His greatest prize can’t be won in the octagon.
Champion MMA fighter Adam Littrell needs no distractions as he prepares for the fight that will determine whether he retires. But when he opens the door of his swanky Las Vegas home to his new personal assistant, Bo Wilkins, staying focused becomes a struggle.
Aware of Adam’s surly reputation, Bo doesn’t expect to like his new employer, let alone fall for him. But Bo is pleasantly surprised when a shared love of books leads them to study for their GEDs together and plan for a life after their current careers. Adam won’t be able to fight forever, and Bo wants a relationship on equal footing.
But just as their relationship is getting off the ground, the sister Bo raised needs his help, and he drops everything. With Adam’s final match looming and Bo in a different city, reuniting will be the real challenge.
In the interest of completely transparency, I’ll tell y’all straight upfront that the author of Beauregard and the Beast is the Yang to my Grey, the peanut to my butter, the flip to my flop… basically Evie Drae is the best friend a girl could ask for. So, yes, I am naturally her number one fan, but I am also her critique partner and that’s a role that requires an objective point of view to make sure her name is attached to only the best work. Even though this will be an undoubtedly glowing review, it is said with sincerity because Evie Drae is one of the hardest working authors out there who has put in countless hours honing her naturally exquisite craft into the masterpiece you see today.
That said, let’s get to the actual review.
This is definitely a “where do I begin?” type of review because Beauregard and the Beast has SO MUCH to offer I know I’ll miss something and also probably want to kick myself for not leading with a different shining moment, but here goes anyway!
First off, Beauregard and the Beast is a gender bending Beauty and the Beast retelling which basically has me all in just based solely on the concept. Ms. Drae did NOT disappoint in pulling details from the original story, most importantly the library. I did an audible screech when Bo discovered Adam’s library and I might have done a mental Belle twirl. Maybe. Possibly. I refuse to confirm or deny this.
But let’s start from the actual beginning of the story. Beauregard and the Beast follows a well loved opposites attract trope and OHEMGEE are they opposites! Adam “Beast” Littrell is an aging MMA fighter prepping for what may very well be his last, and greatest, championship battle. He finds himself in need of a new assistant and his best friend delivers the perfect candidate, young and nerdy Beauregard “Bo” Wilkins.
Now let me pause for a moment. Because Bo kinda makes me swoony. Yeah, I am completely lusting over Adam’s ripped muscles and mischievous personality, but Bo is a-freaking-dorable. For one thing, if you have known me for longer than five seconds you know I love me a broken boy and Bo has the kind of back story that makes me want to wrap him up in a thick, warm blanket and shove brownies down his throat until he smiles. Shut up, I’m into nerds.
And so is Adam! Our finely chiseled brother is panting all over innocent, geeky Bo from the second they meet. In a welcome diversion from the original tale, Bo isn’t forced to stay in Adam’s employ because of blackmailing or kidnapping (no Stockholm here, baby!) and Adam makes the most of their time together. He not only takes Bo out to experience some of the fun in Vegas that Bo never took part in before, he also asks allllllllllllllll the right questions until he finds out that Bo desperately wants to take his GED. See, our little Bo couldn’t finish high school because he had to care for his little sister Lulu.
I was NOT kidding when I said Bo needs all the cuddles and brownies and warm blankets, people.
Adam himself never got a high school diploma so in a SERIOUSLY precious moment, they set out to study and take the test for their GED together. And precious really doesn’t even come close. They are the CUTEST study partners ever and I might have gotten all heart-eyed and swoony reading that particular part in the plot.
Now, after all that you’d think I would blindly adore Bo and completely explain away any and all things, right? Yeah, no, sorry, wrong. Bo makes a boo-boo folks. A large one. A mega one that made me want to shake him to drop some sense into his larger-than-he-realizes brain. And yet…
I also completely understood why Bo did what he did. Even if my beastly Adam was hurt by it all.
I would like to pause right here and tell you, there is an HEA. There might be a moment where you don’t believe it, but I PROMISE there is an overly satisfying HEA with all the hearts, stars, and rainbows. But I won’t tell you how they got there, you’ll need to read it for yourself and let yourself be lost in the gorgeous world Evie Drae creates with her vivid and envy inducing imagery, her poetic prose, and her downright make you sweat sex scenes.
Basically Beauregard and the Beast is a book you need in your life on every level and you should RUN over to any of the links below to grab a copy today.
Amelia Foster 