This is the one that started the dual noun title craze!
Sarah J Maas burst into the scene full of delicious fantasy romance and we the readers adored it.
ACoTaR is now a YA staple, and a beautiful beauty and the beast retelling. These are all things that I love, so naturally, this review is very positive.
Feyre's bewilderment turning to like turning to love is a joy to read. Unfortunately, this book by itself is not enough. It leaves the reader wanting more, and whilst that is a good thing, I feel the main character development (and story development) only occurs in the second and third books. So whilst this episode is good, I cannot recommend as a lone read.

I absolutely loved this book. It has everything you could ever want in a romantic fantasy novel. It's so good I've just bought the next installment.

Generally solid fantasy tale although very slow starting. Mind you that was part of the slow revelation of the mess that Tamlin had been trapped within. Feyre seemed stupidity stubborn at times but who could blame her. I've just downloaded the second in the series so that says it all really.

This book is everything and more.

I’m a massive fan of Sarah J Maas, and this book emphasises why.

It’s got romance galore and action packed adventure. There’s not a single moment when you aren’t gripped to the page, dying to find out what happens next.

The characters are well written and Feyre is a brilliant protagonist.

The perfect combination of romance and fantasy- with just enough steam?

I am not sure why I have never read this book before! I enjoy a good fantasy story and this one, although slow to start, was definitely good. Once I got used to the writing style and the slow start I became quite engrossed and by the end, I didn't want to put it down. It has all the elements of a good fantasy tale, faeries, humans, magic, baddies and a cast of hundreds.

Feyre is our heroine, I found her inner thinking a little trying to begin with but soon got to like her character, her strength and determination. Her human family leave a lot to be desired and I felt for her struggling to look after them. Tamlin the villain/ hero I liked from the start, he is strong, principled and appealing and engaging despite his beastly appearance and temperament. I enjoyed Lucien and Rhysands humour and loathed Aramantha the villain of the piece; as of course I should.

With a Beauty and the Beast theme running through it, I really enjoyed this imaginative fantasy. It was a really good read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series now. .

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J Maas delivers an intriguing and unique Beauty and the Beast retelling with A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Dark, dramatic and instantly captivating this is the tale of Feyre. Forced to provide for her family who have fallen on hard times Feyre teaches herself to hunt. Little does she know that when she kills a wolf there will be a steep price to pay. Forced to abandon her life and her family, Feyre finds herself captive in the land of Faerie. Just as Feyre begins to settle into her new life she finds herself having to break a curse to save not only her love but the whole of Prythian.

I love this book. It has become a part of my soul. Maas has a way of drawing you in, making you fall for the characters, the world and the side characters (looking at you, Suriel ☕️).

There’s so much intrigue, pain, frustration and you feel it all with them. You’re transported into the story and utterly immersed in the politics.

Sarah J Maas is one of my favourite authors and this series is becoming my favourite. I recommend her works to every booklover I speak too.

A Court of Thorns and Roses might be my favourite book of all time. This is the first book of the series and the books get better and better. Sarah J Maas is one of my favourite authors. I love her writing but must of all I love her characters. They make me want to be part of their group so much.
In ACOTAR you are introduced to Feyre who is living in a small cabin in the woods with her two elder sister and her father. She is the only one feeding the family. One day, while hunting, she kills a Fae by accident. Before she knows it, Tamlin, a High Lord, come to take in exchange of the life she took.
In this book you discover, along with Feyre, the world of Prythian. ACOTAR is often described as a Beauty and the Beast retelling.
I can’t say how many times I’ve recommended this book to friends.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a rich and brilliantly written retelling of The Beauty and the Beast, which firstly follows the storyline of this fairy tale as we know it (a young woman made captive by a supernatural creature), and then it develops into something so, so much more. It's incredibly thought through.

I was mesmerized by the Fae world in this book from the first pages. The atmosphere is very well written. I really liked Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucien... and felt enchanted by the mysterious Rhysand. It's very easy to fall in love with Prythian and all its creatures.

Plus it's full of magic and twist and turns which will put you on the edge of your seat and leave you gasping for air. I rooted for Feyre so much. She is very resilient and does not give up even when things became really tough.

I can highly recommend it to anyone who loves books with rich worlds, action, romance, and very sexy scenes. After reading ACOTAR, Sarah J. Maas quickly became my auto-buy author.

‘Rhysand stared at me for long enough that I faced him.
"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”’

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place.
So I am so far behind with reading this series, but I am glad to finally be able to get around to reading them. There are some things I loved about this book and some things that took me a while to get into. The pace at the beginning was a little bit slow for me and it took me a long time to come round to Feyre’s character, I understand that she is the protector of her family and made a promise to her mother, but I couldn’t understand why she was constantly trying to make her way back home where she was miserable and unappreciated. I did however enjoy that when she was finally home and fighting through her feelings for Tamlin, her stubbornness won and she went back to him.
Lucian and Tamlin are great characters, and I really enjoyed their relationship. Every time I read Lucian I could only picture Loki and was thoroughly confused when they would mention his red hair! Rhysand also had a great arc which was totally unexpected. There were also some horrible fae creatures that were mentioned which helped build up their world for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and was eager to keep reading to find out what happened next. I didn’t realise it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which was a nice surprise and I didn’t go in with expectations. A great first instalment to the series and I am looking forward to finding out what happens next, and to finding out what happens to Feyre and Tamlin, who is currently my favourite fae so far.
“Don’t feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy” - Tamlin.
4.5/5

One of the best books I have ever read! Sarah J Maas is probably one of my top authors and after reading her Throne of Glass series I was eagerly anticipating starting this series to see if it could match, and it did! I love the relationship so far between Feyre and Tamlin and look forward to seeing how that will progress.

Sadly not my cup of tea. While I can see why the charismatic characters and page-turner kind of writing, I felt that this book, plot & the characters were too weak and not well written enough to keep me invested and make me join the hype. Might be enjoyable to some people looking for something easy to read / not too deep though !

Epic, adventurous and imaginative. This fae filled tale is brutal, magical and entertaining. The characters are strong, flawed and realistic, the relationships raw and messy and the villains are cruel and ruthless. This book has a dash of everything from romance to adventure to magic.

So, I have read this book twice, because I wanted to make sure my rating was sound (considering A LOT of people love this book).
My three-star rating reflects my own personal rating system (please don’t hate me). I believe that Sarah J Maas is a very good author, and I did enjoy the book to a certain point.
The world building was done really well, and I became fully immersed in it. On the other hand, the book made me feel agitated and a little bored for the better part of the book. It was only after Chapter 33 that I really started to love it and actually it was the reason why I continued to read the series.
I know this book is apparently “beauty and the beast” inspired and I guess it is in a way but I definitely would not class it a “fairy-tale” type story, as towards the end it begins to be gritty and a little dark.
If there is anyone who gave this book a chance and didn’t finish it, I would totally say that they need to finish it as it may surprise them. Another thing I like about this book is that it knows how to character build, and this shows in the future books in the series.
I was given an Ebook from Netgalley but unfortunately my copy didn’t work properly on my device, but that’s okay cause I bought my own physical copy.

A fast paced read, full of fab imagery and an interesting take on a retelling of beauty and the beast. Excited to see what happens next in the series - will have to find out!

After reading multiple mixed reviews, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this series THAT much, but I ended up really enjoying it!

It is a series that needs very little introduction, but if you're yet to read it, here's a brief synopsis. When Feyre kills a wolf whilst out hunting, she unknowingly commits a crime against the fae - murder. As a punishment, she is forced to live in the world of the fae, where she quickly gets caught up in court politics.

I want to be embarrassed at how much I enjoyed this book, but we don't shame people on the books they love here, so I can happily say that I loved it! Despite the plot not being anything particularly original, I found myself being sucked in. I found it so hard to put down, which is always a good sign! Character-wise, they weren't my usual types but I found Feyre to be a fun character to follow. Tamlin drove me nuts and is now up there among my most disliked characters. He was so possessive and I thought that the deception was overlooked!

I wish I could pinpoint exactly what it was that I loved about this, but I think it'll remain unanswered. I highly recommend this if you're a fan of fantasy with a dash of steamy romance!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of the new edition of this book in return for an honest review.

Wow! What an absolutely phenomenal novel and start to a series. I cannot rave enough. The best thing I can say is go check this book out immediately. A Court of Thorns and Roses is not worth sleeping on. Highly, highly recommended!!

Feyre’s family have learned poverty, and for some reason this youngest daughter is now the primary carer for her crippled father and two insufferable sisters. All very Cinderella. But then Feyre (fey-ruh, as we’re told more than once, presumably to stop the fey-ray?) shoots a wolf while hunting in the woods, and the next thing the fairies are after her. Literally.

As punishment for killing a fae, she’s whisked off… to a life of luxury and ease, albeit against her will, and we’re in full on Beauty and the Beast retelling, albeit with illiterate (yet oddly well-spoken) Feyre as the anti-Belle. She soon realises that all is not right with this ‘Spring Court’, its inhabitants under a curse forcing them to wear masks at all times (hmm…!) and living in fear of something even more terrifying than the deadly beasts that hunt the lands.

If my dismissive tone hasn’t clued you in, I really did not warm to this book. The amount of eye-rolling I did was painful, and the writing style simply isn’t strong enough to carry you past the many faults and apparent inconsistencies. For example, Feyre arrives at Tamlin’s castle as a figure of utter hatred – well, she shot and skinned one of their friends, stands to reason. But within a blink they’re all being relatively kind and helpful, although she barely manages to be civil in return. She’s also dumb as a wheelbarrow full of bricks most of the time, making stupid choice after stupid choice. Which might not have mattered quite so much if not for the original build up as a ‘strong independent female’ – which becomes hugely snort-worthy as the story progresses and she… well, is not strong, or independent, but probably has a major case of Stockholm syndrome which adds large amounts of ‘ick’ at various points. Do not get me started on “the ritual that turns me into a ravaging sex beast.” Oh em gee, as they say.

About two thirds of the way through the book at least some of the things start to make more sense after a hefty dose of exposition, but it’s kind of bold to assume I’m not irked to heck by two thirds of the story so far!! And it doesn’t really improve. In fact, the ick factor ramps up to eleven, a lot seems rather obviously lifted from various movies in idea, and the ending is just… no.

Any positives? I complain a lot, but it wasn’t difficult to keep reading. I’d almost describe it as inoffensive if I wasn’t actually vaguely offended by the manipulation and the sadism in the name of character ‘development’. A small masochistic voice has me wondering about the second book – but hopefully I’ll resist. There is so, so much better writing out there rather than wasting your time on this.

I had read several books in another series written by this author, so I had an idea of what to expect here - breathtaking action, whirlwind romance, intrigue, betrayal and women who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty ... this did not disappoint. I got all this, and more. Perfect YA fantasy.

This start to a new series by this wonderful Author is an intricately woven fantasy romance that will capture you from the beginning .
It is full magic , fae and adventure , with many twists and turns - leading the reader through a land of fantasy with consummate ease .
Feyre is a huntress ..... going out into the woods to kill what she can in order to feed her family - BUT killing the wrong creature comes at a cost , especially if it is a magical one .
Imprisoned in a magical court , free within those boundaries - unable to escape , she must navigate the dangers and intrigues around her if she is to break the curse that will keep her from her true love and freedom .

A great story with great worldbuilding that I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading more by this talented Author in the future .

I was given an arc of the book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review .

I have seen this book absolutely everywhere on Instagram and always wanted to read it.

When I was given the chance to read and review it, I took the bullet and dived straight in.

I have never been a huge fantasy lover and always stuck to mystery, thriller and contemporary.

Wow, was I shocked at how amazing fantasy actually is.

This book was such a welcome break from books that started to mingle into another.

I had some serious beauty and the beast vibes when I began reading the book, then I realised just how much more in-depth this book was going.

I read the book in threee seatings, which as a non fantasy reader, shows just how engrossed I was.

I've never read anything like Sarah Maas before and after finishing this novel, I have purchased all of her other books.

Highly recommended!