Unfortunately, I’ve figured out quite fast that this book simply isn’t for me.

I was originally quite excited about a beauty and the beast retelling with a plus sized MC and some modern house renovation. It just ended up being… too on the nose. Some lines are genuinely identical to the original, and honestly that wouldn’t bother me so much if it weren’t for the other, incredibly forced lines: such as the MC saying “why do you have to be such a beast!” When the LI said something that bothered her. It’s just feeling so forced, and it a really taken me out of the story. This might work for some, it’s just not working for me.

Thank you to Alcove Press & Netgalley for this eArc!

Barely Even Friends - Mae Bennett

4🌟

This book was so heartwarming and cozy and had me flying through it.

When I started this book I had gotten myself into a small slump and I struggled to get into this but once I sat down and really started reading this I couldn’t put it down. I basically read this in one sitting.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I’m not usually a fan of the retellings but I actually really liked this one. It didn’t feel too forced to get the original story in and it really did become its own.

I loved the characters. I really enjoyed the tropes in this one as we got a bit of forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, plus size representation for both characters and a sprinkle of Taylor Swift. What’s not to enjoy.

I loved Oliver, nothing beats that grumpy man who gets his life turned upside down by the ray of sunshine FMC. I loved how after a while he was so open with his emotions and feelings towards Bell. I did want to punch him at the end when he just let her leave 👊🏻 However the declaration at the end made me forgive him.

I did really like the plot of this and how she was sent to his house to restore it. I liked the slow burn of their romance as it made the get together so much better. I loved the plus size representation, however there were moments when I felt it was too forced into the storyline. I am a plus sized girl myself and I found it too much at times.

Other than that, I really did love this one. What a debut novel by Mae Bennett and I look forward to more of her work. I highly recommend this story for those of you romance lovers and for those who like their romance with a dash of spice then you’ll want to read this one. 🌶️

Thank you to @netgalley @twiceuponabook and @alcovepress for this ARC. I really loved it and think you guys will too and you don’t have long to wait as this comes out 4th June!

2.5*

I had such high hopes for this book - a Beauty and the Beast retelling, what could be better?

The premise of the story was interesting, the crossovers to the Disney movie was unique and well done and the MMC, Oliver had some really endearing moments.

But, unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations.

The pace was a bit off and there were so many unnecessary details that did not aid the story line at all, that it took me out of the story. There were also some plot holes and disappearing characters.
I struggled to connect with the FMC as her inner monologue, dialogue and actions were rather immature.

Trigger warning: The FMC is "happily" of a bigger stature (the fact that she is "fat" is stated over and over). But, besides sweets, she forgets to eat for lengthy periods of time and the MMC has to remind/force her to eat continuously.

All in all, it was a lighter read and I am sure it will find it's place and become a favourite, as it is very inclusive and contains a lot of representation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for the ARC to read and review.

DNF at 13%. Though I'm sure this is a fairly inoffensive and run-of-the-mill romance I couldn't get past the writing and being bludgeoned in the face repeatedly with Disney's Beauty and the Beast references. I did put it down for a few days and picked it up again in case it was just a case of me being picky, but no, I did not wish to continue as the characters were pretty one-dimensional, the premise paper-thin, and the stakes just not that interesting.

It is hard to put my finger on what bothered me about about the writing style, except to say it felt juvenile and a bit too focused on how special and different the FMC was in a Wattpad self-insert kind of way. The "montrousness" of the MMC (ie. he was accused of murder! gasp) was a little heavy-handed considering he is just a rude human male not actually a snarling beast. I was actually surprised that this was traditionally published as the prose and dialogue did seem to need the assistance of a firm editor. The introduction of the Lumiere character as a house-wired AI system was interesting and unique but also a bit cringe in the way it was executed. Similarly the other Cogsworth and Mrs Potts/Chip characters seemed caricatures rather than original interpretations of the roles.

In a world where there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of similar contemporary romances being published every week it takes a little something extra to stand out from the crowd, this book just didn't have anything to keep me reading it over the next one in my TBR pile.

Not publicly reviewed due to DNF.

I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling! This was such a fun and cute one. I loved everything about Bellamy and Oliver, the banter between the two of them was perfect. He falls first and hard. He is just the sweetest grump ever!

Arc review :)

Here’s a reimagining, retelling of Beauty and the Beast, in which the “Beauty” is Bellamy (Bell), a restoration expert, and the “Beast” is Oliver, a football player in self-imposed exile (in the historic home in need of restoration) after a car accident killed his parents and left him with a career ending injury.

The premise had me hooked.

The reality had me shaking my head.

Let it be said that it works on basic spicy romcom levels. Both Bell, an unapologetic, curvy big girl with a penchant for wearing suspenders is wholly engaging. And as her love interest, Oliver is a broody, sexy beast of a man with a heart of gold under all that unkempt hair. They have chemistry for sure.

But if you look too closely at the plot, holes begin to appear - holes that any restoration expert would cringe at.

For your consideration:
•Oliver has been estranged from his twin sisters for eight years, resolved in three pages after they show up at the house - no conflict, no discussion, just, “see you at the party in a few weeks”
•A burst pipe that left an inch of water on the bathroom floor which Bell and Oliver leave for the next day, instead choosing to go to bed together
•Her best friends barge in, stay over a few…days? weeks? (the catalyst forcing her to share Oliver’s bed) and then you realize they’re gone (huh?) with none of the fanfare to which they arrived
•The last 10% of the book is unnecessary - when they reunite, there’s too much exposition
•Never a fan for poor communication, but some authors handle it more deftly than this

That said, I’m sure plenty of readers will find joy in this one.

——
The Price team is hired to restore the historic mansion of the Killington family. But it’s Bellamy who must take the lead because her father is recovering from an illness.

When she arrives, she finds surly Oliver, who has been in hiding since a car accident killed his beloved parents. He refuses to leave, is absolutely against the restoration, but is outranked by his grandfather. He has to let her in.

But as the weeks go by, Bell sees that Oliver’s anger comes from a deeper place, and the two form a tentative bond.

Can Bell fix both herself, the mansion, and Oliver before time runs out?

Thanks to @netgalley, @alcovepress for the eARC. This will be published June 4, 2024.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AlcovePress for the ARC opportunity via NetGalley
I absolutely loved this book by @twiceuponabook1. I think beauty and the beast retellings are my favourite everrrr!! And I absolutely want a bl8z3 in my house 😭 the plot progressed so well and each character is so dear to me. I’d have loved to hear from Adrian killington after he was told off though. But I like that he was basically stunned to silence😂
Wonderful book honestly!

I really thought I would like this based on its premise. Unfortunately for me, this one just felt kind of flat for me. I really enjoyed the setting and the creative take on modernising Beauty and the Beast, but I just didn't connect with any of the characters, which made it a bit of a struggle to get through.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for a review copy of this one, all opinions are my own.

This debut by Mae Bennett had a bunch of elements I love in a romance. A grumpy/sunshine, beauty and the beast retelling with plus size rep and I was a happy girl. It was also augmented with some great side characters. Which I always find so important in a romance to help flesh out the story. I think my fav had to be our sassy AI B18z3.

As for or MC's, Bellamy was such a bad ass. I love how she rocked her profession in such a male dominated industry and had such a true passion for it. As well as owning her quirks, like a love of suspenders versus a belt because they were just more comfortable.

There were lots of great little nods to the original Disney story flipped to a modern perspective:

- captivity = forced proximity
- come to life furniture = AI
- wilting rose = cute nickname
- beast/ curse = social recluse with a traumatic youth

I was also here for the spice level. Like one of my favorite t-shirts says "I still read fairy tales. they're just spicy now". Where I did struggle a bit was with some of the dialogue. It could be a bit cringey. But that can be improved upon with experience. And the insta-love as a bit of a whiplash turnaround. That said, I would still check out future books by the author. It was a solid 3.5 star read for me.

As a girl whose favorite Disney princess is Belle (what’s not to love with a secluded castle, prince in disguise, ballroom, house staff, and of course THAT library)- I loved having the opportunity from Alcove Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Barely Even Friends is a Beauty and the Beast retelling about Bellamy (Bell) Price getting her big career break restoring the dilapidated mansion of the well-to-do Killington family. What she encounters there is a mix of social cast-asides, including the heir to the Killington Estate- Oliver Killington. Oliver is fighting his own life struggles and ghosts from his past, but can these two come together for a common goal- seeing this beloved house become a home once again?

Trope:
• Enemies to Lovers
• One Bed
• Forced Proximity
• Grumpy/Sunshine

Things I Loved:
• Book Cover- I loved this book cover, the colors, and how it had such fun nods to the Beauty and the Beast movie.
• “Let me take care of you.”— Will always be one of my favorite lines to stumble upon in a book.
• Spicy-Spice-McSpice- These scenes were… (phew-fanning myself). I blame the gray sweatpants. IYKYK
• Plus-sized Rep – Especially Oliver’s love of Bell’s suspenders
• Women in non-traditional gender careers- I loved seeing Bell excel in and love her job in construction/restoration management, as well as the support in this book given to women in coding.

Things I Struggled With:
• Slow start- it was hard for me to get invested into this story until probably 40-50% in when Bell and Oliver started to interact with one another.
• I think this story would have benefited from being told through a Dual POV. There were multiple times in the book where I was dying to know Oliver’s thoughts and it would have aided the plot and pacing.
• I didn’t connect with Bell- as much as I wanted to- she just wasn’t a character I could get behind and support. Maybe it was because I felt she was very wishy-washy in her feelings for Oliver. There were many times early on in the book when Oliver would start to open up to her about his past and she would not be able to read the situation and make some off-handed comment that would cause him to shut down again. That was frustrating for me as a reader (thankfully this improved through the course of the novel). But it made Bell seem very tone-deaf to the feelings of those around her.
• Another reason I was not a fan of Bell was probably how many times she called Oliver an a**. I get the whole enemies to lovers trope thing- and believe me, I’m as sarcastic as they come in real life- but the amount of times she called him that name through the WHOLE book was overdone and not to my tastes.

Final Thoughts- This was an okay read, but I hate to admit- it did seem plucked from the depths of fanfiction (don’t get me wrong- fanfic has its time and place). I just wished for more here in this story and a stronger, more relatable heroine.

This beauty and the beast retelling was unique in some ways, but also had some small issues with pacing that is seen with a lot of debut authors.

Overall the premise was good, characters did feel a little immature at times, and the author may have leaned into some defining characteristics a little too hard and the characters came across as hard to like.

Mae, I want to thank you for reaching out to me and gifting me an arc of your debut work, Barely Even Friends. Releases June 4th, 2024.

This hit hard for the girlies who have a hard time staying in one place and are plus size. (It's me, I'm girlies). I had every emotion flowing through me as I read this piece of work.

Oliver, our gorgeous grumpy man, has gone through so much in the past few years, I truly wanted to wrap this man and hug him for ages. But the way he learned to come out of his comfort zone for Bellamy? The work he put in, in therapy, by/with himself, with everyone surrounding him, it was so beautiful. His character development from beginning to end had me in shambles. While incredibly stoic, we get a scene in the book that for me, was one of the best things I have read. Bellamy tells Oliver she only ever sees him smile on one occasion, and when he asks what that could be, she mentions whenever he's with her, he's always smiling. And truly, for a man who was abandoned by everyone in his life, for someone who truly thought and carried so much grief and hate for himself, to hear that, everything changed. Because these two truly were a match I will be screaming about forever. He learned Love Story to sing in her ear as they slow danced, like, babe, the bar is on the floor.

My sweet girl, Bellamy. Oh, I love reading happy, strong, beautiful women powering through the world like a tornado. She is everything I love in a female lead. She is resilient, incredibly hard working, and our sunshine girl. This was the first contract she'd be working on her own, her father wasn't on site with her, she wasn't someone's understudy, no, she was the boss for this renovation. The renovation in Oliver's grandfather's estate, the one Oliver is residing in. You can imagine the tension (sexually and every other word that works with them too). The grumpiness he gave off, the sunshine she kept giving him, bound to falling in love. Bellamy was also so real. She was perfect in communication. She realized she couldn't jump to conclusions when it came to Oliver as he hasn't interacted with people in years, so when he did things and she had questioned why he would do that or why he interacted that way, she took a step back and allowed things to connect before jumping to conclusion, thus, creating a much healthier relationship between them, allowing boundaries to stay drawn and respect each other every step of the way. This, I feel, allowed me to fall more in love with both of them as the book continued.

They were soft with one another, careful, caring, and in love from day one without realizing that is love for them. They were so tender, my heart exploded with every tiny interaction between them. They were both shunned away from society, feeling as if no one will ever love them. But they found so much serotonin from glances with each other, simple touches that lead to longing. I truly adore this book and will forever hold it so dearly to my heart.

Thank you so much, Mae, NetGalley, and Alcove Press for sending me this book, because truly, I needed it. <3

I went back and forth between a 3 and 4…there were some things I loved and some things I didn’t. However…these are the reasons I bumped it to a 4. 1) Spicy Beauty and the Beast retelling…enough said 2) Taylor Swift was brought up a lot! 3) One-liners and banter between characters was top notch. 4) It was a retelling without being cheesy…it had enough subtle nods that you knew but nothing over the top/cliche’ (especially since it wasn’t fantasy) 5) The creative liberties of some of the changes were perfection! If you are a Belle fan, this book is for you!

I know this is meant to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but it's just fine as a trope-y rom com with a touch of spice even if you don't want to look for B&B plot points, Bellamy is working hard to step up on her home renovation business and the job she's got now could be the thing. Unfortunately, Oliver, the grump, is still struggling after a fatal car accident and he's not inclined to agree with anything she wants to do, in part because he's got a deadline to get back to to work in the family corporation-when the renovation is done. This is sprightly and entertaining (loved the AI and Bell's friends). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for a lazy day.

*Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I was promised a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and there's no doubt that that's what I got. In some areas it felt a bit on the nose, but I really enjoyed the home renovation spin on it. I freaking loved the AI, the suspenders, and the tantric wallpaper cleaning scene. It felt like an ode to contemporary romance, but definitely takes awhile to get started. It really starts to speed up once the bathroom pipes burst, if you know what I mean.

I wish that we got to delve into Oliver's past more - how does he move past the trauma of his car accident? Is he really so gruff in his head? The book may have benefitted from having his PoV. The third act break-up didn't really make sense to me and kind of felt unnecessary, but c'est la vie.

Beauty and the Beast was and is my favorite fairytale so when I saw this cover my interest was immediately peaked. Then I saw it was a retelling and I was sold, I had to get my hands on it!

It made my inner child so happy to see parts of my beloved fairytale retold with a modern twist. It was fun seeing how many references I could pick up on. Even with it being a retelling, the story had many new aspects that made it its own. Including getting rated up to an adult romance with the addition of some spice. (This beauty and her beast sure know how to get steamy)

Found family is an underrated trope in my opinion so I love when it makes its way into a story. This cast of side characters were so lovable and amazing, they definitely delivered the warm fuzzy feeling I always hope to get with found family.

This was a solid debut and I can’t wait to see what Mae does next!

This was an adorable story! When I heard “Beauty and the Beast retelling”, I knew I had to read this one because that is my all-time favourite fairytale, and this didn’t disappoint. It had so many references to the “original source material” and I loved how Mae put her own spin on everything.

I felt so much sympathy and cheered Bellamy on all the way through the book, her self doubts and her hopes and her fears, all nurtured of course by our broody beast of a protagonist, Oliver. He was the perfect foil for Bellamy, a real grumpy versus sunshine which I love!

And of course the review wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the supporting cast - Bellamy’s friends in particular were hilarious.

If you love Beauty and the Beast, I’d definitely not miss out on this one! I know this won’t be the first review to say it but - it’s a tale as old as time!

What a fun spin on a tale as old as time! Full of sexy situations and talking AI ala Tony Stark's in avengers this was a fun romance you don't want to miss.

I wanted to love this so much! But parts of the story just moved a little slow for my taste. I enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast connections and the originality.

Bellamy Price has created a name for herself under the umbrella of her father's building restoration business. She has big dreams, but one of those dreams is not getting into another relationship. With her father slowing down, it is up to Bell to keep the business running and her reputation for doing the impossible alive and well.  Bell has begun to believe that she is a rolling stone, one who definitely shouldn't be falling for the mysterious resident of the Killington Estate.  Oliver Killington is the heir to a major fortune, but after the traumatic car accident that took his parents and his time in football away, he wants nothing more than to hide from the spotlight.  As Bell swings her hammer at the biggest restoration project of her life, Oliver tries to block her changes.  She has everything to lose if she fails, but Bell is as tough as the nails she hammers. Oliver is under an ultimatum. Either return to the Killington empire at the end of the renovation or lose everything.

Mae Bennet gives readers a bright story with hints of Succession and a wealth of well-written sex scenes. Barely Even Friends is a modern romance with delightful dialogue and loveable characters, including a curvy main character. The household staff at the Killington Estate are charming and delightful.  Bennet does a great job of combining pop culture, a solid plot, and a romance that curls the reader's toes.

Barely Even Friends is now available.