Taming the Beast

Fairy Tales of New York #3

by Lucy King

Once upon a time, Mercedes ‘Mercy’ Hernandez had the most enormous crush on her best friend’s older brother, Seb Madison. Now, though, she can’t stand the beast. Forget that he’s as spine-tinglingly gorgeous as ever. He’s a lousy brother and a manipulative bastard, not that she ever thinks about that disastrous one night stand they once had…

Still riddled with guilt over the death of his parents, billionaire loner Seb Madison has spent so long emotionally shut off that when beautiful, fiery Mercy bursts into his life again, he doesn’t know what’s hit him. All he knows is that she confuses him and he doesn’t like it.

Yet their chemistry hasn’t faded and, when hostility turns to attraction, a no-strings affair seems the logical solution. Mercy’s taking a much needed break from her family’s Argentinian vineyard to study for an MBA and Seb doesn’t do relationships. Neither have either the time or inclination for anything other than weekends-only red-hot sex. Or do they…?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Amazon, Novella, Adult, New Adult

101 pages, ebook

First published June 26, 2015

Reviews

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Wanting to Fix Everything Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
This series continues with Mercedes ‘Mercy’ Hernandez and her path to understanding who she is and what she has always wanted... Her Fairy Tale is based on Beauty and the Beast... fitting because her schoolgirl crush from 10 years ago has been Zelda's cold, distant brother, Seb.

We are given the backdrop of the fateful night where our girls were caught with wine in their Catholic boarding school. All assumptions of the culprit from the Nuns to even her brother Seb is that Zelda was the one who took the wine. As these girls sit with parents, brothers, and family awaiting their punishment, all Mercy can do is try not to gaze at Seb.

For although she knows from everything her friend has shared... his indifference to his sister's pain in losing their parents, his cutting her out of his life by joining the French Foreign Legion right after their deaths and his never giving her the love and comfort her acting out so clearly is seeking...Mercy can't help by be captivated by him.

In one split moment while Mercy sits with her very upset parents...she looks up to see Seb staring right back at her with an intensity and knowing...a look which rocks her to her core.

Fast forward 10 years and all of the women have reclaimed their friendship. Years may have passed and secrets or circumstances may have kept them apart but now with 2 of their fold finding love and happiness with Faith's Brothers, no less...Sully's has become their once a month meeting ground. Dawn has her Finn and Zelda her Tyrone. All that is free and easy are Mercy and Faith... Well, Faith is never free and easy with the burden of running the Pub for her family and dad. She gave everything up to help after her father's heart attack....so she is the rock of the group... always there holding it all together.

Mercy, our Argentinian spitfire, has grown into an amazing woman. Her parents ripped her out of that school and put her into an immersion of the winery and all its facets. Mercy was schooled in every department; learning how the grapes grew, what was the way to bottle, how to understand the timing and promotion of a new wine...everything which gave her the expertise she now had. She had made her parents proud of her work and they even had to admire her stubbornness when she accomplished creating an award-winning wine they thought was going to be a mistake.

And that trait which made her stick to her guns when others told her no...also made her stay by her friend Zelda when she needed her most five years ago. It was Mercy who helped Zelda see herself at her lowest ebb and get her to rehab. It was also Mercy who confronted Seb to try and make him see what he needed to do...support Zel. What happened was not what Mercy had planned, though. What happened was Seb, in his need for total distance and control, used his knowledge of Mercy's girl crush and kissed her to shut her up and stop her berating him.

At least, that was what he told himself when he did it...when he continued to be caught up in the passion and heat Mercy gave and he demanded those years ago... he couldn't let her know he lost all sense of reason...his desire for her building all those years...These two had a singular moment which marked both of them... ruined them for the others that followed...it was something they never talked of.

Because Mercy had had it with Seb... and even though Zel had been clean and sober for 5 years now and he knew it... He was still the cold bastard to Zel... Mercy was there again when he behaved horribly and decided enough was enough. She stormed into his rooms at the mansion he shared with his sister and read him the riot act...told him everything he needed to hear about his abandonment, his cruelty, and nonsupport. Mercy was fuming and fit to be tied... how could this man so clearly in need of help himself behave this way and be happy...Mercy saw right through Seb's posturing.

Seb knew once again all of his control was at his limits...Mercy was his Achilles Heel... she was this woman with passion, beauty and it called to him every time he thought about her or saw her... and now that she was back in town completing her MBA...he thought about her a lot. That night they shared was something he had never done before... she owned him... he couldn't resist her and had to pretend it was all just a way to distract her. His control was everything because without it... he would hurt others... as he did as a young man...

For Seb was the one behind the wheel when his parent's died...and he was to blame... he knew it deep in his soul and was the reason for all of his running away... from his sister when she needed him most...he just couldn't cope. So he locked himself up inside- away from others...to just exist..for he did not deserve a true life...or love...

But Mercy and him...she did things to him... forced him to think and eventually her confronting him caused him to reach out to his sister...to be more available and open... yes open and with this new openness Mercy saw a Seb who could remedy a need...one they both had...

They would be bed buddies... no relationship at all- they would do weekends only and no dating or anything other than a few pleasant conversations in between the mind-blowing sex they had...

Yes... that would work... just sex...what could go wrong???

We all know this was based on Beauty and the Beast- and our Beauty ends up taming him...but until that happens... Oh, Momma ... are they fantastic Bed Buddies...

This addition to this series worked so well- Yes, Seb had been horrible to his sister... and redemption after the groundwork of the first two books needed to be clear..in how he worked to be a better person... He was so damaged and Mercy was the one to reach him. Mercy also loved to fix things and people...it was her gift...she was just fortunate all of it fell into place the way that it did.

Lucy King did a fantastic job of continuing this series. All of the characters felt true. We have only the last friend of this group, Faith, to find her match and I think a strapping Australian is going to be her "Prince Charming".

NOTE:
You DO NOT have to read all of them to enjoy each of them. The decision would be based on your reading preferences and habits. There is the core premise of the 4 women, their "Fairy Tale" and Sully's/New York as the base.

Pursued by the Rogue (Fairy Tales of New York, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tempting The Knight(Fairy Tales of New York, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Taming The Beast (Fairy Tales of New York, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Seduced By The Baron (Fairy Tales of New York, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - "I think I've been half in love with you for years." Stars!

Book three in the Fairytales of New York series explores the modern day retelling of my favourite of all favourites; Beauty and the Beast, add to that our Beast is none other than elusive, ornery, and not forgetting sexy; Sebastian Madison the older brother of Zelda (book two) and this was a story I was happy to get my hands on.

”I don’t do talking.”

This story has been building for a while, Mercy has had a crush on Seb since she was a young girl, but things changed between them irrevocably a few years after the ill-fated wine incident that saw all the girls going their separate ways from boarding school, when a visit to New York saw them spending one, unforgettable night together. Mercy now back in the thick of things studying in New York and reconnecting fully with her friends decides it’s time to see if the attraction that was once there, is still mutual.



A no strings arrangement is agreed upon, but as the weeks pass, feelings develop, confidences are shared and intentions change on both sides.

The past still held him tightly in its grip.

I really enjoyed Taming the Beast, and Lucy King is an author whose work I would have no issues with reading again. Seb and Mercy were a likeable couple, the issues they faced and the way their reconnection played out weren’t massively unusual, but the drama was well balanced with the storyline, and the sex well-spaced with the actual building of their overall relationship.

Faith Sullivan is up next, in Seduced by the Baron and I cannot wait to get stuck in.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

[Deserie williams]

self note: h was celibate for five years and H was not:/

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Fairytales of New York series is based on my all time favourite fairytale...



I won't lie, it's not my favourite of the series so far, but it is a superb addition. From the rose garden to the strong-willed fiery heroine who sees the real man beneath the the brooding cold exterior, Lucy King has brought modern twist to a well-loved fairytale and created a couple to fall in love with.



Sebastian and Mercy complimented each other perfectly. Both were endearing and their relationship brought fire and passion, and whilst I would have liked a little more of the emotional aspect earlier, the way the story is held together is testament to Lucy King's talent; a new-to-me author, she is one I will happily read again. Taming the Beast can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading as a series; I've quickly become immersed in the love-lives of the four ladies the series centralises around and am off now to see if Faith can find her Prince Charming.



Copy received courtesy of Tule Publishing for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (3/29/2018)!💝

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the best of the 4 stories. I really enjoyed Mercedes and Seb's story. The dialogue is amazing and I love the way the author manages to interweave humour as well as angst throughout. I actually laughed out loud in places.

I found it difficult to understand why Seb had behaved like a total jerk for all those years or why he had joined the Foreign Legion. I guess the idea that he just hadn't been able to cope with all his guilt makes sense - but it still seemed over the top for me. Despite that plot element, I really did enjoy it. Lucy King is a new writer to me and I am really enjoying her back catalogue.

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it with these young women who harbour FEELINGS for emotionally unavailable men and then think they can do the hot and heavy with them and walk away unscathed? Yes, gentle reader, we are in Romancelandia and tonight's Fairy Tale is Beauty and The Beast.

Seb is the distant and unfeeling brother of Zel from book two in the series. Since the death of his parents in a car accident when he was driving, he has shut himself away, spending years in the French Foreign Legion and when at home in the Madison Mausoleum tending his Rose Garden. Sound familiar?

Mercy (short for Mercedes so look out for a touch of humour around that later on) has had a teeny little crush on Seb since she was sixteen. Which wasn't helped by a *cough* confrontation with him five years ago when Zel was going through a tough time.

Despite the freezing New York weather, Seb is starting to thaw and Mercy is back in New York ready to take advantage of the chemistry she remembers.

This was a fairly light hearted take of the story despite dealing with some dark themes. Mercy is a bright and bubbly heroine, ideally suited to lightening Seb's days...and nights. I enjoyed the story and found the ending emotional and satisfying considering the shortness of the medium.

I received a copy from Netgalley to read and review. Honestly.

[Kl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously can't figure out why there are so many good reviews.

I read 17%
The first at least 17% is about a train wreck of a girl, who has friends to support her terrible choices and blame her brother.

She was 13 ish when her parents died. Her brother was 18ish. He became her guardian (instead of sending her into foster care) he sent her to boarding school. He dropped out of college and went into the service.

She became a wild child, she did any and everything to get any and everyone's attention.

13 years later- her friends are blaming her brother for her acting out. It's his fault that her life is a mess. P L E A S E. personal responsibility-seriously!!

She's 26 now but she's not responsible for her stupid actions. The actions she choices.
He was 18, thrust into a responsibility he didn't want or deserve - but he is...this book is useless.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first contemporary romance book I’ve read in a while where I really liked both characters! Short and sweet and not over the top.

[Aseel · Rating 4 out of 5]

**An eARC was provided by publisher in exchange of an honest review**

This was such a great read. I'm not huge on retellings, I've read a few and I often make it a point to avoid them but when I saw the cover for this one and read the blurb, I was very much intrigued and wanted to see how this book would turn out.

Taming the beast is different from the usual Beauty and the Beast retellings. I liked the fact that Seb didn't kidnap Mercy and that she had a crush on him when she was in high school. In fact, they slept together five years ago, and now when they meet again, their attraction is just as strong, if not more, so they decide a no-strings attached relationship is a good idea, but it's not enough and soon, they both find themselves falling deeper and deeper for each other.

This book is steamy. I started it kind of late at night and it kept me up until I read the last page. I was drawn into Mercy and Seb's world and the chemistry between them kept me flipping the pages until there was nothing more to read. Mercy is strong headed and stubborn and she had no problem with telling Seb off. I really liked that about her. She was loyal to her friends and she could see deeper into Seb than he let anyone see. My heart broke for him. He was feeling so much guilt over his parents accident that he pushed away everyone, including his sister. Years later, he is lonely and the only thing in his life is work, so when Mercy barges in, he isn't prepared for how she seems to understand him without him speaking a word or the feelings she evokes in him.

While I really liked Seb and understood that he was feeling guilty for the accident that killed his parents, I disliked him for what he did for his sister and himself. He pushed everyone away until he was all alone, and he never once thought of what it did to his sister until Mercy pretty much forced him to see. His sister, Zel, too didn't think of how the accident affected her brother and that he may have pushed her away because of his guilt.

Because the book is short, there where a few things overlooked that I would have liked a closer look at. There was very little mention of Mercy's MBA and Seb's work and the ending was kind of rushed. I would have loved to know what their plan for the future was and how they would work out their separate lives to be together.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book very much. The writing was great and it flowed so smoothly that I couldn't sleep until I finished the book. It's short but it's fun and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a steamy book.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5

A great modern day version of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, with a strong, passionate and determined heroine contrasting with the obstinate, insular and dour Beast of a hero. Both characters are robust in their own manner. The inner turmoil, guilt and tension experienced by Seb are portrayed brilliantly as is Mercy’s reaction to him because the story is related from the point of view of these two characters. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to escape into a fairy tale romance!

Zelda’s parents were tragically killed in a car crash in which her older brother, Sebastian Madison was scarred both physically and emotionally. His main reaction to becoming the guardian of Zelda is to go off to join the Foreign Legion whilst sending her to boarding school and having as little contact with her as possible. At boarding school four girls become best friends. They are Faith, Dawn, Zelda and Mercedes (better known as Mercy). Together they support each other, together they get into serious bother (getting drunk on stolen communion wine!) that has them taken away from there when they are sixteen years old.

The girls remain friends despite being split up and travelling to different parts of the world. Zelda continues to get into bother, even needing to go into rehab whilst working as a world class model. Mercy has had a crush on Zelda’s brother for years, even though she’s only actually being in his presence a couple of times. He has built a fortress around his heart, protecting it from every emotional contact and this is reflected in his behaviour and relationship with his sister. Mercy is not impressed by the impact of his behaviour is having on her friend and goes to confront him about this. The result of this is a night neither will forget - one kiss leads on to a night where talking is not the main activity, but it is only one night.

Five years later Mercy is back to confront him again and this time they agree it was an unforgettable night, deciding to have a no strings relationship based on having sex together every weekend. Can Mercy lay siege to his heart and destroy the obstacles he has in place to protect himself? Will their love ever have a chance or will he freeze it forever? You’ll just have to read it yourself to find out what happens.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley too,
for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[JG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so so good for such a short book!

A rose garden, a cold and controlled beast, a warm and loving beauty full of fire and life, Taming the Beast is a modern adaptation of the beloved classic with a very sexy and almost humorous twist. Meet Sebastian Madison, the beast as his sister Zel calls him. A cold and isolated man locked up in his family home called The Madison Mausoleum. Meet Mercy, the lovely and sultry beauty, best friend to Zel, sister to Sebastian who has harbored a girlish crush for him and unbeknownst to her close friends had a very unforgettable and lust filled one night stand with him. Five years has passed and Seb and Mercy meet once again. They never forget that night despite all effort. And so Mercy has decided why fight it? Maybe engaging in a no strings affair will do the trick of which Seb wholeheartedly agrees. What they didn't bargain for is that no strings seemly meant more entanglements. This was pure charm and heat and poignancy and heartfelt emotions all with a very lighthearted almost humorous tone. The dialogue especially the internal ones was fantastic and just made everything work. Seb and Mercy were perfect reincarnation of those beloved fairy tale character. They fully embraced what the characters could be translated in real modern life personas. For a very short novella, nothing was missed and everything just fell in a smooth and wonderful pace. This was sweetness and sass and sexual heat all rolled into a very heartfelt tale.

*ARC provided thru NetGalley*

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series and this one is based on Beauty and the Beast and what a fantastic story it is as Mercy and Seb journey to a HEA that is passionate sensual and very hot as Mercy does everything she can to help Seb open up and learn to feel again after the tragedy that changed his and Zelda's lives years before.

Mercy has had a crush on her friend Zelda's brother for many years but he is a hard man to get to even smile let alone notice her so for years she gets on with her life but Seb is always in her mind in the background but Mercy is strong and will always stand up for the people she loves and when she feels that Seb is not treating his sister right she lets him know and the sparks fly and they cannot keep their hands off of each other.

They decide on a sex only affair that either can end when they feel the need but neither of them see the true love coming for them and the way they open up and share their weekends together this is a fabulous story that will have you again grabbing for tissues and smiling I loved the feelings they shared with each other and the open way that Mercy gets Seb to see himself this is a story that you should not miss.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really hot and interesting read. The story is the third in this series but the first I read, so there should no be any troubles to read it as a stand alone.
Mercy and Seb know each other quit well, as Seb is the brother of Mercys best friend - although the relationship between the siblings is not really good.
Mercy, who had always a crush on Seb, tries to help her friend, which leads to a totally different development.

Seb is a very intense character, who suffered a lot in his life but also made others suffer - sometimes without being aware of that. When he realizes that, he tries to do better and I loved his POV. But I would have loved to see more of Sebs character development. What we saw was very well done - but there were so many struggles and believes to overcome that it could have been even more intense

Mercy was a good heroine. I loved the interactions between the girls and I think now I have to read the other books in this series as well. it sounds really worth reading them

all in all this was a good and sexy read

Disclaimer: An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Paula Pugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taming the Beast is an apt title for this novella for the male character, Sebastian, is like a beast-driven by his need to control everything in his life. He feels he caused the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister and him orphans. Mercedes (Mercy) saw something in him when she saw him with his sister, Zelda, on a fateful night in high school when she and her three closest friends were punished for stealing and drinking communion wine from the Catholic school they attended. Mercy knew he was a heartless beast by the way he treated his sister.
Ten years later, Sebastian is still a beast to his sister and Mercy decides to set him straight. But, she still craves him and he craves her. They enter into a fling that grows stronger each time they are together but Sebastian denies it. Mercy has worked her tail off trying to make Seb face his demons and maybe, at last, he does.

[Sienna Logan (Lost to Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay read. I pushed through to the end because it's only a novella, but it didn't hold my attention well.

Taming The Beast started off slow. I didn't connect with the characters and it didn't really draw any emotion from me. Things did pick up when Mercy finally starts seeing Seb, but I didn't feel the chemistry.

Overall it was only okay. I wouldn't go out of my way to read it, but I wouldn't say don't read it either.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't impressed

With all th e great reviews I was expecting a very exciting book. But that was not the case. It did have a good story line, hence the two starts. That being said, it was very repetitive and seemed like a lot of inner monologue that was not needed and caused it to drag on.

[Jacinta Goodsell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. The naughty scenes weren’t that detailed, you knew what was happening but it was just skipped over and his mood swings(inner thoughts) were to be expected from somebody as damaged as Seb, but I really didn’t mind the story overall but the ending while sweet was just a disappointment. I wouldn’t reread it, but it was still ok.

[Tanya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am desperately trying to meet my goal so reading novellas seemed like a good idea. I have this and two more to finish the series. It's okay. When you misspell Louboutin I will kind of roll my eyes at you. Especially if you do it more than once.

[Grace DiGennaro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining, but not my favorite.

I like the fairy tale revamping genre, but the dialogue felt a little stilted and distracting. The main characters’ relationship left little to nuance. My favorite part was the prologue.

[Feminista]

Sexist trope: Heroine practices celibacy, while the hero does not.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typical

Typical book about "let's keep it only sex". That NEVER works. I wasn't too enamored with either of the title characters.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needed a quick free download at the airport - not bad- not great- keep me reading during a two hour plane ride

[Keli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think if she hadn't been so obvious a fixer, as it was literally stated, I might've liked it more.

[Debra Johnson]

Purch Amazon March 29, 2018

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read in this series and also a book I read for a reading challenge so I was determined to finish it no matter what. I liked it more than I thought I would but if I hadn't had to buy it for this challenge, I think I wouldn't have missed anything but skipping out on the book. Maybe I'm spoiled for this kind of books, considering I normally get them on Kindle Unlimited.

There were several things I liked about this book. The hero and the heroine both had their characters arcs to go through, it felt like a believable romance between the two of them as it built up despite the shortness of the book and I really liked what brought the two of them together. Yes, the resolution happened a little too quickly for my taste but it was nicely done for a novella. Seb is a very sympathetic character despite being an arsehole to his younger sister. When you see from his POV, it's completely understandable why he reacted how he did but the narrative and the characters make it obvious that his actions since then weren't excusable considering he was a grown adult who was only hurting the person he cared about.

One thing I loved about this book is how much female friendships were at the forefront of the book. Mercy's friends are the people she regards as family and the reason she leaves her home to come back to New York and it is her love for her friends that pushes her to approach Seb again, despite the embarrassing crush she had on him when she was younger. The series might be going through the friends as they each find a love interest but I loved the scenes of the four of them together with their easy friendship. Sources of conflict I was expecting to crop up were instead neatly diverted and it was shown that they all cared about each other.

A surprising book but I would be more tempted to get the rest of the series if it was on Kindle Unlimited. 3 stars!

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy fabulous read.

I loved Taming the Beast, the third book in Fairy Tales of New York series by authors whose books I very much enjoy. Sebastian and Mercedes’ story is based on Beauty and the Beast.

Blaming himself for the car accident that killed his parents, he isolates himself from his sister and becomes a cold-hearted beastly human being. Even though his sister, Zelda is hurt beyond words, Mercedes, her best friend believes that he is redeemable. Calling him out on his behaviour towards Zelda, Mercy burrows under his skin, softening his behaviour, until he remembers that nothing good can come for anyone who gets too close.

This modern day fairy-tale is a quick and easy read to pick up and spend an hour or so just drifting and enjoying the world that Lucy King provides you with. Kelly Hunter, Heidi Rice and Amy Andrews are the other authors in the series, and I recommend you check out Lucy and her cohorts. If a light-hearted treat is what you are looking for – go for it. 4 Stars.

[Priya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads need to introduce minus ratings for books like this one. I thought after the debacle of 'Pursued by Rogue' I'd get a good story in the next book. Nope. 'Taming the Beast' is as bad, if not worse, as 'Pursued by the Rogue'. There's no emotions in the writing style, dialogues are boring and there's no connection between Mercy & Seb. The story just keeps moving at a great pace and end in 'The End'. That was the best of it.

[Melanie Lear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely light fluffy read. Left me with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. Poor Seb, with his years of guilt controlling his life after a terrible family accident. Dear sweet Mercy who has had a crush on Seb since, well forever. Seb is Mercy's best friends brother. A truly lovely read, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading more by Lucy King.

[Gay Deputee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good natured and interestingly fun book

I just cannot get enough of the twists and turns and self doubting that we put ourselves through when finding love. This is witty and fun to read. The characters are believable and likable. A worthwhile read.