A review by lauren_miller
The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard

challenging emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

i hate it when authors characterize regency romance FMCs and MMCs as tragically horny. just because it was "proper" age doesn't mean people were so stifled they thought about sex at every freaking waking moment... 😑

stupid amount of horniness and sex aside, the premise was so good and it tried to deliver, but I'm coming away disappointed. i love that Thane was actually a beast of a character, scarring aside; instead the expected trope of a kind hearted but jaded veteran, he was actually a foul-mouthed, impolite, and traumatized asshole. and I found Astrid to be entirely relatable and sound of mind. so where did it go wrong?? there were so (too) many instances of Thane feeling sorry for himself and shutting Astrid out as a result (the man doth protest too much, me thinks), and so much intercourse without actually communication! It took so long to get to an actual emotional resolution that by the end, I was almost content to watch them part, love be damned. But of course, a happy ending must prevail... anyway, the reading experience was enjoyable enough, but I don't think I'll be picking up more from this author.

3.25 out of 5 stars, ⭐️⭐️⭐️