What do you think?
Rate this book
Beauty and the Bastard
Saul the Bastard is a fallen angel who works as a bounty hunter for powerful urban demon families. Rebecca Drake, a modern day demon princess, is being hunted by dangerous desert demons. When Rebecca's family hires Saul to protect her, they are both unhappy with the arrangement, but before long sparks fly as they try to resist their strong mutual attraction. For the first time in living memory, Saul has someone to love; someone he is scared of losing; someone the desert demons have marked to be their next sacrifice.
78 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2010
2 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
David Bridger
16 books27 followersDavid Bridger and his family settled with their two monstrous hounds in England's West Country after twenty years of ocean-based mischief, during which he worked as a lifeguard, a sailor, an intelligence gatherer and an investigator. He writes science fiction and fantasy novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 3, 2010
Why I'm giving 5 stars?
Simple... for 5 motives...
1) It's well written. Was a pleasure read this story.
2) I like (a lot) the main female character. Rebecca was really a strong female voice. Love when I hear her voice on this story.
3) Saul capture my heart. He is the perfect hero... strong, tormented and deeply in love!
4) The loving story is so beautiful! I was overwhelmed with the love... it's almost detectable, and reach me every time I read about them.
5) Perfect end, after a perfect action scene... I love HEA, but what I most enjoy is how the writer will propose his/her HEA to me. This one works... and close the book leaving me wanting more.
So, that's why I gave 5 stars to this book. It's a new author to me, and certainly I'll read everything David Bridger will write... hoping that this is only the first angel/demon of a serie he has on his mind.
Information about the pdf file: 59 (delightful) pages
Simple... for 5 motives...1) It's well written. Was a pleasure read this story.
2) I like (a lot) the main female character. Rebecca was really a strong female voice. Love when I hear her voice on this story.
3) Saul capture my heart. He is the perfect hero... strong, tormented and deeply in love!
4) The loving story is so beautiful! I was overwhelmed with the love... it's almost detectable, and reach me every time I read about them.
5) Perfect end, after a perfect action scene... I love HEA, but what I most enjoy is how the writer will propose his/her HEA to me. This one works... and close the book leaving me wanting more.
So, that's why I gave 5 stars to this book. It's a new author to me, and certainly I'll read everything David Bridger will write... hoping that this is only the first angel/demon of a serie he has on his mind.
Information about the pdf file: 59 (delightful) pages
July 29, 2010
A truly wonderful read. I adore the tortured soul that is Saul the Bastard. He is the perfect tormented angel fallen from grace--raw, sexy, fabulous! Five stars!
November 26, 2010
You ever heard of a fallen angel in love with a demon princess? Would you like to? Before you answer, let me tell you that the angel, Saul the Bastard, is probably the hunkiest hero I’ve come across (excuse the expression) in a long, long time.
He’s not happy that he’s a fallen angel, but he knows he has to live as an almost-human and hope that one day he’ll redeem himself and get recalled to Heaven by being a bounty hunter who hunts evil demons. Even demon princesses called Rebecca? No, he’s hired as a bodyguard to protect her because she’s being threatened by desert demons who’ve been run out of Las Vegas by her father.
In true romance fashion, Rebecca can’t stand him. She can look after herself thank you very much until she realizes that the sexy, naked statue standing on the building opposite her apartment is Saul (in his day-time guise). Mmm: she’s been admiring that lump of stone for a while now.
If my review is biased towards Saul, then I apologize. Both MCs are endearing in their own way, although I couldn’t help but love Saul’s perfect, albeit tormented, bod.
Since it is a novella, this is all I’m saying about the story, except to mention that the opening chapter is nothing short of a work of genius. Throughout the book you’ll find sizzling sex, sensitive romance and gentle love-making which David handles with a deft, experienced author’s hand. The pace thunders along, just as it should; the characters are rounded and likeable – especially you-know-who; and the plot darts to its climax with a fearsome battle.
If you’re into paranormal romance (which I wasn’t until now) then this is a must-read for you. My only regret is that I finished it so soon, and that I was desperate to hear more of Saul. But you never know what David’s got up his sleeve – maybe there’ll be a sequel. Please?
He’s not happy that he’s a fallen angel, but he knows he has to live as an almost-human and hope that one day he’ll redeem himself and get recalled to Heaven by being a bounty hunter who hunts evil demons. Even demon princesses called Rebecca? No, he’s hired as a bodyguard to protect her because she’s being threatened by desert demons who’ve been run out of Las Vegas by her father.
In true romance fashion, Rebecca can’t stand him. She can look after herself thank you very much until she realizes that the sexy, naked statue standing on the building opposite her apartment is Saul (in his day-time guise). Mmm: she’s been admiring that lump of stone for a while now.
If my review is biased towards Saul, then I apologize. Both MCs are endearing in their own way, although I couldn’t help but love Saul’s perfect, albeit tormented, bod.
Since it is a novella, this is all I’m saying about the story, except to mention that the opening chapter is nothing short of a work of genius. Throughout the book you’ll find sizzling sex, sensitive romance and gentle love-making which David handles with a deft, experienced author’s hand. The pace thunders along, just as it should; the characters are rounded and likeable – especially you-know-who; and the plot darts to its climax with a fearsome battle.
If you’re into paranormal romance (which I wasn’t until now) then this is a must-read for you. My only regret is that I finished it so soon, and that I was desperate to hear more of Saul. But you never know what David’s got up his sleeve – maybe there’ll be a sequel. Please?
July 8, 2015
David Bridger is a friend of mine and this is his debut work, so of course I picked it up. However, I already knew how his writing is evocative and compelling, so I didn’t think I was risking much.
Beauty and the Bastard held some surprises for me in content, I’ll admit, since I picked it up solely based on the author and didn’t read the blurb or surrounding information too closely. This novella contains explicit sex and violence. That said, neither the sex nor the violence seemed out of place in the story, which makes sense in a story about a fallen angel and demons living among us. For all that, this is a love story.
In the beginning, Saul the Bastard lives up to his name by killing his demon mark without mercy, all in his attempt to regain a spot in Heaven. Then we meet Rebecca, the daughter of a high-level demon family whose life has been threatened. She’s intrigued by a glimpse of Saul, but that first interest is destroyed when her uncle hires him to protect her, a protection she doesn’t believe is necessary.
Both characters have a lot of history driving them:
Saul is unable to remember his past and why he was ejected from Heaven, but is sure somehow he can regain his angel status if he just works to eliminate the worst demons on Earth. He does this by hiring out to the demon families as a bounty hunter.
Rebecca had been a little too innocent and subject to flattery, but she’s had her eyes opened to the falsehood in those who try to get close.
They start out as unwilling companions then her focus and his loyalty start changing their feelings. As their relationship develops, they face a lot of complications grounded in their histories and the differences in their social positions, all of which leaves them with serious choices to make.
But that’s not all. The threat on her life is more than a backdrop, while Rebecca’s research assignment makes for a good subplot as well. For a novella length piece, this is a complex, well-seeded story with multiple threads winding together to make a whole. There are several surprises along the road, but surprises of the type that you can glance back and see how the pieces come together.
Ultimately, this is a strong debut work, living up to what I expected from David’s writing.
Beauty and the Bastard held some surprises for me in content, I’ll admit, since I picked it up solely based on the author and didn’t read the blurb or surrounding information too closely. This novella contains explicit sex and violence. That said, neither the sex nor the violence seemed out of place in the story, which makes sense in a story about a fallen angel and demons living among us. For all that, this is a love story.
In the beginning, Saul the Bastard lives up to his name by killing his demon mark without mercy, all in his attempt to regain a spot in Heaven. Then we meet Rebecca, the daughter of a high-level demon family whose life has been threatened. She’s intrigued by a glimpse of Saul, but that first interest is destroyed when her uncle hires him to protect her, a protection she doesn’t believe is necessary.
Both characters have a lot of history driving them:
Saul is unable to remember his past and why he was ejected from Heaven, but is sure somehow he can regain his angel status if he just works to eliminate the worst demons on Earth. He does this by hiring out to the demon families as a bounty hunter.
Rebecca had been a little too innocent and subject to flattery, but she’s had her eyes opened to the falsehood in those who try to get close.
They start out as unwilling companions then her focus and his loyalty start changing their feelings. As their relationship develops, they face a lot of complications grounded in their histories and the differences in their social positions, all of which leaves them with serious choices to make.
But that’s not all. The threat on her life is more than a backdrop, while Rebecca’s research assignment makes for a good subplot as well. For a novella length piece, this is a complex, well-seeded story with multiple threads winding together to make a whole. There are several surprises along the road, but surprises of the type that you can glance back and see how the pieces come together.
Ultimately, this is a strong debut work, living up to what I expected from David’s writing.
August 10, 2010
This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.
David Bridger reminds us of the redeeming power of love in his paranormal romance novella Beauty and the Bastard.
Rebecca is less than pleased about being sent to work for her uncle. Not because she hates the job or her uncle, in fact he’s her favorite. The problem is the demon heiress’ life was threatened by some desert demons after they were run out of Las Vegas by her dad. She thinks she can handle herself and doesn’t see the need for the temporary relocation. When her uncle hires Saul the Bastard as her bodyguard, Rebecca is incensed.
Saul the Bastard is a fallen angel. He takes each day in penance, hoping the next will be the day he’s allowed to return to heaven. To survive he works as a bounty hunter, and while he isn’t much for working with demons or for bodyguard duty, he trusts Rebecca’s uncle and agrees to take the job.
Saul’s so wounded yet full of hope that it is hard for the reader not to feel for him, and it doesn’t take that long until Rebecca feels strongly for the handsome angel. The more time Saul stays protecting her, he finds himself focused on more than just returning to heaven.
Bringing the two together ignites surprising feelings for both sides and reminds us of what it’s like when you find the one.
I have to confess a love/hate relationship with novellas. I love the intensity and the option to read it all in a single sitting without foregoing a night’s sleep. But often I find the book is either all plot with no characterization or so heavy on the character development that an energizing storyline is missing.
Maybe this is why I was so stunned when I finished Beauty and the Bastard. I felt satisfied (and the ending left me happy). A complete tale — with two characters I both connected with and cared about and a strong plot with enough suspense to keep me flipping the pages — was encapsulated in those 59 pages.
Bridger writes love scenes that will warm your heart, and the connection made between Rebecca and Saul feels honest and genuine. It’s hard to ask for more from a romance.
David Bridger reminds us of the redeeming power of love in his paranormal romance novella Beauty and the Bastard.
Rebecca is less than pleased about being sent to work for her uncle. Not because she hates the job or her uncle, in fact he’s her favorite. The problem is the demon heiress’ life was threatened by some desert demons after they were run out of Las Vegas by her dad. She thinks she can handle herself and doesn’t see the need for the temporary relocation. When her uncle hires Saul the Bastard as her bodyguard, Rebecca is incensed.
Saul the Bastard is a fallen angel. He takes each day in penance, hoping the next will be the day he’s allowed to return to heaven. To survive he works as a bounty hunter, and while he isn’t much for working with demons or for bodyguard duty, he trusts Rebecca’s uncle and agrees to take the job.
Saul’s so wounded yet full of hope that it is hard for the reader not to feel for him, and it doesn’t take that long until Rebecca feels strongly for the handsome angel. The more time Saul stays protecting her, he finds himself focused on more than just returning to heaven.
Bringing the two together ignites surprising feelings for both sides and reminds us of what it’s like when you find the one.
I have to confess a love/hate relationship with novellas. I love the intensity and the option to read it all in a single sitting without foregoing a night’s sleep. But often I find the book is either all plot with no characterization or so heavy on the character development that an energizing storyline is missing.
Maybe this is why I was so stunned when I finished Beauty and the Bastard. I felt satisfied (and the ending left me happy). A complete tale — with two characters I both connected with and cared about and a strong plot with enough suspense to keep me flipping the pages — was encapsulated in those 59 pages.
Bridger writes love scenes that will warm your heart, and the connection made between Rebecca and Saul feels honest and genuine. It’s hard to ask for more from a romance.
April 3, 2011
This is a rattling good story of fallen angels and demons and I am delighted to say that the hero is refreshingly flawed. The graphic scenes work well, the characters are three dimensional and the writing is indicative of an experienced author who knows his way around this genre. He has the ability to tantalise, enthrall and shock at just the right intervals to keep up the pace. Short enough to read at one sitting, it is nevertheless long enough to tell the full story and leave the reader satisfied at the end. Highly recommended for fans of the paranormal.
July 31, 2010
I'd been looking forward to this book for a while, since I'd had the privilege if reading one of David's books in early draft form. This, his debut, fulfilled my expectations. An excellent paranormal romance, with believable characters. One of the subplots I particularly enjoyed was the interaction between Rebecca and her cousin John.
Time to start looking forward to his next book!
Time to start looking forward to his next book!
February 5, 2011
I really enjoyed it. Normally not the kind of book I would read, but David's writing grabs you and pulls you in. His style is fast-paced and quick-witted. He economizes the detail and rewards the reader with a hard-hitting adventure, good lovin', and wonderful characters. Great read!
July 27, 2010
This is Bridger's debut novel and wow is it fantastic. I've never read anything like it before. I give it my highest recommendation. I think he's going to be a major talent in the PNR world. Bravo.
December 28, 2010
Damn, you just want to hold Saul and make everything alright for him again.
July 14, 2013
Come on....these were my words as I finished the book that had so much potential. The story was ok but I wish there had been more details, more information to make it a fuller and richer story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews