Julie Anne Long is singular in the world of modern day historical romances in her ability to write a story with such detailed character development, deep pearls of life wisdom, comic relief, and an interesting plot. I am thankful she is still producing new works in 2024. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance trope and this novel delivered, with such palpable tension between Magnus and Alexandra even though much of it was pregnant silences. Both the audiobook with Justine Eyre and the physical book are equally delightful. I hope we see more couples in the Palace of Rogues until the end, when I assume Dot and Pike will eventually get a go. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

We are back at the Grand Palace on the Thames, this time with Captain Brightwall and his estranged wife, Alexandra. After a disastrous wedding day, the spouses have lived countries apart for five years. However, that is all set to change after a scandal involving Alexandra and a carriage brings her husband back to London. With the two of them together again, the passion they share is simmering to the surface. But is passion enough to sustain a marriage? Both Alexandra and Captain Brightwall have to figure that out.

A quick and fun read, I enjoyed the characters and also going back to the Grand Palace on the Thames. However, it wasn't as engaging as others in the series

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this title!

I really loved how the author managed to make the characters feel current while still staying true to the time. Period the themes of being vulnerable, feeling betrayed, and offering forgiveness are not ones. You would usually find in this type of book. It made the relationship, feel very authentic. Also, the secondary characters and their relationships added a lot to the mood of the book, adding a lightheartedness and a variety of depictions of love.

So fun and so sweet. I swear no one writes them like Julie Anne Long.

We open in a jail cell, and that’s where we meet our heroine. The wife of a famed war hero… who possible stole a carriage but manages to charm her cell mates. That’s also where we meet our hero, when he comes to rescue her. But the rescue isn’t necessary all happiness and rainbows, because they are married but have been estranged for years. Then they go to stay at the Grand Palace on the Thames, and finally get to know one another, and also fall in love.

This was such a great story. Magnus seems so hard but he just wants to be LOVED. And Alexandra made mistakes but she’s a good person. I loved seeing them grow into a couple and fall for one another. They both had quite a bit of pain and disappointment to work through but you could tell early on they went together perfectly.

As always, the side characters at the Grand Palace are so fun. I love checking in on our past couples. The donkey races with Mr. Delacorte were such a fun addition! And y’all, I am still waiting on Dot to get her story!

I absolutely loved this book, it broke a really bad reading slump for me. I am a sucker for a good estranged spouses story and this one did not disappoint. Magnus is magnificent and I absolutely love his dry sense of humor. Alexandra is delightful too, young but not dumb and their misunderstanding is actually believable.
The whole cast of characters from the Palace on The Tames was great to revisit and the steamy scenes were very satisfying

I enjoyed this story very much. Despite having read other books in this series, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the "betrayal" plot. Would the mystery of the details of the betrayal drag on too long? How would the author balance the betrayal plot so that both characters remained sympathetic? The answers are not too long and deftly. This book was emotional and also funny thanks to the found family that inhabits the Grand Palace on the Thames. This book can be read as part of the series or as a stand alone. Highly recommend.

Excellent book! Julie Anne Long is one of my favorites authors. This book was very different than Books in the series. I really enjoyed the change This couple was actually married and hadn’t seen each in 5 years. I found this book more emotional than others. I always enjoy the humor in her books and then make you laugh out loud. I really enjoyed her Journal and book of thoughts. I was sad when she went to the donkey race and found out Mr. Pike might have a significant other.. This book ended up being about choices and they chose each other.

I adored Magnus and Alexandra's story! I just loved watching these two find the way to their HEA! So much fun to read!

This famous colonel in the British Army named Magnus basically buys his wife, Alexandra, under the guise of paying off her family debts, but it is clearly because she is hot and he wants to bang her. On their wedding night he accidentally spies her kissing the man she actually has feelings for (her brother’s broke-assed tutor). Magnus gets all butt hurt because the woman who he spent about 10 mintues getting to know and basically had no say in choosing her husband has feelings for another guy. Rather than have an actual conversation with her about this he peaces out to Spain for 5 years. Magnus returns to London to his wife in jail after she’s involved in an accidental carriage-jacking and he is STILL sulking about their wedding night and proceeds to be resentful about it for the whole book. Dude- get over it. She didn’t like you and you forced her to marry you…let her say goodbye to her boyfriend. Magnus and Alexandra fake being in love for the rest of the book so that Magnus can become an Earl. They can’t help but get into playing the part of a happy married couple by boning multiple times and then realize that maybe they do actually like each other. Alexandra realizes that she really likes boning. I know I’m supposed to like Magnus, but he’s just sort of a sulky bitch with poor communication skills. Alexandra is cool tho and I appreciate her DTF attitude. I’m not really a fan of second chance marriage romances- but this one was pretty good.

Smut- 2.2 stars
Romance- 3.9 stars
Story- 3.8 stars
Sulky war heros- 1.1 stars

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5

Forever starts today....

First Impressions
The Beast Takes A Bride is the most recent addition to the "The Palace of Rogues" by Julie Anne Long. This is a story that features a retelling as well as a marriage in trouble and I have to say that this book was beyond beautiful and heartfelt and the best cozy vibes. If you love a good regency cozy feels, then this is a series that you must be reading. Julie Anne Long is a brilliant historical romance author, but you definitely need to be in the right mood for cozy historical or try out the audio, its superb in every way. This is also a very unique setup and I guarantee it won't be the story that you expect, but you will fall in love with Magnus and Alexandra.

Finally, she laid her head back down on his chest. She listened to the precious, steady thump, thump, thump of his battered, stubborn, vulnerable, flawed, foolish heart.
Her own foolish heart beat in time with his now.

First Line
Three of them were thieves (a silver candlestick, a half dozen handkerchiefs, a wheel of cheese, respectively), another one was a forger, and the fifth one had stabbed her husband in the leg.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Colonel Magnus Brightwell
The Heroine: Alexandra Bellamy

n the dark, they could be anyone: any man, any woman, any two creatures who’d stumbled across each other and had gotten it into their heads to fornicate, rather than two people who had inadvertently ruined each other’s lives. It needn’t have significance. It needn’t mean surrender. It didn’t change a thing.
But she might have noticed that his fingertips trembled as they slowly glided over her skin, mapping out the magical terrain of her, showing her the secret places where pleasure hid.


Summary
Alexandra and Magnus have been married for five years and its been a very lonely five years for both of them. Magnus once fell hard for Alexandra, but when he comes upon her on their wedding day in the arms of another man, his secret love for her is spurned and he leaves her in England while he becomes a war hero. Its been five years and he has returned and Alexandra has become immersed in a scandal and they retired to the Palace of Rogues for refuge while the scandal dies down. Magnus, while determined to keep her at arm's length can fall prey to love's sting once again, but will he let her go or trust that her love for him will be enough for her to be willing to fight for what they have discovered together?

Once when he lay bleeding on a battlefield, a hail of moments from his life had pelted his consciousness, cach distinct as a portrait. The first time he saw The Honorable Alexandra Bellamy was a bit like that: a few thousand simultaneous convictions and desires assailed him.
He would kill for her.
or die for her.
Whatever she required of him, he would do it.

What I Loved
This book packed such a punch straight to the heart and you just know that this author is so capable of doing and what a strike. Man I still am left breathless while writing this review and I still don't know if this review will bring this book justice. I will warn you that there are flashbacks a bit but its in the first half of the book and doesn't drag on but the flashbacks are done in a way that just fits so smoothly with the story so it won't be too hard to adjust to them because it tells the backstory and you do need to read these scenes or the story will not make sense at all. Its just the way in which this author has written this story and I found it so fascinating the way that she went about it.

This is a story of pining love, and betrayal and learning to forgive and a marriage in trouble. Because when Magnus returns he gives Alexandra a ultimatum, she either retires to America on one of his estates, or she will be forced to return to live with her father and have such the minimum of funds. Alexandra has ached to atone for past mistakes and not fighting for her marriage harder. Magnus was an abandoned baby, and learned to work hard at a young age, but never had someone truly love him in return, he always had to fight with everything to get any respect. And Alexandra hurt him on the one day when he had so much hope for the future for them.

But Magnus is tortured and hurt and keeps a shield of ice around his heart and doesn't want to let anyone in. But the more time that Magnus and Alexandra spend time together in the Palace of Rogues, the forced proximity, only brings to the surface the feelings of desire and love that was once deeply buried for them both. The greatest test of love though will be for Magnus, because he will have to risk being hurt again to have the kind of future that he dreams to have for Alexandra. And from the sweet moments they have together, to the ways in which Alexandra has to fight for Magnus, it melted my heart. I loved that the author wrote a story of a heroine that has to prove her love to the hero. And I adored every single moment.

The ending was the best part of this book. Be prepared for a story to wrap you up so deeply in poignant emotion. Literally the third act and the ending of this story put this book from a 4 star to a 4.5 star rating for me, that is how good it is. Literally this author had me dissolving into happy joyful tears and one of the most satisfying endings I have read in a long while. And that future epilogue seeing them as parents really took the cake on that one.

My heart is […] yours. I’m afraid there’s not much I can do about that. I hope you will not view it as a burden; I shall make no demands upon it. I have no need of it anymore, for I can’t imagine giving it to anyone else ever again. […]
Perhaps one day you will find forgiveness in your heart for a man who knew everything about war but nothing about love.
I loved you then. I love you now.
I love you always.

What I Struggled With
The pacing of the story is a bit slow in the beginning and this series isn't the most engaging. So if you struggle with pacing of historicals, read this in audio if you can or just be patient with it. There is also a some sideline stories features the guests of the palace of rogues location they are staying in and I didn't feel like that was needed. I think it would better if these scenes were done in some novella's.

Narration
BRILLIANT!!! You want to keep it slower though, I couldn't have it more than 1.3x speed but surprisingly I was able to stay engaged and she really handled the emotional aspect of the story very well.

Overall View
The Beast Takes A Bride is a heartwarming romance of healing, redemption, and learning to love again.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Era, Set in England
Character Types: Tortured Hero, Military Hero
Themes: Mutual Pining, Married Pairing, Marriage in Trouble
Tropes: Second Chance Love, Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Lisa Kleypas
Lorraine Heath
Elisa Braden

Song This Book Inspires
All is Fair in Love and War by Kris Bowers

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone if needed. But I would recommend reading the first two books of the series prior to this one at least for background on the Palace of Rogues.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
**Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.


Narrators:
Justine Eyre

An always delightful return to the Grand Palace on the Thames! This series promises a delightful mix of steamy tension from our main couple mixed with the humor brought from the GPOTT residents. Magnus was enraptured with Alexandra when he first met her and knew he needed to keep her in his life. He offered his hand, and along with it a bailout of the family's debts. Alexandra couldn't refuse such an offer. He failed to notice that she was in love with another, and after seeing the other man kiss her AFTER their wedding, he abandoned her for his diplomatic residence in Spain. Our story takes place five years later. Despite her transgression, Alexandra is a character you find yourself rooting for. She's gotten herself into a small scrape, and her husband returns to bail her out. Taking up residence in the Grand Palace is to be temporary. As you get to know each character, you can't help but want them to work things out. I can't wait to see if there will be more antics from this series.

Estranged spouses forced to pretend their marriage is real.

This is one of my favorite tropes so I enjoined this book a lot. Both characters slightly stubborn but that’s even more fun to watch them admit their feelings.

The author does a good show expressing their feelings and motivations. The story isn’t frustrating, it’s fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC..

The Beast Takes a Bride is the 8th book in Julie Anne Long's Regency romance series The Palace of Rogues. Even though I missed the first two books and haven't had time to catch up, this quickly became one of my favorite series of all time! The romance in each stands alone, and it's easy to fit right in with the enchanting regular residents of The Grand Palace on the Thames. I've come to think of them as dear friends. Though this isn't the best book in the series (that honor falls to My Season of Scandal - it still makes me swoon thinking about it!), it's still a story you will fall in love with.

Alexandra Bellamy sacrifices herself to save her family’s fortunes by marrying war hero Colonel Magnus Brightwall, also known as "The Beast", but her shocking betrayal pretty much kills the marriage before it even begins. Immediately separated and then apart for five years, Alexandra and Magnus are reunited after Alexandra is caught in the middle of a scandal. Magnus issues an edict: they will confront the ton, repair their reputations, and then Alexandra will be banished to another continent. Staying in a suite together at The Grand Palace, a new battle begins with their pride vs. their passion. Magnus rediscovers that Alexandra is the only person who could break him, while Alexandra discovers that Magnus's battered body holds a beautiful heart. Alexandra realizes she may have already lost him...now that she's fallen in love with her husband.

I was delighted by this book from the start. When Alexandra is implicated in the theft of a lord's carriage, she is brought to jail. The beautiful young woman is surrounded by prostitutes, thieves and worse. By the time Magnus arrives to have her released, however, she's the center of attention, as she has charmed them all! Alexandra's superpower, apparently, is charm and kindness. Magnus retrieves her from jail because he is about to receive a title after becoming a war hero saving a commanding officer's life; he cannot afford to have his reputation ruined. They will go to parties and dinners to show the ton that they are good, respectable people, then he will ship Alexandra off to New York and they would forever be apart. That was the plan, anyway. They didn't count on the magnetic attraction between them. They were such different people. Alexandra was beautiful and had a family who loved her; however, her father lost most of his money and was in debt. He therefore made a deal with Magnus that he would give his daughter in marriage in exchange for considerable funds. Alexandra was a dutiful daughter and would always behave as she should, regardless of her own wishes. Then there's Magnus...he was large, battle scarred, hairy and had a stern countenance. He was abadoned on someone's doorstep as an infant. The family took him in, except he was raised as a servant and was not treated kindly. He won a shooting contest when he was 16 and purchased a commission in the army, and the rest was history. He was drawn to Alexandra when he first met her, but when he was betrayed he immediately took off for five years, until Alexandra was arrested. The banter between them. was clever, and you could feel the passion between them. I believe Magnus was the more fragile of the two, and my heart broke for him. There was much angst here, but joyous moments too. I knew Ms. Long would give me a happy ending, yet I still managed to cry.

Though I love the romances in this series, it's the residents of The Grand Palace on the Thames that keep me coming back for more! The two proprietresses and their husbands are charming and never fail to make me smile; both couples' romances are still going strong. Widow Mrs. Pariseau is a regular resident and is sweet and funny. However, there are two stars that shine the brightest, and they are Dot the maid and Mr. Delacourt. Dot is one of the worst maids ever! Her biggest thrill is opening the door to see what surprises are in store. She resents strapping young footman Mr Pike, because he also likes to answer the door. A little romance brewing, perhaps? Dot loves to learn new words, and she has THOUGHTS which she writes in her new journal. And Mr. Delacourt? Oh, he is my favorite! He sells potions and "medicines" and he is a permanent fixture in The Palace. The love of his life is donkey races. He puts the most money in the epithet jar in the sitting room for salty language. My favorite parts in these books are when all the men go into their own private manly sitting room. The conversations are always hysterical, and here Mr. Delacourt outshines all. I shall never tire of this series and I hope there are many more books to come!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I've read and enjoyed every book in the series so far and can't wait for the next one! I feel so invested in the stories of residents of the Grand Palace on the Thames. The episodic romances in each book have been wonderful to read, including this one. But I think I like even more the feeling of being part of this charming home, watching different characters move in and out, and seeing the ones who stay grow and change. The stories are almost always bittersweet and full of a range of emotions, and characters frequently have heartbreaking backstories (and basically everyone needs therapy). But these are the things that make these stories great.

Final two words: donkey race. Yes and more please!

My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Beast Takes a Bride is the 8th installment in Julie Anne Long's The Palace of Rogues series. This series has been a romantic and interesting one where everyone is interconnected through the Grand Palace on the Thames, but is able to feel unique and beautiful in their own ways. The Beast Takes a Bride features a marriage in trouble, neglected marriage in which the hero and heroine who have been separated for many years since their wedding day are now back in each other's circles in order to improve their image and deal with the future. Long does a wonderful job exploring this tentative relationship that has been torn apart by miscommunication. Long's writing is descriptive, romantic and well paced as see brings to light this new relationship as well as gives the reader glimpses into well loved couples who still hold a heart to this series. I loved watching the hero and heroine work out their misunderstanding, build new trust, and find a love that they have been longing for. I think this series can be easily read as stand-alones which is really nice because the reader can find a troupe they really love in order to find an entrance point. Julie Anne Long is a historical romance author that is definitely worth your time, her novels are beautiful, clear and evoke the readers imagination in an illuminative way!

I love this series, and this book is one of the best. Both characters are so likeable and the yearning between them is a wonderful read. It was great to visit the Grand Palace once again, I have become quite attached to Dot & Mr. Delacort. I hope they both get their own love.

Julie Anne Long has given us another beautifully crafted, heartfelt story in her eighth book of The Palace of Rogues series, The Beast Takes a Bride. Told expertly, with prose that her readers have come to adore, she slowly unwinds the tale of Colonel Magnus Brightwall, a military war hero who helped saved the life of General James Blackmore (now the Duke of Valkirk) in battle and the eponymous beast of the title, and his estranged wife, Alexandra. The two married five years before the start of this story; however, after their wedding, Alexandra commits what Magnus considers an unforgivable transgression and precipitously abandons her in England for diplomatic service in Spain. He returns to England to be appointed the Earl of Montcroix but enlists Alexandra's help in presenting his candidacy in the best possible light to the King and to the ton at large. Forced to take up rooms together at the Grand Palace on the Thames, Magnus and Alexandra begin to understand how what happened five years earlier came to pass as well as to act on their longing for each other as husband and wife.

It is a love story of a second chance for a couple who never really had the opportunity to develop their marriage before they were split asunder, and it is beautifully paced, with Long gradually revealing what occurred in the past to get these two strong-willed, stubborn people where they are at the start of the novel. Both main characters are drawn with nuance, and while Magnus plays a huge role in the current state of their marriage, I found that I could at understand, if not condone, his actions, based on his fears and deep-seated insecurities based on events of his early childhood. Alexandra is a kind, yet formidable heroine, and I appreciated that she would not grovel at the feet of her husband or apologize for her actions - only for hurting Magnus deeply. And given the couple's forced proximity at the Grand Palace on the Thames, readers are again treated to the usual cast of characters at the little boardinghouse by the docks, who are all well-loved and often hilarious, with a few new guests to round out the couple's sojourn there.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and I loved the links to previous books, such as Magnus having saved the life of the Duke of Valkirk (Book 4's MMC) and the pleasurable experience of having some of their guests attend a donkey race at last! With each successive story in this series, Long's storytelling becomes ever more poignant, but I would comment that readers should understand that the supporting ensemble of the Hardys and the Durands, Dot and Helga, Mrs. Pariseau and Mr. Delacorte are all an integral part of these books and have become almost as important to these tales as the main characters themselves. I personally love this aspect of the series, and while technically, this book could be read as a standalone, it is so much better when read in the context of the other books that have preceded it. I highly recommend it!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and the author, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

NetGalley review 2024 11 04
The Beast Takes a Bride, Julie Anne Long

5 *****

Disclaimer: I assume you read the blurb before coming to check out the reviews, so I’m not going to repeat the synopsis.

I really enjoyed this book, even without having read others in the series.

The beginning was definitely one of the most immediately captivating I’ve read, and I was impressed with the heroine immediately. Then her long-absent hero husband appears, and bam! We are swept right into the story.

Characterization and pacing were good – the characters revealed themselves through action and dialogue, and they developed well as the story progressed. My sympathy and empathy for each of them built throughout the book as I learned more about each of their history, and their individual responses to past shared experiences.

I haven’t read this author before but she’s good at her craft and has been added to my “read more by” list. (All you avid readers have this list!). And even if you also haven’t read any of the earlier books in this series, I highly recommend this one! Then you can go back and read the others in the series, as I plan to do.

I had heard of but not read any of the Palace of Rogues series (of which this is the 8th!), and I’m definitely going to have to read the others. My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Beast Takes a Bride was another great entry in Julie Anne Long's Palace of Rogues series. I've been reading along since the beginning and am always happy to revisit our favorite boarding house and its colorful inhabitants.

The book follows acclaimed war hero Magnus and his estranged wife Alexandra. They've been unhappily married for five years after an incident on their wedding night that made Magnus cut off his new wife and decamp to Spain for a diplomatic posting. Alexandra has been making the best of it at home in his townhouse in London, but a scandal resulting in an impromptu stay in Newgate prison forces Magnus, who has just returned to London, to rescue his wife. He's about to be elevated to the peerage, a huge achievement for an orphan from an unknown background, and realizes that any whiff of scandal could sink his pending elevation.

They end up in the Grand Palace, finally forced into close proximity for the first time in their marriage and united as they work to contain the fallout from her scandal. Alexandra slowly faces that she has strong feelings for her stern, closed off husband, feelings that he fully reciprocates, even as he insists he can never forgive her for breaking his heart.

Although it takes place over a short time period, this felt like a long, slow burn romance with so much yearning on both their parts. Magnus and Alexandra are both genuinely good and kindhearted, and it's easy to root for them to find a way to put the past behind them and move forward together. Because this was a story about a marriage in trouble, the mood was bittersweet through most of the book, but at the same time, there were plenty of funny moments at the Grand Palace, and of course, the satisfaction at the end over their hard-won HEA. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

The Grand Palace on the Thames never ceases to reward readers with wonderful stories about building relationships that seem both impossible and inevitable simultaneously. The HEAs are hard won and inspirational as two hard heads meet in battle and learn one small step at a time how to forgive unforgivable betrayal and move forward.