A review by bookmarkedtbr
Beautiful Beast by Neva Altaj

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

5.0

Tropes: age gap, beauty & the beast retelling, he falls first, touch her & ***, kidnapping 
FMC: Vasilisa - Bratva Pakhan’s daughter, hacker, loves her family, wants to be a part of the family business
MMC: Rafael - Sicilian don, hit man/mercenary leader, scarred, ruthless 
Intimacy: On page, rough, vocal

Summary
Vasilisa wants to work for the Bratva, the organization her father leads and her brother will one day inherit. However, they’re determined to keep her as far away from the action as possible. So she decides to test her hacking skills against the most secure companies in the world, not realizing one of them is a front for The Sicilian’s mercenary business. When Rafael has Vasilisa kidnapped and brought to Italy, he plans to get answers and kill her quickly. But one look at her and his entire world shifts. Will he be able to keep her there? Can she ever fall in love with a beast?

Thoughts
Wow. Just wow. I’m honestly speechless. This book blew my expectations out of the water. From page one I was engaged and I devoured the entire book in one sitting. The push and pull between the MCs was amazing, and I couldn’t wait for the moment all of the tension exploded. They each had their own journeys to go on throughout the book, and I appreciated how much thought Vasilisa in particular put into examining her feelings and standing by her values. 

Rafael had me feeling all kinds of things. An amazing multi-faceted MMC, there was plenty to love and hate about him. But when he falls first and falls hard, any resistance I had went out the window. I just love stoic, serious, hardened MMCs who turn into mush around the woman they love. The adoration he has for Vasilisa is apparent from their first meeting and it’s truly swoon-worthy. 

It was definitely obvious that this was a beauty and the beast retelling, but I really loved the way Neva Altaj handled it. With nods to the original Perfectly Imperfect series and to the Disney movie, the balance was perfect and I loved each of the little reminders. A 5 star read for sure. 

Some of My Favorite Quotes *slight spoilers
  • I think that’s the first time ever a woman has tried to k*** me. And I find it hot as h***. 
  • “There are many things that scare me, Rafael…” “Tell me what they are, and I’ll vanquish each one.”
  • I wrap my arms around his neck, squeezing with all my might as I kiss him back like it’s the end of the fucking world. It just might be. Mine anyway. But I’m ready to burn in the fire he sparked.
  • “Have you ever had a man worship you, Vasilisa?”
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