I actually didn't read the synopsis for The Billionaire Beast, but nevertheless, I was excited to read it! I was because one of my best book friends loved the first book, The Billionaire's Virgin, and couldn't wait to read this one, so I knew it had to be good, but even without my friend's eagerness, I still would have wanted to read it as I'm always up for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. And what a retelling it was! It was absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to read not only the next book, but also the first one.

Phoebe is all calm, cool, and collected for the most part, but Nero sure knows how to bring out her fiery, passionate, wild side out too. I loved seeing her fire, but I loved her soft, sweet, compassionate side more. Phoebe is just the kind of person who you would want to be your friend. She's nice, supportive, and she will always be there for you when you need her and help you however she can. Phoebe is truly a gem and I just positively loved her.

Wow - Nero, is a lot to take in at first. I mean, he's an a*shole, a real grade A one too and yeah, you're going to want to probably slap or shake him, but I promise you, he does get better. His gruffiness is not all bad though, he's determined and he makes Phoebe face things she doesn't necessarily want to and he makes it okay for her to allow herself to open up. Nero listens to her, he comforts her, and he sees her and that's what I loved most about him. It was a rocky start, but I definitely fell for this Billionaire Beast!

The Billionaire Beast was one tale that kept me on my toes and on the edge of my seat. It made me gasp in shock, disbelief, and outrage, it got my blood boiling a few times, it brought tears to my eyes and quite a lot of smiles to my face. It was heartbreaking, heart stopping, and heartwarming - The Billionaire Beast was just all heart and I completely, totally loved it!

The Billionaire Beast is the second book in the Billionaire Fairy Tales series, but it can be read as a standalone. It's told from Nero and Phoebe's POV and the ending will leave you feeling all warm and gooey inside.

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 5 Stars

I will forever be a fan of Jackie. I love the way she writes, she makes me believe these could be real people no matter how weird and outlandish the plot. That being said the plot in this story was just okay. Nero is a recluse billionaire who wants the world to come to him and Phoebe is the "damsel in distress" in this proverbial world. I did enjoy the romance between the two even though both of them got annoying at times. The comatose boyfriend was a bit of a hiccup as well, I understood how he played into the story but I just thought it could have been something other than that bringing Phoebe into Nero's life. I'm not a big fan of heroines who have huge burdens of their past lovers or can't seem to let their past go (I get he was in a coma, but I always get freaked out they will magically wake up and it will become a weird love triangle). I just felt like the story dragged on a little bit. But Jackie never disappoints with those steamy scenes.

Recommendation: Not a bad read, especially if you want to try a more sexy retelling of a classic story.

I voluntarily read the advanced review copy of this book

I honestly loved this book. By the end of it I was bawling because of the raw and honest emotion and romance.

This couple was stripped bare emotionally and seeing every step of them breaking down and telling things to each other that they have never uttered to another soul was simply beautiful. This book may be the second book in the series but it has stolen my heart and connected with me in a way that blows my mind.

Great book and great job Jackie Ashenden, thank you for not being afraid to go where many authors are afraid to go and draw your readers into subjects that others pretend don't exist!

This book is an erotic take on Beauty and the Beast. Although, in the beginning Nero came off as a major bully then a tortured soul. In fact, it got to a point that I could not stand Nero and almost stopped reading. Yet, the story did steam up between Nero and Phoebe. This passion was enough for me to stick it out a while longer. Again, however, the first sex scene with Phoebe and Nero did not come off as sexy to me because Nero was still being rude. Phoebe was the saving grace for me. It was because of her determination to stand up to Nero that she keep me hanging on.

The last third of this book is where it really came together for me. It is also within these pages that I truly got to know Nero. When I learned his story, his soul came out and he actually won me over. That one last scene where Nero pours his heart out to Phoebe is a moving scene. I am glad these two found their happy ending.

: 3.75 stars--THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST is the second installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult BILLIONAIRE FAIRY TALES erotic, romance series focusing on the de Santis brothers-Xavier, Nero, Raphael and Lorenzo. This is billionaire IT specialist Nero de Santis, and personal assistant Phoebe Taylor’s story line. THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.


Told from dual third person perspectives (Nero and Phoebe) THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST follows the building relationship between reclusive billionaire Nero de Santis, and his new PA Phoebe Taylor. For close to ten years Nero de Santis has kept himself hidden behind closed doors; locked in a sprawling mansion that potentially covers several city blocks with only his butler for social interaction. Ten personal assistances in 30 days precedes Nero’s introduction to his latest ‘temporary’ employee. Enter Phoebe Taylor, a young British woman struggling to survive the mean streets of New York, as well as the medical bills for her comatose fiancée. What ensues is the contemptuous relationship between Phoebe and Nero, and Phoebe’s struggle to remain distant from the mysterious man with a dark and lonely past.

Nero de Santis is a broken man whose ability to interact with people is questionable; his actions and emotional behavior are dangerous; his demands beyond the requirements for a normal personal assistant aggressive and improper. Throughout the story line small snippets from memories of the past begin to outline a heartbreaking history for our story line hero. Phoebe Taylor followed her fiancée of three years to New York only to find herself alone, paying the ever increasing medical bills for a man who remains comatose closing in on two years. In desperate need of money, our heroine accepts the position of Nero’s personal assistant suspecting that she is expected to perform outside the range of her normal duties. The $ex scenes are seductive, intimate and intense.

THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST is a dark romance about two people whose lives are pulled together by loneliness and need. Nero de Santis’s actions and demands are difficult to accept; his initial treatment of Phoebe Taylor borders on abusive and controlling. Some readers make take exception to Nero’s behavior; the reasons why will be all too clear at the end. The premise is dramatic; the characters are controversial and tenacious-our hero is tormented and lost; the romance is provocative yet heartbreaking. The ‘fairy tale’ aspect comes into play thinking about the behavior of Beast behind the walls built to protect him from the people outside.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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It took me a little bit once I got into the story that this is a take on the story Beauty and the Beast. Same concept with a modern twist. This is part of a series so it might be best if you read the previous stories but this was a really enjoyable read.

I have read several of Jackie Ashenden's books in the last few months and I believe her books are getting better and better. This book, about a recluse and his assistant was an excellently told story. It reminds me of Beauty and the Beast which is the fairytale I think Ms Ashenden was going for. Nero ( I love the name) is a recluse because of a horrible childhood and now lives in a house where he really only lives in a few rooms. Phoebe becomes his assistant and of course they have feelings for each other. But even if you have read similar plots before, I really enjoyed learning the whys and wherefore for each to have the personality they did. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am very happy to be able to give it a great review. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. Very enjoyable

Phoebe Taylor needed a job that would pay well for her to pay for the expenses of her fiance's hospital, which have been in a coma for two years because of a car accident.
Nero de Santis, the owner of DS Corp, one of America's biggest and richest defense and protection companies, was illegitimate son of Cesare de Santis.
He was a ruthless boss. In 6 months, he had 10 assistants. There was only the butler in his house, James.
He worked from home. His world was seen through the monitoring screens. And Nero's past was dark, tenebrous and could make you cry.
But Phoebe was brave. She was not shocked by Nero's unstoppable requests.
If he wanted a 24/7 assistant, that's what she would do.
But as time goes by, knowing the house and the boss's way, Phoebe learns more than she should. Her heart wraps more than it needs. And her body demands more than is allowed...

Make no mistake about the plot, which sounds more like a simple romance from Beauty and the Beast.
The author was deeply involved in Nero's life story.
There is much more involved than just a spoiled millionaire.
And Phoebe's life, beyond the problem of a fiance in coma, is also not pink at all.
An amazing novel.

5 stars

This book had some potential, but fell into cliches and wound up being only mildly satisfying.

An erotic Beauty and the Beast, The Billionaire Beast is the story of Phoebe, Londonite relocating to America, to be with her finance who is put in a coma by an auto accident and Nero, a billionaire recluse, locked in his home by a phobia that he just can’t beat.

Nero is known as a brutal and ruthless employer but Phoebe need money to keep her comatosed finance up with the best of care. She will do anything and Nero is the man that will ask it.

This was a tough story. First you have Nero, who was abused and isolated as a child and still hasn’t faced his fears. He is not a very likeable person, thinking only of himself and what is best for him. Then there is Phoebe, who will do anything to save her finance...and I do mean anything. Liked it, but found the overall premise a little off putting

Intriguing tortured soul plot, Beauty and the Beast didn’t lack in the sexual chemistry or interaction. Although this is the second in a series, The Billionaire Beast read as a stand alone.

I received this ARC copy of The Billionaire Beast from St. Martin Press - Swerve. This is my honest AND voluntary review. The Billionaire Beast is set for publication March 7, 2017.

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Written by: Jackie Ashenden
Series: Billionaire Fairy Tales
Sequence in Series: 2
Print Length: 212 pages
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Sold by: Macmillan
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-b...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Be...
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Reviewed for:
http://tometender.blogspot.com


4 likes

Rating 4.5/5

What a brilliant, very adult, remake of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale this turned out to be - I loved it! It has all the elements of the classic tale but brought up to date with plenty of contemporary twists to keep the reader enthralled. It is the second book in the series but I haven’t read the first one - though I intend doing so asap - so I can confidently say that it works well as a standalone for anyone else who hasn’t read the earlier story. (I found out it is ‘The Billionaire’s Virgin’, just in case you’d also like to know).

The Beast in the story is the reclusive billionaire Nero de Santis. He rules his home - which he never leaves - controlling, domineering, selfish, forthright and obstinate. What he says, goes. What he wants, he expects to get. Everything needs to be done his way or you’re out. He’s a very difficult employer for all these reasons and he’s quick to fire anyone who doesn’t meet his exacting expectations. He fired ten PAs in less than a month…..

Phoebe is brilliant at appearing cool, calm and collected, regardless of what is said to her and what she is really feeling. She originally travelled from her home in London to be with her fiancee, Charles, but two years ago he was seriously injured in a car crash and has been in a coma ever since. She’s prepared to take on the impossible task of PA to Nero because of the high rate of pay - she needs all the money to help pay Charles’ medical bills.

It is an enthralling story, one where the very caring nature of Phoebe has an impact on the traumatised Nero. As secrets from the past are revealed, both have experienced tragedies in their lives which impact on their attitudes and behaviour. It is not a typical romance but is a delightful story that I thoroughly enjoyed escaping into and have no hesitation in highly recommending!

Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review.

I will never be able to say this enough, Ashenden totally rocks!!!!! It seems to me, in this particular series, tears are total requirement. In this 2nd installment of the Billionaire Fairy Tales #2, we have the story of the elusive Nero de Santis and his personal assistant Phoebe Taylor. I must admit at first, I was like another OTT jerk, who gets his act together in the end? Please no. Lol. However, what a twist, one I did not see coming and I was torn apart. I cried and balled like a baby. Poor Nero and Phoebe. They both were hurting so much and I empathized with them. Nero was a total jerk wad in the beginning but after getting to the crux of his jackass manners and rude behavior, I completely understood and would be angry and mad at the world too. I mean who does that? I mean, really? I could never countenance that fact. In comes Phoebe who is aching too, with her fiance being comatose for the lat 2 years due to an accident, she needs the money to take care of his rising hospital costs. It seems that Nero cannot keep a personal assistant to save his life and no one else wants to work with him, no matter how much he increases the salary. Phoebe takes the job, and when she meets him in person, the attraction and chemistry between them is hot. Eventually she gives in to Nero's persistence and they end up in a quasi-relationship. They are so many feels in this story and they are all for Nero. In the end, Phoebe and Nero are able to start the healing process that they both sorely need and get their HEA. They so deserve it! 4.5 stars!!!!!!!

The Billionaire Beast was my first book by Jackie Ashenden and I was actually really excited about it. A beastly Billionaire is something that's right up my alley and I usually always fall for these types of Heroes. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for me with this book, though.

I found the story to be well written and I did like the authors style of storytelling. What I couldn't get on board with were the characters. Nero was an unlikable asshole this whole entire book and I never once saw a redeemable quality in him. What's so great about beastly protagonists is that underneath their growl is a good person. Not the case here, at least for me.

One of my biggest issues with Nero was that he didn't care about anything but his own needs. He wanted Phoebe and he didn't give two shits about what she wanted. And he definitely didn't care that she has a fiancé who had been in a coma for two years that she was worried about. I almost dnf'ed this book, which I have never done before, when Nero didn't even want to let Phoebe leave to go see her fiancé after she got a call from the hospital he was in. I just found it all very frustrating to read about and I had the biggest urge to slap these characters.

And I include Phoebe in my slapping rampage because she was just as bad as Nero. She would say no to him over and over again and then just give in to his demands. I didn't like that she never really stood up for herself and I wish I would have seen that at least once.

Bottom line, this book wasn't for me. I'm sure many other people will read it and fall in love with these characters so I will still recommend it for anyone that's a fan of a very beastly Hero.

I REALLY enjoyed this one. This is the second book by this author I have read (The Billionaire's Virgin being the first), and she knows how to weave a tale. It was a surprisingly dark subject matter with the hero's issues, and I wasn't expecting that, but it all worked so well for me.

Nero was an incredibly damaged hero. He was a HUGE asshole, to begin with, and I wasn't sure I was going to get over that. As the book goes on the author peels more layers from his character, and I found myself falling a little in love with him myself. I thought Phoebe was a great character as well. She was damaged, but to a way lesser extent than Nero, and I enjoyed the way she stood up to him while still recognizing that his behavior was steaming from a place of pain and hurt. Together these two characters healed each other.

Not much left to say. It was a well-written. Nicely paced emotional read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Two thumbs up from yours truly.

This is a new author to me and I voluntarily received an advanced readers copy from the publisher through Netgalley, all views are my own and up happily share them with you.

As I said, this is a new author and I honestly didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised and as this is the second book in a series even though it can be read as a standalone I shall go check out the first.

The Billionaire Beast is a well written, sexy, modern take on Beauty and the Beast, just as the first of the de Santis brothers' books, The Billionaire's Virgin is a modern take on Cinderella. Nero de Santis is the beast and Phoebe Taylor is his beauty. And like in the old fairy tale, the beauty here heals the beast. Only, here, it's in a really sexy, intense way. And the beauty is almost as damaged as the beast, both because of their parents.

Nero de Santis is the illegitimate brother of the de Santis clan. At 15 he was rescued from being kept in a tiny room for his entire life by his mentally ill mother, and his father was forced to acknowledge his existence. So, his father brought him home, fed him, paid for him to go to college, then bought him a house and promptly forgot about him. Now, years later, Nero has made a fortune, and hasn't left his house in years. When Phoebe comes into his home and his life as his new assistant, he instantly wants a reaction from this prim, calm woman. It takes him awhile, but damn, does he get that reaction!

At first, I was fully prepared to despise Nero, because he came across as a real asshole. He's rude, demanding, arrogant and has a nasty temper when he's thwarted. But, as his past is revealed, it's plain to see why he's the way he is. He slowly starts to reveal more of himself to Phoebe and she's determined to help him, to care for him, even as he treats her like the 24/7 lackey he's paying her to be.

I like Phoebe, she has a huge heart, but I kind of wished she hadn't given in so quickly with Nero, because cheating is always hard for me to read. And the fact that her fiancé is comatose makes it even harder to accept she cheated on him because it wasn't that he had done her wrong, or that he had done anything wrong, it was because she was lonely and realized he possibly hadn't loved her. That perhaps he just needed her to take care of him because it became obvious he was one of those sort of inept kind of people who couldn't take care of themselves. But, love wins out in the end, as it always does in fairy tales, and Nero and Phoebe's chemistry couldn't be denied.

Now, I'm anxiously awaiting The Billionaire's Intern, Lorenzo sounds just as intense and sexy as Nero and Xavier.

This is a twisty, dark tale with shades of Beauty of the Beast with Phoebe as the Beauty and Nero as the Beast. Nero is the bastard son of a powerful billionaire who was kept prisoner as a child and when found and turned over to his father is still suffering the long-lasting effects of that abuse. Phoebe answers an ad as a personal assistant. She is working to make enough money to pay for the hospital bills to care for her fiance who is in a coma. Oh...my...Nero does not wait for anything he wants, he takes what he wants and he has decided he wants Phoebe. She does not know how to deal with this and the feelings he brings out in her and as she loses her inhibitions will she run or come back for more.

This can be read as a standalone and I recommend this one.

**Received a copy of this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

This was really good, different. I'd like to read more in the series. I posted a review on Goodreads.

She needs a little mystery in her life. He has a lot of darkness in his soul. The Billionaire Beast is a seductive tango of tragic events, intense characters and a sensually energized dance of love. Jackie Ashenden is well known for her deeply troubled, challenging and alluring heroes. Larger than life, broken inside but capable of more than the pain that shadows their existence. Nero is equally stunning in his turbulent behavior and bad boy image. He craves a chance at stepping into the light, but has allowed the fear and turmoil of his past to imprison him. Will he ever escape the chasm of pain that surrounds him? Or will one slip of a woman prove to be his downfall? The Billionaire Beast expounds on the best parts of a turbulent tale that begins in darkness and ends in light. Redeeming story.

I wanted to love this book for two reasons....one I love Jackie and two I love beauty and the beast! But this book fell short for me. I could not connect to it at all.
The writing was really amazing as I come to expect from Jackie I think this book was just for me.