Tl;Dr: A fab fantasy Beauty and the Beast retelling without the part of Beauty and the Beast that makes you kinda uncomfortable when you think too much about it + a well built and impossible not to love cast of characters. 
 I so wish Goodreads would allow for half-stars because I really feel like this fits nicely at a 4.5, but I'm content to give it 5 since it won't let me. 
 I avoid Beauty and the Beast retellings. Actively. They make me uncomfortable because I don't like following characters as they fall in love with their kidnappers and they never seem to be complex/nuanced enough to properly legitimize that. Who are you supposed to root for? Am I really allowed to be shipping this? Its just messy all around. But I'd heard good things so I decided to give this one a shot, and I am really glad that I did. 
 It never really feels like Tamlin has kidnapped Feyre. To be honest, it feels more like he's rescued her than anything, though it takes some time for her to feel this way as well. It is hard to explain, as yes she initially is taken against her will; there really isn't any getting around that. But she is never imprisoned or restricted. She is allowed to dress as she wishes, spend her time as she likes, and her family is well (very well) cared for in her absence. In many ways, her being taken from her old life liberated her of everything that had been holding her back. She was free to pursue her own interests and to think about herself for once. It's...complicated, but handled well enough that it didn't make me feel gross when I was reading it. 
 Tamlin is dark and charming and mysterious and everything the forbidden magical prince ought to be. His character is the other bit that really sets this apart from your typical B&B retelling- I never hated him. He was never just a savage thing that is somehow tamed by our heroine. He was mysterious, sure, but never cruel or unnecessarily mean. I did not really know what to make of him at first, but I never hated him or even disliked him really. 
 I genuinely really enjoyed Feyre. She is obviously scarred by her past, but she isn't just a one-dimensional tortured girl, which some similar characters do fall into. Where Bell had her love of reading, Feyre loves painting, even if she doesn't think she's particularly good at it. Even before she finally lets herself start painting with all her free time, this piece of her character regularly colors her narrative in the way that she describes the world around her, and I loved it. It was something that really gave her life throughout the book. 
 And all of that is great. But if I'm being honest, my absolute favorite character in the book is Lucien, Tamlin's sassy friend who lives with them in the manner. Oh my lord, he is just a right delight. He is not particularly fond of Feyre at first, but he slowly warms up to her once she becomes comfortable enough (read: sure it won't get her killed) to sass him back. I laughed out loud multiple times because of him, and I loved watching his friendship with Feyre develop as much as I loved watching her romance with Tamlin build. And personally, Tamlin is great and all, but I think I would have picked Lucien myself. 
 The dark mystery that is constantly building behind the scenes- what is happening to the land and its people?- is plenty to keep you reading, and it culminates in an ending that is satisfying while still leaving you needing book 2. That's all I'll say about that- it's hard to say much without giving something away. Just read it, mkay?