Didn’t realize this was book two so I was very confused. The pace of the book was too fast. The author did too much telling and not enough showing. It was just jumping to the next plot point and never expanding. DNF at 30%

This story is all over the place. It's hard to keep up with with all the sub plots in each chapter. They do not add acting to the main plot of the book. I wanted to love this book as I live fairytale retellings. If the subplots were removed I think this book would be great
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I had a lot of fun reading *Beast*! 🐺🌹 This gender-flipped take on *Beauty and the Beast*, with its mix of romance, fantasy, and humor, was definitely a wild ride. Jade Linwood has such a creative way of weaving fairy tales together—I mean, who wouldn’t love a mash-up of *The Bachelor*, werewolves, and cursed mansions? The chemistry between Prince Charming and the Beast was a highlight, and the mansion's magical, eerie atmosphere made it such an immersive experience.

That said, I did struggle a bit with this one since I haven’t read the first book in the series. While the story explains a lot as it goes, I could tell I was missing some key context that would’ve helped me connect the dots. Also, there were so many side plots and characters—some of which were super fun but made it a bit chaotic at times. It felt like the main romance between Charming and the Beast didn’t get as much spotlight as I’d hoped, and I really wanted more depth in their relationship. The ending also felt a little rushed, leaving me with questions about how certain things wrapped up.

Even with those hiccups, *Beast* was a charming and quirky read. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with a good dose of humor and creativity, this is one to try. Huge thanks to the publishers and Jade Linwood for the e-ARC💖🙏

Not my favorite beauty and the beast retelling but I really liked the fmc. She wasn’t the typical romantasy heroine which was really refreshing.

Fun, I didn’t love it quite as much as the third because Charming really was an ass in the first book and his redemption and guilt over his actions don’t quite ring true. But, hey, it’s a gentle fairly cozy fairytale retelling so roll with it! If you enjoyed the first book you’ll like this one too. It ends with a definite not of book three to come which I do definitely want to read after the first two.

Really struggled to get into this book, it felt scattered and disjointed.

It was an interesting take on the traditional story but it just wasn't for me

I made a mistake and didn't realize this was the second book in a series. I definitely should have DNF'd it but continued even when I was so hopelessly lost at the start. This is a culmination of several different stories all happening at the same time (with a large cast of characters), eventually piecing together to form a full picture story. But OOF getting there was confusing (again I'm mostly blaming this on the fact that I didn't read book 1). The story felt so scattered it often made it difficult for me to keep up with what was going on. I love the idea of a genderbent Beauty and the Beast, but the execution didn't work for me. In addition to being confused a lot while reading I just didn't care about the fate of the characters. Charming and the Beast had zero chemistry, and I couldn't find it in myself to root for their HEA. This one wasn't for me, but I'm guessing if you read and enjoyed book 1, you'll like this one too. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you netGallery and Solaris for the opportunity to review Beast, the options featured are my own.

Pre thoughts;
- Beauty and the beast

Post thoughts
- I liked the integration of different POV's thought the novel, an interesting way to integrate multiple plot-lines.
- A good flow to the reading
- I will be reading the first book in the series
- The romance aspects were great
- The strong female characters were amazing

tropes
- fairy tale re-telling
- magic
- limited romance
- strong female characters
- multiple POV's

3.5 stars rounded to 4

On his way to meet Mephistopheles, Charming tries to take a shortcut through the forest. But ends up finding a seemingly abandoned manor. Once he enters he soon realizes he is trapped, along with two other men, and the manor is under the curse. And the only other occupant, the lady of the house, has been transformed into a Beast. Meanwhile the ladies are waiting to meet up with Charming only to realize something has gone wrong. And they must find him to make sure they don’t feel the ripple effects of the demons wrath, should Charming not make the deadline.

This is a genderbent twist of Beauty and the Beast. And honestly I struggled through it a lot. I had trouble keeping up with the stories and characters as it kept switching between so many POVs. And this was a busy story, so much was happening. Although I gotta say when I found out what happened to the servants in the manor my jaw dropped, that seemed so cruel. I also felt like the romance fell a bit flat, for both Charming and Marie, but maybe we will see more of that in the next book. I think this would have been easier if I had reread Charming for a refresher, but in the end I did like this book.

Rating 3.5 stars

I don't know how to review this book.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This book reads more like a collection of short stories than a complete novel. Some of the chapters did not feel like they belonged to the story being told. I did enjoy the concept; that part was very intriguing, but it just fell flat for me. I liked the spin placed on Prince Charming and the fairytale princesses; I also loved the spin on the story of Beauty and the Beast.

Because I initially read this book with a different story in mind, I am willing to give it another try to see if my mind changes. Also, I am starting this world with book 2. It may be helpful to read book one and then reread this one.


Thank you to Netgalley, Rebellion | Solaris, and Jade Linwood for the ARC of this interesting book.

I read the first of these turned-upside-down fairy tales, Charming, last year and I really enjoyed it. Beast had the same easy flowing readability, and brought back the characters from the first book whilst adding some new fairy tale staples. The central story is a twisted Beauty and the Beast retelling, but there's lots more action happening in the wings. My only complaint is the cliff-hanger ending, I always feel slightly cheated without a nicely rounded finish.

I really enjoyed this book. The BATB vibes were amazing, and it was a nice palette cleanser in my opinion. I had never read anything from this author before, but definitely will in the future!

Posted on Goodreads: 3/17/2025

If you are looking for a funny fairy tale to get lost in, this book has it all. It has humor, curses, and a princely con artist who gets trapped in a rosebush surrounded mansion. This is the second book in the series, but I read it before the first book, and was able to fill in any blanks from the previous book fairly quickly. I definitely enjoyed this book, but for some readers it definitely requires a mindset shift to something more light-hearted and purely for enjoyment and laughs. I was given a chance to read this book through NetGalley and I hope it finds other fairy tale readers who enjoy it as much as I did.

This is book 2 in the charming series. It’s a beauty and the beast retelling with a twist. The book is full of humour and had me laughing out loud in parts. Would recommend if you are looking for something lighthearted and engaging.

I was really excited to read a gender-flipped retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I got so confused by all the different side stories and keeping up with all the other reimagined characters. It felt like a great idea in theory, but the execution just didn’t quite work. Also didn’t realize it was part of a series, so from the beginning, I was trying to catch up with everything that had already happened and felt like I needed some kind of chart to help me identify everyone.

Having previously read and enjoyed Charming I was eager to read this second fairy tale inspired story and I’m happy to say that I found it just as whimsical and clever as the first. We find out more about Charming this time and he does become a tad more likeable, although it is again the strong female characters and the bonds of solidarity they have formed with each other that make them the ‘hero’ characters to my mind. The story ends, as many great stories do, on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next adventure.

I am sorry but I had to DNF this book. It wasn’t my taste and I had a hard time connecting with the MMC mainly because of his name. It was too silly for me.

⭐️⭐️ (2/5)

I picked this up thinking I was in for a fun, gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and while there were definitely some entertaining moments, the book felt like it was juggling way too much at once.

Let’s start with the good: the humor. Jade Linwood has a knack for witty dialogue, and some of the comedic moments really landed. Prince Charming’s roguish charm and the whole “magical Bachelor-style competition” setup had so much potential. Plus, I loved the fairytale world-building—it’s clear the author had a blast playing around with classic characters.

But here’s where things got messy: the sheer number of POVs and side plots. Every time I got invested in Charming and Beast’s relationship, the story would jump to another subplot, leaving me frustrated. Beast, in particular, felt underdeveloped, and I really wanted to see more of her dynamic with Charming instead of bouncing between other characters. The romance should’ve been the heart of the story, but it got lost in the shuffle.

By the end, I was left feeling a bit confused and underwhelmed. It wasn’t a bad book, but it was chaotic, and I wish it had focused more on the central romance. If you love fairytale retellings with a lot of moving parts and don’t mind a bit of narrative whiplash, you might enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you Netgalley and Rebellion for the eARc.

*Beast* left me feeling puzzled and unsatisfied. While it’s a gender-swapped *Beauty and the Beast* retelling, the constant jumping between side plots featuring Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty distracted from the main romance. I wanted more focus on the Beast and Charming, but instead, the story felt chaotic and confusing.

The characters didn’t resonate with me, and the abrupt ending didn’t leave me eager for the next book. While I typically enjoy fairy tale retellings, this one missed the mark. With some editing, it could have been much better, but it wasn’t for me.

I loved initially that this was a gender bent version of Beauty and the Beast- I loved even more that it incorporated bits of other fairy tales as well. However, the execution is at times confusing. It is difficult to keep up with what is happening sometimes. Still an enjoyable story though.