The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
readerpants's review against another edition
3.0
Solid addition to the Maiden Lane series. the melodrama was a little contrived and the hero's healing from trauma was awfully facile, though.
solaana's review against another edition
The fairytales at the beginning of each chapter can be very distracting
gasoline_allie's review against another edition
4.0
I don't feel that Apollo's past and disability were explored like they could have been, so it didn't have quite the emotional resonance I was hoping for, but I still really enjoyed this story. Lily was a refreshing heroine--one with a past, one who is not a conventional lady. Lily and Apollo's relationship was romantic, sensual, and emotional.
kayedacus's review against another edition
2.0
I'm done with this series.
While Hoyt's writing is usually engaging enough to keep me going even when I'm not enjoying the characters and/or story, I just can't anymore.
There isn't a book in this series (of seven so far) that I can definitively say I loved. I liked Megs and Godric's story best of all seven, but still had some issues with that book.
I'd been hoping that Hoyt was going to match up Apollo and Phoebe in this story---imagine the opportunity for conflict with a blind heroine and a hero who couldn't speak!---but, alas, she introduced a character from completely outside of the "Maiden Lane" world (even though we haven't been in Maiden Lane for ages); a character who was insipid at best, annoying at worst. And, in this book, she also reintroduced the device of the Plot Moppet in the overly precocious and overly annoying Indio and his Italian greyhound, Daff. (And for a precocious seven-year-old, at times he talks suspiciously like a three- or four-year-old)---a plot device that I have never liked in any book I've ever read.
As with many of the other books in this series, I never felt/believed any existence of chemistry (other than sexual) between the main characters. Apollo never lived up to the potential of being a "wounded warrior" character with PTSD the way he was built up in the previous book, which was really disappointing.
I almost quit reading early in the series, but then I got Megs and Godric's story and regained the hope that the rest of the books would improve from there. Unfortunately, this didn't happen. So it's time to cut my losses and give up on the series.
I was really excited to see Ashford McNab back as the narrator of this book. She's one of my favorite audiobook performers, and I'd enjoyed her narration of the first four books. However, she (or the author or the director) made a couple of very disappointing decisions in two of the characters.
The worst was with Lady Phoebe. It's bad enough that the character has gone completely blind over the course of the series. Did she now have to develop a severe speech impediment to rival Sylvester the Cat? I almost quit listening halfway through Phoebe's second scene, it was so bad. Phoebe has never had a speech impediment (this was more than just a simple lisp) in the other audiobooks, and it's not referred to in the book. So this was a poor, poor decision.
The other, not quite as annoying (because she has little page time) is the way Artemis sounds like a bad send-up of a bass-voiced drag queen. The vocalizations of her dialogue were pitched lower even than Trevillion's or Apollo's, making it especially confusing when she was in a scene with a male character.
While this doesn't put me off as a fan of McNab's talents, it didn't help any in a book I was already having trouble enjoying.
While Hoyt's writing is usually engaging enough to keep me going even when I'm not enjoying the characters and/or story, I just can't anymore.
There isn't a book in this series (of seven so far) that I can definitively say I loved. I liked Megs and Godric's story best of all seven, but still had some issues with that book.
I'd been hoping that Hoyt was going to match up Apollo and Phoebe in this story---imagine the opportunity for conflict with a blind heroine and a hero who couldn't speak!---but, alas, she introduced a character from completely outside of the "Maiden Lane" world (even though we haven't been in Maiden Lane for ages); a character who was insipid at best, annoying at worst. And, in this book, she also reintroduced the device of the Plot Moppet in the overly precocious and overly annoying Indio and his Italian greyhound, Daff. (And for a precocious seven-year-old, at times he talks suspiciously like a three- or four-year-old)---a plot device that I have never liked in any book I've ever read.
As with many of the other books in this series, I never felt/believed any existence of chemistry (other than sexual) between the main characters. Apollo never lived up to the potential of being a "wounded warrior" character with PTSD the way he was built up in the previous book, which was really disappointing.
I almost quit reading early in the series, but then I got Megs and Godric's story and regained the hope that the rest of the books would improve from there. Unfortunately, this didn't happen. So it's time to cut my losses and give up on the series.
I was really excited to see Ashford McNab back as the narrator of this book. She's one of my favorite audiobook performers, and I'd enjoyed her narration of the first four books. However, she (or the author or the director) made a couple of very disappointing decisions in two of the characters.
The worst was with Lady Phoebe. It's bad enough that the character has gone completely blind over the course of the series. Did she now have to develop a severe speech impediment to rival Sylvester the Cat? I almost quit listening halfway through Phoebe's second scene, it was so bad. Phoebe has never had a speech impediment (this was more than just a simple lisp) in the other audiobooks, and it's not referred to in the book. So this was a poor, poor decision.
The other, not quite as annoying (because she has little page time) is the way Artemis sounds like a bad send-up of a bass-voiced drag queen. The vocalizations of her dialogue were pitched lower even than Trevillion's or Apollo's, making it especially confusing when she was in a scene with a male character.
While this doesn't put me off as a fan of McNab's talents, it didn't help any in a book I was already having trouble enjoying.
upturnedroots's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this one more than I expected to-especially for the suspense plot! I found it refreshing that Lily is an actress and playwright, especially because the class differences between her and Apollo are only revealed later and she still has power over society in her own ways. I really like Indio, and Daphne, and even more so, the schemes between Apollo, Asa, James, and Montgomery.
I read Montgomery's book years ago on a whim, and it's interesting to see how his character is introduced in the series with these earlier books. I didn't like his book much then, but who knows, maybe now with context and the fact that I'm firmly in my historical romance era as both a reader and a writer, I'll enjoy it more the second time around.
I read Montgomery's book years ago on a whim, and it's interesting to see how his character is introduced in the series with these earlier books. I didn't like his book much then, but who knows, maybe now with context and the fact that I'm firmly in my historical romance era as both a reader and a writer, I'll enjoy it more the second time around.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Darling Beast
4 Stars
Falsely accuses and imprisoned in Bedlam, Apollo Greaves escapes and finds refuge in the ruins of a scorched pleasure garden. To his chagrin, he soon learns that he is sharing his sanctuary with a beautiful young widow and her son who are down on their luck. At first, Lily Stump is wary of the hulking mute living nearby, but the more she learns about him, the more she realizes that there is more to him than meets the eye . . .
Darling Beast suffers from following in the footsteps of Duke of Midnight. It is a solid addition to the series, but Apollo and Lily’s romance lacks the intensity of chemistry and emotion that characterized Maximus and Artemis’s story.
Apollo is the epitome of the scarred and damaged hero, and it is impossible not to sympathize and empathize with his suffering. Unfortunately, Lily is not as appealing. She initially comes across as prejudiced and judgmental seeing Apollo as a mentally impaired brute, and this does not endear her to the reader.
The secondary cast is much more engaging. The tension between Lady Phoebe and Captain Trevillion is palpable, which makes me all the more eager to read their story. While children in romance is not a preferred trope of mine, Indio is sweet and charming child and his scenes with Apollo are wonderful. Finally, the morally ambiguous Montgomery is very interesting. I have a weakness for heroes with questionable motives and am excited to hear from Hoyt’s recent Facebook post that he will be getting his own book.
The mystery surrounding Apollo’s false incarceration is somewhat of an afterthought. The build up in previous books was very intriguing, however, the eventual explanation turns out to be very predictable.
All in all, not as good as some of the other books in the Maiden Lane series but definitely worth reading.
4 Stars
Falsely accuses and imprisoned in Bedlam, Apollo Greaves escapes and finds refuge in the ruins of a scorched pleasure garden. To his chagrin, he soon learns that he is sharing his sanctuary with a beautiful young widow and her son who are down on their luck. At first, Lily Stump is wary of the hulking mute living nearby, but the more she learns about him, the more she realizes that there is more to him than meets the eye . . .
Darling Beast suffers from following in the footsteps of Duke of Midnight. It is a solid addition to the series, but Apollo and Lily’s romance lacks the intensity of chemistry and emotion that characterized Maximus and Artemis’s story.
Apollo is the epitome of the scarred and damaged hero, and it is impossible not to sympathize and empathize with his suffering. Unfortunately, Lily is not as appealing. She initially comes across as prejudiced and judgmental seeing Apollo as a mentally impaired brute, and this does not endear her to the reader.
The secondary cast is much more engaging. The tension between Lady Phoebe and Captain Trevillion is palpable, which makes me all the more eager to read their story. While children in romance is not a preferred trope of mine, Indio is sweet and charming child and his scenes with Apollo are wonderful. Finally, the morally ambiguous Montgomery is very interesting. I have a weakness for heroes with questionable motives and am excited to hear from Hoyt’s recent Facebook post that he will be getting his own book.
The mystery surrounding Apollo’s false incarceration is somewhat of an afterthought. The build up in previous books was very intriguing, however, the eventual explanation turns out to be very predictable.
All in all, not as good as some of the other books in the Maiden Lane series but definitely worth reading.
dukefn99's review against another edition
4.0
Read my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3006960652
booksforbrooks's review against another edition
2.0
This started well enough but I think the author just tried too hard to add plot twists and "exciting" elements into a rather mundane romance story. I got sick of the sex scenes by the end, too. Don't get me wrong, it was ok, it was completely readable, it just doesn't live up to the previous books in the series.
perperuna93's review against another edition
4.0
It's more 3,5, but for Valentine Napier, I'm gladly giving it four stars ;)
trashbinfluencer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Violence