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Beauty Dates the Beast (Midnight Liasons #1)
Jessica Sims
Published: Oct. 25, 2011 (Pocket Star)
Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon
Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars
Sometimes you just need something a little lighter, a bit sexy and really fun to perk up your week. Jessica Sims’ Beauty Dates the Beast did it for me.
Bathsheba works for a dating service for the paranormal elite. The patrons of Midnight Liasons not only are of the supernatural persuasion (shifters, vampires, harpies, fae, etc.), but they are wealthy enough to make some major demands. It appears there are more men than women in the supe community, and Liasons is happy to charge lots of money to make dates. Think Millionaire Matchmaker but many clients sprout fur.
Now, Bathsheba is human and forbidden — both by her boss and the rules of the Alliance (supernatural governance) — to date a supe. She’s just fine with that, too. She doesn’t have much time to date anyway, as she focuses on caring for her younger sister who shh! is a werewolf pretending to be human. But when a date cancels on Beau, he decides Bathsheba should take her place. With fear of losing her job if they anger one of the high-profile clients, she agrees to meet him once.
Turns out our boy is a were-cougar and the leader of the Alliance. Also: He’s gorgeous and they have oodles of chemistry. With danger nipping at both of them in the form of break-ins and missing pack members, Beau’s protective nature flourishes and, well, he does what’s necessary to keep Bathsheba and her sister safe.
It’s not a surprise that Beau would mark Bathsheba as his mate. It’s not a surprise that she will eventually cave to his teasing touches. He’s your stereotypical alpha shifter — animal magnetism, overbearing protective instincts and a drive for mark his mate. But, you know what, it’s ridiculously fun and I enjoyed watching as sparks flew between the two main characters.
This one doesn’t break the paranormal romance mold, but that’s a good thing. I powered through in a single sitting because I wanted to see Bathsheba and Beau get their happily ever after. And the fact that Jessica Sims also writes as Jill Myles, who I adore, is an added selling point here. The writing is cheeky, the romance toe-curling at times. In short, I’m calling Beauty Dates the Beast a win.
Sexual content: Graphic sex scenes
I love Jill Myles stuff. I often wonder if the quirky titles were the cause of the contract nonrenew. Her sucubus series is great but I almost didn’t pick it up cause the titles were cheesy. Deep thoughts on a Monday afternoon…lol
I really enjoyed this book, a quick fun read. But I didnt realize that the author writes as Jill Myles too, I will have to check out those books!