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An Irish mobster. A missing friend. Two loyalties, ripping me apart. I had a plan. Get in, get my information, and get out. Easy, right? Turns out, infiltrating the Irish mafia isn't exactly what I thought it would be. I just wanted a soldier. Someone I could flirt with to get me in the door. That's when Lachlan Crow noticed me. Problem was, he wasn't a soldier. No, he was next in line for the throne of the Irish underworld. And he was determined to hate me from the outset.
They call him a monster. Pale blue eyes as cold as ice that see right through you. He’s hard. He’s damaged. He’s dangerous. He lives in a castle fit for a fairy tale, but he’s no prince. He’s savage. He’s brutal. He’s a killer. By an act of fate, our worlds collide.They call him a monster, but he is my salvation.
There’s a thin line between hate and tolerance, and it seems to sit squarely between us. Lola Bell could easily bring an army of men to their knees, as long as she never opened her mouth. She’s soft in too many ways. A people-pleaser who goes the extra mile. Some might call her an easy target. In short, she has all of the qualities that I despise. But when it comes to me, she doesn’t hesitate to fling her poison arrows my way. She has every right to her feelings. Over the years, I’ve given her plenty of ammo. Yeah, I hate Lola. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting her too. When she makes me a proposition I can’t refuse, there’s just one problem.
Two years ago, I made a deal with the devil. That night, I lost everything. That night, I thought he died. But he's back. Risen, like Lazarus, from the dead. And he's dark. Darker than he was before. Dangerous. Unhinged. A scarred, tattooed savage. The way he looks at me should terrify me, but I'm drawn to him, to his intensity. Consumed by it. By him. Even though I know if I'm not careful, his obsession will destroy me.
I don't believe in fairy tales and Prince Charming. I believe in fear. He taught me how to be afraid. We first met on a playground on a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wouldn't be the last. For 10 years, he's been my tormentor and I've been his forbidden. But then he went away, and yet I was still afraid. Now, he's back, and wants more than just my tears. You see...he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge...and he knows just how to get it.
He says he owns me. And it's true. I've signed over complete control of my body and life for six months to a man I don't know. Five years he's been planning this. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But my blackmailer serves it up white hot. He's addicted to my innocence, and I'm addicted to him. He likes to hurt me. I love to let him. He brings me to life. He sets me free. He makes my heart feel things it shouldn't. But he also scares me.
An Irish mobster. A missing friend. Two loyalties, ripping me apart. I had a plan. Get in, get my information, and get out. Easy, right? Turns out, infiltrating the Irish mafia isn't exactly what I thought it would be. I just wanted a soldier. Someone I could flirt with to get me in the door. That's when Lachlan Crow noticed me. Problem was, he wasn't a soldier. No, he was next in line for the throne of the Irish underworld. And he was determined to hate me from the outset.
They call him a monster. Pale blue eyes as cold as ice that see right through you. He’s hard. He’s damaged. He’s dangerous. He lives in a castle fit for a fairy tale, but he’s no prince. He’s savage. He’s brutal. He’s a killer. By an act of fate, our worlds collide.They call him a monster, but he is my salvation.
There’s a thin line between hate and tolerance, and it seems to sit squarely between us. Lola Bell could easily bring an army of men to their knees, as long as she never opened her mouth. She’s soft in too many ways. A people-pleaser who goes the extra mile. Some might call her an easy target. In short, she has all of the qualities that I despise. But when it comes to me, she doesn’t hesitate to fling her poison arrows my way. She has every right to her feelings. Over the years, I’ve given her plenty of ammo. Yeah, I hate Lola. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting her too. When she makes me a proposition I can’t refuse, there’s just one problem.
Two years ago, I made a deal with the devil. That night, I lost everything. That night, I thought he died. But he's back. Risen, like Lazarus, from the dead. And he's dark. Darker than he was before. Dangerous. Unhinged. A scarred, tattooed savage. The way he looks at me should terrify me, but I'm drawn to him, to his intensity. Consumed by it. By him. Even though I know if I'm not careful, his obsession will destroy me.
I don't believe in fairy tales and Prince Charming. I believe in fear. He taught me how to be afraid. We first met on a playground on a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wouldn't be the last. For 10 years, he's been my tormentor and I've been his forbidden. But then he went away, and yet I was still afraid. Now, he's back, and wants more than just my tears. You see...he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge...and he knows just how to get it.
He says he owns me. And it's true. I've signed over complete control of my body and life for six months to a man I don't know. Five years he's been planning this. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But my blackmailer serves it up white hot. He's addicted to my innocence, and I'm addicted to him. He likes to hurt me. I love to let him. He brings me to life. He sets me free. He makes my heart feel things it shouldn't. But he also scares me.
Life hasn't been easy for Charlie. Her mother was a monster. And when Charlie left home, there wasn't always a warm bed, food, or a hot shower. She figured out how to get by on her looks. When her mother dies and she comes home to put that part of her life behind her, she finds the diary. It fills her with rage. She's out for revenge. But along the way she meets him. Ethan DOES play by the rules. And at the top of his list is "Don't get involved with clients." Will he break his rules for Charlie?
I stole her in the night. Caged her because I can't live without her. She's my love, my addiction, my obsession. I will do anything to keep Sara mine.
Heartless. Ruthless. Stone-cold killer. That's me. I destroy anything in my path to get what I want. Then she showed up. Olivia Bell. She's sweet and innocent and in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now she's mine. My property. I own her. Given to me as a bargaining chip. She's not a part of my plans, but plans change. Her pouty lips and gorgeous curves beg me to break her. Taking her lush, curvy body and ravaging it for all it's worth would be easy, but I want to earn her submission. It's addictive. I want it. I want her.
I don't like to be touched. I'm the hacker-geek-goddess of the FBI. When I'm hiding behind my screen, I'm a safe distance from everyone; isolated, powerful. No man has ever touched me, but when I'm captured by Colombian drug lord Andrés Moreno, I no longer have the right to refuse. He's scarred and scary, and his cruel brother Cristian has tasked him with breaking me. I try to fight, but I can't escape his strong arms and harsh discipline. He demands that I accept his touch, and my virgin body can't help but respond to his masterful manipulations.
My name is Sebastian Lindstrom, and I'm the villain of this story. I've decided to lay myself bare. To tell the truth for once in my hollow life, no matter how dark it gets. And I can assure you, it will get so dark that you'll find yourself feeling around the blackened corners of my mind, seeking a door handle that isn't there. Don't mistake this for a confession. I neither seek forgiveness nor would I accept it. My sins are my own. They keep me company. Instead, this is the true tale of how I found her, how I stole her, and how I lost her.
How to kick off a great summer in the Hamptons: Snag a gorgeous rental on the beach. Check. Get a job at a trendy summer haunt. Check. How to screw up a great summer in the Hamptons: Fall for the one guy with a dark leather jacket, scruff on his face, and intense eyes that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the tony-looking crowd. A guy you can’t have when you’ll be leaving at the end of the season. Check. Check. Check.
Joseph Ingram made the mistake of stealing from me - four million dollars. He took my intelligence without paying for it. And thought he could get away with it. Now I'll take something from him - something irreplaceable. His sister. Collateral. But even when Joseph doubles the amount of money he owes me, I don't give her up. Nope. I have an image to maintain. So I keep her. And I'm not giving her up.
Dr. Devlin Dane has had his sights set on my panties for months. But I've done a stellar job of fending him off. As Mercy Medical's most eligible bachelor, he has no problem in the panty-dropping department. He's tall, dark, and inked all over. I get the appeal; I'm not dead. I'm not stupid either. He's a walking heartbreak waiting to happen. But when Reese Dane comes crashing into my life - literally- the game suddenly changes. The two have an unstoppable pull like centrifugal force.
Animal. Monster. Beast. That's what they call Viktor Melikov, the man who hides in the dark...but even monsters need to be loved. The moment he sees the girl hired to dance for him, everything ceases to exist. It's a feeling he's unfamiliar with...and craves more than anything.
I rescued Sabrina from a mafia bloodbath when she was 13. As the new head of the Philly syndicate, I sent her to the best schools to keep her as far away from the life - and me - as possible. It worked perfectly. Until she turned 18. Until she came home. Until I realized that the timid girl was gone and in her place lived a smart mouth and a body that demanded my attention. I promised myself I'd resist her, for her own good.... I lied.
I named myself. I took the word animal out of their mouths, wore it like a badge of honor, then shoved it down their throats. I've fought for what I have. I see you coming before you even know you want a piece of me. In a city riddled with warring families, I'll rise up between them. My people, the broken souls I gather, will have power by the time I'm done with them.
A stranger online. Dark hair and even darker eyes that knew my dirty desires before I did. A fantasy that should never be spoken. But he pulled the confession from me. And now he's coming for me. Rough. Dirty. Dangerous. It's supposed to be one night to get me off and make me forget. He'll make me his and I'll pretend I don't want him to. I'll run and he'll chase. Because I asked him for this. I begged him for this. Tonight, in the darkness, he's the hunter. And I'm the bait.
Once upon a time, I believed in fairytales.
But then he took me.
And he taught me that life isn't a fairytale.
He is scarred. Broken.
A dark and wild thing.
His beauty is violent and his words are cruel.
His heart is a shadowed landscape where nothing can grow.
He tells me he could never care for me, and he proves it every day.
He's destroyed my life.
Tortured me.
And worse....
He's trained me to beg for his affection.
This prison is a place where sunlight doesn't reach.
He taught me that hate is born in darkness.
And then he taught me that sometimes love is too.
I fell for the cover. I found this too dark and disturbing for me. Fair warning: this has rape, torture, humiliation, and abuse. I'm all about twisted fairy tales but I could not stomach this Beauty and the Beast. I commend Tracy Marks on her fantastic narration. She is one of my favorite narrators. I enjoyed the Boston Underworld series and I look forward to other Zavarelli books. This one? No way, not worth my credit.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
When Isabell's father goes missing, she tries to get information on a case he was working on.
The prize for her nosiness?? A phychopath stalker that she actually knows.
Javier is a well trained killer who's hell bent on vengeance.
This brutally cruel monster is obsessed with capturing, caging, and torturing Bella.
Bella has enough common sense to know Javier is dangerous and yet she's so indecisive, you just want to yell.. It's just Stockholm making you find solace in your sadistic capturer RUN BELLA RUN!!
Even when Javier isn't playing the bad guy roll, he's still not redeemable enough for me to like him.
This story is intriguing and well written enough to make you believe that these 2 people with their own brand of "crazy love" were meant to be.
On this particular book Tracy Marks gave a perfectly stellar performance.
I usually have to turn down the speed so that she doesn't sound like an auctioneer. When she speaks to quickly its hard to feel the characters emotions.
I'm so happy she toned it down 👏
So is this book credit worthy??
Well, I requested this book in exchange for my honest review because I like to switch it up and go into the darkness sometime.
If you're looking for dark and Suspenseful
I say, yes enjoy the ride.. It's a brutal one🔪
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
Wow. I'm still trembling, coming down from the adrenaline rush I've been riding since the beginning of the book. Subject matter was very uncomfortable for me, and may be more so for those with emotional triggers. Having said that, the writing was excellent and the author did a wonderful job weaving a tale that sweeps the listener along, with plot twists galore. The hot erotic scenes were compelling and full- bodied, but most included hard core BDSM with humiliation, rape, and even bloodletting- in case any of this is a deal breaker for you. With those more intense elements stripped away, this is a story of two broken people whose jagged edges somehow fit together, each one healing the other, bringing redemption and closure to tragic events they've suffered through. A glass of wine or two, plus or minus that last Valium you've been holding on to, will help this one go down a little easier. I wholeheartedly recommend you give this one a listen.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Wow! I am speechless after listening to this book. I had to think about what I was going to write in this review. This book was so much darker than I expected. The author is very talented, but I have a hard time with how this book started. I so loved the Boston Underworld series that I want more of them, that I think I was expecting some sort of character overlay with this book. Tracy Marks did an awesome performance with this book. She is able to convey so much emotion into the characters. My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it. I leave the synopsis up to the professionals as they are so much more eloquent. I was given this review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily written this review. A few phrases that come to mind are Stockholm Syndrome, and not your typical fairytale of Beauty and the Beast.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
This story gutted me! A Zavarelli knocked a hone run on it. I felt the anguish of each character with her written words!
Tracy Marks is a wonderful narrator, she is able to get some amazing feelings across through her voice. Her ability to change voices within this particular boom was WOW!!!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Isabella’s singing career is on the rise, but she’s still terribly unhappy with her life. Things get a lot worse when she’s kidnapped by Javi who has a grudge against her father and he’s going to make “Bella” pay the price.
Amazing, that’s all I can say about the very dark, very twisted take on the Beauty and the Beast story. Javi is truly cruel and abusive towards Bella before she turns the tables on him and flips his world upside down. If you have triggers or are sensitive to scenes that involve emotional and physical abuse, you may want to skip this one. I have no such filters and I loved this story! It’s raw, suspenseful and deeply erotic. I won’t forget this one anytime soon.
Tracy Marks narrates this nearly 8-hour audiobook and in this fully-voiced production she really shines. Her accent for Javi’s character was all kinds of hot. This story required so much emotion from both main characters and Tracy nailed the transformation of Javi’s character from beast to man. The audiobook is fast paced and Tracy is a fast talker so it all worked together well in this audiobook.
Beast is the first book that I’ve listened to from author A. Zavarelli, but I’ll be heading over to see what else she’s written because I’m hooked!
This audiobook was given to me at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review, thanks, Audiobook Boom!
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
Oh my....I really wanted to hate the Beast for everything he does in the first half of this book, and for awhile I did. But wow so much backstory and character development!! I love a strong, dark character with a troubled past and this definitely fits the bill. If you love to hate, and hate to love a character than you so want to give this a listen. Tracy Marks gives an amazing narration. This one will stick with me for a while.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
What made the experience of listening to Beast the most enjoyable?
The emotions of the story that were so well written into the storyline. A. Zavarelli has a way of painting a story in her books while they are dark they are also so brilliant. Her characters have so much depth and you feel for her characters even in their darkest hours and you hate them you still feel for them. She also chooses narrators that are perfect for her books and you can't help but get invested in the story as it comes to life in your mind.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I loved Javier as he gutted me..there were so many sides to his character and why he was so dark. You wanted to love and hate him at the same time. You could feel his turmoil throughout the story even when he was being evil and inflicting pain/abuse.
Have you listened to any of Tracy Marks’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes, I have listed to a couple of her other performances and like her other ones this one was top notch. She always brings a depth to her performances that makes you connect to her characters and you feel like the characters are alive and they are really feeling the emotions she is reading/performing. This is one of my favorite performances of hers.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, I didn't want to put this book down and know what happened next. It isn't a typical fairytale and is a darker book. Several times I was left saying "did that really just happen" which is typical of this author.
Any additional comments?
Note- this book is dark and does have scenes of rape, BDSM, bloodletting, humiliation, etc. It is "loosely" based off of Beauty and the Beast but it is dark so if any of those are triggers for you I don't recommend you reading this book. Of course there is a bigger meaning of two people learning to get over their dark pasts and hurts and heal each other but the dark pasts and dark triggers may not be for everyone so I like to warn people of these triggers.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for my unbiased review.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about Beast?
I loved the unique storyline which definitely wasn't for the faint of heart.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Beast?
It's too hard to pick just one. The book was amazing.
Any additional comments?
I received this audio in exchange for a fair and honest review.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Subject matter was too dark for me. I usually like this author. I have always found his/her books just the right amount of dark but i do not enjoy abuse of others, so I’ll pass on this one
I love a dark romance and A Zavarelli did not disappoint with this story of a damaged soul, Javier, taking revenge on his torturer in the worst possible way by kidnapping and torturing and exacting some of the same cruel and sadistic things on his daughter, the beautiful Bella. Javier knows everything about Bella, he is obsessed with her, and Bella becomes a slave to his affection, almost begging for his love and touch. A clever story, so well written with twists and turns, I had no idea who to trust. Definitely not a book for the faint hearted, some sadistic and downright cruel scenes. I loved it.
I received a copy of this book audiobook via audio book boom in exchange for an honest review.
The audio was spot on even with only one narrater narrating both POVs. Couldn't fault it.
Where does Beast rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
One of the best.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Both main characters plus River, who's story I can't wait for.
What about Tracy Marks’s performance did you like?
I love her voice. I think she would make bad book sound good. She is my favorite female narrator on audible website.
Any additional comments?
I love Zavarelli's style of writing. I really loved this book and I bought it in hard copy too. It's kind of a book I can listen to on repeat (together with her Reaper, which i listened to like hundred times already). Yes, main male character was a bit harsh sometimes, but it was really good spicy love story.