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The Duke Is A Lion
An Adult Retelling of Beauty and The Beast...
Braxton Grantham, the Duke of Sherborne was a fearless warrior, a legendary general, and extremely loyal to his king until he was betrayed by him. King Edgar sentenced Braxton to death for a treasonous act he didn’t commit. As he was dying, Braxton made a pact with a demon that granted him power of revenge. But the power also had corrupted Braxton. He turned into a beast and was cursed to live forever in loneliness…unless, he can find a woman who will love him unconditionally despite his beastly appearance.
Bella Sutcliff is the youngest daughter of a formerly wealthy merchant who had fallen into rough times. Because her father was unable to pay taxes, the town chief chose her as this year’s tribute maiden. Every year for the past four centuries, the townsfolk of Sherborne are required to send a young woman as the bride of the Beastly Duke. Rumor has it he kills each bride if she displeases him in any way.
When Belle arrives at the Grantham’s estate, she doesn’t find the beast as repulsive as the rumors she’d heard. In fact, Belle finds him as a kindred soul. But will it be enough to break the four-hundred years’ curse that had imprisoned the Duke in his beastly shell? Can a maiden’s touch melt away the jaded heart of a cursed man?
Braxton Grantham, the Duke of Sherborne was a fearless warrior, a legendary general, and extremely loyal to his king until he was betrayed by him. King Edgar sentenced Braxton to death for a treasonous act he didn’t commit. As he was dying, Braxton made a pact with a demon that granted him power of revenge. But the power also had corrupted Braxton. He turned into a beast and was cursed to live forever in loneliness…unless, he can find a woman who will love him unconditionally despite his beastly appearance.
Bella Sutcliff is the youngest daughter of a formerly wealthy merchant who had fallen into rough times. Because her father was unable to pay taxes, the town chief chose her as this year’s tribute maiden. Every year for the past four centuries, the townsfolk of Sherborne are required to send a young woman as the bride of the Beastly Duke. Rumor has it he kills each bride if she displeases him in any way.
When Belle arrives at the Grantham’s estate, she doesn’t find the beast as repulsive as the rumors she’d heard. In fact, Belle finds him as a kindred soul. But will it be enough to break the four-hundred years’ curse that had imprisoned the Duke in his beastly shell? Can a maiden’s touch melt away the jaded heart of a cursed man?
78 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2017
7 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Lizzie Lynn Lee
81 books251 followersLizzie Lynn Lee was a guitarist, receptionist, executive assistant, tarot reader, boutique owner, and graphic artist before she discovered that writing is her dream job. The advantage is that she can do it in her pajamas and socks.
She's an incurable chatterbox, heavy metal aficionado, bookworm, digital enthusiast, and a night owl since most of her stories were done in the wee hours of the morning because of her caffeine-induced insomnia.
These days she still plays her guitar whenever she gets bored staring at her computer's screen or plotting the most elaborate scheme of world domination. Fortunately, she has a chronically short attention span.
Email: lizzie@ilizzie.com
Website: http://www.iLizzie.com.
She's an incurable chatterbox, heavy metal aficionado, bookworm, digital enthusiast, and a night owl since most of her stories were done in the wee hours of the morning because of her caffeine-induced insomnia.
These days she still plays her guitar whenever she gets bored staring at her computer's screen or plotting the most elaborate scheme of world domination. Fortunately, she has a chronically short attention span.
Email: lizzie@ilizzie.com
Website: http://www.iLizzie.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 25, 2017
She Curious Not Scared
An ARC was given to me and I agreed to review it voluntarily. My opinions are my own. This is a well done adaptation of Beauty And The Beast. After being chosen to be the sacrifice this year, she was willing to do it, if it helps her family. Not being a fearful person helps her to able to stand up to whatever she has had to deal with in life. The Beast gets a sacrifice this year who actually interests him because she's not weeping, wailing and frightened. Enjoy I did.
An ARC was given to me and I agreed to review it voluntarily. My opinions are my own. This is a well done adaptation of Beauty And The Beast. After being chosen to be the sacrifice this year, she was willing to do it, if it helps her family. Not being a fearful person helps her to able to stand up to whatever she has had to deal with in life. The Beast gets a sacrifice this year who actually interests him because she's not weeping, wailing and frightened. Enjoy I did.
February 13, 2017
Well this book is definitely a bit different to the normal Fairy Tales about Beauty and The Beast. Bella has the misfortune to be chosen as this years sacrifice to the to appease the curse of the Sherbone community. She is not to impressed with the honour but will do her duty to protect her father and sisters. Bella is quite intelligent and good with a bow and arrow not your normal maiden sent to be sacrificed to a creature no one has seen in four hundred years. Bella is about to meet the beast and she will make up her own mind. Thank you to Lizzie Lynn Lee for the lovely review copy.
November 16, 2019
Great
I love batb retellings. This is by far my favorite. The author put some nice twists into it. My only nitpick.. was that I felt that she did rush through some things..like in the middle..I felt it was rush..and the ending felt kinda rush too. Overall, very unique and original.
I love batb retellings. This is by far my favorite. The author put some nice twists into it. My only nitpick.. was that I felt that she did rush through some things..like in the middle..I felt it was rush..and the ending felt kinda rush too. Overall, very unique and original.
February 19, 2019
Fácil y rápido de leer.
February 6, 2017
I received this book as an ARC for a voluntary and honest review.
In this book we meet Bella Sutcliffe and Braxton Grantham. Bella has been chosen as this years sacrifice to the beast. Bella figures she will take on this challenge like she has taken on all the others in her life with her head held high. Little did she know how much she would need to remember that. Once she meets the beast she realizes there is more him then most people care to find out. Can she be the one to save him or will she just be another woman from her town who is lost for all time?
Braxton only wanted to fight for his king and bring back honor and glory. Little did he know that while he was fighting for the kingdom there were others spreading lies about him. So when he returns and is sentenced to death he finds a demon that offers him revenge. Little did he know what all that revenge would cost him. Braxon will spend the next 400 years looking for a way to break his curse. When he meets Bella he wonders if this could be the one but doesn't want to get his hopes up. Can he finally have met the one woman who can make him whole again or will he be curse to give into the evil for all eternity?
This book does have a beauty and the beast story with a twist. It does have some twists that you will never see coming. I want to tell you all about them but don't want to ruin it for any other readers. I will say this book will have you hooked from the first word to the very end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
In this book we meet Bella Sutcliffe and Braxton Grantham. Bella has been chosen as this years sacrifice to the beast. Bella figures she will take on this challenge like she has taken on all the others in her life with her head held high. Little did she know how much she would need to remember that. Once she meets the beast she realizes there is more him then most people care to find out. Can she be the one to save him or will she just be another woman from her town who is lost for all time?
Braxton only wanted to fight for his king and bring back honor and glory. Little did he know that while he was fighting for the kingdom there were others spreading lies about him. So when he returns and is sentenced to death he finds a demon that offers him revenge. Little did he know what all that revenge would cost him. Braxon will spend the next 400 years looking for a way to break his curse. When he meets Bella he wonders if this could be the one but doesn't want to get his hopes up. Can he finally have met the one woman who can make him whole again or will he be curse to give into the evil for all eternity?
This book does have a beauty and the beast story with a twist. It does have some twists that you will never see coming. I want to tell you all about them but don't want to ruin it for any other readers. I will say this book will have you hooked from the first word to the very end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
February 20, 2017
2.5 stars...skimmed here and there.
January 30, 2017
Braxton, the Duke of Sherborne, was on a quest for his king for 5 years. Upon his return, instead of being thanked, he is accused of treason he didn't commit. Enraged by the injustice, he begs any force for the ability to get his revenge. A demon grants his wish and he instantly turns into a beast with great strength who is able to fight free and kill the king. However Braxton is now so hideous that even his long time servants prefer to cut their own eyes out than look at him. The demon says he can be free of the curse is a lady falls in love with the beast.
400 years later in a small town on Braxton lands, it is time for the annual sacrifice. The town sends one young lady to the castle to be the beast's bride every year. The lady is never seen again. This year Bella has been chosen for the sacrifice. Her once wealthy family has fallen onto hard times and she was taken to be the sacrifice due to her father's unpaid taxes. When Bella arrives at the castle for the first time Braxton feels something. She doesn't scream or try to cut her eyes out when she sees him. Could she be the one to break his curse?
This is an interesting twist on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I really enjoyed this story. I voluntarily received a copy of this story and this is my honest review.
400 years later in a small town on Braxton lands, it is time for the annual sacrifice. The town sends one young lady to the castle to be the beast's bride every year. The lady is never seen again. This year Bella has been chosen for the sacrifice. Her once wealthy family has fallen onto hard times and she was taken to be the sacrifice due to her father's unpaid taxes. When Bella arrives at the castle for the first time Braxton feels something. She doesn't scream or try to cut her eyes out when she sees him. Could she be the one to break his curse?
This is an interesting twist on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I really enjoyed this story. I voluntarily received a copy of this story and this is my honest review.
February 10, 2017
Beauty and the Beast Reimagined - with a twist or two just to make it interesting.
Duke of Sherborne, Braxton Grantham, warrior, general, loyal to His King, is betrayed and sentenced to death as a traitor to the Crown. He is so enraged by this verdict, pronounced with no proof only the whisperings of an evil advisor, that as he lay dying he made a deal with be it god, demon or something else, that this injustice would be avenged. And so it is, in the aftermath. Braxton is so ashamed of what he has become that he banishes himself to live in solitude for the rest of his days.
Until, after hundreds of years, into his life comes...Bella. And we all know the story from there - oh, but you should really read on because this story takes more than a few unexpected twists along its journey to HEA.
I liked this retelling - it was a tale as old as time - with a bit of dark and twisted thrown it just for an extra bit of spice! Bella was likable and yet somewhat stubborn and headstrong young woman. A bit of a pollyanna but still pleasant while still being curious and intelligent.
Braxton was the tortured soul one expects of the "beast" - torn between himself and the being that inhabits his body. There is definitely more than meet the eye with this twisted hero.
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy.
Duke of Sherborne, Braxton Grantham, warrior, general, loyal to His King, is betrayed and sentenced to death as a traitor to the Crown. He is so enraged by this verdict, pronounced with no proof only the whisperings of an evil advisor, that as he lay dying he made a deal with be it god, demon or something else, that this injustice would be avenged. And so it is, in the aftermath. Braxton is so ashamed of what he has become that he banishes himself to live in solitude for the rest of his days.
Until, after hundreds of years, into his life comes...Bella. And we all know the story from there - oh, but you should really read on because this story takes more than a few unexpected twists along its journey to HEA.
I liked this retelling - it was a tale as old as time - with a bit of dark and twisted thrown it just for an extra bit of spice! Bella was likable and yet somewhat stubborn and headstrong young woman. A bit of a pollyanna but still pleasant while still being curious and intelligent.
Braxton was the tortured soul one expects of the "beast" - torn between himself and the being that inhabits his body. There is definitely more than meet the eye with this twisted hero.
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy.
February 5, 2017
This was an enjoyable, quick read. It is a take on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was an interesting take and I liked the characters. Braxton was a general and is betrayed by his King when he returns from war after being gone 4 years. He is sentenced to death immediately and he lets anger and revenge take over which allows a demon to enter his body. He gets to take his revenge but is transformed and has to deal with the demon presence in his body. Braxton doesn't give in to the evil inside him and instead isolates himself. He gets a tribute of a maiden in the hope that one can stand to look at him and love him in order to break the curse. By the time that Bella comes around he really doesn't have hope anymore. Bella has had to become a hunter in order to take care of her ailing father and sisters. She has seen things in the forest, parts of nature, that haven't been pretty and that most young women do not see. It allows her to look at Braxton and not be completely terrified that she can't function. There was enough going on in the short story that I was entertained the entire time.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
February 12, 2017
Quick, enjoyable read. Enjoyed the writing and the characters. I thought this was a good retelling of Beauty and the Beast while also being it's own story.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2017
Betrayal at the hands of someone you trusted. Braxton had served his king faithfully but the king allowed his mind to be poisoned against his most trusted warrior.
Change in fortune will either make or break a person. Belle manage to adapt to the changes in her station when her family's fortune took a down turn. She is what holds her family together until she is betrayed by her village.
Vengeance is the what he sought but a curse is what he received. This book was a good lunch hour read. The author did a great job in providing enough of plot to keep the reader engage and satisfied with how the story ended.
I received an ARC at no cost from the author and reviewed the book voluntarily.
Change in fortune will either make or break a person. Belle manage to adapt to the changes in her station when her family's fortune took a down turn. She is what holds her family together until she is betrayed by her village.
Vengeance is the what he sought but a curse is what he received. This book was a good lunch hour read. The author did a great job in providing enough of plot to keep the reader engage and satisfied with how the story ended.
I received an ARC at no cost from the author and reviewed the book voluntarily.
February 2, 2017
This is a very short story.
Poor Braxton, betrayed so horribly by his King, not even allowed to defend himself against the accusation of treason.
400 years later Bella is sent as the town sacrifice to the beast he has become after making a deal with a demon.
Bella is doing everything she can to look after her family after her father has lost all their wealth. She is so dignified and brave, unlike her two lazy sisters and useless father. Not even saying goodbye to her was rotten.
A good read which I enjoyed but I am Beauty and the Beast full and can take no more versions. Too many takes on this tale are being written.
This is my honest review of this book.
Poor Braxton, betrayed so horribly by his King, not even allowed to defend himself against the accusation of treason.
400 years later Bella is sent as the town sacrifice to the beast he has become after making a deal with a demon.
Bella is doing everything she can to look after her family after her father has lost all their wealth. She is so dignified and brave, unlike her two lazy sisters and useless father. Not even saying goodbye to her was rotten.
A good read which I enjoyed but I am Beauty and the Beast full and can take no more versions. Too many takes on this tale are being written.
This is my honest review of this book.
January 31, 2017
Good re-telling of Beauty and the Beast with some twists. Grantham was cursed until he could be healed by unconditional love. Bella is an innocent, the daughter of a wealthy merchant who has fallen on hard times. She's sent to be a bride to the Beast. Will she be able to save him from the curse? This was a very enjoyable read with some steam, and who doesn't love Beauty and the Beast? I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
February 9, 2017
ARC - I voluntarily offered to review this book and my opinions are honest!
I loved this book!
This book did remind me of "Beauty o& the Beast"
It mention the beauty, the beast, the roses, and the loyal servants.
The difference was that the villain wasn't after Bella in particular.
He was just a jerk in general.
The spell was broken by love.
Great ending.
I loved this book!
This book did remind me of "Beauty o& the Beast"
It mention the beauty, the beast, the roses, and the loyal servants.
The difference was that the villain wasn't after Bella in particular.
He was just a jerk in general.
The spell was broken by love.
Great ending.
January 31, 2017
Lizzie Lynn Lee makes every reading experience an adventure! I loved the characters, and the fairy tale aspect of the story made them even more endearing.
Anything you read by this author is guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages and thoroughly satisfied at the end.
Anything you read by this author is guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages and thoroughly satisfied at the end.
February 1, 2017
This was quick enjoyable read. I always did like a good fairy tale and this one didn't disappoint it had intrigue, romance plus who doesn't love Beauty and the Beast. I voluntarily read and review this ARC I haven't been compensated in any way.
February 3, 2017
Gifted a copy and writing a voluntary review:
A take on Beauty and the Beast. Really enjoyed this version and an easy quick read.
A take on Beauty and the Beast. Really enjoyed this version and an easy quick read.
July 25, 2017
Even though it is no where mentioned as a retelling of a fairytale this was beautifully done. The subtle differences make this a story in its own. I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews