The Belle and the Beard

By: Kate Canterbary

Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Jo Raylan

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

Jasper-Anne Cleary’s guide to salvaging your life when you find yourself publicly humiliated, out of work, and unemployable at 35 - not to mention newly single: 

1. Run away. Seriously, there’s no shame in disappearing. Go to that rustic old cottage your aunt left you. Look out for the colony of bats and the leaky roof. Oh, and the barrel-chested neighbor with shoulders like the broad side of a barn. Definitely look out for him. 

2. Stop wallowing and stay busy. It doesn’t matter whether you know how to bake or fix things around the house. Do it anyway. Dust off your southern hospitality and feed that burly, bearded neighbor some pecan pie. 

3. Meet new people. Chat up the grumpy man-bear, pretend to be his girlfriend when his mother puts you two on the spot, agree to go as his date to a big family party. Don’t worry - it’s only temporary. 

4. Cry it out. Screwing up your life entitles you to wine, broody-moody music, and uninterrupted sobbing. 

5. Get over it all by getting under someone. Count on your fake boyfriend to deliver some very real action between the sheets. 

6. Move on. The disappearing act, the cottage, the faux beau - none of it can last forever. 

Linden Santillian’s guide to surviving the invasion when a hell-in-heels campaign strategist moves in next door: 

1. Do not engage. There is no good reason you should chop her wood, haul her boxes, or pick her apples. 

2. Do not accept gifts, especially not the homemade ones. Disconnect the doorbell, toss your phone over a bridge, hide in the basement if you must, but do not eat her pie. 

3. Do not introduce her to your friends and family. They’ll favor her over you and never let you forget it. 

4. Do not intervene when she’s crying on the back porch. Ignore every desire to fix the entire world for her. 

5. Do not take her to bed, even if it’s just to get her out of your system. 

6. Do not, under any circumstances, fall in love with her.

©2021 Kate Canterbary (P)2021 Kate Canterbary

Phenomenal story. Audio casting perfection! ❤🎧❤

Kate Canterbary hit it out of the park again with Linden and Jasper's story. The opposites attraction is off the charts HOT and so smart and beautifully written. The narration is So Perfect. Jo Raylon's Jasper and Zachary Webber's Linden could not be any more Sensational They both embodied the very essence of Kate's characters. I cannot say enough about this story and narration that would do it justice. I loved all of it and I think you will too.

I wanted to like it

I really wanted to like this, but just couldn’t get into the story. I purchased because I love almost anything narrated by Zachary Webber, but even he couldn’t save his. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the female narrator. I feel like Zachary reading the female part was more enjoyable. Overall, if you were on the fence about this one, I’d pass.

Female Narrator was awful

Oh my goodness was I love some Zachary Webber and he was why I survived the book. The female narrator voice comes across whiney and overly done. I’m Not sure if she was trying to be southern but she is not southern. Those of us who are true southerners don’t like someone trying to replicate our accent when they are not from the south.

I really enjoyed the book but it would have been so much better with a different narrator. Hopefully another choice of female narrator will be chosen for the next book by this author.

Juse meh..

Best thing about this listen is the narration. I will always take a chance on a book with either of these narrators. Both are in my top 10!

I wasn't really wrapped up with the story line. It was an interesting take with 2 dominant personalities who really don't know how to bend to accomodate the other. They were their own brand of weird which worked for them. Can't really say I feel a connection with a Lyn + Jas type of relationship but I can say they were made for each other and the author captured their dynamics really well. I like KC books and this is the only reason I finished this book. Honestly the story lost me when I was 3.5hrs to the finish time. My biggest issue was that the epilogue was used to close out alot of the issues/gaps in the relationship/story.

I really wanted to like this one.. but i doubt I will ever listen to this title again.

Very good!

I kept seeing this book pop up on Amazon and on other people’s TBR list so I finally picked it up, and boy am I happy I did.
I loved the characters and how genuine their connection was. It was so easy to fall for Linden and his lumberjack charm;)

Unique love story.

Amazing. I’m going to recommend this book and this author to all my reader friends. The Belle and The Beard has a little bit of everything, I laugh a lot. These characters make me fall in love with them with each book. Linden’s mom Diane is one one my favorite characters, she’s a hoot. She loves her children fiercely and isn’t afraid to meddle in their lives but with caution. The Santilian family is a breath of fresh air, the love they share amongst them is unique. Very unique and beautiful love story between Linden and Jasper.

Sweet romance

This is a very sweet romance with a naughty side to it. With likeable characters this book is lovely. I really enjoyed the combination of Jo and Zachary, they work very well together and both have beautiful tones to their voices.