This is the second book by Eloisa James that I've read and in her Fairy Tale series, and I thought it was very similar to the first book, A Kiss at Midnight. That isn't to say I didn't like this book. I just wasn't surprised by anything. First of all, I noticed James repeats characters, such as the snarky butler and the melodramatic maternal figure. These characters are entertaining, but I'd like a little variety. In general, I think lack of variety in this book and other James books was the biggest drawback I experienced.

Second, I love witty banter, and this book had some great back-and-forth dialogue...but that was all I got. Yes, I understand Piers's personality is very rough, but I like my heroes or heroines to be repentant at the end when they realized they made a mistake in letting the love of their life go. Piers was, but he didn't express that to Linnet, which frustrated me. I wanted the characters to not just bare their hearts to the readers but also to each other.

Finally, I thought the plot was fairly predictable. Obviously romances have a formula, and the hero/heroine get together in the end. The real draw of romances isn't what happens but how. Here, I didn't feel like there was enough mystery with the how. That said, it's to James's credit that I was still clutching my book at the very end because I was so wrapped up in it emotionally.

In the end, I enjoyed this book but not overly so. ( )

A classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Except the Beast is a Duke with a limp and a bad temper and the Beauty is a delightfully snarky heroine with bite. 5 stars.

I adore Beauty and the Beast and I loved this retelling. Linnet and Piers are hilarious. The banter between them had me giggling and their chemistry is off the charts. Piers can be a complete and utter ass and Linnet was perfect at calling him out for it. Honestly, Piers wasn't even really all that charming when he tried but Linnet seems to like him as is. She gets bored with men who pander to her and her beauty. And Piers definitely won't pander to her.

I liked the way their relationship developed, beginning with friendship of sorts and working up to the romance. Their daily swimming lessons was a nice touch. And I enjoyed the way Linnet gets involved with the medical clinic - helping out to keep the patients entertained. The supporting cast were amusing (Prufrock the butler was a gem) and I liked that the three doctors were named Piers' Ducklings.

The only complaint I had was Linnet's naivety/innocence concerning sexual relations - I mean she's well read - she never bothered to pick up a book? That part seemed a bit odd. Still it was a minor issue and it was funny if nothing else.

A quick and witty retelling with tons of heart and a lot of snark. 5 stars. ( )

Perhaps a little too contemporary in its regency garb--the House MD homage got a little old, for example, and Mesieurs Kibbles and Bitts, really? Still, I love Eloisa James books even when they are lacking. ( )

At first I thought this book might be to "light" for me. In other words I'm not real big on comedy of manners unless they are absolutely excellently done. A poorly written COM is merely painful and often ludicrous. I wasn't sure that the bits with the characters acting in a manner that they just wouldn't have in the time period might not be too much for me to swallow. However somehow here those elements didn't hit the "that would never happen" button of disgust with me. They spend a lot of time sleeping together in a castle full of people who would notice and no one seems overly concerned with this young girl's reputation or well being. However the witty repartee was very well done. The scenes, even the anachronistic ones, were so well done that I just went with it. I particularly enjoyed the side story of the Duke who was a recovered opium addict. Those sorts of stories are usually overlooked in the romance field. Here I thought it was very well handled. The end was a bit more angsty than the first of the book but not in a maudlin way. Ultimately the book was lovely and I might read this author again. ( )

I liked how the hero grew as a person, and how he cared for the heroine near the end. ( )