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A review by kfriend
Beast of Bishop's Landing by Amelia Wilde
5.0
I LOVE THIS SERIES! The seductive, erotic magic of Amelia Wilde paired with the addictive Midnight Dynasty world makes for a transfixing combination.
Book 1: 5 stars
The more I read in the Midnight Dynasty universe -the more obsessed I become. I am living for these modern, erotic fairytale stories, happily immersing myself in the dramatic, sensual, and sordid machinations of the Constantine and Morelli families. I was particularly excited for this series by Amelia both because its source material is my all time favorite fairy tale- Beauty and the Beast- but also because Amelia is an author that I’ve not yet been able to read a full length novel from but who has been on my TBR for an embarrassing amount of time. SO, I was excited to sink my teeth into Haley and Leo’s story- and I’ll definitely be coming back for more.Our heroine Haley, our updated Belle, finds herself in the clutches of the infamous Leo Morelli- whom fans from other series may recognize as a constant Constantine foe. These Constantines are quite a different flavor than the ones we’ve met before- powerless, impoverished, pawns. And when her father makes an overzealous misstep, Haley gives herself to the enemy in exchange for his freedom. The innocent beauty in the clutches of the ferocious beast.Having read prior books in this interconnected world, I’d met some of these characters before. This book can be read as a standalone, though I’ll admit I’m not sure I would have found these characters quite as menacing if I’d not already seen some of them as villains in prior stories. Leo in particular does a number on me here- I had learned to loathe him already, so switching my mindset to seeing him as a sexy anti-hero took me a minute. And, he didn’t do me any favors in getting there mentally. He’s ruthless, cold, and cruel. We don’t get to see much behind him, any sort of empathy or emotion until much later in the story. And, this is not a leading man who softens in any way, we just start to understand him more- perhaps forgive him a bit. We only get small bread crumbs of his ability to care for our innocent heroine- but eventually we got enough for me to feel something for him, to root for him.Haley is plucky and sincere- the kind of heroine that loves and forgives and tries to find redeeming qualities in others when they may not be there. So, she’s the perfect match for the unredeemable Leo. He breaks her, tortures her, is cruel to her- yet she cares. And slowly by slowly his treatment of her becomes less about penance and torture and more about connection and care. And, that draws her even more to him- draws out her own deviant desires and kinks. The chemistry between them was slow to develop for me- in part because of Leo’s coldness. But, about half way through, something started to sizzle, and I felt more attached, then ultimately addicted, to this couple. Of course just when they start to open up, just when we start to see their hearts connect, things get chaotic.As far as adaptations go, this is a pretty literal translation of my all time favorite classic. Our beast is a gnarly mafioso cursed by the scars of his family, and our beauty is still the wide-eyed bibliophile brimming with innocent determination and naïve authenticity. We have the crazy inventor father, a friendly housekeeper, a contract exchange, heck, we even have the iconic champagne gold gown. Our key plot points mirror those of the classic with ease- though our enemy takes a slightly different shape than that of the buff Gaston. That gives the plot a familiarity, though this is of course a far more naughty and erotic version. And it is naughty- our Beast is filthy and turns out our belle likes it a bit rough. Those parts of the stories- the ones that are not so dependent on the framework of the classic, are the ones that gripped me most- and where Amelia shines as a writer. Of course, those were often the more naughty parts- but in truth, to me those were also the moments where our characters became more realized, more defined. The overarching story is, of course, enjoyable and a fast paced read-and the last 40% in particular really grabbed me as chemistry escalates and as we start to run out of source material, leaving TONS of questions for where this will go next. I have a feeling I’ll like the subsequent stories even more -I think that will make the plot more unpredictable, and certainly will give Amelia a larger playground to get creative within. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2, and just what our finale means for this depraved, twisted, and complicated relationship.
book 2: 4 stars
Hidden Beauty is the perfect encapsulation of the beguiling, sensual, and deliciously spellbinding story-telling magic of Amelia Wilde- and in this erotic, twisted, and yummy dark Beauty and the Beast, her talents truly shine.
LEO MORELLI. Oh my heart- Amelia makes me fall head over heels for this broken beast. HE IS EVERYTHING. I didn’t think I could find him more interesting, more compelling, but I was wrong- his character arc, his steady and poignant exposure makes this whole story. In book 1, we saw the savagery- we saw the facets of his ruthless, cold, beastly nature. But we got a transformative glimmer of his true nature at our riveting conclusion- that cliffhanger that let us see the broken man behind the beast. In Hidden Beauty, there is no hiding- Amelia unleashes his heart and soul, and he is breathtaking. LIke our source material, we find that the beast is really just wounded and defensive, but beneath the growl is a heart of gold- a shocking nuance of goodness and emotional complexity. A man who sacrifices for others, a man who will do anything for those he loves, a man who has now replaced anger with vulnerability and authenticity. While our title speaks to Leo’s central motivation as an alpha- his need to hide and protect his beauty, even against her will-this story, if anything, is the opposite of that- this is about exposing the beast. The evolution of our leading mean- as we, both reader and Hayley, fall more in love with him. Physically, he’s healing, but emotionally he’s unleashed- and I was enraptured.
The catalyst of all this growth, of course, is the realizations he’s drawn from the denouement of our prior story, realization about his beauty, Haley. I really loved her in our first book, and here we get to see her find more power in what was once a powerless romantic entanglement. But, with that power comes confusion and more angst- and at times I was frustrated by her. Leo becomes more open, and she becomes more closed off and confused. Of course, she’s conflicted- torn between two families who, in all fairness, have at best ignored her and her family and at worse irreparably harmed them. But her heart is so good- and as her fierceness comes out, I appreciated that Amelia found ways to keep her soft. Their chemistry is still combustible and scorching, but now with more emotional dimension, more nuance. We get a lot more emotional intimacy, and conflict, in this second installment- resulting in a more dimensional Leo and a less naïve Haley. I adore them together, and when they are both gracing the page, I simply can not turn the pages fast enough.
Like our first book, we have familiar referential moments to the classic tale we know and love- most notably the classic “will you have dinner with me” moment that is forever ingrained in my adolescent memory. But this second installment relies less on the architecture of the classic and yields more heavily towards the creativity of Amelia Wilde- and in that this story really shines. The characters have emotional journeys similar to the fairy tale’s namesake, but Amelia has defined them anew. The prose in the second installment had a different flair- but one I appreciated. This a decidedly more meta story- one that is more focused on the internal struggles and emotional angst between these two characters than the vendetta action and games surrounding them. The result is that the pace is slower, and we have less overarching plot progress, but instead we’re treated to a closer look at the conflicted emotional processing of both of these characters- one in a battle with herself over her confused emotions, and another desperately trying to be the man his woman needs. They are both full of contradictions and imperfections, but we now start to see their love blossom in a more solid, unbreakable way.
But, while we see these two explore their feelings further, they still have much to work out, not to mention the looming obstacle of the nefarious intentions of the Morelli foes. And, of course, we have another cliffhanger - what a doozie! I’m desperate for our final installment- and holding out hope that this beauty and the beast will find their HEA.
book 3:
WHAT AN EPIC FINALE!! Amelia has saved her most intoxicating, beguiling, and spellbinding book in this trilogy for last- the perfect conclusion to this erotic, sensual, and deliciously dark beauty and the beast masterpiece. I was transfixed from the first word to the last, desperate for our star crossed lovers to find a way to conquer the evilest of Constantines, but even more desperate for our beauty and our beast to be free of their pain.
Like Haley, I’m a captive- completely owned by the intoxicating dark magnificence of Leo Morelli. HE IS EVERYTHING. Hands down Amelia’s most compelling and nuanced hero to date. And, the Morelli beast is ironically the soonest Midnight Dynasty leaning man of all. Amelia has created such a profound and compelling character evolution for this long-suffering, tortured man. In this finale, we see the full spectrum of what makes Leo Morelli- from the savage, ruthless, carnal urges of his repressed beastly nature to the altruistic, unconditional, pure love he oozes as he selflessly sacrifices for his family and Haley. But we see the entirety of the man in this conclusion, and he is breathtaking. Whereas the fabled beast wore his beastly guise as the result of a curse, Leo has donned his beastly persona of choice. He’s created a weaponized visage that protects him from exposing his pain, his trauma, his heart. But now we see the most beautiful, soul shattering aspect of this man- his vulnerability. And while we still have our alpha, dominant, possessive Morelli king, we also have a wounded, gentle, devastating besotted hero. Amelia gives us both beast and prince- and THIS IS HOW YOU EVOLVE A CHARACTER! I was transfixed by every word. His past broke my heart, but his arrestingly beautiful way of loving Haley shattered it completely. The power of his heart was truly breathtaking, I felt his pain and devotion in my very soul. Our prior books helped us understand his dimension, but now Leo has to come to terms with all parts of himself. And it’s less about harnessing the beast, and more about accepting his goodness. He has to expose all of himself, and sweet and solid Haley loves him for every piece.
“I’m the beast now. The nightmare….
I see you for what you are. You’re a prince. My prince.”
Haley is his perfect match- the light to his dark, the submissive to his need for control. I loved how unwavering she is- she knows what and who she wants, and she never falters. Despite the countless obstacles her family and the vicious matriarch Caroline Constanine throw her way. She’s so pure of heart, but she’s not naive. She doesn’t want to tame the beast- she wants to accept and love him, and she also wants to help him see that he’s more than that. And in doing so, we also see her blossom, as his partner, as his equal. We see her become more than the poor Constantine captive, the pawn. I appreciated that Amelia found ways to keep her soft- but she also is POWERFUL. Their chemistry is still combustible and scorching, but now with SO much emotional dimension, because they finally are emotionally bare to one another. Completely honest, exposed, and it only strengthens their connection.
While the story has certainly veered from its beauty and the beast beginnings, Amelia finds ways to keep nodding at the themes of the original, but with her own brilliant twist. Our climatic is her best and most impactful referential moment of the entire series- I literally could not breathe I was so consumed by emotion. And, like our second story, this book is more metaphysical in focus- about the emotional wrestling these characters are doing with themselves, so our story remains deliciously meta. You feel so intimately connected to them both. And the prose is beautifully rendered.
And just when I was lamenting that this engrossing story was turning its final page for good, Amelia gifts us with an epilogue that sets us up for a spin-off that has me SALIVATING. One that I can only hope gives me a chance to dance just a little while longer with the beauty and her beast. By far one of the best stories yet in the Midnight Dynasty world, and one of my favorite Amelia Wilde series ever.
Book 1: 5 stars
The more I read in the Midnight Dynasty universe -the more obsessed I become. I am living for these modern, erotic fairytale stories, happily immersing myself in the dramatic, sensual, and sordid machinations of the Constantine and Morelli families. I was particularly excited for this series by Amelia both because its source material is my all time favorite fairy tale- Beauty and the Beast- but also because Amelia is an author that I’ve not yet been able to read a full length novel from but who has been on my TBR for an embarrassing amount of time. SO, I was excited to sink my teeth into Haley and Leo’s story- and I’ll definitely be coming back for more.Our heroine Haley, our updated Belle, finds herself in the clutches of the infamous Leo Morelli- whom fans from other series may recognize as a constant Constantine foe. These Constantines are quite a different flavor than the ones we’ve met before- powerless, impoverished, pawns. And when her father makes an overzealous misstep, Haley gives herself to the enemy in exchange for his freedom. The innocent beauty in the clutches of the ferocious beast.Having read prior books in this interconnected world, I’d met some of these characters before. This book can be read as a standalone, though I’ll admit I’m not sure I would have found these characters quite as menacing if I’d not already seen some of them as villains in prior stories. Leo in particular does a number on me here- I had learned to loathe him already, so switching my mindset to seeing him as a sexy anti-hero took me a minute. And, he didn’t do me any favors in getting there mentally. He’s ruthless, cold, and cruel. We don’t get to see much behind him, any sort of empathy or emotion until much later in the story. And, this is not a leading man who softens in any way, we just start to understand him more- perhaps forgive him a bit. We only get small bread crumbs of his ability to care for our innocent heroine- but eventually we got enough for me to feel something for him, to root for him.Haley is plucky and sincere- the kind of heroine that loves and forgives and tries to find redeeming qualities in others when they may not be there. So, she’s the perfect match for the unredeemable Leo. He breaks her, tortures her, is cruel to her- yet she cares. And slowly by slowly his treatment of her becomes less about penance and torture and more about connection and care. And, that draws her even more to him- draws out her own deviant desires and kinks. The chemistry between them was slow to develop for me- in part because of Leo’s coldness. But, about half way through, something started to sizzle, and I felt more attached, then ultimately addicted, to this couple. Of course just when they start to open up, just when we start to see their hearts connect, things get chaotic.As far as adaptations go, this is a pretty literal translation of my all time favorite classic. Our beast is a gnarly mafioso cursed by the scars of his family, and our beauty is still the wide-eyed bibliophile brimming with innocent determination and naïve authenticity. We have the crazy inventor father, a friendly housekeeper, a contract exchange, heck, we even have the iconic champagne gold gown. Our key plot points mirror those of the classic with ease- though our enemy takes a slightly different shape than that of the buff Gaston. That gives the plot a familiarity, though this is of course a far more naughty and erotic version. And it is naughty- our Beast is filthy and turns out our belle likes it a bit rough. Those parts of the stories- the ones that are not so dependent on the framework of the classic, are the ones that gripped me most- and where Amelia shines as a writer. Of course, those were often the more naughty parts- but in truth, to me those were also the moments where our characters became more realized, more defined. The overarching story is, of course, enjoyable and a fast paced read-and the last 40% in particular really grabbed me as chemistry escalates and as we start to run out of source material, leaving TONS of questions for where this will go next. I have a feeling I’ll like the subsequent stories even more -I think that will make the plot more unpredictable, and certainly will give Amelia a larger playground to get creative within. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2, and just what our finale means for this depraved, twisted, and complicated relationship.
book 2: 4 stars
Hidden Beauty is the perfect encapsulation of the beguiling, sensual, and deliciously spellbinding story-telling magic of Amelia Wilde- and in this erotic, twisted, and yummy dark Beauty and the Beast, her talents truly shine.
LEO MORELLI. Oh my heart- Amelia makes me fall head over heels for this broken beast. HE IS EVERYTHING. I didn’t think I could find him more interesting, more compelling, but I was wrong- his character arc, his steady and poignant exposure makes this whole story. In book 1, we saw the savagery- we saw the facets of his ruthless, cold, beastly nature. But we got a transformative glimmer of his true nature at our riveting conclusion- that cliffhanger that let us see the broken man behind the beast. In Hidden Beauty, there is no hiding- Amelia unleashes his heart and soul, and he is breathtaking. LIke our source material, we find that the beast is really just wounded and defensive, but beneath the growl is a heart of gold- a shocking nuance of goodness and emotional complexity. A man who sacrifices for others, a man who will do anything for those he loves, a man who has now replaced anger with vulnerability and authenticity. While our title speaks to Leo’s central motivation as an alpha- his need to hide and protect his beauty, even against her will-this story, if anything, is the opposite of that- this is about exposing the beast. The evolution of our leading mean- as we, both reader and Hayley, fall more in love with him. Physically, he’s healing, but emotionally he’s unleashed- and I was enraptured.
The catalyst of all this growth, of course, is the realizations he’s drawn from the denouement of our prior story, realization about his beauty, Haley. I really loved her in our first book, and here we get to see her find more power in what was once a powerless romantic entanglement. But, with that power comes confusion and more angst- and at times I was frustrated by her. Leo becomes more open, and she becomes more closed off and confused. Of course, she’s conflicted- torn between two families who, in all fairness, have at best ignored her and her family and at worse irreparably harmed them. But her heart is so good- and as her fierceness comes out, I appreciated that Amelia found ways to keep her soft. Their chemistry is still combustible and scorching, but now with more emotional dimension, more nuance. We get a lot more emotional intimacy, and conflict, in this second installment- resulting in a more dimensional Leo and a less naïve Haley. I adore them together, and when they are both gracing the page, I simply can not turn the pages fast enough.
Like our first book, we have familiar referential moments to the classic tale we know and love- most notably the classic “will you have dinner with me” moment that is forever ingrained in my adolescent memory. But this second installment relies less on the architecture of the classic and yields more heavily towards the creativity of Amelia Wilde- and in that this story really shines. The characters have emotional journeys similar to the fairy tale’s namesake, but Amelia has defined them anew. The prose in the second installment had a different flair- but one I appreciated. This a decidedly more meta story- one that is more focused on the internal struggles and emotional angst between these two characters than the vendetta action and games surrounding them. The result is that the pace is slower, and we have less overarching plot progress, but instead we’re treated to a closer look at the conflicted emotional processing of both of these characters- one in a battle with herself over her confused emotions, and another desperately trying to be the man his woman needs. They are both full of contradictions and imperfections, but we now start to see their love blossom in a more solid, unbreakable way.
But, while we see these two explore their feelings further, they still have much to work out, not to mention the looming obstacle of the nefarious intentions of the Morelli foes. And, of course, we have another cliffhanger - what a doozie! I’m desperate for our final installment- and holding out hope that this beauty and the beast will find their HEA.
book 3:
WHAT AN EPIC FINALE!! Amelia has saved her most intoxicating, beguiling, and spellbinding book in this trilogy for last- the perfect conclusion to this erotic, sensual, and deliciously dark beauty and the beast masterpiece. I was transfixed from the first word to the last, desperate for our star crossed lovers to find a way to conquer the evilest of Constantines, but even more desperate for our beauty and our beast to be free of their pain.
Like Haley, I’m a captive- completely owned by the intoxicating dark magnificence of Leo Morelli. HE IS EVERYTHING. Hands down Amelia’s most compelling and nuanced hero to date. And, the Morelli beast is ironically the soonest Midnight Dynasty leaning man of all. Amelia has created such a profound and compelling character evolution for this long-suffering, tortured man. In this finale, we see the full spectrum of what makes Leo Morelli- from the savage, ruthless, carnal urges of his repressed beastly nature to the altruistic, unconditional, pure love he oozes as he selflessly sacrifices for his family and Haley. But we see the entirety of the man in this conclusion, and he is breathtaking. Whereas the fabled beast wore his beastly guise as the result of a curse, Leo has donned his beastly persona of choice. He’s created a weaponized visage that protects him from exposing his pain, his trauma, his heart. But now we see the most beautiful, soul shattering aspect of this man- his vulnerability. And while we still have our alpha, dominant, possessive Morelli king, we also have a wounded, gentle, devastating besotted hero. Amelia gives us both beast and prince- and THIS IS HOW YOU EVOLVE A CHARACTER! I was transfixed by every word. His past broke my heart, but his arrestingly beautiful way of loving Haley shattered it completely. The power of his heart was truly breathtaking, I felt his pain and devotion in my very soul. Our prior books helped us understand his dimension, but now Leo has to come to terms with all parts of himself. And it’s less about harnessing the beast, and more about accepting his goodness. He has to expose all of himself, and sweet and solid Haley loves him for every piece.
“I’m the beast now. The nightmare….
I see you for what you are. You’re a prince. My prince.”
Haley is his perfect match- the light to his dark, the submissive to his need for control. I loved how unwavering she is- she knows what and who she wants, and she never falters. Despite the countless obstacles her family and the vicious matriarch Caroline Constanine throw her way. She’s so pure of heart, but she’s not naive. She doesn’t want to tame the beast- she wants to accept and love him, and she also wants to help him see that he’s more than that. And in doing so, we also see her blossom, as his partner, as his equal. We see her become more than the poor Constantine captive, the pawn. I appreciated that Amelia found ways to keep her soft- but she also is POWERFUL. Their chemistry is still combustible and scorching, but now with SO much emotional dimension, because they finally are emotionally bare to one another. Completely honest, exposed, and it only strengthens their connection.
While the story has certainly veered from its beauty and the beast beginnings, Amelia finds ways to keep nodding at the themes of the original, but with her own brilliant twist. Our climatic is her best and most impactful referential moment of the entire series- I literally could not breathe I was so consumed by emotion. And, like our second story, this book is more metaphysical in focus- about the emotional wrestling these characters are doing with themselves, so our story remains deliciously meta. You feel so intimately connected to them both. And the prose is beautifully rendered.
And just when I was lamenting that this engrossing story was turning its final page for good, Amelia gifts us with an epilogue that sets us up for a spin-off that has me SALIVATING. One that I can only hope gives me a chance to dance just a little while longer with the beauty and her beast. By far one of the best stories yet in the Midnight Dynasty world, and one of my favorite Amelia Wilde series ever.