This is a new fantasy series by Kerrelyn Sparks and I am here for it. It felt different from the other series I have read by her but this book was just as enjoyable as those other series.

In this book, children born on a moon eclipse were considered "embraced" and were executed because they were deemed dangerous. So a few parents managed to sneak their embraced children off to a convent on a close island to be raised in secret. This series introduces the reader to five embraced girls living on the Isle of Moon, Luciana, Maeve, Brigitta, Sorcha and Gwennore. These girls are so close they consider themselves sisters

One day, a man shows up to the Isle of Moon claiming to be Luciana's father. He tells her why they had to give her away but now asks her to return with him in order to save his life from a corrupt King. Part of her mission to impersonate her twin sister Tatiana, who was supposed to be to wed a warrior known as the Beast of Benwick. The Beast was rumored to kill with a single touch but somehow Luciana was expected to win him over. The problem was that Luciana was opposite in temperament from her twin, Tatiana. That was part of the entertaining part of this story, Luciana trying to be someone else, yet her inherent goodness kept shining through.

Leofric of Benwick, the nephew of the evil king felt a connection the minute he laid eyes on his bethrod. However, his lightning power is also his curse. He can't touch anyone without frying them with his lightning touch. But he wants to be touched and by his intended, so that was a dilemma that he had to overcome.

But the author threw in some humorous sidekicks to make this adventure that much more entertaining. Leo's best warriors and Luciana's sister provided comic relief. Each character had an ability that helped them aid both Leo and Luciana. The author did a great job weaving this fantasy with a sense of adventure, humor and romance. It was really balanced and developed well. This was a really great start to a new series. I can't wait to see what direction the author will take the adventure in book two.

Kerrelyn Sparks is excellent at world creation and her book, How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is an example of that. Luciana and Leo are both great characters and I really enjoyed this first book in the series!

3.5 stars

Not my first time reading Kerrelyn Sparks, but I was a little hesitant about this one. New series, new characters, and a setting that is all created for the series.

I wanted a little more from the setting. Establishing everything can be done through multiple chapters/books, but I still have a lot of questions (and I have finished the two following books).

That complaint aside, after a slight slow start, I blew through this book, the second, and the third very quickly and then was a little disappointed there wasn't more yet. I always think that speaks the most to what my actual rating should be.

If you enjoy light fantasy romance, if you enjoy the author, I suggest giving this series a try.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I found it to be an easy story to lose myself in and it was the perfect mix of romance and adventure/paranormal for me.

HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS
Kerrelyn Sparks
Sparks is back with a historical setting and loads of paranormal and fantasy. She creates an intricate, layered world that’s easy to fall into without tons of backstory needed. Luciana’s gifts were unique and made for a fun read with situations that led to all kinds of trouble, making this story a joy to read. The Beast, Lord Leo, is everything you’d want, without being so dark he irks you. Readers will be fully invested in this Embraced series!
The Embraced are born with magical powers, and they are unique and feared. Luciana was sent to a nunnery at birth to save her life, but now she’s been called home to marry Leo the Beast. Leo has the power to wield lightning, and Luciana finds there is more to him than his dark reputation. The two fall in love amongst court intrigue, death threats and unraveled secrets. (ST. MARTIN’S, Mar., 416 pp., $ 7.99)
Reviewed by:
Marcia Tealer

A tale as old as time, a unique take on the Beauty and the Beast story. Throw in danger, intrigue, and romance with a touch of paranormal fantasy and you have a very enjoyable read. This the first Kerrelyn Sparks book I have read, as her previous offerings are in the vampire genre, a genre I do not enjoy. However, I totally enjoyed her foray into this type of storyline. She is a very talented author with a vivid imagination. She has earned a new fan. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

For a start to a series, this one started with a BANG! I was in it from the beginning though it's slowly progresses. You get both POVs and the author definitely knows how to make you feel like you're both characters. I loved Luciana and Leo equally, which I usually like and hate the h/H. One or the other tends to annoy me, but these two were fantastically written to make you love them ( or at least like them. ) The storyline is well written and has me wanting to read more of it and find out what happens to the other girls. I can't wait for more. Very good book.

A good start to a new series. Plenty of mystery, action and romance to keep the story going. I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of the girls.

I really tried to get into this book. It had this awesome SciFi feel to it, and the story line was going great, then it seemed the author dropped everything to focus only on the romantic side of things. I enjoyed reading this book, but it just seemed to be a little flat for me. Hopefully the next book in the series will be better.

**I received a free ARC from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.**

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the first book in The Embraced series by Kerrelyn Sparks. Luciana grew up on the Isle of Moon, hidden away because of her magical powers. But when her father arrives, he offers her a choice: remain on the island or return with him and marry the Beast of Benwick in order to save their legacy—and her father's life.Lord Leofric, the Beast of Benwick, has not been touched since he was a child. Born with the power to harness lightning, he is a danger to everyone he touches. When he meets his betrothed, he expects a loveless, lonely marriage, until he discovers she's vastly more powerful than he realized. But is she strong enough to withstand his touch? If they can survive, their love will alter the future of the kingdom. But will their extraordinary powers cost them everything?

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a wonderful start to a new series. I liked that the majority of he information you need to understand the world was laid out in a quick opening page without a heavy information dump buried in the story. I also really enjoyed the characters. Each of the characters is complex and has a clear personality. Even the secondary characters were written to be more than background noise, to the point where any or all of them feel like they might be important in the rest of the series. I connected with both Luciana and Leo, and enjoyed watching them dance around each other while they struggled with both the external dangers and their own feelings. I found them both to be intelligent and compassionate- despite the danger and complications that surround them. Even after finishing the book I found myself worried for them and thinking about them. I cannot wait to continue this series- and I assume see the rest of Luciana's sisters from the Isle of Moon find love.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a great reminder of how much I enjoy Sparks' writing style. The character and world building is extremely well done, and I know I will be following this series, in fact I already have the galley for the second book- So I Married a Sorcerer on my Kindle.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks was a great book. I was a little concerned I would not like it because of the magical elements but once I started reading about Luciana and Leofric I was hooked.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is Kerrelyn Spark's debut in Fantasy Romance. I have not read any of her previous work.

Luciana was raised as an orphan on an island off of the mainland. She and her adopted sisters (other orphan girls she grew up with) are all Embraced. This means that they were born when the two moons aligned and acquired magical abilities. It is not good to be Embraced in this world, because the Kings who rule on the mainland feel threatened by their powers. Luciana's world is turned upside down however, when a man who claims to be her father arrives on the island and asks her to come with him back home.

Because the man is in danger from the King, Luciana agrees to go with him despite having had no idea of his existence, because of her kind heart. She must marry a man called the "Beast" per the King's orders, or the King will have her father killed for treason. Leofric, the man everyone has termed "Beast", is the Protector of the Realm in Eberon. He is also Embraced with lightening powers which makes him a force to be reckoned with. His uncle, the King, feels threatened by him, but because of Leofric's powers, he can do nothing about it. Leofric immediately begins to feel a protectiveness over his bride-to-be before he even meets her. He senses foul plots afoot from the King, and takes a portion of his men with him to her home. It becomes a constant battle trying to keep Luciana and her father alive from the assassination attempts.

I disliked the way the fantasy world was handled. In the beginning she has a prologue that basically explains the world and it's magic system. In the fantasy books I've read, I liked learning about it as I go along. It made me feel like I discovered secrets little by little along the way. I did like the Embraced magic system however, because there are so many different forms the magic can take. The religious beliefs aren't too difficult to follow, and they tie into the magic system which is always a good dynamic for a fantasy book in my opinion.

The romance had parts that drew me in hard! I wanted to know how this couple would overcome seemingly impossible circumstances. However, the dialogue between the two wasn't very romantic. It was definitely sexy, but I never felt like I was falling in love with their chemistry. Then it starts to get to some intimacy, and I felt that if I was in Luciana's place I would have been more terrified than anything. However, they each had their own inner demons to face, and I liked how they were able to work through those issues.

I did like this book, but I wasn't crazy about it. I felt like there were minor flaws in both the romance and the fantasy aspects, but that's just based on my personal preferences. Kerrelyn Sparks' writing is very well thought out and flowed well. She has a lot of potential with this new genre for her, and I think she will do better as she goes. I would be interested to see what happens next in the sequel (which I was lucky enough to read a preview of in the back of this book)!

Luciana has grown up an orphan on the Isle of the Moon with her orphan sisters. They have figured out that they are all Embraced as they each have their own special power. When Luciana’s father shows up one day, Luciana decides to go back with him and marry the famed Beast to save her father from certain death by the king. Leofric of Benwick, Leo, is also Embraced. However, his power to harness lightning makes him a frightful and dangerous person. When he sees his betrothed from afar, he begins to wish she is the one person he is able to touch.
This was a really good book. I hadn’t read anything from this author in years so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was set basically in a fantasy world, making me a little weary. Luckily I gave it a chance. The more I read, the more the story and the many great characters drew me in. There were a couple of things that bugged me a little, hence four stars instead of five, but nothing that ruined the story. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to reading the next book. I highly recommend.

It has been way too long since I last read a paranormal romance, and it felt good to be back. How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the first book in Kerrelyn Sparks new The Embraced series. I haven't read any of her books before, but enough of my friends have raved about her work that I was pretty sure she would be a hit for me.

This book was a perfect start to a new series. The world building was detailed and unique without getting bogged down with unnecessary information. It was funny, charming, and still had some heat. It did feel a little long, but it was a quick read because it was so engaging. The next book in the series will be So I Married a Sorcerer coming out at the end of August.

I have read most of Kerrelyn Sparks vampire books and I really loved them. So when I heard there was a new series featuring all sorts of magical creatures I was instantly intrigued. How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days was magical, sexy, crackling with perfect tension, and had such incredibly complex and unique characters and fascinating worlds! I am in LOVE with this new series by Miss Sparks. She created something fresh and new in the paranormal world that has me HOOKED!

I don't know why I put off reading this for so long. It looked like it had potential to be a fun read, but then there was just something about the first chapter that didn't hook me, that left me putting it off. Oh what a HUGE mistake that was! With any new world, there is going to be that element of slow take off, because there is just so much to explain, and build. This seemed to go by much quicker in the following chapters, and I found myself engrossed in the story to the point of tuning out the world and refusing to put it down.

Luciana was just an amazing heroine. Her only true faults were an inability to trust, but I feel like she came by that honestly given the surroundings she found herself in. Leo was everything I needed in an alpha. Strong and stubborn, yet never unwilling to admit his true feelings and take a stand for those that matter to him.

The twist was entirely contrived, yet it felt so perfect, so right that I found myself smiling and giggling with delight for these characters. This had all the feels of a good old fashioned romance with a quirky, fun, fantasy twist. This was definitely a 4 star read, and I am seriously anticipating the stories to come about the rest of the "sisters". ~ George, 4 stars

This book was utterly brilliant I just loved it, The author has done a fab job the story line is fun action-packed and full of romance. The characters are so on point and well just delightful. I loved this book.

5 stars

Talk about a meaty piece of world building! Ms. Sparks has embarked on a new series and if it means to go on as it’s started, then this should be an adventure that fans are going to gobble up. There’s mystical prophecy, power plays, subterfuge, shape changers, ghosts, secrets and noble deeds. There’s an intricate plot of intrigue and deception and the heroine, Luciana is the focal point. She was innocent and ignorant of so many things about the world outside the Isle of Moon where she’s lived all her life. She’s known nothing else except her sisters. One clandestine visit from a surprise visitor leads the heroine onto a path she never imagined, and for readers, the adventure begins.

Ms. Sparks was meticulous about setting the stage for not just this book, but for all the novels to come. She did it in such a way that captured my interest and kept it. Secondary characters are slowly introduced and each one propelled the plot forward, contributed to the conflict or assisted in the eventual blossoming romance between Luciana and Leo. I enjoyed watching them fall in love; not the easiest thing to do amidst such mistrust and evil portents dogging their steps. Thank goodness for Leo’s stalwart friends, friends like Brody. I really liked him and he provided comic relief every now and again. But Brody isn’t a jester – he’s brave, courageous and loyal and has a lot of hero potential.

There’s a very clever evil dude that made quite an impression. He’s diabolical, wily and I bet he’s going to be a reoccurring pain in the neck for future heroes and heroines in the series. He’s unlike any villain I’ve seen so kudos to Ms. Sparks for introducing a convincing adversary.

What makes Leo such a fascinating hero is his…talent. It’s a very scary and powerful ability that has the power to kill everyone. That kind of puts a kink into any romantic plans he has or would ever have. How in the world did the author come up with such a surprising and effective work-around I can’t even begin to imagine. But it works, it’s amazing and it made perfect sense within the world that Ms. Sparks has created.

There is suspense, drama, action and even some humor. Of course, when Leo and Luciana finally stumble upon a way to love each other physically, the romance zooms off the charts into the stratosphere of pure satisfaction. Those scenes simultaneously made me smile (lightening rod) and swoon (romance and joy). They were SO good together!

There is absolutely no doubt that How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is going to knock readers’ socks off. It has that wonderful storytelling voice that Ms. Sparks is known for, plus characters that are engaging, well rounded and vivid. I am an ecstatically happy reader and I’m looking forward to going wherever the author is going to take me next.

The cover does not do this book justice. I thought it would be a steamy PNR read but what is actually was a bit different. It has a historical setting with PNR elements and had a lot of world building and fantastic secondary characters. It also had a lot of humor as well as steamy moments.