As stimulating as I find most novels written by the author, Kerrelyn Sparks, I was immensely disappointed by the writer's latest work of "How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days." In fact, I felt like I was reading a high school fictional story rather than a story from one of my favorite authors because the writing itself was so ordinary.

I am not sure what exactly was off with this novel, but the writing suffered. The eerie descriptive, sensual backdrop that I expect to find in a paranormal romance was missing as was the actual romance. Yes, there were bits and pieces of what was supposed to appeal to readers as romance, but it was so pushed. The attraction between Luciana and Leo was awkward and I felt like Luciana might have been too much of a woman for Leo to handle. Luciana was certainly powerful and I think that was another flaw with the book.

Most of the time I am perfectly fine with a heroine that can be considered an equal match for the hero, but this larger detail made Leo's character seem weak. Overall I didn't really care for Leo's abilities nor his overall Character. I did, however, enjoy Luciana. She was a refreshing heroine and I liked how she was capable of coming to her own rescue. I would enjoy seeing such a strong will trait in future heroines.

Regardless of a few likes, I had with this book I am fairly confident that my reading of "The Embraced," ends here.

I'll admit, I did not like this book in the beginning. But then I was so engulfed in the story I didn't want to stop reading!
I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on this first book in a new series! I do hope to be able to continue reading more about these Embraced girls.
The story of Luciana and Leo was amazing!
This book has all kinds of paranormal characters, and I just love that. There were many parts that had me giggling, and others were I was "awwww"
I highly recommend. *This is actually the first book by this author I have read, I have others just haven't gotten to them yet.

* I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

loved this book more than I thought I would. It was an excellent and riveting read and I can wait for the next in the serie

Publisher's Description:

From the brilliant imagination of Kerrelyn Sparks comes a bold new fantasy romance series in which passion and magic collide. Behold the Embraced...

As one of the Embraced―one born with magical powers―the beautiful, innocent Luciana escaped certain death after her father hid her away on the Isle of Moon. Now, nineteen years later, her father has returned with a frightening request. He will be executed unless Luciana returns to the mainland and marries a man feared throughout the land: a terrifying brute known as the Beast.

Luciana accepts her fate and agrees to wed the Beast―Lord Leo―in order to save her father. Soon she learns that her betrothed is also one of the Embraced. With the ability to wield lightning, Leo’s immense power strikes fear into the hearts of men. . .and his mere touch can put an end to a woman’s life. But Luciana cannot deny the passion that burns between them. How can she resist the man who scorches her soul and makes her feel intoxicated with desire―even if surrendering to him could destroy them both?

My Thoughts:

Luciana sees and converses with ghosts... Leo is affected by the power of lightening. Can these two tortured, misunderstood souls come together in a love that is one for the ages?
I really liked this read. I was amazed at how much humor was thrown into this Historical Fantasy with a paranormal aspect.
We have ghosts and magic and a whole lot more going on here. There was maybe just a bit too much going on at times for me to give this book better than a four star rating.
The humor is what grabbed my attention more than the underlying romance.
I would read and recommend this book on the humor factor alone. I laughed a great deal more than cried while reading this really good paranormal/historical romance by Kerrelyn Sparks.
It was not the first book I have read by this author and it certainly will not be the last one.
Although this book is the first book in a new series I would recommend it as a standalone title if you don't think you want to hang around to find out what happens to the other girls introduced briefly in this the first of the series.
I gave this book 4 of 5 stars for storyline and character development. The sensual rating gets 3 of 5 flames.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher via Netgalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book and I have left this review on a voluntary basis.

Can’t wait for more, this is the first in a new series and did not disappoint. I was hooked from beginning to end. Great characters and a story that held you spellbound. I loved it!

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days was a solid start to a new series in my opinion. I’ve never read Kerrelyn Sparks before so this was a totally new experience for me.

The set up for this book starts on an island where people send their children with “special” gifts in order to protect them. They are called the Embraced. Luciana is one of four young ladies who believe they are all orphans. Then one day during a bad storm, Luciana’s father comes for her and before she can process that she’s not an orphan, Luciana is told that if she doesn’t marry the Beast of Benwick her father will be executed as a traitor to a king. Lord Leofric of Benwick, aka The “Beast” of Benwick is also one of the Embraced. He can control lightning but that gift comes with a downside, his touch can harm or even kill a person, still he becomes attracted to Luciana and her to him, but she’s hiding a big secret that could get her and Leo killed.

There was so much detail in this book it was super easy to picture each location and each character. How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is one of those books that needs the reader to pay close attention to what is being said because there’s a purpose in almost every event and they connect to one another, building a bigger story. I loved the details that went into the story, it was crafted, not just created, until even the most unbelievable scenarios had me believing they were possible, case in point, the difference in the way Luciana and her adopted sisters speak which is very Scottish and sometimes difficult to understand, and the way Leo and his friends speak which is more modern. It shouldn’t work because it’s so different but Sparks makes it sound so natural for the two dialects to co-exist.

That said, the amount of details and connections could be confusing or even a turn off for some readers looking for a more simple story. There were moments with this book that had me going “Huh? Who is that and what is their connection to Leo and Luciana?” But I’m tenacious and I needed to know what was going on and why, and to me it was worth the time it took to untangle some of the character connections. I did get a little fussy with the pacing of the story. There isn’t a whole lot of resolution or any kind of action for the middle part of the book and then suddenly for the last quarter of the story all we do is get one attempted murder after another and even a few murders that I still don’t know if they were necessary or not. So the beginning starts off with a bang and in the middle there’s a bit of a lull and then towards the ending the plot moves so fast and wraps up a little too quickly and neatly for my liking.

Even with my problems with the pacing and a large cast of characters, I enjoyed my first Kerrelyn Sparks novel. I loved Luciana and her adopted sisters, I loved the mystery of each girl’s origins and gifts and I’m certainly going to want to read the next book in the series because I got attached to these characters. I fell in love with Leo, he’s brave, intelligent, funny, and kind even though he’s spent his whole life on the outside looking in because he can’t touch anyone. *sighs* He was so easy to fall for. I would definitely recommend How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days to anyone looking for a detailed fantasy/paranormal romance with a lively, engaging cast, and lots of humor.

From the title, How to Tame A Beast in Seven Days conjured up expectations of a humorous snarkfest but I quickly discovered it wasn’t. The synopsis had me thinking this was a Beauty and the Beast type story and that wasn’t quite right either since the one threatening her father was the evil king and not the Beast. This was more along the lines of the fantasy fairytale books I devoured in my pre-teens. To my dismay, it read like it was more for that age bracket too, except for the sex scenes which just didn’t really fit and felt added on in an attempt to make the story appeal to an adult reader.

This was a good versus evil scenario where the misunderstood Lord Protector and his fiancée were just sweetness and light through and through and the evil king had the blackest of hearts with not one thing nice to be said about him. It had adventure and sword fights, all the trappings you expect in a fantasy novel, but I just never got that wow feeling I get from a really good fantasy.

Every challenge the characters faced were all conveniently solved with miraculous coincidences found at every turn. When another antagonist showed up to shake things up and set up the next book, our hero who could hit a fly with his lightning bolts miles away, suddenly couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. The final showdown with the evil king completely fizzled, which was a slight disappointment after all that buildup. I did laugh when the plot hole big enough to fly a starship through that I had been wondering about throughout the entire book was pointed out and shrugged off.

Without all the sex scenes I probably would have liked this as a kid. Since I’m way past the age of sneaking around reading my way through middle school, it ended up being just a bit too young for me and although it was an okay read it wasn’t the awesomesauce one I had hoped for.

2.5 Sizzling Sex Scenes That Didn’t Fit Stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I'm a big fan of paranormal and this author is very quickly becoming one of my new favorites this year.

One special woman sent to marry a man that she can't even touch. Lucia has a gift, she is Embraced. He comes for her and drops a bombshell: she must marry the man that everyone refers to as a beast or lose her magic and her father. Lucia is so sweet and loyal and innocent that of course she agrees.

Leo finds that she is not the selfish girl that he was told to expect. Leo is also Embraced... he can't touch others because his power draws lightning. Leo and Lucia go in circles around each other with the attraction they have but can't act on because of his gift.

I kept turning the pages on this one... dying to know what was going to happen next and when all the secrets would come out. This was such a good story and I'm so impatient for the next book in this series! How to Tame the Beast in Seven Days was a solid 5 stars for me.

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 5 Stars

"Never touch the Beast.

"Never let the Beast touch you."

FINAL DECISION: Very enjoyable first book in a news series, and I can't wait to read more. The story of two people whose supernatural gifts haunt them both. They manage to find love in an arranged marriage where danger and death surround them.

THE STORY: Raised on the Isle of Moon and believing herself an orphan, Luciana was aware that she is one of the Embraced (those born on a night of eclipsing moons who have supernatural powers) but did not know her true lineage. When her father appears in her life, she discovers that if she doesn't marry the Beast of Benwick, her father will be killed. However, if it is discovered that Luciana is actually impersonating her dead sister, both she and her father will be killed. Lord Leofric, aka the Beast, is also Embraced. He has the power to use lightning, but that gift comes with the cost that he can kill people with his touch. Ordered to marry by his uncle the king (who also happens to want Leo dead), Leo expects a loveless marriage of circumstances, until he meets Luciana who is far more than he expected.

OPINION: A new series kicks off with a bang with the introduction of a world in conflict. A man who hasn't been touched since he was a child because of his "gift" and a woman who is forced to impersonate her dead twin and hide every facet of herself. When the two marry, their gifts complicate their lives.

A new series, especially in the paranormal/fantasy romance arena can involve a lot of explanations and worldbuilding which impedes the progression of the plot. While this book is the first book in the new series, it largely avoids the extended explanations which can slow down the story.

Instead, the story has a most intriguing hero. A man who is tormented by his own gift. Leo is a man who cares enough about the people of his uncle's realm that he wants to protect them even as they fear him. A warrior, Leo has sacrificed much and his fits has separated him from others. Immediately he sees something in Luciana and as the two navigate their marriage, there is humor along with the political intrigue and danger.

Luciana is sweet and being convent raised, she is a bit naive. This leads to some amusing situations with her new husband. One thing is that Luciana is almost too sweet, but she is never annoying. Her generosity and genuine caring for other people gives her depth and while innocent in many ways, she is not ignorant of the world.

I loved the humor and sweetness between Luciana and Leo even as the story dips into political intrigue and death. The story has a nice balance to it and I really look forward to reading more about this world as the series unfolds.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are all types of supernatural powers in this world. Elves and shifters, witches, those who harness the elements, and those who see the dead. Because being one of the Embraced is such a danger, there is much still to discover about these people.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS is the first book of The Embraced series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

It is my first book by this author and I was really impressed with her book. It has great elements like love, evil, love, fantasy. All the ingredients that make an excellent book!! The characters were awesome. The storyline was perfect. Excellent job Mrs,Sparks.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks is the start of a new series, The Embraced. The reader is given a new place and a new set of characters. What is still there is the fantastic and fun writing from an author who has a witty style that makes you believe that any fantasy is possible.

Leo and Ana are wonderful together in this Beauty and Beast loosely based story. The plot has a fast pace for the relationship developing between Leo and Ana, if a somewhat slower one in some other areas. Part of this is because the needed world building that usually goes on in the first book of a series. This book has an old world feel to it that fits the story-line so well. I could see it all in my mind. Also I enjoyed how the characters are given multifaceted personalities and unique quirks.

Kerrelyn Sparks’ How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is sure to be a hit with paranormal/fantasy fans; those who have read a lot and those who are new to the genre. I can recommend this book to all.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

I have been wanting to read a book by Kerrelyn Sparks for a while now but I just never had the time but when I received this one to review I figure it would be a great time to finally read a book by this author. I am so glad I read this book because I just couldn't stop reading this book. It is so very well written.

I have now added a few of Kerrelyn Sparks books on my to buy list.

I do highly recommend

I am familiar with this author and her vampire novels. What I like about those novels is that each story has a strong set of leads (male and female). In addition, to be witty and a bit sexy.

I like this new Kerrelyn Sparks. The beginning introduces the reader to five friends. So, it would allude to the fact that there will be at least 5 books in this series. In this first book, we are introduced to Luciana. She is down to earth. Although, she may come from royalty. Oh and I can't forget to mention that Luciana had a sister, Tatiana (she is dead). Yet, Luciana can communicate with the dead.

Leo is a strong male presence. When ever he comes into a room, his presence just fills the room. He may be a Lord but he is also down to earth. In fact, Luciana is not the only one that has special abilities. Leo does as well. He has the ability of lightening.

While I did like this book and new series, it felt like the story didn't start until the half way point. This is when Luciana and Leo actually met. Luckily, the secondary characters were not just throw away characters. So they helped with the story. The romance between Leo and Luciana was a slow build up. I am intrigued to read the next woman's story.

Okay, to be frank this book had me at the mention of Kerrelyn Sparks, with this author I know I’m in for a magical ride – and I was absolutely right. If you are new to Ms Spark’ works simply take a look at her back titles and that will give you an idea of what a talented storyteller she truly is.

How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days is the beginning of the new series, The Embraced which tells the tales of several young women who’ve been sheltered in a convent on the Isle of the Moon far away from the rest of the world simply because of their magical abilities. This is a world that looks down upon magic and tries to eradicate it whenever possible… even though their world is filled with lots and lots of magical beings.

The first couple we meet are Leo and Luciana. Leo has an unusual problem in that his touch can send forth lightening from his fingers – difficult to embrace anyone with that fear constantly in your mind. As a result, he’s rarely been touched since his childhood. Now he finds himself betrothed to Luciana – a beautiful young woman who he knows he can never touch. Yet, we all know to never say never, right?

Luciana has been apart from her family for years, now suddenly her father is at the convent begging her to return to the world to pay a debt – and save his life. What’s a daughter to do but agree? She soon finds herself betrothed to a man many call a beast, with a very uncertain future.

I would really love to talk about and ramble on about this enchanting story that crosses into so many of my favorite genres. But I can’t. To do that would be to possibly ruin your experience with this delightful beginning to a series that I already know I’m going to devour as each book comes out.

Filled with magical creatures, abilities to shock the mind, twists and turns, plots and sub-plots woven so delicately throughout this first story and a couple that you will fall in love with so easily – this is a story you’ll want to read firsthand. Yes, there is world building yet I didn’t find that it got in the way of the story as everything we need to know is woven throughout the story as needed. There are a lot of secondary characters, and they each bring something to the story and the series. Some for right now, others as the other women join the ongoing series. Frankly, I cannot wait to learn more about them and the absolute evil we’ll encounter in this world.

If you love Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Romances then How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days, and The Embraced series should be on your reading list. The second story is due out in late summer of this year – and I for one cannot wait to return to this world. Would I recommend this one? Of course, was there ever any doubt?

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This story begins as Luciana’s father arrives at the Isle of Moon and Luciana has to quickly deal with her past, as well as her ability to see dead people. Assuming her place at her father’s side and leaving the island Luciana doesn’t know if she’ll survive the ordeal – let alone see her beloved friends who have become like sisters at the convent where she was raised.

We then go to Leo, who is a lord protector and all around good guy. The small detail of his touch being electric has had quite the impact on his life.

Sounds of laughter emanated from the cave. Soon he could smell the scent of a lamb roasting over a fire. His stomach grumbled. A quick search of his pickets came up empty. With a sigh, he leaned his head against the pillar. Alone again. It was always this way. He was too damned dangerous to be near anyone.

I really enjoyed the premise of this new series. We have strong characters, an evil king, magical beings from dragons to elves, and a curious new world where all of the kingdoms are always at war. I also enjoyed how Luciana’s gift to speak with the dead and the ghosts themselves became strong supporting characters as well. One of my favorite scenes was with Tatiana who had been sent to try to figure out who was trying to kill Luciana:

“Did you learn anything else in the barracks?”

Tatiana stopped dancing and pressed a finger to her lips as she considered. “Oh, yes! It was quite shocking.”

Luciana jumped to her feet. “You know who the assassin is?”

“No. But I discovered I’ve been wrong about something for years. I’ve always thought that the bigger a man was, the bigger his male… part would be. But that’s not actually true.”

Luciana’s mouth fell open.

“I know.” Tatiana nodded gravely. “I couldn’t believe it, either, so I made a point of studying as many men as I could-“

I’m not normally a fan of female characters so pure and innocent as Luciana, but the author makes it work well within this story. Not only because of her upbringing, but her kind nature truly fit in this kind of roll and she showed strength of character as well. She’s kind and trusting, but she was never stupid or putting herself in positions that she should have avoided. I appreciated how thoughtful and quick thinking she was, and how her character was developed.

Leo is a “beast” because nobody can touch him. He protects and slays the bad guys or enemies of the kingdom all day every day… but because of his electric touch everyone calls him a beast and he has very few friends. Even his own uncle (the king) wants him dead. I found Leo a good match for the quick thinking Luciana, but his development was pretty flat. His story line and his constant moping around in the shadows got old really quick.

Overall this story had all of the components we’d want in a romantic focused fantasy of this sort. But it was in no way a perfect story nor will it be especially memorable for me. While I enjoyed it overall, the plot had a sort of “and then he said —. And then this happened. Then she went and did —. Then this happens.” plodding along pace that was both predictable and a bit dull. While there are surprises, there are now big wow or whoa moments. Things merely happen and it’s like we are reading an account from a bystander versus experiencing the events with the characters.

The romantic aspect was like this as well, including a love scene that included the word “juice”. I wasn’t a fan of the writing of the scene, let’s just say it didn’t come across especially sexy and move on.

The ending is somewhat resolved, but clearly wide open for other characters (the other girls raised on the island with Luciana) to have stories and happily ever afters. While I would have enjoyed more description of these strange lands, more painting of a picture of this place and the people within overall it was an enjoyable and very fast paced tale.

Grade: B-

As a sci-fi/fantasy romance, this had a little bit of everything. There's action, humor, conspiracy, magic, and a sweet love story. Normally this is a recipe for awesomeness but unfortunately this one didn't click with me for a few reasons...

The prologue started off a bit choppy and monotonous. I think it had an interesting concept but didn't lend any mystery or suspense to the overall history of the made up world of Aerthlan. With the right amount of detail this could be an awesome entry into this other world.

Then there's the MCs. In the world of Aerthlan, Luciana is a sheltered 19 year old Embraced girl (Embraced are those born during the eclipse of the twin moons who have special powers.) She can see and talk to dead people and can predict the future. She and five other girls, each one also Embraced, have grown up as orphans in the island of Moon. Raised by nuns who worship the twin goddresses Luna and Lessa. The mainlanders, refusing to worship female gods, instead worship the male Sun god. Because of a law that all Embraced should be executed, the girls have lived in secret and isolation for their whole lives.

Luciana learns she was a twin, separated at birth and because of her sister's death, her estranged father needs her to pose as the dead Tatiana and marry the King's nephew or her father and all his people will be executed. So we start off with a lie by omission that causes a really long and drawn out confession of the who, what, where and why.

The Hero in the story is 26 year old Leo. He is the Lord Protector and also Embraced. I actually liked Leo, his gift was absorbing lightening and being able to use it as a defensive mechanism. He was magnetic and because of his level of energy, his simple touch could cause people shocks, render them unconscious and sometimes even electrocute them to death. He was definitely the most interesting of the MCs. His struggles living without the simple comfort of touch was heartbreaking.

Although both characters were interesting, I never really connected to either one. The reason being there was soooo much going on here that happened both on and off scene that the momentum never really picked up. For example there are a lot of characters to keep track of. Aside from the MCs, there was the extended family from both sides, two villains, several conspiracies that overlapped, a couple of assassination attempts and a handful of side characters. What really slowed it down for me was that Luciana and Leo don't meet until a very long 38% into the story.

It felt like the author tried to fit a lot of plot twists into the story and they were all good but needed to be fleshed out more. Like instead of having twenty different things crop up randomly throughout the story, maybe pick just a few and work with that. It was all over the place and really convoluted. It almost appeared aimless, there was no solid direction with the characters jumping from one scenario into the next without any transition. Then there was the very modern slang peppered throughout the story that felt out of place. Things like "down to earth", the term boyfriend, and "scared shitless". It felt too modern for the world the author originally introduced.

Loved the idea of the Embraced and the bits and pieces we get about the other five kingdoms but everything else seemed too overdone. Too much is not always the answer. Sometimes simple is better.

I didn't hate this read, it was actually pretty good. I feel like it just needs to be more focused on one piece of the puzzle at a time, rather than trying to solve everything instantly. It needs some suspense and mystery before the big reveal is done. The series definitely has potential with the rest of the Embraced sisters but the story needs to choose a solid direction to go in so it doesn't appear so random.

Safety: There is no cheating, OM/OW drama and ends with a epilogue months later.

Can I start off by complimenting the witty banter between Leo and “Ana”? That’s definitely the highlight of this book. Sorry – to back up, this story takes place in a fantasy world with a historical feel. There’s big dresses and castles and lots of old-timey speak. There’s also a few warring kingdoms with conflicting religions that leads to endless conflict.

Luciana has been raised in a convent, abandoned by her family when she was born. She has no real ambitions to ever leave the island and her adopted sisters. That all changes when she finds herself reunited with her family and she finds herself faced with a choice: does she save her father by marrying a “beast” or does she stay with her sisters to live the life she believes she wants.

As an obviously selfless woman, she takes the plunge into the world of royalty and impersonating her twin sister. The “beast,” as it turns out, is really not as beastly has everyone claims. This was almost like a beauty and the beast retelling in a lot of ways. While pretending to be things that they are not, these two find a way to be a really awesome couple. Oh, and there’s lots of political drama along the way, but the romance is really what everyone wants, right?

Not your typical Kerrelyn Sparks' book. If you are expecting Love At Stake it's not that at all. Totally different world literally and figuratively! But still thoroughly enjoyable! Not as much snark as some of her past novels but a very good story and I'm looking forward to the next one.

I have missed Kerrelyn Sparks's humor. This new series is delightful. I can't wait to see what comes next.

As this is the first book of a new series, there is so much to talk about -- the set up for the new world building as well as all the new characters. To keep this review shorter than the book itself, we will just focus on just this book. If you want more, we spoke with Kerrelyn Sparks back in December about her new series.

The first story takes place in the Kingdom of Eberon which is ruled by a greedy king who has decided the best way to take back all of the lands in his kingdom would be to set impossible goals for the lords and upon their failure, they would forfeit their lands, and most often their lives, to the king.

If a child is born on a night when the two moons are entwined in the sky, the child will be Embraced which means that they will be borne with a magical ability. In How to Tame a Beast in Seven Day, Luciana has been hidden on an island and raised in a convent with a few other girls. More than just Embraced, Luciana was born a twin which is considered even more dangerous than simply Embraced. Raised to believe she was an orphan, Luciana is quite surprised when her father appears at the convent to bring her home. Not only does she learn that she has a father, but she also learns that she had a twin sister who just died. Her sister was to marry the Beast of Benwick by the order of the king of Eberon.

Failure to meet the king's demand means that the very profitable lands of her father will be forfeit to the king, along with his life. So Luciana returns home with her father pretending to be her sister, Tatiana.

Don't worry since the king is already finding alternate ways to make sure the Duke fails to produce a bride. He has sent assassins into the Duke's lands. And even if Tatiana/Luciana makes it to the church, she is not the only one who is Embraced. Leofric of Benwick can harness the power of lightening. This is a power which has served him well as Lord Proctor keeping the other kingdoms from invading Eberon. But this ability makes him a very dangerous adversary, it also makes Leo long for something as simple as touching another person. The last person he touch, when he was only a child, was electrocuted. Now everyone fears him.

The Duke isn't the only one the king is setting up for failure on this marriage arrangement. As Leo is a possible heir to the king, the king wants to make sure that Leo disappears and if he can't make that happen, he wants to make sure that Leo never has an heir of his own. Leo can't touch his bride without electrocuting her and now that Leo has met her, he really, really wants to touch.

When an accident touch doesn't cause her any harm, Leo begins to make plans to try to consummate his marriage. If he is successful, the danger to Leo and Luciana will only increase.

And this is only just part of what is happening in How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days, there is also ghosts, and shifters, and fae, and hints of so much more to come.

I know that a re-read is already in order since I raced through this the first time wanting to find out how Leo and Luciana work through their shocking issues. Hehe, shocking. Get it?

I can't wait to see the next book has in store and what new Embraced powers will be introduced.

**ARC received from the author for an honest review**

Okay it has been a bit since I ventured into the fantasy world...and Sparks new series of The Embraced does not disappoint! I've always loved her vampire series and was super excited to get the chance to read this early!

I love, love, love learning a whole new world. Lands and odd names but with a feel of ancient medieval times. Magic and mysterious religions that cast eerie foreshadows on futures. Loved it all! Luciana was such a cute character! I love the interaction between her and her sisters. I'm hoping that they each get their own story so we can see how each of The Embraced differ and from each land.

I was a little let down that Leo had this bad boy reputation as The Beast but he kind of felt no more than a puppy to me. In battle and defense he was badass but with Luciana and his men he felt more boyishly charming (which may have been the point that I could've missed) but I was hoping for more of a "taming". That being said I do think that there was a great sense of humor to this book. Leo's reactions to some things were downright gut-busting. Excited for more of this series!!