New Book: When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James was released this week and is the second in what appears to be an ongoing fairy tale inspired romance series by James. It is also available as an ebook. I've read that another reason that romance is doing well in ebooks is that people can read them without displaying the somewhat embarrassing covers although this one isn't too bad.

I'm sure the fairy tale inspiration for this novel is no surprise. The title gives it away quite easily. It's Beauty and the Beast, of course.

Book description from the publisher:

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she's betrothed to a Beast.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

Linnet is not just any woman.

She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

Sounds likes a classic romance novel. James is growing in popularity in the genre and this title already has several positive reader reviews. I admit I am always worried by Beauty and the Beast adaptations that make the Beast sound abusive, but I've also learned to not take back cover descriptions literally. For example, the Booklist review makes the hero sound much less abusive:

After Prince Augustus Frederick reneges on his promise to marry her, Linnet Thrynne faces social ruin since everyone—based partly on her mother’s scandalous past and partly on Linnet’s ill-fated decision to wear a ball gown that gives the impression she is pregnant—now believes Linnet is a hussy of the first degree. Fortunately, Linnet’s aunt, Lady Etheridge, comes up with a solution. Rumor has it that Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, is in the market for a wife. The irascible nobleman’s only requirement is that his bride-to-be be a woman “more beautiful than the sun and the moon,” a condition Linnet easily meets. Linnet is certain once the beastly Piers meets her, he will fall under her spell. But immediately after encountering the cranky doctor, Linnet realizes the intractable, intelligent, and altogether intriguing Piers is not exactly the husband for whom she bargained. With equal measures of superbly nuanced characters, sexy passion, and scintillating wit, James deftly fashions a fairy-tale-perfect romance.

Did you like the nod to East of the Sun and West of the Moon, a B&B variant?

The previous book in the series is A Kiss at Midnight which used Cinderella for inspiration.

I also have a fairy tale themed romance novels page on SurLaLune which needs updating despite its great length.