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Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is the first in a new series of fairy tales for young adult readers. Fans of Disney, fairy tales, and fantasy will love the Faerie Tale Collection by Jenni James. A prince by day and a wolf by night—
Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.
Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?
Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable—though perhaps he's changed right before her eyes. He's not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now... but then again, so is the beast.
Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.
Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?
Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable—though perhaps he's changed right before her eyes. He's not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now... but then again, so is the beast.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2012
About the author
Jenni James
72 books1,278 followersCLEAN ROMANCE FOR TEENS:
*The Jane Austen Diaries*
Pride & Popularity (Aug 2011)
Persuaded (Aug. 2012)
Emmalee (Jan 2013)
Mansfield Ranch (Dec 2013)
Northanger Alibi (Feb. 2012)
Sensible & Sensational (July 2015)
Sand & Sun (2016)
The Wilsons
Queen Sydney
*Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection*
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Rumplestiltskin
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rapunzel
The Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Return to Neverland
The Forgotten Princess
The Princess With the Golden Touch
Little Red Riding Hood
(and more...)
MIDDLE GRADE READERS:
Prince Tennyson (May 2012)
EARLY READERS:
*Andy & Annie Collection*
A Ghost Story
Greeny Meany
WOMEN'S FICTION:
*Revitalizing Jane Series*
Drowning
Swimming
Crawling
Walking
Running
Soaring
CLEAN ROMANCE FOR ADULTS:
*Eternal Realm Series*
Eternity
Destiny
Divinity
*The Jane Austen Diaries*
Pride & Popularity (Aug 2011)
Persuaded (Aug. 2012)
Emmalee (Jan 2013)
Mansfield Ranch (Dec 2013)
Northanger Alibi (Feb. 2012)
Sensible & Sensational (July 2015)
Sand & Sun (2016)
The Wilsons
Queen Sydney
*Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection*
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Rumplestiltskin
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rapunzel
The Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Return to Neverland
The Forgotten Princess
The Princess With the Golden Touch
Little Red Riding Hood
(and more...)
MIDDLE GRADE READERS:
Prince Tennyson (May 2012)
EARLY READERS:
*Andy & Annie Collection*
A Ghost Story
Greeny Meany
WOMEN'S FICTION:
*Revitalizing Jane Series*
Drowning
Swimming
Crawling
Walking
Running
Soaring
CLEAN ROMANCE FOR ADULTS:
*Eternal Realm Series*
Eternity
Destiny
Divinity
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
September 11, 2014
Rarely am I disappointed by a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It is my favorite fairy tale and I tend to view even problematic retellings with rose-colored glasses.
This is one of those rare times. And it is so sad because it starts out with such an interesting idea.
The idea of the "Beast" character being a werewolf instead of an animal full-time is not a new one. What is new here is Beauty (Cecelia) being courted simultaneously by both prince and wolf, but because the prince mistreated her in the past it is the talking wolf she trusts more. The dilemma the prince faces here is interesting, because he needs her to love the wolf to break the spell, but if the spell is broken she will get the prince (the one she doesn't trust or love) full-time. By structuring her story with Cecelia being courted in this way, James neatly sidesteps certain problematic things about the original: the Beast threatening death on Beauty's father unless she takes his place, but Beauty eventually coming to sympathize with the one who is essentially her captor.
All of these good intentions by the author are sabotaged by the mess that is the rest of the story. James' worldbuilding is confused at best. Distances between places are not fixed and seem to fluctuate as is convenient to the story. Cecelia, the daughter of parents who seem to be quite wealthy even though they are categorized as "villagers", berates herself for believing a lord would stoop to marry her, yet it seems she grew up with the prince on nearly equal terms and is not unduly shocked when he begins to court her, at least not on the grounds of his exalted station in life. If she shouldn't expect to marry a mere lord because her own birth is too lowly, why is it OK for her to consider marrying the prince of the realm? How exactly does rank work as it relates to marriage in this universe? Is it just that the prince can pretty much do what he wants in picking a bride, while everyone else is bound to considerations of rank and wealth? Possible, but never addressed.
Other problems with the characters and storytelling abound. The villain is completely unfocused and the things he does make no sense with what his (loosely) stated motives are. Cecelia is heartbroken after being jilted and longs only for a friend, not a love, but within a chapter or two of this short book she is flirting with both prince and wolf not knowing they are the same person. Other reviewers have complained the pair fall in love way too fast even for how short the story is, and I would tend to agree.
It also really bothers me that what Cecelia says is often inconsistent with her actions. She tells the prince to go away and leave her alone multiple times with legitimate reason, all while snuggling up to him or crying on his shoulder. I get that with the wolf, when she calls him "cruel" while snuggling, she's teasing and they're both aware of it, but not with the prince, who she legitimately dislikes for bullying her for years on end. Stuff like this is why guys believe when a woman says "no", she really means "yes, I'm secretly into you and if you forcibly kiss me I'll melt in your arms". Really, really problematic message about consent being given here and it rubs me completely the wrong way.
The dialogue feels like the way a high schooler would attempt to write in "old timey" language. Sometimes too casual, sometimes too formal, it never settles into a comfortable rhythm that actually feels like real speech.
Overall, a disappointing read.
This is one of those rare times. And it is so sad because it starts out with such an interesting idea.
The idea of the "Beast" character being a werewolf instead of an animal full-time is not a new one. What is new here is Beauty (Cecelia) being courted simultaneously by both prince and wolf, but because the prince mistreated her in the past it is the talking wolf she trusts more. The dilemma the prince faces here is interesting, because he needs her to love the wolf to break the spell, but if the spell is broken she will get the prince (the one she doesn't trust or love) full-time. By structuring her story with Cecelia being courted in this way, James neatly sidesteps certain problematic things about the original: the Beast threatening death on Beauty's father unless she takes his place, but Beauty eventually coming to sympathize with the one who is essentially her captor.
All of these good intentions by the author are sabotaged by the mess that is the rest of the story. James' worldbuilding is confused at best. Distances between places are not fixed and seem to fluctuate as is convenient to the story. Cecelia, the daughter of parents who seem to be quite wealthy even though they are categorized as "villagers", berates herself for believing a lord would stoop to marry her, yet it seems she grew up with the prince on nearly equal terms and is not unduly shocked when he begins to court her, at least not on the grounds of his exalted station in life. If she shouldn't expect to marry a mere lord because her own birth is too lowly, why is it OK for her to consider marrying the prince of the realm? How exactly does rank work as it relates to marriage in this universe? Is it just that the prince can pretty much do what he wants in picking a bride, while everyone else is bound to considerations of rank and wealth? Possible, but never addressed.
Other problems with the characters and storytelling abound. The villain is completely unfocused and the things he does make no sense with what his (loosely) stated motives are. Cecelia is heartbroken after being jilted and longs only for a friend, not a love, but within a chapter or two of this short book she is flirting with both prince and wolf not knowing they are the same person. Other reviewers have complained the pair fall in love way too fast even for how short the story is, and I would tend to agree.
It also really bothers me that what Cecelia says is often inconsistent with her actions. She tells the prince to go away and leave her alone multiple times with legitimate reason, all while snuggling up to him or crying on his shoulder. I get that with the wolf, when she calls him "cruel" while snuggling, she's teasing and they're both aware of it, but not with the prince, who she legitimately dislikes for bullying her for years on end. Stuff like this is why guys believe when a woman says "no", she really means "yes, I'm secretly into you and if you forcibly kiss me I'll melt in your arms". Really, really problematic message about consent being given here and it rubs me completely the wrong way.
The dialogue feels like the way a high schooler would attempt to write in "old timey" language. Sometimes too casual, sometimes too formal, it never settles into a comfortable rhythm that actually feels like real speech.
Overall, a disappointing read.
February 26, 2017
3.5 stars
January 18, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. Fairy tale retellings always have great potential. Unfortunately, this one does not live up to the original. It's stuffed with stilted conversations and awkward and unrealistic situations. Melodramatic language compounds the other issues.
"She snuggled in closer, her other hand playing with the smooth fabric of his tied cravat. “You are simply the most horrid man in the world. I cannot stand the sight of you.”"
Also, "gel". Not gel, like shower gel, but gel as in girl. Because all royalty talks like that. Add to that the fact that Cecelia is a frustrating protagonist who causes most of her own problems and then either waits to be rescued or locks herself in her room and it's easy to conclude that this was not the book for me.
"She snuggled in closer, her other hand playing with the smooth fabric of his tied cravat. “You are simply the most horrid man in the world. I cannot stand the sight of you.”"
Also, "gel". Not gel, like shower gel, but gel as in girl. Because all royalty talks like that. Add to that the fact that Cecelia is a frustrating protagonist who causes most of her own problems and then either waits to be rescued or locks herself in her room and it's easy to conclude that this was not the book for me.
May 13, 2015
This was a rather ridiculous fairy tale based around Beauty and the Beast. And by ridiculous, I mostly mean that it was cheesy. But it was also a lot of fun to read.
The story itself could have used some more development. The characters were just kind of thrown at you and I wasn't very inclined to like either of them at first. They grew on quickly though. And they were really cute and funny together. It was fun to read their silly banter.
I wasn't too into the fact that the "Beast" was only a wolf at night. During the day he was human. I also found it kind of creepy to read about the girl falling in love with a wolf. I know that's how the story goes, but it was still creepy to me here.
Overall this was a fun read. Not brilliant, but enjoyable.
The story itself could have used some more development. The characters were just kind of thrown at you and I wasn't very inclined to like either of them at first. They grew on quickly though. And they were really cute and funny together. It was fun to read their silly banter.
I wasn't too into the fact that the "Beast" was only a wolf at night. During the day he was human. I also found it kind of creepy to read about the girl falling in love with a wolf. I know that's how the story goes, but it was still creepy to me here.
Overall this was a fun read. Not brilliant, but enjoyable.
April 18, 2018
2 stars(:
A cute re-telling..
I felt like the events were really rushed, and I always prefer stories that take their time..
Its an "okay" read..
A cute re-telling..
I felt like the events were really rushed, and I always prefer stories that take their time..
Its an "okay" read..
April 12, 2013
Typically speaking, I like to read fairy tale classics told in a new light. When I was given this to read...I was decently happy about it, granted Beauty and the Beast is not my favorite.
To start with, the book was not just an easy read....it was overly easy. The book is for young adults and yet reads like it should be for a younger generation. The only thing that could be argued for young adults is that the vocabulary is a bit more advanced than a childrens novel. I will say though that the cover art...great.
Next...the characters weren't very believable. I understand that the book itself is not very young therefore for it to be a love story...the characters fall in love very quickly...but this.....this is a bit much. I have never been one for the love at first site and def did not like that within a one chapter time span...the two main characters went from completely hating and loathing one-another to complete devotion and love. It was a bit much. Not to mention that the only "danger" in the book is brushed over and practically non-essential to the book's function. Cecelia cries her heart out because the prince's cousin tells her that the prince Alexander killed the wolf she loved.....then all of a sudden she is in his arms. Not to mention that he was stabbed..but yeah whatever....that doesn't matter in the book.
I would recommend this book to my little sisters in grade school. Its cute...safe...completely censored and unbelievably mushy...they will love it. As for its intended audience...I say no go. Don't even bother. Just stick with the Disney classic. It has more drama..danger..and a more believable love story than this. The only thing I will say is that if you have a decent lunch break at work..you can read the whole book..
To start with, the book was not just an easy read....it was overly easy. The book is for young adults and yet reads like it should be for a younger generation. The only thing that could be argued for young adults is that the vocabulary is a bit more advanced than a childrens novel. I will say though that the cover art...great.
Next...the characters weren't very believable. I understand that the book itself is not very young therefore for it to be a love story...the characters fall in love very quickly...but this.....this is a bit much. I have never been one for the love at first site and def did not like that within a one chapter time span...the two main characters went from completely hating and loathing one-another to complete devotion and love. It was a bit much. Not to mention that the only "danger" in the book is brushed over and practically non-essential to the book's function. Cecelia cries her heart out because the prince's cousin tells her that the prince Alexander killed the wolf she loved.....then all of a sudden she is in his arms. Not to mention that he was stabbed..but yeah whatever....that doesn't matter in the book.
I would recommend this book to my little sisters in grade school. Its cute...safe...completely censored and unbelievably mushy...they will love it. As for its intended audience...I say no go. Don't even bother. Just stick with the Disney classic. It has more drama..danger..and a more believable love story than this. The only thing I will say is that if you have a decent lunch break at work..you can read the whole book..
February 6, 2013
I love the story of Beauty and the Beast--you know, getting to know the inside/character of a person instead of focusing on the outward appearance. This was a fun re-telling with a bit of a twist.
Cecelia was being courted...so she thought. With the whole village gossiping about her situation, she isn't sure how to respond to Prince Alexander's sudden interest in her. He hasn't exactly been kind in the past.
The only thing that bothered me was how quickly Cecelia was to believe that slimy cousin. I can understand how she wouldn't want to get her hopes up, but that guy was slime.
Content: clean.
Cecelia was being courted...so she thought. With the whole village gossiping about her situation, she isn't sure how to respond to Prince Alexander's sudden interest in her. He hasn't exactly been kind in the past.
The only thing that bothered me was how quickly Cecelia was to believe that slimy cousin. I can understand how she wouldn't want to get her hopes up, but that guy was slime.
Content: clean.
March 7, 2023
I really enjoyed Jenni James new series The Jane Austen Diaries (especially Pride & Popularity), and was excited to see she is coming out with a new Faerie Tale collection. I just have to say, I was a tad disappointed the faerie tales didn’t have tweaked titles, I liked how she played with the Austen titles and thought it would have been cute if she had done the same for the faerie tale collection.
Anyway, Beauty and the Beast was a cute story. While reading I kept thinking it would be a fun story for my daughter to read one day. It is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast; in this case the beast is a prince who turns into a wolf each night. If he is not able to find someone to love his beastly form in a year it will be a permanent change. Cecelia is our leading lady, who happens to dislike the prince very much. It was fun seeing the interactions between the wolf and Cecelia, knowing that all along it was actually the prince she was confiding in. Like I said, it was a cute story. I enjoyed the characters and the fairy tale feel.
Content: Clean.
Anyway, Beauty and the Beast was a cute story. While reading I kept thinking it would be a fun story for my daughter to read one day. It is a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast; in this case the beast is a prince who turns into a wolf each night. If he is not able to find someone to love his beastly form in a year it will be a permanent change. Cecelia is our leading lady, who happens to dislike the prince very much. It was fun seeing the interactions between the wolf and Cecelia, knowing that all along it was actually the prince she was confiding in. Like I said, it was a cute story. I enjoyed the characters and the fairy tale feel.
Content: Clean.
August 1, 2015
This was a cute and fun fairytale! Different enough from the original Beauty and the Beast story to be unique and yet also staying true to the main story. I enjoyed it!
November 3, 2013
Author Jenni James has interpreted a number of fairy tales and this is the first of them I've read. The story begins with Prince Alexander being turned into a beast by an old lady. The curse can only be broken once he finds somebody that can love him for the beast that he truly is. Luckily for him, he only turns into a beast at night, but unluckily, he only has a year to find this lady before he is unable to transform back to human form.
We also meet Cecelia, who is in love with a Lord, and certain he's going to propose. He arrives to take her out for a ride in his carriage and to tell her that he's going to marry somebody else more fitted to his station in life. Poor Cecelia is heartbroken and goes to her special spot, out by the brook where she bumps into Alexander. They have met before and he was impolite and boorish, as per his usual behaviour to everybody, and she is usually rude right back so he is intrigued to see her so obviously upset. He goes back in his beast form in the night and meets her again. Cecelia's romantic disppointment has given excellent fodder for gossip to her neighbours and people she thought were friends. She feels so alone, and comes to trust the Beast, though she has a low opinion of the Prince. Getting to know Cecelia better, Alexander gets to understand how he made others feel through his behaviour and how to be a better man, but he fears that the curse will never be broken.
The setting appears to be mostly historical, and the language mostly formal but with some modern phrases but it's not clear when or where it's set aside from the fact that it's in a world where curses can come true! I thought this was a fun, whimsical story and I'd certainly read others in the series.
We also meet Cecelia, who is in love with a Lord, and certain he's going to propose. He arrives to take her out for a ride in his carriage and to tell her that he's going to marry somebody else more fitted to his station in life. Poor Cecelia is heartbroken and goes to her special spot, out by the brook where she bumps into Alexander. They have met before and he was impolite and boorish, as per his usual behaviour to everybody, and she is usually rude right back so he is intrigued to see her so obviously upset. He goes back in his beast form in the night and meets her again. Cecelia's romantic disppointment has given excellent fodder for gossip to her neighbours and people she thought were friends. She feels so alone, and comes to trust the Beast, though she has a low opinion of the Prince. Getting to know Cecelia better, Alexander gets to understand how he made others feel through his behaviour and how to be a better man, but he fears that the curse will never be broken.
The setting appears to be mostly historical, and the language mostly formal but with some modern phrases but it's not clear when or where it's set aside from the fact that it's in a world where curses can come true! I thought this was a fun, whimsical story and I'd certainly read others in the series.
September 10, 2012
I adore this author. I think she really had something with this book, but just missed the mark. The love story was too fast and therefore not believable. As I was reading this story I also came to the conclusion that I don't love Beauty and the Beast stories where there is actually an animal of some sort involved. I know sounds weird right? Hear me out...I love the idea of someone who is egotisical and so in love with themselves that they are humbled to see the other side. I love it when someone becomes more "human." I however don't love it when they are actually an animal. For some reason I found it weird to hear that this girl was falling in love with a wolf. I just thought it was kind of "off." I think in fantasy stories, if she is falling in love with the man and know he's a wolf, it's more believable to me.
Over-all though this is a clean book, with of course the fairy tale element which is always one of my favorites!
Over-all though this is a clean book, with of course the fairy tale element which is always one of my favorites!
December 11, 2014
There were things new to me in this retelling I had never encountered before and I thought they were an interesting idea. The first was the beast wasn't an animal all the time. During the day he was human and still able to go about his daily life as he had before. I thought the book taking place in a normal regency courtship setting. The other thing was they knew each other before he was cursed. They did not have a good relationship from before, in fact he had been intentionally mean to her.
I did wonder why the girl didn't have a problem dealing with a talking wolf and I thought their friendship developed rather quickly. Her feelings toward the prince also do an abrupt about face. I would have liked to see more depth. I was a little confused by the prince's inability to see the villain's motivations and his possible actions to get what he wanted.
I did wonder why the girl didn't have a problem dealing with a talking wolf and I thought their friendship developed rather quickly. Her feelings toward the prince also do an abrupt about face. I would have liked to see more depth. I was a little confused by the prince's inability to see the villain's motivations and his possible actions to get what he wanted.
June 30, 2015
Very sweet, cute, and light short book that focuses on "Beauty" and "Beast's" feelings. It wasn't highly inventive or groundbreaking, but it was a nice little book.
March 16, 2022
Reread 1This time I read the published version instead of the Wattpad one, but I honestly don't remember the Wattpad version well enough to know if the published one was better. Sure, it was cute and the Prince Alexander vs. Wolf Alexander dynamic was interesting, but the romance was weird, to say the least. I feel like Alexander is just a rebound for Cecelia and that Cecelia is just the first girl to give Alexander hope and he's desperate, so there is no real substance to their relationship. Also, the cousin (I think his name was Frederick?) is a very cartoony villain because his descent into villainy happens within a chapter, there is no hinting at a darker personality than "helpful cousin" until Alexander mentions Cecelia. But this is a quick, cute, light read so if that's right up your alley, go for it.
*More like a 3.5 but I'm feeling nice so I rounded up to a 4*
Also, there's uncovered spoilers in the review, but I didn't bother hiding them in a spoiler tag because I figure that since this story has been told approximately 10000 times, everyone knows the general gist of how the story goes.
Some notes about me reading this book:
1) I read this in about 3 hours last night.
2) I had to read the Wattpad version because that's what I could find. Therefore, any commentary/criticism I utter is directed at the Wattpad version. Of course, some things may be different in the actual printed/edited version.
3) I was reading until like 2 in the morning so my recollection of the book may be a little hazy.
So I am not going to claim that the book was good persay, but it was enjoyable. It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three so I excused the book's obvious flaws.
I'm sure by now you're wondering what said flaws are, so I'm just going to explain those really quickly before I talk about what I liked.
-Instalove™
-half-developed/weird characterization
-something that was lowkey furry-like
-plot holes
-pacing
And, okay. When you're reading my review and I list those things as problems in the book, I'm sure that by now you're drawing a conclusion that's something along the lines of, "Wow, those are some pretty major flaws. I can't believe you liked that book."
And yeah, I can't really either. But also I know why I did like the book. I'm just gonna give a quick lil explanation of all those things then I'll talk about why I liked the book despite those glaring errors.
So obviously, Instalove™. It was just very.... Instant™. Even though for the length of the whole story, about 6 months has passed, but most of the action takes place in only about 3 days (I think?). And Cecelia seems to get over being "dumped" by the Charles guy very quickly. Technically a month passed between her first encounter with the wolf and her second one, but because of aforementioned weird pacing, it really only seemed like a week or so. And then like 75% through, we lowkey get some furry vibes because Cecelia very explicitly says, "I love you" to the wolf while she still doesn't know that the wolf=Alexander. It happened and I was like, "oh wait what." And also, I was surprised that the curse was broken so quickly and easily. To talk about the weird characterization some more, Alexander was literally... not a jerk. We're told how horrible he was and how he was a total d-bag, but that's the extent of it. There's not a ton stories told or flashbacks shown that show was Alexander was really like. Of course, we get the story of why the witch cursed him, but honestly that read more to me as "drunk guy makes fun of homeless lady" (which is still mean but it wasn't radiating with the supposed horridness of Alexander). Speaking of the witch lady, why did she literally die in the middle of cursing Alexander? Oh, and a plot hole, why was Alexander abdicating the throne when he was only like 6 months into the curse? He literally still had half a year to try and break the curse and he just gave up halfway through. And why did he choose Frederick? He had some weird characterization too... he seemed nice at first then as soon as Alexander hints at not giving the throne to him, he just turns psycho-evil. Not just jealous evil (which he is because he manipulates Cecelia), but psycho-evil. Like, stabbing your cousin evil. It was just a very sudden and not-thoroughly-developed character thing.
So yeah, it wasn't the best story every written, but still I excuse its many faults. Why? To be quite honest, it's probably because I'm still single. Cecelia's relationships with the wolf and Alexander separately were friendship GOALS. Coupled with some good ol' dramatic irony and the reader is screaming at the story for Alex to come clean. Now, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get an epic showdown between Alexander, Cecelia, and Frederick. How amazing would it have been if Frederick had gone to the brook at night to go kill Cecelia with the kitchen knife, but then Alexander (in wolf form) hears Frederick giving an evil villain monologue. Then, Alexander races towards them and right as Frederick reaches to thrust the knife into Cecelia, Alexander runs in front of her, taking the knife meant for her but then mortally injuring himself. Frederick, because he's a coward, runs off into the woods and Cecilia sits with the dying Alexander. Right when he's about to die in wolf form, we get some Disney action going on and she tells him she loves him, breaking the curse. Alexander turns back into his human form and because the curse is broken he's also healed. Like, how amazing would that ending have been?
But it's okay, the ending we got was fine. Frederick's storyline ended a little too conveniently for my taste, Cecelia's proclaimed love for a talking wolf was weird (although I'm excusing it by 10% because Alex while in wolf form tells her that he was not always a wolf), and Alex was not a jerk, but other than that, we're good.
So I do realize that pretty much everything I've said so far sounds like something I'd say when writing a bad review about a book, and I'm sure you're still wondering why I liked it when it sounds so terrible. But the good parts of the book were *chef's kiss*
Even though Alex is not a jerk, he's so sweet to Cecelia. And even though it was Instalove™ you can tell that he genuinely cares for Cecelia. And Cecelia is not the worst character ever written. Like, she's not great but she's not terrible either.
And when I really boil it down, I think that the reason I liked the book was because of how cheesy it was and also because of something I said earlier. Remember earlier in the review when I said, "It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three"? I think that's why I liked the story so much despite its flaws. It's because it fed into all the tropes I love.
So while this book may not be everyone's cup of tea because it's a very specific brand of tea, if you like this type of tea then you'll probably like this book.
Also, this book made me realize that I reuse the same "face mold" in my head for a lot of different characters. I get given some "key words" like "blond," "black hair," "blue eyes," etc (really any descriptors) and then just apply them to one of five or so blank models in my head. I've realized that the one I use most often (and I used it for Alexander) is kinda like a mix of Peter Pevensie and Edmund Pevensie. Because look at these cuties:
Or more specifically, this one:
*More like a 3.5 but I'm feeling nice so I rounded up to a 4*
Also, there's uncovered spoilers in the review, but I didn't bother hiding them in a spoiler tag because I figure that since this story has been told approximately 10000 times, everyone knows the general gist of how the story goes.
Some notes about me reading this book:
1) I read this in about 3 hours last night.
2) I had to read the Wattpad version because that's what I could find. Therefore, any commentary/criticism I utter is directed at the Wattpad version. Of course, some things may be different in the actual printed/edited version.
3) I was reading until like 2 in the morning so my recollection of the book may be a little hazy.
So I am not going to claim that the book was good persay, but it was enjoyable. It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three so I excused the book's obvious flaws.
I'm sure by now you're wondering what said flaws are, so I'm just going to explain those really quickly before I talk about what I liked.
-Instalove™
-half-developed/weird characterization
-something that was lowkey furry-like
-plot holes
-pacing
And, okay. When you're reading my review and I list those things as problems in the book, I'm sure that by now you're drawing a conclusion that's something along the lines of, "Wow, those are some pretty major flaws. I can't believe you liked that book."
And yeah, I can't really either. But also I know why I did like the book. I'm just gonna give a quick lil explanation of all those things then I'll talk about why I liked the book despite those glaring errors.
So obviously, Instalove™. It was just very.... Instant™. Even though for the length of the whole story, about 6 months has passed, but most of the action takes place in only about 3 days (I think?). And Cecelia seems to get over being "dumped" by the Charles guy very quickly. Technically a month passed between her first encounter with the wolf and her second one, but because of aforementioned weird pacing, it really only seemed like a week or so. And then like 75% through, we lowkey get some furry vibes because Cecelia very explicitly says, "I love you" to the wolf while she still doesn't know that the wolf=Alexander. It happened and I was like, "oh wait what." And also, I was surprised that the curse was broken so quickly and easily. To talk about the weird characterization some more, Alexander was literally... not a jerk. We're told how horrible he was and how he was a total d-bag, but that's the extent of it. There's not a ton stories told or flashbacks shown that show was Alexander was really like. Of course, we get the story of why the witch cursed him, but honestly that read more to me as "drunk guy makes fun of homeless lady" (which is still mean but it wasn't radiating with the supposed horridness of Alexander). Speaking of the witch lady, why did she literally die in the middle of cursing Alexander? Oh, and a plot hole, why was Alexander abdicating the throne when he was only like 6 months into the curse? He literally still had half a year to try and break the curse and he just gave up halfway through. And why did he choose Frederick? He had some weird characterization too... he seemed nice at first then as soon as Alexander hints at not giving the throne to him, he just turns psycho-evil. Not just jealous evil (which he is because he manipulates Cecelia), but psycho-evil. Like, stabbing your cousin evil. It was just a very sudden and not-thoroughly-developed character thing.
So yeah, it wasn't the best story every written, but still I excuse its many faults. Why? To be quite honest, it's probably because I'm still single. Cecelia's relationships with the wolf and Alexander separately were friendship GOALS. Coupled with some good ol' dramatic irony and the reader is screaming at the story for Alex to come clean. Now, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get an epic showdown between Alexander, Cecelia, and Frederick. How amazing would it have been if Frederick had gone to the brook at night to go kill Cecelia with the kitchen knife, but then Alexander (in wolf form) hears Frederick giving an evil villain monologue. Then, Alexander races towards them and right as Frederick reaches to thrust the knife into Cecelia, Alexander runs in front of her, taking the knife meant for her but then mortally injuring himself. Frederick, because he's a coward, runs off into the woods and Cecilia sits with the dying Alexander. Right when he's about to die in wolf form, we get some Disney action going on and she tells him she loves him, breaking the curse. Alexander turns back into his human form and because the curse is broken he's also healed. Like, how amazing would that ending have been?
But it's okay, the ending we got was fine. Frederick's storyline ended a little too conveniently for my taste, Cecelia's proclaimed love for a talking wolf was weird (although I'm excusing it by 10% because Alex while in wolf form tells her that he was not always a wolf), and Alex was not a jerk, but other than that, we're good.
So I do realize that pretty much everything I've said so far sounds like something I'd say when writing a bad review about a book, and I'm sure you're still wondering why I liked it when it sounds so terrible. But the good parts of the book were *chef's kiss*
Even though Alex is not a jerk, he's so sweet to Cecelia. And even though it was Instalove™ you can tell that he genuinely cares for Cecelia. And Cecelia is not the worst character ever written. Like, she's not great but she's not terrible either.
And when I really boil it down, I think that the reason I liked the book was because of how cheesy it was and also because of something I said earlier. Remember earlier in the review when I said, "It was enjoyable for people who are hopeless romantics, like B&B retellings, or like werewolf stories. Luckily for the book, I am all three"? I think that's why I liked the story so much despite its flaws. It's because it fed into all the tropes I love.
So while this book may not be everyone's cup of tea because it's a very specific brand of tea, if you like this type of tea then you'll probably like this book.
Also, this book made me realize that I reuse the same "face mold" in my head for a lot of different characters. I get given some "key words" like "blond," "black hair," "blue eyes," etc (really any descriptors) and then just apply them to one of five or so blank models in my head. I've realized that the one I use most often (and I used it for Alexander) is kinda like a mix of Peter Pevensie and Edmund Pevensie. Because look at these cuties:
Or more specifically, this one:
May 31, 2019
I really liked the overall idea of this Beauty and the Beast retelling. It just seemed a little rushed and I found a lot of errors in the Kindle version that I read. I got it awhile ago though and maybe those have been fixed?
August 26, 2013
I’ve been in a reading slump lately. My attention span has been short; I will open up a book, just to close it a few pages later after realizing that I am daydreaming instead of following the story. Searching through my Kindle for something that will get me past the slump, I found Jenni James’s Beauty and the Beast, a retelling of the well-known fairy tale. I’ve always enjoyed reading different fairy tale interpretations and at 142 pages, I figured this would be a fun and fast read to stop the reading doldrums. I was right.
In this story, Beauty is Cecilia and the Beast is a prince by day and a beast at night. The backstory of Beauty’s father is gone, and Cecilia and the prince already know each other. Cecilia is fully aware of the prince’s monstrous behavior before the curse and she detests him. However, she meets the prince when he is disguised as the wolf and, after she realizes that he wants to change his behavior, they become friends.
While Cecilia is pretty and nice, her character is more fleshed out and she is certainly more headstrong than the original fairytale. There is a small backstory with the prince and his cousin. The prince (when not the beast) is rarely treated as a real character in the original story so it was a welcome relief to see him have a personality in James’s version.
I really enjoyed this version. The writing is solid and the story flowed well. Really, the only criticism that I have is James’s use of the word “gel” to mean “girl.” I assume that it is to create an idea of a period and an accent, but it was more distracting than helpful since there are no other signs of accents or descriptions of specific settings.
Jenni James has written an entire collection of fairy tale retellings as well as a series called the Jane Austen Diaries. You can find Beauty and the Beast on Amazon and Goodreads. You can read more about Jenni James at her website and blog or follow her on Twitter (@Jenni_James).
Visit us at www.calamusworks.com
In this story, Beauty is Cecilia and the Beast is a prince by day and a beast at night. The backstory of Beauty’s father is gone, and Cecilia and the prince already know each other. Cecilia is fully aware of the prince’s monstrous behavior before the curse and she detests him. However, she meets the prince when he is disguised as the wolf and, after she realizes that he wants to change his behavior, they become friends.
While Cecilia is pretty and nice, her character is more fleshed out and she is certainly more headstrong than the original fairytale. There is a small backstory with the prince and his cousin. The prince (when not the beast) is rarely treated as a real character in the original story so it was a welcome relief to see him have a personality in James’s version.
I really enjoyed this version. The writing is solid and the story flowed well. Really, the only criticism that I have is James’s use of the word “gel” to mean “girl.” I assume that it is to create an idea of a period and an accent, but it was more distracting than helpful since there are no other signs of accents or descriptions of specific settings.
Jenni James has written an entire collection of fairy tale retellings as well as a series called the Jane Austen Diaries. You can find Beauty and the Beast on Amazon and Goodreads. You can read more about Jenni James at her website and blog or follow her on Twitter (@Jenni_James).
Visit us at www.calamusworks.com
June 29, 2017
The most bipolar retelling of Beauty and the Beast I've ever seen. The changing moods of the characters gave me whiplash.
Cecilia HATES the prince and swears to hate him forever, and then talks to him and suddenly he's charming and handsome. She trusts a magical talking wolf with no hesitation. She believes everything the prince's cousin says and hates the prince again. Then she sees how handsome he is and likes him again. She gets mad at the wolf and forgives the wolf all in the space of 5 minutes. Her emotions were all over the place, and none of them seemed to be real.
Prince Alexander was all over the place too. He switches from hating Cecilia to finding her the most beautiful woman he ever beheld practically overnight.
See what I mean by whiplash???
Also - the number of comma mistakes in this was absolutely unforgivable. It was filled with run on sentences and awkwardness like this: "the moment Alexander had become unconscious; his fingers had loosened their grip, allowing Frederick to breath."
What does this sentence even mean??? And what's with the random semicolon??!
Or what about this:
"Though, the thorns of the rose are prickly and hard to bear - as all great trials are - the delicate petals are velvety smooth and glorious unlike any description, and worth all the thorns it took to create them."
I didn't know the thorn itself created the rose petal...
The idea of the retelling was clever but the execution was poor.
Cecilia HATES the prince and swears to hate him forever, and then talks to him and suddenly he's charming and handsome. She trusts a magical talking wolf with no hesitation. She believes everything the prince's cousin says and hates the prince again. Then she sees how handsome he is and likes him again. She gets mad at the wolf and forgives the wolf all in the space of 5 minutes. Her emotions were all over the place, and none of them seemed to be real.
Prince Alexander was all over the place too. He switches from hating Cecilia to finding her the most beautiful woman he ever beheld practically overnight.
See what I mean by whiplash???
Also - the number of comma mistakes in this was absolutely unforgivable. It was filled with run on sentences and awkwardness like this: "the moment Alexander had become unconscious; his fingers had loosened their grip, allowing Frederick to breath."
What does this sentence even mean??? And what's with the random semicolon??!
Or what about this:
"Though, the thorns of the rose are prickly and hard to bear - as all great trials are - the delicate petals are velvety smooth and glorious unlike any description, and worth all the thorns it took to create them."
I didn't know the thorn itself created the rose petal...
The idea of the retelling was clever but the execution was poor.
February 19, 2013
This was a cute, quick, clean retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Author Jenni James took a story that's been told multiple time in multiple ways and added her own unique spin to it.
Robin McKinley's Beauty still remains in the top spot as my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling but this was a welcome addition to a genre I love.
This will easily appeal to and be appropriate for readers from tween to adult. It's not my favorite book Jenni has written but was still
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Clean
Source: Purchased for my Kindle
Genre/Age Level: Fairy tale retelling appropriate for ages 11+
Robin McKinley's Beauty still remains in the top spot as my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling but this was a welcome addition to a genre I love.
This will easily appeal to and be appropriate for readers from tween to adult. It's not my favorite book Jenni has written but was still
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Clean
Source: Purchased for my Kindle
Genre/Age Level: Fairy tale retelling appropriate for ages 11+
December 17, 2015
Second time reading this novel was just as enjoyable as the first. I like that it is a sweet, fast read with a good moral. The main character Cecilia is a sweet, kindhearted girl who is mocked by most everyone especially the prince. She is continually hurt by the people she has tried to serve and help in her village until she feels there is no one else who will be kind to her and love her. Finally in her despair she meets the beast and they start a sweet friendship. I won't give away any spoilers but hope you take a chance and see what you think about this retelling.
Happy Reading!!!
Happy Reading!!!
May 10, 2013
This is a short, very different retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I love fairy-tale retellings' but this one was like reading something a teen had written. It was repetitive and silly, but it was sweet and clean and I did want to see where it was going. The ending was nice and wrapped up everything very nicely. If you want a really well done retelling I would suggest Beauty by Robin McKinnley
January 3, 2015
Sweet retelling
This was a sweet retelling of the classic tale. I loved that "beauty" and the "beast" knew each other before his enchantment. That being said, I felt like a mere three days in the presence of the wolf want really enough time to justify a romantic relationship, let alone a declaration of love. Aside from that, this was a great story that I highly recommend.
This was a sweet retelling of the classic tale. I loved that "beauty" and the "beast" knew each other before his enchantment. That being said, I felt like a mere three days in the presence of the wolf want really enough time to justify a romantic relationship, let alone a declaration of love. Aside from that, this was a great story that I highly recommend.
May 9, 2013
This book was probably a 3.5. It was cute but a little too quick to be believable. I didn't like how they were madly in love after the first or second meeting.
September 1, 2022
I picked this book because a fairy tale retelling would be an easy book to read for this month’s category. And it was. It would be fast and overall easy to understand because I already know the general story. In this version, Alexander, or the “beast,” is a werewolf rather than a beast all of the time. If a woman falls in love with him, then the curse will be broken and he can be a human again, forever.
The plot of the story was simple and easy to understand, but I had other issues with it. The plot was odd, for one. It was way too fast. They fell in love within pages, it seemed. A lot of it didn’t make sense, especially in relation to other pieces, like character development. Cecilia (“beauty”) absolutely loathes the prince. This is made very clear from the beginning. But the actions of the characters don’t show it. Cecilia would repeatedly say that she hated him and complain about how cruel he was or some other thing, while they were hugging and touching each other, or any other action that would show the complete opposite. It’s not even teasing, it’s made so clear that she hates him. It was so awkward to try and comprehend, and that doesn’t even cover the harmful messages that alone sends to the people reading it.
The characters weren’t well developed either, it just feels like they’re there. Most of their personalities are just repeated actions. Cecelia’s mother gets ahead of herself, jumping to conclusions and sharing the “news” to the entire community, but there’s really nothing more to her than that. Cecilia felt like the kind of girl who has a problem, cries about it, and either locks herself in her room or runs away to the brook. There wasn’t anything that made me really connect with them. They were just there, and they are the way they are, in a “because I said so” fashion.
There were a number of other, smaller issues, including with the world building, that I really don’t need to get into. It was a good thought, it really was, but it could have been so much better.
The plot of the story was simple and easy to understand, but I had other issues with it. The plot was odd, for one. It was way too fast. They fell in love within pages, it seemed. A lot of it didn’t make sense, especially in relation to other pieces, like character development. Cecilia (“beauty”) absolutely loathes the prince. This is made very clear from the beginning. But the actions of the characters don’t show it. Cecilia would repeatedly say that she hated him and complain about how cruel he was or some other thing, while they were hugging and touching each other, or any other action that would show the complete opposite. It’s not even teasing, it’s made so clear that she hates him. It was so awkward to try and comprehend, and that doesn’t even cover the harmful messages that alone sends to the people reading it.
The characters weren’t well developed either, it just feels like they’re there. Most of their personalities are just repeated actions. Cecelia’s mother gets ahead of herself, jumping to conclusions and sharing the “news” to the entire community, but there’s really nothing more to her than that. Cecilia felt like the kind of girl who has a problem, cries about it, and either locks herself in her room or runs away to the brook. There wasn’t anything that made me really connect with them. They were just there, and they are the way they are, in a “because I said so” fashion.
There were a number of other, smaller issues, including with the world building, that I really don’t need to get into. It was a good thought, it really was, but it could have been so much better.
July 10, 2024
I love beauty and the beast, and this was a terrible retelling, if it can be called that. The plot jumped all over the place. There was no character development. Their relationship made no sense. And it was a classic example of telling instead of showing. I’m disappointed and won’t be reading any more if this series. Waste of time.
June 11, 2020
While I mostly enjoyed my reading experience, I had quite a few issues with this retelling. The transition from hate to love seemed very abrupt. The world building is incomplete. Also didn’t like how the villain was dealt with.
June 17, 2020
One word: Charming
This is the third of this author’s books that I have devoured and I am sure the fourth will be just as good. I enjoyed this lovely retelling of the tale, especially since I am a fan of wolves.
This is the third of this author’s books that I have devoured and I am sure the fourth will be just as good. I enjoyed this lovely retelling of the tale, especially since I am a fan of wolves.
March 24, 2019
Ive read " beauty and the beast faerie tale collection " i liked the twist very nice and i enjoyed it ,, i gave it 3 out of 5 stars
July 17, 2023
Beautiful story. Loved the plot.
writing was shit tho...
writing was shit tho...
September 20, 2024
I wanted to love this book because I generally do love fairy tale retellings. And I did sort of enjoy the story, but there were just too many little things that bothered me. (Overuse of the word gel for girl, for instance.) I think I might have enjoyed this more when I was younger.
July 12, 2022
As the title suggests, this is a retelling and is very well done. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites, probably because of the animated Disney version of it. This book is a bit different in that the prince by day is detested by "Beauty", but the beast by night is loved by her. She breaks the curse by loving the beast, then the prince has to find a way to get her to love him as well.
This story is light, fun, not too long, and perfect for an afternoon getaway.
This story is light, fun, not too long, and perfect for an afternoon getaway.
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