Beth: A Steamy Tale of Friendship and Self Discovery

by Simone Leigh

A Prequel to 'Bought By The Billionaire'To Love and be Loved... Is that the Same as Being in Love?Must We Always Be What Others Expect Of Us?

What is the purpose of our lives?Must we always put others first, at the expense of our own happiness?Beth has dreams of her own, but to achieve them, she must overcome the prejudice and assumptions of those who say they love her.Does she have what it takes to do it?

A Steamy Tale of Friendship and Self Discovery

5 Stars "Beth is a fantastic start to Simone Leigh’s Bought By The Billionaire series! I absolutely loved reading every single word of this series and I’d always wondered more about Elizabeth’s background and how she started out in life before the infamous shower scene." cfoster00

Genres: Romance, Amazon, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, BDSM

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2021

About the author

Simone Leigh is a writer of intelligent, romantic steamy fiction. Her red-hot thriller, ‘Target’, won the Reader Voted #BestBook Award in the ‘Inks and Scratches’ Summer Splash Book Awards.

To claim a FREE copy of Target, visit this link: https://www.simone-leigh.com/books/ta...

Although English, Simone has lived in Spain for the last few years. Here, she divides her time between working on her tan, decorating her beautiful villa, writing hot romance and thrillers, and swimming naked in her swimming pool.

According to one internet troll, she is 'beyond redemption'...

Visit her website to claim a FREE book and lots of other freebies and giveaways.

https://www.simone-leigh.com/

Follow Simone on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/perfumepetal...

Follow Simone on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/simon...

And for those following the 'Buying the Virgin' story, here's a link to a 'Suggested Reading Order' for the books.

https://www.simone-leigh.com/suggeste...

Reviews

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Auto superación, romance

Beth está luchando por ser algo más que una mujer sometida por su padre, quiere estudiar, quiere conocer otras personas. Pero para su familia su deber es hacer lo que le digan, sin opinar y aceptarlo todo. Así que tendrá que luchar para liberarse de esa opresión, así tenga que hacerlo sola.

Esperaba que el libro tuviera más contexto con los personajes, ninguno de ellos se siente lógico o real. La prota es una mujer que vive quejándose de la vida, pero no es capaz de hacer nada para lograr lo que quiere. Al final, se siente forzado cuando toma la decisión de irse, así como lo que "sufre" para mantenerse.
Además, pensé que era auto-conclusivo, y es solo el primero de una serie, que no me llama para nada la atención.

[QuinnReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking the Good with the Bad

I've read some of Beth's earlier stories and I know where she is in the over arching storyline that connects her story with that of other series from Simone Leigh but this was a good read. It's frustrating, sweet, unnerving, and sad. It gave me the shivers, especially toward the end - not in a good way.

I really liked her relationship with Brad, her best friend and lover. I respected that they were honest with each other about their roles with one another. He was genuinely concerned about doing right by her heart and their friendship.

Her family was another matter... well, except for her uncle who was the only person to consistently support and encourage her. The rest of her family would've done well living in the 1940's & 50's with their backwards views on the role of women in the world.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is the purpose of life? When you are a female it often times seems that your purpose is to make men happy. NO I don’t mean sexual but that does come into play later on. Beth is tired of being pushed down and overlooked but when she stands up for herself the Pooh Pooh hits the fan. Travel, a higher education and life are out there somewhere but is it achievable? Determination and grit are required for Beth to become what she wants but does she have enough of those qualities to survive? If you’ve read the Virgin Series you know what kind of a person Beth is but this story was a detailed look at why Beth is as she is. Again, Simone has written a wonderful story. I started and didn’t stop til finished.

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

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this spin on Beth’s life before Richard!
Simone knows how to weave a plot that successfully ties in one story to the next. I’ve previously read Beth’s story when she met Richard while working at the Imperial Hotel, so was hooked to read “Beth” from the get go! I discovered the struggles that Beth went through growing up with her father and cousin’s antiquated values of a woman’s worth. Thankfully Beth has her best friend and uncle to help her seize the day. I absolutely loved it and the ending fits perfectly with Bought By The Billionaire!

[Marlene Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Beth Haswell, before she became the wife of a billionaire Richard Haswell....she grew up in a family where women were expected to follow rules, never veer from them and never hope for more...opportunity, education and adventure not in the cards...but this is the story of how she developed determination and grit to go after her dreams...I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cheryl Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

And we have a winner ...

This book is just perfect in how it explains Beth’s past and all that came before. I so wanted to slap her father - I was muttering about him as I read the words. This book has filled all the little spaces and answered the questions that have been in the background of the stories about Charlotte and Mitch and Beth. A great addition to the tales that Simone Leigh so brilliantly weaves.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Elizabeth(beth) Kimberly has enough of her family they think of her as property and think that she just needs a husband but she has other dreams this is her story and who she is . Beautiful story 10 starts.

[Anne Young-Cronister · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the backstory for Beth. Richard’s wife and cousin to Charlotte. This was interesting knowing how she started out. Her grit and determination are very admirable. It took a lot of guts for her to move into the city on her own!

I reviewed a complementary copy of this book via BookSprout .

[Kenna Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to a fanatastic series

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. I really enjoyed going back to Beth's beginning and learning about her relationship with her family. Her Uncle Al broke my heart. This series just gets better and better.

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

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a difficult read to me. The timeline jumps back and forth without benefit. The characters are all hard to like; they aren't easy to emotionally connect with.

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

[James L Wargula · Rating 1 out of 5]

Part one with no end

Good story to start, but goes on to just stop. It ends with "want to find out...". Well, I don't want to waste any more time.

[Kim Pond · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the life of Beth and how it all began when she meets Richard for the first time during the shower scene from the Billionaire series. Love it!

Beth is 26 years old still living with her parents working at her family hardware store. Overworked and underpaid. Her father feels she is paid enough because she still lives under his roof. She will never be able to save any money on her salary to make it on her own and become who she wants to be. Her father is very controlling and things are just the way he wants them, his daughter staying home and working the family business. She has no life of her own. She doesn’t even have a boyfriend. She has a steamy relationship with her best friend, Brad. Brad is getting ready to go off to college. He also talks to Beth about her reaching out for her goals.

Beth finally decides Brad is right. She needs to make some changes so she can have her own life. She needs to quit the hardware store and find a new job so she can put some money away to start college and live her own life.

Beth interviews for a law firm and is hired. Her dad said she is to work at the hardware store and she is to turn down her new job. Beth refuses. She shows up on her first day of work to find that her father had called them and said that Beth would not be working for them. Beth told them she wants the job but they had already filled the position. Beth is furious! Beth realizes the only way to ever get out from under her father is to move away.

Beth had $5,000 she received from her Uncle to help her start college. He knew how bad she wanted to start her own life and that her father would never help her. He would never let her go. He needed her help.

Beth runs home. She confronts her father about his interference with her starting her new job. She tells her father that she is moving away to the city and start college. She told him about the $5,000 she received from her Uncle to help her get started. He accused her of him for the money. Beth told her father she would find a job to pay for the rest. He told her if she leaves that she is no longer family to them and to not come back.

Beth heads out to the city where she rented a small apartment, furnished. She finds it to be a dumpy place but it will have to do for now.

She gets signed up for some college classes. She now needs to find a job or she will run out of money. Beth is finally doing what she wants.

You will love reading this book about Beth and her determination to be the person she wants to become. Will she succeed? How will she do it? Her journey will keep you wanting to read more. You just never know what life has to offer until you go for it.

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

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the revealing story of a young woman, Beth, who struggles against misogynistic beliefs and stereotypes within her family as she reaches adulthood. She wants to spread her wings, discover what is out there, and find a place for herself in the wider world. She hungers to find something better than what her small, conservative town can offer. The one person who has been her steadfast friend and confidante is getting ready to leave town for college and may never return. She wishes him well, but also wants what he has: a way out. Her father, an older male cousin and, to some extent, her mother all insist that she not leave her home, or her town, or attend college. They want her to remain at home until she finds someone local to marry. Then, in their minds, her care, her life, would be safely transferred to the hands of a husband, and her main focus should be her husband and children. The story takes place somewhere in recent years, not too far in the past. Most folks, in my opinion, would think such ideas encompass a rather outdated notion of womanhood, at the point in time this story occurs. However, Beth’s family seemed to embrace such traditional beliefs, and similar attitudes may have been alive in the backwater town in which she grew up. Well, those reasons and the fact that Beth’s miserly father was very loathe to lose her as a cheaply-paid employee in his store.

The story of ‘Beth’ ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, but the full continuing story is available now on Amazon. ‘Beth’ is the newly-written prequel to Simone’s enthralling series from a few years ago: ‘Bought by the Billionaire.’ I loved the series; it is one of my all-time favorites. It was wonderful learning about Beth’s previous life and struggles before she met and fell in love with her Master, Richard! The prequel ends just before her first real encounter with him, which picks-up from there in the series. (You can buy the series as individual books, but it is also offered in boxset form. Boxset 1 is free and includes books 1-6 of ‘Bought by the Billionaire.’) I highly recommend ‘Beth,’ and give it 5 stars!

[Ayezu Tamarapreye Okoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK:BETH-A STEAMY TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND SELF DISCOVERY-A PREQUEL TO BOUGHT BY THE BILLIONAIRE BY SIMONE LEIGH.
BOOK REVIEWER-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE.
SYNOPSIS
A fictional story about the character Beth and Brad her lover( pronounced lo-va for law -affair) of whom they were both initially not in love( pronounced lo-ve for "law victory") but friends with benefit ending up making love( law victory).It also delves into looking at Beth and and her battery(ba-tree as pronounced) operated boyfriend with a slow start and gradual build up to pleasure a woman ( woo-man).It is a story on family conflicts and saga and solving same.It looks at wage increment in family owned business and propelling the employer to do same by added certification in something new( pronounced nee- you) .It looks at part time careers and part time jobs as opposed to life time careers and full time jobs; Punctuality in work place;work place sexual harrassment and circumventing same;combining school and work;human rights and women rights amongst others.It raises questions whether sex between friends was immoral and whether it made it wrong if someone else was being hurt or if you got pregnant; whether there is a limit when wanting a woman and psychologically maneuvering her to want you becomes rape; whether in working for someone else or for family whether sexual harassment was prone to occure in the former or the latter;amongst others.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to the story of Richard and Elisabeth. Like all Simone's books, this too was riveting all the way through. It had taken me to about a quarter of the book to realise that I know who Beth is and how she fits in with the story with Richard ‘(Bought by the Billionaire series) and also with Charlotte and her triad ( Buying the virgin series). When the characters of Steven and David were allowed more latitude on the pages, I clicked where it was I had read about those two characters before. Yes, it was necessary to write this book to appreciate where Beth/Elisabeth was coming from, what her background was and to give her identity more weight. She isn't merely a young woman on the cusp of her sexual awakening but someone who has suffered humiliation, lack of affection from her family all her life. Her uncle Al was able to help Elisabeth to get away, who was always fond of her for reminding him of his own daughter and who suffered greatly without his help. I most certainly would recommend this book to complete the character of Elisabeth and her past. Simone's penmanship is up to her usual great standard with interesting dialogues, tension-points, vocabulary and let us not forget the steam!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Buying the virgin series)

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just going to browse a chapter of this last night and - like Simone's other books - I could not stop reading. Two hours later, way past my bedtime I was tired but happy. Oh Beth, I'm so proud of you. I have avidly devoured Charlotte's epic in the Mastering the Virgin series so I knew a little bit about her and her connection to Charlotte. I'd always planned to pick up Beth and Richard's saga but hadn't gotten around to it. I think I have been missing out!

I don't think you need to have read any of Simone's other books to pick up "Beth" - this is a prequel - but if you have this is a real treat to peek into Beth's life before Richard. The story flows really well and she's such an empowered character. You can feel that resilience and drive previously spotlighted in Charlotte (and Mitch) awaken in Beth (must be a family trait with the Kimberley redheads?). Beth is sweet with her family but so strong and determined. Love her. Now I'm off to dive into her story with Richard that I've been missing out on.

[Alicia Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Spoilers* I loved how Beth added depth to the character of Elizabeth in the book Bought By the Billionaire! After reading Beth, it is understandable that Elizabeth is willing to go pretty much into a 24/7 relationship with her master Richard. I loved her relationship with her best friend, Brad, and the fact that he helped her to realize the type of relationship that she wanted out of a significant lover. Beth helps the reader realize that Elizabeth is very capable, as well as, has an aptitude for business as demonstrated by her work in her father’s hardware store. The tragedy of the sexism shown by her father and his family still exists in different cultures even in the 21st century which is unfortunate in our modern world. This fact led me to cheer Beth’s attempts to gain freedom from her oppressive family. Kudos to Ms. Leigh for the supplemental information that expanded Elizabeth’s character!

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

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.5*’s. What would it be like to grow up doing you did what everyone expected and never encouraged to do more? That is the “oppressed female” feeling that I got from this story. It was heart wrenching to see the thoughts and feelings that Beth experience around relationships, family, career, and overall purpose in life. I suspect there were a number of details purposely hidden in the story to perhaps create suspense later. I can honestly say I felt very uncomfortable as Beth transitions from living at home working in a small town to the big city fending for herself and pursue her dreams. The way the story ended I suspect it’s a cliffhanger to bridge to the next novel? The story felt like a slow build but with great potential for a character such as Beth with discord and secrets in her past

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

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An introductory prequel of a previously released box set

I believe that this is the second story I've read by Simone Leigh. She writes well. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with this novella. It was depressing and ended as a cliffhanger, so not a full story. The introduction does not mention the cliffhanger or that it's a prequel giving the background story of the heroine in the boxed set BOUGHT BY THE BILLIONAIRE - PART ONE. The only character I truly liked was the uncle and his role was small. Since the boxed set is only 116 pages and ends on a cliffhanger as well, I doubt I'll continue reading.

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

[Gladys Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth. I now have a sense of where Beth comes from. This book gives the back story of the way Beth was treated before Richard stepped in to her life. She grew up with a family that believed they could rule her life. Her father decided how she lived according to his rules. Once she could, she left to discover a life she could conquer and excel from. The story is a bit slow and lives you with wanting to discover how she meets her Master. I enjoyed this book!  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

[Tabbatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Simone’s series bought by the billionaire and buying the virgin. I loved seeing how Beth came to be in the city. There was always hints to Beth’s and Charlottes family about how old fashioned they were. It was interesting to read about the characters mentioned in the earlier books. I’ve read both these series multiple times but now after reading Beth I’m starting bought. Buy the billionaire again. I’ll go into it with a different.mind frame knowing where Beth came from, it will be like reading it for the first time. Can’t wait for more!

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

[Valerie Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read the rest of the series yet, this is the prequel setting the scene for how Beth 's character develops.
I didn't think the book fulfilled the promised blurb: it was filled with minute detail of Beth's life which I thought was boring and showed her to be full of dreams but lacking in ambition. It was probably meant to show how controlling her family were but at 26 years old she was still at home, lacking the inner strength to leave despite the support of her friend-with-benefits who also seemed to be using her.
I do intend to read the next in the series but I'm not sure I'll stick with it.

[Ash J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy The Virgin series and really appreciated this book explaining to everyone why Beth is the way she is and what happened in her past. The story was sad at times and made me really frustrated at others. Elizabeth definitely did not live a life of luxury and I believe her later life made her much happier. I think the writing of this story was such a wonderful and smart idea from Simone. Can't wait to read more from the original series!

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

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, reading this after everything we've been through with Beth was definitely a wonderful experience. All the emotions, the trials, the battles she's fought, even her dreams. It's made me want to re-read the series which I intend to start after writing this review. If you've read "Bought by the Billionaire", you're going to want these bits just to fill in some of the blanks. If you haven't read this series yet, what a great time to start. It's just a beautiful journey with so many twists and turns you'll become hooked like the rest of us.

[JLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Simone Leigh wrote about Beth's background. You meet Beth in Buying the Virgin and continue to get to know her more in Bought by the Billionaire, Charlotte's Search and The Master's Child. We meet Beth but we don't really know much about her pay or how she got to be working at the Imperial. This book fills in all those blanks. We get to actually know Beth and also learn a bit more about Stephen and David. I love that we get this glimpse into what makes Beth tick. Well done!

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

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prequel to Bought by the Billionaire. Love all of Simone Leigh's books and it was great to read about Beth's early life. She has a friends with benefits relationship with best friend Brad but knows it will go nowhere because he's leaving for college. Her parents expect her to continue living at home and working in the family store for next to nothing and marrying and presenting them with grandchildren. Not what Beth wants from life. Great story and we find out what leads her to Richard. Great prequel to a sensational erotic series.

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book it was great, the story was written well and the characters were intriguing. I absolutely loved this series, this book gives you an understanding of Beths life, before she met her master. Simone Leigh has done an outstanding job and with the characters that you felt jealous that Beth was getting all the actions and all I do is dream after reading the book. The book was steamy, arousing, adrenalin pumping sexual pleasures, desire, passion, pain and even lust.

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

[Cathylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beth is under her father's thumb. I really enjoyed the way this story was written. I found the characters to be well developed. I thought Beth was determined and strong, and very happy that got upset with her father for the stunts he pulled. Brad was a great addition to the story and helped motivate Beth. I thought the story flowed and was entertaining. It kept me with the characters and plot until the end. I would recommend to a friend.

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

[Jackie Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A prequel to Bought by the billionaire, this book provides an insight into Beth’s earlier life and explains how she decides to leave her hometown for opportunities to work and learn in the city .

It ties in beautifully to the beginning of bought by the billionaire . In fact I think I might have to reread it now !

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