taisie22's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, but this is not one, despite the title (my first mistake). Then I read the entire book, hoping it would improve (second mistake: spoiler - it didn't).
Glytha is the beauty and Thayer is the beast (he has red hair?). He marries her because of a promise made but doesn't trust her because he knows she's going to cheat on him. This is because a woman cheated on him in his youth. She wants to be a good wife, but honestly, he's the worst. Meanwhile, there's all this drama that just seemed stupid and made the book way too long. It's an earlier Howell book and I read the reissue, but it could use a rewrite.
Glytha is the beauty and Thayer is the beast (he has red hair?). He marries her because of a promise made but doesn't trust her because he knows she's going to cheat on him. This is because a woman cheated on him in his youth. She wants to be a good wife, but honestly, he's the worst. Meanwhile, there's all this drama that just seemed stupid and made the book way too long. It's an earlier Howell book and I read the reissue, but it could use a rewrite.
rosetyper9's review against another edition
1.0
I adored the concept of this book and I started to read it with high hopes but I couldn't get into it. I also felt like there was nothing keeping me in the story. Once the wedding happened it just seemed like that was it. This book just didn't work for me. Check out these reviews and form your own opinion:
Once A Chapter
Lost But Not Looking
Love Romance Passion
Once A Chapter
Lost But Not Looking
Love Romance Passion
lucy_qhuay's review against another edition
2.0
An enjoyable enough historical romance, without being particularly original or exciting.
It's plain to see I picked this book up drawn by the promise of some kind of beauty and the beast retelling , but I must say I was disappointed.
I was expecting Thayer, the hero, to be a battle-scarred, cold-hearted, ruthless warrior, but when push came to shove, he really wasn't.
He was surprisingly soft and sweet, albeit in a rough way. Sure, he had trust issues and he was scarred, both in and outside, since he had been betrayed by a woman of his past, but I can't remember a moment when he was purposefully cruel.
Plus, and even though he was supposed to be 'The Red Devil' and the leader of his group of warriors, he wasn't exactly what you call an 'alpha' hero.
I also didn't like that Thayer and Gytha, the heroine, came up as childish as they did. I can understand it somewhat with Gytha, considering she was seventeen, but he was a thirty-year-old man and a seasoned warrior.
All in all, read this book if you please, just don't have high expectations.
literaryhaylee's review against another edition
medium-paced
I probably should've DNF'd this one. It was a bit slow and I felt a bit bored. Not to mention this wasn't very Beauty and Beast like.
kshee1993's review
adventurous
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.0
karenfausto8's review against another edition
4.0
A pesar de que la historia es un poco larga, la manera de escribirse es lo que más se destacó en mí. Además de convertir el cuento de la Bella y la Bestia, de lo más mundano, mostró una nueva perspectiva para verlo en práctica y no solo la ideología.
theaimfiles's review
adventurous
fast-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? Yes
3.0
She was constantly mad at him for something. It got tiring. Fun plot though.
lovehina154's review against another edition
3.0
Gytha Raouille finds out on her wedding day that her betrothed whom she is to marry is dead. And that she is to marry one of the other heirs to Saitun Manor. The third heir in line is persumed dead and she would have to marry the third Robert Saitun. But before she can marry Robert the second heir Thayer, a battle-hardened knight called the Red Devil. Thayer not knowing that his cousin William is dead goes to see him and his betrothed to find out that he would be getting married that day. As they settle into married life Robert and Thayer's uncle tries to kill Thayer so that Robert can marry Gytha.
Favorite Momment I like how Gytha stands up to Roberts Uncle and I really like how she doesn't take crap from no one even Thayer.
Least Favorite Momment Thayer who has been hurt before keeps thinking because Gytha is beautiful and all the men want her, doesn't trust her and I hated when they go to court and he watches as she is almost raped not coming to her rescue.
Favorite Momment I like how Gytha stands up to Roberts Uncle and I really like how she doesn't take crap from no one even Thayer.
Least Favorite Momment Thayer who has been hurt before keeps thinking because Gytha is beautiful and all the men want her, doesn't trust her and I hated when they go to court and he watches as she is almost raped not coming to her rescue.
creativelifeofliz's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. All of the conflicts stem around a lack of communication. So frustrating.
beckiebookworm1974's review against another edition
5.0
I do love this book it's like a favourite teddy-bear if you know what I mean that well-loved read that you can’t help revisiting over and over again purely because it’s so familiar well this one is it for me. I’ve read it so many times now and it never gets old yes it’s a bit cheesy and it’s far from perfect but I just love the concept that a plain ordinary hero gets the girl It's just so refreshing.
It’s a medieval romance set in 1365 our heroine Gytha has been betrothed since she was small but when her groom unexpectedly dies she instead gets to marry the next heir in line who turns out to be Thayer. So initially Thayer is horrified that his wife is such a beauty he’s got some immense baggage leftover from a prior romance which had also left him slightly prejudiced towards Gytha’s fair face. Judging her intentions and potential character unfairly.
This was a really enjoyable read i love the arranged marriage trope and this one ticks all of my boxes. There are misunderstandings some danger and Intrigue. Thayer needs to realise that he can’t judge his wife by a past experience and that she’s literally paying for the sins of another. Thayer is also not really a silver-tongued lady's man he can be quite obtuse and constantly puts his foot in it when this occurs through Gytha isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and set him right but all without being shrewish.
I Like both Thayer and Gytha and thought they had lots of chemistry and though this isn’t really a complicated or taxing story I liked it for its simplicity and romantic overtone. It’s not a beauty and the beast themed fairy story the title instead is suggestive of how beautiful Gytha is compared to Thayer’s plainness and greatly imparts the message that beauty is only skin deep and how important other characteristics are as well and I do think it manages to deliver this message admirably. This is such a heartwarming romance that I do recommend.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com