Taming the Beast

By Heather Grothaus

Book Overview

After years of turmoil, Roderick Cherbon has left the Crusades to return to the home he loves. But the wars have changed him, and the heir who thought to heal his father's injustices has become a vicious beast of a man, scarred inside and out. He will speak to no one, see no one; he leaves the shadows of his ruined keep only under the darkness of night. And even in death his father mocks him: to retain his land and title, Roderick, the Beast, must marry. Lady Michaela Fortune is reviled for her poverty, ridiculed for her dreams, and preyed on for her soft heart. Humiliation and want dog her beloved family, and her pride is an indulgence she can ill afford. Cherbon and its shattered lord offer a solution. But to court a man who has fallen so low, Michaela will need all her grace and beauty to harbor any hopes of taming the beast. . . Praise for The Warrior. . . "A spirited tale rich in intrigue, betrayal, ancient magic, and a love destined to overcome all odds." --Hannah Howell, "New York Times" bestselling author "Grothaus definitely has talent and a true feel for the era." --"Romantic Times"

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1420102435
• ISBN13: 9781420102437
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Zebra Books
• Length: 346 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.1" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable mediaeval romance

Amongst Historical romances the Regency period is of course very popular but this book was rather different, set during the Crusades in 1101. Roderick Cherbon was injured badly during his crusade and was thought to die; however he has survived, albeit scarred, and has returned home to his estate. However he has to marry very soon as otherwise the estate will go to his unpleasant cousin, but he can't find any woman brave enough to face his cold, scary home and his scars. Michaela Fortune is a very singular young lady. There have been whispers about her since birth, that she is an agent of Satan, but she knows she's just a normal young woman. After she's crossed in love by a neighbour she decides to become the wife of Roderick Cherbon. However, she's not willing to just be a wife but wants to run his home and actually meet and talk to him and get to know him - and his son. But Roderick has more scars than Michaela realises and the complexities of the lives of those around them may cause problems. I did enjoy reading this book, particularly relishing the heroine Michaela and her nature. Roderick was a rather indistinct character and was hard to like due to his treatment of Michaela. I found the scenes with Roderick's son rather irritating as the author wrote the boy's speech irritatingly: "Ee-oh has soos" for "Leo has shoes", for example. It took me quite a lot of effort to decipher what Leo was saying and I would rather have been able to read it more easily. Roderick's friend Hugh was also an odd character and I found some of the events at the end of the story a bit unlikely, to say the least. There's a slight paranormal aspect to this book that detracted from its impact for this reader. The story itself - of a scarred and damaged man finding wholeness through the love of a good woman - is hardly new, but I didn't feel it needed a couple of minor paranormal elements to move it on. However I did enjoy reading 'Taming the Beast' and thought that the author made a good job of writing an interesting tale. Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2009

Taming the Beast-Not your mothers fairy tale

Taming the Beast by Heather Grothaus Heather Grothaus brings us a dark, emotional medieval tale that I very much enjoyed. There is a hint of paranormal running through the story that adds an extra bit of mystery to the story. Lord Roderick Cherbon, gravely wounded during the Crusades has come home after the death of his abusive father. Scarred, inside and out, Roderick learns that his father is still trying to control his life by requiring him to marry by his 30th birthday. Advertising isn't the normal means of obtaining a wife but since Roderick only plans to meet the requirement that he must marry, he could really care less. His dark demeanor and even gloomier castle have frightened away the women that have come to apply for the position. At least until Michaela Fortune comes along. Michaela Fortune is used to being ridiculed. She grew up with stories of her mother being abducted by the Wild Hunt, and rumors about her father going from a fierce knight to a meek and mild man. Although poor, Michaela knew she was loved and she vows to save her family from financial ruin by marrying Lord Cherbon. Michaela is much stronger than most women and refuses to allow Roderick's scars, whether they be inside or out, to keep her from helping her family. She is surprised and charmed to discover that Roderick has a 3 year old son that he brought back home with him. Roderick is instantly attracted to Michaela but refuses to believe that she can really love him and thinks he can never be a proper husband to her. Can her love and acceptance change his mind? Can the stories of the Wild Hunt be true and how could they possibly affect his relationship with Michaela? Read Roderick and Michaela's amazing story and find out if love really can conquer all.

Very Enjoyable Book

This was a total impulse buy that paid off. I loved this book. It was one of those stories that I couldn't put down, and I was compelled to read, even though I had already started some other books. It couldn't believe how fast I read it, within about four to five hours. I love medieval romances, so that helped. And I'm a sucker for the broken/scarred/hurt hero. Well, Roderick is all three. He comes back from the Crusades a broken man, although he had lots of baggage before he went there, with a father who did nothing but torment and treat him poorly and had driven his mother to suicide. Thankfully, his good friend that he makes during the Crusades saves his life and gets him medical attention, and the word that his father has died and he must find a bride to keep his land, gives him the strength to fight to get better and to come back to England. There were times when Roderick descended into self-pity. I suppose this might not work for all readers, but it was realistic. If if a man had always been talked down to and ridiculed by his father, I wouldn't expect him to have the healthiest self-esteem. Yes, he might annoy some readers the way he pushes his son away and doesn't want to let Michaela in, but I loved Roderick from the first page. He's one of those heroes I really wanted to see happy. I could understand why he kept those he loved and who loved him at a distance, feeling he wasn't worthy and would fail them. I adored Michaela as well. She had some moments of self-interest, but at the same time, I could see why she was motivated in such a fashion. She had been picked on her whole life because of her mother insisting that she had gotten kidnapped by The Wild Hunt. They called her Devil's Child and stuff like that. She was clumsy and tended to trip and run into things. Plus she grew up poor, although very much loved. One night at a party at her overlord's manor, she gets his attention by her bond with his daughter, Elizabeth, who hasn't talked since her mother died. Also her beautiful singing voice makes Michaela stand out. He invites her to come live with them as Elizabeth's companion. Because of this attention she gets from him, she fell in 'love' with her overlord, and he made some gestures like he was going to marry her, but married her arch-nemesis instead, humiliating her. So she decided to marry the Beast, who was the lord over the man who spurned her, a move motivated out of revenge against this man who spurned her, since he won't inherit the properties of Roderick, his cousin. She goes to his rundown castle, determined to fulfill the required ninety days of residence before the marriage. When she finally sees The Beast, she is instantly attracted to him, scars, limping, and surly demeanor and all. She falls into his beautiful and bright green eyes, and likes his large, scuplted body, despite the fact that it's clear that his leg and arm are crippled. Their dance around each other made this book worth reading. There was an inte

enjoyable medieval romantic suspense

In 1101 Roderick Cherbon ran way from his abusive father enlisting with the Crusades. However, he is severely hurt in battle and only saved by his friend Hugh Gilbert at the hospital in Constantinople where he lost part of a leg due to infection. While there he learns he needs to return to England as his nasty sire is dead and he must marry before his thirtieth birthday coming soon or his handsome cousin Lord Alan Tornfield will inherit the estate. Scarred and with no prospects, Roderick assumes he even lost to his father from the grave. Alan humiliates Lady Michaela Fortune by marrying someone else. Instead she proposes a marriage of convenience with Roderick, who reluctantly accepts. She vows to herself to earn his trust and win his love, but Alan is outraged by what she has done to him with her marital betrayal so he pursues her because he insists he misses her or as she surmises wants to break up the couple for avarice nefarious reasons. Taming the Beast is an enjoyable medieval romantic suspense with an eerie paranormal subplot providing additional tension. The story line is character driven as Beauty and the Beast fall in love, but his villainous seemingly insane cousin has two strong reasons to destroy their relationship. Fans will appreciate this early twelfth century tale as Roderick seeks lone and justice, but expects neither though Michaela gives him hope. Harriet Klausner