Fairy tale retellings are my catnip, and this take on Beauty and the Beast did not disappoint. Astrid is desperate to marry so she can take control of her inheritance and save her younger sister from an odious match. She approaches the one man she thinks might be willing to accept a marriage of convenience: the Duke of Beswick, aka the Beast. Thane bears deep scars inside and out from his military service, and he’s isolated himself in the country where he can snarl and brood to his heart’s content. He’s not inclined to accept Astrid’s offer, because he has decided never to marry but also because he finds her irresistible.