"A sexy little rendition of the classic fairy tale"

Isabelle Dunbar, called Belle by her beloved father and sisters, finds herself in the clutches of Lord Glen Dubh, a man under a powerful curse that has twisted his once- handsome form into that of a monstrous beast. She wants to escape, but the beast offers something for which she will willingly give up a life of freedom-he offers to restore her father's health. Alone, but for the servants who cook and clean, Belle and Haldon must make their own tenuous relationship work, though Belle does not realize that there is more to her beast than she can see. And Haldon? Haldon must realize that true love is not something that can be commanded to appear...

Fiona Neal's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a hot-in-spirit tame- in-plot re- envisioning of, naturally, the beauty and the beast fairy tale. Unlike some authors who have re-written this particular story, Neal doesn't twist the basic plot- instead, she gives depth, particularly sexual depth, to the familiar characters that people the story. This isn't to say that her rendition doesn't hold surprises- there are small twists that keep a reader fascinated, while the story is still familiar and comfortable. This is a sexually explicit tale, containing multiple instances of sexual contact, including dream-like sexual encounters. There is no bestiality, or any encounter that could, even mildly, be construed in such a way. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a sexy little story that will interest any fan of the classic fairy tale.

Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted June 10, 2004

Summary

Though the beast held Belle a prisoner, the image of another enflamed her passion. Haldon had but one way to break the vile curse enslaving him: He must capture her heart.