"Beauty and the Baron" by Joanna Barker

 


Rose Sinclair is determined to take care of her father after his bad choices led him to debtor's prison. She approaches Lord Norcliffe with fear and trembling to ask for a position within his household in order to work of her father's personal debt to him. He gruffly allows her to take the position of undermaid.

Henry, Lord Norcliffe, has had too many people take advantage of him. He's lived as a decided recluse for the past few years. But something about Rose draws him, even with the ways her father wronged him.

This is a short retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I've heard a lot of good things about Joanna Barker so I hoped to really enjoy this story, but I felt like it was sadly underdeveloped and the interaction between the characters was not natural. Also, if I hadn't known about the Beauty and the Beast connection, I'm not sure I would have caught it, as that's not my favorite fairy tale or one I'm super familiar with.

Overall, a quick read that readers of Regency fiction and fairy tale retellings might enjoy.