A great first book to a new series. I have read all of Kerrelyn Sparks' books and this is in the top of my favorites. Its a new world of good and evil that just sucks you in. I thought you couldn't get better than the Love at Stake series, but I was wrong and am glad I gave this series a chance. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

Overall this book was really very good. It was packed with romance and the perfect amount of suspense. I loved Luciana and Leo together as well as the allure of all things that go bump in the dark. Very good book...can't wait for more.

Kerrelyn Sparks has done it again! She has this wonderful ability to captivate her readers within moments of starting one of her books, How to Tame a Beast In Seven Days is no different. The book captivated this reader with the first few pages.

We start the adventure with Luciana and her “sisters” playing a game of Telling Stones. “Red as blood. Black as death.” The telling stones seem to be a way for the “sister’s” to tell their future. What seemed very frightening turned out to be the coolest thing to this vivid reader. Luciana, who is Embraced meaning that she can communicate with the dead, doesn’t know that she is a twin much less that she is the daughter of a Duke. It seems that Luciana has a role to play in deceiving the King who has decided that Luciana’s sister Tatiana shall marry the King’s nephew “The Beast” or Lord Protector of the Realm, Leofric of Benwick.

Leofric of Benwick, or “The Beast” as many people refer to him, is Embraced just like Luciana and Tatiana. “The Beast’s” power is that he attracts lighting to him every time that there is a storm, which makes people afraid of him because of rumors that he killed his first nanny, which wasn’t his fault. Leofric poses as one of the regular guard when the army reach Luciana’s family home so that he can observe his future bride without her knowing it is him.

The two seem to be drawn to each other without knowing it, Leofric seems captivated with Luciana before he even has the chance to meet her in person. As well as Luciana who can’t help but seek out Leofric after seeing him on his horse while she is on the walkway surrounding her home.

It seems that there are people sent out by the King, to kill Luciana and her father, the Duke, Leofric upon hearing that decides that it is time to make his presence known to the Duke, it makes sense that Leofric decides that they should marry as soon as possible and the Duke agrees. So Leofric and Luciana marry in private, which helps the Duke no longer be in danger. Luciana is a different story all together.

As a vivid reader of Kerrelyn Sparks work I recommend to the readers that they read “How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days” there is adventure, romance, betrayal, mysteries and in the end happy ever after. Everything that is wonderful about how Kerrelyn Sparks brings her readers into the story almost as if they are part of the book. She knows just how to keep you wanting more, page after page. This reader can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Reviewed by Danae for Buried Under Romance

So this was a super cute and fun read though I must admit the title is a little misleading. There was very little taming of a beast, man or animal. I was kind of expecting/wanting a grouchy hero, but Leo was pretty cool anyway so I’ll let it slide.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a fantasy-lite/paranormal historical romance (which I didn’t know going into it, so that was a fun surprised). In this universe there are people called the Embraced, who have supernatural powers, they’re feared so people don’t like them too much. There are also faeries and dragons and shapeshifters.

Despite the title of The Beast (because of his lightning powers where he touches people, they get a huge shock and die), Leo, our hero, is a really good guy and not at all very beastly. Luciana, our heroine, is sweet and brave and has some cool powers, being able to see and talk to ghosts! Like I mentioned, no actual taming of the Beast. Leo and Luciana basically fall in love at first sight. I’ll admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the insta-love, their love definitely lacked some depth but Leo and Luciana are both pretty adorable and have good chemistry to make up for it a bit.

The secondary characters were pretty awesome. I quite adored Leo’s friends, Nevis and Brody! I especially adored the super awesome shapeshifter Brody who spends his days as a fantastic adorable dog. Oh and Tatiana, Luciana’s sister, who started out as vapid and mean, actually ended up being pretty awesome and finding a spot in my heart. The humour is pretty modern for a medieval-esque time period but it never failed to get a chuckle out of me. The action/non-romance plot was good and flowed well in the story. There’s some twist and turns as we try to figure out who are the assassins that are trying to kill Luciana and her dad.

Overall this was fun and easy read. Everything kind of works out too perfectly but I enjoy a happily ever after so I won’t complain too much about that. There are some weak points in the universe building and everything felt a little too over the top, but that being said I quickly devoured this book for the sweet fluffy cotton-candy-ness that it. I look forward to seeing more of this series.

{* Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited about the premise for this book. I am a sucker for a tortured hero and Leo is described as the Beast of Benwick. He carries the power of lightning, but that means he is a danger to anyone around him. He cannot touch anyone. And no one can touch him. Except maybe the heroine. How delicious does that sound?

The leading lady is Luciana. She is one of the Embraced, people born on a specific day when the moons are aligned and as a result have special powers. Hers is the ability to see ghosts. Anyway, she has been raised in a convent away from her family thinking she was an orphan her whole life. Until her father shows up to let her know her twin sister is dead and she must now impersonate her and marry the beast or else her father’s life is forfeit.

So like I said, it’s a cool promise. But this book was not a big hit for me. The first half, I really really struggled to push through. I understand that Anna was kind of naïve and raised in seclusion, but she was so naïve and perfect, she might as well have been Snow White. There was no depth to her character. She was all sweet and sunshine and utterly boring. Maybe Leo could’ve saved it for me if he was a little more tortured, but I feel that element was kind of underplayed. On top of all of that, it takes forever for the two of them to finally get together. We were at least a third of the way into the book before they even really met. Then they couldn’t touch each other. This could’ve been a sexual tension builder, but honestly it just delayed the inevitable.

There were attempts on Anna’s life throughout the book and Leo’s job was to keep her safe. Meanwhile she’s talking to her dead sister’s ghost, meeting her dead mom and other various dead people around the castle. And in exactly 5 days the two of them are in love.

I felt nothing between them. It was Insta love and Instant attraction with a little bit of self fulfilling fortune telling. To be fair, I am definitely in the minority in feeling this way. Tons of people loved this book on Goodreads. It’s got a bunch of four and five star ratings, so maybe this book would be a better hit for you.

The thing is, I thought this book would’ve been right in my lane. Not only in the description of Leo, but the blend of historical, fantasy, and a little paranormal. I’ve read other books that fit in that genre blending and loved them. But maybe it’s that this book was too slow for me. Maybe it was because it felt like it slipped in and out of a medieval and modern feel. Maybe it was because Anna was just too perfect. Maybe it was the lackluster romance. I don’t know. This just was not for me.

Rating: C-

I love Kerrylin Sparks. I discovered her with the "love at stake" series and this book is not a disappointment. I loved it. Can't wait for the next one.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the first book I've read by Kerrelyn Sparks and I was pleasantly surprised. The world in this book (and hopefully series) has similarities to Earth, including the name of Aerthlan, with five kingdoms, four that span the "mainland", and the last consisting of two islands, one small, Moon, and one very small, the Isle of Mist. On the island of Moon, they have a convent and then the rest of the island is filled with normal people. The convent worships the two Moons, Lessa and Luna. On the night the two Moons come together in an embrace, in what we would call an eclipse, any children that are born are considered Embraced. Both our hero and heroine are Embraced.

Leofric, the Beast of Benwick, is the Lord Protector of Eberon. He also happens to be Embraced, when he was five years old he got hit by lightening, and it's power stayed in his body until he touched his nanny and killed her. From then on, he had little to no physical touch with other humans, and usually only with a drought.

Luciana of Vindalyn, has been raised as an orphan at the Convent of the Two Moons. She's raised with four other girls, the youngest being 15 and Luciana was the oldest at 19. Mother Ginessa, the nun in charge of convent, encouraged the girls to spend time together when they weren't doing chores, because they couldn't stay quiet during meditation and prayer hours. Luciana had started to learn how to write and draw copies of certain books that the convent sells all over the mainland, since the nuns, and girls, are all fluent in all four mainland languages. Before Luciana can become too comfortable learning to make the books, a man shows up with two servants and a coffin. It had started storming on the island of Moon just before the stranger showed up, and it was raining very, very hard. One of the nuns came to get Luciana, to take her to Mother Ginessa's office, where she and the stranger waited.

Luciana learned that the stranger was actually her father, the coffin contained her identical twin sister, and she needs to leave with her father as soon as the raining stops, so that she can meet the Lord Protector of Eberon, as Tatiana, since they are to be married in two months at the king's residence. She's not sure if she wants to take the place of a sister she never met. At least, never met while her sister, Tatiana, was alive. Luciana, and Tatiana when she was alive, is able to see ghosts, to talk to them. That comes very much in hand later in the story, as she, Tatiana and their young ghost friend Chris hunt for the assassins the king has sent to kill Luciana and her father, and the Lord Protector if they are able.

Leofric, or Leo as his friends call him, started toward Vindalyn with almost his whole army, but shortly after, they're contacted by some of the troops left on the boundary with one of the other kingdoms, saying there was renewed fighting there. Leo sends some more of the army there. Then he stopped near another border and he walked right into some fighting with dragons, who'd stolen some kids from a border town. He ended up having to use his lightening power to stop the dragons and get all the kids back. He leaves a few more troops with this town, to help them rebuild and to ward off any dragons that might try to stop by again. From there he makes his way to Vindalyn and his betrothed. He sets it up so that it seems like only a small unit of troops make it there, almost like a scout team, with his best friend Nevis Harden as the officer in charge. Considering Nevis is the third highest officer, after Leo and Nevis' father, General Harden, he is more than qualified to lead a small unit of troops. This way, Leo is able to check out the lay of the land, so to speak. He tries to find out who the assassins could possibly be, check out the priests' rooms, and keep an eye out for security issues that Vindalyn might have.

From this point on, the action takes off, with Luciana and Leo meeting several times before she knows his name. He compliments her every chance he gets, which ended up twisting her up, since she found him so attractive but she knew she had to marry the Beast to save her father's life. She starts thinking of Leo as her dream man, all the way up until she officially meets him a few days later. Then she's not sure what she thinks of him. Soon after, assassins start attaching, poisoning, shooting arrows, and so on and so forth!! All within a couple days time. There really isn't a full moment throughout the book! Luciana's spies are helpful throughout most of the book, finding out about who had attacked them, once in enough time to get help for the poison. Through all of this, Leo has had suspicions about who Luciana is, but right before they leave Vindalyn to go to the king's court, he finds a letter that her foster sisters had sent her, calling her Luciana. What her father had done for years, hiding that his wife had had Embraced twins, was considered treason, as that both babies should have been killed as far as the king believed. Then when Tatiana died and their father asked Luciana to take over Tatiana's life, so that he wouldn't be killed by the king (death isn't an excuse for not being available to do the king's bidding, don'tcha know?). There's so very many reasons Leo could use to kill her and her father, if he hadn't already fallen in love with her. In a happy accident a day or so after he learns all her secrets from her, they find out he's able to touch her, even when his body is carrying much of the energy from the last storm he was caught in. For a man that's had very limited human contact, and that's only after an extended drought, he's very happy to find out he can hug, among other things, his beautiful wife.

Would I recommend this book? Yes! The only type of people I would tell to skip this, is the kind of people that everything has to be absolutely familiar to them when they read a book. If you don't mind the world is different, and really you could say it means Europe or Australia, which ever one your least familiar with; and the religions are different, they're more like Pagans. If you can overlook, or be excited by, those couple things, plus that pesky extra moon, then you're golden!! You're ready to check out an amazing new series, that I'm hoping will provide hours and hours of fun!!

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a very promising start to a new fantasy romance series by Kerrelyn Sparks. You have dragons, elves, an evil king, a beast for a hero and a heroine with special abilities. Ms Sparks certainly knows how to hook you in with an interesting story and keep you reading.
I liked the world that has been created as the setting for this series and this story. It's a little bit mythical, a little bit fantastical and quite believable. Ms Sparks has done a fantastic job of setting the groundwork to tell the stories of five orphaned girls who, I hope, will find love as each book is released. The first of which is Luciana.
I liked Luciana a lot. While she had been sheltered her whole life and hence rather naive, she was also brave and honorable. She had a core of integrity and kindness to her which helped endear her to a lot of people along the way, particularly, with Leo. :-) And while she had secrets and she kept them in order to protect herself and those she loved (she had to, to reveal those secrets meant death in her realm) none of that got in the way of the goodness of her personality shining through.
Leo, I adored. I was already predisposed to liking him and feeling a bit sorry for him since he was called the Beast of Benwick. He does have a power that makes him feared by many, but underneath all the power, he's been shunned and hated his whole life. It makes him a very lonely man. One who longs for connection and someone special to call his own. Even though he's branded as a beast, Leo, at his core is loyal, brave and honorable. Much like Luciana.
Luciana and Leo are both very well matched, if only they could set aside their suspicions and overcome the intrigue that surrounds their lives long enough to trust each other and fall in love. When they do come together, it's lovely and sweet and maybe a little raunchy too since Leo is young and virile and hasn't had much human contact for a very long time. :-p
While I enjoyed the story a great deal and liked the world building around it, I felt the pacing of the story was at some points a bit slow. I got a little impatient wanting Luciana and Leo to meet for the first time in person, and then I felt like I was waiting forever for them to get up to some naughty, nooky business. :-)
There were some funny moments too which had me laughing out loud like when Luciana touches Leo's penis for the first time being all naive and virgin-like.
"When she shook her head no, he slapped her hand against his cock once more and held it there. “That doesn’t hurt you?” She gasped again, her eyes wide. “What are you doing?” “Do you feel a shock?” “Of course!” Her cheeks flamed with heat as her gaze shifted downward with a look of horror. “There’s something hard in your breeches, and I think it’s moving!”"
I think this is a great start to the series and the epilogue certainly left me intrigued enough to want to read the next book in the series when it comes out.

I have been a fan of Kerrelyn's FOREVER and could not wait to read her first fantasy romance -- and it did not disappoint! Loved the strong characters and the conflicts pulling them apart -- and the attraction pulling them together. Sexy, smart and enough fantasy to entice a reader in....

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)!

This book was a delight so very enjoyable. The world building was exceptional and the multiple characters were crafted with care, intrigue, and a touch of paranormal. The romance between Leo and Ana was sweet and not what I expected. It surprised me in a good way. I felt the ending was a little rushed, but it did not take away anything from the story. This is a great start to a new series and I can wait to read more books in this world.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a fabulous read. More detail and deep story line than the title would suggest. Great lead and supporting characters. You will love this well crafted tale.

Great story. A story of misconception and deceit. How doing the right thing wins despite overwhelming odds. This story was funny, adventurous and entertaining. It held multiple point of views without becoming confusing. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Great start to a new series! I absolutely devoured the book! Can't wait to read more! Fast paced and the characters are very well written. Love everything about this book!!!

Great start to a new series. The hero and heroine are both likable, intriguing characters and the use of magic was well-placed throughout. The romance was beelievable and suitably spicy; Leo falls hard, which is fun to read. The next story was set up nicely. I will be watching for it.

I have wanted to read Kerrelyn Sparks for YEARS and even have a few of the Love at Stake books. But I just never find the time to make the commitment to start a series already with so many books in it. When HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS landed in my hands, I thought it would be perfect. Try a new to me author, and read something completely different in a new fantasy world. Win-win! I really went in with no expectations and this book quickly swept me off my feet. One of those that I just had to read every spare moment I had until I finished it.

Lets talk about the world building first. Ms. Sparks does an amazing job at exploring this intricate world with us in a way that never felt heavy. The concept behind this series is really lots of fun. This has so many elements from Medieval times, which I think worked perfectly with the different Kingdoms in this world and gave the story a historical romance feel to it. Then the paranormal elements… the powers, the curses, the creatures, the magic even. The Embraced are born with special gifts and powers and the Kingdoms can’t let these creatures exist. The Beast is one of the few Embraced alive because to be born Embraced means a death sentence he was spared because his cousin is the King. Luciana, on the other hand, is one of the few Embraced that was saved by exile at birth. Her family sent her to live in an orphanage on the Isle of Moon until now it’s time she comes back to her rightful place.

Each of them have a different gift. Luciana sees ghosts and Leo harnesses the power of lightning in his body. Obviously his is a deadlier skill and that’s why he’s been named The Beast. He cannot touch another without frying them with the shocks from any part of his skin. Both of them are so young and that also comes through in this story and makes it such a sweet and endearing tale. The mix of the innocence of their characters amongst this setting was a nice complement and softened this story. I think it’s really one of the things that makes it such a breeze to read. It’s so cute you just have to have more. The plot in this story is full of intrigue, lies and politics along with a simple romance between two people that were thrust together against their initial will but all along following fates’ plan.

I hope you let this story sweep you to another world. I think this is paranormal romance done in a new refreshing way but also that brings forth all the elements that I’ve loved in the genre for years. I was taken by surprise by how much I really loved it. I couldn’t get enough of this and I am dying to read more!

Every time I read a book from Kerrelyn Sparks, I know that I’m in for a paranormal romance that is filled with the right amount of love, humor and characters that you will never forget. How To Tame A Beast in Seven Days is the first book in The Embraced series and I fell instantly in love with Luciana and Leo’s story. Luciana is one of the Embraced, someone that has supernatural powers and has been sent to live with others on the Isle of Moon. Luciana is surprised when her father comes for her years later after the death of her twin sister and has a proposition for her. She is to take her deceased sister’s place and marry the man known as the Beast or her father will be executed. By agreeing to this plan, Luciana never imagined that the man that everyone fears is the man that she has been dreaming about and is her destiny.

This was a great book for me because I connected with Luciana immediately and understood that she would do whatever it takes to protect her family even if it meant marrying someone that she had never met. She was sweet, charming and your heart definitely went out to her as tried to learn more about the family that had left her on the Isle of Moon as a child. She and Leo were perfect for one another because they had been through so much and they understood what it felt like to be different as someone who was Embraced. These two characters had amazing chemistry in this story and you could feel the attraction every time that they were together.

This is the first book in the new Embraced series and I’m definitely hooked! Ms. Sparks is an amazing writer that always has the ability to bring these characters and their magical world to life, which I know will keep readers coming back for more. I loved Luciana and Leo’s story and I can’t wait to see what will happen next in So I Married A Sorcerer that will be out later this year.

As a long-time fan of Ms Sparks & her brilliant novels, I was beyond thrilled to get this one in my hands and the wait was well worth it! Kerrelyn has a unique way of weaving a story that I've never seen duplicated by another author.. She pulls you in, thread by thread, and before you know it, you're addicted and putting down the book is impossible! The world building was extraordinary & the characters were multi-faceted & intriguing. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this new series!

Any child born when the two moons of Aerthlan align in the sky are gifted with some sort of supernatural power. These children are called the Embraced. They are protected on the islands of Moon and Mist but on the mainland, the kings do not allow anyone to possess more power than them.
Luciana was raised in the Isle of Moon at the Convent of the Two Moons with four other girls. Like her sisters, she was left at the Convent without knowledge of her family. Until she turned nineteen. Her father, Lucas Vintello, from the kingdom of Eberon arrived to claim her. The cruel King Frederic wants Lucas's land. He demands that Lucas's daughter Tatiana marry his nephew, Lord Leofrick of Benwick, also known as the Beast.

I was simply blown away by this book. I loved the world that Kerrelyn Sparks created. Once I started reading the book, I was sucked into the world and didn't want the book to end! I liked how the romance blended into the story. I loved the characters and can't wait to read the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sparks has the magic touch when it comes to the paranormal romance genre and this novel had that magic and more. I love the world that she's building here, and can't wait to see what other stories emerge.