Beast, Part One (Beast, #1)

by Ella James

[inlibrisveritas]

After Ella James’ Red & Wolfe serial (which I still need to finish) I was curious to see how she handled my favorite fairy-tale and if she could bring some spice to it in a contemporary way. Unfortunately this one didn’t really grab me the way the opener for Red & Wolfe did, but it’s still an interesting start and I’m hoping the next few will be better.

Beast centers around Cal Hammond, also known by his real name Ricardo and Annabelle Mitchell. When the story starts Cal is a well known and sought after actor, known for his looks and his wild nights. Annabelle is seventeen and looking to lose her virginity, hopefully to Cal. The story is a bit well used, but Ella turns the tables by turning Cal and Anna’s story on its head. Now Cal is a harden criminal, put in prison for a stupid mistake, and Anna isn’t prepared for just how much he has changed.

The beginning of the story showed some promise and I was looking forward to seeing how Anna might be able to turn Cal away from his bad habits (i.e. drugs) and a hint of the passion was there…I even had hope after the “incident” that it would be a lifestyle change and a wake up call. Instead Cal goes to prison and turns into an actual Beast, which of course is fine…but the relationship that starts in this book is completely void of passion and desire. It says its there, but it just wasn’t. Everything was too forced.

Will I keep reading it? Possibly, I am curious to see how Cal changes over the course of the story but I don’t see myself being in too much of a hurry to do so. I’ll go finish up Red & Wolfe first and keep my fingers crossed for Hansel when it comes out.