Cry Wolf

A Tale of Beauty and the Beast

By: Jacque Stevens

Narrated by: Caroline Turner Cole, John Pirhalla

Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

I looked between the monster and the man, and I knew at once who was the beast.

Isabelle Berger grew up hearing stories of a legendary beast who killed over a hundred people. When a new wolf is spotted near the forest, the men of her village are convinced that another monster is on the rise. Isabelle is less certain, until her father is killed in the hunt. 

Alone and hungry for revenge, Isabelle strikes out on her own to face the dreaded beast. But in this darker twist of a timeless fairy tale, things might not be what they seem. 

If you like inspirational heroines, unique love stories, and some darker thrills and chills, this paranormal/shifter romance is for you! Buy now to start the magic, romance, and heart-pounding adventure!  

Cry Wolf is a darker twist on Beauty and the Beast, inspired by the Beast of Gévaudan and the French Revolution. An early version of this novel was published in the Kingdom of Mirrors and Roses Anthology (2018). 

What are HighTower Fairytales?

HighTower Fairytales lean more toward the original sources (not Disney) with rich, semi-historical settings. They have magic. They have scary monsters. And, most importantly, they have unique and complex characters who are trying hard to improve themselves.

They also include plenty of humor and all the heroes marry their prince/princess charming and live happily ever after at the end!

Basically, these stories meant to inspire, but have a very difficult and occasionally dark tower to climb. They are conservatively marked at 14+ and are appropriate for teens and young adults.

Currently these stories include:

• Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen (2017)
• Cry Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast (2020)
• Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid (2020)
• Robin's Hood: A Tale of Sherwood Forest (2021)
• And more on the way!

©2020 Jacque Stevens (P)2020 Jacque Stevens

absolute best Beauty and the Beast retelling ever

This B&B retelling was unlike any other I've read, and it was absolutely THE BEST VERSION EVER. I liked Belle, but I adored Howl. He is perfection and anyone who says otherwise is just wrong. Funny and lighthearted while still being strong, he really made this story shine.

To be clear, it is an amazing story regardless. I just. I can't because spoilers, but the ending was BRILLIANT. WELL PLAYED, STEVENS. WELL PLAYED.

This rendition of the story held all the right notes of the original while still being completely fresh. The foreshadowing was incredible. The characters were charming. I laughed out loud throughout. It was just all around amazing. I'm starting book 2 right away.

I received an ARC and have reviewed this VERY willingly. SERIOUSLY. Loved it.

Give this one a chance

Ok, so it starts off so similar to the familiar telling of the book, that I was a bit put off. It skews in a new and fun direction though a little way in, so wait a few chapters before you decide. This was a fun take on an old story. It is set in the period, not a modern retelling. The characters were well thought out and "real", and the plot was well written. I am definitely buying the next book in the series. If you are in the mood for a short, fun, fantasy book, I think you'd like this book. There was no inappropriate language or overly mature themes except for some violence (not explicit). I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

LOVED IT!

I will be honest with you and say that I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this one going into it at first. I think I’ve read too many books where I get myself hyped up but then they fall short so I think my mind subconsciously became cautious about having high expectations so that I wouldn’t be disappointed if I read a book and it turned out bad (if that makes sense?). Maybe I could even be pleasantly surprised if I went into a book with low expectations and it slightly exceeded them? But woahhhhh, this book just blew me away! It was everything I could’ve hoped for and more, too! Btw, please note I received an audiobook version of this story for review purposes. All opinions expressed are completely my own and I was not required to leave a positive review ☺️ On to the real review! First of all… okay, so I’m not supposed to say this yet, but Howl was just SOO adorable!!! I loved him so much!!! So much I could jump up and down and hug him if I saw him in real life!!! I’m not kidding, he’s amazing!!! I’m so, so sorry I ever doubted you, Howl! Ahem. Um, where was I?... (*mentally tells myself to get a grip*) Okay, so starting this book, the first few chapters were a bit slow for me and I was a bit worried about blanking off since I had the audiobook version, but good thing I eventually got totally drawn into the story (I think that happened when you-know-who-if-you’ve-read-the-book died). I still don’t know what to think about Isabelle / Belle, but she is certainly funny! I think my favorite part of the book was her and Howl just quipping back and forth at each other (Howl is so funny too!) And I love the way the audiobook-lady (audiobook reader? reader of the audiobook?) does Howl’s voice!! The *twist* to the story was bone-chilling! I don’t wanna say anything more than that but I didn’t anticipate it at all! And I like it that way too! 😁 Definitely gave me some chills!! Also, if you're still on the fence about this book, lemme just say that I stayed up until 4-ish AM listening to it! Yes, I was exhausted and yes, I had lots of things to do the next day, but I just couldn’t help it! So! Highly recommended! Note: Sorry if this review was a bit… unprofessional… I tend to post two types of reviews. The first kind is nice and sophisticated and the second one is one in which I sound like a fangirl jumping up and down. 🥺 Clearly this one turned out to lean towards the jumping-up-and-down one......... So! What are you waiting for???? Read it, read it! Or listen to it! Listen to it! 😁 Personally, I can’t wait to start book 2! (If the author is okay with giving me a code for the second book, ofc! 😂). Really, I have no clue if Ms. Stevens approves of fangirling but I don’t think I could’ve written a not-fangirling review of this one…... Anywayyy, I definitely recommend this one! It had fantasy vibes while also being set in a real setting and loosely based off some things that happened in France in the 1700s (ahhhhh just thinking about the Beast of Gévaudan gives me shiversssssss now!! 😭). In terms of content warnings, there's suspense and some creepy stuff like murder and intrigue. I think Isabelle was thinking about her chest area near the beginning of the book, Howl is a bit coarse with wanting to "marry" Isabelle (but that's because he doesn't really know better), and the "Gaston" of the book is kind of a jerk (you'll see...) but that's about all. ☺️

THIS IS TERRIFIC & I LOVED IT

A REALLY GOOD STORYLINE. WELL WRITTEN AND EASY TO FOLLOW. ACCEPTABLE FOR AGES 13 AND UP AND CLEAN ROMANTIC DRAMA SET IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
THE NARRATORS WERE REALLY GOOD AND EASY TO FOLLOW

CRY OF BEAUTY'S WOLF

A WONDERFUL TALE BASED AROUND THE TIME OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. ISABELLE OR BELLE AS SHE IS CALLED BY HOWL, LOSES HER FATHER AND SEEKS VENGEANCE ON THE WOLF THAT MURDERED HER FATHER. BUT EVERYTHING IS NOT AS IT SEEMS, THE BANTER BETWEEN HOWL AND BELLE IS FUN, THOUGH THERE IS SOME MILD MENTIONING OF THE EXECUTIONS IN PARIS,
THE NARRATORS REALLY BROUGHT THE BOOK TO LIFE!
WILL BELLE FIND WHERE SHE NEEDS TO BE. THIS IS A STORY THAT WILL KEEP THE READER OR LISTENER RETURNING!

Fun, Clean Beauty & the Beast Variation

I don't know completely what I was expecting, but this wasn't it-- in a good way. I have to admit at first I didn't really like the way it was headed, I love the Disney version with the very strong and out spoken Belle, and this version started off with a more timid Belle. It's a fun and different take with some French history thrown in. The narration is great and I liked having the two narrators to help manage the male and female characters.

Parents- PG/PG13- merely due to some violence and animal references to "mating" and being "in heat." It was still kept a clean tale, the talk of mating, is used more as an animal term of coupling/marriage - "Will you be my mate?" I would place it as a middle grade up read.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

retelling

I like this retelling of beauty and the beast it was a little different then what I was expecting.

A beautiful retelling to a classic

Wow love how Jacque Stevens took a classic fairytale and put her own spin on it . This retelling is about beauty and the beast but with a wolf shifter. Grab it and see how Isabelle , that looks after her family sheep reacts to a wolf but not a regular wolf.
Gaston Is the wolf. He goes around and eliminate humans.
It’s not a regular setting , this takes place during the French Revelousion .

Caroline Turner Cole, John Pirhalla Performance was great. They brought the story to life

I received a code for the book but my review is volunteering and in my opinion

Very enjoyable!

Cry Wolf is a wonderfully written YA fantasy romance, a new and refreshing take on a classic, the Beauty and the Beast. Jacque Stevens is an excellent storyteller and has done a fantastic job with the world-building and the characters. The storyline is engaging, well-paced, sweet, with twists, I definitely enjoyed it.

Caroline Turner Cole and John Pirhalla portrayed the narrative and the characters very nicely, further immersing me into the story. Overall, Cry Wolf was a delightful listen, one I'll recommend. I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.