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.