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Legend of the Four Soldiers #3
To Beguile a Beast
CAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .
Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.
TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .
Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won't let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.
TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?
Beneath Helen's beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn't back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen's secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could ever find-a happy ever after.
Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.
TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .
Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won't let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.
TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?
Beneath Helen's beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn't back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen's secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could ever find-a happy ever after.
333 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
About the author
Elizabeth Hoyt
36 books6,989 followersElizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three untrained dogs and one long-suffering husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 899 reviews
May 18, 2019
This is a HR retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Yes, there was a library. Bitches love libraries.
I liked it overall, but there were two problems. First is that they got together waaaayyyy too quickly. It didn't simmer at all. One day, he is angry and ranting about her and her kids showing up and she is freaked out by his horrific scarred face, the next day he is wearing a "World's Greatest Dad" shirt and they are all over each other. I just didn't feel it so soon.
See? This bear gets it. Just slow it down, man. It's not a race.
The second problem is kinda funny. But, I have to put the quotes in a spoiler tag because they are all about the wording used for sexy times. You all know what I mean.... when the wording makes you laugh and absolutely kills any heat that might have otherwise been going on...
Don't read if you're under 18. Or do. I don't care. I'm not your mother.
um... yeah... so that was the equivalent of this:
O.M.G.. Granny panties with actual grannies on them?
I'm sorry, but this review is over. I need to get to amazon NOW!!
(My husband is soooo lucky!)
I liked it overall, but there were two problems. First is that they got together waaaayyyy too quickly. It didn't simmer at all. One day, he is angry and ranting about her and her kids showing up and she is freaked out by his horrific scarred face, the next day he is wearing a "World's Greatest Dad" shirt and they are all over each other. I just didn't feel it so soon.
See? This bear gets it. Just slow it down, man. It's not a race.
The second problem is kinda funny. But, I have to put the quotes in a spoiler tag because they are all about the wording used for sexy times. You all know what I mean.... when the wording makes you laugh and absolutely kills any heat that might have otherwise been going on...
Don't read if you're under 18. Or do. I don't care. I'm not your mother.
um... yeah... so that was the equivalent of this:
O.M.G.. Granny panties with actual grannies on them?
I'm sorry, but this review is over. I need to get to amazon NOW!!
(My husband is soooo lucky!)
July 19, 2016
Things were going on perfectly until Alistair called the heroine a "whore" after learning about her past. I'm sorry, but my heart just broke at that point. That was just so disrespectful and nothing in the world could make me forgive him for such cruelty. Hello? Helen had lain with ONE MAN. A MAN THAT SHE LOVED. I think that hardly qualifies as whoring.
God. How could you be so cruel, Alistair??????? Isaac from The Ice Princess handled the situation better and gave Coral her due respect. FUCK YOU AND YOUR HYPOCRISY, ALISTAIR. YOU'RE RIGHT; YOU DONT DESERVE HELEN. Can't you see that the poor girl has suffered enough? UGH
God. How could you be so cruel, Alistair??????? Isaac from The Ice Princess handled the situation better and gave Coral her due respect. FUCK YOU AND YOUR HYPOCRISY, ALISTAIR. YOU'RE RIGHT; YOU DONT DESERVE HELEN. Can't you see that the poor girl has suffered enough? UGH
February 21, 2022
4.5 stars
YESSSSS. Give me all of the damaged and scarred hero romances. And Beauty and the Beast retellings!! The heroine is running from the father of her children and brings her two children to Scotland to work as a maid of a reclusive man. Alistair is scarred and doesn't want any people around him, but he realizes Helen needs a place to stay, so he allows her and her children to move in. I really loved Helen and her children. The children really broke down Alistair's walls and he actually cared about their wellbeing. The scene with the dog? Heartbreaking, but then so heartwarming. Alistair is definitely fiercely protective and became so protective over Helen and her kids. I loved the romance. There were a few lulls in the story, which is why this doesn't get a full five stars, but I enjoyed the ending and the conflict that occurred before our characters could have an HEA. I can't wait to go back and read the beginning of this series!
YESSSSS. Give me all of the damaged and scarred hero romances. And Beauty and the Beast retellings!! The heroine is running from the father of her children and brings her two children to Scotland to work as a maid of a reclusive man. Alistair is scarred and doesn't want any people around him, but he realizes Helen needs a place to stay, so he allows her and her children to move in. I really loved Helen and her children. The children really broke down Alistair's walls and he actually cared about their wellbeing. The scene with the dog? Heartbreaking, but then so heartwarming. Alistair is definitely fiercely protective and became so protective over Helen and her kids. I loved the romance. There were a few lulls in the story, which is why this doesn't get a full five stars, but I enjoyed the ending and the conflict that occurred before our characters could have an HEA. I can't wait to go back and read the beginning of this series!
June 8, 2020
I picked up this book because Elizabeth Hoyt is a prolific writer that I have never read and decided to try. In reading the synopsis I thought the book would be about a lady running from danger, taking a job far below her as a housekeeper to keep herself safe. What I found in reading was a woman who had spent her life as a wealthy man's mistress, living a pampered life while bearing two illegitimate children. When he loses interest in her, she decides to run away with the children, change her courtesan lifestyle and start a new life. She takes a job as a housekeeper at a castle in Scotland and very soon after falls into bed with her boss, starting another torrid affair. Hmmm... I'm supposed to believe she's changing? She claims to love her children so very much but the repercussions of her lifestyle doesn't affect them? Character integrity, even when one has made mistakes, is important, especially when it is CLAIMED! I understand from the overall ratings that many people loved this book but I was totally disgusted. It didn't work on many, many levels.
May 17, 2012
To Beguile a Beast takes a tried and true romance theme and does it justice. In this case, the Beauty is the fugitive mistress of a powerful duke, who takes her children to start a new life, not as a kept woman, but as a legitimate housekeeper. The Beast is a naturalist who was tortured by Indians in the colonies, as the result of an ambush against British soldiers.
The writing flows and compels. The romance not only involves Helen and Alistair, but also the bond that develops between Alistair and Helen's troubled children, Jamie and Abigail. I guess I am just getting older, but lately I really appreciate the idea of a hero or heroine who has children meeting someone who embraces those kids and makes them part of their life in all ways, founding their own parental bond. In this case, I loved how this relationship develops between Alistair and the children. I felt bad for them that their father wasn't really a dad to them at all. He didn't even talk to them or acknowledge them, although they didn't lack materially. They were just possessions to him. Whereas Alistair does spend time with the kids and genuinely cares about them.
As much as I liked this book, I didn't love it as much as The Raven Prince. I think the subject matter might have been a bit more dicey for me. I don't really like the idea that Helen willingly committed adultery with a married man. I understand her actions were those of a young, starstruck girl-woman, and she fully accepted the accountability for those actions. I didn't judge her for her actions, I just felt disappointed for the choices she made, but probably nowhere as near as she did. She threw away a lot for a man that wasn't worthy of her love, and paid the price for it. The one good thing that came out of it was her children, and she decides to make tomorrow a different and better day for herself and her children, which definitely shows character in a person. From a creativity standpoint, it makes sense to have a story for once about the 'other woman', but my deep-seated issues with infidelity give me a bit of heartburn about that. I'm never going to take that subject likely, so I do always feel a twinge when I read a book and the characters go down that road, past or present. Conversely, I didn't like that Alistair gave Helen such a hard time about her past when he finds out. I mean, he really rubs it in her face. Considering that his past is hardly lily white (a man who admittedly has slept with prostitutes (another ick factor for me), it was sort of like kicking a puppy. I know part of his issues were jealousy because he will never be a duke or have the powerful, accepted status in society as a duke. And also, his issues with his disfigurement. For all my disappointment with him, I did love how he rallies around Helen in her time of need and works to ensure the safety of her children from their father.
The other issue I had was I guess I expected the duke to be a bit more sinister. I was waiting for other shoe to fall, and when it does, it's a bit of a thunk instead of a bang. Helen seemed very afraid of the duke, and when he appears, he doesn't have even a smidge of the presence that Alistair has. Stylistically, I would have liked a little more Gothic flavor here. The book sort of begs for it, really. I suppose it's just my melodramatic/drama hound nature. I just felt like I wanted something deeper, more intense in this novel. Maybe more angst and flair than it had. Having said that, I do like the crafty way that Alistair deals with the situation. I love a hero who has as much or even more brains than brawn and uses them to solve a tricky problem.
Despite my misgivings, I found this to be a pleasant, highly enjoyable read. The powerful passion between Helen and Alistair made for good reading, along with the relationship between Alistair and the kids. As before, Hoyt sets an authentic historical tone that really works for this reader. The story of the beast finding love with the beauty will always be timeless and beloved to this die-hard fairy tale lover, and Elizabeth Hoyt gives it a different spin and gives it justice overall.
March 11, 2017
Me gustó mucho! Creo que es de los mejores libros que he leído en romance histórico. Sus personajes son complejos y en especial Alistair.
Amo a los personajes torturados más que a la comida (bueno, casi jjajjaa) y Alistair es uno de los que más han sufrido.
Es un hombre marcado por su pasado y sin esperanzas de ningún tipo de futuro hasta que conoce a Helen...
Me encantó su personalidad y la de los niños... tengo algo con los niños en los libros Haha me parece que aportan ternura y frescura a la historia y Abigail y Jamie fueron encantadores.
Hubo algunas cosas que me parecieron un poco apresuradas pero fue un buen libro. En especial tomando en cuenta que no suelen gustarme demasiado las historias basadas en la bella y la bestia JAJJAJAJA
Amo a los personajes torturados más que a la comida (bueno, casi jjajjaa) y Alistair es uno de los que más han sufrido.
Es un hombre marcado por su pasado y sin esperanzas de ningún tipo de futuro hasta que conoce a Helen...
Me encantó su personalidad y la de los niños... tengo algo con los niños en los libros Haha me parece que aportan ternura y frescura a la historia y Abigail y Jamie fueron encantadores.
Hubo algunas cosas que me parecieron un poco apresuradas pero fue un buen libro. En especial tomando en cuenta que no suelen gustarme demasiado las historias basadas en la bella y la bestia JAJJAJAJA
August 7, 2013
The Beauty and the Beast theme always captivates me. I think the only one I like more is a Cinderella story. But there's so much to be said for a strong man who lives a tragic life until something beautiful comes along to make him live again. I think the metaphor is even more important than the ugly/pretty trope. You shouldn't live only for aesthetic beauty. There is so much more to a person than their looks. And Alistair learns that just because Helen is beautiful doesn't mean that she cares that he is scarred...vice versa, just because Alistair is a horribly scarred recluse doesn't mean he is ugly. They both deal with prejudices in the end. And this book really pushes the scars into the background until they are just a part of how the reader sees him, not a part of who he is.
MY SYNOPSIS
Alistair is the man who went to the Colonies on a mission for the king...not as a military man, but as a peaceful naturalist, sent to discover all he can about the fauna and flora of America. In a twist of irony, he is also the man that the Native Americans were the most violent with, cutting off fingers, burning his face, and gouging out an eye. He was rescued, of course, but upon his return to England, he locked himself away in his castle, continuing a solitary mission of cataloging plants and animals for the King. A few trips into town in which his face casued children to scream and ladies to faint was enough to convince him that his dog was the only being in the world that he wanted around.
Helen has been the mistress of the Duke of Lister. We met her To Seduce a Sinner, while Melisande was walking in the park. Helen is a quiet, gentle woman, shunned by society for her status as a mistress. She was a tenderhearted seventeen year old daughter of a country doctor when the Duke swept her off her feet. Now, she is somewhat jaded, approaching her third decade, and has not one, but two children to love, cherish, and keep safe. That's why Helen has decided to get away from the Duke, and when this book opens, she is on her way to the reclusive Alistair Monroe's house on the advice of Melisande, a short acquaintance but true friend.
When the trio of bedraggled and homeless arrive on a dark and stormy night on Alistair's doorstep, he tries to turn them away, but Helen is steadfast and desperate, and somehow wheedles her way into his house as his new housekeeper. The attraction between these two is more animalistic than romantic, and builds fairly slowly. But there is much more going on than simple attraction, for the Duke of Lister sees his woman and children as property...and no one leaves without his permission.
In the wild, open spaces of Scotland, this tiny family wheedles their way in to Alistair's heart...a young boy with a zest for life and everything in it, a young girl who is not only quiet and shy, but in need of some strong affection and acceptance, and a beautiful but proud fallen woman with empathy and courage in her eyes.
MY THOUGHTS
I really connected with Helen in this story, and that was unexpected for me. I assumed that after all of my adventures in Historical Romance, the Mistresses of the powerful men of London were beneath my notice, and always the nuisance and point of jealousy for my heroines. But I actually felt for Helen. She is a woman who made a mistake as a young girl...seventeen years old an thinks she's in love. She runs away from her family (who promptly disown her) and begins to live a life that is no longer her own. But in this day and age, after she made that choice, there was little that she could do about her situation. She was forever an object of lust for men and of scorn for women.
“But Sir Alistair’s gaze was different. Those other men had looked at her with lust or speculation or crass curiosity, but they hadn’t been looking at her really. They’d been looking at what she represented to them: physical love or a valuable prize or an object to be gawked at. When Sir Alistair stared at her, well, he was looking at her.”
For those who follow my reviews, you'll know that I tend to love stories with kids. This particular book was so well done in regard to the little boy and girl. Abigail, in particular, played a large part in the story with Alistair. She simply stole his heart. She also has a few scenes in which we get her POV, so that was great.
There is one part of the story that kept this from being a five star read for me, and that involves some disrespect that Alistair showed Helen regarding her previous life as Lister's mistress. The word whore shouldn't be something that the hero gets to call his love interest, but especially not without some repercussion...an most definitely not without some mother loving groveling. I wanted some groveling!!! NO star for you!
Despite that grump, the rest of the story was wonderful. They are secluded for the most part from the outside world, so the focus is really on just those involved in the story, and we get to see each character change is some big ways and some small ways. So far, each book in this series has been fantastic, but I've come to expect no less from Elizabeth Hoyt.
June 10, 2022
4'5 Estrellitas, pero le dejo las 5 porque me ha encantado como colofón el cuento de El Sincero.
Venía advertida de que éste era el mejor libro de la serie y es totalmente cierto, a diferencia de los dos primeros "Domar a un salvaje" engancha desde el primer capítulo con una historia interesante y unos personajes magníficos muy lejos de ser perfectos.
Helen Fitzwilliam está huyendo de Londres. La conocimos en el anterior libro, cuando coincidía en el parque con Melissande. Helen era la amante del duque de Lister, a quien dio dos hijos. Pero la vida de Helen no es perfecta ni satisfactoria. Siempre ha vivido bajo los auspicios de un hombre, alguien que ya no la quiere ni la respeta, así que decide huír y llevarse a sus niños con ella.
La ayuda le vino de parte de Melissande, que pensó que al amigo escocés, solitario y huraño de su esposo le vendría bien una ama de llaves, o una mujer que pudiera disponer de su castillo y convertirlo en un lugar habitable. Helen necesita esconderse y pasar desapercibida para que el duque de Lister no la encuentre, así que irse a un castillo de las Highlands le parece su salvación.
Sir Alistair Munroe era un reputado naturalista, pero ahora es una Bestia; es un hombre herido y deformado por dentro y por fuera desde que volvió de América. Años atrás sus estudios le llevaron a las Colonias para documentar la flora y fauna autóctonas, pero para ello debía moverse con la milicia británica; y él, junto con todo el regimiento cayeron en la masacre de Spinner's Fall. Alistair sobrevivió, pero desde que lord Vale se presentó en su castillo con pruebas de que el regimiento pudo ser traicionado por uno de ellos, Alistair no descansará hasta encontrar al traidor.
Una noche lluviosa, Helen se presenta en el castillo de la Bestia, que espera sea su hogar temporal, pero nada es como querría que fuera. El castillo es oscuro, húmedo, sucio y su dueño no la quiere ni a ella ni a sus hijos allí. De modo que Helen pasa una noche en refugio con la promesa de que se irá al día siguiente. Y Helen pensaba irse, hasta que se dio cuenta de que ése castillo necesita mano dura y limpieza, y en el pueblo de al lado puede contratar criados que ayuden a acondicionar el castillo.
Así empezará éste libro, que me ha parecido una joyita preciosa. Admito que me encantan los protagonistas escacharraditos y despiertan una ternura innata en mí, pero ésta se acrecienta cuando el argumento incluye niños que deben interactuar con dicha Bestia. He adorado a los niños de Helen, Abigail y Jamie, sobre todo al pequeño Jamie. Lejos de molestar a la trama, la ha enriquecido y enternecido con sus intervenciones.
Por otro lado, la historia romántica me ha gustado mucho. Helen es una mujer fuerte y de mucho valor, y no se deja avasallar por el carácter huraño de Sir Alistair o su lengua afilada. Al revés, poco a poco y a medida que se van conociendo, la Bella va tranquilizando a la Bestia, hasta el punto de que son incapaces de ver las imperfecciones del otro y surge el amor entre ellos.
Pero su historia no está destinada a acabar bien. Helen siempre ha sabido que lo suyo es un refugio temporal y en algún momento ella y los niños deberán marcharse. Sobre Helen pende la amenaza de su ex amante, y si el duque de Lister la encuentra, utilizará a los niños para que ella vuelva a su lado.
Esto es lo que encontramos en "Domar a un salvaje" el tercer libro de la serie La leyenda de los cuatro soldados, de Elizabeth Hoyt. No recomendaría leerlo de manera independiente, pues toda la serie tiene su continuidad debido a la masacre de Spinner's Falls y su investigación, además todos sus protagonistas se van conociendo de libro a libro; pero sí merece la pena empezar a leerla por llegar a éste libro, es uno de los más bonitos que he leído últimamente.
Desde luego Elizabeth Hoyt aquí lo ha sabido hacer muy bien y me ha dejado con ganas de más, de modo que espero no tardar mucho en leer el cuarto y último libro, que ya hay algo que te deja en ascuas en éste libro y más después de leer la sinopsis del siguiente.
Venía advertida de que éste era el mejor libro de la serie y es totalmente cierto, a diferencia de los dos primeros "Domar a un salvaje" engancha desde el primer capítulo con una historia interesante y unos personajes magníficos muy lejos de ser perfectos.
Helen Fitzwilliam está huyendo de Londres. La conocimos en el anterior libro, cuando coincidía en el parque con Melissande. Helen era la amante del duque de Lister, a quien dio dos hijos. Pero la vida de Helen no es perfecta ni satisfactoria. Siempre ha vivido bajo los auspicios de un hombre, alguien que ya no la quiere ni la respeta, así que decide huír y llevarse a sus niños con ella.
La ayuda le vino de parte de Melissande, que pensó que al amigo escocés, solitario y huraño de su esposo le vendría bien una ama de llaves, o una mujer que pudiera disponer de su castillo y convertirlo en un lugar habitable. Helen necesita esconderse y pasar desapercibida para que el duque de Lister no la encuentre, así que irse a un castillo de las Highlands le parece su salvación.
Sir Alistair Munroe era un reputado naturalista, pero ahora es una Bestia; es un hombre herido y deformado por dentro y por fuera desde que volvió de América. Años atrás sus estudios le llevaron a las Colonias para documentar la flora y fauna autóctonas, pero para ello debía moverse con la milicia británica; y él, junto con todo el regimiento cayeron en la masacre de Spinner's Fall. Alistair sobrevivió, pero desde que lord Vale se presentó en su castillo con pruebas de que el regimiento pudo ser traicionado por uno de ellos, Alistair no descansará hasta encontrar al traidor.
Una noche lluviosa, Helen se presenta en el castillo de la Bestia, que espera sea su hogar temporal, pero nada es como querría que fuera. El castillo es oscuro, húmedo, sucio y su dueño no la quiere ni a ella ni a sus hijos allí. De modo que Helen pasa una noche en refugio con la promesa de que se irá al día siguiente. Y Helen pensaba irse, hasta que se dio cuenta de que ése castillo necesita mano dura y limpieza, y en el pueblo de al lado puede contratar criados que ayuden a acondicionar el castillo.
Así empezará éste libro, que me ha parecido una joyita preciosa. Admito que me encantan los protagonistas escacharraditos y despiertan una ternura innata en mí, pero ésta se acrecienta cuando el argumento incluye niños que deben interactuar con dicha Bestia. He adorado a los niños de Helen, Abigail y Jamie, sobre todo al pequeño Jamie. Lejos de molestar a la trama, la ha enriquecido y enternecido con sus intervenciones.
Por otro lado, la historia romántica me ha gustado mucho. Helen es una mujer fuerte y de mucho valor, y no se deja avasallar por el carácter huraño de Sir Alistair o su lengua afilada. Al revés, poco a poco y a medida que se van conociendo, la Bella va tranquilizando a la Bestia, hasta el punto de que son incapaces de ver las imperfecciones del otro y surge el amor entre ellos.
Pero su historia no está destinada a acabar bien. Helen siempre ha sabido que lo suyo es un refugio temporal y en algún momento ella y los niños deberán marcharse. Sobre Helen pende la amenaza de su ex amante, y si el duque de Lister la encuentra, utilizará a los niños para que ella vuelva a su lado.
Esto es lo que encontramos en "Domar a un salvaje" el tercer libro de la serie La leyenda de los cuatro soldados, de Elizabeth Hoyt. No recomendaría leerlo de manera independiente, pues toda la serie tiene su continuidad debido a la masacre de Spinner's Falls y su investigación, además todos sus protagonistas se van conociendo de libro a libro; pero sí merece la pena empezar a leerla por llegar a éste libro, es uno de los más bonitos que he leído últimamente.
Desde luego Elizabeth Hoyt aquí lo ha sabido hacer muy bien y me ha dejado con ganas de más, de modo que espero no tardar mucho en leer el cuarto y último libro, que ya hay algo que te deja en ascuas en éste libro y más después de leer la sinopsis del siguiente.
January 7, 2021
Reread Dec 2020:
It didn't stand the test of time unfortunately, but it was not a disappointment either. Just didn't love it as much as the first time. I felt that Helen overcame the shock of Alistair's looks too fast and didn't enjoy the subplot with the duke and the kids which took the focus away from the budding romance. Would rate it with 4 stars now, but I won't change my original rating for so small a difference.
Original review:
Lovers of Beauty and the Beast tale, will certainly love this exceptional romance. Helen, former mistress of the Duke of Listair, has decided to leave her long-time protector taking their children away with her. But knowing how reluctant the duke is at being deprived of 'things' he believes he owns even if he doesn't care for them, she has to hide as far away from him as she can. Which brings her to Sir Alistair's remote castle in Scotland.
Sir Alistair is a naturalist. He is also one of the survivors of the Spinner's Falls massacre. However, though he may have managed to survive, he stills has the signs on his face to remind him of it; his eye is missing, and one side of his face is badly scarred. Living as a recluse in his old castle, the least he feels he needs is an extremely beautiful housekeeper with two young children. But Helen is determined to stay, bring back the old castle to life and tame its beastly lord. The longer she stays in the castle however, the more she realizes that behind Alistair's gruff facade hides a sensitive, tender man; a man worth fighting for. She not only becomes accustomed to his scarred face, but starts to feel attracted to him: his strong body, his quick mind, his brave demeanor. Alistair, can't believe that a beautiful woman as Helen would want to spend her life with him. He's not however going to throw away this rare gift and enjoy her for as much as she wants him. He's going to deal with her leaving him when the time comes...
Of course Listair is closer than Helen imagined and soon they have to fight for the children. Alistair also tries to find the man who betrayed them in Spinner's Falls, but this story is left much more in the background than in the previous books.
A most heartwarming story between two good, decent people who have had a most difficult past. I'm not usually fond of courtesan heroines, but in this case, I couldn't have cared less. Helen, as it turns out, has been Listair's mistress since she became an adult; he was her one and only lover all those years. I could easily get past this and come to care for her. She was a strong woman who made some mistakes in her past, but had the determination to put it behind her and fight for a better future for her and her children. Alistair was a good, solid man, realistically vulnerable when it came to his relations with women and it was past time he found his HEA. I rooted for both of them and both feared and anticipated the time their story would come to an end. This one goes straight to my keepers shelf.
It didn't stand the test of time unfortunately, but it was not a disappointment either. Just didn't love it as much as the first time. I felt that Helen overcame the shock of Alistair's looks too fast and didn't enjoy the subplot with the duke and the kids which took the focus away from the budding romance. Would rate it with 4 stars now, but I won't change my original rating for so small a difference.
Original review:
Lovers of Beauty and the Beast tale, will certainly love this exceptional romance. Helen, former mistress of the Duke of Listair, has decided to leave her long-time protector taking their children away with her. But knowing how reluctant the duke is at being deprived of 'things' he believes he owns even if he doesn't care for them, she has to hide as far away from him as she can. Which brings her to Sir Alistair's remote castle in Scotland.
Sir Alistair is a naturalist. He is also one of the survivors of the Spinner's Falls massacre. However, though he may have managed to survive, he stills has the signs on his face to remind him of it; his eye is missing, and one side of his face is badly scarred. Living as a recluse in his old castle, the least he feels he needs is an extremely beautiful housekeeper with two young children. But Helen is determined to stay, bring back the old castle to life and tame its beastly lord. The longer she stays in the castle however, the more she realizes that behind Alistair's gruff facade hides a sensitive, tender man; a man worth fighting for. She not only becomes accustomed to his scarred face, but starts to feel attracted to him: his strong body, his quick mind, his brave demeanor. Alistair, can't believe that a beautiful woman as Helen would want to spend her life with him. He's not however going to throw away this rare gift and enjoy her for as much as she wants him. He's going to deal with her leaving him when the time comes...
Of course Listair is closer than Helen imagined and soon they have to fight for the children. Alistair also tries to find the man who betrayed them in Spinner's Falls, but this story is left much more in the background than in the previous books.
A most heartwarming story between two good, decent people who have had a most difficult past. I'm not usually fond of courtesan heroines, but in this case, I couldn't have cared less. Helen, as it turns out, has been Listair's mistress since she became an adult; he was her one and only lover all those years. I could easily get past this and come to care for her. She was a strong woman who made some mistakes in her past, but had the determination to put it behind her and fight for a better future for her and her children. Alistair was a good, solid man, realistically vulnerable when it came to his relations with women and it was past time he found his HEA. I rooted for both of them and both feared and anticipated the time their story would come to an end. This one goes straight to my keepers shelf.
March 19, 2021
This was just what I needed.
I had some Historical duds all in a row, but Elizabeth Hoyt is my slump buster. I really enjoyed the story, the family, and the chemistry between the Lord and his house keeper. This was a heart-wrenching, sweet, and well thought out story. I can't wait to read more by this author.
I had some Historical duds all in a row, but Elizabeth Hoyt is my slump buster. I really enjoyed the story, the family, and the chemistry between the Lord and his house keeper. This was a heart-wrenching, sweet, and well thought out story. I can't wait to read more by this author.
April 22, 2021
Beauty and the beast tropes are my catnip. For me though the appeal isn't so much about a beautiful character seeing past the *beastly* shell of another but the witnessing of a recluse learning to live again. Trust again. Love again.
As such, Elizabeth Hoyt delivered a delightful tale, Helen, former mistress of a duke is running from her gilded cage with her two illegitimate children, desperate to escape the Duke of Lister nefarious hold, she all but appear at Sir Alistair Munroe's cold, remote Scotland castle convincingly claiming to be his new housekeeper.
Of course I loved the dichotomy of personalities opposing Sir Alistair—a grump and gruff hero, borderline on rude—to Helen, witty and charming no-nonsense kind of woman.
The attraction was pretty much instant, Alistair has them animal urges (his words) he's trying to ignore very hard (no pun) and his lusty thoughts on paper are something glorious. Of course all the lust and base attraction morph into something more, Alistair, for all his gruffness is actually a kind hero who still has it in him to care—if only he'd give himself some credit. There was some really endearing scenes, I loved his interactions with Helen's children, the dog, the puppy...
Why not 5 stars though?
The whole plot involving the Duke and his unfaltering intent to get his "old" mistress back seemed both far fetched and rushed.
The kids. I loved Jamie and Abigail, I loved their roles in giving some life back into Alistair. At some point in the book though, toward the end, as the Duke holds them hostage, Lauren is in great distress, unsure if she'll ever get her children back and the author chose this moment to insert a long erotic sex scene between Alistair and Lauren. As a mother I can't relate to this scene. Knowing my child is in danger the last thing on my mind would be sex. I ended skimming over the whole scene.
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As such, Elizabeth Hoyt delivered a delightful tale, Helen, former mistress of a duke is running from her gilded cage with her two illegitimate children, desperate to escape the Duke of Lister nefarious hold, she all but appear at Sir Alistair Munroe's cold, remote Scotland castle convincingly claiming to be his new housekeeper.
Of course I loved the dichotomy of personalities opposing Sir Alistair—a grump and gruff hero, borderline on rude—to Helen, witty and charming no-nonsense kind of woman.
The attraction was pretty much instant, Alistair has them animal urges (his words) he's trying to ignore very hard (no pun) and his lusty thoughts on paper are something glorious. Of course all the lust and base attraction morph into something more, Alistair, for all his gruffness is actually a kind hero who still has it in him to care—if only he'd give himself some credit. There was some really endearing scenes, I loved his interactions with Helen's children, the dog, the puppy...
Why not 5 stars though?
The whole plot involving the Duke and his unfaltering intent to get his "old" mistress back seemed both far fetched and rushed.
The kids. I loved Jamie and Abigail, I loved their roles in giving some life back into Alistair. At some point in the book though, toward the end, as the Duke holds them hostage, Lauren is in great distress, unsure if she'll ever get her children back and the author chose this moment to insert a long erotic sex scene between Alistair and Lauren. As a mother I can't relate to this scene. Knowing my child is in danger the last thing on my mind would be sex. I ended skimming over the whole scene.
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
January 20, 2024
3 Stars because WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LEMON?!?!?!
No but seriously, this was lovely and made me happy and slightly redeemed the, in my opinion, dreadful trope of beauty and the beast love stories. I don't think I've ever explained why I don't like this trope but suffice to say I find the fetishization of disfigurement juxtaposed by beatific beauteous beautifulness... slightly unnerving.
Here, however, it actually didn't feel very tropey because A) No Kidnapping = NO Stockholme Syndrome, and B) "No Pottery Was Smashed By A Duke in this Book" because #ManBabies (ahem, The Beast of Beswick).
What I mean by this is that, Helen is a mature, fully grown woman and Alistair is a mature, fully grown man. While Alistair is reclusive, and albeit lonely, he lives with and has recovered from the residual trauma of being tortured in the colonies. He doesn't bemoan his plight, but simply lives with it though he certainly isn't leading a fulfilling life. When he finally recounts his experiences it isn't some emotional explosion but quietly and painfully recited because Alistair has been living with the memory for seven-ish years. Helen was a strong and consistent mother-of-two who grasped the bull by the horns and takes charge of her ramshackle life.
I liked that Alistair wasn't anyone noble, but simply a naturalist. I liked that his sister was gray haired, harsh, and loving. I liked that Helen was a longtime mistress with illegitmate children and Alistair was upset by it (initially). I liked that the children weren't annoying but neither were they idyllic versions of children. I liked the puppy (BUT DID NOT LIKE THAT LADY GREY DIED).
I appreciated this book. And I think I needed to read this book.
However, my gripes were: the length of time that passes (it all happens far too fast and I ALWAYS find that irksome), the anti-climactic ending, and...
The lemon.
Like I get that this is a totally legitmate contraceptive but there are sexier contraceptives that were being used at the time that I can think of. Goat intestine as condoms for instance, much sexier to read about than a lemon half being used as a douche. Or surely a sponge and vinegar makes more sense since HR readers will likely have come across this before? I say this because: Did Elizabeth Hoyt know what lemons looked like after being shipped abroad prior to the Industrial Revolution when she came up with this? Because no orangerie as a nearby source was mentioned, so I am assuming the tiny town nearby where Alistair buys it from imported that lemon. SO that lemon would have been sad. And old. AND THAT'S RIGHT! half of it was lodged up in there to block all the whatsits from getting into the you-know and makin' the babies. It might be a natural spermicide but I ask you, readers... At What Cost?
What happened to the lemon after? How did they get it out...Who got it out? Where did they put it after? These questions haunt me.
No but seriously, this was lovely and made me happy and slightly redeemed the, in my opinion, dreadful trope of beauty and the beast love stories. I don't think I've ever explained why I don't like this trope but suffice to say I find the fetishization of disfigurement juxtaposed by beatific beauteous beautifulness... slightly unnerving.
Here, however, it actually didn't feel very tropey because A) No Kidnapping = NO Stockholme Syndrome, and B) "No Pottery Was Smashed By A Duke in this Book" because #ManBabies (ahem, The Beast of Beswick).
What I mean by this is that, Helen is a mature, fully grown woman and Alistair is a mature, fully grown man. While Alistair is reclusive, and albeit lonely, he lives with and has recovered from the residual trauma of being tortured in the colonies. He doesn't bemoan his plight, but simply lives with it though he certainly isn't leading a fulfilling life. When he finally recounts his experiences it isn't some emotional explosion but quietly and painfully recited because Alistair has been living with the memory for seven-ish years. Helen was a strong and consistent mother-of-two who grasped the bull by the horns and takes charge of her ramshackle life.
I liked that Alistair wasn't anyone noble, but simply a naturalist. I liked that his sister was gray haired, harsh, and loving. I liked that Helen was a longtime mistress with illegitmate children and Alistair was upset by it (initially). I liked that the children weren't annoying but neither were they idyllic versions of children. I liked the puppy (BUT DID NOT LIKE THAT LADY GREY DIED).
I appreciated this book. And I think I needed to read this book.
However, my gripes were: the length of time that passes (it all happens far too fast and I ALWAYS find that irksome), the anti-climactic ending, and...
The lemon.
Like I get that this is a totally legitmate contraceptive but there are sexier contraceptives that were being used at the time that I can think of. Goat intestine as condoms for instance, much sexier to read about than a lemon half being used as a douche. Or surely a sponge and vinegar makes more sense since HR readers will likely have come across this before? I say this because: Did Elizabeth Hoyt know what lemons looked like after being shipped abroad prior to the Industrial Revolution when she came up with this? Because no orangerie as a nearby source was mentioned, so I am assuming the tiny town nearby where Alistair buys it from imported that lemon. SO that lemon would have been sad. And old. AND THAT'S RIGHT! half of it was lodged up in there to block all the whatsits from getting into the you-know and makin' the babies. It might be a natural spermicide but I ask you, readers... At What Cost?
What happened to the lemon after? How did they get it out...Who got it out? Where did they put it after? These questions haunt me.
May 26, 2009
wow. elizabeth hoyt, you've done it again.
LOVED it.
LOVED it.
September 14, 2015
This is one of my favourite Hoyt's. I just re-read (having read #2 in the series for the first time a couple of days ago). It improved on a second reading. I love me an injured hero and Munroe fits the dark, brooding, scarred, Scottish bill. He's just lovely. He opens up to Helen and her children, despite being scared they'll eventually leave. He's a bit too good to be true (until the very end, when he's a bit of an idiot, but Hoyt obviously felt she needed some last minute drama). Then there's Helen. I lofffff Helen. A woman in difficult circumstances who decides to change her life. She's determined and human and a bit scared but she Gets On With It and finds that she's more than a match for Munroe's grumpy brilliance. Together they are the linchpins of a charming, well-paced romance with some off the charts sex scenes.The kids (a risky element in a romance, in my opinion) work well. They don't feel like token additions designed to draw the h/h closer together. Abigail, in particular, is her own little character. The sections taken from her point of view are really poignant; Hoyt captures a moment in childhood when you're not quite a small child nor an adolescent. Abigail falls in love with Munroe as well but in a different way to her mother - she finally has a father she can respect and admire who loves her in return. Crucial to the success of the story is how little time is spent on the Spinner's Falls mystery. It's an afterthought on the periphery and the book is better for it, although one senses that Hoyt felt obliged to include it in some way and it is, almost literally, tacked on to the end. Overall, this is a really, really well done book and I highly recommend it.
March 16, 2018
"You're a whore." "You've whored yourself out" Oh yes my darling when can I next screw you.
Yeah, no thanks. She never called him out for what he said.
Too bad, the story had some good bones.
Yeah, no thanks. She never called him out for what he said.
Too bad, the story had some good bones.
April 23, 2009
Yet another heart-wrenching tale of a tortured (literally) hero that had me wavering between tears and smiles. Elizabeth Hoyt's latest 'Four Soldiers' tale, "To Beguile a Beast", was one of the more touching and VERY romantic stories I've read this year. My emotions are still careening about but as long as I remember the ending I can still smile.
Helen has finally made her escape from the cold and arrogant Duke of Lister. After he seduced her as a young girl and she bore him two children, she finally realized that he cared for none of them more than any other 'object' he owned. Her flight has led her to the home of Sir Alistair Munroe to be his housekeeper (and never mind that he doesn't particularly WANT a housekeeper) and as this deserted castle in the wilds of Scotland is a perfect place to hide, she has no intention of leaving...no matter how frightening or scarred or unpleasant Sir Munroe is!
Alistair is sure this beautiful woman has appeared at his remote home with her children just to tempt him. He's well aware of just how frightening his countenance is...women and children scream at his appearance; so he's managed to become content living alone in his castle. But somehow, Helen just won't leave! And before long, Alistair's home is cleaner, he's come to care for the children and Helen...is his Helen of Troy. But what will he do when he learns the truth of Helen's background? And when the Duke of Lister appears?
Why do I always seem to find the 'crying' books at the same time? I swear between this one and Jennifer Ashley's latest, my eyes may never be the same. But oh, how wonderfully romantic these stories are. The 'Four Soldiers' series by Hoyt is extra-entertaining as each book contains a story within a story. Along with the main romance, each book tells a fairy tale of a soldier returning from war who finds his love in an unusual way. In "To Beguile a Beast" the fairy tale concerns a man who can't lie and an ensorcelled princess trapped in the body of a beast. The fairy tale is told in short snippets at the beginning of each chapter and generally shadows the action in the main romance.
Hoyt does a great job of combining passion and love and the sexual tension between the hero and heroine is hot, hot, hot. Their relationship unfolds gradually through small steps of trust and caring actions. There's also a running story of soldiers betrayed by a spy and this is how the heroes in the main romances were scarred, either mentally or physically or both, in different ways. The true romance is how the heroines come to love and trust our heroes in spite of, and perhaps because of, these scars.
A truly feel-good romance with enough steam to heat your windows. I enjoyed every page of "To Beguile a Beast" and can hardly wait for "To Desire a Devil" which is scheduled for release in Nov09.
Helen has finally made her escape from the cold and arrogant Duke of Lister. After he seduced her as a young girl and she bore him two children, she finally realized that he cared for none of them more than any other 'object' he owned. Her flight has led her to the home of Sir Alistair Munroe to be his housekeeper (and never mind that he doesn't particularly WANT a housekeeper) and as this deserted castle in the wilds of Scotland is a perfect place to hide, she has no intention of leaving...no matter how frightening or scarred or unpleasant Sir Munroe is!
Alistair is sure this beautiful woman has appeared at his remote home with her children just to tempt him. He's well aware of just how frightening his countenance is...women and children scream at his appearance; so he's managed to become content living alone in his castle. But somehow, Helen just won't leave! And before long, Alistair's home is cleaner, he's come to care for the children and Helen...is his Helen of Troy. But what will he do when he learns the truth of Helen's background? And when the Duke of Lister appears?
Why do I always seem to find the 'crying' books at the same time? I swear between this one and Jennifer Ashley's latest, my eyes may never be the same. But oh, how wonderfully romantic these stories are. The 'Four Soldiers' series by Hoyt is extra-entertaining as each book contains a story within a story. Along with the main romance, each book tells a fairy tale of a soldier returning from war who finds his love in an unusual way. In "To Beguile a Beast" the fairy tale concerns a man who can't lie and an ensorcelled princess trapped in the body of a beast. The fairy tale is told in short snippets at the beginning of each chapter and generally shadows the action in the main romance.
Hoyt does a great job of combining passion and love and the sexual tension between the hero and heroine is hot, hot, hot. Their relationship unfolds gradually through small steps of trust and caring actions. There's also a running story of soldiers betrayed by a spy and this is how the heroes in the main romances were scarred, either mentally or physically or both, in different ways. The true romance is how the heroines come to love and trust our heroes in spite of, and perhaps because of, these scars.
A truly feel-good romance with enough steam to heat your windows. I enjoyed every page of "To Beguile a Beast" and can hardly wait for "To Desire a Devil" which is scheduled for release in Nov09.
April 8, 2017
¡No me ha durado nada! Y pensar que lo empecé un poco insegura; pero me ha encantado, es lo primero que leo de Hoyt y pienso repetir pronto. Por cierto que el salvaje no es tal, al contrario, me ha resultado encantador :)
June 24, 2015
The third book in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series by Elizabeth Hoyt. My favorite of the series so far but I've really enjoyed them all immensely. Just one more to go. This one has a beauty and the beast theme. Alistair, the hero, is not a macho alpha type. He's a scarred recluse devoting his life to research and studies. Then a lovely woman, Helen, barges into his life to be his housekeeper. This is no light fluffy romance (which I do love) but a heart-wrenching and touching romance between two lost souls who deserve to be loved.
She leaned forward, her gaze so intense that Helen wanted to look away. “And I love him more for it. Do you hear me? He was a good man when he went away to the Colonies. He came back an extraordinary man. So many think that bravery is a single act of valor in a field of battle—no forethought, no contemplation of the consequences. An act over in a second or a minute or two at most. What my brother has done, is doing now, is to live with his burden for years. He knows that he will spend the rest of his life with it. And he soldiers on.” She sat back in her chair, her gaze still locked with Helen’s. “That to my mind is what real bravery is.”
She leaned forward, her gaze so intense that Helen wanted to look away. “And I love him more for it. Do you hear me? He was a good man when he went away to the Colonies. He came back an extraordinary man. So many think that bravery is a single act of valor in a field of battle—no forethought, no contemplation of the consequences. An act over in a second or a minute or two at most. What my brother has done, is doing now, is to live with his burden for years. He knows that he will spend the rest of his life with it. And he soldiers on.” She sat back in her chair, her gaze still locked with Helen’s. “That to my mind is what real bravery is.”
March 21, 2016
Svidela mi se, nisam mogla da prestanem da čitam do poslednje strane. Zaista sam uživala u ovoj priči. Jako mi se dopalo što tema knjige vuče na "Lepotica i zver". <3 Jedino mi zasmetalo što priča nije bila malo više fokusirana na izdajnika kao prethodne, ali zato sad jedva čekam da pročitam poslednju knjigu.
Alistar je pustinjak, heroj sa ožiljcima koji živi povucenim životom, posvećen svojim istraživanjima i studijama. Onda Helen, divna žena, dolazi da mu bude domaćica.
Ovo nije lagana romansa (koju volim takđe) već dirljiva priča o dve izgubljene duše koje zaslužuju da budu voljene.
August 23, 2019
Una preciosa historia que narra el encuentro de dos personajes que deben cargar con su pasado. Ella con los errores de la adolescencia y su carácter impulsivo y él con las profundas cicatrices de una batalla en la que, sospecha, fueron traicionados. Me encantó cómo la autora hace avanzar la narración hasta que, casi literalmente, cada uno se transforma en el salvador del otro. Muy bueno.
November 26, 2017
Taze taze yorum yazmayınca böyle iki-üç cümleyle idare ediyorum:
İkinci kitabı bitirince Allah’ım seride İskoç var! diye havaya girip heyecanlanmıştım. Ancak olay kafama kitabın ilk bölümündeki tarihi görünce dank etti.
Culloden Morr Savaşı’ndan sonra benim sevdiğim İskoçya son bulduğu için burada da öyle klanlar, şefler yoktu. İnatçı kişilik, evet o baki ancak bana yetmiyor. İskoç romanı dediğimde aklıma gelen belli bir tip var.
İskoç okuyanların bildiği bir durum bu herhalde.
Bu hayal kırıklığını bir kenarda bırakırsam güzel, tutkulu, yerinde bir aşk romanıydı çünkü o Hoyt!
İkinci kitabı bitirince Allah’ım seride İskoç var! diye havaya girip heyecanlanmıştım. Ancak olay kafama kitabın ilk bölümündeki tarihi görünce dank etti.
Culloden Morr Savaşı’ndan sonra benim sevdiğim İskoçya son bulduğu için burada da öyle klanlar, şefler yoktu. İnatçı kişilik, evet o baki ancak bana yetmiyor. İskoç romanı dediğimde aklıma gelen belli bir tip var.
İskoç okuyanların bildiği bir durum bu herhalde.
Bu hayal kırıklığını bir kenarda bırakırsam güzel, tutkulu, yerinde bir aşk romanıydı çünkü o Hoyt!
July 19, 2021
**Audiobook Review**
4 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed these two characters and I really liked the interactions with the h’s kids too! I needed another long audiobook for a road trip and this fit nicely. The narrator did well enough that I didn’t miss having an additional male voice. My only gripe is the abrupt end, but otherwise I liked it!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Helen and Alistair’s story. Helen is on the run from her children’s father and she finds herself posing as a new housekeeper for Alistair regardless of if he wants one or not. Alistair has been living in isolation because of his scarred face and works in his filthy castle on his naturalist book when Helen arrives with her two young children and turns his life upside down. There are some butting of heads, some witty banter, some fun side characters and furry friends, some sexy times, and some drama…and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Helen and Alistair in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I thought it flowed well as I was never bored.
Instalove: No, they have a kind of hate-to-friends-to-more type dynamic.
H rating: 4.5 stars. Alistair. I really liked him. I loved his relationship with his sister and the h’s children and I liked how caring and protective he was.
h rating: 4 stars. Helen. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she cared for both the H and her children.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a cute place but I’m greedy and wanted much, much more! The epilogue was ridiculous non-closure IMO! I would still call this an HEA though .
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
**Please note that since this is an audiobook, I might miss some things or get some things wrong. I never want to misrepresent a book, so please let me know if I have made an error 😊 **
4 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed these two characters and I really liked the interactions with the h’s kids too! I needed another long audiobook for a road trip and this fit nicely. The narrator did well enough that I didn’t miss having an additional male voice. My only gripe is the abrupt end, but otherwise I liked it!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Helen and Alistair’s story. Helen is on the run from her children’s father and she finds herself posing as a new housekeeper for Alistair regardless of if he wants one or not. Alistair has been living in isolation because of his scarred face and works in his filthy castle on his naturalist book when Helen arrives with her two young children and turns his life upside down. There are some butting of heads, some witty banter, some fun side characters and furry friends, some sexy times, and some drama…and they get a HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing mainly on Helen and Alistair in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I thought it flowed well as I was never bored.
Instalove: No, they have a kind of hate-to-friends-to-more type dynamic.
H rating: 4.5 stars. Alistair. I really liked him. I loved his relationship with his sister and the h’s children and I liked how caring and protective he was.
h rating: 4 stars. Helen. I liked her. I appreciated her strength and how she cared for both the H and her children.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a cute place but I’m greedy and wanted much, much more! The epilogue was ridiculous non-closure IMO! I would still call this an HEA though .
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
**Please note that since this is an audiobook, I might miss some things or get some things wrong. I never want to misrepresent a book, so please let me know if I have made an error 😊 **
November 11, 2013
I don't normally start with the third in a series, but I got the book on loan from a friend (a signed copy, no less) so I set my scruples aside for this one. I can't say that I'm glad I did, but I do say I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
It's unfortunate that the publisher chose a title designed to invoke the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Yeah, the lead guy is scarred and something of a recluse (hey, if you were visibly scarred and could afford to withdraw from the staring eyes of society wouldn't you?), but the resemblance to the classic tale ends there (thankfully).
What made this book work for me were the two main characters. Alistair is essentially kind and finds himself as enmeshed in Helen's children as he is in her. There are some genuinely touching moments in the interactions with the children and not in any way forced or saccharine. That's an astonishing achievement, really, as it's really hard to involve children without going melancholy--particularly in a story where the heroine is fleeing the father of her children in order to maintain custody of them.
It even works that both characters are dealing with consequences of their past that they really cannot "fix". Which means they understand one another when they make the conscious choice to accept consequences and move forward. It's maybe a bit harder for Alistair, as his wounds are inescapably visible, but they nevertheless share a common ground, here, that allows each to bridge the pain of the other and form a real connection that seems solid.
But the heart of what made the book work, for me, is all on Alistair. It turns out (and I'm surprised I did not know this) that I'm deeply attracted to the humbled alpha as a romantic lead. It's unclear if Alistair has always been this way (and I suspect he has, given some hints of his background) or if it was the result of his injury and subsequent acclimatization to it, but he is strong and determined, but in a way that is focused outside of himself and his own wants and needs. It doesn't hurt that the emotional climax of the book is him overcoming the one selfishness he has allowed himself. This was masterfully, even poetically, done.
Two things keep this from being a complete win for Hoyt, though. First, the villain is absolutely impossible to believe. This isn't a spoiler as we get Duke Lister's viewpoint early in the novel so I'm going to make this one explicit: an 18th century Duke who is determined to "keep" (i.e. control) a mistress he no longer sees regularly is completely ridiculous--and I mean that in it's basest sense (as worthy of ridicule). Lister would be laughed at by his family, his peers, and probably his servants as well for an obsession that is, frankly, psychotic.
Second, I have a really hard time with historical romances where potential pregnancy doesn't even cross the heroine's mind. Helen has two kids, for heaven's sake! It's not like she doesn't know, intimately, the potential consequences of sex (and the life-altering nature of those consequences). I'm sorry, but I can't buy that it never enters her head, before, during, or after. This may be a convention of the historical romance genre, but it's a silly one and breaks some of my immersion in the story. Hoyt otherwise does well with evoking the era (though that may be because the bulk of the novel happens in an isolated Scottish castle), so I found this birth-control-blindness highly distracting.
Anyway, those two quibbles aside, I deeply enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the first two in the series. I hope they hold up to the quality of this one. Oh, and to make it explicit, I do not recommend starting with this one. There's enough plot hangover from the others that I did feel the lack of having read them.
A note about steamy: This is at the high end of my steam tolerance. There's a good half-dozen explicit scenes of middling length (two to four pages). I did mean good, mind you, but they're more than I'm used to. Not quite high enough that I'd avoid it, but close.
It's unfortunate that the publisher chose a title designed to invoke the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Yeah, the lead guy is scarred and something of a recluse (hey, if you were visibly scarred and could afford to withdraw from the staring eyes of society wouldn't you?), but the resemblance to the classic tale ends there (thankfully).
What made this book work for me were the two main characters. Alistair is essentially kind and finds himself as enmeshed in Helen's children as he is in her. There are some genuinely touching moments in the interactions with the children and not in any way forced or saccharine. That's an astonishing achievement, really, as it's really hard to involve children without going melancholy--particularly in a story where the heroine is fleeing the father of her children in order to maintain custody of them.
It even works that both characters are dealing with consequences of their past that they really cannot "fix". Which means they understand one another when they make the conscious choice to accept consequences and move forward. It's maybe a bit harder for Alistair, as his wounds are inescapably visible, but they nevertheless share a common ground, here, that allows each to bridge the pain of the other and form a real connection that seems solid.
But the heart of what made the book work, for me, is all on Alistair. It turns out (and I'm surprised I did not know this) that I'm deeply attracted to the humbled alpha as a romantic lead. It's unclear if Alistair has always been this way (and I suspect he has, given some hints of his background) or if it was the result of his injury and subsequent acclimatization to it, but he is strong and determined, but in a way that is focused outside of himself and his own wants and needs. It doesn't hurt that the emotional climax of the book is him overcoming the one selfishness he has allowed himself. This was masterfully, even poetically, done.
Two things keep this from being a complete win for Hoyt, though. First, the villain is absolutely impossible to believe. This isn't a spoiler as we get Duke Lister's viewpoint early in the novel so I'm going to make this one explicit: an 18th century Duke who is determined to "keep" (i.e. control) a mistress he no longer sees regularly is completely ridiculous--and I mean that in it's basest sense (as worthy of ridicule). Lister would be laughed at by his family, his peers, and probably his servants as well for an obsession that is, frankly, psychotic.
Second, I have a really hard time with historical romances where potential pregnancy doesn't even cross the heroine's mind. Helen has two kids, for heaven's sake! It's not like she doesn't know, intimately, the potential consequences of sex (and the life-altering nature of those consequences). I'm sorry, but I can't buy that it never enters her head, before, during, or after. This may be a convention of the historical romance genre, but it's a silly one and breaks some of my immersion in the story. Hoyt otherwise does well with evoking the era (though that may be because the bulk of the novel happens in an isolated Scottish castle), so I found this birth-control-blindness highly distracting.
Anyway, those two quibbles aside, I deeply enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the first two in the series. I hope they hold up to the quality of this one. Oh, and to make it explicit, I do not recommend starting with this one. There's enough plot hangover from the others that I did feel the lack of having read them.
A note about steamy: This is at the high end of my steam tolerance. There's a good half-dozen explicit scenes of middling length (two to four pages). I did mean good, mind you, but they're more than I'm used to. Not quite high enough that I'd avoid it, but close.
October 2, 2009
To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
When I first read Elizabeth Hoyt's debut novel, The Raven Prince, I was amazed. The last time I read a debut novel and thought, Holy Mother, here's a new author I am already addicted to, was the book Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. (If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!) The Raven Prince had a preposterous premise for the book, but nevertheless, Hoyt's writing is so fabulous that I truly didn't care. I absolutely fell in love with her "hero"- and I use that term very loosely, because Hoyt's heroes are flawed men, warts and all. The hero of To Beguile A Beast is no exception. Sir Alistair Munroe is horribly disfigured from an extremely traumatic wartime incident. He is cranky, blunt, irritable, and rude. I love him! And luckily for him, eventually beautiful Helen Fitzwilliam does, too. Hoyt's sex scenes are among the best written by a historical romance author...very earthy, lusty, and real. No flowery prose or formalities here. You get a very real sense of the characters' physical attraction, and that is not so common in historical romance. The underlying message about physical beauty is a theme I really like...Helen was chosen as a mistress by an arrogant duke because of her beauty, but it means nothing to her since he treats her as a possession. Alistair is so disfigured that small children scream in horror when they see him. And yet Helen and her children learn to love the man he is inside...filled with honor, integrity, and intellectual curiosity. There is nothing I like better than the redemption of a broken man through the love of a good woman (Sydnam in Balogh's Simply Love, Zsadist in JR Ward's Lover Awakened, Zarek in Kenyon's Dance With The Devil). Watching the transformation of Alistair's crumbling castle and ruined life, into a home filled with love, and a future filled with hope, is a wonderful journey for the reader. I absolutely adored this book, and I know that it will be re-read many times in the future. Thank you Elizabeth Hoyt for creating another masterpiece for romance lovers everywhere.
Grade: A+
Penelope
When I first read Elizabeth Hoyt's debut novel, The Raven Prince, I was amazed. The last time I read a debut novel and thought, Holy Mother, here's a new author I am already addicted to, was the book Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. (If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!) The Raven Prince had a preposterous premise for the book, but nevertheless, Hoyt's writing is so fabulous that I truly didn't care. I absolutely fell in love with her "hero"- and I use that term very loosely, because Hoyt's heroes are flawed men, warts and all. The hero of To Beguile A Beast is no exception. Sir Alistair Munroe is horribly disfigured from an extremely traumatic wartime incident. He is cranky, blunt, irritable, and rude. I love him! And luckily for him, eventually beautiful Helen Fitzwilliam does, too. Hoyt's sex scenes are among the best written by a historical romance author...very earthy, lusty, and real. No flowery prose or formalities here. You get a very real sense of the characters' physical attraction, and that is not so common in historical romance. The underlying message about physical beauty is a theme I really like...Helen was chosen as a mistress by an arrogant duke because of her beauty, but it means nothing to her since he treats her as a possession. Alistair is so disfigured that small children scream in horror when they see him. And yet Helen and her children learn to love the man he is inside...filled with honor, integrity, and intellectual curiosity. There is nothing I like better than the redemption of a broken man through the love of a good woman (Sydnam in Balogh's Simply Love, Zsadist in JR Ward's Lover Awakened, Zarek in Kenyon's Dance With The Devil). Watching the transformation of Alistair's crumbling castle and ruined life, into a home filled with love, and a future filled with hope, is a wonderful journey for the reader. I absolutely adored this book, and I know that it will be re-read many times in the future. Thank you Elizabeth Hoyt for creating another masterpiece for romance lovers everywhere.
Grade: A+
Penelope
July 16, 2010
I really loved this book. It was nice to get away from your basic mundane romances with the same story lines. This was different and refreshing and not at all 'mainstream'. The hero and heroine are in their early 30's. No young first time love in this story. The hero, Alistair, is scarred, reclusive and a loner. Scarred/tortured heroes have become quite a popular genre, but many of those heroes have scars that can be covered if needed or even easily overlooked. That is not the case with Alistair Munroe. He is truly disfigured...beyond covering, beyond subtle. He doesn't believe that anyone could get past his hideous scars and see the man he truly is, so he doesn't even try....
“It does him no good to gloss over it, to pretend that the scars aren’t there or that he’s a normal man. He is what he is. So many think that bravery is a single act of valor in a field of battle—no forethought, no contemplation of the consequences. An act over in a second or a minute or two at most. What he has done, is doing now, is to live with his burden for years. He knows that he will spend the rest of his life with it. And he soldiers on. That to my mind is what real bravery is.”
Then Helen comes along with her two kids in tow and the three of them proceed to turn his world upside down. They slowly bring out the tenderness and love in Alistair and in return he unwittingly shows them what a family truly is. This was a story of true love. The kind of love that can look beyond the surface, dig deep and grab a piece of your soul.
Side note: On a less serious note...the love scenes were beyond HOT! Ms. Hoyt knows how to write some truly steamy moments. A few of them bordered close to erotica standards. Just FYI!
“It does him no good to gloss over it, to pretend that the scars aren’t there or that he’s a normal man. He is what he is. So many think that bravery is a single act of valor in a field of battle—no forethought, no contemplation of the consequences. An act over in a second or a minute or two at most. What he has done, is doing now, is to live with his burden for years. He knows that he will spend the rest of his life with it. And he soldiers on. That to my mind is what real bravery is.”
Then Helen comes along with her two kids in tow and the three of them proceed to turn his world upside down. They slowly bring out the tenderness and love in Alistair and in return he unwittingly shows them what a family truly is. This was a story of true love. The kind of love that can look beyond the surface, dig deep and grab a piece of your soul.
Side note: On a less serious note...the love scenes were beyond HOT! Ms. Hoyt knows how to write some truly steamy moments. A few of them bordered close to erotica standards. Just FYI!
April 30, 2012
4-4.5 stars. Great "Beauty and the Beast"-themed historical romance with interesting, flawed characters and a very clever resolution to the suspense element. Really, this story was very well done, and the sexytimes were smokin' hot. As always, I loved Elizabeth Hoyt's trademark fairy tale story that unfolded over the course of the book in the chapter introductions. This book is my favorite of the Four Soldiers series thus far.
A couple of quibbles kept me from giving it five stars, but that may very well change upon later reflection in the same way I gave Hoyt's The Raven Prince five stars a few weeks after rating it a 4.5. Otherwise, a fine read with great characters, from the main couple to the children to the villainous type.
A couple of quibbles kept me from giving it five stars, but that may very well change upon later reflection in the same way I gave Hoyt's The Raven Prince five stars a few weeks after rating it a 4.5. Otherwise, a fine read with great characters, from the main couple to the children to the villainous type.
April 8, 2012
I think the audiobook might be better than the book. I adored the sex scenes.
STORY BRIEF:
Helen has been mistress to a Duke for 14 years and has two children from him. She fears he may take her children away, so she flees with the children. A friend suggests she become a housekeeper to Alistair in Scotland. Alistair was captured and tortured after a battle in the colonies. He lost an eye and his face was burned. He now lives in seclusion. He has no servants to clean and his castle looks like it. He doesn’t want Helen to stay, but she stays anyway.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The narrator Anne Flosnik has a British accent and did a wonderful job. I don’t know if it’s the author’s writing or the narrator’s reading, but I loved the sex scenes. I loved Alistair’s words during their first time together. He describes things in a seemingly detached scientific manner, yet lustfully. I laughed at the way I was carried away. Other sex scenes had me smiling as well. Probably the best part is Alistair’s desire for Helen.
One of my Goodreads friends gave the book 4 stars but felt the author “tried too hard on the love scenes, making them feel overly dramatic.” http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Well there you have it. We are so unpredictable in our emotional reactions. So you may not be as carried away as I was.
I enjoyed the relationship development. We see how they interact and warm to each other. During the first 2/3 of the book I was thinking 5 stars. But the last third brought it down a little. It became more like other romance novels - bad guys, good guys, suspense, and saving the day. Unfortunately the couple separates for a reason I didn’t like - one of my pet peeves - “I want you but I fear you might leave me in the future.” But the first main part of the story was so good that it was worth it. It’s a feel good story.
This is book 3 in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series. There is a mystery that flows through all the books which I believe will be solved in book 4. There was a British traitor who caused Alistair and other men to be taken prisoner and tortured seven years ago. Alistair is searching for the traitor. It is not resolved in this book which initially bothered me. But after I figured out it goes through all four books, I didn’t mind as much. It’s a secondary plot.
UNRELATED FAIRY TALE:
In many of the author’s books (maybe all, I’m not sure) she has a short fairy tale unrelated to the main story that she divides into short paragraphs. She puts one paragraph at the beginning of each chapter of the book. In the physical books, I skipped those. In the audiobook I couldn’t skip them. I was annoyed at having to listen to them. They took me out of the story. They felt like TV commercial interruptions. They caused me “a little bit of stress” trying to remember what happened in the previous excerpt. I wish she wouldn’t do this.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 9 hrs and 8 mins. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 6. Setting: 1765 Scotland and England. Book copyright: 2009. Genre: historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Elizabeth Hoyt books. Dates are copyright dates.
PRINCES TRILOGY series:
5 stars. The Raven Prince. 2006
4 stars. The Leopard Prince. 2007
1 star. The Serpent Prince. 2007
LEGEND OF THE FOUR SOLDIERS series:
2 stars. To Seduce a Sinner. 2008
4 stars. To Beguile a Beast. 2009
STORY BRIEF:
Helen has been mistress to a Duke for 14 years and has two children from him. She fears he may take her children away, so she flees with the children. A friend suggests she become a housekeeper to Alistair in Scotland. Alistair was captured and tortured after a battle in the colonies. He lost an eye and his face was burned. He now lives in seclusion. He has no servants to clean and his castle looks like it. He doesn’t want Helen to stay, but she stays anyway.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The narrator Anne Flosnik has a British accent and did a wonderful job. I don’t know if it’s the author’s writing or the narrator’s reading, but I loved the sex scenes. I loved Alistair’s words during their first time together. He describes things in a seemingly detached scientific manner, yet lustfully. I laughed at the way I was carried away. Other sex scenes had me smiling as well. Probably the best part is Alistair’s desire for Helen.
One of my Goodreads friends gave the book 4 stars but felt the author “tried too hard on the love scenes, making them feel overly dramatic.” http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Well there you have it. We are so unpredictable in our emotional reactions. So you may not be as carried away as I was.
I enjoyed the relationship development. We see how they interact and warm to each other. During the first 2/3 of the book I was thinking 5 stars. But the last third brought it down a little. It became more like other romance novels - bad guys, good guys, suspense, and saving the day. Unfortunately the couple separates for a reason I didn’t like - one of my pet peeves - “I want you but I fear you might leave me in the future.” But the first main part of the story was so good that it was worth it. It’s a feel good story.
This is book 3 in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series. There is a mystery that flows through all the books which I believe will be solved in book 4. There was a British traitor who caused Alistair and other men to be taken prisoner and tortured seven years ago. Alistair is searching for the traitor. It is not resolved in this book which initially bothered me. But after I figured out it goes through all four books, I didn’t mind as much. It’s a secondary plot.
UNRELATED FAIRY TALE:
In many of the author’s books (maybe all, I’m not sure) she has a short fairy tale unrelated to the main story that she divides into short paragraphs. She puts one paragraph at the beginning of each chapter of the book. In the physical books, I skipped those. In the audiobook I couldn’t skip them. I was annoyed at having to listen to them. They took me out of the story. They felt like TV commercial interruptions. They caused me “a little bit of stress” trying to remember what happened in the previous excerpt. I wish she wouldn’t do this.
DATA:
Unabridged audiobook reading time: 9 hrs and 8 mins. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 6. Setting: 1765 Scotland and England. Book copyright: 2009. Genre: historical romance.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Elizabeth Hoyt books. Dates are copyright dates.
PRINCES TRILOGY series:
5 stars. The Raven Prince. 2006
4 stars. The Leopard Prince. 2007
1 star. The Serpent Prince. 2007
LEGEND OF THE FOUR SOLDIERS series:
2 stars. To Seduce a Sinner. 2008
4 stars. To Beguile a Beast. 2009
March 5, 2024
My favourite trope - h saving the H. Angsty, imperfect people, even the children have depth and seemed very real to me. Everyone leads lonely, isolated lives for various reasons. But it's the h who is the catalyst for change, brings H back to life, and ensures her children's future. Loved their need to be together,
November 30, 2017
I am quite partial to the ‘beauty and the beast’ themes. A scarred and disabled H with a tortured (body and soul) backstory- and I am easily hooked and reeled in.
But I was not very keen on a 'mistress' h but she and her story grew on me. Her kids were amazing and steal your heart from right under you, especially the daughter- Abigail.
The skirmishes and sex are exciting and hot respectively, as the unwanted housekeeper not only cleans up his dusty castle but lights his (long celibate) fires as well. The damaged H who was doing so well in his sullen-beast-but-can-be-tamed role soon proves that the damage extended to his cranium as well.
So he likes enjoying the fringe benefits of bedding his beauteous housekeeper, but when she is revealed as the former mistress of a duke, he turns up his nose at her and calls her a ‘whore’.*smh* He redeems somewhat by helping her recover her abducted kids, but he flounders again by letting the h walk away by not responding to her declaration of love. I felt this part was not done well as the conflict of his commitment-phobia is stretched a bit thin here. How can he believe she would not stay with him, when she has proved again and again her love and acceptance- of his disfigurement, his decrepit home and his isolated lifestyle.
But I was not very keen on a 'mistress' h but she and her story grew on me. Her kids were amazing and steal your heart from right under you, especially the daughter- Abigail.
The skirmishes and sex are exciting and hot respectively, as the unwanted housekeeper not only cleans up his dusty castle but lights his (long celibate) fires as well. The damaged H who was doing so well in his sullen-beast-but-can-be-tamed role soon proves that the damage extended to his cranium as well.
So he likes enjoying the fringe benefits of bedding his beauteous housekeeper, but when she is revealed as the former mistress of a duke, he turns up his nose at her and calls her a ‘whore’.*smh* He redeems somewhat by helping her recover her abducted kids, but he flounders again by letting the h walk away by not responding to her declaration of love. I felt this part was not done well as the conflict of his commitment-phobia is stretched a bit thin here. How can he believe she would not stay with him, when she has proved again and again her love and acceptance- of his disfigurement, his decrepit home and his isolated lifestyle.
March 12, 2020
This was sooOOooo good
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