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Beautiful Beast
I’m no princess. He’s the anti-prince-charming. This is our happy ever disaster.
Anastasia
Here’s the first thing you should this is not a fairytale. Happily-ever-afters are fables, and Prince Charming is a sweet little lie.
I know all this because he taught me.
Once upon a lifetime ago, the rich, arrogant, sinfully gorgeous, and tragically broken dark prince of the Hamptons was my tormentor. My darkness, my shameful attraction, my all-consuming, forbidden temptation.
I hate Sebastian Crown because nine years ago, for one night, I was stupid enough to think I loved him. And I’ve been paying for it ever since.
Except now, he needs me to help him save his empire.
…And he’s not taking no for answer.
Bastian
She’s my nemesis. My addiction. My weakness.
My obsession.
I used to tell myself I hated Anastasia Bell - for being poor, for not worshipping the ground I walked on, for looking at me like she pitied me for being me.
When the rest of my world always told me yes, she was the ever-provoking no.
She thinks I’m a monster - a tragic, f**ed-up, broken beast.
She doesn’t know the half of it.
Because she can’t begin to know the crimes of my past, or imagine the things I’ve done to her behind the scenes since she left this place.
Years ago, I thought breaking her would fix me.
I was wrong.
Now I’ve got her in my sights again, and this time, I won’t be letting her go. Even if it means we both go down in flames...
Authors's Beautiful Beast is a full-length, standalone romance (approximately 101,000 words) with a HEA and NO cliffhanger.
Anastasia
Here’s the first thing you should this is not a fairytale. Happily-ever-afters are fables, and Prince Charming is a sweet little lie.
I know all this because he taught me.
Once upon a lifetime ago, the rich, arrogant, sinfully gorgeous, and tragically broken dark prince of the Hamptons was my tormentor. My darkness, my shameful attraction, my all-consuming, forbidden temptation.
I hate Sebastian Crown because nine years ago, for one night, I was stupid enough to think I loved him. And I’ve been paying for it ever since.
Except now, he needs me to help him save his empire.
…And he’s not taking no for answer.
Bastian
She’s my nemesis. My addiction. My weakness.
My obsession.
I used to tell myself I hated Anastasia Bell - for being poor, for not worshipping the ground I walked on, for looking at me like she pitied me for being me.
When the rest of my world always told me yes, she was the ever-provoking no.
She thinks I’m a monster - a tragic, f**ed-up, broken beast.
She doesn’t know the half of it.
Because she can’t begin to know the crimes of my past, or imagine the things I’ve done to her behind the scenes since she left this place.
Years ago, I thought breaking her would fix me.
I was wrong.
Now I’ve got her in my sights again, and this time, I won’t be letting her go. Even if it means we both go down in flames...
Authors's Beautiful Beast is a full-length, standalone romance (approximately 101,000 words) with a HEA and NO cliffhanger.
500 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 16, 2017
432 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Aubrey Irons
17 books520 followersWall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Aubrey Irons enjoys writing about bold, sassy, and intelligent women and the hot, cocky, and quite typically forbidden bad boys who love and lust for them. Gripping stories, guaranteed happy ever afters, and LOTS of heat.
In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her own favorite bad boy husband, their two adorable kiddos, and the world's most ill-behaved puppy.
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In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her own favorite bad boy husband, their two adorable kiddos, and the world's most ill-behaved puppy.
Sign up for my mailing list for new release news, author giveaways, ARC opportunities, and *zero* spam. Plus, get a free bad boy ebook for joining! Use this link to sign up: http://eepurl.com/bu3-3P
Stalker Links!
Newsletter ➜ http://eepurl.com/bu3-3P
Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/AubreyIronsR...
Website ➜ www.aubreyirons.com
Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/AubreyIrons
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/aubreyirons/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
July 15, 2017
"Hate, love, lust, pain."
These words pretty much sum up the history and relationship between Anastasia and Sebastian. Others include volatile, obsessive, possessive, sadistic, passionate, etc... Did I think that Bas went above and beyond to inflict his cruelty on Ana? Of course, but... for one, I understood where he was coming from. It was pretty obvious that he was suffering and a man in pain is my favorite type of hero. So while I didn't agree with his behavior, I did have compassion for his torment and loved him in spite of it all. For another, Ana was a championship game player. I'm not a fan of games. I'm a straight shooter and have a low tolerance for ambiguity or passive-aggressive nonsense. And this chick had a mean streak of her very own so I wasn't overcome with sympathy and I needed her well of tears to dry up. Did she deserve what was done? Absolutely not, however, I didn't agree with her behavior for the most part either.
Regardless, these two made their dysfunction and chaos into something I craved. I literally could not get enough of them together. Maybe I'm the one with a problem or two LOL! If you're a fan of hate and love and lust and pain, you're gonna LOVE this story and fall for Bas as easily as I did!!
Release Date: July 14, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 1st person
Heat: 4 out of 5
Type: Standalone
These words pretty much sum up the history and relationship between Anastasia and Sebastian. Others include volatile, obsessive, possessive, sadistic, passionate, etc... Did I think that Bas went above and beyond to inflict his cruelty on Ana? Of course, but... for one, I understood where he was coming from. It was pretty obvious that he was suffering and a man in pain is my favorite type of hero. So while I didn't agree with his behavior, I did have compassion for his torment and loved him in spite of it all. For another, Ana was a championship game player. I'm not a fan of games. I'm a straight shooter and have a low tolerance for ambiguity or passive-aggressive nonsense. And this chick had a mean streak of her very own so I wasn't overcome with sympathy and I needed her well of tears to dry up. Did she deserve what was done? Absolutely not, however, I didn't agree with her behavior for the most part either.
Regardless, these two made their dysfunction and chaos into something I craved. I literally could not get enough of them together. Maybe I'm the one with a problem or two LOL! If you're a fan of hate and love and lust and pain, you're gonna LOVE this story and fall for Bas as easily as I did!!
Release Date: July 14, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 1st person
Heat: 4 out of 5
Type: Standalone
March 8, 2018
Okay...
So, there is absolutely no way for anyone to deny that this book bears an uncanny resemblance to another very well-known book here on Goodreads, and that is Vicious by L.J. Shen. And, I'm not talking just a few minor similarities. No, no, no... I'm suggesting that there is quite a heaping helping of likenesses. This, my friends, is the elephant in the room with this book.
Now, let's be clear here, I fecking loved Vicious. I mean, hard core LOVED it. (Check out my review of it here) And, although when I first started this book, I was having some serious flashbacks to L.J. Shen's book... I found that this book eventually took on an identity of it's own. Ultimately, I was able to enjoy this book for it's own qualities. And, now that the giant elephant has been acknowledged, let's talk about this book specifically.
This book is for those who adore a total alpha-hole douchebag who is an absolute dick-wad to the girl he truly wants more than anything on Earth. I mean, I think that pretty much sums it up. It's like the boy on the playground who pulls the ponytail of the girl he has a crush on and makes her cry... only it's on a level way beyond that. Some people can't fathom enjoying these types of stories, and I totally get that. Othertwisted more tolerant people, such as myself, lap up these warped and depraved tales.
Sebastian (Bastian) Crown, treats Anastasia (Ana) like total crap on a cracker. Just keeping it real, folks. She's the hired help's daughter who lives on his estate. He's the King of his castle and there's no place for her in it. She moves onto his estate property when they're 10 years old. Bastian makes it immediately clear to Ana that she's unwelcome in his home and over the years the proverbial welcome mat is never rolled out for her. They grow up together, go to school together, but they definitely don't mix well together. Ever. After all, he's the Crown King, and she's just a poor little peasant. At least, that's what he wants everyone, including her, to believe. In this dual POV book, readers get a glimpse behind the mask and can see what's truly going in that sadistic head of his.
I think this book could stand a thorough check by a really good copy editor. The flow of this read was hindered often by textual and grammatical inaccuracies. I also found the flashbacks to be a bit frustrating. The flashbacks were placed at several different points in time, and I found my reading a little stunted by trying to add/subtract where exactly we were in the timeline.
I'd have to say I found the ending rather abrupt. I had a tough time with how we got from the last chapter to the epilogue so quickly. I felt like there was quite a bit that ended up being "fade to black" resolved. But, overall, I enjoyed this read.
So, there is absolutely no way for anyone to deny that this book bears an uncanny resemblance to another very well-known book here on Goodreads, and that is Vicious by L.J. Shen. And, I'm not talking just a few minor similarities. No, no, no... I'm suggesting that there is quite a heaping helping of likenesses. This, my friends, is the elephant in the room with this book.
Now, let's be clear here, I fecking loved Vicious. I mean, hard core LOVED it. (Check out my review of it here) And, although when I first started this book, I was having some serious flashbacks to L.J. Shen's book... I found that this book eventually took on an identity of it's own. Ultimately, I was able to enjoy this book for it's own qualities. And, now that the giant elephant has been acknowledged, let's talk about this book specifically.
This book is for those who adore a total alpha-hole douchebag who is an absolute dick-wad to the girl he truly wants more than anything on Earth. I mean, I think that pretty much sums it up. It's like the boy on the playground who pulls the ponytail of the girl he has a crush on and makes her cry... only it's on a level way beyond that. Some people can't fathom enjoying these types of stories, and I totally get that. Other
Sebastian (Bastian) Crown, treats Anastasia (Ana) like total crap on a cracker. Just keeping it real, folks. She's the hired help's daughter who lives on his estate. He's the King of his castle and there's no place for her in it. She moves onto his estate property when they're 10 years old. Bastian makes it immediately clear to Ana that she's unwelcome in his home and over the years the proverbial welcome mat is never rolled out for her. They grow up together, go to school together, but they definitely don't mix well together. Ever. After all, he's the Crown King, and she's just a poor little peasant. At least, that's what he wants everyone, including her, to believe. In this dual POV book, readers get a glimpse behind the mask and can see what's truly going in that sadistic head of his.
I think this book could stand a thorough check by a really good copy editor. The flow of this read was hindered often by textual and grammatical inaccuracies. I also found the flashbacks to be a bit frustrating. The flashbacks were placed at several different points in time, and I found my reading a little stunted by trying to add/subtract where exactly we were in the timeline.
I'd have to say I found the ending rather abrupt. I had a tough time with how we got from the last chapter to the epilogue so quickly. I felt like there was quite a bit that ended up being "fade to black" resolved. But, overall, I enjoyed this read.
July 17, 2017
Anastasia Bell, 27, the gardener’s daughter on an expansive Hampton’s estate, grew up with the rich and privileged kids, but she was never one of them. 9 years ago she left it all behind until she’s presently summoned back to the Crown mansion in dire straits.
“I also have no idea how I’d explain that I’m currently living in the opulent estate of an eccentric, brooding, asshole millionaire who may or may not be both the bane of my existence and also my horrible secret fantasy.”
Sebastian Crown, 27, is broken and sadistic. Troubled would be putting it mildly. Bastian has so many vices and exalts in debauchery as the sexy, spoiled rich boy looming over the mansion.
“There was no ‘raising’ Sebastian Crown. There was just damage control.”
By most accounts, Bastian shouldn’t be likable. He should be deplorable and pathetic, but just as Ana is drawn to him, even fascinated by him, I was too!
I noticed right away that the prose was well written. It flows well, the descriptions are compelling, the narration is entertaining, and the dialogue/banter fresh, at places even humorous.
“‘Why are you going out of your way to be an asshole?’
‘It’s not out of the way at all, don’t sweat it.’”
The many layers of character development and suspense plot kept me glued to the pages. A few chapters became the entire book, read in one long sitting because I couldn’t put it down! The suspense angle is well crafted. My mouth dropped in “ah” several times as I began connecting the dots. There’s even a plot trope that I’ve never much cared for, one I’ve found usually comes off hokey and actually takes away from the romance, yet it works here; it works well, adding another layer to their complicated courtship and a cuteness to their resolution.
Told via Ana and Bastian’s first person POV, the story rotates between the present and the past, providing their sorted history while advancing their love-hate relationship in the current timeline. There’s no insta-love or insta-lust here; it’s all well developed. It’s more than a decade of fixation, animosity, depravity, and obsession with the chemistry palpable and the reader wondering both Did they? and Are they going to?
“‘I’m fairly certain my dirty mouth only makes you wetter than you’ve ever been before.’”
While Sebastian reeled me in, his boundaries seemingly limitless, I was impressed with how Ana had the brass to give right back. She held her own pretty well when considering the intimidating nature of Bastian’s character; she never had blinders on, nor was she afraid to call him out.
The story has plenty of twists and turns. And while it’s far from upbeat or light-hearted, I never felt the angst was overdone or unnecessary. Bastian has a shitstorm mess on his hands, but it didn’t feel contrived. He largely reaped what he sowed, and as a fabulous dark hero, he owned it too.
It’s a tale of redemption and finding the thing money can’t buy. Amidst suppressed feeling and psychological torment, the duo’s sexual encounters are dirty and hot.
“‘I was talking about making you come all over my fingers and then licking it off while you tongue my balls. Who said anything about romance.’”
I’d best categorize this as a romantic suspense standalone as well as dark romance. His intentions are selfish and destructive, but there’s an undercurrent of that four letter word in the motivations. I was pleased with the ending and how things worked out. In fact, it ties together perfectly. That’s not to say I didn’t still crave more saucy interludes with Ana and Bastian as well as more about his friends (one in particular). The four princes of South Neck could make an interesting series. While there were a few aspects not to my preferences, the well plotted, captivating tale made them easier to overlook. This is my first book by this author, but I’ll definitely be checking out her other reads.
Safety recap:
*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of transparency and providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations.
“I also have no idea how I’d explain that I’m currently living in the opulent estate of an eccentric, brooding, asshole millionaire who may or may not be both the bane of my existence and also my horrible secret fantasy.”
Sebastian Crown, 27, is broken and sadistic. Troubled would be putting it mildly. Bastian has so many vices and exalts in debauchery as the sexy, spoiled rich boy looming over the mansion.
“There was no ‘raising’ Sebastian Crown. There was just damage control.”
By most accounts, Bastian shouldn’t be likable. He should be deplorable and pathetic, but just as Ana is drawn to him, even fascinated by him, I was too!
I noticed right away that the prose was well written. It flows well, the descriptions are compelling, the narration is entertaining, and the dialogue/banter fresh, at places even humorous.
“‘Why are you going out of your way to be an asshole?’
‘It’s not out of the way at all, don’t sweat it.’”
The many layers of character development and suspense plot kept me glued to the pages. A few chapters became the entire book, read in one long sitting because I couldn’t put it down! The suspense angle is well crafted. My mouth dropped in “ah” several times as I began connecting the dots. There’s even a plot trope that I’ve never much cared for, one I’ve found usually comes off hokey and actually takes away from the romance, yet it works here; it works well, adding another layer to their complicated courtship and a cuteness to their resolution.
Told via Ana and Bastian’s first person POV, the story rotates between the present and the past, providing their sorted history while advancing their love-hate relationship in the current timeline. There’s no insta-love or insta-lust here; it’s all well developed. It’s more than a decade of fixation, animosity, depravity, and obsession with the chemistry palpable and the reader wondering both Did they? and Are they going to?
“‘I’m fairly certain my dirty mouth only makes you wetter than you’ve ever been before.’”
While Sebastian reeled me in, his boundaries seemingly limitless, I was impressed with how Ana had the brass to give right back. She held her own pretty well when considering the intimidating nature of Bastian’s character; she never had blinders on, nor was she afraid to call him out.
The story has plenty of twists and turns. And while it’s far from upbeat or light-hearted, I never felt the angst was overdone or unnecessary. Bastian has a shitstorm mess on his hands, but it didn’t feel contrived. He largely reaped what he sowed, and as a fabulous dark hero, he owned it too.
It’s a tale of redemption and finding the thing money can’t buy. Amidst suppressed feeling and psychological torment, the duo’s sexual encounters are dirty and hot.
“‘I was talking about making you come all over my fingers and then licking it off while you tongue my balls. Who said anything about romance.’”
I’d best categorize this as a romantic suspense standalone as well as dark romance. His intentions are selfish and destructive, but there’s an undercurrent of that four letter word in the motivations. I was pleased with the ending and how things worked out. In fact, it ties together perfectly. That’s not to say I didn’t still crave more saucy interludes with Ana and Bastian as well as more about his friends (one in particular). The four princes of South Neck could make an interesting series. While there were a few aspects not to my preferences, the well plotted, captivating tale made them easier to overlook. This is my first book by this author, but I’ll definitely be checking out her other reads.
Safety recap:
*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of transparency and providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations.
October 16, 2017
So, I've been reading books by Aubrey Irons for some time now, and me praising her writing style is really a justfied move on my part since, I really enjoyed each and every one of them, so far BUT hands down, this book, is her best work to date…
I wouldn't say this is a dark read, quite frankly, it's not dark at all, well, at least not in the realm of darkness I usually have a tendency to slip in, BUT nevertheless, this is a captivating, gripping, suspenseful enemies-to lovers story.
It's about an obsessive, unhealthy, controlling, somewhat psychotic connection the main character Sebastian/Bastian Crown aka Beast has towards Anastasia/Ana Bell aka Texas, a talented musician and a daughter of a gardener living and working on the Crown Estate.
We follow the unraveling of their story through out the interchanging past/present interactive collision and push/pull interactions betweeen the two of them,
in a span of 9 years, when they were 18, and when the „breaking point“ cause of the bet came in between them and now, at 27 years old, there's a „legal“ concern clause in Bastian's inheritance trust fond that is blocking the right access to it…
BUT even without the first seemingly nuissance regarding this, Bastian sees it as an opportunity as he blackmails her to sign a contract of covering her father's position after the fire accident until the damage is re-payed.
BUT it's actually a second chance to win over her heart, just like it was meant to be 9 years ago, but he chased her away.
As all the bits and pieces fall into its rightful places of the huge complicated mosaic they call lives, the revealing truths, shattering lies, the hurt, the betrayal and devious ploys will bring them to the brink of notion, that with all the money, connections, influences, not all things can be „bought“ for the right price, or better yet everything can be „bought“ for the right price except the ONE thing that is, in fact, priceless in the eyes of the „right“ people.
It's a hate/grudge/love passionate story with the most unlikely hero-Bastian to love, and to tell you the truth, the I had a hard time to like, and hardly to love, BUT I ended up really trying hard accept the fact I have done both. LOL
He redeems himself in the end BUT what an asshole...LOL, sure we get to understand why, even though, it's a relentless, merciless process, cause he's an asshole, with problems...and yet, goddamn, here I am, actually finding the bits and pieces to justify the prick. *snickers*
And therefore, the reason more, I love Aubrey Irons writing and storytelling...she made me like the guy in the end...LOL
Those of you who liked/loved Vicious book 1 in Sinner Saints series by L.J. Shen, will no doubt like/love this one as well!
p.s. I might do a teaser later! If the real life permits *rolls eyes*
I wouldn't say this is a dark read, quite frankly, it's not dark at all, well, at least not in the realm of darkness I usually have a tendency to slip in, BUT nevertheless, this is a captivating, gripping, suspenseful enemies-to lovers story.
It's about an obsessive, unhealthy, controlling, somewhat psychotic connection the main character Sebastian/Bastian Crown aka Beast has towards Anastasia/Ana Bell aka Texas, a talented musician and a daughter of a gardener living and working on the Crown Estate.
The truth is, I've been fucking with Ana's life and pulling the strings playing puppet master for longer than she knows. And this is just one more act. One final act before the curtain drops.
We follow the unraveling of their story through out the interchanging past/present interactive collision and push/pull interactions betweeen the two of them,
Nine years ago, I almost broke her when I did everything in my power to get her away from me.
in a span of 9 years, when they were 18, and when the „breaking point“ cause of the bet came in between them and now, at 27 years old, there's a „legal“ concern clause in Bastian's inheritance trust fond that is blocking the right access to it…
BUT even without the first seemingly nuissance regarding this, Bastian sees it as an opportunity as he blackmails her to sign a contract of covering her father's position after the fire accident until the damage is re-payed.
Another chapter of hers that I finish. Another string that I pull. I know what this is. I know what all of them have been, deep down. If she's not mine, she won't be anyone's.
BUT it's actually a second chance to win over her heart, just like it was meant to be 9 years ago, but he chased her away.
It all comes down to the same now: I want her here. I want her near me. I want her here beacuse she fills a void in me that's been there for as long as I can remember. The one that only got bigger and deeper the day I shoved her away.
As all the bits and pieces fall into its rightful places of the huge complicated mosaic they call lives, the revealing truths, shattering lies, the hurt, the betrayal and devious ploys will bring them to the brink of notion, that with all the money, connections, influences, not all things can be „bought“ for the right price, or better yet everything can be „bought“ for the right price except the ONE thing that is, in fact, priceless in the eyes of the „right“ people.
Is this a fairytale? Probably not quite. But - to quote my favorite Anastasia Bell song - life's a kick in the teeth, and love's a beautiful beast.
It's a hate/grudge/love passionate story with the most unlikely hero-Bastian to love, and to tell you the truth, the I had a hard time to like, and hardly to love, BUT I ended up really trying hard accept the fact I have done both. LOL
He redeems himself in the end BUT what an asshole...LOL, sure we get to understand why, even though, it's a relentless, merciless process, cause he's an asshole, with problems...and yet, goddamn, here I am, actually finding the bits and pieces to justify the prick. *snickers*
And therefore, the reason more, I love Aubrey Irons writing and storytelling...she made me like the guy in the end...LOL
Those of you who liked/loved Vicious book 1 in Sinner Saints series by L.J. Shen, will no doubt like/love this one as well!
p.s. I might do a teaser later! If the real life permits *rolls eyes*
July 3, 2018
I wasn't going to rate this because I skimmed a fair bit but then I got to thinking, and you know what? I had to battle and skim my way through this so I earned the right to rate it.
I lost all interest in reading about these two idiots a third of the way in, and skimmed a great deal to call it done. And. It. Was. Agony! I couldn't even be bothered to finish the epilogue so I'm guessing they got their HEA because let's face it, they deserve each other. 😕
I lost all interest in reading about these two idiots a third of the way in, and skimmed a great deal to call it done. And. It. Was. Agony! I couldn't even be bothered to finish the epilogue so I'm guessing they got their HEA because let's face it, they deserve each other. 😕
July 23, 2017
You get one star for this book because you should not steal from authors ideas and hard work. It is very unethical. LJ Shen wrote the original book " Vicious". I mean really...did you think her readers and true romance book lovers would not realize what you did??? Really?? So sad.
April 19, 2018
So apparently this book is somewhat similar to Vicious by L.J.Shen. I haven't read that book yet but I will certainly read it to judge for myself now.
Now about this one...I do not remember the last time I have read a hero who is so disturbed! Because in real life, this guy needs serious counselling and the girl needs to take out a restraining order against him. BUT...that is real life and this is fiction where we do forgive a lot. Because I cannot possibly fathom any other reason why the girl will forgive him after finding out the extent to which he has been controlling her life beyond the scenes!!
So if you feel you can forgive this hot mess of a guy because he's uber-rich, sexy, dirty talking, awesome in bed (and yes after all that practice he's had throughout his life, I would be surprised if he wasn't), you should certainly give this book a try.
Now about this one...I do not remember the last time I have read a hero who is so disturbed! Because in real life, this guy needs serious counselling and the girl needs to take out a restraining order against him. BUT...that is real life and this is fiction where we do forgive a lot. Because I cannot possibly fathom any other reason why the girl will forgive him after finding out the extent to which he has been controlling her life beyond the scenes!!
So if you feel you can forgive this hot mess of a guy because he's uber-rich, sexy, dirty talking, awesome in bed (and yes after all that practice he's had throughout his life, I would be surprised if he wasn't), you should certainly give this book a try.
October 23, 2017
4,5 Stars!!!!
I loved this book right from the very first page, mostly because the story was so compelling and the characters were amazingly fleshed out, intriguing and real. Although I found a few tiny details that bothered me a little, I couldn't put it down not even to eat, so that's almost always a good sign!
I loved this book right from the very first page, mostly because the story was so compelling and the characters were amazingly fleshed out, intriguing and real. Although I found a few tiny details that bothered me a little, I couldn't put it down not even to eat, so that's almost always a good sign!
July 26, 2017
Wow!
This book had everything on my wish list ! Such delicious slow burning angst !! If you're looking for a jerk hero that you can't help but love .... Bastian is waiting for you !!!
This book had everything on my wish list ! Such delicious slow burning angst !! If you're looking for a jerk hero that you can't help but love .... Bastian is waiting for you !!!
Want to read
July 26, 2017A fellow blog reader, DG, has said the magic word, BULLY, to me and now, I must read it. As soon as my month of no buying books is over, this one will be mine, lol!
July 19, 2017
The warning does say it all: this isn’t a fairytale of a prince and an impoverished princess. Instead, be prepared to read about one of the most obsessive-compulsive, manipulative and biggest bastards of them all, which is safe to say is what slid me straight into objective, neutral territory as I read this twisted fairytale where the briar-covered HEA is lined with thorns and spikes.
To be fair, I had those trigger-warnings and I went straight into this knowing that I was going to read about characters and their so-called love story from a protracted distance that I don’t normally take with romance books. With this mindset, or this particular disconnect, rather, locked in place, it was easy to read on and on, which was also in part due to Aubrey Irons’s compelling writing that kept me glued to the story.
Because the characters sure as hell didn’t.
Sebastian Crown isn’t someone I could like at all, but what I couldn’t understand as well was Ana’s little resistance that crumbles so easily at his advances when all he’d done was to shatter her spirit and break her heart, even behind her back. She flops happily at his masterful puppeteering somehow, never gets her strings cut and generally goes too easy on him where I would have wielded a scythe and sent Bastian straight to the lowest levels of hell for eternity.
I finished the story, which, on its own, is easy to get lost in as it doesn’t go down without several twists and turns. But did I like it? Not exactly. Yet neither did I exactly dislike it, because I knew from the start how I was going to approach the book—with critical eyes and indifferent shrugs at 2 protagonists who can’t see beyond each other though they’re probably better off without each other, with no strings attached. It did come down to whether I could get invested in the characters and whether they were likeable enough for me to form any connection with them.
The answer is: no.
I found nothing redeemable about Sebastian , who seemed more like the antagonist rather than the protagonist throughout and I actually felt bloodthirsty, grim satisfaction and hard-won poetic justice when he hit rock bottom for all the fucking he did with Ana’s life.
The point here is that Irons simply provides an alternative definition of obsessive ‘love’ that has nothing self-sacrificial about it and how it’s in fact, given other names such as ‘addiction’ or ‘obsession’, with several generous servings of masochism and uncontainable lust.
Ultimately though, Ana/Bastian’s flimsy representation of love is not quite the romantic ideal I subscribe to. It’s a version of romance that I can’t exactly calibrate with the kind of escapist fantasy that I want to get lost in, nor with the sort of characters I want to read about, so it’s most likely back to the straight and narrow for me.
To be fair, I had those trigger-warnings and I went straight into this knowing that I was going to read about characters and their so-called love story from a protracted distance that I don’t normally take with romance books. With this mindset, or this particular disconnect, rather, locked in place, it was easy to read on and on, which was also in part due to Aubrey Irons’s compelling writing that kept me glued to the story.
Because the characters sure as hell didn’t.
Sebastian Crown isn’t someone I could like at all, but what I couldn’t understand as well was Ana’s little resistance that crumbles so easily at his advances when all he’d done was to shatter her spirit and break her heart, even behind her back. She flops happily at his masterful puppeteering somehow, never gets her strings cut and generally goes too easy on him where I would have wielded a scythe and sent Bastian straight to the lowest levels of hell for eternity.
I finished the story, which, on its own, is easy to get lost in as it doesn’t go down without several twists and turns. But did I like it? Not exactly. Yet neither did I exactly dislike it, because I knew from the start how I was going to approach the book—with critical eyes and indifferent shrugs at 2 protagonists who can’t see beyond each other though they’re probably better off without each other, with no strings attached. It did come down to whether I could get invested in the characters and whether they were likeable enough for me to form any connection with them.
The answer is: no.
I found nothing redeemable about Sebastian , who seemed more like the antagonist rather than the protagonist throughout and I actually felt bloodthirsty, grim satisfaction and hard-won poetic justice when he hit rock bottom for all the fucking he did with Ana’s life.
The point here is that Irons simply provides an alternative definition of obsessive ‘love’ that has nothing self-sacrificial about it and how it’s in fact, given other names such as ‘addiction’ or ‘obsession’, with several generous servings of masochism and uncontainable lust.
Ultimately though, Ana/Bastian’s flimsy representation of love is not quite the romantic ideal I subscribe to. It’s a version of romance that I can’t exactly calibrate with the kind of escapist fantasy that I want to get lost in, nor with the sort of characters I want to read about, so it’s most likely back to the straight and narrow for me.
July 29, 2017
2.5 כוכבים.
אל הספר הזה התגלגלתי לגמרי במקרה.
ראיתי בגוד ריד ששתי בנות פרסמו עליו ביקורת רעה וכתבו שהוא מקבל כוכב אחד בלבד על "העתקה" של רעיון מהספר וישס של ליהי שן.
הענין הזה עורר בי 2 מחשבות.
1. כל נושא הפלגייטיזם, במיוחד בביצה כל כך צפופה ודביקה, ובמיוחד בז'אנר שהוא מלכתחילה מאד תבניתי- זה טיעון שלא מחזיק מים.
רוב הספרים הם בליל של רעיונות שכבר נתקלנו בהם. Nerd נראה כמו הבן הקטן של the deal ו- after, וישס ( כן כן, אותו אחד שנטען שהעתיקו ממנו) לוקח רעיונות מ corupt וגם מpunk 57 שלקח בתורו את רעיון חליפת המכתבים מהסרט you've got mail, הספר fear me הוא הגרסה האפילה ל bully בקיצור- שמח במטבח שלנו!
בכל מקרה, הטענה עצמה מגוחכת בעיני, אבל משהו אחר כן תפס את תשומת ליבי.
נאמר שהספר הוא חיקוי של וישס , ואני דווקא חיבבתי +++ את העלילה של וישס. היתה לי בעיה עם אפיון דמות הגיבור, אבל העלילה היא בדיוק מה שאני אוהבת.
אי לכך ובהתאם לזאת- רכשתי ב 0.99 דולר את הספר beautiful beast והתחלתי לקרוא.
מסקנות עד כה:
1. יתכן שוישס שימש לו השראה ואפילו נרחבת, אבל הוא לא היחיד. אי אפשר להתעלם מהקישורים המאד בולטים לסרט "היפה והחיה". גם בשם של הספר, גם בכך ששם משפחת הגיבורה הוא bell, אבא שלה גנן בטירה של הבחור- שנוהג לכנות את עצמו beast - ולבחור יש מזכרת מאמו המנוחה... נחשו איזה? ורדים מועטים שהוא מגדל בחדרו, מהזן שהיא אהבה ושנלקחו מהחממה של הטירה שנהרסה.
במהלך הסיפור יש התכתבות עם הרעיון של עלים צונחים והורד קומל לאיטו ממש כמו בסרט, וכמובן שהגיבור נמצא במירוץ כנגד הזמן כדי שהגיבורה תתחתן איתו/ בהשאלה: תתאהב בו- אחרת יאבד הכל.
2. הכתיבה- הכתיבה לא טובה וחבל. לכן גם מיעוט הכוכבים. השפה יפה ועשירה, התיאורים כתובים היטב. עם זאת- כל העסק ארוך, טרחני, ומתוכנן לא טוב מבחינת האופן בו הסיפור מסופר.
בדרך כלל לא מפריע לי שכותבים בגוף ראשון, אבל בספר הזה הבנתי למה לכתיבה כזו יצא שם כל כך רע. אצל כותבים לא טובים היא מועדת ליפול לחטא הכתיבה בו הכותב "מספר" במקום "להראות".
הספר הזה בנוי מהרבה מאד tell ומעט מאד show.
גם המבנה ואופן טווית הסיפור לא טובים בעיני. לא ניתחתי את זה יותר מידי לעומק, אבל בבגדול- יש אלמנטים מסעירים ושיאים קטנים בסיפור שמבחינה מבנית נחשפים בתחילת "מערכות" לא בסופן וזה ממש מוציא מהסיפור את העסיס.
( אני מודעת לכך שהביטוי מערכות לקוח מתחום התיאטרון אבל הוא מאד התאים כאן. מה גם שרוב הרומנים הרומנטים מכילים אלמנטים תבניתיים של מלודרמה+ מחזה עשוי היטב שמגיעים מתחום התיאטרון, ועוד יותר מחזקים את זה שהגלגל שלהן הומצא כבר במאה ה-18).
ולענייננו, הכותבת חושפת את רוב השיאים כבר בהתחלה. ואז במקום לקבל עליהם "סיפור" עם מתח שנבנה לקראתם, אנחנו מקבלים עליהם הסבר.
בקיצור- לא מומלץ. אף פעם לא האמנתי בקורסי כתיבה וכו, אבל אני חושבת שהדרכה נכונה יותר לסופרת הזו היתה יכולה מאד להועיל לה.
נ.ב- הספר הוא כ 480 עמודים ולא 840. הסיבה לפער הוא ספר מתנה בשם thife שמצורף לספר.
אל הספר הזה התגלגלתי לגמרי במקרה.
ראיתי בגוד ריד ששתי בנות פרסמו עליו ביקורת רעה וכתבו שהוא מקבל כוכב אחד בלבד על "העתקה" של רעיון מהספר וישס של ליהי שן.
הענין הזה עורר בי 2 מחשבות.
1. כל נושא הפלגייטיזם, במיוחד בביצה כל כך צפופה ודביקה, ובמיוחד בז'אנר שהוא מלכתחילה מאד תבניתי- זה טיעון שלא מחזיק מים.
רוב הספרים הם בליל של רעיונות שכבר נתקלנו בהם. Nerd נראה כמו הבן הקטן של the deal ו- after, וישס ( כן כן, אותו אחד שנטען שהעתיקו ממנו) לוקח רעיונות מ corupt וגם מpunk 57 שלקח בתורו את רעיון חליפת המכתבים מהסרט you've got mail, הספר fear me הוא הגרסה האפילה ל bully בקיצור- שמח במטבח שלנו!
בכל מקרה, הטענה עצמה מגוחכת בעיני, אבל משהו אחר כן תפס את תשומת ליבי.
נאמר שהספר הוא חיקוי של וישס , ואני דווקא חיבבתי +++ את העלילה של וישס. היתה לי בעיה עם אפיון דמות הגיבור, אבל העלילה היא בדיוק מה שאני אוהבת.
אי לכך ובהתאם לזאת- רכשתי ב 0.99 דולר את הספר beautiful beast והתחלתי לקרוא.
מסקנות עד כה:
1. יתכן שוישס שימש לו השראה ואפילו נרחבת, אבל הוא לא היחיד. אי אפשר להתעלם מהקישורים המאד בולטים לסרט "היפה והחיה". גם בשם של הספר, גם בכך ששם משפחת הגיבורה הוא bell, אבא שלה גנן בטירה של הבחור- שנוהג לכנות את עצמו beast - ולבחור יש מזכרת מאמו המנוחה... נחשו איזה? ורדים מועטים שהוא מגדל בחדרו, מהזן שהיא אהבה ושנלקחו מהחממה של הטירה שנהרסה.
במהלך הסיפור יש התכתבות עם הרעיון של עלים צונחים והורד קומל לאיטו ממש כמו בסרט, וכמובן שהגיבור נמצא במירוץ כנגד הזמן כדי שהגיבורה תתחתן איתו/ בהשאלה: תתאהב בו- אחרת יאבד הכל.
2. הכתיבה- הכתיבה לא טובה וחבל. לכן גם מיעוט הכוכבים. השפה יפה ועשירה, התיאורים כתובים היטב. עם זאת- כל העסק ארוך, טרחני, ומתוכנן לא טוב מבחינת האופן בו הסיפור מסופר.
בדרך כלל לא מפריע לי שכותבים בגוף ראשון, אבל בספר הזה הבנתי למה לכתיבה כזו יצא שם כל כך רע. אצל כותבים לא טובים היא מועדת ליפול לחטא הכתיבה בו הכותב "מספר" במקום "להראות".
הספר הזה בנוי מהרבה מאד tell ומעט מאד show.
גם המבנה ואופן טווית הסיפור לא טובים בעיני. לא ניתחתי את זה יותר מידי לעומק, אבל בבגדול- יש אלמנטים מסעירים ושיאים קטנים בסיפור שמבחינה מבנית נחשפים בתחילת "מערכות" לא בסופן וזה ממש מוציא מהסיפור את העסיס.
( אני מודעת לכך שהביטוי מערכות לקוח מתחום התיאטרון אבל הוא מאד התאים כאן. מה גם שרוב הרומנים הרומנטים מכילים אלמנטים תבניתיים של מלודרמה+ מחזה עשוי היטב שמגיעים מתחום התיאטרון, ועוד יותר מחזקים את זה שהגלגל שלהן הומצא כבר במאה ה-18).
ולענייננו, הכותבת חושפת את רוב השיאים כבר בהתחלה. ואז במקום לקבל עליהם "סיפור" עם מתח שנבנה לקראתם, אנחנו מקבלים עליהם הסבר.
בקיצור- לא מומלץ. אף פעם לא האמנתי בקורסי כתיבה וכו, אבל אני חושבת שהדרכה נכונה יותר לסופרת הזו היתה יכולה מאד להועיל לה.
נ.ב- הספר הוא כ 480 עמודים ולא 840. הסיבה לפער הוא ספר מתנה בשם thife שמצורף לספר.
July 26, 2017
4.5 Stars!!! I love a BULLY and Bastain is definitely a big ole mean bully...until he is not. Bastain is a lot of broken, a little stalker-ish, hugely obsessive and so very entitled due to his wealth. The perfect combination for a true bully!
July 31, 2017
H is an a**hole plain and simple. I never saw another side to him . H is horrible to h but there is some inner dialogue that indicates his turmoil that his feelings are confused. Some of his actions may have shown that he cares for h but the h never knows it and all interactions are either bullying or setting h up for humiliation IMHO.
h says she hates H and hates that H treats her badly - but inside she is attracted to him. I never saw redemption of the H - he manipulates h back into his life after meddling, unknowingly to h, for years and then begins to show how much he wants her - still being an utter a$$. And...she lets him.
I expected more of a change from beast to some semblance of a human being in his treatment of h - oh, H did do some nice things for her toward the end - but not enough and I would've preferred to at least like him a bit at the end. All his "niceness" seemed to be he finally acts on his wanting to have sex with h.
This one is fairly short and should have been longer for a turnaround of the H instead of poor him
The book entertained me - I kind of liked hating this guy and being disgusted but not enough to rate this one higher than 2.5 rounded stars.
h says she hates H and hates that H treats her badly - but inside she is attracted to him. I never saw redemption of the H - he manipulates h back into his life after meddling, unknowingly to h, for years and then begins to show how much he wants her - still being an utter a$$. And...she lets him.
I expected more of a change from beast to some semblance of a human being in his treatment of h - oh, H did do some nice things for her toward the end - but not enough and I would've preferred to at least like him a bit at the end. All his "niceness" seemed to be he finally acts on his wanting to have sex with h.
This one is fairly short and should have been longer for a turnaround of the H instead of poor him
The book entertained me - I kind of liked hating this guy and being disgusted but not enough to rate this one higher than 2.5 rounded stars.
August 7, 2017
DNF at 17%.....just didn't work for me. The past and present didn't work for me aside the characters and yes the 17% was quite a lengthy 17%.
August 3, 2017
I do spoilers so I don't forget shit.
This is your only warning.
Most annoying thing in this book. There were more than 70 eye rolls.
Here's my reply to that 🖕
Vicious by LJ Shen was the inspiration for this book. Let's not try to bullshit anyone.
The many similarities:
-4 boys who rule high school in massively affluent environments.
-the 4some throw weekly parties at the MMC's house w/o any adult supervision. Wildness ensues.
-MMC is a dick of epic proportions to the FMC and the world at large.
-the MMC has one or more dead parent and a lonely, loveless childhood.
-the MMC resents the FMC for some LUDICROUSLY illogical reason. Psychopathic levels of illogical reasoning.
-FMC is child of the live in servants of the MMC.
-FMC escapes the hellhole of her youth and moved to NYC.
-the MMC and FMC are "secret" pen-pals.
-MMC runs FMC out of town as a teen by their behavior.
-MMC loves FMC but has the love moves of a kindergarten.
-MMC lures the FMC back under false pretenses because he needs her to do something for him that only she can do. And the dingy bitches are onboard. Because abs.
-the MMC smokes cigarettes. How often does that happen?
-both MMCs are major alcoholics.
-fires on the MMCs property being blamed on FMC's parents.
-I could go on but I won't.
After all of those similarities, how could I give it 3 stars?
I love asshole men.
In books I read.
And only there.
I probably would have 4 starred it if Vicious hadn't been published just months before. I gave it 3 stars because it had the grace to end differently than Vicious.
Bastian wasn't was as fabulously dickish as Vicious, but he was a great asshole. If authors would write a heroine who truly calls this type of MMC out for his bullshit and makes him WORK FOR IT, I could 5 star it with a clear conscience and recommend it to everyone.
This is your only warning.
Most annoying thing in this book. There were more than 70 eye rolls.
Here's my reply to that 🖕
Vicious by LJ Shen was the inspiration for this book. Let's not try to bullshit anyone.
The many similarities:
-4 boys who rule high school in massively affluent environments.
-the 4some throw weekly parties at the MMC's house w/o any adult supervision. Wildness ensues.
-MMC is a dick of epic proportions to the FMC and the world at large.
-the MMC has one or more dead parent and a lonely, loveless childhood.
-the MMC resents the FMC for some LUDICROUSLY illogical reason. Psychopathic levels of illogical reasoning.
-FMC is child of the live in servants of the MMC.
-FMC escapes the hellhole of her youth and moved to NYC.
-the MMC and FMC are "secret" pen-pals.
-MMC runs FMC out of town as a teen by their behavior.
-MMC loves FMC but has the love moves of a kindergarten.
-MMC lures the FMC back under false pretenses because he needs her to do something for him that only she can do. And the dingy bitches are onboard. Because abs.
-the MMC smokes cigarettes. How often does that happen?
-both MMCs are major alcoholics.
-fires on the MMCs property being blamed on FMC's parents.
-I could go on but I won't.
After all of those similarities, how could I give it 3 stars?
I love asshole men.
In books I read.
And only there.
I probably would have 4 starred it if Vicious hadn't been published just months before. I gave it 3 stars because it had the grace to end differently than Vicious.
Bastian wasn't was as fabulously dickish as Vicious, but he was a great asshole. If authors would write a heroine who truly calls this type of MMC out for his bullshit and makes him WORK FOR IT, I could 5 star it with a clear conscience and recommend it to everyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2018
3.5 stars...Very dark and twisted...but just what I needed to exorcise my evils this weekend. It was not very well written....actually I should say I don't prefer this first person narration...it really limits the story telling and character development, but this hero is right from my darkest fantasies...the full power play and manipulation...I enjoyed it.
maybe
September 17, 2018Maybe... or maybe not.
The huge resemblance to "Vicious" would definitely bother me...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The huge resemblance to "Vicious" would definitely bother me...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 15, 2017
I got an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And I was prepared to hate this book. Instead, I found myself waving my husband off when he asked if I want to watch Supergirl. I love Aubrey Irons because she writes great, smart heroines who fall for bad boys who turn out to be good men. This book did not promise that. It's about a smart girl and her irresistible attraction to a terrible boy who becomes a genuinely awful man. I mean, imagine if Bruce Wayne, after the death of his parents, chose not to become the world's scariest Furry, but to instead devote his entire life to screwing over the gardener's daughter because he's too emotionally stunted to tell her he thinks she's pretty. That's this book. This guy makes Edward Cullen look like he had a passing interest in Bella Swan. It gets dark fast, is what I'm saying. And yet...Even as every feminist impulse I have curled up in the fetal position, I found myself more exasperated than angry, more sorry for him than mad at him, and more turned on than I have any right to be by someone that damaged. I guess it's that Ms. Irons makes you identify with Ana, and if she can't quit him, neither can you! It's a testament to the talents of a very gifted story teller that I read the blurb, thought, "This guy sounds like a complete waste of ink, but hey, free book! I'll bite," and ended up getting so caught up in it I missed a street car, blew off my husband, got three hours of sleep, and ended up glad about it. Highly recommend!
July 18, 2017
COPY RECEIVED FOR HONEST REVIEW
What can I say about Bastian Crown? He is the ultimate, stalker, manipulative, obsessed alpha hero. He did some things that were way over the top but somehow he still had me rooting for him to get the girl. Normally, he would be the evil bad guy, but the author made this work. He is complex character. He is spoiled, rich and king of his castle. Ana found herself battling between hating Bastian and loving him. He was really awful to her and unknown to her, he manipulated her for years. She left home and never came back until it was impossible not to. They form somewhat of a truce that grows. But when truths are revealed and the tables are turned, things fall apart. I loved this story and the characters. It was well written and had me all in. It is full of messy twists and turns and suspense.
What can I say about Bastian Crown? He is the ultimate, stalker, manipulative, obsessed alpha hero. He did some things that were way over the top but somehow he still had me rooting for him to get the girl. Normally, he would be the evil bad guy, but the author made this work. He is complex character. He is spoiled, rich and king of his castle. Ana found herself battling between hating Bastian and loving him. He was really awful to her and unknown to her, he manipulated her for years. She left home and never came back until it was impossible not to. They form somewhat of a truce that grows. But when truths are revealed and the tables are turned, things fall apart. I loved this story and the characters. It was well written and had me all in. It is full of messy twists and turns and suspense.
July 16, 2017
2.5 stars.
I know when reading that the back stories of characters is important and that memories or flashbacks are needed. The amount of times this book jumps from present to past was horrible.
One minute you are reading the present the next you are 9 years in the past, then back to the present and then twelve years in the past. It was annoying and confusing to the story and happened repeatedly.
It got to a point that I wanted to throw my kindle but I pushed through.
The main story is OK and sometimes good but the main characters were not my favourite to read.
Bastien was an a**hole and in my eyes had no redeeming qualities.
Ana was OK but still I wanted to slap some sense into her.
I feel bad for not enjoying this book but I had trouble relating to the characters. Sorry.
I know when reading that the back stories of characters is important and that memories or flashbacks are needed. The amount of times this book jumps from present to past was horrible.
One minute you are reading the present the next you are 9 years in the past, then back to the present and then twelve years in the past. It was annoying and confusing to the story and happened repeatedly.
It got to a point that I wanted to throw my kindle but I pushed through.
The main story is OK and sometimes good but the main characters were not my favourite to read.
Bastien was an a**hole and in my eyes had no redeeming qualities.
Ana was OK but still I wanted to slap some sense into her.
I feel bad for not enjoying this book but I had trouble relating to the characters. Sorry.
July 27, 2017
Well this book was original and kept me up most of the night to finish it I liked Sebastian even if he was a real arsehole and a bully to poor Anastasia ,I liked Dylan ty and Trent called the prince's of hamptons they were unashamed of there antics .There were twists I didn't see coming so over all I was kept guessing .
August 13, 2017
Took 2 weeks to finish, couldn't get into it, may not have been books fault.
April 8, 2018
There will be **spoilers**, and I will most assuredly be rude. Give this a pass if easily offended.
It's no secret that I love heroes who start out as arseholes. Cold, indifferent, arrogant, cruel - bring it. The more dickish behaviour, the more I like it. For me it's all about the journey to see them redeemed, to learn what broke them and watch them heal. Because there is always an explanation that justifies their behaviour. There is always at least one hint somewhere. A main character in this genre must be sympathetic, even if the sympathy is scarce, because readers won't remain interested if they feel only antipathy. .
Nevertheless, unless I missed it due to the absolute abhorence of the hero, Bastian 'Bastard' Crowne, there was NO clear reason for this dude's utter malevolence. As a ten-year-old with a charmed life he was already like the spawn of Satan - before he had any reason to be. It made no logical sense that he was an ugly, black-hearted little twat before his parent's died, and that he despised the heroine on sight. The whole association of her arrival with the loss of his parents was kind of bullshit because he already hated her. His character was inexplicably, unconscionably awful and there was no sufficient clue as to why. I have never gone through an entire book feeling that the hero was irredeemable, until this one. God, but I really hated him.
Then there is the heroine, who was weak and puling and so unworthy of regard I can't remember her actual name. When the story begins, there is all this dialogue about how Bastian broke her and ruined her and utterly destroyed her. Tell me, if he so severely damaged her psyche, how, pray tell, is it possible for her to feel overpowering sexual attraction towards him? God, I fucking hate heroines who talk all this talk about how they are strong and in control and then the person who supposedly decimated their soul enters the room and suddenly they are all wet panties and round heels. She embarrasses herself over this guy almost immediately all over again. She takes his crap without fighting back and lets him humiliate her repeatedly.
One scene in particular was so cringeworthy I abandoned my Kindle for the afternoon. The heroine no sooner gets her ass handed to her by Bastard than she's in her room fantasising about him as she pleasures herself. He catches her and I won't repeat what he did or said, because EWW, fucking gross. But it's another round won to inflate his enormous ego and he of course rubs her nose in it. She looks like the complete LOSER she is. I cannot respect a heroine who is such a stupid, pathetic ass. And Christ, how is lack of self-respect and self-control construed by the writer as hot or sexy or even realistic?
Admirable, strong women don't act like this! Strong women don't feel love for a man who has shown them nothing but disgust and hatred! If a man never once showed an iota of kindness to a woman and interfered in her life with the express purpose of causing her pain - not just once, but MULTIPLE times - and for their entire 18-year association treated her like absolute shite, she wouldn't be attracted to him. She wouldn't submit to him or his threats and she wouldn't sacrifice everything she spent years working towards to answer his summons, regardless of the consequence. She wouldn't go anywhere near him.
Sorry, but this book was stupid. Stories like this are stupid. The whole Alpha male concept has been twisted into a bad joke. I skimmed through a good bit of it, specifically the wet, slippery sloppy shagging and the smell of her pussy and his sticky ropes of come and UGH. Stop. It. Jesus. Not wanting all that gutter detail doesn't make a person a prude. I love well-written sex scenes, but fail to understand how intimacy in romance has devolved into crass sensory assault. I don't find it pleasurable, but rather a mood killer.
The fact the 'romance' and 'erotica' seem to have merged into one category is major suckage indeed.
Choosing a story to read shouldn't be like playing Russian Roulette with my brain cells and shouldn't completely undermine my respect for my gender. I miss the days when there were more qualified authors instead of mere writers, when it took actual talent to publish a book.
Two final thoughts. First, much of this story exists elsewhere, as anyone familiar with LJ Shen's Vicious has undoubtedly noticed. The smoking, debauching, poor little rich boy who gives the heroine a demeaning nickname to remind her of her inferiority - except this version doesn't touch Shen's more superior effort, and Sebastian is but an inferior imitation of Vicious, one my top 3 favourite arseholes ever. I love Vicious. He was a prick and I wanted to throat-punch him often, but he was loveable. Sebastian was a one-dimensional monster.
Lastly, I found the cover unattractive. I don't know if it's just a bad angle or poor shot, but...nope.
It's no secret that I love heroes who start out as arseholes. Cold, indifferent, arrogant, cruel - bring it. The more dickish behaviour, the more I like it. For me it's all about the journey to see them redeemed, to learn what broke them and watch them heal. Because there is always an explanation that justifies their behaviour. There is always at least one hint somewhere. A main character in this genre must be sympathetic, even if the sympathy is scarce, because readers won't remain interested if they feel only antipathy. .
Nevertheless, unless I missed it due to the absolute abhorence of the hero, Bastian 'Bastard' Crowne, there was NO clear reason for this dude's utter malevolence. As a ten-year-old with a charmed life he was already like the spawn of Satan - before he had any reason to be. It made no logical sense that he was an ugly, black-hearted little twat before his parent's died, and that he despised the heroine on sight. The whole association of her arrival with the loss of his parents was kind of bullshit because he already hated her. His character was inexplicably, unconscionably awful and there was no sufficient clue as to why. I have never gone through an entire book feeling that the hero was irredeemable, until this one. God, but I really hated him.
Then there is the heroine, who was weak and puling and so unworthy of regard I can't remember her actual name. When the story begins, there is all this dialogue about how Bastian broke her and ruined her and utterly destroyed her. Tell me, if he so severely damaged her psyche, how, pray tell, is it possible for her to feel overpowering sexual attraction towards him? God, I fucking hate heroines who talk all this talk about how they are strong and in control and then the person who supposedly decimated their soul enters the room and suddenly they are all wet panties and round heels. She embarrasses herself over this guy almost immediately all over again. She takes his crap without fighting back and lets him humiliate her repeatedly.
One scene in particular was so cringeworthy I abandoned my Kindle for the afternoon. The heroine no sooner gets her ass handed to her by Bastard than she's in her room fantasising about him as she pleasures herself. He catches her and I won't repeat what he did or said, because EWW, fucking gross. But it's another round won to inflate his enormous ego and he of course rubs her nose in it. She looks like the complete LOSER she is. I cannot respect a heroine who is such a stupid, pathetic ass. And Christ, how is lack of self-respect and self-control construed by the writer as hot or sexy or even realistic?
Admirable, strong women don't act like this! Strong women don't feel love for a man who has shown them nothing but disgust and hatred! If a man never once showed an iota of kindness to a woman and interfered in her life with the express purpose of causing her pain - not just once, but MULTIPLE times - and for their entire 18-year association treated her like absolute shite, she wouldn't be attracted to him. She wouldn't submit to him or his threats and she wouldn't sacrifice everything she spent years working towards to answer his summons, regardless of the consequence. She wouldn't go anywhere near him.
Sorry, but this book was stupid. Stories like this are stupid. The whole Alpha male concept has been twisted into a bad joke. I skimmed through a good bit of it, specifically the wet, slippery sloppy shagging and the smell of her pussy and his sticky ropes of come and UGH. Stop. It. Jesus. Not wanting all that gutter detail doesn't make a person a prude. I love well-written sex scenes, but fail to understand how intimacy in romance has devolved into crass sensory assault. I don't find it pleasurable, but rather a mood killer.
The fact the 'romance' and 'erotica' seem to have merged into one category is major suckage indeed.
Choosing a story to read shouldn't be like playing Russian Roulette with my brain cells and shouldn't completely undermine my respect for my gender. I miss the days when there were more qualified authors instead of mere writers, when it took actual talent to publish a book.
Two final thoughts. First, much of this story exists elsewhere, as anyone familiar with LJ Shen's Vicious has undoubtedly noticed. The smoking, debauching, poor little rich boy who gives the heroine a demeaning nickname to remind her of her inferiority - except this version doesn't touch Shen's more superior effort, and Sebastian is but an inferior imitation of Vicious, one my top 3 favourite arseholes ever. I love Vicious. He was a prick and I wanted to throat-punch him often, but he was loveable. Sebastian was a one-dimensional monster.
Lastly, I found the cover unattractive. I don't know if it's just a bad angle or poor shot, but...nope.
July 20, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Beautiful Beast leaves the impression of being a modern and dark re-telling of "Beauty And The Beast". Only it's a lot darker, a lot more thrilling. But Bastian is no prince and no beast on the outside. The beast lurks in his character and that's what makes this story interesting.
The story around Ana and Bastian is well written from their POV jumping between the past and the present and the parts playing in the past were IMO the most intriguing. They bring some light into the strange love, hate, lust, pain, obsessive relationship between the main characters. Bastian keeps some secrets which reveal themselves throughout the book. Some are early predictable, some later. But all are somehow predictable. But that's not what I didn't like about this book.
Honestly my biggest problem with the plot of this story is that I think it lacks some depth. There were many little things that came up and were dealt with although the obvious could have used some deeper digging/developing.
Even though Ana and Bastian seem to have chemistry I had a hard time feeling it. Mostly due to the fact that I couldn't get a grip on Bastian and his actions and I still don't get what Ana sees in him. I really wish the story would have gone deeper, digging deeper into the characters development. Yes, Bastian is broken and had a hard time growing up being a spoiled brat. And yes he's damaged and fates payback is a bitch, but I somehow couldn't bring myself to feel sorry for him. Whereas I liked Ana and how she tried to stand her ground as well as those parts where she broke and went against her own principles and standards.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this book, as it has it peaks. But it still leaves the feeling that there is so much more potential between the pages.
Beautiful Beast leaves the impression of being a modern and dark re-telling of "Beauty And The Beast". Only it's a lot darker, a lot more thrilling. But Bastian is no prince and no beast on the outside. The beast lurks in his character and that's what makes this story interesting.
The story around Ana and Bastian is well written from their POV jumping between the past and the present and the parts playing in the past were IMO the most intriguing. They bring some light into the strange love, hate, lust, pain, obsessive relationship between the main characters. Bastian keeps some secrets which reveal themselves throughout the book. Some are early predictable, some later. But all are somehow predictable. But that's not what I didn't like about this book.
Honestly my biggest problem with the plot of this story is that I think it lacks some depth. There were many little things that came up and were dealt with although the obvious could have used some deeper digging/developing.
Even though Ana and Bastian seem to have chemistry I had a hard time feeling it. Mostly due to the fact that I couldn't get a grip on Bastian and his actions and I still don't get what Ana sees in him. I really wish the story would have gone deeper, digging deeper into the characters development. Yes, Bastian is broken and had a hard time growing up being a spoiled brat. And yes he's damaged and fates payback is a bitch, but I somehow couldn't bring myself to feel sorry for him. Whereas I liked Ana and how she tried to stand her ground as well as those parts where she broke and went against her own principles and standards.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this book, as it has it peaks. But it still leaves the feeling that there is so much more potential between the pages.
September 20, 2017
So I will admit I was hating this book at first. I mean it was slow and then it offer up my biggest pet peeve of going back and forth in the past and present... Ugh I just hate books like that!!!
Anyway I digress, as the story continue to build it started getting interesting and I became more engage with the characters and their issues of hate, love, lust and pain. It took a strong, loving, and forgiving woman (Ana) to tumble and fall to fix a broken man (Bastian). We must ask ourselves is Love the greatest power of all? In this case I would give a definitive yes! Beauty did love the Beast after all and Jill did save Jack will he tumble down the hill...
Anyway I digress, as the story continue to build it started getting interesting and I became more engage with the characters and their issues of hate, love, lust and pain. It took a strong, loving, and forgiving woman (Ana) to tumble and fall to fix a broken man (Bastian). We must ask ourselves is Love the greatest power of all? In this case I would give a definitive yes! Beauty did love the Beast after all and Jill did save Jack will he tumble down the hill...
August 6, 2017
(Sigh) I will continue to say this to authors. Bullying is not romantic or sexy! Despite how you spin the story, it will never make bullying acceptable. The lengths that the H went to destroy the h's life was disturbing to say the least. As for his obsessiveness and possessiveness, I saw very little of it. I felt so bad for the h in this story. I really wish she would have stood up to the H more instead of being blinded by her attraction to him. Plus, the H smokes, drinks, and does drugs throughout the story, even at the end. Those are huge negatives for me.
September 3, 2018
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars! Bully read. Reread from August 2017. I was in the mood for a bully read, so I had to pull out a reread. And yes, I still love this book. Sebastian was one serious a hole he pulled out all the stops to corner Ana for himself. Because if he couldn’t have her, no one would (his words) while doing everything he could to push her away. They had awesome chemistry, and clearly had a thing for each other, hate , lust and love.
If you are in the mood for a good enemies to lover, bully book, look no further.
If you are in the mood for a good enemies to lover, bully book, look no further.
July 18, 2017
I personally don't enjoy books that jump constantly between the past and the present. I feel like it spoils the flow or the forward momemtum of the story. I don't mind the odd flash back but this is nearly every other chapter for half the book. This is a long book and I struggled to connect with the characters with their constant nasty bickering. I'm a fairly forgiving sort but our alpha really didn't deserve to get the girl in the end.
September 20, 2017
wow this book had me pushing through it the whole way
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