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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Beast and Grim gave me lady blue balls! I can already tell this duet is going to be one of my favorites! Beast and Grim have the best banter, chemistry, flirtation and TENSION! Literally all of it was off the charts. Bea Paige wrote this incredibly, but that cliff hanger has me at the edge of my seat waiting on book two!
We finally get the long awaited love story of Beast & Grim! I’ve been waiting for this since the day we met the pair back in the Academy of Stardom series.
Grim is constantly fighting her dads views that she’s just a woman who has a bleeding heart. She wants to prove to everyone, including herself, she has what it takes to be the Queen of Tales.
Beast is hired by Grim’s father as her bodyguard. He is so adamant in the beginning that he does not want Grim. She’s too young, and he tries to view her as just his job. He does everything he can to fight his attraction to her.
Their story is filled with all the angst and heartbreak you could imagine. Just how far will either of them go to be with each other? And will that ever be enough? I can’t wait for epic finale of their story in Heads You Lose.
Grim is constantly fighting her dads views that she’s just a woman who has a bleeding heart. She wants to prove to everyone, including herself, she has what it takes to be the Queen of Tales.
Beast is hired by Grim’s father as her bodyguard. He is so adamant in the beginning that he does not want Grim. She’s too young, and he tries to view her as just his job. He does everything he can to fight his attraction to her.
Their story is filled with all the angst and heartbreak you could imagine. Just how far will either of them go to be with each other? And will that ever be enough? I can’t wait for epic finale of their story in Heads You Lose.
Dnf'd it at 40%, nothing had happened yet and I gave up caring if it would
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This spin-off of an Academy of Stardom is everything I needed after reading the series last year. I was lucky to receive an ARC by The Smuthood.
The story of Beast and Grim is one I've wanted to read about in so long that getting a glips into their lives before an Academy of Stardom was just amazing. The chemistry between them is off the roof.
Overall, the book is pretty easy to read and it does end on a cliffhanger.
The story of Beast and Grim is one I've wanted to read about in so long that getting a glips into their lives before an Academy of Stardom was just amazing. The chemistry between them is off the roof.
Overall, the book is pretty easy to read and it does end on a cliffhanger.
I absolutely loved the first part of Grim and Beast's story! Grim is a badass who has been through the wringer thanks to her dad. Growing up the daughter of a gangster isn't easy, but when your father assigns a hot bodyguard to you, that can complicate things. Beast and Grim have feelings for one another, but Beast knows he can't cross that line with her. He's her protector and her father's right-hand man. But Kate doesn't make things easy for him throughout the book. When everything goes to hell, Kate is forced to make a decision that changes both of their lives, and neither will be the same.
Tales You Win is book 1 in the Grim & Beast duet, and if you love angst and forbidden-ish love...check out this amazing book!
Tales You Win is book 1 in the Grim & Beast duet, and if you love angst and forbidden-ish love...check out this amazing book!
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Extremely slow. Picks up at 70% and the end was good enough to get me to read book 2 eventually.
At long last, we have the Bea Paige story I’ve been waiting for two series to revel in. Grim and Beast, the fan favorite characters that captured ALL our hearts have finally taken over the page. Tales You Win is their story, and what an unexpected but triumphant story it is! And what a start to this duet- it’s beautiful yet gritty, heartwarming yet heartbreaking, gentle yet volatile all at once. Tales You Win captures the very essence of the characters we love while also expanding their being- it’s consuming, it’s intention, it’s emotional, it’s magnetic. Just like the characters we love.
These two captured me from the first moment they graced the page, so of course I wanted to know everything about them. We’ve already seen them post HEA, we’ve already witnessed how easily their love and partnership evolves and adapts to every challenge in the future. We’ve already seen them be the stalwart constants orbiting each other, the reliable presence and emblem of love and loyalty. That’s how we fell in love with them- the magic between them, the charm, the connection swept us away- stealing scene after scene from some very loud and charismatic other characters. Because we could see the energy between them- even as secondary characters their love sparkled so brightly we couldn’t help but bathe in its beauty.
So, we needed their story like we needed air….yet, I was nervous. It was risky. I love these characters with such a ferocity, just from experiencing them as secondary actors in others’ stories, that I was nervous about cracking apart something so perfect. Situating them as leading protagonists was likely easy- we all already saw them as such. But Bea had the impossible task of telling a story in reverse- of somehow unraveling and rewinding, breaking them apart vs. putting them together. All while ensuring they don’t lose the very things that make them magic. She had to somehow make us see them differently, but also the same, helping us understand them better without changing the fabric of who we knew these characters to be. It certainly required a delicate hand and character-focused point of view, and fortunately Bea has that in spades. The love and tenderness she has for these characters pours out of these pages- just like the love Roger has for Kate, the bodyguard for his princess, that Beast has for Grim. I was apprehensive, but I was not disappointed- Bea not only connected me more deeply with the characters I love, she also stayed true to all that they are.
Truth be told, this is not at all the story I thought we’d get for the bold and self-assured Grim and the faithfully besotted, terrifying Beast. Interestingly enough, this isn’t quite an origin story, this isn’t QUITE the beginning. Bea convenes these characters before they’d fallen into each other, but the context and history that shapes them is already well underway. But that only makes it all the more rich- because both of these characters are already in conflict about their feelings. I anticipated the angst and tension between them- the longing, the misdirection, the tension and insane chemistry. What I didn’t anticipate was how much they’d be in conflict with their own being. This isn’t just about how they became a couple- it’s also about how they became the humans that they are. And that beautifully intersects with their romantic adversity - loving one another is undeniable, it’s given. But choosing to be together is all the more challenging when they are at a crossroads in their own identity. It’s the ultimate existential crisis- because who you are impacts not just who you love but HOW you love, and what you need.
Tales You Win. The flip of a coin. And a beautiful metaphorical reference to the most brilliant part of this story -- these two characters finding themselves at odds with the two parts of themselves. Kate and Grim, Roger and Beast. Nature and nurture - two souls who are trying to survive and thrive in the world they’re part of. Yet, they are both at different junctures of their identity- Kate is on the precipice of becoming the Grim we know, but far more vulnerable, hesitant, and impulsive than we remember. And Beast has already made his choice- letting go of the man for the animal, less jovial and warm than we remember, but no less charming. But his princess calls to his humanity, the man he buried. Both are teetering- two sides of a coin- desperately holding on to the parts of themselves they recognize while looking at a future that both are committed to but have to make sacrifices to realize. Sacrifices they were willing to make, until it was each other. We get to watch these characters try to figure themselves out- while still being everything we love. Grim is still loving but fierce, fun but powerful. Beast is still stoic and sassy- terrifying yet swoony. All the facets, all the pieces come to life in this story, in these moments. And only because of the catalyst their love is for each other-they see themselves BETTER through the eyes of the one who holds their heart. And most beautifully, we see just WHY their love is so magical. We knew it, now we get it. Beast and Grim nurture, respect, and love every single piece of one another- both sides of the coin. With each other they never have to choose, never have to flip the coin- they can be the entirety of themselves, every facet, every piece. Without apology or shame or fear. Together, they get to be WHOLE. Their FULLEST self, without sacrifice.
The burn, though, is excruciatingly slow. Like lady blue balls for DAYS. Bea, you cheeky naughty girl, making us wait so long to get inside their minds and now waiting to get them between the sheets! But, while slow burn isn’t my thing, this feels right. Both because of who these characters are, and because we’ve seen the aftermath of a hard fought battle for each other that we’re just now starting to understand. It makes the journey feel more weighty and powerful. The sexual and emotional tension are so deflty created I quite literally could hear my heart pounding. But by sidelining the physicality of this romance, Bea cleverly ensures we hone in on it’s true heart and soul. These are two characters who unequivocally love every piece of one another and who also love each other enough to sacrifice to be together. And because of this, while we’ve got several other characters and quite a bit of action and suspense, the narrative feels quite introspective, highly existential - these characters are figuring out just how to BE before they can figure out how to be with each other. So, the angst is real, but the swoon is also high. Their love feels epic, it feels meaningful and life changing- the smut will come (I want it), but these characters have never been driven by their physicality alone. They are one soul living in two hearts. Hearts that beat for each other. And, even if the steam is light, the tension is NOT- this was literary edging. Meow. And the foreshadowing of the smexy to come….......
Since this is a duet, anticipate a heart wrenching cliffhanger. Even if we know the ultimate ending of these two fan favorites, it doesn’t make it any more heart aching. Because even if we know the end game, we’ve yet to fully learn just how they got there- the pain, the loss, the love and hope it takes to get them to where we first met them. I could not love these characters more- my heart is so full, and so desperate for more.
These two captured me from the first moment they graced the page, so of course I wanted to know everything about them. We’ve already seen them post HEA, we’ve already witnessed how easily their love and partnership evolves and adapts to every challenge in the future. We’ve already seen them be the stalwart constants orbiting each other, the reliable presence and emblem of love and loyalty. That’s how we fell in love with them- the magic between them, the charm, the connection swept us away- stealing scene after scene from some very loud and charismatic other characters. Because we could see the energy between them- even as secondary characters their love sparkled so brightly we couldn’t help but bathe in its beauty.
So, we needed their story like we needed air….yet, I was nervous. It was risky. I love these characters with such a ferocity, just from experiencing them as secondary actors in others’ stories, that I was nervous about cracking apart something so perfect. Situating them as leading protagonists was likely easy- we all already saw them as such. But Bea had the impossible task of telling a story in reverse- of somehow unraveling and rewinding, breaking them apart vs. putting them together. All while ensuring they don’t lose the very things that make them magic. She had to somehow make us see them differently, but also the same, helping us understand them better without changing the fabric of who we knew these characters to be. It certainly required a delicate hand and character-focused point of view, and fortunately Bea has that in spades. The love and tenderness she has for these characters pours out of these pages- just like the love Roger has for Kate, the bodyguard for his princess, that Beast has for Grim. I was apprehensive, but I was not disappointed- Bea not only connected me more deeply with the characters I love, she also stayed true to all that they are.
Truth be told, this is not at all the story I thought we’d get for the bold and self-assured Grim and the faithfully besotted, terrifying Beast. Interestingly enough, this isn’t quite an origin story, this isn’t QUITE the beginning. Bea convenes these characters before they’d fallen into each other, but the context and history that shapes them is already well underway. But that only makes it all the more rich- because both of these characters are already in conflict about their feelings. I anticipated the angst and tension between them- the longing, the misdirection, the tension and insane chemistry. What I didn’t anticipate was how much they’d be in conflict with their own being. This isn’t just about how they became a couple- it’s also about how they became the humans that they are. And that beautifully intersects with their romantic adversity - loving one another is undeniable, it’s given. But choosing to be together is all the more challenging when they are at a crossroads in their own identity. It’s the ultimate existential crisis- because who you are impacts not just who you love but HOW you love, and what you need.
Tales You Win. The flip of a coin. And a beautiful metaphorical reference to the most brilliant part of this story -- these two characters finding themselves at odds with the two parts of themselves. Kate and Grim, Roger and Beast. Nature and nurture - two souls who are trying to survive and thrive in the world they’re part of. Yet, they are both at different junctures of their identity- Kate is on the precipice of becoming the Grim we know, but far more vulnerable, hesitant, and impulsive than we remember. And Beast has already made his choice- letting go of the man for the animal, less jovial and warm than we remember, but no less charming. But his princess calls to his humanity, the man he buried. Both are teetering- two sides of a coin- desperately holding on to the parts of themselves they recognize while looking at a future that both are committed to but have to make sacrifices to realize. Sacrifices they were willing to make, until it was each other. We get to watch these characters try to figure themselves out- while still being everything we love. Grim is still loving but fierce, fun but powerful. Beast is still stoic and sassy- terrifying yet swoony. All the facets, all the pieces come to life in this story, in these moments. And only because of the catalyst their love is for each other-they see themselves BETTER through the eyes of the one who holds their heart. And most beautifully, we see just WHY their love is so magical. We knew it, now we get it. Beast and Grim nurture, respect, and love every single piece of one another- both sides of the coin. With each other they never have to choose, never have to flip the coin- they can be the entirety of themselves, every facet, every piece. Without apology or shame or fear. Together, they get to be WHOLE. Their FULLEST self, without sacrifice.
The burn, though, is excruciatingly slow. Like lady blue balls for DAYS. Bea, you cheeky naughty girl, making us wait so long to get inside their minds and now waiting to get them between the sheets! But, while slow burn isn’t my thing, this feels right. Both because of who these characters are, and because we’ve seen the aftermath of a hard fought battle for each other that we’re just now starting to understand. It makes the journey feel more weighty and powerful. The sexual and emotional tension are so deflty created I quite literally could hear my heart pounding. But by sidelining the physicality of this romance, Bea cleverly ensures we hone in on it’s true heart and soul. These are two characters who unequivocally love every piece of one another and who also love each other enough to sacrifice to be together. And because of this, while we’ve got several other characters and quite a bit of action and suspense, the narrative feels quite introspective, highly existential - these characters are figuring out just how to BE before they can figure out how to be with each other. So, the angst is real, but the swoon is also high. Their love feels epic, it feels meaningful and life changing- the smut will come (I want it), but these characters have never been driven by their physicality alone. They are one soul living in two hearts. Hearts that beat for each other. And, even if the steam is light, the tension is NOT- this was literary edging. Meow. And the foreshadowing of the smexy to come….
Since this is a duet, anticipate a heart wrenching cliffhanger. Even if we know the ultimate ending of these two fan favorites, it doesn’t make it any more heart aching. Because even if we know the end game, we’ve yet to fully learn just how they got there- the pain, the loss, the love and hope it takes to get them to where we first met them. I could not love these characters more- my heart is so full, and so desperate for more.
Grim and Beast were a favorite couple of mine that appeared in the other series and this was a no brainer for me. Grim and Beast were a SIGN ME UP KINDA VIBE. Beast is a man who is protective and doesn't share. He is a bad ass criminal man who is a nice accent to the main star, because GRIM is the queen of queens in this universe. Not a damn thing she can do but rule like the amazing woman she is.