I loved this book. One of my favorite books from kerrelyn sparks.

Luciana has been raised on an island with other women like her who are Embraced. When her father comes to take her to the Mainland everything changes. Leo is called the Beast because he is also Embraced and his enhanced power is life threatening to others. He is determined to keep Luciana safe from the assassins who try to kill her.. I really enjoyed this story of fantasy and romance!

I wanted to like this book so bad but I just could not stay interested. I felt this book was more fantasy than Historical Romance. I am so sorry this book didn't work for me.

I can't wait for book two to be released? When is that set to happen?

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks
Book One of The Embraced series
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Luciana grew up on the Isle of Moon, hidden away because of her magical powers. But when her father arrives, he offers her a choice: remain on the island or return with him and marry the Beast of Benwick in order to save their legacy—and her father's life.

Lord Leofric, the Beast of Benwick, has not been touched since he was a child. Born with the power to harness lightning, he is a danger to everyone he touches. When he meets his betrothed, he expects a loveless, lonely marriage...until he discovers she's vastly more powerful than he realized. But is she strong enough to withstand his touch?

If they can survive, their love will alter the future of the kingdom. But will their extraordinary powers cost them everything?

What I Liked:

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a funny, swoony, and sweet romance novel that is sure to charm readers. It's a quick read that will have you smiling throughout the story. I can't remember the last time I read a book (adult novel or otherwise) and felt light and happy during the entire thing. This book always had a light, hopeful, upbeat tone to it, even when there was the occasional dangerous scene. I really liked this book!

Luciana grew up on the Isle of Moon in a convent with several other orphaned girls. She is Embraced, which means she has extraordinary magical powers. The story opens with her father arriving at the convent to take her with him. It turns out, she has a father, and she had a twin sister, but the twin, Tatiana, died. Luciana goes with her father in order to save him; if she doesn't pretend to be her dead twin Tatiana, and wed the Beast of Benwick, her father will be killed and the Vindalyn holdings would be seized by the greedy king. Leofric of Benwick, Lord Protector of the Realm, has quite the reputation. He is Embraced, and his touch kills. He gets struck by lightning and absorbs the power of the lightning, which makes him extremely powerful and extremely deadly. But Luciana finds that he is not the monster everyone makes him out to be. He is selfless and willing to die for her and her father, as well as the people he serves, as Lord Protector. Their marriage was ordered by the king, but no one expected them to fall for each other.

The beginning is a little slow, but once Luciana and Leo meet (unofficially and then officially), I was really hooked. Their interactions were always interesting - and I was dying to know when Leo would find out who Luciana really was (remember, she is pretending to be her twin sister, who is actually dead).

From the start, I knew I would like Luciana. She is so sweet and kind, and she has the interests of her convent sisters and her father at heart. She drops everything to save her father, even if it meant marrying the Beast of Benwick. And even in meeting Leo and getting to know him, Luciana looks at him with an open mind and an open heart. I love how sweet Luciana is. It's rare that you'll find a sweet yet assertive heroine in romance novels - too often, she's either too assertive and bossy, or too innocent and naive. Luciana is a great combination of the two.

Oh Leo. Leo is my favorite of this book. He is so complex and different, and my heart broke for him. Every time someone referred to him as the Beast, or whispered or pointed or assumed something bad about him... worse still was when he would call himself a monster and think of himself in such a negative light. The poor man needed a hug! No one has really touched him since he was very young. He is isolated, and yet he is incredibly selfless and brave. He's a noble warrior with a good heart, and it's really too bad that everyone is terrified of him. He's such a good guy. He's also quite the wicked charmer, once one gets past his mask of indifference.

You probably can already tell, but this is based on Beauty and the Beast! Hence the sweet heroine and the isolated, tortured hero. Leo isn't actually a "beast" - he's a young, handsome young man - but he has the power to kill anyone with his lightning touch. But he's also incredible powerful, with all of the lightning he can harness. Luciana's power as an Embraced seems to be discerning the future, though she isn't quite proficient. She can also see and speak to ghosts.

I love the cast of secondary characters! Nevis, Leo's best friend, is hilarious (and eats with no shame, which is always funny). Brody, another friend of Leo's, is a sweetheart, and he's an enigma too. Luciana's father the Duke is a nice man, and she and him grow close despite not knowing each other for nineteen years. There are important ghosts in the story - yep, you read that correctly. Luciana's dead twin, Tatiana becomes an important secondary character. I liked seeing her and Luciana grow closer, despite Tatiana being an utter brat, initially.

One of the things that worried me a little was how Luciana's deception was going to impact Leo. It turns out that Tatiana was a spoiled, selfish brat, and she had a lover. Luciana, on the other hand, is a sweet and polite girl who was raised in a convent (and therefore, a virgin). I was worried about what Leo would think of "Tatiana" and when he would find out that "Tatiana" is actually Luciana. BUT I think the author did a great job with the reveal, and the timing of the reveal. Leo actually starts to pick up fairly quickly on the fact that "Tatiana" is not who she says she is.

The romance is so sweet! I feel like I'm overusing the word "sweet", but the romance can definitely be described as sweet. Luciana falls in love with Leo very quickly, which didn't bother me at all. The title says "seven days" and that is actually how long they have, from meeting each other, to getting married. The story goes on for a month after the wedding, but all of the falling in love occurs in a week. This worked for the story, and didn't feel rushed at all (despite the fact that it was only seven days). Leo and Luciana develop a strong emotional connection from the start. Leo is pretty much a goner upon first sight. Luciana quickly realizes that Leo is a good man, and her kind disposition lends itself to her keeping an open mind with him. The romance is sweet and chemistry between the pair is pretty steamy. Not the most fiery of romances, but they have their moments. They have great chemistry, for a sweet, cute pair.

I also liked how both protagonists develop internally. Luciana develops a relationship with her father, her sister (a ghost), and her dead mother (also a ghost). She has a whole family that she never had before, in addition to a handsome husband. And Leo - he's gone years without being touched, or loved. He's also withdrawn into himself. I had so much respect for Leo as he continued to serve everyone, despite everyone being afraid of him or blaming him for things he didn't even do. The author did an amazing job with the character development of both of these protagonists, with all of their issues in the past, and present.

The plot aside for the romance has to do with the selfish, murdering king who wants older, powerful land holdings for himself. The Duke (Luciana's father) has a lot of power and a lot of land. The king sends assassins to kill both Luciana and her father many times. The king also wants Leo dead since Leo is a direct heir to the throne (he is the king's nephew), among other reasons. So the climax of the book comes down to Leo and Luciana fighting for their lives.

Overall, I was quite pleased with this book! It was cute and light, funny and sweet. I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, and this one did not disappoint.

What I Did Not Like:

This isn't really a complaint because I'm satisfied in general (really, I am!), but I would have loved a little more steam in the romance. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple of sex scenes and smoldering non-sex scenes, but I wouldn't have minded more. There was really only one major sex scene and I feel like there should always be two or three. But again, this isn't really a complaint because the author did a good job with the chemistry, in general.

Would I Recommend It:

I definitely recommend this book to those who love adult romance. This is a fantasy romance set in medieval times, so it's kind of historical fantasy romance. There is plenty of magic (abilities, shifters, dragons, elves), plenty of humor, and plenty of swoon between Leo and Luciana. I dare you not to fall in love with Leo! I think he's a new favorite book boyfriend.

Also... the guy on the cover is a perfect Leo. I don't usually comment on a book's cover because the author has no control over that, and often times, the cover models don't quite match the character. But the cover model of this book's cover pretty much matches the Leo in my head. Maybe the hair could be a little more red but in general, he is perfect!

Rating:

4.5 stars. I'm trying to decide if I want to round up or down, and my general thing is that if I'm undecided, I'll round down for the time being. This book is more than likely going to end up in my top ten adult novels of 2017, at the end of the year! I am definitely looking forward to reading So I Married a Sorcerer.

5 - Never touch the Beast... Stars!

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the start of what I am expected to be a long and extremely enjoyable reading relationship between myself and Kerrelyn Sparks.

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I have nothing negative to say about this book, it was my first read from the author, and what a way to start, I finished Leo and Luciana’s story excited too read more from her. This is a hard book to give much of an informative review on, because of the amount of story that happens in it, there is the potential to post an inadvertent spoiler.

"Something about you has made me greedy as hell. I want everything. Your love. Your mind. Your secrets. Your soul…"

But what I can say is that it is like nothing I have ever read before, I was hooked from the first page, this is quite a long book by today’s standards, and there wasn’t any part of it where I wanted to put down my Kindle, in fact the only reason I didn’t finish it in one sitting was that I was falling asleep on the sofa.

"There is only one thing I need to know. And I will have the truth, understand...?
Do you want me as your husband?"

I loved Leo, and I loved the way the relationship between him and Ana built so steadily, there is so much going on in this story, and with Leo and Ana themselves that it just added to the anticipation of everything building between them. Ghosts, witches, shifters, elf's, dragons, you name it and it was probably in the story at some point. But I loved it, a lot is going on in Aerthlan with the Five Kingdoms, and there were a large number of characters involved in the telling of this story because of it, and I think it is indicative of how hugely skilled the author is, that not once was I confused as to what was going on and who was involved.

"Keep her safe."

Nothing makes me happier than discovering an author that I connect with on the level I did when reading this book, and what makes me even happier that this is an author that has a huge back catalogue for me to explore while I am waiting for the second book in The Embraced series to be released. So I Married a Sorcerer is due for release in August, and you can be sure I will be at the front of the queue to read it!

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.

This was amazing I can't wait for the next book! This author is one of my favorite I have read a lot of her books. Can't wait for more!!

Luci is "Embraced"--a child born Wigan the moons collide each year. She was sent away to a safe place so that no one would know of her birth and try to kill her because of when she was born. Because of the date of her birth, she has a supernatural power.

When she's 19 her father comes for her and she must wed "the Beast". So much potential here that is only partially realized. A fairly entertaining read but I feel like it could have been more.

Honestly I read Kerrelyn Sparks Love at Stake series loved it. When I was given the chance to review her upcoming release I was especially ecstatic. Unfortunately I have to say I was semi dissatisfied. I found the book highly in the beginning. With the names of the lands and some characters it was hard to follow. I also felt that there were some spots in the book that could have been cut out and didn't really have major impact in the rest of the story. There were a few parts that left me confused. I overall loved the main storyline even though it was a little confusing. If you are a fan Kerrelyn Sparks read it and let me know what you think.

I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to request this ARC from Kerrelyn Sparks. I have read her How to marry a Millionaire Vampire and although I liked that book, I'm kind of spoiled in the Vampire department by Lynsay Sands. I kind of devoured her whole Argenau series, so you have to be real good to top her. But because this book was not about vampires, I was kind of curious. And boy, was I glad a was granted this one...

The story starts with five girls, known as the Embraced ones. They are orphans at a monastery and they all have a special power. Luciana can see and talk with dead people. On a day, a stranger appears at the monastery, claiming to be Luciana's father. And even more exciting: he brings along his (now dead) other daughter, Tatiana. Luciana's twin sister she didn't know she had.



As you can tell: a lot of things happening in this book. And we mustn't forget the Beast. Yummie Leo (I mean, look at that cover...) has one tiny problem: he can't touch anyone, or he will zapp that person. And as with lightning: it doesn't end well. So Lord Leo is feared by everyone, except his uncle, the King. He orders him to marry Tatiana, in order to annexate the land of Luciana and Tatiana's father, if Lord Leo would come to an uncertain death.

Luciana takes Tatiana's place as betrothed of Lord Leo. But what she didn't expect was that there were sparks flying. But not from Lord Leo's lightning fingers... A fastpaced story, with lots of twists and turns. And even a lot of humor. Absolutely delightful. I will not spoil the story, but I am already looking forward to the next part of this Embraced series. Five out of five stars from me.

Ms. Sparks has been one of my favorite authors since I picked up the newly-published How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. In this series starter, Luciana (Ana) grew up in a convent thinking she was abandoned. Her long-gone father shows up with a dilemma, one Ana can help him with: she has to take her dead twin’s place in an arranged marriage or he will be executed. Her betrothed, known as the Beast, Lord Leo is also Embraced (born with magical powers) and can’t touch anyone. Will these two overcome adversity to be together, or will the one scheming against them win? One of the things I really like about the author’s writing is how light and funny it is without being too fluffy. She is an exceptional writer, and that really shines in this book. As first books tend to be, as information is given to the readers, the plot slows down some. However, I really completely enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to read more in this series as I found the side characters as captivating as the main ones. If you like light-hearted, fun paranormal romance, you really need to give this book a try. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-copy of the book. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters and the story line grabbed me from the beginning. Light romantic fantasy that was fun to read

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

4.75 Heart This is a book that has everything. You want a book with romance? Done! Want a book with a historical feel? Done! Want a book with a paranormal feel? Done! Want a book set in another realm? Done! DONE DONE DONE! Everything a reader could want is in this book.

Luciana has grown up an orphan. When her father comes back to get her her whole life changes. Leo has never known love or even been able to receive compassion. Now they have found each other in an unexpected way and there are fireworks.

Lately I have been forcing myself to read. I just seemed to have other things to do but when this book hit my hands I was a goner. I couldn’t put this book down. I just wanted to keep reading. I can’t even explain it but it pulled me in from moment one and I just hated to stop reading it. I can not wait for the next one. I even went to NetGalley hoping the new one may be up but unfortunately not yet.

There is only one reason it did not get the full 5 stars and it is because at the end it seemed a bit preachy about religion. But even that was great. Heck I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning knowing my alarm would sound at 6:30. I am assuming the books will follow age order for the girls but I really can’t wait for what I hope will be Maeve and Brody’s story.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished Kerrelyn Sparks's book one in her new series, titled How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Truly a great read, and I devoured within a few days. Luciana has lived all of her life on the Isle Of Moon as an orphan. Being born under the two moon eclipsing, is never a good thing, even worse if you are born a girl because you will be embraced (or having some form supernatural ability). The kings seek out those born under this sign, and kill the babies, in fear that the embraced will take over their kingdoms. Then a stranger comes to the island and her world changes completely. Luciana learns that she is not truly an orphan, and she is betrothed to a man they nicknamed, the Beast. The Beast has the ability to shot lighting from his hands For all of his life, Lord Leo of Beneick has been called Beast because he too, is embraced. With a mere touch of his hand, someone can either be severely hurt, or even die and something his Uncle, the King Frederic fully aware of and behind the arranged marriage. As the story unfolds, there quite a few twists, action, romance, and a brilliant way to combine supernatural too. Thank you Kerrelyn for a wonderful escape.

Well as a fan of the authors previous books I was not sure what to expect in this series but pure fantasy was not one of the choices I would have guessed.

I mean when you start a book out with a hidden princess, an evil king, a mysterious hero, and a plot straight out of fantasy 101 what's not to love?

Well to answer that question the beginning and the ending, the setup for this great story has our reluctant heroine giving up on her whole life for a Father she has never seen and did not even know existed all within the space of a few hours. The ending to an exciting story went from nowhere to HEA in the space of about 20 pages it seemed (I did not count them).

Did it ruin the story? Of course not, I loved it even with the shortcomings and the characters were all defined enough that you actually felt something for pretty much each of the main and secondary characters.

Bottom Line: A charming and entertaining story set in a typical fantasy setting with a few twists that make it original but the main thing is I enjoyed the book and can't wait for the next one.

*3.5 stars*

My first Kerrelyn Sparks, and it was FUN! A light fantasy read in a historical-ish setting, I'll certainly be looking for more stories in this world.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days brings me back to the days when I devoured Kresley Cole and Sherrilyn Kenyon. This book was exciting and entertaining with a tortured hero just looking for a woman to love him (though he doesn't know it yet, natch), and a virginal girl who is able to do just that. But the female MC is no simple pushover, and I liked the details of the world of the "embraced."

Magic and paranormal creatures abound, as well as villainous villains and second chances at relationships. The book reads easily, and I was into the story enough not to want to put it down all day. It isn't the smartest or the snappiest read that I've encountered recently, but I didn't care because I was drawn into the story.

My only real sticking point was the jump to love after a few brief interactions. The rush to the "love" emotions is always a sticking point for me with these kinds of stories, and I was cringing at how fast the two MCs got there. This isn't instalove, not exactly, but I honestly need more relationship building at this point in my reading career.

If you are looking for a fun, easy read in an exciting new fantasy-lite world, look no further. This book was pure enjoyment, and I'll be tuning in to the rest of the series.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

New, new, new. This is a new world full of new mysteries with a fantastic new cast to get us started. This is Luciana and Leo's story and it was both heartwarming and razor-thin tense at the same time. The author had a huge world to build in the space of one book (the first in this new series) and I feel like she did a FANTASTIC job of setting us up for future books without robbing our hero and heroine of their story.

Betrayal. Magic. Ghosts. A windswept oceanside keep. Secrets. This book had it all and Sparks' lyrical writing held me in place (literally, in my pajamas) for the day I spent reading it. Absolutely loved this little world and I can't wait to get back to it with the next release!

I hated seeing Sparks' last series, "Love at Stake," end so I was happy to see the start of a new series. Kerrelyn Sparks has once again created a paranormal world that immediately sucks you in as if it were reality. Often times the first novel in a new series spends so much time creating the background that the story itself is forgotten. That is not the case in this novel. In this instance the world building and story line were intimately connected as we learned what being "embraced" meant and the fact that both the hero and the heroine were "embraced." These are children born under the twin moons that usually have some type of "gift" and are always feared by the general population. Fortunately, Sparks has already set the stage for future novels with Lucinda's adopted sisters who are also "embraced."

3.75 stars

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is my first Kerrelyn Sparks's book, that also happens to be a start of a new Embraced series. It is a mashed of fantasy, historical and paranormal romance with a dollop of humour; an array of witty characters; and appealing plot. The story got me chuckling and teary-eyed; sometime wanting to smack a character or two upside the head.

Set in a world called Aerthlan where the Embraced - or people born with supernatural ability - were sentenced to death, parents of Embraced child kept their offspring safe by secretly sent them away to the Isle of Moon. Luciana, the heroine of this story, was one of such child. She grew up never knowing she had family in the kingdom of Eberon until his father came to fetch her.

Leofric was the king's nephew, also his Lord Protector of the Realm and the thorn in the king's side. Leo was an Embraced with ability to absorb lightning, which made him not only a lethal adversary in battle, but also dangerous in a way that nobody could touch him without ending up dead. When his uncle asked him to marry Duke of Duke of Vindalyn, he suspected the king was up to no good.

This book was truly a treat, I was entertained by the banter between characters (Nevis - Leo's best friend - was a hoot, Luciana's innocent wide-eye shock could be hilarious), even Luciana's irritating twin ghost. That being said, despite their added ability and plain intelligence of Leo, Luciana, and their trusted allies, it's a bit of a let down the bad guy always one step ahead of them.

Also, it's sort of anticlimactic how - after the whole evil king the story had been going on - this first entry to the series ended. In a nutshell, the first half filled mostly with the wait and see; then on the next half we saw the characters sprinted from melee to another.

Of course, that's not to say I don't like the book. Au contraire, even with all the issues I relayed earlier, somehow this tale hit just the right spot. I say it's a good sign for me to read this author's backlist in the future, the way I was so engrossed I could forgive whatever snag I felt! :)


Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ms spark wrote a wonderful story of adventure and romance I can't wait for the next book in series.