REVIEW: How Beauty Loved the Beast by Jax Garren

How Beauty Loved the Beast by Jax Garren

Series: Tales of the Underlight, #3

Publication Date: May 13th 2013

Publisher: Carina Press

ebook, 292 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website

It's all been leading to this .

Jolie Benoit has become a skilled agent of the Underlight, relying on her savvy to complete assignments while Sergeant Wesley Haukon was out of commission. But an unexpected clue to the Order of Ananke's diabolical scheme rattles Jolie, and she turns to Hauk for comfort.

It's been years since Hauk took comfort from the touch of another person, though his love for Jolie is deep and powerful. Uncomfortable in his skin, scarred by a terrible fire, he is unable to give in to the pleasures that Jolie so desperately wants to grant him.

Meanwhile, the Order is lurking in the shadows—and when they strike, the blow is swift and terrible. Hauk and Jolie scramble to fight for their community, but with the future of the Underlight threatened, no one is safe. And Hauk will never be the same…

How Beauty Loved the Beast is the much awaited conclusion to the very successful sci-fi series, Tales of The Underlight written by Jax Garren and let me tell you fans of the series won't be disappointed in the least. I know I wasn't! And how could I ever be when Garren's writing style and the way she portrays her heroes and their emotions is simply irresistible!

If you read my reviews of the previous two books in the series then you know how much I loved everything about Jax Garren's writing style and her story. So, there's no need for me to repeat myself by saying what an amazing author she is once more or how much I loved her main and secondary heroes of this story. Even if all the books in the series are rather short, Jax Garren's stories are character driven. Her main focus is her characters and their emotions and that is why I probably love so much this series. Jolie is so much more than a pretty dancer and Hauk is so much more than scars and muscles.

The final book in the series, wraps up the whole plot but here I have to note that there are more things to be said. Maybe most of the basic things were covered but I'm left feeling that there's just more to everything. I don't know if the author did that on purpose and she will return on the same universe with another set of characters later or things couldn't possibly wrap up better, but I sure hope that it was intentional. In my mind there are two characters who would make a perfect couple for a future story but that remains to be seen. After all, The Order of Ananke is far from defeated...

But while I really liked pretty much everything about How Beauty Loved the Beast, somehow, I was left unsatisfied too. Maybe part of that is because of the ending of the story and how I felt that there were more things to be said. Maybe it's because the whole thing wrapped up pretty quickly. And maybe it is because this final instalment in the series was more focused on Jolie's and Hauk's relationship rather than what happened with Underlight and the Order and their final battle. But probably, it's because of all the reasons mentioned above. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading about Jolie and Hauk, they are one of my favorite fictional couples but when so many other crucial things kept happening or were on the verge of happening, I just felt that it was wrong for the sole focus of the story to be their relationship. Maybe I'm wrong here, but that's what I was expecting from this final book. And while I did get a closure I still don't know how I feel about that. And the ending.... Well, after reading the author's note at the end I couldn't help but agreeing with her choice of ending but still, I found myself wanting the alternative... But, despite that, the whole ending is a matter of preference. Either one of them would fit the story, so that wasn't any real problem. Any problems I had were purely with the way things wrapped up with the Order rather than anything else.

All in all, How Beauty Loved the Beast is just as amazing as the rest books in this series even if I had some minor troubles with it. Despite what I said I really enjoyed reading it and I just can't wait to read anything else Jax Garren will write in the future. And even if I truly hope that she will return on the same universe again I really want to read something completely different and new too. Whatever the case, there's no way I'm gonna miss Garren's next story!

* Review first published at Book Lovers Inc
* ARC provided via NetGalley for review purposes

REVIEW: How Beauty Saved the Beast by Jax Garren

How Beauty Saved the Beast by Jax Garren

Series:Tales of the Underlight, #2

Publication Date: February 11th 2013

Publisher:Carina Press

Kindle Edition, 208 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website

Jolie Benoit left her old life behind to become an agent of the Underlight. Training under Sergeant Wesley Haukon, she’s honing her combat skills, all the while coping with the intense sexual attraction she feels for Hauk. She keeps their friendship casual, but when his high school sweetheart transfers into their division, Jolie finds herself grappling with jealousy.

The Underlight gave Hauk a purpose, but he can’t escape his past completely. The physical and emotional scars from the fire that killed seven fellow Army Rangers will mark him forever. Jolie sends his protective instincts into overdrive, but he’s convinced he’ll never be worthy of her love.

Hauk is determined to keep Jolie from harm. But when the Order of Ananke ambushes them with a new weapon that neutralizes Hauk, making him vulnerable, it’s Jolie who must tap into her hidden strengths to rescue him—or risk losing him forever…

If you read my review of the first book in Jax Garren's incredible Tales of the Underlight series, then you know that I fell in love with it! So, to say that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book, would be an understatement. And even though it took me a while to finally read it *hangs head in shame* I can't even begin to describe how much I loved How Beauty Saved the Beast! Jax Garren is an author you need to watch out for. She's incredibly talented!

How Beauty Saved the Beast starts exactly where the first book ended and Jolie finds herself torn between her feelings for Hauk and her mission with the Underlight. The tension between them is simply delicious. They can't live without the other but still try to fight their feelings. They kiss and then they drive each other apart, all because they are afraid of what their feelings can cause. Not to the mission, but because of what those feelings mean for them. The way Jolie is jealous of Hauk is plainly adorable.

Apart from that, the second instalment, has everything that made me love so much the first book and then some. You still get the same beautifully written, character driven story but enhanced with some delicious sexual tension. How Beauty Saved the Beast may not be a very long story, but still, Jax Garren manages to explore every main and secondary character to his/her full potential. And that is what I love most about this series and this author. How all her characters have their own place in the story and evolve.

I won't say anything about the story itself, I hate spoilers, so the only thing I will say it is that it's fast paced and action packed. Jolie isn't just a pretty face. She can seriously kick some ass! And Hauk..., well, like I said, I have to love and care some much about a male character since Terrible from Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series. Maybe because they are both deeply scarred heroes, both physically and emotionally. I don't know. What I know is, that both of them are among my favorite ever fictional characters!

All in all, Jax Garren doesn't disappoint with her second book and all I can say is that I can't possibly wait for the last book in the series!

* This title was provided for review via NetGalley

Waiting on Wednesday: How Beauty Saved the Beast

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My selection for this week is:

How Beauty Saved the Beast by Jax Garren

Publication Date:February 11th 2013

Publisher:Carina Press

Summary from Goodreads:

Jolie Benoit left her old life behind to become an agent of the Underlight. Training under Sergeant Wesley Haukon, she’s honing her combat skills, all the while coping with the intense sexual attraction she feels for Hauk. She keeps their friendship casual, but when his high school sweetheart transfers into their division, Jolie finds herself grappling with jealousy.

The Underlight gave Hauk a purpose, but he can’t escape his past completely. The physical and emotional scars from the fire that killed seven fellow Army Rangers will mark him forever. Jolie sends his protective instincts into overdrive, but he’s convinced he’ll never be worthy of her love.

Hauk is determined to keep Jolie from harm. But when the Order of Ananke ambushes them with a new weapon that neutralizes Hauk, making him vulnerable, it’s Jolie who must tap into her hidden strengths to rescue him—or risk losing him forever…

What I think:

I enjoyed so much the first book in this series, How Beauty Met the Beast, that is only natural that I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel! A good thing too that Carina Press has approved my request for this book, so I will get to it as soon as possible :) Jax Garren has created and incredibly intriguing world and a set of characters that one can't help but fall in love with. A real good series, believe me :)

Let It Snow Books: Interview with Jax Garren + Giveaway

Welcome to the last day of Let it Snow Books 2012, where for the previous three weeks you had the chance to read some really fun holiday posts from some of your favorite authors, both here and at Ex Libris.

Today, we welcome author Jax Garren here at Books to Brighten your Mood with a festive post and you will have the chance to win a copy of How Beauty Met the Beast, one of the books that surprised me the most this year with a beautiful, character driven story and a main hero to die for!
Read my review of How Beauty Met the Beast:

When I picked up How Beauty Met the Beast, to be completely honest I didn't really know what to expect from it. The blurb was intriguing enough but I kind of have a bad history with retellings or stories based on fairy tales, so although I loved the blurb I was a bit sceptical towards it. And I'm glad to say that... Read the rest of the review here

-Since this whole event is about the Best Books we read in 2012, could you share with us some of your favorite titles you read this year?
Jax: Ooh, I read so many good books…

* Sherry Thomas’s Ravishing the Heiress was fantastic. I don’t read a lot of historical romances, but I grab every one of hers. (In fact, all three books she released this year were great, but RtH was my favorite!)

* I was surprised by how much I loved Kresley Cole’s foray into YA with Poison Princess… though I don’t know why I was surprised. She might be my favorite author, and I never miss a new entry in the Immortals After Dark!

* I read my first M/M romance, a novella by Ava March called Brook Street: Thief. It was so sweet and fun, I immediately picked up the whole series.

* Stretching my memory back to the beginning of the year, I loved A Perfect Blood, Kim Harrison’s latest entry in the Hollow Series. It’s rare I’ve found a single-protagonist series that’s gone on as long as this one has and still keeps getting better with every entry. But Harrison pulls it off! The increasing presence of Trent Kalamack, who regularly makes me swoon, might be responsible for that.

* I read one series (that’s several years old but was new to me) that rocketed onto my all-time favorite list, and that’s The Night Angel Trilogy from Brent Weeks, starting with The Way of Shadows. Part epic fantasy, part urban fantasy, part martial arts… I can’t remember the last time I read 1900 pages that fast!

-Do you have any favorite holiday themed stories (movies or books)?

Jax: My favorite holiday story is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’ve loved Dr. Seuss since childhood and love reading his works to my girls now. Dickens’s A Christmas Carol makes me happy every time, whether reading it, watching it on stage or seeing a movie version (I particularly like the Disney version with Scrooge McDuck). I suppose I like tales of changed hearts? “The Gift of the Magi” is one of those stories that altered the way I looked at presents back when I was younger. While it’s maybe not a “favorite” it has a special place in my heart. Art really can change the way people think!

I’d love to read more modern holiday stories, but what I’d really like to find are fun holiday reads (romance or not) that are secular or contain alternative religions—there are a lot of holidays in December! Bonus if they’re paranormal or sci-fi. With that crazy list of criteria, does anyone have ideas for my holiday TBR pile? I’ll be happy to pick them up.

As far as movies go, I love Elf. Will Ferrell’s curly hair makes me happy and he’s so sweet in it. Does Die Hard count as a holiday movie? (“Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho.”) That’s one of my favorite action films. I know this is a crime against humanity, but I’ve never seen It’s a Wonderful Life. I keep thinking THIS year I’ll correct that, but it’s yet to happen.

-Could you share with us your favorite holiday meal/dessert/candy?
Jax: Mmm… holiday food. Baked ham definitely. The salty meat with the sweet coating is one of my favorite main courses. As for desserts, I don’t usually eat wheat, but I do treat myself to a sticky toffee pudding around Christmas/Yule every year. Buttery, nutty, sweet and soft--it’s my favorite dessert of the year. (If anybody’s figured out an almond flour based recipe for it, I would love you forever!)

-What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?
Jax: Oh, there’s so much to love! I love hanging out with my family. My sister, who I adore beyond words, lives out of state, but I do get to see her at the holidays. I love decorating the house. I always put on holiday music and make hot chocolate. This year we have children in the house for the first time (we’re fostering two girls, 7- and 4-years-old, with the hopes of adopting) so I’m really looking forward to decorating a tree with them. Music is a huge part of the holiday for me, too. I try to limit myself to only playing Christmas carols and other holiday music between Thanksgiving and Epiphany, so I really take advantage of that time! In fact, as I write this Regina Spektor’s “My Dear Acquaintance” is playing on my iPhone. Plus, my husband and I met singing in a holiday Madrigal choir, so “Boar’s Head Carol,” “Wassail,” “The Holly and the Ivy”… those older songs really give me warm fuzzies.

-You’re holiday shopping, name a few things you’ll buy this year
Jax: Well, as I just mentioned, we have children for the first time, so our holiday shopping will look a lot different this year! We’re getting our girls bicycles. They’ve told us they know how to ride… we’ll find out if they really can! For the rest of my family, we usually get experiences instead of items—treat each other to a nice dinner, a play, a massage, something like that. Although my DH and I have decided to upgrade our phones this year as our present to each other. We’re both still using an iPhone 3GS. I’m sooooo looking forward to an improved camera!

-Let’s say you have the chance to spend the holidays with a fictional character, who would that be and what would you be doing?
Jax: Buffy Summers, and I’d be staying out of her way while she took care of some demons! (Back to the holiday entertainment question, “Amends” from BTVS season 3 is one of my favorite holiday episodes of television.)

-Do you prefer an angel or a star on top of you’re tree?
Jax: We currently don’t own a tree topper. Last year I used glittered curly ting to make a gold and silver explosion out the top. But our youngest has already started talking about putting a star on the tree, so I suppose this will be the year that we finally get a real topper. I think it will indeed be a star. Or maybe something totally random.

-We all love Christmas holidays, but I was wondering if there’s anything about them that you find annoying?
Jax: The supposed War on Christmas that one particular news anchor pushes every year really annoys me. I live in a mixed religious household, so we celebrate both Christmas and Yule (the solstice). My husband and I are happy to do both together. We believe different religions can and should coexist in peace. I get frustrated with the idea that my desire to publicly acknowledge my own holiday is somehow an infringement on somebody else’s rights. I don’t understand what’s wrong with telling people, “Happy holidays” or a city lighting a “holiday tree.” (In my religion, we decorate trees, too.) When somebody tells me, “Merry Christmas,” I take it happily in the joyous spirit it was intended. But it’s frustrating when people get huffy with me if I wish them a “blessed Yule” or “happy holidays” in return. I don’t understand how acknowledging that Christmas is not the only holiday in December is harming anyone. And that’s annoying!

-What would you ask Santa to bring you this year?
Jax: A new phone! (And maybe a vacation. I love my new girls, but wow that’s been a sudden and dramatic life change. The DH and I could use a week’s respite to recharge! Can Santa’s elves craft one of those?)

-What would be your (bookish or not) New Year’s resolutions?
Jax: To be a little better organized in 2013. At the beginning of 2012 I had the household running reasonably smoothly--mostly clean, groceries bought and cooked most nights, laundry done, etc--I was working out regularly, and I had weekly schedule that I kept. Then the kids got here at the end of July. Then my first book released in November. The second half of 2012 has been a wild and wonderful ride, but my house looks like a bomb went off, I’m barely keeping up with laundry, I can’t remember the last time I worked out (my fantastic DH is now in charge of food; I love that man)… I know I can’t do everything I did before, but now that things are starting to settle into a new groove, I need to figure out how to put a new schedule together that includes the things most important to the family (and to me as an individual) and never leaves me worried if the four-year-old has clean underwear to go to Grandma’s with.

My bookish resolution is to get at least two new manuscripts written. Three if I can do it and still be proud of my work.

Thank you Jax for being here today and Happy Holidays!

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.

Visit Jax

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

About the Book:
Title: How Beauty Met the Beast
Author: Jax Garren
Series:Tales of the Underlight, #1
Publisher: Carina Press
Length: 152 pages
Release Date:November 19th 2012
Purchase Info: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, 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?

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jax has generously offered an e-book of How Beauty Met the Beast to one lucky commenter. (Open Internationally.)All giveaways end on January 5th.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: How Beauty Met the Beast by Jax Garren

How Beauty Met the Beast by Jax Garren

Series:Tales of the Underlight, #1

Publication Date:November 19th 2012

Publisher:Carina Press

ebook, 152 pages

Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website

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?

When I picked up How Beauty Met the Beast, to be completely honest I didn't really know what to expect from it. The blurb was intriguing enough but I kind of have a bad history with retellings or stories based on fairy tales, so although I loved the blurb I was a bit sceptical towards it. And I'm glad to say that any doubt I might have that this book wasn't the right for me, vanished pretty fast, as soon as I started reading Jax Garren's story. Because let me tell you, it's one unbelievably amazing and great one!

From the very first chapters of How Beauty Met the Beast I just fell in love with everything about it. The characters, the writing style, the story, the setting, everything! It was simply fascinating! I didn't even mind that one seriously sexy scene came way too early in the story (in the second or third chapter if I remember correctly). And if you follow my reviews, you know that I usually have a problem with those awfully early sexy scenes, when I don't even have time to get to know the characters of a book and start caring for them. But nooooo, Jax Garren pulled of that scene despite the fact that we knew next to nothing about Jolie and Hauk. And for me to connect with a set of characters so soon in the narration is a rare occurrence...

The best part about How Beauty Met the Beast in my opinion are the characters and their development. It's a rather small story, not too long, but Garren has written a character oriented story, one that speaks through its characters and their actions rather than anything else. And for a book of such length that was an impressive achievement. Believe me when I say it, because I have read books twice the size of this one where the characters couldn't be more flat...

I really liked Jolie and the way she was portrayed, her reactions to situations couldn't be more believable and the kindness of her heart was just heart-warming. Hauk on the other side is simply incredible. He may be so scarred that his mere sight scares people but he's so smart and compassionate and sexy that in my mind he's the most beautiful person in the world. So, like I said, the characters in this title are its main advantage!

The story is fast paced, making it hard to put my ereader down but at the same time I was so enjoying myself while reading it, that I wished that it would take me longer to finish it. And I haven't felt that way for a book for a really long time now.

Surely, there are many things that are left unanswered by the end of the book and it's not completely clear how the world Jax Garren created really works but I guess that I'll get my answers in the next book which can't be released soon enough!

All in all, How Beauty Met the Beast is one spectacular debut novel I absolutely loved and can't wait to get its sequel on my hands. A must read!

* This title was provided for review through NetGalley