St. Martin's Press
Featuring: Miles Grayson; Bella Jones
352 pages ISBN: 125006029X EAN: 9781250060297 Kindle: B00W19B2T6 Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List
Now that her father has died, Bella Jones is back in
England, away from the numerous countries she helped her father excavate. She
also has the responsibility of looking after her younger twin siblings,
with little money. When a mystery woman tells her she might
find a job with a certain recluse, the Duke of Aylwin, the
very man whose family is connected to her own, Bella has no
choice but to go. She will have to learn how to tame the
strange, beastly Duke if she wants to uncover the last
mystery of her father.
BELLA AND THE BEAST is a lush historical romance, complete
with all the sprinklings of a fairytale. Olivia Drake is an
excellent writer, and this story knows how to submerge
readers completely. The unique tie-ins of Egyptian artifacts
add a mysterious element that flows well into the plot.
Bella is an interesting heroine, unused to English society
but still civilized in her own way, and the interactions
between her and the Duke are often sweet, hilarious, and saucy.
Much like the traditional versions of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,
the majority of the story takes place in the Beast's (or
Miles, the Duke of Aylwin's, in this case) estate. While
this seems like a lesser detail in comparison to
characterization and plot, Drake shows her talent well by
honing in on the different possibilities of the estate
itself. The Duke's mansion is not simply the home of a
beast. The empty mansion can show how lonely Miles is, but
it also holds his passion: the Egyptian artifacts. Once
Bella has to move in to work there, the mansion, much like
Miles, slowly transforms into a place that is empty because
it has room to be filled with more: a family, other passions
(of all kinds), and love. As the story progresses, the
estate becomes less of a lair and more of a home.
BELLA AND THE BEAST is the ideal historical romance to lose
yourself in. With a unique premise, a feisty couple,
and great writing, Olivia Drake makes a story readers will
grab again and again.
Even a confirmed bachelor can meet his match. Because
sometimes fairy tales do come true...
OF ALL THE FABLED TREASURES
Bella Jones feels like a fish out of water in civilized
England. Raised abroad by her explorer father, she's amused
by the very proper manners of the nobility. Nevertheless, to
save her younger siblings from ruin, she must infiltrate a
ducal household in order to find the map to an ancient
treasure trove. Alas, the haughty, handsome duke stands in
her way...unless she can tame his beastly temper, that is.
THE MOST PRECIOUS ONE IS LOVE
Miles Grayson, the Duke of Aylwin, prefers antiquities to,
well, everything else. Especially prying females with their
irksome questions. But Bella's blue eyes and beguiling smile
are improbably charming, and the temptation of her kiss is
impossible to resist. As the pair is swept into a mystery
that reaches back to their childhoods, Miles realizes that
Bella has made the rarest discovery of all-the key to his
heart...