I really enjoyed January’s Reading Challenge to read a retelling of a fairy tale.
When they were little, both of my sons absolutely loved Beauty and the Beast so I have to admit I have a soft spot for this particular fairy tale. It really was a coincidence that both of my selections turned out to be a retelling of this wonderful tale. I was pleasantly surprised that although my books were from two completely genres, they shared some delightful similarities.
My first selection is Taming the Beast by Andrew Grey and it is a quick read with great characters. Dante Bartholomew is the “beast” who is greatly feared by the local townspeople due to the mysterious death of his wife. He is quite wealthy so he is a generous benefactor to much of the town’s causes. He reluctantly agrees to attend a benefit for a local mental health clinic where he meets the clinic’s director Beau Clarity. The two men immediately hit it off and over the course of their romance, Beau helps Dante come out of seclusion and become a more active and visible part of their community.
My next choice for the challenge is an Amish romance by Sarah Price. Belle: An Amish Retelling of Beauty and the Beast stays pretty close to the original story with Adam Herschberger cast as the “beast” whose scars frighten the local residents. When he buys Annabelle “Belle” Beiler’s home and property from her father due to his poor handling of their finances, Belle puts aside her fear of Adam in order to strike deal so their family won’t have to move. Although she is quite fearful of him, Belle is a plucky heroine who puts her family first and she agrees to marry Adam. She is able to quickly put her new home to rights, but getting to know her new husband takes a lot of patience and effort on her part. Belle perserveres in her attempts to draw Adam out and she is pleasantly surprised when learns there is much more to her new husband than meets the eye. It is an all around charming romance with gentle undertones of faith that is rather thought provoking. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the Amish Fairytales series.
Now it’s your turn! Did you complete your challenge? Did you like the book you chose?
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Read about this month’s challenge HERE.
I did complete the challenge!
I read When First I met My King by Harper Fox which whilst not a fairy tale as such, is a well known tale. Despite being a Harper Fox fan I had put off buying this for a while as I wasn’t sure about the Arthur retelling nor the young age we start at. What was I worrying about – it was great, loved it, can’t wait to get into book 2,it drew me in and had my full attention all the way!
I’ll have to look into this one. I love Harper Fox! Glad you enjoyed it!
I can’t believe I forgot
Hopefully you’ll remember to do this month’s challenge!
I read Driven Snow by Tara Lain. A retelling of the Snow White story. Even a few weeks later I think of how the wicked stepmother figure poisons people and how the handsome prince saved them.
I’m glad to have read this book. While there were tense moments, in the end it cheerful.
Ohh! I’ll have to check it out. I enjoy Ms. Lain’s novels.