Princess of Roses by A. G. Marshall (Book 4 of the Fairy Tale Adventure Series)

A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Beauty and the Beast has been my favorite fairy tale, ever since I fell in love with Belle’s library as a little girl. And after reading the first three books in this series in a week, Marshall has joined my list of top authors. So to say I was excited for this book is an understatement.

Rosemary Mercer agrees to a business venture with the Crown Prince, certain it will be a huge boon to her family’s business. But she hadn’t counted on a kracken attack sinking their ship, leading to the loss of everything. Desperate to protect her father and younger sisters, Rosemary agrees to work off her debt as a servant. She just hadn’t expected the prince to be quite so… beastly.

Prince Darien is intent on fixing up Rosewell Castle to suit his tastes. And that includes the nearby town, including its residents. His self indulgent desires lead him to insult his own people, his family… and a sorceress. His new beastly appearance causes him to be abandoned by everyone. All except a servant girl.

Will Rosemary and Darien learn to see past the outward appearances and trust each other? Or will nefarious plots manage to destroy them both?

This story is beautifully written with characters you can’t wait to spend more time with. Marshall draws you into the world, with a subtle touch that makes you feel you’ve always lived there. There’s a large cast of characters, but many of them will be familiar, either from the other books in the series, or your favorite fairytales. And there are a number of cheeky references to Pride and Prejudice that had me squeeing. This book is long, but I read it in two days, unable to put it down. Anytime I had unavoidable interruptions, I scurried back to it, eager to escape back into the world of Myora. Princess of Roses is definitely a top read of 2020.

????? Five Roses
No swearing
? Only a couple of kisses
⚔️⚔️ Mild blood during fight scenes