Another Beauty and the Beast retelling has found it's way to my bookshelf. I'm a sucker for this type of book, but Bella and the Beast is an excellent addition to the collection. Bella and Miles are an engaging take on the fish out of water heroine and disfigured hero coming together to find love.

Full review: https://rebeccasreadingcorner.blog/review-olivia-drake-bella-and-the-beast/ ( )

I really enjoyed this romance. It was fun and quite a bit different. There wasn't a lot of time spent dealing with balls and the ton and society in general. Instead it was more about the couple's relationship. I liked Bella as a character. I'd like to go back and pick up the other books in this series. ( )

Bella and The Beast is an adventurous read that intermingles with a burgeoning love story. Olivia Drake did an exquisite job with her descriptive writing. It makes the story so much more enjoyable because the reader feels like they are a part of the story and experiencing the exotic locations first hand. I was even a fan of Bella. Determined to provide for her siblings she did not sit back and wait to be rescued. She took charge and went to any means necessary. Strong female characters are a great asset to any story. I did not like the love story. It came across forced and rushed. I received an ARC of Bella and the Beast from NetGalley. For anyone who has an adventurous spirit this is the book that will satisfy that craving. ( )

A captivating read!

From the opening I felt like I'd stumbled into a scene worthy of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Only set back a couple of hundred years to Regency England. Here it's the Cinderella Sisterhood and the magic artifact is not denim jeans but Garnett beaded slippers, (to me) reminiscent of those Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz.
Bella Jones has returned from Persia with her younger brother and sister to a small cottage in Oxford, England. On his deathbed her father, a noted ancient civilizations scholar instructs her to find the other half of an Egyptian treasure map from Alwyin. Who this is remains a mystery until her 'fairy godmother' the Countess of Milford, sends her off to secure a position as a curator with the taciturn, withdrawn Miles Grayson, the Duke of Aylwin, an avid collector of ancient artifacts.
Suspicious of all, Miles wants nothing to do with Bella. Despite his best intentions, he is totally beguiled by her. Not to worry, he can always set her up as his mistress. Bella of course has plenty to say about that. The sparks fly with these two, and the plot deepens with ghost sightings, theft and the threat of bodily harm. Bella continues to search for the all important half of the map.
As an aside, I do so love that Bella can use a small dagger to great effect.
Even as the very thought of Bella worms it's way into his heart, Miles finds it hard to overcome his mistrust of everyone, including her. After all, 'Miles kept his thoughts and emotions tightly locked inside the surly facade of a beast. And like a caged beast he snarled at anyone who dared to venture close to him.'
The Miles and Bella story, more Beauty and the Beast than Cinderella, is quite different from the usual regency story with just the right touch of the exotic.

A NetGalley ARC ( )

A nice story. Bella wants to find a map that will show her where there's hidden treasure, her father had mention the treasure before he had passed away, and she needed it to take care of her younger siblings. Miles is well known to be rude, grumpy collector of Egyptian antiquities and Bella also believes that he may be in possession of the map, and he needs a curator so she applies for the job.

With Miles' arrogance and moods and Bella's determination, sparks begin to fly between them.
A great romance read which will keep you enthralled to the end. I Ioved it! ( )