What would you do for love? Would you try to conquer your darkest demons? Would it be worth it? What if you weren't sure, what would it take to convince you to try?

Nero has reasons for being the way he is. Yes, he's very arrogant and doesn't care. Doesn't care about anything really. He's obscenely rich, gorgeous and has people at his beck and call. What would it take for him to realize that his way isn't always the best way? What would it take for him to be a better man?

Phoebe is a people pleaser, great at her job and needs money, a lot of it and fast. What would she do it for it? Will she be able to teach a man what it's like to have love in his life? That not everyone is out for themselves and what it's like to give?

It's an emotional book and you can definitely feel what the characters are going through. Your heart will break a little with theirs along the way.

This is the second book of this series that I've read and UGH I WISH THERE WERE A MILLION MORE TO READ. Sorry, is that a little too aggressive? Whatever. I was PUMPED when I saw this ARC and read it in basically one sitting. Nero is an asshole. Phoebe is lost in herself. Together? *explosions*

All those screens would give me ADD.

I'm with the assistant. A "selection of women"? Like clothes?

This reminds me of the movie "Secretary".

Her mother sounds tiring.

The poor boy! This sounds like child abuse, if you ask me.

Is his mother dead, then?

So he's okay with raping someone, but the jail part makes him reconsider his actions?

He really has no understanding of interpersonal relations, does he. And I guess no one was there to teach him the difference between right and wrong.

He has a security camera set up in her room? Is that legal?

Charles sounds like a selfish douchebag.

Does he have a bed in the control room or something?

Oh, the days before cell phones. I miss you.

I guessed that his mother must have been schizophrenic.

Hot troubled alpha male. A must read. Phoebe is in need of a well paying job to pay for hospital bills. Nero falls for her right from the start, but thinks he is in control of his feelings.

Can you leave your past behind? Nero hasn't left his house in ten years as he is unable to, his childhood was filled with nothing as he had been hidden away from the world and he never knew the truth about why?
Phoebe needs this job even though Nero pushes her buttons and she can't give in, she just has to stay calm and do what he asks. She knows that he is hiding something and it is destroying this wonderful man but he won't tell her and when she finds out, she understands and she knows that she can't fix him but she is still going to try.
They have found each other and they seem to belong together but Phoebe's past will destroy that as Nero realizes that he has lost her forever. Phoebe knows that it is time to move on even though she doesn't want to leave him she needs to be free and live her life as the last two years have taken their toll. Will Nero left her go even though he needs her? What a wonderful story filled with love, betrayal and just maybe a future.

Jackie Ashenden's The Billionaire Beast is a darkly delicious unique romance that drew me in fast and kept me up all night to finish the book. I absolutely loved the characters and loved that the plot line was different and not a typical beauty and the beast type story. It was that and more. Nero was dark, brooding and demanding and I fell in love with him right away and felt the terror that was his life so deeply, Pheobe is perfect for him and I felt their chemistry and connection. This author has done a great job with this book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gritty, unique romance. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Another smash hit from Ms Ashenden. Couldn't be more entertained! I stayed up all night for this one, too. It has also just occurred to me that the "fairytale" theme is (duh!) actual fairy tales. Beauty and the Beast. Clever! (I'm a new Mom, totally sleep deprived and slow on the uptake) Nero was smouldering and sexy, his story was heartbreaking and, at times, a little hard to read. So watching him overcome his horrible past to win the love of his life was immensely satisfying. Love me a happily-ever-after!!

The Billionaire Beast by Jackie Ashenden is a fairly short read, a great choice for anyone with limited time for reading. Ms Ashenden has delivered a well-written book, a nice smooth read. Nero and Phoebe's story will have your emotions see-sawing like mad. Ms Ashenden's characters are phenomenal and my favorite part of the book. There's plenty of drama, humor and sizzle to keep readers turning pages as fast as they can. I totally enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the talented Jackie Ashenden in the future. The Billionaire Beast is book 2 of the Billionaire Fairy Tales Series but can easily be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.

I am very satisfied with reading the title book and would love to order and read this book further.

I thought this title was an okay read, better in parts than others. The characters and story didn't grow on me until near the end, which saved the book for me. I will say this though, the insight of agoraphobia the H suffered through and overcame was on-point. I loved that aspect was included and explored in this story. It was an important and relevant take on a classic.

Phoebe is desperate. With mounting medical bills from her fiance being in a coma she must find a job. After two years of taking care of Charles without any improvement she is in financial straights. When she finds a job offered by a reclusive billionaire she will do anything to get it. After all it is better than stripping, right?

Nero de Santis has not left his house in over 10 years. He is an exacting boss and cannot keep an assistant. When Phoebe shows up for her interview he is intrigued. He finds he wants to ruffle her cool exterior. As the sparks fly between him and his assistant, he finds himself moving out of his comfort zone to spend time with her.

Phoebe knows that something horrible has happened to Nero in the past. She is determined to help him. She has been lonely for a long time and the way he looks at her makes her believe he sees her, when no one else has before. When Nero finally opens up to her about the horrors of his past she is heartbroken. But when when she is immediately puled away to Charles side, she doesn't know how they can find their way together.

Now in order to keep her, Nero must let her go and trust that she comes back to him. Strong male lead that can be dominating. This is the second in the series. I will say it made me want to go back and read the first.

WOW! another hot page turner by Ms. Ashenden. Great writing.

Another brilliant story from Ms. Ashenden. The story is grittier and more angst-filled than the typical romance. Nero is the caged beast who has so much insecurity in letting himself participate in the outside world you wonder if he can ever overcome it. All Phoebe wants to do is help people which I feel are due to her own insecurities. They both want to be loved and to love and their story is so compelling that I had a hard time putting the book down. The story reminded me of quote “If you love something set it free. If it comes back it's yours. If not, it was never meant to be”. Can Nero and Phoebe set each other free, can they find love? A touching love story.

I do love Ashenden's writing style. She gave a really good, contemporary twist to Beauty and the Beast. I liked how Nero seemed more normal in the beginning and as we learned more about him the more the Beast was visible. I loved Pheobe. She was "good people", very sweet and nurturing. Very likeable. Will definitely pick up this title for the library. I have a few ladies who would love it.

I didn't read the first book but that wasn't necessary. This was a nice quick read. I gave it 4 stars no review on goodreads.

The premise of this book sounded really great and Jackie delivered with a bang. I really felt for these two characters, who'd each felt unloved and unaccepted by those around them. Setting them both struggle to get past these feelings was hard.

Phoebe had always felt like the fill-in for her older deceased sister. Her parents had always made her feel that way. Luckily meeting Charles had given her the chance to start anew, on her own. Charles never made her feel unwanted, but he'd never seemed too intensely interested in her feelings, either. Now she's stuck, sitting beside his hospital bed watching him the last two years while he was in a coma.

Nero is doing what he does best--bossing people around and being the all around jerk so people would never realize he was terrified to leave the four rooms he inhabited in his huge mansion. Ten years of his life had been spent in a small, solitary existence and he'd never gotten past it. Meeting Phoebe and interviewing her for the job of his assistant was wildly exciting mainly because of his extreme attraction to her.

Will Phoebe get past her reclusive nature and the fact her fiance has been in a coma for two years and start a relationship with Nero? Let's hope, because Nero isn't used to waiting and he's got his eye on her.

Steamy and confusing, these two are an unlikely pair but the author made me believe in them. Thanks!

My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast, so I am always interested in reading different versions of that. The hero is a man who wants what he wants, when he wants it, but he does not look like a beast. They maybe boss and employee, but there is some strong sexual chemistry between these two. There were some hot sex scenes in this book. He has reasons for being the way he is and she helps with that. She has her own set of issues, which he helps her deal with. In the middle of everything, and despite the odds, they fall in love with one another. They decide that they would rather be together then apart and miserable.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Nero de Santis is a billionaire and a complete idiot at the best of times. He runs out of assistants quicker than he can change his underwear daily. He seems to be very closed off and kind of really irritating as well. The amount of times I wanted to knock some sense into him is dangerously high in this book. He has no manners and demands shit, like I’m sorry but there’s a certain limit to how much you can demand before you give back. I’m aware he has his reasons but for me those reasons didn’t quite justify his actions in this book.

Phoebe Taylor; engaged and needs the money to keep her fiancé in the hospital bed he is in. She’s a character that I warmed up to after a while but her attitude at times in the book put me off majorly. I think this book is enjoyable but not as enjoyable as I’d hoped. I am still looking forward to the next book but I am hoping that it was an improvement in character development.

All in all, 3.5 stars.

Just an okay story. I didn't get the falling in love part because Nero was kind of an asshole. The author's descriptions of how Nero felt were terrific when he left his rooms.

The whole "Beauty and the Beast" storyline is one of my favorites. This book however just did not deliver on what it advertised. If the first interaction between the hero and heroine isn't enough to give you the "ick" factor than just keep reading and pick from one of the other over the top bizarre and utterly unappealing advances from the hero. I get that our heroine needs money (and the some reality needs to be suspended for romance novels) but what woman in their right mind would move in with a guy who spoke like he did to her during their first meeting not to mention the creepy "hair playing". I was really hoping that a big turn around was in store and of course the characters grew from what they started out as but I was just never endeared to the hero and never felt the chemistry between them was genuine. It just felt forced and awkward the whole time. Not a fan on this one.