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Bellegarde
Ooh la la! A historical rom-com with a modern twist—perfect for fans of Bridgerton, A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, and She's All That.
Evie Clement has perfected the art of avoiding attention as she works at her family’s bakery and dreams of a life where she can trade dusting flour for designing dresses. Her focus is on honing her sewing skills—she doesn’t need to be fawned over by some teenage boy.
Least of all Beau Bellegarde—the playboy of Paris, the second son of the ultra-wealthy Bellegarde family, the most popular guy in their prestigious high school. Others may swoon over his rakish charm and winning smile, but not Evie.
Unfortunately for Evie, Beau needs her. His conniving step-brother has roped him into an impossible turn the biggest wallflower they know into the winning Bellegarde Bloom at the annual Court of Flowers Ball, or lose his entire fortune.
Evie can’t understand why Beau has taken an interest in her, but she can’t help but be intrigued...
Can love bloom in the most unexpected of places?
"The She’s All That historical romance retelling of my dreams! When I wasn’t savoring the lush, descriptive prose, I was eagerly devouring the smart, perfectly paced, heart-pounding romance. There’s no doubt about Jamie Lilac makes a sparkling debut." —Brian Kennedy, author of A Little Bit Country
Evie Clement has perfected the art of avoiding attention as she works at her family’s bakery and dreams of a life where she can trade dusting flour for designing dresses. Her focus is on honing her sewing skills—she doesn’t need to be fawned over by some teenage boy.
Least of all Beau Bellegarde—the playboy of Paris, the second son of the ultra-wealthy Bellegarde family, the most popular guy in their prestigious high school. Others may swoon over his rakish charm and winning smile, but not Evie.
Unfortunately for Evie, Beau needs her. His conniving step-brother has roped him into an impossible turn the biggest wallflower they know into the winning Bellegarde Bloom at the annual Court of Flowers Ball, or lose his entire fortune.
Evie can’t understand why Beau has taken an interest in her, but she can’t help but be intrigued...
Can love bloom in the most unexpected of places?
"The She’s All That historical romance retelling of my dreams! When I wasn’t savoring the lush, descriptive prose, I was eagerly devouring the smart, perfectly paced, heart-pounding romance. There’s no doubt about Jamie Lilac makes a sparkling debut." —Brian Kennedy, author of A Little Bit Country
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2023
48 people are currently reading
6518 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Lilac
1 book68 followersJamie Lilac earned a B.A. in English Literature and a M.Ed. in English Education. As an author, she is interested in writing about romantic cool girls, and spinning stories filled with love, magic, mythology, & secrets. When she isn't writing, you can find her playing with her two dogs (Banks & Reese), planting flowers, reading fairytales, & watching 90's movies. Bellegarde is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
July 12, 2023
✨[Sixpence None the Richer’s Kiss Me playing]✨
Oh this hit the spot. It's literally the She’s All That YA historical romance of my wildest dreams. And I mean LITERALLY. Basically every scene in the movie is in the book and I appreciate the commitment to late 90's romcoms. We better get a Drive Me Crazy retelling next 💅
Bellegarde is kind of like—and I say this in the LOOSEST of possible terms—Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet but in reverse?? It’s hard to describe because the setting gives historical but the speech and social customs were very modern?? Like I truly cannot tell you the time period but I can say that I had a marvelous time (beneath the milky twilight).
Frankly, I’m just so happy this book exists. It was unique enough to make it different than the movie, but it was still just as charming. I swear it was made for me, right down to the floofy pink dress on the cover. I need to read more YA historical romances IMMEDIATELY.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Note: I get that She’s All That was based on My Fair Lady which was based on Pygmalion but this book is legit She’s All That. Like there’s the distinct feel.
Note: I think it’s actually impossible to completely capture the Freddie Prince Jr. effect because I physically cannot be annoyed with him??? I also think the same thing about Matthew Lillard because that dance scene just can’t be chained to a page.
If you’re curious, the next YA romance on ye olde TBR is Rosewood by Sayantani DasGupta, it’s not historical but the vibes seem correct! Sophie Jordan’s Sixteen Scandals and Sarah MacLean’s The Season are also on my list.
For recs that I’ve read, you simply must read Queen Bee by Amalie Howard (Mean Girls esque) and A Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen (major Jane Austen appreciation). And while I wasn’t the biggest fan of Reputation by Lex Croucher, I’ll definitely be reading Infamous!
My She's All That/My Fair Lady/Pygmalion/general makeover w/ class difference recs:
- Along Came a Lady, Christi Caldwell
- My Fake Rake, Eva Leigh
- Lady Be Reckless, Megan Frampton
- Any Duchess Will Do, Tessa Dare
- Bookshop Cinderella, Laura Lee Guhrke
- Bellegarde, Jamie Lilac
- The Proposition, Judith Ivory
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own ✨
Oh this hit the spot. It's literally the She’s All That YA historical romance of my wildest dreams. And I mean LITERALLY. Basically every scene in the movie is in the book and I appreciate the commitment to late 90's romcoms. We better get a Drive Me Crazy retelling next 💅
Bellegarde is kind of like—and I say this in the LOOSEST of possible terms—Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet but in reverse?? It’s hard to describe because the setting gives historical but the speech and social customs were very modern?? Like I truly cannot tell you the time period but I can say that I had a marvelous time (beneath the milky twilight).
Frankly, I’m just so happy this book exists. It was unique enough to make it different than the movie, but it was still just as charming. I swear it was made for me, right down to the floofy pink dress on the cover. I need to read more YA historical romances IMMEDIATELY.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Note: I get that She’s All That was based on My Fair Lady which was based on Pygmalion but this book is legit She’s All That. Like there’s the distinct feel.
Note: I think it’s actually impossible to completely capture the Freddie Prince Jr. effect because I physically cannot be annoyed with him??? I also think the same thing about Matthew Lillard because that dance scene just can’t be chained to a page.
If you’re curious, the next YA romance on ye olde TBR is Rosewood by Sayantani DasGupta, it’s not historical but the vibes seem correct! Sophie Jordan’s Sixteen Scandals and Sarah MacLean’s The Season are also on my list.
For recs that I’ve read, you simply must read Queen Bee by Amalie Howard (Mean Girls esque) and A Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen (major Jane Austen appreciation). And while I wasn’t the biggest fan of Reputation by Lex Croucher, I’ll definitely be reading Infamous!
My She's All That/My Fair Lady/Pygmalion/general makeover w/ class difference recs:
- Along Came a Lady, Christi Caldwell
- My Fake Rake, Eva Leigh
- Lady Be Reckless, Megan Frampton
- Any Duchess Will Do, Tessa Dare
- Bookshop Cinderella, Laura Lee Guhrke
- Bellegarde, Jamie Lilac
- The Proposition, Judith Ivory
Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own ✨
April 18, 2023
I have one, very specific, issue with this book: I am one of those obnoxious people who cannot stand when historically-set books use anachronistic language. It sets my teeth on edge. I can handle the retelling of the film "She's All That." I can cope with the stock characters. But the language absolutely prevented me from enjoying the story, and that's on me.
So with that out of the way, if you enjoy comfy teen rom-coms, spunky heroines, and heroes who learn their lesson but good, I daresay you'll like this book, because it has many enjoyable features. But if you're like me with the language, maybe steer clear.
So with that out of the way, if you enjoy comfy teen rom-coms, spunky heroines, and heroes who learn their lesson but good, I daresay you'll like this book, because it has many enjoyable features. But if you're like me with the language, maybe steer clear.
February 21, 2023
Do you know those moments when you need something swoon-worthy and snarky? Maybe even something hallmark cheesy but with a twist? Bellegarde, a progressive historical YA delivers it all and I needed it so much!
Set in Paris, somewhere in the past, richly decorated dresses rustle down girls’ legs, carriages rattle through the streets, and of course, there’s a ball where the most beautiful girl will be chosen. Rich and poor teens, male and female, attend the same school; they date, have modern ideas, and there’s even a same-sex couple.
Told in a dual narrative, Bellegarde is a story to escape real life for a while, readable in one or just a few sittings. Evie and Beau’s story is delightful, and I read it with a constant smile on my face. Jamie Lilac’s writing is incredible, and I could see the streets of Paris so vividly. She wrote fully fleshed-out characters, not only Evie’s and Beau’s, but also side characters such as Jo and Mia, and even Julien en Rachelle. I flew through the pages and can’t wait to see what Jamie has in store for us next!
I received an ARC from Harper Collins Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Set in Paris, somewhere in the past, richly decorated dresses rustle down girls’ legs, carriages rattle through the streets, and of course, there’s a ball where the most beautiful girl will be chosen. Rich and poor teens, male and female, attend the same school; they date, have modern ideas, and there’s even a same-sex couple.
Told in a dual narrative, Bellegarde is a story to escape real life for a while, readable in one or just a few sittings. Evie and Beau’s story is delightful, and I read it with a constant smile on my face. Jamie Lilac’s writing is incredible, and I could see the streets of Paris so vividly. She wrote fully fleshed-out characters, not only Evie’s and Beau’s, but also side characters such as Jo and Mia, and even Julien en Rachelle. I flew through the pages and can’t wait to see what Jamie has in store for us next!
I received an ARC from Harper Collins Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
August 1, 2023
I have half a mind to put this on my contemporary shelf because historical - this was not.
I rarely encounter this problem in historicals because I guess authors try extra hard to get everything as close to right as possible for the time period, but when it happens I am not a happy camper.
But historical inaccuracies aren't even a huge problem for me, a little anachronism didn't hurt anybody, it's that the whole book was so modern that I found myself imagining a contemporary high school setting, except everyone was wearing fancy dresses.
They talked like contemporary kids, some of the events described read as contemporary too. Maybe this isn't a bad thing, and I could see younger kids liking this more because it's so approachable. But for me, when I read a historical book I expect the language to reflect that, otherwise it just keeps pulling me out of the story.
Aside from that, I wasn't a big fan of the characters or the romance. She had more chemistry with the Duke than Beau. So I'm overall disappointed, but at least the audio was okay.
I rarely encounter this problem in historicals because I guess authors try extra hard to get everything as close to right as possible for the time period, but when it happens I am not a happy camper.
But historical inaccuracies aren't even a huge problem for me, a little anachronism didn't hurt anybody, it's that the whole book was so modern that I found myself imagining a contemporary high school setting, except everyone was wearing fancy dresses.
They talked like contemporary kids, some of the events described read as contemporary too. Maybe this isn't a bad thing, and I could see younger kids liking this more because it's so approachable. But for me, when I read a historical book I expect the language to reflect that, otherwise it just keeps pulling me out of the story.
Aside from that, I wasn't a big fan of the characters or the romance. She had more chemistry with the Duke than Beau. So I'm overall disappointed, but at least the audio was okay.
August 10, 2023
What in the Reign of Terror did I just read??? I can't believe this half-baked, unimaginative rip-off of She's All That and Gossip Girl is getting published. My review below is composed of one-off notes I took while reading, so it's going to be disjointed.
I've definitely ranted a LOT already about how historical fiction needs to offer at least authenticity, if not accuracy. This mess did not even provide a semblance, nay, an honest attempt at that.
This book is a fucking lie. It was marketed as a She's All That retelling set in 18th-century France. So where the hell is the 18th-century France setting?
There is nothing to indicate the 18th-century half of that marketing promise other than a passing mention of Marie Antoinette, the fact that they live in ~Paris~, and Rose Bertin makes a cameo.
I should have fucking known from that cover. Girly there isn't wearing a robe à la française (which might be a bit dated for the time, but acceptable) or (the more period appropriate) robe à la anglaise or even the bustled robe à la polonaise version, but some cheap Amazon knock-off of an overexposed Teuta Matoshi design. As if I'm buying the slapdash explanation for that: we're supposed to believe that the the main character is such a fashion visionary, so ahead of her time, that she wears 21st-century gowns instead of 18th-century fashion everyone else around her is supposed to be stupid enough to think is couture. Rose Bertin, you deserve to smack the polyester tulle out of this girl's brain.
Instead, there are zippers. There are corsets rather than stays. They say "okay." They speak in 21st-century sentence structures and slang. They have, honest to God, popularity contests in FUCKING HIGH SCHOOL. Secondary education for the impoverished section of the Third Estate...in the 18th century??? With what resources? Wasn't this period in time in this particular nation, I don't know, famous for funneling what little money the country had left into indulging the frivolities of the aristocracy and not giving a fuck about the rest of the population?
Oh, it gets worse. They even have WILD HIGH SCHOOL PARTIES in abandoned buildings - or in this case, in an abandoned ~chateau~ so we don't forget this is Pah-ree. An abandoned chateau??? You're telling me that not one member of the nobility or the wealthy bourgeoisie claimed that chateau for themselves? When the desperate, cutthroat culture of Versailles was at its height of its greed?
This book is literally just a high school drama. It wants to be Gossip Girl so bad, but it doesn't even deliver the teenage pettiness and rich people scheming that makes GG compelling.
Because of course there's even a mysterious writer of a school gossip rag that has everyone running around like headless chickens trying to figure out. But you already know our ~super-special~ main character figured out who was behind it in the fifth or so chapter.
The main character, Evie, has a special case of Not Like Other Girls. We're made to root for her because the "good" characters think she's sooooooooo different because she doesn't like shopping and partying like the other shallow, nasty popular girls in her school. Nooooo, she likes to sew! The way the "good" characters go on about her hobby, you'd think she fucking invented textile art.
The other PoV, Beau's, is such a chore to slog through. A one-dimensional, overly insecure idiot if I ever did see one.
Y'all. Don't even bother with this.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
I've definitely ranted a LOT already about how historical fiction needs to offer at least authenticity, if not accuracy. This mess did not even provide a semblance, nay, an honest attempt at that.
This book is a fucking lie. It was marketed as a She's All That retelling set in 18th-century France. So where the hell is the 18th-century France setting?
There is nothing to indicate the 18th-century half of that marketing promise other than a passing mention of Marie Antoinette, the fact that they live in ~Paris~, and Rose Bertin makes a cameo.
I should have fucking known from that cover. Girly there isn't wearing a robe à la française (which might be a bit dated for the time, but acceptable) or (the more period appropriate) robe à la anglaise or even the bustled robe à la polonaise version, but some cheap Amazon knock-off of an overexposed Teuta Matoshi design. As if I'm buying the slapdash explanation for that: we're supposed to believe that the the main character is such a fashion visionary, so ahead of her time, that she wears 21st-century gowns instead of 18th-century fashion everyone else around her is supposed to be stupid enough to think is couture. Rose Bertin, you deserve to smack the polyester tulle out of this girl's brain.
Instead, there are zippers. There are corsets rather than stays. They say "okay." They speak in 21st-century sentence structures and slang. They have, honest to God, popularity contests in FUCKING HIGH SCHOOL. Secondary education for the impoverished section of the Third Estate...in the 18th century??? With what resources? Wasn't this period in time in this particular nation, I don't know, famous for funneling what little money the country had left into indulging the frivolities of the aristocracy and not giving a fuck about the rest of the population?
Oh, it gets worse. They even have WILD HIGH SCHOOL PARTIES in abandoned buildings - or in this case, in an abandoned ~chateau~ so we don't forget this is Pah-ree. An abandoned chateau??? You're telling me that not one member of the nobility or the wealthy bourgeoisie claimed that chateau for themselves? When the desperate, cutthroat culture of Versailles was at its height of its greed?
This book is literally just a high school drama. It wants to be Gossip Girl so bad, but it doesn't even deliver the teenage pettiness and rich people scheming that makes GG compelling.
Because of course there's even a mysterious writer of a school gossip rag that has everyone running around like headless chickens trying to figure out. But you already know our ~super-special~ main character figured out who was behind it in the fifth or so chapter.
The main character, Evie, has a special case of Not Like Other Girls. We're made to root for her because the "good" characters think she's sooooooooo different because she doesn't like shopping and partying like the other shallow, nasty popular girls in her school. Nooooo, she likes to sew! The way the "good" characters go on about her hobby, you'd think she fucking invented textile art.
The other PoV, Beau's, is such a chore to slog through. A one-dimensional, overly insecure idiot if I ever did see one.
Y'all. Don't even bother with this.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
May 30, 2024
I had such a fun time reading this!
I loved the characters, loved the plot and the romance was cute as heck. I will say don't go into this book thinking it will be historically accurate cause it's far from it (think Bridgerton having fake nails and lashes kinda vibe). With that said if you can look past that it's a good time all around. I loved how it was dual POV I felt like I could really connect to both Evie and Beau. I loved the way the fake dating trope worked out in the story.
I loved the characters, loved the plot and the romance was cute as heck. I will say don't go into this book thinking it will be historically accurate cause it's far from it (think Bridgerton having fake nails and lashes kinda vibe). With that said if you can look past that it's a good time all around. I loved how it was dual POV I felt like I could really connect to both Evie and Beau. I loved the way the fake dating trope worked out in the story.
August 12, 2023
SHES ALL THAT RETELLING. I REPEAT SHES ALL THAT RETELLING.
hello my dear ellynators. todays episode is about this cute ass little debut novel.💝
I wasn't planning on writing a longer review for this but..... I need to share my thoughts about this.🫣
WRITING
okay listen... I know a lot of people disliked this and downrated it because of the period mixing... which I 100% understand. usually I hate period mixing aswell and I adore past time books that use the appropriate language for that decade/century...😓
but for this I didn't rlly mind??? I kinda felt like the language was fitting for the vibes of this book ??? Im not sure how to explain this but it didn't really bother me as much as it did for others. I still really enjoyed the dialogue in this.🤔
the only thing id want to critique over the writing is how the side sapphics were very openly accepted and there was no signs of fear... idk that did not seem fitting considering the decade this is playing in... I can't tell if this book was just modernised for the sake of the writing or if the author truly didn’t consider how lesbians would've been ACTUALLY treated in that time period.
The writing itself was very cute-ish aswell. like not in a cringe way but it felt very buttery and warm to me (which is probably why the modernised dialogue fit better) and I loved the descriptions and metaphors in this.
like overall the writing could probably use improving, but for this being a debut novel I think it was quite well done.😘
PLOT
THE REASON I STARTED THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE. ugh I do love 90s romcons (which this book is giving) and shes all that is one of my favs. I know its a cringe, overplayed movie and plot line but I still eat it up EVERY SINGLE TIME.🤟🏼
I love boy makes bet, girl has makeover, boy falls for girl, BETRAYALLLLLL. its so slay if u ask me.
this one DELIVERED. it really stuck to the retelling pipeline (which a lot of retelling books fail to do). last month I read a john tucker must die retelling and.... idk it just didn't live up to the potential of the movie. but this ATE.💅
this is a historical fiction, but pls don't expect this to tackle any deep topics, because it doesn't. its going more into the romcom category.
ALSOOOO THE LITTLE GOSSIP GIRL/ LADY WHISTLEDOWN PAPER CAMEO??? ate that up aswell! i love anonymous school/uni websites/newspapers roasting everyone xx
CHARACTERS
evie: aww! my little baker girly🧁🍰🎂 with fashion dreams👛🎀👠. shes so real. shes such a wallflower🌼.
like this girl is so TALENTED??? even the queen wants her on her team fr and poor girl got the self confidence of me in middle school (no confidence whatsoever)🙇🏻♀️ im very glad she had people supporting her and telling her how much she can achieve because otherwise she'd be stuck in her room making gowns for no one to see and we DO NOT WANT THAT
this girl had everyone obsessed over her fr like shes so real????? especially last scene when she ended rachelle by giving her exactly what she wants??? YES KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS FR.🥳🤭
shes so cinderella coded without the evil sisters <333
beau: babe. hes so pookie. only doing this so he can keep his mothers cottage😩I felt so bad for him, poor guy was brainwashed into thinking his father hates him and doesn't want to give him none of that money....
actually I rlly get where hes coming from with the whole "I just wanted to be accepted and belong somewhere so I acted like a piece of shit because that's who they want me to be"...😶 never change yourself for a friend group or partner, because if they don't want you as you are they don't deserve you anyways xx im glad he grew into just being himself and realising the people he tried so hard to keep around don't even care about him other than his status.😬
also was very happy he found friends with evies friends at the theatre and even went to them for help at the end of the book. character development slay🤗
heat: BRO THE MF DUKE. he was so. oh my had me weak. for a minute there I was scared I was gonna start shipping evie with him instead of beau, but I realised evie can have beau. because the duke is FOR ME. my man my man my man. the way he talked and admired evie was so attractive goodbye. I want a book of him finding the love of his life?? omg dare I give an idea... he meets a woman in a bookstore and hes so in awe of her that he offers her to work in the one he bought and they fall in love and oh my I need it.
mia: MY GIRLFRIEND OSIUDHDUHIKO. shes so. babe.😮💨 ugh she was always there for beau and she always sees the good in people and shes so supportive and she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her and I love her fr-🥰
josephine: same with Josephine, shes such a good friend???🫡 im so glad there wasn't any conflict friendship breakup thingy in this, because Josephine is just ALWAYS there for Evie no matter what
julian AND rachelle: I wish they got together at the end of this book because frankly... they suck. ugh such bitches. If Julian was my brother... lets just say Id be behind bars.⛓
Rachelle had a lot of potential to have a whole villain turned alley arc but sticking to the shes all that plot line there was no chance for her to better herself anyways <333 I was very confused by the singular chapter she had??? idk felt weird not putting more but whatever!
RELATIONSHIPS
the bakers daughter and nobel man trope!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED MOREEEEEEEEEEE. its such a giggly kicking my feet trope.
they were cute and I love this thingy about him always having a thing for her? like hes obviously been obsessed with her since they were kids, which is honestly so real of him.
I wouldnt say they are enemies to lovers, its just that he hurt her in the past and she was not gonna trust him that easily (which is ver understandable).
I loved how he just KNEW her. like what she liked and didn't like and he always listened to everything she said and made sure she gets what she needs and idk hes just a very acts of serviceand words of affirmation love language kind of person which is exactly my type.
like the when he remembered she said she wanted to know what's it like to get powdered and dressed by multiple people at once like all the rich ppl and he brought a whole ass team over??? or when he delivered flour and eggs that could keep the bakery afloat for months just so she isn't busy and they can hang out???????? so cute😙😙
sapphics side ship ate so bad I loved every single appearance of them and them going to the dance tight awww. evie and josephine getting with the Bellegarde cousins was so real of them like yes get your bag🤞🏼🤞🏼
FINAL THOUGHTS
very cute book and great debut novel. id recc this to anyone who loves 90s romcoms tbh but if you hate period mixing a lot I don't think this is the book for you! its a nice short quick read when u need to get out of a reading slump so don't expect it to be a deep historical fiction🥰🫶🏽
hello my dear ellynators. todays episode is about this cute ass little debut novel.💝
I wasn't planning on writing a longer review for this but..... I need to share my thoughts about this.🫣
WRITING
okay listen... I know a lot of people disliked this and downrated it because of the period mixing... which I 100% understand. usually I hate period mixing aswell and I adore past time books that use the appropriate language for that decade/century...😓
but for this I didn't rlly mind??? I kinda felt like the language was fitting for the vibes of this book ??? Im not sure how to explain this but it didn't really bother me as much as it did for others. I still really enjoyed the dialogue in this.🤔
the only thing id want to critique over the writing is how the side sapphics were very openly accepted and there was no signs of fear... idk that did not seem fitting considering the decade this is playing in... I can't tell if this book was just modernised for the sake of the writing or if the author truly didn’t consider how lesbians would've been ACTUALLY treated in that time period.
The writing itself was very cute-ish aswell. like not in a cringe way but it felt very buttery and warm to me (which is probably why the modernised dialogue fit better) and I loved the descriptions and metaphors in this.
like overall the writing could probably use improving, but for this being a debut novel I think it was quite well done.😘
PLOT
THE REASON I STARTED THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE. ugh I do love 90s romcons (which this book is giving) and shes all that is one of my favs. I know its a cringe, overplayed movie and plot line but I still eat it up EVERY SINGLE TIME.🤟🏼
I love boy makes bet, girl has makeover, boy falls for girl, BETRAYALLLLLL. its so slay if u ask me.
this one DELIVERED. it really stuck to the retelling pipeline (which a lot of retelling books fail to do). last month I read a john tucker must die retelling and.... idk it just didn't live up to the potential of the movie. but this ATE.💅
this is a historical fiction, but pls don't expect this to tackle any deep topics, because it doesn't. its going more into the romcom category.
ALSOOOO THE LITTLE GOSSIP GIRL/ LADY WHISTLEDOWN PAPER CAMEO??? ate that up aswell! i love anonymous school/uni websites/newspapers roasting everyone xx
CHARACTERS
evie: aww! my little baker girly🧁🍰🎂 with fashion dreams👛🎀👠. shes so real. shes such a wallflower🌼.
like this girl is so TALENTED??? even the queen wants her on her team fr and poor girl got the self confidence of me in middle school (no confidence whatsoever)🙇🏻♀️ im very glad she had people supporting her and telling her how much she can achieve because otherwise she'd be stuck in her room making gowns for no one to see and we DO NOT WANT THAT
this girl had everyone obsessed over her fr like shes so real????? especially last scene when she ended rachelle by giving her exactly what she wants??? YES KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS FR.🥳🤭
shes so cinderella coded without the evil sisters <333
beau: babe. hes so pookie. only doing this so he can keep his mothers cottage😩I felt so bad for him, poor guy was brainwashed into thinking his father hates him and doesn't want to give him none of that money....
actually I rlly get where hes coming from with the whole "I just wanted to be accepted and belong somewhere so I acted like a piece of shit because that's who they want me to be"...😶 never change yourself for a friend group or partner, because if they don't want you as you are they don't deserve you anyways xx im glad he grew into just being himself and realising the people he tried so hard to keep around don't even care about him other than his status.😬
also was very happy he found friends with evies friends at the theatre and even went to them for help at the end of the book. character development slay🤗
heat: BRO THE MF DUKE. he was so. oh my had me weak. for a minute there I was scared I was gonna start shipping evie with him instead of beau, but I realised evie can have beau. because the duke is FOR ME. my man my man my man. the way he talked and admired evie was so attractive goodbye. I want a book of him finding the love of his life?? omg dare I give an idea... he meets a woman in a bookstore and hes so in awe of her that he offers her to work in the one he bought and they fall in love and oh my I need it.
mia: MY GIRLFRIEND OSIUDHDUHIKO. shes so. babe.😮💨 ugh she was always there for beau and she always sees the good in people and shes so supportive and she doesn't care what anyone thinks of her and I love her fr-🥰
josephine: same with Josephine, shes such a good friend???🫡 im so glad there wasn't any conflict friendship breakup thingy in this, because Josephine is just ALWAYS there for Evie no matter what
julian AND rachelle: I wish they got together at the end of this book because frankly... they suck. ugh such bitches. If Julian was my brother... lets just say Id be behind bars.⛓
Rachelle had a lot of potential to have a whole villain turned alley arc but sticking to the shes all that plot line there was no chance for her to better herself anyways <333 I was very confused by the singular chapter she had??? idk felt weird not putting more but whatever!
RELATIONSHIPS
the bakers daughter and nobel man trope!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED MOREEEEEEEEEEE. its such a giggly kicking my feet trope.
they were cute and I love this thingy about him always having a thing for her? like hes obviously been obsessed with her since they were kids, which is honestly so real of him.
I wouldnt say they are enemies to lovers, its just that he hurt her in the past and she was not gonna trust him that easily (which is ver understandable).
I loved how he just KNEW her. like what she liked and didn't like and he always listened to everything she said and made sure she gets what she needs and idk hes just a very acts of serviceand words of affirmation love language kind of person which is exactly my type.
like the when he remembered she said she wanted to know what's it like to get powdered and dressed by multiple people at once like all the rich ppl and he brought a whole ass team over??? or when he delivered flour and eggs that could keep the bakery afloat for months just so she isn't busy and they can hang out???????? so cute😙😙
sapphics side ship ate so bad I loved every single appearance of them and them going to the dance tight awww. evie and josephine getting with the Bellegarde cousins was so real of them like yes get your bag🤞🏼🤞🏼
FINAL THOUGHTS
very cute book and great debut novel. id recc this to anyone who loves 90s romcoms tbh but if you hate period mixing a lot I don't think this is the book for you! its a nice short quick read when u need to get out of a reading slump so don't expect it to be a deep historical fiction🥰🫶🏽
January 9, 2024
3.5
This was a pretty cute and easy read, I managed to finish it in a single day. Although I'm not a fan of the whole 'bet' trope, I found that this book handled Beau's bet pretty nicely. I do have some issues with this book, though, one of them being the language. This is a historical romance novel, but it felt like I was reading a typical 21st century YA romcom—which is not a bad thing, but as I aforementioned, Bellegarde is a historical romance novel. The way the characters talked was so unlike the way people did in the 19th century (which I'm assuming is when this book is set, or at least early 20th century); it was too modern. Had this book been a YA romance set in the 21st century, I would have no problem with it.
Other than that, Jamie Lilac's Bellegarde is a pretty decent read, quick and easy—just the book you need when you want something light.
This was a pretty cute and easy read, I managed to finish it in a single day. Although I'm not a fan of the whole 'bet' trope, I found that this book handled Beau's bet pretty nicely. I do have some issues with this book, though, one of them being the language. This is a historical romance novel, but it felt like I was reading a typical 21st century YA romcom—which is not a bad thing, but as I aforementioned, Bellegarde is a historical romance novel. The way the characters talked was so unlike the way people did in the 19th century (which I'm assuming is when this book is set, or at least early 20th century); it was too modern. Had this book been a YA romance set in the 21st century, I would have no problem with it.
Other than that, Jamie Lilac's Bellegarde is a pretty decent read, quick and easy—just the book you need when you want something light.
June 11, 2023
I hate to bad mouth someone’s work, but I don’t have anything nice to say about this book and I’m highly impressed it was picked by a publisher.
I decided to give it a chance because, though I’m older, I enjoy both YA and historical romances and, in addition, She’s All That is a cute movie I’ve watched several times. Unfortunately, I felt that the author just grabbed a mall full of millennials and planted it in 18th century Paris, which is an assumption given that France hasn’t had a queen since the aforementioned century, and it goes down from there. The story is too PC for even for 1999 when the movie was released and is a total debacle IMO.
In all honesty, I thought about not finishing after chapter 1, but managed to read the whole thing to make sure I gave it a proper chance to redeem itself. I found it poorly crafted, unoriginal and lacking creativity. Maybe it will pass for a historical romance to a 12 year-old who’s never read one and doesn’t know any actual history, but if you have barely any knowledge of historical times and events, you can spot the many inaccuracies along the book and truly, they can’t be covered by saying they are creative license.
1 star
*ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley*
I decided to give it a chance because, though I’m older, I enjoy both YA and historical romances and, in addition, She’s All That is a cute movie I’ve watched several times. Unfortunately, I felt that the author just grabbed a mall full of millennials and planted it in 18th century Paris, which is an assumption given that France hasn’t had a queen since the aforementioned century, and it goes down from there. The story is too PC for even for 1999 when the movie was released and is a total debacle IMO.
In all honesty, I thought about not finishing after chapter 1, but managed to read the whole thing to make sure I gave it a proper chance to redeem itself. I found it poorly crafted, unoriginal and lacking creativity. Maybe it will pass for a historical romance to a 12 year-old who’s never read one and doesn’t know any actual history, but if you have barely any knowledge of historical times and events, you can spot the many inaccuracies along the book and truly, they can’t be covered by saying they are creative license.
1 star
*ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley*
July 5, 2023
Picked this up for the candy-coloured cover and the promise of a Bridgerton-adjacent historical romcom.
And honestly, it is that, but this also definitely wasn't for me. Nothing is really wrong with this book, but I found it a little bland and not the refreshing historical romcom I was hoping for. This had a couple of reasons.
Firstly, I never watched She's All That, and maybe if I had, I would have appreciated this more. Going off the reviews, this is a pretty close retelling, and maybe you need to know the source material to fully enjoy it.
I also felt confused by the time period the book was set in. The historical vibes are just... not there. This felt more like a contemporary in a somewhat strange setting. I do enjoy books that aren't strictly playing by the rules of the time period, but I do need a certain atmosphere and that was just lacking here.
And then finally, the characters. For one, there were way too many and none of them really stood out. Even the main characters weren't really given the depth they deserved, and they didn't spend enough time together to make me actually feel the romance.
And honestly, it is that, but this also definitely wasn't for me. Nothing is really wrong with this book, but I found it a little bland and not the refreshing historical romcom I was hoping for. This had a couple of reasons.
Firstly, I never watched She's All That, and maybe if I had, I would have appreciated this more. Going off the reviews, this is a pretty close retelling, and maybe you need to know the source material to fully enjoy it.
I also felt confused by the time period the book was set in. The historical vibes are just... not there. This felt more like a contemporary in a somewhat strange setting. I do enjoy books that aren't strictly playing by the rules of the time period, but I do need a certain atmosphere and that was just lacking here.
And then finally, the characters. For one, there were way too many and none of them really stood out. Even the main characters weren't really given the depth they deserved, and they didn't spend enough time together to make me actually feel the romance.
Want to read
July 24, 2022i have no idea what this is about but the title is giving french court fantasy sooo
edit: after reading the recently updated synopsis i have concluded that this is not in fact fantasy and i am a little disappointed but ofc i shall read it anyways because court balls!!
edit: after reading the recently updated synopsis i have concluded that this is not in fact fantasy and i am a little disappointed but ofc i shall read it anyways because court balls!!
August 9, 2022
BELLEGARDE is a decadent delight from start to finish. Jamie Lilac paints a lush Parisian world filled to the brim with beauty and splendor - and cut through with secrets and deception that unfold at the perfect pace to keep you turning pages. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and 90s rom-coms!
December 24, 2023
Cute book
September 1, 2023
2 ½⭐️
CÓMO PUEDE SER Q LE DEN LAS MEJORES LÍNEAS, LA MEJOR PERSONALIDAD , Q SEA UN CACHITO DE PAN, QUE SEA GUAPO Y EL ÚNICO Q DICE COSAS ROMÁNTICAS Y SEA EL SECUNDARIO NO ELEGIDO💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀NO ENTIENDO COMO LA TONTA ELIGE AL BEAU ANTES Q AL DUQUE.
El libro es una mezcla de película mala de voy a hacer una apuesta para convertirla en la reina del baile mezclado con los bridgertons y marinette porque ella es una pobretona en Paris con una panadería.
Y SE QUEDA CON EL DE LA APUESTA (q no es noble…solo es rico) en vez del maravilloso duque q es un sol.
LA ÚNICA BUENA PAREJA SON LAS LESBIANAS👩❤️💋👩
CÓMO PUEDE SER Q LE DEN LAS MEJORES LÍNEAS, LA MEJOR PERSONALIDAD , Q SEA UN CACHITO DE PAN, QUE SEA GUAPO Y EL ÚNICO Q DICE COSAS ROMÁNTICAS Y SEA EL SECUNDARIO NO ELEGIDO💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀NO ENTIENDO COMO LA TONTA ELIGE AL BEAU ANTES Q AL DUQUE.
El libro es una mezcla de película mala de voy a hacer una apuesta para convertirla en la reina del baile mezclado con los bridgertons y marinette porque ella es una pobretona en Paris con una panadería.
Y SE QUEDA CON EL DE LA APUESTA (q no es noble…solo es rico) en vez del maravilloso duque q es un sol.
LA ÚNICA BUENA PAREJA SON LAS LESBIANAS👩❤️💋👩
July 31, 2023
A little bit silly
A little bit gossipy
A lot of fun
An easy read to whisk you away to an unlikely world of intrigue, insincerity, whisperings, dresses and delicious sweet treats. Drama was central to this read and if you go with the flow, not taking too much seriously, you will lose yourself to the story. I became endeared to the main characters after time despite some of their less favourable facets.
Rounded up rating.
A little bit gossipy
A lot of fun
An easy read to whisk you away to an unlikely world of intrigue, insincerity, whisperings, dresses and delicious sweet treats. Drama was central to this read and if you go with the flow, not taking too much seriously, you will lose yourself to the story. I became endeared to the main characters after time despite some of their less favourable facets.
Rounded up rating.
August 22, 2023
Author tried to modernize a historical romance to much. Didn't mind the retelling aspects but it felt nothing like a historical book. ☹️
October 13, 2023
This was a fun, very loosely historical retelling of 90s romcom "She's All That" set in Paris. If you're looking for a light, feel-good teen romance, this could be the book for you!
November 22, 2024
It was sad how insecure Evie was throughout the whole book. The whole time, big things were happening for her. Her name got placed on the list as a Bellegarde Bloom candidate, people high up in the fashion world saw her work and loved it, she was invited to the palace to dress the queen for a ball, and the duke invited her out on a date. And yet the whole time Evie was claiming that there was nothing special about her and that everyone was just after her as a running joke. She had no confidence in herself at all.
Beau and Evie’s parents really needed to take the time to talk to their kids more. For the secrets that Evie’s mom was keeping from her, I can kind of see her perspective on why she kept quiet, but as for Beau’s father . . . If those two could have just opened up to each other years earlier, Beau wouldn’t have had to go as long as he did worrying about his future and the goals he wanted to achieve.
3.5 stars
Beau and Evie’s parents really needed to take the time to talk to their kids more. For the secrets that Evie’s mom was keeping from her, I can kind of see her perspective on why she kept quiet, but as for Beau’s father . . . If those two could have just opened up to each other years earlier, Beau wouldn’t have had to go as long as he did worrying about his future and the goals he wanted to achieve.
3.5 stars
August 2, 2023
4.5 stars
This book made me laugh out loud! It was not, however, the genre I was expecting. I didn’t realize it was supposed to be set in 18th century France by reading the back cover, I only realized when I got on Goodreads. And if the setting was supposed to be 18th century France, good grief, the author did not do any research on historical accuracy. 😂 Still, I enjoyed the setting and kind of just thought of it as some kind of fantasy. This was a cute and lighthearted read and I really enjoyed it.
Things to note: two supporting characters are pursuing a same-sex relationship, a few curse words, and some crude remarks
This book made me laugh out loud! It was not, however, the genre I was expecting. I didn’t realize it was supposed to be set in 18th century France by reading the back cover, I only realized when I got on Goodreads. And if the setting was supposed to be 18th century France, good grief, the author did not do any research on historical accuracy. 😂 Still, I enjoyed the setting and kind of just thought of it as some kind of fantasy. This was a cute and lighthearted read and I really enjoyed it.
Things to note: two supporting characters are pursuing a same-sex relationship, a few curse words, and some crude remarks
August 22, 2023
3.5⭐️
I liked this! It promises Bridgerton meets She's All That and completely delivered on that. The descriptive writing was such a highlight from the cakes and the dances to the flowers and the fashion, I wanted to live inside the pages. It wasn’t perfect but it was definitely a fun read. This would be a great read for fans of Lex Croucher's historical romances.
I liked this! It promises Bridgerton meets She's All That and completely delivered on that. The descriptive writing was such a highlight from the cakes and the dances to the flowers and the fashion, I wanted to live inside the pages. It wasn’t perfect but it was definitely a fun read. This would be a great read for fans of Lex Croucher's historical romances.
September 29, 2023
i don’t even care that they talked like it was today and i couldn’t figure out the actual time period of this. i ate this up like it was crack. i love romcoms so much
September 21, 2024
this was fine ig
January 20, 2024
*an exceptionally high 3.5 stars
November 9, 2023
Billed as a retelling of the 90s movie She's All That, I was pretty excited for Bellegarde. I loved that movie and wanted to see how the author could bring it to life. Yet, the author's choices didn't work for me. The writing/narrative style will likely bother several readers. Imagine Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet but reversed - with modern dialogue, modern ideas and high school drama (popularity contests and all), all set in some version of the 1700s, arguably during the time of Marie Antoinette, with historical fashion and lords and ladies. It was honestly so off-putting. I found it hard to ground myself in the world.
I did like the female lead. She is the only reason I even finished the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and HarperTeen for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I did like the female lead. She is the only reason I even finished the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and HarperTeen for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2024
i still think she should’ve picked the duke
October 13, 2024
I finished this in one night. (12:03-4:08 am) I was so immersed in Evie’s world and before tonight I had never finished a book in a day. I found myself smiling and giggling at INK. ON. PAPER. How ridiculous is that?!
I love this book and I wish we got an epilogue so i can see their relationship 💗💗 I NEED A SECOND BOOK ABT EVIES BESTFRIEND RIGHT NOW👇
I love this book and I wish we got an epilogue so i can see their relationship 💗💗 I NEED A SECOND BOOK ABT EVIES BESTFRIEND RIGHT NOW👇
Read
August 8, 2023i just couldn’t get past the modern language and whole feel of this book. if you’re gonna rip off she’s all that and make it historical…actually make it seem historical. i felt like i was reading about woke gen z-ers. no thanks.
March 28, 2024
4 ☆ bellegarde by jamie lilac is the she's all that retelling i have been WAITING for!!!! evie lives in paris and mostly flies under the radar in the university, but then one day, beau bellegarde starts paying attention to her. this unexpected pairing, combined with obvious tension due to their ~ history ~ , makes for a read that is super fast paced and enjoyable.
i liked evies character and i really appreciated how she really just stand her ground. she was unapologetically herself and i truly admired that quality. however, i really wish she would stop referring to herself as the bakers daughter??? like to me, as the reader, i kept getting like uncomfortable with that. it felt almost self deprecating and diminishing butttt i suppose it's fine!!!!!!
another thing that was a bit weird, and it was my only real gripe, is that all of their history was just randomly revealed in a giant monologue at the end. like not even just between beau and evie, but like evies mums past, and then like beau and his dad, it all just felt a bit rushed so i felt like there were some issue with pacing.
overall though, i really enjoyed this. i hope evie gets to be a fab fashion designer and is very very happy. and evies relationship with her sister, i genuinely really loved because i saw a lot of my sister in that! evie did so much so her sister wouldn't have to feel any of the sadness she did and i think that is truly such an older sister thing to do. she didn't think twice and never resented violetta even when she was being annoying. sisterly bonds are so so special (tc and mc if you're reading this, i love you!)
so basically, she's all that slowed down a little so bellegarde could jog with it
i liked evies character and i really appreciated how she really just stand her ground. she was unapologetically herself and i truly admired that quality. however, i really wish she would stop referring to herself as the bakers daughter??? like to me, as the reader, i kept getting like uncomfortable with that. it felt almost self deprecating and diminishing butttt i suppose it's fine!!!!!!
another thing that was a bit weird, and it was my only real gripe, is that all of their history was just randomly revealed in a giant monologue at the end. like not even just between beau and evie, but like evies mums past, and then like beau and his dad, it all just felt a bit rushed so i felt like there were some issue with pacing.
overall though, i really enjoyed this. i hope evie gets to be a fab fashion designer and is very very happy. and evies relationship with her sister, i genuinely really loved because i saw a lot of my sister in that! evie did so much so her sister wouldn't have to feel any of the sadness she did and i think that is truly such an older sister thing to do. she didn't think twice and never resented violetta even when she was being annoying. sisterly bonds are so so special (tc and mc if you're reading this, i love you!)
so basically, she's all that slowed down a little so bellegarde could jog with it
June 30, 2023
4.5 stars!!
If you love She's All That, Bridgerton, or Cinderella, you'd love this story. Evie is the baker's daughter. She is a peasant compared to the popular crowd. Along comes the Bellegarde Bloom, the ball that picks the most eligible woman in town. 5 students are in the court, but it comes down to one winning. You have your popular girl Rachelle who breaks up with popular boy Beau right before the ball to date a baron. What will Beau do now? Why not make a bet with his half-brother that he can help another girl become the Bellegarde Bloom. Who does that happen to be? Our girl Evie.
I enjoyed the plot, as She's All That is one of my favorite movies! I loved Evie, her family, and her best friend. And my heart felt for Beau.
The one thing that I noticed, and have seen people comment on, is that this doesn't really have "regency" language throughout. Some instances do, but it did sound very modern. I personally didn't mind this, but know that that may bother some.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Teen for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
If you love She's All That, Bridgerton, or Cinderella, you'd love this story. Evie is the baker's daughter. She is a peasant compared to the popular crowd. Along comes the Bellegarde Bloom, the ball that picks the most eligible woman in town. 5 students are in the court, but it comes down to one winning. You have your popular girl Rachelle who breaks up with popular boy Beau right before the ball to date a baron. What will Beau do now? Why not make a bet with his half-brother that he can help another girl become the Bellegarde Bloom. Who does that happen to be? Our girl Evie.
I enjoyed the plot, as She's All That is one of my favorite movies! I loved Evie, her family, and her best friend. And my heart felt for Beau.
The one thing that I noticed, and have seen people comment on, is that this doesn't really have "regency" language throughout. Some instances do, but it did sound very modern. I personally didn't mind this, but know that that may bother some.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Teen for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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