Temp worker David Evans has been dreaming of Dr. Alun Kendrick ever since that one transcription job for him, because holy cats, that voice. Swoon. So when his agency offers him a position as Dr. Kendrick’s temporary office manager, David neglects to mention that he’s been permanently banished from offices. Because, forgiveness? Way easier than permission.Alun Kendrick, former Queen’s Champion of … Kendrick, former Queen’s Champion of Faerie’s Seelie Court, takes his job as a psychologist for Portland’s supernatural population extremely seriously. Secrecy is paramount: no non-supe can know of their existence. So when a gods-bedamned human shows up to replace his office manager, he intends to send the man packing. It shouldn’t be difficult–in the two hundred years since he was cursed, no human has ever failed to run screaming from his hideous face.
But cheeky David isn’t intimidated, and despite himself, Alun is drawn to David in a way that can only spell disaster: when fae consort with humans, it never ends well. And if the human has secrets of his own? The disaster might be greater than either of them could ever imagine.
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I am always pleasantly caught off guard by E. J. Russell because she is a lovely, humble woman. Always expecting sweetness and light, I am delightfully surprised when her books have a fairly large bite. In ‘Cutie and the Beast: Fae Out of Water Book 1’, we meet temp worker David Evans that manages to start a riot everywhere he goes so he’s restricted to transcription work. But his agency offers him a temporary position in Dr. Alun Kendrick’s office and there was NO way David was going to mention his permanent banishment from offices. Thrilled by Dr. Kendrick’s beautiful voice, David is in no way turned off by his beastly appearance and he sets off to be the best temp ever. In doing so he manages to win the admiration, adoration, and respect of the Alun. David comes to realize that Dr. Kendrick and his patients are all supernatural beings! The wonderful doctor is the former Queen’s Champion of Faerie’s Seelie Court, having served the position before he was cursed after the death of his lover Owain. Alun has held himself responsible for Owain’s death and the massacre of the last know enclave of achubyddion–being capable of healing. It just so happens David is achubydd and his druid aunt’s illness results from her using her power to mask his distinctness, keeping him safe from the fae. But the fae finds out David’s secret and it’s all Alun can do to prevent him from suffering the same fate as Owain. We encounter some hard-hearted fae in this story but it’s beautifully moderated by the power of love and David’s ability to avoid judgment due to appearances. His tenacity and bravery were an integral part of the novel and were in no way mitigated by his snark and sarcasm. They were many cheerful spots in the book. A description of David’s dancing being among the funniest ever. David’s character was beautifully rendered due to the superb narration by Joel Leslie Froomkin. Due to his wonderful performance, the story and especially David came to life magically.
Great start to a new series (an audio review)
This series is about three brothers from Faerie. They all have their own issues, and this book is Alun’s story. As the eldest, he carries a certain amount of responsibilities. Alun is also the former Queen’s Champion for the Faerie Seelie Court. I admit, I had no idea what that meant. Then, two hundred years ago, he was cursed. Now he’s a psychologist to many of the paranormal creatures in, of all places, Portland. He also runs a trauma group for humans who have had interactions with supernaturals.
Alun now looks like a beast and has the temperament to match. His last office manager – a shifter – is on maternity leave and Alun expects the temp agency to send him another supernatural creature. He does not expect a human to show up. But David is stubborn and isn’t going to be sent away. He fell in love with Alun’s voice while doing some transcription and he’s always wanted to meet the man. Did he expect a beast? No. Is he going to let that stop him from helping others? Also no.
David has a secret of his own that he doesn’t even realize and after a night in Faerie with Alun, things come into sharp focus. He has an explanation of why things around him happen in a certain way. Why people react to him the way they do. Why his Aunt Cassie is so desperately protective. Turns out David is a one of a kind. Literally. And I won’t get into it because I don’t want to give too much away.
The world building in this book is phenomenal. I don’t read a lot of paranormal or fantasy and I certainly can’t write it. I’m always in awe of authors whose creativity leads to such wonderful stories. Finally, I have to mention Joel Leslie. I adore Joel, and he’s never disappointed. He does a wonderful job with the three brothers, as well as David. But the supe characters are truly amazing. Well done. There are two more in the series so I’m off now to listen to them…
Enjoyable on so many levels, this story grabbed my heart.
Cutie and the Beast is the first book in the Fae Out of Water series, a paranormal/fantasy romance series. One of my favorite things about this book is the worldbuilding: E.J. Russell mixes fairytales, folktales, and paranormal standards to create a fascinating world with it’s own unique rules. As the title of the book alludes to, there is an element of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, but E.J. Russell puts her own spin on that trope which I really liked.
I fell in love with David—he was sweet, adorable, and had a spine of steel. He instantly became one of my favorite characters. His spunk and sass mixed with a caring nature and a determined spirit was refreshing and instantly won me over. Alun was sweet too, underneath all his angst, and I loved how protective he was over David, but still respected him. This was a fun book with an engaging and action-filled plot and sweet romance.
What a fun read! David was such a lovable character. Not the perfect specimen, he was gawky, uncoordinated, but with a huge heart. I was in the mood for something light hearted, so perfect book, perfect timing.
The word choices, thought patterns, dialogue, and the things characters noticed dragged me right into the story, and kept me engaged throughout the book. David’s mind zings around like a pinball. The excellent narration! Wow. And lights-out closet sex. Yeah, you’ll have to read it for yourself. I’m not gonna tell you. Dancing as a weapon? Too funny!
Alan was everything David was not–surly, full of self-loathing, and haunted by his past. Into his bleak world comes the ray of sunshine, and force of nature, that is David. Poor Alan thought he could resist? Not a chance!
Some of the plot twists I sorta saw coming, but that didn’t make them less enjoyable, and some caught me by surprise. The brothers were described well enought that now I can’t wait for their stories. But after reading this, I’m left with one queston: Why haven’t I read this author before?
Highly, highly, recommended.
Audiobook Review
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Overall: 5 Stars
Narrator: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars
I’ve never read a book by E.J. Russell before, and boy have I been missing out. The way she writes keeps me captivated snd dying to know what happens next. I enjoy series that have the main characters finding their HEA, but the underlying storyline continues into the next book.
This story centers around David, a clumsy, but engaging man…a HUMAN man, who takes a temp job for a doctor, whose voice he fell for, while doing another job. Chaos and hijinks ensue, and it’s an utter delight to witness. To say Dr. Alun Kendrick is a grumpy man, is a bit of an understatement. To be fair, he is cursed, banned from the faerie court, and feels responsible for the death of his lover. I loved how David was more put off by Alun’s temperament than his appearance.
While there is romance, and plenty of UST, there is not a lot of steam in this story. Instead, the focus is more on the storyline. Which, is okay, because the storyline was a lot of fun, and really well written. The characters were charming, unique, and likable. David was my favorite of the bunch. I liked his spunk, wit, and the fact that he brings sunshine to whatever room he is in.
Joel Leslie does a phenomenal job with the characters. He is such a talented narrator with an impressive range, full of emotion, and has an endless amount of depth. He really brought this story to life. I cannot imagine another narrator doing better.
I’ve read all three books in this trilogy (I suggest reading them in order) and thoroughly enjoyed the romance and the intriguing storyline. Welcome to the world of Fae and Druids and forbidden love. While there are serious tones to the plot, this series is equally fun and sometimes just laugh out loud crazy. I think I’ll have visions of a crazy dancing David leading a conga line through the psychiatrist’s office. See…doesn’t it sound like a blast! Great reading for the holidays!
I found this really amusing. Light-hearted humor coupled with David’s mishaps made this a very fun read for me. I love reading about Fae, competition between Seelie and Unseelie Courts – every author gives their own interpretation. In this case it was a bit romanticized but I liked anyway.
Dr Alun Kendrick is our protagonist – broody, consumed with anguish and self recrimination for the events long past. He has been cursed for his misdeeds and has to hide in the shadows because of his ghastly appearance. He gives back to supe community by helping those in need for psychiatric care and emotional guidance. But all of his control and measured life goes out the window when a new temp secretary comes to work for his office by accident. Color slowly leaches into his life and his heart. There was a bit of arrogance left from his days as Faerie Queen’s Champion but he has come a long way, and David helped him even more in realizing what was more important than status and physical beauty.
David Evans is a man on a mission. He needs this job to keep from being drowned in medical bills for his aunt. He will deal with the grumpy attitude, with obnoxious clients and the gray bleakness of his new office. But despite all the rudeness, he sees the pain Alun is trying to hide from the world. David takes it upon himself to bring color and taste into Alun’s dreary life by being his cheerful kind self. But all is not so simple when the secrets David had no knowledge of come to light shattering his perception of the world and opening opportunities he could only dream of.
Alun has come far on his own but he truly reached his full potential with David by his side. He needed someone to show him how to forgive himself, how to live again and how to be happy. David was exactly what Alun needed. I enjoyed the intrigue, a bit of magic and the sweet couple both Alun and David turned out to be. Yes, there were moments when Alun misbehaved and reverted to his insufferable self but they were few and far between. Overall, I liked the world Ms Russell has build and can’t wait to dig into Mal’s story, the middle Kendrick brother. I recommend it.
4.5 stars!
What a fun story! I loved the twist on the fairy tale, the inventive solutions for the unique ailments various supernatural beings were dealing with, and the reminder that it is what is beneath one’s appearance that counts. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series.
I loved Cutie and the Beast! It is loosely along the lines of Beauty and the Beast, and it was a good story to read! Very inventive! The world is interesting, the story is fun, and the romantic parts are sexy! Add in some fairy mystery and drama and you have a home run!
David is a temp worker for Alun in his psychiatry practice. David is a breath of fresh air and Alun aka the beast, doesn’t quite know what to make of him. David shows Alun what he has been missing in life, but Alun is resistant to grab what’s being offered. He tries really hard to thwart him at every turn. He unfortunately doesn’t have much of a choice because David has gotten under his skin and he can not stay away! Once he gives in, its magic time!
I really liked both David and Alun! David especially! He just shines and it’s hard not to smile at him! I loved their witty banter and how they just feel! The secondary characters are rather interesting as well as some of Alun’s clients! I definitely want to read further into the series! Fantasy at it’s best!
Loved it! Great writing. Hits all the emotional notes. It’s humorous, heart wrenching, irritating, annoying, ire inducing, sweet, touching, inspiring. The action packed ending had me holding my breath and the ending was sweet. Diving right into book two.
Provided by GRR in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful retelling of the beauty and the beast classic. I loved David immediately in all his over the top and in your face glory. He was completely unapologetic in his ways. Then Alan was broody and grumpy like I would expect. Them together was wonderful and made sense. They both deserved to be happy. I really like the way the curse was handled it was a nice change from the original. I also loved all the side characters being shifters or fae. And Benji was just wonderful!! As always, Joel Leslie did a phenomenal job narrating. Both the MC’s were channeled perfectly and all the side characters were their own as well.