BEAST (A Dark Mafia Romance) (Beast & Beauty Book 1)

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At the end of BEAST, we were left with a whopper of a cliffhanger not knowing if he was still alive or not and what would happen to Aurora once she escaped. Those questions are answered and so many more. I really enjoyed this Dark Retelling of Beauty & The Beast. It was Steamy and had a ton of WTF moments in it. First off, let me state that there should be a TRIGGER warning for this book. Since there is not, let me insert one here for you. Yes this is a dark book that tried to be a shade of gray to light, but it doesn’t until the end. There is nonconsensual sex in this book. I do not care that the h ends up liking it or whatever else, she was forced into it. I will get more into that in my review. BUT know that there that this happens more than once. Sexy. Gritty. Intense. Dark. Passionate. Suspenseful. Nothing can prepare you for the this book or the experience it gives. The words were mesmerizing... the plot, rich... the storyline, captivating... the characters, addicting... the journey, raw. This two book series was perfectly penned in such a way that it hooked me hard from start to finish. Jasmine Baas, twenty-three, has always done the right thing for other people, and in the end, it cost her. She had always understood that her parents would use her in an advantageous marriage and that she had no choice in the matter. It didn’t prevent her from hoping that her marriage might be to Liam even if she acted otherwise to protect herself from potential heartbreak. She had done everything to ensure that she was the best choice, but in the end, she had proven herself too indispensable to be handed over to the De Vos family. Liam’s death had been further heartbreak, and in the years that passed, she had given up on the ideas of dating and love. Liam’s surprising return three years later might have given her a glimmer of hope – especially now that Jill had married Luca – but there was nothing about the man he had become that resembled the well-mannered Liam of her dreams. This man was a monster. But Jill had sacrificed herself for Jasmine when she stepped forward to marry Luca, and now Jasmine would step forward to protect her sister from Liam’s wrath. She follows him to his cabin in Germany, but she is hardly prepared for the plans he has in store for her. The chemistry here is very much physical- a lot of instalust, and from Beauty’s unexpected kindness to him. We get a little bit of emotional bonding, but much of the story is them figuring out their situation- and it leads up to quite a big cliffhanger. There is a particularly salacious scene (following when we find out one of Aurora’s secrets) that was extra delicious.

Beast is a dark and twisted retelling of the Beauty & the Beast, but remember not everything is what it seems, like when Belle arrived at the Beasts castle it was enchanted because of a witches spell, well in this retelling the spell that has been cast is not one of a paranormal nature but one of organized crime which is much much darker.

Publication Order of His Books

I was really enjoying everything and then her father showed up again … so I just couldn’t rate this 5 stars and the more I went through my issues with the story, I ended up at 3. Here are some of my issues:

It's rare I give 5 stars to a book cover but this one hits all the right notes for me. A good representation of the hero. Fantastic composition and title work as well. This is the second book in the Beast and Beauty Duet. This duet is inspired by Beauty and the Beast but it is a dark duet and you will need to heed the warnings in the beginning of the book.But at the same time, she also finds herself falling for the gruff and at times naive male who is not surprisingly just a product of his environment. He has no reason to question or fight the status quo accepting everything he’s told at face value until now that is. This ‘man’ is supposed to be her father and he has done nothing but sell her out, put her down, and show her how much he hates her through his personal interactions and treatment from the beginning. Yet, she still wants to ‘save’ him to the detriment of everyone, including Beast. I’m sorry, but WTF?! There were so many different directions this could have been taken that it just about ruined the whole story for me.

This is a group for discussing books and authors of adult contemporary romances between a male and a female.

This is the second book in the Beast & Beauty duet. If follows book one, Beast, which ended in a cliffhanger. It is part of the Debts & Vengeance world, although this new duet may be read independently. Those having read the earlier books will have already been introduced to the beast and his owner and therefore have more context. Aurora learns the truth about her father telling her he never wanted her, she was nothing more than a monster, she had scares from surgeries that didn't correct the the problem he said he never wanted her such a blow to her heart, but as Beast would tell her her heart was to big for her little body. Secondly, how is it possible that aurora becomes even more dumb. Why did she still question the love beast shows her. He literally tells her that he loves her and that she’s beautiful and she still thinks that she is unlovable and ugly because of her hands. And it was repeatedly brought up. And also, why does aurora want to save her father even when he was nothing but mean to her. He says that she is a monster, a failure and everything bad in this world and she still wants to save him every damn time. Also, why does she want to save him when he rats her out and she was like “oh no, he wouldn’t do that to me, he loves me”. Bitch please, HE TOLD HER THAT HE HATES HER AND SHE STILL THINKS HE LOVES HER?! The author Clarissa Wild is well known for her bestselling romance novels that really capture the attention of the reader. Becoming a household name for many around the world, she’s achieved a high level of literary status quite unlike any other. Her books have proven to be hugely entertaining, making the most of the contemporary romance format, allowing her to say exactly what she wants to say. Setting herself apart through her unique and idiosyncratic perspective, her work completely speaks for itself, with compelling plots that keep her audience reading all the way.

I nod a few times, pushing myself as far as I can into the wall so the blade doesn’t cut into me. But I can’t stop the whimper from leaving my mouth. With no money to her name, Aurora seeks safety in the streets of Amsterdam while Lex’s men trail her. Fortunate or not, she catches up to her father, who is in very bad shape after suffering at the hands of Lex’s men. With his aid, they find temporary shelter, but it doesn’t last long. Aurora struggles to come to terms with her relationship with her father, who never came to her aid during her captivity. She grew up feeling like a burden, never feeling the warmth of a father’s love. He talks down to her and guilt trips her repeatedly, yet she feels an obligation to save him at any cost. She wants to hold herself to a higher standard; she cannot fathom abandoning the only family she has left. His hand suddenly curls around my throat. I gasp for air as he squeezes, holding me tight while gazing at me with full intent on letting me know who’s in charge. “For a girl who didn’t want to be trapped, you sure as hell stumbled into my grasp quite easily.” Cage went to find Ella, but he didn't know where to go. All he knew was that she lived near the woods, which could have been a hell of a lot of places. So once he found a forest he decided to live in it since he didn't fit in in society. Somehow he knew how to live off the land although he'd never been outside until recently. Then Ella happened to find the woods where he was. The chances of that happening were so slim it was completely unbelievable.Wow, Beast and Aurora’s story delivers on dark and dirty. It takes place in a mafia world where loyalty is demanded and betrayal has a steep price. It takes a special kind of evil to treat a human as Beast has been treated for years on end. How Beast has survived with any shred of humanity, no matter how deeply buried, is confounding. This is a story of survival, hope, and quiet perseverance. The story is nicely written and plot-driven. The plot is fairly simple but unfolds slowly. The characters are shrouded in mystery; it takes some patience for their stories to be told. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Beast and Aurora. I rate this book four stars. If you are looking for something that is more closely inspired by Beauty the Beast this isn’t it- we have a hero named Beast who kidnaps our heroine, but we soon learn they are both captives of a more powerful man. And we have a seemingly innocent heroine but she’s far less optimistic and sunshiney than the original Belle…and her name is Aurora. Hm. Anywho- this becomes a dual captivity story, with a splash of mafia.