2025 Beauty and the Beast Book Round-up

So, how was your reading year?  Did you set goals?  Follow your moods?

I've shared that I'm a mood reader and that's definitely reflective of what made it to my "read" pile in 2025.  No themes, other than the obvious, Beauty and her Beast.

📌 Quick note:  I participate in affiliate marketing. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!  My goal in 2026 is enough to fund the move to a more user-friendly site.

📖 Kindle Unlimited (KU) choices won the day this year, and surprisingly many of them were recommendations that also happened to be available on Kindle Unlimited.  That's a win.  I love shopping independent bookshops, I also appreciate the flexibility of Kindle Unlimited and the publishing avenue it allows all authors.

2025 Beauty and the Beast Retelling Round-up

I definitely jumped moodily around with these Beauty and the Beast retellings.  I set a goal of at least one retelling per month, and I'm just shy of that one.  But I did read other groovy books this year.  Keep scrolling for my other mood reads.

Beauty and the Beast tales of 2025 - in no particular order:

1. Byrony and Roses - T. Kingfisher - 4 stars. The end. Witty, charmingly sarcastic.  A great take on Beauty and the Beast lore, emphasizing Beauty's agency.  Please add this one to your TBR pile!
2. Entreat Me - Grace Draven - I re-read Entreat Me this year.  I'd forgotten the premise and was delighted all over again by the characters and how Ms. Draven brings a new twist to Beauty and the Beast retellings.  Also highly recommended.
3. Isabel and the Werewolf Beast (Vampire Tales Book 1) - Helen Walton (KU) - I always appreciate vampires and werewolves.  Adding in a Beauty and the Beast curse?  Absolutely.  However, this tale needs character development oomph and plot refinement.  May be an AI writing test?
4. Of Curses & Beauty - Elle Backenstoe (KU) - This tale was buy-one-get-one!  The first half of the book was a twist on Beauty as the Beast, and the second half was a quest to find each other before the dastardly villain married Beauty.  This was a low spice option with light magic.  
5. Roses in Amber: A Beauty and the Beast story (The Border Kingdom) - C. E. Murphy (KU) - This was another 4-star recommendation, with the feels of T. Kingfisher's books.  Beauty is the star in this retelling, rescuing the Beast (of course!) and evolving into her "true" self.  Plus, Ms. Murphy makes great use of the fairy elements from the original fairytale.  This may be the first retelling I've read that references the intense fairy drama of the OG tale.
6. Taken by the Beast: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Spin on Beauty and the Beast (Conduit Series) - Conner Kressley & Rebecca Hamilton (KU) - Cursed werewolf?  I'm in.  "Taken" in this tale is not, "Help!  I've been kidnapped!" but more "Oh my, isn't he a dish!" "taken."  I appreciate the world building these authors are working towards, but it didn't work for me, and I didn't fall in love with the characters.  The authors make good use of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in a contemporary setting, so that's neat.
7. The Musician and the Monster:  A Gothic Beauty and the Beast Retelling (The Castamar Duology Book 1) - Megan Van Dyke (KU) - I love finding a new take on Beauty and the Beast tales, and this one features a Beauty with musical talents who soothes the violent blood magic in the Beast.  The premise is super neat... but, I struggled to get interested in the characters or plot line.  This one is a slow burn, light on the spice, if that fits your preferences.
8. The Fever Series (begins with Darkfever) - Karen Marie Moning - This was another re-read.  Barrons is pseudo-Beasty and I talk about my obsession with him in this post.  The Fever Series is a "guilty pleasure," as my sister calls them.  Not a work of high fiction, but something in the characters calls me back every few years.  We all have our "guilty pleasures."
9. A Rose of Steel (Mechanical Kingdoms #1) - Katherine Macdonald - A dystopian steampunk retelling with a brainy Beauty who is a scientist working to cure her overprotective Beast.  I don't see this one currently available, so this is the Goodreads link.  Keep your eye open for this one, it was a slow start but picked up and was fun to finish with solid character depth and enjoyable dialogue.
10. The Wish Collector - Mia Sheridan (KU) - If you're looking for a cozy, contemporary romance set in New Orleans, this is a good choice.  It's a slow burn romance with Phantom of the Opera flair and a story of redemption for the Beast.  Plus, the book cover is lovely!
11. The Beast's Bride (The Bride's of Skye Book 1) - Jayne Castel (KU) - This tale is set in Scotland's Isle of Skye in the 14th century.  Beast is sworn to Beauty's father and has loved her for years.  She's a fiery shrew who won't settle for just anyone.  He yearns and her love grows.  It's a sweet period romance, if that's your jam.

I'm sure you'll find one to love from this year's list.  Cheers!

Non-Beauty and the Beast 2025 Book Round-up

Now, on to other 2025 selections.

I'm not winning any quantity reading awards this year.  It was a slow plod and catching up on books that have been on my TBR (to be read) pile for a while.  But wait, I do see a trend in my reading habits - I was in the mood for re-reads this year.  I've been working on a re-read of the Wheel of Time series and finished book 7 (which is currently available on KU).  I also re-read the The Fever Series, because it's an itch every once in a while, and went deep on Grace Draven's works, which was fun.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading Entreat Me again.

“The world is full of painful stories. Sometimes it seems as though there aren't any other kind and yet I found myself thinking how beautiful that glint of water was through the trees.”

― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower

And no surprise, I was a moody reader most of the year.  Here were a few non-Beauty and the Beast faves of the year:

• Onyx Storm (The Empyrean Book 3) - Rebecca Yarros - This one was even more hectic than the first two and truth, they are either in a big mess or getting busy - there are zero in-between activities.  Also, currently available on KU if you'd like to catch up with the series.
• When the Moon Hatched (The Moonfall Series Book 1) - Sarah A. Parker - This one was a slow start due to the need to reorient my brain to delightful writing flourishes.  But I loved the world building and yearning characters.  I'm ready for book 2!  Oh, and this one is available currently on KU.
• Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir - What if your nerdy middle school science teacher was the only one who could save earth?  Spaceships and aliens - just sayin'.
• Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents - Octavia Butler - She hath seen the future and it's scary.  Scary accurate.  A great post-apocalyptic fiction set on the west coast.  Written in 1993 with a future date of 2025.  Yikes - it's not feeling much like "fiction."  Must read.
• All the Colors of the Dark - Chris Whitaker - Freaking fantastic book club selection this year. Highly recommend. I'm struggling with descriptors - longing, depth, great characters, not romantasy.
• Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries - Heather Fawcett - I listened to this one on audiobook.  It was cozy, cute, witty and I loved the audiobook narrator.
• Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1) - Callie Hart - Quick, fun, yearny romantasy.  Surprisingly available on KU.

“Silence prevails, tension thickens, his eyes burning embers when he finally says, "Raeve, you could flay me down the middle and I’d still fucking love you.”"

― Sarah A. Parker, When the Moon Hatched

I'm currently in the midst of Empire of the Dawn by Jay Krisotff.  It will be another fave.

How is your reading year wrapping up?  I'd love to know your favorites!

In the meantime, can I interest you in a Beauty and the Beast retelling?  I think you'll find the perfect fit for your mood or TBR genre list:  Beauty and the Beast Retellings, Fan Fiction & Fractured Fairytales.