Gwen’s Review of Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell
Historical Romance published by Zebra 1 Apr 2007

Let me just start by saying I LIKED THIS BOOK! Perhaps not as much as Moning’s Beyond the Highland Mist, my fav historical (okay okay, semi-historical) novel to date, but it was a close second. If you haven’t read this (originally published by Leisure Books in 1992), then you should catch it now in the reprint. It is a rarity in the romance world: a hero and heroine who have a clue… most of the time.

The heroine, Gytha, is likable, sensible, and very appropriate to her time. There were no ultra-modern sensibilities shoved into a medieval package – it bugs the living poo out of me when a historical heroine “wants the vote” so to speak. It just wasn’t appropriate for the time, so why spend ink on it – it only makes me roll my eyes. My favorite of her scenes is at the very beginning of the book. Gytha loses her temper and goes on a very private, but very blue, swearing streak until she says something so outlandish that she makes herself giggle. I loved her after that.

The hero, Thayer, is a brawny warrior, not overly handsome and insecure as hell. So insecure, in fact, that I frequently wanted to slap him. He was a likable enough guy – I imagine I’d be more than happy with him in my bed – but too insecure for my tastes. He was a very believable character, all said, and such a good warrior that he manages to elude many attempts on his life, though not without the scars to prove it.

This was an excellent historical romance. The story was less about the period – Howell doesn’t belabor the details that take us away from the reason we’re here – and more about two people trying to find a way to fit together. I liked that and the story telling was first-class. I wish I hadn’t missed this book when it first came out in 1992, but I’m glad I caught it now.

Grade: A

Here’s the book blurb:

     On the eve of her wedding to the heir of Saiturn Manor, the stunningly beautiful Gytha is shocked to learn that her betrothed, a man she barely knew, is dead. Now she must marry the new heir, Thayer Saiturn, a battle-hardened knight known as the Red Devil…

     With a face scarred in battle and a heart broken in love, Thayer has no interest in marriage. But not even the Red Devil can break the promise his foster-father made years ago and soon finds himself married to a woman whose exquisite beauty and sweet innocence intrigue him. But can his new bride look beyond his scars to find a hidden passion and undying love locked deep inside him?

     Read an excerpt.