*4.5 Stars* ( )

I simple adore this read. I loved how ashley crafted another read in this series. I loved how this book took the beauty and the beast myth and transformed it. I really loved both rosie and vance . This book also explored some of favorite elements bad boy in Hollywood falls for a small town girl. A problem they need to solve. So much tie back to the star field series that was created. This book made me laugh out loud so much and really reminded me of the first book in this series. I really loved he romance and friendships in this read. I also liked the cameos of the other characters in this series. I hope we get a fourth book! Such a good read. ( )

I simple adore this read. I loved how ashley crafted another read in this series. I loved how this book took the beauty and the beast myth and transformed it. I really loved both rosie and vance . This book also explored some of favorite elements bad boy in Hollywood falls for a small town girl. A problem they need to solve. So much tie back to the star field series that was created. This book made me laugh out loud so much and really reminded me of the first book in this series. I really loved he romance and friendships in this read. I also liked the cameos of the other characters in this series. I hope we get a fourth book! Such a good read. ( )

3.5 Stars

Well that was a pretty adorable YA reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.

It was a light and fluffy story filled with fandom and the usual expected tropes for this genre. I think the lead characters were engaging and that kept me turning the pages to reach the inevitable sweet and sappy conclusion. I think this series is lovely and will be popular in the library. I have yet to read book 1 but will get there shortly. ( )

Book number three in the Once Upon a Con series can easily be read as a standalone, though characters from the earlier books do show up here without much backstory. Still, the focus is on a new couple: Rosie Thorne, high school senior and geek girl bookworm, and Hollywood bad boy Vance Reign, who plays the villain in the Starfield movies.

Vance has recently been caught by paparazzi in a potentially scandalous situation (which really isn’t all that), so his mom and stepfather have sent him into exile in a small town with his godfather as guardian. Rosie stumbles onto the estate when chasing a dog, which she assumes to be a stray or runaway. And one thing leads to another.

I didn’t see a lot of Beauty and the Beast here, though Rosie does share Belle’s love of books & libraries. Vance is surly, to be sure, but hardly a beast. There’s a nice subplot involving Rosie’s dad and Vance’s guardian (I’d read THAT sequel).

To sum it up, this is a YA romance, full of the drama of homecoming, friends, college applications, frenemies, gossip, the pitfalls of social media, and a bit of Comic-Con nerdiness thrown in. The characters were pretty much right out of central casting, and the plot (even without the supposed B&tB background) was predictable. I was hesitant at first and thought I might DNF it, but I found myself caught up and sufficiently entertained to finish. It was a fast read and I can certainly see the appeal for the intended audience. ( )