*I received an eARC of this book through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Political turmoil with a hint of magic… and a girl finding her voice

Okay, it took me more than three months to finish this book. In retrospect, it might have a lot to do with wrong expectations. Unlike most Beauty and the Beast retellings, this book is more of a historical fiction than a fantasy, with only a little bit of magic. Romance is also not the main theme here. So as a fantasy fan, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. However, I think Rebel Rose has the elements to be a good book, and I’m sure some people will love it.

Instead of a “retelling,” I believe the more accurate word is “sequel.” The book started right after Belle broke the curse on Lio, the former beast. As Belle and Lio tried hard to protect Aveyon from the violence of the French Revolution, Belle was unsure what she should do. Being raised as a peasant herself, she dreamed of a life of freedom and justice for all the commoners, but many obstacles got in her way. Feeling excluded and despised in high society was just the beginning. The real challenge was finding out who she could trust, and how to trust her own abilities.

One of the things I love about this story is the side characters. We get to see some of our beloved characters from the fairytale: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip. Many new friends are also included. We have Bastien, a cousin of Lio, perfectly friendly yet mysterious. It’s nice to see Lio’s family and take a peek at some aspects of his life before the curse. The idea of “Queen’s Council” is also refreshing and original, so I hope I could see more of it in the next installment. My favorite would be another important female character, Marguerite. She is energetic and brilliant, critical but friendly. She would be a perfect friend in real life. I won’t spoil it to you, but to me, she shines more than Belle in this book, and I adore her.

On the other hand, I don’t really like the MCs in this book. Even though Belle broke the curse on Lio, she was still doubting herself. I know it’s important to let readers understand her uncertainty and worries, but it’s a bit overdone and even annoying sometimes. A good portion of the first half is full of her repeating, negative thoughts, and nothing of importance happened. As for Lio, I’m kind of mad at him for not trusting Belle more. (Come on she’s the woman who broke your curse!) Apart from kissing and a few swoony words, they don’t interact like newly-wed couples or even lovers. However, I understand romance is not the main topic of the book and I’m okay with that.

The latter half of the book did pick up its pace, though, and become interesting enough that I’m glad I pushed through. Belle became more sure of herself and try her best to do the right thing. It’s inspiring to see how much she’d grown. (So for anyone who struggled out there, put through it, it does get better!)

Rebel Rose is an inspiring story about girl power and justice for all. I believe historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book, especially if you like politics and the French Revolution and don’t care much about romance. Personally, this book is low on my list of Beauty and the Beast retellings, but I understand Emma Theriault is a debut author, so I would give the sequel a chance.

On a side note, if you like the idea of historical, non-magical Beauty and the Beast retellings, you might also enjoy [b:Sister to Beauty|55108430|Sister to Beauty|Roxanne McNeil|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598479401l/55108430._SX50_.jpg|85909571], (which I enjoyed more than this book) and you can read my review here. ( )

This modern tale of Belle and her Beast was nice. It is not a retelling as it is not the same story but the next chapter in Belle and the Beast's story. This book takes place after Belle breaks the curse and the Beast turns human again. Belle and Beast just want to live their lives together but they can't due to a rebellion.

What I liked about this book:

The characters. Everyone was pretty much featured in this book. Only they were not candlesticks, teapots, tea cups, or other objects. They were human people. There was no change in their personalities. So it was easy to relate to them.

What I didn't like about this book:

Lack of action. There was a lot of talk going on but not a lot of action. Not sure if this is because it is the first book in this series or due to the targeted audience. It made for the reading to go at a very slow pace. The story did pick up towards the end but it was kind of a little too late.

Yet, I do appreciate the imagination of this story. ( )