Beauty and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew in this laugh-out-loud and heartfelt Regency romance.
Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it’s hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to … harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.
But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.
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Fast, fun and flirty retelling of the Beauty and the Beast.
As I read this wonderful remake of Beauty and the Beast, I was surprised at how the characters roles twisted and turned. I frequently wondered just who was the beast. Examining some of my own attitudes was a good result of this book.
Nice page turner. I really loved the epilogue. Love overcomes all.
This was a great book. Hard to put down.First time a read this author. Plan to read the next one in the series.
The Beast of Beswick – Amalie Howard – Astrid’s reputation was ruined by the skeezy Earl of Beaumont after she rejected his proposal, and now he is after her 16 year old sister Isobel. Her gambling uncle is fine feeding his second niece to the jackal that ruined the first one, but Astrid has a plan. As she catalog’s the Duke of Beswick’s china collection, she convinces him to protect her and her sister. When Thane and Astrid realize that they have a common enemy not to mention common interest in each other, will Thane’s past trauma keep them apart or give them the HEA they have long been denied. Loved Loved Loved this Regency Beauty and the Beast!!! Happy Reading!
“Because sometimes a girl doesn’t need a hero to save her. Sometimes she needs the opposite.”
Lord Nathaniel (Thane) Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and avoiding the rest of the world. Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to keep her sisters safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means a marriage of convenience with the beast of Beswick.
This was my first Amalie Howard book, and I quite enjoyed it. This Beauty and the Beast retelling was entertaining and emotional. Thane was a veteran who was badly injured during the war, which has led to extensive scarring all over his body. He sees himself as a monster because of society’s negative reaction to his looks. Thane had a lot of psychological issues. He pushes people away before they can hurt him, which happens frequently in this book with Astrid. It got to be a little repetitive towards the end.
Astrid was a woman ahead of her times. She has focused her life one educating herself and taking care of her sister. I loved how determined she was to change society’s opinions on women and their rights. She was pretty sassy too which was great. Her sister Isobel was ok. I didn’t love the fact she went from meek little sister who followed the rules to a determined headstrong woman who was going to create a scandal. It felt abrupt but this may be something that will be better explained in the second book.
I think my favorite thing about this book though was Aunt Mabel. That old lady was a hoot! She was determined to live her life to the fullest with as many handsome men as she could get. Also I loved her embroidery. I about died from laughter during that scene.
Overall, this was a great regency romance. I look forward to reading more of Howard’s books in the future.
Love Conquers Self-Loathing
I enjoy Beauty and the Beast stories and this one delivered in that sense. I’m glad Astrid was able to break Thane of the nonsensical habit of breaking porcelain (what a waste!) The story seemed too modern at times but was a good read overall.
Audio Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5
Strong female lead and great audio performance!
I read mostly male-male (MM) romance but I’m participating in a reading challenge for the 2021 virtual Coastal Magic convention where Amalie Howard will be a featured author and I wanted to read one of her books.
I choose to listen to the audiobook because it was available to borrow from my library. It’s the first audiobook I’ve listened to performed by Nina Nato and the first book I’ve read by Amalie Howard. I think this was the perfect story to introduce me to both of their work.
I’m very pick about female narrators and I loved Nina Nato. She did not just narrate this story, she performed it. Most female narrators that I’ve listened to don’t do a great job with male voices but Nina did a very credible job when she spoke Thane’s lines. I loved everything about her performance.
The story was fantastic. I haven’t read a male-female (MF) historical romance in probably 40 years and even then, they weren’t really my favorite type of romance to read. I may have to rethink that now. This story captured me right from the beginning and didn’t let go. The only reason I didn’t listen to it straight through is because I had a dinner commitment to keep.
Astrid was a wonderful female lead. She was snarky and forceful and didn’t stop until she got what she needed to protect her younger sister. She was vocal in the bedroom and didn’t hesitate to let Thane know what she wanted and liked. Thane was a perfect growly, alpha beast who was finally tamed by Astrid.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series about Astrid’s sister. She was a fantastic secondary character in this book.
This was a wonderful take on the classic Beauty and the Beast.
I listed to the audiobook verison of this book . I enjoyed the narrator and the story was very well written . The negatives( I had issue with) was the Hot and cold Duke and the vilian had a B sounding name so I would get confused sometimes. I despite that I enjoyed the retelling of beauty and the beast and I m looking forward to book 2.
Loved it! Adored it!
You had me at Beauty and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew. What a combination and what a delight. Thane and Astrid were perfect for each other.
I really enjoyed the Beast of Beswick. It was a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Taming of the Screw. Astrid is a great heroine and Thane the perfect tortured, scarred war hero. I will say that the stand out character was Thane’s lusty Aunt Mabel. I also appreciated that Thane’s servants weren’t just background characters but were enjoyable and outspoken characters in the book. The attraction between Thane and Astrid was present from their first improper meeting and grow throughout the story. Astrid is a self-confident heroine who is trying to find a way to save her younger sister and ends up in the house of the Beast of Beswick. Thane fights with the trauma of his past and the reality of his scars. He must overcome that to truly support and love Astrid. Astrid takes most things is stride and I really enjoyed a together and sure heroine.
ARC received
I devoured this book!! It was such a fantastic read. Being a Beauty and the Beast retelling made it all the better.
In order to save her sister and their inheritance, Astrid runs off to Thane, war-torn lord. She proposes a marriage of convenience for both of them, promising him heirs.He ultimately turns down her offer until she and her sister shows up on his doorstep. The story consists of them breaking down their pasts together.
Astrid is probably the strongest female character I have read in a historical romance. She wasn’t annoying or pushy or anything like that. It was a well balanced mix of wit, charm, feminism, attitude, and strength. She thought of a plan and essentially executed it well.
Thane is the complete opposite. The war left scars all over his body and soul. He hides from public from exhaustion of being stared at and called a beast. It really is a heartbreaking tale as he gained all those scars from being a soldier in war. After so much time being cooped up, it affects a person’s mind. He’s cynical, cruel, and cold at first. Until Astrid breaks him down. He brought a perfect level of angst to a story like this. Everytime they made two steps forward, he brought them four steps back. His internal scarring left him with no confidence anymore. When they do go out together, people react exactly as expected and this only makes him push her farther away.
Together they were explosive. Like I said, the angst was perfect. A) because angst just is. B) because it suited the two personalities to have it and C) it suited their story. The attraction between these two was hot. There was so many good messages that could be taught from these two: moving on, don’t judge a book by its cover, women are as smart as men, etc. It’s a pretty radical book (for the time period it is set in).
I loved this book so much!! 5 stars all the way
Beast of Beswick lived up to its reputation. Our hero/heroine are strong-willed, unique characters who belong to each other. There are nice little nods to Beauty and the Beast throughout, including servants who act a lot like Lumiere and Cogsworth. The supporting cast are well-rounded characters who do surprising things. The ending dragged on a bit for me, but only because Amalie Howard had set up so many various subplots that needed to be tied up in resolution. I definitely recommend it!
Battlefield of Love!
The Beast of Beswick is a scintillating read! It has a scarred war hero, Duke. A lady whose reputation was ruined by rumors. An unexpected proposition. A marriage of convenience that is complicated by pesky, potent sexual tension. And so much more.
Astrid and Thane verbally spar and intrigue one another. They engage in a battle of wits, will, lust, and trust! The moments of vulnerability between them are enchanting and the sexual tension is delectable. Their push and pull is fueled by passion and fear. The possibility of love versus the possibility of rejection has our main characters on edge. This quote for the book sums it up best “Love is one part courage, one part choice, and one part luck. And like anything worth fighting for, it’s worth it in the end.”
Whew! The first twenty pages of this book was sharp and intense. The dialogue between Astrid and her uncle, was so powerful that the reader, me, felt like I was right in the room with them. You could feel the hatred and the heat of their conversation bouncing off the pages. This is great writing.
The writing was direct. This book was able to draw the readers attention right off the bat. The reading flowed with minimum effort. What the writer wanted you to visualize in the book was well define in the book. Astrid’s character is a strong woman, who readers will see does not back down from anyone.
The writer didn’t use terminology that would confuse the reader. The story is direct and to the point.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It’s a historical romance twist on Beauty And The Beast meets Taming Of The Shrew and it is so so good. This book delivers great characters and delivers wonderful romantic tension.
I have to start with Astrid because she was the star of the show. I absolutely adored her. She is so smart and quick witted and has absolutely no patience for the patriarchy and just same girl. And I loved how much she loved her sister and was willing to go to any length for her. And she has met her match with Thane. Give me a grumpy hero any day and Thane sure is a grumpy one. He has closed himself off but Astrid just busts her way into his life and will not leave. I loved these two and how they really were suited so well for one another. Thane needed someone who would put him in his place and Astrid needed someone who would respect her as an equal and that’s exactly what they find in one another. They had great chemistry and how I loved their banter. Also a quick shout out to Mabel who is such a troublemaker and scene stealer.
The Beast Of Beswick was just such a good read. The characters are so vibrant and flawed and real and I loved them so much. Amalie Howard never disappoints and she certainly didn’t disappoint here.
Once again a recommendation from fated mates that was great.
Basically a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Thane, the Duke of Beswick has been horribly scarred during his military service. Because of his disfigurement, he doesn’t go out into society and has been given the name, the Beast of Beswick. Astrid is the daughter of a Viscount and had her reputation sullied at 16 by the cad Beaumont, after she rejected him. It is now ten years later and the same miscreant is trying to get back at her by marrying her sweet innocent 16 year old sister, Isobel. Astrid does what she has to and goes to the Beast of Beswick and offers to marry him in order to protect her sister. Overall this was an enjoyable read, but a little too much vacillating on both the main characters part.
This is the story of Lord Nathaniel ‘Thane’ Harte, the Duke of Beswick. Thane would rather spend his days smashing things and frightening his staff, than entertain company. He doesn’t let anyone close. Most of his face and body is covered in scars he received fighting in war. He uses this as his excuse to remain reclusive. He feels that no one would see past his exterior, so he’s allowed the rest of him to become beastly.
Lady Astrid Everleigh, is determined to keep her young sister safe from a marriage to a man twice her age, and one she knows is no good.
This leads her to the doorstep of the Duke of Beswick. She makes him an offer. Marriage, and herself, so she can ensure her sisters safety, and ability to choose her own husband.
I really enjoyed this story. I found that it was a sweet and heartwarming story of love, and seeing past ones outward appearances, to the person they are on the inside. This story was well written and was a very quick read. The characters were written well, and well developed. You could sense their feelings. I would recommend this book.
The Beast of Beswick was such a delight to read. I love historical romance and I love retellings of a sort, and this book absolutely lived up to my expectations.
Astrid was intelligent and sharp-witted, but also not overwhelmingly feminist, which I appreciated. Thane was reclusive and growly, scarred inside and out.
Together they were phenomenal. Their banter, back-and-forth and cutting remarks were engaging and entertaining. Their chemistry and sexy times were sizzling hot.
Both characters needed to work through their own issues, past and present, and while there was quite a bit of push and pull, especially on Thane’s part, it wasn’t overdone, and it worked well with the storyline.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***