Thursday, October 27

Book Review: Deceit by MJ Haag

Author: MJ Haag
Title: Deceit (Beastly Tales #2)
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Pages: ebook
First Published: July 2015
Where I Got It: My Shelf (Bought on Amazon)

Safely hidden within the estate’s enchanted walls, Benella no longer has time to fear her tormentors. She’s too preoccupied attempting to determine what makes the beast so beastly. It might be the taxing visits from the aged enchantress who cursed him or his growing vexation at not being allowed to touch Benella. 

In order to gain her freedom, she must find a way to break the curse, but first, she must help him become a better man while protecting her heart.



OMG OMG OMG. WHAT!? YOU CANNOT LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!!!!! DAMN YOU AUTHOR! *shakes fist* 

Okay - okay - let me back up a bit. 

This is the second book in the series in this Beauty and the Beast remake. The first one was good and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It fell on the back-burner for a bit. I finally got time to read this. At the end of the last one (this is not a spoiler), but Benella has agreed to stay with the beast in order to spare her family. In this one, we get to finally meet the beast and learn about him. But dammit, it was hard to like him because he was so creepy and pervy for the first half of the book. Sure he got better as the book went on and he actually liked Benella for her brain/soul more than just her hotness. 

The price to remove his curse was interesting and fitting. It, also, for sure fit this dark and dirty world. 

And yes, this world is dark and I'm glad we got to learn more about this world and why everyone is poor. It makes sense and I'm content. 

Now, the first 50 pages made me sleepy. I was so bored and so annoyed. Like Beast...calm your shit. I get you wanna bang Benella, but that is not how you win her heart. >_< He did calm down when he realized he was acting like an animal and Benella had to lay some truth on him. SO things finally gained some momentum and I couldn't put the book down. And then there is the ending.................SO GOOD AND I AM DYING FOR THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!!! What?! WHY?! NO!!!!!! FIX THIS, FIX THIS! I totally didn't expect the huge, HUGE twist at the end. I cannot say, but why beasty, why! HOW COULD YOU!?

Ugh....I'm so mad. As a reader, I shake my fist, but as a writer I must tip my hat and say good job. 

I must also tip my hat to the author, but I sense a bit of "Cinderella" mixed into the story. I noticed it a bit last time, but her two bitchy sisters need to fall into a ditch. They are terrible, but they do make the dynamic of Benella's family life interesting. 

In the end, I am in love with this dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The beginning of this was slow, but it got good and I couldn't put it down. I am dying for the second one because of that ending. I shall stamp this with....mhmmmmm....4. Everything better be fixed in the next book or I will kick something!!!!!!!!!!!












5 comments:

Anachronist said...

Well, sounds too good to miss :)

Melliane said...

It's always nice to have a good retelling

Carole Rae said...

Ana, it was a nice arch. I am curious to see where the author is taking this story.

Melliane, it's a good variation.

Blodeuedd said...

The name makes me lol

Carole Rae said...

Hahaha!