This is a romp, which feels so rare in Beauty and the Beast retellings (that often feel so dark-and-stormy). This is classic Tessa Dare humor - absurd, over-the-top, and wryly modern despite the historical setting. The melodramatic scenes feel intentionally campy, and yet the relational development throughout our marriage-of-convenience still feels very sincere and tender. For the first time in my reading existence I was more frustrated with our female main character than our male main character in the third act (who am I?!), but I still loved how well balanced these final conflicts are in construction and how authentically they mirror our characters' fears. 

A great starting point for readers newer to historical romance, and an easy entry point to Tessa Dare.