Jennifer Donnelly does a fantastic job in writing a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I was engaged with the story and thought the characters had the same spirit as the original fairy tale. It uses the elements perfectly and I enjoyed that it could be a original story and still had the Beauty and Beast element. I enjoyed how everything flowed well and thought the gender-swap was perfect. I enjoyed everything that was going on and thought Jennifer Donnelly wrote this perfectly. The romance elements were fantastic and glad it was so well written.

I really enjoyed this gender swapped version of Beauty and the Beast. It is much easier to like and relate to Arabella as the beast because she was cursed due to defying the societal norms, wanting to stand up for the less fortunate that her family ruled over and desiring to be an architect. She was not willing to be a quiet, meek wife with an absolutely awful fiancé. This story also had its own unique bits added to give it a new spin with Arabella's court and the clockwork figurines in the giant gold clock that counted down the remaining time till the curse ended. Beau was also a good character, also not a perfect meek prisoner but a master thief trying to find his way out to save his sick brother.

But the the bit I liked best was that the curse did not depend on Arabella and Beau falling in love with each other but another type of love and acceptance. All in all it made for a good story to read and root for Arabella and Beau finding the answer to the curse and discovering their true selves, independent of what other people think of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book to read and review.

I have previously loved reading Jennifer Donnelly, so I immediately requested this book when I saw it. I also absolutely love reading fairytale retellings so this was at the top of my reading list. Unfortunately, this book took quite a while before it took off. I felt like I had gotten about 40% in before the plot finally began. I honestly had a difficult time not putting this aside and not finishing it. Once the story began, I did start to get a feel for where the story was going, but by then I was already losing interest. I didn't mind the gender swapped version of this fairytale, I just wish more of the original story was more prevalent in the first half of the book. In the end I would rate this a 3.5, but in this case I'm rounding down due to the hard time staying with the book rather than not finishing it.

This was a super unique take on Beauty and the Beast but as much as I tried I just couldn't get into it. Arabella and Beau don't have many interactions before Beau falls for her so it does seem a bit out of left field. The only things really mentioned about him are his good looks and him being a thief.

I ended up DNFing at 79% because the pacing and overall style of the book just confused me.

So I am a fan of fairy tale retellings and always have been. I loved Jennifer Donnelly's Stepsister book and so I was hoping this would be as good. And I did enjoy this book. I thought that she did a great job with her more feminist gender swap Beauty and the Beast retelling. I liked both Beau and Arabella and thought they were well developed and I was rooting for them. I didn't like it quite as much as Stepsister, but I still feel it was a solid four out of five.

I got this from Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

I've always loved a good fairy tale retelling. Unfortunately, I thought this one was just okay. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.

I really wanted to love it. It sounded right up my alley. A gender-reversed Beauty and the Beast? Yes, please!

It just didn't stick the landing for me. I'm not really sure why. The writing's decent. The characters are interesting and strong. I guess I found the story boring at times. The main relationship didn't do much for me either.

I did enjoy how beautiful and magical the tale felt though. I just wish the book had that extra something that really made it sing for me.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was alright. It has a unique twist to the Beauty and the Beast tale which I enjoyed. I think at the beginning since I was so focused on it being a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I was staying close to the tale, to which I became confused and that confusion lasts for a while so my impression of the book wasn't the greatest at the start.

We start off meeting Beau and he's a great thief, but I don't really get much of his personality from it. It feels like there really isn't much personality to him. Everyone is calling him a thief and he makes snide remarks and all of that, but the general premise of Beau is that he is a thief. That's all that is really to it. So when he starts developing feelings, it just feels like it comes out of nowhere. I find it hard to believe he fell in love with Arabella and visa versa. Their interactions with one another is very limited and when they do interact, it isn't on super great terms. It didn't feel like any friendship was developing. It was just straight to love. What does he come to love of her? I have no idea. It pretty much just seems like seeing the joy radiating off of her when talking about architectural structure, was enough for Beau to come love her. We don't get a perspective on what Arabella sees in Beau, but based on the very simple personality he has, there isn't any special to him. I don't hate Beau. I like his jokey attitude, but I just wish there was more to him. In regards to their interactions, it seems like out of nowhere that Arabella decides to build a bridge for him. She has been cold to him all this time, but then she decides the next day to build a bridge after he demanded it of her? What cause her personality to switch so suddenly?

This whole book was pretty much a mystery to figuring out what the actual curse was and who are these random ladies. It got really annoying not finding it out sooner. By the time it get discovered, I sadly wasn't as interested as I hope. I did want to find out, but it just took too long. At the beginning, the plot was only Beau trying to find a way out to get to his brother, and so the curse didn't seem that important. There were hints here and there, and I hungered for them, but when we're already halfway through the book and all the plot is, is trying to get Beau out, it became boring. Beau rarely tries to figure out what is going on because he's consume in his own goal and that also made me lose hope that we weren't ever going to figure this mystery out until the answer is right there.

However, what I did enjoy were the ladies that represented Arabella's emotions. I thought it was pretty unique and when it was told that their names were just anagrams to the corresponding emotions, I really like that. However, they did seem to appear out of nowhere when we learn how the curse was cast upon Arabella. I'm a bit confuse as to why all of the sudden these emotions became humans and soon a curse was upon Arabella just because she killed her husband? Was it due to the guilt of killing her husband that these emotions took life? Why didn't they take life, sooner? Why exactly do they take life upon her? Does this happen with other people as well? The explanation of how this came to be felt lacking. In addition, why transform her into a beast at midnight? What does that do? There are so many questions in regards to the background of her story and I just felt kinda empty. I thought it would be something more cooler or there was a reasoning to all of this, but there wasn't. It just happened, just because. In regards to Beau's backstory, there wasn't really much. It was short and simple. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was hoping to something more. I just felt like in general for these backstories, it felt rush and there wasn't much care put into them.

Overall, it has a unique twist with the humans emotions to which I like, but that was pretty much it. This story felt lacking and it dragged on the mystery for way too long. There is a lack of explanation to the backstory like it wasn't important, but it is important because it is what caused this book in the first place. The main characters lack a personality and their relationship felt force and out of nowhere. My desire to figure out this mystery and see how it is different from the original tale is what kept me going. This book felt shallow and lack a lot of depth to make me like anything.

"It's not so bad to be foolish. In fact, foolish people are vastly underrated.

Only a foolish person saves a broken-winged bird who will never fly again.

Only a foolish person hands a bunch of daises to an angry old man.

Only a foolish person gives her nice new coat to a beggar girl.

The world doesn't need more clever people. There are plenty of those to go around. You see them everywhere-sidestepping the broken and the lost, sneaking off behind a tree to eat their muffins so they don't have to share them, busily dodging everyone else's pain.

What the world needs is one thing only-more hopelessly foolish people doing shockingly foolish things."

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a gender swap twist. Arabella ha been cursed to live as a beast at night in a castle with her horrible courtiers and bunch of servants. One day some one lets down the portcullis and Beau a thief and con man enters and is trapped in the castle.

It took me a little while to get into the story. There were so many characters I had trouble distinguishing who was who until mid way through the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Beau and Arabella's relationship and their banter. All the lady's made the story intense once I knew who they were.
I'm enjoyed the updates moral of self acceptance at the end of the novel. This book is YA and appropriate for young to mid teens.
I received this arc for free from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was fun and weird, first of all.

Secondly, it felt more middle grade to me than YA. Except for the swearing, which is really what bumped it to YA, imo.

If you want a Beauty and the Beast retelling that’s unique, this is definitely for you. It may beat you over the head with some of its morals, but it’s got a good core and soul.

If you are averse to a large cast of characters that have very little purpose, this might not be for you. The Ladies of the Court were a really cool addition but it took a little too long for things to be explained and for the curse to be properly dropped, it made it hard to buy into the magic and set up of the book.

I was expecting a lot of things to happen faster, especially at the rate that any given chapter was moving. Every chapter was trying to be a mic drop but when a chapter is a page or two, it loses its gravity.

It’s definitely not like every other Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it’s very aesthetic and knows it. I enjoyed Beau a lot because he had so much going on for a MMC, and I enjoyed architecture as Arabella’s passion. I almost wish the whole book had been from her perspective, especially given how the Ladies could’ve been used.

Anyways, leaving this: Percival and Phillipe are precious and I would die for them and their risotto.

A gender-swapped fairytale retelling disguised as a beautifully written exploration of human emotions and the journey one must undergo to confront them. I loved retellings in high school and this one gave me all the nostalgia while delivering a beautiful message of acceptance, interesting magical elements and the perfect amount of humor to break up the tension. The female rage aspects of this story were also very appreciated and I loved that the writing didn’t paint this as a fault to diminish the character but instead only added to it.

At the beginning, I had a hard time getting drawn in due to slower pacing and the MCs not having much time together to develop the early stages of their relationship. Things picked up at about 45% and progressed very quickly from there so it felt less impactful when they confessed feelings. It would have satiated so much more if their foundation had begun its construction earlier in the story.

I’m so thankful I was able read a digital copy provided by the publisher but there were some formatting issues in my E-arc so I found it difficult to follow change in narratives during some parts. I honestly don’t think it had anything to do with the writing so this this was not at the fault of the author. It definitely impacted my experience reading but this is not reflected in my review, promise 🫶🏻

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Scholastic for this advanced digital copy!

I have a soft spot for fairytale retellings, but especially Beauty and the Beast retellings. This version turns many of the typical plot points on their heads in the best way.

This book is set in France during the time of Voltaire and features a band of wayward backstabbing thieves on the run from the law. It's got so much of what I loved about Tangled but also has the gender swapped Beauty and the Beast. This book is just a fun ride beginning to end and has beautiful writing. The midpoint turn was fantastic.

The main characters are so good for each other!! They heal and learn and grow together. Both guarded their hearts and both learned to let each other in and work through and overcome their guilt and despair. Just an absolutely beautiful love story. Everything you'd want with this style retelling and so much more.

The premise for the curse is different than other iterations I've read. There's something about it that I don't quite like (hence the four stars), but her whole personality and self doubts are all very relatable.

TROPES/THEMES:
Gender swapped Beauty and the Beast
Cursed x Handsome Thief (a la Tangled)
Shrek style consuming of raw onions
Magical mirrors showing glimpses of past
Insta attraction, beautiful love story
THE invitation to dinner, complete with the fancy clothes and the dancing, *chef's kiss*
Beast only calms down for him
Fairytale commentaries nestled into story
Unique chapter style that grows on you
THE wolf attack, as every good Beauty and the Beast retelling must include
Overcoming negative self talk and doubts
They heal and grow together.

Content: unfaithful wealthy mistress, n*ked scene (makes plot sense, the act does not happen), accidental cleavage groping, kissing, shaming women for having ideas and wanting to do more with their lives, accidental m*rder

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic Press for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly

4.9⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Dark Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy
Format: ebook ARC (thanks NetGalley)

Loved:
*Awesome characters
*Gender swap fairy tale retelling
*Court of ladies
*Few curse words
*Children

Loved Less:
* The only thing I can complain about is the formatting for the ebook was off making it difficult to read at times

Description:
That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.
When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle.
As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her - a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.
When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau - spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night - only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion.
If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.

My opinion:
Medium to fast-paced storyline with characters who are so well-written and well-developed. I really loved the idea of a gender swap Beauty and the Beast fairy tale retelling. This is one of my favorite B & B retellings. Each of Arabella's court of ladies are fabulously written with so much depth to them...includingtheir names! Arabella is not your typical young lady in this era, making her character very intriguing. Her relationship with Beau is so interesting to see from the start, with their "banter" being so titillating. The children in this novel are also wonderfully composed. This is definitely a dark retelling, but not too dark, in my opinion. I highly recommend this be added to your list of novels to be read.

A gender reverse beauty & the beast?? YES PLEASE!

If there is one story I love more than the rest it’s definitely beauty and the beast. With that being said I’m constantly on the watch for retellings.

Beastly beauty is a great dark retelling of beauty and the beast mixed with some Allison wonderland vibes.

This is a fast moving, always something happening type of read. This book is perfect for fans of A Curse so dark and lonely and The Caravel series.

Any mention of Beauty and the Beast inspired pieces will have me excited to dive in and read. Having a gender bent Beauty and the Beast was next level. What was going on in the court was not immediately obvious, and it was a good twist without being too cheesy. The story was propelled along on an appropriate timeline, leaving me hooked and wanting to continue reading to find out the ending.

Arabella is supposed to be seen not heard. A beautiful thing to look at with no emotions. She tries to be the good girl that her parents and society expect, but her emotions burn too hot. Arabella unleashes her anger and is punished harshly for it. Beau is a handsome thief that gets trapped inside a castle that time forgot. He becomes captivated by it's beautiful owner, but he knows that beauty hides treachery and cruelty. Arabella knows time is running out to break her curse, but she doesn't see how anyone can love a beastly beauty.

Thank you to netgalley and scholastic for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I thought this was a great Beauty and the Beast retelling. I enjoyed all of the characters and world building. I love the final twist to the curse. This is a retelling done right.

I screamed when I received an ARC of Beastly Beauty from NetGalley! Jennifer Donnelly's feminist fairytale retellings have added years to my life and I thank her every day for it. I have been looking forward to this ever since I finished Poisoned, her Snow White retelling. And this did not disappoint. This book was full of such intriguing and thought-provoking twists. I didn't any of them coming! It was such a unique take I have never seen in another book. The story was engaging and thrilling and enchanting! However, despite the great storytelling, where Jennifer's tales shine is the heart she puts into her stories. Her takeaways for life always hit you right in the feels and are deeply poetic and moving. I had a few tears spring to my eyes in the end because of how beautiful the twist and message was. I knew I would love this book, and I'm so glad it exceeded all expectations. Cannot wait for her to write more retellings, because they are healing my soul. Bless her beautiful storytelling skills. This was a masterpiece.

I absolutely adore dark fantasy versions of fairy tale retellings! A midnight tale, indeed! Previously overlooked characters from our favorite classic novels are thrown under a new vantage point and I am loving it.

Beauty and the Beast meets a gender-swapped twist with elements of lycanthropy and there we meet the main character Arabella.

Quirky, cute, and charming are all attributes I would give to our relatable MC. This endearing character has an obsession and fiery passion for architecture.

I loved the atmospheric setting. The giant and refined and elegant castle, a women-led council, mysterious kidnappings, and terrifying monsters.

Thief Beauregard Armando Fernandez de Navare, quite a mouthful, swoops in and makes a pact with Arabella out of love for his brother.

There are Gothic romance elements to this story, combined with magical realism, is made even more unique and rounded out with werewolf aspects.

A love begins to simmer and boil, ending in a raging flame of chemistry. Definitely recommend to any reader who love fairy tale retellings. Thank you to NetGalley, who allowed me to read Rhys intriguing tale 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

It appears I will read any Beauty and the Beast retelling put in front of me...

...even if the very YA brand of insta-love romance in this one did make me roll my eyes a few times.

Overall, it was still an enjoyable read! I loved the symbolism most, and the plot twist at the end which makes the moral of the story decidedly more satisfying than I thought it would be. The main characters are okay, but I loved the side characters best. In particular, Camille.

The pacing felt off at times, I wasn't fond of the modern dialog, and I'm not sure I enjoyed the occasional head-hopping. But, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading and the side characters loveable enough to make me desperate to know how their story ends.

So I suppose I would recommend this to anyone who loves retellings, but who must also necessarily really enjoy YA because this one does feel a bit on the younger side.

This was a fun twist on beauty and the beast! I loved how the characters still seemed like their Disney counterparts but also being brand new. I wish this was a series.

4/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite movies growing up and I was so excited to see a book spin off of the original tale. I love that she was the “beast” in this story but not because of doing something terribly bad but for going against societal norms of the time and wanting to be something more. I did not expect this book to be SO funny at times it truly was entertaining and so interesting. I like that the story wasn’t all smut and only romance it had depth and meaning that went beyond the romance aspect.