I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought this, “Blake Morris” it was the first thing that popped into my head at the time. Unlike the actual Saved by the Bell show, this book didn’t suck, if you’re willing to suspend a bit of disbelief in a few ways.

First, this book hits a bit close too close to home personally but that’s a story for another time let’s focus on Skye Warren’s work, shall we. Another way to put home is that Mr. Morris was a soldier once and that fact wasn’t used as a ploy to sell more books *cough* zombies *cough*. Now if the story is supposed to make you somewhat nostalgic for the fairytale classic… a hit and miss in some areas, I wonder have they ever made a non-cartoon parody of Beauty and the Beast, one of those parodies and no I’m not looking it up at the moment.

Now I said suspend disbelief and I’ve seen this more times than I care to but unless the guy is rich, a professional criminal, or a biker boy most of these stories just would not work. I’m not trying to disparage this story but the idea that a poor soldier with scars could pull the young coed… it just doesn’t work that way but yes fiction and all and you have to make the man a beast in some way. Just another difference between the fairytale and this story, the beast was monstrous before his makeover, Blake was a hero that got a bad deal.

If anything it reminded me a bit of Quasimodo, all it would have taken is this song “Heaven’s Light” and I would have lost it, and as Quasimodo, Blake didn’t exactly have the opportunity to change his face. The way that Blake and Erin met though… again there is just no way, I mean adult films aren’t exactly known for story content but the opening to this story was wow.

Another interesting concept is when people bring up the mental health issues in the fairytale the big one of course is Stockholm Syndrome but this story brought up its own illness. The story itself as we all know who read this genre, not exactly inspired but Skye Warren is pretty much well established and she gives you a few surprises here and there as always.

For the most part, we have our heroes dealing with PTSD and broken hearts, I mean as soon as they mentioned military you knew those burns would not be the worst thing for Blake. The first scene between him and Erin in the throes of passion was heartbreaking, again this story hits me in all kinds of ways. The connections though take me back to D H Sidebottom’s “Caged” and “Chained” how Erin dated somebody who is related to somebody, who knows her mom and so on, a bit of family drama to be sure.

Now, of course, stop me if you’ve heard this one, maid and her client, student and teacher, some roleplay and the idea of pity sex and you pretty much have this story. Guys need the visual and girls are apparently all good with the words, with book covers I tend to disagree but the dirty talk in this chapter is downright filthy awesome writing. The end of the book, if anything I think was somewhat light, you know in these titles you expect a pretty ugly fight but everything went off without a hitch, refreshing and eerie.

Anyway me being me, the monstrous looks of Blake, his first days with Erin and her family drama I was fully caught up and I think you will be too. All I can say to gentlemen is what we know all along, women are confusing as all Hell and in all my years I have never met a woman like Erin unless again you have a ton of money, or a uniform but don’t mess up your face.

A four out of five without a doubt and I was oh so tempted to go to five, so yes I think we have established that I’m a snob and even with an author who I’ve read a few stories from. Getting the epilog is a done deal and if you’ve made it this far you know Skye has a pretty hardcore fanbase and this is just one man’s opinion.

Reasons I could not give this five stars… Melinda Jenkins, and Erin’s other paramours, to me they felt somewhat tacked on, every story needs the drama of course but I wasn’t convinced of Melinda’s motivations and as I said, mental health issues. Melinda was obsessed or just another woman upset about a man and it was all too easy to just let go, and the other guys just seemed to be there to show Erin being desirable which beats the Wanderlust idea of every guy being a would be criminal in the making. The parallels between Erin and her mom were there to be in relation to Blake, PTSD and all, also the author was stretching for some climax bring Erin’s ex into the picture for a light scare actually.

I have always enjoyed Skye Warren’s work and introduced Wanderlust to a friend who says it’s one of her favorites and was a bit of her introduction into erotica. I haven’t talked much about Erin’s character but that’s because I relate to Blake without the military background, money, and being cursed with my face, I wonder how many women see themselves as Erin though I know plenty who play Melinda.

“She needed to understand. This was how it would be, him leading and her placid. It was the only way he could worship her properly, because if she spoke a single word, he’d obey.”
― Skye Warren, The Beauty Series

This book in a way reminds me of some of the dating manuals I’ve read just from a woman’s perceptive, unfortunately, that advice is wrong which is why this is a truly awesome work of fiction. I’ve learned that authors can also make somewhat nice parodies and not just adult films but Saved by the Bell wasn’t high school or college really and this story surely won’t be your typical Beauty and the Beast fairytale.