Review posted first on shonamoyce.com 
 I desperately wanted to love A Court of Thorns and Roses. It's a fantasy romance and a Beauty and the Beast retelling of sorts. There is such hype for the entire series to the point where I convinced myself it couldn't possibly be anything but fantastic. 
 Sadly, for me, it fell a little flat. 
 Don't get me wrong--it's a decent story, compelling enough to keep me reading until the end and maybe even venturing into the rest of the series. But I can't pretend I'm not disappointed. 
 Feyre is an underwhelming main character. She has potential; she's a skilled hunter and a pretty decent human being--showcased in the provisions and sacrifices she made for her ungrateful family. But between her early stupid choices, her (sometimes) redundant narration, and her artist's eye seeing the world 'in colour'... she became--frankly--irritating. Yes. She's a painter. She knows the name of ten different shades of blue. I get it. I don't need it shoved down my throat. 
 The Beast--Tamlin--should have had the potential to make me swoon. He's obviously gorgeous, he's powerful, and so on and so on but there's something not nearly as beastly about him as I'd been anticipating. Lucien on the other hand is a great character--and Rhys is even better. Both Lucien and Rhys have far more depth, and their complexities add intrigue. Even their personalities are more interesting than Tamlin's, although I get that Tamlin is probably intentionally silent and brooding. 
 The author does a good job of setting up the world of the Fae. There was a little too much exposition for my personal liking, with side characters who served little purpose other than the relaying of important information to the protagonist. That said, the extravagant wealth and enchantment of the Fae world comes through and the scenes in nature are written beautifully if a little overdone at times. I loved the different creatures of the world and I liked the setup of the various Courts with their corresponding seasons and magic. I also liked the simmering romance between Tamlin and Feyre. It isn't as epic as I'd hoped for but all in all, it carried me through the book. 
 I'm in no hurry to pick up the next instalment in this series but the setup for continuation of the storyline is intriguing enough to keep it on my to-read pile, and with much of the world-building out of the way, book two--and the subtle promise of the implications with Rhys--might make for an exciting follow up to A Court of Thorns and Roses.