e-Audio, 07:21:05
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly & Curry Whitmire
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Read from: February 3-5, 2021
Once Upon a Con, #3
Source: Library
TW:
For Readers Interested In: Re-tellings, Romance, Series, Contemporary, YAIn the third book in Ashley Poston’s Once Upon a Con series, Beauty and the Beast is retold in the beloved Starfield universe.
Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck—on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. Her only solace was her late mother’s library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills.
On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember—with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he’s forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there’s a library in the house. Too bad he doesn’t read.
When Rosie and Vance’s paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Reigns, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he’s a jerk, and she can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual.
But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.
*MY THOUGHTS*
You all should know by now that if there’s a re-telling coming out, I’m definitely going to read it. And even more so if it’s a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. And this one was both. So of course, I HAD to read this one. It took a while because my teens took my copy last year and COVID, but I was finally able to get my hands on it.
Rosie Thorne has been stuck in a rut for a long while. And lately she’s been stuck on the General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon and her mother’s death. Then there’s Vance Reigns who’s a Hollywood star and has been on the wrong side of the paparazzi lately. Their paths collide and Rosie ends up with a debt she can’t pay. In other words, she’s stuck in another situation. How can she get herself out of this one?
This book didn’t feel like the others. I’m thinking it’s because they weren’t at the actual Con which makes made me sad. There is a point where they are there, but not for long at all. I really wanted the ending to be at the Con, but it was in another place. It just made it feel a lot different than the others. Which of course I’m sure has to do with the re-telling it was this time, but ehh it is what it is.
As for the re-telling itself, it was actually a really solid one. It had all the usual things you would see in a Beauty and the Beast re-telling as well as some of the rarer things. I LOVED the parts about the library as well. Like come on man, what librarian wouldn’t? I thought it was a really cute story and a really cute re-telling.
As for the romance, I wasn’t a huge fan. As many of you know, I’m not a huge fan of enemy to lover romances, so this one was rough for me. (Which makes me question why exactly I’m such a huge Beauty and the Beast fan in the first place, but yeahhhhhh) I think it’s because they spend so much time fighting each other and by the time they get together, it’s the end of the book and they don’t really have any cute times together.
Even though it wasn’t like the others, thing were still pretty fun. I LOVED being back in the Starfield Universe, but the characters are what MADE this story. Rosie’s dad was amazing, and I’m not sure you can find better best friends than the ones she had either. I really hope we see them again in future re-tellings. (Will there be future books?) I hope to see how things in Starfield end up.
This book wasn’t my favorite of the series despite being my favorite fairy tale. It wasn’t like the others, but it was ok. I hope there’s more to this story, because I really need to know what happens in the Starfield universe. I hope there’s more with more unique re-tellings like the second book in this series.
Overall, I give this
