Review: Princess and the Beast, by Chance Carter

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Princess and the Beast is the newest title from Chance Carter's Bad Boys series. This book is about Deacon, a man who grew up on the rough side of Boston. He had a horrific childhood, including being raised in an abusive home. Life was never easy for Deacon (aka Beast) and he learned quickly that he would have to fight to survive. Deacon is fighter and good at it. In this story, he works as a bouncer at a club in Miami.

Savannah was raised in Boston, but unlike Deacon, she was raised in a wealth home. All isn't as it seemed though. While she had never known hunger or having to do without the necessities of life, she was raised in a home lacking love. The behavior of her father made her wary of wealth. She had watched, firsthand, how her own mother slipped away and die after being in a hopeless, loveless marriage.

On the surface, Deacon and Savannah are light years apart. He is a large man sporting tattoos and an appearance that would make the most sensible of men cause to use extreme caution. Savannah is a gentle, shy woman who is still trying to make her own life away from the influence of her father. Yet, when you look closer at them, they are both struggling with their pasts. They each have gone through a form of abuse as a child that has helped to shape them into the person they each have become.

Deacon works at a night club as a bouncer. When he sees Savannah arrive with her friend/room mate, Olivia, Deacon ushers the girls in. He is taken with Savannah, though sees her as a bit of a shy mouse. Savannah surprises both Deacon and herself when she finds the boldness to flirt with Deacon. Their relationship is super-nova hot and they have a wild 24 hours together before all hell breaks loose. Trouble comes when a man at the club, who has sadistic tastes when it comes to how he treats women, takes notice of Savannah and wants to take her as his own. Now, Deacon must fight to save Savannah and her friend, Olivia, from being the next victims of this man's cruelty.

I loved the story as well as the pace that it was told. I never felt that it was taking too long in one area or another. The story was very well written and held my attention from the first page. I hated having to set it down and couldn't wait to pick it back up again when my work was finished.

Intermittently through the story, we also are treated with a side story involving Grady. Grady is a member of the Brotherhood, whom we were introduced to in Chance Carter's earlier titles of this series. The Brotherhood are a group of men who have formed a “family” that is intensely loyal to each other and will use whatever means are necessary to right the wrongs that come at their family. Each of the Brothers are total bad ass. Yet, for how scary they may be to others, they are extremely protective and loving to their women.

Grady get involved with a woman at a bar who is trouble on legs. He makes a mistake getting involved with her, but later, he tries to do all he can to help her overcome her demons. His story is very touching and I cried as I read how his story ends. I hope that there will be another book in the future with Grady getting his “happy ever after.”

Chance Carter's Bad Boys series - Review

It is funny where you learn about new-to-you authors. Recently, I had a sponsored ad on Facebook show up on my timeline for an author named, Chance Carter. My first thought was, “A man writing romance?” Okay, I was curious. I love reading romance novels with a HEA style ending. Going to Chance's page, I read that he writes Bad Boy stories that are stand alone and always have the HEA ending. I looked at the covers and saw pictures of ripped guys with tattoos. Definitely, they looked like the bad boys the story description promised.

The next thought that intrigued me was the idea of reading a romance story that was written from a man's perspective. Let's face it, men have a completely different way of seeing relationships. I knew that reading these books would be a fresh point of view. I wasn't disappointed. I absolutely loved the books.

I will say here though, if you are not one who can handle a more rough and raw dialog, then be warned. The bad boys in these stories are more liberal with dropping the F-bomb that any military operation. Likewise, there is a deeper rawness to the sex scenes. They play out like a man's fantasy. It isn't the most graphic that I have read, compared to some erotica stories that I have read in the past, but it is much more graphic than a sweet romance book.

The story lines in the books are solid. Don't let the self-published status of the books fool you. Chance Carter writes like a seasoned published author and his books deliver. The four books he has available are each a stand alone. They are also a part of a series. I love the way one book seamlessly flows into the series, yet you could read them out of order without feeling lost.

Once I started reading the books, I ended up reading all four books in just two days. They are quite literally books that were hard to put down.

The reading order of the Bad Boys series:

Faith is a woman on the run.  With her live in danger, she turns to the only man who is capable of helping her.  Jackson has the skills that Faith needs to ensure her safety, but it comes at a price.  Jackson will protect Faith - if she has his baby.

Grant has always had a thing for Lacey.  The chemistry between them in undeniable.  But deny it, they try.  Faith is on the hunt for a husband, a man willing to be strong enough to claim her heart and soul.  Will Grant stand by and watch as Lacey plans a wedding with another man?  Or will he finally make a claim that he has wanted for nearly 2 decades?

Forrester is a emotionally wounded man trying to overcome his past.  A broken soul, he finds himself reaching out to Elle, a cute waitress at the small town diner.  Elle and Forrester feel the sparks between them fly as they tentatively get to know each other.  Elle has some painful secrets of her own to content with. When demons from their pasts come back to haunt them, will they have the strength and courage to stand and fight? 

Hunter is a man with a price on his head.  He is the ultimate bad boy and doesn't give a crap what others think.  Secure in his strength and fighting skills, he only knows how to do one thing,,,,,win.  Kelly is a young woman with a heavy responsibility.  Being guardian of her little brother since the death of their parents, she struggles to cope with the daily challenges.  When some wanna-be players decide to make Kelly the focus of their torment, Hunter steps in to rescue her.  The chemistry flies between these two.  Hunter knows that being with him could spell danger for Kelly and her brother.  Can they take a chance for happiness?  Or will the reappearance of Hunter's dangerous past destroy everything that Hunter holds dear?