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Winterland Tale #3

Beauty in Her Madness

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Be our guest into this twisted tale where nothing is what it seems, and Winterland is even more dark, sexy, and naughty.

Dinah Liddell has always been the responsible, sensible one. Everything in her life was structured and planned, but ever since her sister, Alice, returned from a mental institution two years ago, Dinah is slowly feeling like she is the one losing her mind.
Nightmares, voices, and visons of things that should not exist crack at the walls of her sanity, bubbling up things from her childhood she’d like to keep boxed up. Especially when two of those visions are sexy as hell brothers. One warm and friendly, the other cold and bitter.
There is a draw to them she can’t deny, pushing at her barriers, and ripping her sanity away.
Her life was going exactly as planned—school, work, and building a life with her longtime boyfriend, Scott. But the harder she tries to keep everything in order, the faster it falls apart, shattering it like glass.
Dinah’s controlled world is about to descend into madness.
When the beauty breaks, the beast will arise. And it is out for vengeance…

Alice in Wonderland meets Beauty and the Beast with a holiday twist. The bad-boys of Winterland are back…and they brought friends.
Be careful what you wish for.

Unknown Binding

First published December 8, 2020

27 people are currently reading
476 people want to read

About the author

Stacey Marie Brown

65 books6,377 followers
Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.

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5 stars
168 (58%)
4 stars
71 (24%)
3 stars
36 (12%)
2 stars
9 (3%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Angie.
1,404 reviews234 followers
December 30, 2020
Alice was the savior of Winterland.
I was its doom.
The harbinger of death and destruction.
They might call me a beauty, but I was actually the beast.

5 Jack Frost stars!!

I know it took me a while to finally finish this book, but it had nothing to do BIHM. I just had to hit pause because of other ARC obligations and Christmas family time, but I was dying to get back to the Winterland world and discover where Dinah's story would go and how it would ultimately connect to Alice's story from the first two books. And once again SMB did not disappoint in creating such a unique world that blended Alice in Wonderland and Christmastime characters that we all know with Beauty and the Beast undertones so beautifully and effortlessly intertwined that I did not want to stop reading.
Dangerous. Wild. Cold. Violent. He was like a winter storm. Behind the beauty, he would destroy and bury you.

Anyone who has read any of SMB's other stories knows that she is a master at writing brooding, angsty, possessive heroes who like to dominate and claim their women, and Frost is no exception. When I first started reading, I couldn't help picturing the Miser brothers from the Christmas cartoon, but SMB quickly replaced those childhood images with two equally enthralling men (though I'm always a sucker for a brooding bad boy in black). Both brothers are shrouded in mystery and neither are what they seem as Dinah struggles to determine what is real and what she is hallucinating.
"You think growing up means losing your imagination, your passion. You haven't grown up, Dinah, you've become terribly dull. Quite ordinary."

With as much as I loved Alice and Scrooge's story from the first two books, I admit it was a bit hard to transition into Dinah's story at first. Dinah's story is a bit more show than tell compared to Alice's, but SMB does a fantastic job of reeling you into Dinah's story while still giving us small glimpses of Alice, Scrooge and the gang living happily away from Winterland. I love everything about this series so far, and I cannot wait for BEAST IN HIS MADNESS, the final book! I will say this again: this series that SMB has created is one of the most unique and brilliantly crafted stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and I am so glad I finally picked up her books this year. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors ever, and I cannot wait to see what she delivers in 2021 ♡

My Jack Frost, the brooding and angsty half of the Miser brothers who is hiding more secrets than Dinah can even fathom...
Profile Image for Colleen Oppenheim.
416 reviews39 followers
December 8, 2020
I absolutely couldn’t wait when I heard that there would be more to this series! As her usual, Stacey created an amazing cast of characters - most new but some old - to capture and captivate my attention. Her world building is honestly like no one else’s. Grab this ASAP!
Profile Image for Kahea.
2,264 reviews123 followers
December 7, 2020
**5 ‘Hot Fudge in My Stocking.’ Stars***

Crazy, chaotic, decadent, dark fun mind f*ck.

That’s what this book, and series, is and while I knew what I was getting myself into, there were moments that had me going ‘Whoa’...like that ending (well, played, btw. Well. Played).

But as this is only part of Dinah’s journey into the crazy world that is Winterland, I have to say, I really liked Dinah. She drove me a bit crazy at times, but she’s sweet, caring and strong ~ especially when they start to haunt her. As for who “they” are...I basically chose a side not long after meeting them and I’m hoping that when everything is said and done my pick doesn’t disappoint me.

This is a crazy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but how can it not be when it’s set in the Winterland world. I’m really enjoying how the author took the fairytale, reshaped it to fit the chaotic world the story takes place in, but not so much that it is unrecognizable.

And as for that ending? That was unexpected and I cannot wait to get my hands on Beast in His Madness!

Note: This is not a stand-alone. You will need to read Descending into Madness and Ascending From Madness to fully appreciate the world and all that has and is going on.

~ Copy provided by TNSPR & voluntarily reviewed ~
Profile Image for Elizabeth Fusselman.
56 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2020
I had no idea this is where we were gonna go, but I'm so glad we did. This story was just as dark & twisty as the first 2 & still just as sexy!
12.7k reviews189 followers
November 6, 2020
Wow. What a story. Dinah’s sister is released from the institution. Unfortunately it makes Dinah feel as if it was her. The book definitely draws you in. Don’t miss out once it’s released.
Profile Image for Monique.
626 reviews43 followers
December 25, 2021
In my opinion, 'Beauty In Her Madness' wasn't as good as the previous books. In the first two, there was some crazy action to go along with the internal character stuff; I got tired of being in Dinah's head with this book. That, and how annoying she was at times. . I also didn't like the way Frost frequently referred to Dinah as 'little one'... it came across as creepy and 'chester-like' to me. Yuck.
Another oddity was the fact that while Dinah was only 20 years old, Frost came across as much older, even though they were close in age as kids.
The story is set in a small town in Conneticut and Winterland, yet British terms popped up from time to time... like flat being used instead of apartment, and knickers for panties. LOL
And... the book ends on a glaring CLIFFHANGER. WTF?
Still, I'm interested on seeing how the saga ends, so I'm on to the fourth book, 'Beast In His Madness'.
A weak 3 stars.
Profile Image for Sarah Dale.
3,170 reviews77 followers
December 9, 2020
WOW!!

Stacey never fails to deliver a book that I absolutely love and are drawn into from the very beginning. Honestly I couldn't put it down.

She has written a really clever tale with this one, just when you think that you know which way the story is going to go you are surprised.

I don't normally like retelling of classic story's but this one of Beauty and the Beast was simply everything although after that ending I really need Beast in his Madness NOW!!

Please note this is not a standalone, you will need to read the other books in the series first!

ARC received in exchange for an honest review from the Author and Next Step PR

https://ilovebookreviewscom.wordpress...
Profile Image for Jenn.
239 reviews5 followers
December 14, 2025
Five stars, this was amazing! Such a fun Christmas Romantasy! Books 1 & 2 are about the older sister, Alice’s journey and book three is about the younger sister Dinah’s. Their stories seem to have collided at the end of this book so I’m excited to see what happens in book four!
Profile Image for Deana.
399 reviews9 followers
December 26, 2020
Beauty in Her Madness

I absolutely loved this book as the first two! Thank you Stacey Marie Brown for continuing these awesome stories into a fourth book to come.
Profile Image for Amber Ziegler.
79 reviews3 followers
January 5, 2021
Jingle my bells!

Holly and Santa and peppermint oh my! I thought i was content after Alice's story in winterland ended. But back down the rabbit hole i went!! Dinah , omg i never saw this coming. At every page turn i had no clue what was going to happen. And all the steam! Holy melted snow I need a cold shower !
Profile Image for Micheala.
1,263 reviews80 followers
January 18, 2022
What a great start to 2022! Finally reading what I should have read months ago, but here we go.

Dinah is Alice’s sister, who apparently is much more connected to Wonderland than we all assumed and believed. She’s a normal person in the first two, but this one reveals she also has a connection, one Alice doesn’t even realize.

I wanted to love this one. Like the rest of Stacey’s books, I truly did. But it was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. 4 because this series and its overall idea is awesome.

On one hand, the author did a fantastic job in showing Dinah’s sanity slipping further and further away. On the other hand, it’s a bit of a letdown after the first two. Alice’s story really brings the whole Wonderland, Christmas theme, sanity together nicely, by having Alice in the world, but Dinah’s only in it for short periods. Her sanity slips further and further away, but as the book progressed, it got a bit tiresome. I felt the book as a whole should have been cut to at least half.

While Alice’s story is a direct Wonderland-themed story, this follows a Beauty and the Beast theme, which still links nicely with Christmas. Honestly, when Stacey thought up this world, I do wish I knew what was in her head, cause HOLY. Even removing the Alice in Wonderland retelling sense, this one is so cool how it weaves together. This aspect is definitely a 5 star factor.

Characters. Dinah is quite fun actually. It was amusing for her sanity to be slipping away and how she handles it. On one hand, she’s a bit more interesting than Alice, but I can’t say that for sure given how many months it’s been since I read her books. On the other hand, she didn’t do anything. I really enjoyed Frost. He’s spicy, intriguing, and everything you expect in a SMB guy. Add in his brother, and whew…!
Profile Image for Helen.
21 reviews
April 22, 2021
I didn't want to read it until the 2nd book was out because I knew I'd cry into the pillow when I don't know it all ends. Now it's out, and I dived in.

This review is for both books but will try for it to be spoilers-free.

Love both of them. They are different from the first story characters wise. Don't get me wrong, Frost is still a grump (Scrooge, anyone), no surprises here, but he is darker. Like waaaaay darker. Dinah annoyed me at first, to be honest. With her...unbelieving (hopefully, it's not a spoiler). But then everything got better. It actually happens a lot. Characters annoy you at first, but then they grow on you.

What I didn't like, I felt like the beauty book should have more scenes of them together. Feels like I missed the moment where this big baraboom happen (love, I mean).

Overall, 5 stars for both books (regardless of the previous passage). The story is original, the characters are interesting and funny. The scenes are steamy. Supporting characters are to die for. Love every single one of them. Chip, buddy, you got my heart.
24 reviews
December 12, 2020
Dinah and her Beast

Stacey does it again! I thought Alice and Scrooge had some chemistry. Dinah an Frost are going to give them a fun for their money! These two were so intense. Just wow!

A twisted take on Beauty and the Beast. Dinah had her life all figured out until her past came back to haunt her. And oh boy, did it. Everyone thinks she's gone crazy including herself, but she's not. Stepping through the looking glass into a fairytale land, memories assault her. Two brothers vying for her attention and one claiming complete and utter ownership. This is the third installment in this series. I cannot wait until the 4th and final book comes out to see what will become of Winterland and all our favorite characters.
Profile Image for Kristine .
79 reviews11 followers
January 11, 2021
Bring on the next!

What a magnificent follow up! BiHM is the 3rd of the series and what a series it is!

Winterland has another Lidell and whoa, baby, her world is changing! A great story with wonderful new characters. Funny, charismatic, intriguing, sexy, funny, and friendly personalities all around plus some old faces we can't help but miss. Add the villains to this all and boom, a winning formula that will leave you needing more.

Great follow up book with a lighthearted, funny, yet adventurous and heartbreaking at parts story. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Tiffany (Bibliophile Babes Book Blog).
541 reviews16 followers
April 4, 2022
Her madness is indeed beautiful

I thought the story of Winterland was done but I was oh so wrong. Dinah is so different from Alice but in ways so much the same. Both sisters seem to posses the extra muchness needed to traverse the craziness that is Winterland. I love that Dinah's story contains different lovable characters like Dor,PB  and Chip. Oh and lets not forget those sexy Miser brothers Frost and Blaze. While I love Blaze, Frost is giving me life!

Secret have now been uncovered and I can't wait to read the final book in this series. The war over Winterland is about to be epic!
Profile Image for Lisa.
447 reviews24 followers
December 9, 2020
This book was good and well written,
But I have to say Alice and Scrooge had me fall in love with this series and I don’t think anyone could win me over like they did in book one and two,
But by the time I got half way through this book 3 I fell in love with this one as well. Omg I want a hot Jack Frost in my life .
This book was well written great Christmas crazy storyline.
Really hoping the last book won’t take to long to come out.
Profile Image for Rhonda Richardson.
47 reviews
December 13, 2020
Peppermints, Tinsel and Christmasy Clifhangers!!

Stacey Marie Brown never disappoints! I was stoked to jump back into Winterland and see some of of favorites from the first two books. Talk about being careful what you wish for! This book was so full of twists and turns and much much muchness and also Frosty hotness and if you barely understand this review it’s because you must be a little mad to be sane enough to get it. One-click this fast!! Also, I need the next book ASAP!
Profile Image for Hannah Conway.
264 reviews3 followers
January 29, 2021
It was a good read except for the fact that she way overdid the out of control hormones. I seriously kept rolling my eyes. The author kept stressing how in control she constantly was but turned into a puddle when around frost. And there was this weird dynamic btwn then were he was calling her little one as you would a child but he also wanted to punish her it was kinda on the weird creepy side but not in a healthy way.
Profile Image for Julie &#x1f54a;️ ~books.and.chocolat3~.
480 reviews12 followers
July 23, 2021
My wish would have been for this book to be 897 pages long.. it was that good ..

Once again Stacey M. hooked me up and pulled me into this addicting universe .. I didn't want and couldn’t put my book .. I didn't think it was possible for her to make me meet a main male character even better than Scrooge .. I was wrong... the same ingredients as the first two books but it’s work. Such a fascinating , sexy and wonderfully weird story with endearing characters. I loved it.
184 reviews
August 11, 2021
SMB continued with her Winterland series, moving from Alice to her sister in a very far take on Beauty and the Beast. And so far, so good! Another fast read, pretty much just sets up the story so I haven't really gotten into the real meat of the action yet - just getting our characters in place at this point. But again, if it follows the pattern of Alice and our favorite Matt Hatter, we are in for another great ride down the rabbit hole!
Profile Image for Megan.
980 reviews9 followers
January 16, 2023
Not as good as the first book

When I found out this was Dinah’s story I got a little upset. I really don’t like her as a character. This story is like a mashup of Santa Claus is coming to town, Beauty and the Beast, and a few other holiday movies that were introduced in books 1-2. I don’t like the side characters nearly as much as I like Dee, Dum, Hare and Pen. However, we do have the broody ahole in Frost, who I do enjoy. Let’s see how it all ends.
Profile Image for Christina Nastos.
92 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2020
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Holy Christmas!! What a page turner! I literally had to force myself to put this book down so I could make it last longer!

SMB has done it again! Taking a classic and adding so many twists and turns!

And leaving us on this cliffhanger!! Dang it! Hasn’t 2020 been rough enough?!!! I need the next book NOW!!
1,268 reviews7 followers
December 13, 2020
Damn peppermint

This story is so good l wish I had the next book already! It's killing me having to wait, because of course the ending is torture and the story has absolutely everything you could want. There are some characters from Alice's story that make an appearance. Blaze and Frost are perfect. The new characters will hook you completely.
Profile Image for Stacey mann.
432 reviews5 followers
December 19, 2020
My brain exploded 😂 in a good way.. omg what a start. Funny, sexy, fast moving and slightly mad okay full on mad.. Beauty in her madness is up there with my top books of 2020 a brilliant read that’s gonna leave you chomping for the next one 💕 total amazing... extra note make sure you have read Alice’s book too maybe first descending into madness and ascending from madness💕
Profile Image for Ashley Abraham.
50 reviews
December 18, 2020
Fudge a fuggin Nutcracker!!

Here I was thinking Ms. Stacey was going to be nicer to Dinah...but nooooooo... Whatever did those Liddell girls do to you woman?! Now I need book #2 because I can't not know what happens next with Dinah *sob*
Profile Image for laura Waddington.
7 reviews
December 20, 2020
Amazing

The third book in the winterland series and it didn't disappoint. Dinah's story is unpredictable with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster cannot wait for the next instalment the winterland takes always leave me wanting more.
Profile Image for Nicole Burke hicks.
17 reviews
January 3, 2021
Wow

Okay I don’t know how I missed this book was out
But I am so glad I saw it on Facebook. I love Winterland and all the characters. This book just adds so much more to the story. I can’t wait for the final book.
Profile Image for Sheri.
814 reviews4 followers
January 7, 2023
I was worried that I wouldn’t like this one as much since this one centers around Dinah, Alice’s sister. But this one sucked me in just as much. The Miser brothers are such great characters. Can’t wait to read the final book of this series!
Profile Image for Krystal.
27 reviews
December 10, 2020
Amazing story!

I love everything about this story! Can’t wait to see what happens next.
Frost is definitely my new book boyfriend. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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