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.

Dark, sensual, and fiercely feminist, Beast is a haunting retelling of Beauty and the Beast that reimagines the tale with grit, blood, and agency. Jade Linwood strips the story down to its raw bones, rebuilding it with sharp prose, rich atmosphere, and a heroine who refuses to be tamed.

As amusing as Charming. I loved returning to the world that Linwood has created with this series. Linwood’s twisted fairytales are deliciously dark and I loved the humour in this book. Beauty and the beast, Goldilocks and the three bears, little red riding hood all mixed together in one book. I really enjoyed this one.

This is the retelling of beauty and the beast but gender-swapped.
Each chapter focuses on a different storyline which made the plot so confusing by jumping on a new side-plot.
This was definitely not a book for me.

Prince Charming is essentially a conman, who although he’s rescued a fair few damsels in distress in his time, always eventually leaves them, taking with him a fair chunk of their riches. However, on travelling through a particularly thick and unfriendly piece of forest and keen to get to the other side, he takes what he thinks must be a short cut. It isn’t one of his better decisions. He finds himself horseless, very hungry and without Roland, his manservant. It is the smell of bacon cooking that leads him to the mansion.

At first, he’s delighted with the luxury and the hospitality provided by the house. Though there are no servants that he can see or hear. He decides to spend the night and then continue on his way – for he’s on his way to attend an extremely important meeting that he can’t afford to miss. And that’s when his troubles really begin, for now he’s inside the house – he isn’t able to leave.

I very much like the premise – a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale with the flipped gender roles works really well. The descriptions of poor Beast trapped within a huge bear’s body works really well. However, this time around – not only does Linwood want to tell this tale – she’s also keen to fold into this adventure a version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, as well as her take on Little Red Riding Hood. While also keeping us up to date with the original characters who were wronged by Charming. The result is that we shuttle between an uncomfortably large cast and the sheer number of characters meant that no one was given sufficient time or depth for me to thoroughly bond with them.

I found the storylines interesting – but while there are some clever touches, I particularly liked Linwood’s take on Goldilocks – this didn’t compensate for the fact that I wasn’t as invested in the story as much as I wanted to be. I was also a bit fed up with the abrupt cliff-hanger ending. However, does this mean that I don’t want to discover what happens next? No – I’m keen to see where this quirky retelling goes and hope the next time around, we get to spend a bit more time with the main characters. While I obtained an arc of Beast from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Beast by Jade Linwood is a delightful and witty gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast, infused with elements from Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks. This second installment in the Charming series offers a fresh perspective on familiar fairy tales, blending humor, romance, and adventure.

The story follows Jean-Marc Charming Arundel, who, while on a mission to deliver gold to a demon, finds himself trapped in an enchanted manor. There, he encounters the Beast—a princess cursed into her current form. As Charming navigates the challenges of the manor, he must confront his past and the curse that binds the Beast.

Linwood's writing is sharp and engaging, with a narrative that balances lighthearted moments with deeper themes of transformation and redemption. The multiple points of view add depth to the story, though they can occasionally disrupt the pacing. The chemistry between Charming and the Beast is palpable, though some readers may desire more development in their relationship.

Overall, Beast is a charming and imaginative read that will appeal to fans of fairy tale retellings and those seeking a story filled with humor and heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this magical reimagining, Prince Charming is a con artist who has targeted the likes of Snow White, Rapunzel, etc. However, while on his way to meet a demon, he finds himself at a manor owned by a beast, formerly a woman afflicted with a curse (gender-swapped Beauty & the Beast). While the princesses are hurrying to catch up to him, Charming will have his own surprise story and ending (whether it’s happy or not).
I struggled with this one because the POVs and storylines are all over the place. It has the potential to be cozy and funny but I found myself struggling to get through it during the majority.
Thank you to Rebellion for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was not aware prior to recieving this book that it was the second book in the series - in part due to my own fault, however it would have been beneficial for this to be made clearer in the future.

This book is a gender-bent retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but takes poetic license and draws on elements and influences from several popular fairytales. The main character, Charming is one such influence. In this retelling, he comes across an abandoned manor belonging to the Beast. Once a lady, now suffering from an affliction leading to her isolation.

Whilst there were many interest components that did keep my attention, there were a NUMBER of plotlines which made the overarching story difficult to follow. There was ALOT going on, aside from the main couple which detracted from the overall storyline and progression, This was worsened by a rather abrupt and unsatifying ending - which I am afraid I am not interested enough to puruse further,

The sequel to Charming, Linwood once more delights with sly, sideways takes on fairy tales, which join up in unexpected ways, but this doesn’t have quite the same joie de vivre of the first. It is welcome to see Charming gain some character development, but it also seems very at odds with what we know of him, and whilst I enjoyed the new characters introduced the plot was very much less focused and neat than its predecessor and I found the ending distinctly unsatisfactory, as though the book had ended before Act Three.

Enjoyable prose and storytelling, but lacking something of the first!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

What an entertaining sequel to this quirky fairy tale. It was a bit all over the place but it was humorous and dare I say charming? So many different side adventures I couldn't quite keep up at times but they all tied up in the end. I felt like it was also rushed and hastily put together trying to tie up everything. The cliff hanger just irked me cause did Charming learn his lesson or will he be off on another adventure to con more people? Still overall entertaining even if not that good.

Ngl my head hurts after reading this 🙃

I loved the concept of the book but the execution felt a little all over the place for me.
Didnt really feel anything for the characters, which is a big thing for me to choose to continue reading the book. There were so many chapters where i believed that something interesting would come out of it…and then we moved onto something completely different : (

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for an arc!

Welp did not realize this was a sequel! So please excuse me while I go read Charming as well! Such a fun book.

Too many points of view. Felt very disjointed. I felt this would have worked better as a standalone with a new cast rather than a sequel from the her first book.

Very messily developed plot and characters that were hard to empathise with, I'm not sure this was a worthy sequel to the first book, which was fine on its own and didn't necessarily require completion.