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.

Beast picks up right where Charming left off, so if you haven’t read the first book—fair warning, you’ll be dropped into a chaotic fairytale reunion with minimal hand-holding. That said, the returning cast (plus some quirky new faces) makes for a fun, if slightly overwhelming, ensemble.

This time, it’s Prince Charming who’s in trouble—yes, the same conniving but oddly lovable rogue from book one. After a detour through cursed woods, he ends up trapped in an enchanted manor guarded by thorny hedges, an ominous presence, and, of course, a mysterious Beast. Only in this version, the Beast is a cursed woman—cue the gender-swapped Beauty and the Beast retelling that initially grabbed my attention.

The premise is genuinely fun, blending classic fairytale elements with a modern, feminist spin. There are Bachelor-style roses, a magical “production team” pulling strings, and cheeky nods to other stories—think Dr. Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, even werewolves and enchanted bears. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s part of its charm.

Where Beast shines is in its humor and creativity. The prose is breezy and vivid, full of whimsical energy. It feels like watching a clever, chaotic fantasy miniseries—equal parts fairy tale satire and romantic comedy. But that chaos comes at a cost. The sheer number of characters and interweaving side quests often steal focus from the main romance, which honestly never fully lands. Charming and the Beast have some sweet and funny moments, but the emotional depth isn’t quite there. I never fully bought why they fell for each other—it felt more convenient than earned.

The pacing also struggles. The first half sets up a great story, but the second half spins off into so many directions that it loses momentum. I was either wishing for more time to develop key relationships or less distraction from the main arc. The romance especially could’ve used more breathing room.

Still, even with its flaws, Beast is a cozy, clever, and heart-filled read. If you’re into fractured fairy tales, gender-swapped tropes, and ensemble casts that feel like a slightly unhinged group chat come to life, this series might just charm you—even if you occasionally have to flip back a few pages to remember who’s who.

While the concept of a gender-swapped Beauty and the Beast in Jade Linwood's "Beast" held initial appeal, the execution fell short. Although the author skillfully weaves in elements from various fairytales, a feature I appreciated, the pacing of the story felt sluggish, hindering my ability to become invested. Despite being the second book in a series, it seemed accessible as a standalone. Unfortunately, a disconnect from the characters ultimately made it a struggle to remain engaged and motivated to continue reading.

Beast is a unique twist on the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast. In it we return to the story of Prince Charming, a twisted version of the stereotypical perfect prince. The Beast is not a woman, cursed for refusing the accept an arranged marriage. While unique and interesting to change the roles, the story does drag on, making it a bit difficult to enjoy. Charming has many secrets and there is one secret that continues to play throughout the novel with minimal context provided to the reader until the very end of the story. This information actually benefits the reader, but causes significant confusion until you hit the very last part of the novel. Additionally, there is a lot of perspective jumping with minimal time context. - it is hard to know if the story is going back in time or if the events are happening simultaneously. With a little polish and cohesive storytelling, this would be a solid fantasy novel. With too much information left vague, it was very difficult to muddle through.

So I absolutely love fairytale retellings; there's something about having the nostalgia of a tale that I know and love and seeing it in a different light. I like most book lovers, absolutely love Beauty and the Beast - it's one of my favorites! So reading the blurb for this one really peaked my interest - a version of Beauty & the Beast with the genders flipped? Say less!

Prince Charming is the one that sets out and comes across a lady in a manor in the middle of the woods. The lady is cursed and it's just got a lot from that point - it seemed like things were all scattered and a bunch of fairtales were all mixed in - I lost the basis of the plot more than once! So many princesses that I really struggled - it felt really disjointed.

I did mostly enjoy the overall vibes of the book - and enjoyed the Beast and Prince Charming relationship - it wasn't very intense as the chemistry wasn't there, but it was fun.

Overall this book wasn't for me, but it was a really cozy and funny story that I know will be loved by others.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rebellion for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I did not read Charming so I was afraid maybe I’d be missing out of some things but I do believe this is fine as a standalone which made me happy to not be missing out on TOO much if you’re okay with being a *little* lost

With that being said - in this retelling of one of my favorite fairytales, Beast, is a gender swapped story of the original.

This was very “charming”, quirky and a cute fun read. Any fairytale / Disney lover will enjoy this book as something a little different

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

In this sequel to Charming, we got a spin on Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, and even Hansel and Gretal! Jade Linwood does a good job weaving all these fairy tales together, somehow finding a way to intermingle all of these characters into a sensible plot. I enjoyed how the threads connected and the way her characters interacted.
Curious to know if there will be more in the series!
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley