Beauty and the Beast Story.
This was certainly a bit different in that the Duke has accepted that he will never be able to have a normal relationship but cannot help being fascinated b the impudent Kitty who claims him as her fiancé in order for her sisters to make good marriages. An enjoyable story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ms. Katherine “Kitty” Danvers decides to be bold and daring by doing something unheard of; by claiming that she is the fiancée of the Duke of Thornton, Alexander Masters. Kitty figures that Alexander is a recluse and will never figure out her scheme after she secures matches for her sisters then can break off the pretend engagement without anyone the wiser. Kitty at first enjoys what she created even though the gossip takes a life of its own. Alexander the hermit is in the wilds of Scotland and hears the rumors that he is engaged to Kitty so decides to face her. When Alexander meets Kitty at a ball he is intrigued by this schemer and plans his retribution but will this plan end up backfiring in both their faces anyway?
What a wonderfully written regency story with definitely a different twist to the plain old beauty and the beast tale! The story is rollickingly funny and witty with great plot twists and beautifully characters that it is a book that will stay with one long after it’s finished! In fact the book is really hard to put down and will keep you turning pages wishing the book could be a little longer or you could live in their world a little bit longer. Kitty is just a fantastic heroine, smart, savvy, feisty that you will love her for charm and want to be part of the sinful wallflowers too. Alexander the harsh injured hero despite his unpleasantness is the perfect tortured guy that he is hard not to fall in love with. This is one book that is well the read and one that is a keeper!

My Darling Duke is the first book in the Sinful Wallflowers series and a decent introduction into the wallflowers looking to change their circumstances. My Darling Duke features Katherine "Kitty" Danvers as a desperate wallflower attempting to save her family by pretending to be engaged to the reclusive Duke of Thornton, Alexander Masters. His reclusiveness has been self-imposed after a tragic accident which left him with scarring and difficulty walking/standing for long periods. After learning through newspaper articles and rumours told to him by family members that he has a fiancée, he makes it his mission to discover just who this woman is and what exactly it is about her that's so intriguing to his senses.

This is the first story I've read by Stacy Reid so I wasn't entirely sure what her writing style would be like. For the most part, I enjoyed it! I liked the story - I have a soft spot for fake to real relationships, especially in historical romances - and found Alexander's perseverance to overcome his difficulties from the accident to be really interesting. However, there were a few moments in the book that I found a little repetitive and would skim-read those parts while anxiously awaiting what was going to happen next in the story.

The characters in the story were also great with Alexander being the scarred and tortured hero with genuine flaws that made him all the more realistic and lovable. Kitty's wallflower status emphasized the meaning behind perception in society. In reality, Kitty was a fierce protector of her family, and strong-willed in her actions to avoid financial destitution and secure good matches for her sisters. When Alexander approached her for the first time, Kitty was faced with the consequences of her decisions and held true to herself. Basically, Kitty's personality was the opposite of a quiet, meek wallflower.

Overall, I think this was a good start to the series and I look forward to seeing what the other 'wallflowers' get up to in an effort to change their situations.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the free copy in an exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting 'beauty & beast' kind of story. I really enjoyed reading it and loved the two main characters.
Miss Katherine Danvers is a member of a group of ladies who by all accounts are all wallflowers. But they are tired of being treated poorly by the so-called civilized society. Hence they make a pact to do something wicked and sinful. Katherine took this pact very seriously and announces that she is engaged to Duke of Thornton, Alexander Masters. No one has seen or heard from the Duke in years. She is confident that she will be able to pull this plan without him finding out about it... But no such luck...
Alexander finds out about it and decides to see what his 'fiance' is like. When he meets her, he is not angry rather he is intrigued by her and soon things are out of control for both them to handle. But can there really be a happily-ever-after for a wallflower and a reclusive Duke who is hiding many demons of his own?
I find this story very entertaining and because it is historical fiction so, of course, it is all the more fun. I'd definitely recommend this book to all historical fiction fans.

I had a hard time connecting to these characters. Separately? I liked them. Katherine isn't your typical well-bred young miss. She has moxie and a certain imprudence that makes her stand out from the crowd. It was easy to see why Alexander was curious about her. And even easier to see why he was taken with her.

It was also understandable why he stayed away from society, and why he was reluctant to allow Katherine to get close to him. After the horrors that he had endured, and the resulting pain and disfigurement, not to mention believing himself impotent, it was easy to understand. However, it was hard to root for a couple where the man is so hot and cold towards the female.

There were times where to story felt stilted. It seemed like they covered the same ground again and again without ever having accomplished anything. They fall a little more in love with the other, he says or does something hurtful, or just plain backs off, she comes back for more. I feel with a little less angst, and a little more of the playful interactions between these two, it would have been a more enjoyable story.

However, with this being the first in a new series, I will say that I enjoyed it, and the author's style enough that I would continue on to see what happens next.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid is book One in the Sinful Wallflowers Series. This is the story of Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton and Katherine 'Kitty' Danvers.
Alexander was once in love or so he thought but the women he fell for called him a monster along with the town when he was scared and damaged from an accident. So Alexander left town and became a reclusive person, now several years later he gets wind of someone pretending to be his fiancée. Kitty family has been left destitute after their father's death. Kitty's father title went to someone who has no care or use to help them. Kitty's family hopes would be on her marrying but she hasn't found anyone and things are getting worse. Kitty comes up with the ideal to pretend to be engaged to the reclusive Duke. Kitty thoughts were that she could have her sister married to someone and her family settle before the Duke would even know. Now they are butting heads and fighting their feelings. But aren't they both what each needs...love and security?
Loved it!!!

This author....this book!! She is one of my favorite authors. This book did not disappoint. Great story. Loved how the main character took charge of her future and just went for it. Can't wait for her next book.

An adorable and sweet story. Kitty is a wallflower who is tired of her status in society. She is also tired of hiding her true self. Along with her 5 friends they devise a plan to change their lives and determine their own futures. Alexander is a Duke and a recluse who has not been seen in society for a long time. He has no intentions of getting married because of his disability, but has learned he has acquired a fiancée. The characters are wonderful, witty and funny. As these two meet they find that they are comfortable with each other and begin to fall in love. This is a story about acceptance, hope and pure love. It will fill the reader with hope and joy.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

After three unsuccessful seasons, Katherine “Kitty” Danvers makes a bold and potentially scandalous decision, to save her family. Since she is not wed and has no prospects, she leaks a story to the scandal sheets – that she is betrothed to Alexander Masters, the reclusive and absent Duke of Thornton. Her logic is simple, the duke has been written about many times and yet, he never refutes the stories and he never comes to London. She thinks that pretending to be his fiancée will elevate her socially, thus giving her sisters a chance to make good matches, she hopes that by the time the ton figures out her ruse, her sisters will be taken care of and she can just fade into the background. She knows that by following this course, she will be ruined and any hope of a happy marriage and a family of her own will be lost. But since her father died and left them almost penniless, she feels it is her duty to care for her mother and sisters, no matter the personal cost.
Kitty is amazed how easily the ton believes her story and when one of the duke’s solicitors visits and begin to toady to her, she thinks that she may actually pull this off! What she doesn’t know is that Alexander has been made aware of her scam and has decided to play along – for now.

Left seriously injured and badly scarred after the fire that killed his parents ten years ago, Alexander spent years slowly healing and when he tried to return to society, a humiliating incident sent him scurrying back to his castle in Scotland. So when he learns that he is betrothed to Kitty, he does the unthinkable – he goes to London to meet her.

Kitty is shocked when the duke shows up in a wheeled chair and demands an audience with her. She had no idea he was crippled and scarred, she brazens the meeting out and is surprised when Alexander seems willing to play along. The next time they meet, she is shocked again to learn that he can walk and when they dance, she feels a connection that she never dreamed possible, but when he rushes away after their dance, she is left wondering if she imagined the connection, unwilling to let him walk away, she follows and learns even more about her faux fiancé and agrees to a very improper demand by the duke to keep her secret safe.

What follows is a sweet “beauty and the beast” type story with some interesting twists. Personally, I liked the story and enjoyed the retelling, but for me, the story did become a little repetitious and dragged a bit in the middle until almost the end of the book, making it really easy to put down and a bit of a chore to finish. This is one of those rare books that I really liked the story, but felt that I would have liked it better as a novella. Katherine and Alexander are both likable, the chemistry between them is a living, breathing thing, most of the love scenes were subdued but potent, the story touches on issues not usually broached in romance novels and the author does an amazing job dealing with those issues, there are several set ups for future installments that add to the story without detracting from Kitty and Alexander, the secondary characters are wonderful and the ending brought a tear to my eye. Overall, I did like the book, I would recommend it and I am looking forward to reading the adventures of the other “Sinful Wallflowers”

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by the publisher.*

Oh so many tears! Simply amazing story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to tell you I got the major feels with this book. I found myself reading with tears rolling down my face several times. The author crafted a completely different story with a twist that simply captivated me. And the last part nearly broke my heart.

It’s not easy to catch the attention of a reviewer because we read so many stories. Sometimes it feels like I’m numb to emotion. However, when a author breaks through that tough exterior, the impact is even more touching.

This book is teeming with deep emotion and pain, both physical and emotional. But we also have amusement, wit, and genuine happiness that just makes you smile throughout the story. The complexity of the characters Reid crafted just really touched my heart.

My Darling Duke is one of the most intensely romantic, sexy, fun, and emotional Regency romances I have read. It will be rounding out my Best of 2019 list with a heart stopping five stars. I cannot say enough about this book so suffice it to say that if you love a great romance, you have to read this one!

This author has definitely caught my attention and I will be looking for more from her. If this is an example of her normal work, sign me up!

4.5 stars.
Full of tenderness and pain, often melodramatic, but Stacy Reid’s elegant prose makes the story in “My Darling Duke” (Entangled: Amara) heartbreaking and the reading journey very enjoyable.
An amazing, very lonely, wounded hero and a great, unconventional heroine.
There's great chemistry and honesty between our romantic couple.
Alexander is afflicted with so many issues – the epitome of the wounded hero – yet this “intensely private man” and “charming monster” is very interesting and likeable.
The romance with Kitty, while a bit improbable in the beginning, is relatable, due also to the heroine’s traits of kindness, compassion and determination.
There’s a bit of fairy tale tones in the story when this woman unlike any Alexander had ever know captures his aching heart with the most unexpected scheme.
It’s a passionate romance, with lots of sensuality, showing that the author is indeed “an unapologetic romance lover”.

A truly romantic story that I couldn't put down!

When a desperate and penniless woman pretends to be betrothed to a Duke who has been absent from the ton for years, her whole world explodes when he comes back to call her bluff.

"Kitty and her friends had been withering away in the ton, season by season, with no chances of improving their prospects. They were all fairly attractive but could not be considered great beauties, nor were they especially accomplished, having little useful connections and less dowries to inspire any real serious matrimonial attachments."

Lady Katherine "Kitty" Danvers, one of the Sinful Wallflowers, penniless and past her prime to marry at three and twenty, desperately needs to find a way to save her younger sisters and mother from being destitute. With the support of her fellow wallflowers, she comes up with a scandalous plan to announce her betrothal to Alexander Masters, the reclusive Duke of Thornton, just long enough to secure suitable matches for her sisters. 

"An almost overpowering restlessness came over Alexander. Who are you, Miss Kitty Danvers? Intemperate and reckless, that much he knew. There would be no other reason to summon a beast into her life. Why would anyone say they were engaged to him? What charade was she playing—and why?"

When mad, bad, and dangerous Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton, finds out Lady Danver's duplicity he is intrigued. Called the "puppet master" he is influential with the lords and is a powerful and dangerous adversary. Alexander has been a recluse holed up at his remote estate in Scotland for years due to a devastating fire losing his beloved parents and scarring and breaking his body.  He will never marry due to his inability to produce an heir, but to satisfy his curiosity he demands an unnegotiable arrangement to take her to Scotland for one or two weeks unchaperoned until he is no longer interested in her and in turn his godmother will help her sisters find suitable marriages.

I loved watching the sparks fly between Kitty and Alexander.  Kitty's forwardness and charm is an enchanting compliment to Alexander's stoic and straightlaced manner. Alexander's injuries are painful and heartbreaking and I was intrigued by how the author would play it out. Kitty's quick wit and kindness make her a natural to help Alexander with his physical and emotional pain. There are so many wonderful nuances in their interactions that made this reader swoon with anticipation.

Overall, this is an enchanting and strikingly romantic tale of two souls who come together in a most unusual and clever way. Another author to add to my favorites! Recommend highly!

Thank you to Ms. Reid, Entangled Publishing, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I love how Stacy Reid plays with the premise that if everybody tells the truth, than nobody lies. Kitty’s scheme is kind of funny and I liked that when confronted by the object of her scheme, she owned it rather than lied any further. And I can’t help but think that if you are a scarred recluse, you must be in a romance novel. Although she does give Alexander some additional reasonings for acting the way he does I don’t recall reading in romance before.

Thank you Entangled: Amara and NetGalley for the ARC!

Oh, what a tangled web!

I absolutely devoured this unique spin on the fake engagement trope! Kitty feels that her time has passed and she's not going to find a husband at all, certainly not one that can help her younger sisters make suitable matches and provide for her widowed mother as well. Feminists today like to decry the marriage-minded ladies in historical romances, but the truth of the matter is that women in those situations had very few avenues to avoid starvation and abject poverty, and only one that maintained their respectability.

Kitty's plan is to announce to all and sundry that she's the new fiance of a reclusive duke, one who hasn't been seen in years, hoping that she and her family can reap the social benefits from the association before the unlikely event that he discovers her tale.

Alexander removed himself from polite society after a horrific accident left him seriously injured and disfigured. But he can't help admiring the bold ingenuity of the woman claiming to be his fiance, and he sets out to find out what's behind the charade.

These two couldn't be more perfect for each other, and their delightful interactions were such a joy to read. They each bring out the very best in the other, while allowing each other to be their true selves, connecting on a soul-deep level that has them both questioning their earlier conclusions.

I read this book in one lovely afternoon, and I just adored every page. As the beginning of a new series, we're also introduced to Kitty's friends and fellow Wallflowers and their unique situations. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Oh, how I adored this book! I’ve missed reading historical fiction and this novel made me thirst for more!

"How marvelous if we should all be guilty of doing something wicked, just for once."

Miss Katherine AKA Kitty Danvers has the weight of her family's well-being and future on her shoulders. After suffering as a wallflower for four seasons, she has finally worked up a wild and sinful plan to turn the family fortunes around, and give her sisters the chance to make good matches during the London season. With any luck, it will all be done and dusted in a few months, and the unwitting accomplice to her ruse would be none the wiser.

"He felt an odd compulsion stirring inside him to understand this stranger's drive and complexities."

Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton, has been a recluse for about ten years since a terrible tragedy left him scarred physically and mentally. However, as hidden away in Scotland as he is, news of his alleged fiancée reaches his ears, and he cannot help but be intrigued by such a bold, impudent creature. He is so beguiled as to be lured to London and brave the stares of the ton to meet her himself, even though he could never offer her a future as his true duchess.

"Suddenly he wanted Kitty Danvers with all her bold impudence, reckless heart, and vivacious personality...to belong to him."

This story was gorgeous! Kitty is just the type of heroine I love in historical romances. She's resilient, intrepid, singular and quirky. I loved her bravery and her manner with the Duke. Alexander was a man not to be pitied. He was fiercely proud, with immense strength of character and fortitude. He was kind and had a great sense of humour. I adored how intriguing he found Kitty - he was completely in awe of her and her originality. His sexual brazenness with her made me laugh but I was delighted by Kitty's response to his teasing. She treated him and looked at him as a desirable, undamaged man. His vulnerability plucked at my heartstrings. I was desperate for them to get their HEA. They had such a fantastic connection and considerable chemistry.

"For the first time in years, he felt the shudder of his soul and heard the echo of his heartbeat."

This story was so beautiful written, with an audacious plot that made for an emotional and uplifting read. Simply fabulous!

What happens when a group of wallflowers decide to make matters into their own hands? Find out in Stacy Reid’s new Sinful Wallflower series. A group of friends decide to be wild, adventurous and go out on whim since society has deemed them wallflowers and after several failed seasons, marriage matches are growing slimmer by the year.

We start with Katherine Danvers who pretends to be engaged to the Duke of Thornton, a mysterious man who has not shown his face in society for many years. Kitty wants good matches for her sisters and has given up on her dream of marriage and a family. She becomes this fresh new lady in society to garter invitations and perhaps a townhouse of her own using the Duke’s name. I really love that she feels bad about using the Duke. Yet, there is nothing she wouldn’t do for her sisters.

Alexander Masters has suffered for many years with pain and scars, away from society in Scotland. I was so excited to see how he would respond once he heard he was engaged but he reacted way better than I thought he would. I guess once you have been declared engaged to a few others and have already run away with an heiress, rumors don’t seem to bother you as much. He tries to resist her but she gives him a reason to keep going as his injuries are severe and he has lived in a shadow of despair. Kitty became a sort of companion and friend in his time of need. Also a bit of entertainment to make him smile and laugh.

Alexander and Kitty’s chemistry is so wonderful. They have a very slow burning romance as they are working the facade of a thrilled and happy engaged couple. I love their banter and the wit of their conversations. The romance was just a bit slow for me in the middle but overall the ending makes it all worth the wait. Also meddling and desperate servants are always priceless.

I can’t wait to see what her friends do. We get little hints through the story and I’m excited to read the next one. Bring on the scandalous wallflowers!

Starring Honorable Iphigenia Katherine “Kitty” Danvers and Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton. Wallflower... Beauty and the Beast... Fake betrothal (so fake that the prospective groom is surprised when he finds out he’s engaged).

Kitty Danvers is desperate. She’s a wallflower with no prospects. With her family being in dire situations, she must boldly execute a plan that allows society’s doors to open so that her sisters can find worthy husbands. So she goes to the tabloids and announces that she’s betrothed to Alexander, a Duke that no one has seen in years. Her actions are so over the top flamboyant that everyone is taking notice... including the duke himself.

Alexander has been hiding from society for 10 years, but not without reason. A fire has left him scarred, constantly in pain, and he’s mostly confined to his bath chair (which I had to google and went down a fabulous history rabbit hole... I love It when an author compels me to do research). But after reading of Kitty’s exploits in the papers, he becomes extremely curious about the woman who would attach herself to his name.... what are her motives? So he leaves his safe haven in Scotland and re-enters society to find out more about his “fiancé”.

Omigosh was so anxious for the first few chapters!! I wanted the pages to fly by to their first confrontation. I was biting my nails the whole time. And their first meeting did not disappoint!! Alexander agrees to keep up with this charade if Kitty agrees to spend 2 weeks with him in Scotland... Unchaperoned. Without the watchful eyes of the Ton, these two starts to get to know each other.

Kitty is such a wonderful heroine. She’s vibrant and full of life... and Alexander just wants to bask in her sunshine. Alexander is the delicious moody and broody hero. Even though Kitty makes him happy and makes him wish for the impossible, he knows that their time together as an expiration date. “For who could ever learn to love a beast?” Sorry, I had to go there!!

I don’t even know what chapter it started, but once I hit it, I was bawling... sobbing... gut wrenching tears until the end!! I have gone beyond Ugly Crying AF!! Kitty and Alexander are LOVE!! People have tackled the Beauty and the Beast theme (which is my absolute favorite trope)... but Stacy Reid has totally made it your own. I knew that Kitty and Alexander were going to have an HEA, but she gave them an obstacle that I never read in a book. And I was like, HOW?!?! And then I was clapping like mad at her brilliance!! SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!! Great start to the series and I’m looking forward to reading about the rest of the SINFUL WALLFLOWERS!!

Stacy Reid is one of my “All Time Fave Authors” and she is firmly on my keeper shelf!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily reviewed it and the comments are 100% my own.

My star system:
5 stars: Ugly cried AF... major book hangover... characters were amazing... made me wanna hug the author for writing a book that gave me all the feels!! Will be re-reading this story over and over and over again!!

Katherine “Kitty” Danvers is 23 year and considered a wallflower after several years of being ‘out’ but no offers forthcoming. The daughter of a impoverished viscount, with several younger sisters, as the oldest, when her father died, it was Kitty who was the strong one in their household, holding things together. When things become increasingly desperate, she hatches a plan that she hopes will secure her sisters the chance to find themselves good matches.
Kitty manages to convince all of society that she is betrothed to the elusive Duke of Thornton. Not having been seen in society for 10years, even when wild rumours abound, Kitty reckons her subterfuge relatively safe and is shocked when “her” Duke makes an appearance at a ball but doesn’t call her out for being a liar.
A wonderful story with a touch of the Beauty & the Beast. The connection that grows between the irrepressible Kitty and the tormented but stoic Alexander (aka the Duke) is beautiful to read. Gravely injured after he threw himself from a 3rd story window to save his sister and himself during a fire, A dragged himself out of his depression for his sister. His then fiancée cried off their engagement and he thinks no woman could love him for his scars. I loved his character – determined, but sacrificing and gosh but I cried buckets for his pain, pushing K away because he felt that she deserved so much more that the shell he felt himself to be. K is an equally wonderful character. Totally unconventional, she isn’t shy of saying what she thinks and was totally unconventional; traits that only served to endear her to A.
Highly recommended.

4 Allowing Love Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Whenever I read historical romances, I thank my lucky stars not to be born of those times. What women had to endure and how they were regarded takes this modern woman's breath away. In My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers, #1) by Stacy Reid, all of the challenges women had to deal with and workaround are front and center along with the rules of society and the Ton.

Ms. Reid takes the Beauty and The Beast concept and gives it a good shake, mixes it with women considered wallflowers and past their point of being suitable and liberates them to be adventurous and willingly wicked. This is a the first of a series and we are given a hint of what is to come.

The first to not sit idly by is Miss Katherine Danvers.Her family is depending on her to save them from financial ruin. She is lovely, caring and very bright. When her father past, all of the responsibilities fell to her. She has sisters who need to have successful pairings and she knows she must figure out a way to make it happen or all is lost. She is willing to sacrifice her dream of a family and love match of her own for them.

Kitty has been thinking about how to make all of this happen when she is encouraged to be brave and adventurous by one of the other wallflowers of her group. She shares with her most trusted friend a plan she has and by speaking of it out loud, she decides it is the only way to save her mother and sisters.

You see, years ago her father told her the Ton only cares about connections and perceptions. It was a matter of who you knew and how the Ton would gossip about it. The higher the connection, the better. Kitty did a little research and took advantage of the facts she learned about the enigmatic and reclusive Alexander Masters, Duke of Thornton. He had a reputation for being mad, a rogue and dangerous. He also had not made an appearance in many years.

This would be perfect...Kitty would plant with the gossip writers that she was the fiancée of the Duke. She knew he never responded to any of the gossips about him and prayed he wouldn't for this either. She let the tongues waggle about this unlikely pairing and took all of the funds the family had and put it towards outfitting her sisters with the intent of them having successful seasons.

It was go big or go home. And it worked.

The invitations started to pour in. Her plan was taking hold and if everything came together, one of her sisters might receive an offer of marriage and save the family. Kitty knew this was dangerous and made sure to keep a ledger of any funds that came from the Duke's finances to be paid back.

Alexander Masters's life had been idyllic...His mother and father loved each other and their children. Alexander remembers what it was like before he experienced the tragedy of losing his parents and suffering horrendous scarring and pain. He battled back from being told he would never walk again. He used a wheelchair but fought long and hard to make his body be able to stand and walk for a bit with the use of a cane.

It took years for Alexander to come to terms with his life and now the only thing which gives him any type of pleasure is his loving relationship with his sister and the artifacts he collects from all over the world.

Oh, the things are interesting and unique but they are things...and Alexander realizes he is lonely. It is something that never goes away.

It is during a visit from one of his financial representatives, he learns of the gossip of his impending marriage...Yes, the man had gone to see the lovely Miss Kitty Danvers and was proud of how he took business away from another company and arranged for her townhouse. Alexander does not let on of his shock...but directs the man to send him ever single gossip rag mentioning this woman.

Oh, how intrigued he is with this fiancée...The more he reads about her and how he supposedly sends her poems and letters, how she describes their relationship...the deeper he is wanting to know exactly what her game is...Alexander becomes so obsessed, he decides to take matters into his own hands...

It is at one of the main balls of the season, where Alexander appears and confronts Kitty. She is challenged and must make a decision as to how she is going to handle this with all eyes on her.

From there this story is off and running. There is more to it than just this Beauty/Beast part. There is what a man thinks he must be able to give a woman, can love be enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this story due to the depth and layers of what was happening between the two of them. The times played an important role in what was expected of a woman and how she was at risk all of the time. Her actions were always in question by society and somethings never change.

I will look for the upcoming books and the next one is due in December 2020.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

I love Ms. Reid’s writing and storytelling. She has a way with words and emotions that stay with you long after you read her books. This story blew me away. A man who is horribly disfigured while saving his sister and a woman who wants to help her family in any way she can. This is a slow burn romance that is romantic and beautiful. It is definitely not what I am use to reading written by her but I think it is so much more. Read this lovely story of beautiful and compassionate love.