Beauty and the Alpha

by Liliana Carlisle

I sold my soul to the devil.

I traded my life for my father's freedom.
Now I'm the Alpha's prisoner, and he only wants one thing from me...
To be his mate.
But there’s more to me than meets the eye—I’ll never be the perfect Omega he expects me to be.
He’ll always be a monster in my eyes.
And if he thinks I can save him…
He couldn’t be more wrong.

Beauty and the Alpha is a non-shifter Omegaverse fairytale. It is a standalone novella with dark themes and a HEA!

Genres: Omegaverse, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Enemies To Lovers, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2020

About the author

Liliana Carlisle is a romance author that loves angst, drama, and passion. The spicier the better!

She resides in Northern California with her husband, stepchildren, and emotional cats. She started her writing "career" in seventh grade, writing Backstreet Boys fanfiction in her notebooks. When she's not writing she can be found studying classical voice, playing Fortnite, or gulping cold brew.

Reviews

[Louise H's Book Thoughts]

The author cleverly wove the classic fairy tale together with an omegaverse setting and blended the two together really well. I've not read the original fairy tale, so I don't know how dark that one goes, but this is very much on the lighter end of the spectrum, albeit the one that still has plenty of steamy sex included!


It did feel a little light on the omegaverse side of things in terms of instinct, dynamics and hierarchy. Personally I would have liked a little more focus on her nesting, the knotting, how the A/B/O dynamic is viewed within the world, but then it possibly would have lost that wonderful fairy tale feel.


It balances on the edge of novel and novella, in terms of length, which limited how much world building the author could achieve. However she did finely craft two rich and detailed main characters who drew me into the story and made the reading experience very enjoyable. It's not a book that will drag your emotions through the wringer, but sometimes we want a pleasant read, a warm hug of comfort and joy, and this is just the book for getting that.

[Meredith is a hot mess]

Full review to come but I loved this so much!

[Alli]

4 stars
Short but good read! It was kind of stereotypical and predictable but it is based on a story we all know. I liked it but it wasn’t anything spectacular.

[Emily]

Let me start by saying I loved the cover of the book. Whoever that woman is, I think she is the epitome of the Beauty character. (She reminds me of a very young Olivia Hussey in 1968's Romeo & Juliet movie--which I loved!) Liliana Carlisle's story itself was a wonderful and very satisfying version of the Beauty & the Beast tale. It has lots of steamy hot scenes, a touch of darkness, lots of angst. All of the characters in this tale are steeped in sorrow and distress, as they should be for a Beauty/Beast re-telling. It was the author's particular way of portraying the storyline and characters that I enjoyed greatly, along with the way she turned certain details into devices that made the story more relatable, more engaging. For instance, I found the author's several depictions of the Hourglass at certain points in the tale a fascinating addition. It really highlighted the inescapable nature of the curse on Beast. I empathized with Beauty's struggle with anxiety/panic disorder. Having that affliction made her seem more real to me. The author set this story in the Omegaverse world, and I feel the OV world is the perfect setting for Beauty and the Beast. There were only one or two things I felt could have been done differently. A few more details about the Enchantress and her daughter could have been brought in earlier in the story, providing them in a way that didn't divulge the ending. I just felt the author’s revealing of that very important part of the tale was too much to leave it all for the end. Also, I would have liked a little more background for Miss Mullins; more than the sentence or two that Beast gave us near the ending. However, with Beast split between uncontrolled madness and uncontrolled passion, and Beauty a prisoner of fear for herself and worry for her father, the happiness of their requited love for each other brought about a very satisfying ending. For me this was a wonderful 4-star story.

[Michelle Claypot_Reads]

I discovered this author after a recommendation and I’m so glad. This was a great omegaverse read. Plenty of emotion and a very growly alpha. Loved it

[valentina]

escasean los buenos libros de omegaverse, son tiempos desesperados + un criterio debatible para elegir lecturas, lo que me llevó a leerme este retelling de bajo presupuesto de la bella (la omega) y la bestia (el alfa) 🧍🏻‍♀️

[Dee]

Oh, the heat is HOT, and the physical chemistry is captivating so be careful you may just get burned all the heat coming off these pages. There were some "oh no" "oh wow" " what the what" moments and add in uncanny mishaps, ups, downs, drama, intrigue, and suspense the good kind that makes you turn the page until there are no more to turn. I love the retelling of the Beauty and the Beast in the Omegaverse realm. Noelle was Beauty all along the way she gets along with other, the way she stands out and the way the jerk always feels he should have her because of her beauty and innocents but this jerk took it a little to far. Good thing her true mate was there but William was beautiful in his own way, but you had to get past a lot of ugliness to see it. He was a tortured soul from the time he was a child and his father didn’t get the father of the year award thus him not learning how to treat a women and the magic the witch used just made it worse. Oh, he had women fall at his feet but there no feelings ever in dealing with them until Noelle. I love that she was strong and took nothing from William thus teaching how to treat her but it also, helped that they were mates so fate had her hands in all of this to so will she end up with the Beast as all the stories prior to this one indicates or will she run and not return leaving him to die alone…will he learn to love and can he win her heart?

[Leeza W]

Spoilers may be included.

I really admired this book. It was a retelling if Beauty and the Beast with an Omegaverse twist. I admittedly was not sure about bringing in Omega/Alpha dynamics at first, but I am so glad I gave this a shot!

Noelle and William ended up going so well together. Both are outsiders, admittedly in different ways. There were times I wanted to rage at William and then he would be so sweet, and it would have his viewpoint which made him so much more understandable, and likable, as a character. The panic sickness and how he treated the illness really is what fully won me over for him, but I had been very sympathetic before that just from seeing things from his side. I felt like there was more of an emotional connection here than in the Disney version just because of that whole situation.

Overall it gets 5 of 5 stars! I will definitely be revisiting this book in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ronel Olver]

Great retelling of the classic beauty and the beast with omega/alpha dynamics. This book is is a bit darker than other retellings, with the Omega/Alpha influence and the heat as well as a kidnapping and attempted rape triggers for sensitive readers.

William is a tortured soul and he has moods swings one moment he is horrible then sweet, total whiplash at times. I loved that in this retelling Noelle is a strong young woman with her own demons to fight and her own fears to overcome and the way William treated her "panic sickness" was endearing and really elevated his hero status in my eyes. Both William and Noelle are strong characters and attracted to each other, I loved the interactions between them and the chemistry/heat. Really enjoyed the read, if you love fairytales you would enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa]

I loved this! I've read so many Beauty and the Beast retellings, I didn't think I'd ever run into a story that stood out. This book, however, delivered! I'm a big fan of omegaverse and fairytales and this story had both. The omegaverse gave this story a unique edge that I greatly enjoyed.

Just like Beauty and the Beast, this book had enough push and shove in it that made the characters work for their happily ever after. Even with the connection between the characters that came from being compatible as far as alpha and omega biology goes, Noelle and William each had a lot to work through before they could even consider being happy with their lives.

This was a different take on a popular fairytale that I'll end up reading more than once. It's definitely worth reading!

[Daughter of Paper and Stone]

It all would have been better if it had been a novel instead of a novella.

There was enough conflict and plot development to further expound the very complicated characters and their actions. Loads of potential wasted when it comes to the romance and the groveling the hero definitely needed to do.

If he had not been so bittersweet and repentant in his thoughts I might just have DNF’d.

The heroine did not seem the same from the first act when compared to the second act. It was not exactly character development more like a switch flipped on and she became another person.

Also, the writing was not bad it just felt short and a bit weird at times. Some good editing would have helped.


2.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[BookSLoth]

Fairytale omegaverse style

** 3.5 stars **
You pretty much know what to expect with this story as it does follow the tradition fairytale but it does have that unique omegaverse twist to it. Is it an original take on the story; does it all something new? Well the answer is no. It is another entertaining story that you can add to your short omegaverse shelf, yes. It definitely hits all the points to put it on that shelf and I find it hard to put books on my shelf. Though I do wish there was more character development like background on how everyone could forget William and castle in 10 years, who was Miss Edwards daughter to William in his POV. They story good, but very predictable.

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases]

Alessandro Preziosi and Blanca Suarez in Beauty and the Beast 2014

Beauty and the Beast x omegaverse. Although it is very short, it's entertaining and true to the genre. Also, the cover is lovely. The story is very fast paced and the beast can be very irrational. But it's a good one time read.

[kay reads]

dnf at 65%
could not for the life of me continue beyond 65% because the writing was absolute cringe, early 2014 wattpad werewolf novella. It had a beauty and the beast twist to it but it was just copy paste the actual story but make it alpha omega and what's worse is that he kept calling her 'Omega' when she called him by his name during hanky panky that wasn't even written well, it was an absolute mess. Disiked both characters.

[MyBook Journey]

A searing hot retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale set in an Omegaverse world, it's a fast-paced story with all the drama, mystery, magic and steam you need to be gripped by the story from start to finish.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser]

This is a well written Fairytale with strong characters and an intense story line. The author does a great job developing the story and describes her scenes perfectly. It's a short story ,moves quickly and smoothly and I enjoyed reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Zen]

Beauty and the beast retelling

This story is a beauty and the beast retelling set in a omega verse universe. This story sticks pretty true to a Disney type story than the original and is pretty bare bones. There are no additions or embellishments to the story other than adding the omega verse characteristics to it. Great for someone who is a fan of this story.

[Kathryn]

This is an intense and intriguing dark retelling. I really enjoyed the omega and alpha dynamics. The story moves quickly and is captivating with its ups and downs. Very enjoyable and well written read.

[DD11]

Wow the cast of beauty and the beast is all here! But instead of the big dance scene you get omega going through heat sex! LOL.

Easy quick read.

[Skylar]

3.5

[Burberi]

Not very well written but an interesting story.

[Chalice]

The couple: William and Noelle

Romance genre: omegaverse
Part of a series: No
Length: 131 pages

Plot: Noelle is an omega who works very hard to take care of her ailing father (who seems to have dementia). There is an alpha in town who harasses her, and a nice neighbor next door who looks after her father on occasion. One day, her father runs away, and she goes to look for him. She finds him in a castle (that she didn't know was there), at the mercy of William, a bitter, isolated alpha who has already hurt her dad (who was confused and was looking for her):

“There’s no one here by that name,” I growl, my chest rumbling. The old man struggles in my grip, his grey eyes wild. I could see how he was once an Alpha, but time has shriveled and shortened him. “Breaking and entering is punishable by death,” I continue. “But I’m feeling generous today.” My fist connects with his face. Miss Mullins screams.

Once there, Noelle trades places with her father, who she sends back to the village. William is pretty awful to her, up until he falls in love. The problem is that there's a curse (of course!) and the only way to break the curse is for Noelle to genuinely fall in love with William. But when Noelle goes home to check on her dad, she finds out that the nice neighbor is also the witch who cursed William because he spurned her daughter: ("I never accepted their offers, of course. It was always fun to toy with them, enjoy their sweet scent for a night."). What to do now?

Character development: William was a total bastard and it took him a long time to see himself out of that mindset. It's hard to blame him for being bitter; he's been cursed with little hope of changing that. However, his surliness and aggressiveness make it easy to see why someone might have wanted to curse him. Bless his pretty little omega for being so patient - but that's kind of the built-on package, right?

I enjoyed this story - a Beauty and the Beast take on omegaverse, which is a pretty naturally pairing as far as I'm concerned!

Would I read more from this author/in this series: Yes

[Dani]

Imaginative but needs editing

This was an interesting combination of Beauty and the Beast with the Omegaverse, but the grammatical errors almost took me out of the story.

[JD (on semi-hiatus)]

This is an Omegaverse riff on Beauty and The Beast -- the most adapted fairy tale in the erotic genre. Certainly, given how similar the Beast and many Omegaverse Alphas are, blending the two sub-genres works.

Since I imagine that most know Beast's basic plot, I'll simply mention four of Ms. Carlisle's innovations that I appreciated: the gland as erotic site; Noelle's panic disorder and the care and understanding that William shows in helping her with it; the true "curse" as less otherworldly and more rooted in learned patterns of toxic masculine behavior; and the witch's reason for cursing the Beast. In most versions of this story, her motivation is fairly weak and somewhat impersonal. It isn't here and, because of that, causes real, high-stakes conflict between the H and h that appears insurmountable -- adding tension and suspense to an otherwise familiar plot.

I did, however, have two problems with the book that affected my rating. First, while I enjoyed the story behind the curse, I felt that the Enchantress character was simply dropped at the end with no explanation. Given how important she had been to Noelle and William -- albeit for different reasons -- her sudden disappearance should have been explained. I would also have liked to see William make some sort of atonement separate from the curse. There is nothing worse than losing a child and while it's true that we're never entirely responsible for another's actions and he was young at the time, I never got the sense that William understood the depth of the mother's pain. Second, the prose was riddled with editing errors (poor grammar and incorrect word choice). While none were glaring, there were so many that they took me out of the story. I urge the author to proof more carefully.

3 1/2 stars. If you're looking for a relatively mild Omegaverse novel (William never rapes or harms Noelle), I do recommend this. Ultimately, both characters earn their HEA.

[evi ౨ৎ˚⟡˖]

If you have seen Disney's Beauty and the Beast, you've literally seen the beginning 30% of this book.

I DNF'ed at about 33% because I was so bored. From what I read of the first 30%, I think Disney has a case for plagiarism here. It was pure laziness to blatantly copy the movie. I've read numerous Beauty and the Beast retellings and this is the laziest and most boring version. There was nothing original or distinct.

I wasn't asking for a lot. I just wanted a little smut with my Beauty and the Beast retelling. But Carlisle just had to copy a children's movie for the plot and bore me to the point I DNF'ed.

If you were going to rip your plot from a Disney movie, at least add something unique or enjoyable. The dialogue was clunky and the characters were dull.

Maybe it gets better. Maybe it gets more unique as the story goes on. I don't care. This is why it is important to have a good beginning. Bad beginnings lead to DNFs.

I thought about reading more of this, but why torture myself with a bland book when there are so many interesting books out there. So DNF and on to (hopefully) a better book.

[Zia]

1.5 ⭐

Well, they say, don't judge a book by its cover. I guess, they're right.

Compared to the beautiful cover, the book itself failed to deliver.

It's an omegaverse take on Beauty and the Beast. Our Belle, Noelle, has an ailing father who has schizophrenia (?). And our Beast, William who got cursed because he was a true fuckboy before. He had terrible anger issues though, I tell you.

William and Noelle's character (fundamentally) didn't bother me as much as the storyline did. Didn't at all like how it all went down.

First half was spent on William constantly fucking up in basic human decency and communications. His repetitive anger episodes bored me too.

And in the next half, the actual reason behind the curse was disturbing and wasn't dealt with properly. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

Both the lead characters didn't even have any leeway to interact outside of bedroom for me to root for them. I didn't sense their non-existent connection either.

The writing style was easy to get through so for that the above rating. It sucked overall.

I liked this author's other omegaverse books but this one didn't work for me🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[Brenna]

Almost didn’t finish

With all the glowing 5 star, I thought this book was going to be fun. I love fairytale retellings and beauty and the beast is one of my favorite Disney movies (yes, it follows Disney’s version quite closely).

Spoilers!

However, the beast is almost un redeemable. He would have happily killed her father, starved her and threatened to rape her. I fought my way through that but and sort of forgave him, but the the girl goes crazy.

The heroine actions make no sense to the second half of the book. She condemns him for murder, because he rejected a girl and the girl committed suicide. Then rejects him and sends him away (by telling him that she’s found a man whose ‘knot is better’ - gag… how old is she 14?) all while knowing he was going to die if she doesn’t go and that she’s breaking her word in the process. But since he’s a murder it’s totally fine. Then when he leaves, she’s all sad about it.. I wish I could give her two quick slaps the the face.

There are a lot of better written omegaverse books and this one was not the best.

[Ana Rosa]

Growing up watching Disney beauty and the beast well, I figured let me give this book a try. Unfortunately, it’s a disappointment. It’s exactly like beauty and the beast. With a crazed father an enchanted prince and the real villain Gaston but she changed the names. The plot is still the same instead of a flower is an enchanted hour glass.

Now there are sex scenes and it is omegaverse but to me it wasn’t good enough.

[Carol]

1.5/2 Stars

Meh. This is the perfect example of when a story better fits a full novel length and not novella. It was an okay quick read but due to the length there was no emotional depth. I truly felt nothing except disappointment that I didn't feel anything because with this kind of plot I should have.

So, in the end it suffered because of the length of the story. Too much was left unexplored and untold.

[cara]

Wish the H was more gentle with the h. He always kept on screaming at her, scaring her, starving her etc. And then got mad when his housekeeper asked him if he hit her, so this where you draw the line ? You might as well have. Starving and screaming at her while breaking glass all around is fine ?
In the end it felt like the h went back to him out of pity rather than pure want or need. She knew he would die and she felt bad for him more than in felt the need that she cannot live without him