Pages: 163
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 10th March 2017
Format: Ebook
Rating: 3/5 stars
Review: Falling for the Beast is a contemporary romance retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. Aribelle "Belle" has recently lost her father following a prolonged illness during which she acted as his carer. She is now 25, her online English degree has been put on hold, and she is searching desperately for her first ever job. It is at this point of desperation, when Belle is under threat of eviction, that the temp agency organises a trial period for her to work as a housekeeper for one Thaddeus Walker.
Thaddeus is a rude, surly man. covered in scars, and prone to night time excursions that leave him battered, bruised, and bleeding. And no, he doesn't want to talk about it. Thaddeus has grown used to his solitude, but Belle's continued presence, even with his rudeness and his yelling, finds him caught between his growing feelings, and the dark secret that means they can never be together.
As the relationship between Aribelle and Thaddeus evolves, we see a softer side to the "beast." He has a sense of humour, a library (of course), and a desire to protect Belle from harm: he stands between Belle and the sexual threat posed by her neighbour, Gavin, and takes care to protect the precious unfinished jigsaw puzzle belonging to Belle's father. As Belle eventually learns Thaddeus' secret, we also begin to understand the years of hardship he has faced, and their physical and emotional cost.
Falling for the Beast is a quick read at under 200 pages, and the romance is nicely done. Thaddeus is a suitably sexy and strong but vulnerable hero, which I love, and Belle is sympathetic and, for me at least, quite relatable. My only criticism is that things such as the threat posed by Belle's neighbour Gavin, and especially the "curse" element of the story could have been fleshed out a bit more, but I would still recommend this novel for a sweet evening read on the sofa.
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