Title: The Beast and the Bookseller
Author: Eva Devon
eBook (though paperback is available)
Pages: 150
Publisher: Entangled
ISBN: 9781649372482
Release Date: 6-5-2023
Book Details: The eBook is published by Entangled, however the paperback is independently published and costs a butt load more money to acquire.
Where To Find It: I got my copy at B&N
Time that the story takes place? Sometime between 1813 and 1817, the book never tells us. Our only clue is that Pride and Prejudice plays heavily in this and considering that Jane Austen signs a copy of the Leading Lady’s book, it has to be before she died. So that’s where I got my timeframe.
POV? Third person
What caught your eye? Well, it has Beast and Bookseller in the title, what more did I need? It was also on sale for a stupidly cheap price, so into the cart it went.
Did you enjoy it? Yes and no. Depending on the chapter I was on, I loved it, other times, I found it tolerable.
Was it predictable? Up to a point. But seeing as this was so vastly different from most books of this time and genre, I wasn’t certain where or how this story was going to play out.
Was it sexy? Tame? Odd sexy. The first time they are together, there’s a mention of Elizabeth (the Leading Lady) still in her stockings and boots, wearing nothing else, just the stockings and boots and things are happening, and her booted feet are mentioned again and I’m all like . . . “Listen, you all gotta take those boots off or someone’s gonna get hurt. That’s all I’m saying.” But they never once mentioned the boots coming off! And they don’t even do it in the bed the first time! They do it in front of a fire, in a room in a coaching inn! Do you have any idea how dirty those places are? I mean, sure, maybe that’s why the boots were left on, but you’re going to put your bare ass on a rug that just anyone has stomped on? I don’t even like sitting on sofas at The Marriott, I’m sure as hell not getting on the floor.
Did you find it funny? Entertaining? Not gut busting funny, but certainly entertaining. Interesting and entertaining. I smiled a couple of times, that’s about it.
Would you read it again? I honestly don’t know. I want to say yes, but it was lacking in something that I can’t put my finger on. There were moments were I really struggled to keep going and only did press on because the NOOK said I only had 30 more pages to go. Sweet hell, those 30 pages just DRAGGED.
Is this part of a series? It is, Once Upon A Wallflower and this is Book One!
*As I wrote this review for a friend, P&P stands for Pride and Prejudice*
Okay, we both love P&P and I’m always super jazzed to see any Austen works put into a novel for reference. However, I feel like this was seriously overdone. Elizabeth, she’s the Leading Lady, I know right? What a coincidence! Anyway, Elizabeth is working at her father’s bookstore, Sharpe and Son. Her father has all but succumbed to his grief in losing his wife roughly a year before, in an attempt to Sharpe his “proper” heir, a son, the wife dies, leaving daughter Elizabeth behind and thus “unworthy” of not only inheriting the business, but actually running it. Even though, that’s all Elizabeth does, she runs that store inside and out and the place is thriving.
There’s a contract or tradition that’s contractually obligated, I don’t know, it’s stupid . . . However, Sharpe and Son are to deliver books to the Duke’s house every week and Papa Sharpe has been so into his drink of late that he’s fallen behind on his duties. Duke boy is pissed and wants his books. He NEEDS his books. (Like, it’s a whole thing about the books, with both of them. We’re talking drug junkie need here, it was almost too much.)
But Papa Sharpe is not there, and Elizabeth must deal with the beastly Duke and says she’ll bring him his beloved books every week. Anything to keep the store afloat.
She starts bringing the books, and of course that’s all she wrote.
Well, not really, but honestly, it’s just so damned predictable that it’s not even worth going into it all. It was a pleasant enough read, but at times I really struggled to keep going with it. It was romantic enough, but not enough to go, “OMG that is so romantic! What a catch of a man!” He—the Duke—is only interesting in private. Most of the time he’s a dick to everyone. Even at the end of the book, he’s being an ass to Elizabeth, and one his friend (the dude only has one), and honestly there wasn’t enough conflict to make this story interesting. Don’t even get me started on the whole Duke in love with a Shop Girl scandal, it just didn’t work.
So many parts of this book were underdeveloped while others were harped on too much. 150 pages? While I’d say this should have been expanded to at least 250 or 300 pages, I don’t think more would have been a good thing.
And there was just too much mention of Elizabeth and Darcy, too much referencing of Austen and her work. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it was true, it was just too much.
The story ends with Duke boy bringing Elizabeth an autographed copy of P&P, with possibly the stupidest inscription I’ve ever seen. All I could think was, Jane Austen would not have written that! Just, no.
