In this book, there are two (potentially three) sapphic characters. One of them is in love with one of her attendants but, this being an inadvisable and socially wrong match, nothing can happen between them. That's already a tragic gay story, so excuse me if I'm not sympathetic to anything more. I don't want to dive into the plot twists because I don't want to spoil any of them but towards the end they came flying out of nowhere. I never saw any of them coming. I'm still mind blown.

In the fictional world of Orléans, a small number of girls called Belles are able to use magic to create beautiful (or, indeed, ugly) looks to the paying customer's desire. Camellia and her sister Belles have been trained their whole lives for their job, and each longs to be chosen as Her Majesty’s favorite - the one responsible for keeping the royal family beautiful and satisfied. Apart from that pretty awkward blip, I did enjoy THE BELLES. It's a strange creature, and kind of terrifying, but I found the story fascinating enough that I couldn't put it down. It would make a good movie, too. Just be forewarned that the author sequel-baits the hell out of the ending and yes, it ends on a total cliffhanger and no, The Belles, #2 doesn't even have a publication date, yet.Two years after the decision was made, the club said the relegation actually stopped the club from folding because it encouraged local businesses to help save them. But, through it all, the real villain is society's obsession with, and expectations for, beauty. In a world where every part of a person can be changed - skin, hair and eye colour, bone structure, waist, breast and hip size, and more - no one is ever satisfied. In the insatiable quest for beauty, deep down, everyone hates themselves. Behind this mesmerizing fantasy of magic and terrible secrets, there is a sad tale, and one that many of us won't find completely unfamiliar. Buxton joined the club in 2019 as a coach, before moving into the manager's seat at the start of this season, however he says the events of a decade ago still linger around the club.

Camellia was an interesting character and I liked reading from her pov. The few moments she had with her sisters were very enjoyable. What I liked the most about them is that they were all likable and no meanie one (which is very common). Sure, they all wanted to be the favorite but it didn’t affect their feelings toward each other much. The main character was incredibly unlikable. She was stiff and uptight and had a horrendous superiority complex. We had to listen to her go on and on about how great she is. She was also just kinda mean to people. Like the way she talked to some people. Ugh. I would HATE her in real life.But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision. I felt like there was so much to bring to the reader before they could envision this world the way the author envisioned it that the story dragged. It was pretty good, but not quite as enjoyable as I was expecting tbh 😒😒 I did love the climax/ending tho!! 🤩🤩 Flash forward to today, Belles is making the transition to become her own artist, rather than a band with her mother and brother. She has already released her EP entitled All Hat No Cowboy . The record both introduces fans to her talent, as well as, showcases her personality.

Yet for all the anguish, Belles are still going - no mean feat, given women's football is littered with clubs who have fallen by the wayside.Starting with the characters. This is one area where I feel a bit meh about bc although I didn’t hate them, I found them all a little bit bland. Camellia, the protagonist, was kinda boring imo and I feel like she didn’t go through a whole lot of growth, instead staying the same throughout the book. The side characters were also not super well fleshed out and I wasn’t really attached to any of them (although I did like Rémy). But on the other hand, they were decently likeable and easy enough to root for. The main ‘villain’ of the story was also super easy to hate. So, the characters were okay 😑 With stunning vocals and lyrics as rich as the soil of her native land Nebraska, Kelli Rachel Belles’ natural charisma and charm comes through her songs and straight to your heart. Belles’ lyrics tell stories of love, heartbreak and hardships with deep meaning and wit. Nashville industry folks have compared her songwriting to a young Dolly Parton, and a female Brad Paisley. However, there was one negative about the writing: bc it was so flowery, it could be hard to read for long periods of time and that meant I took a while to read the book. But it’s not that big of a deal. Guys, this character ranks HIGH on my list of most HATED characters ever. She may actually sit in the number two spot right now; directly under Professor Umbridge.