I am pretty new to historical romance reads but being a fan of Beauty and the Beast, I was excited to read this. I believe the author did an awesome job with making a story that has a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Taming of Shrew work. Both are favorites of mine. Both the heroine and hero of the book are stubborn, strong willed, and doing what they do best out of fear of being hurt again. War has left the hero scarred and reclusive while a failed engagement to a horrible man left the heroine's heart closed off to love. When they first meet, sparks fly but they try to hide it. I love the banter and tug of war they have with each other as they try to fight off their strong attraction. Witty, sexy, sensual, I really enjoyed the story!