll & Hyde retelling mixed in this first book of the series. No cliffy, so you can jump to read without hesitation, it starts a bit slow but picks up quickly, well besides it being a big book, so if you love those then this is up your alley. Jessamyn is a great plus size heroine, while Prince Nik is a character you will enjoy. The story has a good pacing, you will love the world-building and the development of each character. Catherine Downen did a great writing with this book, as it will hook you from the start and you just keep on reading through it without even acknowledging the page count, it's very entertaining and definitely a story you would like to read for sure. Can't wait to find out what's coming next.

I absolutely adore fairytale retellings and Beauty and the Beast retellings are up at the top of the list! I really enjoyed this take on the classic tale. I was really excited to have been approved for this and it is just wonderful. Unique and engaging world building and well fleshed our characters kept me turning the pages!

Let me start by saying I loved this book, Beauty and the beast is my favorite fairy tale of all time and Jekyll and Hyde has always fascinated me, so when I saw that this was a blending of the two I was so excited to read it and I was not disappointed.

Beautiful worldbuilding, masterful character development, and scenes that need to be on the big screen this book pulled me in and had me glued to the pages, it may be a bigger book but it's more than worth the time you'll put into reading it.

Jessamyn is only trying to take back what belongs to her, what she finds instead is a beast of a prince that has mood swings that can literally rock the castle into rubble, but she knows what she has to do and isn't afraid of a challenge.

With twists and turns that had me questioning everything I thought I had figured out I was constantly left with moments of awe at the author's ability to keep you guessing until the very end. I can't wait to see what's in store for Jess and the Prince, these two have me fascinated and needing more of their story.

I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but there are so many amazing parts of this book, so many things that aren't what they seem, and so many characters that are more than meets the eye.

All of that being said I can see where the size could be intimidating, and it might take a few chapters it really get into it but once you do it's a brilliant book that makes you wonder about all of the villains you've read about and what truly made them how they were.

Thank you To NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book, I've read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I want to thank #Netgalley for letting me read an eArc of #SpellboundLies

At first reading this was a little hard. The term Beast is used much too often in my opinion. However as soon as I let that go and just started referring to him as Nick (which is his name) instead of Beast when it popped up I was fine. This book is phenomenal, I truly can't wait for the next one. I love that the main character isn't necessarily the classicly beautiful and a bit more thick, we do not get that very often. Jessamyn's attraction to both Nickolous and Nick is intriguing. The prince definitely has a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on.
Jessamyn is magically confined to the castle after accidently discovering the Prince's secret and the only way for her to go home is to help him break the curse. Breaking the curse means sacrificing Nick (Beast persona) who has become Jessamyn's friend. Could there be another way to break the curse or will the Witch that cursed the Prince have her way with the destruction of the kingdom?

Myth: 4/5

I wasn’t sure if I needed another Beauty and the Beast retelling in my life when I started this book, but the description intrigued me, the prince and the beast residing within the same body, taking shifts? A new twist on the classic love story of looking beneath the surface.

Magic: 4.5/5

I’m a fan of a good Beauty and the Beast retelling and this one does it so well. A little Jekyll and Hyde thrown in for good measure and witches of course. I just loved the magic that swirled around and through this story to bring it to life.

Overall: 4/5

An age old romance, the commoner and the prince. A young woman unsure of so much of what’s going on around her but willing to trust her heart and trust in those that see her for who she is.

Spellbound Lies is a twisted retelling where Jekyll & Hyde meets Beauty & the Beast according to it’s tagline. I have a thing for good retellings, and this book just caught my attention. The cover is like a mysterious fairytale, but it is really clear that this book will be a Beauty & the Beast story. What will Catherine Downen in store for the readers?

Cursed by a witch, the prince is in battle with the beast lurking beneath his skin. At day he is just the prince, but at night the beast awakes. He is a man make of evil, and as long as the curse still holds all royal family and staff will be missing. The prince does everything he can to keep the kingdom out of suspicion. The only way to break the curse is to find the one who sees behind it. When Jessamyn searches her lost family heirloom in the castle she comes across the beast and is hold captive at the castle. Soon she learns about the curse, and is caught in a war between good and evil. Can the prince, his only guard left and Jessamyn find a way to brake the curse? Can the prince beat his beast, and can Jessamyn follow her heart?

Prince Nikolaus is trapped in a curse, and therefore he has to live with two sides. He is a stubborn prince at day, while the beast Nik has a real soft side. Jessamyn will discover both of these sides as she sets a deal with Nik to get her heirloom back. What she doesn’t know is that she will be caught in a mission to break the curse and destroy Nik forever. For the prince however, she is the only hope.

"You have been the only light I’ve seen in the last two years."

In this book you will get to know Nikolaus, his other side Nik, Finn and Jessamyn really well. They are all worked out. Nik is constanly called “the beast” by Nikolaus and Finn, which makes there is a bit of bullying in this book. However Jessamyn has an open mind and learns to get to know both side of the prince really well.

In addition, you will also get to know more about the curse itself and the witch who cursed the prince. This book has a lot of pages, and therefore has a storyline with many parts. The first part of this book was a bit of a slow read for me. I don’t know why, but I really had to pay attention to reading this book at first. However the second half of the story read a lot faster.

I really loved the worldbuilding and the way the characters are worked out. Catherine Downen has a really nice writing style, which I really loved. This book is really like a fairytale and I really loved reading Spellbound Lies. I can’t wait what it’s sequel will bring.

I really enjoyed this. It’s a wonderful Beauty and the Beast retelling with a bit of Jekyll and Hyde mixed in…which was really cool. There is romance, adventure, and awesome side character that I’m gone over (Finn). This is absolutely worth the read. Also the hardcover is GORGEOUS! 🤩

While this book has a lot of themes in common with Beauty and the Beast and Jekyll and Hide that it all that it has in common. This is a unique story that has quite a few twists and turns, some expected others not. It truly draws the reader in and brings them into a beautiful world where for only a couple hours a day does the beast get to take hold of the prince’s body. Jessamyn’s character has a beautiful growth to it. She goes from looking at herself one way to being able to see her through the Beast’s eyes. I also love that she learns to trust her instincts where others question what she is doing, she holds fast in her beliefs. Nik is a fun character too, though to call him a beast does seem a stretch. He only has a few actions that anyone could possibly call being beastly, and honestly even those could be dismissed as being just in a bad mood. That being said, I do love him. I love how he challenges Jessamyn and tells her to continue the path she is on even when it might cause him harm. Overall, this is just a lovely book, one that readers of all ages are going to love. I do secretly hope that there is a second book in this series as I would love to see what is in store for Nik and Jassamyn.
Thank you so much to Catherine Downen and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Spellbound Lies is an imaginative and unique YA Beauty and the Beast-esque reimagining with a sweet slow burn romance and fun twists.

“Beast or not, my heart beats because of you.”

Jessamyn is a baker who gets chosen to cater and event at the castle, but when she loses a family heirloom and returns to the castle in the middle of the night the Prince seems like a wildly different person than the charming man whom she'd met earlier. The prince has been in a constant battle with the beast lurking beneath his skin. Not a creature to be slayed, but a man crafted from the darkest evils. The two shift between the body they share, threatening to unleash a destruction that would change their realm forever. Upon Jessamyn's arrival back to retrieve her ring that night she is imprisoned in the palace until the witch’s spell can be broken, and to keep Prince Nikolaus’s curse a secret,

This thick book has incredible pacing and worldbuilding, a rich plot, and unforgettable characters. Jessamyn is an admirable female protagonist . She follows her heart just as much as her mind, and has a strong moral compass. Finn is a very rare, and very appreciated, male friend who isn't there to make a love triangle happen.The banter and tension between Jessamyn and Nik was so well done I couldn't wait for their scenes together. I have a major soft spot for the "bad boys" (who doesn't) and Nik did not disappoint. The slow burn was beautifully done, and had me hook line and sinker. I cant wait to read the sequel!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Catherine Downen for providing me with an early copy of Spellbound Lies. Spellbound Lies comes out October 11! This Jekyll and Hyde retelling was griping. I read Nik and Jessamyn’s story in one siting because of the great plot and twists. The politics, family history and magic system were elaborate. My only critique is that the book sometimes read more as middle grade than YA because of character’s immature decisions and the romance.

Where to start? As much as I liked the book it totally could have been shorter as I felt like it was over explained in some parts of the book. But I very much enjoyed the little sketches along the story, they were cute.

The characters could have been older as some of the behaviours were really juvenile. Like yeah Finn behaved a few times like a brat but then apologised but it got repetitive fast.

The writing was a bit off putting as well. I mean it felt like the words were not in the correct sequence, and it made it difficult to read in some places.

Okay looks like I won't be able to say more as I'll be spoiling the book.

DNF 22%

This book is just chockful of ideas that make little sense together. The world building didn't really hang together. It felt like the characters wore modern clothes but rode horses so every time that I tried to make sense of the setting, something else would come in to jostle it. I also had some issues where Jessamyn seemed to fall into the "not like other girls" trope which is a complete dealbreaker for me. I also didn't understand the curse and not a lot of information was given as to why no one noticed that the royal family hadn't been seen in two years. Why did no one know someone who worked at the palace? These details just niggled at my brain and I just couldn't shut it off.

I really like the concept of a Jekyll and Hyde mixed with Beauty and the Beast, but the execution just wasn't working for me.

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the arc. My opinions are my own.

A little slow at the start but built up pace as the story went along. Jessamyn really grows as a character and very firm in sticking to her beliefs and honesty Nic is just to precious for words. An interesting reboot of the classic beauty and the beast story

*Thank you so much NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc of this book!*
*This review might contain some spoilers*
*Before I go into my book review, I would like to congratulate the author, Catherine Downen, for that AMAZING plot twist, like OH MY GOD I had a thought about it, but I didn't expect it to actually be true. I loved the characters (not Nikolaus tho) and Nik and Jessamyn's relationships unfolded so nicely I didn't even realize when I started to root for Nik and to like him over the "Fake" version of him.
*Okay, now back to my review of the story*
We've got our main character, Jessamyn Elisdreams, catering an important event, the Courting Ceremony, for the Prince of Pulvium.
She loses her family heirloom at the palace and comes back for it, only to be pulled into the curse that plagued the grounds for two years.
From then, she tries to break the curse, with Finn, the commander of the royal guard, and Nikolaus, the prince.
But she soon finds herself deep into a map of lies.
Jessamyn must separate the truth from the lies, to save the kingdom.
*For the younger readers, be aware that there is a fade to black scene!
*Overall, I loved this book, and if I could, I would rate it 100 stars, but I'll have to settle for only 5 out of 5. Will recommend this book to all my friends!

First of all, thank you Netgalley and Catherine Downen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Second of all, Spellbound Lies is an Epic. It's beautifully written, page turning, touching, well paced and what not?
It's a perfect treat for all those fans who are very much interested in Beauty and Beast x Jekyll and Hyde Retelling! With a bit of witches, spells, a curse to break, a curvy female MC. And of course Enemies to Lovers trope! It had me hooked from the very first chapter.. Also to my surprise I completed the whole book in less than 24 hours! ( My first October read and it’s already a 5 star read)
The plot, the storyline, the characters, everything about this book is so freaking perfect.. *happy tears*
Okay, so this plot starts with Jessamyn ( a young baker) who eventually gets the opportunity to cater her country’s Prince’s Courting Ceremony. Everything was perfect until she finds out she missed her family ring somewhere in the castle during the ceremony. She goes back to the castle (though its stupid to venture into the castle in the midnight) to search for her ring. But? To her surprise everything was open.. No guards.. No one.. Why? So she pushes herself into the ballroom to search for it.. And she finds Prince there? But he wasn’t the same prince and there was something different in him. That's where the commander catches her! Making her into their prisoner and saying she has seen something she shouldn’t! Something suspicious isn’t it? Eventually the commander says about the curse thats been haunting the prince, castle and all of them, and that night she met the beast ( the effect of the curse - not going to spoil more) So, she joined along with the prince and commander in breaking the curse!
Speaking about the character, Nik (you’ll get to know) has one of the best character development. This man has my HEART! Jess aka Jessamyn - she’s just awesome!! Also about Finn ( our commander) - sunshine he is... The ending was so freaking awesome. In one word, this book is AMAZING!
Also those illustrations are so pretty and I loved them!
Highly recommended

A big thank you to NetGalley and Catherine Downen for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this story, I just didn't love it. I'm always a sucker for retellings, so I enjoyed that aspect of it. It was slow to start but picked up, I just found myself wishing it wasn't so long, it took me longer than I had anticipated.

Beauty and the Beast will always be one of my favorite stories but this version just didn't quite hit all the write notes for me, it left me a little wanting. It wasn't bad by any means, and I did enjoy the read, it just wasn't a favorite of mine.

Thank you NetGalley and Catherine Downen for a chance to read Spellbound Lies. I liked this book more than I thought I would. The beginning started a little slow but once the book started to pick up pace, I really enjoyed it. I liked the characters, the beauty and the beast retelling, and the friendships made in this story. Would definitely recommend to others who enjoy retellings, especially with a royal setting.