Why didn't I listen to the reviews? Why oh why? Reading this book was simply unpleasant from start to finish. Basically, the majority of the book is the Prince being the jerk we all know he was before the curse. We get to see him be. self-absorbed, vain, arrogant, insulting, and hey, why not toss in out-right murderer while we're at it?  Yeah, he makes a hit on some painter who did an unflattering portrait of him and possibly led a girl to suicide? What a charmer. That really makes us hope he gets out all right in the end.

When the book isn't being cynical, it's rehashing the movie in book form. You though the 2017 live action movie was just line for line the animated movie? Hah, this book is just literally that when it comes up to the ending. 

Speaking of the ending, it ends up being rushed because it is simply the movie, which the book knows we are familiar with. And that is just horrendous storytelling. I know that it is meant to serve as a prequel to the movie, but really you could just drop this book before the last fifty pages and go watch the last third of the movie to spare you some reading.

In short, Beauty and the Beast fans: stay far away. There is really nothing to be gained here other than disappointment.