I found this retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story a bit basic. While there were some variations between this retelling and the fairy tale, I would have loved to see the story stretched a bit further.

Beauty's character arc was very well written. I loved getting to see how she gradually was able to recover and rise from the pain of her past.

Beast was a nice, considerate love interest, but I never really fell in love with him. I feel like seeing him encounter the villain would have made him a much more loveable character.

Content warning: This book refers to rape (nothing is shown). Age range: 14+

Overall, I enjoyed this story about the individual worth of each person, no matter their internal or external scars.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"He reached for me, pulled me close. I raised on my toes to kiss him. He was as gentle in his kiss as he was in everything else. This was no consuming fire. It was comfort. Safety. And a little thrill all the way down to my soul."

This was a sweet, slow-burn Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was easy to read, and had enjoyable characters. While there are similarities to the original tale, this story still stands on its own. The magic and storytelling was throughly enjoyable. For those looking for a retelling without the spice, this story is very tasteful and clean.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Although not very long, Beauty Reborn is a fantastic new addition to the YA genre. Readers who enjoyed Robin McKinley’s Beauty and those for whom Laurie Haulse Anderson’s Speak was written will find Beauty Reborn an important book to access on the shelves, as both a creative retelling of a well known fairy tale that still feels unique and as a character who reacts realistically to the trauma she is recovering from.
Beauty begins with the family recently impoverished and required to move to a small cabin near the woods and quickly differentiates the characters, making them decently well rounded for the short time we meet them before Beauty is alone in the Beast’s castle. The author deals with a hard subject well, weaving the history of what occurred into the current timeline and allowing Beauty to be both a human with mistakes as well as a person who was attacked and needs to find a way to recover. This balance is important; too often characters need to recover from traumatic events and are portrayed either as inhuman in their ability to “get over it” or as a victimized character that never made mistakes at all. Yet Beauty straddles the fence expertly, and should be offered hand in hand with Speak.

3 1/2 elevated to 4.

This was a surprising, intriguing read.

The cover and the premise pulled me in and the writing kept me going. It's a different twist on B&B but one that works. It's not a light version; there is trauma and darkness that drives the characters, and the development of the relationship between the main characters is the strongest point.

I receive a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is a new author to me and am definitely going to have to look up more of her work. This was such a fun re-telling of beauty in the beast.

Beauty Reborn is a pleasant retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed the main characters, Beauty and Beast. Their intersections were genuine and honest. I loved Beauty's whimsy and their playful banter with one another. If I could change one thing, I would add more to the details of the story--giving the reader a more complete tale. Overall an enjoyable read.

I love Beauty and the Beast and reading various renditions of this classic story. Combining a classic fairytale with Fantasy makes for an intriguing story. There is a lot more backstory and history of Beauty's story that creates a creative and unique spin on this classic. It is also emotional and perhaps darker than other re-tellings. Instead of focusing on what the the Beast did to turn into a Beast and the ugliness of his character, if focuses on Beauty what true beauty is. There is trauma in her life that completely flips how she views the world, others and herself. It can be triggering for some as it is very sensitive in nature. She rises from the ashes of this traumatic event to learn to love and trust others and more importantly, herself. Andre was wonderful and so caring and patient. I loved the "not necessarily happily ever after, but still a happily ever after" epilogue. I loved this book and would recommend it for lovers of this classic tale.

Wow I am really surprised how much I liked this. When I first started I was impressed by the writing then I noticed how much it was like one of my favorite books Beauty by Robin McKinley. I wonder if she got her idea from that book. I have read that book so many times I knew where this one was different and the differences were awesome. There is room for improvement in the movement of the book. I would get a little lost at times. There was a lot of back and forth. I wonder if it the released version this will be broken up better. It was so fast paced I swallowed this book up so quickly. Beauty by Robin is a much slower book. But at the same time I wanted it to slow down and wanted more! This is an author I will be following. Just loved the writing.
Here is a sample of a couple of my favorite lines.
''We were shoulder-deep in truth, and I felt the thorns"
"I think......." I swallowed. "I think God makes light out of darkness. But the darkness still exists.'
This is not a book filled with religion but there is a part near the end with talk of God. I included a bit of it above. This is a sweet romance with a couple of kisses.
There is a rape and the aftermath that drives this book. It is handled beautifully. I would let my 16 year old read this.

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast with significant twists
This book although a retelling of Beauty and the Beast maybe darker than what you expect. This retelling has Beauty fleeing to the castle not only to save her father but escape her suitor who has abused her and forced himself on her while she was unable to defend herself. The book is well done but that dark thread weaves its way throughout the story as Beauty struggles to move on with unknowing help from the Beast. It also introduces the idea of finding happiness and joy when you strive for contentment in your circumstances. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.