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Timeless Fairy Tales #1
Beauty and the Beast
Once upon a time Elle made a mistake. A small miscalculation sends her through the roof of an enchanted chateau. Stranded until her broken leg mends, Elle is forced to rely on the good will of the sour chateau owner —the cursed Prince Severin.
Prince Severin—the commanding general and staunch supporter of his brother the crown prince—is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. However, he has given up all hope of shattering the curse after several painful and failed attempts to break it. As such he has only disdain for Elle, leaving her to the devices of his bossy servants. This suits Elle perfectly as she dislikes the entire royal family, Severin included.
Unfortunately for the unsuspecting pair, the chateau servants are determined to break the curse and spend the majority of their time pushing Elle and Severin together. After bonding over gardens, animals, and terrifying squirrels Elle and Severin show signs of friendship, and perhaps something more…
But not all love stories can end that easily. After all, Elle is not what she seems, and Severin’s life is placed in danger when hostilities flare between his brother and the monarchs of a neighboring country.
If they really want the love of a lifetime Elle, a loyal liar, and Severin, an indifferent beast, will have to use every trick they know to survive.
Prince Severin—the commanding general and staunch supporter of his brother the crown prince—is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. However, he has given up all hope of shattering the curse after several painful and failed attempts to break it. As such he has only disdain for Elle, leaving her to the devices of his bossy servants. This suits Elle perfectly as she dislikes the entire royal family, Severin included.
Unfortunately for the unsuspecting pair, the chateau servants are determined to break the curse and spend the majority of their time pushing Elle and Severin together. After bonding over gardens, animals, and terrifying squirrels Elle and Severin show signs of friendship, and perhaps something more…
But not all love stories can end that easily. After all, Elle is not what she seems, and Severin’s life is placed in danger when hostilities flare between his brother and the monarchs of a neighboring country.
If they really want the love of a lifetime Elle, a loyal liar, and Severin, an indifferent beast, will have to use every trick they know to survive.
252 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2013
1568 people are currently reading
10978 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Shea
119 books4,777 followersMy pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
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VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 875 reviews
October 16, 2017
Reading this book gives me the coziest feeling ever.
I was a bit bored in the first two chapters, but I have quickly realized that this book’s slow, gradual developments are something beautiful to behold.
I find myself curious what will happen nextbecause the events in this book are new and different from what happened in the Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast. No library gift, no snowball fight, no “tale as old as time” dancing moment with THE yellow dress, etc.
There isn’t even a Gaston or talking cups and other household items.
I would think that I would hate that those highlighted characteristics are not in this book, but it’s actually very much refreshing. It’s still Beauty and the Beast but a vastly different story from the original and from all retellings I have read.
We still have the grumpy beast, the servants who cheer on the heroine, and the curse about falling in love with the beauty within. These are the only resemblances we have between this version and the others.
The difference is that we also find a true steady growth of a friendship and understanding between Elle and Severin. They spend a lot of time together, sometimes not talking and just enjoying one another’s company and other times, they discuss topics from horses to moral belief to responsibilities (to one’s family, friends, and country). The author has done a great job establishing that these flawed individuals stand on equal footing. They are both impeccably smart, capable, and compassionate. I love not only seeing their relationship develop, but also seeing them as individual people. They are lovable, sweet characters who are also stubborn. I relish in seeing how their views on each other gradually change from distaste to respect to genuine affection to love. Even though it would be awesome to see signature moments from the original in this book – it’s completely unnecessary because this is a new story filled with all new wonderful things. I am truly intrigued by these characters.
In addition, the servants are now masked, voiceless people. I love how they interact with Elle and are continuously trying to matchmake her with Severin. They are so, so, so adorable and funny. I am left feeling all warm and cozy from this fun-loving household. It’s great to see Elle create friendships with these people, and to understand the reason why they genuinely love their master.
Then, there’s Lucien, Severin’s brother. I thought I’d hate his guts, but he’s a pretty all right character. I love the emphasis on brotherly love and loyalty. This guy is a bit of an asshole, but it’s great to see that he can be reasonable and good to Severin. This is different from other books (and I suppose, history) where there’s always jealousy and violence between the legitimate brother and illegitimate brother.
I also love the plot twist at the end.
My only real complaint is that I would have liked a bit more to the ending. Like just one more chapter would have been nice.
Overall, 4.5 stars. Such a lovely read, and now, I am entirely looking forward to reading the next in the series and reading more from this author. I love the story of Elle, Severin, and the masked servants. This is a perfect, cozy read. It’s a retelling that manages to not simply “retell.” A lot of Beauty and the Beast retelling tend to be a bit TOO similar to one other and to the original. This one, however, manages to bring new, delightful things to the story without marring the original idea.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Is there a happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
------------
One of my favorite stories for retellings will always be Beauty and the Beast. Super excited for this.💕
I was a bit bored in the first two chapters, but I have quickly realized that this book’s slow, gradual developments are something beautiful to behold.
I find myself curious what will happen nextbecause the events in this book are new and different from what happened in the Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast. No library gift, no snowball fight, no “tale as old as time” dancing moment with THE yellow dress, etc.
There isn’t even a Gaston or talking cups and other household items.
I would think that I would hate that those highlighted characteristics are not in this book, but it’s actually very much refreshing. It’s still Beauty and the Beast but a vastly different story from the original and from all retellings I have read.
We still have the grumpy beast, the servants who cheer on the heroine, and the curse about falling in love with the beauty within. These are the only resemblances we have between this version and the others.
The difference is that we also find a true steady growth of a friendship and understanding between Elle and Severin. They spend a lot of time together, sometimes not talking and just enjoying one another’s company and other times, they discuss topics from horses to moral belief to responsibilities (to one’s family, friends, and country). The author has done a great job establishing that these flawed individuals stand on equal footing. They are both impeccably smart, capable, and compassionate. I love not only seeing their relationship develop, but also seeing them as individual people. They are lovable, sweet characters who are also stubborn. I relish in seeing how their views on each other gradually change from distaste to respect to genuine affection to love. Even though it would be awesome to see signature moments from the original in this book – it’s completely unnecessary because this is a new story filled with all new wonderful things. I am truly intrigued by these characters.
In addition, the servants are now masked, voiceless people. I love how they interact with Elle and are continuously trying to matchmake her with Severin. They are so, so, so adorable and funny. I am left feeling all warm and cozy from this fun-loving household. It’s great to see Elle create friendships with these people, and to understand the reason why they genuinely love their master.
Then, there’s Lucien, Severin’s brother. I thought I’d hate his guts, but he’s a pretty all right character. I love the emphasis on brotherly love and loyalty. This guy is a bit of an asshole, but it’s great to see that he can be reasonable and good to Severin. This is different from other books (and I suppose, history) where there’s always jealousy and violence between the legitimate brother and illegitimate brother.
I also love the plot twist at the end.
My only real complaint is that I would have liked a bit more to the ending. Like just one more chapter would have been nice.
Overall, 4.5 stars. Such a lovely read, and now, I am entirely looking forward to reading the next in the series and reading more from this author. I love the story of Elle, Severin, and the masked servants. This is a perfect, cozy read. It’s a retelling that manages to not simply “retell.” A lot of Beauty and the Beast retelling tend to be a bit TOO similar to one other and to the original. This one, however, manages to bring new, delightful things to the story without marring the original idea.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Is there a happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
------------
One of my favorite stories for retellings will always be Beauty and the Beast. Super excited for this.💕
March 15, 2017
Another Beauty and the Beast retelling, of which there are myriad. This one has a few interesting twists, but -- reality check time here -- several major weaknesses as well, most of which are probably because this is an indie author who didn't get some editing help that she really could have used. It's a nice try, though, and the author has potential. It was okay for a Kindle freebie, but I came thisclose to skipping the longwinded, rather boring middle section of the book and jumping to the end. 2.5 stars, which I would round down to two if this weren't an indie author, but I'm going to cut Shea a little slack.
Elle (for reasons that the author coyly hides for most of the story) falls through a stained glass panel in the roof of a country chateau, wherein lives Prince Severin, who has been cursed to live as a beast, along with his servants, who are under a curse as well: their faces are ... um, well, I'm not sure what, since their faces are hidden by masks, but in any case they're all mute and communicate with slates and chalk.
Severin is understandably a very grumpy character, and wants Elle sent on her way yesterday, if not sooner.
But Elle broke her leg badly in the fall, and Severin's on-staff doctor insists that she stay there for weeks, if not months, to heal. The servants all know that love will break the curse, so they'll do whatever it takes to keep throwing Elle and Severin together. Too bad Elle and Severin despise each other so deeply!
So we all know where this is going, eventually, but is the ride worth it? Well, Severin (who is considered a prince even though he was illegitimate) has an interesting relationship with his brother, the ruler of their country. There are some nice allusions to roses and to some elements of the original fairy tale, without being heavy-handed. The servants have some character, though the enchantress character didn't really fit in well for me. Elle has a very different backstory that comes out in the end. I thought the story was a little deliberately misleading on why she was there at the chateau in the first place, but I enjoyed the twist.
I did have issues with the rather boring, interminable middle part where Severin grouches, servants connive, Elle frets about her duties that she can't fulfill because of her injury, and tries to get back on her feet as soon as possible. Not a whole lot else happens for about half the book, other than them gradually getting to know and like each other, and it wasn't compelling enough for me. It was kind of strange, since there were a few other more exciting events in the story that were given short shrift. Romantic tension between Severin and Elle was almost non-existent.
Other problems were that Severin's and the servants' reactions, when they finally find out who Elle is, were overblown, way out of proportion to Elle's (partial) misleading them as to her past. I never bought that, nor did I buy Elle's quick forgiveness of Severin's long-past mistreatment of her, which was the reason for all of her initial hatred of him. He was all, sorry, that was cruel and unfair, I won't do it again, and that was it. They pretty much handwaved the problem away.
If you have a major fondness for fairy tale retellings, this isn't bad, but its indie roots show a bit too much. I wouldn't recommend it to more critical readers.
July 29, 2025
4 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling
It’s no secret I don’t care usually for Beauty and the Beast retellings—mainly because the main lead is cursed to be a beast and already wasn’t a delight to deal with, now he’s even more broody, moody, grumpy. There are very few that I end up liking and because of that, I had pushed out my interest in this series (despite hearing a lot of good things about it) because it started with that retelling.
However, it was pretty good. 😌
At first, I was pretty confused about what was going on because a lot was hinted about Elle’s past and current job, but not much is actually said or explained. But as the book continued, I honestly didn’t care much about whatever her reasoning was for being on his rooftop because I really liked her and how she kept teasing Severin. Their banter became my favorite parts of the book.
Well, until all the foreshadowing of things to be revealed start dropping and it obviously will blow up when Severin becomes aware of Elle’s…job. I was reading through my fingers covering my eyes as we got nearer and nearer to that scene.
However (again)!! The ending caught me completely by surprise. I was yelling out loud as I was reading because it was not what I was expecting at all!
Looking at friends reviews many of them like the book more until they reveal at the end. Which makes sense and I can agree to a degree, however I’d like the ending—besides a little bit of angst added in that felt unnecessary. Throughout the book we’re showed Elle being concerned about if Severin finds out about her. When I go through a book again after finishing it to grab the content, I’m able to look at things with the perspective of the ending and I think that helps a lot, especially with this book. So for those who have read the book, let’s chat spoilers: *Spoilers* .
All that said, I thought the ending was pretty good. There was a little bit of unnecessary angst, but I still really got into the book and I plan to get a physical copy of it at some point. I’ll definitely continue on with the series. The ending was a touch rushed; I think I would have like a little bit more because of what we had just gone through, though, personally.
I will say that I didn’t care for a couple minor parts/events. Particularly the random mountain hag. She was gruesome and gross just for the shock factor, I think.
As a side note, Severin’s brother amused me but also made me want to punch him. That said, I am highly disappointed that I have to wait until Book Nine for his story. Shucks.
Main Content-
Severin was cursed to become a monster by a wicked witch, but an enchantress partially rescued him from turning into a beast mentally as well; Severin is a “beast” with the head of a black cat, covered in fur, has fangs and claws; Severin has a magic mirror; With Severin, his staff was cursed to lose their faces (hidden behind masks) and unable to talk; Severin says he is “spiritually cleansing” himself when working in the garden; *Spoiler* .
The main characters come across a mountain hag who wants to eat Elle and her heart (the hag comments on other awful and gruesome things she’ll do to Severin if he gets in the way like being picked at by crows, buried alive, imprisoning his spirit, or gutting him and tanning his hide for a decoration).
A boy taunts the servants by calling them monsters, ogres, and demons & says that they’ll suck out your soul and steal your voice (telling Elle that she’ll be cursed too by being with them).
Mentions of magic & magical creatures (including werewolves); Mentions of a magical organization & magical users; A couple mentions of dark magic (which is apparently what the wicked witch used on Severin); A mention of elves; A mention of Severin calling lectures by his staff “sermons”; A mention of a staff member crossing herself when a magical creature gets brought up in conversation.
No major language, instead minor phrases like blasted, cursed, danged, idiot, ‘Heavens knew’, and ‘godforsaken’;
Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
Fighting, Being attacked, Using weapons, & Killing a magical creature (up to a few sentences).
Elle falls through a roof and breaks her leg, so she is in a lot of pain (up to a few sentences); Due to the pain, Elle is given alcohol to help with it and make her sleep, so she drinks it a few times (once thinking that being a drunk would be better than being conscious of the pain); Both Severin and Elle drink wine at dinner (a handful of times; his brother also drinks wine when visiting a couple times).
Mentions of deaths & possible deaths; Mentions of possible wars; Mentions of assassins, assassination attempts, weapons, poisons, & spies; Mentions of Severin attacking others (and presumably killing) when waking up after being cursed and covered in blood; Mentions of injuries, blood/bleeding, & pain; Mentions of a family disowning their daughter for things out of her control; Mentions of hatred & a boy mocking and taunting the cursed servants; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars.
1 head kiss,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences.
Touches, Embraces, Warmth, Nearness, Noticing, & Staring (up to 2-3 sentences); Blushes.
Severin is the illegitimate son of the king & his brother says that he punishes himself for it (despite having nothing to do with it) and that Severin needs to forgive himself (and their father) for it.
When Elle comments on love requiring a base of physical attraction, two of the servants tell her that true love isn’t that, but based on the heart (not beauty) and that loving another person is hard work (and not the magical sparkly passion everyone thinks it is); One adds that physical desire is a lie and while not a bad thing, it blinds a person and makes them unable to see the truth.
Mentions of crushes & blushes; Mentions of buxom women and their ample bosoms (no details and not sexual).
It’s no secret I don’t care usually for Beauty and the Beast retellings—mainly because the main lead is cursed to be a beast and already wasn’t a delight to deal with, now he’s even more broody, moody, grumpy. There are very few that I end up liking and because of that, I had pushed out my interest in this series (despite hearing a lot of good things about it) because it started with that retelling.
However, it was pretty good. 😌
At first, I was pretty confused about what was going on because a lot was hinted about Elle’s past and current job, but not much is actually said or explained. But as the book continued, I honestly didn’t care much about whatever her reasoning was for being on his rooftop because I really liked her and how she kept teasing Severin. Their banter became my favorite parts of the book.
Well, until all the foreshadowing of things to be revealed start dropping and it obviously will blow up when Severin becomes aware of Elle’s…job. I was reading through my fingers covering my eyes as we got nearer and nearer to that scene.
However (again)!! The ending caught me completely by surprise. I was yelling out loud as I was reading because it was not what I was expecting at all!
Looking at friends reviews many of them like the book more until they reveal at the end. Which makes sense and I can agree to a degree, however I’d like the ending—besides a little bit of angst added in that felt unnecessary. Throughout the book we’re showed Elle being concerned about if Severin finds out about her. When I go through a book again after finishing it to grab the content, I’m able to look at things with the perspective of the ending and I think that helps a lot, especially with this book. So for those who have read the book, let’s chat spoilers: *Spoilers* .
All that said, I thought the ending was pretty good. There was a little bit of unnecessary angst, but I still really got into the book and I plan to get a physical copy of it at some point. I’ll definitely continue on with the series. The ending was a touch rushed; I think I would have like a little bit more because of what we had just gone through, though, personally.
I will say that I didn’t care for a couple minor parts/events. Particularly the random mountain hag. She was gruesome and gross just for the shock factor, I think.
As a side note, Severin’s brother amused me but also made me want to punch him. That said, I am highly disappointed that I have to wait until Book Nine for his story. Shucks.
Main Content-
Severin was cursed to become a monster by a wicked witch, but an enchantress partially rescued him from turning into a beast mentally as well; Severin is a “beast” with the head of a black cat, covered in fur, has fangs and claws; Severin has a magic mirror; With Severin, his staff was cursed to lose their faces (hidden behind masks) and unable to talk; Severin says he is “spiritually cleansing” himself when working in the garden; *Spoiler* .
The main characters come across a mountain hag who wants to eat Elle and her heart (the hag comments on other awful and gruesome things she’ll do to Severin if he gets in the way like being picked at by crows, buried alive, imprisoning his spirit, or gutting him and tanning his hide for a decoration).
A boy taunts the servants by calling them monsters, ogres, and demons & says that they’ll suck out your soul and steal your voice (telling Elle that she’ll be cursed too by being with them).
Mentions of magic & magical creatures (including werewolves); Mentions of a magical organization & magical users; A couple mentions of dark magic (which is apparently what the wicked witch used on Severin); A mention of elves; A mention of Severin calling lectures by his staff “sermons”; A mention of a staff member crossing herself when a magical creature gets brought up in conversation.
No major language, instead minor phrases like blasted, cursed, danged, idiot, ‘Heavens knew’, and ‘godforsaken’;
Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
Fighting, Being attacked, Using weapons, & Killing a magical creature (up to a few sentences).
Elle falls through a roof and breaks her leg, so she is in a lot of pain (up to a few sentences); Due to the pain, Elle is given alcohol to help with it and make her sleep, so she drinks it a few times (once thinking that being a drunk would be better than being conscious of the pain); Both Severin and Elle drink wine at dinner (a handful of times; his brother also drinks wine when visiting a couple times).
Mentions of deaths & possible deaths; Mentions of possible wars; Mentions of assassins, assassination attempts, weapons, poisons, & spies; Mentions of Severin attacking others (and presumably killing) when waking up after being cursed and covered in blood; Mentions of injuries, blood/bleeding, & pain; Mentions of a family disowning their daughter for things out of her control; Mentions of hatred & a boy mocking and taunting the cursed servants; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars.
1 head kiss,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences.
Touches, Embraces, Warmth, Nearness, Noticing, & Staring (up to 2-3 sentences); Blushes.
Severin is the illegitimate son of the king & his brother says that he punishes himself for it (despite having nothing to do with it) and that Severin needs to forgive himself (and their father) for it.
When Elle comments on love requiring a base of physical attraction, two of the servants tell her that true love isn’t that, but based on the heart (not beauty) and that loving another person is hard work (and not the magical sparkly passion everyone thinks it is); One adds that physical desire is a lie and while not a bad thing, it blinds a person and makes them unable to see the truth.
Mentions of crushes & blushes; Mentions of buxom women and their ample bosoms (no details and not sexual).
December 18, 2015
Okay fantasy read. I think the author needs polish or maybe this is an earlier work. Her plot twists, dialogue, pov inner dialogue need work.
First half was just okay, the supporting cast was better drawn out than the MCs. The second half was written better with the h turning out kickass( which I loved) but the H pulled d!(k move. The h should have kicked him/his servants where it hurt and moved to the next country!! Plus she didn't even let him grovel, that made me mad!
Safe romance but jerk H, the h was too good for him.
3 stars.
First half was just okay, the supporting cast was better drawn out than the MCs. The second half was written better with the h turning out kickass( which I loved) but the H pulled d!(k move. The h should have kicked him/his servants where it hurt and moved to the next country!! Plus she didn't even let him grovel, that made me mad!
Safe romance but jerk H, the h was too good for him.
3 stars.
August 21, 2018
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Witty, inventive and colorful, this fascinating rewind of La Belle et Beast was a delight. The servants echoed hints of Disney and Cocteau but with refreshing originality. There's court intrigue, beautiful architecture, elaborate rooms and rich food, all set inside a French chateau with a gorgeous backdrop of lush countryside. Severin and Elle are wonderful together and apart.
I would recommend this author --whose fairytales are amazing reworkings!-and this book to anyone who enjoys a great retelling of a classic.
Witty, inventive and colorful, this fascinating rewind of La Belle et Beast was a delight. The servants echoed hints of Disney and Cocteau but with refreshing originality. There's court intrigue, beautiful architecture, elaborate rooms and rich food, all set inside a French chateau with a gorgeous backdrop of lush countryside. Severin and Elle are wonderful together and apart.
I would recommend this author --whose fairytales are amazing reworkings!-and this book to anyone who enjoys a great retelling of a classic.
Read
May 20, 2017DNF at 6% because oh, nooo you don't, you thinly-veiled fan fiction.
December 26, 2017
Beauty and the Beast is a classic tale that has been re-written with enchantment and elegance. Kitty has done a fabulous job with keeping the faerie tale feel in her retelling, along with adding her own entertaining twists. Her take on this classic tale is rich and satisfying!
I loved the slower pace of this one. It allowed the story, and the love connection, to really flourish and grow, along with the whimsical characters. It wasn’t just “Belle and the Beast” that were developed here. I fell in love with Emele, Bernadine, Duval and Oliver. Each character had a part to play, and each character just fit with their own quirky personalities.
The story twists were enjoyable and had a bit of unpredictability to them. Severin’s character had quite a different background than we are used to with the tale. Elle was not your average “damsel in distress,” “book-nerd.” There was no Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, or Gaston. But there was an evil witch, and an enchantress. I loved how the story somewhat followed what is known from the tale, but also had whimsical changes that fit quite nicely. The story had humor, friendship, danger, intrigue, and a satisfyingly happy ending!
Kitty has an exceptional way of writing with beauty and poise. She also finds elegant ways to incorporate touching morals in to her stories. This one shimmered with hope and the importance of inner beauty. It was magical and beautiful. It spoke of friendship and true love.
4-4.5 Stars
I loved the slower pace of this one. It allowed the story, and the love connection, to really flourish and grow, along with the whimsical characters. It wasn’t just “Belle and the Beast” that were developed here. I fell in love with Emele, Bernadine, Duval and Oliver. Each character had a part to play, and each character just fit with their own quirky personalities.
The story twists were enjoyable and had a bit of unpredictability to them. Severin’s character had quite a different background than we are used to with the tale. Elle was not your average “damsel in distress,” “book-nerd.” There was no Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, or Gaston. But there was an evil witch, and an enchantress. I loved how the story somewhat followed what is known from the tale, but also had whimsical changes that fit quite nicely. The story had humor, friendship, danger, intrigue, and a satisfyingly happy ending!
Kitty has an exceptional way of writing with beauty and poise. She also finds elegant ways to incorporate touching morals in to her stories. This one shimmered with hope and the importance of inner beauty. It was magical and beautiful. It spoke of friendship and true love.
4-4.5 Stars
December 21, 2019
Stil pisanja nije ništa posebno i više se postiglo dijalozima, ali ovo mi je baš trebalo za vikend ušuškavanje. Toplo, duhovito, za opuštanje mozga. Prelep retelling sa dovoljno novih elemenata i zapleta, a sve je bilo objašnjeno i nije se žurilo sa krajem.
November 3, 2017
2.5 Stars
You would think that by now I'd be sick and tired of retellings, but surprisingly enough this story was quite readable, until the Beast's transformation (oy) and despite an avalanche of grammatical mistakes.
I especially liked the attention given to the secondary characters and how the author was able to give a fresh face to both Beauty and The Beast.
Here, Beauty, a girl named Elle, literally comes crashing into the Beast's palace. There's a secret surrounding her...okay, not much of a secret once we start reading it, but it's different from all the retellings that I've read so far.
As for the Beast, Severine, he actually has a family; I mean a living family with whom he can _ and does _ interact.
This is mostly a character driven story because not much happens in here. Despite that, I did kept reading because I do like snark... despite it at time being delivered right in the middle of an atrocious phrase. And English is not even my first language...
So yes, this story needs urgent proofreading skills... and less cheese...
Which brings me to the last part of the story right after Severine gets turned into a man once more, because that part was bad. Up until then, we had somewhat intelligent characters, and after the transformation, the thing was like, "oops, there's goes ninety percent of my cerebral activity alongside with my no longer needed fur!"
Or, "hey, I have my facial expressions back, but I had to trade them for my marbles!"
Basically the author spend so much time in the first part of the book, going over the same things, over and over, and all of a sudden, there's kids (actually one) crossing two continents in order to find some Enchantress; and he finds her! In a few pages!
Also the whole Enchantress plot was kind of weird...
As for the whole romance, well, there's growing friendship and then we're bludgeoned with the motto, "BEAUTY AND ATTRACTION ARE TEMPORARY... so you should just stick with a friend."
Despite that, I confess myself curious to check if the author's writing skills improved.
Edit:
After reading some reviews for the second book, you know what, I think I'm done with this series -_-
You would think that by now I'd be sick and tired of retellings, but surprisingly enough this story was quite readable, until the Beast's transformation (oy) and despite an avalanche of grammatical mistakes.
I especially liked the attention given to the secondary characters and how the author was able to give a fresh face to both Beauty and The Beast.
Here, Beauty, a girl named Elle, literally comes crashing into the Beast's palace. There's a secret surrounding her...okay, not much of a secret once we start reading it, but it's different from all the retellings that I've read so far.
As for the Beast, Severine, he actually has a family; I mean a living family with whom he can _ and does _ interact.
This is mostly a character driven story because not much happens in here. Despite that, I did kept reading because I do like snark... despite it at time being delivered right in the middle of an atrocious phrase. And English is not even my first language...
So yes, this story needs urgent proofreading skills... and less cheese...
Which brings me to the last part of the story right after Severine gets turned into a man once more, because that part was bad. Up until then, we had somewhat intelligent characters, and after the transformation, the thing was like, "oops, there's goes ninety percent of my cerebral activity alongside with my no longer needed fur!"
Or, "hey, I have my facial expressions back, but I had to trade them for my marbles!"
Basically the author spend so much time in the first part of the book, going over the same things, over and over, and all of a sudden, there's kids (actually one) crossing two continents in order to find some Enchantress; and he finds her! In a few pages!
Also the whole Enchantress plot was kind of weird...
As for the whole romance, well, there's growing friendship and then we're bludgeoned with the motto, "BEAUTY AND ATTRACTION ARE TEMPORARY... so you should just stick with a friend."
Despite that, I confess myself curious to check if the author's writing skills improved.
Edit:
After reading some reviews for the second book, you know what, I think I'm done with this series -_-
May 18, 2023
I don’t normally like Beauty and the Beast retellings (there are exceptions, of course), so I wasn’t thrilled that this was the first book, but I decided to give it a shot anyways because I enjoy other books by this author.
Needless to say this isn’t one of them.
It started off kinda slow but with enough intriguing bits that made me keep going, even though the plot is just random events that happen with no context or meaning beyond pushing the characters together romantically. Overall not great, but it was fine enough that I was leaning towards a 3 star rating until I reached the last three chapters.
Oh, my gosh, those three chapters made me SO TICKED!!! I got whiplash at least four times, events happened for no reason, people got mad at each other for no reason then weren’t in the next chapter without explanation, and the ending was so abrupt it made my head spin. Just WHAT?!?! Needless to say that’s how this book got dropped to a 2 star rating and made me so mad I got into a reading slump for two days.
I’m still continuing with the series as I LOVE other books by this author, but certainly not this one. If you don’t like B&TB retellings then I’d suggest skipping this one, and if you do, maybe check out reviews from others who love this book. Because I sadly didn’t.
‼️Content‼️
Language: danged
Violence: a girl falls through a glass roof and breaks her leg; injuries and blood (not detailed); a boy mocks a girl and throws a rock at her; a crutch is thrown at a boy and knocks him out of a tree; an evil witch wants to cut out a girl’s heart and eat it; a character kills an evil witch; assassins try to kill a character
Sexual: a kiss (not detailed)
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol
Other: magic; a character is cursed to look like a beast; a character is illegitimate
[Read as one of my 2023 Specific New Books to Read goal]
Needless to say this isn’t one of them.
It started off kinda slow but with enough intriguing bits that made me keep going, even though the plot is just random events that happen with no context or meaning beyond pushing the characters together romantically. Overall not great, but it was fine enough that I was leaning towards a 3 star rating until I reached the last three chapters.
Oh, my gosh, those three chapters made me SO TICKED!!! I got whiplash at least four times, events happened for no reason, people got mad at each other for no reason then weren’t in the next chapter without explanation, and the ending was so abrupt it made my head spin. Just WHAT?!?! Needless to say that’s how this book got dropped to a 2 star rating and made me so mad I got into a reading slump for two days.
I’m still continuing with the series as I LOVE other books by this author, but certainly not this one. If you don’t like B&TB retellings then I’d suggest skipping this one, and if you do, maybe check out reviews from others who love this book. Because I sadly didn’t.
‼️Content‼️
Language: danged
Violence: a girl falls through a glass roof and breaks her leg; injuries and blood (not detailed); a boy mocks a girl and throws a rock at her; a crutch is thrown at a boy and knocks him out of a tree; an evil witch wants to cut out a girl’s heart and eat it; a character kills an evil witch; assassins try to kill a character
Sexual: a kiss (not detailed)
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol
Other: magic; a character is cursed to look like a beast; a character is illegitimate
[Read as one of my 2023 Specific New Books to Read goal]
January 17, 2021
DNF at 36% 3 stars… I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, mostly because I absolutely adore Beauty and the beast retellings… but because I love them so much, I usually expect more from them, and this one just wasn’t for me… I still think that you should give it a try if the story sounds interesting for you, but I had to put it down… at this point basically nothing happened between the main couple and after checking out some reviews I realized that there will be things in here that would annoy me and the story just seem like one I would give nothing higher than 3 stars, soooo…. I didn’t feel like keep on reading it for 2+ hours, when in that time I can read something that will bring me more joy :) oh well, I’m off to find something that will suit me better :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
April 22, 2024
Dude what the heck was that part at the end where everyone got mad and overreacted??? That caught me so off guard. Otherwise, this was entertaining.
July 16, 2021
File this under "Beauty and the Beast retellings that Kendra didn't hate."
The romance was cute and the characters were fun, but the middle dragged painfully and the ending was rushed to the point of conclusion. Also, the way that the plot twist was handled is a peeve of mine, and I especially didn't like the way that this one was handled.
But, at least it did bring some interesting ideas to the table, and it wasn't retelling the Disney movie. Points for that.
https://aristasdirectory.blogspot.com...
The romance was cute and the characters were fun, but the middle dragged painfully and the ending was rushed to the point of conclusion. Also, the way that the plot twist was handled is a peeve of mine, and I especially didn't like the way that this one was handled.
But, at least it did bring some interesting ideas to the table, and it wasn't retelling the Disney movie. Points for that.
https://aristasdirectory.blogspot.com...
February 22, 2018
Elle, due to a small miscalculation, fell through the roof of a chateau. The accident broke her leg and so she has no choice but to stay in the chateau even if its owner isn't very happy about it. Prince Severin, the chateau owner, illegitimate prince, commanding general of the Crown Prince's army, is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. But he'd already given up after several painful attempts in the matter. But his servants don't. And their hope ignited because of Elle. But Elle isn't what she seems to be and Severin has no tine for romance, especially if it's a romance with little hope.
After reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, I needed something lighter read, and this one seemed what I needed. I don't know how many retellings of Beauty and the Beast have I already read but this one is the simplest of them all. Yeah that sounds negative but like I said, I needed something lighter. Ahm have I said before that I'm a moody reader? Well, I am.
Some other time, the simplest of the plot might've discouraged me to read this but thankfully last night was not that time. Hehe. For me, this one's an okay retelling. There are little twists that I liked and though they were slightly predictable, I still enjoyed them. I also enjoyed Elle and Severin's moments. They're so sweet and fun to read. The servants are all interesting characters too.
Only, I think the plot resembles the original a little too much and so I can't give it higher than my rating. I know this is a retelling but still. But like I said I liked the little twists that seemed original and the characters made up for it. Overall, I still recommend this one to anyone who's looking for a light, fun read. This is a short book too.
Happy reading guys,
After reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, I needed something lighter read, and this one seemed what I needed. I don't know how many retellings of Beauty and the Beast have I already read but this one is the simplest of them all. Yeah that sounds negative but like I said, I needed something lighter. Ahm have I said before that I'm a moody reader? Well, I am.
Some other time, the simplest of the plot might've discouraged me to read this but thankfully last night was not that time. Hehe. For me, this one's an okay retelling. There are little twists that I liked and though they were slightly predictable, I still enjoyed them. I also enjoyed Elle and Severin's moments. They're so sweet and fun to read. The servants are all interesting characters too.
Only, I think the plot resembles the original a little too much and so I can't give it higher than my rating. I know this is a retelling but still. But like I said I liked the little twists that seemed original and the characters made up for it. Overall, I still recommend this one to anyone who's looking for a light, fun read. This is a short book too.
Happy reading guys,
November 27, 2017
2.5 stars.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I appreciated that this tried to put a twist on the Disney version of this fairy tale (which is unfortunately the only one this reader knows). The period when the MCs was getting to know each other (i.e. the h was forcing the H to be friendly) was very cute and funny. I also enjoyed the fact that there was absolutely no OP drama and that it didn't seem like the H was a rake in his past. There weren't any mentions of his playboy ways, mistresses, or anything like that. So score. This was a completely clean and safe read, which seem hard to find nowadays.
However something about this author's writing style failed to engage me. I suppose I like more subtle and nuanced writing, and this story was told in a rather straightforward manner. And the quick way in which all the bad feelings were resolved at the end made me mad. Honestly, where was the groveling? I didn't want the h to be a bitter shrew, but she deserved friends who didn't just abandon her the moment they thought she did something wrong. So overall, an ok read in the land of retellings.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I appreciated that this tried to put a twist on the Disney version of this fairy tale (which is unfortunately the only one this reader knows). The period when the MCs was getting to know each other (i.e. the h was forcing the H to be friendly) was very cute and funny. I also enjoyed the fact that there was absolutely no OP drama and that it didn't seem like the H was a rake in his past. There weren't any mentions of his playboy ways, mistresses, or anything like that. So score. This was a completely clean and safe read, which seem hard to find nowadays.
However something about this author's writing style failed to engage me. I suppose I like more subtle and nuanced writing, and this story was told in a rather straightforward manner. And the quick way in which all the bad feelings were resolved at the end made me mad. Honestly, where was the groveling? I didn't want the h to be a bitter shrew, but she deserved friends who didn't just abandon her the moment they thought she did something wrong. So overall, an ok read in the land of retellings.
March 2, 2016
After reading The Snow Queen: Sacrifice over the weekend, I decided to go back and re-read the Timeless Fairytale books to find all the backstory references I missed the first time. Besides, it has been a while since I read all of these, so it was about time to re-read a few.
This is a clean, cute version of Beauty and the Beast. It has several surprises, and I love how Elle is far from being your typical damsel in distress. It is clean, no language or sexual content. Just an all around fun story.
This is a clean, cute version of Beauty and the Beast. It has several surprises, and I love how Elle is far from being your typical damsel in distress. It is clean, no language or sexual content. Just an all around fun story.
August 31, 2024
I enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was a little slow at times, but picked up toward the end. I really liked the servants and their not-so-subtle desire for Elle and Severin to fall in love. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series.
June 21, 2022
A Beauty and the Beast retelling so far removed from Disney’s rendition that after reading this you’ll want to watch an animated cartoon candelabra sing “Be My Guest” on repeat for at least an hour, if only to revel in something with a bit of personality, something which this book clearly lacks.
The mystery of the protagonist’s identity stretched on for far too long. It was impractical because not only did it make it hard to emote with her, but it also made it impossible to understand where her prejudices against the love interest, Severin, were coming from. And that led to her looking like she held a petty grudge against Severin simply because he was a Prince (albeit an illegitimate one). By the time the truth of her identity was revealed it felt like too little, too late to fix the problem that had taken over the entire story like an overgrown weed and put a serious dampener on the romantic relationship between the main characters that no amount of “of course I forgive you, I love you,” could overcome. The fact of the matter remained that Elle was a misrepresented character from the start and her hidden identity only hindered her character growth and the growth of the relationship as well as leading to a disastrous reveal of her true identity that could’ve easily been avoided with better communication.
The romance was boring. Apart from the fact that the lovers spent at least half the book ignoring or avoiding each other, there was no chemistry. This was in part because of the issue of not knowing the protagonist’s true identity, and partly because her baseline of attraction was just a “nice guy”. She set a low bar by expecting Severin to be a horrible noble so when it was shown that he had somewhat likeable characteristics she was suddenly attracted to him. And the same problem was present with Severin too. They both went from thinking about each other a bit to confessing their love for one another within a few scenes and when it came to pinpointing exactly what they liked about each other neither of them seemed to be able to list something less vague then bodily features or basic human decency.
The pacing was horrendous. Weeks and months passed in between scenes but the passage of time was so quick it was as though the entire story happened in the span of a week. The author lazily settled for simple “weeks had passed” openings but never showed any actual change within the setting or progression for the characters as an alternative and more effective way to shore time passing.
Additionally, the writing didn’t completely flow. The dialogue was stiff at times due to a lack of contractions (although that may have been purposeful to show upper/middle class speech patterns) and every character was described with supposedly compulsory adjectives every time they were mentioned. It was an irritating writing style because once noticed it was glaringly obvious that it was everywhere and it gave a listing effect to the writing that made it seem as though the writer was slowly making their way through synonyms from a thesaurus in an ironically terrible way to prevent the writing from seeming tired through repetition.
So, all in all, this was not the kind of book that would leave you with much of an impression. It wasn’t terrible enough that you couldn’t easily get through it if you wanted to, but it would likely not linger in your mind for long after you finish it, it was that forgettable.
The mystery of the protagonist’s identity stretched on for far too long. It was impractical because not only did it make it hard to emote with her, but it also made it impossible to understand where her prejudices against the love interest, Severin, were coming from. And that led to her looking like she held a petty grudge against Severin simply because he was a Prince (albeit an illegitimate one). By the time the truth of her identity was revealed it felt like too little, too late to fix the problem that had taken over the entire story like an overgrown weed and put a serious dampener on the romantic relationship between the main characters that no amount of “of course I forgive you, I love you,” could overcome. The fact of the matter remained that Elle was a misrepresented character from the start and her hidden identity only hindered her character growth and the growth of the relationship as well as leading to a disastrous reveal of her true identity that could’ve easily been avoided with better communication.
The romance was boring. Apart from the fact that the lovers spent at least half the book ignoring or avoiding each other, there was no chemistry. This was in part because of the issue of not knowing the protagonist’s true identity, and partly because her baseline of attraction was just a “nice guy”. She set a low bar by expecting Severin to be a horrible noble so when it was shown that he had somewhat likeable characteristics she was suddenly attracted to him. And the same problem was present with Severin too. They both went from thinking about each other a bit to confessing their love for one another within a few scenes and when it came to pinpointing exactly what they liked about each other neither of them seemed to be able to list something less vague then bodily features or basic human decency.
The pacing was horrendous. Weeks and months passed in between scenes but the passage of time was so quick it was as though the entire story happened in the span of a week. The author lazily settled for simple “weeks had passed” openings but never showed any actual change within the setting or progression for the characters as an alternative and more effective way to shore time passing.
Additionally, the writing didn’t completely flow. The dialogue was stiff at times due to a lack of contractions (although that may have been purposeful to show upper/middle class speech patterns) and every character was described with supposedly compulsory adjectives every time they were mentioned. It was an irritating writing style because once noticed it was glaringly obvious that it was everywhere and it gave a listing effect to the writing that made it seem as though the writer was slowly making their way through synonyms from a thesaurus in an ironically terrible way to prevent the writing from seeming tired through repetition.
So, all in all, this was not the kind of book that would leave you with much of an impression. It wasn’t terrible enough that you couldn’t easily get through it if you wanted to, but it would likely not linger in your mind for long after you finish it, it was that forgettable.
November 14, 2017
“Every man has a wild beast within him.” Frederick the Great
Formula for a Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale: Enchanted Chateau; Cursed hero Prince; Cursed servants; Heroine’s bankrupt merchant father; Supporting said father and sisters; Only true love can/will break the curse; Magic. Check!
We now have the formula for another version of our classic tale Beauty and the Beast. Our prince was cursed and condemned to live as a beast both in body and mind. However, an Enchantress came along and tweaked the evil curse enough that it cleared the mind of our hero so that he was now human in thought and mind. However, there was also a provision that could/would break the curse… he had to fall in love. Now that just might be a problem… especially when you have the body and features of a beast.
“There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs.” George R. R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
This took me a while to get into as we join the story well into the life of the Prince as a beast. He is living in isolation with his cursed features and that of his cursed mute servants, who also have animalistic traits. Everything is peaceful and quiet, until, she falls through the skylight into his chateau. With a broken leg, Elle is stranded at the chateau and unable to leave. Why was she on the roof? Why was she even at the chateau? Why is she so angry at the crown and what secrets does she withhold from the prince?
“The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” Audrey Hepburn
Once I got into the story, it was really cute. There was only one little problem… there was not a lot of explanation regarding backstory. We are given information fait accompli. This had the feel of arriving at the cinema and taking a seat well after the movie has already started. Perhaps waiting in line for popcorn wasn’t such a good idea after all. I can’t ask anyone who, what, when or why… that person behind us is one that will shush you for talking in the cinema. Grrrr! So now, I am dependent on clues that will help me understand what the heck happened.
What I liked: The author did an excellent job of letting the relationship develop over time. This was not one of those ‘I hate you’ one minute and ‘I love you’ the next type of story… thank goodness. The evolution of understanding really drew me in. The big reveal happened at about 84% on my reader. I had been so worried about who and what Elle really was, that I breathed a tremendous breath when the reveal came about. I LOVED this part. It was really well done by the author. I was so happy she wasn’t someone else. There were so many possibilities. The author painted so many rabbit trails and false leads that it had me fearing for our heroine. This was the perfect ploy. The foreshadowing throughout the whole story was right there in front of me and I simply did not see it. Wow, it was so cute. There was a lot of anger and angst with the reveal and forgiveness didn’t come easily.
Rating: PG13: due to the violence of the beast before his reclaiming. This is book one of the Timeless Fairy Tales series. There are 9 books that follow the classic tales so far. The prince’s brother is featured in book 9.
Formula for a Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale: Enchanted Chateau; Cursed hero Prince; Cursed servants; Heroine’s bankrupt merchant father; Supporting said father and sisters; Only true love can/will break the curse; Magic. Check!
We now have the formula for another version of our classic tale Beauty and the Beast. Our prince was cursed and condemned to live as a beast both in body and mind. However, an Enchantress came along and tweaked the evil curse enough that it cleared the mind of our hero so that he was now human in thought and mind. However, there was also a provision that could/would break the curse… he had to fall in love. Now that just might be a problem… especially when you have the body and features of a beast.
“There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs.” George R. R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
This took me a while to get into as we join the story well into the life of the Prince as a beast. He is living in isolation with his cursed features and that of his cursed mute servants, who also have animalistic traits. Everything is peaceful and quiet, until, she falls through the skylight into his chateau. With a broken leg, Elle is stranded at the chateau and unable to leave. Why was she on the roof? Why was she even at the chateau? Why is she so angry at the crown and what secrets does she withhold from the prince?
“The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” Audrey Hepburn
Once I got into the story, it was really cute. There was only one little problem… there was not a lot of explanation regarding backstory. We are given information fait accompli. This had the feel of arriving at the cinema and taking a seat well after the movie has already started. Perhaps waiting in line for popcorn wasn’t such a good idea after all. I can’t ask anyone who, what, when or why… that person behind us is one that will shush you for talking in the cinema. Grrrr! So now, I am dependent on clues that will help me understand what the heck happened.
What I liked: The author did an excellent job of letting the relationship develop over time. This was not one of those ‘I hate you’ one minute and ‘I love you’ the next type of story… thank goodness. The evolution of understanding really drew me in. The big reveal happened at about 84% on my reader. I had been so worried about who and what Elle really was, that I breathed a tremendous breath when the reveal came about. I LOVED this part. It was really well done by the author. I was so happy she wasn’t someone else. There were so many possibilities. The author painted so many rabbit trails and false leads that it had me fearing for our heroine. This was the perfect ploy. The foreshadowing throughout the whole story was right there in front of me and I simply did not see it. Wow, it was so cute. There was a lot of anger and angst with the reveal and forgiveness didn’t come easily.
Rating: PG13: due to the violence of the beast before his reclaiming. This is book one of the Timeless Fairy Tales series. There are 9 books that follow the classic tales so far. The prince’s brother is featured in book 9.
January 12, 2021
This is a great beauty and the beast retelling for anyone who loves the original story. I'm glad I read it, it's a nice, cute, romantic read, but also quite funny and heartwarming. It does the original story justice but also puts a nice spin on it so you go into it thinking you know how it's going to play out!!! (But of course there is a HEA)
→4 stars
→4 stars
March 12, 2018
I don't remember how I came across this book but because of it I am not on a Beauty and the Beast frenzy and then found and got like 15 other beauty and the beast retellings!
This was a fun twist and certain aspects were definitely unique to the story!
I LOVED Elle the main character, I loved how strong she was as a character and I appreciated many aspects of her own story that you learn about later on in the book and how she came to be in the Chanceux Chateau (the cursed castle).
I loved the beast, he was awesome and sweet and kind. I liked how he came to be cursed which was different than the usual reason why the beast is cursed which was appreciated. And his backstory was also a nice change to see.
I liked the staff and how they are cursed with the beast.
One thing that bothered me though was the writing, it wasn't horrible but there were times when the author seemed to almost give up, like I would be reading and it almost seemed like she didn't know what or how to write the next step and gave up and it a little choppy I guess is the best way to describe it.
Also when the curse was broken it bummed me out how quick the beast and his staff were to just throw away Elle and not believe her after they've spent literally months with her, really? it just didn't fit with the rest of the story.
However overall I LOVED it and it make my heart flutter at times which always shoots the rating for me which a book can make me FEEL for the characters regardless of what I didn't like about it.
Sexual Content: mild/none
Language: mild/none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
Violence: mild
This was a fun twist and certain aspects were definitely unique to the story!
I LOVED Elle the main character, I loved how strong she was as a character and I appreciated many aspects of her own story that you learn about later on in the book and how she came to be in the Chanceux Chateau (the cursed castle).
I loved the beast, he was awesome and sweet and kind. I liked how he came to be cursed which was different than the usual reason why the beast is cursed which was appreciated. And his backstory was also a nice change to see.
I liked the staff and how they are cursed with the beast.
One thing that bothered me though was the writing, it wasn't horrible but there were times when the author seemed to almost give up, like I would be reading and it almost seemed like she didn't know what or how to write the next step and gave up and it a little choppy I guess is the best way to describe it.
Also when the curse was broken it bummed me out how quick the beast and his staff were to just throw away Elle and not believe her after they've spent literally months with her, really? it just didn't fit with the rest of the story.
However overall I LOVED it and it make my heart flutter at times which always shoots the rating for me which a book can make me FEEL for the characters regardless of what I didn't like about it.
Sexual Content: mild/none
Language: mild/none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
Violence: mild
January 1, 2014
I would recommend this for a light read. I had fun reading it, and found the dialogue highly amusing. It was not an extremely thought provoking of emotionally provoking book. I found that the real emotion and the writing really peaked by the end of the book. I do wish that there would have been further exploration of this time frame within the book. Though the story follows the famed and predictable route of the famous tale Beauty and the Beast there were unique and insightful adjustments to the plot. The beast was a truly excellent character and I loved the unique description of his physical characteristics and thought that the detail Shea included regarding his appearance led me to appreciate "Beauty" and her braveness more. This "beauty" was a great character. Instead of a perfect glamouras heroine as this title ,hit inspire, we find a struggling and regular girl with... AN ACTUAL NAME. Yes. Her name is not beauty. She was also fairly cool, if I do say so.
SUMMARY: one night the cursed master of the chateaux, the illegitimate prince, is conducting his night when a girl falls through the glass roof of his home. The servants watch as she screams from her broken leg. When they approached her she showed no fear. Their faces were permananantly covered in masks and they could not speak as part of their princes curse. She showed no fear as the master approached, a sinister and pedatory mixture of humans and cat. Elle is forced to stay at the chateaux from her broken leg. The prince wants no involvement with her but eventually the efforts of the servants force them to become friends. Despite their differences they bind over simple and silly things. Can Elle be the girl who breaks the curse by loving the prince in this form and capturing his heart? Can they overcome their class differences and Elle's secrets? Will Elle's family be safe as she is forced to delay her indentured duties from her broken leg? Can she befriend a man so responsible for her families misfortunes and her own labors?
The best parts: the characters were connectable, intricate, and engaging. The plot and descriptions were detailed lending an impressive sense of genuine-ness to the story. I particularly loved Severin-- the "beast". Beneath his misleading yet actually very accurate exterior he is a great person, very loyal, and still involved in the Crown's affairs. He also does not hate everyone or act in a way that reflects his exterior besides his inner strength, and he is by no means perfect. Elle is incredibly inspiring and she carries a twist in the story. She is also not a weak and vapid character as one might think from the title. She is also not a delicate beautiful princess as other stories have often pictured beauty. I thought that the situation of the servants was intriguing and Elle's outside life was very interesting. The chateaux was also a great place.
the not-so-best parts: I thought that there were rather strange and insensible parts to the book. such as: why did Severin never questions why elle FELL THROUGH HIS ROOF? and why is she automatically left at someone else's home, and treated like a queen, taking everything for granted? I also thought that we saw too little of Elle's outside life. The ending was extraordinary entertaining, and could have been much more riveting, yet instead we barely see or hear anything at all. I also wished we could have read more from Severin's point of view.
For the most part, I would recommend this book for a light yet humorous read, with some interesting twists and underlying meanings. It was definitely a fun read! however, if you are looking for a more dark or classic version of a fairy tale, this may not be your book. Be forewarned: there is no magical ball in which everything magically falls into place.
SUMMARY: one night the cursed master of the chateaux, the illegitimate prince, is conducting his night when a girl falls through the glass roof of his home. The servants watch as she screams from her broken leg. When they approached her she showed no fear. Their faces were permananantly covered in masks and they could not speak as part of their princes curse. She showed no fear as the master approached, a sinister and pedatory mixture of humans and cat. Elle is forced to stay at the chateaux from her broken leg. The prince wants no involvement with her but eventually the efforts of the servants force them to become friends. Despite their differences they bind over simple and silly things. Can Elle be the girl who breaks the curse by loving the prince in this form and capturing his heart? Can they overcome their class differences and Elle's secrets? Will Elle's family be safe as she is forced to delay her indentured duties from her broken leg? Can she befriend a man so responsible for her families misfortunes and her own labors?
The best parts: the characters were connectable, intricate, and engaging. The plot and descriptions were detailed lending an impressive sense of genuine-ness to the story. I particularly loved Severin-- the "beast". Beneath his misleading yet actually very accurate exterior he is a great person, very loyal, and still involved in the Crown's affairs. He also does not hate everyone or act in a way that reflects his exterior besides his inner strength, and he is by no means perfect. Elle is incredibly inspiring and she carries a twist in the story. She is also not a weak and vapid character as one might think from the title. She is also not a delicate beautiful princess as other stories have often pictured beauty. I thought that the situation of the servants was intriguing and Elle's outside life was very interesting. The chateaux was also a great place.
the not-so-best parts: I thought that there were rather strange and insensible parts to the book. such as: why did Severin never questions why elle FELL THROUGH HIS ROOF? and why is she automatically left at someone else's home, and treated like a queen, taking everything for granted? I also thought that we saw too little of Elle's outside life. The ending was extraordinary entertaining, and could have been much more riveting, yet instead we barely see or hear anything at all. I also wished we could have read more from Severin's point of view.
For the most part, I would recommend this book for a light yet humorous read, with some interesting twists and underlying meanings. It was definitely a fun read! however, if you are looking for a more dark or classic version of a fairy tale, this may not be your book. Be forewarned: there is no magical ball in which everything magically falls into place.
July 15, 2014
Great idea for a book, the synopsis is good. However, the book's proofreading leaves something to be desired in places - I cannot help wondering what "a depilated looking bridge" would be like. I'm guessing there would be no hairy moments in crossing over!
The author can't seem to decide whether to refer to Our Hero as "the illegitimate prince" (what the heck? He's either illegitimate - and hence not a prince - or he's a prince) or "the prince" (see previous point!). And the lady's maid is "the ladies maid". And these phrases were repeated a LOT throughout the novel. Too much.
"... scared all occupants of the room, expect himself." EXPECT instead of except? Oh dear.
There are more books in the series, all with good, interesting sounding synopses, but... I'm not sure. I lost interest around 80% through and only finished reading it because... well, actually, I'm not sure why I bothered. Boredom, possibly.
Annoying, because the idea is good, but for me the execution was flawed.
The author can't seem to decide whether to refer to Our Hero as "the illegitimate prince" (what the heck? He's either illegitimate - and hence not a prince - or he's a prince) or "the prince" (see previous point!). And the lady's maid is "the ladies maid". And these phrases were repeated a LOT throughout the novel. Too much.
"... scared all occupants of the room, expect himself." EXPECT instead of except? Oh dear.
There are more books in the series, all with good, interesting sounding synopses, but... I'm not sure. I lost interest around 80% through and only finished reading it because... well, actually, I'm not sure why I bothered. Boredom, possibly.
Annoying, because the idea is good, but for me the execution was flawed.
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February 10, 2017
I'm not a fan of re-tellings or any kind of fanfiction in general, but occasionally I like to dip in and see if anyone is doing anything decent. Sadly not with this book: not very well written and the dialogue was fairly basic in that couple-words-a-sentence way that makes Oscar Wilde turn in his grave. Fair amount of typos and I just felt like I could guess the plot right from the beginning, even if it does come with a few "original" twists (which is the least you'd expect from a re-telling).
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December 17, 2015
This was a freebie I downloaded a while back and finally read and really enjoyed it. I'm excited to check out more by this author. I only read books that are clean with no sex scenes and really appreciate authors who write books without that content. This book was great and clean and a fairy tale retelling, one of my favorite genres! I've always been hooked on fairy tales since I was a little girl and would read, watch or listen to any version I could get my hands on. I'm sure my family were sick of me and my obsession at times but I loved it then and still love it now.
This version was great and definitely had it's own twists and turns but stayed true to the beauty and the beast.
If you enjoy retellings i think you'll enjoy this one!
Happy Reading!!!
This version was great and definitely had it's own twists and turns but stayed true to the beauty and the beast.
If you enjoy retellings i think you'll enjoy this one!
Happy Reading!!!
August 13, 2014
I didn't expect much from this book, It was in my kindle list, and I have no idea when I added it. Needing a book to pass the time, I opened this one, and was quickly hooked! Despite "knowing" the general story, I found myself holding my breath and rooting for the characters. Elle (beauty) was an endearing character, strong and smart. I opened this book knowing nothing about the author or her style, but couldn't put it down!
April 19, 2018
K.M. Shea's Beauty and the Beast focuses on a girl named Elle as the "Beauty" character with a well-mannered "Beast" named Prince Severin. As a result of somehow falling through the roof of Severin's castle and breaking her leg, Elle must stay with him as his guest while his servants see to her recovery. My biggest issue with the book is that Elle was completely disconnected from the audience for the vast majority of the story. Even though the story is mostly told from Elle's perspective, we don't learn why she was on the roof until the last quarter of the book, making it difficult to root for her. She drops hints about being a spy and covering up her identity, but we don't know what her true identity is, which creates a disconnect between the protagonist and the reader. Elle also shows very little emotion, which makes it hard to even feel bad when she breaks her leg and is forced to live in the palace. Unlike the original fairy tale in which she sacrifices herself to protect her family, we don't know what she's doing there for most of the book, and she shows few signs of being sad or afraid to be so far from home.
This is also the least romantic version of "Beauty and the Beast" I've ever seen. Even though Elle is not afraid of Severin despite his giant cat head, she is not particularly drawn to him either. Severin does not see Elle as a viable option to break his curse due to the completely understandable reason that she is clearly hiding something from him (as well as the audience). Even after the curse is broken, her secret nearly rips the two star-crossed lovers apart, allowing no opportunity for romance. Only Severin's servants see the chemistry between Elle and Severin, but they have selfish reasons as well. The curse took away their faces and voices, forcing them to wear masks and write on slates. Their schemes to bring Elle and Severin together would allow them to recover their identities once the curse is broken.
The lack of emotion in this book made it painful to read. Elle was just as cold and calculating of a heroine as Cinderella from Cinderella and Colonel. Not knowing her true identity or goals made her even more difficult to relate to. Each chapter listed more of her calculated attempts to cover up her unknown secret which I quickly lost interest in. There were also chapters in which Severin had political discussions with his brother, Lucien. These sections felt very out of place considering that the story was supposed to be a romance. The political discussions appeared to have no relation to Elle and her situation in the castle and just dragged on and on like meaningless drivel. The final payoff was not worth so many confusing pages of cold emotionless plots and secrets.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to fans of "Beauty and the Beast" because it lacks all of the warmth and romance that made the fairy tale great. Elle is a bland and frigid character with a hidden backstory and a broken leg, and Severin acts just like any other prince, giving him no rough outer shell for Elle to break through. The most interesting character in the book is a servant girl named Emele who befriends Elle, but she does not have a big enough part to make it worth reading.
This is also the least romantic version of "Beauty and the Beast" I've ever seen. Even though Elle is not afraid of Severin despite his giant cat head, she is not particularly drawn to him either. Severin does not see Elle as a viable option to break his curse due to the completely understandable reason that she is clearly hiding something from him (as well as the audience). Even after the curse is broken, her secret nearly rips the two star-crossed lovers apart, allowing no opportunity for romance. Only Severin's servants see the chemistry between Elle and Severin, but they have selfish reasons as well. The curse took away their faces and voices, forcing them to wear masks and write on slates. Their schemes to bring Elle and Severin together would allow them to recover their identities once the curse is broken.
The lack of emotion in this book made it painful to read. Elle was just as cold and calculating of a heroine as Cinderella from Cinderella and Colonel. Not knowing her true identity or goals made her even more difficult to relate to. Each chapter listed more of her calculated attempts to cover up her unknown secret which I quickly lost interest in. There were also chapters in which Severin had political discussions with his brother, Lucien. These sections felt very out of place considering that the story was supposed to be a romance. The political discussions appeared to have no relation to Elle and her situation in the castle and just dragged on and on like meaningless drivel. The final payoff was not worth so many confusing pages of cold emotionless plots and secrets.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to fans of "Beauty and the Beast" because it lacks all of the warmth and romance that made the fairy tale great. Elle is a bland and frigid character with a hidden backstory and a broken leg, and Severin acts just like any other prince, giving him no rough outer shell for Elle to break through. The most interesting character in the book is a servant girl named Emele who befriends Elle, but she does not have a big enough part to make it worth reading.
July 25, 2018
I love this kind of stuff but I struggled to get into the story due to the dodgy grammar . . . it started immediately
stain glass skylight
*Stained glass . . .
She dropped like a twisting cat and landed with an ominous crack
Cats usually twist so they'll land on their feet. This makes no sense.
She was passably pretty but plain
Well - was she pretty? Or plain? I suspect the author means she was dressed plainly - but it's still almost oxymoronic!
“NO!” she screamed when the groom tried to roll her on her side.
The footman and groom leaped backwards. They thought for sure she was unconscious, but the young lady opened and rolled her eyes.
Do unconscious people usually scream?
Instead of bending forward on knees his legs curved back and gave him a swaying gate.
A swaying gate? Do you think it's meant to be 'gait'?
the pupils were slitted like a mindless beast
I have a problem with this - slitted eyes like a cat or a snake or something would make sense. But like a mindless beast? It's a big vague!
illegitimate prince
The son of a King can be one or the other - not both!
The pain woke Elle like a starved animal
I don't even know what this is meant to be? She was angry? Hungry?
Couldn't go any further. The story might be ok - actually has some good reviews but the weird similes and bad grammar kept pulling my focus and I was unable to suspend my disbelief.
I suspend this whole thing could have been improved by an editor or beta reader.
DNF.
stain glass skylight
*Stained glass . . .
She dropped like a twisting cat and landed with an ominous crack
Cats usually twist so they'll land on their feet. This makes no sense.
She was passably pretty but plain
Well - was she pretty? Or plain? I suspect the author means she was dressed plainly - but it's still almost oxymoronic!
“NO!” she screamed when the groom tried to roll her on her side.
The footman and groom leaped backwards. They thought for sure she was unconscious, but the young lady opened and rolled her eyes.
Do unconscious people usually scream?
Instead of bending forward on knees his legs curved back and gave him a swaying gate.
A swaying gate? Do you think it's meant to be 'gait'?
the pupils were slitted like a mindless beast
I have a problem with this - slitted eyes like a cat or a snake or something would make sense. But like a mindless beast? It's a big vague!
illegitimate prince
The son of a King can be one or the other - not both!
The pain woke Elle like a starved animal
I don't even know what this is meant to be? She was angry? Hungry?
Couldn't go any further. The story might be ok - actually has some good reviews but the weird similes and bad grammar kept pulling my focus and I was unable to suspend my disbelief.
I suspend this whole thing could have been improved by an editor or beta reader.
DNF.
December 15, 2013
"James" Bond, a Big Cat and a Royal Soap Opera...in 18th Century Dystopian Europe.
I love the Beauty and the Beast story. It can go two ways – if the “Beast” is physically scarred it will be heart-warming and touching, with lots of angst. If the Beast is…well, a beast, there is the opportunity for a lot of witty banter between “Belle” and “Beast”.
This falls into the latter. In fact, it was so witty at times I was laughing aloud. Started it at 7:00 PM and finished it at 3 AM. The possibility of sleep was not possible until I got to the last page.
Elle and Severin snark at each other so much I felt like I was reading “Private Lives” He refers to her as Intruder and she makes cat jokes (he’s a big cat…”oh by the way, I hadn’t noticed: do you have a tail?”). She makes friends with his grossly overweight dog while said dog is constantly trying to shred Severin’s clothes – or Severin (you know, cats and dogs).
Of course they fall madly in love, have a huge misunderstanding, and then live happily ever after (it’s a story as old as time, for crying out loud – if you don’t know what’s going to happen, you probably live in a yurt in Outer (or Inner) Mongolia – and not even able to read this review.
Just be good to yourself and grab this book. As I write, it’s free (a holiday bargain!). But it’s worth spending money on.
I love the Beauty and the Beast story. It can go two ways – if the “Beast” is physically scarred it will be heart-warming and touching, with lots of angst. If the Beast is…well, a beast, there is the opportunity for a lot of witty banter between “Belle” and “Beast”.
This falls into the latter. In fact, it was so witty at times I was laughing aloud. Started it at 7:00 PM and finished it at 3 AM. The possibility of sleep was not possible until I got to the last page.
Elle and Severin snark at each other so much I felt like I was reading “Private Lives” He refers to her as Intruder and she makes cat jokes (he’s a big cat…”oh by the way, I hadn’t noticed: do you have a tail?”). She makes friends with his grossly overweight dog while said dog is constantly trying to shred Severin’s clothes – or Severin (you know, cats and dogs).
Of course they fall madly in love, have a huge misunderstanding, and then live happily ever after (it’s a story as old as time, for crying out loud – if you don’t know what’s going to happen, you probably live in a yurt in Outer (or Inner) Mongolia – and not even able to read this review.
Just be good to yourself and grab this book. As I write, it’s free (a holiday bargain!). But it’s worth spending money on.
June 8, 2016
My edition: Kindle
Pages: 201
Series: Timeless Fairy Tales #1
Rating 4 stars
Review: This is a fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast retold. Obviously I know. I love Beauty an the Beast. It is my favorite all time fairy tale.
This one was a bit different. Elle (Beauty) falls through a glass skylight of Prince Severin's (Beast) castle. Elle survives the fall but with a broken leg and many cuts to her arms. The servants who are not furniture but are cursed to wear masks and have no voice plead with Severin to let her stay and heal up. Elle is then taken care of by Emele who was a lady in waiting. Emele begs Elle to give Prince Severin a chance. Elle agrees only because she will do it for Emele.
I liked this. It wasn't a bad retelling. I liked how the servants part of the curse. They all talked through hand gestures and slates. The beast was a mixture between cat and dog but mostly cat. I wish there was a little more telling of why the Prince was cursed.
The banter between Elle and Prince Severin was comical. The falling in love was cute. Emele was a drama queen but the funny kind. The kind that over exaggerates not the kind that makes drama. I loved the characters. It was a light read. I will continue on with the series and see how well the other fairy tales are told.
Pages: 201
Series: Timeless Fairy Tales #1
Rating 4 stars
Review: This is a fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast retold. Obviously I know. I love Beauty an the Beast. It is my favorite all time fairy tale.
This one was a bit different. Elle (Beauty) falls through a glass skylight of Prince Severin's (Beast) castle. Elle survives the fall but with a broken leg and many cuts to her arms. The servants who are not furniture but are cursed to wear masks and have no voice plead with Severin to let her stay and heal up. Elle is then taken care of by Emele who was a lady in waiting. Emele begs Elle to give Prince Severin a chance. Elle agrees only because she will do it for Emele.
I liked this. It wasn't a bad retelling. I liked how the servants part of the curse. They all talked through hand gestures and slates. The beast was a mixture between cat and dog but mostly cat. I wish there was a little more telling of why the Prince was cursed.
The banter between Elle and Prince Severin was comical. The falling in love was cute. Emele was a drama queen but the funny kind. The kind that over exaggerates not the kind that makes drama. I loved the characters. It was a light read. I will continue on with the series and see how well the other fairy tales are told.
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