The Beast's Garden

Kate Forsyth

2015 • 450 pages

Ratings2

Average rating2.5

" Ava fell in love the night the Nazis first showed their true nature to the world ' A retelling of the Grimms' Beauty and The Beast, set in Nazi Germany. It's August 1939 in Germany, and Ava's world is in turmoil. To save her father, she must marry a young Nazi officer, Leo von L wenstein, who works for Hitler's spy chief in Berlin. However, she hates and fears the brutal Nazi regime, and finds herself compelled to stand against it. Ava joins an underground resistance movement that seeks to help victims survive the horrors of the German war machine. But she must live a double life, hiding her true feelings from her husband, even as she falls in love with him. Gradually she comes to realise that Leo is part of a dangerous conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. As Berlin is bombed into ruins, the Gestapo ruthlessly hunt down all resistance and Ava finds herself living hand-to-mouth in the rubble of the shell-shocked city. Both her life and Leo's hang in the balance. Filled with danger, intrigue and romance, The Beast's Garden, a retelling of the Grimm brothers' Beauty and The Beast', is a beautiful, compelling love story set in a time

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Rachel

Well, that was disappointing. I've had this book on my to-read list since it was first announced. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in Nazi Germany? I was intrigued. It took nearly 2 years to find out a way to order it from Australia. My anticipation was high.

Unfortunately there were so many things wrong with this. First, the love at first sight was ridiculous. She loved her husband, but wouldn't trust him with anything. I understand times were tough, but some honesty would have been good for them. Many of their interactions were utterly ridiculous and to be completely frank I hated both of them. No, not fair, I tolerated Leo, but I kept wishing someone would drop a bomb on Ava and end it already.

I will give Kate Forsyth props on her research. The war was terrible, and she captured the unfair atrocities of the war. Many of the scenes were shocking, and heart wrenching. It was really the actions and personalities of the main characters (and main secondary characters) that compelled me to give this such a low rating.

July 7, 2017