Kerrelyn Sparks is known for her Love at Stake series about vampires with a somewhat comedic twist as well as historical romances. This book is a fantasy new series with another take on the Beauty and the Beast story. Luciana has grown up in a convent on an island as an orphan with others who are like her. She is known as one of the Embraced which means she has some magical powers. It’s a dangerous thing to be on the mainland where she was born which is why Luciana was hidden away years ago. When her father comes to take her home, Luciana risks all to help him avoid a nefarious plot. Through a series of subterfuges, she becomes engaged to Lord Leo, the “beast,” whom who everyone fears because he can kill with a touch since he can harness lighting and use it as a powerful weapon.

I enjoyed this story of two people who are caught up in political intrigue; they truly come to love one another despite all the risks. Luciana is brave and selfless, but also resourceful and would do anything to protect those she loves. She has a fierce warrior spirit and does not expect Leo or anyone else to shelter or rescue her despite their best efforts. Leo makes a fine hero; with his deadly power, he has had very little physical connection with anyone which makes for a lonely life, but acts with honor and compassion towards his people. He is Lord Protector for an evil king who reminds me of Herod by wanting to destroy anyone he perceives as a threat to the throne, even his own family.

Since this is a new series, there is quite a bit of world building, but it does not interfere with the flow of the story. It’s a bit like Game of Thrones without all of the grim death and brutality as people actually get to be happy though they have been through some sad losses and difficult trials. Some Princess Bride style humor also lightens to the load so all is not drama. Five books are planned in the series and this one is off to a good start.

~ARC was given by the permission of the publisher via NetGalley. ~

As the start of a new series, I really love this!

The intro was pretty nice and the way it was presented was good. However, it gets better once you started to read it.

The humor, the witty lines and the way the love story was written was so good!

The theme was really something. So are the characters in the book. The way they interact with one another was really something.

I am actually lost for words on how this was written. I do not want to be over exuberant, because this is just the start of a new series. So I have to reserve judgement for the next book. I have high hopes of the next one. I just hope that I will not be disappointed with book two.

I will just leave it like this. I do not want to add more. All I can say is that this an amazing series that I truly look forward to!

I'm not really sure how to feel about this book to be honest.

HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS wasn't exactly like I expected it to be. It was okay for a Beauty & the Beast re-telling and at the same time it wasn't.

Let me start by saying that I did like the actual story about the Embraced and how they are viewed by society. I thought the idea of the Embraced was clever and it has so many variables that will (hopefully) be shown in future books a lot more. So as it is the story mostly revolves around Luciana who is an Embraced and who's been left at a convent on the Isle of the Moon to hide her existence from the four kingdoms on the mainland, because for them the Embraced are an abomination because they are supposedly "blessed" by the twin moons Luna and Lessa when they "embrace". Hence the name Embraced. Luciana lives together with four other girls who are also Embraced. One night Luciana's father comes to the convent and presents Luciana with a choice. Leave with him to marry the Beast of Benwick and save his life or stay at the convent.

Now we all know Luciana goes with her dad and really up to that point I was very interested, because it all sounded fun and mysterious. Especially when Leo, the Beast of Benwick made his appearance. But my overal excitement faded as the pages started to dwindle and I got .... dare I say it, bored.

There I said it, I was bored after about 40% into the book and honestly I didn't really care much about the characters either after a while.

It all became so blah. It became one of those books that you've read a thousands times over, just the magic, setting and background and a few other things were different.

Even the romance was just so ..... meh. I didn't feel anything . You're supposed to feel something when you read about a romance. I felt nothing. And I hated it not feeling anything, oh and let's not forget the insta-love that it was.

Now, some books make the insta-love work and then I turn a blind eye to it. HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS did a fairly good job of making me turn a blind eye, up to a point.

The one little highlight was at about 75% into the book, but since it would be considered a spoiler, I won't say much about it, just that I was kinda curious if Leo was right about the thing .

Having said all that, I can't really convince myself to go into more detail about the characters.

They were funny and fine, but got really boring the more I read.

Luciana is such a perfect example of the overused stereotype of a beautiful, virginal maiden who needs to be rescued yet doesn't need it at the same time.

Leo, while hot as hell (at least in my mind he is with the way the author describes him), isn't that much different from all the other Alpha Males I read about in other romance books.

The only one I found really interesting was Brody , but then again I have soft spot for peeps like him.

In truth, I'm disappointed. I had expected a little bit more from this book. But it didn't deliver, at least for me it didn't.

I'm also about 99.9% sure there will be a lot of readers out there who will love this book. So will I read any other book in the series? No, definitely not.

Do I recommend this book to others? Yes, yes I do. Why? Because I do believe that other readers might like it more than I did. As it stands, it's not a bad book and it's very well written.

It just wasn't for me.

This book was so much fun to read! This is the first book that I have read by Kerrelyn Sparks and I am now thinking that I have probably been missing out on a very good thing. This book caught my attention right away with the fun title and when I picked it up to take a closer look, I was immediately hooked. I actually read half the book without even realizing it because I simply couldn't put it down.

This book focuses on Luciana and Lord Leofric, or the Beast. Luciana has lived her life on the Isle of Moon at a convent with her friends that she considers her sisters. She is shocked to meet her father but recovers quickly and agrees to go with him and marry the Beast. The Beast has led a life where he is feared by others because of his powers. He has rarely been touched by others since coming into his power because he is so dangerous.

I really liked the characters in this book. Luciana and Leofric were both wonderful. Each of them had really interesting abilities that really added a layer to their characters. Luciana was such a caring person from the very beginning of the story when she gives up her life to protect the father she didn't even know she had. Leofric is thought to be heartless and tough. It quickly becomes apparent that he cares about others deeply but must distance himself out of fear of causing harm. He leads a rather lonely life until he meets Luciana.

I liked Luciana and Leofric as a couple. They did fall for each other quite quickly but I wasn't bothered by that in this particular story. They had a nice banter with each other and Luciana did not fear the Beast as others did. They had a lot of chemistry from the very first time they saw each other and it only grew throughout the story. I had a lot of fun watching this pair get to know each other.

I really enjoyed the world this book was set in. The special abilities of the characters were a lot of fun and added an interesting element to the story. I liked the almost medieval feel to the kingdom complete with evil king. The supporting characters in the story were very well done and I hope to see some of them featured in future books in this series.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This was the kind of book that just swept me away into a fantastical world of romance. I can't wait to read more in this exciting series!

I received an advance reader edition of this book from St. Martin's Press.

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the first book in the adult paranormal romance series, called the Embraced, by Kerrelyn Sparks. This is the first time I have read a book by Kerrelyn Sparks, and I have to say I really, really enjoyed it! Actually it was a bit of a surprise for me, because How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days started out pretty rocky for me. I wasn’t feeling the characters and the premise seemed strange, but all of that changed once the main character, Luciana left the island and got to her father’s land. From there, I was totally swept up in the story. More and more with each flip of the page. I fell in love with Luciana and Leo, and I really loved their story.

Ana and Leo are not allowed to touch each other. Leo is known as the beast because he can harness the power of lightning and kills with a single touch. I thought his ability was super unique. In this world, anyone that has a special ability is called embraced, and most of the time they are shunned because of it. Ana and Leo are both Embraced. Ana can speak to the dead. I loved getting to watch her “spies” in action. I thought it was super cute when she would tell Leo her spies were better than his. I liked that there is a great variety of abilities in the world that Kerrelyn Sparks has created. I didn’t see anyone was a similar ability other than Ana and her sister. (and they are twins, so that is understandable) I really enjoyed getting to know the various characters and the world and I really loved Ana and Leo’s romance.

I can’t wait to see where this series is going to be going. There is a whole cast of secondary characters, so plenty of people to fill the pages of the next embraced novel. I had a very fond spot in my heart for Brody, and I can’t wait to see his story. I will scratch his ears and give him a good belly rub any time! He is just too cute. Not to mention Ana’s sister’s from the island. They would make for interesting stories as well. I am interesting in learning more about why the King is the way he is. And I can’t wait to delve into the politics of the warring nations a little more. I hope we get to see some more of that in the next book. Overall, this book surprised me with how much I ended up loving it. It was great!

This was fascinating and really enjoyable! Really loved the characters and the storyline. The hero and heroine were awesome together! This story had me from the beginning although the heroine was a little annoying at times but otherwise iit was great! Definitely looking forward to more books in this series!

It's a real joy when I can read a book that gives me true excitement. Sparks is a new author to me and I am thrilled to have received an advanced copy from Netgalley. Her writing style is exactly what I enjoy a bit whimsical, very funny, incredibly sweet and her men are very alpha. Told in a medieval time frame with shifters, but the vibe of a modern romance, Luciana and Leo find each other. Although Leo has a scary reputation because of his ability he doesn't let it bother him. I found the camaraderie with his friends and fellow soldiers to be quite fun and playful. Luciana's special ability became very helpful to Leo and added a whole new level of creativity to the story. She is strong, brave, bold and kind toward everyone. This is going to be a wonderful and thrilling series, especially if you enjoy a medieval romance with a twinge of the paranormal. This review was written voluntarily to support a new favorite author.

Another great story by a great author. A little different twist than her vampire books, but still plenty of paranormal activity going on. Leo, the Beast, has the power of lightening at his fingertips, and Luciana can talk with ghosts I really liked this story, and had trouble putting it down. The only thing that got a little tiresome was all the politics and murder attempts. It did fit the story, but got repetitive after awhile. Would still highly recommend this book and author, and hope there are more with the other sisters from the island to come.

A well written paranormal romance book, I would definitely recommend this book.

Blog Tour, Review & Excerpt: How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-835
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 5 Stars

I love this new series! HOW TO TAME A BEAST IN SEVEN DAYS is the first book in Kerrelyn Sparks' new series, The Embraced. Kerreyn Sparks created an exciting and unique new world full of magic, dragons, shifters and ghosts. It's full of action, danger, romance and suspense. I loved the main characters and I can't wait for the secondary characters to get their own books. I'm obssesed with this series now! I highly recommend this new series for paranormal romance lovers looking for something exciting and unique. I'm hooked!

*Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I really enjoy a series I hate to see it end. And I really loved Spark's Love at Stakes series. So when she started a new series I was both excited and worried. When you live with one group of characters for so long it's like losing a limb when they are no longer in your life. Okay, I'm exaggerating here a little. It would be horrible to lose a limb, this is just sad.

But because I do really like her writing I decided to give this new series a try. And I'm glad I did. I really like this series and the new characters in my life.

You will find the same great humor in this new series as the old one. One of the biggest differences is that this series is a historical. I'm not always such a fan of paranormal historical's. They are kind of limiting. Saying that, I didn't seem to miss the more contemporary feel.

I think that's due to the fact that she's a very good writer. She draws you into the story and you forget all the other crap.

I really loved both Luciana & Leo. They are perfect together. Not only because of the lightening thing. Not telling you more about it. ha! They need each other and I like how they come to that decision. There are so many very good characters in this book. And some very sad moments too. You really will find this very enjoyable.

The only thing I wish is that they got together sooner in the book. I also wish the ending would have been more towards the middle of the book. But you can't always get what you want. Even with those minor issues for me I still really enjoyed the story and can't wait for the next book in the series So I Married a Sorcerer, out on 8/29. Since there is so much time before the next book comes out you have all summer to read her other serie if you haven't yet read it. Believe me, you'll be glad you did.

Beauty and the Beast move over. How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is the first in a new romantic paranormal fantasy world. There is something for everyone; magic, love, angst, ghosts, elves, good guys and bad, intrigue and murder. Kerrelyn Sparks has created a wonderful world where women are strong, good guys win and love trumps hate. I fell into this book and couldn’t get out till the very last page. I am so looking forward to my next trip into this exciting world.

I love Ms. Sparks world building ability! while a little fantastical, the plot was a good one. mayhem, magic and mystery abound in this one

How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is full of danger, magic, passion and humor. I liked the world that Kerrelyn Sparks created, and I liked the main characters a lot. Both Luciana and Leo are Embraced, born with magical powers. Leo is called the Beast because his power comes from lightning and he can kill a person with his touch. Luciana can see ghosts and can predict the future. The Embraced are feared for their magic and prosecuted, so both their lives are in danger.

Leo and Luciana are thrown together in an arranged marriage but their attraction is strong despite the fact that Leo cannot touch Luciana for fear of hurting her. They develop strong feelings for each other while trying to stay alive and outwit a number of assassins. They are also caught in a political intrigue because the King sees Leo as a threat to his reign. He also has designs on the land owned by Luciana's father. The pacing is great, the characters are very likeable and the story has a good balance of action and swoon, my favorite combination. There are a number of very interesting secondary characters, Luciana's sisters and Leo's warriors, who no doubt will get their own stories and so I am looking forward to more books.

This is an honest review for receiving this ARC. I am not much into fantasy and shape shifters and such but when I read the description I was interested. I was not disappointed. Good long read with lots of great characters and twists. I take it that this is a series so assume that the entertainment will continue. Really a good book to set down with!

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Kerrelyn Sparks's new series is fresh, fantastic, and out of this world in the unique way her novels only can be

I’ve never read Kerrelyn Sparks before but she certainly has a very strong reputation in this fantasy romance genre and she has quite a lot of books to her name as well. This is the first in a brand new series set in another world and I love a good series. I have to say, I enjoyed this one a lot.

Luciana was born on a night that the twin moons of the world embrace, leading her to be termed an “Embraced” baby. All of the Embraced are blessed with a particular gift and those gifts can be wide and varied. They’re also reviled in the place she was born so for her safety, her father hid her away on the Isle of Moon, where she could be raised without fear. Along with four other girls, also all Embraced, Luciana grew up to be well educated but also sheltered. She hasn’t even left the small island, or the company of nuns so she isn’t even aware of her privileged background until her father arrives to whisk her back to where she was born. He needs her as his daughter has been promised to the King’s nephew, Lord Leofric, a man known as the Beast of Benwick.

Like Luciana, Leo is Embraced as well and his gift is the power of harnessing lightning. It will seek him out in a storm and there is nothing he can do to prevent it or avoid it. It’s best if he goes somewhere where he can be alone so that the lightning can find him. Then he can store it in his body – and his touch is deadly. He must wear protective gloves when around people and even then, he can give someone a nasty shock. The King has been trying to kill him for years as Leo is both Embraced and a threat and the King also wants the land that Luciana’s father possesses as the Duke. To kill both of them would be the ultimate triumph but no doubt the King is also hoping that Leo will be tempted beyond belief by his beautiful bride and kill her accidentally.

Luciana is taken from a small, peaceful existence and thrust into not only an arranged marriage but also having to be presented at court. Her entire upbringing would’ve been geared towards this moment, had she been raised in her place of birth but because she wasn’t she has to endure quite a steep learning curve. She’s going to be married to a man that not only has she never even seen, but one that is called the Beast. There are all sorts of horrible rumours that fly around about Leo but Luciana is actually pretty stoic in having to face someone who could murder her with a touch. She has a strong sense of right and wrong – she didn’t have to go with her father back to his stronghold but once she heard that he would be executed if he didn’t present a daughter to wed Leo, she immediately decided that she would go. Even though she believes this man just abandoned her and she has no relationship with him she does what she believes is the “right thing” even though it could get her killed.

Luciana and Leo have a really great dynamic and it helps that although Luciana fears her fate, she doesn’t once she meets Leo and she even defends him, which is a very powerful moment for Leo, who is so used to being feared and reviled and certainly not defended. The two of them are definitely attracted to each other from the very beginning, which makes it even harder for Leo, who must not allow himself to touch her. However, a surprising twist means that Luciana just might be the one person that can withstand the touch of the Beast, confirming that this was a match that was intended to happen. They have a lot to negotiate, as Luciana is hiding something very important from Leo as well and he wants her to feel as though she can trust him with anything. They both want a real relationship with each other, especially Leo, who hasn’t really felt any human touch for years.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Luciana and her “sisters”, those girls raised on the Isle with her. Each of them will be the protagonist in a future book and their fates are all somewhat sealed from a game they played on the Isle using coloured stones and having Luciana read their futures. It’s a really interesting set up. As Embraced, the girls all have different gifts and I look forward to having each of those unfold. This was a great start.

8/10

3.5 Stars
I liked parts of it, but overall it was just an okay read for me. It was long. And it felt long. Some of it was repetitive, he doesn't think she's being truthful, oh he should have trusted her. And it irked me that she demanded his honesty, but wouldn't be honest with him. The world was cool, but the character development left something to be desired. I would read the next in this,series, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

It’s really tough to write bad reviews. Especially bad reviews on books that I end up feeling like the only black sheep.

I picked up How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days because so many of my friends loved it, and I went into the book with a lot of excitement.

It started out great, with an interesting premise, an interesting beginning of the world – but ultimately faltered by half way.

There are a few things I really dislike in my books and it’s like this one hit each one with a nail on the head.

1. Insta-love – The characters fall in love almost right away. She was drawn to him by just seeing him and was already claiming love after only talking to him twice? Five days in, two conversations later and the poor girl Luciana couldn’t live without Leo. She was so terribly in love with the man of her dreams, who happened to be the man she was being forced to marry.

2. Rapid Fire Writing – what else would you call this? umm… Hectic writing? I don’t know how to explain this, but it’s when things happen so quickly and so much at a time it makes your head spin, but things also get resolved within a first few paragraphs and we move on to more really quick scenes, you know what I mean? I hate that. I feel like the author was trying to smash together too many things into one book and it kind of ended up a big giant mess. First, she didn’t have to put so many things in one book. Second, I felt like it left the book with no detail nor substance.

3. Too much drama – seriously, especially near the end. There were just one too many things happening and so quickly, it probably would have been better if one or two big things happened. I felt like I was reading a movie on rewind or clip notes. A lot of drama was happening in the end there and it was getting resolved so super quickly that my brain was hurting.

4. Plot – Okay this wasn’t all that bad, but I had some issues. First, Luciana is being forced to marry in place of her twin dead sister because if she doesn’t – her father dies. She accepted her faith, way too easily. Next, she must pretend to be her sister Tatiana, and she ends up being really horrible about it because her sister was a complete opposite. People are suppose to believe that she is one in the same person. The two girls grew up in two different places, so even if they were identical (I am assuming?) there would probably be some differences due to their environment and not enough time had passed between the death and Luciana assuming the role that would make up for these discrepancies. Also, I did not expect the book to resolve the problem with the king as fast as it did. I expected this to be ongoing in the series.

5. World Building – I was really, really, excited about the world at first. There are many different kingdoms and they are at war…but.. why? I wasn’t 100% sure why they kept attacking each other. Maybe I accidentally glazed over that part. There were different regents of the world, but not much is known about any of them, with the exception that the main land does not tolerate the embraced – yet multiple characters are without consequences. I felt the book would be stronger if there was more focus a bit more on world building. I get it, it’s just a paranormal romance so technically there isn’t a need for complete world building. But, since this is also a fantasy, it really would have benefited from more building.

Overall, I was really excited. I came prepared to love it and really wanted a solid paranormal (fantasy?) . Instead, I found myself rather disappointed. It didn’t help that Luciana was the most awkward virgin ever and the love scene made me cringe hard.

I think my favorite part was Brody and the dragon scene. A bit disappointed there wasn’t more of it. Instead, most of the story focused on finding assassins or assassination attacks and just, blah..

And this is just a mild annoyance, but the male lead had a head full of red hair… the cover model, doesn’t.

Now this totally could just be a me kind of thing and not the book, but for me, there was just too many things that I am not a complete fan of when it comes to books. I will probably give this author another chance as I keep hearing wonderful things about her other series.

So, I have only seen a few episodes of Game of Thrones, but Tame a Beast reminds me of that. Fantasy, dragons, kingdoms at war...its all very GoT and I liked it more than I expected. Honestly, I am not a GoT fan, but this book is good!

Luciana can talk to and see the dead. She has to pretend to be her dead twin sister,Tatiana, and marry "The Beast", a man who can harness lightening. Leo (the Beast) is the nephew of a king who wants him dead. This arranged marriage between Leo and Luciana/Tatiana is merely a way for the king to gather more land.

The book takes some time world building. You have to get the basics on the kingdoms, the people, the religions, and more. Luciana is an Embraced. Since the kings on the mainland kill Embraced, she is sent to live on an island at a convent. She and the other Embraced girls have no idea who they are or that people would kill them. I think the premise of the story is really interesting and drew me in right away. Luciana is so kind; even after her father abandoned her but kept her sister she is willing to go along with this plan that could mean certain death for them both. Leo is such a tortured hero! He has this power that nearly kills him, but he knows he needs it in order to keep his people safe. He is willing to sacrifice himself to save the people. He can't touch anyone without killing them, so his existence is lonely and isolated. He is giving up his entire life to save the people who call him the Beast. Its tragically sad!

I think this series has a great deal of potential! With each book there will be less world building necessary so the pace should pick up. There were times this book just felt so slow because of the necessary background information. However, the story is fantastic and I think this series will be well received!
Link live on 2/28/17