What do you think?
Rate this book
The Beast of Bath
A Regency re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, featuring a strong heroine and a scarred, tortured hero. Lord Victor Mayhew, Viscount Norcross, lives in the shadows, hiding his scarred face from those who would fear him... or worse, pity him. He's become accustomed to the dark, and to the aching loneliness that is his only and constant companion. But while traversing the city in the dark of night, he encounters a beautiful woman who is running for her life. Lady Thessaly Shade has discovered that the prettiest of faces can hide the ugliest of hearts. While Lord Norcross keeps his face carefully concealed from her, he cannot hide the fact that he is a man of honor, a man for whom the word gentleman is a way of life and not merely an honorary title. With no way to repay him for his kindness, for his courage in aiding her at great risk to himself, Thessaly bargains with the only thing she possesses of value... herself. Can she convince him to trust her, to believe that she can see beyond the scars he bears to the man he is? Or will he push her away out of fear and retreat into the loneliness that he knows so well? The Beast of Bath is a 30,000 word novella previously published in the Wicked Fairytales Anthology. It features some violence and steamy, open door sex scenes.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2015
633 people are currently reading
779 people want to read
About the author
Chasity Bowlin
142 books528 followersUSA Today Best Selling author and Winner of the 2019 Romance Through the Ages Award for Georgian/Regency Romance, Chasity Bowlin is the author multiple bestselling historical romance novels, both independently and with Dragonblade Publishing. She lives in central Kentucky with her husband and their menagerie of animals. She loves writing, loves traveling and enjoys incorporating tidbits of her actual vacations into her books. She is an avid Anglophile, loving all things British, but specifically all things Regency.
Growing up in Tennessee, spending as much time as possible with her doting grandparents, soap operas were a part of her daily existence, followed by back to back episodes of Scooby Doo. Her path to becoming a romance novelist was set when, rather than simply have her Barbie dolls cruise around in a pink convertible, they time traveled, hosted lavish dinner parties and one even had an evil twin locked in the attic.
Growing up in Tennessee, spending as much time as possible with her doting grandparents, soap operas were a part of her daily existence, followed by back to back episodes of Scooby Doo. Her path to becoming a romance novelist was set when, rather than simply have her Barbie dolls cruise around in a pink convertible, they time traveled, hosted lavish dinner parties and one even had an evil twin locked in the attic.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
July 8, 2019
If you love retellings of beauty and the beast you'll love Victor and thessaly's story!! It was a fabulous read with loads of passion and steamy moments that were kindle melting worthy. Chasity bowlin is a fabulous storyteller and I loved the whole regency romance time period. And though Victor might look like a beast he is nothing like that, he is a great hero and excellent giving lover who has spent too much time being alone and when he saves thessaly from being sold to a brothel by her stepfather all he ask's is that she marries him and has his heir. Thessaly goes into this marriage to Victor not knowing what he looks like,but that he is a man of honor and what starts as a arrangement becomes a awaking of not only her body ,but her heart as well . Loved both of these characters so much! Can't wait to read more from this fabulous writer! Until next time luv's💖💋
April 6, 2018
Have you ever read a book and everything is so familiar that you think you must have read this before? That kept happening to me in this one. Finally I realized that I hadn't read it before, it was just so filled with the expected tropes that there wasn't an original thought or idea in the entire book.
Same old idea, different time.
The hero is scarred, so therefore a "beast". He saves the heroine from the clutches of her evil stepfather who is selling her to a whorehouse and then marries her to "help". But, of course, she is not allowed to see his disfigured face. There is plenty of sex in the dark, so the smut is there, but she is determined to see his face and inner beauty.... blah blah blah... everything you expect...
The good news - the book is free on Amazon right now. I have a weakness for free books. Well, free anything really. And, weakness in general. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm a hot mess.
Same old idea, different time.
The hero is scarred, so therefore a "beast". He saves the heroine from the clutches of her evil stepfather who is selling her to a whorehouse and then marries her to "help". But, of course, she is not allowed to see his disfigured face. There is plenty of sex in the dark, so the smut is there, but she is determined to see his face and inner beauty.... blah blah blah... everything you expect...
The good news - the book is free on Amazon right now. I have a weakness for free books. Well, free anything really. And, weakness in general. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm a hot mess.
December 7, 2019
So yeh my obsession with beauty and the beast type retellings is usually more a miss than a hit.
Happy to impart that was not the case with this particular one and I really enjoyed The Beast of Bath reading it in one complete sitting.
So lady Thessaly Shade while fleeing the clutches of her stepfather is rescued by Lord Victor Mayhew The Beast Of Bath.
Victor due to the scarring on his face hides in the shadows with only his oldest servants for company.
when Thessaly offers herself up in return for his protection instead of making her his mistress like she imagined he offers her marriage.
Right from the start, Thessaly recognises her good fortune and the gentle heart of her new husband she is also rather taken by his manly skills in the bedroom and despite not seeing his face she starts to fall for her new husband.
He still hides his face from her eyes believing she would run screaming if she saw it despite her assurances that he needs to trust in her and see her for who she really is like she does him.
So this was a very heartfelt and romantic read that left me feeling warm and fuzzy.
It also has some very sensual and sexy scenes between Thessaly and Victor.
There is also some added intrigue thrown in to further sweeten the pot.
This was all wrapped up in a heartfelt HEA really loved it.
One observation though I would have liked to see an epilogue of the two just to get a glimpse into the future
This was a lovely Beauty and the beast themed historical romance set in the early 1800s and I enjoyed it immensely.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
December 20, 2020
“They don't see what I do,” she whispered. “Whatever scars you bear, you have a beautiful soul.”
First and foremost, what a beautiful cover! It was what drew me in the first place. It's unfortunate the contents of the book didn't quite match up. The Beast of Bath would have benefitted so much more if it had been a full length novel, instead of a novella. For me, what makes a good retelling is when an author is able to bring in something new or further develop the pre-existing themes. This book doesn't really do any of that. In fact, many explanations and ideas were quickly skimmed over which made for a very surface-level retelling. Even though retellings should feel familiar, I don't think they should feel wholly predictable.
It's a shame because Chasity Bowlin has such a way with words, I felt like I had been instantly transported to 1800s Bath. The secondary characters were also pretty interesting too. I don't think this book was bad per se, just lacking.
There were also some issues I had with the story, while none were too egregious, they are spoilers which I will point out here:
While I enjoyed The Beast of Bath, I didn't find it particularly remarkable. I'm a huge sucker for The Beauty and the Beast retellings so perhaps my expectations were a little too high when jumping into this one.
Rating: 2/5
January 14, 2019
2.5 "Light and Fluffy" Stars
This is a novella so like with all short stories not much can be said, but here are my impressions.
The good?
1. It's a Beauty and Beast retelling.
2. The plot unfolded at a fast pace, so I wasn't bored.
3. I liked the hero and heroine both.
The bad?
1. The writing could have been more emotional (funny or angsty). Either way, just give me a reason to care.
2. The main characters felt superficial because insight into their psyches and motivations seemed sparse. The servants, who appeared more like caricatures than fleshed-out characters, could have been directly pulled from the 1991 animated Disney movie.
3. Finally, the grammatical errors were minor, but they still stood out and distracted me.
This is a novella so like with all short stories not much can be said, but here are my impressions.
The good?
1. It's a Beauty and Beast retelling.
2. The plot unfolded at a fast pace, so I wasn't bored.
3. I liked the hero and heroine both.
The bad?
1. The writing could have been more emotional (funny or angsty). Either way, just give me a reason to care.
2. The main characters felt superficial because insight into their psyches and motivations seemed sparse. The servants, who appeared more like caricatures than fleshed-out characters, could have been directly pulled from the 1991 animated Disney movie.
3. Finally, the grammatical errors were minor, but they still stood out and distracted me.
July 23, 2015
The Beast of Bath: A Regency Fairytale is definitely the best Beauty and the Beast re-telling I've read so far. It's a sweet novella with just the perfect balance of angst and romance. It doesn't suffocate you with too much poignancy or maudlinness--as is usual in B&B themes. It's just perfect. Good pacing, well-structured plot, and likeable characters. Pragmatic, brave and understanding, Thessaly was the perfect heroine for Victor. I liked the fact that the brooding hero didn't push her away too much, not letting his insecurities consume his chance at happiness. Thessaly and Victor were amazing together, and the sexual tension between them was palpable even early on in the story. The love scenes were very sensual without going overboard. And while others may fault it for its simplicity, the plot was just right for its purposes. There is beauty in simplicity, you know.
This was just perfect for me. Simply perfect. And I can't fangirl enough about it.
This was just perfect for me. Simply perfect. And I can't fangirl enough about it.
October 31, 2020
Gothic setting, with the terribly scarred H saving the h from her evil stepfather. But the H asks her to pay a price for his help. She must marry him, and have a child. He's touch starved, hides from society but he's a good man. She's great, very strong and is attracted from the first, to his morality and then to the man himself. He falls in love very quickly. Loved this short steamy story.
May 15, 2018
3+ "Quickie Beauty and the Beast" Stars!
I enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast remake. It was a very quick short read, so there was some serious insta everything. But I still loved both MC and I needed a filler story this evening; so it worked well for me! If you like B&TB stories, give it a go. Happy reading!
I enjoyed this Beauty and the Beast remake. It was a very quick short read, so there was some serious insta everything. But I still loved both MC and I needed a filler story this evening; so it worked well for me! If you like B&TB stories, give it a go. Happy reading!
July 24, 2024
This book was such an easy read the story just flowed really well an was just what I needed to get out of a reading slump love it.
Happy Reading 📙📓📗📘📒📓📔📚📙📕📚📓📗📘📒📙📕📔📒📓📚📙📕📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📗📖
Happy Reading 📙📓📗📘📒📓📔📚📙📕📚📓📗📘📒📙📕📔📒📓📚📙📕📗📘📒📓📚📙📕📗📖
March 3, 2021
A short but very satisfying Beauty and the Beast tale.
Thessaly (love the name) is a perfect Beauty in more ways than one - strong, steadfast and loving. Just what out tortured Beast needs to find his way back to light and life.
The villain serves his purpose.
3.75*
Thessaly (love the name) is a perfect Beauty in more ways than one - strong, steadfast and loving. Just what out tortured Beast needs to find his way back to light and life.
The villain serves his purpose.
3.75*
December 8, 2019
4 stars
May 18, 2018
· “You make me feel like a man again, and not like a thing to be feared or reviled.” ·
I am so happy I decided to grab my free copy of this novella when it was shortly on promotion on Amazon! And I’m also happy that I decided to read it last night.
The story is short and sweet, with some erotic scenes (so, be warned!) that I found actually added to the story, so, all in all, it was a nice surprise.
The biggest “twist” in this Regency retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” is probably the lack of magical elements (curses, hem!) And the result is originally a good one. Of course, the great narrative techniques of the author help to draw the readers into the story and keep them turning the pages till the very end.
My main “issue” with the book was the length. Whereas I don’t think the novel should have been much longer, I do believe some scenes could have been further developed to add more tension, tenderness and other feelings that were left for the reader to build.
All in all, it was a nice, sweet read. And, if you have the time, you should definitely check it out!
I am so happy I decided to grab my free copy of this novella when it was shortly on promotion on Amazon! And I’m also happy that I decided to read it last night.
The story is short and sweet, with some erotic scenes (so, be warned!) that I found actually added to the story, so, all in all, it was a nice surprise.
The biggest “twist” in this Regency retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” is probably the lack of magical elements (curses, hem!) And the result is originally a good one. Of course, the great narrative techniques of the author help to draw the readers into the story and keep them turning the pages till the very end.
My main “issue” with the book was the length. Whereas I don’t think the novel should have been much longer, I do believe some scenes could have been further developed to add more tension, tenderness and other feelings that were left for the reader to build.
All in all, it was a nice, sweet read. And, if you have the time, you should definitely check it out!
April 6, 2018
Very good Regency version of the classic fairytale. The writing is excellent, keeping the tension and mystery nicely balanced with the romance that develops between Lady Thessaly and Lord Norcross. It IS a fairytale, so readers shouldn't expect in-depth characterizations. We have the very good (Thessaly), the very bad (Neville) and the very tormented (Norcross).
I would've liked more explanation of how Norcross survived the ordeal that scarred him. Was he rescued? If so, by whom? I also don't understand why Neville changes from his stated plans near the end of the story.
Despite that, this is a satisfying novella-length story. Rated MA with some steamy bedroom scenes.
I would've liked more explanation of how Norcross survived the ordeal that scarred him. Was he rescued? If so, by whom? I also don't understand why Neville changes from his stated plans near the end of the story.
Despite that, this is a satisfying novella-length story. Rated MA with some steamy bedroom scenes.
April 12, 2018
Nothing much to say here. Re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast story, cannot really remember much about it. Others have done it better, I'm afraid. Just a bit bland.
Should have tried this!
Should have tried this!
May 27, 2018
Isolated from the world, locked into the darkness and hiding himself away, the sophisticated veneer had been stripped from him. --Lord Victor Norcross, the Beast of Bath
Sexy and heartwarming Beauty and the Beast retelling!
This was a lovely and sexy novella filled with heart, danger and great MCs. The story of the hero and villain was very believable and made great conflict for the hero and heroine to overcome. I liked how the heroine went from a more meek personality to someone who was able to stand up to the stubborn hero. Great little read, definitely give it a shot!
My Victor, living his life in shadow until Thessaly dragged him into the light..
May 3, 2018
“Knowing yourself, and learning to love yourself as you are, is the beginning of beauty. I think the most important thing is to show off what’s most beautiful about you and to hide what’s less beautiful.” –Sonia Rykiel
First off… that cover was simply amazing. I loved it. Second, I enjoy a good Beauty and the Beast story and this one the author knocked out of the park. I was also grateful that it was a free offering on Amazon… thank you Amazon.
Rating: MA: mature audience: listen-to-me-carefully… MATURE AUDIENCE… graphic, erotic… yep. Seriously, this one will steam the wallpaper off the walls. Even my contacts steamed up. Just saying… you have been warned.
Not having read this author before… I waltzed into this story fat-dumb-and-happy. Within a short time period I was completely lost in the story. All the elements for a good B&B story were present: a night shrouded in darkness, fog, a shadowy figure hidden by the night shadows, a woman screams in the darkness, running from a villain dressed only in her gown and night-rail, and a hero saving her from a fate worse than death. Yeah, it was good.
This was a short story at 15-chapters. I was able to read it in one sitting. Although it moved quickly, I never felt cheated. It was as though our author made every word count. We were given just enough information to move the story along but not bog it down. Although there were questions regarding the back story between out hero and the villain; it was not the main focus of this story… yet it was a driving force. This was the relationship between the beauty and the beast. I didn’t care what ticked off the villain.
Lady Thessaly was running from her wastrel step-father Archibald Fairington, who had sold her to the local abbess. Now, before you start thinking of Shakespeare’s ‘get thee to a nunnery’ speech… you have to know that saying has a double meaning. Yes, in Christian terms an abbess is the Mother Superior over a cloister of nuns… however, in this case… abbess also referred to a female brothel keeper. So dear step-father had sold her to the local whore house. Yeah, great guy… the slime-bag-rat-bastard.
“Love is the beauty of the soul.” –Saint Augustine
Lord Victor Mayhew, Viscount Norcross, spent his days sleeping and nights walking the streets of Bath between his home and the baths. The soothing waters helped to ease the tensions in his scarred body and also soothed his soul. On one faithful night he heard a woman’s scream in the darkness and not because she had seen his face. She was running for her life.
“When virtue and modesty enlighten her charms, the lustre of a beautiful woman is brighter than the stars of heaven, and the influence of her power it is in vain to resist.” –Akhenaton
I loved the interactions between Lord Norcross and Lady Thessaly… OMG! From the moment they first met… the chemistry was electric. The writing was hot, sensual, and steamy. Even my contacts fogged up. This was hot, sexual and just plain erotic. I loved this couple. I loved the beauty in this relationship because she was not only beautiful on the outside but beautiful on the inside. He was ever the beast on the outside and inside due to his tortured soul. I felt for him as a betrayal of the worst sort was the cause of his scars. True to any good B&B story, this beauty helped to heal his tortured soul as well. I wanted to cry with joy as he began to trust her love. Oh, I loved the part where she slowly brought him out of the darkness and into the light. Well done.
Editing: yeah, there be errors: made vs maid, fiancée when referencing the male [fiancé = male and fiancée = female], missing words and articles enough to pull me from the story. That was too bad. [4.5-stars round to 5]
First off… that cover was simply amazing. I loved it. Second, I enjoy a good Beauty and the Beast story and this one the author knocked out of the park. I was also grateful that it was a free offering on Amazon… thank you Amazon.
Rating: MA: mature audience: listen-to-me-carefully… MATURE AUDIENCE… graphic, erotic… yep. Seriously, this one will steam the wallpaper off the walls. Even my contacts steamed up. Just saying… you have been warned.
Not having read this author before… I waltzed into this story fat-dumb-and-happy. Within a short time period I was completely lost in the story. All the elements for a good B&B story were present: a night shrouded in darkness, fog, a shadowy figure hidden by the night shadows, a woman screams in the darkness, running from a villain dressed only in her gown and night-rail, and a hero saving her from a fate worse than death. Yeah, it was good.
This was a short story at 15-chapters. I was able to read it in one sitting. Although it moved quickly, I never felt cheated. It was as though our author made every word count. We were given just enough information to move the story along but not bog it down. Although there were questions regarding the back story between out hero and the villain; it was not the main focus of this story… yet it was a driving force. This was the relationship between the beauty and the beast. I didn’t care what ticked off the villain.
Lady Thessaly was running from her wastrel step-father Archibald Fairington, who had sold her to the local abbess. Now, before you start thinking of Shakespeare’s ‘get thee to a nunnery’ speech… you have to know that saying has a double meaning. Yes, in Christian terms an abbess is the Mother Superior over a cloister of nuns… however, in this case… abbess also referred to a female brothel keeper. So dear step-father had sold her to the local whore house. Yeah, great guy… the slime-bag-rat-bastard.
“Love is the beauty of the soul.” –Saint Augustine
Lord Victor Mayhew, Viscount Norcross, spent his days sleeping and nights walking the streets of Bath between his home and the baths. The soothing waters helped to ease the tensions in his scarred body and also soothed his soul. On one faithful night he heard a woman’s scream in the darkness and not because she had seen his face. She was running for her life.
“When virtue and modesty enlighten her charms, the lustre of a beautiful woman is brighter than the stars of heaven, and the influence of her power it is in vain to resist.” –Akhenaton
I loved the interactions between Lord Norcross and Lady Thessaly… OMG! From the moment they first met… the chemistry was electric. The writing was hot, sensual, and steamy. Even my contacts fogged up. This was hot, sexual and just plain erotic. I loved this couple. I loved the beauty in this relationship because she was not only beautiful on the outside but beautiful on the inside. He was ever the beast on the outside and inside due to his tortured soul. I felt for him as a betrayal of the worst sort was the cause of his scars. True to any good B&B story, this beauty helped to heal his tortured soul as well. I wanted to cry with joy as he began to trust her love. Oh, I loved the part where she slowly brought him out of the darkness and into the light. Well done.
Editing: yeah, there be errors: made vs maid, fiancée when referencing the male [fiancé = male and fiancée = female], missing words and articles enough to pull me from the story. That was too bad. [4.5-stars round to 5]
July 31, 2015
Extremely sweet, could have easily been more in-depth and angstier and would have been better for that.
July 15, 2018
This was a short, free read that offered nothing new, but was a nice escape all the same. It is a classic Beauty and the Beast retelling, complete with a great looking villain, lovable servants, a hero with scars who was once beautiful yet shallow and is now a richer person, and a breathtaking but open-hearted heroine.
The story was simple and the ostracization from society was downplayed, but the emotion was still nice and I enjoyed it (though I did suspend belief with how quickly a man could get a special license to wed while in Bath when he never wielded power in society). Anyway.
The biggest beef I had with the story were the typos. It wasn't that there were misspellings that jumped out. It was more that an article was missing or something like that so the sentence didn't make sense. This is one of the reasons I usually avoid self-published work. However, I love the Beauty and the Beast trope and I love stories set in Bath and I love novellas so this was worth the shot.
The story was simple and the ostracization from society was downplayed, but the emotion was still nice and I enjoyed it (though I did suspend belief with how quickly a man could get a special license to wed while in Bath when he never wielded power in society). Anyway.
The biggest beef I had with the story were the typos. It wasn't that there were misspellings that jumped out. It was more that an article was missing or something like that so the sentence didn't make sense. This is one of the reasons I usually avoid self-published work. However, I love the Beauty and the Beast trope and I love stories set in Bath and I love novellas so this was worth the shot.
April 13, 2018
A good regency romance is certainly a treat.Apart from some minor notions, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Main characters and villains were on point. A short fairytale story with angst.
Recommended.
Recommended.
January 5, 2026
3.5 stars
This was good until it suddenly...wasn't. The story started off really strong and was working it's way to be a favorite for me until the last 50ish pages the story just fell apart. There was no need for a dastardly villain with a grudge in this. If this was a full length novel it probably would have worked better. This is a historical romance novella with a short page count involving a marriage of convenience with a brooding hero with scarred face he refuses to show his new bride, so the conflict was already there. The tension between our MCs was so good and exactly what I love. So I really didn't care for the story to suddenly shift focus to a villain out of nowhere and giving him a POV and giving us scenes with the lady's maid, Alice who he's threatening. There was absolutely no need or time for a villain in this. It was too much and a waste of page time. I really didn't care about Neville or his obsession with knives or Alice, get back to our couple! And the hero finally revealing his scarred face to the heroine felt very underwhelming. The emotional weight wasn't there for me at all. And don't get me started on that ridiculous contrived rescue scene at the very end. The gently bred sheltered heroine suddenly knowing how to fire a gun and I love a fearless brave heroine but please be serious. It was too much.
This was good until it suddenly...wasn't. The story started off really strong and was working it's way to be a favorite for me until the last 50ish pages the story just fell apart. There was no need for a dastardly villain with a grudge in this. If this was a full length novel it probably would have worked better. This is a historical romance novella with a short page count involving a marriage of convenience with a brooding hero with scarred face he refuses to show his new bride, so the conflict was already there. The tension between our MCs was so good and exactly what I love. So I really didn't care for the story to suddenly shift focus to a villain out of nowhere and giving him a POV and giving us scenes with the lady's maid, Alice who he's threatening. There was absolutely no need or time for a villain in this. It was too much and a waste of page time. I really didn't care about Neville or his obsession with knives or Alice, get back to our couple! And the hero finally revealing his scarred face to the heroine felt very underwhelming. The emotional weight wasn't there for me at all. And don't get me started on that ridiculous contrived rescue scene at the very end. The gently bred sheltered heroine suddenly knowing how to fire a gun and I love a fearless brave heroine but please be serious. It was too much.
May 21, 2017
A too tooth-rottingly sweet plot and a mushy-gushy pairing make for a fluffy story, but substance is lacking, and this novella is filling only in the same way candy floss is "filling." Read only if you're in for a bit of indulging in trusty, predictable and unsurprising Regency Romance brain candy.
April 26, 2020
Lettura di gruppo E&L: kindle in inglese
Era da tanto che volevo leggere questo libro. La trama mi ispirava parecchio, e grazie alla lettura di gruppo ce l'ho fatta ^^.
Pensavo di non riuscire a leggerlo velocemente, essendo in inglese, ma devo dire che scorre via che è un piacere, e ho fatto poca fatica. Forse in alcuni punti non capivo bene, ma secondo me perché erano proprio scritti in modo non chiaro. E a volte saltava da un cosa all'altra.
Anche se mi sono piaciuti sia la storia che i personaggi, che devo direi mi hanno intrigato, avrei preferito che li approfondisse di più. L'ho trovato un po’ troppo veloce con gli avvenimenti, e superficiale.
Peccato perché sarebbe stato perfetto per entrare nei miei libri preferiti che riprendono le favole. Ed essendo "La bella e la bestia" una di quelle che adoro, ci sono rimasta un pò male.
Non mi sento però di bocciarlo, perché il suo dovere lo ha fatto: mi ha intrattenuto e mi ha fatto sognare. Un tre stelle tutte. Facendo la generosa potrei spingermi anche a tre stelle e mezzo.
Giusto perché sono affezionata alla favola 😊
Era da tanto che volevo leggere questo libro. La trama mi ispirava parecchio, e grazie alla lettura di gruppo ce l'ho fatta ^^.
Pensavo di non riuscire a leggerlo velocemente, essendo in inglese, ma devo dire che scorre via che è un piacere, e ho fatto poca fatica. Forse in alcuni punti non capivo bene, ma secondo me perché erano proprio scritti in modo non chiaro. E a volte saltava da un cosa all'altra.
Anche se mi sono piaciuti sia la storia che i personaggi, che devo direi mi hanno intrigato, avrei preferito che li approfondisse di più. L'ho trovato un po’ troppo veloce con gli avvenimenti, e superficiale.
Peccato perché sarebbe stato perfetto per entrare nei miei libri preferiti che riprendono le favole. Ed essendo "La bella e la bestia" una di quelle che adoro, ci sono rimasta un pò male.
Non mi sento però di bocciarlo, perché il suo dovere lo ha fatto: mi ha intrattenuto e mi ha fatto sognare. Un tre stelle tutte. Facendo la generosa potrei spingermi anche a tre stelle e mezzo.
Giusto perché sono affezionata alla favola 😊
June 1, 2018
Ok, it wasn't a great novella.
But it was a nice and fast reading.
Nothing to remember but it could be good for an evening if you search for light reading.
Marquise summarized it perfectly: A too tooth-rottingly sweet plot and a mushy-gushy pairing make for a fluffy story, but substance is lacking, and this novella is filling only in the same way candy floss is "filling." Read only if you're in for a bit of indulging in trusty, predictable and unsurprising Regency Romance brain candy.
I wouldn't buy it (it was free when I got it on Amazon).
But it was a nice and fast reading.
Nothing to remember but it could be good for an evening if you search for light reading.
Marquise summarized it perfectly: A too tooth-rottingly sweet plot and a mushy-gushy pairing make for a fluffy story, but substance is lacking, and this novella is filling only in the same way candy floss is "filling." Read only if you're in for a bit of indulging in trusty, predictable and unsurprising Regency Romance brain candy.
I wouldn't buy it (it was free when I got it on Amazon).
July 20, 2015
I am sucker for beauty and the beast themed books so the fact that I was going to read this book was a forgone conclusion, and having Bowlin as the author only increased the appeal of the book for me.
This book was also a good reminder of why I enjoy Novellas as much as well written novels. Sometimes you have a great premise but not enough material to make it a worthy full length novel, so you decide to make it a short story or write a full length novel by dragging the story with unnecessary clutter. I have a great deal of respect for writers who choose to go with the former option. This book was one of those great novellas that manages to accomplish everything a great novel does but in half the length. Bowlin is a self publisher so there are a few miss spelled words and grammatically incorrect sentences but her writing is still superior to many well edited books. Definitely Recommend It.
This book was also a good reminder of why I enjoy Novellas as much as well written novels. Sometimes you have a great premise but not enough material to make it a worthy full length novel, so you decide to make it a short story or write a full length novel by dragging the story with unnecessary clutter. I have a great deal of respect for writers who choose to go with the former option. This book was one of those great novellas that manages to accomplish everything a great novel does but in half the length. Bowlin is a self publisher so there are a few miss spelled words and grammatically incorrect sentences but her writing is still superior to many well edited books. Definitely Recommend It.
May 13, 2020
So I'm trying out Audible Escapes (and, in general, giving audiobooks another try). This was my first book that I borrowed.
The narration was pretty horrible, I'm not going to lie. There were so many mispronounced or weirdly-pronounced words, and the narrator often sounded a bit like a robot. Also, Victor's voice was LOL.
But I'm not judging the book by the audiobook's shortcomings. The story itself is pretty much what you would expect for this kind of story. I've never read this particular one before, but I've read pretty much everything in this story before somewhere else, if you know what I mean. The story relies heavily on the tropes that are typical in BatB stories (he's ugly so he's a beast, his title doesn't save him from being shunned, etc).
The story is okay, but there's nothing memorable about it. And there were a couple of things that kind of ground my gears.
So, meh. I didn't have high hopes for the novella, which was a good thing.
The narration was pretty horrible, I'm not going to lie. There were so many mispronounced or weirdly-pronounced words, and the narrator often sounded a bit like a robot. Also, Victor's voice was LOL.
But I'm not judging the book by the audiobook's shortcomings. The story itself is pretty much what you would expect for this kind of story. I've never read this particular one before, but I've read pretty much everything in this story before somewhere else, if you know what I mean. The story relies heavily on the tropes that are typical in BatB stories (he's ugly so he's a beast, his title doesn't save him from being shunned, etc).
The story is okay, but there's nothing memorable about it. And there were a couple of things that kind of ground my gears.
So, meh. I didn't have high hopes for the novella, which was a good thing.
January 9, 2019
Homophone mixups and some Virginity Doesn't Work Like That If You're Any Good At It nonsense which is all too standard in mediocre M/F, but this was free on Amazon, so eh, I got what I paid for. However, fuck this entire story for this one bit about the Beast/Norcross's previous wife, who committed suicide :
"Rather than spend her life with me, looking at the monster I've become, she slashed her wrists with a letter opener. She was found dead in her room the next morning."
"What a stupid girl!" There was no pity in her voice for his former betrothed [...] "It wasn't your scars that sent that girl to her death. It was her own weakness of character."
Our heroine, ladies and gentleman!!! What a soulless piece of garbage. They're both monsters, congratulations!
"Rather than spend her life with me, looking at the monster I've become, she slashed her wrists with a letter opener. She was found dead in her room the next morning."
"What a stupid girl!" There was no pity in her voice for his former betrothed [...] "It wasn't your scars that sent that girl to her death. It was her own weakness of character."
Our heroine, ladies and gentleman!!! What a soulless piece of garbage. They're both monsters, congratulations!
May 16, 2018
4 Stars!
I grabbed this on KU because I loved the cover ❤️ I ended up thoroughly enjoying the story as well.
I grabbed this on KU because I loved the cover ❤️ I ended up thoroughly enjoying the story as well.
July 10, 2019
Way too short!!! Awww
The beauty and the beast fairytale.
Safe read
The beauty and the beast fairytale.
Safe read
Want to read
July 7, 2019Free on Amazon 7th July 2019
February 20, 2017
This book was an excellent retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The pace was steady. The plot kept me interested from the beginning of the novella to the end. The suspenseful scenes were intriguing without being vulgar or frightening. I admire a proactive hero who deals with the villain instead of waiting for the villain to strike first. Victor is no pansy. I was hoping I wouldn't have to read yet another Regency kidnapping subplot. Thank God, Ms. Bowlin showed more creativity.
I can't fault the author for being true to the period, but I wish Victor had given Thessaly a few weeks to get to know him before he insisted on taking her to bed. Yes, I know once she became his legal wife, she was his property and he could exercise his husbandly rights. However, I would've liked him more if he had shown self-control and given his shell-shocked bride time to recover from her narrow escape from a forced life of prostitution.
The housekeeper and butler were good supporting characters. It's rare for two minor characters to stand out in a novella. Their relationship with Victor resembled a familial bond more than a master-servant bond. Most housekeepers wouldn't threaten to spank their master. Also, I've never read about a lord who tasks his butler with purchasing gowns for his wife. One would think the housekeeper would have been assigned that errand. If Victor hadn't been known as the Beast, a modiste might have been persuaded to call upon Thessaly to fit her for new gowns.
I can't fault the author for being true to the period, but I wish Victor had given Thessaly a few weeks to get to know him before he insisted on taking her to bed. Yes, I know once she became his legal wife, she was his property and he could exercise his husbandly rights. However, I would've liked him more if he had shown self-control and given his shell-shocked bride time to recover from her narrow escape from a forced life of prostitution.
The housekeeper and butler were good supporting characters. It's rare for two minor characters to stand out in a novella. Their relationship with Victor resembled a familial bond more than a master-servant bond. Most housekeepers wouldn't threaten to spank their master. Also, I've never read about a lord who tasks his butler with purchasing gowns for his wife. One would think the housekeeper would have been assigned that errand. If Victor hadn't been known as the Beast, a modiste might have been persuaded to call upon Thessaly to fit her for new gowns.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews