The Beast of Beswick (The Regency Rogues Book 1) Kindle Edition

Even though Beauty and the Beast retellings have been done to DEATH, I am still a sucker for them. Especially when the authors find a way to subvert the trope somehow. THE BEAST OF BESWICK does this admirably, taking a fairly misogynistic fairytale involving Stockholm syndrome and Nice Guy-isms and turning it into an empowering feminist love story about sacrifice and redemption.Astrid Everleigh is considered "ruined" due to a tragic incident that happened about ten years ago. Her sister, however, is of marriageable age, and when she finds out that her greedy, horrible aunt and uncle are planning on marrying her off to the same man who ruined her own future, she decides to take matters into her own hands. To protect her sister, she will ally herself with the one eligible man in the area capable of standing up to the evil Earl: the Duke of Beswick.After being grievously wounded and scarred in what I believe were the Napoleonic Wars, Thane Harte has been wallowing in self-seclusion, playing cricket with priceless pottery and generally terrorizing his servants. When Astrid approaches him, he's completely taken off guard-- not just by the fact that she doesn't fear him, but by his attraction to her, as well.So let's talk about why this book was awesome.🌹 The strong heroine! I loved Astrid so much. I felt like the author did such a great job espousing her with feminist principles without being anachronistic. She was so compelling and true to herself and her morals and I really loved her for it. It was easy to see why Thane did, too. Especially her wicked sense of humor and her ability to back-talk the Duke whenever he was being a jerk.🌹 The secondary characters! For me, a romance novel ends up being so much stronger if it has a good cast of secondary characters. I loved Thane's lascivious footman-chasing aunt (what a QUEEN) and all of his staff. The relationship between Astrid and Isobel (the sister in question) was also really loving and sweet. Especially how their relationship ended up shifting at the end, becoming more equal.🌹 Spicy sex scenes! There were actually way more than I was anticipating, tbh! I would classify this as an erotic romance, so if that is something you love, I think you'll really enjoy this-- especially since all of the scenes are very sensual and well written. Sometimes books can make me cringe a little but not this one! There's a fantastic scene involving a door in a study that is just 🔥🔥🔥🌹 So many emotions! I need my romances to have real emotional stakes so all of the angsting and pining and tragic backstories REALLY worked for me. It grounded the romance and gave it depth and urgency, which I really liked. Both the hero and the heroine had things they needed from each other, which made it feel MUCH less unequal than the original fairytale, which brings me to...🌹 Marriage of convenience! Something about an arranged marriage or a marriage of convenience really appeals to me. Maybe it's because usually a book ends with marriage as part of the HEA, so when two virtual strangers marry and have to forge an emotional connection with one each other and fall in love, it feels more like a partnership and less like insta-love?? Whatever it is, it's my kryptonite.I wasn't really sure what to rate this but ultimately I'm going to go with a 4 to 4.5. It was so, so, so close to being perfect, but the pacing was just a little off. Halfway through the book, it already felt like it was wrapping up, so the plot felt a tiny bit stretched out. Not that I'm complaining hugely. It was padded with some great sex scenes and excellent banter, and considering that this was her debut in the HR genre (I think she mostly wrote YA before this), I'd say that Amalie Howard comes out way ahead of even more seasoned authors who've been doing this for years. What a fantastic experiment.4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

I LOVED this novel. It was exactly what I was looking for and needing. This book has sat on my TBR since it came out, I think deep down I knew that I was going to love it so I kept pushing it off. I am sad I pushed it off so long but I am so glad I finally picked it up.I found Amalie Howard's writing to be wonderfully crafted, her dialogue to be smart and quippy and her world to be enthralling. I absolutely love Beauty and the Beast retellings and I think this is such a strong one. I feel in love with all the characters and was swept away in their love story from the first page. I think Amalie did a wonderful job balancing the banter between hero and heroine with their attraction and sensual exploration. I found the relationship between the hero and heroine to be so compelling and extremely sexy.Astrid is such a strong and independent woman, I love how she approaches things head on, I love that she stand up for herself and I was delighted with how she constantly pushed her way into Thane's life. It was so charming to watch Thane be so taken with Astrid that he was unsure of how to deal with her and his growing feelings. I love that Astrid looks past Thane's scars and see the man he is deep down. I love that Astrid is patient with him and fights for him every step of the way. I love that Astrid refuses to give up on Thane and I love the moment when Thane realizes that he also wants to fight for Astrid. The development of their relationship was so beautiful, the way they learn to explore each other is so sensual and they are a beautiful anchor and heart of this story. The story of looking past the outward appearance and discovering the truth inside someone.I absolutely recommend this novel to everyone. It is a beautiful retelling, with strong character and a stunning relationship that builds so wonderfully throughout the novel. This is definitely a favorite read of the year for me and I am so looking forward to diving into the next novel in the series (hopefully I wont wait too long to dig into that one).

I loved the main female character, Astrid. She would do anything to protect her sister from the man who ruined her.The main male character, Beast or Thane. Was sure a flip flopper. But that makes the story.Loved the side characters, his staff and his aunt.I would read more from this author.

“I was never meant for marriage. You’re more than I could ever deserve. I mean to petition Parliament for a divorce decree, on account that you were coerced into marriage under false pretenses. You did marry a beast, after all, and no one can fault you for wanting to escape that.”Everything hurt. His head, his body, his heart. He wanted to howl like a wounded animal. He wanted to tear at his cursed face, flay his ruined skin, and, most of all, weep for what he’d done. He’d broken Astrid’s heart. His beautiful, courageous, clever girl. Oh Christ, the look on her face…it had nearly demolished him. But he had to let her go. He had to set her free.”She was his brilliant, beautiful duchess—his wife, his love, the mother of his children, and his light in the darkness. “Papa?” Thane paused at the door. “Yes, Pippa bean?” “My favorite part of the story is when Beauty is brave enough to tell Beast she loves him,” his daughter said shyly. “That’s my favorite part, too,” he told her, his chest tightening with emotion as he gathered Astrid close.The Beast of Beswick was an enjoyable read.

"A stunning rose, sheathed in bloodthirsty thorns..."*A Beauty and the Beast retelling with a twist. A woman who needs security and a Duke who wants to keep to himself. Let the matrimony games begin...not forgetting some spice!*"Because sometimes a girl doesn’t need a hero to save her. Sometimes she needs the opposite..."*I flew through this book! It was such an easy read with a good dose of regency and romance, not to mention a spicy enemies to lovers story. At times there was some repetition of reactions, especially on the Duke's part but, hey, I couldn't put this book down! It was very addictive.*This is the perfect read if you've binged Bridgerton on Netflix and need a further fix of a stubborn Duke and a strong willed woman by his side.*"Love is one part courage, one part choice, and one part luck. And like anything worth fighting for, it’s worth it in the end..."

OMG...I FREAKING LOVED IT!!!!I was invested throughout the whole book. I’m honestly shocked at how much I bloody enjoyed it. I’ve never really been into historical romances, but this was amazing!!The Beast of Beswick is a historical, real-world take on the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast (at least that’s what I felt it was). I’ve always had a soft spot for Beauty and the Beast, it’s always been my favourite, which made this book so much more intriguing for me to read.One thing I loved the most about this book was the amount of character development. It’s very rare that I can ever find a good romance with a lot of character development and this definitely did the trick.I’m really excited about Isobel’s story. I NEED IT NOW!!Stars ~ 5

Adored this funny, super sexy and heartbreaking story! A daring, sassy-mouthed heroine and a beastly hero with a heart of gold.”She was not the sort of woman who heated his blood…and yet his blood was on fire.”Lady Astrid Everleigh is desperate. To prevent the marriage of her younger sister to the repugnant Earl of Beaumont, she is willing to sacrifice herself to the Beast of Beswick AKA Lord Thane Harte, the Duke of Beswick. His moniker has been well-earned due to his harsh personality, as well as his appearance. A handsome war hero who returned home a hideous travesty of his former self. When the beautiful Astrid invades his sanctuary with an outrageous proposal, he is beyond fascinated and attracted to her but he has no interest in marriage or the begetting of heirs. However, when she and her sister are in need of sanctuary, he finds himself unable to turn her away.”In the pit of her belly, she also felt a shock of pure heat, of raw physical awareness.”I just loved this story. It was humorous, sensual and somewhat heartbreaking. Astrid never bargained on her inexplicable attraction to such a beastly man. His appearance was in no way as offensive as his personality. He was boorish, crude and wholly compelling. I loved her irreverent bluestocking character – she was infinitely forward-thinking and more than a match for the Duke. I found his carnal thoughts about Astrid was thrilling. They had such combustible chemistry between them. I loved how Astrid looked beyond Nicolas’ physical appearance to the beautiful, wounded man beneath. He was definitely a handful for her to handle but her heart was big and I loved that she fought for him. She knew when to push and when to leave well alone. She showed him her desire through her actions, as well as her words. I loved her pragmatism and matter-of-factness. Nicolas needed so much love and care. He needed affirmation and, in turn, my heart melted at how he put aside his own discomfort to be there for Astrid.”What was offensive was his desire to see her utterly unclothed and open, with nothing but that salty mouth holding him at bay.”The passion between them was so riveting. His desire for her was overwhelming and visceral – a palpable, living thing. He was just as desperate to keep her at arm’s length, as well as keep her in his bed. My heart hurt for him and his lack of self-worth. This was a such a beautiful story about beauty being skin-deep. It was an affirmation of character, of compatibility, of understanding, and a love for the ages. Such a wonderful story that clutched at my heart, and I can’t wait for the next book!

Astrid was outspoken, bold and fierce in the protection of her younger sister, Isobel. She was willing to do anything to save her sister from an unwanted marriage. How I felt for Thane, not only was he scarred through his heroic wartime actions, but he was also reviled by the members of the ton, because of his facial appearance. I enjoyed the banter between Thane and Astrid and Thane and certainly met his match in Astrid. There were some very tense moments between them when Thane tries to push her away as he felt unworthy of her. Aunt Mabel was a gem, in fact everyone family should have an Aunt Mabel! This was an enthralling read with engaging characters. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However, I did preorder my own copy.

I was drawn into reading The Beast of Beswick after seeing the beautiful cover and seeing it recommended by other book bloggers. I was not disappointed. The Beast of Beswick is a brilliant example of a Beauty and the Beast re-telling. While I'm not sure it re-invents the wheel, it certainly hits all the right beats for a classic Beauty and the Beast story - a moody, scarred hero, a fiesty, clever heroine who sees through his gruff exterior to the heart of the man beneath. There was a slimy villain, peril and threat and overall a lovely resolution with the necessary happy ever after.In The Beast of Beswick, Lady Astrid seeks to save her sister from a forced marriage by striking a deal with Lord Nathaniel, the infamous Beast of Beswick. I really enjoyed both of the main characters and loved watching them learn to trust each other and seeing their relationship develop.I wasn't so enamoured of Astrid's sister Isobel, who I found ungrateful given the sacrifice Astrid makes on her behalf. Isobel has her own story in the second book of the series, but honestly, after seeing her in this book, I'm not entirely sure I want to read more about her. Still, I suppose it might be interesting to see events from her point of view.I love a good Beauty and the Beast re-telling and this will definitely be going on my Top 10 list. I would recommend this to anybody who also likes those kind of stories.