'My name might be Xavier Archibald the third, but to everyone else, I was known as The Beast.'
Royal I first laid eyes on him five years ago. Our meeting was short and sweet. But now, on my twenty-first birthday I was to be paired off to the best suitor for me and my family. Heir to the throne, he was to be my prince and stand by my side. I thought my father would be kind, I thought my father would pair me off to a noble prince. But I was wrong. I was handed over to the most savage man on the earth. Xavier Archibald the third.
Xavier I first laid eyes on her five years ago. Five years ago I struck a deal with her coward of a father. Those five years were up. It was time for me to collect my prize. Tonight was the night of the Princess' twenty-first birthday, and she had no idea that I was about to wreck her fairytale.
Ashlee Rose lives in the UK where she resides with her husband, three children and her crazy cockapoo.
When Ashlee isn't being a stay at home mum and housewife, she is losing herself in her steamy romance novels and swoon worthy alphas.
Ashlee has always been an avid reader of romance and lives in a fantasy world.
In 2018, she decided to try her hand at writing, a few months later Something New was published. After vowing to finish the Entwined In You series and leaving it at that, Ashlee got the itch to continue and has many more romance novels up her sleeve.
Ashlee is on all social media platforms so go over and give her a follow.
I couldn't make it much further than twenty pages. The story had promise, but the writing is awful. Flat characters that change moods quicker than you can say 'whiplash', forced chemistry, and very unbelievable actions on behalf of the characters seen so far. Needs a lot of fleshing out.
I think this might be my favourite Ashlee Rose novel so far. I loved the whole fairytale feel & the beauty & the beast theme. Pure perfection.
The enemies to lovers storyline had me flipping those pages & then the suspense & action at the end was amazing. I hate Alan! But I love Xavier and his Red. Fab job, Ashlee. All the stars!
I've got this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know where to start with this review or how to write it.
Let me probably start with saying that this book is like a re-telling of Beaty And The Beast and it this ain't one of those hot once, then I don't know what is, haha.
So firstly when the story started I was super upset and every way understanding why Royal felt the way she did. Honestly, I hated the beast myself! Also wasn't helping when he said that's it's her fault he's like that, since they barely ever met.
There are a few secrets as to why Royal ended up being with Xavier and why he's like this. It is beautifully written and even the revealing parts are amazing but gut wrenching. Both times it will leave you angry, mad and sad.
I think this is my second book by Ashlee Rose and probably my favourite, because it had what I'm looking for. My needs were satisfied and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
This book had tons of steamy scenes and I was here for it! I love every part, to be honest. (You will too and if you say you won't - you lying'!!!)
The ending of the book was literally the best ever. It got me crying, laughing, smiling, angry, sad...all the feels. You'll "see" why.
I got to admit that parts of Xavier were a little rougher sometimes, meaning as he was too harsh sometimes for his own good. It's not in a bad way thought. It was maybe on the scale of 1-10 a barely 6? But it was so good.
I truly loved this book and the story it contained. Yes, the ending was unpredictable (which I loved), but so sad. My heart broke for Royal and I thought I won't be able to handle it.
Overall you have to read this retelling because it is so so so good! I mean, look at the author, name of the book and that damn cover photo??? Who would say NO???
This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I know now that I will not be reading any more by her. The writing itself isn’t so much an issue however it’s very rudimental and basic. “ I did this. Then I did this.Then he did this.” Type writing that just feels unedited and amateurish. However I could’ve gotten over the bad writing if it weren’t for the horrible content that was featured in this book. Not only do you have a male lead who has kidnapped a female, And not in a good dark romance way, but in a bully-ish dominating, sexual assault kind of way. At one point the male lead says to the female lead something like “don’t make me out to be such a beast that I would touch you without your permission”. This is extremely laughable considering he has touched her multiple times without her permission in ways that can only be described as sexual assault. The female lead is constantly beating herself up for feeling attracted to this man and for wanting to sleep with this man and if she’s not beating herself up she’s throwing herself a pity party because she’s a prisoner. And then if she’s not doing either of those two things it’s usually because she’s admitting that she is attracted to the male lead.
No ending could of made this book good for me and I got about 40% through and I just couldn’t finish anymore. I don’t DNF books lightly but this is definitely not a book I recommend at all
This book read like an edited Wattpad story but it wasn’t good. There is no plot and absolutely no reason why the H, Xavier (classic Wattpad name too🥴) hated and mistreated the h, Royalty (…) so much. Xavier basically buys Royalty from her father because he was in debt from gambling. Now if this isn’t the plot to every one direction fanfiction from 2013 then I don’t know what is. The cliches!
He hates her but wants her but degrades her and insults her and humiliates her? Ok. but it’s because he wants her so much.. 🌚
When the characters finally do get together and he’s decided to treat her well, finally, he tells her that their love is toxic and savage. Like, no honey, you’re just an immature 35 year old man who bullies and mistreats your 21 year old fiancée who you’ve been obsessed with for 5 years (gross.)
At one point, before they accept each other, he gets so mad at her that he forces himself onto her and is seconds away from sexually assaulting her with her crying and screaming. This of course, is skimmed over afterward. The heroine had absolutely no backbone, he treats her badly but the second he touches her, she’s so horny for him. Ew. Even when they do finally get together and he’s nice to her, I really didn’t see the appeal.
This book has zero plot. And the sex scenes are tragic. Actually, at any point in this book where he tries to act seductive around her, expect a “he smirked” or a “he winked”. I swear to god, this book came out of 2013 wattpad WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE STAYED.
She ends up pregnant in the end. The fact that she didn’t want to get pregnant earlier in the book and was planning on talking to Xavier about it is completely glossed over. What are women’s rights 🤩. Of course Xavi is over the moon, he did tell her that her only purpose was to give him children several times in the book. Got to love it.
Overall, a waste of time read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Xavier. Your next alphahole that will work his way into your heart and flip the tables. His rough, brooding manner will have you hook, line and sinker!
A love to hate relationship. A strong alpha. A strong heroine. A match made in heaven? You need to read this book to find out 😉
Ashlee Rose creates another fabulous story that has you turning the pages whilst giving you all the angst.
Savage Love is a book I had high hopes for because it had a beauty and the beast theme. And it's my favorite childhood tale. Unfortunately,something didn't sit right with me and I was a little disappointed.
Parents organized Royal a ball to celebrate her 21st birthday, where a future husband was to be chosen for her. Because the girl was going to be a queen in the future and she was an only child. Unexpectedly for her, it turns out that her father already gave her hand to Xavier Archibald III also known as the beast to pay off debt for gambling game. The girl is forced to leave her home and go with Xavier to his mansion. Royal becomes his prisoner and can’t leave him. The woman in the beginning is very unhappy, but as time goes on, their relationship changes. But can you live with the beast?
I must say that I am a little disappointed with this book. The main character behaved somewhat illogically at times, suddenly reacted with hysteria to the event, although she did not react to it while it was happening. Initially, she also hated the main character and even though nothing happened, suddenly she grew to like him. Xavier as well behaved strangely - first threatening to destroy her, that he would make her his own. But when he had the opportunity to fulfill his threats, he withdrew. The first half of the book was quite hard to read- the part consisted of constant promises of sex, the destruction of the Royal and the make up and dressing of a woman. In the second half, the story jumped on to a better track and was much more pleasant to read. The idea for the plot was really interesting and it was something different, but the character's development did not quite fit me. The Beginning was not encouraging too. But on the plus side - it was a quick read. I think the book will find its followers, it just didn't appeal to me.
Spanish: "Savage Love" de Ashlee Rose es un libro dark romance, standalone, enemigos a amantes, angustia, mucha pasión y desenfreno de los personajes. Vaya, que tiene todo lo que un libro de este genero puede tener y más. ¡Mi primer libro favorito del 2021!
Hace años, la princesa Royal bailo con Xavier en su primer baile sabiendo que ese joven le despertaba algo en ella. Ahora se ve envuelta en las deudas de su padre lo que la lleva a ser entregada a Xavier Archibald III. Xavier la quiso desde que la conoció, y ahora, su futuro suegro, se la ha entregado y no dudara en ponerla contra las cuerdas y disfrutar de cada momento en el que Royal le rogará que la haga suya.
Royal es la mayor heroína de esta historia. Su vida puede ser a simple vista un cuento de hadas pero lo que su padre hizo hace que se vea envuelta en circunstancias muy dificultosas. Al principio, vivir con Xavier en esa gran mansión es terrible para ella pero se habitúa rápido, y si le añades conocer a ciertos personajes, ya no es tan terrible.
Xavier de primeras es el hombre alfa, machote, de los que amo con locura. Llevarse a Royal para tenerla en la mansión, no fue del todo su culpa, ese sufrimiento fue provocado por el rey. Aun así, se mantuvo muy regio en muchas ocasiones en las que podían acabar en encuentros apasionados. Momentos en los cuales me llama tanto la atención, la manera como mantenía un poco las distancias cuando se veía perfectamente como Royal se estaba dejando llevar y le deseaba, mientras él estaba sintiendo lo mismo. Quería gritarle!
"Puede que sea una bestia, Royal, pero no me menosprecies para forzarme sobre ti. Cuando follemos, Red, y lo haremos, será contigo deseando y suplicando mi toque". ~ Xavier Archibald III
El libro tiene momentos muy hot desde el principio y un suspense en el final, que te hace temblar. Además de personajes que odiaras, y cierto personaje que amas y sientes pena por su sufrimiento al amar a alguien no correspondido.
Por último, expresar gratitud por haber conocido a esta autora y ver la evolución y la trayectoria que está manteniendo. Por ello, fue una grata sorpresa cuando supe de este libro porque sabía que la autora innovaba y se abría a nuevos géneros. También eso es un reto y por tanto es mayor la satisfacción como lectora, pero más aún, cuando terminas el libro y lo has amado con todo tu alma. Rate: ★★★★★
English: "Savage Love" by Ashlee Rose is a dark romance book, standalone, enemies to lovers, angst, lots of passion, and wildness of characters. Wow, it has everything a book of this genre can have and more. First favorite book of 2021!
Years ago, Princess Royal danced with Xavier at her first ball knowing that this young man aroused something in her. Now she finds herself entangled in her father's debts which forces her to be given to Xavier Archibald III. Xavier has wanted her since he met her, and now, her future father-in-law has given her to him and will not hesitate to put her on the ropes and enjoy every moment Royal will beg him to make her his.
Royal is the biggest heroine of this story. Her life may be at first glance a fairy tale but what her father did causes her to be involved in very difficult circumstances. At first, living with Xavier in that big mansion is terrible for her but she gets used to it quickly, and if you add meeting some characters, it's not so terrible.
Xavier is the alpha male, macho, the kind I love madly. Taking Royal away to keep her in the mansion wasn't entirely his fault, that suffering was caused by the king. Even so, he remained very regal on many occasions when they could end up in passionate encounters. Moments in which I am so struck by the way he kept a little distance when it was clear how Royal was letting herself go and wanting him, while he was feeling the same. I wanted to SCREAM!
“I might be a beast, Royal, but don’t belittle me to force myself on you. When we fuck, Red, and we will fuck, it will be with you willing and begging for my touch.” ~ Xavier Archibald III
The book has some very hot moments from the beginning and suspense at the end, which makes you shiver. Plus characters you will hate, and a certain character you love and feel sorry for his suffering in loving someone unrequited.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for having met this author and seeing the evolution and the trajectory she is maintaining. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise when I learned about this book because I knew that the author was innovating and opening up to new genres. That is also a challenge and therefore the satisfaction as a reader is even gratifying, but even more so, when you finish the book and you have loved it with all your soul. Rate: ★★★★★
This was not it. Everything happen without a reason, at first i thought that it was a beauty and the beast kinda of re telling but nop, then i'm half of the book and nothing has happened, like absolutely nothing and in the other half everything happens so fast, like one thing after another, i feel like every idea possible was put into this story. So many sub plots like, Christopher and Royal ¿?? What was the point of having her saying that she loves him and then absolutely nothing happening, like yeah beast beat him up but cmon, and the whole being besties with Mabel... Okay? We literally saw them talking once. What it makes less sense to me it's the fact the she is a princess and the shes like nah I just wanna be a housewife, wich would be okay except that well, then why was she a princess? I don't think princess are just sold like that and taken away from a palace, it doesn't make any sense, and then both the queen and the king dying, what was the fucking reason? Like I say all the things in this book just happen, it doesn't really flow, we know he is rich but we don't really know what he does, we know she is a princess yet she's okay being a prisoner, she sees him masturbating and that's just it, she doesn't feel anything or say anything, it's just really weird how everything is useless here, even the sex parts just feel clumsy and cold. Ugh the way she is like oh I brush my teeth and dry my hair, okay but why do we know every single one of her beauty routine steps but the two weeks where they fell in love are out, like we just know they fell in love and that's it, we also didn't saw her friendship develop, and we also didn't find out why Cristopher was being weird, OH! and one moment she's like talking about having babies makes me anxious and idk if i wanna have them and then she founds she is pregnant and she's super okay with it, at least give us some crying or something, what did she said that if we are just gonna pretend she didn't say it????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was in the biggest book slump and Savage Love pulled me right out. This book came to me when I really needed it, it pulls you in I honestly couldn't stop reading. I love all Ashlee books, she's definitely a one click author for me. I have to say this maybe my favorite book she has written. I loved The Entwined with you series but I think this book by top that series, (I really need to reread that series again).
Royal meets Xavier at a young age and from the moment he met her he is drawn to her, she likes him but he is known as the beast and that scares her. As she gets older she thinks her life is set, she will become queen but she finds out her dad has married her off but it's not the man she wants to marry. When she find outs it's Xavier she is not happy, she goes with him because she doesn't have a choice but not without planning her revenge.
From the first chapter I loved Xavier, I'm obsessed with a damaged alpha, he is rude, I mean so rude! he's cruel, but he's also super hot.
"Thanks for the kiss, but it wasn't all that. You need some practice"
Royal is feisty, again I instantly loved her. She never backs down, she does what shes told but she knows what she's doing it, it's for him because he needs it. She challenges Xavier until his blue in the face, some parts I really laughed.
Not only was this book super hot, and I mean I blushed reading it. But it also pulled on my heart a lot. Royal goes through so much, some parts are heavy and a little bit dark which I loved.
"I finally got you, the light that I so desperately seeked, the light to my soul"
Ashlee needs to write more stories like this one. I loved everything about it. I can't wait to read more of her upcoming books.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Okay....this book is going in my DNF pile and i’m a completionist so it says a lot. I usually read to 50% to determine if i like it enough to finish it. The writing style was weird, felt very amateur and wattpad-like (unedited version). The reading didn’t flow well and the storyline quickly changed from one paragraph to another. There were times where i thought i skipped paragraphs or pages because of sudden turns on the main characters emotions/thoughts. I had high hopes as there were many recommendations on booktok and here on goodread.
I read the book and was surprised, the hero and the heroine really deserve each other. In the worst sense. They’re both so awful that they really fit each other. A typical example of spoiled brats. After reading I looked at the reviews to see if anyone thought like me. And I see general enthusiasm and I can't believe it. It seems to me that either you like it for grade 5 or DNF. I did read but I couldn't wait to finish.
I was very disappointed with this book. The idea behind the book was a great one. The execution could have been better. There were multiple times I had to stop and read a page or passage again to make sure I hadn’t jumped pages due to the natural reading flow being off. I didn’t understand the character growth either. All’s round this book was just a mess.
This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The heroine Royal is a 21 year old princess, she's a virgin, and she's essentially sold off to a notorious brute, Xavier Archibald III. He's 36, and he's had his eye on her since her 16th birthday when they shared a dance. He's an unapologetic asshole about the captor-captive nature of their nuptials. While she's devastated, he just talks to her about how he's going to own all her holes, etc. and that she should get ready for him to take her virginity some time the next couple of days, with or without her permission. He turns every interaction into an excuse for a lot of dirty talk and suggestive touching. Works for me. Felt a little one-note and over-the-top, but hey, it's a fairy tale.
I normally don't read any kind of royal romance, but I didn't realize it was one until I was reading the sample, and then I figured screw it. It was pretty heavy on the erotic aspect. It got pretty cheesy and over-dramatic sometimes, but again, it's a fairy tale. It was alright at first, went downhill a bit as I read.
I liked the heroine at first, then she was awful. I liked that she didn't take her situation laying down, and her resistance didn't come off as childish and annoying. I got tired of the amount of body betraying, but to a certain extent I suppose it's the natural counterpart to all of Xavier's coarse seduction.
She lost me when she got fickle as hell. Her feelings for Xavier would change dramatically, and for little or no reason. She would natter on about the enormity of he love, promise to never leave him, and then a half hour later she wanted to dip out over something as minor as a tense conversation, with no irony at all. This happened multiple times. The worst was toward the end, that was unforgivable in my opinion.
Xavier's dirty talk was weirdly inconsistent. All over the place, continuity-wise. First he went on about how he was going to fuck her sometime in the next few days, whether she wanted it or not. The next day he was saying some shit like, 'when I take you it'll be because you're begging for me.' Then a few days after that, he busted out this, 'I don't want you, I only want to fuck you for pregnancy purposes, I'm not actually into you' spiel. That was a little rich, considering he had been regaling her with how much he wanted to fuck her for days, and she had even caught him masturbating to the thought of her. So I don't get where that last attitude came from. Also, I don't understand why they kept saying the other/their love is poison. How so?
I really hate that she's a princess with the name Royal. That bothers the shit out of me. Also, the book did that thing where every outfit is explained in exact, often exhautive detail, including her makeup and hairstyle process. I can tolerate a good amount of that, but when it gets excessive like this I get so fucking annoyed. I know some readers must like it because I see it all the time, but it's really not my style. Especially in a book like this, where a long, girly rundown about fashion choices clashes hard against the macabre tenor of the story being told.
There were a bunch of half-assed plot points that added nothing to the story. Sometimes they were vaguely explained away, but most of the time they went unaddressed. These include: It drove me crazy.
Despite some hot scenes, this wasn't for me. It might be for others though. If you're looking for a lot romance, character development and complexity, it's probably not for you, but it can get you hot and bothered in no time.
******SPOILER SECTION*********
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was my first book by Ashlee and she did NOT disappoint. I started out hating Xavier and as the book progressed I feared that he was going to be irredeemable. I was wrong. He loved Royal something fierce and as always, a possessive alpha male will do whatever they need to, to get the girl. I loved Royal; she was funny, smart and didn't take much from her beau. She may have liked to push his buttons but really.. he deserved it. LOL. This book was extremely HOT. I can't wait to read more from Ashlee in the future!
I have to be honest. The story line is good, the whole macho men story line was good, BUT it lacked development. Everything happened so fast, and they were seriously toxic and messed up. In the end, they turned out to be okay, but at the beginning it was just a disaster waiting to happen. Also, Allan? Really? That was shaky, it could’ve been better. Overall, 3.5 from me. I gave it a four, cause it got potential and it was good for a light read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I started this book really wanting to like it... it just wasn't there for me. The characters were one-dimensional, I felt no connection to any of them, and their actions contradicted what they said. The ending had too much going on, that it felt like every idea possible was shoved into one book.
I love romance stories with a vibe from classic fairytales that we know and love, and the beauty and the beast vibes in savage love are no different for me. . Ashlee described Xavier as an alpha-ahole and boy did she deliver on that. In the beginning I really thought I wouldn't warm to his character at all, even knowing that there must be more to this man than his outward persona, I kind of hated him and his treatment of Royal. But as with Royal herself and with all good ahole romances, I was still inexplicably drawn to him! Seriously, this will have you questioning what you find attractive in men 🙈 . Royal is a wonderful character. Despite how trapped she is, in her life with her parents and then in her life with Xavier, she still remains this feisty, defiant, indepenent character and she really challenges Xavier which is exactly what he needs. Their raw attraction to each other, her defiance and his pent up frustration resulted in some super steamy scenes that will have you all hot and bothered! And among all that she somehow starts to see past the ahole exterior to the real man behind the wall. . "𝚈𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚐𝚎? 𝚃𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚛𝚞𝚎𝚕? 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜?" . What Royal, and we as readers, start to realise is that this arrogant and controlling outer is a manifestation of an internal conflict. Xavier's way of getting what he has always wanted most in the world while punishing himself and her for having it, all for reasons currently unknown. What Ashlee has done so well is ensure that the characters stay absolutely true to themselves even in the softer moments between them there is still an edge of feistiness from Royal and possessiveness from Xavier. . Their journey is not a perfect fairytale though, and just when you think it is starting to smooth out for the couple there is twist upon twist, which keep you turning page after page late into the night. Revelations, heartbreak and betrayals are forced into their world in ways that are surely bound to break them. I was on the edge of my seat, crying and refusing to put the book down until I knew what would happen next. . Were my theories right....no. Was the story better than my theories....absolutely. Could Royal and Xavier beat the mounting odds against them......guess you'll have to pre-order to find out 😉 . 𝑰 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌.
PERFECTION. This is the only word I can think of after reading this fantastic novel. Being a modern Beauty and the Beast retelling, this novel gave me all the feels without being like the original story.
√ Age-gap √ Modern fairy tale romance √ Opposites attract √ HEA
The male lead-- Xavier is the archetype of a cold hearted, vicious person. I didn't hate him but I had strong feelings for kicking him. The female lead-- Royal is a princess who holds power, is smart, a quick learner & very strong, mentally and emotionally.
With Xavier being the dark brooding beautiful forest & Royal being the shining sun, the gravity between the two is noticable & raw. They are opposites with burning sparks & a stubborn nature. I loved how @AshleeRose showed the feelings change. The chemistry is palpable & the scenes are smoking hot. I cried, I smiled & I was ready to force them two in a room together.
The ending, oh my god, I can't stress how good it is. The epilogue made me freaking sob & the beast does get a happily ever after.
TW: Almost Rape.
He's so bossy, rude & sexy at the same time, making me smile & frown simultaneously! My favourite scene was when they went to meet Royal's parents at the restaurant. The whole scene as soon as they entered to when they reached home, dayummm🔥
PS: The cover is stunning!
••••••••••••••••••••••• I've recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t expecting to already be in love with Xavier by the time I’d finished the prologue but somehow that’s what happened. 100% without a doubt, he is my man.
Royal lives a very privileged life but with those privileges come responsibilities. The time has come for Royal to find a suitor, something she doesn’t want but which her dad has already sorted out. Xavier is known as the beast. He’s not known for his kind and forgiving nature. After reading the prologue something clicked and I immediately liked Xavier. Even when I knew I shouldn’t, I couldn’t help myself. He’s delicious. He’s an asshole but even that wasn’t enough to stop me loving him. Unfortunately Royal wasn’t as stuck on Xavier as I was and to say she’s unhappy at the turn of events would be an understatement but she’s a tough cookie. She’s determined to not let Xavier get what he wants and she’s got no problem going toe to toe with him, even when he’s raging, and I loved that about her. She was quite the surprise. She’s feisty, independent and stubborn. There’s a softness about her but she’s not a walkover.
I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read a few books by this author and this is by far my favourite from her. I struggled to put it down at times and I absolutely loved the main characters. Special mention of Alan. He’s another great character who definitely had me feeling all kinds of things. I highly recommend giving this book a go, I doubt you’ll be disappointed, I definitely wasn’t.
Thank you Ashlee Rose for been so generous and gifting me early ARC.
When Ashlee said she was writing savage love and said she was introducing her most a_ hole alpha ever I was a bit scared and excited all at once. Scared because I have read all her books and met the alphas and always felt Carter was the biggest a_hole. WOW How wrong was I. Xavier Archibald is every kind of a_ hole, right from the start I wanted to climb into my kindle and lump him one. My other half thought I was loosing the plot with all the names I was calling him. This story is one of my new favs, it’s kind of an adults version of beauty and the beast. But it has more twists and turns that leave you having to turn the page just to see what will happen next. Royal / red as Xavier calls her is a lady who knows her own mind but is forced to live by what is expected of the future Queen. It is her 21 and her parents are throwing her a ball to celebrate. Not just her birthday though but to announce her husband to be. As you can guess she’s not a happy bunny,little does she know that’s the least of her worries. The plot twists are amazing, like I said it’s an adults version of beauty and the beast. This book is so well put together, I was left feeling like I had been on a rollercoaster with my emotions. And that for me is the sign of a great book. I would highly recommend reading this amazing book, just get ready to hate and then fall in love with the a_hole alpha. Xavier is now top of my list of a_hole alphas. Ashlee has out done her self yet again.
Since I first read the blurb for this book I knew I had to read it, and that it would be right up my alley. This story is everything that I love in a good story. Enemies to lovers, royalty, forced marriage, it took all the boxes.
Royal is a Princess approaching her 21st birthday and duty calls that she needs to be married. Unbeknown to her, her father the King has promised her to the Beast to pay off a gambling debt. Royal has always been drawn to Xavier in a way that she never really understood, but over the years that she has known him he changed becoming the Beast that everyone knew.
I love a good enemies to lovers story and this book is up there with the best. I absolutely loved these characters, Xavier was likeable, even when he wasn't that likeable 🤔. I do have an issue with being too harsh on my heroines, and sometimes Royal really irritated me. Possibly uncalled for, but as I said I have issues! I will explain, I completely forgave Xavier for the way he treated Royal in the begining, no questions asked. But when Royal hurt Xavier through a misunderstanding I was really bothered by it, litterally hand on chest " how dare you!" But all in all, both characters were relatable and I loved them both, both were fiery and I loved their chemistry and back and forth. This book has all the Beauty and the Beast feels and is a definate must read!
This book does have some triggers and touches on subjects such as rape and suicide, so please be aware before reading.
Savage Love by Ashlee Rose is a tale as old as time but with a modern twist. It is mainly narrated through the eyes of Princess Royal (Red) but it also has Xavier Archibald III’s (the beast) perspective woven throughout the story.
I really liked this book and found it to be a dark twisted version of a classic tale. I loved the beauty and the beast elements but I also loved the uniqueness that Ashlee brought to the story. The first part of the story evoked emotions of pure anger and hate. I was angry at Royal’s father, the beast and also Royal because she said that she would fight until her last dying breath if she needed to but I found that she gave in so easily. As the story progressed my anger dissolved, it transformed into feelings of joy, love, happiness, heartbreak and sorrow.
I like the fact that the beast and Xavier came across as being two totally different characters. The beast was featured throughout the bad, tense and angry times while Xavier was featured during all of the beautiful scenes. I liked watching Royal grow into a strong kickass female who learned to stand up for herself and not backdown no matter what.
This was a great story with an interesting storyline, intriguing characters, heartbreaking moments and a fantastic ending. I can’t wait to see what Ashlee does next.
I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.
I was not ready for this book, it brought every emotion I could feel to the surface.
I’ve become such a fan of Ashlee, her writing is so addictive and just captivates me from start to finish.
Going into this book I was craving an enemies to lovers book, and this was just what I needed, this book focuses on a beauty and the beast retelling, royal has to go live with Xavier because her dad gambled her life away.
Xavier really stole my heart, he is rough, passionate, protective, and everything I need in my life! Seeing royal being out the different side to him, being the light to his soul as inspiring, the way their love is portrayed was beautiful!
Royal is an independent, fierce and funny woman, the way she gets under Xavier skin makes me laugh so much, she so fun loving and I love how she is with everyone, she’s sunshine!
Honestly I got to a chapter where I had to stop because a certain character made me feel horrid, I hated Alan, I could just tell he was a slimy, creepy man and the situations he made happen, he’s just a vile man!
But this book had me feeling every emotion so deeply, I felt the pain, the love, the guilt and the heartbreak aswell as the fear! This book was just a masterpiece ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of Savage Love By Ashlee Rose I loved this book and is in my top 5 Ashlee Rose books This was a wonderful modern retelling of beauty and the beast which I enjoyed for the most part and would definitely recommend you read this book. I found this retelling more realistic because we saw the journey of the two main characters leading up to the romance it wasn’t sudden and immediate, which meant it made sense when Xavier took Royal. Personally I found that the end of this book was written better and the storylines where much better than the beginning of the book. I loved the emotional journey we are taken through and the surprising twists Ashlee gives us which kept me reading. I found the characters well written, interesting and multi-dimensional. Xavier is this alpha personality who is possessive, protective and quick to anger. I know we are meant to hate him because he is the ‘beast but I loved the fact that his love for Royal was so deep and all-encompassing for him however his temper sometimes made me think he could be capable of the awful things he is accused of and he trusts the wrong people. Royal on the other hand balances him, she is independent, innocent and naïve but has a backbone. She is kind to everyone and can sometimes be seen as selfless. However that fierce love for the people close to her leads her to make decisions she comes to regret SPOILER ALERT My favourite scene was when Xavier finds out the truth about his brother, Xander’s death. It helped his emotional turmoil resolve and allowed him to love Royal freely without emotional conflict
I absolutely love the cover it’s unique, stunning and I cannot wait to get the paperback on my bookshelf!
Xavier and Royals story is one that isn’t to be missed!! It’s a story like no other I’ve read! A modern and dark twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast with the added sparks of the elegance of royalty.
Xavier is...a bit of an arse, no he’s a lot of an arse and isn’t one you connect to instantly. But my gosh when you do 🥰 he is one you won’t forget. Royal is a character you can quickly feel bad for, she appears trapped at every turn and a prisoner going from one cell to another however she never looses her feisty personality and stays true to herself.
I enjoyed how on edge I was with this book, just as I began to believe I had the story sussed it took a completely different path.
I loved the ending it was a perfect happily ever after for a perfectly written story!
I hated Xavier...AT FIRST. But man did I warm up to him real quick. I found myself flipping the pages faster and faster just so I can see what his next reaction to Royal was going to be or what was going to come out of his mouth next.
THIS IS THE KIND OF BOOK I NEED.
I loved the push and pull, the fairytale feel, the enemies to lovers, the “I hate everyone INCLUDING you” (but not really😂), and the banter.
Royal and Xavier were just what I needed. They were EVERYTHING. I needed Xavier’s savage and ruthless attitude and I needed Royal’s fierceness.
Also, side note. I kept wondering why Red kept calling Alan a little bitch and well...when I got it, I was like HE IS A LITTLE BITCH....LITTLE BITCH😂
READ THIS BOOK & THEN GO READ ALL OF ASHLEE’S OTHER BOOKS BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT DISAPPOINT.
I received an ARC courtesy of the author and this is my honest review.
This book has stolen my heart, I love this modern day retelling of beauty and the beast. This is an action packed, angsty, enemies to lovers with plenty of drama, sexual tension, love and loss. Xavier crawled his way into my heart, at the beginning you want to hate him and he gives you plenty of reason to hate him but once you get to know him and understand his pain and struggles you can’t help but love him. Royal is such a sassy, badass despite the fear and loathing she felt towards Xavier she was determined to go toe to toe with her and not let him break her. As usual Ashlee gives us some amazing spicy scenes in this book and like always I loved every minute. Royal and Xavier are the definition of light and dark and they just balance each other out.
If you love a spicy, enemies to lovers, action packed, plot twists, suspense, edge of your seat moments, tears, love and laughter with a sassy heroine and a alphahole hero….. then read this book!!!!