Book Review: The Everlasting Rose (The Belles #2)

The Everlasting Rose (The Belles #2) by Dhonielle Clayton ~ 352 pages ~ to be published 3/5/19 by Freeform

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard and new love Remy must race against time to find Princess Charlotte. Sophia’s Imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep the rebels from returning Charlotte to the castle and her rightful place as queen. With the help of an underground resistance movement called The Iron Ladies-a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely-and the backing of alternative newspaper The Spider’s Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and restore peace to Orleans.

What I Thought:

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

After reading and loving the first book in this series, The Belles, I was thrilled to get an advance copy of The Everlasting Rose. It certainly did not disappoint. All of the characters that I loved from the first book made an appearance, and we got to dive deeper into the fascinating world of Orleans.

Whereas the first book really painted the picture of what this world is like, the second was full of action and intrigue. We got to see more of the world itself, traveling between several of the various islands that make up the kingdom. Getting to travel to the different locales was fun because Clayton’s writing makes the world come alive for her readers. In some books I find a lot of description tedious and unnecessary, but I absolutely love Clayton’s prose.

It was fun getting to dive deeper into the relationships that Camille has with those closest to her, mainly with Remy and Edel. Edel was spunky and impulsive, and it made for a very interesting dynamic between the two Belles. And Remy…I love him so. Getting to know him better and see the relationship between he and Camille grow was one of my favorite parts of this book.

The threat of Sophia’s tyrannical rule was ever-present…but also not quite as terrifying as the first book. I think the fact that for the majority of the book she is not physically present made it feel a little less unnerving for me than the first book was. She was still a terror, but not in the same way.

I enjoyed the message that there should be less of an emphasis on outer beauty. It was subtle but powerful. I like when a moral issue isn’t shoved in your face. This was done very well here.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Everlasting Rose! It was fast paced, beautifully written, and a wonderful companion to the first book in the series.