I have not been captivated by a book like this one did for a long time. This is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with a bit of underhanded sneakiness thrown in for good measure. I've read several adaptations of the Beauty tale and enjoyed them all, but this one has that certain je ne sais quoi and joie de vivre intertwined to make a thoroughly enjoyable read that is hard to put down.
Izzy is working for the Tales As Old As Time Publishing company as assistant to the editor. When she goes to a book/publishers convention in California with her boss, she hears her boss talk about one of her problematic authors who is dragging his feet about getting his manuscript in. Izzy volunteers to beard the lion in his den and convince him to get his story written. When she gets to Beau Towers' house, she is greeted by his housekeeper, Kettle, who tells her that Beau refuses to see her. Then Kettle (aka Michaela), escorts Izzy back to her car, trips, and sprains her ankle, so Izzy helps her back to the house. Her first face to face encounter with Beau is him blasting her into the next galaxy with his anger, and she gives back just as good as she gets. Beau allows her to stay and help him with his memoir. It's not love at first sight, it is uncovering hurts and anger, making amends, working past defenses, and finding there has been something to love all along.
Jasmine Guillory is so good with her craft that it is easy to see the amount of work that has gone into writing such a fine novel. Her settings are breath-taking, her characters are real people with flaws the reader can relate to, and the plot pacing is perfect.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a homemade pastry for breakfast.
Hyperion Avenue provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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