Title: Bellegarde
By: Jamie Lilac

Genre:
Young Adult, Historical Romance

Recommended Ages:
8th grade and up

Summary:
Flour girl, Evie, works in her parent’s local bakery making all things delicious. In Paris, as a working class girl, Evie is looked down upon by her peers, but she is a hard worker, quick witted, with dreams and aspirations to someday be a clothing designer.

Beau is a classmate of Evie’s and lives a life of wealth, and riches. As the illegitimate son of a wealthy man, Beau and his half-brother are always competing or at odds with each other. The brothers make a bet and unfortunately, Evie is in the middle of it, enjoy the banter of the characters brought to life on the page in this story of young love.

Review:
This is a fast paced, quirky, fun middle/upper grade novel. The reader can tell early on the pace and events of the story. Lilac puts a modern day twist on the rags to riches storyline. The chapters transition smoothly between the two main characters points of view. The minor characters have depth and the author is successful in building her characterization. The side story of Beau and his father was lacking depth, and I really wanted the author to dive into their relationship more... The title and cover pulled me into reading this young adult historical romance. However, as an avid historical novel lover, I would say pass if that is your only desire to read this novel. Other than the time period, it left little history aspects for me to enjoy. The young love is sweet and I believe this is perfect for a upper middle or high school classroom.

I did begin with the audiobook, which was not professionally read. I really struggled with the narration and requested the eBook. I am sure once the book is released with the professional narration will be great!

Thank you to Jamie Lilac, Harper Collins Publishers, Epic Reads and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#jamielilac
#HarperCollinsPublishers
#epicreads
#Bellegrade
#netgalley
#advancedreadereditions

I picked this one up to give it a chance after disliking the audiobook, but this one still wasn't for me. It felt too immature to me. And I do know this is YA, however, it felt too gossipy and high school and I don't think my teens would like it.

I don't read many ARCs because I don't love e-reading, but this one caught my attention and I decided to request it. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Teen for the early copy. The review is my own.

Read This if You Love:
💄 She's All That
🗽 American Royals
🌸 Bridgerton (Without the Sex)
❌ Enemies to Lovers
⚜️ Parisian ✨Vibes✨

Bellegarde is a delightful debut with world-building and character arcs that will make you swoon. It's often hard to write strong romantic storylines with the emotional intelligence required to tug the heart strings at the YA level, but Lilac has done a wonderful job of creating enough tension between Evie and Beau to make me care.

I will say for my historical fiction purists, this probably isn't for you. This is definitely more American Royals style historical fiction that borders on speculative. There is a strong infusion of modern ideas and language that make it read more like contemporary YA with a historic spin. If that's a deal breaker for you, maybe skip this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It's light, whimsical, and a lot of fun. I know plenty of teenagers who would love it, so definitely grab a copy for your classroom library. There isn't much by way of questionable content (they mention sex in passing a few times, that's it), so I'd say you're safe all the way down to grade 7.

Let me start by saying that if you're looking for a book filled with historical realism, this isn't the book for you. Lilac's characters have a familiar countenance and modern turns of phrase, but are still set in a lavish historical setting a la Paris making me yearn for a croissant and les Tulleries. I actually think this is a great way to write a historical YA novel, as it makes it more accessible for reluctant readers.

Though the book is historical fiction, the problems Evie faces would be just as recognizable in today's world: the occasional callousness of teenage boys, means girls and cliques, and even gentrification take the stage. Class is a constant underlying theme in the novel since Evie's family is working class and barely able to keep their bake shop, whereas most of her classmates are aristocratic. Her determination to make life better for her sister Violette is admirable and heartwarming, though I feel Violette is underestimated.

Of course the love story is why most readers will be picking up this book. The comparison to the movie She's All That is entirely apt. Though the reader will go into the book knowing who Evie will end up with, there is a third party in the middle of the book who makes things very interesting. As for Beau, his backstory piqued my interest and the one interaction he has with his father in the novel left me wishing this plot line had been expanded on.

All in all this was a fun and fast read, perfect for the upcoming summer. Bellegarde releases July 11th so be sure to add it to your calendar! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. As always, opinions are my own.

Thank you to Harperteen & NetGalley for an Arc of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an easy and sweet read, that I enjoyed. Beau makes a bet with his step brother that any girl he chooses can be made into the Bellegarde Bloom. Of course his brother Julien picks a girl who is least likely to be chosen for the title. Evie is shy, reserved, and spends most of her days working at her parents bakery or sewing. Will Beau be able to transform her into the Bellegarde Bloom?

I love that we got a glimpse at so many of their friends in the story, because Mia and Jo were so cute! It was also so refreshing to read a story set in time with no technology or social media, and just good ole face to face communication lol

I’ve seen a lot of comparisons of this book to She’s All that, and I agree but I also feel like it was a good mix of Bridgerton and Gossip Girl as well!

I was obsessed with She’s All That when it came out in 1999 so when I saw this was a retelling, I had to request it! I think the story did a great job with retelling She’s All That and I like that Evie is a promising fashion designer, sort of like how Laney Boogs was an artist in the movie. It was fun reading the book, but because I know the movie so well there weren’t too many surprises for me in Bellegarde.

I thought Evie and Josephine were fun characters. The best friends had each other’s backs and seem to have lots of fun together. Beau was just okay – he was definitely a carbon copy of Zack from She’s All That but I didn’t feel anything for him. I kind of wanted Evie to end up with the duke!

As for the setting – I like that it takes a historical fiction approach with it being in Paris, France and the popular kids have titles and wealth. In my imagination I could imagine some opulent scenes if they were ever to make this story into a movie on Netflix. t would be cool to see Evie’s fashion creations come to life. The only thing that was a little bit jarring for me was that the characters spoke in modern speech and it took me out of the story a bit. I thought overall the story was cute and I think it will appeal to younger readers.

Why you should read it:
*retelling of She’s All That
*teenage drama and romance

Why you might not want to read it:
*it’s historical fiction with modern speech

My Thoughts:

I found it fun seeing how the story compared to the movie and it pretty much follows the whole thing minus a few changes here and there. For me it was just okay, but I think this will definitely will appeal to younger readers.

I have one, very specific, issue with this book: I am one of those obnoxious people who cannot stand when historically-set books use anachronistic language. It sets my teeth on edge. I can handle the retelling of the film "She's All That." I can cope with the stock characters. But the language absolutely prevented me from enjoying the story, and that's on me.

So with that out of the way, if you enjoy comfy teen rom-coms, spunky heroines, and heroes who learn their lesson but good, I daresay you'll like this book, because it has many enjoyable features. But if you're like me with the language, maybe steer clear.

✨[Sixpence None the Richer’s Kiss Me playing]✨

Oh this hit the spot. It's literally the She’s All That YA historical romance of my wildest dreams. And I mean LITERALLY. Basically every scene in the movie is in the book and I appreciate the commitment to late 90's romcoms. We better get a Drive Me Crazy retelling next 💅

Bellegarde is kind of like—and I say this in the LOOSEST of possible terms—Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet but in reverse?? It’s hard to describe because the setting gives historical but the speech and social customs were very modern?? Like I truly cannot tell you the time period but I can say that I had a marvelous time (beneath the milky twilight).

I think it’s actually impossible to completely capture the Freddie Prince Jr. effect because I physically cannot be annoyed with him??? I’ve read a few other She’s All That romances—<I>Bookshop Cinderella</I> by Laura Lee Guhrke, recently)—and I’m always just slightly annoyed with the heroes, and their motivations are just a bit harder to ignore. I also think the same thing about Matthew Lillard because that dance scene just can’t be chained to a page. There were a few other quirks but nothing that impacted my enjoyment!

Frankly, I’m just so happy this book exists. It was unique enough to make it different than the movie, but it was still just as charming. I swear it was made for me, right down to the floofy pink dress on the cover. I need to read more YA historical romances IMMEDIATELY.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Note: I get that She’s All That was based on My Fair Lady which was based on Pygmalion but this book is legit She’s All That. Like there’s the distinct feel.

Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own ✨

This was a fun and interesting read. I enjoyed the plot and loved that it was set in France. I also enjoyed the characters and how they grew throughout the book. I also loved the relationships- romantic, familial and friendships- that were present in the book. Overall a fun and fresh read that I would definitely recommend.

This was such a cute book! The perfect combination of Bridgerton and She's All That, BELLEGARDE takes readers back to 18th-century France, following the story of Evie and Beau. Evie Clement works at her family's bakery, but dreams of designing her own dresses. Hardworking and determined, she's focused on building a future for herself rather than on the high school social scene. Beau Bellegarde is outgoing, popular, and rules their school, but unlike everyone else, Evie resolves not to fall for his charms. When Beau's brother forces him into a bet that he can't lose—turn the biggest wallflower they know into the Bellegarde Bloom at the yearly ball—everything changes. Will Beau help Evie step into the spotlight? Will Evie realize Beau isn't all that he seems? Find out in this charming, lighthearted enemies-to-lovers tale!

I loved BELLEGARDE! Enemies-to-lovers is my personal favorite rom-com trope, so naturally, I really enjoyed this. The author does a fabulous job of crafting the story's world—I was drawn in immediately! I also liked the modern language and tone mixed with the historical setting. With two complex, well-developed leads and an entertaining cast of side characters, this book will have you invested in no time. I can't wait for Jamie Lilac's next book. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

This is a historical retelling of She's All That,. While it's not something I wished for, because I didn't know it was possible, it's everything I could've wanted. I fell in love with Evie from the jump and I wanted to see her thrive in her friendship, relationships, and her career. She was so well written, so that she felt like a real friend besides residing in 18th century France. I was concerned with what would become of her knowing that it doesn't work out entirely well for the nobles at the turn of the century but I tried my best to put it aside and just enjoy the novel.

While this is obviously a She's All That retelling, it doesn't adhere religously to the original. It takes some much needed departures to make the story more relatable and interesting despite the eras it was written in.
I highly reccomend this book for any fans of the movie or just anyone who wants to escape into a world full of French intrigue and excitement.

I must have watched she's all that 50 times, so I was both surprised and slightly giddy to discover that this followed the movie's plot to the letter - except in Versailles? Why not?

A fun book to read that had some chemistry, I really enjoyed the book alot thanks for letting me read this one

A good mix of Bridgerton and She's all that for the young adult crowd, this book is very enjoyable with a fun chemistry. If you know the story of she's all that it is pretty predictable but it is a fun book nonetheless and I love that movie so this was a good time for me. I look forward to other books from this author.

**Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review**

A retelling of she's all that in a bridgerton setting. A young girl is chosen as one of the select few to become Belle of the ball, but it's all a ruse and what will become of the young man who set the events into motion.
All in all, it's a fun story, definitely ya category, but great for teens and clean romance readers.

RTC

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 ⭐️ This book was a little too juvenile for my tastes, but, regardless I did really enjoy it. It was fun, lighthearted, and an easy read. I loved loved loved the dual pov and the lgbt representation, I do, however, wish that the relationship had a bit more build up. **SPOILERS** We saw lots of romantic tension and build up with the duke, almost kisses, hand holding, gazing into each others eyes, but we didn’t see that with Beau. This made them being in love with each other somewhat abrupt, because we didn’t get those stolen glances and romantic tension, all of a sudden they both decided they loved each other. Other than that, I had a super fun time. I loved the drama and especially character relationships and family dynamics. I will definitely check out more books from Lilac as they come.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Sassy, elegant, and hilarious.

From a lover of Bridgerton to all the teens out there, you’re going to love this! Historical fiction books have always been a fav, but I love the added enemies to lovers trope in this one.

The dual pov and witty sass won this one for me!

A historical rom-com with a modern twist -- perfect for fans of Bridgerton, A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, and She's All That.

Paris. Amazing dresses with lace, horse-drawn carriages, delightful balls with music, teens, rich and poor, all communicate, and life is vibrant. A dual point of view provides the reader with a chance to see various angles of life. Evie and Beau's story was full of comforting characters, ideas, and love. Paris streets and all these things were literally in front of me. This book is a mix of modern language, ideas, and historical romance. I liked their friendship and how they all interacted with each other. Josephine and Mia, omg, I love them. I am obsessed with this sunny story and it has made me smile many times. This book was very cute. I really want my paperback copy on my bookshelf. Thank you, NetGalley for this book.

I couldn’t get into this one, I really wanted to. What’s weird was whole parts were factory like She’s All That which has already been made before, so I thought it was weird to go and make it again but regency era. I didn’t like Beau at all either. This wasn’t for me, sorry.