Expectations. A little while ago I said Royal Street was a lovely coconut-filled piece in the Netgalley chocolate box. (If I had the energy and proclivity I'd start assigning a candy type to each book; on the plus side I'd need to do lots and lots of research. On the negative, I'd probably start annoying myself, and I'd probably end up insulting someone who just loves those weird taffy bits (or who believes that some nobleman is the actual maker of Russell Stovers, since Mr. Stover couldn't have [...]

I love stories-within-a-story, so the blurb for this novella grabbed me to start with; the quiet, thoughtful voice of the narrator then drew me in. Tara and her companions, traveling entertainers, are forced to seek shelter with a withdrawn man named Rolph; after they share some of their stories with him, he responds with a very dark tale of his own. Tara is strongly drawn to Rolph, but he seems to be closed off from human interaction -- perhaps with very good reason.Set in a steampunk universe [...]

Beauty in the Beast Review on K-BooksI really don't know what to say about this book. It was definitely not what I was expecting. It's a very great premise but for me I was expecting more and I'm left feeling a little disappointed.Tara and her friends are travelling to the Frost Fair but when they get stuck because of a storm they find shelter with a mysterious stranger. Tara feels inexplicably drawn to Rolph and she is determined to find out why. Things are not as they seem with Tara and she ca [...]

Beauty in the Beast is a delightful and moving novella about a troupe of four performers on their way to a fair who get trapped in a blizzard and tale shelter in the cabin of a gruff, handsome stranger. Rolph asks only for stories in return and each of them tell a tale. Tara's story is of an orphaned girl raised by the Fae in the world of the spirits and Rolph’s is of an alchemist whose experiments with transformation doom him to transform into a wolf on the full moon. It soon becomes clear th [...]

That was quite lovely. It was like a steampunk supernatural Arabian Nights that left you wanting more than the 90 pages there were of it.If you get a chance to read it and have an hour or two to spare, you won't be disappointed.

Full review can be found here.For a short story, Beauty in the Beast dabbles in a bit of everything! It’s historical, it’s romance, it’s paranormal, it’s steampunk. I really liked the opening where a company of four storytellers are battling their way through a snowstorm. The descriptions are poignant, all the more so because of the recent freezing weather and snow falls that we’ve had here. I could feel the cold seeping into my bones as much as it was into the characters’ bones!Ther [...]

My Rating: ★★★Book Description:Journeying by steam-powered sled to London's Frost Fair to perform, Tara and three friends are trapped in a blizzard in the woods. A gruff, handsome stranger offers them shelter-and wants one thing in return. Stories. The travellers are glad to oblige. Their host, Rolph, is especially captivated by Tara's story of an orphaned girl raised by the Fae in the world of the spirits. Equally intrigued by Rolph, and aware of an electric pull between them, Tara encour [...]

Beauty in the Beast by Christine Danse* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*Tara and her band of performers are headed to London to perform at the Frost Fair but they get caught in a storm and have to seek shelter. They come across a shelter in the woods and the stranger offers them shelter in exchange for stories. She never expected to find a kindred spirit in the gruff Rolph but his story, like hers, seems to have some truth to it.Beauty in the Beast [...]

Perhaps I didn’t read the summary well enough, but Beauty in the Beast surprised me with its mix of genres. Danse managed to incorporate steampunk elements rather gracefully in her world, immersing the reader in her worldbuilding without superfluous explanation. Her atmosphere spoke for itself, and I’m rather intrigued to see if she bases any further work in this world she has created. Though the details were somewhat sparse, I sensed room for growth and am particularly taken with the idea o [...]

Multi-faceted, Engrossing Steampunk RomanceWhen their stomper breaks down in a blizzard a troupe of stranded entertainers finds themselves relying on the hospitality of a mysterious loner. Tara finds Rolph's enigmatic nature alluring as she and her friends trade stories for shelter in the storm. As she shares her tale of a girl orphaned and saved by the Fae, Rolph finds himself equally enchanted. But Rolph's somber trade, a tale of a man cursed to a beastly nature because of his own foolishness, [...]

I listened to this on audio, although I believe it is also available as an ebook. I got it because it came up when I did a search for steampunk at audible. I wouldn’t really call it steampunk though. True, the characters have a sort of clockwork, steam powered sled like thing. But I wouldn’t say that the novella had an overall steampunk feel. It’s still fairly interesting. The premise is that a group of performers have broken down on their way to a winter fair. To repay the man who has tak [...]

This is a short book, but when I was reading it, it felt like a long book like I always read (300 and more pages) - I do think some parts were poorly written. Sometimes I found it difficult to understand what was happening, one minute Tara's walking along, the next she's talking about being immortal, then you found out these magical wolves exist, suddenly she's fighting them. Everything I've said I believe is true, but remember that I've given the book 4 stars, so I can say its a very good book, [...]

Beauty in the Beast is a steampunk novella. It is very short, less than 100 pages. It is a quick story about a group of traveling entertainers who get stranded in a blizzard and have to take shelter from a man living alone in the wilderness. In order to repay him for his kindness, they offer to entertain him, each in their own way. One person plays music, another tells a very dramatic story, another puts on a puppet show and tells a story, while the last person tells a fairytale. After they are [...]

I was instantly drawn to this novella because of the beautiful cover. It stood out and promised such a magical tale, but unfortunately, it didn't really deliver.I felt that everything moved too quickly in this story and before I knew it I was at the end of the book. There was no time for me to really make a connection with any of the characters. Rolph is a mysterious stranger who Tara instantly feels an attraction for, but I just didn't feel it. The secondary characters in the story felt like fi [...]

Four travelling puppeteers and storytellers are braving a terrible blizzard when they come across a little cabin in the woods. Thankful to the strange but kind stranger who offers them lodging and food until the storm passes, they repay him by telling him stories – stories of dragons, fairiesThe stories were enjoyable and were very reminiscent of other stories I’d heard before but with new twists. Whilst I enjoyed reading them, I’m not sure that Beth and Miles stories added anything extra [...]

There isn't a lot of nice things I can say about this book. First I want to tell you the good things, though. I very much enjoy books that are spin offs of other famous works. Now, this spin off is pretty disappointing, but I'll get into that a bit later.Ms. Denise wrote a very descriptive novel. I could clearly see the characters, setting, ect.I did not enjoy this novel. I found that it progression of evens far to slow. Everything moved at a snail's pace and the character's talked bunches of to [...]

All of my reviews posted on Auntie Spinelli ReadsThe only complaint I have about this book: It wasn't long enough.The stories within a story were awesome and really set the scene (even though I didn't really know it). The tale of the dragon was very witty and I really liked the Ice Flower story, but my favorite was the new take on a werewolf stemming from Alchemy. Very interesting and unique! The touch of steampunk was pretty cool too!The relationship between Rolph and Tara moved a bit fast but [...]

Reviewed at: Library of LightsReview date: 24th March 2012Review link: mykindaland/?p=444I chose this book to review because I was attracted by the cover. It’s so beautiful, dark and tempting. But I was sorely disappointed when I started to flip the book. This story is a steampunk story and there’s not really much I can say about this book. The story pace is not only too fast that i found it impossible to connect with the characters, but it is also confusing. There’s story in a story kinda [...]

Beauty in the Beast is an interesting short story following a storyteller who may not be telling stories at all. Danse weaves her tale in frost covered England in the heart of a snow storm. While seeking shelter four entertainers find themselves at the mercy of a kind stranger. This stranger has something to hide it seems, but Tara seems enchanted with him all the same. When he shares a story as well Tara knows there is more to him than meets the eyes. Rolph has somehow turned himself into a wer [...]

Set in the frozen North of a world of steampunk and magic, with a whisper of romance. Story Teller Tara Cooper and her fellow entertainers take shelter from a blizzard in a the cabin of a solitary trapper Rolph and trade stories over the fire.Beauty in the Beast was an oddball little book with the mash up elements from all of the different genres but the mix worked for me, so I really enjoyed it. The book has almost had an anthology feel to it due to the story telling and I enjoyed the three sto [...]

Alchemy. Romance. A twist on the classic tale.Beauty in the Beast was a beautifully written short story that will delight any reader. It's maybe be short but it's definitely sweet! I'll admit that I judged this novella by its cover and it turned out to be much different than I had anticipated. Yet I still found myself deeply enthralled in the story of Tara, the storyteller, her friends, and the so-called beast.The way Ms. Danse set up this novella, telling stories within a story was nothing shor [...]

This is another short story that I decided to read (the cover pulled me in). While the description definitely caught my interests, I feel it was a little deceptive. Or maybe I was expecting something different than what I got. Some things I missed in the plot's background (or it took me a while to figure out) were what time era it was and what on earth was the Frost Fair.The description talks about stories. Yes, there is a lot of story-telling. And while the stories are amusing, they're too stra [...]

ARC from Netgally Really would give a 3.5/3.75.I won’t rewrite the description from above. The characters are well developed, especially for a short story. This is a sweet story about 4 people trying to survive and make a living preforming for others and a lonely, tortured man dealing with his “curse” and past. There are stories within the story which were just as good as the main plot. I enjoyed the new take on werewolves, would have never thought of it and it is very believable. I wish i [...]

This is a unique and spellbinding twist on a classic tale that romance lovers are sure to enjoy.The setting was interesting and there was a lot of descriptive imagery. I liked how the setting helped the readers to get into the moods of the story.Tara is a bright and kind woman who has a knack for weaving tales. I highly enjoyed reading about her and discovering more about her and the other characters as well.Rolph is mysterious and a bit of a storyteller himself. I liked his character a lot and [...]

Incredibly quick read.I thoroughly enjoyed the canterbury-tale-like front half of the book. The stories the characters tell one another as a way to pass a stormy winter night (and re-pay their host's hospitality)are clever and beautifully told. The main storyline, the romance between Tara and dark tormented Rolph was weak, with the heroine making all the stereotypical 'wrong' decisions, like invading the hero's privacy, and believing a monster would never harm her. (view spoiler)[ Tara saves Rol [...]

Netgalley review.This is no way changes my review or opinion of this book.Fun, fun fun!I have never read Christine Danse before, but it won't be the last time! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this short story was filled with adventure, romance and magic. I loved the steampunk aspect. Tara and Rolph's chemistry was just right. And the stories woven through the first part of the book were such wonderful treats. Even though it was a short story, I had a wonderful sense of the world and the charac [...]

Before I began this story, my faith in it was not great. Then I started reading and was hooked. I swept right through it, eager to find out what happened. There were some beautiful turns of phrase: "the blurred forms of my death" and "Shadows haunted every angle like ghosts, one for every lonely winter" come to mind. For such a short story, the characters were well-developed and the heroine was extremely likeable. Even though the ending was slightly predictable, I loved how it wrapped things tog [...]

A really cute imaginative short steampunk story, where 4 travelers get caught in a snow storm driving a steam powered sled to London to perform. They come across a cabin & ask the man for shelter. He agrees only until the storm ends. To pass the time they tell stories, play the lute & do a puppet show. He also tells a story. All is not as it seems & people are not as they are. This is the story of majic and faith in another person. It was cute, dark at times & I would read more s [...]

This book frustrated me to no end! The characters were well built, as was the setting but that’s where it ends. The majority of the book was the characters telling their own stories, which I hate to say, were very boring and too long. The two main characters, Tara and Rolph, barely got any focus. I would have loved to get more background on both Tara and Rolph and way more dialog. It was an ok book but it was seriously lacking where the main story in concerned. I really enjoyed the concept of [...]

This was actually an interesting storyt really all that longabout 29,000 words. I loved that it was Steampunk with a little mix of Fae.Truly who couldn't love the mix of characters.A Werea Mortal/Fae and then throw in three plain mortals without a clueLOLIt was a really short read before bed and wonder if any of the stories you have ever read before in your life might have some truth to them.I mean when you think about it could be possibleFairytalesuld be based on some fact of long ago