Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this advanced copy!

I love fairy tale retellings, and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite stories. At least it had been until I started to think about the deeper implications of the plot (kidnapping, stockholm syndrome, etc).

Nonetheless I was excited to read this book to see what new spin could be put on this tale. It was a refreshing take from the Beast's perspective - trying to understand his initial confusion at his circumstances; some additional background on why he became the way he was (and which led to his curse), as well as his viewpoint of Isabeau, the heroine in our story, and patience. I found myself disliking the heroine at some points in this retelling, for seeming weak in character, but I realized it must be the nature of the viewpoint of the story - we didn't get to learn firsthand what struggles she had going on in her own mind, only through the eyes of the Beast, and upon reflection I realized her actions (and reactions) were in some ways more realistic at times.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the glimpses we had into Isabeau's family's life during her time with the Beast. Whereas other versions of the story portray her sisters as selfish and inept, we learned a little more of why they were that way at the outset, and were able to watch their growth throughout the story. I also found the depth of her father's character to be interesting as well.

Despite my enjoyment of the plot, I didn't find the style of writing to be as engaging as other retellings (it could be personal preference). This won't stop me from picking up another similar novel from Leife Shallcross though!

All in all, I would rate this novel 4 out of 5.

Hmmm. HMMMMM. This a YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this time from the beast’s point of view. I’m a sucker for a good old retold fairytale, and so was keen to try this out. But it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for.

Stylistically, THE BEAST’S HEART is gorgeous. The prose is lyrical and the world of the Beast’s palace is beautifully detailed, and immediately catapulted me back to a magical, old-timey France. It’s romantic and enchanting and fits the story perfectly.

My biggest gripe with this book is that it really didn’t surprise me at all. Usually I love retellings because they offer a new way of examining the fairytale, whether they switch perspectives, change genres, transpose to new settings, etc. – but THE BEAST’S HEART doesn’t make me feel any differently about Beauty and the Beast, despite changing the POV. It’s basically a beautifully written, embellished and lengthened version of the original tale, so if you’re familiar with the non-Disney versions, you probably won’t be surprised by this book. To me, it didn’t really make me learn anything new or think any harder about the beast – there’s a bit of background about how he doesn’t want to turn out like his awful father and is worried that he has, but that’s the closest we get, and even that isn’t very new because we already know the Beast got transformed for being awful.

Despite being from the Beast’s POV, the book manages to delve into Isabeau’s life quite a lot – even more so than his. The Beast has a magic mirror that allows him to see what is happening to Isabeau’s family while she is trapped with him, and this means we get a lot of time spent on seeing Isabeau’s sisters’ lives. This would be a nice addition to the story (her sisters do not get much attention in other versions of the story, if they come up at all) but unfortunately I found it to be one of the most boring parts of the book.

If you’re a hardcore Beauty and the Beast fan, I’d recommend this solely on the basis that it is written in such a gorgeous way. If you’re a more casual fan that just wants to read a good YA fantasy fairytale with a fresh twist, you might come up a bit short with this one. Decent, but it didn’t grab me, personally.

sorry, I made a mistake requesting this. I don't enjoy rewritten fairy tales, I've read part of this but its just not one I'll enjoy so I don't feel its fair to review it.

As others have said this is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. It's an enjoyable easy read and you feel the Beast's sadness throughout the book as he just wants someone to love him.

I enjoyed some aspects of this story and some other parts not so much however I would read more by this author

Morning mortals! Adding another title to the year of ALL THE RETELLINGS (at the time of writing I'm at eleven) is The Beast's Heart which publishes on the 3rd of May 2018. I was lucky enough to be sent a physical ARC from the publisher and I'm delighted to share my thoughts with you.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, obviously, but from the perspective of the Beast. I can see why this is a good way to go since it can go some way into removing the creepiness of this story. Because, let's face it, a beast keeping a girl captive in a magical castle until they fall in love is hard to make non-creepy. But I think, for the most part, this book achieved it's aims. I certainly warmed up to the Beast character as the book went on and, while the love story can feel a little contrived at times, so does almost every fairytale love story, so I can't really fault this book on that note. 

I do spend a lot of time on this blog critiquing books that have romance in them, often because it doesn't serve the purpose of the plot. In this case I'm not going to do that, simply because Beauty and the Beast is at it's heart (no pun intended) a romance. It was actually refreshing to read a YA fantasy novel that was deliberately a romance. Perhaps it's having the time and the freedom to really build and explore the relationship that makes it so much better than the age-old:

 'I'm just a plain Jane but doesn't that mysterious stranger who happens to be on this quest look dreamy?'

This book is written from a first-person perspective (that of the Beast) and it's quite an archaic voice. I thought this was, paradoxically, quite refreshing, since I've been reading quite a lot of books opting for a 'trendier' voice. What I will say is that this book manages to capture the ancient quality of fairytale without going into the waffle-y vague voice that I tend to associate with some short stories and retellings. 

I also loved the fact that this book was more than one story rolled into one. This is achieved through the Beast watching Isabeau's family through a magic mirror. That in itself was a little odd (my only problem with this book is how voyeuristic it is at times) but meant that there was the opportunity to bring in more characters, more plot and more of the world at large, in a story that would otherwise have two speaking characters. 

This story felt like a definitive move away from the disney movie plot without totally disregarding those elements that are at the heart of this story. While I will always love the disney film, it was nice to read something about Beauty and the Beast without talking furniture or anything that could be merchandised. 

I had a wonderful time reading this book, I think that if you're the kind of person who lives and breathes fairytale retellings you will most certainly enjoy this book. It's a great addition to any YA fantasy lover's shelf.

My rating: 5/5 stars

By the way, I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was alright. I wouldn't say there was anything in particular I disliked about it to be honest. It was more so about the lack of anything particularly special about the story. It didn't manage to spark my interest and make me turn the pages like crazy. I love beauty and the beast and I enjoyed this book. I just wish there was a bit more to it.

I love "Beauty and the Beast". The bookish heroine, the moral not to judge by appearances, the magic curse...It's just a beautiful story. So I had high expectations going into this story. I really loved the portrayal of the Beast. You understand how he managed to get himself cursed, but at the same time, he's not so awful at the beginning that you loathe him. Also, the details about Isabeau's family were great as it added a lot to her character, and you can see how observing their lives was just as important in the Beast's journey as falling in love with Isabeau was. I was slightly sad that Isabeau was less of the bookworm that she often is in adaptations, but she was still a great character.

#thebeastsheart
#netgalley
I must say I was really excited about this book when I saw it. Having read it, it's ok but didn't live up to my expectations. I normally lo e a good fairy tale nd I liked the idea of the twist. It was ok, for some reason I just expected more nd normally I enjoy such fiction.

This is a beautiful retelling of  Beauty and the Beast. A tale this is so familiar that I think I could tell the story myself. Yet The Beast's Heart manages to be so captivating and so new that it will pull you in and make you turn each page with delight.

So many retellings have been told from Belle's point of view that it is so refreshing to have the story told from his point of view. To hear his thoughts and reactions. To see his inner turmoils and  struggles as he goes through each day. I just wanted to take the beast and give him a big hug. To let him know that he would be okay and that he would get through it all.

This was a fab retelling that manages to avoid some of the problems of the original tale. I loved the origins of the curse for this tale. And Isabeau's fathers health.  I loved that the story was simplified and the attitude each person has. Determined, thoughtful and kind. The tale feels like an entirely new story.

This is a tale that will make your heart quicken and your imagination run wild as each page is beautifully presented to you. I can promise that you will fall in love with this tale over and over again.  This is a tale that is as old as time.

This is a gorgeously written tale, that has a wonderful level of magic and romance and will sweep you off your feet into the midst of the story.

Where has this book been all my life?

As with a lot of fellow readers and romance lovers, Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favourite fairy-tales and so the prospect of reading a re-telling of the story from the Beast's perspective was too good an opportunity to miss.

What's strange is that reading this book didn't feel like reading just another re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. It's a story that is entirely it's own and in certain aspects, extremely different than the original story.

The author writes beautifully, painting an enchanted world that springs to life from the pages. I adore the backstory, it's fantastically detailed and complex: the Fairy's motive, the Beast's life in the forest, the mirror, the house and it's servants, the garden, his gifts to Isabeau's family - it all works so well to create a compelling, driving story that I was unable to put down.

The Beast is captivating. His inner struggles and turmoil, which run so much deeper than appearances alone, alongside his longing for company and human interaction, made the story all the more compelling. The love in this story is powerful, life-changing and realistic in its growth (it's not insta-love but love and affection that grow over time from friendship.)

In addition to plenty of backstory and a side to the beast that we've never before seen, it was also interesting to be presented with Isabeau's family, and these three other characters who add so much to the story through their growth, tragedy and love.

Whilst reading, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the original story, mostly in that this story offered more mature, emotionally complex, insightful details than the Disney version we're all familiar with. I also often found myself thinking of Pride and Prejudice, comparing Elizabeth and Isabeau due to their similarities in outspokenness and unwillingness to admit to one's feelings. It probably comes as no surprise that the Beast's portrait and his obsession and despair brought to mind Dorian Gray.

Overall, I fell in love with this story and the unique viewpoint it offered through the eyes of the beast. It's 5 stars from me and I will definitely be re-reading this book!

It's the story I never knew I needed. It made my heart quicken, my eyes tear and my imagination run wild.

Disclosure: I fell in love with the Beast so many times reading this that I may need therapy.

I'm 30% of the way through after reading it for 2 hours, this is a fantastic read, i cannot put it down and it'll be over before I want it to be.