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.