To Beguile a Beast (Legend of the Four Soldiers, #3)

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To Beguile a Beast (Legend of the Four Soldiers #3)

by Elizabeth Hoyt (Goodreads Author)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 4,130 ratings · 291 reviews

CAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .

Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.

TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .

Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxur...more

Mass Market Paperback, 333 pages

Published May 1st 2009 by Forever

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Beauty and the Beast

8th out of 198 books — 601 voters

SCARS ARE SEXY- Books with imperfect/disfigured/disabled heroes

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Mar 03, 2010 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, desert-island-keepers, hr-georgian-regency, retold-fairy-tales, disabled-injured-scarred, tortured-hero, own, pet-or-animal-in-story, across-the-tracks, tormented-heroine, my-5-star-romances

The third book in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series by Elizabeth Hoyt. My favorite of the series so far but I've really enjoyed them all immensely. Just one more to go. This one has a beauty and the beast theme. Alistair, the hero, is not a macho alpha type. He's a scarred recluse devoting his life to research and studies. Then a lovely woman, Helen, barges into his life to be his housekeeper. This is no light fluffy romance (which I do love) but a heart-wrenching and touching romance betwe...more

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Apr 22, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads

Yet another heart-wrenching tale of a tortured (literally) hero that had me wavering between tears and smiles. Elizabeth Hoyt's latest 'Four Soldiers' tale, "To Beguile a Beast", was one of the more touching and VERY romantic stories I've read this year. My emotions are still careening about but as long as I remember the ending I can still smile.

Helen has finally made her escape from the cold and arrogant Duke of Lister. After he seduced her as a young girl and she bore him two children, she fin...more Yet another heart-wrenching tale of a tortured (literally) hero that had me wavering between tears and smiles. Elizabeth Hoyt's latest 'Four Soldiers' tale, "To Beguile a Beast", was one of the more touching and VERY romantic stories I've read this year. My emotions are still careening about but as long as I remember the ending I can still smile.

Helen has finally made her escape from the cold and arrogant Duke of Lister. After he seduced her as a young girl and she bore him two children, she finally realized that he cared for none of them more than any other 'object' he owned. Her flight has led her to the home of Sir Alistair Munroe to be his housekeeper (and never mind that he doesn't particularly WANT a housekeeper) and as this deserted castle in the wilds of Scotland is a perfect place to hide, she has no intention of leaving...no matter how frightening or scarred or unpleasant Sir Munroe is!

Alistair is sure this beautiful woman has appeared at his remote home with her children just to tempt him. He's well aware of just how frightening his countenance is...women and children scream at his appearance; so he's managed to become content living alone in his castle. But somehow, Helen just won't leave! And before long, Alistair's home is cleaner, he's come to care for the children and Helen...is his Helen of Troy. But what will he do when he learns the truth of Helen's background? And when the Duke of Lister appears?

Why do I always seem to find the 'crying' books at the same time? I swear between this one and Jennifer Ashley's latest, my eyes may never be the same. But oh, how wonderfully romantic these stories are. The 'Four Soldiers' series by Hoyt is extra-entertaining as each book contains a story within a story. Along with the main romance, each book tells a fairy tale of a soldier returning from war who finds his love in an unusual way. In "To Beguile a Beast" the fairy tale concerns a man who can't lie and an ensorcelled princess trapped in the body of a beast. The fairy tale is told in short snippets at the beginning of each chapter and generally shadows the action in the main romance.

Hoyt does a great job of combining passion and love and the sexual tension between the hero and heroine is hot, hot, hot. Their relationship unfolds gradually through small steps of trust and caring actions. There's also a running story of soldiers betrayed by a spy and this is how the heroes in the main romances were scarred, either mentally or physically or both, in different ways. The true romance is how the heroines come to love and trust our heroes in spite of, and perhaps because of, these scars.

A truly feel-good romance with enough steam to heat your windows. I enjoyed every page of "To Beguile a Beast" and can hardly wait for "To Desire a Devil" which is scheduled for release in Nov09.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

4-4.5 stars. Great "Beauty and the Beast"-themed historical romance with interesting, flawed characters and a very clever resolution to the suspense element. Really, this story was very well done, and the sexytimes were smokin' hot. As always, I loved Elizabeth Hoyt's trademark fairy tale story that unfolded over the course of the book in the chapter introductions. This book is my favorite of the Four Soldiers series thus far.

A couple of quibbles kept me from giving it five stars, but that may v...more

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Oct 02, 2009 Penny Watson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cool-dogs

To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

When I first read Elizabeth Hoyt's debut novel, The Raven Prince, I was amazed. The last time I read a debut novel and thought, Holy Mother, here's a new author I am already addicted to, was the book Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. (If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!) The Raven Prince had a preposterous premise for the book, but nevertheless, Hoyt's writing is so fabulous that I truly didn't care. I absolutely fell in love with her "hero"- and I use...more To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

When I first read Elizabeth Hoyt's debut novel, The Raven Prince, I was amazed. The last time I read a debut novel and thought, Holy Mother, here's a new author I am already addicted to, was the book Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan. (If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!) The Raven Prince had a preposterous premise for the book, but nevertheless, Hoyt's writing is so fabulous that I truly didn't care. I absolutely fell in love with her "hero"- and I use that term very loosely, because Hoyt's heroes are flawed men, warts and all. The hero of To Beguile A Beast is no exception. Sir Alistair Munroe is horribly disfigured from an extremely traumatic wartime incident. He is cranky, blunt, irritable, and rude. I love him! And luckily for him, eventually beautiful Helen Fitzwilliam does, too. Hoyt's sex scenes are among the best written by a historical romance author...very earthy, lusty, and real. No flowery prose or formalities here. You get a very real sense of the characters' physical attraction, and that is not so common in historical romance. The underlying message about physical beauty is a theme I really like...Helen was chosen as a mistress by an arrogant duke because of her beauty, but it means nothing to her since he treats her as a possession. Alistair is so disfigured that small children scream in horror when they see him. And yet Helen and her children learn to love the man he is inside...filled with honor, integrity, and intellectual curiosity. There is nothing I like better than the redemption of a broken man through the love of a good woman (Sydnam in Balogh's Simply Love, Zsadist in JR Ward's Lover Awakened, Zarek in Kenyon's Dance With The Devil). Watching the transformation of Alistair's crumbling castle and ruined life, into a home filled with love, and a future filled with hope, is a wonderful journey for the reader. I absolutely adored this book, and I know that it will be re-read many times in the future. Thank you Elizabeth Hoyt for creating another masterpiece for romance lovers everywhere.

Grade: A+

Penelope (less)

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May 16, 2012 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical romance lovers and fans of Beauty and the Beast

Shelves: owned-copy, historical-romance, part-of-a-series, 2012-sky-s-the-limit-club, beauty-is-in-the-eye, scarred-hero, less-than-perfect-hero-or-heroine, heroine-drop-dead-gorgeous, courtesan-prostitute-mistress, heroine-is-a-mom, yearly-reading-challenge, hot-and-steamy-romance, housekeeper, kids-in-the-mix, grumpy-surly-brooding-hero, nerd-prof-scientist-genius-geek, scottish, in-disguise, recluse-hermit, fairy-tale-theme, heroine-i-liked, hero-i-liked, celibate-or-less-experienced-hero

To Beguile a Beast takes a tried and true romance theme and does it justice. In this case, the Beauty is the fugitive mistress of a powerful duke, who takes her children to start a new life, not as a kept woman, but as a legitimate housekeeper. The Beast is a naturalist who was tortured by Indians in the colonies, as the result of an ambush against British soldiers.

The writing flows and compels. The romance not only involves Helen and Alistair, but also the bond that develops between Alistair a...more

To Beguile a Beast takes a tried and true romance theme and does it justice. In this case, the Beauty is the fugitive mistress of a powerful duke, who takes her children to start a new life, not as a kept woman, but as a legitimate housekeeper. The Beast is a naturalist who was tortured by Indians in the colonies, as the result of an ambush against British soldiers.

The writing flows and compels. The romance not only involves Helen and Alistair, but also the bond that develops between Alistair and Helen's troubled children, Jamie and Abigail. I guess I am just getting older, but lately I really appreciate the idea of a hero or heroine who has children meeting someone who embraces those kids and makes them part of their life in all ways, founding their own parental bond. In this case, I loved how this relationship develops between Alistair and the children. I felt bad for them that their father wasn't really a dad to them at all. He didn't even talk to them or acknowledge them, although they didn't lack materially. They were just possessions to him. Whereas Alistair does spend time with the kids and genuinely cares about them.

As much as I liked this book, I didn't love it as much as The Raven Prince. I think the subject matter might have been a bit more dicey for me. I don't really like the idea that Helen willingly committed adultery with a married man. I understand her actions were those of a young, starstruck girl-woman, and she fully accepted the accountability for those actions. I didn't judge her for her actions, I just felt disappointed for the choices she made, but probably nowhere as near as she did. She threw away a lot for a man that wasn't worthy of her love, and paid the price for it. The one good thing that came out of it was her children, and she decides to make tomorrow a different and better day for herself and her children, which definitely shows character in a person. From a creativity standpoint, it makes sense to have a story for once about the 'other woman', but my deep-seated issues with infidelity give me a bit of heartburn about that. I'm never going to take that subject likely, so I do always feel a twinge when I read a book and the characters go down that road, past or present. Conversely, I didn't like that Alistair gave Helen such a hard time about her past when he finds out. I mean, he really rubs it in her face. Considering that his past is hardly lily white (a man who admittedly has slept with prostitutes (another ick factor for me), it was sort of like kicking a puppy. I know part of his issues were jealousy because he will never be a duke or have the powerful, accepted status in society as a duke. And also, his issues with his disfigurement. For all my disappointment with him, I did love how he rallies around Helen in her time of need and works to ensure the safety of her children from their father.

The other issue I had was I guess I expected the duke to be a bit more sinister. I was waiting for other shoe to fall, and when it does, it's a bit of a thunk instead of a bang. Helen seemed very afraid of the duke, and when he appears, he doesn't have even a smidge of the presence that Alistair has. Stylistically, I would have liked a little more Gothic flavor here. The book sort of begs for it, really. I suppose it's just my melodramatic/drama hound nature. I just felt like I wanted something deeper, more intense in this novel. Maybe more angst and flair than it had. Having said that, I do like the crafty way that Alistair deals with the situation. I love a hero who has as much or even more brains than brawn and uses them to solve a tricky problem.

Despite my misgivings, I found this to be a pleasant, highly enjoyable read. The powerful passion between Helen and Alistair made for good reading, along with the relationship between Alistair and the kids. As before, Hoyt sets an authentic historical tone that really works for this reader. The story of the beast finding love with the beauty will always be timeless and beloved to this die-hard fairy tale lover, and Elizabeth Hoyt gives it a different spin and gives it justice overall.
(less)

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Jul 15, 2010 jessa ♥dhanger♥ EvilDarkSide rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, steamy-romance

I really loved this book. It was nice to get away from your basic mundane romances with the same story lines. This was different and refreshing and not at all 'mainstream'. The hero and heroine are in their early 30's. No young first time love in this story. The hero, Alistair, is scarred, reclusive and a loner. Scarred/tortured heroes have become quite a popular genre, but many of those heroes have scars that can be covered if needed or even easily overlooked. That is not the case with Alistair...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-has-copy, audio, fairy-tale-redux, historical, read-2011, ptsd, cabin-close-quarters

To Beguile a Beast was a very enjoyable take on the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale. Hoyt breaks the mold by having the heroine be a runaway mistress of a powerful duke. While the reader has sympathy for Helen, and while Helen is sorry for her poor choices, she's also a strong woman who doesn't make excuses for her past. I liked her character a great deal.

Alistair is a a great character as well. Hoyt succeeds in creating a damaged, tortured hero. In fact, one of the great strengths of this boo...more

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Dec 16, 2012 gina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fairy-tales, romance

Romances are just... weird. They are even weirder if you listen to them. I think that I keep reading the occasional romance as a librarian because I think I need to understand the genre when providing readers advisory to romance fans. And don't get me wrong, I've read a romance or two that I liked! But ... romances are just weird.

This one has a fairy tale subplot that goes along side the story and it doesn't really add that much to the main plot except it did raise the skill of the writer in my...more

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May 09, 2009 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, owned, read-in-2009

I was very, very excited about this one, after reading the rather dismal predecessor, and I have to say it's an improvement, although I'm still a little (OK, quite) annoyed as to how easily Helen could reconcile her feelings for Alistair, and vice versa. Also, Hoyt seems to inadvertently make light of the vicious and severe injuries inflicted on Alistair. There is so much more trauma that goes with such physical and emotional damage, which wasn't explored well enough, I think. It should have bee...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Ilze rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: elizabeth-hoyt, older-heroine, dog-or-pet-as-character

Beautiful variation on the old "Beauty and the Beast" story, although this time Beauty is no innocent young girl and Alistair (the Beastly hero) has to save his Beauty and her 2 children from a rather nasty villain. Loved the 2 main characters, with all their flaws and their baggage, and how they rescued each other. The love scenes, as always in Elizabeth Hoyt's books, were amazing. The characterization of the 2 children was very, very good, especially young Abigail, who really came alive for me...more

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Jun 16, 2009 Angelc rated it 4 of 5 stars

I generally love this type of story with a scarred hero hiding away from the world, grouchy on the outside, warm and fuzzy on the inside. However Alistair was a bit too mean for my taste, he said some really cruel things to Helen! I did love the children in this book though, especially how Hoyt told a few bits of the story from 9 year old Abigail's point of view. This added a fresh perspective that isn't usually seen. If you are interested in this type of beauty and the beast story, I highly rec...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-guess-i-read-romance-novels-now

Why do I keep reading these trashy books?I never really read romance novels before last September, but since then I've somehow ended up reading about 21 and a half of them. Most of them are very corny and predictable. Maybe that's why. After finishing a huge, dark, misanthropic fantasy series with at least a hundred names to keep track of, maybe I was seeking something comforting where there's a happy ending and no central character deaths. Plus, hot corset action!

But then I kept reading them,...more Why do I keep reading these trashy books?I never really read romance novels before last September, but since then I've somehow ended up reading about 21 and a half of them. Most of them are very corny and predictable. Maybe that's why. After finishing a huge, dark, misanthropic fantasy series with at least a hundred names to keep track of, maybe I was seeking something comforting where there's a happy ending and no central character deaths. Plus, hot corset action!

But then I kept reading them, committing to finishing series out of some kind of loyalty or desire for completion. I was afraid I'd miss out if I didn't read every book in the series, but really it's not necessary. That's how they get you to buy more. I just borrow them from the library to stick it to The Man, but sometimes I feel cheated anyway. I could be reading other books, but I keep reading romance novels, nonstop.

Lately I've gotten hooked on Elizabeth Hoyt. The Raven Prince really struck me as unique and I keep going back to that author trying to chase that first high. Then I had the mad thought, " I'll just binge-read EVERYTHING she's ever written and be cured!I'll be done with the whole genre, and then I can finally get around to reading Middlemarch" Well it worked, but it didn't take as long as I thought it would. It turns out that Hoyt isn't that special, and the same tropes turn up in her books as all the other romance novels. Once I got past the novelty of non-virginal heroines and refreshingly frank sex scenes, it's all the same tortured hero formula, over and over.

It's not that this book is terrible, it's just I'm over being swept up by this kind of love story anymore.I was fully conscious of my emotions being manipulated. This book had two adorable children. and a puppy. The plot was set in motion by the previous book, in which Lady Vale helps her disgraced lady friend Helen and her illegitimate kids escape her married lover/owner by going to Scotland. Lady Vale thinks it would be cute to set her up with a one-eyed curmudgeon Alistair. It's kind of creepy when you think about it. Lady Vale saw a man who was lonely(who she didn't know all that well), and sent him a woman who needed protecting. They're unaware of her machinations. I'm not going to describe the plot further, you already know it."Ladies like a man they can fix(TM)". This one cleans his house, to boot! But I really could have liked this book, had prickly Alistair Munroe not done one of the mortal sins for romance heroes. He called Helen a whore, and never apologizes for that. Just for that, I can't give this book more than one star. It's not as bad as Potent Pleasures by Eloisa James, and it's leagues beyond horrible sexist Old Skool bodice rippers like The Flame and the Flower, but I just didn't like it very much.

Finally, I've achieved what I'd set out to do by binging on romance paperbacks. I've had too many bonbons, and I'm sick of them now. (Although, I do kind of have to read To Desire A Devil, the whole series was kind of building up Reynaud St. Aubyn, and I've read the first three books so I might as well. But then I'm done. DONE!)
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Mar 07, 2013 lia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

I read the legend of four soldiers for the second time and this is the third book in the series.

I don't like the first one, the second one is one of my favourite romance book ever and the third one doesn't left far behind.

This is a retelling of beauty and the beast. Beauty is the lovely Mrs.Helen Fitzwilliam, the mistress of Duke of Lister. She and her two children ran away from the Duke and landed in Alistair Monroe castle in Scotland.

Alistair Monroe is a celebrated naturalist and a recluse....more

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Dec 03, 2012 Moria rated it 2 of 5 stars

The first half of this book is better than the average romance novel but it falls apart in the second half. It's especially helpful not to think apart the overly contrived plot too much.

I like that the author seems to have done actual historic research & that the story is set in Georgian England instead of the overdone Regency period. Also many times in books like this the presence of children is irritating, but here two children are surprisingly the very realistic & likable characters.

N...more The first half of this book is better than the average romance novel but it falls apart in the second half. It's especially helpful not to think apart the overly contrived plot too much.

I like that the author seems to have done actual historic research & that the story is set in Georgian England instead of the overdone Regency period. Also many times in books like this the presence of children is irritating, but here two children are surprisingly the very realistic & likable characters.

Now the bad parts. The set-up is pretty ridiculous. Helen was a mistress to the Duke of Lister. Even though the affair is over, he is actually extremely generous to her. Apparently he wants her to continue living in London, though she's never asked about moving, but otherwise she seemingly has complete freedom. Although she was raised middle class, the Duke has given her a home, pays for servants, gives her jewels & other gifts, & generally she lives the life of an aristocrat. However she apparently has no life of her own because what she has done with her time over the past decade & any relationship she might have with friends is never mentioned. The Duke is an absentee father but he is actually behaving exactly as a man of his time & station would have behaved. He has never threatened or abused her in any way. Her main complaint seems to be jealousy that he didn't leave his wife for her, lost interest in her, & took newer mistresses. Yet we are supposed to see him as evil - well, just because & otherwise there would be no story.

How Helen shows up at Alistair's castle also is rather ridiculous & purely exists for the story to work. However once she moves in & they get to know each other is fun to read. Their relationship would seem somewhat realistic if it took place over 2-3 months. Unfortunately all the early action of the book talked place over less than a week, again a rather silly scenario, especially regarding Alistair's actions. He's lived as a hermit for over 6 years yet we're to believe after just a couple days with Helen he flirts outrageously with her then initiates intimacy with no problem. Also we're to believe he is so horribly scarred women & children scream & faint at the sight of him. Yet all he has is the clichéd scars on one cheek & an eye patch. The other half of his face is of course very handsome, plus he's very tall & heavily muscled even though he apparently does little physical activity besides long walks.

Once the Duke predictably takes his children back to London my interest in the book fell apart. Contrary to what many reviewers say, I found Alistair's reaction to discovering Helen's identity to be realistic. According to the timeline he only stays angry for maybe a few hours. It would be rather silly to not expect him to be angry & it doesn't last long. And his attitude is rather realistic for their time. What is silly is all he does for her after only knowing her about a week.

Of course all action after that point is tied up extremely easily. There is some extra soap-operaish drama at the end purely to draw out the story & give it more of a melodramatic, fairytale ending, none of which serves to make us at all sympathetic for the contrived, stupid "empowerment" of Helen and her actions. Instead she ends up seeming spoiled & naive. The ending basically negates what good existed in the first half of the book. I can't imagine wanting to read this again in the future.(less)

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Nov 12, 2012 Patacaisse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dans cette série, j’ai choisi que les livres dont les avis étaient dithyrambiques (ce qui m’a fait sauté le 1er et court-circuité le quatrième – enfin pour l’instant ;-) ) .
Helen Halifax est une héroïne qui nous a été présenté dans le tome 2 comme une femme aimable et très belle, maîtresse d’un duc avec lequel elle a eu deux enfants. Elle fuit ce duc et trouve refuge chez Lord Munroe (sur la suggestion de l’héroïne du tome 2).
Celui-ci vit comme un sauvage dans son manoir. Le ménage n’est pas fai...more

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May 13, 2012 Jessica Weiss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: addicting, historical-romance, romance, witty-humorous

I absolutely loved the originality of this story. Most of the time you see an ordinary heroine who feels that she is unworthy of the hero and yet in this case the situation is reversed. Sir Munroe was seen in the previous book, albeit briefly, and I was so happy to see that he got his own heroine and even better yet that he got his own book.

It's full of conflict, both inner and outer, and for once it was not over done. There were a good explanation for both Alistair and Helen's insecurities and...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

I think the audiobook might be better than the book. I adored the sex scenes.

STORY BRIEF:
Helen has been mistress to a Duke for 14 years and has two children from him. She fears he may take her children away, so she flees with the children. A friend suggests she become a housekeeper to Alistair in Scotland. Alistair was captured and tortured after a battle in the colonies. He lost an eye and his face was burned. He now lives in seclusion. He has no servants to clean and his castle looks like it....more

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Feb 29, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, nook, favorites, 4-historical

I didn't think it was possible, but yes, this was better than the last one. So, so much better. How not to love Sir Alistair? How not to admire Helen? How not to love the kids? And even the dogs... I fell in love with Alistair so quick and so profoundly I didn't want to look up from the pages. And that those scenes... (not the hot ones, but I'm the spoiler type) the most romantic in the whole wide world... and the sex scenes? Hot, sweet and everything every romantic girl ever hopes for. Everythi...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Rose May rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-minus

Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)

Book 3 in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series

Elizabeth Hoyt has an amazing series – of which I have read only 2 out of the 4 books so far, but plan on remedying that directly – on four men who are returning emotionally and, in To Beguile a Beast’s case, physically scarred from battle. In order to like this book you must:

1. Love men who you can sense truly and obvious...more Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)

Book 3 in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series

Elizabeth Hoyt has an amazing series – of which I have read only 2 out of the 4 books so far, but plan on remedying that directly – on four men who are returning emotionally and, in To Beguile a Beast’s case, physically scarred from battle. In order to like this book you must:

1. Love men who you can sense truly and obviously need a woman in their life, even if they don’t know it yet
2. Not be a hunk snob or hate slightly emo, mentally battle-scarred soldiers
3. Be able to sympathize with Helen’s mistress situation.

Please note that I could do all of those things, and thus adored the book. I love battle-scarred soldiers because they are so compassionate, loyal, and kind (clearly they are good souls because they have been scarred from the violence they have witnessed). I love watching the woman teach them love and happiness again, give them a future they never thought they could have (which Helen does in this book). To me, that’s an important part of being female and these kinds of books speak wonders about how amazing women are – we are love and happiness, and we bring our joy and light to those we love.

But to the novel. Sir Alistair Munroe is a naturalist who, while in America studying flora and fauna, was attacked along with Regiment he was travelling with. He was captured and tortured – and lost two fingers, an eye, and is covered with hideous scars on one half of his face. Helen Fitzwilliam is on the run from the Duke of Lister, to whom she was a mistress for 14 years. He is the father of her two adorable children – sweet, sensitive Abigail (9 years old) and boisterous Jamie (5 years old) whom she has with her. She and her children take refugee in his castle, under the guise of Helen being his new housekeeper. Their relationship grows and flourishes beautifully, and includes frequent, deep, sensuous lovemaking. And it’s truly lovemaking because underneath the lust the love is very, very evident.

Basically, this book was great. There were a few parts where the plot fell flat, but Hoyt made up for that with the beauty of the passion of her hero and heroine. The pain he has found in life as an ‘ugly freak’ and the pain that has been served her in life as a beauty has united them as they both seek new beginnings, away from the shallowness that has consumed their lives. It’s truly a beautiful journey. This was a romance that spoke to my soul.

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot Hot Hot!!!!

Overall Rating: A-

Bottom Line: This book has an emotional depth that pulls at your heart, as you watch Helen and especially Alistair struggle to trust and love. It’s a beautiful, touching historical that I would recommend to any non-hunk-snob. Just read it.(less)

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May 05, 2011 Adinda Owen Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sebenernya gw ga gitu suka klo herione nya punya anak, apalagi 2. Hanya aja novel EH ini bagus banget, buat penasaran walo alurnya sederhana.

Helen adalah mistress Duke (yang kaya dan udah punya istri) sejak umur 17 tahun. Dia punya 2 anak dari hubungan tersebut, namun Helen menyadari kalo dia hanya menyia-nyiakan hidupnya dengan hubungan yang ga jelas tersebut (ya iyalah... namanya mistress kan ga akan jadi apa2)
Dia udah berulang kali minta menyelesaikan hubungan tersebut namun Duke mengancam ak...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Keri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, 2010-read, elizabeth-hoyt, romance-historical, aar-top-100-poll-for-2010

Awesome read...and a very heartfelt one as well. Helen Fitzwilliam was a kept woman. But now that her benefactor has thrown her over as well as her two kids, she feels she needs to get away...way away. So thanks to the help of a friend she is now on her way to Scotland to become a housekeeper for a man that has no idea she is even coming. With a spooky cobwebbed filled moldy old castle Alistar needs one in the worst way.

Alistair is a man trapped by the scars on his face. Burned when he was capt...more

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Jun 17, 2010 Kitrisha Rasmussen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with where this book ended, especially with the characters.

It started with a lot of potential, Sir Ailister (or however you spell his name) is this tragic figure who has been disfigured in a war with the French, and Helen is this legendary beauty that ends up fleeing to Scotland. She, in her own way, is cursed by her looks as well and has ended up spending her life as a Duke's mistress because of it. Her two children, the result of her affair with the Duke, almost instantly f...more

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Jan 07, 2010 Patti Loves FAB Romance rated it 1 of 5 stars

Based on several mentions that I saw on the internet, I picked To Beguile a Beast. Bad choice. I hope this book is not representative of historical romance.

Where to begin? I just couldn't get with the plot. The heroine was the mistress of a Duke, Ms. Fitzwilliam, that decided to run away with her (and the Duke's) children because he didn't pay attention to her anymore. Not because he beat her or was blackmailing her or anything. He kept her in a house and gave her expensive gifts, he just didn'...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romance-historical, books-owned

I want you all to pay special attention to the dress on the front cover--taking the bows away from the bodice that's what I want my wedding dress to look like....with the off the shoulder sleeves and a little less fluff in the sleeves at least. Its a gorgeous dress and a gorgeous cover.

Moving past the superficial beauty of the cover--though the hero of the book is meant to be scarred badly on his face (he lost an eye and the lid was sewn shut, horrible scars on that side of the face) and only ha...more I want you all to pay special attention to the dress on the front cover--taking the bows away from the bodice that's what I want my wedding dress to look like....with the off the shoulder sleeves and a little less fluff in the sleeves at least. Its a gorgeous dress and a gorgeous cover.

Moving past the superficial beauty of the cover--though the hero of the book is meant to be scarred badly on his face (he lost an eye and the lid was sewn shut, horrible scars on that side of the face) and only have three fingers on his one hand, so ignore the cover image of the male and the inside image of the male because seriously they won't gel with the description (and unlike other times where I could forgive it, I can't forgive it when the imperfections were such a big issue in the book itself).

This is loosely based around Beauty and the Beast, if that's not entirely obvious, and follows some of that story's basic outline. Beautiful woman arrives at dark, dreary and unkempt castle, meets its 'beastly' occupant, wedges herself into his life so that she's indispensable to him, horrible family related event happens forcing her away, and then in the end true love wins out. In this case it felt a bit more like animal lust winning out--the sex scenes of the book are a little more...forceful then I am used to. Don't get me wrong--they are well written, but they seemed more of a driving force then mutual affection until the end when Alistair concocts a truly clever and ironic plan to thwart the Duke from taking the kids from Helen. For a celibate and reclusive bachelor (for seven years I believe) Alistair certainly knew how to please a woman!

I enjoyed Helen and Alistair's bantering more so then their romantic complications. He just couldn't win out (most of the time) which was probably for the best since he is possibly the world's biggest killjoy. He might have invented the term 'emo' actually. He could be so charming however, even with or without his eyepatch and his three fingered hand and scarred face that it was a crying shame that he felt so despised by people that he never left his home.

I also found it refreshing that Helen was not shrinking violet--she freely admitted to being a Duke's mistress for over a decade, that she had two illegitimate children by him and that she had entered the arrangement more or less of her own volition. Well she admitted all this once the cat was out of the bag. She couldn't tell Alistair this before for obvious reasons. There was some backpeddling involved in the story though, Helen was forced to take up the Duke's carte blanche when it became obvious her parents would not house her for instance. I admire her courage to leave everything she had known for the last thirteen or so years to escape a situation she felt was destructive.

This is part of a longer series, of four books (the fourth not yet out), but I didn't feel as if you had to have read the first two to understand the plot. Faces familiar to the other novels are mentioned, shown and explained quickly, the deeper plot of finding the spy that betrayed the soldiers way back when is also explained and dealt with and the basis for the next book is also laid out quite well. All in all its definitely one of the better examples of how to welcome readers to the middle of a series.

Interestingly at the beginning of each chapter is a short excerpt of a story that reads as a fairy tale. The book that its from is mentioned within the pages of the novel itself--a book of stories to tell children that a character from a previous novel is working on about Four Soldiers returning home, or so I came to understand. The excerpts mirror the novel's going-ons quite well without losing the 'fairy tale' like quality.

I'm interested in the first two novels now (To Taste Temptation and To Seduce a Sinner) and with book 4, To Desire a Devil, due out in November I have a bit of time to catch up!(less)

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Sep 03, 2009 Gaby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, summer-reading

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Synopsis:

Beautiful Helen Fitzwilliam escapes London with her two young children and heads to Lord Alistair Munroe's castle in Scotland. Armed with a letter from Lady Vale but knowing little about Alistair, Helen Fitzwilliam arrives in the middle of night and introduces herself as the new housekeeper. From the start, Helen wonders whether she's made the right decision. The castle is filthy, neglected, and without servants. Alistair is gruff, irritable and horribly scarred, but this may be the saf...more

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Jun 18, 2009 Terra rated it 5 of 5 stars

To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt has to be the most charming historical romance I have read in a long time. This author is new to me but not for long. I have already ordered her other books in this series and cannot wait to indulge myself in a delicious treat that has no calories. YUMM!

Helen Fitzwilliam is a woman with a mission. Having lead her adult life as a Duke's mistress she is bound and determined that she deserves better and will go to most any length to achieve this. She also wants...more

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May 12, 2009 Kristiej rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love a good Beauty and the Beast story and this one is good as that. Alister is gruff and grouchy teddy bear who is hiding away from society due to his scars. At first the last thing he wants around is a beautiful housekeeper, but ever so slowly he lets Helen and her children into his life and opens up to a less lonely and solitary life. There is a wonderful scene where he goes around waking everyone in the castle up early so he can take them all fishing.

Helen is a bit more problematic for me....more

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Apr 30, 2009 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Third book in the Four Soldiers series, though this one did not have a lot to do with the search for the traitor of Spinner Falls plot that arcs this series.

Helen, long time mistress of the Duke of Lister and mother of two of his children is on the run. With the help of a friend, she runs to an ugly castle in Scotland to be a housekeeper for Sir Alistair Munroe. Alistair is the most damaged of the heroes in this series thus far, his face is scarred and he is a missing eye. He dislikes that the s...more

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Apr 28, 2009 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
Regency Romance - April 28th, 2009
4 ½ stars

Elizabeth Hoyt's novels are something I always look forward to and To Beguile a Beast was no exception. The author has the remarkable ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. I believe this is because she really takes the time to build her characters throughout the book so readers can't help but grow to love them. Readers who have read Elizabeth's Hoyt's books know her penchant for intertwining fai...more To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
Regency Romance - April 28th, 2009
4 ½ stars

Elizabeth Hoyt's novels are something I always look forward to and To Beguile a Beast was no exception. The author has the remarkable ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. I believe this is because she really takes the time to build her characters throughout the book so readers can't help but grow to love them. Readers who have read Elizabeth's Hoyt's books know her penchant for intertwining fairy tales in her novels. In this Regency she has written a superb romance based loosely on the Beauty and Beast theme.

Helen is a beautiful woman who was seduced by a Duke when she was very young and naive. When she tried to leave him he took her child hostage until she returned. Now a notorious mistress shunned by polite society, Helen exists in a lonely life devoid of any company except for her children. Her actions controlled by the Duke. But Helen is desperate, she see no future with the aloof and distant Duke. She knows she must escape and start a new life for herself and her children. Helen realizes she cannot live in fear. When the unexpected opportunity for a different life appears she grabs it and runs. Traveling in disguise with her 2 children, she see seeks employment as a housekeeper to the reclusive Sir Alistair. However, Sir Alistair is not what she expects. Helen is disturbed by the bitter yet gentle owner and the despairs over the filthy and long neglected castle. But soon Helen realizes that this challenge is just what she and her children need.

Sir Alistair is outraged by his scheming friend's wife. He doesn't need a housekeeper especially one who is so desirable. He can't help his reaction to Helen but vows to push her and her children away at any cost. He doesn't want anyone, even her charming children. Besides, a woman that beautiful would never want a scared, wreck of a man like him. Alistair knows from experience that woman find him terrifying, if only he could stop himself from thinking of her...

At first I didn't see how the `Beast' Sir Alistair and the `Beauty' Helen would find love. Their first encounters were fiery and decidedly unfriendly. But the magic of Elizabeth Hoyt's books are how she develops the 2 characters relationship. She guides the reader from their fist signs of growing admiration to their eventual love. By the end of the book I realized how much they needed each other and how deeply they complemented each other! This book was inspiring, especially as each character realizes the depth of their courage. Helen finds her inner fortitude when she manages the castle and stand up for herself and her children. Sir Alistair stop hiding and braves society to save Helen. A wonderful, glorious, book to read and re-read!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club (less)

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Sep 16, 2012 HÜLYA rated it 5 of 5 stars

Seni Kalbime Yazdım-Elizabeth Hoyt

Bu nasıl bir kitaptı böyle.Masal gibiydi..Bayıldım..Bu ara üst üste çok güzel kitaplar okudum ki;
İki Ateş Arasında-Monica Mccarty
Beni Uzaklarda Arama -Kieran Kramer'den sonra ;

Seni Kalbime Yazdım orjinal adı To Beguile a Beast Legend of the Four Soldiers Serisinin 3.kitabı.Bence serinin en güzel kitabı idi..Bu kadar güzel bir kitap olabileceğini tahmin etmemiştim..Bir de yayın evi serinin iki kitabını da arka arkaya yayınlayınca,muhteşem bir ziyafet oldu benim i...more Seni Kalbime Yazdım-Elizabeth Hoyt

Bu nasıl bir kitaptı böyle.Masal gibiydi..Bayıldım..Bu ara üst üste çok güzel kitaplar okudum ki;
İki Ateş Arasında-Monica Mccarty
Beni Uzaklarda Arama -Kieran Kramer'den sonra ;

Seni Kalbime Yazdım orjinal adı To Beguile a Beast Legend of the Four Soldiers Serisinin 3.kitabı.Bence serinin en güzel kitabı idi..Bu kadar güzel bir kitap olabileceğini tahmin etmemiştim..Bir de yayın evi serinin iki kitabını da arka arkaya yayınlayınca,muhteşem bir ziyafet oldu benim için...Bu uygulamayı lütfen Brenda Joyce içinde yapmalılar..

Bu romanda Elizbeth Hoyt'un büyülü kalemi daha bir güzel hissediliyordu..Bunda yine Seden Gürel'e teşekkür etmek gerekir diye düşünüyorum..
Goodreads puanı 5/4,07 Benin puanım bu ara bollaştı biliyorum ama elimde değil 5/5 veriyorum.
Elime aldım ve bırakamadım..O yaralı erkek karakteri muhteşemdi münzevi erkeğimiz Sir Allister Munroe Kadın karakter ise diller destan güzel Helen Fitzwilliam..Tam bir Güzel ve Çirkin romanı idi.

Bu güzeli bir önceki kitap olan Lord Vale'nin hikayesinden tanıyoruz aslında..Lady Vale yani Melisande Fleeming ona yardım eli uzatmıştı..LOrd Vale ile bir gece kaldıkları Allister'in evinde onun durumunu görüp Helen'i kahyalık yapması için taa İskoçya'ya yönlendirmişti ki ne kadar da pratik bir kadın olduğu görülüyordu..

Helen yıllarca metresliğini yaptığı sonradan çocukları ile bir kenarda unutulduğu için küskün ve onurunu yitirmiş bir kadındı.Ailesi tarafından da terk edilip unutulmuştu.
Liester Dükü onu arayıp sormasa da bir ev açarak rahatça yaşıyorlardı Ama bir sabah çocuklarını yanında görememe korkusu onu yiyip bitiriyordu.
Lady Melisande Vale'in yönlendirmesi ile herşeyi göze alarak onu terk etmeye karar verdi..Spinner Falls'tan yüzünde yaralarla, tek gözünü kaybetmiş, ruhuna da en az yüzü kadar hasar almış bir halde kurtulan Sir Allister Munroe'nun İskoçya'sındaki kaleye gider..
Sir Allister Munroe bu kalede kendisini toplumdan izole ederek yaşamakta ve kalesinden dışarı adım atmaz.
Helen ise Londra'dan ve geçmişinden kaçtığında çocuklarını da alıp gözden uzakta olan bu şatoya sığınıp Alistair'in kahyası olarak işe başladıktan sonra yaralı adamın yüzünün altındakileri keşfeder.. Aslında ikisi de sevgiye ilgiye açtır.Çok geçmeden kendilerinin birbirlerinin kollarında bulacaklardır.
.Allister Helen'in çocuklarına onların babası gibi şefkatle yaklaşır.Onlara gerçek babalarının vermediği ilgi ve sevgiyi verir. Balığa götürür, gezilere çıkartır hatta onlar için hastalanmayı göze alarak köpek bile alır. Aynı sofrada oturur onlarla gerçek bir aile gibi..Helen'in kalbi bu adam tarafından ne kadar büyük bir tehlikede ise Allister'inki de o kadar büyük bir tehlikededir... Kesinlikle bitmesini istemedim..Çok sevdim..Tavsiyemdir..

(less)

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About Elizabeth Hoyt

Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with three untrained dogs, two angelic but bickering children, and one long-suffering husband.

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Books by Elizabeth Hoyt

To Seduce a Sinner (Legend of the Four Soldiers, #2)

The Leopard Prince (Princes Trilogy, #2)

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Quotes from To Beguile a Beast

“She leaned forward, her gaze so intense that Helen wanted to look away. “And I love him more for it. Do you hear me? He was a good man when he went away to the Colonies. He came back an extraordinary man. So many think that bravery is a single act of valor in a field of battle—no forethought, no contemplation of the consequences. An act over in a second or a minute or two at most. What my brother has done, is doing now, is to live with his burden for years. He knows that he will spend the rest of his life with it. And he soldiers on.” She sat back in her chair, her gaze still locked with Helen’s. “That to my mind is what real bravery is.”

-Sophia to Helen about Alistair.” — 6 people liked it

“Sophia looked down her long nose at the girl. “Who are you?”

“I’m Abigail, ma’am,” she said, curtsying. “This is my brother, Jamie. I apologize for him.”

Sophia arched an eyebrow. “I’ll wager you do that quite a lot.”

Abigail sighed, sounding world-weary. “Yes, I do.”

“Good girl.” Sophia almost smiled. “Younger brothers can be a chore sometimes, but one must persevere.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Abigail said solemnly.

“Come on, Jamie,” Alistair said. “Let’s go into dinner before they form a Society for Bossy Older Sisters.” — 4 people liked it

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