Hunter, book two in the Stud Ranch series, is such a great retelling of the Snow White fairytale. I love love loved this read and am so excited to seeHunter, book two in the Stud Ranch series, is such a great retelling of the Snow White fairytale. I love love loved this read and am so excited to see what else Stasia Black has in store for us with this series.
Isobel is no stereotypical "princess". She is beautiful, but doesn't see it. Isobel has body dysmorphia, and a past of eating disorders. With a cruel stepmother constantly mentally torturing her, a dead father who never took her side, and a boyfriend who cheated with her friend, Isobel has nothing left for her in NYC. After being pushed to the limit and acting violently towards her stepmother, Isobel runs, driving west until landing in Wyoming with the intent to work on Mel and Xavier's (Stud Ranch #1) horse ranch. But with them all booked up Isobel turns to the vet in town, determined to stay and work with animals in any way she can while staying off her stepmother's radar.
Isobel was a great character. She is flawed and constantly struggling with herself and her family's history giving her a rare depth that I really loved. She was so real with insecurities and issues that she continuously has to overcome. Hunter was a great guy with his own issues. He isn't easy to trust others and is a little petty when it comes to Isobel and learning about her living in NYC, but once he overcomes his aversions and lets Isobel in, he is completely devoted.
This was definitely a sweeter read than the first book in the series, but still had lots of steam. There was a couple slightly darker themes in terms of Bel's stepmother and her struggles throughout her life, but overall Hunter is a sweet read and one of my favorite Snow White retellings to date....more
The Virgin and the Beast was a great fairytale retelling by Stasia Black.
I loved that this took place on a ranch, and was actually sort of centered arThe Virgin and the Beast was a great fairytale retelling by Stasia Black.
I loved that this took place on a ranch, and was actually sort of centered around the life style of living and running a horse ranch/rescue/rehab. The fact that this is just the first in a series that will take place with other couples working at the ranch is great... I definitely look forward to reading more.
Mel is a great FMC. She's strong willed, protective of those she loves, and doesn't give in easily. Xavier is scarred, both physically and mentally, and made a very dark and demanding beast. His methods of "training" his new pet were definitely a little questionable at times, but were definitely effective in the long run.
I really liked that this story wasn't just non stop sex and domination. The ranch truly plays a large role in the story and I loved getting to know the horses and see Mel adjust to this new lifestyle (on the ranch.... and with Xavier).
(view spoiler)[ The only thing I wasn't crazy about was in the end when Xavier attempts to commit suicide. His PTSD from his time overseas in the military is present throughout the entire story, in his nightmares and his protectiveness of Mel and the horses, but his self-hatred/guilt and belief that Mel and everyone would be better without him came on sort of suddenly for me and just didn't seem to work with the flow of the story at the time. There wasn't really any built up to that and it sort of -not ruined- but diminished Xavier's character for me. (hide spoiler)]
Overall The Virgin and the Beast was a great romance that kept me hooked throughout the entire read. I love fairytale retellings, especially with a dark twist, so this book was great for me and I look forward to reading more of this series!...more
Loading...
