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Bookish and the Beast
(Once Upon a Con #3)
by
In the third book in Ashley Poston's Once Upon a Con series, Beauty and the Beast is retold in the beloved Starfield universe.
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 moth ...more
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 moth ...more
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Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
August 4th 2020
by Quirk Books
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Gwenevere Parker
most likely not she has different characters in each book but has the other mains from her previous books make cameos
Community Reviews
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Start your review of Bookish and the Beast (Once Upon a Con, #3)

Nov 01, 2020
Jesse (JesseTheReader)
added it
The wholesomeness really jumped on the page with this one! This was a lot of fun! Albeit, I wish it would have been more focused on the con scene like the last two and it definitely felt like it had a bit of a disney channel original movie style going for it, but it still maxed me out with happiness. I reaaaally want Ashley Poston to keep creating stories in this little fandom verse she's created, because they're just such feel good books.
...more

***The Best in the series so far***
**Didn't like the second book
*Left the first book after a few pages
💫This book made me so freaking happy!💞
I don't care about the other books in this series but this one is just meant to be mine 😍
With all that nerdiness and book talk.
With all that friendship vibes.
With all that homecoming vibes.
With all that things can go horribly wrong.
With all that the story is just beginning at the end!
I just love the characters so much!
Rosie is so level headed even if she sou ...more
**Didn't like the second book
*Left the first book after a few pages
💫This book made me so freaking happy!💞
I don't care about the other books in this series but this one is just meant to be mine 😍
With all that nerdiness and book talk.
With all that friendship vibes.
With all that homecoming vibes.
With all that things can go horribly wrong.
With all that the story is just beginning at the end!
I just love the characters so much!
Rosie is so level headed even if she sou ...more

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This series has been a bit of a frustrating one to me. It's cute and lighthearted so reading it always sounds appealing, but at the same time it has so many pop culture references that it overpowers everything else and doesn't give any room for the actual fictional universe created in this story to shine. Think of Galaxy Quest, it created its own universe and has nods to other science fiction (without ...more
This series has been a bit of a frustrating one to me. It's cute and lighthearted so reading it always sounds appealing, but at the same time it has so many pop culture references that it overpowers everything else and doesn't give any room for the actual fictional universe created in this story to shine. Think of Galaxy Quest, it created its own universe and has nods to other science fiction (without ...more

"With him, a little of her heart leaves, but it leaves room, too.
For new people.
For new loves.
For new impossibilities."

Awww why did reading this have to go by so fast?🥺😭
Ashley Poston creates the most beautiful contemporary retellings EVER🥰
Well......maybe I can't really say that considering how I've only read two of her books.😅😂 But it really does feel like that.
I thought Geekerella was amazing and one of the most adorable contemporaries I've ever read, but this.........

Bookish and ...more

UPDATE 2/25/20:
((screams in geek))
I didn't know we had a cover for this as well!
Behold its beauty, behold its grace. I love it, there's a puppy...and bookshelves!!!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST RETELLING!!!

Commence stalking internet until cover reveal.
That is all.
Wake me up in June. ...more
((screams in geek))
I didn't know we had a cover for this as well!
Behold its beauty, behold its grace. I love it, there's a puppy...and bookshelves!!!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST RETELLING!!!

Commence stalking internet until cover reveal.
That is all.
Wake me up in June. ...more

Mar 21, 2020
Candace Robinson
added it
This one had some cute and funny moments but I still liked Geekerella the best! I know Vince is supposed to be spoiled but sometimes I just couldn’t relate to him but I did still like him.

Expectations:

Reality:

YA/Nerd/Sci-Fi-Fan-retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a Library as one of the "main characters".
This sounded really exciting in theory. However, it just did not work in practice.
I mean, the Belle / Beast / Gaston / Poor Dad counterparts are obvious and the story follows the original path while trying to translate it into "Nerdy", but honestly? I found it drawn-out and boring.
Rosie (Belle) - Vance (Beast) are both characters with valid issues, who are in serious limbo be ...more

Reality:

YA/Nerd/Sci-Fi-Fan-retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a Library as one of the "main characters".
This sounded really exciting in theory. However, it just did not work in practice.
I mean, the Belle / Beast / Gaston / Poor Dad counterparts are obvious and the story follows the original path while trying to translate it into "Nerdy", but honestly? I found it drawn-out and boring.
Rosie (Belle) - Vance (Beast) are both characters with valid issues, who are in serious limbo be ...more

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Quirk Books) in exchange for an honest review.
I am such a huge fan of this series so I was excited to read this, especially since Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. I ended up enjoying this a lot!
So first off, there are a lot of references to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Like on page 37 there is a reference to “the great wide somewhere” and on page 224 there is talk of “Magic spells. Daring sword fights. A prince in disgu ...more
I am such a huge fan of this series so I was excited to read this, especially since Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. I ended up enjoying this a lot!
So first off, there are a lot of references to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Like on page 37 there is a reference to “the great wide somewhere” and on page 224 there is talk of “Magic spells. Daring sword fights. A prince in disgu ...more

This is a YA Contemporary Retelling, and this is the 3rd book in the Once Upon a Con series. I love the cover of this book, and I love that this book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I love Beauty and the Beast, and this book did a good job with the retelling parts. I really enjoyed this book, and the characters where fun. I love that this book took place in a library a lot of time. I won an ARC copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway, but this review is 100% my own opinion.

4.5* It’s got a library. It’s got beauty and the beast references. It’s got epic friendships. It’s got the cutest crush to enemies to lovers. It’s got so. many. books. It’s got a dog. It’s got a brooding beast and a bookish beauty. It’s got just the right amount of pop culture references. It’s got a small town romance. It’s got ‘oh no, we’re caught in the rain’ scene. It’s got an epic homecoming scene. It’s got a space dad. It’s got reading aloud to each other.
basically...
SOMEONE MAKE THIS INT ...more
basically...
SOMEONE MAKE THIS INT ...more

This was such a cute book and I'm sad that this is the last one in this series.... RTC
1) Geekerella 5/5 stars
2) The princess and the fangirl 5/5 stars
2.5) Once a princess 3/5 stars
3) Bookish and the beast 5/5 stars ...more
1) Geekerella 5/5 stars
2) The princess and the fangirl 5/5 stars
2.5) Once a princess 3/5 stars
3) Bookish and the beast 5/5 stars ...more

4.25⭐️
i’m thinking maybe i liked this more than book 2? My ratings are kinda off but oh well. Yes this story is very geeky and adorable but at the same time it has a lot of representation. And it’s not just in this book, it’s the whole series. I don’t see how there can be a fourth book for this series but I really enjoyed this one. It’s not necessary to read the books before reading this because this can be read as a stand-alone. But there are a lot of references to the previous books and a lot ...more
i’m thinking maybe i liked this more than book 2? My ratings are kinda off but oh well. Yes this story is very geeky and adorable but at the same time it has a lot of representation. And it’s not just in this book, it’s the whole series. I don’t see how there can be a fourth book for this series but I really enjoyed this one. It’s not necessary to read the books before reading this because this can be read as a stand-alone. But there are a lot of references to the previous books and a lot ...more

DNF
I read Geekerela long time ago. I remember I shelved it under DNF. After so many years, I decided to give it another chance with Bookish and the Beast.
Still... not working for me. Miss Poston put too many aspect of Starfield world into this book. The writing style is not working for me. I am just not into it.
2 stars
I read Geekerela long time ago. I remember I shelved it under DNF. After so many years, I decided to give it another chance with Bookish and the Beast.
Still... not working for me. Miss Poston put too many aspect of Starfield world into this book. The writing style is not working for me. I am just not into it.
2 stars

Jan 2021: finally finishing this one. I'm easily distracted. But I adored this book. I love the return characters. I hope we get more in this series but I have no idea who'd be the next lead. Overall fun.
Feb 2020: there's a cover!! When did we get a cover? That's rhetorical. Please don't actually answer. It's cute. Also a description! I had a feeling this one would be about Vance
2019: Beauty and the beast set in the nerdy world of geekerella? Sold ...more
Feb 2020: there's a cover!! When did we get a cover? That's rhetorical. Please don't actually answer. It's cute. Also a description! I had a feeling this one would be about Vance
2019: Beauty and the beast set in the nerdy world of geekerella? Sold ...more

1.) Geekerella ★★★★★
2.) The Princess and the Fangirl ★★★★★
-
Ashley Poston's 'Once Upon a Con' series is the fangirl/contemporary retelling equivalent to Marissa Meyer's 'Lunar Chronicles'. ...more
2.) The Princess and the Fangirl ★★★★★
-
Ashley Poston's 'Once Upon a Con' series is the fangirl/contemporary retelling equivalent to Marissa Meyer's 'Lunar Chronicles'. ...more

Unfortunately, the latest installment in this fandom-and-nerdy-love-explosion just.. really missed the mark. The third book in the series, centering around the revival and cult-following of a tv-series-turned-movie-adaptation relies heavily on the previous fairytale-esque romances set in and around the fandom and conventions and, unfortunately, fails to live up to anything that came before. Added to the mix was an attempted Beauty and the Beast retelling that didn't remotely land.
So what did wor ...more
So what did wor ...more

Beauty and the Beast but make it shitty [insert 1492348 pop culture references here] This is so hard to review because this was seriously so bad it feels like a parody but no. This is a real book that a publisher spent real money on to publish. The author got paid cash money for this book and I got paid nothing to read this?? This is the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals. (Sick meme but also fuck tr*mp.)
Maybe we should make this our last once upon a con book yeah? Besides one (1) fl ...more
Maybe we should make this our last once upon a con book yeah? Besides one (1) fl ...more

Mar 04, 2020
Steff Fox
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2020,
arcs,
addicting,
ya,
feels,
cover-gems,
retelling-central,
lgbtqa,
predictable,
relateable
| Review on Reader Fox Blog |
AH! I literally screamed when I learned that Ashley Poston was coming out with a Beauty and the Beast retelling. While this particular story has often been hit or miss for me with the ones I've read, I was pretty sold on Bookish and the Beast before I even had it in my hands, let alone started reading. I think it had something to do with the title. Of everything, I fell in love with that title instantaneously. Plus, it helps that I've really enjoyed Poston's pri ...more

AH! I literally screamed when I learned that Ashley Poston was coming out with a Beauty and the Beast retelling. While this particular story has often been hit or miss for me with the ones I've read, I was pretty sold on Bookish and the Beast before I even had it in my hands, let alone started reading. I think it had something to do with the title. Of everything, I fell in love with that title instantaneously. Plus, it helps that I've really enjoyed Poston's pri ...more


“Every place his lips touch – my mouth, my nose, my cheek, my neck – lights up like a star in a constellation for us.”
Bookish & the Beast was a very fun and enjoyable installment in the Once Upon a Con series, that to me sadly couldn't live up to its predecessors.
I truly loved both Geekerella and The Princess & the Fangirl a lot and feel very invested in the Starfield world and storyline. I think where this book mostly fell flat for me was the element of fandom and especially spendin ...more

It’s generally not fun to do this - write a list just tearing into a book. I get that this is someone’s art. Their creation. And how easy for me to sit here and critique. But it isn’t easy. Sometimes I don’t mind writing a review about how terrible a book is. (On rare occasions I’m gleeful at the prospect.) But this isn’t that.
I thought for a moment about being glib. Entire review “at least it was short.” Or “you know what sucks? This book.” And that kind of felt like a shitty moment for me.
So ...more
I thought for a moment about being glib. Entire review “at least it was short.” Or “you know what sucks? This book.” And that kind of felt like a shitty moment for me.
So ...more

Nov 04, 2020
Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell
is currently reading it
Getting an ARC!!! Yeeeeee

First of all,
*closes the book*
*smiles because of how cute it was*
*cries because there's no Vance irl*
*adds all the Poston's book to tbr*
*emails her to ask if she could adopt me*
I laughed so hard reading this book at middle of the night that one of my siblings came to check up on me and asked if I had lost my remaining last two braincells. Whatever .
I think it was funny. I've got unique sense of humor and I also tend to laugh at weird and unfunny things all the time. Don't listen to me.
If you ar ...more
*closes the book*
*smiles because of how cute it was*
*cries because there's no Vance irl*
*adds all the Poston's book to tbr*
*emails her to ask if she could adopt me*
I laughed so hard reading this book at middle of the night that one of my siblings came to check up on me and asked if I had lost my remaining last two braincells. Whatever .
I think it was funny. I've got unique sense of humor and I also tend to laugh at weird and unfunny things all the time. Don't listen to me.
If you ar ...more

Aug 02, 2020
Bookphenomena (Micky)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
ya-contemporary,
grief,
pback-owned,
2020-read,
fc-review,
jerk-redemption,
retelling,
cute
This was such a fab, reel-you-in story, full of books, libraries, jerks, nerds and most importantly…jerk redemption. I have to admit, I’ve missed out book two along the way, but I will put that right soon. However, I was still able to follow this interconnected standalone with ease. There was something about the love of books, in this book, that just spoke to my soul. This quote below and the whole section around it resonated with me completely.
I can recognise these books from anywhere – even te ...more
I can recognise these books from anywhere – even te ...more

In this third installment of the series after having met at Excelsicon Ball where they both wore masks, told intimate secrets, and spent a night eating waffles and talking about the Starfield series, both remember that day with happiness but neither of them reveals their identity to each other. One of those people is Rosie Thorne who is still grieving the loss of her mother.
Rosie and her friends enjoy reading books and everything that has to do with the Starfield universe. On the other hand, we ...more
Rosie and her friends enjoy reading books and everything that has to do with the Starfield universe. On the other hand, we ...more

My online exam is knocking at my door like an uninvited guest.
-But do I care?
- 𝐍𝐎.
The only thing that mattered for me is to finish this book and I don’t regret reading this one when I 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 should start studying for exam. And you know what? It's totally worth it.
Also, who doesn’t love a beautiful retelling of 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 anyway?
I instantly liked Rosie because she loves book a̶n̶d̶ n̶o̶t̶ b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ s̶h̶e̶ l̶o̶v̶e̶s̶ v̶i̶l̶l̶a̶i̶n̶s̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ m̶e̶.
Okay, so I love villain ...more
-But do I care?
- 𝐍𝐎.
The only thing that mattered for me is to finish this book and I don’t regret reading this one when I 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 should start studying for exam. And you know what? It's totally worth it.
Also, who doesn’t love a beautiful retelling of 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 anyway?
I instantly liked Rosie because she loves book a̶n̶d̶ n̶o̶t̶ b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ s̶h̶e̶ l̶o̶v̶e̶s̶ v̶i̶l̶l̶a̶i̶n̶s̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ m̶e̶.
Okay, so I love villain ...more

"Don't go falling in love with a library now. Especially one you can't own."
"Can't I fall in love just a little? At least books won't break my heart."
4.5 stars
Book 100 this year and it was so worthy. Best book in the series. 😍😍
The author claims she wrote this for herself and it shows. You can feel the heartblood she poured into this.
Rosie is a wonderful character, I loved her from the getgo. And her friends and her dad are awesome as well. Garrett is the perfect Gaston! Vance is great, too. ...more

As much as I adore this series I have to say this book was my least favorite although it has so many things that could make it so amazing
In this book we will follow Rosie and Vance, Rosie lives in a small town and she os very sad that her mother died that she is barely functioning to save up for her college and what not .. also she is a nerd and a bookworm
and Vance is the actor who plays the villian of the show Starfield but his real life is not going well, so his father decides to put him in a ...more
In this book we will follow Rosie and Vance, Rosie lives in a small town and she os very sad that her mother died that she is barely functioning to save up for her college and what not .. also she is a nerd and a bookworm
and Vance is the actor who plays the villian of the show Starfield but his real life is not going well, so his father decides to put him in a ...more

Plot
This is by far the best instalment in this series. I think it might be the last, but I’m hoping there will be more. There’s always Calvin to pair up with a love interest, right? RIGHT?
I absolutely love the interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast story to fit the romance between Rosie and Vance.
There are a few parts that require a suspension of disbelief, but these are easily forgiven, because if it’s destined to happen, maybe these aren’t eyeball-rolling coincidences and are actual ...more
This is by far the best instalment in this series. I think it might be the last, but I’m hoping there will be more. There’s always Calvin to pair up with a love interest, right? RIGHT?
I absolutely love the interpretation of the Beauty and the Beast story to fit the romance between Rosie and Vance.
There are a few parts that require a suspension of disbelief, but these are easily forgiven, because if it’s destined to happen, maybe these aren’t eyeball-rolling coincidences and are actual ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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LGBT again? | 1 | 42 | Jun 06, 2019 04:12AM |
Ashley Poston’s is a part-time author and full-time fangirl. She was born in rural South Carolina, where you can see the stars impossibly well...
Tweet her at @ashposton and read her inner-most rambles at www.ashposton.com. ...more
Tweet her at @ashposton and read her inner-most rambles at www.ashposton.com. ...more
Other books in the series
Once Upon a Con
(3 books)
Articles featuring this book
Ashley Poston made her name with Once Upon a Con, a contemporary series set in the world of fandom, and her two-part space opera, Heart of...
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“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 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.”
—
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“If this is where this chapter ends, I wouldn’t really mind, because now I know I have plenty more chapters to write. I thought my story ended when my mom died—because I didn’t think there was a book without her. 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. There is a whole universe out there waiting to tell our stories. 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 friends beside me to follow wherever that adventure takes me. And that, I decide, is what my”
—
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