Review: Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Standalone - Fairy Tale Retellings #1
Release - March 15, 2017
Genre - Contemporary Retelling
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat 2.5 out of 5
Length - 342 pages

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.

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Disclaimer: This is an edgy, historical romance retelling of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. 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.

Beauty of the Beast is a slow-burn romance that features a descriptive, richly detailed, and atmospheric writing style.

Find Beauty of the Beast here:
Goodreads | Amazon

MY REVIEW

As I've stated before, I love fairytale retellings and BEAUTY OF THE BEAST was a good one. Prince Adam Delacroix has lived a life of solitude in a secluded castle for 25 years, ever since he witnessed the massacre of his family during the revolt. His solitary existence is disrupted when Isabelle and her sick father seek shelter from a storm. After what he perceives as a transgression against his hospitality, Adam locks her father away in the dungeon. And then we all kind of know what happens next. Kinda.

I like how the author took artistic license of the classic tale and spun her own twists and turns. There was no true magic here but real magic took place. The magic of love. Yeah, that does sound pretty corny, but it doesn't make it any less true. Adam was disfigured and no magic spell was going to change that, however, Isabelle was able to see beyond that to the beauty that was at the core of this man. It was wondrous to be able to watch them fall together. For years, Adam's heart was full of anger, bitterness and resentment. With Isabelle he was able to start replacing them with hope and love.

The short and sweet of it is this: the story was entertaining and heartwarming, as was to be expected; Prince Adam was most definitely swoon-worthy; Isabelle was almost child-like with a huge capacity for love; and I enjoyed this story immensely.