Beauty and a Mysterious BeastCharity Dunn’s modeling career did not really take off as she was expecting it to … but she badly needed money and was up for any job … model.
She was going to be spending one whole month alone with this man.
But everything about him was down-right strange and mysterious and she could not help but be drawn to him in the most elemental way …
But what secrets was he hiding?
Why was he living here in this mansion all by himself?
Did he really need her here just to paint her portrait?
Was she going to discover something she shouldn’t?
This is a full length stand-alone steamy romance novel. No cheating. No cliff-hanger. And the kind of ending you will just love. HEA all the way!!
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He’s A Beautiful Mess… At Least On The Inside!
Locked away in a creepy, crumbling house… just wasting his time, talents, & his very life…
He decides he’s finally ready to pick up a brush & put color on canvas again, but needs a stand-in model for his late Muse for a month…
Then she walks into his life & refuses to leave… no matter how hard he tries to drive her away…
She’s there dragging him back into the Light… Kicking & Screening the whole way!
I was gifted an ARC of Lindsey Hart’s “Captivated by The Beast” via Booksprout; I found it a very emotional & enjoyable read. Lindsey’s a talented writer, & I’ll be looking for MORE of her work in the future. I definitely recommend this book based upon its own merits… All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time… Happy Reading!
Modern Day Beauty and the Beast!
Model Charity Dunn is hired to pose for recluse painter Joe McAllister in an effort to restart his career. I loved how Charity’s innate beauty and indomitable spirit slowly draws Joe out of his surliness. Her strength of character gave this ‘Beast’ a second chance at life, love and happiness. Well written.
This book was a gift and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Joe and Charity’s story is a sad one with a happy ending. You can’t help but fall in love with them both as individuals and as a couple. Joe lost so much when his first wife died, but, he gained so much when he hired Charity to model for him.
This sounded like a good book but it was lacking. It was very wordy with descriptions instead of action-it dragged on at times. Joe’s pain reads real that can be felt through the words. Slowly coming back into himself and the world was well-written. Charity was sweet and well written for who Joe needed. Not sure what color Joe’s hair color was. The first chapter said blonde yet chapter 13 said black! Joe never introduced himself to Charity either. Overall, the book was ok.
I highly recommend this book. I really loved it! It was very well-written and features characters with a lot of depth. I really could relate to them, and the story was very believable.
This is loosely a “beauty and the best” story. I say loosely because I felt that “beast” was not fitting at all for Joe. He is a tormented recluse, but nowhere near a beast. The heroine, Charity, is VERY strong and never backed down.
There were a couple of minor mistakes and inconsistencies which will hopefully be fixed in the final version.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charity and Joe’s story is one heartfelt read. Their love heals old wounds and calms the beast that haunts the heart. Tragedy from the past is laid to rest and their bond is one you hope will never be broken. This author knows how to tell a great love story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was my first book by this author and i really enjoyed it. The story sucks you in and refuses to let you go and i wouldnt have it any other way. If you enjoy paranormal romances, love and drama then definitely pick up a copy and devour it, you wont regret it.. The characters are full of energy and life, they have pain and compassion. This story is emotional and inspirational and is definitely worth a shot. What do you got to lose?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The only difference is both Beast (Joe) and Belle (Charity) have not pleasant backgrounds. Joe is still reeling from the loss of his wife five years ago, and Charity hasn’t spoken to her mother in about the same amount of time because mom always felt Charity was good enough. Joe is a painter and Charity is a model. He has paid for Charity to stay with him for a month to paint her. Can they save each other from themselves?
While I thought this was a cute retelling, my issue was how hard she fought for him… but it wasn’t reciprocated. With the telling of each other’s background, one would think Joe would be a little sensitive to her feelings towards rejection. I do understand why he is the way he is, but don’t tell her how you don’t want to hurt and then proceed to hurt her. It was a nice story with a very sweet ending. The writing was nice and the story was a quick read. I think anyone would enjoy this.
Joe had isolated himself and stopped his art drowning in despair & grief after the loss of his beloved one. He has been living in the dark for so long that he’s forgotten life’s true beauty. But years later he’s trying to revive his art and requests a model as muse for painting.
Charity took the job out of need but a romance with the mysterious recluse wasn’t part of the job request. Her company matched clients with models not partners. But she cannot resist falling for him and wanting to help him.,
I’m a fan of Lindsey Hart with her style that brings the story to life and has the characters jumping out of the pages of the book into the reader’s heart.
I truly enjoyed reading about how Charity brings light into Joe’s life literally and figuratively in this hauntingly beautiful romance.
I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my honest and completely voluntary review of this ARC.
A young woman who is repeatedly told and shown she is not good enough to all, including her own mother. A man who bars himself in a prison alone and broken in his own survivor’s guilt. When these two meet, it is difficult, but in time beauty captivates the beast.
When you hear the words “you are not good enough,” and “you are not pretty enough” it is hurtful, but it is worse hearing them from your mother. Charity is trying to make it in the modeling world and it has not been easy for her. She is not a waif but curvy, and this makes a huge difference. Her agency informs her that she will be doing a private sitting for an artist for a month, Charity is excited. When she arrives at the address given to her, she is taken off guard.
A tragic loss that happened five years ago has Joseph (aka Joe) into a brooding broken recluse. He blames himself for this loss, and he secluded himself into this huge house that has long since faded into the dilapidated and empty prison he calls “home.” He once loved painting/drawing, and thought he would give it a try again. He even went so far as to hire a model for this. His gut is asking “what were you thinking.” When she arrives he is no longer sure. To say things were tense at first would really be an understatement.
There is a strange pull for one another. Sure, on the outside these two are strictly professional, but internally they are each feeling and thinking things about one another that are definitely not professional. Joe starts pushing Charity away, his survivor’s guilt in full swing. Charity will not give up, although there is a couple of times it looked like she would. There is a small yellow beacon that is found and gives hope.
Joe injures himself, Charity helps him clean and bandage the wounds. Fear of the feelings there cause hurtful words from Joe which causes Charity to leave. Alone where Charity left him, Joe releases gut wrenching sobs, that are long overdue. Charity is unable to leave things the way they are and returns to the house, hearing the sobs and what is being said in those sobs. She is by his side, holding him and letting him free himself.
There is another beacon of hope that appears and Joe and Charity finally see that it is time to open up and share. They share the good, the bad, and the way they feel for one another. It starts the happy and bright future filled with even better surprises for Joe and Charity.
A wonderfully short well written beautiful story that real makes you feel Joe’s pain and healing that Charity helped with. Charity needing money agrees to live at his victorian house and model to be painted for money. He is still grieving his wife and the house is a shambles because of it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Captivated by the Beast is a heartbreakingly beautiful modern day Beauty and the Beast. A well written book with characters that are survivors.
This book was like a modern version of beauty and the beast. Joe suffered a great loss and isolated himself from everyone. He hired a model to help him paint again but he did not expect Charity to be the one to help him from his depression. The story was well written and I enjoyed reading it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is definitely a unique spin on a much beloved fairy tale, which is actually the reason why I decided to go ahead and read this story. It has a lot of angst on the part of the hero, and instead of the hero saving the heroin, she saves him, putting a different outlook on the story. A real plus that I found in this story too, is that there were only four cuss words in the entire story, and one sex scene that wasn’t even graphic, proving you don’t have to have sex and vulgarity to have a good, clean story!! Way to go!! I can hardly wait to see what else Ms. Hart writes!!
A haunting and unusual love story. The amount and depth of emotion parlayed in this tale at points is heart-wrenching. Both the main male and female characters have gone through past trauma. One is trying to head on life and the other is immersing themselves in sadness and the past. These two souls come together and very slowly weave the fabric of their lives together. Good depiction of the frailty of the human heart and how a person can recover from the depths of despair. Lovely romance!. 🙂
I received an advance review copy of this novel via Booksprout and I am leaving an honest review.
Loosely based on the classic fairytale, “Captivated by the beast” is the story of an artist who has lost his wife and unborn child and has become a recluse, and a woman who takes a job as his model for a month, both carrying their emotional baggage. A very well written story, with well developed characters, this is a story that will speak directly to your heart. Deeply emotional, heartbreaking at times, with a guaranteed HEA, this is a story you don’t want to miss. A real page turner, that will root you to your favorite reading spot till the last page.
This book is an emotional roller coaster. I am so glad I was able to read the story it is a beautiful romantic story. The story has strong characters and a great story line. loved reading it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OH MY SHINNING STARS!!!
I have to tell you guys to grab some tissue. This is an incredibly, heartwarming as well as gut wretching tale. Ms. Hart put everything she had in this fantastic storyline. The whirlwind of emotions is so same place physically as well as emotionally. The main female has a heart of gold and does everything she can to help. Ms. Hart brought the characters to life before my eyes. They are intriguing, complex and realistic with a heavy load to bare and hopefully conquered some demons on the process. The scenes were so vividly detailed and descriptive that it gives the illusion you were right there in the middle of ground zero with them. All the twists, turns, and unexpected surprises that completely throws a wrench in the works. Heartbroke and loneliness isn’t a place anyone would want to be. You have all the heartache, soul searing, on your knees with tears streaming down your cheeks. The couple is drawn together but are afraid of the consequences. I don’t know what inspiration Ms. Hart used, but I have to give her credit. Not only did she write this brilliant read but it showed just how strong she had to be for this one of a kind phenomenal read. Remarkable job Ms. Hart, thanks for sharing this masterpiece with us.
A wonderfully written romance with deep emotions and feels! Joe has suffered tragedy which has made him into the recluse he is when Charity goes to work for him. Her inner beauty captivates Joe, and I love the way that she slowly transformed him into a man who wanted to go on living and not merely existing. It was a beautiful story with both touching and steamy scenes that worked to create an amazing read!
This book had my emotions all over the place. You can just feel the grief and pain that Joe is dealing with. You can tell there is a deep emotional connection between him and Charity almost from the beginning. It kind of reminded me of a current beauty and the beast kind of story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.