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Beauty

(Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #20.5)

Laurell K. Hamilton (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 6,910 ratings · 319 reviews

The steamy outtake that takes readers even further into Laurell K. Hamilton’s bestselling novel, Kiss the Dead.

You’d think I’d get used to seeing such a beautiful man and knowing he was mine, but it never grew old, as if his beauty and the fact that he was mine, and I was his, would forever surprise me.

With a vampire like Jean Claude around, it’s far too easy for Anita Bl ...more

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Kindle Edition, 33 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Penguin

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3.69 ·

Rating details

· 6,910 ratings · 319 reviews

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May 09, 2012 Lilie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Mais quelle daube! C'est une honte de faire payer les gens pour ça, Laurell, tu me déçois de plus en plus!

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Sep 25, 2018 Susan added it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, 2013, 2018

my habit of only reading the first line of a couple of paragraphs per page (screen) if it's the middle of a sex scene in an Anita Blake novel (story) -- I "read" this one in about 10 mins this time!

Laurell K. Hamilton's grandmother has a lot to answer for in the presence of her maker, fer sure!

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Aug 07, 2017 Louisa rated it it was amazing

A sweet novella/outtake, of Anita, Jean-Claude and Asher! Really enjoyed it, need to read more!

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Apr 09, 2018 Rita rated it did not like it

Shelves: vampires

Crap.

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Jun 11, 2012 All Things Urban Fantasy rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewed-by-julia, earc

It’s been a long time since the Anita Blake series and I have been on the same page. Once the subject of many, many re-reads, the world of Anita and her boys have fallen by the wayside as of late (though Merry Gentry still gets re-reads every few years). The series’ later books have become largely internal, both in terms of the pedantic dialogue explaining the world according to Anita and the disappearance of the mundane world. I’ve heard HIT LIST is a return to police work, but I’m not entirely It’s been a long time since the Anita Blake series and I have been on the same page. Once the subject of many, many re-reads, the world of Anita and her boys have fallen by the wayside as of late (though Merry Gentry still gets re-reads every few years). The series’ later books have become largely internal, both in terms of the pedantic dialogue explaining the world according to Anita and the disappearance of the mundane world. I’ve heard HIT LIST is a return to police work, but I’m not entirely convinced that wouldn’t just find OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY repackaged (How many times have we read Anita facing off with a local cop that thinks she’s either A. just a pretty face B. a vamp whore or C. a witch. Mayhem ensues). Still, it is on my TBR list for when I can get my hands on a copy, and after reading the excerpt following BEAUTY, KISS THE DEAD lands on that list as well.

When I picked up BEAUTY I expected something along the lines of FLIRT, a vignette where Anita learns something new regarding the title. For someone with several devoted lovers and magical irresistibility, I’ve long since lost patience with Anita’s self-esteem issues. So when BEAUTY opens with Anita wondering how she could have won someone as gorgeous as Jean Claude, I was worried. Luckily, BEAUTY’s shortness is an asset, that moment comes and goes. Anita and Jean Claude in the tub reminds me so much of their first, visceral scene together in THE KILLING DANCE, but this time around, there was no shaky laughter or condom packets being traced along skin, their love making has progressed to tops and bottoms and threesomes with Asher. And while Asher brings his characteristic splash of drama, things quickly progress to a ménage à trois. The mechanics of the sex scenes in Hamilton books always makes me want to draw force diagrams and marvel at technique (though I doubt any of us will need to know how to go down on a vampire who hasn’t fed recently).

To get any emotional impact in a sex scene, I prefer a particularly affecting first for the characters (like Anita and Jean Claude in the tub for the first time) or something that speaks to a particular fantasy (this one didn’t for me). The scene in BEAUTY was short, graphic, and didn’t hit either of the two milestones I mentioned. The fringe of story around the sex scene was ok, with a minimum of pedantry from Anita, but Jean Claude was the real sweet spot for me. He is just so happy in this scene, both with Anita’s comfort level and being together with her and Asher. That more than anything was the part of BEAUTY that I’ll remember fondly.

As if anticipating my wish for world building, after the “ménage à bath” there is a sneak peak at KISS THE DEAD. This excerpt was exactly what I could have hoped for: Anita interrogating a crazy vamp, along with a Dolph and Zebrowski cameo (Zebrowski entering the room in all his rumpled glory made me squee). Though the interrogation seems to point more towards a vampire plot than police work, it was great to be back inside the RPIT, if only for a moment. BEAUTY was ok at best, but the excerpt hints at a story that I might enjoy reading, once my local library has it on the shelf.

Sexual Content: A ménage à trois. ...more

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May 17, 2012 Julia rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, arcs, dropbox

Short and sweet-ish... It's been a long time since Anita and I have been on the same page. Once the subject of many, many re-reads, the world of Anita and her boys have fallen by the wayside as of late (though Merry Gentry still gets re-reads every few years). Anita's world has become largely internal, both in terms of her repetitive monologues explaining the world according to Anita and the disappearance of the mundane world. I've heard HIT LIST is a return to police work, but I'm not entirely Short and sweet-ish... It's been a long time since Anita and I have been on the same page. Once the subject of many, many re-reads, the world of Anita and her boys have fallen by the wayside as of late (though Merry Gentry still gets re-reads every few years). Anita's world has become largely internal, both in terms of her repetitive monologues explaining the world according to Anita and the disappearance of the mundane world. I've heard HIT LIST is a return to police work, but I'm not entirely convinced that I couldn't just re-read OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY and get the same content (Anita faces off with local cop that thinks she's either A. a pretty face B. a vamp whore or C. a witch. Mayhem ensures).

When I picked up BEAUTY I expected something along the lines of FLIRT, a vignette where Anita learns something new regarding the title. For someone infinitely desirable, I've long since lost patience with Anita's self-esteem issues. So when BEAUTY opens with Anita wondering how she could have won someone as gorgeous as Jean Claude, I was worried. Luckily, BEAUTY's shortness is an asset, that moment comes and goes. Anita and Jean Claude in the tub reminds me so much of their first, visceral scene together in THE KILLING DANCE (which I think I read a million times). This time around, there was no shaky laughter or condom packets being traced along skin, their love making has progressed to tops and bottoms and threesomes with Asher. And while Asher brings his characteristic splash of drama, things quickly progress to sex. The mechanics of sex scenes in Hamilton books always makes me want to draw force diagrams and marvel at technique (though I doubt I'll ever need to know details about going down on a vampire who hasn't fed recently).

With sex scenes, unless they're a particularly affecting first for the characters (like Anita and Jean Claude in the tub for the first time) or something that speaks to a particular fantasy (this one didn't for me), I won't be back to re-read again. The sex scene in BEAUTY was short, graphic, and didn't hit either of the two milestones I mentioned. The fringe of story around the sex scene was ok, with a minimum of pedantry from Anita. Jean Claude was the sweet spot that really stood out for me. He is just so happy in this scene, both with Anita's comfort level and being together with her and Asher. That more than anything was the part of this story that I'll remember fondly.

As if anticipating my wish for world building, after the menage a bath there is a sneak peak at KISS THE DEAD. This excerpt was exactly what I could have hoped for: Anita interrogating a crazy vamp, along with a Dolph and Zebrowski cameo (and Zebrowski entering the room in all his rumpled glory made me squee). Though the interrogation seems to point more towards a vampire plot than police work, it was great to be back inside the RPIT.

Full review to follow.

Sexual Content: A menage a trois.

...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This deleted scene starts off a bit annoying but then gets HOT. The ménage a trios shows us why Anita loves her men, Jean Claude and Asher.

Opening Sentence: Once upon a time I’d had no one to go home to after a crime scene, but that was back in the day when I’d done nothing but hunt bad guys and raise zombies.

The Review:

I want to start off this review saying that Beauty is just a deleted scene. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no plot. I Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This deleted scene starts off a bit annoying but then gets HOT. The ménage a trios shows us why Anita loves her men, Jean Claude and Asher.

Opening Sentence: Once upon a time I’d had no one to go home to after a crime scene, but that was back in the day when I’d done nothing but hunt bad guys and raise zombies.

The Review:

I want to start off this review saying that Beauty is just a deleted scene. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no plot. It is just a quick scene of Anita heading home after a stressful day and working off some steam with Jean Claude and Asher. It is real short, just two chapters.

Anita starts off nit picking about her lifestyle and how people just can’t accept her and her many boyfriends. (What is not new? Of course, I’m one of those people who don’t really like the direction Anita has been going but I still read the series anyway.) But once Anita focuses more on the bathtub, Jean Claude and Asher the scene is a much better read and it reads quickly without much of the annoyance factor. It is so much easier to read Anita when she is focused on the task at hand, not when she is complaining.

Overall, Beauty is a hot ménage scene if you can get past the initial complaining at the beginning. Since it is a deleted scene don’t expect much out of this except for Anita’s completion. I would really only recommend this for the lovers of Anita’s erotic nature.

Notable Scene:

I just stared at him, wordless, struck stupid by the sight of him. I felt Jean-Claude go very still as he held me, as if he was having the same inability to think that I was having. That smile curled his lips, the one I could only describe as evil. He smiled down at us with a shining, eager, beautiful, and evil smile, put his thumbs in the front of the thong, and began to slide it down his body, watching us as he did it. He stood up with it in his hand, still wearing the unbuttoned tuxedo shirt so that it framed his groin, the cloth only a little more white than his skin. He lay soft, not ready between his legs.

Jean-Claude had to clear his throat to say, “You haven’t fed yet.”

“I knew I would have Anita waiting for me, why would I want to feed on anyone else?”

Since one of Asher’s vampire gifts was the ability to make his bite orgasmic, I couldn’t really argue with his reasoning. “Works for me,” I whispered.

FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley provided me with a copy of Beauty. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Jody Mena rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Alright... I love Jean-Claude and Asher, and the BDSM and ménage à trois is fun and full of possibilities, but honestly, Anita's colorful sexcapades have become so predictable that some good old fashioned 2-person missionary sex with even the slightest bit of intimacy would be a lot more thrilling at this point; this wasn't even a story, it was like a porn-without-plot fanfiction (which I can find all over the internet for free) that just happened to be written by the author.

The story started of ...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Mariachiara rated it it was ok

L’ebook contiene non un racconto, ma una scena di vita (e diaciamolo pure, di sesso) di Anita con Jean Claude e Asher, e l’inizio di Kiss the dead in anteprima…..

se non è genio del marketing questo….tutti i fan sentivano la mancanza di Jean Claude negli ultimi libri e zac eccoli accontentati con questo contentino…..da pagare naturalmente…..se poi scopro che Jean Claude non compare nemmeno in kiss the dead con qualche scena decente giuro che sclero……!

Di per sè la scena d’amore a tre è carina…null ...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Sheri rated it it was ok

I was unsure whether to read this or not. However, I thought...well, no if I plan on reading the next book I should read this one. Also, since the last few books had very little in the way of my two favorite hunky vamps, I figured I would read it anyway. I can see why people are annoyed. I would say that Laurell is one of my favorite authors. However to go from the start of the series to here and it has lost a bit of something it had in the beginning. Starting out it was about the storeline more ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Jodi rated it liked it

Shelves: 2012-read, hamilton-laurell-k, kindle

This was a delightful interlude, a two chapter lovemaking scene between Anita, Asher and Jean-Claude that was cut from Kiss of the Dead because while it was sweet and erotic, it wasn't going to take the plot anywhere. Unlike a single title, non-series book, where you can have scenes that don't appear to advance the plot but really do because they advance the relationship, we no longer have time for those scenes. But it's nice to see lovemaking that has nothing to do with feeding or saving lives ...more

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May 15, 2012 Shawn rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-star, series, shifters, 1-1-1, vampire

I am giving this diddy 3 stars because it gives me some hope. Anita seems to be over her "Ugh! Don't look at my body, I can't believe I'm sleeping with all these men" thing she's had going on since I can remember when. The Anita we get to see in this little snippet is more confident in her body and with her sexuality. Of course there is still that annoying self-doubt thing she has, and probably always will, but I can totally forgive that.

I can only hope the rest of the new book takes us to that ...more

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Nov 07, 2014 Debbie Chittenden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series

A very short story of a tet-a-tet between Asher, Jean Claude, and Anita. After a long days work she needs her men. Jean Claude and Asher have a very special relationship spanning many years. As before with Juliette, so is true now with Anita... they both love her deeply. They both share her together "swimmingly". The love and passion from these three is unstoppable. Of course, that's if one could ignore Asher's moodiness.

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May 09, 2012 Lu-Rosa rated it liked it

Well I read this very very very short special. I don't know why Hamilton even wrote it, better yet why she made people pay for such a short story. She should of put it on her website as like an extra or something. About the actual story itself, I must say, I do miss Anita just being with one man at a time. This threesomes, foursomes or how-ever-many-somes make for good bed scenes but I do miss the one-on-ones. I just hope the next book has more crime solving.

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Jun 05, 2012 NhaughtyV says Damn the Zon Save the Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: anita-blake, erotic, paranormal, vampire, vilf

Naughty Anita, how I've missed you!!! For those who missed JC & Asher in the last installment, Ms. Hamilton has gifted us with a smexxy story of just Anita and these two VILF's (Vamps I'd Like to F*ck)! This is a VERY short story, and can be read in less than an hour, but you will for sure be clutching your naughty parts during that time! Highly recommend for those who luvs Anita when she's being a "bad" girl with her men!

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Dec 19, 2015 Anna 'Bookbuyer' call me bookbuyer. ^-^ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, april

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

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Dec 02, 2015 Cindy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Basically an outtake - I'm glad that this was a 'library book' (via digital checkout) because I'd have been upset to have paid real money for this. It was a sex scene that was apparently cut from the novel (really? I can't imagine why...) There's no plot to get in the way of the action. Mindless entertainment.

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May 08, 2012 Paris (kerbytejas) marked it as read-to-2012

Shelves: dnf

pretty boring, short, plot less....not even good writing for a sex scene( I think Ms. Hamilton needs to read a few new authors to discover how a good sex scene is written - and I have read every Anita & Merry book she has written - this is by far some of the worst writing)

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May 12, 2012 Sandy rated it really liked it

I always enjoy the steamy bits from Anita. The way these three characters work a scene together just makes me want to jump in the middle. Well done, well done indeed.

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May 14, 2012 Roxanne rated it did not like it

Basically a threesome with Jean-Claude and Asher and the snippet for Kiss the Dead wasn't really worth my time or money. It was just Anita interviewing a vampire at the police station. Bleh

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Aug 04, 2015 Yessenia Andaverde rated it did not like it · review of another edition

It's just a sex scene of 15 minutes. Not worth be called a novella. There is nothing interesting about it, and really you could see scenes like this one in about any other of Anita's books.

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Jul 02, 2012 Crystal rated it really liked it

i really did enjoy it but no way was that worth my three dollars. if i would have known how truly short it was i never would have purchased it. feel a little ripped off.

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Apr 10, 2012 Carrie (Book Fairy) Fort rated it it was amazing

Shelves: anita-blake

I don't care what anyone says that was worth a couple bucks. Anita with jean and Asher is one of my all time favorite things to read about and as always SHE DID NOT DISAPPOINT

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May 13, 2012 Amy rated it liked it

It was only 33 pages not much to hate or love.

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May 18, 2012 Katie rated it did not like it

i can't believe laurell k. hamilton made people pay for this. the writing was awful and it felt like 3 pages. I am so happy i did not buy it and if i had i would be pissed about wasting my money.

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Jun 14, 2012 Susan1566 rated it did not like it

Shelves: paranormal, romance, shifters, vampire

This was not worth the time it took to read it. I look forward to all Laurell Hamilton's books but this one was too short with no purpose to it.

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May 08, 2012 Ashley rated it liked it

Too short. The first chapter of kiss the dead was good though. Can't wait!

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Apr 14, 2018 Author rated it did not like it

As I have been re-reading this series I keep changing my ratings of things I used to really enjoy down to about three stars. Three stars because, while I find so many problems with the storyline, it's still a series that makes me curious and has me reading to see if it will ever have some kind of conclusion, so I have to give it some credit for something about it being compelling and interesting.

All of that being said, I think this short excerpt is the perfect example of everything that I've fou As I have been re-reading this series I keep changing my ratings of things I used to really enjoy down to about three stars. Three stars because, while I find so many problems with the storyline, it's still a series that makes me curious and has me reading to see if it will ever have some kind of conclusion, so I have to give it some credit for something about it being compelling and interesting.

All of that being said, I think this short excerpt is the perfect example of everything that I've found has gone wrong with the Anita Blake series. It's become so much about the sex (not that I'm against romance/erotic novels or the genre in the least), but the sex itself is repetitive and almost always uses the same words and phrases. Anita's reactions are always the same. The guys' reactions are always the same. The only thing that is ever different is who is involved and positions really. I bet if you looked at every sex scene in these series you'd find they all contain the same phrases to describe Anita's behaviors and even similar phrases from the guys to respond to her.

When the books aren't about the same old sex lines, they're about the same old summaries of things that have happened the reader should already know. I know in a series a good author will remind the reader of major events that haven't happened in a while to make up for the time between release dates, but this series seems to constantly have paragraphs and paragraphs summarizing things that could be mentioned in a line. Really, if a reader needs more than that, they should go back and read the earlier books. In my experience, most readers just need a sentence or two and they remember.

Third, if the series isn't talking about sex, or things that already happened, it's talking about appearances. What this guy looks like, his eye color, his hair length, and of course, his fashion sense that day. I get the clothes being mentioned when it comes to people like Jean Claude or Asher, but Richard or Micah are pretty standard so why bother unless it's about contrasting how simple they are compared to the others? Also, do we need paragraphs about their appearances? It's book 20, and most of them have been around for a while. We know what they look like. Give us touches of what's important at that moment and move on. It always feels like the story stops when a guy walks in the room, we obsess about their appearance, Anita thinks about sex, everybody does some touching, and then it's "Oh, yeah, why are we here?"

It just starts to feel like I could skip over 2/3rds of the books lately and still finish the book knowing anything that's important for the story arc of that book, or the arc of the series. It's a shame, as there's a lot of originality and great stuff in this series, you just have to wade through all of the above to get to it.

If you want a sex scene, that's what this is. I don't recommend it to anyone. Rent it from the library for 10 minutes and save yourself the money. It won't take you more than that to read it.
...more

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Apr 18, 2018 J. Klug rated it really liked it

An outtake from the bestselling novel, Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton.

It's easy for Anita Blake to doubt her beauty when there are sexy vampires like Jean Claude around. However, with the help of a large hot tub two incredibley sexy men (well vampires)- Jean Claude and Asher- will make her feel like the most desirably woman alive...

Although short, only 30 pages, this was a hot little preview into the newest Anita Blake novel that left me anxiously awaiting the release of Kiss the Dead.

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May 06, 2018 Blagica rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018

I was disappointed in this novel compared to most of her other Anita Blake novels. It was nothing but sex, and I was expecting some sort of story line. So if you want nothing but steamy sex scenes, it's great. But if you want plot, don't bother with this one. You could have just added this to chapters in a book and called it done.

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About Laurell K. Hamilton

Laurell K. Hamilton

19,406 followers

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the leading writers of paranormal fiction. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Hamilton writes the popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels and the Meredith Gentry series. She is also the creator of a bestselling comic book series based on her Anita Blake novels and published by Marvel Comics. Hamilton is a full-time writer and lives in the suburbs of St. Louis ...more