This book goes in a lot of different directions and I found it hard to keep track of all the stories. I wish it focused more on Prince Charming and the Beast. Interesting take on gender bending but too much going on.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I constantly promise myself not to request arcs for sequels when I haven't read at least one of the previous books in the series. I also constantly break that promise. When I saw this book I got curious and requested a digital review copy and luckily Solaris granted me one. I quickly caught up with the first book in the series and after finishing that one I was even more excited to read this sequel. I was absolutely hooked!

If you loved the first book in the series, you will without a doubt also love this sequel. All our favorite characters from the first book are present and we're meeting an entire new cast of characters. Which means that a lot of new fairytales are introduced too! I'm not gonna give away which ones, because it's much more fun to discover that on your own, but they fit in seamlessly and I love how the author mashes up these tales without making this one giant mess.

I also love that the author didn't fall into the "the prince is the worst person ever"-trap. We can all agree that it would have been great if he showed any kind of remorse in the first book, however, I'm glad that the author uses this book to flesh him out, to give him his own story and to show that he's, in a way, also only human. I loved reading his chapters. I loved watching him grow. I loved seeing him slowly changing into the person he can be.

And although the author changes the plot of quite a lot of fairytales in this novel, she does keep the important messages of these tales. The story is light hearted, the story is funny and entertaining and yet, in between the lines, there is a deeper layer. It actually feels like the author is simply presenting us with a new fairytale. A fairytale with characters we already know, but new plots and yet, at its core, still very much a fairytale. I can't wait for the next book!

Prince Jean-Marc Charming Arundel, aka Charming stumbles upon a mansion that is hidden and locked away by magic. There he meets Beast, a woman who has been cursed and two other men. On the other side of this magical forest, Princess Marie Blanche De Neige ( Snow White), Queen Ella de Braise, Bella Lucia dei' Sogni (sleeping beauty), Doctor Ranpuzel are trying to find Charming so that he can have a meeting with Mephistopheles in order to save several lives. Charming wants to help Beast break the curse and also make it to his meeting with Mephistopheles. We also encounter characters to the likeness of  Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and Red Ridding Hood. Will Charming help Beast break the curse and save everyone else from Mephistopheles and return the two trapped men to their feuding families?

Beast is a magical retelling that will have you rooting for the Beast, while also falling for Charming's witty and sometimes cynical charm.

Thank you Netgalley and Solaris for this magical retelling.

This was an entertaining read and the 2nd in the series. I'd highly recommend reading the first for context and a better understanding of half of the characters but, it isn't strictly speaking necessary.

In a world where Prince Charming does indeed charm and break the hearts of all the princesses (not a new concept but always a fun one) he finally meets his match in Beast. Charming has always been able to "break" any Princess's curse and now he's faced with the one curse he might not be able to break, as it requires for him to feel true love - something he hasn't experienced before. Can he break her curse and rescue himself, her and her other two suitors from the fae imprisonment they find themselves under? Or will Beast be stuck there forever and Charming disappear from her life without being able to remember her?

What to expect: magical shenanigans, cleverly renamed princess characters (it's easier to follow if you've read book 1 or are familiar with some of the European languages), forced proximity, opposites attract, rivalry for love....

3/5 stars

Would I read the next book in the series? Probably.

This one wasn't for me! I thought I'd give it a chance despite not really enjoying the first book, and that's on me. This just wasn't my style of disjoint fairy tale retelling, though I liked the concept! If you liked the first book, you'll probably like this one too.

Loved beauty and the beast, my second favorite princess. Was super excited to read this! Excited to continue reading the series!!!

Although I knew this was the second in a series when I picked it up, for some reason I thought it was a series of standalones connected by a theme. I also thought it was reality show-based, what with the whole "I choose you with a rose" thing. But guess what? I was wrong about both of those things! This book would probably work best if you read and enjoyed the first in the trilogy. (Also I now know it is a trilogy, because there are definitely plot threads left dangling at the end of this.)

All that aside, I did have a fun time reading this. My favorite part was watching Charming fall for the Beast: I would wait with bated breath for their chapters to come around. Because oh, did I not mention? There are at least 7 different POVs, and each chapter rotates to another one. I do think that if I'd read the first book, I might have been more interested in what Rapunzel or Bella were doing. But instead, I just wanted more with Charming and the Beast!!

So. This was fun! Approach with caution and read the first book! Enjoy :)

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Didn’t realize this was book two so I was very confused. The pace of the book was too fast. The author did too much telling and not enough showing. It was just jumping to the next plot point and never expanding. DNF at 30%

This story is all over the place. It's hard to keep up with with all the sub plots in each chapter. They do not add acting to the main plot of the book. I wanted to love this book as I live fairytale retellings. If the subplots were removed I think this book would be great
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I had a lot of fun reading *Beast*! 🐺🌹 This gender-flipped take on *Beauty and the Beast*, with its mix of romance, fantasy, and humor, was definitely a wild ride. Jade Linwood has such a creative way of weaving fairy tales together—I mean, who wouldn’t love a mash-up of *The Bachelor*, werewolves, and cursed mansions? The chemistry between Prince Charming and the Beast was a highlight, and the mansion's magical, eerie atmosphere made it such an immersive experience.

That said, I did struggle a bit with this one since I haven’t read the first book in the series. While the story explains a lot as it goes, I could tell I was missing some key context that would’ve helped me connect the dots. Also, there were so many side plots and characters—some of which were super fun but made it a bit chaotic at times. It felt like the main romance between Charming and the Beast didn’t get as much spotlight as I’d hoped, and I really wanted more depth in their relationship. The ending also felt a little rushed, leaving me with questions about how certain things wrapped up.

Even with those hiccups, *Beast* was a charming and quirky read. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with a good dose of humor and creativity, this is one to try. Huge thanks to the publishers and Jade Linwood for the e-ARC💖🙏

Not my favorite beauty and the beast retelling but I really liked the fmc. She wasn’t the typical romantasy heroine which was really refreshing.

Fun, I didn’t love it quite as much as the third because Charming really was an ass in the first book and his redemption and guilt over his actions don’t quite ring true. But, hey, it’s a gentle fairly cozy fairytale retelling so roll with it! If you enjoyed the first book you’ll like this one too. It ends with a definite not of book three to come which I do definitely want to read after the first two.

Really struggled to get into this book, it felt scattered and disjointed.

It was an interesting take on the traditional story but it just wasn't for me

I made a mistake and didn't realize this was the second book in a series. I definitely should have DNF'd it but continued even when I was so hopelessly lost at the start. This is a culmination of several different stories all happening at the same time (with a large cast of characters), eventually piecing together to form a full picture story. But OOF getting there was confusing (again I'm mostly blaming this on the fact that I didn't read book 1). The story felt so scattered it often made it difficult for me to keep up with what was going on. I love the idea of a genderbent Beauty and the Beast, but the execution didn't work for me. In addition to being confused a lot while reading I just didn't care about the fate of the characters. Charming and the Beast had zero chemistry, and I couldn't find it in myself to root for their HEA. This one wasn't for me, but I'm guessing if you read and enjoyed book 1, you'll like this one too. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Thank you netGallery and Solaris for the opportunity to review Beast, the options featured are my own.

Pre thoughts;
- Beauty and the beast

Post thoughts
- I liked the integration of different POV's thought the novel, an interesting way to integrate multiple plot-lines.
- A good flow to the reading
- I will be reading the first book in the series
- The romance aspects were great
- The strong female characters were amazing

tropes
- fairy tale re-telling
- magic
- limited romance
- strong female characters
- multiple POV's

3.5 stars rounded to 4

On his way to meet Mephistopheles, Charming tries to take a shortcut through the forest. But ends up finding a seemingly abandoned manor. Once he enters he soon realizes he is trapped, along with two other men, and the manor is under the curse. And the only other occupant, the lady of the house, has been transformed into a Beast. Meanwhile the ladies are waiting to meet up with Charming only to realize something has gone wrong. And they must find him to make sure they don’t feel the ripple effects of the demons wrath, should Charming not make the deadline.

This is a genderbent twist of Beauty and the Beast. And honestly I struggled through it a lot. I had trouble keeping up with the stories and characters as it kept switching between so many POVs. And this was a busy story, so much was happening. Although I gotta say when I found out what happened to the servants in the manor my jaw dropped, that seemed so cruel. I also felt like the romance fell a bit flat, for both Charming and Marie, but maybe we will see more of that in the next book. I think this would have been easier if I had reread Charming for a refresher, but in the end I did like this book.

Rating 3.5 stars

I don't know how to review this book.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This book reads more like a collection of short stories than a complete novel. Some of the chapters did not feel like they belonged to the story being told. I did enjoy the concept; that part was very intriguing, but it just fell flat for me. I liked the spin placed on Prince Charming and the fairytale princesses; I also loved the spin on the story of Beauty and the Beast.

Because I initially read this book with a different story in mind, I am willing to give it another try to see if my mind changes. Also, I am starting this world with book 2. It may be helpful to read book one and then reread this one.


Thank you to Netgalley, Rebellion | Solaris, and Jade Linwood for the ARC of this interesting book.

I read the first of these turned-upside-down fairy tales, Charming, last year and I really enjoyed it. Beast had the same easy flowing readability, and brought back the characters from the first book whilst adding some new fairy tale staples. The central story is a twisted Beauty and the Beast retelling, but there's lots more action happening in the wings. My only complaint is the cliff-hanger ending, I always feel slightly cheated without a nicely rounded finish.

I really enjoyed this book. The BATB vibes were amazing, and it was a nice palette cleanser in my opinion. I had never read anything from this author before, but definitely will in the future!

Posted on Goodreads: 3/17/2025

If you are looking for a funny fairy tale to get lost in, this book has it all. It has humor, curses, and a princely con artist who gets trapped in a rosebush surrounded mansion. This is the second book in the series, but I read it before the first book, and was able to fill in any blanks from the previous book fairly quickly. I definitely enjoyed this book, but for some readers it definitely requires a mindset shift to something more light-hearted and purely for enjoyment and laughs. I was given a chance to read this book through NetGalley and I hope it finds other fairy tale readers who enjoy it as much as I did.