STORIES TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE: Book Bar Review...Belair's Tale

"Forget everything you know about Beauty and the Beast—this retelling is darker, sexier, and the beast isn't who you think."

I, Belair Draven, the golden boy of Newhill, New York, always has a plan. I need to be in control, and I hate surprises. Hence, why learning one of our towns darkest secrets profoundly disturbed me beyond measure. Her name is Princeton Emberly. She’s a woman I don’t know and cannot desire. A woman our town sees as a Beast, her ghostly reputation as dark and twisted as the house she is confined to.

However, despite her scars and broken pieces, her hauntingly beautiful soul draws me in without words. Darkness surrounds her. And the closer I get, the more I feel utterly useless against her pull. Perhaps I could liberate her from isolation, or maybe, she’ll drag me down and trap me in her cage forever.

Belair’s Tale is a dark and passionate retelling of Beauty and the Beast, where the fairytale romance is reimagined into a modern-day forbidden affair, where darkness exudes from every illicit corner.

THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF BAE REIMAGINED

My Thoughts...

I enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast reimaging and this one flips the script in the best way. Instead of a beast who needs saving, we get Princeton Emberly, a woman the town has written off as a monster. She's isolated, scarred, and the subject of whispered rumors. Belair Draven, the golden boy who always has everything figured out, until he stumbles onto the town's darkest secret and realizes he doesn't have control over anything, especially not his feelings.

What I enjoyed most was how the author crafted the forbidden nature of their connection. Belair isn't supposed to want Princeton. She's someone he "cannot desire," but the more he learns about her, the harder it is to stay away. There's something moving about the way Kelsey Green writes their dynamic, it's not just attraction, it's an obsession that feels a little dangerous. You're never quite sure if Belair is going to save Princeton or if she's going to pull him down with her.

The bit of darkness in this book isn't just window dressing. It's woven into every corner of the story...the secrets, the isolation, the way the town treats Princeton like she's something to be feared. And Belair, for all his charm and control, he's utterly helpless against her pull. That tension between wanting to fix things and being unable to resist falling deeper is what kept me turning pages.

If you're into modern, darker fairy tale reimagining where the lines between savior and captive blur, this one's worth picking up. Just be ready for some serious forbidden romance vibes.

The Drink Pairing: Dark and Stormy

Instructions: Fill a glass with ice. Pour in the dark rum, then top with ginger beer. Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and drop it in. Give it a gentle stir.

Why it works: The name alone fits perfectly...dark, intense, and a little turbulent, just like Belair and Princeton's relationship. The dark rum mirrors the shadowy, forbidden elements of the story, while the ginger beer brings a sharp bite that reflects the tension between them. It's smooth but has an edge, much like Belair's polished exterior hiding the chaos Princeton stirs up inside him.

Plus, it's dangerously easy to drink, which feels right for a book about falling for someone you absolutely shouldn't.