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A review by kreadsromance1
The Bride and the Beast by Teresa Medeiros
1.0
Buckle up, this is going to be a wild ride.
Main pairing: Gwen/Dragon (Bernard)
Favourite character: Dragon (Bernard)
Villain(s) The whole bloody village.
Character rating: 4/10
Plot rating: 1/10
Setting rating: 1/10
Overall rating: 2/10
Pros: This is a beauty and the beast retelling, and what was interesting about this interpretation is that it didn't end where most versions do - the second half of the book is set after the "prince" returns and supposedly has his happily ever after.
Bernard, despite being out for revenge and consumed by anger, is a likeable, relatable character whose motivations are understandable and whose background is well formed. He is the only reason the character rating isn't 1/10.
Gwen is a plus size heroine, which I appreciate for the sake of diversity.
HOWEVER...
Cons: I have two. A4. pages. of complaints. I will endeavour to choose the most egregious. Spoilers abound in this section so read with caution.
Yes, the heroine is plus size. But the way the author treats her is appalling. When Gwendolyn doesn’t dive straight into one meal the author describes it as “the first time in her life that food failed to hold her interest.” I mean, really?
Throughout the book there is a pretty clear message that having sex is bad; which while you might expect some expression of that in a historical fiction, you would generally not expect the author to declare that one of the characters has had enough sex that she “has given herself away until there’s nothing left of who she might have been.” Combine that with Gwen being essentially "the only virgin in the village" and the whole thing had me wincing.
Everyone seems to be ok with the village not defending the laird they are sworn to fight for; intentionally leaving a young girl to die; and then when she survives and reappears, planning to burn her at the stake. Because those are things normal townspeople definitely do.
There is a disturbing little comment at one point that 15 year old Bernard “didn’t know whether [Gwen] needed to be spanked or kissed,” when she was 9 and fell out of a tree onto him.
So it’s been revealed that Gwen believed herself responsible for the death of Bernard’s family, her father actually IS responsible for the death of Bernard’s family. And Bernard has never actually mistreated Gwen or been cruel to her. He grants mercy to her father. And she responds to the suggestion she marry him by saying “how could you ask such a thing of me? He’s a cold-hearted, unforgiving ogre without an ounce of mercy or compassion in his arrogant soul!”
One of the wonderful townspeople who are paragons of virtue decides that Gwen and Bernard’s wedding is the perfect opportunity to go and dig up Gwen’s mother’s grave that has £1,000 of gold in. Nobody really cares.
Oh and to make sure she is taken care of, he has kindly arranged the grave robbing of her mother’s tomb so she can have the blood money her father got for betraying Bernard’s family.
So she goes to London, tells him she wants a divorce, sleeps with him, leaves him while he sleeps to return to Scotland leaving him a note saying if he ever wants to spend the night with her again it’ll cost more than £1000 and then has the GALL to sit in Scotland panicking because he hadn’t come running after her.
Final opinion: There are so many moments that made me throw my hands up in despair at this novel, and I really only finished it out of spite and because I refuse to be beaten by this book. Which is such a shame, because I was genuinely excited to read this one, and I can overlook a lot of faults in literature I enjoy... but not in this book. Good luck.
Genre: Historical romance set around Jacobian Scotland, a non-magical retelling of Beauty and the Beast with some sex scenes and a lot of nonsensical plot choices.
Spoiler
Main pairing: Gwen/Dragon (Bernard)
Favourite character: Dragon (Bernard)
Villain(s) The whole bloody village.
Character rating: 4/10
Plot rating: 1/10
Setting rating: 1/10
Overall rating: 2/10
Pros: This is a beauty and the beast retelling, and what was interesting about this interpretation is that it didn't end where most versions do - the second half of the book is set after the "prince" returns and supposedly has his happily ever after.
Bernard, despite being out for revenge and consumed by anger, is a likeable, relatable character whose motivations are understandable and whose background is well formed. He is the only reason the character rating isn't 1/10.
Gwen is a plus size heroine, which I appreciate for the sake of diversity.
HOWEVER...
Cons: I have two. A4. pages. of complaints. I will endeavour to choose the most egregious. Spoilers abound in this section so read with caution.
Yes, the heroine is plus size. But the way the author treats her is appalling. When Gwendolyn doesn’t dive straight into one meal the author describes it as “the first time in her life that food failed to hold her interest.” I mean, really?
Throughout the book there is a pretty clear message that having sex is bad; which while you might expect some expression of that in a historical fiction, you would generally not expect the author to declare that one of the characters has had enough sex that she “has given herself away until there’s nothing left of who she might have been.” Combine that with Gwen being essentially "the only virgin in the village" and the whole thing had me wincing.
Everyone seems to be ok with the village not defending the laird they are sworn to fight for; intentionally leaving a young girl to die; and then when she survives and reappears, planning to burn her at the stake. Because those are things normal townspeople definitely do.
There is a disturbing little comment at one point that 15 year old Bernard “didn’t know whether [Gwen] needed to be spanked or kissed,” when she was 9 and fell out of a tree onto him.
So it’s been revealed that Gwen believed herself responsible for the death of Bernard’s family, her father actually IS responsible for the death of Bernard’s family. And Bernard has never actually mistreated Gwen or been cruel to her. He grants mercy to her father. And she responds to the suggestion she marry him by saying “how could you ask such a thing of me? He’s a cold-hearted, unforgiving ogre without an ounce of mercy or compassion in his arrogant soul!”
One of the wonderful townspeople who are paragons of virtue decides that Gwen and Bernard’s wedding is the perfect opportunity to go and dig up Gwen’s mother’s grave that has £1,000 of gold in. Nobody really cares.
Oh and to make sure she is taken care of, he has kindly arranged the grave robbing of her mother’s tomb so she can have the blood money her father got for betraying Bernard’s family.
So she goes to London, tells him she wants a divorce, sleeps with him, leaves him while he sleeps to return to Scotland leaving him a note saying if he ever wants to spend the night with her again it’ll cost more than £1000 and then has the GALL to sit in Scotland panicking because he hadn’t come running after her.
Final opinion: There are so many moments that made me throw my hands up in despair at this novel, and I really only finished it out of spite and because I refuse to be beaten by this book. Which is such a shame, because I was genuinely excited to read this one, and I can overlook a lot of faults in literature I enjoy... but not in this book. Good luck.