Member Review

It's a fun and modern twist on the basic premise of Beauty and the Beast. Only instead of a cursed prince, we have a depressed and hurting billionaire heir. And instead of a bookish maiden from a small town, we have a capable and headstrong contractor with a love for restoration and romance novels. Bellami and Oliver couldn't seem more different, but their forced proximity as she works to restore his family's crumbling vacation mansion, along with circumstances forcing them to share one bed, lead to them getting closer than they could have ever imagined. But can what they find survive outside of the bubble of the restoration and all the pressure and expectations from the outside world?

I really enjoyed this new version of the classic because it kept surprising me with how Bennett wove the main elements into it while creating a wholly original story. Oliver's backstory is super sad and it's easy to believe and understand why he locked himself away. Bellami's willful desire to see her and her dad's dream of restoring that home and proving that she's just as capable as a man is relatable if you've ever been a woman in a job that's male-dominated, or even just as a woman trying to do something on your own. Their joint journey as work happens in the house and their relationship was a pleasure to read.

My one nitpick is that the rest of the characters fall a bit flat when compared to how well-crafted Bellami and Oliver are. The rich grandfather is a caricature of rich and entitled with zero redeeming qualities shown on the page. Bellami's dad is almost an afterthought, and her best friend and his partner are a little too close to the token gay friend stereotype for my liking.

But overall, it's a fun read with hints of a beloved classic that feels fresh even as it calls back to the source.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the