Synopsis
This story is presented in a dual POV from the two main protagonists Rosie Thorne and Vance Reigns. (Belle and the Beast) Vance is a spoiled movie star with a bad attitude, forced to spend a month in a “castle” after an unfortunate accident involving a Prius and a lake.
Rosie is a down-to-earth beauty tasked with rearranging a library because of her own run-in involving a first edition book, a dog, and a pool. A fun twist is that she’s also into sci-fi and cosplay.
‘Whenever you think your love life sucks, just remember that I fell in love with a boy whose name I didn’t know.’
Over the past few months, I’ve been reading nothing but Dystopian and Fantasy, which made this YA Romance, Bookish and the Beast, a welcome change. Superfast read, a cute concept, and some memorable supporting characters.
This book is part of ‘The Once Upon A Con Series’ also by author Ashley Poston. I haven’t had the chance to read the others, but I enjoyed the author’s writing style and would give Geekerella and The Princess and the Fangirl a try. If you’re looking for a new twist on an old classic, you should give this one a try!
This brings me to the first location of importance: Library
‘Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to find Prince Charming at the ball? They knew I was a romantic at heart-my mom fed me a healthy dose of fairy tales and romance novels when I was little-and they knew I was a sucker for every rom-com known to humankind, and so they tempted me with lies of happily Ever After.”
There have been multiple attempts at changing up the classic fairy tale of Beauty and The Beast. Some have been enjoyable, others..not so much. However, the characters in Bookish and the Beast are ones that I could imagine actually meeting and interacting with today.
Although if I met Garrett Taylor, I might throw a drink in his face. He truly sucked, which was the point, of course!
Bookish and the Beast filled that gap of a modern-day retelling that wasn’t forced or too crazy unbelievable. As a fellow book lover, I could totally relate to Rosie’s obsession with the library!
This brings me to the Second location of importance: The Pool House
‘She is a disaster. That’s all there is to it.’
I’ve been attempting to compare the main characters in Bookish and the Beast to the crew from the original fairytale. Some are obvious-Rosie is, of course, Belle; Vance is the Beast; and Rosie’s father is…well, Belle’s father; but what about everyone else?
Is Elias, Cogsworth? Maybe a version of Mrs. Potts? What about Vance’s dog, Sansa? Or Vance’s Stepfather…The old witch with the rose, trying to change his life for the better?
I also get that some of the characters don’t fit into any molds and are wonderfully unique in their own way! But I love trying to find the inspiration for retellings.
If you’ve read this one, let me know who you think resembles the original characters and who definitely stands on their own!
RECOMMENDED LINKS
If you’re interested in learning more about this Young Adult Romance, Bookish and The Beast, and its author Ashley Poston or would like to purchase the book, please check out the links below.
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website
If you liked this post, please follow the link to my other YA Romance book reviews.
