When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

When Beauty Tamed the Beast (Fairy Tales, #2)

by Eloisa James

'Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than Eloisa James' - Julia Quinn

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.

If only her gown hadn't been so fully cut, or she hadn't been caught kissing that prince . . . But now the ton believes Linnet to be with royal child - and therefore unmarriageable - so she might as well make her desperate father happy by consenting to wed a beast.

A brilliant surgeon with a reputation for losing his temper - and a wound believed to have left him . . . incapable - Piers, Earl of Montague, should welcome a bride-to-be carrying a ready-made, blue-blooded heir. But Piers isn't fooled by the lady's subterfuge, and though Linnet's devilishly smart and charming with a loveliness that outshines the sun, there will be no wedding of beauty to beast.

Still, Linnet finds the gorgeous brute intriguing, with a spark of gentility behind his growl that's worth fanning. And it's obvious to the naked eye that 'incapable' does not mean 'uninterested'...

'Eloisa James is extraordinary' - Lisa Kleypas

'Romance writing does not get much better than this' - People

Reviewed by funstm on

5 of 5 stars

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A classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Except the Beast is a Duke with a limp and a bad temper and the Beauty is a delightfully snarky heroine with bite. 5 stars.

I adore Beauty and the Beast and I loved this retelling. Linnet and Piers are hilarious. The banter between them had me giggling and their chemistry is off the charts. Piers can be a complete and utter ass and Linnet was perfect at calling him out for it. Honestly, Piers wasn't even really all that charming when he tried but Linnet seems to like him as is. She gets bored with men who pander to her and her beauty. And Piers definitely won't pander to her.

I liked the way their relationship developed, beginning with friendship of sorts and working up to the romance. Their daily swimming lessons was a nice touch. And I enjoyed the way Linnet gets involved with the medical clinic - helping out to keep the patients entertained. The supporting cast were amusing (Prufrock the butler was a gem) and I liked that the three doctors were named Piers' Ducklings.

The only complaint I had was Linnet's naivety/innocence concerning sexual relations - I mean she's well read - she never bothered to pick up a book? That part seemed a bit odd. Still it was a minor issue and it was funny if nothing else.

A quick and witty retelling with tons of heart and a lot of snark. 5 stars.

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