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Tales of the Underlight #3
How Beauty Loved the Beast
It's all been leading to this
.
Jolie Benoit has become a skilled agent of the Underlight, relying on her savvy to complete assignments while Sergeant Wesley Haukon was out of commission. But an unexpected clue to the Order of Ananke's diabolical scheme rattles Jolie, and she turns to Hauk for comfort.
It's been years since Hauk took comfort from the touch of another person, though his love for Jolie is deep and powerful. Uncomfortable in his skin, scarred by a terrible fire, he is unable to give in to the pleasures that Jolie so desperately wants to grant him.
Meanwhile, the Order is lurking in the shadows—and when they strike, the blow is swift and terrible. Hauk and Jolie scramble to fight for their community, but with the future of the Underlight threatened, no one is safe. And Hauk will never be the same…
73,000 words
Jolie Benoit has become a skilled agent of the Underlight, relying on her savvy to complete assignments while Sergeant Wesley Haukon was out of commission. But an unexpected clue to the Order of Ananke's diabolical scheme rattles Jolie, and she turns to Hauk for comfort.
It's been years since Hauk took comfort from the touch of another person, though his love for Jolie is deep and powerful. Uncomfortable in his skin, scarred by a terrible fire, he is unable to give in to the pleasures that Jolie so desperately wants to grant him.
Meanwhile, the Order is lurking in the shadows—and when they strike, the blow is swift and terrible. Hauk and Jolie scramble to fight for their community, but with the future of the Underlight threatened, no one is safe. And Hauk will never be the same…
73,000 words
141 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Jax Garren
19 books220 followersJax Garren is the author of hot, urban paranormal romance like the Austin Immortals and the Tales of the Underlight. Though descended from Valkyries and Vikings (she’s part Swedish), Jax was raised a small town girl in the Texas Hill Country. She graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in English and a minor in Latin then found her own Happily Ever After with a handsome engineer who is saving the world through clean energy technology. Jax can be found at jaxgarren.com, at facebook.com/JaxGarren or on Twitter as @JCGarren. She loves meeting new people, so online or in person, make sure to give her a Viking “Hail!” adventure, and love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
November 30, 2025
Wesley Hauk and Jolie Benoit have been training together for quite a while now. Their friendship has grown deeper, and Jolie desperately wants to share in physical affections, but Hauk is still haunted by his disfigurement.
The Order of the Ananke has been injecting members of the Underlight with an unknown substance. Unsure of what its effects will be, the Underlight is sure it's nothing good. Jolie and Hauk take on insurmountable odds when they must enter the Ananke’s temple to uncover the secrets behind the serum and hopefully find a cure.
This was a fantastical installment in the Tales of the Underlight series. Hauk and Jolie’s relationship is still shaky with misunderstandings, but it was fabulous watching them work through their issues. Lots of action, hot romance, exciting advancements in the series storyline, I really loved How Beauty Loved the Beast.
This copy of How Beauty Loved the Beast was given to me by Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication on May 13, 2013.
The Order of the Ananke has been injecting members of the Underlight with an unknown substance. Unsure of what its effects will be, the Underlight is sure it's nothing good. Jolie and Hauk take on insurmountable odds when they must enter the Ananke’s temple to uncover the secrets behind the serum and hopefully find a cure.
This was a fantastical installment in the Tales of the Underlight series. Hauk and Jolie’s relationship is still shaky with misunderstandings, but it was fabulous watching them work through their issues. Lots of action, hot romance, exciting advancements in the series storyline, I really loved How Beauty Loved the Beast.
This copy of How Beauty Loved the Beast was given to me by Carina Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication on May 13, 2013.
November 12, 2015
2.5 stars. On one hand I liked seeing Jolie and Hauk get their HEA but too much of the book and series was spent not talking and that frustrated the shit out of me. I wasn't so into the ending either - with Hauk and his scars and the glossed over resolution with Underlight and the bad guys.
October 1, 2018
Actual Rating: 4.5
This was an incredible read. This was the best book of the series. I loved the story and the romance. Also, I really loved that Jolie and Hauk finally got together in this book. Their chemistry is perfect. I love how bold Jolie was, she has really grown. Also, I loved seeing how insecure Hauk was at times. The ending was perfection. I am happy that they got their happily ever after. Overall, an amazing read.
This was an incredible read. This was the best book of the series. I loved the story and the romance. Also, I really loved that Jolie and Hauk finally got together in this book. Their chemistry is perfect. I love how bold Jolie was, she has really grown. Also, I loved seeing how insecure Hauk was at times. The ending was perfection. I am happy that they got their happily ever after. Overall, an amazing read.
April 7, 2019
This is a review of the entire series since they can't be read as standalone as all three books make a complete narrative. Overall the entire series is a low three stars.
This is a quasi-steampunk Beauty and the Beast crossed with a sort of David and Goliath tale.
On one side you have a Big shady goddess cult called Ananke which is run by rich and powerful businessmen who want to... control stuff? People? Run the world? They have magic and can magically compel their soldier minions to do their bidding. You get the impression than none of their soldier minions have gone into their service voluntarily.
On the other side you have the Underlighters. A group of what sounds like eco warrior types who live off the grid in an underground commune and are always fighting Ananke.
At their center is Jolie and Hauk, our main couple. Jolie is from a very rich family and has inherited her grandfather's money so she is also independently wealthy. She's trained to be a ballerina but works as a burlesque dancer. Her boss at the burlesque where she works is an underlighter and that is how Jolie comes into contact with Hauk.
Hauk is an ex-soldier who is hiding out because he supposedly killed some of his fellow soldiers. During the incident Hauk was burned over 80% of his body (not the sex parts, tho) and even has a mechanical leg. Hauk is an underlighter because if he caught he'll be hauled off to jail and also because his scarring is so hideous people recoil at seeing him.
The three book series follows two through plots: One being the fighte between Ananke and the Underlighers and the other is the romance of Jolie and Hauk.
I listened to these on audio and actually discovered them because the narrator, Therese Plummer, is one that I really enjoy.
Of the two plotlines, the romance aspect of it was really well done. Jolie and Hauk's romance was very believable. I liked that Jolie was like everyone else when they first saw Hauk, she recoiled. She wasn;t some miraculous person who saw the 'inner him' immediately. He saves her life and she has the luxury of getting to study his face while he is unconscious so she gets the opportunity to get her initial shock (and yes, revulsion) over with before she actually 'meets' him. But the friendship and romance develops in such a well constructed way that Jolie's acceptance of Hauk's appearance is done in increments, so by the time she says she really only notices the man under it all and is in love with him you (the reader) is well convinced it is so.
It also helps that Hauk is just a great character in his own right. One the one hand he is this bad, bad berserker who is the Underlight's big bad fighter. On the other hand he is a supremely sensitive man who is incredibly vulnerable about his scarring and looks. And make no mistake Hauk's scar isn;t just some poetic slash running down one side of his face-- no he is jacked up. He has burns, puckers skin, discolorations from the grafts, no hair and a missing leg. He has tried to mitigate some of it with face tattoos and piercings. Luckily his dick was completely unscathed!
However it is all the other stuff that prevents me from rating this book any higher. The world building is murky. I had no idea what the world was supposed to be like. Apparently they live in modern day Texas with all the regular modern conveniences except the this Texas, USA is not the largely Judeo-Christian Texas we know. Christmas isn't referred to as Christmas for instance, people seemingly worship all types of deities. This isn't made clear but there are just some references that you have to infer. The first book doesn't even try to world build, the second book is where it really begins. Also there is magic obviously but they don't believe in it until they do.
The plotting is all over the place. We really have no idea what Ananke really stands for -- they don't have a POV, they just have mustahce twirling villains. Or what the Underlighters really do except live off the grid? Or why they are enemies, except for Hauk. And why they keep coming after Jolie. Also Jolie and Hauk seem to get into the Ananke headquarters with ridiculous ease and Hauk is their only real fighter whereas Ananke has innumerable soldiers and magical priests. Also Jolie's father is Ananke but he loves his daughter and yet he allows these people to run around kidnapping her left and right? Honestly there were so many logic holes and plot inconsistencies and not a lot of structure to either one of the societies that you just have to hand wave a lot of that away to continue to read,
The first book was a good intro. The second book was a bit of a slog. The third book was basically a quick set up that all but announce "we are gonna have our final showdown" to get to the end.
The romance ended on a great note and stayed true to the fairytale it was based on so I was happy for Hauk and Jolie.
Final verdict: read it for the romance, try not to get too exasperated by the kitchen sink plotting and not so great world building.
This is a quasi-steampunk Beauty and the Beast crossed with a sort of David and Goliath tale.
On one side you have a Big shady goddess cult called Ananke which is run by rich and powerful businessmen who want to... control stuff? People? Run the world? They have magic and can magically compel their soldier minions to do their bidding. You get the impression than none of their soldier minions have gone into their service voluntarily.
On the other side you have the Underlighters. A group of what sounds like eco warrior types who live off the grid in an underground commune and are always fighting Ananke.
At their center is Jolie and Hauk, our main couple. Jolie is from a very rich family and has inherited her grandfather's money so she is also independently wealthy. She's trained to be a ballerina but works as a burlesque dancer. Her boss at the burlesque where she works is an underlighter and that is how Jolie comes into contact with Hauk.
Hauk is an ex-soldier who is hiding out because he supposedly killed some of his fellow soldiers. During the incident Hauk was burned over 80% of his body (not the sex parts, tho) and even has a mechanical leg. Hauk is an underlighter because if he caught he'll be hauled off to jail and also because his scarring is so hideous people recoil at seeing him.
The three book series follows two through plots: One being the fighte between Ananke and the Underlighers and the other is the romance of Jolie and Hauk.
I listened to these on audio and actually discovered them because the narrator, Therese Plummer, is one that I really enjoy.
Of the two plotlines, the romance aspect of it was really well done. Jolie and Hauk's romance was very believable. I liked that Jolie was like everyone else when they first saw Hauk, she recoiled. She wasn;t some miraculous person who saw the 'inner him' immediately. He saves her life and she has the luxury of getting to study his face while he is unconscious so she gets the opportunity to get her initial shock (and yes, revulsion) over with before she actually 'meets' him. But the friendship and romance develops in such a well constructed way that Jolie's acceptance of Hauk's appearance is done in increments, so by the time she says she really only notices the man under it all and is in love with him you (the reader) is well convinced it is so.
It also helps that Hauk is just a great character in his own right. One the one hand he is this bad, bad berserker who is the Underlight's big bad fighter. On the other hand he is a supremely sensitive man who is incredibly vulnerable about his scarring and looks. And make no mistake Hauk's scar isn;t just some poetic slash running down one side of his face-- no he is jacked up. He has burns, puckers skin, discolorations from the grafts, no hair and a missing leg. He has tried to mitigate some of it with face tattoos and piercings. Luckily his dick was completely unscathed!
However it is all the other stuff that prevents me from rating this book any higher. The world building is murky. I had no idea what the world was supposed to be like. Apparently they live in modern day Texas with all the regular modern conveniences except the this Texas, USA is not the largely Judeo-Christian Texas we know. Christmas isn't referred to as Christmas for instance, people seemingly worship all types of deities. This isn't made clear but there are just some references that you have to infer. The first book doesn't even try to world build, the second book is where it really begins. Also there is magic obviously but they don't believe in it until they do.
The plotting is all over the place. We really have no idea what Ananke really stands for -- they don't have a POV, they just have mustahce twirling villains. Or what the Underlighters really do except live off the grid? Or why they are enemies, except for Hauk. And why they keep coming after Jolie. Also Jolie and Hauk seem to get into the Ananke headquarters with ridiculous ease and Hauk is their only real fighter whereas Ananke has innumerable soldiers and magical priests. Also Jolie's father is Ananke but he loves his daughter and yet he allows these people to run around kidnapping her left and right? Honestly there were so many logic holes and plot inconsistencies and not a lot of structure to either one of the societies that you just have to hand wave a lot of that away to continue to read,
The first book was a good intro. The second book was a bit of a slog. The third book was basically a quick set up that all but announce "we are gonna have our final showdown" to get to the end.
The romance ended on a great note and stayed true to the fairytale it was based on so I was happy for Hauk and Jolie.
Final verdict: read it for the romance, try not to get too exasperated by the kitchen sink plotting and not so great world building.
May 21, 2013
Ooooh, SQUEE!!
This was SUCH a fabulous book, an amazing ending to a GREAT series!!
This is Book 3 in The Underlight series by Jax Garren. I've told you how much I love this narrator,
and don't think she's EVER been better than she was for this book. It's like she BECAME these characters!
This book centers much more on the actual relationship between Hauk and Jolie ~ and it
needed to. Hauk is terribly scarred, and missing most of one of his legs ~ I would have found it totally not believable if he didn't have issues with his body.
And issues he's got. He knows he loves Jolie, and he trusts her with his life ~
but he's scared to marrow of his bones for her to actually see him striped down naked.
Jolie loves Hauk ~ she loves the man he is inside, she loves that he's so big & strong...
she has a hard time understanding how vulnerable he is about his body. It was such a great story line getting to see them work out these obstacles and issues...and doing it while under fire from the Order of Ananke, and their Hands of Atropos.
After very little steaminess in the 2nd book, this one burns up the pages!!
Smoking hot sex scenes, and so emotional and special.
I am so totally in love with Hauk! And Jolie endears herself to us in this one.
I've liked her from the get go, but she's come across as kind of shallow...we delve into her depths in this one, too. And we get a little foreshadow of more to come
in The Underlight!
I was totally freaked at the end, because there are things that aren't resolved, hints at a relationship that might be coming...and it said this was last in the series.
But no worries! I hunted up Jax Garren's FB page, and she told me no worries, she's already hard at work on more Underlight tales!! YAY!!
Because I need more of these!
I do NOT want to abandon this world Jax Garren has built!
This was SUCH a fabulous book, an amazing ending to a GREAT series!!
This is Book 3 in The Underlight series by Jax Garren. I've told you how much I love this narrator,
and don't think she's EVER been better than she was for this book. It's like she BECAME these characters!
This book centers much more on the actual relationship between Hauk and Jolie ~ and it
needed to. Hauk is terribly scarred, and missing most of one of his legs ~ I would have found it totally not believable if he didn't have issues with his body.
And issues he's got. He knows he loves Jolie, and he trusts her with his life ~
but he's scared to marrow of his bones for her to actually see him striped down naked.
Jolie loves Hauk ~ she loves the man he is inside, she loves that he's so big & strong...
she has a hard time understanding how vulnerable he is about his body. It was such a great story line getting to see them work out these obstacles and issues...and doing it while under fire from the Order of Ananke, and their Hands of Atropos.
After very little steaminess in the 2nd book, this one burns up the pages!!
Smoking hot sex scenes, and so emotional and special.
I am so totally in love with Hauk! And Jolie endears herself to us in this one.
I've liked her from the get go, but she's come across as kind of shallow...we delve into her depths in this one, too. And we get a little foreshadow of more to come
in The Underlight!
I was totally freaked at the end, because there are things that aren't resolved, hints at a relationship that might be coming...and it said this was last in the series.
But no worries! I hunted up Jax Garren's FB page, and she told me no worries, she's already hard at work on more Underlight tales!! YAY!!
Because I need more of these!
I do NOT want to abandon this world Jax Garren has built!
December 15, 2014
I received an ARC through NetGalley.
I was very eager to read this conclusion to the Underlight Trilogy. In How Beauty Loved the Beast, Jolie and Hauk finally take that next step in their relationship. It felt like a long time coming, but it was certainly worth it! The focus is much more on the romance in this installment and I quite enjoyed that. Even though they’ve decided to start dating, there’s still something holding Hauk back from Jolie. I felt so sad for him, since he believes that Jolie deserves more than his damaged skin despite how fiercely she tries to convince him otherwise. I was seriously cheering for him to accept himself the way Jolie has, so that they could be together in all ways. Once they do…holy crap! It’s hot!
The plot was a bit rushed in this finale, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous book. Ananke is still trying to bring down the Underlight, and this time they’ve got magic potions that can control the members and bring it down from the inside. Unfortunately, most of it was just a waiting game, as Jolie got news that the attack was coming some time that weekend. Life went pretty much on as normal, with lots of sexy times, and some heartbreaking scenes, until that attack finally came. The end is a happy one of course, but I still feel like I have questions about exactly what took place with Ananke. Overall, this was a pretty good trilogy and I’m glad I read it.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
I was very eager to read this conclusion to the Underlight Trilogy. In How Beauty Loved the Beast, Jolie and Hauk finally take that next step in their relationship. It felt like a long time coming, but it was certainly worth it! The focus is much more on the romance in this installment and I quite enjoyed that. Even though they’ve decided to start dating, there’s still something holding Hauk back from Jolie. I felt so sad for him, since he believes that Jolie deserves more than his damaged skin despite how fiercely she tries to convince him otherwise. I was seriously cheering for him to accept himself the way Jolie has, so that they could be together in all ways. Once they do…holy crap! It’s hot!
The plot was a bit rushed in this finale, so I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous book. Ananke is still trying to bring down the Underlight, and this time they’ve got magic potions that can control the members and bring it down from the inside. Unfortunately, most of it was just a waiting game, as Jolie got news that the attack was coming some time that weekend. Life went pretty much on as normal, with lots of sexy times, and some heartbreaking scenes, until that attack finally came. The end is a happy one of course, but I still feel like I have questions about exactly what took place with Ananke. Overall, this was a pretty good trilogy and I’m glad I read it.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
April 18, 2013
I honestly don't think I can adequately express how very, very much I adore this entire series. Everything about it works for me. From Hauk's first time with Jolie to the relationship that developed between them as the story progressed. I just love it to pieces. This installment allowed their relationship to move forward physically while showing Hauk's insecurities with his scars and imperfections. The reality of his scars doesn't scare Jolie but this isn't about Jolie. It's about Hauk being comfortable in his own skin and being able to meet her as an equal on that front.
And it takes him time to reach that point.
There were parts of this book that killed me. There were parts that made me smile in giddy delight. There were parts that were heartbreaking. AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
Jolie and Hauk had a rough journey. The Order of Ananke didn't make things easy from the start and, in fact, they made things a whole lot worse before it started getting better. But it was worth it. THINGS HAPPEN here. Big things. Terrible things.
Without those things, Hauk and Jolie wouldn't end up where they ended up. And I approve of where they ended. In a big way.
Bottom line, this is a great ending to a fabulous series. I want to dive into it again from the beginning.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
And it takes him time to reach that point.
There were parts of this book that killed me. There were parts that made me smile in giddy delight. There were parts that were heartbreaking. AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
Jolie and Hauk had a rough journey. The Order of Ananke didn't make things easy from the start and, in fact, they made things a whole lot worse before it started getting better. But it was worth it. THINGS HAPPEN here. Big things. Terrible things.
Without those things, Hauk and Jolie wouldn't end up where they ended up. And I approve of where they ended. In a big way.
Bottom line, this is a great ending to a fabulous series. I want to dive into it again from the beginning.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
May 7, 2013
I should have known the ending to this series based on the source material Garren was using, but I held out hope. Alas, I was disappointed.
I still think this series is pretty good, and I enjoyed this installment up to the end. Weirdly, I think this is one of the rare cases of trilogies where the middle book is actually best. Overall, this series is definitely worth checking out for fans of PNR.
I still think this series is pretty good, and I enjoyed this installment up to the end. Weirdly, I think this is one of the rare cases of trilogies where the middle book is actually best. Overall, this series is definitely worth checking out for fans of PNR.
May 17, 2013
3.35 stars
While I was happy that Hauk and Jolie finally got in on -- and their sexual scenes was fun, I wasn't impressed with the action/resolution regarding the Underlight vs. Order of Ananke plot; it was rushed and choppy (I mean, what the heck happened ). The built-up was good but it all inflated like balloon. I felt like the third story focused more on how Hauk and Jolie got together but forgot about the accompanying action storyline.
Also, I was a bit tired towards the end by Hauk's insistence that because he was scarred, Jolie wouldn't truly love him (which brought me also to that ending, ).
I thought book #2 was the best of the trilogy. This one failed short. But in overall, the trilogy was entertaining...
PS: There were too many use of endearments for my taste in this one. While some of them were okay, I ended up changing those "baby's" into something else in order to keep my sanity
While I was happy that Hauk and Jolie finally got in on -- and their sexual scenes was fun, I wasn't impressed with the action/resolution regarding the Underlight vs. Order of Ananke plot; it was rushed and choppy (I mean, what the heck happened ). The built-up was good but it all inflated like balloon. I felt like the third story focused more on how Hauk and Jolie got together but forgot about the accompanying action storyline.
Also, I was a bit tired towards the end by Hauk's insistence that because he was scarred, Jolie wouldn't truly love him (which brought me also to that ending, ).
I thought book #2 was the best of the trilogy. This one failed short. But in overall, the trilogy was entertaining...
PS: There were too many use of endearments for my taste in this one. While some of them were okay, I ended up changing those "baby's" into something else in order to keep my sanity
September 24, 2013
I really, really, really enjoyed this series. The problem I have with most romance books (of any genre) is the cheese factor.
The book can be angsty as fuck. The main characters won't be able to express their feelings for 3/4 of the book, and then BAM! an epiphany is had, and the last 50 pages are filled with "I love you. You make the sun rise, and the wind blow. You're the reason my heart beats. I never knew what love was until I found you. Blah, blah, blah, more cheese on heart shaped crackers."
And I'm like, gag me...
That was not a problem with this book. The moments were tender. They were real, and they felt true to character. Such a fabulous end to a fabulous story.
(I also feel like one of the character's fate was left open so that the author could write a spin off, which would be verah interesting.)
The book can be angsty as fuck. The main characters won't be able to express their feelings for 3/4 of the book, and then BAM! an epiphany is had, and the last 50 pages are filled with "I love you. You make the sun rise, and the wind blow. You're the reason my heart beats. I never knew what love was until I found you. Blah, blah, blah, more cheese on heart shaped crackers."
And I'm like, gag me...
That was not a problem with this book. The moments were tender. They were real, and they felt true to character. Such a fabulous end to a fabulous story.
(I also feel like one of the character's fate was left open so that the author could write a spin off, which would be verah interesting.)
January 4, 2019
I enjoyed it, the whole trilogy was good.
I like how it ended. It is a fairy tale so it worked. I am glad the author added the note at the end of the book explaining the motivation behind it too.
I would recommend this series to anyone who wants a quick, light read. The steam punk aspects didn't overwhelm me. The plot was interesting and a little different than what I am used to. It was a refreshing experience.
I like how it ended. It is a fairy tale so it worked. I am glad the author added the note at the end of the book explaining the motivation behind it too.
I would recommend this series to anyone who wants a quick, light read. The steam punk aspects didn't overwhelm me. The plot was interesting and a little different than what I am used to. It was a refreshing experience.
May 28, 2013
Book three of Tales of the Underlight
It's all been leading to this.
Jolie Benoit has become a skilled agent of the Underlight, relying on her savvy to complete assignments while Sergeant Wesley Haukon was out of commission. But an unexpected clue to the Order of Ananke's diabolical scheme rattles Jolie, and she turns to Hauk for comfort.
It's been years since Hauk took comfort from the touch of another person, though his love for Jolie is deep and powerful. Uncomfortable in his skin, scarred by a terrible fire, he is unable to give in to the pleasures that Jolie so desperately wants to grant him.
Meanwhile, the Order is lurking in the shadows—and when they strike, the blow is swift and terrible. Hauk and Jolie scramble to fight for their community, but with the future of the Underlight threatened, no one is safe. And Hauk will never be the same…
The first books in the series are:
Book One: How Beauty Met the Beast
Book Two: How Beauty Saved the Beast
I read book one in this series, and missed book two "How Beauty Saved the Beast" but that's okay. Although I will go back and read HBStB, Ms. Garren was very good at "catching us up" without going all info dump on the reader.
This series doesn't cover a lot of time, HBLtB is about two months after the first book. A lot happens in each of these books and the action is almost non-stop.
The title of this one, How Beauty Loved the Beast, is very appropriate. The UST has been building by leaps and bounds, there was a kiss in the last book...and Beauty Loves this Beast, here.
But it's not without it's shocks, it's twists and turns, it's stops and starts. Wesley Hauk is, after all, a man hurt. I love that Jolie knows what she wants and she goes after it...after him. He knows what he wants too, but the scars are deep, and I don't mean just on his body. This is hot hot hot. Never thought that brushing one's teeth could be sexy...but Jolie made it so. Wowza for sure.
This series is a mix of paranormal, adventure, romance, mystery, magic, fantasy...and it does each of them well. Then there's this touch of Steam Punk, but it's in the here and now. All the other SP that I've read was set in Regency times, so this is an intriguing twist for me. And I like it. Is there even a listing for Burlesque? Probably, not, but Jolie is a Burlesque Dancer and that figures strongly throughout the book, too.
None of these books are overwhelmingly long. This one is "just" 73K, but what a ride. I read fast, but felt like I had to read even faster to find out what was going to happen. It was just that exciting.
Now, I know that the line at the top there, It's all been leading to this, makes it sound like this is the end, but I'm hoping it's not. We have a supporting character missing and the bad guys aren't all done away with. I really need to see the bad guys all gone. And really? I need more of Odin. That guy is something else. He winks and likes to cart Jolie around like he's a caveman! Gotta love that.
I love this one. It's a FIVE BOOKMARK for sure.
More, please, Ms. Garren?
*Thank you, NetGalley and Carina Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC, what a pleasure it was!
May 29, 2013
GOSH, I LOVED THIS!
I read book one in this series, and missed book two "How Beauty Saved the Beast" but that's okay. Although I will go back and read HBStB, Ms. Garren was very good at "catching us up" without going all info dump on the reader.
This series doesn't cover a lot of time, HBLtB is about two months after the first book. A lot happens in each of these books and the action is almost non-stop.
The title of this one, How Beauty Loved the Beast, is very appropriate. The UST has been building by leaps and bounds, there was a kiss in the last book...and Beauty Loves this Beast, here.
But it's not without it's shocks, it's twists and turns, it's stops and starts. Wesley Hauk is, after all, a man hurt. I love that Jolie knows what she wants and she goes after it...after him. He knows what he wants too, but the scars are deep, and I don't mean just on his body. This is hot hot hot. Never thought that brushing one's teeth could be sexy...but Jolie made it so. Wowza for sure.
This series is a mix of paranormal, adventure, romance, mystery, magic, fantasy...and it does each of them well. Then there's this touch of Steam Punk, but it's in the here and now. All the other SP that I've read was set in Regency times, so this is an intriguing twist for me. And I like it. Is there even a listing for Burlesque? Probably, not, but Jolie is a Burlesque Dancer and that figures strongly throughout the book, too.
None of these books are overwhelmingly long. This one is "just" 73K, but what a ride. I read fast, but felt like I had to read even faster to find out what was going to happen. It was just that exciting.
Now, I know that the line at the top there, It's all been leading to this, makes it sound like this is the end, but I'm hoping it's not. We have a supporting character missing and the bad guys aren't all done away with. I really need to see the bad guys all gone. And really? I need more of Odin. That guy is something else. He winks and likes to cart Jolie around like he's a caveman! Gotta love that.
I love this one. It's a FIVE BOOKMARK for sure.
More, please, Ms. Garren?
*Thank you, NetGalley and Carina Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC, what a pleasure it was!
This review may also be found at:
Beyond the Squee Book Reviews
www.beyondthesquee.com
I read book one in this series, and missed book two "How Beauty Saved the Beast" but that's okay. Although I will go back and read HBStB, Ms. Garren was very good at "catching us up" without going all info dump on the reader.
This series doesn't cover a lot of time, HBLtB is about two months after the first book. A lot happens in each of these books and the action is almost non-stop.
The title of this one, How Beauty Loved the Beast, is very appropriate. The UST has been building by leaps and bounds, there was a kiss in the last book...and Beauty Loves this Beast, here.
But it's not without it's shocks, it's twists and turns, it's stops and starts. Wesley Hauk is, after all, a man hurt. I love that Jolie knows what she wants and she goes after it...after him. He knows what he wants too, but the scars are deep, and I don't mean just on his body. This is hot hot hot. Never thought that brushing one's teeth could be sexy...but Jolie made it so. Wowza for sure.
This series is a mix of paranormal, adventure, romance, mystery, magic, fantasy...and it does each of them well. Then there's this touch of Steam Punk, but it's in the here and now. All the other SP that I've read was set in Regency times, so this is an intriguing twist for me. And I like it. Is there even a listing for Burlesque? Probably, not, but Jolie is a Burlesque Dancer and that figures strongly throughout the book, too.
None of these books are overwhelmingly long. This one is "just" 73K, but what a ride. I read fast, but felt like I had to read even faster to find out what was going to happen. It was just that exciting.
Now, I know that the line at the top there, It's all been leading to this, makes it sound like this is the end, but I'm hoping it's not. We have a supporting character missing and the bad guys aren't all done away with. I really need to see the bad guys all gone. And really? I need more of Odin. That guy is something else. He winks and likes to cart Jolie around like he's a caveman! Gotta love that.
I love this one. It's a FIVE BOOKMARK for sure.
More, please, Ms. Garren?
*Thank you, NetGalley and Carina Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC, what a pleasure it was!
This review may also be found at:
Beyond the Squee Book Reviews
www.beyondthesquee.com
November 18, 2013
I love the traditional fairy tale of Beauty & the Beast; that’s why I cannot resist other stories of this same theme, be it the 1991 Disney movie version, the 1980s TV series (starring Linda Hamilton & Ron Perlman) or retellings in book versions. So, when I came across Jax Garrens “Tales of the Underlight” trilogy, it took priority on my to-read list.
This being a trilogy, the author had three whole books to develop the relationship between Jolie and Hauk into a real and meaningful one. It’s a relationship that HAD to transcend physical attraction for Jolie since love at first sight for Hauk is well-nigh impossible. The first sexual encounter between the two of them at the beginning of the story was well-conceived and added a nice promising start to the story, and did not come across as unnecessary or crass. However, those who want to delve into this story for the erotic parts will be disappointed, because the rest of Books 1 & 2 contained surprisingly clean romance. In fact, I was glad for that because the story trundled along fine without the sex.
That’s not to say that the story was all-engrossing, because the plot could be improved upon. Some of the plotlines were predictable and not suspenseful enough for me. But overall? It’s an easy to read, well-paced and interesting story.
This being a trilogy, the author had three whole books to develop the relationship between Jolie and Hauk into a real and meaningful one. It’s a relationship that HAD to transcend physical attraction for Jolie since love at first sight for Hauk is well-nigh impossible. The first sexual encounter between the two of them at the beginning of the story was well-conceived and added a nice promising start to the story, and did not come across as unnecessary or crass. However, those who want to delve into this story for the erotic parts will be disappointed, because the rest of Books 1 & 2 contained surprisingly clean romance. In fact, I was glad for that because the story trundled along fine without the sex.
That’s not to say that the story was all-engrossing, because the plot could be improved upon. Some of the plotlines were predictable and not suspenseful enough for me. But overall? It’s an easy to read, well-paced and interesting story.
August 20, 2015
Review for books 1-3.
This is one of the best re-telling of the beauty and beast trope I've had the pleasure of reading. This story was imaginative, creative, thought inspiring, heart breaking, funny, and beautiful. Hauk is one of my favorite heroes I've read this year, maybe ever. He was a complete character and I hesitate to even call him that, how about instead I say he was a complete person. Its very rare you come across someone that is as fleshed out and dimensional as Hauk and Jolie were. Ms. Garren took her time with her characters, she loved them and it came across on the pages that they were more than just characters to her. All of her characters, even the secondaries, seemed real to me. Their actions and thoughts seemed spot on and not contrived just so the story would flow where she wanted. Not to say these books were perfect, they weren't, but they took to me a great world where I was fully immersed and loved every moment of my time spent there. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a good read without hesitation. This series is everything you want in a trilogy and more!
Anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy romance, especially Beauty and the Beast owe it to themselves to check this out!
Happy Reading!!!
*Edited 08/2015
This is one of the best re-telling of the beauty and beast trope I've had the pleasure of reading. This story was imaginative, creative, thought inspiring, heart breaking, funny, and beautiful. Hauk is one of my favorite heroes I've read this year, maybe ever. He was a complete character and I hesitate to even call him that, how about instead I say he was a complete person. Its very rare you come across someone that is as fleshed out and dimensional as Hauk and Jolie were. Ms. Garren took her time with her characters, she loved them and it came across on the pages that they were more than just characters to her. All of her characters, even the secondaries, seemed real to me. Their actions and thoughts seemed spot on and not contrived just so the story would flow where she wanted. Not to say these books were perfect, they weren't, but they took to me a great world where I was fully immersed and loved every moment of my time spent there. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a good read without hesitation. This series is everything you want in a trilogy and more!
Anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy romance, especially Beauty and the Beast owe it to themselves to check this out!
Happy Reading!!!
*Edited 08/2015
May 20, 2013
For a good 70% of this, I thought I was going to like this better than my friends have so far. I continued to like how Hauk and Jolie's relationship was dealt with. I thought both their insecurities were realistic and well-handled.
But I didn't like the ending much at all.
But I didn't like the ending much at all.
May 7, 2013
Modern Fairy Tale
Thank you NetGalley, Carina Press, and Jax Garren for allowing my to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Well, I really wish I would've jumped on the bandwagon a little sooner with this one. I did not have the opportunity to read the first two books in this dystopian romance set in Austin, TX. I feel like I didn't get to know some of the side characters as well as readers of the previous books did. I also would've enjoyed Hauk's and Jolie's developing romance more, if I'd read more of the back-story.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the steamy romance and the modern "fairy telling" of Beauty and the Beast. It is such a unique idea to use a military veteran and burn victim as the hero/beast in this series.
Another unique aspect of the book is the references and uses of Nordic mythology. What a fun way to incorporate a unique set of mores into a seemingly simple romance! I enjoyed the magical influence the gods placed on Hauk's and Jolie's lives...in fact it made for quite a twist in the end.
Overall, I find this book to be a great beach read for the summer! I recommend it to adult readers.
Thank you NetGalley, Carina Press, and Jax Garren for allowing my to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Well, I really wish I would've jumped on the bandwagon a little sooner with this one. I did not have the opportunity to read the first two books in this dystopian romance set in Austin, TX. I feel like I didn't get to know some of the side characters as well as readers of the previous books did. I also would've enjoyed Hauk's and Jolie's developing romance more, if I'd read more of the back-story.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the steamy romance and the modern "fairy telling" of Beauty and the Beast. It is such a unique idea to use a military veteran and burn victim as the hero/beast in this series.
Another unique aspect of the book is the references and uses of Nordic mythology. What a fun way to incorporate a unique set of mores into a seemingly simple romance! I enjoyed the magical influence the gods placed on Hauk's and Jolie's lives...in fact it made for quite a twist in the end.
Overall, I find this book to be a great beach read for the summer! I recommend it to adult readers.
April 9, 2013
Jolie Benoit doesn’t know what to call the new relationship she has with Sergeant Wesley “Hauk” Haukon, now that he is getting out of the hospital she plans to make it clear how she feels about him. Hauk still feels he is not good enough for Jolie, his scarred body still makes him recoil worrying that Jolie will turn away if she gets a close look. Jolie wants Hauk bare, she loves him regardless of what he looks like, it is everything that is inside that is important and he treasures her.
With a new threat from the Order of Ananke, Hauk plans to protect Jolie with fellow agents of the Underlight. Jolie though has an independent streak and although he would love to throw her over his shoulder and lock her up safe and sound, she isn’t having any of it. She wants to fight together, love one another, and keep each other safe
Full review on Sensual Reads
http://sensualreads.com/?p=11861
With a new threat from the Order of Ananke, Hauk plans to protect Jolie with fellow agents of the Underlight. Jolie though has an independent streak and although he would love to throw her over his shoulder and lock her up safe and sound, she isn’t having any of it. She wants to fight together, love one another, and keep each other safe
Full review on Sensual Reads
http://sensualreads.com/?p=11861
August 18, 2013
"How Beauty Loved The Beast", by Jax Garren, is the third novel in the series "Tales Of The Underlight". It still reminds me of one of my very favorite shows "Beauty And The Beast" from the 80's.
Once again, I adored Hauk and Jolie was an amazing heroine. Jax Garren gives us two different characters, at the start of the series, that are fated to be together and we feel their connection and incredible chemistry through all three books.
She shows us how love can overcome fear and insecurity and that ultimately, more than anything, it's worth fighting for.
What a wonderful modern day fairytale and I hope there is more to come.
Once again, I adored Hauk and Jolie was an amazing heroine. Jax Garren gives us two different characters, at the start of the series, that are fated to be together and we feel their connection and incredible chemistry through all three books.
She shows us how love can overcome fear and insecurity and that ultimately, more than anything, it's worth fighting for.
What a wonderful modern day fairytale and I hope there is more to come.
May 16, 2013
This book was definitely the best but also the most emotional of the series. I liked how Mrs. Garren dealt with Hauks insecurities and the way Jolie fought for her love and how it changed her
The story is nicely done and well paced. The world building was quite interesting although not so different from ours. Maybe that is the reason I like the idea of the Underlight. I think I would like to read another book of this series with the same main characters. The secondary characters were interesting in their diversity and fun to read about.
All in all a satisfying read
The story is nicely done and well paced. The world building was quite interesting although not so different from ours. Maybe that is the reason I like the idea of the Underlight. I think I would like to read another book of this series with the same main characters. The secondary characters were interesting in their diversity and fun to read about.
All in all a satisfying read
October 21, 2015
ARGH! Like, I like these characters so much and I was hoping for so much after the first two books but I honestly just felt let down because yes - the source material was kept true, but there was so much more that could be added if expanded on and it would have made this so much better! I just feel the characters (and readers) deserved more.
May 15, 2013
The epitome of my love of this series is the relationship between Jolie and Hawk, the intensity of which makes my heart ache while tears flow from my eyes. Sure, there are some flaws in the story, but this is a great modern day version of Beauty and The Beast.
May 15, 2013
4.5 Stars
After that ending all I can do is give a dreamy sigh and say "awwwwwwww". I also hope there is a spin-off series because there was a lot of loose ends that I'm curious about.
After that ending all I can do is give a dreamy sigh and say "awwwwwwww". I also hope there is a spin-off series because there was a lot of loose ends that I'm curious about.
April 11, 2014
This series was something different and it was quite interesting. And I'm a sucker for books with the theme - Beauty and the Beast.
July 28, 2019
Mixed feelings on this conclusion...it’s a beauty and beast retelling so of course...the hero magically becomes physically whole? But was that necessary when he’d finally learned to forgive himself, to become emotionally whole. I think making him physically attractive again actually took away from the story. I’m probably in the minority here on that but the series was so good and he was so great. You see past the scars to the honorable, very human man. By making him handsome again, some how takes away his sacrifice...his denial to the bad guys to become physically as he was...of course he has no control and becomes a gift from his god but...I just feel like it takes away from the whole love someone for who he is versus what he looks like vibe the entire trilogy preached.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2017
This book took way longer than it should have. The first 50% was just not as engaging as the other books in the series. I did enjoy the overall story and am excited to see how it progresses, if it does.
December 17, 2017
I really enjoyed this series. A great mix of so many things I like -- paranormal elements, steampunk, a Beauty and the Beast love story, Norse mytholody and a hidden community.
March 24, 2018
3.5 stars
May 15, 2020
This was such a moving, beautiful trilogy. Will absolutely be rereading, and highly recommend to anyone interested.
January 24, 2013
While this book isn't the conclusion to a series, it most definitely is the conclusion to the focus being on the romance of Beauty and the Beast- Jolie and Hauk- and on their personal struggles with the Ananke cult. I tried to be careful with my anticipation because I was eager to know how things would go down for these two and its never fair to an author to have too much anticipation and blame disappointment on his/her work. That being said, I couldn't tamp it all down entirely so I started this book with baited breath.
It is a few weeks after the grand climactic battle to free Hauk from the Ananke and a bit of time getting used to all the revelations that came before it and with it. Hauk is still in the hospital, but Jolie is determined to soldier on for the Underlight in their quest to hinder the Ananke's progress. She tries to focus on her latest mission even while she is reeling a bit from her own decision to take things to the next level with Hauk making him boyfriend status. After a few heart-thumping moments and a follow up conflict, they discover the disturbing truth that the Ananke are attempting to inject members of the Underlight with something that they can't figure out the purpose for. Hauk and Jolie settle in to testing out these disturbing waters of a relationship. While they make no progress with the inoculations, they do make a few progressive attempts to start things up physically. Hauk's issues get in their way a bit though it wasn't a total disaster until Hauk lets loose the three big words in the heat of the moment. Jolie freaks showing that Hauk isn't the only one with damage. The 'I Love You' words have meaning for both of them, but unfortunately it is different meanings. Jolie must face the fact that she must communicate and Hauk must determine that Jolie can get past his scars. Before they progress much further, the Ananke makes their move. The unthinkable happens (have a tissue ready for this part) and then just when you recover from that another big ultimatum is slapped on top taking their relationship struggles before and putting them on steroids.
I'm still recovering a bit from where the author took this one. The book had three major sections that dictated the focus of the plot, the pacing and the tone switching up each time. It was like watching a movie with that attention grabbing opening scene then the time of building and tension until it all exploded into the grand finale that left me with my mouth open in shock and a denouement with a few huge aftershock ripples. What a ride!
The character growth arc takes up much of the book so be prepared for the pace to slow way down and progress to become more of a subtle thing. With both Hauk and Jolie, you see them start to grow and then they have a set back, but each time they progress a little. Even though I can be analytical about it now, while reading it that wasn't the case. I was so vested in their relationship and even individual storylines that I found myself muttering, growling and cheering them on at different points. Jolie has always driven me insane with her pushy nature and big demands even though she misses the fact that she's not exactly communicating encouraging vibes to Hauk. She shuts him out and shuts down emotions with her 'humor', but expects 100% from him. Hauk gets frustrating because he can't accept that he is worthy of Jolie though I totally understand his insecurities. I guess I considered all those times they faced off against death for each other more than enough evidence that they shared a deep love and should be together, but when you're caught up in your own messy issues you don't see things that clearly.
In the end, I was thoroughly satisfied with the results even though my expectations were met in ways that I couldn't have anticipated (sign of a good story). I could see a few dangling threads with other characters that have me vested in finding out what happens with them- Travis in particular.
While I'm still vague on the classification of this series since it crosses into several genre possibilities, I think that just makes it a good recommendation for a wider group of readers. This is a series that must be read in order and would suit those who enjoy their romance spicy with a unique dark, gritty backdrop and two very strong, but torn by their issues lovers.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing this book for review purposes.
It is a few weeks after the grand climactic battle to free Hauk from the Ananke and a bit of time getting used to all the revelations that came before it and with it. Hauk is still in the hospital, but Jolie is determined to soldier on for the Underlight in their quest to hinder the Ananke's progress. She tries to focus on her latest mission even while she is reeling a bit from her own decision to take things to the next level with Hauk making him boyfriend status. After a few heart-thumping moments and a follow up conflict, they discover the disturbing truth that the Ananke are attempting to inject members of the Underlight with something that they can't figure out the purpose for. Hauk and Jolie settle in to testing out these disturbing waters of a relationship. While they make no progress with the inoculations, they do make a few progressive attempts to start things up physically. Hauk's issues get in their way a bit though it wasn't a total disaster until Hauk lets loose the three big words in the heat of the moment. Jolie freaks showing that Hauk isn't the only one with damage. The 'I Love You' words have meaning for both of them, but unfortunately it is different meanings. Jolie must face the fact that she must communicate and Hauk must determine that Jolie can get past his scars. Before they progress much further, the Ananke makes their move. The unthinkable happens (have a tissue ready for this part) and then just when you recover from that another big ultimatum is slapped on top taking their relationship struggles before and putting them on steroids.
I'm still recovering a bit from where the author took this one. The book had three major sections that dictated the focus of the plot, the pacing and the tone switching up each time. It was like watching a movie with that attention grabbing opening scene then the time of building and tension until it all exploded into the grand finale that left me with my mouth open in shock and a denouement with a few huge aftershock ripples. What a ride!
The character growth arc takes up much of the book so be prepared for the pace to slow way down and progress to become more of a subtle thing. With both Hauk and Jolie, you see them start to grow and then they have a set back, but each time they progress a little. Even though I can be analytical about it now, while reading it that wasn't the case. I was so vested in their relationship and even individual storylines that I found myself muttering, growling and cheering them on at different points. Jolie has always driven me insane with her pushy nature and big demands even though she misses the fact that she's not exactly communicating encouraging vibes to Hauk. She shuts him out and shuts down emotions with her 'humor', but expects 100% from him. Hauk gets frustrating because he can't accept that he is worthy of Jolie though I totally understand his insecurities. I guess I considered all those times they faced off against death for each other more than enough evidence that they shared a deep love and should be together, but when you're caught up in your own messy issues you don't see things that clearly.
In the end, I was thoroughly satisfied with the results even though my expectations were met in ways that I couldn't have anticipated (sign of a good story). I could see a few dangling threads with other characters that have me vested in finding out what happens with them- Travis in particular.
While I'm still vague on the classification of this series since it crosses into several genre possibilities, I think that just makes it a good recommendation for a wider group of readers. This is a series that must be read in order and would suit those who enjoy their romance spicy with a unique dark, gritty backdrop and two very strong, but torn by their issues lovers.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing this book for review purposes.
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