4.7/5 stars for this (clean) fantasy romance. It’s written in first person past tense all in Rosalie’s point of view. Of all the beauty and the beast retellings I’ve read recently, this one is my favorite so far. It’s absolute perfection that the heroine is a witch – very similar to my work in progress (The Phantom Ink). There were a few chapters in the middle where the romance fades into the background and the whole plot and character arc was solely about Rosalie individually, but the happily ever after together made me smile. There’s a bunch of others (I’m guessing 6) in this series for her sisters.
Here’s my live thoughts while reading:
Rosalie is a pawn in her mothers plan for evening by ruining a prince’s wedding and replacing the bride with herself. Not trapped in a loveless marriage, what is her plan of what to do next and why did her mother request this sacrifice of her anyways?
The way to ask a fey for help is by offering them milk? Intriguing concept.
So I like that the prince doesn’t know what she looks like and how she’s tricking the guards into thinking she’s a fervent to escape the confinement of her rooms. However the prince seems to only care about her reputations and is making assumptions based off rumors.
Rosalie seems to have too many powers. Mental manipulation whenever she wishes. Glamors to disguise herself. Healing. She seems unstoppable.
Is the beast the vine? The story is much more about Rosalie’s internal struggle about being a witch and belonging than a romance and so far I’m enjoying that aspect.
One of the prince’s (mild/innocent) comments in chapter 17 was a bit sickening and I’m not sure if it’s redeemable for me with this much left in the novel. I love Rosalie’s character but Xander hasn’t grown on me much yet. I’m worried there’s not enough pages left to turn my opinion around.
I wish she had used the mirror magic earlier and more often to talk to her sisters. (Again… it’s a similar idea to my work in progress. I can either growl at the author or celebrate myself for having an idea similar to her brilliance lol).
Oooh I love when my predictions are wrong!!! Can you guess the identity of the beast?!
Once she arrived in Florin the whole tone and focus of the novel shifted. It feels like it should’ve been the beginning of a second book and have this first one be focused on the earlier plot. Yes, they’re all wound together and the rose foreshadowing in the beginning still links to this, but the energy of what I cared about seems to be gone now.
Well… King Basil and Allemar seem to be too evil without enough reasoning behind their choices.
So I cant give spoilers … but in the big scene when she’s trying to kick ass… all I can think about is how starving she is and is too weak to stand. So where is any of her strength coming from?
Oh man the family drama situation of relatives is like a soap opera.
To wrap things up, I gave this one a happy 4.7/5 stars. There were parts that had me rotting for the 5 star and parts that were trying to convince me to go a 4.5 so I settled in the middle. I highly recommend this one since I read It in one day! Or more like over 10 hours.
Cassie Swindon 