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taylok3's review
5.0
Beauty & The Heist- Maggie Dallen
5 out of 5 stars
Beauty & The Heist by Maggie Dallen is the 4th book in the Barely a Fairy Tale series, this was the first book I read by Maggie but it certainly won’t be the last. I absolutely loved this story, it can definitely be read as a standalone as I hadn’t read the first three books in the series and I had no problem with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat twisted love story. With a truly original storyline filled with many humorous moments I was pulled right in and I was able to read it in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down. The story flowed so perfectly and the details given painted such a clear picture, I really connected with these characters in a way I wasn’t expecting.
The characters were funny and honest, even while hiding important information from each other they were able to create a connection. Holly and Spencer met under unusual circumstances; their first encounter was certainly memorable as it was so awkward. Their chemistry was instantaneous and it continued throughout the story making it easy to fall in love with them together.
I look forward to reading the first three stories, as well as, Eve’s story in Sleeping Beauty’s Revenge. I would certainly recommend this story to others!
5 out of 5 stars
Beauty & The Heist by Maggie Dallen is the 4th book in the Barely a Fairy Tale series, this was the first book I read by Maggie but it certainly won’t be the last. I absolutely loved this story, it can definitely be read as a standalone as I hadn’t read the first three books in the series and I had no problem with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat twisted love story. With a truly original storyline filled with many humorous moments I was pulled right in and I was able to read it in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down. The story flowed so perfectly and the details given painted such a clear picture, I really connected with these characters in a way I wasn’t expecting.
The characters were funny and honest, even while hiding important information from each other they were able to create a connection. Holly and Spencer met under unusual circumstances; their first encounter was certainly memorable as it was so awkward. Their chemistry was instantaneous and it continued throughout the story making it easy to fall in love with them together.
I look forward to reading the first three stories, as well as, Eve’s story in Sleeping Beauty’s Revenge. I would certainly recommend this story to others!
bookingbonkers's review
4.0
This was a cute novella that I enjoyed. It is a short read so can be read in one go. The characters are good and the story has a good element of mystery to it. The book is written in both the main characters point of view which is good for getting inside their heads as there is a lot of conflicted thoughts and feeling from both of them throughout the book.
Even though part of a series, it was fine to read on its own. I think I would enjoy reading the rest of this series too.
I loved reading the thoughts of these two characters as they were written so well and came across as very realistic to the situations the characters were in.
This is a great read for any romance fan who wants a quick fix. I liked that it was a short story too as it just worked really well. There is just enough and no overplayed scenes in it.
Even though part of a series, it was fine to read on its own. I think I would enjoy reading the rest of this series too.
I loved reading the thoughts of these two characters as they were written so well and came across as very realistic to the situations the characters were in.
This is a great read for any romance fan who wants a quick fix. I liked that it was a short story too as it just worked really well. There is just enough and no overplayed scenes in it.
arthistorygirl's review
4.0
Beauty & the Heist by Maggie Dallen is the fourth book in the Barely a Fairy Tale book series. This book tells the story of Holly and Spencer. This can be read as a standalone book. This is the first book I read in the series and did not feel like I was missing anything from the story from not having read the other stories in the series. The background characters were primary characters in the other books.
Holly is beyond honest and cannot tell a lie to save her life. I enjoyed her because she is strong and trying to take care of her family when in a time of need. She will do anything for her sisters even if it is on the criminal side. The problem is her honesty makes the task assigned her next to impossible. I enjoyed that she is honest with her feelings and straightforward. More need to take that as a good example vs. lying and manipulative.
Spencer has shut himself off from the rest of the world. He knows Holly is lying but is not sure what to make of her. As they get to know each other he honestly falls for her despite knowing that she is deceiving him somehow. I liked his character because he has been burned in the past and is careful of who he lets into his life. On the other hand, I could see that deep down he is a caring and loving individual who just has not found his match in life.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters of Holly and Spencer are realistic and fun to read about. I am going to be checking out other books by Dallen in the future.
Holly is beyond honest and cannot tell a lie to save her life. I enjoyed her because she is strong and trying to take care of her family when in a time of need. She will do anything for her sisters even if it is on the criminal side. The problem is her honesty makes the task assigned her next to impossible. I enjoyed that she is honest with her feelings and straightforward. More need to take that as a good example vs. lying and manipulative.
Spencer has shut himself off from the rest of the world. He knows Holly is lying but is not sure what to make of her. As they get to know each other he honestly falls for her despite knowing that she is deceiving him somehow. I liked his character because he has been burned in the past and is careful of who he lets into his life. On the other hand, I could see that deep down he is a caring and loving individual who just has not found his match in life.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters of Holly and Spencer are realistic and fun to read about. I am going to be checking out other books by Dallen in the future.
katie_83's review
5.0
Beauty and The Heist (Barely a Fairy Tale book 4)
By Maggie Dallen
5 stars
Although this is the fourth book in the Barley a Fairy Tale series it can be read as a standalone which is how I read it and I have to say I absolutely loved it! I have no idea how I have missed this series and it was a fabulous introduction to Maggie Dallen as a new author to me. I definitely cannot wait to read the rest of the series now! I was completely drawn into this story from the very first page. It has a great storyline that I felt was quite unique and the characters of Holly and Spencer were great.
Holly was such a naive but genuinely nice person, she really thought what she was doing was what she needed to do in order to help her sisters.
Spencer was, well to be honest he was extremely hot! I loved the way he dealt with his encounters with Holly, she certainly made him smile! I admired his personality and his attitude to life.
There were some really good twists in the plot for the story, some I definitely didn’t anticipate! This book really did have a bit of everything, funny scenes, hot and steamy encounters and some sweet tender times between Holly and Spencer. I loved the chemistry between the two!
I really cannot wait to read more from this author and find out more about some of the secondary characters in this series!
By Maggie Dallen
5 stars
Although this is the fourth book in the Barley a Fairy Tale series it can be read as a standalone which is how I read it and I have to say I absolutely loved it! I have no idea how I have missed this series and it was a fabulous introduction to Maggie Dallen as a new author to me. I definitely cannot wait to read the rest of the series now! I was completely drawn into this story from the very first page. It has a great storyline that I felt was quite unique and the characters of Holly and Spencer were great.
Holly was such a naive but genuinely nice person, she really thought what she was doing was what she needed to do in order to help her sisters.
Spencer was, well to be honest he was extremely hot! I loved the way he dealt with his encounters with Holly, she certainly made him smile! I admired his personality and his attitude to life.
There were some really good twists in the plot for the story, some I definitely didn’t anticipate! This book really did have a bit of everything, funny scenes, hot and steamy encounters and some sweet tender times between Holly and Spencer. I loved the chemistry between the two!
I really cannot wait to read more from this author and find out more about some of the secondary characters in this series!
lisa01's review
4.0
Beauty & the Heist (Barely a Fairy Tale) by Maggie Dallen
Rated 4stars
I kinda struggled with this book. I liked the idea of it but it just didn't do anything for me. There was ALOT of inner turmoil and thinking for both characters which is just not for me. I like talking back and forth over all kinds of thinking. Some is okay but this seemed over the top. I thought the story was a cute idea but it didn't seem to go anywhere and I think there could have been more action. Did Jack just give up so easily?? The characters seemed incomplete or I just didn't get why they were the way they are. I really did like a comment about when the two hung out together he called it "nerding out" instead of "hanging out". That made me chuckle. I thought the two characters were cute ( they did have a lot in common) and I liked how they met but I thought she put on all the effort and he really did none once there was a possible relationship.
I realize this is book 4 of the series and I have not read the other 3 so that could be why I feel like I'm missing something. If these characters show up in the other books there is probably some info on them that I am missing.
Rated 4stars
I kinda struggled with this book. I liked the idea of it but it just didn't do anything for me. There was ALOT of inner turmoil and thinking for both characters which is just not for me. I like talking back and forth over all kinds of thinking. Some is okay but this seemed over the top. I thought the story was a cute idea but it didn't seem to go anywhere and I think there could have been more action. Did Jack just give up so easily?? The characters seemed incomplete or I just didn't get why they were the way they are. I really did like a comment about when the two hung out together he called it "nerding out" instead of "hanging out". That made me chuckle. I thought the two characters were cute ( they did have a lot in common) and I liked how they met but I thought she put on all the effort and he really did none once there was a possible relationship.
I realize this is book 4 of the series and I have not read the other 3 so that could be why I feel like I'm missing something. If these characters show up in the other books there is probably some info on them that I am missing.
fish3718's review
4.0
Beauty & the Heist (Barely a Fairy Tale Book 4) by Maggie Dallen
This was my first story by Maggie Dallen. Another first for me was the fact that this was a romance story. The story was engaging and Maggie Dallen does a wonderful job with imagery not only with the characters but with the background descriptions. I was a little worried that this was book four and I was going to be lost. That is not the case. This story can be a standalone book. I am looking forward to reading more books by Maggie Dallen.
The story of Holly and Spencer is a fun relationship. You can imagine having a crush on someone that you really should not even be looking at. Holly has a slight problem and that is she cannot lie. Spencer can see right through her and is interested in what she is really up to. There are moments through the story that looks like they are never going to get together.
I do not want to give the story away but this was one romance novel that I enjoyed reading.
This was my first story by Maggie Dallen. Another first for me was the fact that this was a romance story. The story was engaging and Maggie Dallen does a wonderful job with imagery not only with the characters but with the background descriptions. I was a little worried that this was book four and I was going to be lost. That is not the case. This story can be a standalone book. I am looking forward to reading more books by Maggie Dallen.
The story of Holly and Spencer is a fun relationship. You can imagine having a crush on someone that you really should not even be looking at. Holly has a slight problem and that is she cannot lie. Spencer can see right through her and is interested in what she is really up to. There are moments through the story that looks like they are never going to get together.
I do not want to give the story away but this was one romance novel that I enjoyed reading.
bwagner's review
4.0
Beauty and The Heist (Barely a Twist Tale – Sweet Version Book 4) by Maggie Dallen is the fourth book in her Barely a Twist Tale series. This story can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the rest of this series. This story is basically retelling the old fairy tale story with a much modern day characters and setting. You will enjoy this authors twist on the fairy tale with creative writing skills, attention to details and connectable characters. You will enjoy the twists and turns of suspense that this author has added to this story. This story is mystery, humor and has some sweet moments. This is the fairy tale of Holly and Spencer. Holly is in need of money so she takes a job on where she needs to con Spencer. The only problem with this is that she can't lie. Spencer is an ex-hacker that has been hurt in the past. He has built walls up around his heart. He knows that something isn't right with Holly but not sure what. He has a mysterious side of him that Holly wants to know more of. I enjoyed both of these characters. Holly is sweet and just so honest, I mean she can't even tell a lie without someone not believing her. Because of his past, he has trust issues but he really is very sweet. You will enjoy the secondary characters as well. They are sweet and supportive and I hope we get to see more of them in the future. These characters are true to life and just pop off the pages and into your life. They kept me reading until the last page. I read this story in one night and I think you will find yourself doing the same thing. I highly recommend this book as I know you will want to see what happens with Holly and Spencer and if there is maybe a HEA in their future.
angelahayes's review
4.0
4 Stars
Beauty and the Heist: Barely a Fairy Tale- Sweet Version is a charming, sweet and funny novel by Maggie Dallen. It is a contemporary romance, written with a fairy tale feel to the story. It is witty, funny, light-hearted and very enjoyable.
Spencer is a tech genius who works as a freelance cybersecurity consultant. He’s pretty much a recluse, with major trust issues- always suspicious and plagued by paranoia, he’s not really a ‘people person’,- for him people always came with an agenda. He dreamed of escaping the city, somewhere as remote as possible but where he could still access internet service. He had been saving his money to build his dream home and would only need to complete a few more jobs to be able to pay for everything outright. He couldn’t wait.
So, when his very attractive new neighbour knocks on his door bearing cookies, he’s immediately suspicious of her motives and on high alert. He pretty much shuts her down with his rudeness, he knows she’s up to something because he could tell she was lying. He just had to try and figure out what it is she’s after. He decides that the best way to uncover what she’s hiding is to get close to her, befriend her while he uncovers what’s going on.
Holly is an accountant who’s a little awkward and adorably clumsy. She’s a really sweet, kind and an incredibly loyal person. Her only family are her two sisters, the three of them are incredibly close- she’d do anything for them. When she’s offered a lot of money just to befriend her next-door neighbour and introduce him to her new ‘friend’, Holly agrees knowing how much this influx of cash will help her family.
But she soon discovers that she is really bad at lying, and not only that but she’s also very attracted to the man she’s meant to be conning- this heist really isn’t playing out the way she had envisioned. As she and Spencer begin to spend more and more time together, each with their own agendas, their feelings begin to develop and their agendas start to take a bit of a back seat to their ‘friendship’. But with secrets between them, what happens when things start coming to light? Will Spencer discover what Holly is up to? Will these two have any chance of finding a happily-ever-after together?
This is my first book from this author, and it certainly won’t be my last!
I really recommend this story to anyone who likes a light-hearted, romantic, sweet and easy read!
Thank you, Ms. Dallen!
Beauty and the Heist: Barely a Fairy Tale- Sweet Version is a charming, sweet and funny novel by Maggie Dallen. It is a contemporary romance, written with a fairy tale feel to the story. It is witty, funny, light-hearted and very enjoyable.
Spencer is a tech genius who works as a freelance cybersecurity consultant. He’s pretty much a recluse, with major trust issues- always suspicious and plagued by paranoia, he’s not really a ‘people person’,- for him people always came with an agenda. He dreamed of escaping the city, somewhere as remote as possible but where he could still access internet service. He had been saving his money to build his dream home and would only need to complete a few more jobs to be able to pay for everything outright. He couldn’t wait.
So, when his very attractive new neighbour knocks on his door bearing cookies, he’s immediately suspicious of her motives and on high alert. He pretty much shuts her down with his rudeness, he knows she’s up to something because he could tell she was lying. He just had to try and figure out what it is she’s after. He decides that the best way to uncover what she’s hiding is to get close to her, befriend her while he uncovers what’s going on.
Holly is an accountant who’s a little awkward and adorably clumsy. She’s a really sweet, kind and an incredibly loyal person. Her only family are her two sisters, the three of them are incredibly close- she’d do anything for them. When she’s offered a lot of money just to befriend her next-door neighbour and introduce him to her new ‘friend’, Holly agrees knowing how much this influx of cash will help her family.
But she soon discovers that she is really bad at lying, and not only that but she’s also very attracted to the man she’s meant to be conning- this heist really isn’t playing out the way she had envisioned. As she and Spencer begin to spend more and more time together, each with their own agendas, their feelings begin to develop and their agendas start to take a bit of a back seat to their ‘friendship’. But with secrets between them, what happens when things start coming to light? Will Spencer discover what Holly is up to? Will these two have any chance of finding a happily-ever-after together?
This is my first book from this author, and it certainly won’t be my last!
I really recommend this story to anyone who likes a light-hearted, romantic, sweet and easy read!
Thank you, Ms. Dallen!
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