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Middleton Prep #1
The Librarian and Her Beast
Welcome to Middleton Prep, a place where fairy tales and modern day collide. Where fair maidens spend their time developing lesson plans and valiant knights do battle with unreliable wifi signals; all in the hopes of finding True Love.
Librarian Piper Belmont’s world turns topsy turvy when new football coach Nash Wilde joins the staff at her school. Tall, dark and handsome, he’s every girl’s dream...until Piper realizes he only speaks in grunts and nods. Determined not to judge a book by its cover, Piper agrees to go out with him.
Just as they are getting to know each other, a family emergency forces Piper to leave town. Will she ever get the chance learn the secrets behind Nash’s silence? Or will the staff’s reigning beauty queen catch Nash’s interest before Piper gets back?
The Librarian and Her Beast is the first book in the Middleton Prep series. Each book is a stand alone story, but the series is best read in order. Every installment is a loosely based, contemporary retelling of a favorite fairy tale, full of swoon worthy kisses and, of course, a Happily Ever After.
Librarian Piper Belmont’s world turns topsy turvy when new football coach Nash Wilde joins the staff at her school. Tall, dark and handsome, he’s every girl’s dream...until Piper realizes he only speaks in grunts and nods. Determined not to judge a book by its cover, Piper agrees to go out with him.
Just as they are getting to know each other, a family emergency forces Piper to leave town. Will she ever get the chance learn the secrets behind Nash’s silence? Or will the staff’s reigning beauty queen catch Nash’s interest before Piper gets back?
The Librarian and Her Beast is the first book in the Middleton Prep series. Each book is a stand alone story, but the series is best read in order. Every installment is a loosely based, contemporary retelling of a favorite fairy tale, full of swoon worthy kisses and, of course, a Happily Ever After.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2018
497 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
September 26, 2018
Sometimes after reading a book, I just have to set my Kindle aside and shake my head in defeat, muttering, “Jesus, what the hell did I do to deserve that,” a few times. That’s what happened with this book.
I should have liked it. I mean, I love a good fairy tale retelling, and I love grumpy loner heroes who don’t talk much. All signs pointed to this being a book I could add to my keeper shelf, but noooooooo. It had to go and suck the life right out of me. Here’s what I didn’t love:
The heroine:
She’s a stereotypical nerdy librarian who doesn’t know her own worth or beauty. (I can’t even remember her name. That’s how typical and average she was.) Authors everywhere: can you please write self-confident, outspoken librarian heroines for me? Or how about a sexy librarian hero? Please and thank you. The days of the pocket-sized, glasses-wearing, super-shy librarian who dresses like a schoolmarm on Little House on the Prairie need to end.
And also, this particular cliche heroine has a nasty habit of spewing nerdy literary exclamations for no good reason. I’m sorry, but the chick who mutters crap like, “Hairy Heathcliff” and “Dancing Darcy” is never, ever going to land the hot guy. It’s just not possible, and frankly, I don’t want to live in a world where it is possible. It’s just weird and wrong and...weird. (It’s weird enough that I thought it should be repeated)
The hero:
I enjoy romance heroes who are men of few words. There’s nothing at all wrong with that. But Nash took this concept to the extreme. He didn’t say anything but one syllable words to the heroine throughout the whole book (because reasons), and he only gave her a handful of those. When he first met her, he grunted at her and said, “Small.” (Because she’s short, I have to assume. It was never explained further.) The next time he saw her was to grunt at her and say, “Dinner.” Which was his way of asking her out on a date. He made no other attempts at communication. I mean, sign language, writing on a dry erase board, texting...he did none of that. I’m sorry, but no matter how hot the guy was, if he came up to me and grunted, saying only, “Dinner”, I would NOT go out with him. I’m not something that can be ordered off a menu like a steak, and it bummed me out that the heroine just went along this kind of asshattery.
Instalove:
All Nash has to do is grunt at the heroine a few times and she’s in love with him. She knows nothing about him, he hasn’t uttered more than 100 words to her throughout the entire book, but she loves him. I’m calling bullshit. And I’m rolling my eyes. Lots and lots of eye rolling.
The villain:
The villain is another stereotype: the other woman who is jealous of the heroine and wants the hero for herself. Why can’t other women in romance be supportive of one another?
There’s also a scene where the villain kindly explains her subterfuge to a bystander who explains it to our intrepid heroine. Otherwise, the dimwit wouldn’t have had a clue what was going on.
Stupid misunderstanding:
A couple of unanswered texts and the heroine goes from loving the hero to being ready to write him off altogether. Emotional whiplash much?
There’s no sex:
Anyone who starts reading this book thinking that maybe, based on the cover, there are some sexy times would be sadly mistaken. This one is super clean. (I don’t mind clean romance, but I wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about this one. It’s tame enough to be lumped in with the Christian and Amish romances out there, in my opinion.) I think the cover is a little misleading in that respect, as it hints at intimacy.
So, long-story-short, this one irked the crap out of me. I won’t be continuing with the series. But if you like cliches and monosyllabic heroes, this one will be your next 5-star read.
And don't forget to follow the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, and other fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
I should have liked it. I mean, I love a good fairy tale retelling, and I love grumpy loner heroes who don’t talk much. All signs pointed to this being a book I could add to my keeper shelf, but noooooooo. It had to go and suck the life right out of me. Here’s what I didn’t love:
The heroine:
She’s a stereotypical nerdy librarian who doesn’t know her own worth or beauty. (I can’t even remember her name. That’s how typical and average she was.) Authors everywhere: can you please write self-confident, outspoken librarian heroines for me? Or how about a sexy librarian hero? Please and thank you. The days of the pocket-sized, glasses-wearing, super-shy librarian who dresses like a schoolmarm on Little House on the Prairie need to end.
And also, this particular cliche heroine has a nasty habit of spewing nerdy literary exclamations for no good reason. I’m sorry, but the chick who mutters crap like, “Hairy Heathcliff” and “Dancing Darcy” is never, ever going to land the hot guy. It’s just not possible, and frankly, I don’t want to live in a world where it is possible. It’s just weird and wrong and...weird. (It’s weird enough that I thought it should be repeated)
The hero:
I enjoy romance heroes who are men of few words. There’s nothing at all wrong with that. But Nash took this concept to the extreme. He didn’t say anything but one syllable words to the heroine throughout the whole book (because reasons), and he only gave her a handful of those. When he first met her, he grunted at her and said, “Small.” (Because she’s short, I have to assume. It was never explained further.) The next time he saw her was to grunt at her and say, “Dinner.” Which was his way of asking her out on a date. He made no other attempts at communication. I mean, sign language, writing on a dry erase board, texting...he did none of that. I’m sorry, but no matter how hot the guy was, if he came up to me and grunted, saying only, “Dinner”, I would NOT go out with him. I’m not something that can be ordered off a menu like a steak, and it bummed me out that the heroine just went along this kind of asshattery.
Instalove:
All Nash has to do is grunt at the heroine a few times and she’s in love with him. She knows nothing about him, he hasn’t uttered more than 100 words to her throughout the entire book, but she loves him. I’m calling bullshit. And I’m rolling my eyes. Lots and lots of eye rolling.
The villain:
The villain is another stereotype: the other woman who is jealous of the heroine and wants the hero for herself. Why can’t other women in romance be supportive of one another?
There’s also a scene where the villain kindly explains her subterfuge to a bystander who explains it to our intrepid heroine. Otherwise, the dimwit wouldn’t have had a clue what was going on.
Stupid misunderstanding:
A couple of unanswered texts and the heroine goes from loving the hero to being ready to write him off altogether. Emotional whiplash much?
There’s no sex:
Anyone who starts reading this book thinking that maybe, based on the cover, there are some sexy times would be sadly mistaken. This one is super clean. (I don’t mind clean romance, but I wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about this one. It’s tame enough to be lumped in with the Christian and Amish romances out there, in my opinion.) I think the cover is a little misleading in that respect, as it hints at intimacy.
So, long-story-short, this one irked the crap out of me. I won’t be continuing with the series. But if you like cliches and monosyllabic heroes, this one will be your next 5-star read.
And don't forget to follow the Romance Rehab blog for more rants, raves, and other fun romance-y stuff: http://www.romancerehab.com/
May 30, 2018
I enjoyed this cute novella with a fun premise- classic fairy tale characters are modern day teachers and staff at a high school. This story is obviously based on Beauty and the Beast, and I thought it was a nice nod to make Piper the librarian. She's likeable and has some funny quirks. Nash represents the Beast as a nearly mute math teacher and football coach (although his brawniness comes off as hot rather than fearsome). The mystery of why he wouldn't talk kept me reading and while I thought Piper was enabling him by "playing a one-sided game of twenty questions," it drew out the relationship until other conflicts enter the plot to mix things up. They have great physical chemistry in the beginning of their relationship, and over time they learn to read each other and grow closer in other ways. The villain was way over the top which was a turn-off since I prefer more subtlety and dimensionality. Overall it was a fun bit of fluff that provided a nice escape for an evening.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
May 13, 2018
School librarian Piper Belmont normally finds teacher orientation boring until the principal introduces the tall, dark and handsome Nash Wilde, the new high school math teacher / football coach. Piper couldn't be more surprised when Nash seeks her out to tell her "Dinner. Six." before walking away. Piper finds that Nash isn't much of a talker and communicates in grunt but is intrigued enough to start dating him. When Piper is called away for a family emergency the school man-eater comes out to play. Will Piper and Nash get their HEA?
Laura Ann delivers a funny, sweet and drama-filled story full of quirky and likeable characters for an entertaining read
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book
Laura Ann delivers a funny, sweet and drama-filled story full of quirky and likeable characters for an entertaining read
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book
June 18, 2018
I love cute fairy tale retellings and this one is sweet. Piper is the librarian at school and the new football coach, Nash, catches her eye, but he's a little beastly.
This is a fun story with some interesting characters on staff. In fact, I'm curious about all of their stories and couldn't help but speculate about which fairy tales would fit each character.
Nash only speaks in grunts, nods, and one syllable words--how in the world can he teach or coach a team that way?! I was really dying to know, as this story doesn't show any of the students at the school. Most of the book takes place before or after school hours and is strictly the tale of the teachers/employees.
I enjoyed Piper's sparkling personality, and I especially had fun with her exclamations, such as--Heavenly Heathcliff, Wacked Wesley, Dancin' Darcy, Rumpled Rhett, and Ornery Obiwan, to name a few. She's such an entertaining person! Nash is hardly to get to know and I really enjoyed watching this story unfold in a slightly predictable, yet enjoyable, way.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated for them.*
This is a fun story with some interesting characters on staff. In fact, I'm curious about all of their stories and couldn't help but speculate about which fairy tales would fit each character.
Nash only speaks in grunts, nods, and one syllable words--how in the world can he teach or coach a team that way?! I was really dying to know, as this story doesn't show any of the students at the school. Most of the book takes place before or after school hours and is strictly the tale of the teachers/employees.
I enjoyed Piper's sparkling personality, and I especially had fun with her exclamations, such as--Heavenly Heathcliff, Wacked Wesley, Dancin' Darcy, Rumpled Rhett, and Ornery Obiwan, to name a few. She's such an entertaining person! Nash is hardly to get to know and I really enjoyed watching this story unfold in a slightly predictable, yet enjoyable, way.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated for them.*
May 18, 2018
Very clean read and I freakin loved it!
May 13, 2018
I really liked this, it’s a quick read but it doesn’t feel rushed like so many of these short stories do. The characters were very easy to connect with. Overall it was kind of cute. I hope the author is writing more stories about some of the other characters in this.
May 13, 2018
THERE IS NO SEX IN THIS BOOK.
Hey, I figured, why bury the lead? Yes, the story was a little cliche. Yes, the hero was OTT alpha that grunted more than he spoke (truly, for the first 70% of the story he speaks no more than 1 or two words at a time to the heroine). Yes the heroine is a stereotypically mousy librarian that exclaims ridiculous things like "Hairy Heathcliff" and "Dancing Darcy!" rather than curse like a normal person.
Yes, there was an annoying tertiary character--the school man-eater--trying her level best to steal the hero from the heroine (why do romance authors still write this type of woman in romance novels? It is so overdone!). Still, all those pet-peeves aside, this wasn't the worst thing I've read this year but it could have been saved it there had been at least ONE sex scene! I mean there wasn't even a fade-to-black scene and honestly, I would have been satisfied with that. Oh well, I'll have to mark this author's books for my "don't get fooled" shelf because I don't do "clean" romance. I know this sub-genre has an audience, I just ain't it!
Hey, I figured, why bury the lead? Yes, the story was a little cliche. Yes, the hero was OTT alpha that grunted more than he spoke (truly, for the first 70% of the story he speaks no more than 1 or two words at a time to the heroine). Yes the heroine is a stereotypically mousy librarian that exclaims ridiculous things like "Hairy Heathcliff" and "Dancing Darcy!" rather than curse like a normal person.
Yes, there was an annoying tertiary character--the school man-eater--trying her level best to steal the hero from the heroine (why do romance authors still write this type of woman in romance novels? It is so overdone!). Still, all those pet-peeves aside, this wasn't the worst thing I've read this year but it could have been saved it there had been at least ONE sex scene! I mean there wasn't even a fade-to-black scene and honestly, I would have been satisfied with that. Oh well, I'll have to mark this author's books for my "don't get fooled" shelf because I don't do "clean" romance. I know this sub-genre has an audience, I just ain't it!
May 20, 2018
Such a sweet story
I really enjoyed this book. The hero was absolutely precious. Every male in the world should read this story to know how to show respect and love to their girlfriend. He was polite, protective and chivalrous. He even asked permission to kiss the heroine. Swoon!! This is a clean romance and I highly recommend this to all romantic fairytale lovers. I look forward to more from this author.
I really enjoyed this book. The hero was absolutely precious. Every male in the world should read this story to know how to show respect and love to their girlfriend. He was polite, protective and chivalrous. He even asked permission to kiss the heroine. Swoon!! This is a clean romance and I highly recommend this to all romantic fairytale lovers. I look forward to more from this author.
October 1, 2018
It was okay. I loved the premise. I think some parts of the book just lacked execution. I felt some connection to the characters, but not as much as I would have liked.
Not a bad read, but not amazing either. I will read more by this author.
Not a bad read, but not amazing either. I will read more by this author.
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September 25, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (9/25/18)!💝
Blurb:
Welcome to Middleton Prep, a place where fairy tales and modern day collide. Where fair maidens spend their time developing lesson plans and valiant knights do battle with unreliable wifi signals; all in the hopes of finding True Love.
Librarian Piper Belmont’s world turns topsy turvy when new football coach Nash Wilde joins the staff at her school. Tall, dark and handsome, he’s every girl’s dream...until Piper realizes he only speaks in grunts and nods. Determined not to judge a book by its cover, Piper agrees to go out with him.
Just as they are getting to know each other, a family emergency forces Piper to leave town. Will she ever get the chance learn the secrets behind Nash’s silence? Or will the staff’s reigning beauty queen catch Nash’s interest before Piper gets back?
The Librarian and Her Beast is the first book in the Middleton Prep series. Each book is a stand alone story, but the series is best read in order. Every installment is a loosely based, contemporary retelling of a favorite fairy tale, full of swoon worthy kisses and, of course, a Happily Ever After.
Blurb:
Welcome to Middleton Prep, a place where fairy tales and modern day collide. Where fair maidens spend their time developing lesson plans and valiant knights do battle with unreliable wifi signals; all in the hopes of finding True Love.
Librarian Piper Belmont’s world turns topsy turvy when new football coach Nash Wilde joins the staff at her school. Tall, dark and handsome, he’s every girl’s dream...until Piper realizes he only speaks in grunts and nods. Determined not to judge a book by its cover, Piper agrees to go out with him.
Just as they are getting to know each other, a family emergency forces Piper to leave town. Will she ever get the chance learn the secrets behind Nash’s silence? Or will the staff’s reigning beauty queen catch Nash’s interest before Piper gets back?
The Librarian and Her Beast is the first book in the Middleton Prep series. Each book is a stand alone story, but the series is best read in order. Every installment is a loosely based, contemporary retelling of a favorite fairy tale, full of swoon worthy kisses and, of course, a Happily Ever After.
May 18, 2018
A fantasy fairytale or real life?
At first I was confused which one it would be, but I admit that the fact of not having any abracadabra made the story much better.
Piper Belmont is a librarian.
When the new Middleton Prep school coach is introduced, it shakes her structures.
Nash Wilde is tall, strong, with all that alpha male manner and absurdly quiet.
In fact, Piper wonders how he can be a coach without practically opening his mouth.
But for Nash to speak was not exactly a basic requirement.
He shows interest in Piper, which makes Miranda, one of the teachers,very angry because, after all, she was considered the most beautiful and sexy in the school; how could Nash have any interest in a shabby, unattractive librarian?
Throughout the story, the reader is amused with the situations of the couple and Miranda's plans to win the coach.
A fun reading.
4,5 stars
At first I was confused which one it would be, but I admit that the fact of not having any abracadabra made the story much better.
Piper Belmont is a librarian.
When the new Middleton Prep school coach is introduced, it shakes her structures.
Nash Wilde is tall, strong, with all that alpha male manner and absurdly quiet.
In fact, Piper wonders how he can be a coach without practically opening his mouth.
But for Nash to speak was not exactly a basic requirement.
He shows interest in Piper, which makes Miranda, one of the teachers,very angry because, after all, she was considered the most beautiful and sexy in the school; how could Nash have any interest in a shabby, unattractive librarian?
Throughout the story, the reader is amused with the situations of the couple and Miranda's plans to win the coach.
A fun reading.
4,5 stars
August 11, 2020
The concept was cute but the execution was not so great. The writing was very choppy and reminded me of something school kids would write. So many things were completely unbelievable and just didn’t work on the story. I would have liked to see the characters developed a little more and the story to take a little more time to develop.
August 14, 2020
Missed opportunity
This could have been a really great story - the premise had lots of potential. Sorry to say it fell completely flat. The characters act like middle schoolers. Piper loves Nash after a few short weeks and less than 100 words? She knows nothing about him! I don't understand why she went out with him to begin with - if a man grunted ”dinner” at me then walked away, there is no damn way I would have gone. Why do authors keep writing about women falling at the feet of rude jerks just because they're so good looking? She is so spineless and weak, it's depressing. The secret to why he really doesn't speak is the only reason I stayed until the end and it was a huge let down. And the cherry on top of all this is the so OTT villain. She was so ridiculous and her behavior (and reasoning) made absolutely no sense. I will not be continuing this series.
This could have been a really great story - the premise had lots of potential. Sorry to say it fell completely flat. The characters act like middle schoolers. Piper loves Nash after a few short weeks and less than 100 words? She knows nothing about him! I don't understand why she went out with him to begin with - if a man grunted ”dinner” at me then walked away, there is no damn way I would have gone. Why do authors keep writing about women falling at the feet of rude jerks just because they're so good looking? She is so spineless and weak, it's depressing. The secret to why he really doesn't speak is the only reason I stayed until the end and it was a huge let down. And the cherry on top of all this is the so OTT villain. She was so ridiculous and her behavior (and reasoning) made absolutely no sense. I will not be continuing this series.
December 14, 2018
It's been a while since I read this one. I really should start reviewing right away but I'll do my best. I remember this one to be cute. A good modernization of Beauty and the Beast. Laura Ann set this series in a school with teacher, which I love! There's even a character that sort of acts as the fairy godmother to all these couples (I think she's an office secretary?) Anyway, she's an awesome character that I kept wanting to learn more about.
Piper and Nash are cute together. I do think Nash should have started talking more as they dated. Real relationships require more than nonverbal communication, even if the nonverbal is wonderful. There is a good reason why Nash doesn't talk a lot but this never would have worked in real life. Good thing I read to escape from real life. ;)
I give this one a Clean and 3.5 rating because I've read other B&B stories that worked better for me. This was still a well written story, just too fantastic for a contemporary retelling.
1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure
Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always
Piper and Nash are cute together. I do think Nash should have started talking more as they dated. Real relationships require more than nonverbal communication, even if the nonverbal is wonderful. There is a good reason why Nash doesn't talk a lot but this never would have worked in real life. Good thing I read to escape from real life. ;)
I give this one a Clean and 3.5 rating because I've read other B&B stories that worked better for me. This was still a well written story, just too fantastic for a contemporary retelling.
1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure
Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always
October 7, 2018
Nash Wilde is new to Middleton Prep, which is a k-12 level academy. He keeps to himself and doesn't engage with the other teachers.
Piper is the school librarian. She is well liked from the staff and students. Her first few encounters with Nash did not go over well.
The school floozy flaunts herself in front of Nash and he never responds to her. Then, Nash, make an unexpected gesture toward Piper. He also asked her out by just saying two words.
Piper is patient and tries to be kind even though she never really understands what's going on.
"All over who? she muttered to herself. It's not like Nash is mine. I don't even like the guy! Okay, okay, I like him, but I don't LIKE him. Right? I mean the guy is a total beast."
I enjoyed this novella. I found that Ann really covered what most people feel in their lives at some point. I liked how she explained and supported her characters.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are die hard lovers of the classic beauty and the beast tale. And also to those who just like clean romance. I enjoyed how Piper was patient and learned a lot from Nash. I also like how he shows his support to her. This is a cute story and has definite re-read quality.
Content: Surprisingly, clean of sex and language.
I received a copy of this book for review in exchange for an honest review.
Piper is the school librarian. She is well liked from the staff and students. Her first few encounters with Nash did not go over well.
The school floozy flaunts herself in front of Nash and he never responds to her. Then, Nash, make an unexpected gesture toward Piper. He also asked her out by just saying two words.
Piper is patient and tries to be kind even though she never really understands what's going on.
"All over who? she muttered to herself. It's not like Nash is mine. I don't even like the guy! Okay, okay, I like him, but I don't LIKE him. Right? I mean the guy is a total beast."
I enjoyed this novella. I found that Ann really covered what most people feel in their lives at some point. I liked how she explained and supported her characters.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are die hard lovers of the classic beauty and the beast tale. And also to those who just like clean romance. I enjoyed how Piper was patient and learned a lot from Nash. I also like how he shows his support to her. This is a cute story and has definite re-read quality.
Content: Surprisingly, clean of sex and language.
I received a copy of this book for review in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2019
3.5 rounded up.
An interesting premise for this series of novellas - fairy tale characters/stories retold as teachers in a private school. I'm looking forward to reading others.
I liked the back and forth between the two leads, growing into each other, trying to understand. It was interesting having a H who was not only not a smooth talker, but almost wordless. Could have been more though. Why didn't they write more, text more, instead of just be misunderstood? Leave secret admirer notes or something? He's obviously intelligent... Oh well. Only so much space in a novella, after all.
I thought the villain was a bit over the top (for a rather realistic fairy tale, who'd honestly act like that??) Biggest downside to the story, really.
Yup, fun, fluffy, sweet, a quick read, and a fairy tale retelling. Lots of my boxes checked! Plus, I like librarian characters, I'll admit ;)
An interesting premise for this series of novellas - fairy tale characters/stories retold as teachers in a private school. I'm looking forward to reading others.
I liked the back and forth between the two leads, growing into each other, trying to understand. It was interesting having a H who was not only not a smooth talker, but almost wordless. Could have been more though. Why didn't they write more, text more, instead of just be misunderstood? Leave secret admirer notes or something? He's obviously intelligent... Oh well. Only so much space in a novella, after all.
I thought the villain was a bit over the top (for a rather realistic fairy tale, who'd honestly act like that??) Biggest downside to the story, really.
Yup, fun, fluffy, sweet, a quick read, and a fairy tale retelling. Lots of my boxes checked! Plus, I like librarian characters, I'll admit ;)
June 28, 2020
Opposites attract
Wow. What a great opposites attracts romance. Piper and Nash are so different—small and big, smiles and scowls, verbal to almost non-verbal. Their differences didn’t deter them. There was plenty of frustration, especially before Nash explained why he rarely talked, but there were gentle reminders and pushes from those around them to hang in there, that it was all worth it.
And it was. There was so much kindness and understanding between them and both helped their relationship roots deepen.
There’s a little bit of drama involving a co-worker, a family emergency that keeps them physically apart for gaps of time but they maintain contact via video chat, and a past that still manages to ring loud and clear in the present when it has no right to.
There is just a hint of heat in this story that leaves no doubt the physical attraction is real, but it remains clothes-on and clean to the end. Sweet, with great characters (even the Drama Queen was great, hate to admit that), this one’s going into my re-read pile.
Wow. What a great opposites attracts romance. Piper and Nash are so different—small and big, smiles and scowls, verbal to almost non-verbal. Their differences didn’t deter them. There was plenty of frustration, especially before Nash explained why he rarely talked, but there were gentle reminders and pushes from those around them to hang in there, that it was all worth it.
And it was. There was so much kindness and understanding between them and both helped their relationship roots deepen.
There’s a little bit of drama involving a co-worker, a family emergency that keeps them physically apart for gaps of time but they maintain contact via video chat, and a past that still manages to ring loud and clear in the present when it has no right to.
There is just a hint of heat in this story that leaves no doubt the physical attraction is real, but it remains clothes-on and clean to the end. Sweet, with great characters (even the Drama Queen was great, hate to admit that), this one’s going into my re-read pile.
July 24, 2024
Middle school...
...and by that I mean the adult characters, not the students.
Piper is the small, mousy librarian with no self-esteem.
Nash is the new teacher/coach who barely speaks.
Clearly, the stuff of insta-romance! Or is it?
"Fudgy Fitzwilliam, he’s going to break up with me. I always knew he was too good for me. I’m too small and uninteresting to keep his attention for long."
Yes, she talks like this, as it's a 'clean' romance. Yes, it gets old fast.
Nash, on the other hand, grunts and says one word sentences - not sure how this works as a teacher, much less a partner.
The characters all act like middle schoolers, and the overall obsession with pairing up seems to violate most contracts...
Major pet peeve. Readers especially love The Beast because of his surprisingly large library. (What did you think I was going to say?)
Woe. No library, though he does get how important books are to her.
This has potential but falls short in many ways.
...and by that I mean the adult characters, not the students.
Piper is the small, mousy librarian with no self-esteem.
Nash is the new teacher/coach who barely speaks.
Clearly, the stuff of insta-romance! Or is it?
"Fudgy Fitzwilliam, he’s going to break up with me. I always knew he was too good for me. I’m too small and uninteresting to keep his attention for long."
Yes, she talks like this, as it's a 'clean' romance. Yes, it gets old fast.
Nash, on the other hand, grunts and says one word sentences - not sure how this works as a teacher, much less a partner.
The characters all act like middle schoolers, and the overall obsession with pairing up seems to violate most contracts...
Major pet peeve. Readers especially love The Beast because of his surprisingly large library. (What did you think I was going to say?)
Woe. No library, though he does get how important books are to her.
This has potential but falls short in many ways.
August 11, 2018
Loved 'The Librarian and her Beast'!!! Thoroughly enjoyed reading it!!
I fell in love with Piper and Nash. Although Nash doesn't speak much, the author helped him to convey so much meaning and emotion through his eyes... and his grunts! Piper and Nash are a beautiful couple together, and they just make me smile whenever they're together in the story. Also, loved how this book was based on "Beauty and the Beast'. It has incorporated lots of the themes from the fairytale really well, and the overall story flows smoothly. I also really liked some of the secondary characters and can't wait to read their stories!
I would recommend this book to all lovers of sweet romance. 5 out of 5 stars!!
P.S. I love the cover!! Nash looks so incredibly handsome~sigh ^^
I fell in love with Piper and Nash. Although Nash doesn't speak much, the author helped him to convey so much meaning and emotion through his eyes... and his grunts! Piper and Nash are a beautiful couple together, and they just make me smile whenever they're together in the story. Also, loved how this book was based on "Beauty and the Beast'. It has incorporated lots of the themes from the fairytale really well, and the overall story flows smoothly. I also really liked some of the secondary characters and can't wait to read their stories!
I would recommend this book to all lovers of sweet romance. 5 out of 5 stars!!
P.S. I love the cover!! Nash looks so incredibly handsome~sigh ^^
April 28, 2021
This was my first contemporary fairytale retelling read. It was a cute story and stayed on the clean side. There was no hanky-panky time, though there was a lot of noticing the other's body. Other than that small thing, the book was a pretty perfect contemporary, much to my enjoyment. I thought the couple were sweet, and I loved that the author made Nash's last name Wilde. It was a great reference to the beast aspect! I also loved the inclusion of so much of the original fairytale in the modern setting. While I still think Melanie Dickerson is the master of fairytale retellings, I do not regret purchasing this book. As for whether I will read more of the series, I think I will - if I am in the mood for more contemporary.
June 12, 2018
Sweet, heartfelt take on Beauty and the Beast. When Nash first begins to explain his reasons for not speaking, the writing style demonstrated the stutter, then the convention disappeared. I was going to downgrade my review for that "error," then reread the encounter and found this sentence:
"After a few moments, she found herself able to follow along easily." Ann, Laura. The Librarian and Her Beast: A Middleton Prep Novella (Kindle Locations 1303-1304). Angel Music, LLC. Kindle Edition.
I realized the author was trying to showing how Piper was able to listen with her heart and mentally compensate for the stutter. A difficult task for an author to pull off, but I think it worked.
"After a few moments, she found herself able to follow along easily." Ann, Laura. The Librarian and Her Beast: A Middleton Prep Novella (Kindle Locations 1303-1304). Angel Music, LLC. Kindle Edition.
I realized the author was trying to showing how Piper was able to listen with her heart and mentally compensate for the stutter. A difficult task for an author to pull off, but I think it worked.
October 19, 2018
What a cute retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I liked very much the idea of a school where all the fairy tale characters interact with each other - it's like one common Universe, and of course the headmaster in Mr. Grimm. :)
In this particular retelling I liked all the modern twists and explanations - they were logical to me and I especially liked the fact that the author didn't follow too closely the original plot or the Disney version of it.
Piper and Nash were so cute together. I can't wait to read about the other wonderful people from this series.
Sensuality: clean, some kisses
Religion: none
Narrative: 3rd person, following Piper (occasionally Nash and Miranda)
In this particular retelling I liked all the modern twists and explanations - they were logical to me and I especially liked the fact that the author didn't follow too closely the original plot or the Disney version of it.
Piper and Nash were so cute together. I can't wait to read about the other wonderful people from this series.
Sensuality: clean, some kisses
Religion: none
Narrative: 3rd person, following Piper (occasionally Nash and Miranda)
May 28, 2018
Romance, clean;
This was a cute retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Piper and Nash were cute contemporary characters. Nash's lack of full communication was a stumbling block to their relationship, but Piper gives her heart a chance to get to know him better, and starts understanding who he really is, genuine, honest, capable, kind, and definitely in her corner. They had a cute attraction, cute school setting, and the retelling was clever. I almost gave it a 2.5, but recognizing it as a novella, I went ahead and gave it a 3. It really was a cute read.
This was a cute retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Piper and Nash were cute contemporary characters. Nash's lack of full communication was a stumbling block to their relationship, but Piper gives her heart a chance to get to know him better, and starts understanding who he really is, genuine, honest, capable, kind, and definitely in her corner. They had a cute attraction, cute school setting, and the retelling was clever. I almost gave it a 2.5, but recognizing it as a novella, I went ahead and gave it a 3. It really was a cute read.
September 25, 2018
3 & 1/2 stars rounded up.
Sweet retelling of Beauty & the Beast -novella. For a novella, it was good since I’m not a fan of novellas. The strong silent type was fine, but the coaching/math teacher being this silent type doesn’t work for me. My daughter teaches high school math, there’s no way she could teach being silent, or that a school would hire a silent teacher. As to coaching, I’m not into football, but would think it would be the same way. That hurt the story for me, cause I was hung up on the profession not working with silence.
Sweet retelling of Beauty & the Beast -novella. For a novella, it was good since I’m not a fan of novellas. The strong silent type was fine, but the coaching/math teacher being this silent type doesn’t work for me. My daughter teaches high school math, there’s no way she could teach being silent, or that a school would hire a silent teacher. As to coaching, I’m not into football, but would think it would be the same way. That hurt the story for me, cause I was hung up on the profession not working with silence.
October 1, 2018
Very sweet clean romance
When Piper meets Nash at the beginning of the school year she thinks he is a very handsome man. When she gets to know him better she thinks he's possibly the most infuriating person she has ever met. He only communicates in single syllables. How can he be a high school coach and teacher if he doesn't verbalize? Nash has secrets and he cares for Piper. Can she look past his verbal skills and love the man he is? I know I could. 🤗 You'll love this book and Nash.
When Piper meets Nash at the beginning of the school year she thinks he is a very handsome man. When she gets to know him better she thinks he's possibly the most infuriating person she has ever met. He only communicates in single syllables. How can he be a high school coach and teacher if he doesn't verbalize? Nash has secrets and he cares for Piper. Can she look past his verbal skills and love the man he is? I know I could. 🤗 You'll love this book and Nash.
May 20, 2018
The Strong Silent Type?
They couldn’t be more different - she is tiny and chatty and plain looking. He is a big man, strong, and mostly silent. She is instantly drawn to him and he seems to be interested too -so why won’t he talk to her? Things aren’t always as they seem and sometimes scars are deeply rooted and hard to heal. Does Piper hold the key to healing Nash?
A great story for a first time author! I really liked it and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
They couldn’t be more different - she is tiny and chatty and plain looking. He is a big man, strong, and mostly silent. She is instantly drawn to him and he seems to be interested too -so why won’t he talk to her? Things aren’t always as they seem and sometimes scars are deeply rooted and hard to heal. Does Piper hold the key to healing Nash?
A great story for a first time author! I really liked it and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 3, 2018
DNF after 47% - 1.5 stars
This was so strange, I could've lived with the insta-love, but a hero who only speaks in one word sentences and only when he has to was hard to relate to. Especially since he is a teacher I found it hard to believe and the author failed to make him three-dimensional without him uttering a full sentence. Awkward is the best way too describe Amy's and Nash's relationship. Not my story, but the writing was okay and I got it for free, so I didn't regret buying it.
This was so strange, I could've lived with the insta-love, but a hero who only speaks in one word sentences and only when he has to was hard to relate to. Especially since he is a teacher I found it hard to believe and the author failed to make him three-dimensional without him uttering a full sentence. Awkward is the best way too describe Amy's and Nash's relationship. Not my story, but the writing was okay and I got it for free, so I didn't regret buying it.
February 25, 2020
A quaint little story!
A excellent modern retelling of the ageless fairytale Beauty and the Beast! This was unbelievably heartfelt and beautiful, a story of a man who is facing a difficult time expressing his feelings to a sweet little Liberian who only sees how good he is underneath his gruff exterior. This was definitely a uniquely designed tale that is inspirational and sweet!
A excellent modern retelling of the ageless fairytale Beauty and the Beast! This was unbelievably heartfelt and beautiful, a story of a man who is facing a difficult time expressing his feelings to a sweet little Liberian who only sees how good he is underneath his gruff exterior. This was definitely a uniquely designed tale that is inspirational and sweet!
June 7, 2020
This is a super cute, clean story. The main characters are adorable and the writer has you cheering them on. You know "the beast" must be special no matter how quiet he is! The librarian is quaint and refreshing. And how many of us have that one co-worker that drives you batty! The hero's big secret, is not so big and the heroine's response leaves you smiling the rest of the book. A nice start to what seems to be a sweet series.
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