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Maiden and the Monster
Winner of the 2006 RT Reviewer's Choice Award!
Medieval Historical Romance
Long Novel
Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle, is feared as a demon in the land of Wessex. The Kings have granted him a title of nobility in exchange for his part as a political prisoner. Discontent, he bides his time in his new home until war will once again rip through the land. But boredom soon turns to devious pleasure as the daughter of his most hated enemy is left for dead at his castle gate. Now the monster bides his time plotting revenge.
Lady Eden of Hawks' Nest doesn't know what to think of the man who saved her life, but she can't wrench her thoughts away. His words are those of a tyrant, true to his vicious reputation, but his touch is that of a man, stirring passion and lust when there should only be fear. It would seem the infamous monster is not as monstrous as he appears.
Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, and violence.
Length: Long Novel
Heat Level: Very Sensual
Medieval Historical Romance
Long Novel
Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle, is feared as a demon in the land of Wessex. The Kings have granted him a title of nobility in exchange for his part as a political prisoner. Discontent, he bides his time in his new home until war will once again rip through the land. But boredom soon turns to devious pleasure as the daughter of his most hated enemy is left for dead at his castle gate. Now the monster bides his time plotting revenge.
Lady Eden of Hawks' Nest doesn't know what to think of the man who saved her life, but she can't wrench her thoughts away. His words are those of a tyrant, true to his vicious reputation, but his touch is that of a man, stirring passion and lust when there should only be fear. It would seem the infamous monster is not as monstrous as he appears.
Rating: Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, and violence.
Length: Long Novel
Heat Level: Very Sensual
430 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2005
162 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
About the author
Michelle M. Pillow
233 books3,532 followers📚 New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author of All Things Romance
🌎 www.MichellePillow.com
Michelle M. Pillow is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with millions of books sold worldwide. Best known for her paranormal and sci-fi romance and paranormal women’s fiction, she writes captivating stories that blend heart, humor, adventure, and a touch of magic—perfect for readers who love immersive worlds and unforgettable characters.
Her bestselling series include Dragon Lords, Lords of the Var®, Warlocks MacGregor®, Order of Magic, and Merely Mortal.
📖 Printable Booklist: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/42pg25jekx
A relentless explorer of both the real and the supernatural, Michelle has chased history through ancient ruins, climbed Mayan temples in Belize, and investigated haunted locations. She believes life is an adventure best fueled by curiosity, creativity, and copious amounts of coffee.
Now based in the American South, Michelle is involved in film and documentary projects with her talented husband. She is mom to a talented artist, and under the strict supervision of her furry overlords (a dog and a cat) who ensure she meets her deadlines. Most days, she can be found in her office wearing pajama pants, writing, plotting, and occasionally dancing to get the creative juices flowing.
She’s the award-winning author of the historical Maiden and the Monster and paranormal romance Love Potions. If you love dragon shifters, mischievous warlocks, and strong heroines who take charge of their destiny, her books are a perfect fit.
📬 Stay Updated! Sign up for exclusive news, sneak peeks, and giveaways:
https://michellepillow.com/newsletter...
💬 Connect with Michelle:
📖 Facebook: AuthorMichellePillow
🌎 Website: www.MichellePillow.com
🌎 www.MichellePillow.com
Michelle M. Pillow is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with millions of books sold worldwide. Best known for her paranormal and sci-fi romance and paranormal women’s fiction, she writes captivating stories that blend heart, humor, adventure, and a touch of magic—perfect for readers who love immersive worlds and unforgettable characters.
Her bestselling series include Dragon Lords, Lords of the Var®, Warlocks MacGregor®, Order of Magic, and Merely Mortal.
📖 Printable Booklist: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/42pg25jekx
A relentless explorer of both the real and the supernatural, Michelle has chased history through ancient ruins, climbed Mayan temples in Belize, and investigated haunted locations. She believes life is an adventure best fueled by curiosity, creativity, and copious amounts of coffee.
Now based in the American South, Michelle is involved in film and documentary projects with her talented husband. She is mom to a talented artist, and under the strict supervision of her furry overlords (a dog and a cat) who ensure she meets her deadlines. Most days, she can be found in her office wearing pajama pants, writing, plotting, and occasionally dancing to get the creative juices flowing.
She’s the award-winning author of the historical Maiden and the Monster and paranormal romance Love Potions. If you love dragon shifters, mischievous warlocks, and strong heroines who take charge of their destiny, her books are a perfect fit.
📬 Stay Updated! Sign up for exclusive news, sneak peeks, and giveaways:
https://michellepillow.com/newsletter...
💬 Connect with Michelle:
📖 Facebook: AuthorMichellePillow
🌎 Website: www.MichellePillow.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
June 8, 2015
Sometimes, I binge on shitty romance. "Trashy" implies, to me, some kind of redeeming quality; it's mostly terrible, sure, but the characters are a little likeable, or the romance is sweetly stupid, or maybe the action is hot enough to outweigh the rest. That's trashy. Trashy isn't really my thing. Shitty, now...shitty romance novels are another level entirely. And my god, is this novel shitty.
Vladamir ("the Monster" of the title) is something of a political prisoner in England, and he has a black belt in brooding. Some quirk of the description led me to picture him as Nathan Explosion, and I liked that, so it stuck. Vladamir Explosion lives in a grubby castle and broods like no man has brooded before. He scowls. He smolders. He gets boners and they anger him, mostly because he just can't quite work up the energy to go off and rape a servant, which he considers to be some kind of reasonable historical alternative to masturbation. So he broods about the boners. Whatever, everybody has to have a hobby. Fortunately for Vladamir, a badly beaten woman turns up in a pile of garbage outside his castle, as women do. He takes a look at her after the filth is mostly scrubbed away and immediately considers feeling her up from the inside. Eden, who is clearly having kind of a difficult day, looks like she was the lone survivor of an explosion in a baseball bat factory, and all he can think about is how bad he wants to pork her. Vladamir apparently dual majored in brooding and inappropriate boners. He decides to just be really rude to her instead. You know, as one does.
Eventually she recovers from her injuries enough to wander the castle in the dark. Vladamir bumps into her in a dark hallway and reacts by dry humping her until he comes in his pants. It's all romance from here on out!
The story never gets better than that. Oh, it certainly continues, and in delightfully awful fashion: she's enthusiastic about blowjobs, they get married to make her dad angry, there's a kid from his previous (hideously tragic and sad BROOD BROOD BROOD) marriage, it turns out he looks like Freddy Krueger below the neck, some utterly forgettable minor characters get it on, whatever. Vladamir finally gets to put his dick in a willing lady and spends weeks literally hiding from her because of...reasons? The bed was untidy and I guess only prostitutes do it in messy rooms? Or something? He gets over it eventually. Then he does her in the butt. It is hilarious. It is the reason I am even writing this review.
Look, I'm not a butt scientist. I don't know everything there is to know about butts. But I still can't help but think that if your dude can float you around a pond for fifteen minutes and then march his business through your backdoor with hardly a warning knock, you may wish to consult with a doctor about your weird slippery butthole, because they're not supposed to do that. That isn't how buttholes work. Whatever's leaking out of Eden seems to do the trick, though, and Vladamir reflects on why he isn't a fan of Christianity: because they won't let him do butt stuff.
It was my favorite moment of the whole book. I died.
There's more plot and drama and crap after that point, but it was so bland and stupid that I more or less forgot all of it immediately. I seriously cannot remember how the book ends. I maxed out my ability to care about anything with the improbable butt lovin'. For me, this was the story of Nathan Explosion glowering his way into banging a hot abused chick with a slip'n slide butthole. It was awesome. I will never, never read it again.
Vladamir ("the Monster" of the title) is something of a political prisoner in England, and he has a black belt in brooding. Some quirk of the description led me to picture him as Nathan Explosion, and I liked that, so it stuck. Vladamir Explosion lives in a grubby castle and broods like no man has brooded before. He scowls. He smolders. He gets boners and they anger him, mostly because he just can't quite work up the energy to go off and rape a servant, which he considers to be some kind of reasonable historical alternative to masturbation. So he broods about the boners. Whatever, everybody has to have a hobby. Fortunately for Vladamir, a badly beaten woman turns up in a pile of garbage outside his castle, as women do. He takes a look at her after the filth is mostly scrubbed away and immediately considers feeling her up from the inside. Eden, who is clearly having kind of a difficult day, looks like she was the lone survivor of an explosion in a baseball bat factory, and all he can think about is how bad he wants to pork her. Vladamir apparently dual majored in brooding and inappropriate boners. He decides to just be really rude to her instead. You know, as one does.
Eventually she recovers from her injuries enough to wander the castle in the dark. Vladamir bumps into her in a dark hallway and reacts by dry humping her until he comes in his pants. It's all romance from here on out!
The story never gets better than that. Oh, it certainly continues, and in delightfully awful fashion: she's enthusiastic about blowjobs, they get married to make her dad angry, there's a kid from his previous (hideously tragic and sad BROOD BROOD BROOD) marriage, it turns out he looks like Freddy Krueger below the neck, some utterly forgettable minor characters get it on, whatever. Vladamir finally gets to put his dick in a willing lady and spends weeks literally hiding from her because of...reasons? The bed was untidy and I guess only prostitutes do it in messy rooms? Or something? He gets over it eventually. Then he does her in the butt. It is hilarious. It is the reason I am even writing this review.
Look, I'm not a butt scientist. I don't know everything there is to know about butts. But I still can't help but think that if your dude can float you around a pond for fifteen minutes and then march his business through your backdoor with hardly a warning knock, you may wish to consult with a doctor about your weird slippery butthole, because they're not supposed to do that. That isn't how buttholes work. Whatever's leaking out of Eden seems to do the trick, though, and Vladamir reflects on why he isn't a fan of Christianity: because they won't let him do butt stuff.
It was my favorite moment of the whole book. I died.
There's more plot and drama and crap after that point, but it was so bland and stupid that I more or less forgot all of it immediately. I seriously cannot remember how the book ends. I maxed out my ability to care about anything with the improbable butt lovin'. For me, this was the story of Nathan Explosion glowering his way into banging a hot abused chick with a slip'n slide butthole. It was awesome. I will never, never read it again.
April 15, 2020
I wasn't thrilled when the old guy groped the injured woman in her bed, knowing she was on her way to be a nun. When he shows himself as a monster hitting his subjects, and then literally kicking a dog in the stomach? Nope. Not for me. I don't care how long he's been without a woman as he excuses his abuse.
DNF 20%.
DNF 20%.
April 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this medieval love story. A sweet beauty and the stoic beast sort of story.
Before I go any further, I really feel like I need to clarify so many erroneous reviews that I have seen for this book. So many ppl DNF’ed and gave a low rating for ‘the hero kicking a dog’. Obviously they were not reading very closely or they struggle with reading comprehension…. The hero is NOT who kicked the dog. It was the bad guy/the Earl of Hawks, the heroines nasty father that did the kicking. Then the dog jumped up and ran off with his bone.
“The Earl of Hawks’ Nest stalked up to the soldier who dared to defy his
order. He swung a beefy arm and backhanded the man across the face,
sending him sprawling into the dirt. Then, turning around in circles, he spied a dog lying nearby in some straw. The animal gnawed absently on an old bone. Storming to the animal, the earl kicked the dog in the gut. The mongrel yelped and scurried off across the bailey.” - page 82.
The hero was a Duke, not an Earl. This whole scene wasn’t even at the Dukes property. This was at the heroine’s father’s castle and he’s storming around pissed that he can’t find his daughter. This is the only mention in the whole book about kicking a dog.
There are multiple occurrences of violence btwn people, as is the norm for medieval time. But at the same time, there’s no war bogging down the romance, as is common in medieval stories, so I liked that. This was what I guess would be called erotica, but to me, it felt like a normal full length love story, but when it came to the few sex scenes, they tended to lean to erotica. For more on this, see Betsi’s 1-star review, where she hilariously rants about the one back door shenanigan scene.
🏰 “It had taken all his willpower not to suggest putting her mouth to better use” - our hero, he was a dirty bird 😃 he had long been celibate since his cheating wife passed away, and he really took a hankering for the heroine, yet he didn’t believe she would ever really like the scarred angry monster that he was. So he tried to keep him and his dirty thoughts away.
🏰 “He liked to make her angry, just to see where her heated passions would bring her. He felt a strong urge to make her mad more often” - our hero, he was a mess before the heroine came to save him from his darkness, walking around roaring in rage or an emotionless blank-faced beast. The heroine’s spunkiness challenged him and awakened his heart and made him start to feel and care again.
🏰 “To her he was a man, a man incapable of returning the love that grew with every insistent beat of her heart” - our heroine, initially scared of the rumored ‘monster’ that he was, quickly fell in love with him and was dying for him to show any affection in return.
🏰 my favorite scene that had me laughing out loud, actual tears from laughing, was the scene of the heroine publicly trying to convince her father that she was indeed married and that the marriage had been consummated. She lied, the marriage had not been consummated yet, so she had no idea what she was talking about and the lies that she used were hilarious. The bedsheet that was brought forth was also hilarious.
🏰 The bad’ish…. The last half of the story, there were definitely tons of lies, or withholding of information that was annoying. Lol, she literally tells the hero that she would never betray her husband after he told her how his deceased wife had betrayed him, then the next paragraph the heroine tells a huge lie because she’s afraid of his reaction to the truth 🤯. Secondly, I felt the heroine’s father was despicable and she seemingly forgave him because ‘that was her family’. Nope, not after what Luther did to her, and her father could have cared less and accused her of lying. He would be dead to me.
Enjoyable story though, it was cute to see the hero remain a grump for so long before finally admitting his love.
Before I go any further, I really feel like I need to clarify so many erroneous reviews that I have seen for this book. So many ppl DNF’ed and gave a low rating for ‘the hero kicking a dog’. Obviously they were not reading very closely or they struggle with reading comprehension…. The hero is NOT who kicked the dog. It was the bad guy/the Earl of Hawks, the heroines nasty father that did the kicking. Then the dog jumped up and ran off with his bone.
“The Earl of Hawks’ Nest stalked up to the soldier who dared to defy his
order. He swung a beefy arm and backhanded the man across the face,
sending him sprawling into the dirt. Then, turning around in circles, he spied a dog lying nearby in some straw. The animal gnawed absently on an old bone. Storming to the animal, the earl kicked the dog in the gut. The mongrel yelped and scurried off across the bailey.” - page 82.
The hero was a Duke, not an Earl. This whole scene wasn’t even at the Dukes property. This was at the heroine’s father’s castle and he’s storming around pissed that he can’t find his daughter. This is the only mention in the whole book about kicking a dog.
There are multiple occurrences of violence btwn people, as is the norm for medieval time. But at the same time, there’s no war bogging down the romance, as is common in medieval stories, so I liked that. This was what I guess would be called erotica, but to me, it felt like a normal full length love story, but when it came to the few sex scenes, they tended to lean to erotica. For more on this, see Betsi’s 1-star review, where she hilariously rants about the one back door shenanigan scene.
🏰 “It had taken all his willpower not to suggest putting her mouth to better use” - our hero, he was a dirty bird 😃 he had long been celibate since his cheating wife passed away, and he really took a hankering for the heroine, yet he didn’t believe she would ever really like the scarred angry monster that he was. So he tried to keep him and his dirty thoughts away.
🏰 “He liked to make her angry, just to see where her heated passions would bring her. He felt a strong urge to make her mad more often” - our hero, he was a mess before the heroine came to save him from his darkness, walking around roaring in rage or an emotionless blank-faced beast. The heroine’s spunkiness challenged him and awakened his heart and made him start to feel and care again.
🏰 “To her he was a man, a man incapable of returning the love that grew with every insistent beat of her heart” - our heroine, initially scared of the rumored ‘monster’ that he was, quickly fell in love with him and was dying for him to show any affection in return.
🏰 my favorite scene that had me laughing out loud, actual tears from laughing, was the scene of the heroine publicly trying to convince her father that she was indeed married and that the marriage had been consummated. She lied, the marriage had not been consummated yet, so she had no idea what she was talking about and the lies that she used were hilarious. The bedsheet that was brought forth was also hilarious.
🏰 The bad’ish…. The last half of the story, there were definitely tons of lies, or withholding of information that was annoying. Lol, she literally tells the hero that she would never betray her husband after he told her how his deceased wife had betrayed him, then the next paragraph the heroine tells a huge lie because she’s afraid of his reaction to the truth 🤯. Secondly, I felt the heroine’s father was despicable and she seemingly forgave him because ‘that was her family’. Nope, not after what Luther did to her, and her father could have cared less and accused her of lying. He would be dead to me.
Enjoyable story though, it was cute to see the hero remain a grump for so long before finally admitting his love.
March 16, 2024
A hero worth brooding over!
I went into this one with eyes wide open. Some of the reviews were, let’s just say, less than flattering. A broody hero who was the broodiest ever to brood? Why, yes, thank you! A sweet, innocent heroine who is in danger, beaten and thrown on the monsters figurative doorstep? Take my money!!
I didn’t expect much going into this one. But honestly I liked it. Were there some silly misunderstandings thrown in to add to the angst factor? Sure. But nothing that took away from the overall story. And the overall story is a damaged man who has lost his way, who everyone believes to be a monster and so he starts to believe it about himself. And a woman who sees beneath the ugly scars and attitude to the goodness hiding underneath. A man accustomed to harshness and cruelty, and the gentleness and love of a sweet woman who tames him. A man from whom everyone turns away and sees as evil, and a woman who sees him as a refuge and a man worthy of love.
So yeah there were some over the top moments with the hero, some misunderstandings that could’ve been easily cleared up, but there was passion and redemption and plenty of swoon moments to compensate for the silly ones. Also, it should be pointed out that some reviewers confused the hero for the heroines father. For example, the hero NEVER KICKS A DOG. That’s the heroines father.
Hero’s past is mentioned, although he’s been celibate since his injury and the wild superstition that surrounds him has kept the females away. So in addition to being extra salty from the fear and revulsion he elicits in everyone he meets, he’s also extra crispy horny and that doesn’t help his attitude problem. He was previously married (but ISNT still in love with dead wife)
Possible triggers: heroine is beaten (off page) severely. No sexual assault occurs, although it’s mentioned happening to her servant. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero.
No ow/om drama. No cheating or abuse between MCs
HEA
Free on KoboPlus
I went into this one with eyes wide open. Some of the reviews were, let’s just say, less than flattering. A broody hero who was the broodiest ever to brood? Why, yes, thank you! A sweet, innocent heroine who is in danger, beaten and thrown on the monsters figurative doorstep? Take my money!!
I didn’t expect much going into this one. But honestly I liked it. Were there some silly misunderstandings thrown in to add to the angst factor? Sure. But nothing that took away from the overall story. And the overall story is a damaged man who has lost his way, who everyone believes to be a monster and so he starts to believe it about himself. And a woman who sees beneath the ugly scars and attitude to the goodness hiding underneath. A man accustomed to harshness and cruelty, and the gentleness and love of a sweet woman who tames him. A man from whom everyone turns away and sees as evil, and a woman who sees him as a refuge and a man worthy of love.
So yeah there were some over the top moments with the hero, some misunderstandings that could’ve been easily cleared up, but there was passion and redemption and plenty of swoon moments to compensate for the silly ones. Also, it should be pointed out that some reviewers confused the hero for the heroines father. For example, the hero NEVER KICKS A DOG. That’s the heroines father.
Hero’s past is mentioned, although he’s been celibate since his injury and the wild superstition that surrounds him has kept the females away. So in addition to being extra salty from the fear and revulsion he elicits in everyone he meets, he’s also extra crispy horny and that doesn’t help his attitude problem. He was previously married (but ISNT still in love with dead wife)
Possible triggers: heroine is beaten (off page) severely. No sexual assault occurs, although it’s mentioned happening to her servant. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero.
No ow/om drama. No cheating or abuse between MCs
HEA
Free on KoboPlus
May 1, 2024
It could have been better but I enjoyed it for the most part, so 3 stars. When I have time, I’ll add more.
August 10, 2023
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (2 are close together)
Humor: A bit, yes (but there’s also quite a few darker things and I wouldn’t consider this a comedy or anything)
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
Percentage which mains are first on page together: 2%
Cliffhanger: No
Happily Ever After (HEA)/Happy For Now (HFN): Yes
Epilogue: Yes (maybe 6-8 months after the events of the book?)
Format: checked out audiobook version on Hoopla
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I believe this is a standalone.
Basic plot:
Vladamir gains a title as a political prisoner but craves revenge. An opportunity arrives when the daughter of his enemy is found near death at his gate.
Give this a try if you want:
- Medieval time period – 879 AD
- Wessex setting
- Viking hero / and I believe Saxon heroine
- some elements of paganism versus Christianity
- widowed hero with a daughter
- celibate hero
- revenge plot
- scarred hero
- marriage of convenience
- faked consummation
- child in the story (not a huge part)
- jealous hero
- you’re okay with some minor levels of miscommunication/lack of communication
- higher steam – 5 full scenes (2 are close together though) with some rougher scenes (see details below)
My thoughts:
I went into this book with high hopes – a new to me author with Mason Lloyd (who I love) as narrator?? I was sold already.
But as I got into it, I struggled with a connection with either character. The hero is a bit of a jerk and that’s fine, I can love a jerk hero, but in this one I felt like he was a bit too volatile. I never fell for him or trusted him by the end of the book.
The sex was decent – I liked that it wasn’t your average vanilla sex I come across in histrom. It’s a bit rough and includes some bondage and anal play.
There was one scene I truly enjoyed, and it was when the heroine’s family comes to the hero’s castle and they discuss if the marriage is valid. It had me laughing and really loving both characters. I was hoping it would maintain that rhythm for me afterwards but sadly it didn’t.
I struggled with the writing style a bit too. It was written with a medieval feel, with lots of ‘me thinks’ sprinkled throughout – but then we would get some random sentences that just felt really modern. (Like how he ‘checked out her tight butt’) and it just felt a bit unbalanced?? I don’t really care about modern language used in a histrom but it was jarring to come across those lines. (What do I know, maybe ‘checked out her tight butt’ is totally historically accurate too – it just felt a bit weird!). I don’t think this would be a problem when reading because you would see the quotations, but something with the writing style would make it seem like someone was talking, but really it was just thoughts. But I wouldn’t realize this until after the thoughts were done and I was constantly kind of back playing scenes to re-see them as they were written. This is probably just a me a problem though haha (So like the hero would ask her something, and she would respond but you would find out at the end of her thoughts that it was all in her head and she didn’t actually say those things. I really think it was just a minor audio thing that won’t happen when reading)
I started getting a bit annoyed towards the ending too with the hero’s irrational behavior, the whole 24 hours to prove his innocence thing, which I thought was totally unfair...Overall I think I would read another Michelle M Pillow novel and see how I feel, but this one wasn’t a favorite for me.
Content warnings:
Author given content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (2 are close together)
Humor: A bit, yes (but there’s also quite a few darker things and I wouldn’t consider this a comedy or anything)
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
Percentage which mains are first on page together: 2%
Cliffhanger: No
Happily Ever After (HEA)/Happy For Now (HFN): Yes
Epilogue: Yes (maybe 6-8 months after the events of the book?)
Format: checked out audiobook version on Hoopla
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I believe this is a standalone.
Basic plot:
Vladamir gains a title as a political prisoner but craves revenge. An opportunity arrives when the daughter of his enemy is found near death at his gate.
Give this a try if you want:
- Medieval time period – 879 AD
- Wessex setting
- Viking hero / and I believe Saxon heroine
- some elements of paganism versus Christianity
- widowed hero with a daughter
- celibate hero
- revenge plot
- scarred hero
- marriage of convenience
- faked consummation
- child in the story (not a huge part)
- jealous hero
- you’re okay with some minor levels of miscommunication/lack of communication
- higher steam – 5 full scenes (2 are close together though) with some rougher scenes (see details below)
My thoughts:
I went into this book with high hopes – a new to me author with Mason Lloyd (who I love) as narrator?? I was sold already.
But as I got into it, I struggled with a connection with either character. The hero is a bit of a jerk and that’s fine, I can love a jerk hero, but in this one I felt like he was a bit too volatile. I never fell for him or trusted him by the end of the book.
The sex was decent – I liked that it wasn’t your average vanilla sex I come across in histrom. It’s a bit rough and includes some bondage and anal play.
There was one scene I truly enjoyed, and it was when the heroine’s family comes to the hero’s castle and they discuss if the marriage is valid. It had me laughing and really loving both characters. I was hoping it would maintain that rhythm for me afterwards but sadly it didn’t.
I struggled with the writing style a bit too. It was written with a medieval feel, with lots of ‘me thinks’ sprinkled throughout – but then we would get some random sentences that just felt really modern. (Like how he ‘checked out her tight butt’) and it just felt a bit unbalanced?? I don’t really care about modern language used in a histrom but it was jarring to come across those lines. (What do I know, maybe ‘checked out her tight butt’ is totally historically accurate too – it just felt a bit weird!). I don’t think this would be a problem when reading because you would see the quotations, but something with the writing style would make it seem like someone was talking, but really it was just thoughts. But I wouldn’t realize this until after the thoughts were done and I was constantly kind of back playing scenes to re-see them as they were written. This is probably just a me a problem though haha (So like the hero would ask her something, and she would respond but you would find out at the end of her thoughts that it was all in her head and she didn’t actually say those things. I really think it was just a minor audio thing that won’t happen when reading)
I started getting a bit annoyed towards the ending too with the hero’s irrational behavior, the whole 24 hours to prove his innocence thing, which I thought was totally unfair...Overall I think I would read another Michelle M Pillow novel and see how I feel, but this one wasn’t a favorite for me.
Content warnings:
Author given content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
February 17, 2025
REVIEW
Rating: 4/5
POV: Multiple
Heat Level: 5+/5
Tropes: Retelling - Beauty & the Beast; Medieval; Grumpy/Sunshine; Marriage of Convenience;
Kinks: Butt Stuff;
Likes:
* If you like Beauty & The Beast retellings this is a really good one. It become very clear at about 15% and is well done throughout the book after.
* The FMC reminds me of Julie Garwoods FMC's. Except smarter. But she's definitely very naive in all other aspects and it plays out quite comically a few times in the story.
Dislikes:
* The MMC has long nails and it's described to us as the reader multiple times and honestly I was just so grossed out by that lol.
This book starts off rough. First 15% I was not happy, lol. However, once a key thing happens, right literally at 15%, the book immediately starts to get better. I am very glad I did not chose to DNF and kept reading. The retelling of Beauty & the Beast is so well done in this book. I've read a lot of this particular retelling and this honestly might be one of the best done that I've read. The MMC true to his nature stays a real oaf throughout the book but once the feelings are spoken he's swoon worthy!
The spice is definitely unique for an HR. It's pretty high heat with dirty talk & there's butt stuff! So just a warning to those who may read this review and want to avoid that.
There is also, in my opinion, non con. The non con is only with touching BUT it is still non con. So I say that in my review to give as a heads up to those that might consider reading this but cannot read any non con.
In conclusion - I'm very happy I stuck it out with this story. It was enjoyable, emotional, and I will be checking out more books by this author.
4/5
Rating: 4/5
POV: Multiple
Heat Level: 5+/5
Tropes: Retelling - Beauty & the Beast; Medieval; Grumpy/Sunshine; Marriage of Convenience;
Kinks: Butt Stuff;
Likes:
* If you like Beauty & The Beast retellings this is a really good one. It become very clear at about 15% and is well done throughout the book after.
* The FMC reminds me of Julie Garwoods FMC's. Except smarter. But she's definitely very naive in all other aspects and it plays out quite comically a few times in the story.
Dislikes:
* The MMC has long nails and it's described to us as the reader multiple times and honestly I was just so grossed out by that lol.
This book starts off rough. First 15% I was not happy, lol. However, once a key thing happens, right literally at 15%, the book immediately starts to get better. I am very glad I did not chose to DNF and kept reading. The retelling of Beauty & the Beast is so well done in this book. I've read a lot of this particular retelling and this honestly might be one of the best done that I've read. The MMC true to his nature stays a real oaf throughout the book but once the feelings are spoken he's swoon worthy!
The spice is definitely unique for an HR. It's pretty high heat with dirty talk & there's butt stuff! So just a warning to those who may read this review and want to avoid that.
There is also, in my opinion, non con. The non con is only with touching BUT it is still non con. So I say that in my review to give as a heads up to those that might consider reading this but cannot read any non con.
In conclusion - I'm very happy I stuck it out with this story. It was enjoyable, emotional, and I will be checking out more books by this author.
4/5
June 10, 2010
Lady Eden unconscious after being severely beaten and smelling of pig manure is left to die just outside the Duke of Lakeshire's castle. He mistakenly believes the bundle of fowl smelling furs is just that, but his servant discovers that the pile is actually a woman who is barely alive. Vladamir against his will at the insistence of his servant and friend Ulric, places the woman in Ulric's care to recover. However, after Eden is cleaned up and the swelling in her face lessons he realizes how attractive Eden is and wonders where she came from and how she came to be found in her condition on his doorstep, so to speak.
I was pleasantly surprised by Maiden and the Monster. It is published by Ellora's Cave, which is known for their erotic romance, but also the stories are generally shorter. Maiden in the Monster is 355 pages and wasn't quite as erotic as other Ellora's Cave books I have read in the past, but this is actually one of the reasons the story worked as well as it did for me. I thought the history of the time period was well researched and the characters true to the time period. I was expecting one thing and got something else and it was a pleasant surprise.
Vladamir is a bit of a beast. He was jilted by his first wife of whom he adored and loved. She in turn was a selfish, horrid woman who scarred Vladamir deeply. He has built up walls to keep people out and he puts on a mask of indifference and cruelty when in reality his is a very sensitive, affectionate man. Eden discovers that his bark is worse than his bite and believes that he is a good man. His actions have spoken louder than words in the way he cares for her. She has been around other men who have treated her cruelly and Vladamir is not one of them.
My one little complaint about the book is that there is a very passionate love scene towards the latter half of the book in a very beautiful outdoor setting. This scene took me by surprise and this time, not in a good way. The scene went in a direction that seemed out of character for Vladamir and Eden. It seemed as if it was to be more sexually explicit for the reader as a way to titillate, instead of being the true motivations of the characters. Of course, this is just my opinion and I could be reading to much into how a publisher might influence the outcome of a book and that one scene did not overly influence my experience when reading this book. I just felt like mentioning it.
I was pleasantly surprised by Maiden and the Monster. It is published by Ellora's Cave, which is known for their erotic romance, but also the stories are generally shorter. Maiden in the Monster is 355 pages and wasn't quite as erotic as other Ellora's Cave books I have read in the past, but this is actually one of the reasons the story worked as well as it did for me. I thought the history of the time period was well researched and the characters true to the time period. I was expecting one thing and got something else and it was a pleasant surprise.
Vladamir is a bit of a beast. He was jilted by his first wife of whom he adored and loved. She in turn was a selfish, horrid woman who scarred Vladamir deeply. He has built up walls to keep people out and he puts on a mask of indifference and cruelty when in reality his is a very sensitive, affectionate man. Eden discovers that his bark is worse than his bite and believes that he is a good man. His actions have spoken louder than words in the way he cares for her. She has been around other men who have treated her cruelly and Vladamir is not one of them.
My one little complaint about the book is that there is a very passionate love scene towards the latter half of the book in a very beautiful outdoor setting. This scene took me by surprise and this time, not in a good way. The scene went in a direction that seemed out of character for Vladamir and Eden. It seemed as if it was to be more sexually explicit for the reader as a way to titillate, instead of being the true motivations of the characters. Of course, this is just my opinion and I could be reading to much into how a publisher might influence the outcome of a book and that one scene did not overly influence my experience when reading this book. I just felt like mentioning it.
December 29, 2013
This book was a surprise because I was expecting sweet and it's much spicier than I would've thought for a medieval romance. It was a good surprise because I enjoyed the story.
Vladimir was pretty awful, or that's what we were meant to think. Eden was a great heroine. She was mistreated before meeting Vladimir, which is probably true to the time period, but despite the abuse she remains quite strong. Vlad, who is called "monster" is taken by her but he's also insecure. I really wanted them to finally get together.
I didn't like the way the author described some things (he had longish nails, huh?) and the words she used for the smexy scenes sounded too modern. However, the story captured my attention and I'll read more books by this author.
Vladimir was pretty awful, or that's what we were meant to think. Eden was a great heroine. She was mistreated before meeting Vladimir, which is probably true to the time period, but despite the abuse she remains quite strong. Vlad, who is called "monster" is taken by her but he's also insecure. I really wanted them to finally get together.
I didn't like the way the author described some things (he had longish nails, huh?) and the words she used for the smexy scenes sounded too modern. However, the story captured my attention and I'll read more books by this author.
April 12, 2021
Bad🐺🍆⛲💪🔪 To The Bone💀
ADULT Historical Medieval Romance💕 and Adventure.
Vladimir, A Viking Warrior made a Duke by King Alfred, cultivates his wicked and evil reputation, with some peasants thinking he can appear and disappear at will. He dresses all in black and looks the part of an evil man with his long, wild hair and scowling countenance. Only the few servants he brought with him from Daneland are loyal and love him. He's actually quite poor and his holding is tiny, he's a placeholder for the 👑King. But why was he made a Duke, over the nearby Earl, who has a vast holding and many knights?
When a severely beaten, nearly dead young woman is left on his doorstep, he cruelly debates whether or not to let her die. Is it a trick? His trusted servant prevails, and the woman is taken in a nursed back to health. His misgivings about her are well founded. She turns out to be the Lady Eden💃💋, daughter of his enemy, the nearby earl. He still thinks it's a trick.
Meanwhile, her father, who had basically sold her to a wealthy but untitled man, is waiting for a ransom note! He thinks she has been stolen! He is in dire need of the money💰 promised for her hand in marriage👰, but he doesn't know what has happened to her. His Castle🏰 is crumbling and he is getting desperate. So what did happen to her?
The Duke spends his waking hours imagining all the ways he can ravish Eden, and his sleeping hours dreaming about it, too. When he finally finds out her father is the hated Earl, the Duke takes matters into his own hands, er, arms!
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
This ebook was $5.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Author Pillow📚, makes the Duke🐺🍆⛲💪🔪 into a supernatural figure among the peasants and most of his household. But he's mostly just a fierce Viking warrior who has lost his wife and is terribly embittered by it and wants revenge.
ADULT Historical Medieval Romance💕 and Adventure.
Vladimir, A Viking Warrior made a Duke by King Alfred, cultivates his wicked and evil reputation, with some peasants thinking he can appear and disappear at will. He dresses all in black and looks the part of an evil man with his long, wild hair and scowling countenance. Only the few servants he brought with him from Daneland are loyal and love him. He's actually quite poor and his holding is tiny, he's a placeholder for the 👑King. But why was he made a Duke, over the nearby Earl, who has a vast holding and many knights?
When a severely beaten, nearly dead young woman is left on his doorstep, he cruelly debates whether or not to let her die. Is it a trick? His trusted servant prevails, and the woman is taken in a nursed back to health. His misgivings about her are well founded. She turns out to be the Lady Eden💃💋, daughter of his enemy, the nearby earl. He still thinks it's a trick.
Meanwhile, her father, who had basically sold her to a wealthy but untitled man, is waiting for a ransom note! He thinks she has been stolen! He is in dire need of the money💰 promised for her hand in marriage👰, but he doesn't know what has happened to her. His Castle🏰 is crumbling and he is getting desperate. So what did happen to her?
The Duke spends his waking hours imagining all the ways he can ravish Eden, and his sleeping hours dreaming about it, too. When he finally finds out her father is the hated Earl, the Duke takes matters into his own hands, er, arms!
ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
This ebook was $5.99 on Amazon at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Author Pillow📚, makes the Duke🐺🍆⛲💪🔪 into a supernatural figure among the peasants and most of his household. But he's mostly just a fierce Viking warrior who has lost his wife and is terribly embittered by it and wants revenge.
August 25, 2020
I listened to the audio version. Great narrator, so 5 stars for him and I loved the hero's accent! As to the story, overall, I liked this erotic romance set sometime before 1000 in medieval England. I had to take the historical details with a grain of salt, so don't be too picky about those. The author writes fun, steamy, erotic stories that are not to be taken too seriously. LOL. There's some swordplay, death and a bit of adventure as well. Plus a dark, creepy castle, very modern erotic language (some that was a bit cringe-worthy) and a scene including mud... 3.5 stars.
April 20, 2023
Included in KoboPlus at the time of this review.
Beauty & the Beast inspired. I liked parts of this but there were quite a few really cringy moments as well. The overall bones of the plot was good, but the execution was off.
This is kind of dark romance, but not exactly so it made it hard to embrace some of Vlad’s behavior or sympathize with Eden’s willingness to overlook all his assholery. Both run hot and cold throughout and it gave me whiplash. I get not communicating well, but it was tiring by the end.
Note to authors: anal requires some kind of lube if you want me to believe she enjoyed it.
The big miracle toward the end was odd. The ending was way too forgiving toward major characters for some pretty heinous acts without sincere apologies or repercussions.
Narration:
The best part of this was Mason Lloyd’s narration. I probably would have DNFd if I was reading it.
Beauty & the Beast inspired. I liked parts of this but there were quite a few really cringy moments as well. The overall bones of the plot was good, but the execution was off.
This is kind of dark romance, but not exactly so it made it hard to embrace some of Vlad’s behavior or sympathize with Eden’s willingness to overlook all his assholery. Both run hot and cold throughout and it gave me whiplash. I get not communicating well, but it was tiring by the end.
Note to authors: anal requires some kind of lube if you want me to believe she enjoyed it.
The big miracle toward the end was odd. The ending was way too forgiving toward major characters for some pretty heinous acts without sincere apologies or repercussions.
Narration:
The best part of this was Mason Lloyd’s narration. I probably would have DNFd if I was reading it.
June 2, 2013
I loved Michelle Pillow 'The Dragon Lords' and 'Lords of Var' series . They are, in my opinion, either 4 or 5 star books. They are well written, makes us laugh a few times, have a good pace, they have sex, love story and action. At long last, they are good books to spend your free time with. BUT this one... I don't recommend. The characters are not well built, the pace is too quickly. How does the heroine fall in love with the monster eludes me. They don't even have time to built a small relationship - weird as it may be - let alone fall in love. The characters swing in their personality. Well, it seems to me it was written in a hurry. I don't like to write bad reviews, but her other books are SO good, that I had I say it, unless you get disappointed with this book and loses Pillow's great other books. SO, look for the other series and forget this book.
October 12, 2010
3.5 stars, actually!
Methought I picked up a paranormal romance, and got an over-the-top medieval instead, complete with dramatic dialogue and grand gestures, just like watching a Spanish soap opera on Telemundo. Our heroine, Eden, is the beauty of beauties, it is not enough that she arrives at the monster's keep beaten and broken - nay, she must be covered in dead animal entrails as well. Our monster, Vladamir, is the baddest of the bad - he snarls, he wears black on black, and grunts "Arggh!" frequently and often. Once our characters fall in love and admit to each other their feelings, they face more disaster, including a death sentence the anticipation of which is fraught with enough angsty emotion to power a small village. Methought I loved it. Rock on, Ms. Pillow!
Methought I picked up a paranormal romance, and got an over-the-top medieval instead, complete with dramatic dialogue and grand gestures, just like watching a Spanish soap opera on Telemundo. Our heroine, Eden, is the beauty of beauties, it is not enough that she arrives at the monster's keep beaten and broken - nay, she must be covered in dead animal entrails as well. Our monster, Vladamir, is the baddest of the bad - he snarls, he wears black on black, and grunts "Arggh!" frequently and often. Once our characters fall in love and admit to each other their feelings, they face more disaster, including a death sentence the anticipation of which is fraught with enough angsty emotion to power a small village. Methought I loved it. Rock on, Ms. Pillow!
April 13, 2016
The beginning was slow, with clique dialouge and a lot of unjustifyable actions on the two main characters part. I almost stopped reading it. I did not however. And I am glad I didn't. As the book progressed the characters became fuller as the author did a good job of explaining the motives and reasoning behnd their actions. The dialouge also became less clique. All in all it was a well thought out story with good conflict. I ended up loving both characters especially for their flaws. Definately unique. Warning: not for the prudish. I personally have no issues with sexual situations or violence in any art form wheter it be film, or novels. I gave it only 4 stars due to the beginning chapters being a bit slow to develop my interest.
July 11, 2015
Beauty and the Beast tale with a medieval setting. This is fairytale erotica so while Eden (h) is innocent, she quickly accepts, enjoys, and explores anything Vlad does/initiates during their encounters. This one lacked depth for me - but it is a light fairytale retelling so I considered this in my rating and review. It was ok for me. 2.5 rounded stars.
Read
April 18, 2021DNF.
September 3, 2016
AudioBook Review
Stars Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5
Vladimir is depressed and cranky, and takes no little pleasure in the fact that many of the castle’s servants and visitors are afraid of him: the differences in his speech, dress and rather imperious bearing combined with his hair-trigger temper are his weaponry against his involvement in life and the pleasure it could bring. Widowed some 6 years earlier, he has no patience for the gods of his own childhood or those of the new Christian religion he has converted to: merely halfheartedly nod at the conventions and wishes of the King. Scarred from a fire that took his family, his servants are afraid of him: his control and impatient nature.
Eden was dumped, beaten and near death in a pile of skins, entrails and dirt outside the front gates of Vladimir’s keep. A mystery to solve, for sure, combined with the rarer emotion of protectiveness and attraction keeps Vladimir curious about her appearance, even as his baser nature for revenge against her father is all consuming. Eden is able to see beneath the iron-fisted control and shuttered emotions to find the pain that is mostly hidden beneath his brashness.
There is a palpable attraction between the two, despite the discrepancy in their relationship: her desire to not return to her father’s house yet lack of fear from what he will do TO her shows her inner core of strength, and makes her all the more attractive and unusual for a woman of her day. His struggle to remain aloof and protect his heart against the desire and attraction that she is able to stir in him, after long believing his chances for a life with a woman long dead show the kindness and sense of regret that he has, despite his often cruelly voiced reactions.
This is a slower story, better suited to savoring and allowing the inflections so capably provided by the narration of Mason Lloyd to depict the emotional confusion and struggles that each character is experiencing. Lush details that fill out both the scenes and the scents of the story, as they provide a sense of the time to readers effectively display Vladimir’s differences to his Saxon neighbors, and delineate his high standards for his surroundings, even though he had spent the past year carefully cultivating an impression of disinterest to all but his harshly barked orders. It isn’t difficult to understand the attraction between the two, that understanding quickly turning to compassion and empathy until you are hoping that the two will speak clearly and open to the happiness awaiting them together.
Another cleverly crafted historic romance from Michelle M. Pillow that manages to incorporate a serious level of sexual tension before culmination for the two lead characters. There are accounts of less savory moments, although these are detailed with a sense of purpose, and the perpetrators do get to answer for their behavior. Mixing in historical details, dress and even approach to conversation keeps the story fully in its time, while being completely modern in description and imagery. I really did enjoy this AudioBook, and fans of the genre, who are seeking an era that is not predominant in the genre will, I believe, enjoy it as well.
I received an AudioBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Stars Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5
Vladimir is depressed and cranky, and takes no little pleasure in the fact that many of the castle’s servants and visitors are afraid of him: the differences in his speech, dress and rather imperious bearing combined with his hair-trigger temper are his weaponry against his involvement in life and the pleasure it could bring. Widowed some 6 years earlier, he has no patience for the gods of his own childhood or those of the new Christian religion he has converted to: merely halfheartedly nod at the conventions and wishes of the King. Scarred from a fire that took his family, his servants are afraid of him: his control and impatient nature.
Eden was dumped, beaten and near death in a pile of skins, entrails and dirt outside the front gates of Vladimir’s keep. A mystery to solve, for sure, combined with the rarer emotion of protectiveness and attraction keeps Vladimir curious about her appearance, even as his baser nature for revenge against her father is all consuming. Eden is able to see beneath the iron-fisted control and shuttered emotions to find the pain that is mostly hidden beneath his brashness.
There is a palpable attraction between the two, despite the discrepancy in their relationship: her desire to not return to her father’s house yet lack of fear from what he will do TO her shows her inner core of strength, and makes her all the more attractive and unusual for a woman of her day. His struggle to remain aloof and protect his heart against the desire and attraction that she is able to stir in him, after long believing his chances for a life with a woman long dead show the kindness and sense of regret that he has, despite his often cruelly voiced reactions.
This is a slower story, better suited to savoring and allowing the inflections so capably provided by the narration of Mason Lloyd to depict the emotional confusion and struggles that each character is experiencing. Lush details that fill out both the scenes and the scents of the story, as they provide a sense of the time to readers effectively display Vladimir’s differences to his Saxon neighbors, and delineate his high standards for his surroundings, even though he had spent the past year carefully cultivating an impression of disinterest to all but his harshly barked orders. It isn’t difficult to understand the attraction between the two, that understanding quickly turning to compassion and empathy until you are hoping that the two will speak clearly and open to the happiness awaiting them together.
Another cleverly crafted historic romance from Michelle M. Pillow that manages to incorporate a serious level of sexual tension before culmination for the two lead characters. There are accounts of less savory moments, although these are detailed with a sense of purpose, and the perpetrators do get to answer for their behavior. Mixing in historical details, dress and even approach to conversation keeps the story fully in its time, while being completely modern in description and imagery. I really did enjoy this AudioBook, and fans of the genre, who are seeking an era that is not predominant in the genre will, I believe, enjoy it as well.
I received an AudioBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
January 31, 2024
Lady Eden’s Monster . . .
Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle, has a fearsome, well-earned reputation. But all may not be as it seems. When the daughter of an enemy is dropped at his castle in bad condition, what will he do? Lady Eden of Hawks' Nest had not expected to survive. Why did the Duke save her life? She knows he has earned his wicked reputation, yet his touch is gentle with her. Is this part of a plan he is devising? Or is there perhaps a chance for the two of them to find love?
This story is a “dark” version modeled after “Beauty and the Beast” and is, as expected from this author, well written! Don’t miss this one!
Vladamir of Kessen, Duke of Lakeshire Castle, has a fearsome, well-earned reputation. But all may not be as it seems. When the daughter of an enemy is dropped at his castle in bad condition, what will he do? Lady Eden of Hawks' Nest had not expected to survive. Why did the Duke save her life? She knows he has earned his wicked reputation, yet his touch is gentle with her. Is this part of a plan he is devising? Or is there perhaps a chance for the two of them to find love?
This story is a “dark” version modeled after “Beauty and the Beast” and is, as expected from this author, well written! Don’t miss this one!
May 5, 2019
DNF 12%
I listened to this book with Author's Direct.
I'm sad to say that this book wasn't for me. I wasn't really enjoying the writing style. It felt messy in places and inconsistent. I also wasn't connecting to the characters. I couldn't picture them together nor was I enjoying their relationship.
So I'm sad to say this book wasn't for me but I will continue reading Ms. Pillow work because I do enjoy her stories, just not this one.
I listened to this book with Author's Direct.
I'm sad to say that this book wasn't for me. I wasn't really enjoying the writing style. It felt messy in places and inconsistent. I also wasn't connecting to the characters. I couldn't picture them together nor was I enjoying their relationship.
So I'm sad to say this book wasn't for me but I will continue reading Ms. Pillow work because I do enjoy her stories, just not this one.
May 10, 2021
Not bad but my fav by this author.
August 23, 2021
4 stars!
December 14, 2016
Warning: could contain spilers
I love Beauty and the Beast stories, so this book was waiting just for me to pick it up. And I did. I read it in one go (even if I really should be doing other things right now).
This book was an ok read for me. I didn't hate it, didn't love it and I'm pretty sure I will forget about it soon. It didn't left an lasting impression.
I loved the story line. It wasn't anything brand-new, but thats all right, because today nothing really is. Vladamir was an intriguing character and I think Lady Eden is just perfect for him. I rooted for the couple, I really did.
My issues with the book were mainly Vladamirs cruelty and indecision. I get it, he's the Beast and his heart is hardened to stone over the years. I just couldn't get over the fact, that he would just get rid of a maiden in need. He just wanted her to burn, because the stench was annoying him. That was my first indication that Vladamir wouldn't be the hero I needed him to be.
Then there is his indecision about what to do with Eden. He doesn't tell her anything. She even has to live with the knowledge, that he could / would kill her anytime. Just because he has the need to revenge her father. Lady Eden tries and tries, and he just won't end her suffering. He's elusive with his answers and goes hot and cold in moments. It gave me whiplash. Seriously. I didn't know what to expect. Would he be nice to her, or cruel?
Then all his thoughts about bedding his servants to relieve the stress and pent up energy. Oh no...
And all this unnecessary misunderstandings? Hello! Talk to each other! It was just too much.
Vladamir was just very insecure about his scars. I would have thought he would be over it by now. He calls himself a Monster, so surely he wouldn't give a damn about what other thought of him. That leads to his accusation, that Lady Eden is here to kill him or something. Yeah, right...
I didn't really like all the erotic scenes. It was too much, too forced. The words they used, OMG. They talked like a modern couple This clashed with the whole "historical" theme. It just wasn't authentic. And the lake scene? Come on. I'm no expert, but even I know that you can't just go in there without proper preparation.
And then this ending! It was too much. Too unbelievable. I really HATE that maid, Lizzy or something. I can't stand her. She's so selfish and doesn't behave like a servant of her station. And then she goes and tells them Raulf is dead? Just so they can marry? And all of this nearly got Vladamir killed? Nope, no no no. Not with me. That was my breaking point. I wanted to punch them all and tell them to grow up. And the king? And the reconciliation with her father? Too much. Everything was crammed into the last pages. It was so rushed. And then came the STOP signal and everything ended.
Well that's it. Didn't want to make this so long, but I just had to get it off my chest. But don't let me prevent you from reading it. It's just my humble opinion.
I love Beauty and the Beast stories, so this book was waiting just for me to pick it up. And I did. I read it in one go (even if I really should be doing other things right now).
This book was an ok read for me. I didn't hate it, didn't love it and I'm pretty sure I will forget about it soon. It didn't left an lasting impression.
I loved the story line. It wasn't anything brand-new, but thats all right, because today nothing really is. Vladamir was an intriguing character and I think Lady Eden is just perfect for him. I rooted for the couple, I really did.
My issues with the book were mainly Vladamirs cruelty and indecision. I get it, he's the Beast and his heart is hardened to stone over the years. I just couldn't get over the fact, that he would just get rid of a maiden in need. He just wanted her to burn, because the stench was annoying him. That was my first indication that Vladamir wouldn't be the hero I needed him to be.
Then there is his indecision about what to do with Eden. He doesn't tell her anything. She even has to live with the knowledge, that he could / would kill her anytime. Just because he has the need to revenge her father. Lady Eden tries and tries, and he just won't end her suffering. He's elusive with his answers and goes hot and cold in moments. It gave me whiplash. Seriously. I didn't know what to expect. Would he be nice to her, or cruel?
Then all his thoughts about bedding his servants to relieve the stress and pent up energy. Oh no...
And all this unnecessary misunderstandings? Hello! Talk to each other! It was just too much.
Vladamir was just very insecure about his scars. I would have thought he would be over it by now. He calls himself a Monster, so surely he wouldn't give a damn about what other thought of him. That leads to his accusation, that Lady Eden is here to kill him or something. Yeah, right...
I didn't really like all the erotic scenes. It was too much, too forced. The words they used, OMG. They talked like a modern couple This clashed with the whole "historical" theme. It just wasn't authentic. And the lake scene? Come on. I'm no expert, but even I know that you can't just go in there without proper preparation.
And then this ending! It was too much. Too unbelievable. I really HATE that maid, Lizzy or something. I can't stand her. She's so selfish and doesn't behave like a servant of her station. And then she goes and tells them Raulf is dead? Just so they can marry? And all of this nearly got Vladamir killed? Nope, no no no. Not with me. That was my breaking point. I wanted to punch them all and tell them to grow up. And the king? And the reconciliation with her father? Too much. Everything was crammed into the last pages. It was so rushed. And then came the STOP signal and everything ended.
Well that's it. Didn't want to make this so long, but I just had to get it off my chest. But don't let me prevent you from reading it. It's just my humble opinion.
April 20, 2014
This book had potential. I'm not saying it wasn't good, but it could have been better.
So Vladamir is a duke, a foreigner in this land due to a peace treaty. He and his servants find an unconscious girl out front. Eden's been beaten badly. They take her in, albeit reluctantly, and find out she is the daughter of Vladamir's enemy. Perfect!
I liked the crusty hero who cultivated his reputation as a monster. Sometimes, his behavior was a mystery. I didn't like the heroine as much.
There was too much exposition between the two at the beginning. If only they would just talk! All they do is think about how much they want each other. It was definitely to the point. The hero's hard everytime he even thinks about Eden. She wakes up from her unconscious state and she's burning for him! I was like, JUST DO IT ALREADY!
When they finally do, the language they use during the deed was eerily modern. That kind of made it creepy.
There are some villains and a hanging but it's all non-urgent feeling. The pacing is really fast so expect feelings of love very quickly.
Overall, it wasn't bad. I just wanted more action and less sexy time.
So Vladamir is a duke, a foreigner in this land due to a peace treaty. He and his servants find an unconscious girl out front. Eden's been beaten badly. They take her in, albeit reluctantly, and find out she is the daughter of Vladamir's enemy. Perfect!
I liked the crusty hero who cultivated his reputation as a monster. Sometimes, his behavior was a mystery. I didn't like the heroine as much.
There was too much exposition between the two at the beginning. If only they would just talk! All they do is think about how much they want each other. It was definitely to the point. The hero's hard everytime he even thinks about Eden. She wakes up from her unconscious state and she's burning for him! I was like, JUST DO IT ALREADY!
When they finally do, the language they use during the deed was eerily modern. That kind of made it creepy.
There are some villains and a hanging but it's all non-urgent feeling. The pacing is really fast so expect feelings of love very quickly.
Overall, it wasn't bad. I just wanted more action and less sexy time.
August 6, 2015
I wanted to try a beauty and the beast story and this one definitely made it clear who was Beauty and who was Beast. Unfortunately, I'm not much for constant "bed" scenes and to be honest, some of them surprised my conservative side and my practical side. Sad to say, reading through them made me sleepy, too. For people who prefer a focus on the less physical side of a romance story, this tale may not be very palatable. I wasn't expecting the story to dwell so much on the lust (yes, I am naive), but I found myself gradually liking the main characters. The story itself had its moments and had some decent supporting characters as well as a dash of humor. I think things tied together and then that ending So, I wish half of the story didn't have to feel like a series of steamy scenes, but I ended up rooting for the characters so the book was ok in the end.
October 5, 2014
My biggest issue with this one was with the stupidity of the characters. Both the hero and heroine were painfully clueless. Your wife is upset and thinks you despise her, but you have no idea how to tell her you adore her? Hmm, I dunno... maybe you should just say so, you fucking moron. Every other page was a Big Misunderstanding because Eden was pathetically naive and Vlad was horribly introverted. Neither of them actually saying what they think or feel, allowing the other to jump to outrageous conclusions that resulted in tears or violence.
The other issue I had was with the wording used - entirely too modern. I don't believe for a moment that the words "clit", "pussy", and "cock" were used so commonly back then. "We sort of hoped..." is also too modern. But whatever.
The other issue I had was with the wording used - entirely too modern. I don't believe for a moment that the words "clit", "pussy", and "cock" were used so commonly back then. "We sort of hoped..." is also too modern. But whatever.
June 21, 2015
This book frustrated me beyond words. The constant mistreatment of the h by H was tiresome. I mean how many times did she have to prove herself?? The intimate scenes were a bit too much for me so I ended skimming through alot of pages. The only redeeming quality of this book was the heroine was kind, passionate, witty, and at times unintentionally hilarious. I loved the scene where she proudly announces 14 times lol.
January 18, 2010
Ehh... I bought this based off of reviews on Amazon.com - The cover was really cheesy, the story had a good premise, but was very strained in some sections. I believe the male character was very well portrayed. Lots of sexual tension between the two characters, but very unbelievable in some parts.
November 30, 2020
And then I bawled my eyes out
A gripping book, a wonderful love story between two people who should not have been together, but whose love and passion run deeper than words can tell.
And a book that seriously made me bawl my eyes out at some point.
A gripping book, a wonderful love story between two people who should not have been together, but whose love and passion run deeper than words can tell.
And a book that seriously made me bawl my eyes out at some point.
March 2, 2012
OMG, I have NEVER seen a more WRONG male model for a HR cover.
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