Beauty of the Beast (Fairy Tale Retellings #1)
by Rachel L. Demeter
Published: March 15, 2017
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Retelling,
Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.
A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST
Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.
A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE
Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle Rose seeks shelter at a castle—unaware that its beastly and disfigured master is much more than he appears to be. When he imprisons her gravely ill and blind father, she bravely offers herself in his place.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Stripped of his emotional defenses, Adam’s humanity reawakens as he encounters a kindred soul in Isabelle. Together they will wade through darkness and discover beauty and passion in the most unlikely of places. But when a monster from Isabelle’s former life threatens their new love, Demrov’s forgotten prince must emerge from his shadows and face the world once more…
Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty of the Beast brings a familiar and well-loved fairy tale to life with a rich setting in the kingdom of Demrov and a captivating, Gothic voice.
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Beauty of the Beast is the first standalone installment in a series of classic fairy tales reimagined with a dark and realistic twist.
Disclaimer: This is an edgy, historical romance retelling of the classic fairy tale. Due to strong sexual content, profanity, and dark subject matter, including an instance of sexual assault committed by the villain, Beauty of the Beast is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
Review
4.25 Stars
Rachel L. Demeter brings to life the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast with this more traditional, yet dark retelling. Rachel's vibrant prose weaves the story of the Beast and his Beauty, with the castle transforming into ruins before your eyes and the emotions taking hold of you from beginning to end. Unlike other retellings, Beauty of the Beast takes place in a world without fantasy; there are no talking housewares, the Beast is a man badly scarred, and Belle runs from a town that isn't quite as provincial as you'd like to believe."Except he didn't save me from the darkness. He brought the darkness."
"The words weren't spoken, yet she heard them all the same: Give me a chance."
Isabelle Rose and Prince Adam are not "simply meant to be," their chemistry is overshadowed with their distrust in the world, Adam is haunted by his nightmarish past and Isabelle does not trust men after far too many run ins with her supposed fiance. Told from their alternating points of view, readers will be delighted to see the story from both perspectives. Both characters had a lot of development through out the novel and I found myself liking each a bit more with every page turn. Their transition from captor/captive to friends to finally lovers was natural, the progression into romance felt real, like Isabelle truly saw Adam for more than his features and his roguish behavior. It is a story of trust and judgement and truly believing that fairy tales are so much more than just those you find in storybooks.
"Winter melted into spring, and along with it, the icicles that had clung to Adam's heart deftly fell away like shackles"
Perfectly timed for the new movie release, Beauty of the Beast will delight historical, fairy tale, and dark romance readers alike. Though lengthy in word count, the classic story comes to life with descriptive details, breathtaking emotion, and a romantic favorite turned just dark enough. The characters are different than you've seen in the past, the history re-written, but the romance is beautiful and captivating.
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