DNF at 35%

And so, the hit-or-miss relationship between myself and Miss Julie continues.

I had such high hopes for this one after seeing so many positive reviews on bookstagram. However, this book just felt so unnecessarily long and drawn out. There were even a few chapters from unimportant random characters that went on and on about other irrelevant characters that I skimmed entirely because they were filled with useless information and dragged on.

I liked our heroine well enough, but I wish we would have found out what her big faux pas was earlier on. It was hinted at yet avoided for so long that when we finally learned what had happened, I was disappointed in its anticlimactic reveal. Both MCs reactions seemed overly dramatic, especially Magnus. I admit that I kinda hated him as a hero; we would see glimpses of his potential to be a great brooding hero, but instead we just got more tell than show as the author simply listed his attributes instead of allowing us to see him in action (which did not show him in a kind light when we did). Overall, this book was another flop from JAL for me🖤

Tropes: marriage-in-trouble, war-hero, innocent heroine

The Beast Takes a Bride is hands down the best historical romance I’ve read this year. It was sexy and made me cry. Highly recommend this one!!

I loved this story. Julie Anne Long writes with such detail and attention to the things that matter. In this story Alexandra and Colonel Mgnus have been apart since their wedding day. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings kept them apart for 5 years. Now he has returned to let her go, in return for a favor. Let everyone know they are a great couple for the ton to praise and respect. They will stay together, attend balls and dinners and show the world they are okay, in return she is allowed to go to New York. What they don’t expect is their hidden passion for each other and the respect for each other. Will they give in to the passion and the feelings they find or do they go their separate ways?
I loved the conversations and wit in this story. It was easy to get lost in their tale and become a part of their story. You will love this book. I am a huge fan of Long and this is another one of her great stories. Enjoy the adventure.
100 stars

The Beast Takes a Bride is the eighth book in the Palace of Rogues series.

I absolutely adored this book from the first page to the last. It was so well crafted in the way the story unfolded, the complexity of the MC, and the spirited discourse amongst the Grand Palace on the Thames guests and proprietresses. There is a bit of dual timeline in the first third of the book but loved getting to know up front what caused the rift and separation.

Magnus and Alexandra had great character development, pulling me in early on and rooting for them even with all their faults. The decisions they made five years ago are a product of what they’d endured in their lives up to that point. I loved the complexity of that and how it factored in to the story.

The progression of Magnus and Alexandra’s feelings was honest and real. The admiration they held for one another and that they grew to realize they actually liked one another as the people they were was heartwarming. And Magnus grappling with these feelings while trying to overcome the betrayal he experienced on their wedding day made it believable. The angst, tension, and resolution of it all was perfection.

There was also plenty of laughable moments that had me chuckling out loud. The side characters shine in their own light - only adding to the enrichment of the story. Highlighting previous love stories, glimpses into real issues after the HEA, and the different phases of marriage.

I was hoping for more on Dot’s storyline but there’s just enough that it was sweet and enticing. It fits well with her character too because she’s not rash but a thinker unlike the other maids.

This could be read as a standalone but the side characters that are met throughout the series are endearing and the previous books add context that may otherwise not be as impactful. But I think that’s one of the things that I love most about this book: marriage on the rocks trope is a favorite of mine (and this would be a great story by itself) but it’s all the characters at the Grand Palace on the Thames that makes it special.

This is a slow burn with four encounters. Each one has meaning and was full of passion and tenderness.

I received an advance ecopy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Tropes: wounded warrior; arranged marriage; forced proximity
Steam level: 3

4.5 stars rounded up.. This is probably my favorite book of this long-running series. By turns funny and deeply emotional, it kept lingering with me even as I was dealing with a couple of difficult personal/family losses, which is why it took so long for me to write this review. Julie Ann Long is such a skilled writer that she took one of my favorite tropes--scarred MMC vs. darling of the Ton--and somehow made me love it more. Magnus is a sublime MMC: taciturn, hardened by battle, yet intelligent, wryly humorous, and achingly vulnerable underneath his scars. I wasn't quite sure at first if Alexandra would be able to hold her own against him, as she seemed as if she might be rather emotionally shallow or flighty, but the author does a wonderful job of shaping her into someone who isn't perfect but the reader can relate to. The theme of self-forgiveness and understanding what love is by understanding yourself runs throughout.

The bulk of the humor is created by the secondary characters who live or who are staying at the Palace of the Thames along with our MC's. I enjoyed the return of so many of the characters from the previous books and seeing how their romances have fared.

If I have a quibble, it's merely that the delicious situational humor of the opening chapter, which sees Alexandra having been thrown into prison, is never quite re-attained later. And it could be argued that the book isn't very plot heavy. Alexandra's irresponsible cousin and her father are relegated to off-page mentions.

But I enjoyed this book so much I have to give it 5 stars. It made me laugh and cry despite having a few too many cries irl lately. I can't wait to read Julie Ann Long's next.

This book was a slow burn, but it was so worth the wait. The tension was incredible, and the cast of characters was very lovable! This book had me feeling all the emotions and is now a new favorite! Would highly recommend :)

This love story was very emotional. It had dramatic incidents, betrayal, and so much tension that made it interesting and very entertaining to see what would happen next. The passionate romance with delicious steam was delightful. The characters were witty, complex, and very strong-willed. I enjoyed how a beautiful love began, and it had a wonderful ending. I highly recommend reading!

I NEED MORE STARS!!

Five years have passed since Alexandra Bellamy last saw her husband, Colonol Magnus Brightwall after betrayal separated them on their wedding night. Seeing him again after being arrested fuels an agreement between them, she is to help repair their reputations in the eyes of society before she is to be sent away forever. But what they are about to embark on sequestered in the Grand Palace on the Thames is a journey of discovery of who they were in the past and who they have become.

*Insert swoony romantic sigh here*
There are times when I do not believe I have the words to accurately portray how much a story resonated with me and this is one of them. Nothing truly feels adequate enough to express how much I loved this novel.

Initially, I didn't know what to expect with this latest edition of The Palace of Rogues when I found out that it was a marriage in trouble trope. But I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Julie Anne Long was going to create something magical. And she did. My book is practically highlighted to literary death.

There was so much of the past needed to be relayed to the reader in this book, which is not typical of this series, but it was essential for the plot and character growth/communication. For us to see who Magnus and Alexandra were and the actions they took which brought them to the present. It was at times heartbreaking to see and yet also cathartic. Magnus was purported as this man without feeling, when in reality every move he made was strategic especially in light of the fact he realized Alexandra was the one person who could make him surrender everything. And he had done everything he could to have her, only to lose her based on an action she took of her own choosing. And this ability to reconnect, to fully see one another, who they were and who they still were was forged within The Grand Palace on the Thames.

Alexandra was a character that I felt a kinship to in a number of ways. The need to be the peacemaker, to do what was best to make others happy even if that meant possibly sacrificing your own happiness. Your own ability to chose. Which led to an action which fundamentally altered who she was and what she believed her future would look like. She showed a strength and then a protectiveness of not only Magnus but herself which I greatly admired.

AND WE FINALLY GOT TO GO WITH DELACORTE TO THE DONKEY RACES!!! Did I gasp at this moment in the novel? Yes and giggled! There are so many aspects of this novel which interlace the hurt and distrust between Alex and Magnus with the joyous moments found within the walls of this specific boarding house which is a character in and of itself in so many ways. I cannot express how much I love seeing the POVs of our resident couples/owners of the Grand Palace on the Thames and how they see and wish to help in any way those they take under their roof. It seems impossible to love them more, but we do with each book. Julie Anne Long is able to create a tapestry of all these stories without losing the central love story/focal point of the novel, making the entire book all the better for the reader being able to see the different POVs.

I never am brought to tears one moment and literally laughing within the same paragraph as I am when I am reading a Palace of Rogues novel. Julie Anne Long runs the gamut of emotions within her novels which makes the HEA all the more poignant.

I really wanted to slowly pace myself while reading this one. But as always once I started, I could not put the book down and finished it within 24 hrs.

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I consent to my own destruction? Per usual, Julie Anne Long's writing absolutely obliterated me and it hurt so, so good. 5 stars.

Her work normally destroys me and this was no different. By the end I was a pitiful sobbing heap, cursing everyone involved for making cry again. The ugly cry was ugly. The devastation complete. My cats even came to comfort me… or use me as a heater. You can never tell with them.

The Beast Takes a Bride is compelling, witty, fantastically written, and emotional. Long’s word choice and dynamic metaphors/similes are so epically descriptive and visceral, and, tbh, I don’t know how such creative writing springs from a person’s head. Such sorcery is perfect for an October release!

It is a second chance romance where both people feel betrayed by the other, so it was great that there is mutual betrayal. The characters are complex, dynamic, and…, my favorite thing, you can actually see their relationship development and WHY they love each other. Thank you JAL for taking us through an actual love journey. And then she treats us to beautiful epilogues and also ends books so that we immediately need the next story.

Of course, we get to see our favorite parts of TGPOTT, including meaningful scenes from the Durands and the Hardys, which I won’t spoil. Dot’s story develops more and we have the (mis)fortune of learning more about Delacorte!
The book had the 4 Ds: Dot, Delacorte, Donkies, and Drama.

I can’t wait for you all to hurt so good!

This book did not disappoint. I loved it. The main characters were complicated, likeable, passionate with a history that didn't seem to have a happy ending. But the characters did not disappoint in their expressing their reasons, desires, and eventually their emotions. The secondary characters of the Grand Palace on the Thames were wonderfully lovable, funny and entertaining.

I am so excited to share this review for the upcoming next book in “The Palace of Rogues” series. “The Beast Takes a Bride” is another wonderful addition to the series and is a well thought out and beautifully written romance. Alexandra is in a terrible place when we first meet her but this resilient beauty has much more to her than meets the eye. An unexpected visit from her tough as nails estranged husband, Colonel Brightwall, leads them on a journey of understanding and forgiveness, but can it lead them to love? I loved the depth and complexity of the characters in this book, and highly recommend it and the entire series! The other guests and staff are also a huge part of this series charm, and I don’t want to get too excited but I feel a book featuring one of the most charming is on horizon as well, can’t wait!

I laughed out loud so many times through this book, my friends. It was so dang funny!! I also cried a little at the end, which is just as good as laughing. I loved every page of this book. I loved Alexandra, who is so sweet and warm and giving and so good. And Magnus who holds himself away from everything and everyone but is also funny and thoughtful. My heart just ached for them both throughout. Thank goodness for the Grand Palace on the Thames!!!

I enjoyed visiting the group at The Grand Palace on the Thames once again. The boarding house has a few permanent guests along with the familiar owners and staff. I guess it could be like the "Love Boat" regency style. This time around, the main characters are an estranged married couple, Alexandra and Magnus. They first married five years earlier. Unfortunately, due to unusual circumstances, they are still virtual strangers.
I was very sad for both of the characters. They had been living separate lives but neither one of them was completely to blame. Then, when Magnus decided that he needed to cut Alexandra loose and restore her freedom, the situation reached a boiling point. Before they parted ways forever, Magnus asked Alexandra to publicly appear as his wife at several social events. During this time period, they stayed at The Grand Palace. Interacting with the people at the hotel was helpful to the couple as they sorted out their complicated feelings.
I was really rooting for Alexandra and Magnus. Life had not treated either one of them fairly and they really deserved a second chance. Unfortunately, both characters had pride and feared making themselves vulnerable. I was wiping my eyes when I finally reached the happy ending. The staff and guests were on hand to provide some comic relief. The hotel was the perfect backdrop for all the drama.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Another good book in The Palace of Rogues series! Alexandra has a marriage arranged for her. Her groom, Magnus, immediately leaves for Spain to fight in the war. Five years later, he is back as a war hero. They move to the Palace and interact with all the various eccentric inhabitants while trying to see if their marriage is worth saving. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon for my honest review.

The Beast Takes a Bride, Book 8 in Julie Anne Long’s delightful Palace of Rogues series, is a charming second chance romance that you will adore. I won’t go into long descriptions of this novel you can read the blurb, but you just know from the beginning that Alexandra and Magnus are meant for each other. They just have to figure that out and get past the misunderstandings from the beginning of their marriage five years ago. Slow and steady burn for these two. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down and read it over a relaxing weekend. I just love all the characters I have encountered in this series at the Palace of Rogues and look forward to many more!

I need everyone up on their feet and talking about Julie Anne Long and how she keeps delivering time after time! She never lets me down and this one may even be my favorite in this series. Her writing is so unique and yet so accessible for fans of romance and specifically historical romance. Her set ups are so fun and interesting and the world that is built around our couple is always so full but doesn't take away from our swoony couples. What can I say except I am obsessed?

When Alexandra Brightwall finds herself thrown into Newgate Prison following an incident involving her cousin, Lord Thackeray and the Duke of Brexford’s phaeton the very last person she expected to get her out was her estranged husband, Colonel Magnus Brightwall. The husband she hasn’t seen or heard from since her wedding night five years ago. He needs her cooperation to convince the ton that things are well between them and that the dustup Alexandra was involved in was not what it appeared to be. This will mean spending time with the man she hurt all those years ago, but Alexandra is a fixer, can she fix what is wrong between them or is it too late?

A national hero known by most as Brightwall the Beast, Magnus Brightwall fell in love at first sight with Alexandra and made her father an offer he could not refuse to win her hand in marriage. But on their wedding night he witnesses what he believes as an unforgivable betrayal by Alexandra and makes the decision to leave for his post in Spain without her. But when the King decides to honor him with a peerage title, he returns to England only to find his wife in jail. He needs to work with Alexandra to smooth over the scandal and to present a united front to the ton until his title is secure. After that, since divorce or annulment are not an option, he plans to send her to America and have them move on with separate lives. But he never expected to fall in love with her all over again, will he be willing to risk his fragile heart a second time?

This installment of the Palace of Rogues series is a very emotional second-chance story with wonderful new characters and existing characters. This book has a bit of everything, emotion, betrayal, heartbreak, witty banter, donkey races, redemption, steamyish love scenes, forgiveness, acceptance and finally a HEA complete with a touching epilogue. As much as I liked this book, I was left with questions that were not answered like was Magnus faithful to his vows? Why clarify that he was getting a hereditary title when his plan was that he would remain married to a woman he would never have a child with and a few other things. While these things by no means ruined the book for, I did find them unusual for a JAL book and a bit disappointing. Overall, it was a great addition to the series and a book I would happily recommend to my fellow HR readers. This is the eight book in the series but it could be read as a standalone title without issue but if you have been following the series, you will be delighted to catch up with the inhabitants of the Grand Palace on the Thames. 4.5 stars, rounded up.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #TheBeastTakesaBride by Julie Anne Long in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously don't know how JAL does it but she somehow knows exactly what I want and then she delivers it in spades. This second chance/marriage in trouble was full of angst and regret and at times, I just couldn't see how it was all going to turn out okay and with the MCs living their best lives but JAL did it. I was ugly crying through a good chunk of it.

I especially enjoyed how unique Alexandra was as a heroine. It seems lately that all new HR heroines are the same bold, outspoken, rule breaker but Alexandra was different. She was only bold when she was protecting Magnus. She learned to be more outspoken about her own wishes, desires, and dreams as the story was told. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like the bold, outspoken, rule breaking heroines, it's just refreshing to see one that is different, one that is a little more like me.

As for Magnus, he is kind of a jerk to Alexandra at first but then you find out about his secret pain and it's easy (at least it was for me) to see why he built up such strong, impenetrable walls to keep the hurt away. He's just a big bear with a thorn in his paw who lashes out because he's in pain. Fortunately, Alexandra is just the person to come in and help him get rid of the thorn and to sooth the savage beast in him.

JAL is an autobuy author for me and I have several that are favorites. This book just replaced them as my favorite JAL. Can't wait to see what she does next!

Julie Anne Long does it again! Seriously, this woman was meant to write Historical Romance. For real.

The basics:
Marriage-of-convenience
Marriage-in-trouble
Grump, stern hero
Confident heroine
slow burn
funny shenanigans

I want to start this with a disclaimer: I don't read marriage-in-trouble romances. Like, at all. I have no desire to read two already established characters work on a troubled marriage. That's what women's fiction is for. However--and this is a big HOWEVER--there are maybe 3 historical romance writers that I will read these books from, and JAL is one of them. The main reason is because in Long's plot, there was no marriage consummation and they'd been apart for their entire marriage.

Now, on to the review. Knowing that marriage-in-trouble romances aren't my cup of tea, Long did an excellent job of making me care about a grumpy army colonel and a headstrong heroine who, after an issue on their wedding night, decide to not consummate their marriage, and immediately start to live their lives apart from the very beginning (he in Spain, and her in England).

I think one of the reasons this book worked for me was the fact that it took place at the Palace of Rogues with all of its crazy, funny characters. There's even illegal donkey racing in this one! (Thanks, Mr. Delacorte!) Also, this book is horny AF. The spicy stuff doesn't start until 70% in, but when it starts, they can't keep their hands on each other. I loved it. (Also, if you miss the spice between Delilah/Tristan and Angelique/Lucien, you're in luck. The author gives us some sexually-charged scenes between our original couples and they're GOOD.

Overall, this is a solid romance about two wounded people who find their way back to each other and fall in love along the way. This isn't my fave book in the series, but it's a good addition to it. If you liked the rest of the series, you should like this one, too.

The Beast Takes a Bride, Book 8 in Julie Anne Long’s delightful Palace of Rogues series, is a captivating story about a marriage that failed to bloom. Colonel Magnus Brightwall, who rises out of infertile soil to become a decorated and revered, larger-than-life war hero, has learned to strategize to get what he wants. After he cleverly presents a plan to Viscount Bellamy that will see the viscount comfortably out of debt if his daughter, Alexandra, marries him, he believes he has the winning hand. Alexandra, the people-pleasing caretaker of her family, knowing she doesn’t have a choice, marries Magnus, and then is abandoned after a shocking betrayal. A five-year separation follows, and the story picks up when Magnus has returned from Spain and finds himself having to get them both out of a possible scandal. A plan is formed, and the two also find themselves having to share a suite at the Grand Palace on the Thames. Alexandra and Magnus must navigate this temporary fake-happy marriage, forced proximity, resisting each other’s charms to protect their fragile hearts, and come to a final reckoning that will determine both their futures.

What I loved most about this novel was the way JAL develops the two main characters. Because both Magnus and Alexandra resent each other for the painful circumstances they find themselves in, they struggle to be honest about their feelings except for those born of anger. But amid the civil gauntlets they continue to throw down is a simmering passion, and more importantly, a mutual regard and respect that begin to form a stronger foundation to their marriage. As they get to truly know each other through their actions and words, they begin to see things more clearly. Without their grief and anger to cloud their perceptions of one another, they begin to understand more about themselves and what happened on their wedding day. JAL skillfully reveals each character through the present and through carefully placed flashbacks that give the reader a fuller understanding of the story. I love how deftly she takes these broken pieces of their past and finds a way to put them back together for a beautiful whole in the HEA. Along the way, she has the mains grapple with their individual insecurities and with how to feel safe with the person most capable of hurting them. She also shows how being scoured raw by the truth is the only way to start afresh. I’m not sure I’ve ever read such a compelling analysis of the fundamental aspects of marriage, and it’s all wrapped up in a delightful love story.

I really loved the gestures, both grand and smaller, that reveal Alexandra and Magnus’s growing understanding and love for one another. I love that it was Alexandra who often defended Magnus against the cruel comments from others. The final grand gesture is shared by the mains in an insightful demonstration of how much they’ve changed. There’s a letter that is guaranteed to have you reaching for tissues and lots of steamy scenes that will have you reaching for your fan. The delightful banter and flirtation that goes on is immensely entertaining.

JAL continues to delight with her amusing humour, the development of the secondary characters from the earlier books, and numerous little gifts she gives to readers who’ve been with the series from the start. Rest assured there are donkey references, spirited discourse in the sitting room, smoking room shenanigans, new guests to get to know (Delacorte dubs one, “Corporal Comesalot”), and delicious teasers for the next book. As always, she gives us a beautiful epilogue guaranteed to make even the most hardened reader tear up. JAL’s masterful and nuanced storytelling, her keen observations about life and people, and her exquisite writing, all add up to complete perfection! I highly recommend this book which is one of my favourites of the year!