It's a fun and modern twist on the basic premise of Beauty and the Beast. Only instead of a cursed prince, we have a depressed and hurting billionaire heir. And instead of a bookish maiden from a small town, we have a capable and headstrong contractor with a love for restoration and romance novels. Bellami and Oliver couldn't seem more different, but their forced proximity as she works to restore his family's crumbling vacation mansion, along with circumstances forcing them to share one bed, lead to them getting closer than they could have ever imagined. But can what they find survive outside of the bubble of the restoration and all the pressure and expectations from the outside world?
I really enjoyed this new version of the classic because it kept surprising me with how Bennett wove the main elements into it while creating a wholly original story. Oliver's backstory is super sad and it's easy to believe and understand why he locked himself away. Bellami's willful desire to see her and her dad's dream of restoring that home and proving that she's just as capable as a man is relatable if you've ever been a woman in a job that's male-dominated, or even just as a woman trying to do something on your own. Their joint journey as work happens in the house and their relationship was a pleasure to read.
My one nitpick is that the rest of the characters fall a bit flat when compared to how well-crafted Bellami and Oliver are. The rich grandfather is a caricature of rich and entitled with zero redeeming qualities shown on the page. Bellami's dad is almost an afterthought, and her best friend and his partner are a little too close to the token gay friend stereotype for my liking.
But overall, it's a fun read with hints of a beloved classic that feels fresh even as it calls back to the source.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the great read!
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Didn’t work for me
It’s a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast. The “Beauty” is Bellamy, a restoration expert, the “Beast” is Oliver, a football player in self-imposed exile after a car accident left him with a career ending injury.The premise had me hooked. The reality had me shaking my head.It works on basic spicy romcom levels. Bell, an unapologetic, curvy girl wearing suspenders is engaging. And as her love interest, Oliver is a broody, sexy beast of a man with a heart of gold under all that hair. They have chemistry for sure.But if you look too closely at the plot, holes appear - holes that any restoration expert would cringe at.For your consideration:•Oliver has been estranged from his sisters for 8 years, resolved in 3 pages after they show up at the house•A burst pipe that left an inch of water on the bathroom floor which Bell and Oliver leave for the next day, instead choosing to go to bed together•Her best friends barge in, stay over a few…days? weeks? (the catalyst forcing her to share Oliver’s bed) and then you realize they’re gone (huh?) with none of the fanfare to which they arrived•The last 10% of the book is unnecessary - after they reunite, there’s too much exposition•Never a fan for poor communication, but some authors handle it more deftly than thisThat said, I’m sure some readers will find joy in this one.——The Price team is hired to restore the historic mansion of the Killington family. But it’s Bellamy who must take the lead because her father is recovering from an illness.When she arrives, she finds surly Oliver, who has been in hiding since an accident killed his beloved parents. He refuses to leave, is against the restoration, but is outranked by his grandfather - he has to let her in.But as the weeks go by, Bell sees Oliver’s anger comes from a deeper place, and the two form a tentative bond.Can Bell fix both herself, the mansion, and Oliver before time runs out?Thanks to @netgalley for the eARC. This will be published June 4, 2024.
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