What do you think?
Rate this book
Bedding the Beast
Paranormal HistoricalA mail order bride, Mariana comes to America with little more than determination and her pretty face. But the man who bought her doesn't seem to want her—until he sees her naked. She can't resist his passion, but will he throw her out when he's done with her?John asked Mariana's parents to return his money; he never expected a beauty like Mariana to appear on his doorstep. The passion she shows him in the dark of night can't possibly be for real. Yet the more he pushes her into outrageous, perverse acts, the more she encourages him to go one step further. He does things to Mariana that he's never even dared to try with a prostitute, and she begs for still more.Their lovemaking is amazing, but Mariana wants more than passion—she wants the love hidden beneath John's bitter scars. When a ghostly presence in the house tries to drive her away, she has to fight for her right to stay in John's home...and to continue bedding the beast.Publisher’s Bedding the Beast was previously released under the title A Valentine’s Bride, but has been substantially revised and expanded for this edition. It contains graphic language, sexual content, and situations that may be objectionable to some readers.
Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2006
3 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 29, 2022
3.5*
This is one hot little book. And she's not a mail order bride, technically not ordered.
Definitely recommended if you like strangers smexing/mail order smut interspersed with a story, mild conflict, little oddities and intriguing characters - a grumpy loner and a naive yet smart Pollyanna.
And yes, there's a ghost too...
This is one hot little book. And she's not a mail order bride, technically not ordered.
Definitely recommended if you like strangers smexing/mail order smut interspersed with a story, mild conflict, little oddities and intriguing characters - a grumpy loner and a naive yet smart Pollyanna.
And yes, there's a ghost too...
May 3, 2017
John/Giovanni and Mariana.
John is a farmer in America now, after being raised in an orphanage in Italy from a young age. He had contracted with Mariana's father back in Italy, to marry Francesca (Mariana's older sister). But Francesca died of a fever after only a few months. So John asked for his money back and instead is sent Mariana. The story starts with John opening the door to a bedraggled young woman, (She's 20ish and he's 30ish) he wasn't expecting.
John is a gruff, big man with an ugly scar on his face, hiding a sweetly thoughtful man. He knows he is ugly and is pretty self conscious about it. He doesn't think much of this skinny girl who is meant to be his next bride.
But there is little choice because Mariana has no money and nowhere to go and his neighbours know she is there. Mariana has a sweet disposition but isn't a doormat. She is inquisitive and quick to improve her English, and far from a doormat.
They have 4 days before the local preacher returns and can marry them. Four days to get better aquainted, nudge nudge wink wink ; )
The blurb suggests that the story is pretty kinky, and maybe it is by standards in the early 1900's, but I didn't find it too much, or too much of the story. It was pretty spicey without getting into gymnastics or bondage. There is some anal play. And Mariana isn't very shocked, but pretty accepting. She does after all, have a curious nature.
There is a ghostly presence that may be her sister, but don't worry, it is a small but fitting part of the tale.
There are communication errors/ misunderstandings but they aren't over done. There is some mystery about what went on in his first marriage.
Overall I found it quite romantic and well done. I'd love to read more by this author but it all seems to be BDSM stuff and less on the romance side. And she hasn't written anything since 2007... Too bad : (
John is a farmer in America now, after being raised in an orphanage in Italy from a young age. He had contracted with Mariana's father back in Italy, to marry Francesca (Mariana's older sister). But Francesca died of a fever after only a few months. So John asked for his money back and instead is sent Mariana. The story starts with John opening the door to a bedraggled young woman, (She's 20ish and he's 30ish) he wasn't expecting.
John is a gruff, big man with an ugly scar on his face, hiding a sweetly thoughtful man. He knows he is ugly and is pretty self conscious about it. He doesn't think much of this skinny girl who is meant to be his next bride.
But there is little choice because Mariana has no money and nowhere to go and his neighbours know she is there. Mariana has a sweet disposition but isn't a doormat. She is inquisitive and quick to improve her English, and far from a doormat.
They have 4 days before the local preacher returns and can marry them. Four days to get better aquainted, nudge nudge wink wink ; )
The blurb suggests that the story is pretty kinky, and maybe it is by standards in the early 1900's, but I didn't find it too much, or too much of the story. It was pretty spicey without getting into gymnastics or bondage. There is some anal play. And Mariana isn't very shocked, but pretty accepting. She does after all, have a curious nature.
There is a ghostly presence that may be her sister, but don't worry, it is a small but fitting part of the tale.
There are communication errors/ misunderstandings but they aren't over done. There is some mystery about what went on in his first marriage.
Overall I found it quite romantic and well done. I'd love to read more by this author but it all seems to be BDSM stuff and less on the romance side. And she hasn't written anything since 2007... Too bad : (
July 10, 2012
Really interesting. It's SO HARD to find erotic romance set in that American historical frontier, so honestly this one got major points for that alone. Quick note, it does have a small paranormal element, which I am generally not a fan of. It wasn't too bad here. In fact, I would have preferred it be left out, but anyway. I can't quite put my finger on why this wasn't a five for me. I'm not sure I connected with the H and h as much as I wanted to. The h was a tad to spunky and the H a tad too gruff. Just a little bit! However, I thought they were hot and sweet and perfect for each other, so there ya go. I'm planning on reading this author's book The Spy Who Spanked Me.
Read
March 24, 2009This is a romance that is much more better of what you can think reading the blurb. The blurb describes the story of a mail order bride very willing to acclompish the kinky desires of his new husband; so you can buy it thinking to read a dirty novel about wild sex in bed and not only... and maybe I bought it for this reason :-)
Instead this is a sweet tale about a lonely widow, Giovanni, John, with a big heart and a big body. He has had an hard life, and you can think that also is behaviour is hard, but instead he is only worried to not be good enough for his new wife.
Mariana is sent to John from Italy to take the places of her older sister, died few weeks after her marriage with John. She is a little thing with a strong attitude and a gentle soul. John is not an handsome man, he is tough and has a ugly scar on the face, but Mariana can see behind, sees the tender man. And also she can feel him, by night: John is always caring and makes love to her, not only sex.
John is a very passionate man, and makes love to Mariana in every way an nineteen century man could think (if he hasn't read the Kamasutra), but always with the thought to not displeasure Mariana.
Indeed this romance is very "traditional", like an Historical Harlequin with a little more sex.
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/47...
Instead this is a sweet tale about a lonely widow, Giovanni, John, with a big heart and a big body. He has had an hard life, and you can think that also is behaviour is hard, but instead he is only worried to not be good enough for his new wife.
Mariana is sent to John from Italy to take the places of her older sister, died few weeks after her marriage with John. She is a little thing with a strong attitude and a gentle soul. John is not an handsome man, he is tough and has a ugly scar on the face, but Mariana can see behind, sees the tender man. And also she can feel him, by night: John is always caring and makes love to her, not only sex.
John is a very passionate man, and makes love to Mariana in every way an nineteen century man could think (if he hasn't read the Kamasutra), but always with the thought to not displeasure Mariana.
Indeed this romance is very "traditional", like an Historical Harlequin with a little more sex.
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/47...
July 21, 2011
Wonderful story! It had the normal miscommunications but they didn't drag on and on. I liked this book so much I'm going to read some of the author's other works.
Marianna is the 2nd daughter sent to John as a mail order bride. He wasn't too happy with the first one so he'd like to have the money. But she's here and if he doesn't take her it will look bad for him. Speaking of looking bad, he has a terrible scar on his face that Marianna's sister hated and now he's trying to not have Marianna react the same way. She thinks he's disgusted with her.
Spoiler Finally, he tells her how she worked her way into his heart and that he doesn't want her to leave when it looks like things are going to end. Yes it was practically the last page but it was just perfect where the book ended and how it ended.
Marianna is the 2nd daughter sent to John as a mail order bride. He wasn't too happy with the first one so he'd like to have the money. But she's here and if he doesn't take her it will look bad for him. Speaking of looking bad, he has a terrible scar on his face that Marianna's sister hated and now he's trying to not have Marianna react the same way. She thinks he's disgusted with her.
Spoiler Finally, he tells her how she worked her way into his heart and that he doesn't want her to leave when it looks like things are going to end. Yes it was practically the last page but it was just perfect where the book ended and how it ended.
January 23, 2019
Edit: I bumped up my rating from 3 to 4 stars. I liked this much more on my second read. The misunderstandings that bothered me the first time weren't as bad because I had more context. The couple have only known each other 4 days before they clear things up, so that's not really so long. They are still new to each other and haven't learned to trust. Some of the sex scenes were a little too much for such a short book but all in all, I liked this story a lot.
Original Review
I love a good "Beauty and the Beast" retelling and this one scratched that itch. I haven't read one involving the American frontier. My only quibble is that Mariana was a bit too sweet and forgiving and John was a bit too harsh. They let their misunderstandings about John's first marriage go on for too long (practically the end of the book). The reconciliation at the end was perfectly romantic. Although I would've loved an epilogue so we can see them happy as a married couple.
Aside from these small issues, I really did enjoy this book.
Original Review
I love a good "Beauty and the Beast" retelling and this one scratched that itch. I haven't read one involving the American frontier. My only quibble is that Mariana was a bit too sweet and forgiving and John was a bit too harsh. They let their misunderstandings about John's first marriage go on for too long (practically the end of the book). The reconciliation at the end was perfectly romantic. Although I would've loved an epilogue so we can see them happy as a married couple.
Aside from these small issues, I really did enjoy this book.
December 5, 2012
3.5 stars
Um, just want to say that I don't know if I think the cover matches the story. Looks to contemporary.
This is a kind of a mail-order bride type story, except the hero came about his first wife (who is already dead at the beginning of the book) by paying a bride price to an Italian father. Upon hearing about the older sister's death, the little sister has come from Italy, sight unseen, as a replacement. The hero is mean and ugly and gives the heroine a hard time.
The rest of the story is about a both of them thinking the other one doesn't like him or her but has lots of sex...lots of sex. Lots of positons too. I actually couldn't imagine a lot of homesteaders doing it the way these two went at it.
So overall, this was two-thirds erotica and the rest about Italian immigrants playing house in Pennsylvania during the 1800s. Oh, and there's a ghost giving whispery advice on the wind. Nice touch.
Um, just want to say that I don't know if I think the cover matches the story. Looks to contemporary.
This is a kind of a mail-order bride type story, except the hero came about his first wife (who is already dead at the beginning of the book) by paying a bride price to an Italian father. Upon hearing about the older sister's death, the little sister has come from Italy, sight unseen, as a replacement. The hero is mean and ugly and gives the heroine a hard time.
The rest of the story is about a both of them thinking the other one doesn't like him or her but has lots of sex...lots of sex. Lots of positons too. I actually couldn't imagine a lot of homesteaders doing it the way these two went at it.
So overall, this was two-thirds erotica and the rest about Italian immigrants playing house in Pennsylvania during the 1800s. Oh, and there's a ghost giving whispery advice on the wind. Nice touch.
August 9, 2018
It is a short story that is telling first three days of H and h`s acquaintanceship; three days that is full of bed antics. If it had more substance and covered a longer period of time it could have been a more likely plot.
July 28, 2012
I really DID mean to keep this for my vacation, which starts Monday, but then I read the first page...and I was HOOKED.
Sweet, SEXY...cute.
Short, too...but worth every minute that I spent reading.
John is NOT going to love this girl who is foisted on him, not when he wanted the MONEY instead. But, you know, she IS kind of cute, in a skinny way. And some of her attributes call to him...
Mariana IS going to make this her home, and she WILL be a good wife, if he would just give her the chance...
A bit of the paranormal here...just a touch...and I found it rather endearing.
Dang, guess I can read it AGAIN on my vacation!
Sweet, SEXY...cute.
Short, too...but worth every minute that I spent reading.
John is NOT going to love this girl who is foisted on him, not when he wanted the MONEY instead. But, you know, she IS kind of cute, in a skinny way. And some of her attributes call to him...
Mariana IS going to make this her home, and she WILL be a good wife, if he would just give her the chance...
A bit of the paranormal here...just a touch...and I found it rather endearing.
Dang, guess I can read it AGAIN on my vacation!
July 30, 2012
It was okay. Porn without plot in my humble opinion. Not really much of character development or plot.
I read it in like two hours so is an easy read. I found it entertaining mostly because I was looking for escapism and this book was not particularly challenging for my mind or emotions.
I'd only recommend it to people who want something really light to read because is not really a book I would re-read.
The sex scenes were okay (read better in fanfiction) and the characters were okay. All in all it was an okay book.
I read it in like two hours so is an easy read. I found it entertaining mostly because I was looking for escapism and this book was not particularly challenging for my mind or emotions.
I'd only recommend it to people who want something really light to read because is not really a book I would re-read.
The sex scenes were okay (read better in fanfiction) and the characters were okay. All in all it was an okay book.
November 26, 2012
It started off slow..but began to come together in the middle..It was good.. Liked the beginning of the story with the detachment of both characters and how they only connected through physical and sexual contact..but as time went on..they began to understand each other emotionally and that they both had a need to be loved as Mariana had been rejected by her father and John by his mother and his 1st wife because of his physical scars. I did enjoy this..it was slow to start with but it was overall very well written and some of the sex in it between the 2 was very steamy ;-)
March 3, 2012
Absolutely Beautiful! This was a sweet love story about scarred (and oh so hairy) widower and a determined mail-order bride. Giovanni (John) reluctantly accepts Mariana into his home as his 'replacement' bride. Due to such a bad experience with his deceased wife (and Mariana's sister), John believes he could never make Mariana happy but Oh-Boy is he in for a surprise. The story is nicely paced and innocently erotic.
June 20, 2010
the only thing negative about it is that it's too short...loved it!
September 23, 2010
I really loved this book. It was tender and sexy and emotionally satisfying.
I admit, I know the author, but that's not why I loved it. :)
I admit, I know the author, but that's not why I loved it. :)
June 10, 2012
The blurb is a little misleading in that I thought this was going to be a bit of a kinky historical romp. I found it instead to be a short but sweet romance with just a tiny hint of the paranormal.
January 19, 2016
A sweet, little light erotic historical.
August 27, 2018
Simple, lovely, sexy, no harm done. Enjoyed the pace of story and story itself. Wish it was longer.
January 17, 2021
Lovely book! I loved the characters.
The only thing I wish, it was just a bit longer and an epilogue was provided. Other than that, I would change one more thing but I soooo enjoyed this one!!
The only thing I wish, it was just a bit longer and an epilogue was provided. Other than that, I would change one more thing but I soooo enjoyed this one!!
September 14, 2022
historical western, italian girl travels west to become wife to her sisters widower, who has a scar and has fears he is ugly
August 1, 2020
Relendo pela decima vez. Eu adoro realmente essa estória, tá que pensar em alguns acontecimentos me deixam um pouco nervosa, mas ver como o amor deles evolui com os fatos que vão acontecendo, me faz feliz. Pode ser um amor diferente mais é perfeito, pela simplicidade de como os fatos acontecem. E tão delicado a forma como ela age para conseguir conquistar o afeto dele, pensando que ele não gosta dela. Mais o principal a maneira que ele age, com medo de perder ela devido a algo tão trivial como um cicatriz. Algo que para alguns pode ser horrível, para outros pode ser nada.
E quando a verdade vem para corações apaixonados, e fácil perceber que não exite a possibilidade de se ficar longe de quem se ama.
O livro é curto mais muito bem trabalhado e com uma escrita maravilhosa.
#DICADAMAK
Bjs
E quando a verdade vem para corações apaixonados, e fácil perceber que não exite a possibilidade de se ficar longe de quem se ama.
O livro é curto mais muito bem trabalhado e com uma escrita maravilhosa.
#DICADAMAK
Bjs
September 29, 2012
It was better than I thought it would be. I liked the difficulty in dealing with the language barrier and how they try to get past it. The love came a little too soon but, in all if was ok. It was very erotic for a mail order 1800's kind of story.
May 30, 2013
A kind of sweet story. Although it was short it was quite enjoyable and just a little bit kinky! I have never read Doreen DeSalvo before but based on her writing in this book I would definitely read something from her again.
November 5, 2010
Sweet story of a mail-order bride coming to replace her sister. The husband doesn't want her, but she's determined to make her mark in the house, and in his heart. There's also a ghost involved.
July 16, 2012
3.75 stars.
July 30, 2012
Uhh... not sure even what to say about this. I guess if it floats your boat then go for it, but it didn't really work for me.
August 8, 2012
Short and sweet.
September 26, 2014
hot...Hot...HOT and steamy scenes!!!!...great read..I wish it was a bit longer...
February 1, 2013
nothing new plot wise really, but still pretty good with all the usual plot points touched on. 3·5 - 4 stars.
December 28, 2013
Such a lovely story, tender and passionate at the same time, like the hero. And I liked Mariana too, she's no silly, helpless girl.
August 18, 2010
This was truly an insult to my intelligence.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews