Bookish and the Beast by Ashely Poston Book Review

“My manager thought it would be best if I laid low for a while. If I let everything blow over. My stepfather, at the end of his rope, thought that if I went somewhere without Hollywood influence, I would come out a better man.

But it seems like even without me there, things just got worse. I made everything worse.

I always make everything worse.”

(pg. 73)

About

Author: Ashley Poston

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/Sci-fi

Series: Once Upon a Con Book 3

Book 1: Geekerella

Book 2: The Princess and the Fangirl

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Synopsis

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. 

Review

Spoilers Contained Below

Once upon a time in a con far away,

I absolutely adore Ashley Poston! 💜 I mean, she’s living the best of both world with re-writing beautiful well-known tales and she gives it a galactic twist, I mean what’s not to like. Truthfully, I am not much a sci-fi reader, and this book isn’t really high epic sci-fi, but nevertheless the entire Once Upon a Con series has that vibe and I am always here for it! I mean that’s why I had to read the third book! 😆 Someone please tell me this isn’t the last book in the series! 🤞🏼 Because gosh only knows right after I finished reading Bookish and the Beast, I hopped on Google and SEARCHED 😂. I couldn’t find a thing. I’m disappointed Google 😂. So if you know, please let a girl know, and if it’s not good news (a.k.a. no fourth book, don’t tell me, just joking tell me so at least I can cry!) But I would LOVE for another book, I mean there are MANY fairytales we can rewrite am I right? But I have a feeling that this may be the last book in the series . . . 😢 and I don’t want to think about that.

I’m getting WAAAAAAYYYYY ahead of myself here—talking about the end before I started with the beginning of the book. So let’s get to the start of the book. But sidetone, let’s talk about the tagline:

A tale as old as time, made new. . .

I mean whoever came up with that tag line deserves a raise! 👏🏼👏🏼

Very good, very good. If the book just stopped at that, I would rate it five stars, because that’s very creative.

So was this tale as old as time made new?

Yes.

I think it was done well for the story of Beauty and the Beast we all know and love. I liked the parallels and the tidbits Ashely Poston put into Bookish and the Beast like the library, the main characters love of reading, the broodish main character, and of course the ball. . . we had to have some sort of ball. I appreciated the high school twist on that scene with how the ball was the homecoming we were working up to. I also just wanted to mention how I really appreciated the inclusivity with this book. Ashely Poston has incorporated the LGBTQIA+ community and POC in her stories, which I love, but she just took it to a new level I never saw an author do yet, and I LOVED it! 💜 I loved how Quinn was addressed as they/their/them, and I love how Annie and Rosie always respected Quinn in who they were. I think that’s so amazing and progressive that here we have a story now in the world that has inclusive pronouns that respect a persons’ identity. We need more of that. At first, I was kind of caught off guard—in the best way—when Rosie or Annie addressed Quinn as they because you know, it’s not something you see in books. But then I realized, “Oh, Quinn’s they.” That’s PRETTY DARN COOL! I loved that. I hope we can normalize inclusive pronoun usage like this in more books.

But onto Rosie, our Belle. We love that she lives in a small provincial town. All I could think of is that scene from the Beauty and the Beast live action version with Emma Watson and she’s on that hill looking over her town—you know the scene that looks kind of like the sound of music. It gave me those vibes. This Rosie didn’t strike me as the typical Belle we have seen. I appreciated how her name was Rosie 😉, but I also appreciated how Rosie was stubborn and strong-headed. She wasn’t about to let no man walk all over her or make her feel bad for who she was. And she was not afraid to tell others straight, and Rosie knew what she deserved! I mean, the moment she turned Vance down . . . I was like, “You go GIRL!” Because this stuck-up actor thought he could all of a sudden be nice to her and ask her out like he wasn’t just a prude to her. Yea, I do NOT think so mister. I do not care who you are or how many dollar signs or fans you have to your name, you do not just treat someone like complete trash based on your assumptions and then do a 180 and ask the girl out. Honey, I would have stomped on his foot as I left his house 😂. DESERVED IT!

Of course, Rosie had to love books, because DUH! I liked how Ashley Poston did it though where Rosie’s debt to Vance wasn’t a trade in for her father or a situation where she was trapped at that castle house, but where she organized books. I think it wasn’t really a payback or punishment on her part because of her love of books. I could understand her love of books, I think we all can.

“But there is so much more in those words than just loving books. I love the smell of them. I love the way their bindings look pressed together on a shelf. I love the feel of the pages buzzing through my fingers. I love big books and small books. I love words and how they’re strung together, and most of all, I love the stories. I love how books are not really just books at all, but doorways.

They are portals into places I’ve never been an people I’ll never be, and in them I have lived a thousand lives and seen a thousand different worlds. . . In them I’m not simple, going-nowhere, unable-to-write-a-stupid-college-essay-Rosie-Throne.”

(pg 39)

She said it well. It’s the reason I fell in love with books because books are more than just words on a page—-it’s dreams, emotions, love, hope, and life. Books just capture that for eternity. Books create this world people can fall into and see all the dreams, emotions, love, hope, and life in it and hope that for their life as well.

“We all occupy space for a short period of time, even though sometimes it feels like eternity. We’re here, and then gone, and our stuff stays behind. The things that we used, the things that we loved, the things that we treasured, and adored, and despised. Those trinkets exist far longer than we do, and I’ve always imagined them as that—just things. To be bought, sold, gathered.

But things, it seems, can preserve. Small things. Treasured things. A favorite book, an old battered album, a DVD of an old sci-fi TV series passed form father to daughter. They can can a spell to ensure that people you’ve never met will miss you when you’re gone.”

(pg 254)

This was said later in the book, but it just expressed the sentiment I was talking about: how books capture life for eternity. Because books bonded Rosie and her mom. I loved when Rosie talked about her mom and how the mom read to her chapter of Starfield and that’s how Rosie found her love of Starfield. I love how something like that bonded her mom and Rosie. because isn’t it the little things that mean the most? Watching a favorite TV show with the family, cooking a homemade meal with your parent(s), playing the same game, or even reading the same book with the people you love. Those are the moments that matter. So even though Rosie’s mom passed away, her mom was still with her though Starfield. I LOVED that. I feel like a lot of people can relate to how Rosie feels about books and Starfield because I think we all have those things that remind us of the people we love and the time we spent with them. Those things capture the happiness, joy, and love of the person and that is just as meaningful.

I thought it was sad how the dad and Rosie had to sacrifice everything to pay for the mother’s funeral, I mean, of course, do so, but man . . . that sucked that they had to sell their house and the Starfield collection the mom owned. If I was the dad, I would have said that is a non-negotiable and something we’re not selling. But then again, if times were really tough, I understand why they sold the original collection. But gosh, that had to be like ripping their heart from their chests. I remember one part where Rosie talked about how pained she felt that her mom was gone and did feel like there was a hole in her heart where she should be. Loss isn’t easy and it doesn’t get easier. There might be a hole where they are not their, but trust me, they are. And they love you no matter what 💜.

I just didn’t like GARRETT TAYLOR. ThE GASTON!

What A PRICK! 😂

My gosh, Ashley Poston said, let’s make him the prickest, most irritating, F-boy there was 😂. I was getting those vibes.

So she did a fantastic job capturing Gaston’s essence.

Honestly, I do not understand why he was after her so much. It was because Rosie was pretty right and he felt sorry for her? I mean, if that was the reason, that’s a pretty dumb reason 😅. I mean, if he’s the hottest guy in school and he could have any girl, then why would he chose Rosie the person he pities? Seemed weird to me. I don’t know, I would have liked a bit more background on why he specifically targeted her, like were they friends before, did they have classes together and they talked? I don’t know. Because in Beauty and the Beast, Gaston went after Belle because Belle was the most beautiful person in their small town, and she did not give two hoots about him. OOOOH, maybe it was the chase 😂. We know guys like a chase—they like what they can’t have 🤪. Garrett.

I don’t like him.

The main reason I truly, absolutely did not like him was he didn’t take no for an answer. First, let’s say how he never took a hint. I’m sorry, did she not run away from him in the parking lot of where she worked?! Was that not some sort stalker-ish harassment? Was that not telling to him?! Then he sat on her chair in class and brought her coffee she didn’t even like and basically told her to go to the dance with him without even asking her? Did he not publicly tell the whole school about it so Rosie would feel obligated to go with them? Isn’t that HARASSMENT?! My goodness, sis, should have gotten a HARASSMENT filed!!! And did she not say NO! 🤪

I swear (not to generalize for the male population), but guys have NO CLUE 😆. I mean, they need to take a woman body language class because I swear they do not know how to read woman or a room. ROSIE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE and at any point he tried to talk to her she obviously wasn’t into it, so I do not know what his big macho man mind was thinking. Probably nothing 😂. But I could not respect him when Rosie said no and he did not like that or didn’t listen. People of the world, if you’re reading this, a no is a no, RESPECT that and LISTEN to it. If someone doesn’t respect that, then they aren’t worth your time. And you have every RIGHT to say no if you feel uncomfortable in any situation or don’t want to do something. There’s my advice! 😄

But I didn’t like him at all.

OOOOH, and don’t get me started on how this sleaze ball leaked the video of Rosie going into Vance’s castle house. I mean, he doesn’t respect a no, he basically harassed Rosie, and now he blackmailed her.

Yea, it’s a no from me.

GROOOOOSSS! He disgusts me. And he had the AUDACITY at the end to still ask Rosie for a FREAKING DANCE?!!!! UMMMMMMMMMMM . . . yea, you need help 😅.

But I LOVED the moment when Rosie gave him a good knuckle sandwich!! 😂 Because that’s what her mama taught her! We love that! It was sooo funny though to see Rosie, our Belle, punch Garrett, our Gaston! Imagine if Belle in the movie punched Gaston . . . parents would be livid . . . I would be in hysterics. I mean, we need to teach our ladies, gents, gender fluid, non-binary folks that they can stand up for themselves/defend themselves if they need to. Far too often people get taken advantage of by people like Garrett who step all over others, and that’s not okay. So appreciated how Rosie was the one to protect herself. She don’t no man’s.

Honestly, the men in her life are a JOKE.

Vance and Garrett’s fight? I’ve seen girls fight better than that! It was such a petty little boy fight for Rosie’s honor. I mean, the sentiment was nice coming from Vance, but the execution was LACKING 😂. He’s never been in a fight in his life and it shows! Unless maybe a staged fight, but I was LAUGHING. Wimps 🤪.

Let’s talk about our beast, Vance. Hmmmmm, I don’t know if I liked Vance 👉🏼👈🏼. He’s okay 😅. I think Ashley Poston portrayed the beast well in Vance because Vance was broodish, stubborn, revered, sad, lonely, angry, and hurt. Vance’s storyline differed from the beast in many ways, but I liked how the essence of the beast was there. Even with the Beauty and the Beast movie, I didn’t really like the Beast . . . did you? No judgment, but just genuinely curious. Like did you really like the Beast? At first, of course not 😆. But then as he changed, I started to like him because he was willing to try change and then at the end I liked him because he was more compassionate than who he was. Vance followed a similar arc where in the beginning he was very hurt, angry, and lonely.

Vance was sent to this castle in a small town with his uncle all because of some stunt Vance pulled. Vance was staying there until things blew over and until it was his 18th birthday when he could finally be free and make choices for himself. So when he got to the castle in the woods, he was angry at the world because he didn’t want to be there. His mother and stepfather sent him there and it felt like a punishment.

I think that people overreacted to what happened with the Tesla in the pond thing. I mean, yea, that wasn’t safe and kind of sketch, but it wasn’t like Vance deliberately drove his Tesla into the pond. He was trying to get away from the paparazzi who were following him when he was trying to drop Elle home. It was an innocent act of just taking her home—no cheating—put the paparazzi, of course, would twist the story into something bigger.

At the time when Vance was deciding whether or not to drive Elle home, he mentioned how he did it to spite Darien. Darien was someone who loved his life, who had the perfect girl, and someone who was well-loved by everyone. And Darien’s happiness annoyed him. I found that sad. There was something I heard that if someone else’s happiness makes you unhappy that is not their problem. It was Vance’s problem because he felt so low that he wanted to try bring others down to how he felt. But Darien had such a good attitude he wasn’t going to let anyone, let alone Vance, bring him down. But I think to Vance it meant a lot that he tried to at least anger Darien or bug him because that would put a crack in his happy life and that would make Vance happy. It’s not the kindest thought, but I understand it.

But I liked how Vance protected and cared for Elle and tried to avoid the paps. He eared my respect for that. But I didn’t get the big deal of why everyone wanted to send him away for it. Didn’t they know his side of the story? If they did, they would have known it wasn’t some bad boy act he was trying to pull.

“Everyone loves the allure of a bad boy. They love him right up until he crosses that invisible threshold. They cheer him on, they fall in love, they protect him—

Until suddenly, they don’t.

And then they become the villain. The cautionary tale.

In other words me.”

(pg 59)

People liked Vance’s allure as a bad boy—the General Sond of Starfield, but they disliked him as the bad guy now because he was the one who drive beloved Elle into a pond and broke up Darien and Elle. I swear, I’ve been reading authors breaking up the OG couples, and I’m not here for it 😢. But I felt bad for Vance because people villainized him. He wasn’t the bad guy, he was just trying to do something right and it looked bad and caused a bad reaction.

He didn’t deserve hate, he needed love—-just like the Beast. It didn’t help that his mom sent him away because that felt like the mom gave up on him or saw the worst in him. I get that, and my heart hurt for him.

“I’m just too afraid to talk to her, because I know she’s disappointed in me, and I know she knows I can be better than I am. I just never was, and never cared to be, so I got scared. And when my stepfather sent me here, I thought that since she didn’t stop him—she didn’t like me anymore.

That, perhaps, she’s done with trying to see the good in me.

Whatever little good she saw to begin with.”

(pg 255)

He always avoided her calls because he didn’t want to disappoint her further. This was a common theme I found with Vance: he was always scared of disappointing others, so he left, avoided, ran away if things got too hard or too close to doing so. With his mom, he never answered her call. When he found out Rosie was the girl from the Elxicon ball, he didn’t tell her it was him because he was distrustful of her and he also didn’t want her to be dispaoitned that it was him that bonded with her that night.

This night . . . the Elexicon ball—the ball of magic and wonder—-honestly Comic Con got nothing on Elexicon ball 😂.

The meet cute was cute, but I really wanted to know what they did together that night they spent together. I didn’t really like how it was just mentioned how they talked all night and ate breakfast or something because that told me what happened, but I wasn’t there to feel what happened. And I think this was part of the reason I didn’t’ really feel the romance between Vance and Rosie (and I’ll get into that later) because we didn’t get to experience that initial night they had together and the intimacy that happened (not like physical intimacy, but emotional). I think those are the best kind of scenes and moments to write about—when two people find each other, talk all night, and just get to know each other. Because Rosie and Vance kept thinking about that night and how they both met people who were so real. But because I didn’t read about what happened that night, I just didn’t understand the realness Rosie was talking about when she said, “There you are,” to Vance later on. I mean, yea, when she said “There you are” to him, he was softer and more vulnerable, but I don’t know, something was missing for me to make that connection to who she knew him as when she first met him and how she knew that this was the person she fell in love with.

And there’s also the fact that I wasn’t sure if the love in this book was because Rosie had a smitten girl-crush on her long-term crush. I mean, sis has his half-naked smut body on her roof 😂. UMMMMMMM, I’m not sure if her dad knows that or her friends know that, but that’s kind of weird. Not weird in the sense like yes, have your boy or girl crush posters in your room, gosh only knows I had One Direction posters allll over my room, but I think it’s kind of awkward when you know the person and then you have a smut half-nakie poster of them hanging above your bed. It’s the personal connection that does it 😆. Yea, but that was weird. So I don’t know if she like liked him because he was her boy crush or because she like liked him. Again, we didn’t read the night they got to know each other, so I don’t know if they had a genuine connection that night and that’s why she liked him. I kind of understood why Vance liked her—-she was the first person he felt comfortable being honest around. I love that for him And Rosie also challenged him and met him at his hard-headedness. She sure does have spunk and I appreciated that. I just would have liked to see and feel the romance more because it just seemed to go from Vance being angry and closed off at her and then he figures out it was her and then all of a sudden he changes. I mean, yea the movie kind of feels like that too, but I don’t know, I love a romantic arc 😆.

Back to Vance’s issues, but he was also very self-deprecating on himself because I feel like he was unhappy with who he was and his life. He was the hesitance to a big cooperation and I could feel he felt like it was a burden and a path he never chose for himself. And that’s tough because when your 18, you typically do not know what you want to do when you grow up, or you don’t really want to do what your parents want you to do. So I understood why he felt trap or stuck in a certain lifestyle. I think the castle was a nice change of pace for him to just be a boy, a broody boy, but a boy. But he was also unhappy with his life, again with that Darien thing. But he constantly put himself down and used self-deprecating humor because I think he wasn’t confident in himself or he wasn’t loved in the right way. I believe his insecurities run deeper than what was mentioned in the book, but I believe it has to do in part because of his mom sending him off. He felt like if his mom didn’t even want him or love him, then what good is he. I wanted to hug him because no one should feel like that. I know what that’s like and it sucks to feel not wanted by even the people who should care—-it feels like who will love you if your blood doesn’t even love you. He just needed love. It was sad when he talked about how he never been in love but how he wanted to. He is soooo worthy of love 💜. I don’t care if he was broodish, he was hurting and he needed someone to show him that he was worthy of self-love and loving others, and that he shouldn’t hurt others because he felt that way.

You know, the infamous quote:

“Hurt people, hurt people.”

🤪 Gosh knows I’ve said that on this blog WAY too much!

But it’s true.

And I also found it sad how he played Sims in his room by himself 😥. He just wanted a normal-ish life and to be connected with people who wouldn’t use him. So he played a Sims version of it. OOOH, but I loved how he was friends with Imogen! AHH, I love Imogen and all her cameos with Ethan 😂. So cute! Love that they’re still going strong. But Imogen was such a good friend to Vance and she was always there to set him straight and she was there even when Vance got mad at her.

“All I’m saying is those stupid friends of your in LA made you jaded and untrusting and that’s not who friends are. People aren’t out to find the worst in you, Vance. I thought you would’ve figure that out by now–“

(pg 156)

Imogen was telling him about how he’s always so quick to judge people in wanting something from him, but that’s no way to think. I understand where he was coming from because when you’re famous, I can only imagine how many people might be nice to you because they might want something from you, and that makes it hard to trust people because you never know who might be that person. But I think it’s a negative mindset to always think the worst in people before they even have a chance to prove you wrong. So I liked how Imogen humbled him and reminded him to trust and let people in. He can’t have a relationship with himself or others if he can’t trust.

But he slowly did. . .

Rosie and Vance’s relationship before they knew it wa each other was like tug-of-war. He would avoid her and she would curse his name. And then he would look out the window and he would wave and flip him off 😂 . That was my favorite! We love Rosie! Then there was the part where she used his bathroom and spilled the Kool-aid orange powder everywhere and wiped it with his sponge. And then when he came out of the shower his hair was BRIGHT orange 😂! Love to see! I wonder if the dye every came out, I’m pretty sure it did, but that was hilarious! It reminded me of the scene from Big Fat Liar when the guy rubs the orange dye into his hair or jumped in the pool and turned blue. Have you seen that movie? It was my childhood favorite!

Later when he found out it was her, I thought it was cute how he tried to make an effort by bringing the books from the high shelf down for her. But bro, really could have just. . . I don’t know . . .helped her for real 😅. I liked how caring and tender he was when Rosie fell down and sprained her ankle. It was a true Beauty and the Beast moment.

Then they had that conversation in the beach house about how he didn’t tell her he knew it was her because he was scared she’d be disappointed. Then five seconds later Rosie was like “Is that why you didn’t tell me? I want to ask. Because you thought I would be disappointed.” I mean, honey, did he just spell it out for you five seconds ago 😂. YES, he doesn’t want you to be disappointed. But I liked the intimacy and rawness of the conversation because you could see them opening up. That’s what I wanted to see in the beginning.

They got closer when they stayed over at the castle for the weekend. I liked that moment when they’re in the library and he asks Rosie to read to him.

“Read me something,” he says.

I give him a baffled look. “What , like that scene in Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell?” . . .

“Read to me like one of your nerd friends.”

(pg 197-98)

Read to me like one of your nerd friends . . . paint me like one of your french girls 😂. I was CACKLING.

But I thought it was cute that they read to each other and that he read to her. I mean, get you a man who reads to you 👏🏼 ! I kind of also thought at this point that Vance wasn’t meeting Rosie halfway in all the kindness she was giving to him and how he was still closed off . . . but you know, I guess that’s the character arc. You know where he opens up in time, so that’s okay. But I thought it was funny how he played big butts on the piano. I mean, his humor is showing.

Or when he and Rosie were talking:

“What books do you like?”

“One’s that aren’t boring.”

(pg 210)

We love a guy who tries to read 😂.

We also love a guy who just wants the other person to be happy. I thought it was cute how he went out of his way to call Natalia Ford about the books and then gifted Rosie the entire original Starfield set. But I loved how it was hers anyway. It was truly a full circle moment—a fated moment. Because what were the chances that after the dad and Rosie sold the books, that they would be bought by the producer of the Starfield TV show and would end up at that exact house where Rosie met the boy of her Elexcicon dreams? I mean, that’s the universe at work. Or who would have thought that the book her mom read to her from would have been the initiator of brining Rosie and Vance closer together? Honestly, though, I had a hunch when Rosie kept talking about how her and her dad sold the original copy that the one she dropped in the pool/the one in the library was theirs. I mean, Rosie was just drawn to the books, not because they were just any books, but they were her books.

So I loved the moment Rosie opened up to the back of the book and right there was the mom’s letter to her. Thank GOODNESS that didn’t get water ruined!

“To my rosebud,

This is only the beginning of your story, not the end.

With all my love,

Mom.”

(pg 235)

I mean, I’m not crying you are! 😢 The mom was still there and now Rosie had something of hers again 💜.

Rosie and her mom’s story really got to Vance in the way it taught him to be thankful that he even had his mother around. They didn’t have the best relationship and he might have mixed feelings about how he felt his mom felt about him, but he could at least say he still had time to try with his mom. I loved the moment when he called her and he started to tear up! Gosh, that really darn did it for me! 🤧 It really emphasized how much he loved and missed her and just wanted to know that she still loved him and cared. So hearing her voice really cracked open that wall and allowed him to break down. It’s kind of like when you stop crying and then someone you love just gives you a hug, and you start crying again, but even harder.

I would still like to know how he mended his relationship with his mom or parents. I wanted to see what would happen with that because after the call, we know Vance is going to go home, but I wonder if how his parental and family life would be like.

Speaking of change, I like what Vance said here:

“If you aren’t allowed to grow, then what’s the point in changing?”

(pg 268)

This sums up Vance and the Beast well. Because if you never allow a person to grow—evolve—then they can’t change. If you always say that this person is going to be one thing—bad or good or smart or whatever—then you do not give them room to be who they need or want to be—to change. When reflecting about Vance and his change throughout the book, I kept caught myself thinking, well he changed but did he deserve Rosie still? I still feel like he had more things he needed to grow through by himself before he could be in a committed relationship. And when I was thinking that way, I was like, “I’m not giving him room to grow.” I was not giving him room to change because I kept thinking he was the same “bad boy” Vance, when you know what, he was trying and that’s better than not. So people change if we let them.

I also liked how Vance was self-aware enough to question whether her deserved Rosie. Because at times I felt he didn’t. He didn’t meet her halfway on her kindness or how quick to judge her.

When Rosie lost her phone with the video, I was like, someone at school is going to find it and leak the darn video because DUH that’s the obvious point of catastrophe! So DUH the video got leaked at the homecoming football game by you know the dumb Garrett! DON’T LIKE HIM. *Sigh* And when Rosie ran to the castle to set the record straight, my heart kind of fell with how Vance retreated back into his broodish, closed-off way. I mean, I don’t blame the initial hurt he felt because yea, he was a celebrity and if a video leaked of him, yea, he would think it was her because she took the video. And he had a lot of trust issues before he met Rosie and it wasn’t like it was going to magically go away. So I understood why he was hurt and angry, but then he should have gotten over it after a while to really ask himself if he believed Rosie would do such a thing. He even mentioned how he questioned that himself and he didn’t want to believe otherwise because that would mean he was wrong. So it was easier to push her away. It always is. But sometimes the easier choice isn’t the right choice.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how Imogen was with Ethan at the homecoming game and her and Annie called out to the team all back-and-forth 😂. Or how Imogen got all excited and shocked when she found out Rosie was Vance’s Rosie! 😂 But I also really appreciated how Imogen was still there for Vance and again set him straight again. And she was like, “What are you gonna do about it?”

I could just imagine her putting a hand on her hip and giving a head roll and Ethan standing behind her nodding and mouthing, “Yea, what she said.” We love a supportive boyfriend. But Imogen really keeps Vance on his toes.

The whole lead up to the dance gave me true Beauty and the Beast vibes where in the movie the Beast runs to Belle. I loved when Vance got out of the car and ran the rest of the way to homecoming and how Ethan was in the back seat of the car playing Pokemon Go 😂. Sounds like something he would do.

I think now’s the time to give an appreciation for Space Dad! Space Dad made a good Maurice. But I loved how chill, outgoing, and vibrant Space Dad was. I also loved how he and Elias had something-something going on 😏. I need more details on that please! But I knew something was up—it was the lingering hands for me! But I loved the part where Rosie was like:

“He wears rainbow suspends all through pride month, and he has a graphic framed on his desk with NSYNC and the words BI-BI-BI!”

(pg 195)

Bi- Bi-Bi, more like I was ha ha ha-ing because I never heard that one before and I LOVE an NSYNC reference 😂. But what I loved about the dad was how Quinn felt so comfortable with him and she told him first about her sexuality and orientation and I think that’s just so nice that she had someone in her life she felt she could be honest with. And I liked how it was an adult too because I think it’s an even greater challenge to find an adult who seems to get it or be nonjudgmental. So Space Dad was super cool. I also loved the murder pancake scene—he needs to cook me some!—and how when Vance ate it, his eyes lit up. I thought it was a cute bonding moment between Rosie and her dad and you know, Elias and Space Dad 😏. Does Space Dad have a real name? 😂 But I loved that scene. I mean, someone please tell Space Dad to not put tinfoil in the microwave . . . you think he would have known.

I also liked how he told Rosie to “Amara up,” and to not pity herself or be all boo-hoo on homecoming day. Her dad knows how to talk to her in a simple, meaningful way.

So off to the homecoming they all went, and if she didn’t . . . well that would have been embarrassing for Vance 😂. I kept waiting to see the detail of Rosie wearing a yellow dress because you know, it wouldn’t be Beauty and Beast without one! I would have loved to seen them dance too, but that’s okay.

The whole dramatic Vance apology was much needed and I liked that they made up, but again the “There you are,” just didn’t mean much to me when I still feel like we don’t know who Vance truly is. I would still like to know who is like because I just don’t know him, you know—-like his personality behind the mask or his broodishness, what he likes to do for fun (besides gaming), his passions, etc. Like who is he? I think that’s something he’s still trying to find for himself.

But I adored the ending where Darien and Elle were there in the truck—happily back together the way it should be. I would have liked to know why they broke up in the first place? Hmmmmm 🧐. I mean, it wasn’t like Elle was doing anything sketch with riding home with Vance, and it’s not like Darien didn’t know. I also liked how Imogen and Ethan were still there 😂, but I would have loved to seen Jess! That would have been fun.

But it was just such a cute moment with most of the characters we’ve met during the series all in one place. That’s why I kind of feel like this is the last book in the series (but let’s hope not!) because everyone was there and happy. Vance shared news with her that he was filming something else to be excited for. But I’m happy Rosie got into her dream college and how she shared the moment with Vance. I liked how she finally figured out what she wanted to write for her essay.

What I enjoyed most about the ending was how Ashley Poston tied the mom into it with how this wasn’t the end of Rosie’s story. It’s kind of a well-known saying these days that just because one chapter closes, it does not mean the end of the story. . . yada yada yada . . . but there is so much truth to that. Because when one thing finishes, it leaves room for more—the future and to hope that all their stories has a happily ever after.

The mom was right—-the mom knew all along.

“Because I know it was just the ending of a chapter. It was the close of part one. Even though Mom is gone, she’s still in every word of my story, because hers lives on in me. It lives on in the books that she read, and the ones she shared, and the people she met. Like mine will. And for the first time since she left, life doesn’t feel like the end of a sentence. It feels like a prologue, and I have my two best fiends to follow wherever that adventure takes me.”

(pg 269)

The people we love who have moved on, are ALWAYS with us and live on in us. No matter how much it doesn’t feel like it, remember that 💜.

I also have to give a big applause to Ashley Poston because I liked how the Starfield snippet parts really matched the story progression. KUDOS! 👏🏼 It really helped the book flow and it gave the story a spunk that related to the Starfield galaxy. I especially liked the last snippet of how it ends and how Dairen looks to Amara and asks her where to and she says the stars ✨.

Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite! Am I right?

I thought that was a perfect way to end the story because there is so much more to these stories that we’ll probably never get because you know we can’t (well we can) read their entire life story, but I like to hope they are aiming for the stars in living a happy life.

The other thing I want to know at the end was where was Sansa?! The doggo 😆! I hope she has a home to go to! But besides that, I genuinely enjoyed reading this tale as old as time made new from the inclusivity, the modern high-school spin on it, and of course, the fandom.

Anyway, what was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part? Anything I mentioned that you want to discuss more about? Who is your favorite OTP from the Once Upon a Con series!!!? Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕

I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.

And as always, with love,

Rating

4.34 Full Bloom Flowers

Characters: I really appreciated how both characters captured the essence of our well-known Beauty and Beast. I enjoyed how Rosie was portrayed stronger, but I would have liked to understood them a bit more in who they were. Especially with Vance.

Plot: Tale as old as time that kept true and new!

Writing: Ashley Poston makes reading enjoyable, fun, and relatable 💜

Romance: The romance was there, but something felt like it was missing to why it was there or how.