What a delicious retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”! Amalie Howard’s fantastic dialog, wonderful lively characters and plot twists and turns make for one romantic, sexy read! The “Beast” Lord Nathaniel Harte (Thane) is a dark, broken war hero who gave his all on the battlefield and returns to be ostracized by a petty self serving ton. The “Beauty” Lady Astrid Everleigh is a proud, loving, feisty and determined woman who has been denigrated by the same ton. What brings them together and weaves a story around them is the magic of great story telling and wonderful supporting characters like Fletcher and Aunt Mabel OMG I love them both! Their quick wit and directness were the perfect offset to the brooding Thane and his determined Astrid. I could go on and on about this fun read but you need to read it for yourself! Once you pick it up you wont be able to put it down! Thank You to Bookish First for the opportunity to escape into a wonderful fairy tale if only for a while!