Book Review: A Bargain with a Beast by Tammy Andresen

About the Book:

Title: A Bargain with a Beast

Author: Tammy Andresen

Series: Lords of Temptation

Page Length: 151

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Publisher: Swift Romance Publishing Group

Synopsis: What’s a man to do when a tiny baby is dropped at his door?

Lord Griswold Smith isn’t exactly genteel, despite his title. Gris is a hard hitting, gin making, gaming hell running, cursing and spitting giant of a man. Who would even leave a baby in his care? He’ll find her mother, return her from whence she came, and go back to his derelict life. Until he can track down the fool of a woman who dropped tiny Rose off to begin with, he’ll need help. A temporary nanny should do the trick.

Her new employer is an absolute beast….

But she’s as desperate as a woman can be. Which is why Miss Violet Chase accepts the nanny position even though Lord Griswold is as large and imposing as a man comes. With her father’s imprisonment, she has no alternative. And besides, the first time she sees Gris’s massive arms wrapped around a tiny little baby, something deep inside her shifts.

And when the demons of her father’s past come knocking, suddenly a large and intimidating man is exactly what she needs. Is he strong enough to beat back the demons that chase her all while holding a tiny babe in his arms? And how might it feel to be held in that same way? She’d like to find out…

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

A Bargain with a Beast, the fourth book in The Lords of Temptation series, is a unique and entertaining historical romance that begins when Gris finds a baby at his door with a note saying he is the father. Though he is intent on finding them other and returning the baby, his task proves difficult, and with no one in his employ skilled in caring for a baby, Gris sets out to find a temporary nanny to help.

With her father in debtor prison and his debtors harassing her for the owed money, Violet is in desperate need of a job, and though Gris seems a beast and she has no nanny experience, she takes his offer. Violet quickly learns Gris is not the beast he appears to be, and as they care for little Rose, the pair becomes closer.

Gris and Violet have a fantastic romance, and I enjoyed their personal journeys too. Each struggles with their own problems, but I think their budding relationship changes them and makes them think differently about themselves. Gris never feels good enough and often wonders about his worth and contributions to his family. Violet is dealing with the threats against her and her father. Each finds strength and confidence within themselves and with each other.

I feel like they’ve started to create a sanctuary of sorts in Gris’s home, not just for themselves, but for Rose and others who need it. Gris goes from being a bachelor who lives with his bachelor brother (love him!!! OMG his reactions to the crying baby are hysterical!) to a man with several females in his care. It’s like a little found family – my favorite trope!!

I really enjoyed A Bargain with a Beast! The protagonists are compelling, the chemistry between Gris and Violet is fantastic, and the secondary characters are wonderful too. I also thought the ending was lovely – very touching and emotional.

This is the fourth book in the series, but it’s the first in the series I’ve read, and I had no trouble following it. It can easily be read as a standalone. Of course, now I need to go back and read the first three books in the series! lol And I NEED Fulton’s story! He’s a great secondary character in this book, and I love his witty and acerbic personality.

Special thanks to the author for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.