Jolene

**Thank you Netgalley and REUTS Publications for providing this in exchange for an honest review**

A Victorian Gothic, retelling of Beauty and the Beast? How could I not love it?

Anne has been a parlor maid at Caldwell House since she was a little girl. On her 17th Birthday, she finds out she is being let go from the only home she has ever own. She is now going to be employed by a distant relative of her current employer. She will have to leave the busy hustle and bustle of London for an isolated Manor in the country, Rosewood Manor. Anne can tell right away that there is something wrong with Rosewood, and it doesn't take her long to realize her life could be in danger.

This book was absolutely delightful. The characters smart, witty, and refreshingly proactive. The world building was wonderful. I felt like I had actually seen the grounds of Rosewood, rather then just read about them. The romance was allowed to gradually grow over time. It felt very natural, not forced or rushed, and there wasn't a love triangle. I knocked one star off the rating because the end didn't feel complete. If it turns out there is going to be a sequel, I will change my rating to 5 stars