Review: Lord Beast
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2012
Earl Rhys Ashcroft is a complicated man, he's uninterested in participating in English society and their ugly debutantes. When a carriage accident scars his face, he hides in his castle for years and allows everyone to think him deceased rather than be forced to deal with any public response to his disfigurement.Danielle Carmichael has a new home close by Falmouth Castle, and suffering from back pain has prevented her from sleeping well. When she sees a light in the castle late one night, she decides to investigate the supposedly abandoned castle. The Earl does his best to scare the snooping girl away but she is inexplicably drawn to him, and despite his internal war urging him to stay away from her, he relents and the two develop a dangerous relationship. Will love bloom between this tempestuous man and the woman who is quite content being a spinster?I loved Danielle and Rhys, they were so enjoyable. Their bickering and conversations were at times hilarious but always adorable. Seeing Rhys grow as a character from what he was before and after his accident to who he became when Danielle touched his heart was lovely. Danielle has everything I could want in a heroine, saucy attitude and spunky to the core. She's a well balanced character; she may be a sassy Miss but she's not devoid of vulnerability and emotion.I did feel at times that it did drag, and I think it could possibly use some chopping at a few slow and sluggish parts. However, for the most part I was really happy with how this was paced. I think that the amount of time spent with Danielle and Rhys together developing their relationship was immensely satisfying.I just really loved this story. This is probably one of the best spins of Beauty and the Beast I've read in a very long time and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this.