Book Review – In Bed With The Beast by Tara Sivec

In Bed With The Beast (The Naughty Princess Club #2) by Tara Sivec

Romantic Comedy. Can stand alone, but better in order.

Tara Sivec has been one of my favorite authors since 2012. You’d think she is bound to disappoint eventually right? NOPE. Once again, Tara delivers a sweet, funny as hell, totally clever and unique book that was just so much fun to read! In Bed With The Beast is the second in the Naughty Princess Club series. It stands alone well because Tara recaps well, but I think you should totally start with the first, At The Stroke of Midnight, for the best experience.

I didn’t really notice the blatant princess tie-ins in the first book until I was midway through (not having girls, I really don’t know the princess movies that well, but we are Disney people, so I know the gist). But Belle and Beast’s story had a ton of little subtle tie-ins, and I think Beauty and the Beast lovers would find even more than I did. I LOVED how cleverly Tara tied in the three women’s stories to their Princess counterparts. It’s honestly one of the most creative things I’ve read.

“You know, rescuing a damsel in distress is something right out of a fairy tale, Vincent. If you’re not careful, I might think you’re a knight in shining armor.”

We met Beast in the first book, the big, hulking, growling bouncer at Charming’s strip club. Isabelle is the sweet, innocent 25-year-old librarian who has to sneak out of her dad’s house to meet her friends. Belle is shy and meek as a mouse, but she stands right up to the big hulking Beast like nobody else does. Beast has taken to showing up at the library when it gets dark but soon notices that Belle hasn’t been leaving at night. She’s been kicked out of her dad’s house after getting caught sneaking out and has been sleeping on the library floor.

Beast may be quiet, but he is a gentleman. An alpha gentleman, who won’t stand for the beautiful librarian living on the floor of a drafty library. So he takes her home to live in his guest room. Belle knows this is her chance to get comfortable around men, so she jumps at the chance. But the attraction between them is ready to burst free, like when she wears her PJs around him:

“Boys in books do it better,” Vincent reads aloud.
“True story.”
He takes a step towards me and leans forward, placing his hands on either side of the counter, caging me in. “That’s because they’re boys. Maybe you should try a man.”

Belle is desperate to save her library and knows that stripping is the way to go, but she needs to loosen up and practice being sexy, practice being around men, and practice dancing.

“Okay. Dance. I can do this.” I speak the words softly, more to myself than to Vincent. Nodding my head to the slow beat of the music, I start moving. First, my arms go out in front of me, one at a time. Then, I smack them down on each shoulder, one at a time. Next, each hand goes behind my head, and then down to my hips, which I proceed to shimmy and shake.
“What the hell is that?” he asks, causing me to abruptly stop moving.
“It’s the Macarena. Heeeeey Macarena!” I sing. “It’s the only dance I know without using the chair. You totally broke my concentration. Now I’m going to have to start over.”

I loved the friendship between the three women. And I absolutely loved Belle’s penchant for spouting facts when she was nervous.

“You talk a lot.”

My favorite thing is how much Belle changed and grew and became a self-confident woman in this story, and that’s really what this series is about. While yes, the women all find love, but they find themselves as well.

Likes:

So many cute tie-ins to Beauty and the Beast.
I smiled and laughed out loud numerous times.
The friendship between the three friends.
Mrs. Potter was awesome.
How Belle’s dad redeemed himself.
Beast’s growly, alpha beastliness.
Learning Beast’s background.
Watching Belle mature and grow into a strong woman.
The happy, feel-good escape this book afforded me.

Dislikes:

I didn’t really dislike anything, but I would love a bonus chapter or something from Beast’s POV.

Can Go Either Way:

Tara does a pretty extensive recap which I think I would have appreciated if I hadn’t just re-listened to At the Stroke of Midnight. But since I did, it felt like a little too much of a recap.

The Down & Dirty:

I LOVED At the Stroke of Midnight, and I loved In Bed with the Beast MORE! This is a modern take on Beauty and the Beast and I felt like the first book had more subtle nods to Cinderella. I loved the way this one tied into the original fairy tale in so many little ways. It was SO CLEVER! The Naughty Princess series is like Bad Moms and Disney Princesses had a mash-up. Ariel is my favorite of the three, and I have seen Tara post that Ariel’s book, Kiss the Girl, is her favorite of the three, and I know it will be mine too. I CAN’T FREAKING WAIT.

NOTE: I listened to At the Stroke of Midnight after reading it, and let me tell you, CJ Bloom is an AMAZING narrator for this series. She does each woman’s voice so distinctly and perfectly, I can’t wait to re-listen to this one before Kiss the Girl releases.

Rating: 5 Stars, 3.5 Heat