Author: Shoshanna Evers
Genre: Erotic Romance/Fantasy/Re-Telling
Maturity Rating: 17+
*WARNING*: VERY GRAPHIC SCENES
Initial Rating: 3/5
Technical Rating: 3/5
My Quickie Synopsis: In this highly adult re-telling of the fairy tale classic of Beauty and the Beast, the Prince of the realm has been cursed by his wicked stepmother. He must live alone in an enchanted castle, trapped in the form of a Beast unless he can find a woman to love him as he is.
Initial Response: Okay, so this was pretty much what I'd like to call a "Cotton Candy Book." It looks so pretty, and it seems like there's a lot to digest, but once you bite into it, you quickly discover that it's really nothing but a lot of empty calories that you probably could have done without. Does that mean I regret it? Nah. This book was entertaining and I liked it for the most part. I usually try not to read books that are under 300 pages, but I was on a fairy tale kick and I couldn't resist! However, I have to say that I'm not entirely sure that I can ever watch the Disney movie again without blushing. This book is definitely XXX rated in a major way! It wasn't perfect, but it was a good light read, giving it a deserved 3/5 initial rating stars.
Character Building: 0.5/1
One of the great things about creating a re-telling is the fact that the main characters are generally already well-known. Most readers come into the book already having a preconceived notion about how they act and how they think. I think that benefits Ms. Evers' story because she doesn't spend too much time making sure her reader base connects with the hero and the heroine. However, because the basics of the story are so familiar, she can get away with that for the most part.
Plot Strength: 0.5/1
The book makes sense and is easy to read, but sometimes the scenes start to feel repetitive. This is extremely bad in a story of this length. I found myself wishing that some of the ideas presented were fleshed out a bit more. I think Ms. Evers has a good idea, it just got stuck in the land of smut.
Sincerity: 1/1
The story is believable; Ms. Evers even goes as far to explain the plot hole that plagued the Disney movie-how could an entire town forget about its royalty? And again, with this being a re-telling, there's already an established fictional world that a reader can pull from.
Editing: 1/1
Great editing; just write more!
Pacing: 0.5/1
Everything felt a little on the rushed side. 150 pages of potential great story rushed with lust at the reins made for a bumpy read.
My Icing on Top:
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| It could have been worse |
I think this book was the reason I fell off of the re-telling wagon. It wasn't that it was a bad book, but simply that my expectations were too high. I was looking forward to the more adult angle of the story, but the level of X-rated material was actually a little too much at times. Don't read this book if you're looking for an awesome re-telling of a fairy tale-this isn't it. I would suggest this book as a rebound book, meaning the following: if you're waiting for the next book in your series and need something new to read, read this as a little light fluff. But be warned, this is a very adult book with erotic content.
Check out my informal review on Goodreads!
As always, happy reading!
-K
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