How Beauty Saved The Beast by Jax Garren
Genre: Paranormal/Dystopian
Series: Tales of the Underlight #2
Publication Date: February 11th 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 208
Rating: ★★★1/2
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Janice
Synopsis: 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…

REVIEW

Character Love

Before I get started with my review, I must give a quick shout-out to the cover artist. Whoever you are, you deserve a bazillion gold stars. I adore the covers for this series. They are absolutely gorgeous and totally eye-catching. Job well done!

What's behind the cover is pretty darn good too. All the characters I fell in love with in the first book (check out my review here) are back and in fine form, making me laugh and sigh and cheer, and completely catching me up in their lives and adventures.

Some things have changed since the last book. Jolie is still performing at the Pussy Will-Oh! but she's also training to become a full agent for the Underlight. Her friendship with the scarred and very swoon-worthy Wesley Haukon (Hauk) is slowly but surely heating up, and of course, the Order of Ananke remains the bane of all their existences. Only this time, the Order is targeting Hauk specifically, and it's up to Jolie and company to figure out what the heck is going on and how to stop it. If they don't, they could lose Hauk for good.

There's a lot of page time devoted to Hauk and Jolie's budding relationship. They are a classic case of opposites attract, with Jolie's spunky, outgoing personality a direct contrast to Hauk's quieter nature and his ingrained wariness. Yet despite their obvious differences, they are drawn to each other like magnets. But can they, should they, take things to the next level? Will it ruin their friendship? Doubts and insecurities abound, and the sudden appearance of someone from Hauk's past doesn't help matters any.

Certain aspects of the plot are too predictable, and I did grow a little frustrated with all the romantic drama, mostly because I am impatient for Hauk and Jolie to get together. I've been rooting for them from the get-go, and I am more than ready for them to make the leap into coupledom. Sue me.

What I love best about this book - and the entire series - is its enchanting cast of main and supporting characters. I just plain like these people (well, everyone except those Ananke jerks!), and I am not at all ashamed to admit that I growled like a grumpy dog when I reached the end of How Beauty Saved The Beast, because it meant my Hauk and Jolie time was over until the next book.

This is a wonderful series, folks, and I really can't recommend it enough. The third and final installment, How Beauty Loved The Beast, releases in a few short months (May 2013) so you've got plenty of time to catch up and read the first two books before then. Get on it!

3.5 Stars ★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.