The Fatal Rose

To start off, this book is written beautifully in a haunting way. The prologue is a very promising start with a distinct time period stated clearly and unlike many books, I didn't think it was ridiculously vague or irrelevant. To the present, descriptions and exploration of the French chateau really sets this book apart from other Beauty and the Beast retellings, or that it's a MLM romance. The two main characters are Ren and Florian who are equally compelling yet different to each other and I enjoyed the interactions with other characters residing within the chateau walls. This was a truly special read with subtle updates making the story fresh, so I believe the story does enough to provide the reader with something unique. I was hooked before the 25% mark and the plot is solid. The book delivers on all fronts and I was very pleased with it. One of the best reads of this year. An easy 5 stars. My only criticism is that I think the character perspective changes could've been made more clear.

Lastly, thank you to Sarah Bryant, NetGalley and the publisher Evernight Teen for this e-ARC, I am eternally grateful.