Sydney Blake is tired. Tired of trying to please her family and always failing. Tired of being compared to the stick-thin models that surround her in society. Tired of feeling like a commodity instead of a person. If she had her choice she would work fulltime with kids that need her, like those she volunteers with. Instead, she finds herself at a charity masquerade auction, engaged to a man her parents adore, in what is sure to be a merger, not a marriage. With a mother who criticises her every move and a father who ignores her, Sydney struggles with self-confidence and self-belief. And with the sins of her past always weighing heavy on her heart, Sydney knows she will always do anything for her dismissive father. So, pasting on a smile, she bids on her fiancé as the auction begins.

Lucas Oliver is a successful businessman who has waited fifteen years to get his revenge on Jason Blake, the man who destroyed his father and devastated his life. Scarred deeply, inside and out, Lucas finally has set into motion his plan, and when Sydney bids on him, wrongly believing him to be her fiancé, it all falls into place. With blackmail and secrets, Lucas gives Sydney a choice - marry him, or he will destroy her father's business. But what Sydney and Lucas did not expect was the electrifying connection that erupts between them. As Lucas learns the true Sydney, he wants her even more, but his plans to take down her father go deeper than she knows. As they both struggle with what happened in the past, is it possible that the socialite beauty and the Beast of Bay Bridge could find their happily ever after together?

BEAUTY AND THE BACHELOR by Naima Simone is a sassy, steamy, heartfelt romance that left me wanting more from this talented author. Sydney is a compelling character who is soft yet strong, vulnerable yet a fighter. At times I wanted to cry as she struggles with the guilt she feels over her past, but it was a joy to watch her come into her own and realise how fabulous she truly is. Lucas is a powerful character who sucks the reader in and confuses us. Bitter, angry and determined to use Sydney to seek revenge, we should hate him. We can't because the author weaves us into his story, and as Lucas struggles with his deep feelings for Sydney, we fall in love with him all over again. With plenty of secrets, misconceptions, and passion that will take the roof off, BEAUTY AND THE BACHELOR by Naima Simone has got it all, and I highly recommend it.