Beauty & The Book: The Rose Gate by Hanna Sandvig
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One of the things I love most about romance novels is how there is a very specific sub-genre for everyone. Of course you have the traditional enemies-to-lovers like Pride & Prejudice, but you can also get really specific like “secret baby” or “there’s only one bed!” The Ripped Bodice, the only exclusively romance bookstore in the US, even has Trope Teas that are on my wishlist. Basically, there’s a romance novel for whatever your specific interests are.
My preferred sub-genre? Retellings of Beauty and the Beast. As long as I can remember, I’ve absolutely adored Belle and wanted to be her when I grew up. Probably like many of you, I pine for a library with many floors of books (preferably with a ladder you need to climb to reach the top of the bookcase. I love roses and blue—both in dresses and the sparkling eyes of a hero. But most of all, Belle’s kindness perfectly paired with a steel spine has always spoken to me and been something I long to achieve.
As will likely come as no surprise, I’ve seen both movie versions many times (even going to the opening night of the live action movie), attended the stage production twice, perused fanfiction, and hunted constantly for the next novel that checks all my Beauty and the Beast boxes. I’ve read several good ones over the years like The Cold King, but also several that are not great with stilted dialogue and nothing new added to the plot...A Beauty for the Scarred Duke comes to mind.
Luckily for me, I’ve found one of the best BatB retellings that I’ve ever read and can’t rave about it enough. The Rose Gate by Hanna Sandvig tells the story of a young girl named Isobel who is spending her last summer before college at home with her family when her life changes after crossing paths with a grizzly bear in the forest behind her home. The grizzly bear drags injured Isobel through a magical rose-covered gate among the trees, and she is transported into Faerie where the bear is actually a handsome prince named Leith with a curse Isobel is determined to break.
There’s so much to love about this story that I could prattle on for ages, but I wanted to highlight what made this novel standout for me among the numerous Beauty and the Beast retellings.
A Lovely Cast of Characters
Isobel and Prince Leith are absolutely charming together, and the slow burn romance completely touched my heart. I loathe when stories build up so much tension only to have a fast-paced ending to wrap everything up in a neat bow. In The Rose Gate, you feel the friendship building between Isobel and Leith in a believable and adorable way. In addition to the hero and heroine, the secondary characters are also delightful. Isobel’s sisters remind me of the Bennet sisters, Jane and Lydia specifically, and the eldest sister makes delicious salted caramel chocolate chip cookies that the author shares the recipe for on her website. I also adored the faeries that lived at the castle, particularly an otter named Tate who consistently causes harmless trouble.
Addresses Problematic Themes
I’ve always struggled with Belle’s imprisonment in the original story. While I remain adamant that Belle’s defiance and relative freedom don’t make the story into glorified Stockholm Syndrome, it still doesn’t sit easily with me that Belle is held captive for a crime she didn’t commit. In The Rose Gate, Sandvig eliminates the story line by changing the narrative to have Isobel stay at the castle for a period of two weeks for her safety, which is only a few hours for her family at home as time works differently in Faerie. There’s also no misogynistic Gaston—the villain is instead replaced with the Unseelie Queen who wants to add Leith into her army of wolf men.
Swoon-worthy dialogue
I live for the conversations between characters in novels. I have laughed, cried, and smiled over many declarations of love. While I love a good heartfelt scene, I do get turned off by overwrought sentiments that take me out of the story. The conversations between Leith and Isobel are sweet and sincere filled with wit, love, and friendship that feel real to me. I adore that they both have affectionate nicknames for each other, particularly when Isobel refers to Leith as “Bear.”
Other Notable Features
There’s a faerie/fox that does Isobel’s hair in intricate braids that had me working hard to replicate my own crown braid.
Isobel is only 18 in the story, and while she and Leith do get their happily ever, Isobel does not give up her dreams to just get married.
Leith lost his eye and wears an eye patch like Chris Hemsworth as Thor. For some reason, that paints a very heroic picture for me.
The forest imagery is so lovely that each time I read it, I immediately want to go take a hike in the woods.
Sandvig is also an illustrator, and the physical copy of the book has several illustrations. You can also see more on her website!
The Rose Gate is the first book in Sandvig’s Faerie series, and she’s already started world building for her future novels. It’s so fun to spot other fairy tale heroines you know and love.
If you love Beauty and the Beast or are simply in the mood for a clean romance, I can’t recommend The Rose Gate enough. It’s even earned coveted shelf status with me as I read most novels on my Kindle and only buy the physical copies of the ones I read over and over again. You can purchase your own copy on Amazon or at BookShop.org if you’re able to support local bookstores.