Rating 3.5 Stars
Review
I ended up reading this series a little out of order by reading book two, Tower, first before coming back to book one, Beast. While there are a few minor spoilers if you don’t read them in order, it’s nothing major that would stop you from enjoying it and they could definitely still be read as standalones.
However, I’m glad I read Tower first because I enjoyed it a lot more than Beast. It wasn’t anything big (and I feel like most people who enjoy one book will enjoy the other) but I just didn’t really like the hero, Ash, that much. He’s a dominant with a love for BDSM, runs several clubs and businesses within the same area of interest and is the typical alpha male but his interactions with Ellie felt off for most of the story. For probably 90% of the book, I wanted Ellie to stand up for herself and just walk away. It wasn’t really until right at the end that I started to think maybe they weren’t so bad together as a couple.
As it’s a darker alternative to the classic fairytale, I did enjoy the twist with the father and it made me love Ellie’s genuine, selfless personality even more. She’s a sweet heroine who really goes above and beyond for those she cares about. But when it comes to Ash’s world, she has a lot to learn.
Despite the serious tones to the story, the villain/s in the book are actually funny in their nefarious plotting and it adds some much needed humour. Their particular “likes”, reasons for doing what they do, and how they go about it keep the book from being too heavily focused on Ash’s business dealings.
Overall this was still a fun story and playful take on the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. I’m definitely eager to read book three, Red! Can you guess which fairytale that’ll be about?
Bookishly Nomes 
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