E. J. Russell (1)

David is utterly lovable. He's sweet and kind and what's more, he is driven to help and heal the hurt in others. His help may make things worse sometimes but his heart is in a good place. I love him! What a difference a change in perspective can make!

Alun is a whole different creature, literally. He's drowning in guilt and miserable. He seems content to stay that way until David bursts into his life and blinds him with his sunny light.

I loved this book. I love when a grumpy character falls for a sunny, happy character! I can't wait to read Mal's book.… (more)

I read this book as part of a challenge, and I am so glad that I chose it. I absolutely loved everything about this story. The main characters had plenty of insecurities...but their personalities are actually what sold me on the book. Alun and David were such opposites, yet they were still so in sync with each other. Everything they did had the same intention and the same outcome; they were just very different in their approaches. David was snarky and sarcastic and blunt in the ways he put the “elderly" in their places and opened their minds to new possibilities. The story, based on the title...had a “Beauty and the Beast” aspect, yet the author made it unique to this particular story. Alun’s struggles were often heartbreaking because of the history and the reasoning behind his appearance. It was a nice touch to see little signs that things were healing as the story advanced. Alun was so oblivious to it all due to his guilt and grief. The entire story and the plot were very well done, and I was very happy how the story ended. The "rules" of the supernatural communities and the various inhabitants were interesting as well as spellbinding. This book can easily be described as "simply good fun". The fantasy, the depth, the romance, it was all so well done and so cohesive and comprehensive that I had to give it 5 very bright and enthusiastic stars. Readers have such diverse tastes in books and authors that I seldom recommend a book, but if you are a fantasy genre fan, this might just be your kind of story.… (more)