Isabelle and the Beast

Once Upon a RomCom #2

by Marie Soleil

It was supposed to be a quick meeting.

I’ve been trying to break into acting for years, and now I’m FINALLY up for a lead role in a romcom movie. It’s a huge step up from barista #3, especially considering who’s supposed to play my love interest—Adam Stone.

Sure, he’s known as the “Hollywood Hothead” and disappeared from the public eye eight months ago after he punched fellow actor Tristan Jackson on the red carpet. But I’m willing to endure some personality issues for the sake of my big break.

When he asks me to come meet him at his family estate to make sure we can work together, I figure it’ll just be a couple hours. Maybe dinner.

But then it starts snowing.

In May.

In Southern California.

Now I’m stranded with Adam for who knows how long. He’s rude, gruff, and I KNOW he’s keeping some crazy secrets. I’m 99% sure it’s not a dead body but…you never know.

The longer I stay, the more determined I am to find out the truth…and the more I realize that Adam has scars below the surface, too.

Maybe things aren’t always what they appear.

Isabelle and the Beast is a closed-door, romantic comedy retelling of Beauty and the Beast with no spice and swoony kisses only! The stories in the Once Upon a Rom-Com series follow the siblings of the Stone family as they find their happily ever afters. The stories are standalone, but if you like continuous stories, I recommend reading them in order.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Beauty and The Beast, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Audiobook, Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2025

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairy Tales and Musicals

Isabelle has been doing bit parts and finally snagged a starring role in a made for television romance. The best part is that her leading man is her favorite action hero actor Adam Stone.

Adam insists she travel to his mountain home to discuss the movie. Adam is grizzled and rude and Isabelle decides against doing a movie with him. She storms out only to find herself in a whiteout blizzard and stuck in place she desperately wants to leave.

Little by little the two grow closer and this is almost like a fun old movie. Five star clean romance.

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars, rounded up!)

GENRE
-romcom / fairytale retelling

CONTENT
-🤬: none
-❤️: kisses
-⚠️: facial scarring due to car accident, vague mentions of a young woman being taken advantage of

I really enjoyed this fresh take on Beauty and the Beast. Adam used to be a huge name in Hollywood, but he's recently become a recluse. Isabelle is trying to break into the acting industry, and a role has opened up for her to star opposite Adam. The thing is: she has to go to Adam's castle (way up in the mountains) to convince him to take the role. She's surprised to find Adam with facial scarring that was not there the last time he was seen in public. Adam is rude, and well, beastly, which is also shocking. Isabelle attempts to leave but a freak snowstorm prevents that from happening.

I really enjoyed the way that Adam softened toward Isabelle and how much he clearly loved his sister. I am SO curious as to how Lily's story will turn out, especially in regards to Tristan, that snake.

I listened to the audiobook (which was so enjoyable!) so I didn't jot down any quotes.

[Tricia Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and swoony modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. You’re going to find some snowed in together, grumpy sunshine, celebrity romance goodness in this story. Adam is a bit of a true “beast” at the beginning of this story, but with some great banter and a rescue situation, we get to see him soften and peel back the layers as he falls first. 😍 So many fun parallels to the original fairy tale and a delightful supporting cast make this a great read! So excited for Lily’s story next!

[Holly (IG Hollys_Book_Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She's beautiful without trying."

Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil

All the Stars and Hearts!
This was everything I wanted in a romcom retelling of Beauty and the Beast, plus more. I enjoyed the humor and heart that Marie brought to the tale as old as time, while making it her own twist on it. She sets it up perfectly for book 3 too!

Adam is difficult to be around. He is the ultimate grump. In fact, he is acting like, well, like a BEAST!

Enter Isabelle, who becomes trapped on his mountain when a snowstorm rages in. She is supposed to costar in one of those cute, chick flick movies with Adam and goes to his castle on the mountain to convince him to do the movie with her. As an aspiring actress looking for her big break, costaring with Adam means everything!

Adam and Isabelle's chemistry will have you rooting for the both of them as they navigate the new feelings growing between them. Will Isabelle melt the ice surrounding Adam's heart?
I loved these two together so much! I loved Adam's transformations, and how he helps Isabelle in return. There aren't very many romcom beauty and the beast retellings, and Marie did such a great job spinning it in a delightful, swoony, clever way.

I definitely recommend this cute story.

Now, is book 3 available yet? Because I am so excited for Lily's story! Tangled/Rapunzel is one of my other favorite fairy tales.

Favorite Parts:
Forced Proximity
Fairytale romcom retelling of Beauty and the Beast with ALL the vibes
His grand gesture
Protective MMC
Snowball fight
Gazebo
Movie nights
Popcorn

Content Guide:
kissing only, altercation (mentioned that happens in the past), mild peril, grief, death (past), scandal (discussed, in the past)

Thank you to the Author for the review copy. All thoughts are my own.

Book Info:
Series: Once Upon a Romcom book 2
Genre: Romcom: Fairytale Retelling 
Romance Level: Closed-door 2
Release Date: January 6, 2025
Publisher: Indie
POV: Dual

[Melissa (christianbooksandcoffee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars!
Fantastic modern Beauty and the Beast retelling. I loved Isabelle and Adam so much! Lots of great moments. I loved the snowball fight, the theater, and gazebo!

[Lissa Ruck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore Adam & Isabelle's grumpy, feisty, sweet ,caring, loving, swoony happily ever after!!!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This was a fun Beauty & the Beast retelling featuring Adam Stone, a partially blind, reclusive and grumpy actor stuck with Isabelle, an aspiring actress at his family estate where she's come to audition for a role only for them to get snowed in together. I liked the audiobook version and the disability rep. I don' think it was quite my fav of the series so far but I'm looking forward to the Rapunzel retelling next! Can easily be read as a standalone.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got around to this one after finishing cinder Luna last year:) now it is not required to read them in order but I always will bc I can’t bring myself to do so haha! This was cute and I liked the take on Beauty and the Beast! Looking forward to lily’s story! 4/5

[Isabelle Gillibrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Hallmark Channel movies were a book. The expectations were low, but Beauty and the Beast is a favorite and my name is in the title - had to give a listen!

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super sweet. It’s a soft, tender hearted Beauty and the Beast retelling. Same concept, a few changes. It’s a closed door story but romantic. Adam is an actor who locked himself away in his family’s castle due to some bad media. Isabella is an aspiring actress who seeks him to convince him to do a movie with her and as expected, he’s not very friendly. A snow storm makes them be in close proximity and well you know the story lol. Even though I knew what the story would be like, I still loved it and recommend it when you want a cute, heartwarming love story 💛💙

[Madelyn- The Squeaky Clean Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed. Favorite Beauty and the Beast to date

You read that right.

Beauty and the beast is not my favorite fairytale (GASP I know) but THIS story is amazing!

Here's why
Adam: realistic backstory, is a grump, is cute even with a scar, gets a hair cut, and apologizes and changes for the better prompted by Isabelle but because he CHOOSES to do it.

Isabelle: calls him out on his crap. Encourages a HEALTHY relationship and is a sweetheart. I loved her quirks, like musicals, but also how she wouldn't back down about being respected because PREACH IT SISTER


I am so ready for Lily's story, and even Peter's because they're going to be EPIC. I already know.

Can we also just talk about that first kiss tho 🔥🔥🔥

So anyways, I'm not 100% certain I will love ANY fairytale in this series because I love this one.

Now it's your turn, go read it and fall in love with it.
💋Swoony kisses
⚠️There's a Wickham character who is a punk (think pride and prejudice), both main characters have lost their mother's, Adam is injured off page before the book begins from drinking and driving. No other people are hurt from the incident. He has promised not to sad drink anymore

[Kaci Bonar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Marie talked about her plans for this series and that ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was on tap, I couldn’t contain my excitement!  This book is not a direct adaption, there are things that have been modified to suit the needs of the book, but you won’t find me complaining as I have been having daily book hangovers as I have been reading!

Isabelle is a determined young woman, who wants her moment to shine but first she must convince her potential costar to get onboard with the project!  To prove her dedication to the project, she must have a private meeting with him at his home.  What she didn’t plan for was the fluke snowstorm to strand her and the man of the house to be infuriating!  Over the course of the story, she challenges him and proves herself worthy to step out of the shadows that her sisters have cast!

Adam has become a recluse over the last several months and he isn’t about to come out for just anyone!  Not even his manager’s daughter, who is hoping to his costar!  He pushes back hard and is lucky he didn’t get a slap to the face!  When she doesn’t back down and Adam can’t deny his intrigue!  This girl has looks and a brain! 

As previously stated, this is a loose interpretation of the story that most of us know from Disney, but the right elements are there!  The forbidden rose, way to see what’s going on in the outside world, a special library, even a cute little guy that can’t simply be ignored!  Loved Theo!  He was the superhero three-year-old that I never knew I needed!  I love how seamless Marie builds one story from the previous!  This series is now two books deep and I eagerly await to read the next one!  Bravo! 

[Korbie Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle and the Beast was a lovely read! I am such a fan of fairytale retellings, and it’s particularly rare to find an author who does a truly good modern retelling. Soleil has it mastered!

Isabelle and Adam both feel very much like the inspiring characters, but realistically. I loved that Adam’s bit of beastliness at the start of the story was largely due to emotional challenges and some backlash from his coping mechanisms. It made him feel so real and forgivable. Isabelle is delightfully feisty and determined. And, like any good Beauty and the Beast retelling, the cast of side characters is phenomenal (Lionel, Brigette, and Theo are my favs! Ooh and Aunt Agatha!). Their forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine romance was swoony in all the right places and flowed naturally.

The nods to the original tale (and the beloved Disney version!) were perfectly in balance with the unique aspects of the story. It felt so nostalgic having the nods to such a beloved fairytale, while being refreshingly original in its own way too.

While this book technically could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Cinder Luna first; each book is best as part of the series in my opinion!

Thank you to the author for the ARC and opportunity to be part of the launch team! All opinions are my own.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my I love a good fairy tale and this is so on mark I didn't want it to end. After Henry and Luna story I couldn't wait for Adam's book and it doesn't disappoint. Isabelle is the youngest of three sisters, her older sisters are both well known models. Isabelle feels she just blends in and nobody really notices her because of her sisters beauty. Now she's finally been given the lead part in a move except her leading man is known for his grumpy demanding manor. Adam has shut himself off from everything living in his castle away from the real world. His bad boy behaviour has left its mark on him in more ways than one. Now he's been approached to star in a rom com after all his action hero movies, but if he want to keep his career alive he needs this. Can Isabelle crack his tough exterior and finally see the real Adam. Or will Adam just build his walls higher. With hidden secrets and a castle full of staff will there be a happy ever after. I love Adam's story but must say I'm excited to read Lily's story next. As always Marie has given us a book that you can't put down with heartwarming characters. This is a must on your tbr list

[Kim Golding · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It takes a moment to register that the giant, hulking figure in the doorway is not, in fact, a beast, but is Adam Stone. Although I feel pretty justified in my assumption. He’s at least six foot three, with a body that should be chopping wood somewhere in the Appalachians.”

Isabelle and the Beast is a modern day re-telling of one of my favorite fairytales! When Isabelle and her car “Philippe“ head up the mountain to meet Adam Stone, the notoriously grumpymovie star,, she doesn’t expect to get snowed in at his castle for the unforeseeable future. However, after a few days spent together, she starts to break down his walls and his cold heart starts to let her in.

This book had so many fun references and similarities to the well-known story of “Beauty and the Beast“ and I loved every little correlation that came up! From the name of Isabelle’s car, to her nickname and middle name, the glass rose on Adam’s bookshelf, and his castle servants with similar personalities to those in the movie!!

Such a fun story! If you love fairytale retellings, you don’t want to miss this one!!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Once Upon a RomCom series! Marie Soleil does a great job of weaving in classic fairy tales with modern day and contemporary situations and characters, and it’s so creative. So far, these stories can stand alone, but the characters and circumstances mesh together and each installment is about one of the Stone siblings.

Isabelle wants to find her break in the acting world and comes up against hot headed actor, Adam. And a freak snowstorm in May forces her to stay at his family estate. Hello, forced proximity with a grumpy sunshine trope! I love the layers that compose Adam and the secrets and scandal that form his personality. Isabelle is a sassy delight, only wanting to make a name for herself and get out from the shadow of her sisters.

This is such a fun, sweet, and swoony series and the twists and turns that make this one its own story are brilliant. I can’t wait to get the next Stone story. **I listened to this one on Spotify.

Content: off-page talk of being compromised; off-page fight; mild romance

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Absolutely Love Fairytales & This Beauty And The Beast Retelling Was Perfect! It Was A Don’t Wanna Put This Down Gotta Read Kinda Book! Clean, No Spice, Swoony & Sweet! This Is The Second In This Series So If You Like To Read In Order, Start With “Cinder Luna”. A Cinderella Retelling! Thank You, Marie Soliel, For Your Hard Work & Effort To Keep Your Readers Entertained & Hooked On Your Stories!

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝙊𝙝!” 𝙄 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙. “𝙉𝙤. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙮.”
𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛. “𝙄 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.”

I had such a fun time with this book! I was reading it while subbing & kept catching myself smiling like an idiot down at my kindle.

Isabelle is about to get her first big break—starring in a family-friendly, hallmark-style film. Unfortunately, there’s a catch… she needs to get hothead Adam Stone on board. Getting stuck in a blizzard at his secluded castle in the middle of May was not on her agenda.

Living in Colorado, the May blizzard (& the frustrations of a May blizzard) was all too relatable. 😅 Usually, the May blizzards melt quite fast, but of course, if that had happened we wouldn’t have a story to read!

I love when Beauty and the Beast retellings have obvious hints towards the movie. I’m a freak for anything and everything BATB! (Except for the live action movie… that one sucks). I also love a good musical, and when they watched Phantom of the Opera together I think I about died.

This book is so worth the read and OF COURSE YOU CAN FIND IT ON KU, YOU LUCKY DUCKY!! 🥰

[Kaitlin M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle and the Beast is such a sweet modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I loved that Marie kept Isabelle as a strong woman, who still sometimes needs to be saved (because that’s okay!) I loved getting to know all of the new characters and everything that Isabelle and Adam have gone through to make them who they are. It was so sweet to watch Adam grow and come back to himself and his family through Isabelle’s inspiration. It was also so nice to see more of Lily and finally get to know what happened that caused the ending of Cinder Luna.

Marie includes many references to the original fairytales in ways that can be funny or so sweet. I’m excited for Lily’s story next and hopefully Peter’s after that, based on the nudge, nudge, wink, winks Marie included in the epilogue. If you love fairytale retellings, you’ve got to read this one!

Thank you so much to Marie for including me in her ARC team, all opinions expressed are my own.

Spoiler alert in content warnings

Content:
One use of good lord
Manipulation of a minor

[Megan Crofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This series just keeps getting better and better. I looooooooved this one so much!! The layers and secrets and the similarities between Isabelle and Adam's story and the original Beauty and the Beast fairytale. And of course it had, my favorite trope, grump/sunshine!

I loved both Adam and Isabelle! Isabelle had this great snark and could really hold her own with grumpy Adam. I loved that he enjoyed when she challenged him. Adam has this endearing protective side and takes care of her in his own way. The grumpy/sunshine vibes were perfection! She was patient with him and he was protective of her. They had this underlying understanding of each other. Chapter 22 IYKYK! I couldn't help smiling throughout that chapter, the entire book actually!

The character growth was great and so was the pacing of their story. The author handled the conflict in the story so well and I really liked how it was resolved. Such a wonderful story! Adam and Isabelle were adorable and I loved them! Cannot wait for Lily's story!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle and the Beast was an absolutely wonderful retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. The author did a great job of giving nods to the well known fairy tale, while also creating a story that stands on its own. I listened to the audio book version and enjoyed the dual narrators. Adam was voiced with a light British accent, which fit his background and helped make the telling feel authentic.

Adam was a true beast of a personality for the first portion of the story. I liked getting to learn along with Isabelle about his true character and why he was the way he was. As the novel progressed, the connection began to grow between Isabelle and Adam and his true heart, which had been injured and hidden behind a gruff exterior began to show itself.

This novel was very fun to listen to. This was also a great twist on a celebrity romance, with the publicity problems and troubles that forced Adam into seclusion creating a believable reason for both his departure from society as well as the simmering resentment that he carried around.

If you enjoy fairy tale retellings and clean romcoms, this is one that you don’t want to miss.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down.

This book was a fun retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I appreciated the aspects that were consistent with the Disney fairytale, and I also enjoyed the changes. I liked this book more than the first one in the series. I love a well-written, grumpy, brooding, and mysterious man for the love interest.

The writing is decent, but this book suffers from a case of “show me, don’t tell me.” There were many conversations with characters where they explained what happened, but I believe it would have been more engaging to include a flashback or something similar. I also wanted the book to show more examples of why a character is a specific adjective instead of repeatedly telling me they are that way.

Content warning: Clean romance, a few religious exclamations.

[Abby Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this modern day retelling of Beauty & The Beas, with some fun twists! Loved Adam & Isabelle together. And I cannot wait for his sister Lily’s book!

[RD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabelle and the Beast is a contemporary version of Beauty and the Beast. It is the second book in the Once Upon a RomCom series. I love the first story, Cinder Luna, and was excited to read about Isabelle’s and Adam’s romance.

Marie Soleil does an excellent job alluding to Disney’s cartoon version of Beauty and the Beast. It is delightful to be surprised by these creative references (that have logical reasons rather than magic and curses). For example, when Isabelle first encounters Adam she remarks that he “is ominous and almost more animal than man.” There is also a mysterious delicate glass rose on a stand, which ends up having a less magical background story but is still a highly valued possession of “the beast.” The butler, Lionel, has “a thing” for one of the other servants. And there are many other fun connections.

The contemporary side of the story deals with the entertainment industry (Hollywood), actors, and scandals. Kind of a romance killer for me but it is a critical part of where the story and the series is going. There is plenty of sweet romance and tender gestures to give the reader a warm feeling and satisfaction at the conclusion. I enjoyed reading the book.

Thank you to the author for sharing a copy of her story with me. A positive review was not required.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Beauty and the Beast retelling was everything I hoped it would be and more! I loved Adam and Isabelle’s tension, emotional connection, movie nights, snow fights, the way they protected each other, & every moment in between! Plus, the side characters are some of the best!

My rating: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: none (kisses only)
CW ⚠️: altercation (past), toxic relationship (past)

[Tamera Westhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Fairytale Retell

Isabelle desperately wants to be an actress, but she has to convince Adam to be her costar and he’s a very unhappy hermit. She gets stuck there due to a freak snowstorm and actually gets to know him (luckily it took forever for the snow to stop and then melt). They have some very cute moments!

[Mary Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ ARC Review: I love starting out my year with one of Marie’s books. Fairytale retellings sometimes feel repetitive, but Marie weaves hers in a fresh exciting way while still paying homage to the original.

While I still like this book and many things about it, it wasn’t my favorite. I liked the characters and the snowed-in aspect, and like I said, the nods to the original story (it’s so fun to pick those out) I just feel like this one was a little long for me. But I am very excited for Lily’s story next.

But again, it was a refreshing new take on the classic fairytale that I enjoyed and would recommend. Just nothing special.

*Thank you to the author, Marie Soleil, for the complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read of you enjoy:
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Forced proximity
- Snowed-in
- Beauty and the Beast retelling

Content 💋:
- Kisses only
- No language

[Pasta · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very sweet and wholesome book. Very family orientated and I loved how the author switched between the narratives between the main characters. I finished this book in 4 hours and it was a very nice 4 hours of my time. This is a very pleasant read so I recommend if you want something nice (not to complicated) and short !!

[Samantha Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book - read it all in one night! I loved Adam’s character and the way he softens with Isabelle’s help. Great chemistry. And of course I absolutely adored all the nods to the Disney movie!

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good!

Excellent modern-day rendition of Beauty and the Beast. The storyline is perfect, and with the plot and twists, it should end up on the big screen.