Book Review: How Beauty Met the Beast by Jax Garren

Summary ~ courtesy of Goodreads: The Beast
Scarred. Damaged. Living with a terrible secret. Agent of the Underlight Wesley "Hauk" Haukon has nothing left but the fight for liberty against the oppressive Order of Ananke. He's starting to lose hope…and then he sees her.
The Beauty
Despite her night job as a burlesque dancer, grad student Jolie Benoit has always played the mostly good girl. That all changes following a scorching sexual encounter with a stranger whose face she doesn't see. After she's kidnapped by thugs and rescued by a man with a very familiar voice, Jolie becomes a pawn in a struggle she never knew existed.
Hauk knows he cannot have her, and resolves to protect his heart and his secrets. But as they work together and grow closer, he finds new reason to keep fighting. Dare he risk hope in a new life, one where Jolie can see past his ravaged face and where their friendship can grow into something more?

Title:  How Beauty Met the Beast
Series:  Tales of the Underlight #1
Author:  Jax Garren
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date:  19th November 2012
Source:  Publisher via NetGalley

MY REVIEW:

This was such a fun read. Not a very long book, but chock-a-block full of action, intrigue and romance. The world that the Author has created is unique and the characters are full of attitude that you can’t help but laugh along with their antics.

The start is a full on chase with Wesley ‘Hauk’ Haukon and Braydon trying to escape the secret order. They go to a place they know is safe, Pussy Will-Oh a burlesque show. Hauk sits in the back to watch the show and is mesmerised by the entertainer. The show ends and he goes to find Braydon; only he walks down the hall and finds the entertainer changing behind a sheet (Jolie). This is the sexiest scene I've read in a while. The mystery of Hauk behind the sheet and Jolie not knowing who this stranger is certainly puts the sexual tension off the charts for the remainder of the book.

Hauk has a sixth sense for danger. After his accident in the military, he is scarred for life and doesn’t show his face in public. Hauk sensing the danger goes running toward the hallway. Jolie is kidnapped and Hauk goes to her rescue. Jolie doesn't know who her rescuer is, but his face is so horrific that she can’t bear to look at him. Jolie knows he sounds familiar, but doesn't know who the poor man is.

Another girl is kidnapped the same night as Jolie’s attempt. Hauk and Jolie are on a mission to rescue the 12 year old, Whitney as she is Jolie’s niece and to find out who is behind it all. The investigation begins and the flirting between the two is hilarious. It is so cute and fun you can’t help but roll your eyes or laugh along. I love the part where Whitney is teasing Jolie about carrying Hauk’s butt, so funny. Whitney’s attitude is so typical of a 12 year old, the ‘I know everything and know how to do it, and don’t you know that’ attitude. It’s cute!

Follow along the adventure of Hauk and Jolie; how their everyday lives are turned upside down from the first time they meet. I really enjoyed this book; it has such an easy flow of events that keep you turning the pages if only to see if the pair will actually get together again and to see who this secret cult is. I will certainly read book 2, How Beauty Saved the Beast and I can’t wait for it to be released.

4 STARS - A GREAT READ

About the Author:
Jax Garren is descended from Valkyries and Vikings (she’s part Swedish) but was raised a small town girl in the Texas Hill Country. She graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in English and a minor in Latin and stayed in Austin to teach high school. During her eight years in public education she was in a riot, broke up fights, had cops storm her class with guns drawn…and met the most amazing young people who taught her more about life and hope than she taught them about any school subject.

Jax believes in happily ever afters. She married her real life hero, a handsome engineer who is saving the world through clean energy technology. Her heroine is Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the perfect blend of tough and feminine. Jax blames Marion for her dream of traveling to Nepal to experience Himalayan palaces and monasteries and to drink yak butter tea.

Jax loves meeting new people, so if you see her out and about say hello! She’s always happy to raise a glass with her readers (or anyone else) in a toast to courage, adventure, and love.

You can find more about Jax Garren and her books on Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook and her website.