diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
Gerard’s Beauty had a very important task – to convince me to continue reading Kingdom series by Marie Hall. Her Mad Hatter, first book in the series, spiked my interest with an interesting world that was mix of popular fairy tales and it had hilarious fairy godmother Danika as one of narrators. The problem was that the romance and couple in Her Mad Hatter left me cold.
I am happy to say that I liked Gerard’s Beauty. The romance… oh boy, it was hot! You could hear the chemistry sizzle between characters. Just read this:
"He could hardly breathe around the heat of her gaze. The room grew thick and cloying, filled with an impossible tension. Like stepping out in a storm only seconds after a lightning strike– ozone laced air still shivering with raw volts of power. Betty walked to him, but he couldn’t move. His heart beat a painful rhythm in his chest, demanding he do something, demanding he take control as he’d so often done before. But he wasn’t in control, she stripped him bare, made him forget who he was, what he was. All he knew in that moment, was that Betty was the most divine creation he’d ever seen."
But… Why there is always a ‘but’? Gerard’s Beauty is set in our world, so it’s too similar to other paranormal romance novels. No wonderful details from Kingdom.
Gerard escapes to the Earth from an angry mob who wants to lynch him for seducing Cinderella’s daughter. He does not want a mate, only to score another conquest. Bookish and nerdy Betty has another opinion.
"She was tired of dating, tired of men, and so far Gerard had done very little to make her feel in any way romantically inclined toward him. The man could kiss like nobody’s business, but that was just sex. Betty wanted all or nothing, and refused to ever settle again."
Gerard’s Beauty is one of those great romance stories where hero actually has to work on earning heroine’s love, not just look pretty. By the end, Gerard and Betty really get to know each other.
Gerard is supposed to be a character from famous fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. He is Belle’s spurned suitor and from time to time he will bad mouth both Belle and Beast. Why then is Gerard not mentioned in the story (at least the version known to humans)? Well, when you piss off some people and seduce enough women, you get punished. For Gerard, the punishment was to be unknown. But I don’t think that this is enough for Gerard’s Beauty to be classified as retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
IN THE END…
So… What to say? No interesting world full of fairy tale characters and very little narration from quirky Danika. But I loved how the romance developed. I will continue with Kingdom series and hope that next book will have it all. Red and Her Wolf is inspired by Red Riding Hood. That should be interesting.
Recommended for fans of paranormal romance stories with nerdy librarian heroines, womanizing heroes and romance with slow build-up.
I am happy to say that I liked Gerard’s Beauty. The romance… oh boy, it was hot! You could hear the chemistry sizzle between characters. Just read this:
"He could hardly breathe around the heat of her gaze. The room grew thick and cloying, filled with an impossible tension. Like stepping out in a storm only seconds after a lightning strike– ozone laced air still shivering with raw volts of power. Betty walked to him, but he couldn’t move. His heart beat a painful rhythm in his chest, demanding he do something, demanding he take control as he’d so often done before. But he wasn’t in control, she stripped him bare, made him forget who he was, what he was. All he knew in that moment, was that Betty was the most divine creation he’d ever seen."
But… Why there is always a ‘but’? Gerard’s Beauty is set in our world, so it’s too similar to other paranormal romance novels. No wonderful details from Kingdom.
Gerard escapes to the Earth from an angry mob who wants to lynch him for seducing Cinderella’s daughter. He does not want a mate, only to score another conquest. Bookish and nerdy Betty has another opinion.
"She was tired of dating, tired of men, and so far Gerard had done very little to make her feel in any way romantically inclined toward him. The man could kiss like nobody’s business, but that was just sex. Betty wanted all or nothing, and refused to ever settle again."
Gerard’s Beauty is one of those great romance stories where hero actually has to work on earning heroine’s love, not just look pretty. By the end, Gerard and Betty really get to know each other.
Gerard is supposed to be a character from famous fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. He is Belle’s spurned suitor and from time to time he will bad mouth both Belle and Beast. Why then is Gerard not mentioned in the story (at least the version known to humans)? Well, when you piss off some people and seduce enough women, you get punished. For Gerard, the punishment was to be unknown. But I don’t think that this is enough for Gerard’s Beauty to be classified as retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
IN THE END…
So… What to say? No interesting world full of fairy tale characters and very little narration from quirky Danika. But I loved how the romance developed. I will continue with Kingdom series and hope that next book will have it all. Red and Her Wolf is inspired by Red Riding Hood. That should be interesting.
Recommended for fans of paranormal romance stories with nerdy librarian heroines, womanizing heroes and romance with slow build-up.
mordecai's review
DNF @ end of chapter 1
I didn't like the first book, and I can tell that I'll dislike the second for the same reasons (don't like the writing style, don't care about the characters, found the plot confusing and not particularly engaging).
Giving up on this series.
I didn't like the first book, and I can tell that I'll dislike the second for the same reasons (don't like the writing style, don't care about the characters, found the plot confusing and not particularly engaging).
Giving up on this series.
xxjustplainjessxx's review against another edition
5.0
Spicy, sappy, and filled with humor, Gerard's Beauty did not disappoint! The author built on book one and took us once again to a portion of a beloved childhood tale and added a spicy, grown up twist.
Gerard and Betty are so opposite, yet so similar, and Betty easily reminds me of myself with her nerdy, bookish ways. Watching Gerard and Betty's story play out was wonderful, and I didn't want it to end.
I cannot wait to read Kingdom #3, which is also on my June Hopefuls list!
Gerard and Betty are so opposite, yet so similar, and Betty easily reminds me of myself with her nerdy, bookish ways. Watching Gerard and Betty's story play out was wonderful, and I didn't want it to end.
I cannot wait to read Kingdom #3, which is also on my June Hopefuls list!
foreverbeautifulbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly didn't think a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast could be this awesome! I have read quite a few and one was alright, and most fall below the mark. You are walking on a slippery slop where the original tale, as well as the Disney version, are so embedded in our brains we have a hard time accepting any re-tellings.
That was until Marie Hall decided to take on the proverbial baddies of the fairy tale verse.
Gerard, from what I gather, is the living embodiment of Gaston from the animated version. He got a bad rap in the stories because he was a bit of a man-whore. A vengeful head Fairy decides to punish him for looking the other way, or rather not looking at her, and punishes him by claiming he was was the bad guy in the Beauty and the Beast story.
This story is brilliant. I ADORE Gerard! I want one of my own! He was the perfect living embodiment of what the beast should have been. The handsome man that is really needing to find the way to love deep inside. Betty was the PERFECT BELLE! She was a legit nerd to the core and she was hot and strong willed. She didn't whine and feel sorry for herself and she took the time to really love Gerard. It grew and bloomed and I couldn't but this installment down!
If you love Once Upon a Time, if you love fairy tales THIS is the series for YOU! Though, I come with a disclaimer--you may like this series WAY better than Once Upon a Time!
That was until Marie Hall decided to take on the proverbial baddies of the fairy tale verse.
Gerard, from what I gather, is the living embodiment of Gaston from the animated version. He got a bad rap in the stories because he was a bit of a man-whore. A vengeful head Fairy decides to punish him for looking the other way, or rather not looking at her, and punishes him by claiming he was was the bad guy in the Beauty and the Beast story.
This story is brilliant. I ADORE Gerard! I want one of my own! He was the perfect living embodiment of what the beast should have been. The handsome man that is really needing to find the way to love deep inside. Betty was the PERFECT BELLE! She was a legit nerd to the core and she was hot and strong willed. She didn't whine and feel sorry for herself and she took the time to really love Gerard. It grew and bloomed and I couldn't but this installment down!
If you love Once Upon a Time, if you love fairy tales THIS is the series for YOU! Though, I come with a disclaimer--you may like this series WAY better than Once Upon a Time!
purpl3_vix3n's review against another edition
5.0
Oh Gerard. Belle really messed you up, but thank the gods she did. Betty is the perfect nerd for you and I love that Marie, incorporated someone who loves anime!
frogglodite's review against another edition
4.0
Another good book in this series. Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (sort of) complete with grumpy, gorgeous man (with sexy accent, no less), a hot, nerdy librarian, and Danika... I just adore Danika! Can't wait for Wolf & Red's story!
ninisbooks's review
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dark_siren's review against another edition
5.0
The fairy godmother Danika is back to make another match for the next bad boy from the Bad Five, Gerard Caron. (Gerard is basically Gaston from Beauty and the Beast but it turns out that wasn't quite how everything went down)
Gerard is a big sexy french man who who sleeps with anything in a skirt and drinks too much. After an incident with a princess Danika needs to get him out of the Kingdom quick. This time the bad boy gets sent to Earth. He has no desire to find his mate and give up his man whore ways.
Betty Hart is a librarian from Missouri who likes "geek" things like Anime, Manga, Comic-Con, and LARPing. She doesn't want anything to do with men right now after her ex boyfriend. She certainly doesn't want anything to do with the big french man who thinks he is God's gift to women.
When the two of them end up being stuck together for a month Betty gets to see the parts of Gerard hidden beneath his man whore exterior and she holds his life in her hands.
Gerard is a big sexy french man who who sleeps with anything in a skirt and drinks too much. After an incident with a princess Danika needs to get him out of the Kingdom quick. This time the bad boy gets sent to Earth. He has no desire to find his mate and give up his man whore ways.
Betty Hart is a librarian from Missouri who likes "geek" things like Anime, Manga, Comic-Con, and LARPing. She doesn't want anything to do with men right now after her ex boyfriend. She certainly doesn't want anything to do with the big french man who thinks he is God's gift to women.
When the two of them end up being stuck together for a month Betty gets to see the parts of Gerard hidden beneath his man whore exterior and she holds his life in her hands.
hazelyn's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
berls's review
4.0
#COYER #2015HW I think this is another 3.5 for me. Lots of eye rolling in the first half - so unbelievable. In the second half I really didn't care and just loved the romance. Full review to follow soonish.