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Faerie Tale Collection
Beauty and the Beast
A prince by day and a wolf by night—
Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.
Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?
Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable—though perhaps he's changed right before her eyes. He's not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now... but then again, so is the beast.
Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.
Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?
Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable—though perhaps he's changed right before her eyes. He's not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now... but then again, so is the beast.
260 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2012
About the author
Jenni James
82 books1,279 followersCLEAN ROMANCE FOR TEENS:
*The Jane Austen Diaries*
Pride & Popularity (Aug 2011)
Persuaded (Aug. 2012)
Emmalee (Jan 2013)
Mansfield Ranch (Dec 2013)
Northanger Alibi (Feb. 2012)
Sensible & Sensational (July 2015)
Sand & Sun (2016)
The Wilsons
Queen Sydney
*Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection*
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Rumplestiltskin
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rapunzel
The Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Return to Neverland
The Forgotten Princess
The Princess With the Golden Touch
Little Red Riding Hood
(and more...)
MIDDLE GRADE READERS:
Prince Tennyson (May 2012)
EARLY READERS:
*Andy & Annie Collection*
A Ghost Story
Greeny Meany
WOMEN'S FICTION:
*Revitalizing Jane Series*
Drowning
Swimming
Crawling
Walking
Running
Soaring
CLEAN ROMANCE FOR ADULTS:
*Eternal Realm Series*
Eternity
Destiny
Divinity
*The Jane Austen Diaries*
Pride & Popularity (Aug 2011)
Persuaded (Aug. 2012)
Emmalee (Jan 2013)
Mansfield Ranch (Dec 2013)
Northanger Alibi (Feb. 2012)
Sensible & Sensational (July 2015)
Sand & Sun (2016)
The Wilsons
Queen Sydney
*Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection*
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Rumplestiltskin
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rapunzel
The Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Return to Neverland
The Forgotten Princess
The Princess With the Golden Touch
Little Red Riding Hood
(and more...)
MIDDLE GRADE READERS:
Prince Tennyson (May 2012)
EARLY READERS:
*Andy & Annie Collection*
A Ghost Story
Greeny Meany
WOMEN'S FICTION:
*Revitalizing Jane Series*
Drowning
Swimming
Crawling
Walking
Running
Soaring
CLEAN ROMANCE FOR ADULTS:
*Eternal Realm Series*
Eternity
Destiny
Divinity
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 477 reviews
May 23, 2013
Rarely am I disappointed by a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It is my favorite fairy tale and I tend to view even problematic retellings with rose-colored glasses.
This is one of those rare times. And it is so sad because it starts out with such an interesting idea.
The idea of the "Beast" character being a werewolf instead of an animal full-time is not a new one. What is new here is Beauty (Cecelia) being courted simultaneously by both prince and wolf, but because the prince mistreated her in the past it is the talking wolf she trusts more. The dilemma the prince faces here is interesting, because he needs her to love the wolf to break the spell, but if the spell is broken she will get the prince (the one she doesn't trust or love) full-time. By structuring her story with Cecelia being courted in this way, James neatly sidesteps certain problematic things about the original: the Beast threatening death on Beauty's father unless she takes his place, but Beauty eventually coming to sympathize with the one who is essentially her captor.
All of these good intentions by the author are sabotaged by the mess that is the rest of the story. James' worldbuilding is confused at best. Distances between places are not fixed and seem to fluctuate as is convenient to the story. Cecelia, the daughter of parents who seem to be quite wealthy even though they are categorized as "villagers", berates herself for believing a lord would stoop to marry her, yet it seems she grew up with the prince on nearly equal terms and is not unduly shocked when he begins to court her, at least not on the grounds of his exalted station in life. If she shouldn't expect to marry a mere lord because her own birth is too lowly, why is it OK for her to consider marrying the prince of the realm? How exactly does rank work as it relates to marriage in this universe? Is it just that the prince can pretty much do what he wants in picking a bride, while everyone else is bound to considerations of rank and wealth? Possible, but never addressed.
Other problems with the characters and storytelling abound. The villain is completely unfocused and the things he does make no sense with what his (loosely) stated motives are. Cecelia is heartbroken after being jilted and longs only for a friend, not a love, but within a chapter or two of this short book she is flirting with both prince and wolf not knowing they are the same person. Other reviewers have complained the pair fall in love way too fast even for how short the story is, and I would tend to agree.
It also really bothers me that what Cecelia says is often inconsistent with her actions. She tells the prince to go away and leave her alone multiple times with legitimate reason, all while snuggling up to him or crying on his shoulder. I get that with the wolf, when she calls him "cruel" while snuggling, she's teasing and they're both aware of it, but not with the prince, who she legitimately dislikes for bullying her for years on end. Stuff like this is why guys believe when a woman says "no", she really means "yes, I'm secretly into you and if you forcibly kiss me I'll melt in your arms". Really, really problematic message about consent being given here and it rubs me completely the wrong way.
The dialogue feels like the way a high schooler would attempt to write in "old timey" language. Sometimes too casual, sometimes too formal, it never settles into a comfortable rhythm that actually feels like real speech.
Overall, a disappointing read.
This is one of those rare times. And it is so sad because it starts out with such an interesting idea.
The idea of the "Beast" character being a werewolf instead of an animal full-time is not a new one. What is new here is Beauty (Cecelia) being courted simultaneously by both prince and wolf, but because the prince mistreated her in the past it is the talking wolf she trusts more. The dilemma the prince faces here is interesting, because he needs her to love the wolf to break the spell, but if the spell is broken she will get the prince (the one she doesn't trust or love) full-time. By structuring her story with Cecelia being courted in this way, James neatly sidesteps certain problematic things about the original: the Beast threatening death on Beauty's father unless she takes his place, but Beauty eventually coming to sympathize with the one who is essentially her captor.
All of these good intentions by the author are sabotaged by the mess that is the rest of the story. James' worldbuilding is confused at best. Distances between places are not fixed and seem to fluctuate as is convenient to the story. Cecelia, the daughter of parents who seem to be quite wealthy even though they are categorized as "villagers", berates herself for believing a lord would stoop to marry her, yet it seems she grew up with the prince on nearly equal terms and is not unduly shocked when he begins to court her, at least not on the grounds of his exalted station in life. If she shouldn't expect to marry a mere lord because her own birth is too lowly, why is it OK for her to consider marrying the prince of the realm? How exactly does rank work as it relates to marriage in this universe? Is it just that the prince can pretty much do what he wants in picking a bride, while everyone else is bound to considerations of rank and wealth? Possible, but never addressed.
Other problems with the characters and storytelling abound. The villain is completely unfocused and the things he does make no sense with what his (loosely) stated motives are. Cecelia is heartbroken after being jilted and longs only for a friend, not a love, but within a chapter or two of this short book she is flirting with both prince and wolf not knowing they are the same person. Other reviewers have complained the pair fall in love way too fast even for how short the story is, and I would tend to agree.
It also really bothers me that what Cecelia says is often inconsistent with her actions. She tells the prince to go away and leave her alone multiple times with legitimate reason, all while snuggling up to him or crying on his shoulder. I get that with the wolf, when she calls him "cruel" while snuggling, she's teasing and they're both aware of it, but not with the prince, who she legitimately dislikes for bullying her for years on end. Stuff like this is why guys believe when a woman says "no", she really means "yes, I'm secretly into you and if you forcibly kiss me I'll melt in your arms". Really, really problematic message about consent being given here and it rubs me completely the wrong way.
The dialogue feels like the way a high schooler would attempt to write in "old timey" language. Sometimes too casual, sometimes too formal, it never settles into a comfortable rhythm that actually feels like real speech.
Overall, a disappointing read.
February 26, 2017
3.5 stars
January 18, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. Fairy tale retellings always have great potential. Unfortunately, this one does not live up to the original. It's stuffed with stilted conversations and awkward and unrealistic situations. Melodramatic language compounds the other issues.
"She snuggled in closer, her other hand playing with the smooth fabric of his tied cravat. “You are simply the most horrid man in the world. I cannot stand the sight of you.”"
Also, "gel". Not gel, like shower gel, but gel as in girl. Because all royalty talks like that. Add to that the fact that Cecelia is a frustrating protagonist who causes most of her own problems and then either waits to be rescued or locks herself in her room and it's easy to conclude that this was not the book for me.
"She snuggled in closer, her other hand playing with the smooth fabric of his tied cravat. “You are simply the most horrid man in the world. I cannot stand the sight of you.”"
Also, "gel". Not gel, like shower gel, but gel as in girl. Because all royalty talks like that. Add to that the fact that Cecelia is a frustrating protagonist who causes most of her own problems and then either waits to be rescued or locks herself in her room and it's easy to conclude that this was not the book for me.
May 13, 2015
This was a rather ridiculous fairy tale based around Beauty and the Beast. And by ridiculous, I mostly mean that it was cheesy. But it was also a lot of fun to read.
The story itself could have used some more development. The characters were just kind of thrown at you and I wasn't very inclined to like either of them at first. They grew on quickly though. And they were really cute and funny together. It was fun to read their silly banter.
I wasn't too into the fact that the "Beast" was only a wolf at night. During the day he was human. I also found it kind of creepy to read about the girl falling in love with a wolf. I know that's how the story goes, but it was still creepy to me here.
Overall this was a fun read. Not brilliant, but enjoyable.
The story itself could have used some more development. The characters were just kind of thrown at you and I wasn't very inclined to like either of them at first. They grew on quickly though. And they were really cute and funny together. It was fun to read their silly banter.
I wasn't too into the fact that the "Beast" was only a wolf at night. During the day he was human. I also found it kind of creepy to read about the girl falling in love with a wolf. I know that's how the story goes, but it was still creepy to me here.
Overall this was a fun read. Not brilliant, but enjoyable.
August 21, 2016
2 stars(:
A cute re-telling..
I felt like the events were really rushed, and I always prefer stories that take their time..
Its an "okay" read..
A cute re-telling..
I felt like the events were really rushed, and I always prefer stories that take their time..
Its an "okay" read..
April 12, 2013
Typically speaking, I like to read fairy tale classics told in a new light. When I was given this to read...I was decently happy about it, granted Beauty and the Beast is not my favorite.
To start with, the book was not just an easy read....it was overly easy. The book is for young adults and yet reads like it should be for a younger generation. The only thing that could be argued for young adults is that the vocabulary is a bit more advanced than a childrens novel. I will say though that the cover art...great.
Next...the characters weren't very believable. I understand that the book itself is not very young therefore for it to be a love story...the characters fall in love very quickly...but this.....this is a bit much. I have never been one for the love at first site and def did not like that within a one chapter time span...the two main characters went from completely hating and loathing one-another to complete devotion and love. It was a bit much. Not to mention that the only "danger" in the book is brushed over and practically non-essential to the book's function. Cecelia cries her heart out because the prince's cousin tells her that the prince Alexander killed the wolf she loved.....then all of a sudden she is in his arms. Not to mention that he was stabbed..but yeah whatever....that doesn't matter in the book.
I would recommend this book to my little sisters in grade school. Its cute...safe...completely censored and unbelievably mushy...they will love it. As for its intended audience...I say no go. Don't even bother. Just stick with the Disney classic. It has more drama..danger..and a more believable love story than this. The only thing I will say is that if you have a decent lunch break at work..you can read the whole book..
To start with, the book was not just an easy read....it was overly easy. The book is for young adults and yet reads like it should be for a younger generation. The only thing that could be argued for young adults is that the vocabulary is a bit more advanced than a childrens novel. I will say though that the cover art...great.
Next...the characters weren't very believable. I understand that the book itself is not very young therefore for it to be a love story...the characters fall in love very quickly...but this.....this is a bit much. I have never been one for the love at first site and def did not like that within a one chapter time span...the two main characters went from completely hating and loathing one-another to complete devotion and love. It was a bit much. Not to mention that the only "danger" in the book is brushed over and practically non-essential to the book's function. Cecelia cries her heart out because the prince's cousin tells her that the prince Alexander killed the wolf she loved.....then all of a sudden she is in his arms. Not to mention that he was stabbed..but yeah whatever....that doesn't matter in the book.
I would recommend this book to my little sisters in grade school. Its cute...safe...completely censored and unbelievably mushy...they will love it. As for its intended audience...I say no go. Don't even bother. Just stick with the Disney classic. It has more drama..danger..and a more believable love story than this. The only thing I will say is that if you have a decent lunch break at work..you can read the whole book..
January 29, 2013
I love the story of Beauty and the Beast--you know, getting to know the inside/character of a person instead of focusing on the outward appearance. This was a fun re-telling with a bit of a twist.
Cecelia was being courted...so she thought. With the whole village gossiping about her situation, she isn't sure how to respond to Prince Alexander's sudden interest in her. He hasn't exactly been kind in the past.
The only thing that bothered me was how quickly Cecelia was to believe that slimy cousin. I can understand how she wouldn't want to get her hopes up, but that guy was slime.
Content: clean.
Cecelia was being courted...so she thought. With the whole village gossiping about her situation, she isn't sure how to respond to Prince Alexander's sudden interest in her. He hasn't exactly been kind in the past.
The only thing that bothered me was how quickly Cecelia was to believe that slimy cousin. I can understand how she wouldn't want to get her hopes up, but that guy was slime.
Content: clean.
April 29, 2012
I really enjoyed Jenni James new series The Jane Austen Diaries (especially Pride & Popularity), and was excited to see she is coming out with a new Faerie Tale collection. I just have to say, I was a tad disappointed the faerie tales didn’t have tweaked titles, I liked how she played with the Austen titles and thought it would have been cute if she had done the same for the faerie tale collection.
Anyway, Beauty and the Beast was a cute story. While reading I kept thinking it would be a fun story for my daughter to read one day. It is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast; in this case the beast is a prince who turns into a wolf each night. If he is not able to find someone to love his beastly form in a year it will be a permanent change. Cecelia is our leading lady, who happens to dislike the prince very much. It was fun seeing the interactions between the wolf and Cecelia, knowing that all along it was actually the prince she was confiding in. Like I said, it was a cute story. I enjoyed the characters and the fairy tale feel.
Content: Clean.
Anyway, Beauty and the Beast was a cute story. While reading I kept thinking it would be a fun story for my daughter to read one day. It is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast; in this case the beast is a prince who turns into a wolf each night. If he is not able to find someone to love his beastly form in a year it will be a permanent change. Cecelia is our leading lady, who happens to dislike the prince very much. It was fun seeing the interactions between the wolf and Cecelia, knowing that all along it was actually the prince she was confiding in. Like I said, it was a cute story. I enjoyed the characters and the fairy tale feel.
Content: Clean.
May 11, 2015
This was a cute and fun fairytale! Different enough from the original Beauty and the Beast story to be unique and yet also staying true to the main story. I enjoyed it!
November 3, 2013
Author Jenni James has interpreted a number of fairy tales and this is the first of them I've read. The story begins with Prince Alexander being turned into a beast by an old lady. The curse can only be broken once he finds somebody that can love him for the beast that he truly is. Luckily for him, he only turns into a beast at night, but unluckily, he only has a year to find this lady before he is unable to transform back to human form.
We also meet Cecelia, who is in love with a Lord, and certain he's going to propose. He arrives to take her out for a ride in his carriage and to tell her that he's going to marry somebody else more fitted to his station in life. Poor Cecelia is heartbroken and goes to her special spot, out by the brook where she bumps into Alexander. They have met before and he was impolite and boorish, as per his usual behaviour to everybody, and she is usually rude right back so he is intrigued to see her so obviously upset. He goes back in his beast form in the night and meets her again. Cecelia's romantic disppointment has given excellent fodder for gossip to her neighbours and people she thought were friends. She feels so alone, and comes to trust the Beast, though she has a low opinion of the Prince. Getting to know Cecelia better, Alexander gets to understand how he made others feel through his behaviour and how to be a better man, but he fears that the curse will never be broken.
The setting appears to be mostly historical, and the language mostly formal but with some modern phrases but it's not clear when or where it's set aside from the fact that it's in a world where curses can come true! I thought this was a fun, whimsical story and I'd certainly read others in the series.
We also meet Cecelia, who is in love with a Lord, and certain he's going to propose. He arrives to take her out for a ride in his carriage and to tell her that he's going to marry somebody else more fitted to his station in life. Poor Cecelia is heartbroken and goes to her special spot, out by the brook where she bumps into Alexander. They have met before and he was impolite and boorish, as per his usual behaviour to everybody, and she is usually rude right back so he is intrigued to see her so obviously upset. He goes back in his beast form in the night and meets her again. Cecelia's romantic disppointment has given excellent fodder for gossip to her neighbours and people she thought were friends. She feels so alone, and comes to trust the Beast, though she has a low opinion of the Prince. Getting to know Cecelia better, Alexander gets to understand how he made others feel through his behaviour and how to be a better man, but he fears that the curse will never be broken.
The setting appears to be mostly historical, and the language mostly formal but with some modern phrases but it's not clear when or where it's set aside from the fact that it's in a world where curses can come true! I thought this was a fun, whimsical story and I'd certainly read others in the series.
June 29, 2017
The most bipolar retelling of Beauty and the Beast I've ever seen. The changing moods of the characters gave me whiplash.
Cecilia HATES the prince and swears to hate him forever, and then talks to him and suddenly he's charming and handsome. She trusts a magical talking wolf with no hesitation. She believes everything the prince's cousin says and hates the prince again. Then she sees how handsome he is and likes him again. She gets mad at the wolf and forgives the wolf all in the space of 5 minutes. Her emotions were all over the place, and none of them seemed to be real.
Prince Alexander was all over the place too. He switches from hating Cecilia to finding her the most beautiful woman he ever beheld practically overnight.
See what I mean by whiplash???
Also - the number of comma mistakes in this was absolutely unforgivable. It was filled with run on sentences and awkwardness like this: "the moment Alexander had become unconscious; his fingers had loosened their grip, allowing Frederick to breath."
What does this sentence even mean??? And what's with the random semicolon??!
Or what about this:
"Though, the thorns of the rose are prickly and hard to bear - as all great trials are - the delicate petals are velvety smooth and glorious unlike any description, and worth all the thorns it took to create them."
I didn't know the thorn itself created the rose petal...
The idea of the retelling was clever but the execution was poor.
Cecilia HATES the prince and swears to hate him forever, and then talks to him and suddenly he's charming and handsome. She trusts a magical talking wolf with no hesitation. She believes everything the prince's cousin says and hates the prince again. Then she sees how handsome he is and likes him again. She gets mad at the wolf and forgives the wolf all in the space of 5 minutes. Her emotions were all over the place, and none of them seemed to be real.
Prince Alexander was all over the place too. He switches from hating Cecilia to finding her the most beautiful woman he ever beheld practically overnight.
See what I mean by whiplash???
Also - the number of comma mistakes in this was absolutely unforgivable. It was filled with run on sentences and awkwardness like this: "the moment Alexander had become unconscious; his fingers had loosened their grip, allowing Frederick to breath."
What does this sentence even mean??? And what's with the random semicolon??!
Or what about this:
"Though, the thorns of the rose are prickly and hard to bear - as all great trials are - the delicate petals are velvety smooth and glorious unlike any description, and worth all the thorns it took to create them."
I didn't know the thorn itself created the rose petal...
The idea of the retelling was clever but the execution was poor.
September 10, 2012
I adore this author. I think she really had something with this book, but just missed the mark. The love story was too fast and therefore not believable. As I was reading this story I also came to the conclusion that I don't love Beauty and the Beast stories where there is actually an animal of some sort involved. I know sounds weird right? Hear me out...I love the idea of someone who is egotisical and so in love with themselves that they are humbled to see the other side. I love it when someone becomes more "human." I however don't love it when they are actually an animal. For some reason I found it weird to hear that this girl was falling in love with a wolf. I just thought it was kind of "off." I think in fantasy stories, if she is falling in love with the man and know he's a wolf, it's more believable to me.
Over-all though this is a clean book, with of course the fairy tale element which is always one of my favorites!
Over-all though this is a clean book, with of course the fairy tale element which is always one of my favorites!
December 6, 2014
There were things new to me in this retelling I had never encountered before and I thought they were an interesting idea. The first was the beast wasn't an animal all the time. During the day he was human and still able to go about his daily life as he had before. I thought the book taking place in a normal regency courtship setting. The other thing was they knew each other before he was cursed. They did not have a good relationship from before, in fact he had been intentionally mean to her.
I did wonder why the girl didn't have a problem dealing with a talking wolf and I thought their friendship developed rather quickly. Her feelings toward the prince also do an abrupt about face. I would have liked to see more depth. I was a little confused by the prince's inability to see the villain's motivations and his possible actions to get what he wanted.
I did wonder why the girl didn't have a problem dealing with a talking wolf and I thought their friendship developed rather quickly. Her feelings toward the prince also do an abrupt about face. I would have liked to see more depth. I was a little confused by the prince's inability to see the villain's motivations and his possible actions to get what he wanted.
November 1, 2014
Very sweet, cute, and light short book that focuses on "Beauty" and "Beast's" feelings. It wasn't highly inventive or groundbreaking, but it was a nice little book.
June 16, 2020
Reread 1This time I read the published version instead of the Wattpad one, but I honestly don't remember the Wattpad version well enough to know if the published one was better. Sure, it was cute and the Prince Alexander vs. Wolf Alexander dynamic was interesting, but the romance was weird, to say the least. I feel like Alexander is just a rebound for Cecelia and that Cecelia is just the first girl to give Alexander hope and he's desperate, so there is no real substance to their relationship. Also, the cousin (I think his name was Frederick?) is a very cartoony villain because his descent into villainy happens within a chapter, there is no hinting at a darker personality than "helpful cousin" until Alexander mentions Cecelia. But this is a quick, cute, light read so if that's right up your alley, go for it.
*More like a 3.5 but I'm feeling nice so I rounded up to a 4*
Also, there's uncovered spoilers in the review, but I didn't bother hiding them in a spoiler tag because I figure that since this story has been told approximately 10000 times, everyone knows the general gist of how the story goes.
Some notes about me reading this book:
1) I read this in about 3 hours last night.
2) I had to read the Wattpad version because that's what I could find. Therefore, any commentary/criticism I utter is directed at the Wattpad version. Of course, some things may be different in the actual printed/edited version.
3) I was reading until like 2 in the morning so my recollection of the book may be a little hazy.
So I am not going to claim that the book was good persay, but it was enjoyable. It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three so I excused the book's obvious flaws.
I'm sure by now you're wondering what said flaws are, so I'm just going to explain those really quickly before I talk about what I liked.
-Instalove™
-half-developed/weird characterization
-something that was lowkey furry-like
-plot holes
-pacing
And, okay. When you're reading my review and I list those things as problems in the book, I'm sure that by now you're drawing a conclusion that's something along the lines of, "Wow, those are some pretty major flaws. I can't believe you liked that book."
And yeah, I can't really either. But also I know why I did like the book. I'm just gonna give a quick lil explanation of all those things then I'll talk about why I liked the book despite those glaring errors.
So obviously, Instalove™. It was just very.... Instant™. Even though for the length of the whole story, about 6 months has passed, but most of the action takes place in only about 3 days (I think?). And Cecelia seems to get over being "dumped" by the Charles guy very quickly. Technically a month passed between her first encounter with the wolf and her second one, but because of aforementioned weird pacing, it really only seemed like a week or so. And then like 75% through, we lowkey get some furry vibes because Cecelia very explicitly says, "I love you" to the wolf while she still doesn't know that the wolf=Alexander. It happened and I was like, "oh wait what." And also, I was surprised that the curse was broken so quickly and easily. To talk about the weird characterization some more, Alexander was literally... not a jerk. We're told how horrible he was and how he was a total d-bag, but that's the extent of it. There's not a ton stories told or flashbacks shown that show was Alexander was really like. Of course, we get the story of why the witch cursed him, but honestly that read more to me as "drunk guy makes fun of homeless lady" (which is still mean but it wasn't radiating with the supposed horridness of Alexander). Speaking of the witch lady, why did she literally die in the middle of cursing Alexander? Oh, and a plot hole, why was Alexander abdicating the throne when he was only like 6 months into the curse? He literally still had half a year to try and break the curse and he just gave up halfway through. And why did he choose Frederick? He had some weird characterization too... he seemed nice at first then as soon as Alexander hints at not giving the throne to him, he just turns psycho-evil. Not just jealous evil (which he is because he manipulates Cecelia), but psycho-evil. Like, stabbing your cousin evil. It was just a very sudden and not-thoroughly-developed character thing.
So yeah, it wasn't the best story every written, but still I excuse its many faults. Why? To be quite honest, it's probably because I'm still single. Cecelia's relationships with the wolf and Alexander separately were friendship GOALS. Coupled with some good ol' dramatic irony and the reader is screaming at the story for Alex to come clean. Now, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get an epic showdown between Alexander, Cecelia, and Frederick. How amazing would it have been if Frederick had gone to the brook at night to go kill Cecelia with the kitchen knife, but then Alexander (in wolf form) hears Frederick giving an evil villain monologue. Then, Alexander races towards them and right as Frederick reaches to thrust the knife into Cecelia, Alexander runs in front of her, taking the knife meant for her but then mortally injuring himself. Frederick, because he's a coward, runs off into the woods and Cecilia sits with the dying Alexander. Right when he's about to die in wolf form, we get some Disney action going on and she tells him she loves him, breaking the curse. Alexander turns back into his human form and because the curse is broken he's also healed. Like, how amazing would that ending have been?
But it's okay, the ending we got was fine. Frederick's storyline ended a little too conveniently for my taste, Cecelia's proclaimed love for a talking wolf was weird (although I'm excusing it by 10% because Alex while in wolf form tells her that he was not always a wolf), and Alex was not a jerk, but other than that, we're good.
So I do realize that pretty much everything I've said so far sounds like something I'd say when writing a bad review about a book, and I'm sure you're still wondering why I liked it when it sounds so terrible. But the good parts of the book were *chef's kiss*
Even though Alex is not a jerk, he's so sweet to Cecelia. And even though it was Instalove™ you can tell that he genuinely cares for Cecelia. And Cecelia is not the worst character ever written. Like, she's not great but she's not terrible either.
And when I really boil it down, I think that the reason I liked the book was because of how cheesy it was and also because of something I said earlier. Remember earlier in the review when I said, "It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three"? I think that's why I liked the story so much despite its flaws. It's because it fed into all the tropes I love.
So while this book may not be everyone's cup of tea because it's a very specific brand of tea, if you like this type of tea then you'll probably like this book.
Also, this book made me realize that I reuse the same "face mold" in my head for a lot of different characters. I get given some "key words" like "blond," "black hair," "blue eyes," etc (really any descriptors) and then just apply them to one of five or so blank models in my head. I've realized that the one I use most often (and I used it for Alexander) is kinda like a mix of Peter Pevensie and Edmund Pevensie. Because look at these cuties:
Or more specifically, this one:
*More like a 3.5 but I'm feeling nice so I rounded up to a 4*
Also, there's uncovered spoilers in the review, but I didn't bother hiding them in a spoiler tag because I figure that since this story has been told approximately 10000 times, everyone knows the general gist of how the story goes.
Some notes about me reading this book:
1) I read this in about 3 hours last night.
2) I had to read the Wattpad version because that's what I could find. Therefore, any commentary/criticism I utter is directed at the Wattpad version. Of course, some things may be different in the actual printed/edited version.
3) I was reading until like 2 in the morning so my recollection of the book may be a little hazy.
So I am not going to claim that the book was good persay, but it was enjoyable. It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three so I excused the book's obvious flaws.
I'm sure by now you're wondering what said flaws are, so I'm just going to explain those really quickly before I talk about what I liked.
-Instalove™
-half-developed/weird characterization
-something that was lowkey furry-like
-plot holes
-pacing
And, okay. When you're reading my review and I list those things as problems in the book, I'm sure that by now you're drawing a conclusion that's something along the lines of, "Wow, those are some pretty major flaws. I can't believe you liked that book."
And yeah, I can't really either. But also I know why I did like the book. I'm just gonna give a quick lil explanation of all those things then I'll talk about why I liked the book despite those glaring errors.
So obviously, Instalove™. It was just very.... Instant™. Even though for the length of the whole story, about 6 months has passed, but most of the action takes place in only about 3 days (I think?). And Cecelia seems to get over being "dumped" by the Charles guy very quickly. Technically a month passed between her first encounter with the wolf and her second one, but because of aforementioned weird pacing, it really only seemed like a week or so. And then like 75% through, we lowkey get some furry vibes because Cecelia very explicitly says, "I love you" to the wolf while she still doesn't know that the wolf=Alexander. It happened and I was like, "oh wait what." And also, I was surprised that the curse was broken so quickly and easily. To talk about the weird characterization some more, Alexander was literally... not a jerk. We're told how horrible he was and how he was a total d-bag, but that's the extent of it. There's not a ton stories told or flashbacks shown that show was Alexander was really like. Of course, we get the story of why the witch cursed him, but honestly that read more to me as "drunk guy makes fun of homeless lady" (which is still mean but it wasn't radiating with the supposed horridness of Alexander). Speaking of the witch lady, why did she literally die in the middle of cursing Alexander? Oh, and a plot hole, why was Alexander abdicating the throne when he was only like 6 months into the curse? He literally still had half a year to try and break the curse and he just gave up halfway through. And why did he choose Frederick? He had some weird characterization too... he seemed nice at first then as soon as Alexander hints at not giving the throne to him, he just turns psycho-evil. Not just jealous evil (which he is because he manipulates Cecelia), but psycho-evil. Like, stabbing your cousin evil. It was just a very sudden and not-thoroughly-developed character thing.
So yeah, it wasn't the best story every written, but still I excuse its many faults. Why? To be quite honest, it's probably because I'm still single. Cecelia's relationships with the wolf and Alexander separately were friendship GOALS. Coupled with some good ol' dramatic irony and the reader is screaming at the story for Alex to come clean. Now, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get an epic showdown between Alexander, Cecelia, and Frederick. How amazing would it have been if Frederick had gone to the brook at night to go kill Cecelia with the kitchen knife, but then Alexander (in wolf form) hears Frederick giving an evil villain monologue. Then, Alexander races towards them and right as Frederick reaches to thrust the knife into Cecelia, Alexander runs in front of her, taking the knife meant for her but then mortally injuring himself. Frederick, because he's a coward, runs off into the woods and Cecilia sits with the dying Alexander. Right when he's about to die in wolf form, we get some Disney action going on and she tells him she loves him, breaking the curse. Alexander turns back into his human form and because the curse is broken he's also healed. Like, how amazing would that ending have been?
But it's okay, the ending we got was fine. Frederick's storyline ended a little too conveniently for my taste, Cecelia's proclaimed love for a talking wolf was weird (although I'm excusing it by 10% because Alex while in wolf form tells her that he was not always a wolf), and Alex was not a jerk, but other than that, we're good.
So I do realize that pretty much everything I've said so far sounds like something I'd say when writing a bad review about a book, and I'm sure you're still wondering why I liked it when it sounds so terrible. But the good parts of the book were *chef's kiss*
Even though Alex is not a jerk, he's so sweet to Cecelia. And even though it was Instalove™ you can tell that he genuinely cares for Cecelia. And Cecelia is not the worst character ever written. Like, she's not great but she's not terrible either.
And when I really boil it down, I think that the reason I liked the book was because of how cheesy it was and also because of something I said earlier. Remember earlier in the review when I said, "It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three"? I think that's why I liked the story so much despite its flaws. It's because it fed into all the tropes I love.
So while this book may not be everyone's cup of tea because it's a very specific brand of tea, if you like this type of tea then you'll probably like this book.
Also, this book made me realize that I reuse the same "face mold" in my head for a lot of different characters. I get given some "key words" like "blond," "black hair," "blue eyes," etc (really any descriptors) and then just apply them to one of five or so blank models in my head. I've realized that the one I use most often (and I used it for Alexander) is kinda like a mix of Peter Pevensie and Edmund Pevensie. Because look at these cuties:
Or more specifically, this one:
May 31, 2019
I really liked the overall idea of this Beauty and the Beast retelling. It just seemed a little rushed and I found a lot of errors in the Kindle version that I read. I got it awhile ago though and maybe those have been fixed?
September 30, 2026
I'm a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast retellings. I can't even count how many I've read. This is one of the worst.
It would be the worst, except for the fact that it has one saving grace -- an original concept and twist on the Beast's situation.
Instead of a beast in a castle, we get Prince Alexander, who's doomed to transform by night and can roam freely through his kingdom. During the day, he's also free to come and go as he pleases, and he looks like himself. There is a catch, of course: If he can't get a woman to fall in love with him in his beast form within a year's time, he'll be doomed to be a beast forever. The other catch is that the woman he ends up falling in love with (out of nowhere) and hoping will love him in return hates him in his human form because....well, we'll get to that...and only seems to appreciate him in his beast form, when he visits her at night by the brook she likes to go to to relax.
There was so much potential to this retelling. But the execution was absolutely abyssmal. Not just a small misfire, not a story with a few flaws, but just full of crucial failures, even and especially in the story's foundation.
The most egregious flaws (in no particular order) include:
-the writing style. This book was like something I would have written when I was a dreamy ten-year-old girl writing stories in a notebook. "Big" words are misused, as if they've been spotted in novels or heard before but never actually used or looked up.
At times, especially in some of the later chapters, this went beyond some vocabulary misuse and actually became musing forms of words -- an adverb that should have been an adjective, a verb that should have been a noun. To be fair to 10-year-old me, I wouldn't have made these grammatical mistakes so consistently, but even if I had, I hope that my younger self would have understood the importance of both setting aside and re-reading your work, and having at least one other person look over it before you publish it.
-the characterization. I expected this book would be a difficult read for me when I discovered that Cecelia, our Beauty character was portrayed as kind of dumb, naive, and spoiled, and without any strong character traits. I always try to enter a book open-minded, and this one certainly had an unconventional set-up, so I at first figured that this was a choice by the author to turn the traditional portrayal of this character on its head. But it's hard for me not to expect, or at least want, a Beauty with intelligence and a stong character. The former characteristic, especially, is what sets her apart from so many other traditional fairy tale heroines. From her first modern appearance in Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's 1740's story, where she's a sophisticated, well-read Frenchwoman, to her role as a headstrong, eccentric bibliophile in Disney's Beauty & the Beast movies, to modern spins like ACOTAR where she starts out as a huntress, the Beauty character in Beauty and the Beast has some sort of personality, at least, and is often smart and even intellectual. Even stories that just give the basics and don't go to deep into characterization at least show the Beauty figure as being courageous, often taking the place of her father as the Beast's prisoner, or standing up to the Beast character. Not so here. But again, I was willing to see where the author was going with it...
...and that turned out to be nowhere. Because not only does this Beauty not have much personality or wit; the character is ever-changing and incomprehensible. First she's presented as a naive, coquettish beauty, then we're told she's always doing good for others, despite only seeing this (weirdly) shown once and very briefly. She seems to have no thought for others at all in this story, except for the prince, whom she loathes because he...sometimes says mean things to people? It all felt very frivolous but I kept telling myself that was the vibe, that she was going to be changed by developing feelings for a wolf-like Beast creature and it would be really cool. But no. When she first comes upon Alexander in his Beast form, she goes from unexpectedly bold, hitting him with a stick because she thinks she has to defend herself, which at least is something, to falling into insta-friendship and very close proximity with him. I mean, I'm all for making friends with a nice wolf who can talk, but immediately getting close to him and curling up against him and telling him all the secrets of your heart is a bit extreme.
Meanwhile, things are no better with Alexander. The Beast character can be an incredibly complex and fun one to write, as he struggles with his curse, falling in love and feeling he'll have his heart broken, and potentially other things to overcome. Here, Alexander goes from extreme to extreme and we never get to know him. One of the most annoying of these extremes is that he suddenly and inexplicably sees Cecelia as a goddess among women, despite having known her all his life and not having thought much of her. He and the other male characters in this book also have this sheen of looking at women condescendingly and in a shallow way, which gave me the ick (this was not one of the things that his curse/time with Cecelia would improve).
But at least there will be swoon-worthy scenes of longing and love, right? No. The way these characters interacted when Alexander was in his human form was utterly baffling. A sort of "I hate you!" "I love you!" with some of the cringiest dialogue I have ever read. Ever. The way I can best sum up my reaction to the scenes when these two are together is that gif of the blonde guy with the mustache looking puzzled and disgusted and mouthing "What the f___k?" If I had the technical savvy, I would even have included that gif here.
I really cannot state how poorly these scenes were written, careening completely irrationally from one emotion to another, with cheesy or incomprehensible lines of dialogue shooting like arrows into my Beauty and the Beast-loving heart. These scenes felt like one of those plays in a Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs puts on a mop as a wig and swoons, but even those theatrics were more believable than what went on here.
I really can't describe the awfulness of these scenes. Not terrible writing, but utterly inept writing. Normally, I savor the interactions and love scenes in a Beauty and the Beast story. In this one, I skimmed, cringingly glancing at as many lines as I could possibly take.
-the world-building. Beauty and the Beast stories typically involve at least some basic world-building, for instance around the nature of the Beast's curse, how that impacts his interactions with others (is he isolated or still around other people?) and so on. In this case, and in many others where the story isn't limited to an enchanted castle, we're out in the world...and yet, after having spent a few hundred pages in that world, I have no idea how it works. It seems to be a pastiche of Regency romance and fairy tales. But we get no explanation for many things, including why Cecelia wouldn't feel more disturbed by the fact that she's
Aside from the setting and social norms as a whole, there are also so many missed opportunities for Cecelia to interact with side characters. Instead, she wanders around doing as she pleases and her mom occasionally swoons or acts happy that she's going to maybe marry a prince at some point. That's it. The servants in her home might as well be the faceless servants in many Beauty and the Beast stories. Her brother exists only to bring suitors to their house, and while these suitors are supposed to be problematic in some way, we don't really get a sense of well, anything from them. The villagers are a mass of nameless people who apparently shun and mock Cecelia because she was rejected by a nobleman who might have married her -- and this is despite the fact that Cecelia allegedly is always helping them and being kind (which we never really see her doing. She seems more concerned by what dress she's going to wear than by helping anyone outside her bedroom door).
Once again this made me think of myself writing stories when I was a kid. I didn't always care about side characters; I just wanted to relish the love story. But as I got older and continued writing for fun, I knew that the characters around the main ones could be important for so many reasons and at the very least should be filled in from mere outlines to give a sense of realism to the story. James, it seems, did not learn this.
Or maybe she just didn't bother. The lack of world-building and shading in side characters was one more thing that made this book feel like something that written quickly and then impulsively published. James could have set the book aside and then said, "Okay, let me develop a few of these characters just a bit, and also have a scene or two with Cecelia actually interacting with and helping some people in the village" or "I should probably explain a bit about the society these people are living in." But this did not happen.
-the audacity. I read a lot, and that means that I've come upon some books that are amateurish, poorly written, or just not very good for one reason or another. But whether I'm reading a masterpiece by a critically acclaimed author or a subpar book approaching slop, I have never in all my reading life come across anyone, or at least someone who's not a literary megastar, who's given their book or series a title that includes their name.
I've often seen this book, whose full title is Beauty and the Beast, from the Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection, on lists of Beauty and the Beast retellings, and I always wondered who this Jenni James was. Was this a small publisher? Was she some famous fairy tale retelling author I've somehow missed, with enough talent and acclaim to have her name guarantee literary genius or genre icon status, like The Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales or something of that type? No other fairy tale retelling author I have ever read or known of has ever put their name into their series or title like this, and no one should have been more discouraged to do it. It reads as pretentious or arrogant in general, but when you discover the total lack of quality or writing skills displayed in this book and, I suspect, the others in this series, this choice comes off as not only arrogant but also delusional.
I wanted to know more about Jenni James, so I read her Amazon bio, which is incredibly long and includes this: "the Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection –Seventeen captivating fairy tales the way they should've been written." Whether or not they privately believe this of their own work, I have never seen or heard a claim like this from even the most famous fairy tale retelling authors. As someone who reads a lot of books in this genre and also writes some as a hobby, the whole point is coming from respect for the original tale(s) and the fun challenge of giving a traditional beloved story your own spin. There is no "way it should have been written". It's just your own take on it. I have never seen so much egotism in this genre, and the fact that you can't even shrug it off by saying "Well, to be fair, James really is a master of her craft" makes it even more egregious, not to mention laughable.
I love James's confidence and belief in herself and her stories, but this book was an absolute trainwreck. In many ways, this could have been prevented if she had put her ego aside and let someone proofread and beta read her work, for a start. Maybe her arrogance is also a sign that she hasn't read many other books in general, let alone fairy tale retellings and stories in adjacent genres. This would have helped her better understand her craft.
In summary, even if, like me, you can't resist a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it's probably not worth wasting your time with this one. James had a good idea for a bit of a different take on the story, but her writing is horrendous, her characterization is head-scratching, and it makes for a result that does this fairy tale absolutely no justice.
It would be the worst, except for the fact that it has one saving grace -- an original concept and twist on the Beast's situation.
Instead of a beast in a castle, we get Prince Alexander, who's doomed to transform by night and can roam freely through his kingdom. During the day, he's also free to come and go as he pleases, and he looks like himself. There is a catch, of course: If he can't get a woman to fall in love with him in his beast form within a year's time, he'll be doomed to be a beast forever. The other catch is that the woman he ends up falling in love with (out of nowhere) and hoping will love him in return hates him in his human form because....well, we'll get to that...and only seems to appreciate him in his beast form, when he visits her at night by the brook she likes to go to to relax.
There was so much potential to this retelling. But the execution was absolutely abyssmal. Not just a small misfire, not a story with a few flaws, but just full of crucial failures, even and especially in the story's foundation.
The most egregious flaws (in no particular order) include:
-the writing style. This book was like something I would have written when I was a dreamy ten-year-old girl writing stories in a notebook. "Big" words are misused, as if they've been spotted in novels or heard before but never actually used or looked up.
At times, especially in some of the later chapters, this went beyond some vocabulary misuse and actually became musing forms of words -- an adverb that should have been an adjective, a verb that should have been a noun. To be fair to 10-year-old me, I wouldn't have made these grammatical mistakes so consistently, but even if I had, I hope that my younger self would have understood the importance of both setting aside and re-reading your work, and having at least one other person look over it before you publish it.
-the characterization. I expected this book would be a difficult read for me when I discovered that Cecelia, our Beauty character was portrayed as kind of dumb, naive, and spoiled, and without any strong character traits. I always try to enter a book open-minded, and this one certainly had an unconventional set-up, so I at first figured that this was a choice by the author to turn the traditional portrayal of this character on its head. But it's hard for me not to expect, or at least want, a Beauty with intelligence and a stong character. The former characteristic, especially, is what sets her apart from so many other traditional fairy tale heroines. From her first modern appearance in Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's 1740's story, where she's a sophisticated, well-read Frenchwoman, to her role as a headstrong, eccentric bibliophile in Disney's Beauty & the Beast movies, to modern spins like ACOTAR where she starts out as a huntress, the Beauty character in Beauty and the Beast has some sort of personality, at least, and is often smart and even intellectual. Even stories that just give the basics and don't go to deep into characterization at least show the Beauty figure as being courageous, often taking the place of her father as the Beast's prisoner, or standing up to the Beast character. Not so here. But again, I was willing to see where the author was going with it...
...and that turned out to be nowhere. Because not only does this Beauty not have much personality or wit; the character is ever-changing and incomprehensible. First she's presented as a naive, coquettish beauty, then we're told she's always doing good for others, despite only seeing this (weirdly) shown once and very briefly. She seems to have no thought for others at all in this story, except for the prince, whom she loathes because he...sometimes says mean things to people? It all felt very frivolous but I kept telling myself that was the vibe, that she was going to be changed by developing feelings for a wolf-like Beast creature and it would be really cool. But no. When she first comes upon Alexander in his Beast form, she goes from unexpectedly bold, hitting him with a stick because she thinks she has to defend herself, which at least is something, to falling into insta-friendship and very close proximity with him. I mean, I'm all for making friends with a nice wolf who can talk, but immediately getting close to him and curling up against him and telling him all the secrets of your heart is a bit extreme.
Meanwhile, things are no better with Alexander. The Beast character can be an incredibly complex and fun one to write, as he struggles with his curse, falling in love and feeling he'll have his heart broken, and potentially other things to overcome. Here, Alexander goes from extreme to extreme and we never get to know him. One of the most annoying of these extremes is that he suddenly and inexplicably sees Cecelia as a goddess among women, despite having known her all his life and not having thought much of her. He and the other male characters in this book also have this sheen of looking at women condescendingly and in a shallow way, which gave me the ick (this was not one of the things that his curse/time with Cecelia would improve).
But at least there will be swoon-worthy scenes of longing and love, right? No. The way these characters interacted when Alexander was in his human form was utterly baffling. A sort of "I hate you!" "I love you!" with some of the cringiest dialogue I have ever read. Ever. The way I can best sum up my reaction to the scenes when these two are together is that gif of the blonde guy with the mustache looking puzzled and disgusted and mouthing "What the f___k?" If I had the technical savvy, I would even have included that gif here.
I really cannot state how poorly these scenes were written, careening completely irrationally from one emotion to another, with cheesy or incomprehensible lines of dialogue shooting like arrows into my Beauty and the Beast-loving heart. These scenes felt like one of those plays in a Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs puts on a mop as a wig and swoons, but even those theatrics were more believable than what went on here.
I really can't describe the awfulness of these scenes. Not terrible writing, but utterly inept writing. Normally, I savor the interactions and love scenes in a Beauty and the Beast story. In this one, I skimmed, cringingly glancing at as many lines as I could possibly take.
-the world-building. Beauty and the Beast stories typically involve at least some basic world-building, for instance around the nature of the Beast's curse, how that impacts his interactions with others (is he isolated or still around other people?) and so on. In this case, and in many others where the story isn't limited to an enchanted castle, we're out in the world...and yet, after having spent a few hundred pages in that world, I have no idea how it works. It seems to be a pastiche of Regency romance and fairy tales. But we get no explanation for many things, including why Cecelia wouldn't feel more disturbed by the fact that she's
Aside from the setting and social norms as a whole, there are also so many missed opportunities for Cecelia to interact with side characters. Instead, she wanders around doing as she pleases and her mom occasionally swoons or acts happy that she's going to maybe marry a prince at some point. That's it. The servants in her home might as well be the faceless servants in many Beauty and the Beast stories. Her brother exists only to bring suitors to their house, and while these suitors are supposed to be problematic in some way, we don't really get a sense of well, anything from them. The villagers are a mass of nameless people who apparently shun and mock Cecelia because she was rejected by a nobleman who might have married her -- and this is despite the fact that Cecelia allegedly is always helping them and being kind (which we never really see her doing. She seems more concerned by what dress she's going to wear than by helping anyone outside her bedroom door).
Once again this made me think of myself writing stories when I was a kid. I didn't always care about side characters; I just wanted to relish the love story. But as I got older and continued writing for fun, I knew that the characters around the main ones could be important for so many reasons and at the very least should be filled in from mere outlines to give a sense of realism to the story. James, it seems, did not learn this.
Or maybe she just didn't bother. The lack of world-building and shading in side characters was one more thing that made this book feel like something that written quickly and then impulsively published. James could have set the book aside and then said, "Okay, let me develop a few of these characters just a bit, and also have a scene or two with Cecelia actually interacting with and helping some people in the village" or "I should probably explain a bit about the society these people are living in." But this did not happen.
-the audacity. I read a lot, and that means that I've come upon some books that are amateurish, poorly written, or just not very good for one reason or another. But whether I'm reading a masterpiece by a critically acclaimed author or a subpar book approaching slop, I have never in all my reading life come across anyone, or at least someone who's not a literary megastar, who's given their book or series a title that includes their name.
I've often seen this book, whose full title is Beauty and the Beast, from the Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection, on lists of Beauty and the Beast retellings, and I always wondered who this Jenni James was. Was this a small publisher? Was she some famous fairy tale retelling author I've somehow missed, with enough talent and acclaim to have her name guarantee literary genius or genre icon status, like The Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales or something of that type? No other fairy tale retelling author I have ever read or known of has ever put their name into their series or title like this, and no one should have been more discouraged to do it. It reads as pretentious or arrogant in general, but when you discover the total lack of quality or writing skills displayed in this book and, I suspect, the others in this series, this choice comes off as not only arrogant but also delusional.
I wanted to know more about Jenni James, so I read her Amazon bio, which is incredibly long and includes this: "the Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection –Seventeen captivating fairy tales the way they should've been written." Whether or not they privately believe this of their own work, I have never seen or heard a claim like this from even the most famous fairy tale retelling authors. As someone who reads a lot of books in this genre and also writes some as a hobby, the whole point is coming from respect for the original tale(s) and the fun challenge of giving a traditional beloved story your own spin. There is no "way it should have been written". It's just your own take on it. I have never seen so much egotism in this genre, and the fact that you can't even shrug it off by saying "Well, to be fair, James really is a master of her craft" makes it even more egregious, not to mention laughable.
I love James's confidence and belief in herself and her stories, but this book was an absolute trainwreck. In many ways, this could have been prevented if she had put her ego aside and let someone proofread and beta read her work, for a start. Maybe her arrogance is also a sign that she hasn't read many other books in general, let alone fairy tale retellings and stories in adjacent genres. This would have helped her better understand her craft.
In summary, even if, like me, you can't resist a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it's probably not worth wasting your time with this one. James had a good idea for a bit of a different take on the story, but her writing is horrendous, her characterization is head-scratching, and it makes for a result that does this fairy tale absolutely no justice.
September 1, 2022
I picked this book because a fairy tale retelling would be an easy book to read for this month’s category. And it was. It would be fast and overall easy to understand because I already know the general story. In this version, Alexander, or the “beast,” is a werewolf rather than a beast all of the time. If a woman falls in love with him, then the curse will be broken and he can be a human again, forever.
The plot of the story was simple and easy to understand, but I had other issues with it. The plot was odd, for one. It was way too fast. They fell in love within pages, it seemed. A lot of it didn’t make sense, especially in relation to other pieces, like character development. Cecilia (“beauty”) absolutely loathes the prince. This is made very clear from the beginning. But the actions of the characters don’t show it. Cecilia would repeatedly say that she hated him and complain about how cruel he was or some other thing, while they were hugging and touching each other, or any other action that would show the complete opposite. It’s not even teasing, it’s made so clear that she hates him. It was so awkward to try and comprehend, and that doesn’t even cover the harmful messages that alone sends to the people reading it.
The characters weren’t well developed either, it just feels like they’re there. Most of their personalities are just repeated actions. Cecelia’s mother gets ahead of herself, jumping to conclusions and sharing the “news” to the entire community, but there’s really nothing more to her than that. Cecilia felt like the kind of girl who has a problem, cries about it, and either locks herself in her room or runs away to the brook. There wasn’t anything that made me really connect with them. They were just there, and they are the way they are, in a “because I said so” fashion.
There were a number of other, smaller issues, including with the world building, that I really don’t need to get into. It was a good thought, it really was, but it could have been so much better.
The plot of the story was simple and easy to understand, but I had other issues with it. The plot was odd, for one. It was way too fast. They fell in love within pages, it seemed. A lot of it didn’t make sense, especially in relation to other pieces, like character development. Cecilia (“beauty”) absolutely loathes the prince. This is made very clear from the beginning. But the actions of the characters don’t show it. Cecilia would repeatedly say that she hated him and complain about how cruel he was or some other thing, while they were hugging and touching each other, or any other action that would show the complete opposite. It’s not even teasing, it’s made so clear that she hates him. It was so awkward to try and comprehend, and that doesn’t even cover the harmful messages that alone sends to the people reading it.
The characters weren’t well developed either, it just feels like they’re there. Most of their personalities are just repeated actions. Cecelia’s mother gets ahead of herself, jumping to conclusions and sharing the “news” to the entire community, but there’s really nothing more to her than that. Cecilia felt like the kind of girl who has a problem, cries about it, and either locks herself in her room or runs away to the brook. There wasn’t anything that made me really connect with them. They were just there, and they are the way they are, in a “because I said so” fashion.
There were a number of other, smaller issues, including with the world building, that I really don’t need to get into. It was a good thought, it really was, but it could have been so much better.
August 26, 2013
I’ve been in a reading slump lately. My attention span has been short; I will open up a book, just to close it a few pages later after realizing that I am daydreaming instead of following the story. Searching through my Kindle for something that will get me past the slump, I found Jenni James’s Beauty and the Beast, a retelling of the well-known fairy tale. I’ve always enjoyed reading different fairy tale interpretations and at 142 pages, I figured this would be a fun and fast read to stop the reading doldrums. I was right.
In this story, Beauty is Cecilia and the Beast is a prince by day and a beast at night. The backstory of Beauty’s father is gone, and Cecilia and the prince already know each other. Cecilia is fully aware of the prince’s monstrous behavior before the curse and she detests him. However, she meets the prince when he is disguised as the wolf and, after she realizes that he wants to change his behavior, they become friends.
While Cecilia is pretty and nice, her character is more fleshed out and she is certainly more headstrong than the original fairytale. There is a small backstory with the prince and his cousin. The prince (when not the beast) is rarely treated as a real character in the original story so it was a welcome relief to see him have a personality in James’s version.
I really enjoyed this version. The writing is solid and the story flowed well. Really, the only criticism that I have is James’s use of the word “gel” to mean “girl.” I assume that it is to create an idea of a period and an accent, but it was more distracting than helpful since there are no other signs of accents or descriptions of specific settings.
Jenni James has written an entire collection of fairy tale retellings as well as a series called the Jane Austen Diaries. You can find Beauty and the Beast on Amazon and Goodreads. You can read more about Jenni James at her website and blog or follow her on Twitter (@Jenni_James).
Visit us at www.calamusworks.com
In this story, Beauty is Cecilia and the Beast is a prince by day and a beast at night. The backstory of Beauty’s father is gone, and Cecilia and the prince already know each other. Cecilia is fully aware of the prince’s monstrous behavior before the curse and she detests him. However, she meets the prince when he is disguised as the wolf and, after she realizes that he wants to change his behavior, they become friends.
While Cecilia is pretty and nice, her character is more fleshed out and she is certainly more headstrong than the original fairytale. There is a small backstory with the prince and his cousin. The prince (when not the beast) is rarely treated as a real character in the original story so it was a welcome relief to see him have a personality in James’s version.
I really enjoyed this version. The writing is solid and the story flowed well. Really, the only criticism that I have is James’s use of the word “gel” to mean “girl.” I assume that it is to create an idea of a period and an accent, but it was more distracting than helpful since there are no other signs of accents or descriptions of specific settings.
Jenni James has written an entire collection of fairy tale retellings as well as a series called the Jane Austen Diaries. You can find Beauty and the Beast on Amazon and Goodreads. You can read more about Jenni James at her website and blog or follow her on Twitter (@Jenni_James).
Visit us at www.calamusworks.com
January 8, 2016
I'll admit, I didn't have the highest expectations going into this book. I saw the reviews were mixed but, being someone who can be picky about fairytale re-tellings, I understood. Still, I figured I'd walk away reading something I at least liked and move on. What I wound up reading still has me confused and laughing at the same time.
Miss Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, our Beauty of the book and her Beast, Prince Alexander (don't worry if you forget their names, they are mentioned every two seconds and in full), are two of the most contradictory characters I have ever read. Each word seems to convey a different attitude. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it sucks when you have been cursed to live as a beast unless you find true love and I'm sure it sucks to be laughing stock of your town (a plot that is never explored since we never meet the townspeople), but there is really no character development in regards to either of these things.
I'm sure some would argue that there is considering (big spoiler-y surprise) Alexander has the curse broken, but I feel like he was always that nice guy, he just chose to be a dick. Suddenly deciding to be a nice person doesn't count as growth.
Character inconsistencies aren't the only issue. The plot timeline changes every chapter and characters and sub-plots are abandoned. The story is central to Cecelia and Alexander and, quite frankly, it's boring. Page after page has them whining and pining.
This was written as if it was made up on the spot and then never edited to make sure the plot and characters were solid. It was a very big disappointment as far as fairytale retellings go. So much potential was wasted.
Miss Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, our Beauty of the book and her Beast, Prince Alexander (don't worry if you forget their names, they are mentioned every two seconds and in full), are two of the most contradictory characters I have ever read. Each word seems to convey a different attitude. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it sucks when you have been cursed to live as a beast unless you find true love and I'm sure it sucks to be laughing stock of your town (a plot that is never explored since we never meet the townspeople), but there is really no character development in regards to either of these things.
I'm sure some would argue that there is considering (big spoiler-y surprise) Alexander has the curse broken, but I feel like he was always that nice guy, he just chose to be a dick. Suddenly deciding to be a nice person doesn't count as growth.
Character inconsistencies aren't the only issue. The plot timeline changes every chapter and characters and sub-plots are abandoned. The story is central to Cecelia and Alexander and, quite frankly, it's boring. Page after page has them whining and pining.
This was written as if it was made up on the spot and then never edited to make sure the plot and characters were solid. It was a very big disappointment as far as fairytale retellings go. So much potential was wasted.
August 11, 2012
This was a cute, quick, clean retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Author Jenni James took a story that's been told multiple time in multiple ways and added her own unique spin to it.
Robin McKinley's Beauty still remains in the top spot as my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling but this was a welcome addition to a genre I love.
This will easily appeal to and be appropriate for readers from tween to adult. It's not my favorite book Jenni has written but was still
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Clean
Source: Purchased for my Kindle
Genre/Age Level: Fairy tale retelling appropriate for ages 11+
Robin McKinley's Beauty still remains in the top spot as my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling but this was a welcome addition to a genre I love.
This will easily appeal to and be appropriate for readers from tween to adult. It's not my favorite book Jenni has written but was still
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Clean
Source: Purchased for my Kindle
Genre/Age Level: Fairy tale retelling appropriate for ages 11+
August 22, 2014
Second time reading this novel was just as enjoyable as the first. I like that it is a sweet, fast read with a good moral. The main character Cecilia is a sweet, kindhearted girl who is mocked by most everyone especially the prince. She is continually hurt by the people she has tried to serve and help in her village until she feels there is no one else who will be kind to her and love her. Finally in her despair she meets the beast and they start a sweet friendship. I won't give away any spoilers but hope you take a chance and see what you think about this retelling.
Happy Reading!!!
Happy Reading!!!
June 14, 2012
This is a short, very different retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I love fairy-tale retellings' but this one was like reading something a teen had written. It was repetitive and silly, but it was sweet and clean and I did want to see where it was going. The ending was nice and wrapped up everything very nicely. If you want a really well done retelling I would suggest Beauty by Robin McKinnley
January 2, 2015
Sweet retelling
This was a sweet retelling of the classic tale. I loved that "beauty" and the "beast" knew each other before his enchantment. That being said, I felt like a mere three days in the presence of the wolf want really enough time to justify a romantic relationship, let alone a declaration of love. Aside from that, this was a great story that I highly recommend.
This was a sweet retelling of the classic tale. I loved that "beauty" and the "beast" knew each other before his enchantment. That being said, I felt like a mere three days in the presence of the wolf want really enough time to justify a romantic relationship, let alone a declaration of love. Aside from that, this was a great story that I highly recommend.
July 10, 2024
I love beauty and the beast, and this was a terrible retelling, if it can be called that. The plot jumped all over the place. There was no character development. Their relationship made no sense. And it was a classic example of telling instead of showing. I’m disappointed and won’t be reading any more if this series. Waste of time.
June 17, 2012
This book was probably a 3.5. It was cute but a little too quick to be believable. I didn't like how they were madly in love after the first or second meeting.
June 11, 2020
While I mostly enjoyed my reading experience, I had quite a few issues with this retelling. The transition from hate to love seemed very abrupt. The world building is incomplete. Also didn’t like how the villain was dealt with.
June 17, 2020
One word: Charming
This is the third of this author’s books that I have devoured and I am sure the fourth will be just as good. I enjoyed this lovely retelling of the tale, especially since I am a fan of wolves.
This is the third of this author’s books that I have devoured and I am sure the fourth will be just as good. I enjoyed this lovely retelling of the tale, especially since I am a fan of wolves.
March 24, 2019
Ive read " beauty and the beast faerie tale collection " i liked the twist very nice and i enjoyed it ,, i gave it 3 out of 5 stars
July 17, 2023
Beautiful story. Loved the plot.
writing was shit tho...
writing was shit tho...
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