The Beast of Beswick
by Amalie Howard
Series : Everleigh Sisters #1
Genre : Historical Romance
Publication Date : 26th November 2019
Publisher : Entangled Publishing
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare meets Taming of the Shrew in the start to a new Regency series from award-winning author Amalie Howard.
Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it's hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies―with lips better suited to kissing than speaking―who brave his castle with indecent proposals.
But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of―a tender of marriage with her as his bride.
I'd been dying to get my hands on this book from the first time I read the blurb and when I was granted an ARC of this book, I'm pretty sure I screamed. And then I promptly devoured it in one sitting! xD
If you know me, then you'd definitely know that I love all kinds of Beauty and Beast retellings! Combine this with a historical romance and a feminist heroine who wants to save her sister, it's guaranteed to be a hit with me! The blurb says the book is a mixture of The Duchess Deal and Taming of the Shrew. I wouldn't completely agree with that, but it is partially true on some levels.
Personally, I liked this book because of the protagonist Astrid. She's headstrong, obstinate and very clear about her viewpoints. I really admire that in a heroine!
And then we have the beast, Thane who was injured in battle and is badly scarred. He has the usual issues of hating his appearance, not believing that anyone would want him and PTSD.
Astrid is in a fix because the man who ruined her reputation during her first season, now seeks to marry her younger sister and their guardians(their uncle and aunt) are ready to approve this match because all they want is money. So, she decides to fight fire with fire by approaching the Duke of Beswick(aka The Beast) and proposes a marriage of convenience.
Obviously, he scoffs at her! But, he's still intrigued by this woman who matches him word for word with her sharp tongue in every argument. And, you can guess where the story goes from there.
Though the storyline is a little typical, the characters were what made it work! Along with the protagonists, the cast of side characters were amazing and added so much humour and lightness to the plot! My favourites were Fletcher(the matchmaking valet) and Thane's aunt Mabel! They stuck by Thane during his worst periods and still wished the best for him, despite how grouchy he was!
Another thing that I loved about the book was the chemistry between Thane and Astrid! It is palpable from the first moment that they meet each other and despite how much they snap at each other it is always simmering under the surface! The relationship progresses quite slowly and it takes a lot of effort to get past Thane's defences!
That doesn't mean Astrid is perfect either! She is so forceful in the beginning that she(with her sister in tow) literally barges into the Duke's estate when he's away and with Fletcher's help she lands herself the temporary job of doing inventory of the priceless porcelain collection(that Thane likes to use for cricket practice!). I mean, nobody even asks the poor duke what he wants! They literally just force him to go along with things! She's lucky that Thane didn't throw her out of the house as soon as he came back!
I loved watching them verbally spar with each other! I think what made this even more enjoyable was that they push each other to be a better version of themselves! It's not just Astrid who tames the Beast, but Thane also helps her move past her resentment of things and see a more hopeful future! Astrid's feminist views were quite refreshing and not overdone! It's not like she is bucking tradition at every turn. She just doesn't like the fate women are dealt with in her time, but she's also resigned to the fact that it is not going to immediately change.
Intractable eyes met his. “I prefer to think that he gave me a fighting chance to stand up on equal footing with other men.”
“You are a lady, Astrid, not a man.” Her eyes flashed and her chin rose, both signs that she was ready to do battle. “And that gives me the right to be inferiorly educated? To be treated as the weaker sex? To be discounted at every turn? To excel at waltzing and whimsy?” She said the last three words with so much heated contempt, it was a wonder they did not cinder the nearest shrubs.
Aside from Fletcher and Aunt Mabel, the character of Isobel was also a pleasant surprise! In the beginning we see her through Astrid's eyes and believe her to be a helpless, young girl. But, as the other characters repeatedly tell Astrid, she has a stronger side to her personality and knows how to play the long game. She's not as naive as Astrid thinks her to be!
The book wraps up quite nicely and I think it has the perfect mix of witty sarcasm, humour, steamy romance and great character development.
If you enjoyed The Duchess Deal you'll surely love this one!
AMALIE HOWARD is the bestselling, award-winning author of several novels critically acclaimed by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, Booklist, and VOYA. Her books have been a Kid’s INDIE NEXT selection, a national IPPY silver medalist, a Children’s Moonbeam award winner, and have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, NPR Books, and Seventeen Magazine. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on Diversity in YA. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children.
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