contemporary beauty and the beast romance novels

'Uprooted' by Naomi Novik can be considered in this category too. The relationship between the young woman Agnieszka and the powerful, somewhat fearsome wizard known as the Dragon has parallels to the beauty and the beast story. She is taken from her village to live with him, and their relationship evolves over time.

The contemporary novels often expand on the characters' backstories. In the original, the Beast and Beauty are more one - dimensional, but in contemporary novels like 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', the male lead has a complex past full of trauma and power struggles that shape his 'beast - like' behavior.

One great 'Beauty and the Beast' - inspired romance novel is 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas. It has elements of a Beauty and the Beast - like relationship, with a strong - willed female lead and a mysterious, powerful male character. Another is 'Heart's Blood' by Juliet Marillier. The story has a similar theme of a woman coming to a strange place and forming a connection with a brooding, complex man. And 'Beastly' by Alex Flinn is also a good one, which is a modern retelling of the classic tale.

There's often a cast of magical servants. For example, in some versions, there's a talking candelabra like Lumière. He is charming and adds a bit of humor to the story. There could also be a clock named Cogsworth who is always fretting about time and order in the castle.

One common theme is transformation. Just like in the original story, either the beast - like character transforms physically or both characters transform emotionally. For example, in 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', the main male character has a sort of beast - like nature at first which changes as the story progresses. Another theme is the power of love. Love is often what breaks the curse or overcomes the differences between the beauty and the beast. It's shown in many of these novels as a force that can heal and bring two very different beings together.

One common theme is transformation. The beast often has to transform, either physically or emotionally, through the love of the beauty. For example, in the classic story, the beast turns into a prince at the end.

One popular one is 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas. It has elements of a Beauty and the Beast - like story within a richly built fantasy world. The main character Feyre is drawn into a world of magic and mystery, much like the girl in the classic tale, and her relationship with the powerful and initially forbidding Rhysand has that same kind of Beauty and the Beast dynamic.

One popular 'Beauty and the Beast' inspired romance novel is 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas. It has elements of a Beauty - like character, Feyre, who is drawn into a world of magic and a Beast - like figure in Tamlin. Another is 'Cruel Beauty' by Rosamund Hodge. It takes the basic premise of the Beauty and the Beast story and gives it a unique, dark spin. There's also 'Beastly' by Alex Flinn which is set in a modern - day context, with a young man cursed into a beast - like form.

One popular 'beauty and beast' romance novel is 'Beauty' by Robin McKinley. It's a retelling of the classic tale with a very detailed and immersive world-building. The relationship between the beauty and the beast is beautifully developed.

In these novels, the theme of sacrifice is often present. The beauty might sacrifice her normal life, her comfort, or her safety to be with the beast. And the beast may also sacrifice his pride or his solitary way of life for the beauty. Another common theme is the idea of two different worlds colliding. The beauty usually comes from a more normal, perhaps human world, while the beast is from a world of magic or mystery. Their relationship bridges these two different worlds, which is a recurring theme in this type of romance novels.