A penniless maid determined to save her father, a broken baron bent on isolation, and the undeniable draw between them that could lead to happiness—or disaster. Rose Sinclair has run out of options. With her father in prison and their bookshop sold to pay his debts, she has no choice but to turn to Henry Covington, the Baron Norcliffe. But the baron has more than earned his harsh reputation, and … his harsh reputation, and Rose must face his wrath in order to save her father—and herself.
Since the deaths of his parents, Henry Covington has isolated himself from society, ensuring the solitude of his estate with his deliberate callousness. However, when the beautiful Miss Sinclair appears on his doorstep, begging for a chance to repay her father’s debt to him, a moment of weakness finds him offering her a position—as a maid in his own house.
They both soon learn that first impressions are not to be believed. Henry is surprised—and intrigued—by Rose’s optimistic charm, while Rose slowly uncovers Henry’s true self, his compassion concealed behind the pain of loss and betrayal. But when a shadow from Henry’s past returns, their newfound hope is tested. They must decide for themselves who to trust and what they will risk for their happily ever after.
Beauty and the Baron is a Regency retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is a sweet/clean romance novella, and is Book 1 in a series of Regency retellings. The stories can be read in any order.
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Wonderful retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Started and finished in one day. It was too good to put down. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot wasn’t what I expected.
A fantastic Regency retelling of my favorite fairy tale.
Such a sweet story!
Beauty and the Baron is a sweet, easy read that is beautifully written and features well-crafted, engaging characters. Rose is a lovely, well-mannered heroine who finds herself in a dilemma. Facing the Baron, Henry, is her last option for help. The Baron has a reputation for being gruff and unapproachable. Since this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the ending is quite predictable, but the story held my interest and I loved how it turned out.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
The Beauty and the Baron is the first in the Forever After Retellings series, and I enjoyed the “Beauty and the Beast” fairy tale premise of this story. I don’t recall reading any books by Joanna Barker but will definitely seek out her stories in the future. Despite being a novella, the characters are well-developed and complex. The action starts immediately, and I was able to relate to the main characters from the get-go. Both brought baggage and assumptions to the table without being cliché. Through self-reflection and interaction with others, they were able to see their flaws and grow as individuals. Themes of forgiveness, mercy, and salvation are woven throughout the story without being dry or contrived. A delightful story with memorable characters.
Beauty and the Baron is everything I look for in a story. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I’m always in for that! Henry is a bit gruff and temperamental, while Rose is very sweet and willing to sacrifice her lifestyle to remedy the mistakes of her father. I really loved how the relationship between Henry and Rose grew. The scene where they got caught in the rain was a favorite.
While this was short, it was well fleshed out and while I would have loved for this to be a novel instead of a novella, I was completely satisfied at the end! This is my second Joanna Barker story and she is definitely an author I will continue to read!
Kindness matters most when it is hardest to give.
Fairy tale retellings are one of my favorite types of books to read, and Beauty and the Baron did not disappoint. The book was short and sweet, full of a wide range of vivid descriptions and beautiful emotions. The characters were fun to read about, with great chemistry and adorable scenes that often had me smiling.
If you’re looking for a sweet regency retelling of Beauty and the Beast, you should definitely give this book a try.
This was a very sweet love story! It gave me the feeling of a Jane Austen novel which I really enjoyed. I also like how the author added in the original Beauty and the Beast fairytale elements into it! They were subtle but still there.
I enjoyed this quick read a lot and I plan to read to more books by this author in the future! 🙂
A sweet retelling of Beauty and the Beast
This was an interesting remake of beauty and the beast; a story of people changing for the better. Henry is the bad guy at first because he only offers Rose a scullery maid position when she asked to replace his vacant steward position because she is educated and had kept her the books for her father’s shop. Henry is angry and alienated himself from friends and his employees because a former friend took advantage of his parents, which resulted in their deaths. Rose is selfless and tries to look at the bright side of life regardless of her circumstances.
I LOVED this retelling of Beauty and the Beast! Such a sweet and compelling read!!
Rise father got into gambling all loans he acquired to expand their book shop. While he is in debt prison she decides to work off her debt to the baron . While he is grumpy she break this ice around his heart. Good book
(I have voluntarily read and reviewed this book with my own, personal opinion.)
Beauty and the Baron by Joanna Barker
This was my first book to read by Joanna and I was not disappointed! I absolutely loved this retelling of Beauty and the Beast! I loved the storyline and Rose slowly helped soften Baron Norcliffe. I couldn’t stand Mrs. Morton though and I was completely shocked at the end of the book over what happened with her and Henry’s childhood friend John. It was definitely an intriguing curveball in the story. But I loved most that Baron Norcliffe didn’t care that Rose was supposed to be his maid and let his feelings be made known! The ending was perfect.
This was a great story of healing, forgiveness, love, and redemption!
I am such a Beauty and the Beast junkie. This is a cute if short BatB retelling. The regency setting was fun, and the little allusions to the classic fairy tale were charming! I enjoyed it!
For those who want a brief escape from the craziness of life and appreciate a completely clean story, this book is for you. It’s the perfect length to read in an afternoon or evening.
Based on the theme of Beauty and the Beast, the author weaves a tale set in the regency time period of a brooding, bitter, and angry Baron and a penniless young lady reduced to servitude. There’s really no guessing as to the outcome, but the telling is well done and held my attention the entire time.
Romance – PG / kisses
Language – PG / clean
Violence – bouts of anger and yelling
My rating – 5 stars.