Review Detail

Beastly Beauty has all the key points needed for a gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast done well. It also has commentary on trying to fit into gender roles and what happens when you are made to feel less than what you are capable of that brings heart to this tale.
Arabella is supposed to be simpering and pleasant and to want nothing more than to marry well. However, Arabella is passionate about architecture and doesn’t suffer fools easily. She spends her formative years being told she is wrong and having her dreams dashed. One rash outburst ending in tragedy is the final straw to have an evil curse befall her and her court. Now for nearly 100 years, she is a beast by night and her emotions have become externalized court members and only the darkest of them remain by her side.
Then one fateful night, Beau escapes his latest con with his fellow thieves and ends up at Arabella’s mysterious castle. When the beast comes, he is abandoned and the bridge disintegrates forcing him to stay in the haunted castle. Beau is the catalyst needed for Arabella to find love, but I like that there is an added twist at the end of exactly who she needs to love for the curse to be broken.
Along the way, Beau unlocks Hope from her prison cell, and with her sister, Faith, they do what they can to help Arabella fight her darker emotions. I like the commentary on Arabella’s emotions to show how trapped emotionally she is by the curse. It was a nice touch to get the aspect of Arabella’s nature and to point out that those around her have repressed her and helped make the current situation.
Overall, this is a lovely retelling that is empowering and contains all the aspects of Beauty and the Beast that fans are looking for. There is a bit of instant love between Arabella and Beau that could have been expanded but the pacing of events works well as it is.