Book Review: The Beau & the Belle by R.S. Grey

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The Beau & The Belle by R.S. Grey 

Series or Standalone? Standalone
Format: E-book
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Kindle Unlimited Membership
Genre: Contemporary Romance. Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Self-Published


Goodreads Synopsis: 
Beau Fortier starred in most of my cringe-worthy teenage fantasies. I met him when I was a junior in high school, a time that revolved exclusively around bad hair, failed forays into flirting, and scientific inquiries into which brand of toilet paper worked best for stuffing bras. That is, until Beau moved into the small guest house just beyond my bedroom window. 

 A 24-year-old law student at Tulane, Beau was as mysterious to me as second base (both in baseball and in the bedroom). He was older. Intimidating. Hot. Boys my age had chicken legs and chubby cheeks. Beau had calloused hands and a jaw cut from steel. Our interactions were scarce—mostly involving slight stalking on my end—and yet deep down, I desperately hoped he saw me as more of a potential lover than a lovesick loser. Turns out, I was fooling myself. My fragile ego learned that lesson the hard way. 

Now, ten years later, we’re both back in New Orleans, and guess who suddenly can’t take his eyes off little ol’ me. My old friend, Mr. Fortier. But things have changed. I’m older now—poised and confident. My ego wears a bulletproof vest. The butterflies that once filled my stomach have all perished. When I was a teenager, Beau warned me to guard my heart. Let’s hope he knows how to guard his. 

 Review:
This review was also posted on my Goodreads account. 
The Beau and the Belle was another enjoyable read from R.S. Grey. I appreciate that this was in Kindle Unlimited, as are all of her other works. I am enjoying getting to know her writing and how easily accessible it is to me through this platform.

I really enjoyed how descriptive she got with the location of New Orleans- it was very vivid, and made me want to visit- it is definitely added to my travel bucket list! I also really liked how important the family dynamic was in the story, especially Beau's relationship and loyalty to his mom, and how both Lauren and Beau's mothers formed a great friendship by the end of the story. Not to mention, NOLA sounds like a cool, trendy art gallery to visit. I kind of wish it actually existed.

We all know that R.S. Grey is known for her romantic comedies. However, while I liked this book, it wasn't as funny as her other works. There were not as many laugh out loud moments. This isn't a bad thing by any means, but I think I hyped it up for myself a little too much prior to picking it up, just based on others' opinions and also based my own reading history with her books. Also, I wish Lauren was more confident and less insecure around Beau upon returning to NOLA. In my opinion, she didn't have much character growth throughout the story and only found her confidence when she started dating Beau. I really wanted to see her as a badass female, and unfortunately that story arc fell flat for me.

Overall, I rated The Beau and the Belle 3 Stars- it was an enjoyable and cute story. This book would be perfect for a vacation or beach read!

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