I’d recommend reading Lady Beast’s Bridegroom by Jude Knight if you like a friends to lovers book.
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Lady Beast’s Bridegroom by Jude Knight
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
A Twist Upon a Regency Tale #1
February 16, 2023
Read this if you want:
- Arranged marriage
- Scarred, fat heroine
- Kindle Unlimited
I confess: I spend far too much time on Reddit. Whether it’s gleefully scrolling through other people’s problems on AITA, or immersing myself in the Dragon Age video game fandom, of which I am proudly a member, I am there. Alot. I also follow a few romance book communities and one post in a historical romance forum was asking for recommendations for ugly or scarred heroines. Well, I couldn’t resist that! I love a book where the hero or heroine isn’t considered traditionally attractive. Whether it’s because of disfigurements, their size, the fact they have tentacles and two penises. I am here for it. This is my long-winded way of telling you I found a recommendation for Lady Beast’s Bridegroom on Reddit. And, I am so glad I took a chance and got it!
Lady Beast’s Bridegroom is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but with subtraction of the paranormal and the addition of a gender swap. The heroine is the “beast” and the hero is the “beauty”. Lady Ariel was caught in a house fire when she was younger, as a result she lost one eye and has burn scars on her face and across her shoulder and arm. She covers up her scars with a mask and has secluded herself from London society, preferring to stay safe with her father in the small community she grew up in and is used to her unusual appearance. However, recently her father has died, leaving her all his wealth. Unfortunately, it isn’t just grief Ariel has to deal with: the second cousin who inherited the title – but not the money – is doing his best to declare her insane and put her in an asylum and thus claim Ariel’s wealth for himself. After a narrowly failed attempt to kidnap her from her home, Ariel concludes that the only way to permanently protect herself is an arranged marriage.
Peter, Lord Ransome, or as society has dubbed him “Beau” for his stunning good looks is at his wit’s end. He has inherited his father’s title, tremendous debt and an obligation to look after his cruel stepmother and her daughters. But, with what little money he has being spent frivolously by his widowed step mother, something has to change. That is when he receives a most unusual invitation from a childhood friend…
Romance books are crammed with stories of two people being at odds for a myriad of reasons; past trauma, misunderstandings and miscommunications driving the couple apart. It can be a lot of fun to read about. But sometimes you want a book where two very kind people stand together against a world that seems to be trying to break them apart. This is that book. Although there is, of course, a little drama between them, mostly they communicate openly and try to solve their problems together. It was refreshing and I loved it.
I’d recommend reading this if you like a friends to lovers book. Although Ariel and Peter get married and have sex (and this book is surprisingly spicy for the sweet vibes it had) fairly early on, Lady Beast’s Bridegroom does have more of a slow build in terms of their relationship overall. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is how although they definitely had an instant connection, the depth of their regard increased gradually over the course of the story. But, as much as I did like this book, there did get to a point about midway-ish where it started to drag as the pace slowed down. I still liked it, but I was desperate for it to get moving again.
I have already downloaded the next book in the series, so although this book wasn’t perfect, I am looking forward to continuing. I would recommend reading this if you like a friends to lovers story and a fairytale retelling turned on its head.
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