Bookish and the Beast

A new version of Beauty and the Beast takes place in the cherished Starfield universe in Ashley Poston's third novel in the Once Upon a Con series.

Rosie Thorne feels trapped about her little town, her college application essays, and that enigmatic General Sond cosplayer she encountered at ExcelsiCon. She is primarily mired in her sadness over her mother's passing. Her late mother's collection of rare Starfield novels served as her only source of comfort, but even that vanished when they had to sell it to cover hospital expenses.

Conversely, Vance Reigns has always been a part of the Hollywood elite, along with all the perks and attention that comes with it. He is forced to hide out in Small Town USA, a place the paparazzi would never think to look for him, when a media story finally catches up with him. The residence at least has a library. Regretfully, he cannot read.

When Rosie and Vance cross paths and an uncommon book is unintentionally damaged, Rosie is forced to labor to pay back the loan. And although the majority of Starfield aficionados would be thrilled to work beside the Vance Reigns, Rosie has come to realize that Vance is a jerk, and she finds it intolerable. The sentiment is shared by both parties.

However, as Vance and Rosie reluctantly begin to know one another, their cautious masks slip off, and they might discover that keeping each other out is riskier than letting each other in.