‘The Beast and the Beauty’ (Reversed Retellings Book 2) by Aya Ling

3.5 stars

Book Blurb:

“How can a woman cursed to look like a beast make a handsome prince propose marriage?

Sybil de la Roche was once the belle of the court. Now she is more hideous than any woman in the kingdom. To restore her beauty, she must receive a marriage proposal. Forty years and twenty-eight rejections later, she decides to break the curse on her own. But when a personable young man arrives, she is torn between hope and dread.

Prince Gerald is widely renowned as the best-looking man in Savony. On a quest to find a mage who has disappeared for years, he is stranded at a remote manor in a snowstorm. His interest is piqued by the mysterious woman in the manor, but his desire to get to know her is foiled by her determination to avoid him.

For maximum enjoyment, it is recommended that you read Book 1, Till Midnight, prior to The Beast and the Beauty.”

Review:

Clever gender-swapped re-telling of 'Beauty and the Beast' where Gerald, the best looking of the 12 princes from 'Till Midnight' (gender-swapped '12 Dancing Princesses') becomes trapped at a large manner in the middle of a snow storm.  Lady Sybil was so beautiful before her curse, that her picture hangs on a wall in Gerald's castle because his grandfather fell in love with her beauty.  Cursed to appear as a beast, she has searched for someone to propose for the last 42 years.

We see a few characters from 'Till Midnight' but 'The Beast and the Beauty' offers mostly its own cast, drawing readers further into the connected stories of this series and setting up the next book, which I look forward to reading.

‘The Beast and the Beauty’ will be available on March 30, 2019.

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book.  All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.