While I have enjoyed other books by this author, this one fell short for me. The Beast didn’t seem beastly enough for me. While he was impatient and short tempered with a secondary character in one scene, he never showed “beastly” traits anywhere else in the book. Mind you, all the other scenes with him were with his staff, his best friend or with MFC, Elizabeth.

I enjoyed the fact that Elizabeth took on the responsibilities of running the store, but as a fellow retailer, there was no mention of payment. Monthly? Yearly? Or was it that his patronage was supposed to lend credibility?

I was also surprised at the raciness of the intimate scenes. They jumped from being friends who discussed books to passionate lovers. No heated glances or lingering touches in between. And given the importance of her reputation as a store owner, I was surprised on how quickly she succumbed to their desire. While I do enjoy steamy scenes, they have to fit the atmosphere and character development.

This book definitely has some bookish fun. I really liked when Elizabeth was pushing books by female authors to the Duke of Montrose. Who knew that the dark and brooding Garrett would take a liking to them.

This book had a little bit of a Beauty and the Beast vibe, but it was more about Elizabeth's dream for the bookshop to be hers despite her father's drinking and male dominant ideals. Garrett was very closed off due to family upbringing, but his love of books helped in his connection with Elizabeth.

Even though I loved the book portions, I felt like the overall plot just needed more of something. Maybe more romance or conflict between lovers or possibly some more getting over the past could have added sone excitement. The ending felt a bit lackluster and too predictable and easy. I enjoyed reading, but definitely wanted more.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This is a cute little story of two people who are clearly on the opposite ends of the privileged world. The only thing that the two have in common are books. It’s nice that the story is based around characters love for reading. The story moves with some excitement. The romance is described as one that is very hot. The background story is based around to people and their love of books. The story moves slow. I enjoyed the book. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cool historical romance that mixes "Beauty and the Beast" vibes with a dash of "Pride and Prejudice." It's a quick read perfect if you're into retellings. The story follows Elizabeth, a bookworm who runs her father's bookstore, and the Duke of Montrose, a gruff and blunt guy with a bad rep. They bond over their love for books and start their own mini-book club. It's sweet to see the duke's icy exterior melt for Elizabeth. The chemistry starts strong, but for me, it falters a bit towards the end, and the hero's feelings felt more like duty than true love. However, it's still a fun and witty book with cute moments and a satisfying ending. If you enjoy "Beauty and the Beast" retellings, give it a shot!

I loved Eva Devon’s last book so I was really excited for this title. It was fun, and Elizabeth was a great heroine, but I think it fell a little flat to me compared to the excitement of The Duke’s Secret Cinderella.

The strongest scenes were the ones in which Elizabeth and Garrett spend time alone together, reading. Any man who wants to read aloud with me sounds swoon worthy, so I really enjoyed that their connection was built over books.

Elizabeth’s dad’s reaction to them being together was a bit over the top for me, and that really pulled down my enjoyment of the book. And Garrett seems very different in the third act conflict in a way that didn’t feel natural or earned. For a book with such a strong start, the end sort of petered out for me and didn’t go out with the bang I wanted.

Still cute and fun though.

The Beast and the Bookseller by @evadevonauthor is the latest installment in the Once Upon A Wallflower Series that can be enjoyed as a standalone.

An adventure for readers who love to devour books, are passionate about what they read, and want to discuss their findings with like minded souls.

The Duke of Montrose is a mysterious and powerful man who could take away Elizabeth Shupe's family bookshop if secrets are discovered.

What will happen when the Duke discovers what really happened to Elizabeth's father, and why she must be so frugal?

Elizabeth will do anything to save her family shop. Will she be able to avoid scandal? Will her dreams be taken away from her despite all she's done?

An unexpected friendship develops over a love of books. Can their friendship blossom into something more despite their differences? Or, will her family obligations and expectations force her to bid farewell forever?

☕🔥🔥 A sinfully sweet hotter than sweet romance that tingles in all the right places, and a dash of spice to satisfy that spicy craving.

Bonding over Pride and Prejudice

This charming romance asks the question, "What if Elizabeth had been forced to accept Darcy's first proposal?" Elizabeth is the daughter, the only child, of a bookstore owner whose shop has been sustained for hundreds of years by the patronage of the Duke of Montrose. Garrett, the current duke, is a solitary man who prefers to be left alone, but when Elizabeth's father fails to keep up the weekly delivery of books to the duke, Garrett insists that she pick up the slack.

Insightful and discerning, Elizabeth doesn't back down or "bow and scrape" to the duke, treating him as just another, albeit very important, customer. Garrett has his own very personal reasons to want to challenge the status quo and champion women's rights. These two find a common ground in the books written by A Lady, upon which a beautiful friendship is built.

Elizabeth dreams of owning the bookstore outright when her father retires, and avoids any mention of romance or marriage because, in her astute understanding of current law, she loses all rights to her property if she weds. Her father, on the other hand, believes that he can only secure the future of his bookstore by selling his daughter in marriage.

Not really similar to P&P, but the circumstances that force Garrett's proposal are enough to both infuriate Elizabeth and render her with no other viable option. It's a delicate conundrum, hampered by his quest for justice in a decades-old family matter, but patience wins the day and eventually secures their HEA.

The writing is beautiful, lyrical even, diving deep into the hearts and souls of the main characters and allowing them to express a full range of emotions without risk to their futures. They each wrestle with knowing what they want but not finding a socially-acceptable path to achieving their goals. I loved the underlying respect between Garrett and Elizabeth, and how that was maintained even through the worst of the turmoil.

This book was enthralling, captivating, and impossible to put down. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves regency romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I am a vast Eva Devon fan and will read anything she puts out there. The description of this book was super interesting. Who doesn't love a sunshine, grump story AND a bookstore? Three things I love to see in a romance. Elizabeth loves her family's bookstore, and although her father would never give her the bookstore, she is the only one taking care of it.

Duke Garrett does not need people; he wants his books when he wants his book. When his service has been interrupted, he visits the bookstore, where he enlists Elizabeth to bring him his book.

Their new working relationship opens his eyes to new things, especially the love he finds in Elizabeth.

I love this story; it was super cute when Garette and Elizabeth grew that love and relationship.

Although not sure long, it's a great read for sure!

Eva Devon writes funny romantic historical romances with great characters! The Last Lord Standing doesn't disappoint. Thank you to net galley and the author for allowing me to read and review. Can t wait to continue to read more by this author.

🩵📖 The Beast & The Bookseller ARC Review 📖🩵

Thank you so much to Eva Devon and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!!!

The Beast and the Bookseller is a historical romance set in London! Elizabeth is the owner of her father’s bookstore in all but name. She is passionate about her shop and is dedicated to ensuring its success despite her father’s alcoholism. When her father misses his scheduled delivery of books to a wealthy patron, Elizabeth is confronted by Garrett, the broody reclusive Duke of Montrose, who insists that she assumes responsibility for his weekly deliveries. Elizabeth soon realizes that there’s more to the Duke than what’s reported in society papers, and the more she learns, the more she likes him…

This was such a fun read for me!! Elizabeth is a fiery and passionate character and really enjoyed her!! Garrett is such a wonderful broody, grumpy character and I loved him immediately!! Seeing their relationship develop over their shared love of books was such a great experience! The side characters were so vibrant that I hope that they get their own story too!

Overall this was a four star read for me! I loved the banter and characters in this book! This book had some tension and mutual pining which I adored, as well as some spicy scenes so two flames for spice

If you enjoy historical romances with strong women, broody Dukes, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and great banter, then absolutely pick this one up!!

Please note: review will be posted to Amazon upon publication

The Beast and The Bookseller
by Eva Devon

All of London gossips about the Duke of Montrose. A recluse. Inflicted with a terrible disease. A gargoyle with a terrible temper. But he’s also the most important patron of the centuries-old book shop that belongs to Miss Elizabeth Sharpe’s family. Now she’s been charged with delivering books to the Gargoyle of London herself—or risk their shop falling into ruin. But surely a duke can’t be that ghastly…

Garrett Maximilian doesn’t give a tinker’s damn what society says about him. Most of them are sycophants, bowing and scraping in his presence. But not this proud, redheaded spitfire of a woman standing before him. In fact, nothing makes him feel more alive than Miss Elizabeth tartly criticizing his books. Perhaps he just needs a plan to keep her close…

The duke’s glower doesn’t terrify Elizabeth as much as it fascinates her. And worse, he looks at her with a dark hunger that should make her shake with fear—not desire. But Elizabeth’s father has sinister plans in store for his daughter…and this beastly duke might be her only salvation.

Each book in the Once Upon a Wallflower series is STANDALONE:

This was such a fun read, I highly recommend!

I read this book in one sitting and it was a cute romance. While it wasn’t quite insta love they did fall for one another pretty fast. I loved how they bonded over books and formed their own little book club, reading the book out loud together. I could feel their connection as their conversations became more personal and how they did things they knew would make the other happy. It was different from other historical romances as it didn't really involve society and parties, just talk about how society might perceive them. Elizabeth challenged Garrett and gave him a new perspective on books. I loved their discussion over the book selected as it is one of my favorite classics.

Thank you @entangled_publishing @evadevonauthor and @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy.

If you like historical romances with witty characters, this is one for you!

The Beast And The Bookseller has that Beauty and the Beast vibe except here, the girl already has all the books AND the bookstore and now is fighting to keep it.

There is so much gossip floating around about the Duke of Montrose - mainly because he keeps to himself.

Elizabeth is the first person that doesn't completely cower to Garrett (the Duke) and it intrigues him.

This story is fast paced yet it doesn't feel rushed or that there are parts that are left out. It's quite an easy read. The relationship between the two builds over time and everything flows like it should.

4 stars!
This book was short like within 200 pages and it was such a fast read. I've been in my historical romance era and I am absolutely loving it! Both Garrett and Elizabeth love books and have a strong passion for books so they recommend each other books to read! Isn't that so cute? Garrett is the grumpy one while Elizabeth is the sunshine ish one (more like the one who isn't afraid of Garrett) and their passion for books leads to more of a deeper relationship and eventually a HEA! Despite how short the book is, the romance and chemistry is packed and their passion for books is what is special to me! There are social standing differences which causes some break into the relationship and both feel like they aren't good for each other, but that obstacle is short-lived and their love and passion is strong to overcome that barrier!

Thank you Entangled publishing, Eva Devon, and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for a honest review!

It's a fast-paced and engaging historical romance. It's one of those books that is impossible to put down, so I'm glad it's not a long novel. It has two of the most remarkable characters I have come across in historical fiction and the story itself is interesting and captivating.

The Duke of Montrose is a beastly man. He is serious, direct, blunt to the point of rude, and has a temper that makes most men shake in their boots. People scurry before him and he is used to getting his way. That is until one shopkeeper decides to defy him by defying tradition. Now, he has no other choice but to visit the bookshop and decide Mr. Sharpe's fate.

Elizabeth Sharpe runs the bookshop owned by her family. Her father hasn't been able to take care of it, or anything for that matter, since her mother's death. But being a shopkeeper is no hardship for her. She loves books and this is where she truly belongs. The only duty his father still retains is taking books to the Duke's residence every week. She is only now learning that he hasn't been doing it and now the Duke is angry. If he decided to take away the patronage, their shop won't survive.

What will happen when the Duke meets the bookseller? Read to find out.

Overall, a brilliantly written novel that will keep readers entertained. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to my fellow readers. Especially, the fans of Pride and Prejudice and Beauty and the Beast would enjoy this story.

Beauty and the Beast and Pride and Prejudice mashup...

Elizabeth is working in her father's bookshop, her derelict, awful father, who would be happy to pimp her out. She's great at her job and is an avid booklover. She meets a most beastly duke, Garrett, who is the patron of the bookshop. He's beastly, and Mr. Darcy rolled into one.
These two bibliophiles are a match made in a well read library, but they both have/had awful fathers. Their fathers very much affect their lives and livilhoods.
Recommend.
4.5

There were so many cute moments in this book, which made the reading of it so enjoyable most of the way through the book. I guess my main issue at the end of the day was really the hero...I never really felt connected to him. While I saw his chemistry with the heroine at first, I didn't see that chemistry follow through to the end of the book. As the story progressed, their chemistry diminished for me. And the way he treated her didn't seem like love but more like duty...? I got the impression that he possibly has a degree of neurodivergence, which is likely why my brain took a bit to become aligned with his perspective. Eventually, I did appreciate the reason behind his actions, and I loved how the book ended. But there was this gap in the middle where I lost a little bit of interest, and I think I needed to see more genuine love beyond friendship from the hero. I pushed through, and I'm glad I did. However, at the end of the day, that portion of the book where their chemistry deteriorated really impacted my overall impression of the story. That's why, despite all my highlighting of favorite passages and my forever bond with anything Beauty and the Beast, this only gets three stars.

That being said, I think anyone who enjoys Beauty and the Beast retellings will enjoy this book. It was still a fun read, and it made me laugh a lot. You won't regret picking it up and giving it a whirl.

The first in a new series by a new-to-me author, this story revolves around a reclusive duke who suffered emotional abuse as a child and a young woman who dreams of inheriting her father’s London bookstore.

Elizabeth Sharpe is trying to keep her father’s generations-old bookshop open while he descends into an alcohol-fueled depression. When they are in danger of losing their historical benefactor, Garrett, the Duke of Montrose, she steps in to deliver his weekly book order. As Garrett begins to know Elizabeth, he admires her spirit and determination, and the two begin a sort of book club of their own. But as their meetings threaten Elizabeth’s reputation, is she willing to sacrifice it for a man she’s drawn to? And is he selfish enough to allow it? Are their stations in life too far apart to permit more?

While the premise of this story was cute, the writing was simplistic to me. There wasn’t much historical context and at times I found Elizabeth and Garrett a bit wishy-washy. The romance seemed to happen fairly quickly without much of a buildup, so I didn’t feel as much tension between the two.

For me, this was just an average read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing/Amara for providing the free early arc of The Beast and the Bookseller for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was hard to get through. It felt like I was reading a book written by a creative writing student following a prompt. Almost every interaction in this book was flat and was a poor imitation of the books that this book seem to be inspired by. I had to force myself to finish this book. The transitions in this book were non-existent. For example, our female main character’s father is an awful drunk. He doesn’t seem like an awful person who now gets drunk just because of the bad stuff in his life he just seems like a genuinely awful person. Then all of a sudden, like 80% into the book he and our male main character are having a discussion about the female main character. the MMC is like: I see something in his eyes or his expression that makes me think maybe there’s more to his pathetic existence, or some such nonsense. The MMC counsels her father about how to be a better person. It’s literally not even a redemption because I fully do not buy
his remorse nor has he done anything to actually show remorse. The way that the dad character has been acting, I just don’t buy that he feels bad about his behavior. He has not gone through enough from the beginning of the story to now to have an aha moment that would be the impetuous of his redemption arc. You can’t just give him an redemption at the end, because that’s what you want to do to wrap up the story. You have to lay that groundwork first or as in the case with this book I don’t believe you. He also was just trying to set his daughter up as a whore with no compunction about how that would make her feel but only what that would do for him monetarily and socially. The only reason he’s not getting away with it is because the MMC said fuck that, I will just marry her. I would have DNF’d this book, but it’s so short I just kept pushing through it.

3.5
I had higher hopes for this novel. I really enjoy Eva Devon’s books. I think how Garrett and Elizabeth met was a wonderful reason to meet. Their love of books connected them. I think I struggled with the connection that they had with each other. The Duke felt like he never truly showed how much he cared through out. Elizabeth felt that she didn’t belong in his life and was a burden. They worked through it but it was so prolonged that I struggled with it. It was a quick read.