The Bride and the Beast (Once Upon a Time)

Teresa Medeiro's THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST is a rich tapestry overflowing with emotional drama. Readers will be spellbound and left guessing right up until the end as the climax slowly unravels its memorizing tale. Known only as Dragon, a fearless creature set on reeking vengeance on the helpless townspeople of Ballybliss. He ruthlessly demands an unrealistic sum of one thousand pounds, the citizens known such a high price could not be provided. They offer the only alternative equivalent to the sum, Gwendolyn Wilder, a well-known virgin. Surprised at the gift the townspeople offer, he is captivated by the spirit and beauty Gwendolyn exhibits. Will she have the power to conquer his lair, his chamber, his bed? Gwendolyn Wilder lost her heart and the love her life tragically fifteen years ago. Now her life consists of caring for an insane father and three haphazard sisters. When the town forces her to sacrifice her life to save them from destruction, she tries to escape. Unfortunately, she is captured and delivered to Castle Weyrcraig, known as the Dragons Lair. Dragon refuses to reveal his mysterious face, and communicates through a smoky voice, seductive touch, and a ravishing kiss. Will she have the courage to slay the Dragon and capture his heart? THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST is deftly plotted and beautifully written. Readers will find it an engrossing tale, with a delightful cast of characters. It will long be remembered and revisited many times to come.

I was expecting a Beauty and the Beast spin-off, but with Theresa Medeiro's calibre I was enriched by the buoyant and enchanting fairy tale and is pleasantly delighted by the more confident writing in this Hardcover. Not that her past novels like Touch of Enchantment and Charming the Prince are not engaging, but in the Bride and the Beast, she gives the familiar tale a face-lift, injecting elements like treachery, forgiveness and of course the riveting passion. Gwendolyn Wilder like Ms. Medeiros' heroine is intelligent and suffers the fate of being suppressed by her siblings like the promiscuous Nessa and Glyniss, and thinks herself inferior in the looks department. She is charmed by Bernard McCullough, the heir to succeed as the laird of Ballybliss but keeps her wistful thoughts at bay. But time abruptly runs out - he is killed in a treachery when his father harbours a Prince rebel from Cumberland and apparently his WeyCraig castle was torn asunder from the carnage. He returns to seek revenge on the village clan who had refused to help him by concocting a Dragon tale, and when Gwendolyn is offered as a virgin sacrifice, she finds Dragon irresistible and a penchant for love. THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST is magical - Ms. Medeiros creates a transient fairy-tale realm, of castle and dragons. Their chemistry is no less incendiary from their banter, and of course the Beast is ultimately touched and revived by Gwendolyn's understanding. Their union is threatened when the revelation of the true identity of Dragon is revealed. It gives a heartbreaking touch towards the end and the secondary romance between Tupper and Kitty is hilariously done.THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST revives the fairy-tale charm and fuels dreams in us - it is so much more with her emotional-drenched writing that charges up the plot - the only thing beastly is the miracle that this book can be so savagely tender at times.

Gwendolyn Wilder did not believe in dragons, but the people of Ballybliss did. When the 'Dragon' starts aking for more and more food, and finally money to make him go away, the vilagers decide to give him a 'sacrifice' to appease him and mabye he'll let them be. Only a virgin will do, and being the only virgin in the village, Gwendolyn is taken to the Castle Weycraig and tied to a pole in the courtyard and left to await the Dragons' appearance.While Gwen waits to be 'eaten or whatever else the Dragon might do to her' she realizes that her predicament is precarious. She knows that the so-called Dragon is a fraud, and that there was a good explaination for all of the lights flickering and bagpipe playing that has drifted down from the castle, but as a terrible storm approaches, she gets nervous and wonders what will happen next. When it does and the Dragon comes out from the silver mists and she sees his face, she faints.The Dragon carries her into his lair and keeps her as his papmered prisoner, never showing her his face. He'd made her faint for God's sake, if she saw his face again she may get hesterical! But the night was his cover, and soon Gwen falls for his sensual allure, his passionate kisses, and becomes aware that the Dragon is only a man. A flesh and blood man, out for revenge; from what she didn't know, but as the story unfolds and all is finally revealed, including his true identity, Gwen understands the true meaning of betrayal and heartbreak.Can the Dragon make her understand his motives and make her love him again? Can Gwen ever trust the 'real' man that the Dragon is, or mourn the Dragon she thought him to be.I love Teresa Medeiros. The first book I read of hers, Charming the Prince, had me hooked. Her writing syle is so compelling and full of feeling, that you'll fall in love with all of her characters. You'll never be disappointed with anything written by her!

Teresa Medeiros has been one of my favorite authors since way back when and she just keeps getting better. I didn't think she could top CHARMING THE PRINCE, but she did it with this one. I can't explain why her writing is so powerful, but she makes me feel all of the emotions her characters are feeling. I fell in love with "the Dragon" right along with Gwendolyn and to me, that's true magic! (I have to confess that I also fell a little in love with Tupper, too!) I also loved the fact that her heroine wasn't a size 2 in this book, but a "plump" beauty. (Just like me!)

Practical, level-headed Gwendolyn Wilder doesn't believe in dragons...but the superstitious highlanders of Ballybliss do...and they will do anything they can to rid themselves of the Dragon's curse ....including getting a fair virgin to satisfy the beast's insatiable appetite. Being the only virgin in town, Gwendolyn finds herself securely bound to a post as a sacrificial lamb waiting to be slaughtered - or - more accurately devoured by this mythical beast. Imagine her surprise when "the dragon" emerges from a stream of silver smoke to take her away...The "dragon" turns out to be devastatingly handsome man (though he hides his face from Gwendolyn) who is much more dangerous than any real dragon could be....and when he decides to make a "pet" of the fair Gwen, the fun begins....I discovered Teresa Medeiros with the wonderful CHARMING THE PRINCE and have been a fan ever since. Her heroines are usually smart, funny and have a good head on their shoulders....and Gwendolyn Wilder, the heroine of THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST is no exception. The Dragon is charming, virile, dangerous and everything a sexy hero should be.I loved reading this offbeat humorous retelling of Beauty and the Beast and couldn't put it down. If you like a bit of offbeat humor mixed in with your romance, this one is for you. Enjoy.