I'm definitely going to struggle to write a coherent review for this book because HOLY HELL it was perfect. This story kept me hooked for days, completely addicted to its gripping, mysterious and emotional twists and turns. A perfect mix of hearty historical fiction and swoon-worthy-slow-burn romance, this fresh take on Beauty and the Beast ticked all my boxes (and made some fresh ones which I will now demand of every book I read henceforth).
Langley's writing is superb throughout, layering gorgeous descriptive prose with insanely quick wit. I savoured the stunning depcitions of the glorious abandoned mansion, the winding, claustrophobic forests and the insanely tangible descriptions of the animals.
My favourite character was the Beast, mainly her dialogue was written so incredibly well. The descriptions of her expressions while making some of the funniest quips in the book were legendary. Langley brought Celeste to life in every conceivable way; her character made sense to me. Celeste is deeply selfish, naive and does some dumb stuff but it all makes complete sense for her to make the decisions she does. I loved her, rooted for her and related to her so strongly.
I would recommend this STUNNING book to anyone who wants a mysterious, escapist novel but doesn't want to work hard for it. Langley has done ALL the work here, all you have to do is snuggle up and be swept away.

Thank you so so much to Ceinwen Langley and to NetGalley for this e-arc, I'm eternally grateful!

Not at all what I was expecting but an absolute treat nonetheless. Full of magic, intrigue, and romance. This book is perfect for fans of The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter.

I really enjoyed The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist. I found the prose easy to sink into and was able to insert myself into the story. I also liked the pacing, I think the plot progression was natural and did not feel rushed - that being said I do wish the last few chapters were a little bit longer.
I have never really watched Beauty and the Beast, so I am kind of clueless in that respect but this novel felt like a nice retelling that has its own unique spin.

If you enjoy sapphic retellings then you should enjoy The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist.
*e-ARC exchanged for an honest review.

I found this a bit hard to get in to. The first half is setting the scene for what comes after but it was a bit too waffly for me. The second half was better. It was in the main a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. But still a good story (at least the latter half). The first half was Ok but I have to say I did skip bits of it.

**This is the actual review for The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist I promise**

The moment I find a book that gives me even a tiny whiff of Beauty and the Beast I will instantly go for it. That, initially, is what drew me to Ceinwen Langley’s ‘The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist’. The sapphic lean was’t a bad add-on either—give me queer retelling a of anything and I’ll bite. But this book is so much more than the nods to Beauty and the Beast. It’s plot is wholly original and includes a cast of characters who can hold their own.

In 18th century France, Celeste Rossan is a young, independent woman whose mind is always on science and the natural world around her. Nothing would please her more than to spend her days in the forest sketching and studying animals while her sister was bred for a softer life. When financial ruin strikes her family, Celeste enters into an engagement she does not anticipate nor is it something she wants. Her fiancé—sweet, caring Éntienne—would’ve been perfect for her sister, who could actually love him beyond that of a brother.

Desperate for a way out that would still keep her father and sister protected, Celeste fakes her death and sets off on a half cocked journey. Barely a few miles from town she is caught in a blizzard and attacked by wolves, only to be saved by an odd little barn owl and a beast. Faced with a completely new discovery, Celeste studies the beast and before long she finds herself falling for her.

I loved Misadventures so much. I was never bored, always intrigued by the beast and her life in the chateau. I was able to guess several things just based on the bare bones connection to so many other renditions of Beauty and the Beast, but beyond that I was constantly surprised and even when my guesses were wrong I was enjoying myself. The beast was so peculiar and I found that while she was described often as fox like I couldn’t get this image out of my head of the mutation. Fox-like but also sort of lemur-ish? And large enough to ride on? 10/10 must cuddle.

By no means is Celeste a perfect character, but I found her very relatable. I found myself longing for Eloise and Brigette along with Celeste, how she felt about the journal. Brigette dressing like a man and “feeling right”? Ugh, still my queer gender fluid heart. I’ve already recommended this book to a bunch of my friends, been texting my best friend while reading and had so much fun waxing poetic about The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist.

It was a nice book but nothing necessarily memorable. I enjoyed the relationship she eventually builds with beast however, it takes so long to reach it that I got a bit bored. The opening chapters were fun enough even though the first chapter confused me a bit.

Celeste Rossan is an aspiring amateur naturalist, but when her father goes bankrupt, her dreams seem ever farther away. Her only recourse is to try and track a mysterious beast in the woods.

Firstly, the cover is beautiful. The writing is just as lovely. This is a sapphic retelling of Beauty and the Beast that puts enough enough of a spin on the familiar story that I was well-entertained. The heroine Celeste is endearing, and even minor characters are extremely well-drawn. The 'villain' is three-dimensional.

There was also a certain grittiness to the story that I really enjoyed, especially in the section set in the beast's house. It helps blend historical realism with the more fantastical elements. That grittiness also means that plot threads go untied, elements remain tragic and unfixable, and realism prevails.

My only complaint is that it takes us a rather long time to actually meet the beast. Still, an excellent read that I highly recommend.

Similar in subject and feeling to Frances Hardinge's The Lie Tree, but lighter and less fraught, with the addition of queer themes and romance elements. A retelling of Beauty and The Beast that makes the Gaston character actually pretty nice? Unthinkable!

This book was such a sweet read. Overall I had fun reading and found myself very invested in Celeste and the beast's relationship, and was interested in all the other characters introduced in the beginning of the book. I will say in my opinion that it is very slow-paced for the most part, which isn't a bad thing to me, but I know some people don't like slow reads.

There were a couple aspects of the book that I wasn't thrilled about which were that you have to get through around 40% of the book for Celeste to even meet the beast, and 50% for their first conversation. I wouldn't say that the buildup to that is unimportant, but I think going in expecting a beast and not seeing her until 40% in disappointed me a little. And while I know the main character is very science minded, I would have liked to know more about the magic/curse that made the beast, although that does like it's going to be addressed eventually.

That being said I did not dislike reading the beginning chapters, and the book was distinctly split into two parts that I think were separated well. Celeste is a very enjoyable character, and I appreciated that you could see both her flaws and the positive aspects of her character front and center.

I thought the romance between Celeste and the beast was very subtle and sweet as it built up. The ending was satisfying while still leaving it open for the sequel, which J I will most likely be picking up.

<i>Thank you to Feed the Writer Press via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own </i>

Rating: 3.5/5 stars!
The MIsadventures of an Amateur Naturalist is a great sapphic Beauty and the Beast retelling. I really liked Celeste as a main character. She was brave, smart and very likeable. Throughout the story we see her overcome many obstacles but she always stayed true to herself. I liked learning about the Beast's back story and how she came to be a Beast. I did enjoy Celeste and the beast's relationship but I did not like how they only got to interact at the 50% mark. However, the relationship did feel genuine and you could see the connection between the two love interests. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and I felt as though the whole book was very well developed. I would recommend this book to fans of the Historical romance genre!

I went into this book with a high expectation for it, and I must say, I was not disappointed at all! What drew me to this book when I first chanced upon it on Netgalley was specifically its title as it contained the word, “Naturalist”. When I read the blurb and learned that it was Historical Fiction as well, I was sold!

The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist, is the story of Celeste, lover of animals and of sketching said animals, who dreams of becoming a professional naturalist, but is suddenly struck by misfortune over a single night. In the hopes of picking up her broken dreams, she launches unto a plan that pulls her into a world that is unfamiliar from her own, scientific one. Through the story of Celeste, we are taken into a tale of what it means and feels to sacrifice one’s dreams; of the guilt and confusion in choosing one’s passion over one’s family.

What I loved about this book was that it was actually a queer retelling of Beauty of and the Beast, but the story veered off a lot from the original one, thus giving it its own unique charm. Set in 1800’s France, the story portrays themes of shattered dreams, sacrifices, self-discovery, challenging the norm, lost love, and many more. The plot was very engaging and exciting, and this made me have a hard time putting the book down, despite it containing parts where the pacing of the story seemed to slow down a bit. The interactions and conversations between Celeste and the various characters such as her sister Genevieve, friends, and her Aunt Lucile allowed us to see in better light the prejudices and “priorities” the people held at that time (and maybe even today), such as money, power, and positions in society.

The aspect that I absolutely loved about this book was the passion that Celeste had to the natural world; that aspect of her trying being so in love with creatures both small and big that she actually tries to capture each species in detail through her talent in drawing. And the fact that the book mentioned Charles Darwin, and mildly incorporating his theory into the story was also fun to read about. The author also did well in describing the setting of the forest and the creatures that reside within it, allowing us to visualize the wonders of the natural world through Celeste’s eyes.

In conclusion, The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist is one of my best read books for this year! It combines things I love such as a historical setting, science, and an ambitious character who gives the readers a laugh from time to time. I highly recommend this book for anything who enjoys fairytale retellings; this book is sure to give you feels by twisting your heart with both sadness and joy!

I went into this story with no expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. While the plot was a little predictable and the beginning a little bit difficult for me to get into, once the plot picked up and Celeste was in the middle of her adventure the story was lovely. Beauty and the Beast retold for sure. I really enjoyed the beast’s backstory.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! I’m not sure how I managed to miss the fact that it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I somehow did and, while that made for a nice revelation partway through, I enjoyed The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist all for its own sake too.

The start is perhaps a little on the slower side when you consider it as part of the fuller story — there’s a lot of time spent in Celeste’s life before she goes off on her ‘misadventures’ (about 30-40%?) — but I really enjoyed Langley’s writing style and the details of the character’s lives and changing fortunes in their small French town, so I had no problem with enjoying the journey.

I liked the way Langley treated the retelling aspect. She gave the ‘Gaston’ character a full, complex personality of his own and made him a really likeable character (with his own weaknesses too, obviously). It made Celeste’s choices far more complicated and her inner conflict really understandable. I could even have stood for him to be a little less likeable, to really draw out the conflict when he and Celeste reunite.

I also liked that the ‘Beast’ was treated more along the lines of the pre-Disney versions — outwardly monstrous, but kind and polite — it’s a story about seeing past appearances, not trying to ‘fix’ some handsome but angry, abusive asshat the way a lot of BatB retellings seem to do.

The romance in The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist is important — how could it not be? — but I really appreciated that Langley didn’t just make it about Celeste choosing between two suitors. She’s got her own dreams and ambitions, and a harsh reality getting in the way. It’s as much about Celeste making decisions about her own future and what she considers worth sacrificing too.

And since I’ve held off as long as I possibly can: Look at that cover! Look at it!! The artist has done such a beautiful job on this book.

A great story and interesting retelling, with really well-rounded characters. I’d highly recommend The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist and look forward to seeing more from the author.

In The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley, Celeste Rossan is an amateur naturalist that plans to go to Paris, find a mentor and live adventures and make scientific discoveries. As her father loses everything, Celeste’s life plans change, and she finds herself trapped in her small town with no opportunities. As her last hope, Celeste runs away but gets lost in the middle of the woods during a snowstorm. Celeste is saved by a creature of unexpected intelligence and gets to know this creature and the secrets of a secluded cottage.

Spoilers ahead.

There are two major parts in the story, the first part, in which Celeste discovers her new financial situation, and the second, in which she runs away and gets to know the beast. Reading the synopsis, I imagined that Celeste running away was one of the first things that happened, and the book would be mostly about her getting to know the beast. However, the firsts part of the book, which is almost half of the story, is Celeste discovering her new social status and her plan to get her father and sister in a better position. This first part made me almost dfn it because it was slow and suffocating, and there were almost no scenes involving the beast and the magic and adventure I expected to read.

Celeste plans to escape her situation suddenly, and I understand that she was desperate, but the lack of planning in this part made me a little frustrated. And then, in her actual running, she gets even more desperate and gets in the woods. Celeste is saved by the beast and finds a cottage in the middle of nowhere! Fantasy requires some suspension of disbelief, but I thought it was too convenient how she found the beast and the cottage during a snowstorm. And after some days, Celeste gets to interact with the beast.

After almost dfning, I was glad to have some interaction between Celeste and the beast. Celeste talks to the beast, and then they get to know which other, and there is even a part about old love stories in a journal! This second part was wholesome and the slow-burn development of a relationship I was expecting, and it was amazing! Their relationship is cute, and Celeste has time to reflect on what she wants to do with her life and discover more about her sexuality. The ending was unexpected but very magical and straight out of a fairy tale. I liked the story behind the beast and Celeste’s plans for the future.

Overall, I was glad I didn’t dfn the book, but I wished the first part was shorter. But the relationship development was cute and lighthearted, and I loved the ending. I’m looking forward to a book with Celeste’s next adventure!

Read if you want: queer retellings, magic with fairy tales vibes, fantasy and historical romance, women in science.

Courtesy of Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book. This was such a great book so I'm very glad my request for an arc of this book got accepted.

I would first like to note that I like how the author of the book acknowledged that the book was written on Aboriginal lands:

"This novel was written in Whadjuk Noongar country.
The author would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, and to pay her respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Sovereignty was never ceded.
Always was, always will be Aboriginal land."

I loved the main character, Celeste. She is a brave young woman, driven by curiousity. She is a very relatable and in my opinion likable character, as her emotions and behaviour felt very realistic to me (so e.g. when she was in a situation where we would all be terrified and we would freeze, she would as well. She wouldn't go on to play some kind of foolish hero).

Going into the story I didn't know this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this about the book. I think the author did a good job incorporating this into the story, though I do think the magic aspect (at least I assume it is magic) came a bit out of nowhere. Maybe we will see more of this in the sequels to this book.

The plot of the book was relatively simple, but still enjoyable. The first third of the book was a bit difficult for me to get through, because we didn't get to see much action, but afterwards the book picked up pace and the story became more interesting.

I also thought the romance was well worked out and not at all rushed, which I'm very glad about. Obviously the romance was a bit weird, with this being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but that was to be expected. Over all the romance was pretty good.

Finally, I really liked the end of the book. It was a bit of an open end, in the sense that it makes me very curious to read about what Celeste's next adventures will be. But the end also brought closure and left me satisfied.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend you pick this up once it comes out September 1st.

I really really liked this! The writing is vivid and immersive. And the story was absolutely delightful! It is quite predictable since it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it’s still a cute and well-told story. I did want more development of the Beast’s character, but I’m sure we get to explore that in the sequel, because apparently it’s a series. I am super excited to continue Celeste’s adventure in the next book and see if she’s able to pursue her dream job!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast, even though the ending wasn’t 100% what I was suspecting.

What a fantastic take on beauty and the beast! The writing is really well done, it’s a nicely paced book with just the right amount of clues to who the beast really is. It’s a fast read that will leave you thinking about the story well after reading the last page.

This book was such a sweet read. Overall I had fun reading and found myself very invested in Celeste and the beast's relationship, and was interested in all the other characters introduced in the beginning of the book. I will say in my opinion that it is very slow-paced for the most part, which isn't a bad thing to me, but I know some people don't like slow reads.

There were a couple aspects of the book that I wasn't thrilled about which were that you have to get through around 40% of the book for Celeste to even meet the beast, and 50% for their first conversation. I wouldn't say that the buildup to that is unimportant, but I think going in expecting a beast and not seeing her until 40% in disappointed me a little. And while I know the main character is very science minded, I would have liked to know more about the magic/curse that made the beast, although that does like it's going to be addressed eventually.

That being said I did not dislike reading the beginning chapters, and the book was distinctly split into two parts that I think were separated well. Celeste is a very enjoyable character, and I appreciated that you could see both her flaws and the positive aspects of her character front and center.

I thought the romance between Celeste and the beast was very subtle and sweet as it built up. The ending was satisfying while still leaving it open for the sequel.

My tiktok about this book: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdXcGN7T/

trigger warning
<spoiler> emotional abuse, gaslighting, emotional blackmail, trauma, being transformed, gun violence, animal death </spoiler>

Celeste is an amateur naturalist, and her dream will come true when she travels with her family to Paris, to visit a grand exhibition and search for a mentor.
But then her father announces he's bankrupt, and everything changes.

I was able to read the first half of this book in one go, and I believe that was good as it might have dragged a bit for me otherwise, because till then the focus of the plot was on marraige stuff. I loved the second half, and maybe there even is a trans character in there. I am not sure, it's not said in modern terms.

The writing has some modern words in it, especially when Celeste is cursing, but I didn't mind. It fit, somehow.

While I would have liked to be told what happened to another character, it is mentioned why the characters don't have more information and can't obtain them. Maybe an authorial comment at the very end would have been nice, framing it like stuff they were able to figure out later on, without going in too deep how that happened.

I liked it, and I think if you're looking for a different take on the Beauty and the Beast, you will, too.
The arc was provided by netgalley.