When the temp agency calls offering David Evans a placement as an office manager for a therapist, he is quick to accept the position. David needs the money to help provide treatment for his elderly aunt, and it doesn’t hurt that the doctor has a super sexy voice. When he arrives at the job, however, David meets Dr. Alun Kendrick in person. Alun is super surly and unpleasant and makes it clear he has no interest in having David working for him.

Alun is the former Queen’s Champion of Faerie’s Seelie Court, now turned psychologist for the supernaturals of Portland. Alun was cursed and forced out of Faerie, leaving him with a large scar and severe facial deformities. But he does his penance by helping other supernaturals and secrecy is paramount to their safety. There is no way he can have a human like David around his office.

Alun assumes his disfigurement is more than enough to scare David off, but David is determined to stick it out. He isn’t bothered by Alun’s appearance; his personality, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired. But David’s cheerful attitude and determination to hang in there no matter how much Alun pushes him away leaves the men eventually settling into routine at work. And when David makes it clear he is interested in Alun, Alun slowly begins to let down the barriers to being with David and letting himself have some happiness.

But even as the men have found their way together, challenges from the faerie world begin to put them both at risk. Between requirements for Alun to return to Faerie to pledge fealty to the Queen, learning more about David’s family and his past, and threats from those who want more from David than he can give, safety for the men isn’t coming easily. Alun is determined to protect David, even if that means taking himself out of the equation for David’s own safety. But David isn’t willing to give up on his man quite so easily…

Cutie and the Beast is the first book in E.J. Russell’s Fae Out of Water series and it really is an adorable delight. The story is fun, creative, and really entertained me from start to finish. Russell provides some great world building, and Alun’s office is the perfect way to get to know more about the supernatural world and the various creatures that inhabit it. We meet werewolves and dragon shifters, druids and vampires, along with learning more about the fae and the Faerie world that is a big focus of this story. I will say that early on things are a little bit confusing as we meet various supernaturals and learn about their roles, but as the story continues, this becomes easier to absorb and I liked how Russell ends up incorporating all these various side characters into key parts of the story.

As you can probably guess by the title, this book also has a “beauty and the beast” theme as Alun has severe facial deformities as a result of his curse. This is one of my favorite tropes so I was excited about this one and Russell does a nice job with it. Unlike many of these tales, David really doesn’t need any adjustment time as he quickly accepts Alun’s appearance, but struggles with his temperament. But I do love how David is the one person who sees past Alun’s looks and sees inside to the man underneath. I like how being with David helps Alun not only begin to forgive himself for past mistakes, but also accept himself and realize that he can have (and deserves) happiness.

As I said, this is the first book in the series and it appears the other books will feature Alun’s brothers Gareth and Mal. We meet both men here and they have fascinating stories and so I am really excited to see them developed in future books. So this is a really enjoyable start to a fun paranormal series. I really loved the tone of this one and the world building is really interesting. I am definitely excited for more.

I absolutely adored this book, which was both a bit of a delightful surprise and the first step in laying a foundation of affection for everything that comes after this!

I didn't like the first book or couldn't get into it... sorry wasn't my cup of tea I shall say! But I tried!

Fantastical fairy tale for adults, literally. This book is a supernatural romance adventure full of twists and surprises.If you've ever wondered what would happen when a human became mixed up in the supernatural world this book is for you. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

I don't have much to say about this one except that it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so I was predisposed to love it. It was cute, funny and charming. I strongly recommend it :)

This is the first EJ Russell book I have read and I loved it. It is a MM paranormal romance, and the first in a series she is writing. I had a hard time putting it down. The characters were so developed you felt like you knew them. The world she created was so fascinating I can’t wait for the next installment. This is a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed!!

This was a fun one. :) David was a mess. He was also quirky, adorably and totally devoted to his unconventional family. He screwed up every job he had and trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went. When he lands a temp job in Alun's office he is determined to make it work - even though it's a job that he had no business taking.

Alun was cursed and he knew it was totally deserved. The fact that David was determined to stick around regardless of how hard Alun tried to push him away was just one of the reasons why he was inexplicably attracted to David. None of it made any sense at all to Alun. But then, nothing is ever what it seems. By the time both David and Alun figured out what was really going on, it was almost too late.

This was a great start to the Fae Out of Water series. The fact that readers were introduced to both of Alun's brothers just made me want to get to know them better ASAP. Good thing I don't have long to wait for Mal (The Druid Next Door) or Gareth's (Bad Boy's Bard) books. I'm not sure if they will be quite as entertaining as Cutie & the Beast. Mal pushed all of Alun's buttons and was a shameless flirt, but Gareth has a fair amount of baggage and a pretty hefty chip on his shoulder. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that this series is going to be extremely interesting.

4.5/5 Stars

I'd been looking for m/m romance book with Beauty and the Beast elements for a long time when I saw All Things Urban Fantasy post a review of Cutie and the Beast. I was sold and I immediately went to see if it was still on Netgalley. Thank heavens it was! I probably gave my mouse whiplash because I requested it fast after that. And I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint my high expectations! I loved it! It was fun and cute and just plain lovely.

David Evans is a mess. He seems to be a bit unlucky. Wherever he goes, chaos follows. Like riot and drunken fist fight chaos. It gotten to the point where he's been banned from actually working in an office by the temp service he works for even though he's more than qualified to do so. Thanks to an awful flu virus is going around, he gets an assignment he was never meant to have... being the office manager for a psychologist. And not just any psychologist. He's going to go work for Dr. Alun Kendrick, the doctor he's had a crush on since hearing his voice at a medical transcription job.

The thing is Dr. Kendrick is not your normal psychologist. He's a fae lord who treats members of the supernatural community and the occasional supernaturally traumatized human. Alun Kendrick has been dealing with a 200 year curse that has transformed his once perfect face into that of a beast's. Despite being barred from the Seelie Court because of his ugliness, his deformed face works well for him as a therapist. His paranormal patients get to see that everything in his world hasn't been perfect.

I felt for Alun during the whole book. He's one of those characters whose guilty conscience has convinced him that he's not worth being loved. Then in walks David Evans into his life and he turns everything in Alun's life upside down with his caring ways. Poor Alun has no idea what to make of him. David is awkward and he knows it. He has long since accepted it and embraced it. Despite said awkwardness, he is kind and sweet and only wants to help people. He figures as long as he isn't hurting anyone, then it's more than okay to be awkward. It seems to work because he seems to have a natural affinity for making all sorts of supernatural creatures comfortable despite being human.

The book was fun and incredibly creative. It takes place in our world where no humans know that the supernaturals exist. I loved how diverse the supes were in this book! There's the fae both Seelie and Unseelie, vampires, druids, and shifters of all kinds. I also loved the mythology that surrounded this series's version of Faerie and I can't wait to learn more about it.

This book is one I've added to my kindle collection since I've read it and I'm excited to reread it in the future! I loved the heck out of it and I can't wait to get my hands on the next two books that feature Alun's brothers, Mal and Gareth! I need more of the Kendrick brothers in my life!

Dr. Alun Kendrick is not having the best century of his life. Living under a curse, which left him in constant pain and looking like a monster, Alun has tried his best to use his time in exile from the Seelie Court to help other supernatural beings at his psychiatric practice. The last thing he needed was to break in a temporary office manager while his own was out on pregnancy leave. Relying on the agency to supply him with a non-human substitute, Dr. Kendrick is furious when he discovers the young man sent to help him is most definitely human and completely unacceptable despite being deliciously cute.

David Evans wants to be a nurse some day, but right now he is trying his best to stay employed so that he can care for his ailing aunt. When he finds out that his next assignment is with the owner of the dreamiest voice he has ever heard, David is ecstatic—despite being worried that somehow he will manage to screw up this assignment as well. You see, disaster tends to follow David Evans like a plague, and he’s just hoping that this job will not end in calamity like all the others.

Dr. Kendrick is sure he can get rid of David just by frightening him with his appearance alone. But David takes one look and feels nothing but compassion for the man—well, that and a little lustful longing as well. With more than one secret to hide, Alun tries everything he can to get rid of David, who most definitely has other ideas, ones that include getting the good doctor alone in the supply closet as soon as possible. Despite his better judgment, the two begin a relationship, of sorts. When Alun must return to the Seelie Court to pledge his allegiance, he decides to take David with him, and that decision will end up putting both men in danger, revealing something about David that threatens his very life.

Cutie and the Beast by E.J. Russell is one of the best paranormal novels I have read in quite a while. With clever characters, witty dialogue and a fast moving plot, the story takes on the classic Beauty and the Beast fable and turns it on its ear. I instantly fell in love with David Evan. Quirky, compassionate and a tiny bit nerdish, he careens into Alun’s life, refusing to be cowed by the man’s hideous appearance and gruff demeanor. He is clever, well meaning and a true dork who simply refuses to let life beat him down. If there is a way to get around a problem, David will find it and be fairly adorable while doing so.

It is obvious from the start that Alun is attracted to David, but refuses to allow those feelings to take control. Our beast is a wounded man, determined not to repeat the tragedy he is certain he was responsible for with his former lover. Alun is haunted by what happened in his past, and accepts the fact that banishment from his faerie kingdom was an appropriate punishment, as was the physical curse he endures. But David is not so sure about that, and slowly breaks through the walls Alun has erected around his heart, loving his beast despite his grotesque appearance. The chemistry between the two men was spot on, and their attraction to each other was whimsical and sweet.

With a supporting cast that included Alun’s two brothers, as well as an array of other supernatural beings, Cutie and the Beast is a magical fairy tale come to life. Entertaining, sweet, and action packed, this novel had it all, and was a delightful read from beginning to end.

Cutie and the Beast is only very loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. It has more back story and more to the current story. Alun's profession and the cast of patients and their problems was novel, but it wasn't a hit out of the park for me.

The romance wasn't developed enough. I didn't really feel the chemistry between David and Alun, the story of how Alun became disfigured and what happens to them when they take a "trip" (trying not to add a spoiler) were more satisfying. There wasn't much heat between them. I found myself more interested in finding out about other characters than following along with the main characters. The romance aspect was predictable too.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

*2.5 stars*

Okay, I seem to be in the minority here, but this book was a bit hard for me to finish. Don't get me wrong, it's cute, but it wasn't exactly what I thought I was getting.

I thought that the majority of the book was going to be David learning to love "the beast," Dr. Alun Kendrick, despite his looks and surly demeanor. I mean, I expected it to be more or less a play on Beauty and the Beast. However, that isn't really what this story is about.

We didn't get a good sense of what Alun looks like in beast-mode (large head and prominent brow ridges was as much as I gleaned), and the attraction between David and Alun was practically there from the start, despite Alun's looks. The resolution with the whole beauty-vs-beast aspect happened pretty early on, so the rest of the book took me a bit by surprise.

There is a LOT happening in this story, and the story is LONG. I know, I know, it's only 280-some odd pages, but it felt like a 400+ page story. One plot melds into the next and there is a thing with brothers and family and loyalty and jealousy... it was a lot to handle in one story.

I liked David a lot. I thought he was spunky and cute, but I didn't really love Alun, whose personality never really snapped into place for me. They were okay together, I guess, but I just didn't totally feel them as a couple.

I guess I was expected something different and I felt like a got more of a hodgepodge. Not a bad story, but it didn't quite scratch my itch.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Reviews shared on Goodreads, Amazon, B & N and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2017/08/07/reality-shattered-cutie-and-the-beast-a-review/

David Evans is a nothing-special kind of guy who loves his dear aunt–the woman who raised him–and works as hard as he can to support her, especially as she is ill. Trouble is, though he’s a fantastic assistant and office keeper, he can’t seem to keep a position. He’s been doing off-site transcription, but it doesn’t pay all the bills, so he takes advantage of the one opportunity he’s given: temp work for Dr. Alun Kendrick. David heard Dr. Kendrick’s voice once, for a transcription, but it did seriously naughty things for David. He can’t wait to meet the man in person!

Alun Kendrick is a cursed Fae. Years ago his lover, a type of rare healing Fae, was murdered and he’s never forgiven himself. His punishment for not being there to save his beloved is a horrifying facial disfigurement that startles nearly everyone. Still, he works a a counselor to supernatural beings who find his grotesque appearance to be disarming enough to allow themselves to be vulnerable and accepting of treatment.

Alun isn’t prepared for his temp assistant to be human, and he’s outraged that the placement agency sent David, despite him being a sunny, beautiful, thoughtful young man and conscientious employee. Alun tries to find fault in David’s colorful adjustments to his office and solicitous treatment of his clients, but David’s seeming missteps actually result in inadvertent breakthroughs for several of the supers that come in for counseling. And, Alun’s not been tempted to find sexual pleasure since his last lover was killed, nearly two hundred years before. That David turns his crank to eleven? It cripples Alun.

Unfortunately, there’s unrest in the Fae realm and David’s help is needed to assist Alun to return and set things to rights–and that brings on a whole new series of problems. David, unknown even to himself, is harboring a secret of his true self and this results in worsening of the conflict. Not to mention David becoming a target for the worst elements of the Fae.

There’s really a lot going on here, and I’m only scratching the surface plot lines. It’s a sweet and engaging story with a tender romance that is born from David’s ability to see Alun’s true heart beneath the layers of emotional armor and his gruff and misshapen exterior. There’s the tiniest bit of heat, and a slow burn to reach it, but that was fine. I really enjoyed the mismatch of characters, and how David makes himself indispensable to Alun, and his clients. David’s got such a lovely and cheerful way about him, and yet he’s not a pushover. He stands up for so many people, and rolls with the waves of supernatural lore that he finds himself swimming within. There’s lots of comedic elements, and the pace was fantastic. I never felt like I was getting bored, because I constantly wondered: what’s coming next? From helping vampires survive their blood aversion, to teaching young dragons to hoard, David’s patient and caring attitude wins over everyone, including Alun, in time. Fun fact: Alun’s one of three brothers, and it looks like the other two will have their own love-story books in this new series. I’m looking forward to reading on! I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Temp worker David Evans has been dreaming of Dr. Alun Kendrick ever since that one transcription job for him, because holy cats, that voice. Swoon. So when his agency offers him a position as Dr. Kendrick’s temporary office manager, David neglects to mention that he’s been permanently banished from offices. Because, forgiveness? Way easier than permission.

Alun Kendrick, former Queen’s Champion of Faerie’s Seelie Court, takes his job as a psychologist for Portland’s supernatural population extremely seriously. Secrecy is paramount: no non-supe can know of their existence. So when a gods-bedamned human shows up to replace his office manager, he intends to send the man packing. It shouldn’t be difficult—in the two hundred years since he was cursed, no human has ever failed to run screaming from his hideous face.

But cheeky David isn’t intimidated, and despite himself, Alun is drawn to David in a way that can only spell disaster: when fae consort with humans, it never ends well. And if the human has secrets of his own? The disaster might be greater than either of them could ever imagine.

Source: Electronic advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is hella cute. It's sweet and lovely. Perfect for your end of summer enjoyment.

Incidents, riots, and other mysterious happenings follow David, so he's been banned from working in offices and does medical transcription from home to support himself and the Aunt who took him in after his parents died. When he gets the call to work with Alun, he's thrilled. Alun is not so thrilled to have David working for him, but David is stubborn to the core. Which is exactly what makes this story so fun - Alun doesn't really stand a chance. 😉

Cutie is a fun take the paranormal, with fairies, druids, shifters, and dragons, living unknown to the humans. It's a fascinating world that I can't wait to explore further! Book 2, The Druid Next Door releases August 21, 2017. Check out the series info here.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a charming faerie tale. When a human office temp is assigned to work for a cursed Sidhe warrior, the resulting chaos is very entertaining. The story moves between the human world and Faerie – between modern day Portland and the Seelie court. I loved Alun’s troubled supernatural patients as much as I loved David’s attempts to make Alun’s office a more colourful and welcoming place.

When we meet David, he is cute and sweet and clueless about the supernatural world. He’s a little too perfect to be true but it works in a modern faerie tale. His innocent responses to Alun’s patients are brilliant and David brings joy and a sense of fun to Alun’s rigid world.

Alun is the supernatural world’s curmudgeonly psychiatrist. After losing his lover two centuries earlier, he is irritable and miserable at the start of this story. I liked the way we see his kindness through his patient interactions and I enjoyed his reactions to David.

The relationship between Alun and David is sweet and pretty low heat. This is a romantic comedy and some of their interactions had me laughing out loud. These two are great fun together and they fit well as partners.

This author’s concept of Faerie seems to borrow heavily from Patricia Briggs and Laurell K Hamilton. There isn’t a whole lot of world building here and there is an expectation that readers will have some prior knowledge. I followed this part of the story easily and I enjoyed the characters in Faerie.

Beyond Alun and David, I really loved the supporting characters. Alun’s brothers are brilliant, David’s aunts are formidable and Alun’s patients made me smile. I’m really looking forward to the next books in this series.

This is the first in a new contemporary PNR series featuring 3 princes of faerie. The prince in this book is Dr Alun Kendrick, therapist to the supernatural population of Portland. He has also been cursed to have hideous appearance. His love interest is David Evans, his cute young temp receptionist.

At one level, this is essentially a friends-to-lovers romance. Alun resents the presence of a human, David, in his office, and is also waiting for David to reject him because of his looks. Slowly, both Alun and his patients start to appreciate David’s sunny friendliness, and a relationship begins to build. This element of the story works really well. The chemistry between Alun and David is palpable, and David’s general sweetness and naiveté (without being an idiot) make him a really appealing character. Similarly, the banter between the main couples and the well-drawn support characters is great.

Less successful is the paranormal world building. It’s not entirely clear how all the elements – faeries, vampires, dragons, shifters – fit together, and there doesn’t appear to be a governing cosmology to the world. You don’t need to tell the reader all of this, but it does all need to hang together consistently, and this element of Cutie and the Beast doesn’t quite get there. Regardless, the appealing relationship at its core make this book well worth a read.

I enjoyed the book. The magical side was fun and the romance was well done. It just ended up not being my favorite book. It is well done just not my cup of tea.

I picked up this book on a total whim. While I love paranormal type books, there was something about this blurb that drew me in and made me want to read it.

And now that I’ve read it, I can honestly say that I’m so glad that I did! This book was something that I’ve been looking for that I haven’t really read a lot of in the past. While I do love paranormal, I do love fae type books, and there isn’t a lot of them out there.

One thing that I did love about this is it wasn’t like your normal book – there were twists that happened in the book that caught me so off guard I actually went back and re-read parts of the story to see if I had missed the hints that were dropped.

This book had so many different aspects to the story, but it all worked out in the long run. I didn’t feel overloaded, or lost. I was so drawn into the story that I just couldn’t put it down.

Overall – I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Sometimes it’s fun to escape. Sometimes you want to read something that will make you smile, laugh, and feel warm and fuzzy inside. CUTIE AND THE BEAST is one of the super fuzzy books! If you love it when our world clashes with the world of fairies, dragons and magic, this book is for you.

There are so many fun characters to love in CUTIE AND THE BEAST. Alun, the deformed psychiatrist “beast” , is a grumpy cursed fae warrior who helps supernatural creatures adapt to our world, even though he is only partially fitting in himself. When David arrives and adds much needed life to Alun’s grey office, he can no longer hide in the dark corners he’s made for himself. David brings cute vases, colourful coasters and his almost aggressively-bubbly personality. Alun’s clients love him and Alun starts to cave in too.

With a mix of mythological characters, both good and evil, there is a lot to take in for both David and the readers. The book does a good job of keeping up though, with David even voicing the frustration with not knowing all the rules just before the reader gets too lost.

David glared at him, fists clenched at his sides so he wouldn’t give in to the urge to pop Alun one right in the schol. “That’s because nobody will fricking tell me the story. How many times do I have to say it? Ignorance does not equal safety. Ignorance equals ignorance, and that can get you just as dead.”
I’m so glad someone said it! There is always a place for secrets so dark they cannot be told in paranormal romance, but they do tend to drag on. Alun has two brothers who play a large role in the story and are super interesting characters. I was pleased to hear we’ll catch up with them in THE DRUID NEXT DOOR and BAD BOY’S BARD later this year. I haven’t had this much fun with a PNR in a while.

4.5 Stars!!!


David is a temp worker that lands his dream job when the agency he works at offers him the position of office manager at Dr. Alun Kendrick's office. Only Dr. Kendrick doesn't seem too keen on having David working for him.

Alun was cursed 200 years ago and banished from the Seelie Court of Faerie and now he works as a psychologist to the supernaturals in Portland. The last thing he wants or needs is a human in his practice, no matter how enticing said human is.

David is not intimidated by Alun's looks or his grumpy, mercurial moods, and soon Alun finds he no longer wants to push David away, which can be a recipe for disaster since humans and supes don't really mesh well. Never mind the fact that David has secrets that could potentially put his life in danger.

I absolutely loved David! He was fabulously funny and I just couldn't get enough of him. There were a couple of instances on the last portion of the book in which he frustrated me a bit, but not enough to diminish his charm. I liked Alun a lot, but his forage into martyrdom was a bit tiresome after a bit. I wanted to slap some sense into him when he suggested hiding their whatever-they-were-doing from others, even if David agreed to it. Despite that, I thought David and Alun had great chemistry and were awesome together.

I found the storyline regarding David's secret very well-done and thought out. While I suspected something, I didn't expect it to be what it really was.

I loved David's interactions with the Dragon shifter queen and her son and with the Vampire. That was really nice. And I loved David's aunt, even if she'd been keeping secrets from him.

Overall, I think this was an amazing start of the series. I'm really fond of Beauty and the Beast retellings and this was a fantastic one. It was engaging and hilarious, sweet and cute, intriguing, with some angst and action thrown in for good measure. I can't wait to read Alun's brother's stories, I really liked them both in this book.

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley by Riptide Publishing for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***