I did not finish this book (through no fault of the writing style or author)
Just wasn't for me. Thank you for the opportunity of reading the earc

I thoroughly enjoyed Beast, the second installment in Jade Linwood's Charming series. This gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast brings a fresh perspective, with Prince Charming finding himself as the "Beauty" in a mysterious mansion owned by a fearsome Beast. The novel blends elements from various fairy tales, including Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks, creating an intricate and engaging narrative. The setting is richly described, immersing readers in a world where magic and danger intertwine.

Linwood's writing is both witty and atmospheric, capturing the essence of classic fairy tales while adding her unique twist. The characters are well-developed, with Prince Charming's transformation from a charming rogue to a more introspective figure adding depth to the story. The interactions between Charming and the Beast are compelling, filled with tension and intrigue, keeping readers invested in their evolving relationship.

Back into the world of Jade Linwoods “Charming” series with a gender swapped version of Beauty and the Beast. (Don’t worry, our three princesses from book one are also back to continue the plot from book one, too) Prince Charming, the thief and con man stumbles upon an enchanted castle as he’s trying to fulfill his oath and save himself, his father, and the gold for the princesses from Mephistopheles.
There we meet the “Beast”.
Honestly, I really enjoyed all the interactions with Charming & the Beast, the enchanted castles moody atmospheric immersive feel, and the clever way the author has with twisting the fairytale stories you know and weaving them with others to make them new. That said, the multiple plots made the story feel disjointed at times. I wanted to stay with Charming and the Beast more than I cared about some of the other story lines. So, this is a solid 3 star read for me.
Entertaining, yes, but a bit chaotic.
**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.**

Beast was an intriguing read with moments that really drew me in, especially the tension and the darker aspects of the story. I appreciated the world-building and the unique spin on familiar tropes, but some parts felt a bit uneven, and a few character choices didn’t fully resonate with me. Overall, it was an enjoyable read with flashes of brilliance, though it didn’t completely capture me from start to finish.

I sadly did not finish this book. I did purchase the first in the series Charming before starting Beast but after finishing Charming I realised this book was not the type of book for me. Thank you for your consideration for an earc, I wish I loved the story more than I did but I couldn't continue.

Thank you Rebellion and NetGalley for letting me read this book early!! I breezed through Beast with the kind of goofy grin you reserve for guilty pleasures. Jean-Marc Charming ends up in a cursed mansion playing hot-seat with a beastly princess—who’s infinitely more sympathetic than Charming deserves. It’s like The Bachelor met Beauty and the Beast in a forest, with Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks crashing the party wearing fur. Sure, the POVs multiply like enchanted mushrooms, and I sometimes muttered, ‘Wait, who’s narrating now?’ But the dry humour, fairy-tale nods, and sly twists on expectations made it charmingly ridiculous. I walked away thinking: 'Yes, let the Beast be the princess next time—just keep the roses coming.'"

I really wanted to love this one, and while it didn’t fully land for me, I can still see the appeal. It wasn’t a bad read by any means—just not quite my personal favorite. That said, the writing had some strong moments, and I know it will definitely resonate with other readers.
I’ll still be recommending Beast to my followers, because every reader connects with stories differently—and this one might be exactly what someone else is looking for.

The second of the series. In the first, Charming, we had 4 fairy princesses chasing after Charming who'd woo-ed and robbed them.

In this we have a Beast retelling with Charming a prisoner of the house and Beast, needing a 'rescue'. Charming was definitely a favourite character in this part and I liked that the genders had swapped.

The main story is enjoyable and it's a pretty sweet romantasy. I've always enjoyed a Beast retelling and this is the second that I've read this year alone. I liked the Beast, Charming and the House. I enjoyed the premise and the solution. However, the side stories of Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and Hansel & Gretel just made the tale feel messy. The princesses are involved in each story line too along with a couple of demons.

The story is easy enough to follow and each part is involved in the main plot line. I just think that maybe there's too much going on. A sequel must be following as the ending wasn't completely concluded.

This story was pretty "charming" lol but in all serious it was fun and a lot more interesting than I thought it might be. I didn't read the first novel (I didn't realize this was a sequel) but the author wrote it well enough that I didn't feel like I had to read it to understand the sequel. Overall all the characters were really funny and I enjoyed their individual stories and how they all came together in the end!

This second book in the series was just as good as the first! It showed our less than charming male leading actually growing a little as a person. It was fun to see all of the additional fairy-tale characters added to the novel's cast and how everything fit together to keep the plot moving along. Definitely looking forward to the next book to see what happens to everyone (since this one left off on a bit of a cliffhanger).

Beast is the second in the Charming series. I picked up Charming to read first, but Beast would stand up quite well on its own, as there's enough backstory given to keep new readers filled in.

I enjoyed the focus on the gender-swapped fairy tale, as well as the Prince Charming-as-conman angle. The story is light, but there are serious elements. I loved the versions of the four "fairytale princesses" in this series too, and we are introduced to a few new players.

The changes of focus are a little abrupt sometimes, but I can see why the swapping perspectives are used, and the dramatic irony works well.

An entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy.

I received a proof copy of this book, and the following review is made up of my own thoughts and not influenced by the author, the publisher or NetGalley.

I picked up this book, not realising that it was the second book of the series, and within a few pages had fallen completely in love with the author's writing style, the twist of the characters from the fairy tales many of us grew up on, and the world flowing before my eyes. It's like our world, but slightly different with magic. A theme that I generally love. I was tapping to the next page, barely an hour in when I realised that while the story was holding me... I wanted to know about the back stories being mentioned. I wanted to know more about why these three princesses were trying to track down this man Charming. What had he done to them? How had he stolen so much for them? And from there I realised... I needed to read the first book. I -had- to know that before I followed the three women's hunt for the scoundrel.

So, I put it on hold, bought the first book (Charming) and... completed it in a day. Luckily I wasn't expected to do anything, so I could wrap myself in the world of Marie Black de Neige, Dr. Emelia Rapunzel and Bella Lucia dei' Sogni... and Charming. He is one of the best anti-hero, because he has all the worst attributes (self-centered, stubborn, full of himself etc) and yet... Oh, I wanted to know how he was going to get away with it. He was ruining lives, and I was chuckling away at his methods. He deserved every bit of retribution from the three women, but...

I sort-of wanted him to get away with it.

Once that one was under my belt, I immediately dived back into the book I was supposed to be reviewing. And I loved every minute of it. I honestly might like the second one a bit more than the first, but that is completely down to Charming. His character is expanded, and this talented author doesn't change him, but uses the attributes already accredited to him to make him even more. He's the same, but the nuances come out to play. He grows, with how he views the world and even what the thinks about himself. And this is done beautifully, with each step carefully laid out so that the progression happens underneath the reader's nose. Half-way into the book and I...

I wanted him to be granted his desire. I wanted the other character to see the change in him, and for a friendship to develop between the two of them. Maybe even something more. I wanted him to get his own version of happily-ever-after and...

I can't praise the author enough for being able to do that. It's very difficult to take the 'villain', and make her/him someone I root for. Too often the villain loses what make them bad/evil, or else you can't see how they have anyone around them. And if the character is someone who is pre-established in a book/movie/etc, then... What makes them 'them', get stripped away and they're just an NPC.

The only negative is that, in my opinion, he outshines this version of Rapunzel, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I found myself more interested when it was in his point of view, rather than theirs. The women are wonderfully fleshed out. They're even more bad-ass then in the fairy tales, yet are still rounded. It's not as if someone made them stereotypical feminists. They're strong. They have emotions. They kick ass and take control of their own lives.

And Charming is in their sight.

Poor Charming.

I'd highly recommend this book. Buy it, and the first book. I didn't regret it, and I don't think anyone else would either.

In the second book in the Charming series, readers follow a gender-flipped Beauty and the Beast retelling about former con artist Jean-Marc Charming Arundel on his way to an appointment with a demon when a sudden storm forces him to take shelter in a mansion where a noblewoman (who was turned into a beast) lives. Charming and his fellow “guests” Johannes and Wilhelm must attend the Beast in a series of romantic events with no end to their imprisonment in sight, and while the peace is nice, lives depend on Charming leaving the mansion in time for his meeting. A funny mash-up of various romantic and fantasy tropes, this is a great continuation of this fantasy retelling series, and readers will love the tropes and fantasy elements that bring the story and characters to life. The characters are funny, well-written, and complex, and their interactions really draw readers into the story. The world-building is also really well done and makes the tropes and story elements feel very natural and cohesive with the rest of the narrative. Funny, romantic, and detailed, this is an entertaining gender-swapped fairy tale retelling that fans of similar books and romance novels alike will really enjoy.

Beast is the second book in the Charming series, the first book being called Charming. I did not read the first book, but I felt that if I had I might have enjoyed this book more, as it seems from reading others reviews that this more of a continuation of the story. It was an enjoyble read though and the storyline was cute

This book was told in multiple points of view and this is where for me, I started to feel like there were too many points of view. I really did enjoy the "retelling" of the Beuaty and the Beast story, but wanted more of that story and less of the other characters. I felt like maybe it was a lead up to more books in the series, though. All in all, it was a cute read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the puiblishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

Again, I didn't realize that this was a sequel to a book (Charming). I chose to go ahead with reading it anyways without trying to get the first one because I've clearly done that too much this time around. However, I don't think I needed to read the first one for the plot of this one. I'm sure things would have made a bit more sense for most things, but here we are. I do feel like I'd like to go back and read it though, as I've heard it's the better of the two. This book was pretty good but things were slightly haywire and all over the place. The princesses, although, I understand why they are the way they are were a bit annoying sometimes. Other than that, I had a good time with this.

I really wanted to finish this book so it took me longer than usual to get through it. Overall, I thought it was a decent read, but the plot could’ve been better developed. The characters needed a bit more fleshing out and I wasn’t a huge fan of the large cast of characters being introduced. It made it feel slightly chaotic. I really wanted to read more of Charming and the Beast, and see their relationship develop.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

While I read #1 I did not remember a lot from it which turned out to be a problem for #2. The amount of random characters on top of old characters overwhelmed me, I found Charming to be insufferable most of the time, I disliked the 'romance' if you can call it that, and the neverending references to fairy tales were not quirky but annoying. As a German speaker I also found the usage of nonsense German words very off-putting.

I skim-read large parts after seriously trying to get into the book. Sorry.

2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Rebellion/Solaris for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I loved 'Charming', Jade Linwood's first fairytale retelling, but 'Beast' (though anticipated) fell very flat for me. The humour and fast pace of the first book wasn't here, the characters were disconnected from those we left at the end of the last book and I really struggled to find the joy of 'Charming' in this one.

This one was just *meh* for me. I really wanted to love it—especially with the gender-flipped *Beauty and the Beast* twist—but it never quite clicked. I kept re-reading pages like, “Wait, what just happened?” and not in a good, twisty-plot kind of way. The premise had so much potential, but by the end, I was more confused than enchanted. A beastly bummer.

I don't usually read fairytale retellings, but for whatever reason, I decided to request this book from NetGalley. I haven't read anything else by Jade Linwood, so it wasn't like I knew anything about the author. I am so glad that I did, though; I loved this maybe more than the first couple seasons of Once Upon A Time (before the show got weird and everyone stopped watching it). At least as much as.

Obviously, yes, the characters are gender-swapped, but the book doesn't just follow the same script as Beauty and the Beast, except with Belle being the Beast. The curse lets in three men at a time to see if they will fall in love with her. So, Charming (apparently Prince Charming doesn't get to marry Cinderella this time) has several other men to talk to during his time there. Tons more going on, but I don't want to leave spoilers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free kindle book. My review is voluntarily given and my opinions are my own.