Book Review: Wicked Beasts (Shelley Leigh Crane). #WickedBeasts #NetGalley

I received a copy of Wicked Beasts by Shelley Leigh Crane from NetGalley. This book is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, combined with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This combination immediately intrigued me from the start. The story follows Amara Rose, who gets a new job at a huge old manor as a personal assistant. She is immediately intrigued by her new boss, but the manor itself has a gothic feel.

Amara Rose takes a job at the elusive Black Manor as a personal assistant for Tristan Black. Upon arrival, she is given a list of rules to follow, with certain areas of the manor to be never entered. There are gothic vibes to the manor, and she feels an eerie presence that is unsettling. Amara is drawn to Tristan from the start, but he keeps her at a distance, which intrigues her more. As her pull to Tristan continues, she meets Dr. Shadow, Tristan’s brother. He is dark, mysterious, and seductive. Amara finds herself drawn to both brothers, and the constant push-and-pull is interesting.

The plot creates an air of mystery and suspense from the get-go. Amara has these eerie feelings about the manor, and Tristan and Dr. Shadow seem to add to this gothic vibe. I am not sure how I felt about Amara as a character. She is in her thirty’s, but she doesn’t act like it. I understand being curious by nature, but Amara’s curiosity seemed so forced because it was needed for the plot. Her impulsive behavior in dangerous situations, too, is something that lacked depth. She was just not a relatable character to me. The dynamic between Amara, Tristan, and Dr. Shadow definitely interested me.

The atmosphere created in the novel, with its gothic worldbuilding and paranormal/suspense vibes, is something I really enjoyed. The inspirations from Beauty and the Beast and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde create some engaging, tense, and even romantic moments. I enjoyed the romance aspect of the story a lot more, though it took me a while to get there. The pace of the book varies, and I just wanted the plot to move forward. I don’t know what exactly bothered me about Amara’s character; it rarely happens that I dislike a protagonist.

Wicked Beasts by Shelley Leigh Crane is an interesting book. For me, it was more of a mixed bag, to be honest. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I enjoyed the gothic aspects of the story and retelling elements plus the brooding love interests. Overall, it was a good read, but not my cup of tea.

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