Lady Beast’s Bridegroom. Well here we are my fellow readers. I finally had the opportunity to read this romance author’s novel. Let me just say that I am in aww of this sweet little delight. The writer stopped me quickly in my tracks.
Why you ask? Well it’s the wonderful mask designs for Ariel and the splendid engagements that she shares among the young sisters, Viv and Ros. Those moments really got me all warm inside. The love match between Ariel and Peter was a splendid one indeed. Turn the sheets down and let’s have some fun my deer wife.
Now, as my readers know these moments are my most precious and favorite moments in my, oh so dear historical romance novels. However, my fellow readers I do love it when a good romance novel adds a dash of vengeance or villainous at play. And oh boy poor Ariel and Peter had their share. What the heck’s with this pompous a hole Josiah? I mean who the H E double hockey sticks do he thinks he is.
Vote’s for women! Annie get your gun! I mean, the roasting pig stomps his brutish and evil threats around Ariel’s house. Spewing nonsense and empty threats. The things this man has done!
The man has clearly lost his mind. Or signed his death warrant. If it was me- I ask you. Do you think that he would live one second after meeting me for the first time? Then there’s poor Peter with a stepmother like that.
We all know about certain stepmothers. The things that she does to the young girls will have you losing your mind. I lost it. I came up with every name that I could think of for this woman. I thought of J. Timberlake lyric, “kick her to the curb.” Never have I yelled that so much about a character.
The writer had me engaged with the plot. The entertainment. The characters. The meaning and measures of family. Romance. Found love. Found Family. The story was a delightful read.
Thank you to the writer. I appreciate you for providing a fantastic romantic novel. I give this story two snaps and a- Pauline you have some making up to do. I will not treat you like Cinderella, but get in there and clean them darn dishes and mop the dirty floors. While at it wash your sisters dresses.
Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!
#LadyBeastBridegroon #DragonBlade NetGalley #JudeKnight #GoodReads

I enjoyed this story with all the characters within. The main characters were Lady Ariel and Peter Lord Ransome.

Lady Ariel live in the country and doesn't leave it much. Because something happened in her past that she afraid to show the ton. But now she has to find a husband fast because her cousin is trying to take her inherited money that her father left for her. She more scared of her cousin than face the ton.


Peter Lord Ransome is in need of money. His father has left a bunch of debts for him to deal with. And his stepmother has been spending way to much money too. He need to get money fast the only way is to marry a rich bride. So he go to his man of business and asked him to find a way out of debt. His business man tells him the marriage to a rich woman might be the answer.

This was a fun story to read. It had action, adventure and suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

I have read a lot of fairytale-inspired romances, especially beauty and the beast, but this one still managed to feel unique and interesting.

The family conflicts and relationships, while sometimes a bit over the top, were believable and made for an exciting plot. The main romance developed well and the ultimate resolution was quite satisfying—and were those hints at a sequel?

My only dislikes were somewhat cringy dialogue at times that took me out of the story and the description of Arial wearing a one-eyed balaclava to sleep just in case someone sees her? I had to pause reading there because it just felt too ridiculous and so unnecessary.

Regency Historical romance of reverse Beauty and Beast. Lady Ariel scarred from a fire and Lord Peter home from the miliary and forced to marry due to lack of finances to support his younger sisters after death of their father. The couple were childhood friends until the fire which killed Ariel’s brother and mother but also Peter’s mother. Ariel family wants her money and will do whatever it takes to get it. Peter needs money so they marry. They form friendships of sorts. But family interactions, past relationships, swirl around them as they try to figure out what they both want and who they are. It has villains, family issues, kidnapping etc.. It is about learning to trust and love again. It was a very enjoyable and fast-paced book. I could not put it down. I like it and will be looking forward to reading more books by this author.

**I received this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Regency society did not tolerate people with flaws, physical or otherwise. Society has not changed much, has it? The author tells a familiar story, but puts her own unique spin on the plot. Lady Ariel needs a husband, one who will accept her money and keep her cousin at bay. As it turned out the best candidate is a childhood friend, Peter, Lord Ransome. Both of their mothers and her brother died in the fire that also disfigured her face. Lady Ariel became a better woman because of her injury. Maybe because she had a father who loved her in spite of her scars or maybe because she suffered so much pain that she was able to accept others for who they were not what they were. In that way, she and Peter were very much alike as he was able to see through Ariel's outer appearance and into her inner beauty. But things are not all sunshine and roses in their world. Between Ariel's cousin and Peter's stepmother, the couple constantly seems to be in danger. This is a wonderful tale of acceptance, of looking past outside appearances. It is a page turner, with lots of intrigue, great characters, love the young half sisters, and dastardly people doing dastardly things.

The lady beasts bridegroom by Jude Knight

This story follows the journey of Lady Ariel Blediloe and Lord Peter Ransome. She was scarred as a child in a fire at her home that killed her mother and brother. She must find a husband before her cousin has her committed so he can claim her fortune now her father is dead. Lord Ransome has inherited crippling debts and a spend thrift stepmother and her daughters and he must marry as so as possible to stop him from losing everything. Peter and Ariel were childhood friends before the fire. They agree to marry. He must protect her from harm from many sources his family and her own.

A wonderfully well written Regency romance with intrigue many twists .

Great keeps the read enthralled from begin to end. 4.5/5

This is the first in a new series, A Twist Upon a Regency Tale, and it is off to a brilliant start! Ms. Knight is one of my favorite Regency authors, and I never hesitate to pick one of her books up. Her stories are always captivating and pull me right in and she does an excellent job of bringing the characters and the story to life. This book was no different! If you like Fairytale retellings, then you won't want to miss this one. A twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast, the story is about Lady Ariel, who is hiding away from society in the country ever since she had been badly scarred in a fire. She is known in the ton as Lady Beast. She is quite wealthy, as her father left her with all his money when he died. She is in trouble, though, because her second cousin who inherited wants his hands on it and will try and have her committed to get it. Her only escape is to marry. Peter, Viscount Ransome, is drowning in debt. He needs a wealthy wife to help pull him out. Ariel is just the lady. He decides it is a business transaction only, but as he spends time with her and gets to know her, he realizes beauty goes far deeper than just appearances.
The characters were strong and the chemistry undeniable. The storytelling was well done and kept me engaged from start to finish. I absolutely loved this first installment and can't wait to continue the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book and this is my freely given opinion.

I am a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast story and this caught my eye as a reverse version of that story, with the beauty being the MMC and the beast, the FMC.

It is also a bit of a childhood friends to lovers story to, as the characters also were childhood friends/acquaintances before the tragedy that occurred causing the FMCs scars.

Lady Ariel lost her mother and brother in a fire in their home years prior, and in that fire, she had suffered grievous scars to her face and body. But she survived, and being of strong mind and body, with the support of her father, she developed into a capable, intelligent woman, though she confined her herself to their home and only socializes masked, with a trusted small group of close friends. When her father died, his title went to a cousin, but he bequeathed all his wealth to his daughter. Unfortunately the new earl felt entitled her wealth and conspired different ways to get his hands on it. When he failed via legal means, he threatened her with bullying and incarceration in an asylum for insanity. Ariel and her lawyer figured the best recourse she had to protect herself was to have an arranged marriage where she could find a partner who would be willing to marry for her wealth, but would be honourable enough to protect her and allow her to control her wealth, which she would use to aid them. Such as someone who inherits an impoverished estate, but does not have disreputable habits themselves, such as being a gambler.

Peter, the Viscount Ransome, so beautiful he is given the hated nickname of Beau, inherited an impoverished estate, a mountain of debt, the guardianship of his half sisters, and a selfish, spendthrift, harridan of a stepmother and two step sisters of similar nature to their mother. He is doing what he can to cut expenses down and bring his estates back to decent function. But he is stymied by his stepmother who wants to undermine him and acts as though she is entitled to living a life of endless wealth.

Peter and Ariel marry and it does become a fairy tale of a romance as they find themselves enjoying a full marriage and relationship. Peter sees beyond the scars to the person Ariel is, and falls for her. Ariel builds her confidence and circle of friends as they are forced to go into society to prove their marriage and build proof against her cousin's lies about their marriage and her sanity as he still tries to gain control of her money. But they both are too lacking in confidence in each other and their new feelings to voice how they are coming to care for each other.

I enjoyed the romantic aspect to it, and there is a good tension and conflict provided by their challenges in dealing with the vicious stepfamily and her evil cousin. Their feelings for each other are forced to come to a head when they almost lose each other because of the mechanisms of those working against them. Peter is a very sweet character and I really enjoyed his interactions with other characters such as his half sisters and how loving he was with them.

Just a sweet and enjoyable romance, with some threat and adventure to add a bit of "us against the world" spice to the story.

4.25 stars out of 5

Who is at fault for flat characters? The author, for writing them, or the editor for not telling the author that they are flat?

The story had so much potential but it truly just wasn't good. I kept waiting for things to get better but they never did. Aside from being flat, the little bit of characterization we do get is inconsistent.

I did enjoy that Knight attempts to depict Arial as strong and unbothered by people's opinions, but something about it did not feel genuine. Again, this comes back to the characters being flat. The whole story felt more like a preview to who the characters were and I never truly felt like I knew Arial.

I did appreciate that her love interest was not repelled by her (that would've been a cheap copout), but then their relationship lacked warmth. The reader is distanced from the story and it is unfortunate.

I've given 2 stars, but really meant 2.5.

This was a good story of a scarred lady and the Lord who doesn’t care about her scars. Sort of reverse beauty and the beast. I liked the writing and will read more by this author.

I was intrigued by the role reversal of the Beauty and the Beast trope. While there were some aspects I liked in this story, on the whole, this was only an OK read.

I did applaud Arial’s self assurance and Peter’s compassion but I felt these 2 characters were flat. I was also disappointed in the rush with physical intimacy. Given Arial’s natural wariness with other people, especially strangers, I would have preferred a longer courtship for Peter to prove his affections and worthiness to be let behind her defences. Afterall, Peter was pretty well a stranger even though they were briefly neighbours as children. I also thought the euphemisms for sex organs was prudish given their immediate passionate and numerous encounters.

Could He See the Beauty Within?

This is a delightful story about a woman who is scarred by a fire as a child. A greedy cousin forces her to search for a husband. She must find a man looking for a dowry, but not just anyone will do. It turns out that a childhood friend with whom Ariel lost touch is in financial need. They might reach an understanding, but can Peter, a man so handsome that society dubbed him “Beau” fall in love with the scarred woman? Can they reach more than an understanding? This is a delightful beauty and the Beast retelling. Both Peter and Ariel were delightful characters.

The opposite genders of beauty and the beast. But the beast is only the outward appearance. Both people have hearts of gold. Getting comfortable with each other takes time.
A wonderful tell told only as regency story. This is my first novel by this author but I absolutely adored it.
I recieved a free copy so that I might tell you what I honestly think. Hope you enjoyed my review. Now go enjoy the book.

4 1/2*STARS*
Childhood friends reconnect as adults. Lady Ariel needs a husband for protection against her cousin, Josiah, Earl of Stancroft, who inherited the title, but not the private money. He is not to be trusted. With the help of her attorney, interviews for a husband commence with Peter, Lord Ransome as one of the four to be interviewed. He is delighted to see Ariel again. The last time they saw each other was the night of the fire. That night she was burned and lost her brother and mother. He lost his mother. Embarrassed to need money to support his father's second family after his death and to get out of debt, marriage to a wealthy wife is his only option, no matter how embarrassing. Though Ariel has visible scars from the fire, Peter sees only a woman to love. Attempted murder, kidnapping, slander, public humiliation, a little humor and lots of love. I like this new series!
Open bedroom door.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

A classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale story with a twist.

Ariel is the Beast in this story, but shows such strength of character as she hears the cruel words that others say about her. Ariel has endured so much, but is still kind, caring and compassionate to others.
Lord Peter was in the military, and is an extremely handsome man. Peter needs to marry a heiress if he is to save his estates and support all those who rely on him. Peter has a hard time agreeing to the marriage until he learns of his shared past with Ariel, and the villains after Ariel.
I really enjoyed this story, especially Peter's half-sisters, Vivianne and Rose creating pretty masks for Ariel.
Jude Knight packed a lot in this story, and I am eager to read the rest in the Series.

Beautifully presented, this tragic story takes one on a roller-coaster of emotions as Lady Ariel has to face the stings and barbs of so-called polite society. When her life is threatened, Ariel has no choice but to find a husband. Lord Ransome's life is in ruins with debts he has inherited from his father, together with a spendthrift stepmother and sisters. When his attorney presents a solution to him, it is not what he is expecting, and realizing that his life has come full circle, he willingly enters into a marriage of convenience with Ariel, despite feelings of humiliation at having to do so. Peter quickly comes to the conclusion that it was the very best thing he could have ever done, especially when Ariel takes in his two younger sisters and gives them the protection and nurturing so missing in his home. Unfortunately, both Ariel and Peter have enemies who conspire together for the married couple's downfall, and the lengths to which they will go are devastating. I loved Peter's care and concern for Ariel and his younger siblings, and Ariel's strength of character. Together they are a formidable force and win support from surprising sources. In spite of all the evil done, the novel comes to a beautiful conclusion. I received a copy of this novel as a gift from Dragonlade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

After being badly scarred by a fire, Lady Ariel was determined to live peacefully in the country, aware from society, who called her “Lady Beast”. However, despite her solitude, her second cousin who was not content to simply inherit her father’s title but also wanted to steal her fortune. To do so, he must have her committed. Yet Ariel is determined that she will not allow her cousin to get his way and decides to find a husband. Peter, Lord Ransome, known as ‘beau’ for his good looks, must marry to settle his father’s debts and to care for his family, all of which care little for him. Whilst marrying Ariel seems the best business arrangement, he soon finds himself captivated by what lies behind the mask she wears.
I enjoyed reading about these two main characters. Ariel is strong minded woman who is well regarded whilst Peter, a man who seems beyond surface level. Together they work well together and develop a relationship that is mature and loving. There were plenty of evil characters, in particular, Ariel’s cousin Josiah and his wife, who threaten to destroy the couple’s happiness. I did find that there a few too many plotting against them, and at times, wished that this had been simplified. Overall, an interesting read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A wonderful retelling of a classic fairytale, but with a wonderful twist that weaves a story you will not be able to stop reading until the end!

Lady Ariel has kept herself in the country, hiding herself since she was so scarred from a fire. Wearing a mask, she tries to hide her "beastly" side.

Peter, Lord Ransome needs money to help with supporting his awful stepmother, and her two daughters and his own half sisters (are we seeing a reversal here?)..

When these two get together, wonderful things begin to happen for them both, if only they can keep the villains at bay!! Simply fantastic!

Wow, wow, wow! What an excellent start to the A Twist Upon a Regency Tale series. The hero, the heroine, the villains, supporting characters and superb writing make this one of my favorite Jude Knight books (and that says a lot because I'm in love with her Aldridge). A perfect book to press home that you need to look beneath the surface to to see a person's true character and the old adage - "beauty is only skin deep" is never more true than in this book. A definite must read!

Lady Beast’s Bridegroom by Jude Knight
A Twist Upon a Regency Tale #1

Riveting read…thought I could start reading at 10:30pm, read a bit, and put the book down to continue reading when I woke in the morning BUT once begun…I could not stop till the last word was read at 2:40am.

What I liked:
* Lady Arial Bledisoe: intelligent, recluse, heiress, wealthy, survivor of fire that left her scarred, in need of a protector, responsible, wise, loved by her staff,
* Peter, Lord Ransome: ex-military, titled, dealing with deceased father’s debts, responsible for half-sisters and stepsisters and horrible stepmother, needs influx of cash, wise
* The tie-ins to Beauty & the Beast and Cinderella
* The maturity of both Arial and Peter, their compassion, ability to communicate, sense of responsibility, and strength of character
* That the marriage of convenience was based on respect and grew into so much more
* The plot, pace, writing, character development and many of the supporting characters
* That it was believable andtrue to the time period
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* The evil stepmother, wicked 2nd cousin, the nasty ton gossips, and the pain experienced due to their machinations

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the ARC – this is my honest review.

5 Stars