Oliver is a grumpy former football star turned recluse following a family tragedy. He has been hiding in one of his family’s estates for years while it decays. Until one day it has been decided the estate will undergo renovation and he is forced to face change.

Bellamy moves around a lot with her family business renovating homes. This is her first project that her father is letting her do solo and she wants it to go perfectly. With hiccups that throw off the budget, family members showing up announced, and dealing with the grumpy owner in a one-bed situation, can she complete the renovation project in time?

This book took me a long time to get through because I found it to be lackluster. It seems that the story relies on the MC identifying as female wearing suspenders to make this story unique. The mentions of the suspenders feel constant and, frankly, unnecessary. It felt like the suspenders were supposed to be kinky but I did not feel that they were incorporated well which made them feel like a forced mention. I also felt like her father is a forced mention to align with the Disney Beauty and the Beast storyline because her father is not really necessary in this book. Another forced mention was Bellamy’s nickname, Petal, as it is used frequently and it seems it was only used to reference the rose in Beauty and the Beast.

The only thing that I could find unique is the technology with sass, Bl8ze. I appreciated the comic relief and the personality reminded me a lot of Iron Man’s J.A.R.V.I.S. However, it is a confusing aspect as the house is falling apart and yet has this groundbreaking technology.

In conclusion: this book felt like a hodgepodge of ideas thrown together and not executed well, in my opinion. This could be a better story with a few more edits and not sold as a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

I was given an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily. At the time of this review, the book is expected to be released June 4, 2024.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Alcove for this ARC!

If I haven’t said it before let me say it now: I am a sucker for any and all Beauty and the Beast retellings. Scratch that, I’m a fan of ANY fairytale retelling. I really enjoyed the modern twist on one of my favorite stories — instead of finding her way to the Beast through her father’s inventions, she’s the architect there to refinish the manor. The romance had some real heat mixed with tender romance and I had a blast reading it. It’ll definitely be a book I revisit on the days when I just need a fun escape from reality.

A modern day Beauty and the Beast retelling with a touch of Succession, featuring a grumpy rich recluse and the sweet contractor who was hired to restore his estate... without his knowledge. Bellamy Price comes from a reputable contractor family and she dreams about making her place as a contractor, so when she is offered the job of a lifetime: to be the lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious Killington Estate, she can't pass it up. If she meets the absurd timeline, she'll establish her name in the industry. Yet the moment she enters the house it is clear the owner of the estate did not expect her and was not looking forward to her staying. Oliver Killington is the heir to the Killington empire and blames himself for his parents deaths and he is now injured and living as a recluse and being a grumpy caretaker to his grandfather's mansion. Oliver wants to stop Bell yet the more time they spend together the more sparks begin to fly. Bell has had her heart broken and is afraid of staying and giving her heart to this man... but maybe this time... she's built her own true love in Killington Estate. This was a really cute modern day retelling and I had fun reading it. It's got spice but it also has sweet moments and it was a really fun way to reimagine the classic story. I would definitely recommend this for fans of fairytale retellings!

*Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars

This is an odd sort of spicy romantic retelling of beauty and the beast that I imagine will work for some people and really not work for others. What’s odd you say? Oh I don’t know, the AI “butler”, her friends coming over (uninvited) at her work for a sleepover, or how weird people are about her not having a “home”. Oh no, it’s the suspenders. She’s got millions I guess, and people are always commenting on them, making her new ones, or helping her get them on. Her bookbag must be magical because it has room for five cases of this accessory alone. I became sort of wrapped up in the story and all its different beats, it ended up growing on me. Completely bonkers, but I guess so am I.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A different twist on a classic, Beauty and the Beast. "Bellamy" is hired to restore a run down mansion by a "beast" names Oliver. The world building and character descriptions by the author were great, I felt like I was in the mansion. While there are references to the classic tale, the author definitely made it their own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC**

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

I DNF'd this one, unfortunately. There was nothing particularly bad about it I just wasn't vibing with the characters and the home renovation background was only sort of interesting to me. I think people who enjoy that kind of thing will really love this! I'd definitely recommend it to the right person.

Retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a twist. Bellamy is hired to restore a crumbling mansion with a "beast" of an owner, Oliver. Locked away inside his families once grand estate, Oliver is grieving the loss of his beloved parents and brother. Bellamy arrives ready to prove she's a designer to be watched and hoping this job leads to more prestigious opportunities. The animated help has been replaced with a mostly human staff with the exception of Bl8z3, the virtual butler with an attitude. Bl8z3 is a much needed sarcastically witty addition to the house occupants. Construction issues, unexpected guests, clashing personalities lead to tension between Bellamy and Oliver. But their attraction grows as they are forced to become roommates. Sparks fly and feelings are felt. A bad decision by Oliver causes the almost couple to break apart. But the HEA ending comes with a reconciliation and declarations of love.
While parts of this retelling were clever, I felt the overall story fell a bit flat. There was too much grumpy from Oliver. The dialog between the eventual lovers was tedious at times and I felt like I wanted to skip ahead to keep the story moving. Sebastian and Finn were annoying and it was a strange twist to make them Bellamy's closest friends.
Fans of fairytale retellings may enjoy this book more than I did. For me, the story was too long, the dialog too forced, and the cast of characters a bit annoying. 3/5 stars

Mae Bennett... this book is LIFE! I really really loved reading this book... and I loved how you took Beauty and the Beast hints and clues throughout, but TRULY made it your own. That mansion seems like a DREAM... the way your writing described it made me feel like I was actually there! The characters were soooo much fun, I loved Nick, Ambrose, and Rue... but my favorite was Bl8z3... what a friggin cute character/idea. This will NOT be my last Mae Bennett book... and like your sister said (and you quoted in your acknowledgements and I edited one word) "Write the darn book already!" because I am ready for number 2!

I am completely honored that you allowed me to read and review your book. I am honestly sad it is over... And also, I want a sketch of her outfit at the "ball" because OMG it sounds like a dream! SO FUN!

Came back to add - I fell HARD for this cover... #obsessed and the title... yassss queen!

Love,
Linzie
@book.clubbin.besties

This book just wasn’t for me. It was cute, but I didn’t buy the romance between the two leads. The writing was unfortunately lacking. I liked the Beauty and the Beast retelling aspect, but it felt like everything was solved too easily at the end as well.

Thanks so much to Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC of Barely Even Friends in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 5/5

I would highly recommend reading the original story, The Beauty and the Beast, by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, ahead of reading this book. I went in only having watched the Disney Beauty and the Beast movie, and now that I’ve started reading the original, I have a much better appreciation for what the author was trying to achieve. Overall, I enjoyed this book at specific moments. Some were very beautiful and heartfelt. I will say that if you are looking for spice, it takes a while to pick up, and then there is pretty much all spice until the end. If you like grumpy /sunshine and Disney retellings don’t hesitate to pick this one up!

A great Beauty and the Beast retelling! Bell & Oliver were great modern updates and I loved Bell being a rockstar in her field and restoring the house.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this title and I am an avid fan of Beauty and the Beast romance/fairytale retellings. I enjoyed having a heroine whose occupation is a restoration/building rehab instead of her merely being a caretaker and protector of a chaotic parent like in the Disney movie. Bellamy is a great partner and moral compass for Oliver whom she gives a kick in the behind whenever he needs to quit brooding and make some positive steps forward in his life. Oliver is a great partner for Bellamy because he accepts her for who she is and that her job requires for her to be on the go when most people want a partner who will be present a majority of the time. The AI and side characters were partially responsible for the action and comedy in the book who kept me laughing and engaged when the plot was becoming predictable/a little redundant. I love that Bellamy helped Oliver stand up to his chaotic family but mostly his autocratic, condescending grandparent who maintains and blackmails Oliver with access to his trust fund. The romance was sweet with enough spice to get me reading and the suspender kink along with body positivity in the book kept me engaged and wanting to read more from this author. I will be placing a purchase request at my library for this title and would recommend to fans of Beauty and the Beast along with HGTV home renovation programs.

Bellamy Price has an offer to restore Killington Estate and this is her dream remodel. Her father has been ill so she will be running this project solo in the empty estate...or so she thinks. Oliver Killington enters the scene and he is a grump!

His parents passed in a car accident many years ago and he had a permanent injury to his leg. He became a shut in within the walls of the estate. Let me tell you, he was mad as woe when Bellamy showed up to move in and redo the estate!

Slowly Bellamy starts cracking that mean and protective shell Oliver lives under. Slow burn, sweet moments, and learning to accept yourself for who you are the main 3 things that stood out to me. I really enjoyed seeing how Bellamy came out of her shell and the way Oliver couldn't deny feelings were forming. The way he sets Bellamy off so easy is 🔥 too.
Absolutely get this on your TBR for release day on June 4, 2024!

Thank you @netgalley, @alcovepress, and @twiceuponabook for my review copy! I thoroughly enjoyed this debut from Mae Bennett and I can't wait to see what's next for her!

Bellamy Price has worked with her father for years, restoring old homes to their former beauty. When he falls ill, it's finally her turn to take on a big major project in the Killington Estate. All she has to do is deal with its grumpy resident, Oliver, and get him to let her get the work done.

This is cute. If you're a Disney obsessive like me, you'll LOVE the Beauty and the Beast references. There's no Gaston character to speak of, so don't look for him. And I like the way Lumieres's character correlation is developed.

I will say that the writing style could be a little tighter. The way the author frames her conversations, is easy to get lost in who is saying what to whom. A few times, I had to reread some conversations to sort them all out. Honestly, it almost seems as though she challenged herself to never use the word "said" in the whole book.

The love story is sweet, and completely obvious. The third act breakup is really end-of-fourth-act, and feels forced. Someone is feeling themself a little too much, and doesn't want to get any help in getting ahead. It's a stupid reason to break up. This one is quite the slow burn, and the ending feels a bit rushed. But it's a fun story that definitely held my attention.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

I really wanted to love this.

Unfortunately, this was just okay.
The romance happened very quickly: One day they hated each other, two days later they were in love.

Furthermore, I would have liked to have connected more with the characters, which I didn't.

I liked the representation and the fact that these characters had their weaknesses and desires, however, I didn't love the story.

2.5 stars

A hard-to-follow premise and stilted dialogue make Barely Even Friends a pass for me.

I was really excited to start BEF for three reasons 1) I love retellings (this one is a beauty and the beast retelling) 2) I love home restoration romances and 3) I love Mae Bennett (I'm a longtime follower of hers on social media). Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. Bellamy was a likable character with clear stakes but the rest of the plot/characters were quite strange (in a bad way, not a funny/cool way). The pacing felt rushed at times and slow at others, the dialogue was stilted and sometimes cringey, and I wasn't sensing the connection between the two MCs.

I really, really wanted to like this one :(

Thank you Net Galley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I really hate to say this especially with Beauty & The Beast being one of my all-time favorites, but this book did not live up to that premise. I could not connect with either of the main characters and it was just . . .meh. It was one of my rare DNFs --after about 25%. I tried but just couldn't get pulled into the storyline.

This book was a cute one. I could definitely see the comparisons throughout the book to Beauty and the Beast.

Ok um, it’s a no from me.
I knew this was a Beauty & the Beast retelling but I wasn’t prepared for this, this was a um well I have no words except it’s you not me, the writing style was just awful in my opinion I got like 30% thru this before I had to say DNF.