Wow I am really surprised how much I liked this. When I first started I was impressed by the writing then I noticed how much it was like one of my favorite books Beauty by Robin McKinley. I wonder if she got her idea from that book. I have read that book so many times I knew where this one was different and the differences were awesome. There is room for improvement in the movement of the book. I would get a little lost at times. There was a lot of back and forth. I wonder if it the released version this will be broken up better. It was so fast paced I swallowed this book up so quickly. Beauty by Robin is a much slower book. But at the same time I wanted it to slow down and wanted more! This is an author I will be following. Just loved the writing.
Here is a sample of a couple of my favorite lines.
''We were shoulder-deep in truth, and I felt the thorns"
"I think......." I swallowed. "I think God makes light out of darkness. But the darkness still exists.'
This is not a book filled with religion but there is a part near the end with talk of God. I included a bit of it above. This is a sweet romance with a couple of kisses.
There is a rape and the aftermath that drives this book. It is handled beautifully. I would let my 16 year old read this.

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast with significant twists
This book although a retelling of Beauty and the Beast maybe darker than what you expect. This retelling has Beauty fleeing to the castle not only to save her father but escape her suitor who has abused her and forced himself on her while she was unable to defend herself. The book is well done but that dark thread weaves its way throughout the story as Beauty struggles to move on with unknowing help from the Beast. It also introduces the idea of finding happiness and joy when you strive for contentment in your circumstances. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

I love Beauty and the Beast and reading various renditions of this classic story. Combining a classic fairytale with Fantasy makes for an intriguing story. There is a lot more backstory and history of Beauty's story that creates a creative and unique spin on this classic. It is also emotional and perhaps darker than other re-tellings. Instead of focusing on what the the Beast did to turn into a Beast and the ugliness of his character, if focuses on Beauty what true beauty is. There is trauma in her life that completely flips how she views the world, others and herself. It can be triggering for some as it is very sensitive in nature. She rises from the ashes of this traumatic event to learn to love and trust others and more importantly, herself. Andre was wonderful and so caring and patient. I loved the "not necessarily happily ever after, but still a happily ever after" epilogue. I loved this book and would recommend it for lovers of this classic tale.

Beauty Reborn is a pleasant retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed the main characters, Beauty and Beast. Their intersections were genuine and honest. I loved Beauty's whimsy and their playful banter with one another. If I could change one thing, I would add more to the details of the story--giving the reader a more complete tale. Overall an enjoyable read.

This is a new author to me and am definitely going to have to look up more of her work. This was such a fun re-telling of beauty in the beast.

3 1/2 elevated to 4.

This was a surprising, intriguing read.

The cover and the premise pulled me in and the writing kept me going. It's a different twist on B&B but one that works. It's not a light version; there is trauma and darkness that drives the characters, and the development of the relationship between the main characters is the strongest point.

I receive a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Although not very long, Beauty Reborn is a fantastic new addition to the YA genre. Readers who enjoyed Robin McKinley’s Beauty and those for whom Laurie Haulse Anderson’s Speak was written will find Beauty Reborn an important book to access on the shelves, as both a creative retelling of a well known fairy tale that still feels unique and as a character who reacts realistically to the trauma she is recovering from.
Beauty begins with the family recently impoverished and required to move to a small cabin near the woods and quickly differentiates the characters, making them decently well rounded for the short time we meet them before Beauty is alone in the Beast’s castle. The author deals with a hard subject well, weaving the history of what occurred into the current timeline and allowing Beauty to be both a human with mistakes as well as a person who was attacked and needs to find a way to recover. This balance is important; too often characters need to recover from traumatic events and are portrayed either as inhuman in their ability to “get over it” or as a victimized character that never made mistakes at all. Yet Beauty straddles the fence expertly, and should be offered hand in hand with Speak.

"He reached for me, pulled me close. I raised on my toes to kiss him. He was as gentle in his kiss as he was in everything else. This was no consuming fire. It was comfort. Safety. And a little thrill all the way down to my soul."

This was a sweet, slow-burn Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was easy to read, and had enjoyable characters. While there are similarities to the original tale, this story still stands on its own. The magic and storytelling was throughly enjoyable. For those looking for a retelling without the spice, this story is very tasteful and clean.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story a bit basic. While there were some variations between this retelling and the fairy tale, I would have loved to see the story stretched a bit further.

Beauty's character arc was very well written. I loved getting to see how she gradually was able to recover and rise from the pain of her past.

Beast was a nice, considerate love interest, but I never really fell in love with him. I feel like seeing him encounter the villain would have made him a much more loveable character.

Content warning: This book refers to rape (nothing is shown). Age range: 14+

Overall, I enjoyed this story about the individual worth of each person, no matter their internal or external scars.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable but not for me at this moment. The characters and world building where good but something about the story just didn't click with me.

To say I was "pleasantly surprised" by this book would be an understatement. From the first sentence I was drawn in to a unique and wonderful retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

In an un-assuming story there are simple truths every woman needs to understand - Beauty can come from ashes, bad in the world does not mean everything is bad. There are, in strange places and people, amazing things found and discovered. Haven't we all hidden, run away, built for ourselves walls that no one was meant to breach? And, when the shadows press, have we not also faced them; pushed through the thorns, accepted the scratches and scars and faced down our fears? And what if in doing so something beautiful blooms, a rose so rare that it is a sacred thing? What if running to our certain demise turns into our destined salvation? This is the story of Beauty as never seen before. A story of undoing, and of becoming. A story of fire that burned a world to ash, first loves that destroyed and gentle grace that made the ash beautiful and second loves better than the first. Do not pass on this re-telling.

Beauty is the youngest of the Acton children, given to whimsy and musing. The Beast is an enchanted prince in a castle surrounded by an enchanted forest. And Stephan - well Stephan is painted in a much different light than ever before.

This book is worth the read, it's worth pre-ordering on Amazon. This book deserves a space on everyone's shelf.

Some of my favourite quotes from the book follow

"...But I knew it would fall again. Because what was lost would not regrow, and it would continue to struggle, so there was nothing to do but fall."

....it would have thrilled to the old Beauty. But this one was in hiding, and down the path ahead of me, I saw only exposing light. The beast had secrets, but so did I. Best to leave secrets in the dark.

"I'd foolishly opened the door, and the wind had blown in grains of truth I couldn't sweep back out"

"It was too much to ask a man to resist the beauty before him..../He [Stephan] would have said the rose had deliberately plated itself in my father's path to temp him. "Men fall for the sake of a rose," I said...."

"....I would have to pick through the pieces carefully, see the intentional harm when I didn't understand it, try to find where the cracks had begun, wonder if I should have noticed them sooner. I would pick through the tray of glass fragments until every piece was slick with blood and I could no longer see the edges and I was no closer to understanding and all I felt was pain"

"I lived in a different castle one," I swallowed. "And I gave a man a room. But when I wouldn't give him anything else, he took the castle by force. And then I had nothing left to give."

" ' there is a piece of me,' I said, 'taken by force. That is yours. Content yourself with it. My hope is that it will become a fire, and on your lowest night, it will turn on you and scorch your conscience'"

A Beauty and the Beast retelling, complete with magic, a fairy, intuitively responsive furniture, and many enchanted things. I could have frankly done without the magic. The thing is, I think there's a really powerful story here about sexual assault and I would have preferred to read it in a book based more in the realm of reality. That said, I do like Beauty, most of her family, not Astra obviously, but her father and brother were both great and supportive. Andre could have had more of an arc, but I did like that their HEA was not typical, that was more realistic for sure. Overall, a worthy read, I'm probably not the target audience but that doesn't diminish a book's worth. I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for an honest review.

Here is the review I posted on NetGalley.
Thanks again for allowing me to read this book.

** I’m not a native speaker 😊 **
Thanks to #Netgalley for offering me the chance to read a free copy of this book.

Beauty Reborn is a beautiful retelling of "Beauty & the Beast". While it follows parts of the original story and gives a nod to Disney's version, it also offers tons of original elements.

In BR, Belle is much more than a beautiful & clever girl. She has the kind of backstory that will make you curious about how her story ends... even if you know about her tale.

The first part of the book felt a bit rushed or at least very quickly paced. But the story slowed down after a while, offering enough flashbacks to provide all the needed decorum to fully enjoy reading Belle's journey.

Looking forward to seeing whether E. Lowham will offer us another retelling :)

Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain for approving my request!

Overall I thought the book was good, the written was phenomenal, Beauty's character was really good. Beast I can't say a lot because he didn't talk that much lol.
This retelling is very close to the Beauty and the Beast, no much different.
I just wished there was more romance, and that the beast would had talked more.
I thought that the first 70% of the story was OK, after that it picked up and the real drama started lol.

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
Reference to S.A.

Well, like I said the book was good and I would recommend it.
Hopefully there is a sequel about Astra. I would love to read it and find out what happens with her character!

I have always loved Beauty and the Beast and most retellings. This is a worthy addition!

A short read but once you get into it, it draws you in and then this passage knocked me over:
“I lived in a different castle once.” I swallowed. “And I gave a man a room. But when I wouldn’t give him anything else, he took the castle by force. And then I had nothing left to give.”

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

Pleasantly surprised by this book. There are many beauty and the beast retellings but I found this one whimsical, fast paced, and and an overall enjoyable read. I liked the characters but didn’t feel like they had enough development (my only complaint). But overall, I really enjoyed this and the writing style.

I love a good Beauty and the Beast story. This one was unique and touched on a subject that is often not talked about and hard to read about, but it was done in such a way that was healing and hopefully helpful for anyone who has had that trauma happen in their life.

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! It captured my interest from the very beginning and I quickly and instantly fell in love. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

A lovely retelling of beauty and the beast embedded with the very difficult theme that many can relate to. It reminded me of McKinley's retelling of Beauty as well as Deerskin and the trauma that comes from assault. While I found a few gaps in the narration and character development they were minor; I enjoyed the book and would read more by this author.

#BeautyReborn #NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book. A beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Beauty is a strong, brave, and clever heroine who leaves her family to find out about her self and save a cursed prince.

2/5 stars! I love a good fairytale retelling. My concern will this story is that it was barely a re-telling. It was almost just the normative Beauty and the Beast by a new author, rather than a unique re-telling utilizing only some of the original constructs. An enjoyable read but it doesn't feel fair to rate something so unoriginal higher.

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

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I do quite like fairytale retellings in general, so I was really looking forward to this one! I did find it quite slow…this story is definitely more about conversations and character interactions rather than action and major plot points for me. The world building was done really well, I would have liked a bit more background building. Also, check TWs! Overall, a solid, mostly enjoyable book without being particularly brilliant.

2.75 stars out of 5.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The first 60 pages of this book I didn’t really like it that much, it dragged on for me and didn’t have that much depth. The second part picked up its pace and was way better.

I did not love this book as much as I thought I would though, the characters didn’t have that much depth to me and the story itself like I mentioned before took a really long time for me to get into.

Overall it was good, but maybe with more pages it couldve given the characters more personality traits other than Whimsy and a Beast. I know almost nothing about Beast, except for what he was and that was at the end of the book.

I did find the way of healing very comforting in this book, please check the trigger warnings if you’re going to read this book by the way!

I was able to read this as an ARC provided by Shadow Mountain Publishing and Net Galley

I love fairy tale retellings. I love Beauty and the Beast. So, it was enjoyable to get another take on the tale with the author's unique perspective and approach to the tale.

The author remains true to the classic tale we all know, with the magic of fairies and curses that make a man a beast and a castle alive with helping hands.

Something I do appreciate about this book is how the author ties in real issues like sexual assault and emotional abuse in family dynamics. So, it was good to see that approach and have that representation and I liked seeing that growth and how it was addressed especially in building trust with someone new.

There were some developmental things that I had issues with, plot wise especially, and I feel like we could have gone more in depth with character and explored this world a little more. It felt basic, surface level. I wish we could have explored the magic of the world a little more and that the side characters felt more fleshed out and less cartoonish, especially in regards to the sister. But I think this is still a good book and I would recommend it to others!

I was pleasantly surprised with this story. The beginning was a bit slow for me, but once I understood more (by continuing to read) I became invested in the story.

While drawing closely to the normal fairy-tale, I think there are enough differences to call it a retelling. The character arcs were by far my favorite aspect of the story. I loved Beauty’s reflection upon herself, her actions, and the treatment of her family. The lessons she learns in while in the castle and the slow rebuilding of trust were extremely well written.

I love the humility of Beast. He had truly changed as well and while we don’t see that change on page, we see the effects of it. I also really enjoyed how Beauty was able to help him.

I was concerned with the depiction of God and religion in the beginning, but I also realized that Beauty had changing to be done, and there was growth that need to occur so I continued to read and I was glad with the later mentions of God and religion.

While I ultimately enjoyed the book and found much to compliment it on, I would not label this as YA. The sexual assault, while also off page, is a heavy topic and leads to heavy feelings and lingering issues for Beauty. I have a teenage daughter and I would not be comfortable with her reading this. It was too much for YA in my opinion. I do think it is fine for an adult level.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

3-3.5 stars really, but I rounded up.

This book starts out all over the place. It was very hard to follow at first. The set-up and tie-in for the classic Beauty and The Beast tale was pretty nonexistent at first. It's a lot of narrative and jumbled thoughts from Beauty, trying to follow the setting, the history, the plot. After the beginning settles down into a consistent timeline, then I was able to follow the story better. The premise is excellent. The retelling with that twist is good and thought-provoking. It's the execution that needed more refinement. There are the similarities to the original (movie I guess since I've never actually read the original fairytale), but it does veer into its own world and own plot. There is a rose. There is a beauty. There is a beast. There is a father and a town and an enchanted castle created by a fairy. But it is completely different at the same time.

The times where Beauty and Beast interact and are growing together and their play/imagination are excellent and the best parts of the book. The past that Beauty is recovering from and healing from needed even more development, in my opinion, to really show the contrast between the two. There's no Gaston/villian-type resolution like there is in the movie (not sure about the original fairytale as I've never read that one). That would have had a tremendous impact on the story as well. Beauty does confront him and get her resolution, but it falls short for the impact.

Beauty's family is bigger than in the movie (again, I'm not sure about compared to the original) so there's more dynamic there, but even that needed more development, at the beginning of the book would have been good, where it was so disjointed that I didn't connect with any of it. For a retelling, there's very little set-up and explanation of THIS story, which it desperately needs. We need to know THIS story, THIS background, THIS setting, Beauty's family in THIS situation explained, developed. And it's all really missing, until further into the book, when I was already confused and struggling. Again, there are such magical moments between Beauty and Beast and the castle and the enchanted objects that I LOVED those, but it came just too late. The set-up needed to be stronger, bigger, more developed sooner. It is heavy and darker/noir-feeling because of why Beauty needs to be "reborn" so that contrasts with the magical/happy moments and does portray the seriousness of Beauty's harsh past with love. Beauty's sister Astra's moment at the end was a bit odd, for me. I could see why it was added, but it felt like it was used in place of the Gaston/villian character and didn't 100% work for me. The fairy was also portrayed so differently in this version than in the movie as trying to help Beast (and others) learn a lesson but just as a mean, though almost indifferent magical character who didn't really care about the people she granted wishes to, only how her magic is used.

Overall, the 3-3.5 stars rating. So why did I round it up to 4? Because of the good moments, the excellent writing moments, the hope and promise and redemption for Beauty and Beast that do come, the ending portrayed in the epilogue, and the potential I see in this writer for further books to develop even more on these good moments she showed in this book.

Content: Clean, although there is the subject of rape and mention of when it occurred, although not overly described in graphic detail. This is not a light, happy retelling. It is dark/noir/heavy in a lot of ways, but the moments that are bright are wonderful. If this is being billed as a YA book, I disagree. More for older/New Adult readers instead, in my opinion.

3.5/5

I loved the premise of this book. I adore Beauty and the Beast retellings, so I was really looking forward to reading. Unfortunately, the beginning felt really disjointed and it was hard to follow what was going on. The author tends to tell, not show, and that made it more difficult to read as well. As I kept reading, it did get a bit easier to understand and I was able to enjoy it more. The moments between Beauty and Beast where they started to learn and care more about each other were really lovely to read and the best parts of the book. The other characters felt a bit flat, and I think the relationship between Beauty and Beast needed more time to develop.

Other than that, I liked this story. If the execution was cleaned up a bit, it would be a really good read!

#BeautyReborn #NetGalley

Best retelling of beauty and the beast I have ever read!! It is definitely a different take on the story, but with so much development and the characters have so much depth, even the extras. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes good writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lowham for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This 100% needed a trigger warning at the beginning of the book. I would have enjoyed it more had I expected the heavy topic of rape. Especially from a publisher like shadow mountain. I was impressed with the writing and satisfied with the story, the way the rape was handled and how everything tied up, but my experience reading would have been so much better had I been emotionally prepared. I also think it could have used a lot more dialogue to move us quicker through the story.

It’s an important story that needs to be told. But omg use a trigger warning.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! I love a good fantasy retelling, and I enjoyed reading this one! It was a nice quick read, and I needed something light and easy to read after reading a few Agatha Christies.

SO, things I liked about this book! I liked the Beast and Beauty's relationship, they're cute together, and I really liked all the descriptions of the castle. I liked the fact that there wasn't a ton of conflict, because I really didn't want the book to be stressful. I kept expecting the Blue Fairy to be worse, but like the only real big conflict is when Astra goes to the castle and stuff.

Things I didn't like! I think most of the characters were kind of flat, and I found Beauty a tiny bit annoying, but honestly not that much, so I don't mind it. I wish the story had been a bit more of a twist on the original, because while I liked this book, I wish I could have seen more of the author's ideas and creativity in it.

I love Beauty and the Beast, so I was excited to read this re-telling. In this story, Beauty runs toward Beast rather than away. Why?

For me, this book was more about Beauty’s growth and healing than the romance (and I’m ok with that). I liked watching the process as she remembered and tried to work through her past. The romance was slow-burn and sweet, and I love the way they forged their connection. This was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to more from this author.

TW: rape - not detailed

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

As a big fan of Beauty and the Beast, I knew this was a book I had to read.

It was well written and drew me in straight away. Not a version of the story I had ever come across before. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own

I’m a fan of fairy tail retellings, and the last time I read a Beauty and the Beast retelling I loved, it was Beauty, by Robin McKinley. Beauty Reborn delves into healing after SA. Beauty, the FMC, would rather go in her father’s place and risk a beast in a castle than the beast of a man she knows back home.

I enjoyed this retelling, and Beauty’s voice, especially as it touches on topics of healing and trauma, family vs obligations.

Beauty Reborn is a fairytale retelling full of self discovery, healing and self-examination. Beauty goes through some tragic things and in her journey to heal herself she saves the Beast as well. This book went quite a bit deeper than I was expecting. It deals with some intense topics and is not meant for the faint-hearted. That being said, it is written very well. The character development is spot on and the redeeming arc is so satisfying at the end.

Beauty Reborn is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with both similar and unique twists to the original tale. It’s a decent length—not too long but not too short—and each chapter wasn’t that long either, so I was able to get through this book pretty fast (plus, it helps being a very fast reader 😉).

I’m giving this book 4 stars for two reasons, one positive and the other constructive criticism. So let’s start with the positive.

There were some scenes in the story that I really liked between Beauty and Beast. Some that were tender and pure and touching. And I liked that how, while this story shared some similarities—Beauty’s love for books, their slow enemies-to-lovers trope, etc.—there were unique elements, such as Beauty’s fear of relationships because of past trauma, which the author handled very well. How Beast treated and cared for Beauty and was so respectful of boundaries after what she’d gone through was so touching.

And now the constructive criticism….

The beginning of the story was much too fast paced and not enough space of the book was devoted to setting up the story and establishing a solid beginning plot. Also, the climaxes of the story fell short for me and definitely left me wanting more. The rest of the book was fine, but definitely the pivotal scenes in the book were a tad disappointing to me.

However, all that to say, the author has a lovely writing style and I’m glad to have read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of Beauty Reborn. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

"It’s true what the folktale says: I did choose to live with the beast. But not for the reason you think. Not to save my father. Not even to save myself. In truth, I was hoping I’d be eaten"

Wow I was captivated by the first paragraph. As a fan of Beauty and The Beast I was excited to read this!

The story has different backgrounds for the characters and doesn't follow the original, it made the story unique and darker. The start of the story was a fast paced one, I actually got confused at first because of the back and forth narrative and the transition felt a bit rough. But after I got the hang of it I could follow the pattern.

It was unfortunate that this story had a short climax where it started around 90%. It was too rushed. I also felt unsatisfied with Astra' and Stephan' endings. Their endings were abruptly ended, I don't think they got what they deserved after everything they've done.

Have I mentioned that the interactions between Beauty and The Beast are the cutest?! Love them and their developments!

To those who enjoy Beauty and The Beast retellings, this book might just for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: SA

I will be honest, I love fairy tale retellings. And Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites. This one hit the ball out of the park.

Beauty has been a used by a man, a man she once loved. Her family has fallen on hard times and has moved to the country. Life is hard, and soon her father comes back with a rose and a tale. Beauty chooses to run from her family and her pain.

Beast has his own story, not a prince gone bad, but a humble man making bad choices and wishes.

I loved the relationship these two built, the trust that grew, the opening of hearts and honesty that developed. I loved watching them both heal from their past. I cheered for their ability to change their past into a new future. Well done!

There are some things I liked about this book and others I definitely didn't. I really appreciated the few new twists on an old and beloved fairy tale with differing motivations behind what many of the characters did. I did not, however, like how closely this follows the tale of Beauty and the Beast. I prefer my retellings to be more "inspired by" the original. The author's writing style is easy to read and flows well, which allowed this to be a very quick read for me. I enjoyed this book but feel like it may be missing something. I like how it focuses on healing and grief as Beauty deals with the tragedy she's been through. I do wish we could get more personality from Beast and the epilogue is too long.

*TW: rape (not graphic or specific)

Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain for my complimentary copy of this book. All opinions here are my own.

I just finished Beauty Reborn and my mind and heart are bursting with praise. This was beautiful. I loved the imagery and the writing style. “Then I took the staircase to my room and played my violin until I was certain the grooves in my fingertips would never fill again.” There were details like this throughout the story that really added to it. I get like I was there. It’s been awhile since I’ve been so attached to a character. I felt that Beauty was so well developed and I really cared about her sorrows and phantoms. There were triggers for sure in this story. I know victims of sexual abuse and I felt that this story really told their story. That the author really understands and beautifully told the reality of that situation. It gave me hope for my dear friends in this situation. That God can make Beauty from ashes. This is a unique take on this fairy tale and I think it absolutely adds to the fairy tale. This wasn’t a stockholm syndrome story nor was it a happy ever after Beauty is now a princess story. I liked how the wish from a fairy taught a valuable lesson about being human and the importance of living with lessons learned instead of regrets.
This book was clean. Some mild kissing and alluded to sexual assault. (Was not described in detail at all) There are several instances where different situations cause Beauty to have moments of trauma/ remember what happened to her but it’s also vague.
I absolutely recommend this book and I absolutely would read it again. I’ll definitely be purchasing a print copy for my personal collection.

I'm so captivated with this Beauty and the Beast retelling!
(Mind you, this isn't a fanciful, Disney retelling!)
In this version, our Beauty flees to the Beast's castle to escape an abusive suitor.

I loved the wit between Beauty and the Beast. The way that things slowly unfolded in their relationship.
This story is fast paced, and made reading it quick!

If you're a fan of fairytales and retelling you'll enjoy this one!

Rounding up from 4.5

*Trigger warning, discusses sexual assault.

This book overall was really well written. This was the first book I read by Elizabeth Lowham, and I enjoyed her writing. It very much had the fairytale feeling that you want in a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling. I thought the characters were well done and I enjoyed reading a new take on this story.

The story does have some heavy parts though. The book does discuss Beauty's sexual assault by Stephan (the Gaston character of the book). I do think this topic is important, and so I appreciated that it was discussed but it does definitely make the story heavier. Beauty does struggle with trauma and is rightfully deeply distrustful, so that adds to the heaviness.

Overall, the details are thankfully very vague on the actual assault other than a basic sentence saying it occurred. The story mostly focuses on the emotional aftermath of it In all, for anyone who has experienced sexual assault, I feel it's important to know that this topic is cover before making the decision to read.

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite faitlry tale and I love retellings. This one was amazing.

The characters were well written. They had a depth that came off the page. They could have been real people. The story flowed and the jump between the past and the present was flawless.

She took the fairy tale as we knew it and add to it and it enhanced the story.

The downsides were while I liked Beauty's character, she came off stiff. The way she did something or said something at times were hard to believe. I also think there could have been more to the story. More interactions between Beauty and Beast. It felt like a chunk of the story was missing.
Stephen's character didn't really add to the book, except for what he did to Beauty. You could have taken him out and it would not have made a difference.

Overall, beautifully written and would recommend. I hope to see more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me a chance to read and review this book. This review is entirely my own.

This novel, "Beauty Reborn", was a fascinating retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I am here for it! Great read.

A YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast, not overly original, taking the same ingredients, the same settings, but adding chatterbox features to Belle. I did not really enjoy the main character and had just hoped for more new-ness in the story. The writing was good, but I can't help feeling a little disappointed, there is just too many good takes on the Beauty and the Beast out there for this one to stand out.

Beauty Reborn is a beautiful, poignant, and bittersweet retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast. Whether you're a fan of the classic or the Disney movie versions, you will be happy with this version.
There are definite differences that make this version new. Many elements of philosophy-- what determines who or what is beauty and what makes one a beast?-- are explored in the plot. Very integral to this story is Beauty finding her strength to stand up for herself in a very important way.
The story flows well and is a real page turner. Highly recommend!

This is a retelling of beauty and the beast. Very similar to the original tale but also has some twists and turns. I loved that Beauty still loved books and the beast got a different story for why he was a beast. I liked their tender relationship and how it developed. If you like retellings I would recommend.

At first I wasn’t sure if I would like this rendition. But in the first chapter the author sticks to the orginal not Disney style of this lore and I knew it was gonna be good.the author adds enough differents to the story to make it unique and wondering what’s going to happen next.. I loved the way the characters relationships progressed through the story..
It’s an easy read and perfect for anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast.

The cover drew me in, but the gorgeous writing had me finishing this book in one day. It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with some unique twists and turns. Beauty (her actual name) goes to live in an enchanted castle to pay a debt incurred by her father. Once there, she meets Beast.

The story is so well written and beautiful, I found myself highlighting most of it. Beauty's humor and sarcasm, however, were my favorite parts. Great storytelling with a unique spin. Any lover of fairytales will love this book.

Trigger warning: Sexual Assault

Thank you Netgalley, Elizabeth Lowham and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Spoilers -
Beauty Reborn was very fun and intriguing. I love how the beast was too shy to show himself to Beauty, it made him more interesting as a character. The relationship between the sisters was also realistic. I would love to know what happened to Astra and how she, if ever, completes the curse and hope it would change her as a person.

Beauty and Beast retelling tag and that alluring cover image were enough two reasons for me to request this book from Net Galley and truthfully was happy I did so.

Elizabeth Lowham’s imagination of the tale is sweet and romantic and at the same time kind of touching. With a different background provided for Beauty for walking into the forest and a different reason for the Beast to be turned into what he is, the author brings a fresh perspective to this oft repeated tale. The slow burn romance between Beauty and beast was wonderful with tender hearted moments that left me sighing.

Beauty’s traumatic ordeal I wish had evoked more empathy in me, somehow it just seemed to be something that was just there and not really felt. The author’s writing was exceptional with amazing quote worthy lines.

"I lived in a different castle one," I swallowed. "And I gave a man a room. But when I wouldn't give him anything else, he took the castle by force. And then I had nothing left to give."

Easy to read though I wished the pacing was kept to a standard, the beginning and climax felt kind of rushed while the central part of the story went at a moderate pace. Well, if you are a fan of the Beauty and Beast retellings, then this one is surely up your alley.

Delightful.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

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I cannot express how much I loved this. A retelling of beauty and the beast with a twist, a cute, short romance. I've always been a fan of beauty and the beast and I was nervous going into this that it would be cliche and just follow the original story, however Beauty Reborn has a uniqueness to it that most retellings don't. In line with the original, Beauty is a strong female lead, however she has a big family and is more mature than the original, I felt she had a lot of depth and I enjoyed reading her emotional journey and character arc - instead of being your regular perfect female lead she does have flaws (which could make you dislike her) but she doesn't change them but instead learns to accept them. Another part I really enjoyed was the mix of magic, the fairy's in this book are a lot darker than you'd find in a usual retelling and all magic has consequences and regrets. Beast's character also had so many more layers to him than I expected, but I do wish you learned more about his past, and his interactions with Beauty are adorable. Overall I just enjoyed this so much it was just such a fun read and I hope Lowham does more retellings soon.

I laughed repeatedly at Beauty’s comebacks and her sense of humor. Her relationship with her sister was so sad to me and it makes me thankful for the bond I have with my sister. Another thing I thought was amazing was how on the same day I read Genesis 41-42, I read this book and Beauty brought up the story of Joseph. All in all I loved this book so so much and I highly recommend!!

Content warning, mentions of sexual assault, but the author handled it really well.

I received an eARC from netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

I absolutely adore fairy tale retellings, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites. In this version, Beauty runs to the Beast, not just to save her father, but also because she's not sure she wants to survive. Instead of constantly asking Beauty to marry her, Gaston...I mean, Stephan, choose to take what he wants to force her into it.

This is not an action packed story; it's much more a story of healing and finding oneself. However, the pacing was still very well done, I never got bored, and managed to finish it one sitting. The only thing I wished had been done in more depth was the relationship between Beauty and Beast. It was missing the spark I needed to love them together.

I do love a good fairy tale retelling, and this one was whimsical and lovely! I truly enjoyed reading about Beauty's days in the castle, as she realized its magic and gently began to unravel the mystery of the Beast. Long hours spent together without actually seeing each other lent a mysterious quality to the story.

I really appreciate that the author of this book, a survivor of sexual abuse herself, sought to weave a tale of acceptance and love for those who have suffered in a similar way.

I did wish that the main character's name hadn't been "Beauty." It felt a bit too trite and unoriginal in what was otherwise a creative retelling! Some aspects of the story were not fleshed out enough to make sense to me, such as the story of Beauty's mother and father. It also seemed rather far-fetched to believe that a father who is described as being so kindhearted would not have at least tried to go after his daughter. In spite of several plot holes, and a lack of development in some areas, this story was fun to read!

CW: SA- While this book alludes to SA, it does not spend too much time on it and just lets you know that it happens. With how the whole book was, I was happy that the moment was not really focused on and that there weren't too many details.

This Beauty and the Beast retelling hit me in a way I didn't know I needed. As a SA survivor, you learn that the trauma may always stay with you and learning to accept that is hard. This story was not what I thought it would be, but it was almost therapeutic to watch Beauty try to work through that same trauma.

I truly enjoyed how this story was written. The author's writing style had me captivated from the first page and I managed to read this in a day because I just could not put it down. I even went to a trivia night with friends and found myself still picking it back up in between rounds as I just needed to see what happened next.

I felt like although the root of the plot was Beauty and the Beast (magic rose, a beast in a castle, woman goes in place of father, etc), that wasn't really the focus of this story. It was more centered around Beauty's trauma and not knowing how/who to trust.

The only reason I would not rate this higher is that I felt there were some spots that fell short, such as with Astra. I wanted more growth from her even if she wasn't the center of the story.

OVERALL:
A beauty and the beast retelling, where Beauty’s name is really Beauty. Something terrible happens to her, and she runs away to take the place of her father, basically because she’d rather die than stay. Very similar type of Beauty and the Beast story, with a few exceptions (sexual assault, how the spell works). But it’s still a HEA.

20 Seconds
Beauty Reborn is about a girl named Beauty who by her own words is “whimsical” (cue the most overused word in the book) and when she spurns a rich baron, he attacks her. The story is the same regarding her father taking a rose, and her sneakily taking her father’s place at the Beast’s castle as punishment. And the rest is also pretty much the same. Beast under spell, knows how to break it, but can’t, girl shows up, they learn to like and trust each other…you get the picture.

My Favorite Part:
This is not my favorite part, but what I appreciated most was what I felt was a realistic portrayal of Beauty’s processing her assault.

I absolutely adore fairy story retellings, though they vary wildly on who does it justice and who is off with the fairies. This one didn’t disappoint. It had enough of its own point of view to make it worth reading. It needed to be a bit longer, with some more background on the family, and the whole storm/ rose stealing scene was barely a blip on the radar, which if it was more thorough could have done a lot to further delve into the character of the Beast. The characters definitely had room to evolve more, especially the Beast, he seemed a bit insipid, and there was so much more that could have been developed in terms of the enchanted wood and the fairy wishes. I appreciated the backstory of Beauty and Stephan, it was dealt with very tactfully and eloquently. I’d come back for more from Elizabeth Lowham. I appreciated the opportunity to read an advance copy through NetGalley in return for my honest opinion and review.

Quite a superb retelling! Well written and beautifully tragic in places. The dynamics between the family members are unique to each person. I found Beauty an interesting character, with her despairs, hopes and intelligence. This story focuses mainly on her growth and success in overcoming her fears.

"Beauty Reborn” by Elizabeth Lowham is a captivating retelling of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" tale. The novel beautifully intertwines elements of PTSD and sexual assault, which are handled with sensitivity and depth throughout the book.

The protagonist, Beauty, is a strong and independent character who is forced to confront her traumatic past when she ultimately sacrifices herself to the “fierce beast” her father is indebted to. The relationship that develops between Beauty and Beast is complex and emotional, with both characters struggling to overcome their own personal demons.

Lowham’s portrayal of PTSD and sexual assault is handled with care and respect, adding depth and nuance to the story. The characters' journeys to healing and redemption are heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, making for a deeply moving reading experience.

The world-building in "Beauty Reborn” is also impressive, with a richly crafted fantasy setting that immerses the reader in the story. The pacing is well-done, with a perfect balance of action, character development, and emotional resonance. The story is not a long one roughly under two hundred pages, however the story is paced well and I read it in one sitting!

Overall, "Beauty Reborn”, is a beautifully written and captivating retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". The themes of trauma, healing, and redemption are handled with care and sensitivity, making this a powerful and unforgettable read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and addictive read.

I really enjoyed this book and would defiantly read more works by Lowham! Her writing style is amazing and addictive.

A retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. A little bit fiction, a little bit fantasy, a little bit fairytale.

Beauty is the youngest and somehow has caught they eye of Stephan. She thought that was what she wanted, until she got to know him and wanted nothing to do with him. When her father comes home from the enchanted woods with a red rose, stating he has to return, she sees a way to escape.

This was an okay story telling for me. I didn't particularly like most of the characters and while the premise was good, it just fell a little flat for me. We do see a little bit of growth in Beauty, but overall this was just an okay read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5

Beauty, the youngest child of a wealthy merchant, has been given an impressive education and the opportunity to be herself, which is spirited, clever and whimsical. Much to the detriment of her eldest sister, Beauty has unwillingly caught the attention of the future baron. At first he is a fun, witty companion and Beauty finds herself enjoying their constant quips. It’s only until too late that Beauty realizes that beneath the baron is a beast. In an act of trying to escape from her situation, Beauty takes the first change she can to sacrifice herself to an actual Beast, in hopes that this one will at least devour her.

TW::: Sexual assault
I’ll put this here first and foremost, this book does deal with sexual assault and how one might deal with it. The scene in which it takes place isn’t graphic, but it does do a good job of giving readers the icky feeling even without the description of the assault.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish! I loved Beauty’s character. Though 17 she has great depth of character and is quite intelligent. I loved the world building and how easily Lowham might be able to add on to her world (aka me asking for a sequel please!!!!!) I thought Beauty's journey with the Beast was very sweet and yes I did squeal even if they just looked at each other. This is a slow burn done right!!

The fairytale aspect was also very fun and added a lot to the story. AGAIN, SEQUEL PLEASE

I did take .5 off only because coming into the book was a little confusing with how Lowham decided to switch between present and future. But once I got 20% in it was smooth sailing. I ended up loving Lowham’s writing and now I EAGERLY await a sequel or a companion or anything! Please!

A beautiful, unique twist on a familiar tale. Lowham has a voice that pulls you in and brings the characters to brilliant life.

This book was SO good! My only complaint is that it was not full-length. I can truly see the author doing immense justice to this amazing story with more pages. There were so many beautiful portions of gorgeous, poignant prose! I appreciated being able to read a darker fairytale retelling that was not full of gratuitous violence or sex. The market is full of fantasy/magical realism that has all that - this was a beautiful story of strength and courage. I loved that the author spoke of overcoming sins like selfishness and greed - truly uplifting! Bravo! I will be waiting impatiently for more from this author.

4.5 stars rounded up! Simply needed MORE! :)

#BeautyReborn #NetGalley

This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This book was a little dark. Be sure to read the trigger warning.
The retelling reminded me of Beauty by Robin McKinley. The story is very much like other versions, and I felt like the author did a good job of describing Beauty's character.

This book was slow paced but I like how I could put it down and whenever I picked it back up, I felt immersed in the story. The author did a fantastic job regarding imagery and I found the story very atmospheric. The main character's journey of healing from her trauma didn't feel rushed. I enjoyed seeing the character regain her confidence and find her strength again.

First off I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this for a review. All opinions are my own.
I am an absolute sucker for a Beauty and the Beast retelling so when I saw this I knew I wanted to read it. Overall, it was a good story. The concept was unique enough to make it interesting but could have totally been fleshed out a little bit. The first bit of the story felt a little disjointed and rushed making it difficult to really get stuck in to. I almost dnf'd the book twice in the first 25 pages. I am glad I ended up finishing it though.
Beauty Reborn will never make it into my top faves for Beauty and the Beast re-telling but it also isn't the worse. I think fleshing out the first quarter of the book by giving a bit more backstory to Beauty's home life especially her motivation for leaving and a little bit of space before she runs off would really serve the later story.
CW: sexual assault

This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is unlike any I have read. It was absolutely enthralling in the telling. It felt like a new story with the familiarity of an old friend. Beauty was realistic and lovely and the beast was mysterious and everything he should be.

The story was complete with the enchanted forest and enchanted castle. I loved looking through Beauty's perspective as she cracks through the shell of his exterior.

The magic and imagery were lovely. The tone of the story was perfect. The twists were fantastic. I could not put this one down and found myself reading it in every spare minute I had.

The most important part of this story is the relationship of Beauty with her family and how this changes through the story as well as her perspective changes through the story. There is a perfect balance of magic, growth, and faith in this story and I can't wait to read it again.

I received an early copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast that had me confused at the beginning that I initially thought was the case because I don’t normally read retellings of fairytales but as I continued I started to see the storyline emerge more fully. I really didn’t care for Beauty’s family, she was portrayed as the black sheep because she wasn’t like her two older sisters. Beauty was whimsical, and I think a good description of her would be more inclined to pursue a more intellectual environment.

I enjoyed the relationship between Beauty and the Beast, it slowly developed and it didn’t lack for showing each character's personality. This was slow for me because I am guessing I am not a huge reader or the right target reader of fairytales, but my enjoyment of the story of it did increase as I read.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions are mine.

An excellent retelling with an entirely new spin on the original Beauty and the Beast. Beauty is both kind and stubborn, great traits to have in her environment. She did not fall into the magic of the castle as quickly as I thought she would. Beast brings great contrast to the story. We see him as shy and uncertain yet hopeful. The castle's curse remains similar but with delightful differences. I enjoyed seeing deeper into Beauty's family and her motivation behind going to the castle. This book has a bit of a darker tone but I loved how the author handled each situation. Stunning prose kept me reading and brought the whole thing to life.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I love Beauty and the Beast and I love retellings. This book has a unique take on the Beauty and the Beast. There are definitely triggers if you have ever been or know someone who has been sexually abused. The book doesn't go into details, it is more alluded too.
I love the relationship of trust that is slowly built over time between Beauty and the Beast. The kindness that he shows to her and the patient friendship.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Well done retelling. It was sensitive to the issue of sexual assault. I liked beauty and how she handled her situation.

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast tale. A slightly different outcome than usual. Beauty comes to realize she hasn't been as good a a person as she should be. She learns to grow beyond mistakes and her past. Not everything that goes wrong is her fault.
Although it reads similar to a children's
book, I would not recommend it for teenagers.

Another take on Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed it for the most part, It still read like the fairy tale but with a magnifying glass reading between the lines. I enjoyed it when she taught him how to read and write. That was endearing and a way for Beauty to get closer to Beast without him running skittish. If you enjoy Beauty retellings, this is the novel for you.

I was really impressed by this book. I picked it up because I love the cover and I'm always a fan of fairy tale retelling. I didn't realize until I got started that this is a book about a girl who has been abused and how she works through the trauma in her life. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into at that point. As I read I was very impressed by how the author handled the theme. It was very interesting to watch Beauty work through her trauma as she developed her relationship with Beast. The retelling of all that had happened was delicately handled. The romance is sweet with just a few kisses. Seeing Beauty overcome her fears and traumatized thinking because of the kind and compassionate Beast made for a beautiful story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with the arc in exchange for an honest review.

🇺🇲:

TW: sexual assault (off page)

Beauty Reborn is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that follows our main character, Beauty, as she goes to the Beast's castle in her father's place after he stole a golden rose. In the castle, not only the bond between her and the Beast develops into a lovely friendship (and possibly more), but she also starts a path towards her own healing and rebirth.

This might be a short book but it certainly has a nice character-driven story. I really liked Beauty as a main character, and the Beast is adorable. The story is fast-paced but we still get to know the characters in a deep way, specially Beauty: her past, her healing journey and acceptance of herself. We also get to see her relationship with her father, brother, sisters, and a man named Stephan. Through the Beast, the author established a clear contrast with what Beauty experienced from her past relationship with that other man, and who the real monster is. Speaking of the Beast, I liked how he has the appearance of one, not like in other retellings where they're irresistible, gorgeous men *eye roll*, so it's refreshing to get a retelling where he is turned into an actual beast. He is shy, soft-spoken and endearing, showing Beauty a different kind of relationship, and in trying to break his curse she also learns a lot about herself.

Overall, Beauty's arc, her growth through the story, and exploring her past and present, is the highlight of the novel. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book, highly recommend.

CW: Sexual assault
3.5/5 stars
Fairytale retellings are a sweet spot for me and they are hard to resist. This retelling is emotional and dark considering what Beauty has endured before even meeting the Beast. I found the plot to be surprisingly fast-paced, especially considering that there aren’t many characters to drive it forward.

In this rendition of Beauty and the Beast, Beauty’s journey is explored. It’s less about the Beast and more about the healing that Beauty is seeking after her sexual assault. There is an exploration of what beauty is, that goes deeper than just the traditional tale of a man who was a transformed into a beast because he was a jerk to a fairy.

Beauty is also stuck on the fact that people consider whimsical. She talks about it a lot… But it’s because others feel threatened by her wit and intelligence. An important part of her self-discovery is accepting who she is and embracing her wit as a positive trait instead of one that others find off-putting. Her time spent with the Beast is good opportunity to explore this because he appreciates her personality.

Another concept explored is Beauty’s post-assault frustration of finding men untrustworthy. The tension between the present Beast and his seemingly compulsory need to ask her to marry him during each of their interactions and the distaste left after her rejection of her boyfriend’s proposal for marriage is a main thread in the narrative. The comparison/contrast between the two men is pretty straightforward and it’s evident who is the actual beast. The complexity of the story lays at Beauty’s journey to self-recovery.

My ranking 4 stars

I am a SUCKER for fairytale retellings. and this one was just amazing! I fell in love with it right from the get go. It wasn't your typical Disney version there were some dark undertones and I was totally here for it! I loved the detail of the palace and the enchanted woods. Beauty was just an awesome main character. I also LOVED the ending. You never really get a glimpse into the future after the main plot ends its always they lived happily ever after or they didn’t. I liked that it gave us a glimpse of the future. I would stock this in my store and constantly push it on my customers that like fairytale retellings.

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories. The animated version is my favorite Disney movie, and I've read more adaptations than I can count. The gold standard for me has always been Beauty by Robin McKinley. It's a fairly simple version of the story compared to some other tellings, but it does exactly what I want from a Beauty and the Beast story.

This book felt like reading Beauty again, but a somewhat more fleshed-out way. It's almost like this book is the reboot of a past favorite movie or TV show. It adds some things, reiterates on things, but... also has some of the same weaknesses.

To be clear: I really, really enjoyed this book. While I will talk about some of the weaknesses here, it felt like the adult me experiencing what child me felt when reading Beauty for the first time. I loved the experience of reading it, and none of the more negative things in the review bothered me while reading it. I'm still going to recommend the book to the people I think will enjoy it, and I will probably read it again.

I enjoyed the sister having a stronger part of the story, and I appreciated Beauty deciding to go on her own accord rather than being forced, I always love when variations use the daily marriage proposals aspect, and I think it was done well here. Beauty's learning to trust and Beast respecting her and her boundaries was done well. Her love for books and reading is here, and it's done in a sweet way that helps grow their relationship. I liked the prose most of the time. I liked how it was a little darker in parts that are unique for this story but doesn't feel too heavy or dark.

Now the more critical review.

The biggest challenge with McKinley's Beauty is that it's simple. It has some wonderful scenes that take you through the story, but there isn't a lot of character development or description. It leaves you wanting more and feeling like it was short. Which it was. I have all the same things to say about this. While I think this one was longer and it certainly has more elements to it, it still feels like there should be more.

I wish we'd had more of the magic system and the curse, and more about how it worked earlier on in the story. I wish we had gotten to know the Beast better. I wish Beauty had a more distinct personality as her personality was relatively forgettable. I wish their relationship had shown more growth before the end. I wish we'd had more development of the family so we understood better where the sister was coming from because it didn't completely fit. Overall, I wish it had been a little bit less flat.

But I'll still read it again.

Content warning: Mention of rape (not detailed or frequent, but she is dealing with the trauma of it)

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy to review. I can't wait to buy a copy for my sisters and my mom to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The worldbuilding and magic system: 4/5
The worldbuilding was rather vague, but that’s fine because this is a more individually focused story than a big fantasy adventure. It did have a magic system involving fairies and enchantments. I would’ve liked to see a bit more context and explanation of that, but overall it was pretty solid.

The characters: 4.5/5
The characters were really good, though I would’ve liked to see more development and depth for the side characters in particular (eg. Beauty’s oldest sister who seemed rather one-dimensional compared to other characters). Both Beauty and the Beast were well fleshed out, and interesting characters to read about. I did find the Beast’s backstory a bit confusing, so I would’ve liked a more detailed explanation of that.

The plot: 5/5
This story gave an interesting twist to Beauty and the Beast. It was quite fast-paced, and I sped through it. I would’ve liked it to be a little longer, but at the same time, maybe a longer length wouldn’t have been necessary. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and recommend it to anyone who enjoys retellings with interesting twists.

Beauty Reborn is the perfect title for this whimsical retelling of the Beauty and Beast tale. All the elements of a fairy tale were present along with the addition of the modern #metoo element to the story . However I appreciated the ending of happily ever after. The author cleverly gave us the reality of love and creating a life together.
It’s when fantasy meets reality

A Beauty and the Beast retelling keeping in the magic and enchantment elements. Told entirely from Beauty’s POV the reader follows Beauty's family fall from wealthy merchant status. Then she goes into a magical forest to pay her father’s debt for picking a rose. I enjoyed the magic of the castle and seeing her relationship with Beast grow. I found it a bit jarring having her flip back and forth from the present to her life before meeting Beast. The book covers the main elements of the original story but adds a darker background for Beauty. She is getting over trauma and is learning to trust again. For me personally it is overly dramatic but it is geared towards teens and YA who will probably enjoy it more. It is clean, but a trigger warning for an off the page rape that is handled discretely. I think the cover is especially lovely. Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC and I’m leaving a voluntary review.

This was a unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The story is very intriguing and a bit on the heavier side as the aftermath of a sexual assault is a main theme in this story. Beasts’ character was my absolute favorite and I loved how gentle and patient he was. A lot of this book is inner dialogue for Beauty and I liked her growth. The only thing that held me up a bit was that the writing style sometimes was so poetic and flowery that I found myself getting lost in a lot of beautiful words that I had to think a bit about to connect to the story. Overall, this story is unique and beautiful in its own way. The magic system is not overly complex or hard to grasp.


Trigger warnings: there is a rape, it’s not graphic, though it is mentioned throughout the entirety of the book as this story is a journey of healing from that evil.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for an advanced copy of this book.

Oh my goodness, what a great book. I was not expecting so much from this one but it has ALL the feels. It is such a unique take on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. I loved the voice of this story; it draws you in from page 1 and doesn’t let go.

Beauty has a secret that is burning her from the inside. Afraid and distrusting, she hides from vulnerability. But Beast is kinder than expected, gentle and peace-giving. He so careful with her that he starts her on her healing journey and sticks with her through it all.

I LOVED these characters. Beauty’s whimsy and bravery are equally the best parts of her, and the fact Beast can appreciate and encourage both facets is so engaging. Beast’s patience, kindness, and gentleness makes one fall in love with him pretty quickly. The character growth arcs for both characters are honest and fully developed. These were not cardboard characters!

I finished this book in less than 2 days and am hopeful there will be more in this series. Beauty Reborn is going on my recommendation shelf for friends and the author is now on my TBR/auto-buy list. Great book!

Rated PG-13 for adult themes (tactfully handled)
—mention and tactfully described sexual abuse/rape (non-graphic)
—little to no violence
—no gore
—no language
—no graphic sexual content (one closed-door scene, again tactfully handled)

I received this book free from NetGalley. My opinions are my own and voluntarily given.

3.5/5

I’m a sucker for a fairytale retelling, so I was really excited for this one. And it was… pretty good overall.

The writing itself was really unique. I wasn’t sure if I liked it at first, but as I kept reading I liked it more and more.

Beauty was an interesting character. She wasn’t your typical “Beauty” and for the most part it was pretty fun!

Beast was very sweet and he was probably my favorite character, honestly.

The thing is, I feel like there was more description of all the cool magic than there was about the story or developing feeling between the two. There wasn’t a whole lot of chemistry or anything. It was just.. there.

Also the book deals with sexual assault, and I feel like the author did handle it in a good way. However there was no warning or anything about it until the very end of the book. And I feel like that wasn’t well thought out.

However! I did enjoy the book and once I was in I was in!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I struggled with the trauma. I read books to escape from real life. And some books should have trigger warnings like with this one, there is a rape situation that the main character is trying to overcome.

I liked the flow and I liked the ending. Beauty and the beast is one of my favorite stories.

Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham
I loved this Beauty and the Beast retelling. Beauty takes her father's place at the Beast's castle not just to save him but to run away from her circumstances. This story is full of whimsy, magic, and love. Definitely recommend this story.

TW- Rape
#BeautyReborn #NetGalley

This was a great reimagining of a fairy tale classic. I will say I wanted more backstory and maybe I just didn’t want it to end, but I also would have liked to see more of the enchanted house characters’ personalities. Still thought it was a fun, quick read that was very well done.

"I knew that, no matter where I tried to go, there would never be an escape to satisfy me. The escape I wanted was safety, a corner somewhere to tuck myself away in warmth and peace. But there was no safety anywhere in the world."

Since I'm a bit new to this whole reviewing game, I'll forgive everyone reading for not knowing this, but I absolutely LOVE fairy tales. I have lived and breathed and dreamed them since I was a little kid. And above all fairy tales, I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling. And while it's true that I found this book absolutely amazing, it's far from the fairy tale I thought I knew.

It doesn't start or end with happily ever after. Instead, in this story, Beauty runs into the forest into the arms of a beast not just to save her father - but because she is dreading something. She dreads this thing from her past so much that death at the hands (claws?) of a beast seems preferable.

For the sake of spoilers and a very important plot twist, I won't elaborate on what exactly this thing is. I will tell you that once at the castle, Beauty finds the Beast conspicuous by his absence. He doesn't show up until about midway through the novel and when he does arrive, their interactions are very brief and he won't allow her to look at them. That's what makes this version so unique - both Beauty and her Beast are damaged. They will need to learn to see past their own scars in order to try to find happiness with each other.

There is a magical element to the story, like any fairy tale. Beauty has a father and siblings, also pretty standard. It's her relationship with the Beast and how it comes about that makes this book shine. Even though it takes place 'once upon a time' it's very easy to see how such a story could fit into a modern time period as well.

To sum up, if you love fairy tales, tales of characters healing and overcoming trauma, or tales of love (or all three), you will not be disappointed. Thank you very much to Shadow Mountain Publishing, Elizabeth Lowham, and Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This stunning new take on Beauty and the Beast more than fulfilled my hopes. Beauty's background and family are real people, as important to the story as she and the beast are. Echoes of other tellings occasionally pop up, but not to the point of distracting from this rendition, and the growth of Beauty's relationship with the Beast, and the disclosure of his own, unique backstory, all blend together into an engrossing read. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this title.

I've been reading a lot of not-so-great retellings recently, so I was relieved and elated that I loved this one so much.

Beauty and the Beast is easily the story I've read the most retellings of. What I liked about this one is that it shared elements with others, such as Robin McKinley's Beauty or even the Disney animated version, but it brought its own originality to the story. For example, I tend to get annoyed when authors draw out the sequence before Beauty comes to the castle, and I was happy Lowham only spent a chapter laying the groundwork before Beauty arrived.

Additionally, I appreciated the conversation around sexual assault. Although it's not something I've personally experienced, I know many women who have. I think it's a topic worth talking about, especially when it's more common than people think.

Overall, I recommend this title to both newcomers to the fairytale and experienced veterans like me. Seriously, I've read like nine versions of this story and seen at least four.

Yes, this is a re-telling of the classic Beauty and the Beast but with some key differences. The biggest one being that Beauty is basically running TO the castle (albeit she does “officially” go to save her father) because she’s running AWAY from a personal trauma. The beast here is more of a furry balm for her soul than a terrifying monster.

While there’s not a lot of action (more towards the end), I enjoyed the slower introspective pace as I felt given the sensitivity of the subject matter (the trauma is mostly alluded to), I felt it should be a “quieter” book, if that makes sense. We are able to follow Beauty on her journey from a vivacious 18 year-old, to a broken, disillusioned victim and finally to a stronger, more confident woman on the other side.

There could have been more development on the Beast, but it’s a shorter book and as the title bears out, this was Beauty’s story.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing the free early arc of Beauty Reborn for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

When Beauty's family loses their money, they are forced to move to a tiny cottage near a forest. One day, her father comes home with a rose - coming to say goodbye before he returns to face the Beast he stole it from and pay the penalty. But Beauty, having suffered trauma the family knows nothing of, goes in his place, hoping to die. Instead, the magic castle welcomes her and makes her at home - though the master stays out of sight. Gradually, she works out what she needs to do to rescue him, but it's something she's sworn never to do. But as she gets to know him better, leaving him to his fate becomes increasingly unpalatable too...

I've seen reviews comparing this to the original Beauty and the Beast story - but since I've never read or seen it, I can't comment on that. Instead, I'll say that this was my first book by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised and hope to read more in future. Though fantasy mostly isn't my thing, and fairy-tale retellings something I would often pass up on, something about this story grabbed me from the start, and the characters and the interactions between them held my interest throughout - probably helped by the often-amusing magic castle. I particularly appreciated the way that Beauty gradually drew out the Beast from his darkness into the light. A good read.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Beauty, the youngest child of a once-wealthy merchant family, is running from her past--from the boy she thought she loved, who took from her forcefully when she was unwilling to give freely. When her father returns from the enchanted woods surrounding their tiny cottage with a stolen rose in hand and a tale of a vicious beast, Beauty enters the forest to pay his debt. She expects to die, not to find a cursed beast that challenges her to face her trauma head on.

BEAUTY REBORN is a relatively short Beauty & the Beast retelling that's approximately 200 pages. Written as though Beauty is telling the reader her own story, it tweaks the original tale and gives both Beauty and the Beast different motives and a different backstory for the predicament they find themselves in, yet it still holds on to the familiar story we all know. In truth, I found the book rather hard to rate. I feel very on the fence with this one. 2.5 stars.

I think why I feel so conflicted is that I enjoyed the fairy tale atmosphere but also disliked the flat characterization that can too often come hand in hand with that same fairy tale vibe. Beauty has felt as though she's lost herself since her assault; Beast is very gentle and understanding and mysterious. I don't feel like I have a capability to define them or any character arc that they might have experienced.

I was decently invested in these characters, but didn't truly feel that until I was nearing the end of the book--I wanted Beauty and Beast to have a happily ever after. At it's core, it's very much about Beauty processing the assault she experienced and choosing what the rest of her life will look like in the aftermath. I've sat on my feelings towards this book for a whole day and still don't quite know how I feel. I think this will definitely be a book that gets a mixed bag of reviews.

TW: Sexual assault (off page)

Posted to Goodreads on April 24, 2023.

A tale that never grows old!

Scintillating, heartfelt retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Lowham ensorcelled my heart with a story that’s creatively original in its telling, and lyrical in its execution.
Beauty has two sisters, a brother and a father whose fortunes as a merchant sank with his ship.
Forced to sell everything and live in a humble cottage near the enchanted Forest, the family endures
Beauty at seventeen is a whimsical young woman who fancies herself in love with the local Baron’s son. He asks her to marry him but she refuses due to having older sisters. They must marry first. He persists. The third time he asks and she says NO, is when he confronts her alone in the house, in her bedroom. I can say no more!
Beauty goes to cut down some wood in the Forest. She chops into a living tree. Alarmed by her own actions she bandages the cut near the root and covers it with dirt. This is her first momentary glimpse of something that looks like a blue fairy.
Her father returns from hunting in the Forest with a rose he’s taken from the castle garden for Beauty. Beauty knows her father will have to pay. She sneaks out and goes in her father’s stead, standing at the gate and calling on the Beast.
Now the storyline takes us on a journey of loss, of understanding and of wishing. Magical!

A Shadow Mountain ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This book is toll from two different timelines one is current day where she is living with the beast because her dad decided to pick arose after taking shelter during a storm and forfeited his life but instead he four fits the life of the youngest daughter beauty so she willingly goes to the castle but unlike other retailings and the actual beauty and the beast there’s no talking teacup or cattle or anything else the only other person/animal she can see is the beast after a while when he finally lets her see him of course they fall in love and the other timeline it was before her dad lost his money in the nephew in air to the local Duke Stefan falls in love with her as a post to her sister Astrid who wanted it and expected it. Needless to say at first beauty is enamored with Stefan who is handsome but he slowly but surely shorter sometimes luxe are just a disguise for an evil nature and after asking her to marry him and her saying no he eventually decides to take what he actually wants from beauty and this is why and current day with the beast due to her trauma in past experiences she does not want to marry him. No this is why the book didn’t work for me for one they kept alluding to her loving the beast and yet she wouldn’t marry him and help him remove his curse I know she had trauma I get that that’s great but if she’s stuck at the castle anyway and she truly has an affection for the beast then I didn’t get why she kept saying no. I’m not gonna say how the book ends but I will say this book wasn’t as great as other retellings I have read because beauty and the beast has the always been my favorite Disney movie and book because Bell is the one who saves beast unlike traditional Disney tales where the prince save the day bell to me was always the hero but as I said this is a retelling and if I wanted the actual story I guess I could’ve read that. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A perfectly fine Beauty and the Beast retelling, but nothing really groundbreaking. I did appreciate the exploration of healing from trauma.

This story had more depth to it than I originally thought it would. It is not just another version of beauty and the beast. It is the story of pain and struggles and learning to survive and heal. I really liked the beast in this story. He is more than a gentle beast. He is patient and kind. Overall a great story. I highly recommend it.

Reviews Posted: April 24, 2023
Goodreads
Storygraph

I thought this was a very interesting and creative way of retelling a classic fairytale. I felt that the author remained true to what the fairytale was saying but was still able to make it unique.

I think one of my favorite parts of the book is that the author explores Beauty’s relationship with her siblings a lot. Their dynamics were interesting to read about, and I liked how they propelled her story in different ways.

While much of this story resembles the original tale, I like how the author gave different motives for Beauty going to the Beast.

Even though I liked the changes the author made, there were still a few things that missed the mark for me. The Beast overall lacked the personality to me. Beauty had her own inner struggles that I thought were interesting to read about, but at times I wanted her to be more proactive in her life. Near the end, we get more of that, but the Beast never really comes into his own for me.

The writing was 50/50 for me. At times it felt too simple and choppy. And at other times, it was whimsy and beautiful.

Overall the author brings a classic fairytale to life but makes changes that set it apart from others. While Beauty shows great development in regard to her family, the romance feels lackluster, and the Beast feels like a background character. It was a fun and quick read, but I wish that there was a little more development in places.

Unique take on a Tale as Old as Time!

Beauty is running from herself, from a past she can't escape and she will gladly accept a beast's lair as refuge. Except, this beast is far more gentle and kind than any man she has known. Can she break free of her inner prison and find safety in the love of a beast?

This story is not only unique in its retelling but also in its prose. The author definitely has her own voice in storytelling. It took me a bit to initially get into the story, but once I did I was thoroughly engrossed. I really enjoyed the heroine's expression through music and the softness of the beast. The castle with all it's magic was enchanting in their own way. There is a depth of pain that has to be overcome and two hearts that are searching for healing. But that is what makes it even sweeter when they find it.

I would like to provide a trigger warning that this book does have a character dealing with the emotional trauma of sexual assault. I feel it was handled well and nothing is described in great detail. I would recommend this read for anyone who enjoys a good beauty and the beast story, with sweet and poignant lessons.

A familiar story, but also not. A Beauty and the Beast re-telling (which I’m a sucker for) with some twists and surprises. There are things that are different than the usual tale and I really liked how the curse worked. I can’t go into more detail because I don’t want to ruin it. :)
Beauty had a family to save and makes the choice to save them. She goes on an adventure of sorts and learns things about herself and the Beast. the ending was good with no unanswered questions.

***Trigger Warning***
This book deals with sexual assault. It is done in a sensitive way, but it is mentioned more than once and is part of the storyline .

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This was beautifully written. It was close enough to the Beauty and the Beast story to recognize it, but removed from it enough to enjoy the novelty of this world and its characters.

The topic of sexual abuse was treated in a gentle way. It was mentioned, the feelings that it brings up were detailed, but the act itself was not. No matter what the sexual abuse looked like, not matter the act, no matter the details, it is sexual abuse, it is wrong and terrible. Because it was so well thought out and written, the details didn’t matter, the concept and feelings on the page were more than enough to be heard.

It was a beautiful story. I will looking up the author and read her other works!

Beauty and the Beast retelling, anyone? This was an interesting read for me. I enjoyed it, but it had a different vibe compared to my usual choice of books.

There are a lot of flashbacks so you get little snippets of the past slowly throughout the story as Beauty interacts with Beast. Their relationship was really sweet and I liked how they both helped each other grow.

Beast was my favorite with his quiet and steady personality. He was a gem.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Mentions of rape and sexual assault.

Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham is a YA fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Our main protagonist Beauty lives a life of fairy tales, being the youngest daughter she never expected to rise above her station and find love in those with a bit more money. But everything changes when the noble baron Stephan kisses her hand during a dance, and proclaims his love for her. And she gives him all her love back, until she denies him and he forcefully takes it anyway. Then her father emerges from the forest with a stolen rose and the tale of a ferocious beast. And Beauty takes it as a chance to get as far away from Stephan as possible.

I couldn't pass up this being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it wasn't the best one I've read. I loved Beauty and her headstrong attitude, it was refreshing detail to the many damsels that end up in these types of stories. The plot however, was a little lack luster. The writing style was a lot of telling and not showing, which ended up being just a drivel of information with no real creation of tension.

Beauty has already encountered a beast – a man who knows nothing of love and takes what he wants. Even her family’s loss of fortune doesn’t put her far enough out of his reach for her to feel safe.

When her father returns from the enchanted forest with a stolen rose and reports of a beast, Beauty sees her chance to escape the monster that haunts her. After all, her life has already been stolen from her.

What she finds in the magic castle is nothing like she expected. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll heal enough to love again.

The narrative is of a diary style – at times overly descriptive while at others whole sections are brushed over with a single sentence. As the story progresses, we get a more fluid storytelling, as if the author was impatient to get through the beginning.

Parts of the story are told in flashbacks as we learn the full truth of all Beauty endured at the hands of her tormentor.

Beauty Reborn is a beautiful tale of growth and recovery after assault. But Beauty’s growth is not just in healing from what happened to her. In the beginning, she’s thoughtless, often maliciously cruel to her older sister, and thinks she’s smarter than everyone else.

By the end, she has learned kindness – from a beast no less. She’s learned to put others before herself and to consider their wants and needs. And she’s become open-minded.

Beast’s character could have benefitted from a little more development. While their romance was very sweet to watch, he was a little one dimensional.

Overall, Beauty Reborn is an enchanting retelling of Beauty and the Beast that sticks closely to the traditional narrative.

4.5 Roses
No swearing
Minor mention of blood, but no descriptive injuries.
I’m giving intimacy a 3, but only because of the topic of assault. I think it’s handled well, but it is a topic readers should be aware of before reading.

(Thank you to Shadow Mountain Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.)

I must apologize to my family for nearly completely ignoring them yesterday, because I was completely involved in this story and didn't want to stop reading. And yes, it was a one-dayer. I generally enjoy fairy tale retellings, so I was excited to read this book. The prologue kind of threw me off though, because it was very vague and made me worried that the entire story would be like that. I always get annoyed when past issues are hinted at, but never fully explained in a story. Thankfully, this book did not end up being that way. The full story did come out, just not all at once.

Before I started reading the book, I was unaware that this deals with sexual assault. I think the author handles that part of the story in the perfect way, and does a very good job of showing the reader how much that can affect the victim's entire life.

Having Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" running through my head while reading this book, I kept comparing the two. There are a lot of differences, but I liked them and felt that they worked well for this retelling. If you plan on reading this - and you really should - just plan on hanging out on your couch all day, because you won't want to put it down.

I was first drawn to this book because the cover is so striking. Also Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my most favorite fairy tales.
This version, while similar, is different, with compelling aspects added to it.
It does include a library and a beast and another nasty beast who never gets his comeuppance.
I got a bit attached to the annoying little fairy.
Astra got exactly what she deserved.

Oh wow! This was a beautiful Beauty and the Beast Retelling! Such a pleasure to read this achingly poignant story for those who need it and for those who need to understand. It really opened my eyes to the struggle of life when you are hurting, the running away and turning to face your fears! I loved this re-invention! You don’t want to miss it!

In the first chapter I felt like I was jumping in in the middle of the story, but as you read Beauty slowly reveals more of the story. This book is an interesting take on the story of Beauty and the Beast. I really like how the author wove in how the books Beauty and the Beast read together helped Beauty figure out how to break the spell and kept her from making a similar mistake with the fairy. It was an enchanting tale!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Romance
Spice Level: Low (kissing but has references to assault)

BEAUTY REBORN is such an unusual take on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. I really loved it! There's something about this story that is interesting for our time period with the obsession of surface beauty (think influencers and social media) and what that means as we find ourselves. This is a coming-of-age, a romance, how to navigate family relationships, and finding joy type of story.

There is family friction! Yay! It's so much more realistic. Not everyone thinks Beauty is the bomb—in fact, her sisters and her rub each other the wrong way. Beauty is seen as frivolous, never series, and a host of other descriptions.

Beauty doesn't see herself as beautiful—and even though this is a common trope, in this novel, I thought it worked because of her inner-demons. And she really does have reasons to run away from her life and the danger there.

In this story, Beast is very, very hesitant. Each word is measured. This added a depth to his character that I didn't expect. Oh, and the magical cursing! It's also not what I expected—and it was fresh and new and relatable!

Beauty Reborn is a great title for this book because the main character, Beauty, must figure out who she is and what she's worth. In essence, she is reborn. It helps that Beast sees her differently than she sees herself, but it is her arc and because of herself that she overcomes the trauma of the past.

This is a fantastic book for YA or adults. The themes are handled with sensitivity and could even open up a dialogue about how we treat others and personal worth over what society might believe.

Absolutely fabulous!

Yes! I highly recommend this book!

Happy reading!

“For all the thorns I’d faced, at last I’d found the roses.”

Fairytale retellings are definitely a favorite genre so I jumped at the chance to read this book. Beauty Reborn is a creative if darker twist on the much beloved Beauty and the Beast fairytale. It’s a story of the deepest hurts and struggles combined with second chances and hope.

The story begins much like several retellings. For me it most closely resembled Beauty by Robin McKinley and the Disney cartoon version. However, for all the similarities like the father picking the rose and Beauty taking his place, the magical castle, Beauty’s love of reading, and of course the Beast himself, there are compelling differences which drew me into the story. It’s a little confusing in the beginning because Beauty’s story switches back and forth between the past and her present circumstances, but I was soon drawn into the narrative and found I couldn’t put it down.

At first, Beauty comes off as somewhat unlikable. She’s the youngest of three sisters and thrives on her intellect. She’s often described as whimsical. But, what makes her unlikable is her personality when she becomes enamored with Stephan. All too quickly, she learns that he’s not what he seems. He leaves her so broken that she revels at the chance of going to Beast’s castle to be eaten by him. Little by little my attitude about Beauty changed as she reveals more of what happened to her. I soon understood her fears, melancholy, and distrust of not only Beast, but all men.

I absolutely loved Beast. His reason for being a beast is different than any previous retelling I’m aware of and I enjoyed the way his story is revealed through the stories Beauty reads to him. He’s extremely sensitive to Beauty’s needs and infinitely patient with her. I enjoyed the way the author portrayed Beauty’s healing process as she helps the Beast learn to read and write. I also enjoyed their play acting scenes. The ending was fast paced and I’m hoping that we’ll get Beauty’s nasty sister Astra’s story and that she’ll learn her lesson much like the Beast.

This author is definitely one to watch out for. I enjoyed her writing style and was impressed by the depth of emotion she put into the book. Just a word of warning, this book deals with some deep topics like sexual assault and the aftermath, including suicidal ideation. While the author handles this very sensitively and nothing is described in detail, I’d still recommend it for older, mature teens. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given.

I’m always interested to see how people reimagine fairytales, so this retelling of Beauty and the Beast caught my eye as I was browsing on NetGalley.

I like the juxtaposition of the handsome man who is a monster on the inside versus the man who is outwardly a beast, but inwardly gentle and self-contained. It’s a more extreme version of that idea than I’ve seen done in other stories, and it also allows the story to focus on what it is like as a sexual assault survivor to face a new opportunity for relationship.

I liked the pacing of the story, too. The relationship between Beauty and the Beast gently builds, showing the progression of the friendship and deepening affection between them. I also really liked the way the story shows Beauty processing what happened to her and her journey of healing.

BEAUTY REBORN is a shorter book at under 200 pages, so it was a really quick read. Parts of it reminded me of Robin KcKinley’s BEAUTY, but new elements and twists kept the story fresh and me engaged. All in all, I think this is one fans of the original fairytale do not want to miss.

I loved this book! Beautifully written, Beauty is a clever, witty, and a strong female lead. This retelling has intriguing twists on the original tale, without losing any of the original enchantment. I loved the witty banter throughout the book. The conflict between the siblings had me angry and frustrated along with the characters. The story had a buildup that left me on the edge of my seat at the end, despite already knowing the ending to beauty and the beast, I felt desperate for a happy ending, and curious to how it would come along. I look forward to reading this book again and highly recommend it.

"I'm still afraid of the unknown, and afraid of the past too. But you're worth the risk"

I am honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! Beauty Reborn takes a unique twist on the classic beauty and the beast story focusing more on healing, regret and self-discovery. I thought the author did well on plotting the story and writing the characters. I loved reading about Beauty and the Beasts interactions, how they were so gentle with each other, it was such a sweet romance. I also loved how Beauty really discovered herself throughout the book. The family were still a prominent part of the book although not as deeply explored as I would've expected them to be.

I loved the castle! Like the way the author described everything was just amazing! Their conversations were so interesting too! I loved how the author included a little bit of philosophy and took the time to explain the wishes and all the regret that came with them. Beauty herself was an interesting characters, the author did write her trauma well however as a fantasy reader I would've liked more stakes, maybe Stephen being a little more threatening at the end but this is just a personal preference. The authors writing style is something I can only, ironically, call whimsical. It was like soft, if that makes sense and i thought it matched the tones of the story really well, however it did take me a bit to get used to.

The ending was just perfect and the epilogue just wrapped everything up in a pretty little ribbon. It was a good read and I swear after reading this quote gave me goosebumps, I just loved how it tied into the story and really portrayed beauty's change.

"Perhaps the next time a girl went running out at night, crying and hoping to be eaten, she would instead find a sword to lift."

Overall I think this was definitely a solid read! Thank you to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing and the author for providing me with an eArc, all of these thoughts are my honest opinions.

3.5 stars
This cover is so pretty! So, I was excited to try out this book but it was a little harder for me to read. Beauty Reborn is written by Elizabeth Lowham and it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty was an interesting character, she got on my nerves a bit. However I grew to understand her as I read the book. I loved how Beauty was herself but she also grew throughout the book. Beast was a sweetheart and I loved getting to know him. He was different from other beasts and he seemed kind.
The storyline was interesting and it was an intriguing twist on Beauty and the Beast. It did take me harder to get into this book but I did end up enjoying it. I am excited to see if there will be more books in the series. The side characters were honestly a bit annoying and had some growing up to do. However I would still recommend this book. I would recommend Beauty Reborn to those who enjoy fairy tale retelling but are ready for a heavier sort of book.

Content warnings: sexual assault and the repercussions of it

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I was thrilled when I found another retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In my opinion there is never enough of them. However I like for them to have a special sort of twist something to really hook me. I'm not sure that this book had that. It just seemed more of a typical retelling of the story. It wasn't terrible but it isn't the best either. It is a quick read though which sometimes is just what you need.

Thank you to #Netgalley for sending an eArc in return for an honest review.

I liked this different take on Beauty and the Beast, which is famously my favorite Disney Princess movie and has made me slave to retellings. Beauty goes to the castle of her own volition, and Beast doesn't have the usual arrogance/anger issues seen in other retellings. I thought it was very cozy and enjoyable.

That said, I felt like the author gave too much away too soon. Right on the first page we find out that Beauty was raped (though not in so many words), and I felt it would've been better storytelling to withhold that information for later. If we had just been told that something happened between Beauty and Stephan to end their relationship, I would've been more curious and more inclined to keep reading to find out what it was. I do appreciate, though, that the author never goes into explicit detail about what happened, but tells the reader just enough that we know what happened.

Overall, I was expecting a bit more from this, but I'm not disappointed with what it ended up being.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling, where Beauty isn't there to save her father, but in hopes of being eaten.

She is suffering from a secret traumatic event and ends up sticking around an enchanted castle and talking to a beast who won't let her see him.

She may find healing and he may find the solution to his curse? Read it!

An enjoyable Beauty and the Beast retelling. This was a quick read. I liked the variation of this story - Beauty is dealing with trauma from her past and looks to escape to the Beast. I did want more from their relationship and didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two. However, it’s really well written and there are some truly beautiful lines. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings. Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the arc.

A beautiful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I loved that it followed the basics of the fairy tale. It was easy to see as soon as you start to book that it was a retelling. But what I loved about it was the author changed enough that it didn’t feel like I was reading a word for word retelling. The little things she added made the story flow beautifully.

The siblings added a whole new dimension to the story. Adding them in was so much fun. Each one was so different and added an angle to Beauty’s story. It was just so well done. It is a YA story, so it is fairly short and easy to read. But it didn’t skimp on details or romance!

This is a captivating retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric. The story is familiar but much more meaningful and deep with well-developed characters and family relationships. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s one to read again and savor.

The story starts off right away and is fast paced. Beauty’s dad is a merchant but lost his fortune, so they had to sell everything and move to a cottage next to the forest. Her mother died several years prior leaving four children behind. Rob is the eldest and only brother, Astra is selfish but talented, Callista is more likeable, and Beauty is the whimsical baby of the family who claims her main skill is talking. She is broken inside but nobody realizes it. Stephan thinks it’s his right to take what he wants by force because he is handsome and wealthy.

The main theme is appearances: Beast looks harmful and scary but is good inside, Stephan looks handsome and charming but is a dangerous beast inside. Another theme is everything has a cost. I loved watching the relationship slowly develop between Beauty and Beast as they find similarities between them. He doesn’t realize she’s dealing with trauma that isn’t connected to him which makes everything harder. The ending was surprising but satisfying and I would love to read a sequel telling Astra’s story.

There is mention of sexual assault, but not in detail, and the author includes a note at the end with the number for the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Incredibly this is a debut novel from what I can tell but it is easily 5 stars. Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC to use for my review.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, obviously, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the author's unique take on these characters and their story.

Yes, Beauty goes in her father's place to pay a debt to the Beast, but she does not do so out of loyalty or even altruistic love. Instead, she is running from a traumatic experience, dealing with the aftermath, and hoping that by sacrificing her life to her captor, the pain will stop.

I thought the storytelling was very engaging and loved the enchanted castle setting and how the present and past narratives are woven together. This story also has a different take on how the Beast's curse came about, and while I do wish his character had a little more development and personality, I thought the slow build romance between the MCs was well done.

Overall, this was a heartfelt retelling of a classic story, one that delivers on the romance, but more importantly shows how beauty and new life can come from horrible and traumatic situations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fantasy Fairytale Retelling
Age Level: Upper Young Adult
Content: sexual assault (not described, but on page)

An original take on one of my favorite fairy tales, Beauty and the Beast has always been the tale that spoke to me, taught me the lessons it was supposed to, made me look at what's inside of a person's heart rather than what they look like, and made me think of others before myself.

I went into this book thinking I knew everything about these characters, but this book, made me look at every character I thought I knew differently and it was such a roller coaster of emotions.

We all think we know the story, of Beauty being torn from her family to pay the price of a stolen rose, but what if Beauty made that choice for herself, to escape a life filled with terror, to save herself?

Beauty Reborn tells many tales spanning the best and the worst of humanity, with moments that make you remember that some people can be so much worse than Beasts while others can be kind for no reason other than kindness and it reminds us that what's on the inside is really what's important.


I have to say I found Beauty's love of music to be something that made me look at her in a completely different way, it just gave her more depth and made her a more complex character.

The letters, reading poetry, the interactions between Beauty and Beast, there were moments of such tenderness that I found myself wanting them to find love in this situation, it had started in desperation for both of them and I wanted them to have their own happily ever after.

On the other hand, we have Stephan, oh Stephan how could you be such an evil evil man and yet fool everyone, even Beauty's sisters had stars in their eyes where he was concerned if only Beauty had listened to her brother.

As the story goes on and you see what drove Beauty to make her decisions, what Stephan had done, some moments will be triggering to some but explain so many of the moments we have in this book.

It's a lovely example of visceral storytelling, I could picture the castle, I could sense the wonder of the magic, and I began to feel for almost all of our characters while being enveloped in this familiar story that's just different enough to keep me wondering what would happen next.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The story is a reimagined version of beauty and the beast. While, this is one of my favorite fairytales, I wondered, how many retelling can I read? I was pleasantly surprised at the similarities, and yet quite different view, the author portrayed. Beauty was raised in an affluent home. She, being the youngest in the family consisting of an older brother and two older sisters, she was surprised that the son of a baron was interested in her. He asked her multiple times to marry him, but her answer was always no. Each time she refused him. He became more aggressive and more angry. When her father lost his business and livelihood, she thought her suitor would leave her alone. But he was determined to make her his, to the point where he went to her sick bed and defiled her. I appreciated the author using discretion and handling the situation tactfully. Beauty did not tell anyone what had happened. One day her father came home, after a bad storm, telling tales of a mysterious castle and the beast inside. Her father had clipped a golden rose as he left, and the beast said he had to pay his debt. When beauty heard of this, she took the opportunity to run from her demons, not caring what happened to her as long as she could pay her father’s debt. I truly enjoyed the characters in the story. They were well defined, and I found the story quite charming. It is a fairly short book and yet I thought it was packed with a lot of depth. I believe this is the first book from this author. I am quite intrigued to read more from her. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beauty Reborn is a wondeful addition to the genre of fairytale retellings! Lowham strikes the balance between familiar and unique beautifully, blending the bones of the original tale beautifully with a unique twist on the original tale. These are the hallmarks of the best fairytale retellings; Lowham clearly understands this genre well.

My favorite aspect of this novel is Lowham's emphasis on beastliness being entirely dependent on one's character. The story includes the traditional beast character. Throughout the novel, he is artfully revealed to be entirely different than his appearance and entirely capable of great humanity and compassion. Another conventionally attractive character is gradually exposed as entirely vile at the core. Beauty, in this case, is both a lovely person and a flawed person simulateously; I love how she is depicted so authentically. The cast of characters is kept small, which allows for the message about beastliness to remain very clear throughout.

I appreciate that while her Beauty encounters many challenges and experiences trauma, that the coping with and overcoming are depicted with both hope and realism. In particular, I appreciated this in how Beauty's most impactful trauma was addressed. Sexual assault is no small issue, and Lowham's inclusion in of this in Beauty Reborn was executed with both grace and honesty.

Lowham writes with such lyrical, flowing prose throughout. I often reread sentences so as to fully soak in their meaning. It was absolutely delightful to read, because both the story and the writing are gorgeous!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and look forward to additional books from this author!

Thank you to Shadow Mountain, Elizabeth Lowham, and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

It took me a bit to get used to the different writing style and the way the book was written. Beauty was a hard for me to like at first. But continuing with the story, she’d been through a traumatic experience. As the story progressed, she learned how to heal with the help of a Beast. And I appreciated her journey back to family and love.
I received an ebook copy from the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Content warning: mention of rape, no details.

This was a super fast read and while there were pieces that resonated around the Beauty and the Beast story, it felt like Lowham made this her own with a few twists.

I liked the characters and how their relationship built and despite the shortened length, I felt like I was able to get enough that it didn't feel like an insta-love situation.

If you're looking for a quick retelling that will keep you engaged, consider picking this one up. I'll definitely be checking out more from Lowham when I can.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Wow. This book was amazing. Beauty Reborn is a retelling of Beauty And The Beast. In my opinions, retellings go one of two ways... and this one was a win.
I loved how fast-paced the plot was. That definitely kept me reading and engaged!
The characters were intriguing and whimsy. The banter between them was brilliant.

Definitely going to check out others by this author.

Yes - read it.

This was a great retelling of Beauty and the Beast! I don't like when the story migrates so far from what we think the story really is. This didn't follow the Disney version which is also a very good thing!

There were a many different aspects to the story that I liked and that I thought added to it. I liked the many characters and found myself hoping they made the right choices when confronted with a decision. Even though I knew the many plot, I really enjoyed the story.

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

“𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩,” 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙨.”
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩. 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩, 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.
___

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this, but I enjoyed it so much!! It reminded me a little bit of the Disney classic movie, but also not at all. It’s quite dark with the theme of sexual assault (not on page) being one of the main highlights. It’s truly heartbreaking what Beauty went through and as her story unfolds, you can understand why she ran away and sought refuge in the Beast’s castle. I loved the slow burn of their enemies to friends to lovers relationship and how they connected through books. The descriptions of the castle and enchantments were so much fun! I highly recommend this Beauty and the Beast retelling!

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

I am so sad that I didn’t connect with the story! Beauty and the Beast retellings are my favorite. It was a very interesting take on the story dealing with the trauma of emotional and sexual abuse. That aspect was handled really well. I just felt like there was no world building and things just surprisingly happened out of the blue. I was a little lost with the storyline. It was great writing though.

"I trust no man's word. But a beast's may have a chance."

Beauty Reborn is an interesting take on Beauty and the Beast that develops more of the backstories of our hero and heroine to make them more relatable and deep.

The author has a beautiful way with words that read at times almost like poetry. There were several passages where I was impressed with the way she wrote and the lyrical undertones of her writing.

I also really liked the magical elements that were woven throughout. It was fun to read a historical romance that still kept the magic alive in the retelling of this story.

There was a good balance between the tragedy of Beauty's experience and the hope and healing that can come with overcoming trauma. All sensitive topics were handled well, which I appreciated. Seeing Beauty and Beast overcome and heal together was refreshing. Also, I loved the just desserts to those who deserved it at the end of the book—I would be interested in seeing that story.

Unfortunately, this wasn't my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast. While, overall, I enjoyed the book, I had a hard time with the amount of repetition that slowed the story and some of the language that was too flowery to feel cohesive. I wish I had enjoyed this book more than I did.

My rating: 3.25 stars—I enjoyed quite a few parts of it, though I probably won't read it again.
Content: Discussion of rape (nothing explicit), some toxic relationships

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Shadow Mountain for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First, thank you Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I initially thought I would. I like retelling's of classics but I typically find that they are either far too changed and its a completely different story or not changed enough and its the exact same story. This was a great balance between the two.

I liked the main character and I liked see Beast through her eyes. I also enjoyed the interactions with the enchanted castle.

My only real complaint with the book is that there was not a lot of depth to any character outside of Beauty. The ending was also very short and rushed compared with the rest of the book.

Overall, it was a light fun read.

I picked this up because it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I liked how Beauty went to the castle by her own choice. I enjoyed the gradual progression of friendship and trust that develops between her and the Beast, especially as they read together and wrote notes to one another. Elizabeth Lowham created an interesting world where you need to be careful what you wish for, especially if fairies are around. A bargain, or wish, with a fairy never turns out the way you imagined it would.

I had a hard time with Beauty's reasons for being there. The author did a good job handling the subject matter, and it's mentioned in the blurb, if I'd taken the time to read it beforehand. Beauty is there at the castle trying to put some distance between herself, and the Gaston character of this story who romanced her then raped her. It put a heavier angle to the book than I had bargained for. The author covered this carefully, sparse on details, and more about Beauty's journey of recovery.

2.5 stars on the base that it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that included him asking if she will marry him every day. It read quickly and conveyed what needed to be said in its short novel. The bad was that the story was rushed because everything was condensed down, and why I got the names, I felt that the author could have been a bit more creative like with Beauty's as they were with the sisters.

Perfect read! Well written and poignant. Beauty Reborn explores how a woman who has been abused can love herself and others again. Beauty finds out how to love herself and find support in her family and friend, Beast, even though she was convinced by the abuser that she has no worth and no one cares or wants her. Beautifully written. You almost don’t recognize the abuse till the end.

This was such a unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast! The author handled sensitive subjects very well. I enjoyed seeing how Beauty and Andre grew over the course of the story. The writing style was engaged and kept me wondering what would happen next.

First I want to thank Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishers for sending me this e-arc in return for an honest review.

Beauty Reborn is a fitting title for the book, as it is about overcoming trauma and finding yourself again. I connected with Beauty so much, especially as she battled inside of herself with what had happened to her. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast, looks more at a character who wants to be free of her life, she seeks the Beast out because she hates what has happened to her. I loved how this story is more about Beauty and the healing she goes through to become a stronger person again. We are faced with a Beast who really, does not want to keep her captive, but as punishment of the curse is forced to have her stay. It is a beautiful book written for those who are survivers of sexual assault, that you can heal and become even stronger.

"Beauty Reborn" is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that explores why exactly Beauty would volunteer to go to the Beast in place of her father. Family loyalty is a powerful motivator, but can that really be all there is to it? Turns out, the answer is no. There is a reason Beauty wants to leave her life behind, and it's not because her family is newly impoverished or because of her overbearing elder sisters.

This Beauty is a lot more daring, outspoken, and, well, "whimsical" than others I've read about. A lot of retellings make Beauty very blatantly different from others in her town (probably taking a cue from the Disney movie's opening scenes) but Lowham takes a much more subtle approach. Beauty has an interest in a lot of heavier topics like philosophy, and wants to discuss them, despite the fact that most other people in her town don't fully understand what she's talking about. I wasn't thinking, "she's not like other girls" until about halfway through. Lowham's Beast is very shy, almost hesitant, preferring to hide from Beauty altogether instead of forcing her to be in his company. Beauty has two older sisters and an older brother in addition to her father, and to be honest I'm half in love with her brother; I enjoyed the fact that we got to spend time getting to know Beauty's family.

My one complaint is that the beginning act of this book is told at an almost breakneck pace. There's a lot of jumping around in the timeline - current events, flashbacks to give us details about current events, side stories, etc - that it took me a little while to get truly grounded in this world. The existence of magic and fairies doesn't seem to phase anyone, but neither is it commonplace. I don't really understand exactly how the magic system works, except that making a wish comes with a price. Little magic, like the workings of Beast's castle, seem to happen without a cost or thought. It just happens.

Overall I thought it was a great retelling that took different approaches to a very familiar story, and a wonderful debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I was gifted a copy of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast. There's a magic castle and a tormented beast who had a curse place upon him until completion. Beauty goes to the castle in place of her father and there the story goes. Not everything is similar to the versions I have read and that kept the story interesting.

I loved the beast! Right from the start I was hooked. The author does a good job letting us see who he really is and how he connects with the castle. Beauty strives to discover who she is after her hopes are completely dashed by a suitor.

There's a message to the book and I think it's done well. What makes things beautiful? Are the things we truly wish for what we actually want in life? I think the story answers those questions. It' had more of a darker vibe. There is laughter and fun, with plenty of great magic, but it's still a bit oppressive at times. The sister is such a mean girl and I just wanted to put some duct tape on her mouth.

The cover is so gorgeous and I will look for more by this new to me author. A 3.5 star retelling for everyone who likes Beauty and the Beast, and for those who want to experience a little magic in their life. Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to try a new author.

TW: sexual assault (nothing graphic)

This is a beauty and the beast retelling. I liked the focus on Beauty and what she is going through. The flashbacks worked for me and I liked how the layers were pulled back. I also liked the growth of the relationship between Beauty and the Beast. They come to trust each other slowly and it's sweet.

The idea of wishes is interesting. I do like the family dynamics. Beauty's siblings have a bit more dimension and I would be interested in seeing another book about Rob or possibly Astra.

I die hard love Beauty and the Beast so any retelling are right up my alley. This one was wow it did an amazing job with the parts of retelling the original story as well as making it all its own. It was almost nearly perfect but something just felt a little off with the story to make it an unbelievable 5 stars. This one sets solid at the 4 star mark. It was so worth the read and I would totally read its again.

this was a 2.75 read for me and i wish i could give it higher but it just didn’t work for me

beauty reborn is a beauty and the beast retelling where beauty is the youngest daughter of a merchant who when bankrupt, has to sell all of their belongings and move to a small cottage and attend to the land. the same plot comes of beauty’s father picking a rose and beauty going in his place and this the beauty and the beast story begins..

yet both beauty and the beast feel very lackluster in this novel. it especially disappointed me on how throughout this entire book beauty continues to say that she’s a very whimsical girl like whimsy whimsy whimsy yet i never understood that as all her decisions are mainly rooted in logical behavior. she discusses philosophy a lot as it seems to be her passion so maybe that’s the whimsy she’s talking about?? but it was just so confusing because whimsy to me means head in the clouds not a grasp on reality and she very clearly was incredibly logical in the way she thought. i did appreciate her healing journey i thought that was one of the especially well done aspects of this book her trauma and the nonlinear narrative and her journey towards love again was really really good.

but everything else fell flat. all the characters are given hints of a personality but this book is both too short and not focused enough on the side characters to really give us characters to care for.

but unfortunately it’s not just the side characters that suffer from this..we are only told of beasts personality through beauty’s pov and beast is not the biggest conversationalist so all the characteristics we get of him are he’s nice. honest. observant. and engages beauty in conversation. i felt the chemistry was lacking so while their interactions were a little fun to read about, again i was not invested in anything that was happening..

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Fairytale retellings are fun, and I'm always interested to see the ways authors change the original stories to make them their own. Beauty Reborn did not disappoint me; in fact, I very much enjoyed reading it. The first part of the book was a little slow because of the time Beauty spent alone (and lack of dialogue resulting from it), but it wasn't boring. Through the fairy, the book explored the concept of regret and the ways that our mistakes shape us, but it never felt preachy.

Beauty (17 and then 18) was likable but relatable in her flaws. Yes, she was generally a good person. However, she was admittedly selfish at times (not that I blame her) and intentionally did things to anger her oldest sister, Astra (24). Her motivations for taking her father's place were quite valid and far more believable than simply an altruistic love for her family (though she did love them). I loved Beast (19), who was shy and gentle and patient. Each of them carried tragedy and pain that directly affected the story and how they got to where they were.

I will definitely watch for any other books this author writes.

Note: Implied past sexual assault.

I love this story SO much! My absolute favorite fairy tale ever is Beauty and the Beast, so I jumped at the chance to read Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham. I devoured this book in less than 24-hours I was that engaged. Beauty Reborn is an apt title. The main character, Beauty, does undergo a rebirth born out of time, space, and healing, but the fairy tale itself is also reborn through Lowham’s skillful storytelling. The fantasy aspect of this story is superb and unique and magical. I was wholly captivated by Beast’s castle, by the uber-fierce forest that surrounds his home, and the enigmatic blue fairy that pops up often to stir trouble all her own. In addition to the fantastical elements, I also really love the characters. Beauty is different. She is feisty and whimsical and so naïve. But she learns…my goodness, does this poor girl learn her lesson. What I love about her character the most is that she does mature and she comes to understand how to see the truth of a matter. She becomes cautious, she sees through image to truth, and understands that healing happens when a person’s truth is shared with trusted loved ones and then faced together. I really, really like Lowham’s version of Belle. I also like her version of Beast. I like how his supposed beastliness becomes a safe-harbor for Beauty. I like how he is opposite of a beast in his manner — he is unassuming, he is calm, and he is quiet. He listens and he pays attention to details. He is exactly the beast Beauty needs. And then there is the Gaston character — Stephan. Stephan is a true villain and his real-to-life villainy makes him incredibly ugly and sinister. I avidly disliked his character, and wanted Beauty to stay as far away from him as possible. The topics discussed in this novel are compelling as well. I especially resonate with the wish that people would be transparent about who they are. It would make life easier and safer if bad guys (and girls) had signs over their heads that stated, “I’m bad, stay away!” But that is not how life works. Instead, we have to be cautious and careful about who we let into our inner circles and into our hearts.

Beauty Reborn is a delightful Beauty and the Beast retelling that I wholeheartedly enjoyed and highly recommend. This book is fun and engaging and magical. If you are a fan of fairy tales, Young Adult lit with excellent and timely themes, or fast-paced and highly engaging stories, then purchase yourself a copy of this book today. You do not want to miss out on this captivating story!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of beauty reborn. this was ya but it was mysterious and dark and beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley for this galley in exchange for my honest review.

It was quick read and uncomplicated. It follows a lot of what we already expect form a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so a lot of lengthy expositions was skipped. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and characters, but it definitely won't be considered a deep work of literature. It is however a nice pallet cleanser book.

TW: SA, emotional manipulation

Beauty for Ashes is Apt in the retelling of beauty and the beast. With whimsy for days (which I love) and characters that enchanted me from the first page this story has it all. I adore books but only once in a while find one that blows me away. Beauty Reborn is one of the rare few books that completely capture me. I will be reading this one again and again.

It does touch on PTSD, Depression, and Trauma Response and Recovery but does so in a way to bring just the right of tension without being triggering.

"And beauty from ash, though it's ash still. The bad is not good, but through grace, we can make something good of it in the end."

Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham

I have always loved Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I really enjoyed this book.

Elizabeth Lowham does a create job capturing Beauty as intelligent and imaginative all at the same time.

Beauty and Beast (whose name is actually Andre) fit so well together and create a strong bond through their love of stories.

I especially loved the ending and felt like it tied the entire book together perfectly.

Beauty Reborn is a story of overcoming past trauma and learning to trust in yourself. Embracing the present instead of living in the past. Beauty may have been whimsical, but she overcame the horrors of the world with her family and Andre by her side.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A whimsical retelling of Beauty and the Beast, addressing the downfall of wishing. Things aren’t always as they appear, for better AND worse, and Beauty is working through traumatic demons that haunt her every step.

I love the relationship she has with her father, the quiet way of the “Beast”, and the growth Beauty undertakes from a young trusting girl to a strong young woman.

The story has some sweet moments and touches on tough topics, but is mostly fluffy and light. A great “read in a day” version of an old favorite.

I’d rate it 3.5 overall.

This was a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I loved the magical elements and how it was told in a way that was believable. I liked how it ended with them not keeping everything- it made it more believable.
The only reason so gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I thought Beauty was a total brat to everyone in the beginning. I was glad she grew up a bit towards the end.

I was surprised by all the negative reviews of this book. It was a really quick read, but it was cute none-the-less. I appreciated the way in which this story was told. I thought the author handled the hard situation pretty well, considering there is no easy way to talk about rape. Ever! Not every book is for everyone, but I really enjoyed reading it. I love fairytales of all kinds, and this one was cute!

*I received a copy of this book as an ARC reviewer, but a positive review wasn’t required. All thoughts are solely what I personally thought of this beautiful book.❤️❤️❤️

This fresh, powerful take on Beauty and the Beast is captivating. It’s raw with complex emotions and a beautiful story of healing from/working through the trauma of sexual assault. Beauty is a fascinating character in this story with creativity, ambition, and vulnerability. The beast is sensitive with unexpected vulnerabilities of his own. The writing is beautiful. Absolutely loved this!

I love this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It essentially is Bell is trapped in a terribly abusive relationship with a man she is to marry. Since this is expected of her and is what her family needs. Then it is very much the normal Beauty and the Beast story we all know and love. A few more added details and moments have been changed, but the most changed part is the reason for staying with the Beast. On top of that I do like the characterization of Beauty and Beast -- it is different than most stories which is refreshing.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!