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Ruby and the Beast
4 hrs and 41 mins
After the sudden death of her father, Ruby Atwood is forced to drop out of college to care for her younger brother. Deep in debt and on the verge of desolation, Ruby resorts to some shady dealings on the streets of New Orleans, in order to put food on the table for her small family. Until one night in a dark alley, she discovers a hideous beast she could never have imagined in her darkest nightmares.
Cloaked in darkness, the Beast prowls the back alleys of New Orleans, lonely, savage and bereft of hope, his demon clawing at him. With the man responsible for his curse now dead, the Beast seeks out the only other person who can satisfy the demon within—the man’s daughter, Ruby Atwood.
Trapped, with nowhere to run, Ruby quickly realizes she must use her wits to stay alive or face certain death at the hands of a monster. But the more she tries to escape, the more she is drawn to the Beast. Desire and fear clash, creating an unforgettable story of hope, trust and a love found only in fairy tales...
After the sudden death of her father, Ruby Atwood is forced to drop out of college to care for her younger brother. Deep in debt and on the verge of desolation, Ruby resorts to some shady dealings on the streets of New Orleans, in order to put food on the table for her small family. Until one night in a dark alley, she discovers a hideous beast she could never have imagined in her darkest nightmares.
Cloaked in darkness, the Beast prowls the back alleys of New Orleans, lonely, savage and bereft of hope, his demon clawing at him. With the man responsible for his curse now dead, the Beast seeks out the only other person who can satisfy the demon within—the man’s daughter, Ruby Atwood.
Trapped, with nowhere to run, Ruby quickly realizes she must use her wits to stay alive or face certain death at the hands of a monster. But the more she tries to escape, the more she is drawn to the Beast. Desire and fear clash, creating an unforgettable story of hope, trust and a love found only in fairy tales...
5 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 4, 2017
About the author
Ditter Kellen
97 books916 followersDitter Kellen is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Mystery-Thriller-Suspense-Christian Thriller Novels. She loves spinning edgy, heart-pounding stories that will leave you guessing until the very end.
When she's not writing, Ditter spends her days creating hair and skincare products, using organic ingredients. Her products have been proven to work and are used by Ditter on a daily basis.
A devoted wife, mother and Christian, Ditter resides in Florida with her husband, son, and many unique farm animals. She adores French fries and her phone is permanently attached to her ear.
You can find Ditter's books and skincare products at Ditterkellen.com/shop. Or on her app, where shopping is made easier! https://rb.gy/v2786
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
November 5, 2018
I love re-tellings of famous fairy tales. You kinda know the base of the story but there's always an exciting element to a newly told story. And since this book is a bit longer than most re-tellings I thought I was in for a great read. And I did like the story until the 60% mark. Then things just became a bit anticlimatic for me. In the beginning the author included great details and I could connect to the characters. But nearing the end of the story I lost that connection, since it felt like the author rushed the ending and the emotional state of the characters. Especially about Spencer near the end of the story. I just missed more details. More thoughts on why and how Ruby started to see the beast in a new light, since she wasn't exactly fan of his and his actions.I think that would've made it more believable to me. Also, I just couldn't really warm up to Ruby's character. At times she really was behaving like a brat and it sure made me dislike her even more. Thankfully the same can't be said about Lincoln. I really liked his character. He was scarred by life and my heart just broke for him. I'm glad he got his happiness, he really deserved it. There was not enough explanation and logical thread to the story and the characters actions. Not to mention the epilogue. It felt like a was reading a biography without a hint of emotion. They were just stated facts, one after another and it left me with an unpleasant feeling. Not what you'd expect from a romantic book ending. I just wished for a smoother ride, that's all. That being said, the story's not bad but it's also not one that wowed me...
December 13, 2017
He DOES treat her like a whore to begin with.
And then her dismissal even though it was MEANT to be sweet and thoughtful came across as payment for her services rendered, so pardon me if I’m baffled as to why the heroine would EVER come back to him love or no love.
There was NO indication from his side that his actions were anything apart from using her as his whore.
Please, I am NOT a 16 years old, the book is NOT suitable for 16 years olds, if it is targeted for adults do NOT give me freaken plot holes and loose ends!
Heroine had ABSOLUTELY no reason to fall in love with the hero.
She was on rebound. Her ex was a cheating bastard and the ONLY redeemable quality the hero had was that he was not a downright rapist. He doesn’t ACTUALLY literally force her to have sex with him, he just coerces and blackmails her. Apart from that he had done NOTHING to redeem himself, heroine forgot all about his “payment” to her and he never even said the word sorry let alone grovel.
Two stars because heroine slapped the cheating ex and hero didn’t “actually” rape her or actually pay for services rendered, he was setting her free without asking her once again.
And then her dismissal even though it was MEANT to be sweet and thoughtful came across as payment for her services rendered, so pardon me if I’m baffled as to why the heroine would EVER come back to him love or no love.
There was NO indication from his side that his actions were anything apart from using her as his whore.
Please, I am NOT a 16 years old, the book is NOT suitable for 16 years olds, if it is targeted for adults do NOT give me freaken plot holes and loose ends!
Heroine had ABSOLUTELY no reason to fall in love with the hero.
She was on rebound. Her ex was a cheating bastard and the ONLY redeemable quality the hero had was that he was not a downright rapist. He doesn’t ACTUALLY literally force her to have sex with him, he just coerces and blackmails her. Apart from that he had done NOTHING to redeem himself, heroine forgot all about his “payment” to her and he never even said the word sorry let alone grovel.
Two stars because heroine slapped the cheating ex and hero didn’t “actually” rape her or actually pay for services rendered, he was setting her free without asking her once again.
April 4, 2017
Glad I purchased this.
June 1, 2017
3 Stars
This was initially going to get four stars but the more I think about it, the more I have problems with it.
Pros
1.I love our MC Ruby and she was probably the best thing about the story. She was sarcastic,loving and didn't put up with the beast Lincoln's bullshit and possessive behavior. I love how much she loved her brother and do anything for him.
2. I liked the side characters like her brother and the servants but they need more backstory to them.
3. The fact both of them were virgins was a plus even tho a woman virginity should be treated as a " precious gift" to the guy but that's a feminist rant for later...
4. The backstory as to why the beast got curse was pretty damn good. It wasn't his fault in one just like in the OG BATB.
Cons
1. The beast- Oh boy How I do feel about him? I didn't particularly like him that much for several reasons.
1.Stalking Ruby at her house and pretty much got an hard on since he was a peeping Tom.
2.Blackmailing her to come live with him for a month and do whatever the hell he wants with her even tho he never touched a woman in his life.( Being obsessive as fuck)
3.Being hot and cold towards her like majority of the book which was frustrating.
4.How I felt the narrative wanted me to feel sorry for him even tho he constantly said in the narrative that he didn't want any pity.
2. Their realtionship-It didn't supposed to feel like instalove but the fact the author decided to speed over two of the four weeks she supposed to be there,it felt that way. If you want me to believe that these two people fell in love with each other in less than 30 days when she had a BF she was with on and off since she was in the 10th grade, you better show some interaction. The fact we didn't get enough interaction with them made it felt very unbelievable when at the end of that month they were engaged. I was screaming" Yall just met" at the top of my lungs at the end.
3. Ruby's BF aka the Gaston Character- The only reason he was there was to prove that the beast character was better since he cheated on her and to be the one to shot him. That's it. He served no other purpose than to be the cut out "villain" to surge the MC's to declare their love. . It would have been better if it just was just a random dude playing for her affections than a BF.
4. Ruby's interest being telled not shown- Since this is a BATB retelling, Beauty of the story always have to have an interest that she loves. The majority of them time it's reading since that's OG beauty interest and other retellings follow suit. In this one, I'm assuming her interest was animals since she was going to school to be a Vet but it wasn't shown.I don't think she even had a pet It could have easily been shown if somehow the beast pet wolf would have gotten hurt and she nursed back to health which she learned the wolf trust. But nope didn't happen.
5.The summary- The summary is very deceiving to me. Here I was thinking they she was doing shady dealing like maybe stripping or something else in the sexual side to provide food on the table BEFORE she met the beast. She didn't do none of that at all. Hell, she didn't even have a chance to try pay her father's debts and her brother medical bills before striking a deal with the beast.
All in all It was a ok story to read..
https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2...
This was initially going to get four stars but the more I think about it, the more I have problems with it.
Pros
1.I love our MC Ruby and she was probably the best thing about the story. She was sarcastic,loving and didn't put up with the beast Lincoln's bullshit and possessive behavior. I love how much she loved her brother and do anything for him.
2. I liked the side characters like her brother and the servants but they need more backstory to them.
3. The fact both of them were virgins was a plus even tho a woman virginity should be treated as a " precious gift" to the guy but that's a feminist rant for later...
4. The backstory as to why the beast got curse was pretty damn good. It wasn't his fault in one just like in the OG BATB.
Cons
1. The beast- Oh boy How I do feel about him? I didn't particularly like him that much for several reasons.
1.Stalking Ruby at her house and pretty much got an hard on since he was a peeping Tom.
2.Blackmailing her to come live with him for a month and do whatever the hell he wants with her even tho he never touched a woman in his life.( Being obsessive as fuck)
3.Being hot and cold towards her like majority of the book which was frustrating.
4.How I felt the narrative wanted me to feel sorry for him even tho he constantly said in the narrative that he didn't want any pity.
2. Their realtionship-It didn't supposed to feel like instalove but the fact the author decided to speed over two of the four weeks she supposed to be there,it felt that way. If you want me to believe that these two people fell in love with each other in less than 30 days when she had a BF she was with on and off since she was in the 10th grade, you better show some interaction. The fact we didn't get enough interaction with them made it felt very unbelievable when at the end of that month they were engaged. I was screaming" Yall just met" at the top of my lungs at the end.
3. Ruby's BF aka the Gaston Character- The only reason he was there was to prove that the beast character was better since he cheated on her and to be the one to shot him. That's it. He served no other purpose than to be the cut out "villain" to surge the MC's to declare their love. . It would have been better if it just was just a random dude playing for her affections than a BF.
4. Ruby's interest being telled not shown- Since this is a BATB retelling, Beauty of the story always have to have an interest that she loves. The majority of them time it's reading since that's OG beauty interest and other retellings follow suit. In this one, I'm assuming her interest was animals since she was going to school to be a Vet but it wasn't shown.I don't think she even had a pet It could have easily been shown if somehow the beast pet wolf would have gotten hurt and she nursed back to health which she learned the wolf trust. But nope didn't happen.
5.The summary- The summary is very deceiving to me. Here I was thinking they she was doing shady dealing like maybe stripping or something else in the sexual side to provide food on the table BEFORE she met the beast. She didn't do none of that at all. Hell, she didn't even have a chance to try pay her father's debts and her brother medical bills before striking a deal with the beast.
All in all It was a ok story to read..
https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2...
September 26, 2017
Sweet
I really enjoyed the comparison of this book to the original book but with a bit of a revenge kick to it. The story had suspense, emotion and sweetness and some hot sexy moments as well. A really good book.
I really enjoyed the comparison of this book to the original book but with a bit of a revenge kick to it. The story had suspense, emotion and sweetness and some hot sexy moments as well. A really good book.
April 17, 2017
4/5
Beauty and the beast themed. (Relates somewhat closely to the original)
Safe read!
-both virgins
-no OW/drama
-slight OM drama (the Gaston character)
-H definitely rough and mean at first but nothing i didn't see redeemable
-h is sassy and has abut of a back bone
-longer read about 200 pages
-HEA with epilogue and a basic overview of the rest of their lives.
I really enjoyed this book! There are a lot of "Beauty and the beast" themed books out there lately but this one had a lot of characteristics from the original Disney storyline. The roes, the mirror, the curse, The "help" ( his maid and lawyer), the Gaston character and him trying to kill the beast.
Over all a really good read!
Beauty and the beast themed. (Relates somewhat closely to the original)
Safe read!
-both virgins
-no OW/drama
-slight OM drama (the Gaston character)
-H definitely rough and mean at first but nothing i didn't see redeemable
-h is sassy and has abut of a back bone
-longer read about 200 pages
-HEA with epilogue and a basic overview of the rest of their lives.
I really enjoyed this book! There are a lot of "Beauty and the beast" themed books out there lately but this one had a lot of characteristics from the original Disney storyline. The roes, the mirror, the curse, The "help" ( his maid and lawyer), the Gaston character and him trying to kill the beast.
Over all a really good read!
March 27, 2017
I am a huge Beauty and the Beast fan, and I mean, HUGE fan. I will devour any book that is even remotely tied into the theme. There is something about the redemption of the Beast that just melts my tiny black heart and this book is one of the best retellings that I have ever read. It is utterly phenomenal! I love the twist that the author spins on the story with the curse and mirror but I will warn you that this story is a heartbreaker. And I mean rip your heart out, stomp on it, let it heal up a bit and then throw it back on the ground and stomp on it again, heartbreaking. I don't think I've had as many ugly cries in one book as I have had in this one. BUT for all of the ugly cries there is an equal amount of happy ones so don't let it detour you from reading it. It has a beautifully sweet ending that makes up for all of the painful things that the characters go through to get to their HEA. Also, not to go into anymore detail and ruin the awesomeness of the book, I will say that when sexual tension finally peaks with Ruby and Lincoln? Yeah, just make sure that you have a big glass of wine (or a straight shot of whiskey) and a fan to cool yourself off because, damn... Ditter Kellen knows how to write some serious smexiness! I'm pretty sure my cheeks were fire engine red and my kindle was smoking at one point. LOL As a matter of fact I may have had to go back and reread that scene just in case I missed something the first four or five times that I read it *wink wink*
If you are a fan of romance, adult fairy tales, PNR, Beauty and the Beast, or any kind of love story period, then Ruby and the Beast is going to be an absolute must read for you! Two thumbs up, five+ stars, shout from the rooftops, fantastic book!
If you are a fan of romance, adult fairy tales, PNR, Beauty and the Beast, or any kind of love story period, then Ruby and the Beast is going to be an absolute must read for you! Two thumbs up, five+ stars, shout from the rooftops, fantastic book!
March 26, 2017
This story is amazing. A wonder classic fairytale with an amazing twist. You get pulled right in to the story you almost hate to see it end. Ditter Kellen is by far one the best romance authors of our time and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
March 6, 2018
This was decent for a novella length story, but it still lacked developed characters. The premise and plot were adequately explained but the pacing of the events was too fast to be realistic. I appreciate an H who isn’t a manho, or in this case a beastho, and an h who is a loyal person and not a pushover. However, I’ll probably skip other novellas by this author.
March 26, 2017
Author Ditter Kellen has blown this modern Day Fairy tale out of the waters. Her remarkable re take on the original Beauty and The Beast to now creating Ruby and Her Beast is just amazing - I am speechless.
I am Totally in Love with this story. Her remake and story telling has my heart fluttering and the true romantic in me smiling and content. ** swoon **
The story line and plot will suck you in till you have turned the last page . Your heart will be fluttering, your loins tingling and the true romantic in you , totally in love with this story and the way it is delivered. Unique and Un predictable.
The characters are well penned, giving us depth and definition. You cant help but fall in love with Ruby and Her Beast.
The Beast is certainly that, dark, gruff, mysterious but also intriguing . As the tale unravels the unique story line flows , giving the read an unpredictable tale of love , hope and forgivness and happily ever afters.
Ruby has her past and now her present, and will do anything in her being to love and protect her little family. We see heartache and strength in Ruby , but also her perservance to show the beast he is not just a beast but a man deep within.
**Beauty is certainly in the eye of the Beholder within this modern day fairy tale. **
Ditter Kellen is the Cinderella author with this Fairy tale. With her signature writing of love, heart ache and happily ever afters , you will get more then just a pleasant read but a story that is , "emotionally satisfying" and delectable on all levels.
You'll turn the last page content, with a sigh, grin and love struck eyes and your heart happy and content .
Ruby and Her Beast has so much potential of being turned into a Movie !! It would certainly rock the cinemas ! I for one would be waiting for this day :D
I am Totally in Love with this story. Her remake and story telling has my heart fluttering and the true romantic in me smiling and content. ** swoon **
The story line and plot will suck you in till you have turned the last page . Your heart will be fluttering, your loins tingling and the true romantic in you , totally in love with this story and the way it is delivered. Unique and Un predictable.
The characters are well penned, giving us depth and definition. You cant help but fall in love with Ruby and Her Beast.
The Beast is certainly that, dark, gruff, mysterious but also intriguing . As the tale unravels the unique story line flows , giving the read an unpredictable tale of love , hope and forgivness and happily ever afters.
Ruby has her past and now her present, and will do anything in her being to love and protect her little family. We see heartache and strength in Ruby , but also her perservance to show the beast he is not just a beast but a man deep within.
**Beauty is certainly in the eye of the Beholder within this modern day fairy tale. **
Ditter Kellen is the Cinderella author with this Fairy tale. With her signature writing of love, heart ache and happily ever afters , you will get more then just a pleasant read but a story that is , "emotionally satisfying" and delectable on all levels.
You'll turn the last page content, with a sigh, grin and love struck eyes and your heart happy and content .
Ruby and Her Beast has so much potential of being turned into a Movie !! It would certainly rock the cinemas ! I for one would be waiting for this day :D
March 26, 2017
This is a MUST read book! I so love the original version of beauty and the beast but this modern twist that Ditter created is freaking fantastic!!!
April 5, 2017
Ruby and the Beast was highly enjoyable. It had some of the aspects of the fairy tale with a modern twist mixed with a little bit of magic. The writing was wonderful and easy to follow without overdoing descriptions, and the characters all had personality.
I really liked Ruby. She was strong, assertive, and was willing to stand on her own two feet and do whatever it took to take care of herself and her brother. It wasn’t until overwhelming helplessness of financial problems and the threat of her brother being taken away that she succumbed to the Beast and his conditions.
I adored this Beast. Lincoln (the Beast) had the misfortune to suffer for sins of his father from the moment he was born. Born a monster, he lacked human contact and compassion, and was forced to live in seclusion with his family’s servants. He has a raging temper, but beneath his pain and hatred, lies a man in desperate need of love and companionship.
My only criticism is that parts this book felt rushed. I was hoping for more of Ruby getting to know the Beast and visa versa before they made love for the first time – not to mention more of those scenes like that one included in the book. That was steamy! So I was bummed when two weeks were skipped over when we could have experienced a stronger bond before Ruby gave herself to him. That love scene, though, was wonderful.
Overall, I loved the book and recommend for any Beauty and the Beast lovers.
I really liked Ruby. She was strong, assertive, and was willing to stand on her own two feet and do whatever it took to take care of herself and her brother. It wasn’t until overwhelming helplessness of financial problems and the threat of her brother being taken away that she succumbed to the Beast and his conditions.
I adored this Beast. Lincoln (the Beast) had the misfortune to suffer for sins of his father from the moment he was born. Born a monster, he lacked human contact and compassion, and was forced to live in seclusion with his family’s servants. He has a raging temper, but beneath his pain and hatred, lies a man in desperate need of love and companionship.
My only criticism is that parts this book felt rushed. I was hoping for more of Ruby getting to know the Beast and visa versa before they made love for the first time – not to mention more of those scenes like that one included in the book. That was steamy! So I was bummed when two weeks were skipped over when we could have experienced a stronger bond before Ruby gave herself to him. That love scene, though, was wonderful.
Overall, I loved the book and recommend for any Beauty and the Beast lovers.
September 8, 2017
Great modern day retelling of Beauty & the Beast!
I've always loved Beauty & the Beast, and find it hard to pass up a retelling of it. This modern take on my favorite classic, has the supernatural elements we are familiar with mixed into the real life scenarios of New Orleans.
Lincoln, aka The Beast, was cursed in the womb by an angry witch practicing black magic voodoo. I was very angry at this because he was being punished for the sins of his father, so not fair! He really wants to break his curse but feels revenge will be his only solace.
Ruby, aka Beauty, finds her family's secrets run darker than she ever suspected. Her issues keep piling up until she is forced to make a deal with the devil in an effort to not lose all she holds dear.
There is a riddle, a rose, and furry hunky goodness, oh my! If you like Beauty and the Beast, you will not be disappointed.
This is my first read by Ditter Kellen, and I want more! I love the writing with the twists and turns, and the secondary characters and a wolf named Satan are super adorable. I look forward to reading more titles by this author.
Johnny Mack Does a fantastic job narrating this story. There are many characters that span many ages and he pulls it off with relish! Everyone has a distinct voice and it's easy to get lost in the story. Sadly my favorite is only used a small amount in the end. Transformed Lincoln sounds HOT!
5 of 5 stars!
Ebook obtained through Kindle Unlimited
Audiobook obtained for free at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review
More Reviews @ AudiobookRomance.com
September 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. All but for one thing. They are in New Orleans and have a Hurricane with 12O miles per hour winds hitting them. And where does she tell the staff to put her brother who is recovering and still walks with crutches. The basement.......... I’m just going to say a couple things.
1. The water table & it’s below sea level
2. Storm surge
1. The water table & it’s below sea level
2. Storm surge
March 19, 2019
I enjoyed this retelling of the classic fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. I thought the author brought a fresh view to the story and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. An enjoyable tale.
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January 28, 2019
Absolutely loved this tale of Beauty and the Beast. It followed closely with the original storyline, but with perfect modernizations. So, so good. It drew me right in and I didn’t want to put it down, even read through a wrestling meet..yeah, it was that good.
Lincoln aka the Beast is a wealthy guy that had a curse put on him when he was born by one of Ruby’s relatives. So even though he has everything, he really has nothing, but loneliness and isolation. Lincoln broke my heart a few times, he’s just so endearing. Anyway, he’s been exacting revenge on her family, when her father passed away suddenly, she has to come back and straighten out her family’s things and take care of her little brother. By now Lincoln has her father very indebted to him, and she must pay the price or live with him for 30 days. As per original, we have a Gaston (aka Spencer) character *rolls eyes*, who is just as mean and annoying as the original.
This was a safe read, no ow drama, obviously there is some om drama with Spencer. A sweet and vulnerable beast alpha and a loving heroine. Older man younger woman. Two virgins, sensually sexy af, baby batter an epilogue that I adored and an hea.
Lincoln aka the Beast is a wealthy guy that had a curse put on him when he was born by one of Ruby’s relatives. So even though he has everything, he really has nothing, but loneliness and isolation. Lincoln broke my heart a few times, he’s just so endearing. Anyway, he’s been exacting revenge on her family, when her father passed away suddenly, she has to come back and straighten out her family’s things and take care of her little brother. By now Lincoln has her father very indebted to him, and she must pay the price or live with him for 30 days. As per original, we have a Gaston (aka Spencer) character *rolls eyes*, who is just as mean and annoying as the original.
This was a safe read, no ow drama, obviously there is some om drama with Spencer. A sweet and vulnerable beast alpha and a loving heroine. Older man younger woman. Two virgins, sensually sexy af, baby batter an epilogue that I adored and an hea.
March 19, 2019
this was a really great book! she lost her father now she must take care of her brother. he is a beast that had a curse put on him. she is in need of money to keep her house. will she take him up on his offer? read to find out.
August 8, 2019
Excellent retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The story held the right amount of everything, well written. Felt a little choked at the ending because who doesn't what their own HEA.
Cheers
Cheers
April 15, 2019
3.5, but I am in a good mood and epilogue was cute so 4 it is ;D
April 14, 2017
Good. Not as steamy as I hoped.
April 6, 2017
Sexy spin on beauty and the beast
Story line had me hooked. I couldn't put my kindle down till I figured out how the beast would charm Ruby.
Story line had me hooked. I couldn't put my kindle down till I figured out how the beast would charm Ruby.
April 1, 2017
We all grew up with the classic fairy tale, but now we are introduced to the grown-up version that promise to melt your heart, eReader and everything in between.
Ruby and Lincoln will take you inside their fairly tale, a fairy tale like no othe.
Believe me when I tell you this is a tale you don't want to miss. This Beast will have you fall in love with him in no time.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Ruby and Lincoln will take you inside their fairly tale, a fairy tale like no othe.
Believe me when I tell you this is a tale you don't want to miss. This Beast will have you fall in love with him in no time.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
September 2, 2022
4 stars
Honestly, I really loved the male protagonist of the book. You can genuinely sense his anguish and empathize with him. He deserved everything and more. However, I felt that the heroine was bratty and entitled.
First of all, she WAS aware of her father's gambling addiction, so you'd think she would have anticipated something like this happening. I thought she was stupid too. If she had kept an eye on her family, she would have discovered how irresponsible her father had become and would have removed her brother from his custody sooner. Where on earth was she to be so busy? And who had actually murdered her father? We never found out about it. And I wasn't a fan of the drama. Moreover, the epilogue was strangely written. I believe the author intended to give the ending a fairytale-like feel, just like they do in movies.
Honestly, I really loved the male protagonist of the book. You can genuinely sense his anguish and empathize with him. He deserved everything and more. However, I felt that the heroine was bratty and entitled.
First of all, she WAS aware of her father's gambling addiction, so you'd think she would have anticipated something like this happening. I thought she was stupid too. If she had kept an eye on her family, she would have discovered how irresponsible her father had become and would have removed her brother from his custody sooner. Where on earth was she to be so busy? And who had actually murdered her father? We never found out about it. And I wasn't a fan of the drama. Moreover, the epilogue was strangely written. I believe the author intended to give the ending a fairytale-like feel, just like they do in movies.
August 9, 2019
Beauty and the Beast is my very favorite Disney Movie and has been since I was a little girl. I feel very protective of this fairy tale and I've read quite a few renditions and interpretations of it through the years. This is probably my second favorite retelling of the original tale that I have ever read. Second only to an excellent book where the beast is a vampire. For years I've read these types of interpretations and nothing ever came close to unseating my favorite re imagining of beloved childhood characters, until this book came to my attention and I devoured it whole. It very nearly threatened to unseat my long time favorite, and it was a very, very narrow miss that it didn't accomplish that task. They are almost neck and neck at this point, if this book were in a race with its vampire counterpart it would have came down to a photo finish so close surely the loser would have contested the others win. At this point I might as well say this book and the other retelling are tied for first place.
I've read at least 5 or 6 retold, reworked and re-imagined Beauty and the Beast books just this year alone, and this is by far the best, head and shoulders above the others. If you are a fan of childhood classics, Disney Princesses or fairy tales retold in general then this would be an excellent book for you. The author really captured the essence of the story but also the essence of the characters and who they were, at least my understanding and knowledge of who they were. She managed to stay true to that essence while also differentiating her story from any others before it in wonderful ways making it feel fresh, new and modern in the best ways. She managed to take a well known, beloved story and make it her own, mold it into what she thought it might have been if it just happened in a different world, a different time period under different circumstances.
I have a deep fascination with New Orleans and was excited to see the book set there. Which I thought was a clever nod to its French roots in a fun, new way. I thoroughly enjoyed her changes to Ruby's (Belle) identity, the circumstances under which the curse came about and the constraints of the curse that the Beast must live within. I think in this story the Beast comes off more sympathetic than ever before, and he was already a character that evoked sympathy, though in the Disney version of the story even if there is a good case to be made for entrapment on his behalf he did still kind of deserve it, not so in this book though, he suffered the curse through no fault of his own. His burden was placed on him as punishment for a parent who committed the ultimate crime and was unable to love his son because he was the innocent chosen to bear his cross for him, physically, emotionally, mentally and probably spiritually as well. The true legacy from his father was a bone deep sorrow at the sure knowledge that he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't loved or worthy of love and that he could never hope for more or better. So he gained my sympathy rather quickly as the plot unfolded and we got to know his detestable father. Ruby wasn't much different, in the grand scheme of things, if the Beast had no childhood because he was marked as other by his appearance and bestial manner, then Ruby didn't have one because she was too busy parenting herself and looking out for her gambling addict father and then her baby brother. The deck was stacked against her father and against her from the beginning, with the powers that be working behind the scenes with all their money and thirst for revenge, pretty much ensuring that her father would lose everything from the start. None of this was her fault of course, she had no idea of what her Grandmother had lost or what horrible things she had done while grieving for that loss. Though, to be fair, she appears to have died an old woman and so had time to get over that anger, or at least time to come to her senses and not inflict her revenge on someone no more deserving of it than the Beast who bore the brunt of it, but she did not and let the curse stand. So neither of them were to blame though they were both punished for it anyway.
I think perhaps the saddest part of all is that in trying to exact his revenge the Beast almost let himself turn into the person he hated most, almost let his hatred and pain blind him to the fact that he too was ready to take those things out on someone completely innocent in the situation. Though he at least was unable to do so towards a small innocent child, trying his best to spare Ruby's little brother any direct attack, by him. There is one scene in particular where I felt so badly for him, I found myself hoping that Ruby overheard and gave that nosy old biddy a piece of her mind and sent her on her way.
Of course, as with all fairy tales there is a hard won happy ending, but it was definitely a fight to get there. The characters were wonderfully done and I really enjoyed inhabiting their world for a little while. I also enjoyed the changes the author made to the Beasts physical appearance, perhaps making him even more fearsome than in the original tale, most assuredly more fearsome than in the Disney movie.
All in all a very well done retelling and well worth a read for fans of supernatural fiction, Disney fans and fans of The Beauty and the Beast alike! I rated this 4.5 stars, though I will be rounding up because Amazon doesn't allow for half star ratings, and I don't wish to give this book anything less than it deserves and it definitely deserves 4.5 stars, so I will be rating it a 5 on Amazon for that reason.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I've read at least 5 or 6 retold, reworked and re-imagined Beauty and the Beast books just this year alone, and this is by far the best, head and shoulders above the others. If you are a fan of childhood classics, Disney Princesses or fairy tales retold in general then this would be an excellent book for you. The author really captured the essence of the story but also the essence of the characters and who they were, at least my understanding and knowledge of who they were. She managed to stay true to that essence while also differentiating her story from any others before it in wonderful ways making it feel fresh, new and modern in the best ways. She managed to take a well known, beloved story and make it her own, mold it into what she thought it might have been if it just happened in a different world, a different time period under different circumstances.
I have a deep fascination with New Orleans and was excited to see the book set there. Which I thought was a clever nod to its French roots in a fun, new way. I thoroughly enjoyed her changes to Ruby's (Belle) identity, the circumstances under which the curse came about and the constraints of the curse that the Beast must live within. I think in this story the Beast comes off more sympathetic than ever before, and he was already a character that evoked sympathy, though in the Disney version of the story even if there is a good case to be made for entrapment on his behalf he did still kind of deserve it, not so in this book though, he suffered the curse through no fault of his own. His burden was placed on him as punishment for a parent who committed the ultimate crime and was unable to love his son because he was the innocent chosen to bear his cross for him, physically, emotionally, mentally and probably spiritually as well. The true legacy from his father was a bone deep sorrow at the sure knowledge that he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't loved or worthy of love and that he could never hope for more or better. So he gained my sympathy rather quickly as the plot unfolded and we got to know his detestable father. Ruby wasn't much different, in the grand scheme of things, if the Beast had no childhood because he was marked as other by his appearance and bestial manner, then Ruby didn't have one because she was too busy parenting herself and looking out for her gambling addict father and then her baby brother. The deck was stacked against her father and against her from the beginning, with the powers that be working behind the scenes with all their money and thirst for revenge, pretty much ensuring that her father would lose everything from the start. None of this was her fault of course, she had no idea of what her Grandmother had lost or what horrible things she had done while grieving for that loss. Though, to be fair, she appears to have died an old woman and so had time to get over that anger, or at least time to come to her senses and not inflict her revenge on someone no more deserving of it than the Beast who bore the brunt of it, but she did not and let the curse stand. So neither of them were to blame though they were both punished for it anyway.
I think perhaps the saddest part of all is that in trying to exact his revenge the Beast almost let himself turn into the person he hated most, almost let his hatred and pain blind him to the fact that he too was ready to take those things out on someone completely innocent in the situation. Though he at least was unable to do so towards a small innocent child, trying his best to spare Ruby's little brother any direct attack, by him. There is one scene in particular where I felt so badly for him, I found myself hoping that Ruby overheard and gave that nosy old biddy a piece of her mind and sent her on her way.
Of course, as with all fairy tales there is a hard won happy ending, but it was definitely a fight to get there. The characters were wonderfully done and I really enjoyed inhabiting their world for a little while. I also enjoyed the changes the author made to the Beasts physical appearance, perhaps making him even more fearsome than in the original tale, most assuredly more fearsome than in the Disney movie.
All in all a very well done retelling and well worth a read for fans of supernatural fiction, Disney fans and fans of The Beauty and the Beast alike! I rated this 4.5 stars, though I will be rounding up because Amazon doesn't allow for half star ratings, and I don't wish to give this book anything less than it deserves and it definitely deserves 4.5 stars, so I will be rating it a 5 on Amazon for that reason.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
March 23, 2017
Omg this book is totally amazing. It caught my whole attention at the beginning. Ruby boyfriend Spencer is so awesome as we know of him. But as soon as Ruby wouldn't sleep with him he cheated on her. Ruby's brother was in a bad accident and so social service was called to handle the situation. The Beast knew everything about Ruby. From where she lived to everyone in her life. Ruby was hurting but decided to take matters into her own hands and seen that the opportunity of living with the Beast named Lincoln,she could have everything especially her brother back in her life. What happens next was awesome get this book on amazon.com to read the rest.
April 10, 2017
Beautiful!
I am a very big fan of fairy tales and beauty and the beast is my all-time favorite. Ruby and the Beast was absolutely magnificent. The story kept the beauty and magic of the classic tale but brought it into the 21st century. Beautifully written. I absolutely couldn't put it down.
I am a very big fan of fairy tales and beauty and the beast is my all-time favorite. Ruby and the Beast was absolutely magnificent. The story kept the beauty and magic of the classic tale but brought it into the 21st century. Beautifully written. I absolutely couldn't put it down.
April 4, 2017
Awesome twist on a classic!
Excellent read! I loved it! I couldn't put it down. One of the best spins to a classic love story. Ditter never disappoints. To see past everything and see his heart ❤️ is so beautiful. Loved it!
Excellent read! I loved it! I couldn't put it down. One of the best spins to a classic love story. Ditter never disappoints. To see past everything and see his heart ❤️ is so beautiful. Loved it!
September 11, 2017
Wow amazing.I love fairytales,but this is a whole new swing on it.I adore ditters books they are varied and have amazing story lines.xxxz
September 22, 2019
3.5
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I have said this before in other reviews, I always give honest reviews whether people appreciate them or not.
This story begins with Ruby Atwood arriving at the airport in New Orleans. She’s been in school at the University of California, Berkeley for the last couple of years and has returned home to identify the body of her father, Charles. Besides being tired from the travel, she’s bereft and worried about her little brother, Cameron. Our girl has no idea her life is about to get seriously worse in the next few days. Across the river, Lincoln Barone is having a temper tantrum of sorts about Charles Atwood’s death. Well, apparently Charles’ mother, Agatha, prenatally cursed him. Huh? Sighs. Agatha had two children, Charles and Charlotte. Lincoln’s father, Stanford, allegedly seduced Charlotte getting her pregnant. Charlotte went to him to tell him that, and he basically told her to go away and not come back. Charlotte couldn’t live without him and disappeared. Agatha was enraged with Stanford and went about using Voodoo and probably any Black Magic she could to curse the baby his wife was carrying. That would be Lincoln. Everything was fine until his wife gave birth to a ‘monster’ and died from the childbirth.
Lincoln isn’t a very nice man. He isn’t a man really at all. He’s been living his entire life thinking that Charles Atwood was the only person that could break the curse. He was full of hatred, malice, bitterness and jealousy. While he and his people had nothing to do with Charles’ death, he certainly had everything to do with the Atwood’s destruction. He got Charles to sign over his house for his gambling debts which in turn made Charles make many terrible other mistakes. Ruby found all of this out when she couldn’t pay for her father’s funeral, was handed the paperwork proving Lincoln now owned the house and eventually, she couldn’t pay for her brother’s healthcare. Lincoln blackmails her so that in exchange for the house, money and her brother’s care she has to stay with him for a month.
If you didn’t already realize it, this is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. This was difficult to get into at first, not just because the 'Beast' was so dark and full of hatred, but because it wasn't an animated story with lots of music and singing. Ha. The first thing it says in the blurb is "This is a previously published book, revised to be appropriate for all readers". I never read the first edition, but I can imagine how much darker it was now that I’ve read this version. I did like the story, as well as the whole arc for both Lincoln and Ruby. While I enjoy Epilogues that tell us what happened to the characters after the end of the story, I felt like it was a little too pat of an ending. There were a few questions I wanted answered that weren’t. What exactly is the reason for Spencer Wright in the story? What really happened to Charlotte? Who caused the hit and run that injured Cameron? It was, however, a happy ending for Ruby, Lincoln and even Cameron!
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I have said this before in other reviews, I always give honest reviews whether people appreciate them or not.
This story begins with Ruby Atwood arriving at the airport in New Orleans. She’s been in school at the University of California, Berkeley for the last couple of years and has returned home to identify the body of her father, Charles. Besides being tired from the travel, she’s bereft and worried about her little brother, Cameron. Our girl has no idea her life is about to get seriously worse in the next few days. Across the river, Lincoln Barone is having a temper tantrum of sorts about Charles Atwood’s death. Well, apparently Charles’ mother, Agatha, prenatally cursed him. Huh? Sighs. Agatha had two children, Charles and Charlotte. Lincoln’s father, Stanford, allegedly seduced Charlotte getting her pregnant. Charlotte went to him to tell him that, and he basically told her to go away and not come back. Charlotte couldn’t live without him and disappeared. Agatha was enraged with Stanford and went about using Voodoo and probably any Black Magic she could to curse the baby his wife was carrying. That would be Lincoln. Everything was fine until his wife gave birth to a ‘monster’ and died from the childbirth.
Lincoln isn’t a very nice man. He isn’t a man really at all. He’s been living his entire life thinking that Charles Atwood was the only person that could break the curse. He was full of hatred, malice, bitterness and jealousy. While he and his people had nothing to do with Charles’ death, he certainly had everything to do with the Atwood’s destruction. He got Charles to sign over his house for his gambling debts which in turn made Charles make many terrible other mistakes. Ruby found all of this out when she couldn’t pay for her father’s funeral, was handed the paperwork proving Lincoln now owned the house and eventually, she couldn’t pay for her brother’s healthcare. Lincoln blackmails her so that in exchange for the house, money and her brother’s care she has to stay with him for a month.
If you didn’t already realize it, this is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. This was difficult to get into at first, not just because the 'Beast' was so dark and full of hatred, but because it wasn't an animated story with lots of music and singing. Ha. The first thing it says in the blurb is "This is a previously published book, revised to be appropriate for all readers". I never read the first edition, but I can imagine how much darker it was now that I’ve read this version. I did like the story, as well as the whole arc for both Lincoln and Ruby. While I enjoy Epilogues that tell us what happened to the characters after the end of the story, I felt like it was a little too pat of an ending. There were a few questions I wanted answered that weren’t. What exactly is the reason for Spencer Wright in the story? What really happened to Charlotte? Who caused the hit and run that injured Cameron? It was, however, a happy ending for Ruby, Lincoln and even Cameron!
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