Beauty and the Beast retelling...

With art. A lot of art. Cora is hired to catalog Everett's art collection.
He's the beast, with scars. She's the beauty with her own baggage. 'They are both packing baggage and an appreciation for art.

Cora, an art restorer, accepts a job cataloging the collection of Everett, a reclusive billionaire scarred by a tragic accident. While the job offers her a fresh start and a chance to uncover a painting her father pursued for years, Everett initially cancels her contract. However, a storm forces her to stay at his mountain retreat.

As they spend time together, both confront emotional scars from their pasts and strained relationships with their fathers. Their shared love for art helps them heal and build a deep connection, culminating in a heartfelt happily-ever-after.

This Beauty and the Beast retelling offers emotional depth, compelling characters, and a unique focus on art, making it an engaging and memorable romance.

Beauty and the Brooding CEO is a retelling as promised, but with a depth to it you don't always see, including for the beauty as much as the beast. They both experienced horrible events in their past that left them scarred, one on the outside and both on the inside, making it difficult for them to trust others. When she arrives at his mountain retreat to sort out his father's art collection, they both have ulterior motives they aren't willing to share.

I loved this fast read as you got to know both Everett and Cora, as well as their reasons for being the way they are, not to mention both of their desires to change. You can't go wrong with any novel by Juliette Hyland, but I especially loved this one as the heroine was strong and determined besides vulnerable. You're going to love this one!

Per the blurb, this has a Beauty & The Beast retelling with a scarred & closed off Hero and a beauty of a heroine. The issue I had here is unlike the fairy tale, the romance takes a back seat and it’s mostly about the Art which is fine if you are into that but for me it lost my attention.

The ending was cute though.

In this BEAUTY AND THE BEAST inspired romance, Cora gets a job restoring the art collection of a reclusive billionaire. The job gives her a chance to start rebuilding her life and follow the lead on the painting her father devoted his life trying to find. After a tragic accident that left him scarred, Everett’s passion for creating graffiti art has dulled and he spends his days making money for the clients of the wealth management firm he inherited from his father. But when Cora arrives to begin work, Everett tells her he’s canceled her contract. Luckily, bad weather means she has to stay the night.

For me, the art elements make this romance stand out. Both Cora and Everett are artists and the discussions about their art as well as the art in Everett’s collection are fascinating. The BEAUTY AND THE BEAST references are enough to be meaningful without overshadowing the story. Both Cora and Everett deal with issues related to their fathers’ expectations, which add to the conflict. The grand gesture nicely sets up the couple’s happily ever after.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Harlequin Enterprises ULC for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.