Review: When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

Series: Fairy Tales Book #2
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 372
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased (I think)
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

Linnet is not just any woman.

She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

Review

After watching the new Beauty and the Beast movie I had a strong urge to watch this. Then the book made me want to watch House but isn't on Netflix anymore. Now, back to the actual review.

I really enjoyed this book, but I feel like it may not be for everybody. Linnet and Piers have a pretty biting banter. I like reading those kinds of interactions and they were written very well. Piers especially comes across very harsh, but that is his personality he isn't a cruel man. Linnet is very sharp and gives as good as she gets. They compliment each other as a couple.

Piers is scared and has a limp so you know I'm all about that. It is a part of his character but doesn't overwhelm the story or him. Linnet's beauty, however, plays an almost constant role. That isn't a complaint. Within the context of the story, it makes sense. It isn't like oh, it's horrible to be beautiful, but does show different parts of how being beautiful can impact it.

I wouldn't necessarily consider this a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Instead, it's inspired by the concept and works with its basic themes. And it does a good job of that.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

April Wrap-Up (2017)

April is kind of a blur to me. I don't really remember what happened in my life or reading. I read a decent amount of books and a nice blend of genres. I also read quite a few books I've read before.

Below are the books I read this month along with their ratings.

Just for Now-2 Stars

The Viscount and the Vixen-5 Stars

Scandal in Spring-4 Stars

Darkest Hour-4 Stars

Good Boy-4 Stars

The Understatement of the Year-4 Stars

When Beauty Tamed the Beast-4 Stars

Every Girl's Dream-3 Stars


What did you read?

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: My American Duchess by Eloisa James

Stand Alone
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 400
Rating:  4.5 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

The arrogant Duke of Trent intends to marry a well-bred Englishwoman. The last woman he would ever consider marrying is the adventuresome Merry Pelford— an American heiress who has infamously jilted two fiancés.

But after one provocative encounter with the captivating Merry, Trent desires her more than any woman he has ever met. He is determined to have her as his wife, no matter what it takes. And Trent is a man who always gets what he wants.

The problem is, Merry is already betrothed, and the former runaway bride has vowed to make it all the way to the altar. As honor clashes with irresistible passion, Trent realizes the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined. In his battle to save Merry and win her heart, one thing becomes clear:

All is fair in love and war. 

Review

I feel like I haven't read an Eloisa James books and this was a great retrun. It was a well-written romance with fantastic characters. And I definitely recommend it whether you're new to romance or a veteran.

After reading the synopsis, I thought this would be an antagonistic romance, but it isn't. Trent and Merry are immediately attracted to each other and actually get along. It's actually really nice to see characters who have such a solid friendship especially in a historical.

Merry is great. Now, I'm a sucker for the American girl in a Regency historical. And she's a great example. She isn't obnoxious, but is true to herself and has strong opinion. It was interesting to see her struggle with fitting in or being a part of English society.

Then, there's Trent. It's really nice to read about a hero who isn't afraid of marriage. He definitely is strongly opposed to love and strong emotion, but his upbringing explains that. He's also very respectful to Merry and the other people in his life. He's kind of a betay-alpha male. I'm kind of confused about how to classify him.

This definitely reminded me why I like reading historical romances so much.

Thanks for reading!
Holly