Title: Beast
Author: Pepper Pace
First published September 22, 2012
401 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 4.14
Overview
Get ready for a modern retelling of the beloved fairytale, Beauty and the Beast. In Beast, Pepper Pace weaves a captivating tale of Lt. Christopher Jameson, aka Beast, a Marine with a severe facial deformity.
But when he meets Ashleigh, a plus-sized beauty with her own identity struggles, their worlds collide in unexpected ways. This adult romance challenges traditional notions of beauty and will leave readers questioning what it truly means to be beautiful.
With adult themes of sex and language, this book is intended for mature readers only. Get ready to be swept away by this unforgettable love story.
About the Author
Do you want to know about the author behind the pen name “Pepper Pace?” She is a creative individual who was born and raised in Cincinnati. From a young age, Pepper had a talent for art and spent most of her free time drawing images that she later added stories to.
However, as she grew older, writing became her real passion and she began to focus on it more than her drawings.
Pepper wrote her first novel when she was only 12 years old and had already written two more by the time she turned 18. Despite her love for writing, she was too shy to share her work with anyone and instead, she kept her stories hidden in notebooks.
That was until Pepper stumbled upon Literotica.com, where she was inspired to share her craft.
Pepper’s writing quickly gained popularity and she won numerous awards every year she submitted a story to the site. With the positive feedback she received, her confidence grew and she created her own blog called Writing Feedback.
Here, she encourages her readers to interact with her on topics ranging from music, writing, art, pop culture, and more. If you want to reach out to her, you can visit her blog at pepperpacefeedback.blogspot.com/.
Pepper currently resides in Cincinnati, where many of her characters also live. If you want to learn more about her, you can check out her other websites.
Editoral Review
Beast by Pepper Pace is a novel that tackles challenging topics through a unique lens, with a style that is both provocative and poetic. Published on September 22, 2012, the book introduces readers to an African American heroine named Faye Franklin, whose life is about to take a drastic turn.
Pepper Pace, the author of this thought-provoking story, has a reputation for producing works that challenge assumptions regarding identity, race, and sexual politics. Her previous novels, including Stranded and Before Midnight, have received critical acclaim for their boldness and honesty.
Beast is a dark and sensual novel, which explores the dynamics of power and control in a relationship that defies societal expectations. Set in the deep south during the late 1980s, the story is driven by Faye’s complex relationship with a white, and substantially older man named Nic.
Nic is a successful businessman, who is also a notorious recluse rumored to be a beast; he is isolated in his grand mansion, which has mysterious corridors and hidden rooms. Faye is hired to take up the role of a caretaker for Nic who suffers from an unknown disease.
Although Faye is initially hesitant about the job, she soon realizes how much she needs the money and decides to take up the task. As she gets to know Nic in his mansion, she discovers that beneath his gruff exterior lies a man with many layers.
Though initially, she thinks that he is a ferocious and egomaniacal person with an unquenchable sexual appetite, she eventually realizes that there is more to Nic than she ever imagined. As the focus of the story shifts from their initially carnal relationship to one of emotional dependence – we see Nic struggling to confront his past, while Faye copes with an abusive ex-husband and a disapproving community that sees her as a gold-digger.
The book is not just about exploring the relationship between Faye and Nic but also deeply insightful into society’s expectations of race and relationships. Pace’s writing is, at times, poetic and mesmerizing, and she has an excellent ear for dialogue that rings true.
She uses a combination of dialogue and introspection to take readers into the minds of the characters, creating an immersive reading experience. Her descriptions of the south brilliant, with the setting serving almost as a character in itself.
Despite dealing with challenging subject matter, Pace’s voice never feels preachy or heavy-handed. While the story is gripping, the pace of the novel could have been more consistent.
Some passages feel slow and meandering, dampening the momentum of the story. Additionally, some of the peripheral characters seem underdeveloped, with their stories left untold, and the ending may leave readers with mixed emotions.
Overall, Beast is an excellent exploration of complex relationships that is both well-written and thought-provoking. Readers interested in southern gothic books, who enjoy complicated main characters grappling with societal pressure, will find this book to be an engaging read.
With its evocative setting, palpable chemistry between the characters, and mature themes, Beast is a must-read for those seeking a fresh take on romance novels. I recommend that everyone gives this compelling novel a chance and experience the deep insight into race and relationships it offers.
