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The Beauty and the Beast #2
The Beauty's Beast
Sequel to The Beast's Beauty.
"He was breaking me, even if it was slower than when I'd been his pup. Even if I'd started to like it sometimes... Or maybe it was because I'd started to like it."
Kidnapped by a formerly popular musician, Ryder slowly loses himself in the trap Griffin has set for him. Stripped of his life, his dignity, and even his name, he fights to cling to what little he can of what he was. But as Griffin starts to soften toward "Toby," Ryder finds himself wondering if being with the man is really so bad...
"I wanted him to submit, not out of fear, but out of desire. But if desire wasn't possible, I would settle for what I could get."
Desperate for a companion who could look past his scars, Griffin arranged for the kidnapping of a college student: "Toby." As Toby resists becoming his pup and starts to become his kitten instead, Griffin must evaluate his choices and decide whether he's willing to compromise with his captive for the chance at something more. If he can get Toby to bend instead of break, he can have everything he wanted. But how far can he push before it's too far...
Please be advised that this book contains dark and adult content that may be disturbing for some readers.
"He was breaking me, even if it was slower than when I'd been his pup. Even if I'd started to like it sometimes... Or maybe it was because I'd started to like it."
Kidnapped by a formerly popular musician, Ryder slowly loses himself in the trap Griffin has set for him. Stripped of his life, his dignity, and even his name, he fights to cling to what little he can of what he was. But as Griffin starts to soften toward "Toby," Ryder finds himself wondering if being with the man is really so bad...
"I wanted him to submit, not out of fear, but out of desire. But if desire wasn't possible, I would settle for what I could get."
Desperate for a companion who could look past his scars, Griffin arranged for the kidnapping of a college student: "Toby." As Toby resists becoming his pup and starts to become his kitten instead, Griffin must evaluate his choices and decide whether he's willing to compromise with his captive for the chance at something more. If he can get Toby to bend instead of break, he can have everything he wanted. But how far can he push before it's too far...
Please be advised that this book contains dark and adult content that may be disturbing for some readers.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2019
60 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
R. Phoenix
85 books569 followersR. Phoenix has an unhealthy fascination with contrasts: light and dark, heroes and villains, order and chaos. She believes that love can corrupt and power can redeem. Her muse is a sadomasochistic slave driver who thinks it's terribly amusing to give her the best ideas when she just got comfortable and warm in bed, and she passes on that torture to her readers. She also tries entirely too hard to be funny, and she mercilessly inflicts her terrible sense of humor upon anyone who speaks to her. She'd love it if you'd say hello!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 26, 2022
I freaking loved it. You know that feeling when a book just feeds your kinky appetite? Yep, this is my crack. This one ticks all the boxes of all the things I love and look for in mm romance. I adore the dynamics and the flaws of the MCs, it's just right up my alley. This goes straight to my all time favorites.
August 2, 2019
This is a review for both The Beast's Beauty and The Beauty's Beast since they are two parts of a continuous story.
This was a delicious, dark, psychological drama that drew me right in and kept me reading. It's not a romance and it is definitely in the non-con, dub-con, Stockholm Syndrome camp .
There is a dual POV, which allows the reader to feel anger and hatred on Ryder's behalf and yet still see bits of Griffin that show he isn't the complete psycho he would otherwise come off as. While there were times I felt the story was a bit repetitive, it did give good insight into both men's thinking and their conflicting feelings about their behaviors.
This was my first R. Phoenix experience and I'll be looking forward to reading more.
This was a delicious, dark, psychological drama that drew me right in and kept me reading. It's not a romance and it is definitely in the non-con, dub-con, Stockholm Syndrome camp .
There is a dual POV, which allows the reader to feel anger and hatred on Ryder's behalf and yet still see bits of Griffin that show he isn't the complete psycho he would otherwise come off as. While there were times I felt the story was a bit repetitive, it did give good insight into both men's thinking and their conflicting feelings about their behaviors.
This was my first R. Phoenix experience and I'll be looking forward to reading more.
March 14, 2019
(4.25 stars)
Note: I have a hard time reviewing this duology as two separate books, since they are really two halves of a whole story, so I’m reviewing them together.
This was a SUPER interesting duology that I’m still thinking about two days later (and grappling with, in a way, but more on that later). The Beast’s Beauty and The Beauty’s Beast are the two parts of R. Phoenix’s “Beauty and the Beast” retelling, and as soon as I read the blurbs for both books, I was excited to read them because
I LOVE “Beauty and the Beast” retellings/reimaginings (when done well, i.e. Robin McKinley’s Rose Daughter and Beauty), and
I’ve recently been plowing through all the dark romances I can find (am I the only one who has romance subgenre cravings every now and then?).
This is a contemporary reimagining of “Beauty and the Beast,” where the Beast is Griffin (a former rock star who was horribly burned in a fire and who, as a result, lives an isolated and lonely life) and Beauty is Ryder (a college kid). Before the story begins, Griffin basically pays (what sounds like) human traffickers to kidnap a pretty boy for him, and that pretty boy ends up being Ryder.
Griffin wants a companion who will be completely loyal to him, and he essentially plans to make this happen by making Ryder into his puppy. He strategizes how to break Ryder down piece by piece until he truly becomes a pet (Toby) that loves Griffin unconditionally, rather than a human being that hates Griffin for the awful things Griffin does to him. The book takes place over the course of about two months (I think), and we see Griffin struggle to break and remake Ryder while Ryder struggles to hold onto himself and not become what Griffin desires. In order to take back some of the control and maintain some semblance of himself, Ryder eventually asks Griffin to reshape his vision of their relationship (such as it is) as not master/puppy but master/kitten. When Griffin agrees and the tenor of their relationship changes, Ryder starts to truly lose himself in Toby, and Griffin starts to question whether he should let Ryder go.
Both books are told from alternating viewpoints, so we have a chance to see inside the heads of both Ryder and Griffin. Let me say, this would have been a VERY DIFFERENT STORY if we had only be privy to Ryder’s perspective. Griffin is full of self-doubt and constantly questions whether he has done the right thing in kidnapping Ryder (hint: kidnapping is NEVER THE RIGHT THING JFC GRIFFIN). His internal narrative tends to run in circles much like this: “should I really be doing this?/ooooh, this is a bad thing I’m doing/but I WANT HIM/so I guess I’m doing it/even though I shouldn’t.” But he is conflicted about the choices he has made, and if we only had Ryder’s perspective, that conflict wouldn’t have been evident, and Griffin would have come across as more of a one-dimensional villain than he does otherwise.
The sex in this book is surprisingly light (if you discount the number of time Griffin thinks about how much he wants to fuck Ryder or imagines it in detail), and much of it is extremely dubcon, possibly noncon. Ryder identifies a straight, and… it seems pretty clear that he is straight based on his own internal monologue. When he responds to Griffin sexually, it’s because he’s desperate for some kind of human touch after being isolated for so long, not because he’s attracted to Griffin. (That’s one of things I really appreciated about this book -- a lot of times, it feels protagonists in books similar to this are frightened by but also UNWILLINGLY ATTRACTED TO their captors, and that definitely isn’t happening here. Ryder VERY MUCH does not want to have sex with Griffin when he is held captive.) It’s not until the end, after Griffin releases Ryder, and Ryder chooses to return, that he initiates and enjoys sexual contact with Griffin.
I would have liked Ryder’s and Griffin’s backstories to be a little more developed, particularly Ryder’s. More concrete information about his family, his girlfriend, his life (I don’t think we ever learn how old he is, let alone what he’s passionate about or studying in school…) would have made him feel more grounded in the world outside of Griffin’s house. I wondered if this was a deliberate choice on the author’s part, though. Griffin makes clear at the beginning that he didn’t choose Ryder specifically; he asked for generic pretty boy, and that’s basically we as readers get as well. What we know about Ryder is what we learn through how he reacts to his captivity and to Griffin.
Maybe this was the point. The lack of detail about his family particularly makes his choice at the end (to abandon his life and return to Griffin) easier to swallow. If we had a better sense of his relationships before he was kidnapped, it would have been a lot harder to accept his choice. But this was still a bit of a weak spot for me; because we have no sense of Ryder’s relationships with his family and friends (we only meet his mother, and their interaction shows that she clearly loves him and is worried about him), I overlay my own relationships with his and cannot imagine a world where I would just disappear from their lives for whatever reason, let alone to live in isolation with the guy who kidnapped me.
This is the heart of why I’d love to talk to someone else about these books -- I’m not sure whether the end is meant to be an HEA (the couple ends up together, yay!) or more ambiguous (Griffin did what he set out to do and broke/remade Ryder into what he wanted!). I lean toward the latter for many reasons: because the Ryder who longed for his family, his girlfriend, his regular life throughout his captivity would not choose to cut all of those ties and return to his captor; because pre-captivity Ryder was not into sex with another man, but he willingly begins a sexual relationship with Griffin upon his return; because Ryder returns as “Toby,” showing that he doesn’t even consider himself Ryder any longer.
It’s entirely possible that I’m reading too much into this and that the release-return at the end of the second book is purely meant to mirror the end of “Beauty and the Beast.” I’d like to think it’s meant to be a dark twist on the traditional HEA, though.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed both books, and I’m glad that I was able to read them back-to-back (instead of having to wait for the second to come out). I have lingering questions, mostly about the author’s choices and whether they were deliberate or I’m just reading way too much into the story.
Note: I have a hard time reviewing this duology as two separate books, since they are really two halves of a whole story, so I’m reviewing them together.
This was a SUPER interesting duology that I’m still thinking about two days later (and grappling with, in a way, but more on that later). The Beast’s Beauty and The Beauty’s Beast are the two parts of R. Phoenix’s “Beauty and the Beast” retelling, and as soon as I read the blurbs for both books, I was excited to read them because
I LOVE “Beauty and the Beast” retellings/reimaginings (when done well, i.e. Robin McKinley’s Rose Daughter and Beauty), and
I’ve recently been plowing through all the dark romances I can find (am I the only one who has romance subgenre cravings every now and then?).
This is a contemporary reimagining of “Beauty and the Beast,” where the Beast is Griffin (a former rock star who was horribly burned in a fire and who, as a result, lives an isolated and lonely life) and Beauty is Ryder (a college kid). Before the story begins, Griffin basically pays (what sounds like) human traffickers to kidnap a pretty boy for him, and that pretty boy ends up being Ryder.
Griffin wants a companion who will be completely loyal to him, and he essentially plans to make this happen by making Ryder into his puppy. He strategizes how to break Ryder down piece by piece until he truly becomes a pet (Toby) that loves Griffin unconditionally, rather than a human being that hates Griffin for the awful things Griffin does to him. The book takes place over the course of about two months (I think), and we see Griffin struggle to break and remake Ryder while Ryder struggles to hold onto himself and not become what Griffin desires. In order to take back some of the control and maintain some semblance of himself, Ryder eventually asks Griffin to reshape his vision of their relationship (such as it is) as not master/puppy but master/kitten. When Griffin agrees and the tenor of their relationship changes, Ryder starts to truly lose himself in Toby, and Griffin starts to question whether he should let Ryder go.
Both books are told from alternating viewpoints, so we have a chance to see inside the heads of both Ryder and Griffin. Let me say, this would have been a VERY DIFFERENT STORY if we had only be privy to Ryder’s perspective. Griffin is full of self-doubt and constantly questions whether he has done the right thing in kidnapping Ryder (hint: kidnapping is NEVER THE RIGHT THING JFC GRIFFIN). His internal narrative tends to run in circles much like this: “should I really be doing this?/ooooh, this is a bad thing I’m doing/but I WANT HIM/so I guess I’m doing it/even though I shouldn’t.” But he is conflicted about the choices he has made, and if we only had Ryder’s perspective, that conflict wouldn’t have been evident, and Griffin would have come across as more of a one-dimensional villain than he does otherwise.
The sex in this book is surprisingly light (if you discount the number of time Griffin thinks about how much he wants to fuck Ryder or imagines it in detail), and much of it is extremely dubcon, possibly noncon. Ryder identifies a straight, and… it seems pretty clear that he is straight based on his own internal monologue. When he responds to Griffin sexually, it’s because he’s desperate for some kind of human touch after being isolated for so long, not because he’s attracted to Griffin. (That’s one of things I really appreciated about this book -- a lot of times, it feels protagonists in books similar to this are frightened by but also UNWILLINGLY ATTRACTED TO their captors, and that definitely isn’t happening here. Ryder VERY MUCH does not want to have sex with Griffin when he is held captive.) It’s not until the end, after Griffin releases Ryder, and Ryder chooses to return, that he initiates and enjoys sexual contact with Griffin.
I would have liked Ryder’s and Griffin’s backstories to be a little more developed, particularly Ryder’s. More concrete information about his family, his girlfriend, his life (I don’t think we ever learn how old he is, let alone what he’s passionate about or studying in school…) would have made him feel more grounded in the world outside of Griffin’s house. I wondered if this was a deliberate choice on the author’s part, though. Griffin makes clear at the beginning that he didn’t choose Ryder specifically; he asked for generic pretty boy, and that’s basically we as readers get as well. What we know about Ryder is what we learn through how he reacts to his captivity and to Griffin.
Maybe this was the point. The lack of detail about his family particularly makes his choice at the end (to abandon his life and return to Griffin) easier to swallow. If we had a better sense of his relationships before he was kidnapped, it would have been a lot harder to accept his choice. But this was still a bit of a weak spot for me; because we have no sense of Ryder’s relationships with his family and friends (we only meet his mother, and their interaction shows that she clearly loves him and is worried about him), I overlay my own relationships with his and cannot imagine a world where I would just disappear from their lives for whatever reason, let alone to live in isolation with the guy who kidnapped me.
This is the heart of why I’d love to talk to someone else about these books -- I’m not sure whether the end is meant to be an HEA (the couple ends up together, yay!) or more ambiguous (Griffin did what he set out to do and broke/remade Ryder into what he wanted!). I lean toward the latter for many reasons: because the Ryder who longed for his family, his girlfriend, his regular life throughout his captivity would not choose to cut all of those ties and return to his captor; because pre-captivity Ryder was not into sex with another man, but he willingly begins a sexual relationship with Griffin upon his return; because Ryder returns as “Toby,” showing that he doesn’t even consider himself Ryder any longer.
It’s entirely possible that I’m reading too much into this and that the release-return at the end of the second book is purely meant to mirror the end of “Beauty and the Beast.” I’d like to think it’s meant to be a dark twist on the traditional HEA, though.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed both books, and I’m glad that I was able to read them back-to-back (instead of having to wait for the second to come out). I have lingering questions, mostly about the author’s choices and whether they were deliberate or I’m just reading way too much into the story.
March 12, 2020
I'm reviewing book 1 and 2 together.
I wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed this duet, due to the humiliation that this story was focusing on, but it definitely kept me interested. On one hand seeing how the MC would deal with wanting a specific arrangement, but getting something different held my attention, but I feel like it was rushed. I hoped the author would go even deeper with the emotions and would linger on certain issues Ryder and Griffin were facing. Also details were missing, that of course were not important to the story, but to me it would have made all the difference. For example there wasn't much revealed about Ryder's abduction: where he was at the time, how the whole auction went down...was there even an auction? hmm... His girlfriend was nonexistent, relegated to one word. I found that annoying.
Overall I found it a little superficial. And for that matter there was the whole 'look' thing. Griffin arranged this thing so he would get a companion. He was lonely, he had no one because of how he looked, everyone abandoned him. But it was barely made an issue in the book. Ryder made a few snide comments, but I think Griffin made a bigger deal out of it than it should have been. What I mean to say is there was a contrast between what was said about Griffin's look, and how it actually played into the events... does that make sense? The reader was told that Griffin is ugly and no one wanted him because of that, but I feel like it wasn't an issue. The topic barely came up.
Both MCs background is kind of a mystery, we only got to know the bare minimum. Ryder is a frat boy, got himself somehow abducted. Griffin is a musician, or was at least, and he was still working in the industry but we don't know much about that.
I liked that Griffin was a bad guy, who, even though had every step carefully planned out, was wavering. He questioned everything he was doing. In a dark book the main character is usually someone who knows what he's doing, you know being dominant and all that. So it was refreshing to see someone not fully in control. I guess that's in part thanks to Ryder's defiance, which was also a nice touch to their dynamic, I liked that he was mouthing back to Griffin every chance he got.
This is a gay for you story and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's different than other gfy books I read before, because it's usually about a guy who had some kind of experience with other boys when he was a kid, or at least had some inclinations towards men, but denied it. Here however Ryder claimed he was not gay. Not gay! So it was really about Griffin trying to change him. And hmm.. I dunno.
Overall I liked it.
I wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed this duet, due to the humiliation that this story was focusing on, but it definitely kept me interested. On one hand seeing how the MC would deal with wanting a specific arrangement, but getting something different held my attention, but I feel like it was rushed. I hoped the author would go even deeper with the emotions and would linger on certain issues Ryder and Griffin were facing. Also details were missing, that of course were not important to the story, but to me it would have made all the difference. For example there wasn't much revealed about Ryder's abduction: where he was at the time, how the whole auction went down...was there even an auction? hmm... His girlfriend was nonexistent, relegated to one word. I found that annoying.
Overall I found it a little superficial. And for that matter there was the whole 'look' thing. Griffin arranged this thing so he would get a companion. He was lonely, he had no one because of how he looked, everyone abandoned him. But it was barely made an issue in the book. Ryder made a few snide comments, but I think Griffin made a bigger deal out of it than it should have been. What I mean to say is there was a contrast between what was said about Griffin's look, and how it actually played into the events... does that make sense? The reader was told that Griffin is ugly and no one wanted him because of that, but I feel like it wasn't an issue. The topic barely came up.
Both MCs background is kind of a mystery, we only got to know the bare minimum. Ryder is a frat boy, got himself somehow abducted. Griffin is a musician, or was at least, and he was still working in the industry but we don't know much about that.
I liked that Griffin was a bad guy, who, even though had every step carefully planned out, was wavering. He questioned everything he was doing. In a dark book the main character is usually someone who knows what he's doing, you know being dominant and all that. So it was refreshing to see someone not fully in control. I guess that's in part thanks to Ryder's defiance, which was also a nice touch to their dynamic, I liked that he was mouthing back to Griffin every chance he got.
This is a gay for you story and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's different than other gfy books I read before, because it's usually about a guy who had some kind of experience with other boys when he was a kid, or at least had some inclinations towards men, but denied it. Here however Ryder claimed he was not gay. Not gay! So it was really about Griffin trying to change him. And hmm.. I dunno.
Overall I liked it.
June 24, 2024
Can the abductor get Stockholm syndrome as well?
Usually, these types of stories feature a lot more physical punishment. I am glad this story focuses more on the psychological aspect. However, I do believe this should have just been one book instead of a story split in two.
I know I should be angry and say I hated it, but I kind of loved the happy ending? I would have liked to see what happened if they went public, though.
Usually, these types of stories feature a lot more physical punishment. I am glad this story focuses more on the psychological aspect. However, I do believe this should have just been one book instead of a story split in two.
I know I should be angry and say I hated it, but I kind of loved the happy ending? I would have liked to see what happened if they went public, though.
March 22, 2019
*4.5 Stars*
I have to say I knew nothing about this book or series but just bought it for the cover. LOL. I gobbled up these two books and while it is so wrong...it was so right. I loved the mental play happening here. There is no physical torture and no penetrative rape, but there is humiliation, puppy/kitty play and just an interesting exploration into the mindset of a kidnapper and his victim...into submission and needing to become someone else in order to survive.
This series may not work for everyone but it totally worked for me.
I have to say I knew nothing about this book or series but just bought it for the cover. LOL. I gobbled up these two books and while it is so wrong...it was so right. I loved the mental play happening here. There is no physical torture and no penetrative rape, but there is humiliation, puppy/kitty play and just an interesting exploration into the mindset of a kidnapper and his victim...into submission and needing to become someone else in order to survive.
This series may not work for everyone but it totally worked for me.
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September 16, 2022This duology was more palatable than the Gilded cage/Tarnished cage one. It seemed to flow better somehow and I liked getting the villains point of view too as it’s interesting from a psychological perspective. I can’t say I enjoyed reading either of these books though and I really don’t know how to rate them. Think I’ll take myself out of the dark hole KU has taken me down and go back to some light fluffy things.
December 26, 2024
Dark and gritty, slow burn. Ryder was kidnapped and being held by Griffin, and forced into pet play. Things are dark and twisted and so dang hot but something is changing and Ryder doesn’t know if he likes it. Very good
March 28, 2020
Okay, the ending of this series simply baffled me. Why would anyone return to Griffin?!? And why would you want to break someone and turn them into something else just to make them stay. This wasn't a love story like I was hoping it would be. It wasn't even as dark as I thought it would be, and it ended much too abruptly. Ultimately I felt bored and empty by the time I finished this short book. I've already forgotten what it was about to be honest.
February 15, 2021
We're back with Ryder/Toby and Griffin and this we see a change in Ryder...He no longer wants to be a pup and thinks he can manage his captivity if he's Griffin's Kitty...Things take a turn but I won't say much more so not to spoil it but the end is just perfect....You will definitely feel for Griffin in this one..A great second book x
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October 8, 2021Why did I read the second one? Nobody knows.
I was relieved that Ryder was at least able to live a somewhat normal life at the end and that he had more say. But ... not for me.
Not rating these because honestly I don’t think it would be fair of me.
I was relieved that Ryder was at least able to live a somewhat normal life at the end and that he had more say. But ... not for me.
Not rating these because honestly I don’t think it would be fair of me.
September 26, 2019
Just read it
I have no words, and honestly that's probably for the best because I doubt there is anything I could say that would do this story justice. It's dark and twisted and oh so complicated, I adore it.
I loved it. Not as much as the first part maybe but that's just me and my twisted self so ignore. This was well done and the ending was nice. Definitely a HFN which in this case I think is for the best. I'd also like to add that as someone who reads a lot of mm, I absolutely hate gay for you BUT here it works. I get it. Yeah, you could turn it into a bisexual awakening but then again would Ryder's development be as powerful? Can't say for sure.
I don't know what I'm saying anymore. It's a lot. It's not heavy exactly but the angst is real, that is for sure. It has the right amount of push and pull that I personally need from my captive stories, and the smut, while not the hottest, was believable. Yeah, there was a lot going on here that usually I would ding a book for but I'm giving a pass because again it works and it needs to be done this way. People complain all the time that in captive stories the captive falls for their captor too easily and too quickly and that all the abuse is romanticized. Well, here you go. None of that is going on here. You're welcome.
TL; DR it's not a romance (and it didn't turn into either so that kind of bumbed me out) but it's also not really marketed as one so 4 stars
I have no words, and honestly that's probably for the best because I doubt there is anything I could say that would do this story justice. It's dark and twisted and oh so complicated, I adore it.
I loved it. Not as much as the first part maybe but that's just me and my twisted self so ignore. This was well done and the ending was nice. Definitely a HFN which in this case I think is for the best. I'd also like to add that as someone who reads a lot of mm, I absolutely hate gay for you BUT here it works. I get it. Yeah, you could turn it into a bisexual awakening but then again would Ryder's development be as powerful? Can't say for sure.
I don't know what I'm saying anymore. It's a lot. It's not heavy exactly but the angst is real, that is for sure. It has the right amount of push and pull that I personally need from my captive stories, and the smut, while not the hottest, was believable. Yeah, there was a lot going on here that usually I would ding a book for but I'm giving a pass because again it works and it needs to be done this way. People complain all the time that in captive stories the captive falls for their captor too easily and too quickly and that all the abuse is romanticized. Well, here you go. None of that is going on here. You're welcome.
TL; DR it's not a romance (and it didn't turn into either so that kind of bumbed me out) but it's also not really marketed as one so 4 stars
March 10, 2022
It seems to be a running theme for me with Phoenix’s work, that the first book is really intense and dark and gritty, and the second kinda undoes that.
The first half of this book had me bored. It was nowhere near what I expected after book one. In my opinion, I think the first half of this book should have been shortened by a fair bit, and chapter 19s events should have been drawn out more across a few chapters, and the epilogue drawn out further too. I’ll explain in more detail, but spoilers ahead:
The first half of this book had me bored. It was nowhere near what I expected after book one. In my opinion, I think the first half of this book should have been shortened by a fair bit, and chapter 19s events should have been drawn out more across a few chapters, and the epilogue drawn out further too. I’ll explain in more detail, but spoilers ahead:
June 21, 2022
Ryder falls deeper into his situation. Griffin still treats him more like his pup, but Ryder/Toby is trying to keep Griffin from sending him back to the basement. He wears the tail, but Griffin is softening and doesn't make him wear the mitts. When Toby's new tail and ears arrive, Griffin pushes him. He forces Toby to give him a blow job, by using psychological manipulation. He also gets Toby to kiss him. Griffin wants to move their relationship into the s€xual realm, but Ryder/Toby tells him no. The fact that Griffin doesn't push, shows you he is a falling for Toby and may be having some doubts about what he has done. After the forced blow job, Toby disobeys Griffin and he is put back in the basement cage as punishment. At this point Ryder breaks down, he has held it together for months but he just can't do it anymore. Griffin wants his humiliation and tears but not this desperate agony he is feeling. Events occur, that would have allowed Ryder to escape, but he stays to take care of Griffin. Griffin, in a vulnerable state, let's Ryder go. With his world turned upside down, and with growing feelings for Griffin, Ryker has to decide what to do with his future. Try to rebuild the life he knows or return to Griffin?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2019
In the follow up to The Beast’s Beauty, Griffin and Ryder are still both trying to figure out how to control and shape their relationship. Griffin wants Ryder to be the perfect puppy and Ryder wants freedom. In a bid to gain control over the situation, Ryder rejects acting like a puppy and starts acting like a kitten. At first, Griffin is upset, but he adjusts to the transformation of his puppy into a kitten, at the same time Griffin goes through a transformation himself. At the end of the book, both Griffin and Ryder have to make hard choices on what they want out of their relationship and future and how that’s going to look going forward.
Overall Rating: 3 Stars. The writing was fine, but there still wasn’t enough sex scenes for my taste. The main reason I’m reading this series is for the BDSM and kink sex scenes. This book was much better than the first book, but that’s because it felt complete, which the first book did not. I still think both of these books should be combined to make one book in order to make the story flow better. There’s a few inconsistencies between the two books, but those were easily ignored.
Overall Rating: 3 Stars. The writing was fine, but there still wasn’t enough sex scenes for my taste. The main reason I’m reading this series is for the BDSM and kink sex scenes. This book was much better than the first book, but that’s because it felt complete, which the first book did not. I still think both of these books should be combined to make one book in order to make the story flow better. There’s a few inconsistencies between the two books, but those were easily ignored.
March 24, 2019
It was amazing. I wasn’t expecting to like it this much. I knew it had some kitty play and pet play is just not my thing. It made me think it was going to be hard for me to read it, but it was just so amazing, I just couldn’t put it down.
I think the things that make it such a good book, was the ability so portray the character’s emotions. It was so easy to feel what they feel. The pain, the despair, even the love, it was all so easy to feel. It was a little sweeter than the previous book, but it kept some of the elements that I loved from it.
I loved Ryder. He was a great character, his emotions were the easiest to get in touch with. I didn’t get to care as much for Griffin but I think he might get the sympathy of most readers. The plot was really good but only consider it as a whole thing, because it definitely won’t work as a standalone.
Overall this was great. I had an amazing time reading and I had fall absolutely in love with Ryder’s defiant attitude. He was a beautiful character. Definitely a recommend it book for reader who enjoy romance with a dark touch on it.
I think the things that make it such a good book, was the ability so portray the character’s emotions. It was so easy to feel what they feel. The pain, the despair, even the love, it was all so easy to feel. It was a little sweeter than the previous book, but it kept some of the elements that I loved from it.
I loved Ryder. He was a great character, his emotions were the easiest to get in touch with. I didn’t get to care as much for Griffin but I think he might get the sympathy of most readers. The plot was really good but only consider it as a whole thing, because it definitely won’t work as a standalone.
Overall this was great. I had an amazing time reading and I had fall absolutely in love with Ryder’s defiant attitude. He was a beautiful character. Definitely a recommend it book for reader who enjoy romance with a dark touch on it.
March 13, 2019
I couldn't wait to read the continuation of this fantastic story, and it was even better than I imagined *^* The character of Griffin evolved so much in this book, returning perhaps more himself, the man he was before the accident, and all this was thank to Ryder/Toby. And I want to think that they found a balance in the end, to make their relationship work, but I suppose we will never know xD I'm usually not too much into Kitty play, preferring puppy and pony play, but I loved how the author used it in this book, changing from puppy to kitty play, adapting it to the characteristics of the character, at his personality. This story was really amazing and beautifully written, and I already miss it <3
March 15, 2019
Loved these characters
These books are so much softer than anything else that I've read from R. Phoenix. Griffin really does have a heart of gold, and his past heroics were the true measure of his character. I loved how insidious the change from Ryder to Toby was in his own head - and even the chapter headings reflected it nicely. It seems that Griffin probably choose his victim because he saw something of himself in Toby.
Ultimately, I loved that Toby was given his choice and learned that what he thought he wanted may not have been what he needed. Though I think that it could have been nice if Toby had been able to allow the love of his birth family into his life with Griffin.
These books are so much softer than anything else that I've read from R. Phoenix. Griffin really does have a heart of gold, and his past heroics were the true measure of his character. I loved how insidious the change from Ryder to Toby was in his own head - and even the chapter headings reflected it nicely. It seems that Griffin probably choose his victim because he saw something of himself in Toby.
Ultimately, I loved that Toby was given his choice and learned that what he thought he wanted may not have been what he needed. Though I think that it could have been nice if Toby had been able to allow the love of his birth family into his life with Griffin.
June 7, 2019
As broken as Toby seems to be, it turns out he's only bent, and going from puppy to kitten is a journey in its own. Especially when a kitten have claws, and it's difficult to know who likes the shift more. The lines becomes blurry and things aren't as straight forward as they seemed.
I know I had certain expectations when I continued their story and it took me for a loop, and I found myself enjoying it as much as I had thought I would.
This one isn't as difficult to handle as the first one, the darkness isn't pitch black and more midnight blue, I'm sure anyone will like reading the continuing of their story.
Not a stranger to the books of R. Phoenix I can say she never disappoints and knows how to take your emotions on a roller coaster.
I know I had certain expectations when I continued their story and it took me for a loop, and I found myself enjoying it as much as I had thought I would.
This one isn't as difficult to handle as the first one, the darkness isn't pitch black and more midnight blue, I'm sure anyone will like reading the continuing of their story.
Not a stranger to the books of R. Phoenix I can say she never disappoints and knows how to take your emotions on a roller coaster.
August 21, 2019
Once Upon a Time
An author was born and she was destined to write the most mind blowing books, taking the reader on epic journeys into the minds of her characters they could never imagine. Her name is R. Phoenix and this is what happens every time I read her books including The Beast's Beauty and The Beauty's Beast. I just finished these two books and my mind has been officially blown. Every time I think I've read every type of book there is, Raissa comes along and writes a book that I've never encountered before, ripping every emotion out of me, taking me to another level. I don't know how she does it but I hope she never stops. I can't get enough. Thank you Raissa for gifting us with the talent that has been bestowed upon you as a writer.
An author was born and she was destined to write the most mind blowing books, taking the reader on epic journeys into the minds of her characters they could never imagine. Her name is R. Phoenix and this is what happens every time I read her books including The Beast's Beauty and The Beauty's Beast. I just finished these two books and my mind has been officially blown. Every time I think I've read every type of book there is, Raissa comes along and writes a book that I've never encountered before, ripping every emotion out of me, taking me to another level. I don't know how she does it but I hope she never stops. I can't get enough. Thank you Raissa for gifting us with the talent that has been bestowed upon you as a writer.
July 27, 2024
A man kidnaps a guy to be his puppy. Plot twist: the guy doesn't want to be his puppy, but and the man just needed someone to care for him.
This messed up with my head as much as Ryder's. I can't blame the poor guy. Is it a questionable ? Yes, but I'm absolutely fine with it. I even found it endearing. Damn Griffin for manipulating me as well.
I just really liked the conclusion, I felt it was headed towards that, it made sense with the circumstances since doesn't go away in a day. I have to say I got surprised that Griffin got , I didn't expect that when I started book 1. At least there is no more suffering for both.
This messed up with my head as much as Ryder's. I can't blame the poor guy. Is it a questionable ? Yes, but I'm absolutely fine with it. I even found it endearing. Damn Griffin for manipulating me as well.
I just really liked the conclusion, I felt it was headed towards that, it made sense with the circumstances since doesn't go away in a day. I have to say I got surprised that Griffin got , I didn't expect that when I started book 1. At least there is no more suffering for both.
May 19, 2024
Another outstanding read from Phoenix.
Over the course of this duology, the reader is dragged, kicking and screaming, from horror into romance. AND IT WORKS. Not knowing whether makes it all the better.
This was fantastic. Sure, there's barely any backstory and few consequences, but it doesn't matter because of the depths to which we are unwillingly made to feel for these two men. This is the author's true genius, and a trap I have fallen into many times (and likely will continue to do so again, because her books are addictive AF).
Over the course of this duology, the reader is dragged, kicking and screaming, from horror into romance. AND IT WORKS. Not knowing whether makes it all the better.
This was fantastic. Sure, there's barely any backstory and few consequences, but it doesn't matter because of the depths to which we are unwillingly made to feel for these two men. This is the author's true genius, and a trap I have fallen into many times (and likely will continue to do so again, because her books are addictive AF).
February 18, 2025
AHHHH IM SO HAPPY THEY GOT THEIR HEA😫😭😭. Coz for a second when he let Ryder/Toby leave I thought he would turn him in or never come back but damnnnnn what a damn satisfying ending ❤️❤️. I loved how Griffin was a villain but somehow managed to redeem himself. Oh please as if us dark romance readers haven’t read worse and still ended up liking the morally black MC🙄. I mean Griffin is alottttt better than most MCs if we’re pointing fingers and tying to take out faults(I know I’m not). Anyways greatttt read🔥
50/10⭐️
50/10⭐️
March 28, 2019
I should not have wanted Ryder to stay. I did. I should never have longed for him to return to Griffin. I did...and then some. This sequel to The Beast's Beauty was more than I hoped, better than I believed possible...and yet, left me longing for more. Masterful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
Great set
A different look and feel to an old story. Well written with attitudes, fears and insights on both sides of the coin. Though it's hard to believe that Ryder would just disappear a second time on his family with only a note left behind. To see them both happy in the end was a great thing.
A different look and feel to an old story. Well written with attitudes, fears and insights on both sides of the coin. Though it's hard to believe that Ryder would just disappear a second time on his family with only a note left behind. To see them both happy in the end was a great thing.
October 11, 2021
Much more tolerable
Even though this was a Kidnapping book like the Gilded/Tarnished Cage series, I found it much more tolerable. I couldn't finish Tarnished Cage and found myself rooting for the MC to get the F out of there. But this one the "Master" had more humanity, even while he was breaking Ryder down bit by bit.
Even though this was a Kidnapping book like the Gilded/Tarnished Cage series, I found it much more tolerable. I couldn't finish Tarnished Cage and found myself rooting for the MC to get the F out of there. But this one the "Master" had more humanity, even while he was breaking Ryder down bit by bit.
March 11, 2025
The perfect continuation from the first book in the duet. We get to read more about the mental struggles Ryder (or Toby) gets to face but also about a mental shift in Griffin as we see their "relationship" progress.
After finishing the book I'm now still questioning whether we're dealing with Stockholm syndrome or actual genuine feelings
After finishing the book I'm now still questioning whether we're dealing with Stockholm syndrome or actual genuine feelings
March 12, 2019
Why is this so perfect?
No, really. Why??? Beautiful <3
This book isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for anyone who likes heavy angst and twisted stories. Reading Book 1 first is essential.
No, really. Why??? Beautiful <3
This book isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for anyone who likes heavy angst and twisted stories. Reading Book 1 first is essential.
March 14, 2019
I absolutely LOVED how this marvelous, naughty, fantastic, powerful, grab-you-by-the-feels, deliciously dark, unexpectedly tender, smoldering, totally awesome twist on a classic tale turned out to be.
March 20, 2019
I'd already loved the previous book but this one is just almost perfect and delivers a wonderful (and kinky) version of the "Beauty and the Beast" story and a perfect example of how something that should be dark may be turned into something beautiful.
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