5 Hoots

Sebastian lived a very privileged life. One of riches, servants, and pretty much getting anything that he wanted. That is until his 35th birthday where his father decided to teach him a lesson. Sebastian had to work at one of their cafe’s for 1 week and help 1 person. Just one person. He is obviously our beast. Then you have the lovely and kind cafe manager whose father is an inventor. Okay, so we have our major characters, but where does the blackmail come in? Well, for that you have to read the book…but I can at least tell you a little more about the book.

So, part of the deal between Sebastian and his father is that he has to work at one of their cafes. No money, no help, just living off tips and trying to learn what it means to be a normal person. At first he was the typical fish out of water, but when Bridget (the manager) asks for help something happens. He realizes that he actually wanted to try and help her. Help her with what? The blackmail component of course. That is all you are going to get from me regarding that part of the story….anyway. I enjoyed how organic the build up of this relationship was. There was no magical dance between these two, but there was kindness and fish tacos. Bridget really was just a kind person who wanted to see the best in everyone.

So was this book just focused on romance? No, not at all. There was a mystery that needed solving, a ransom needing to be paid, and a person who needed to learn a lesson. The mystery piece was a lot of fun. We only had a few suspects but they each could have had motive. It was fun following Bridget as she tried to figure out who was behind the blackmail and why. She thought these people were her friends, but she realized that this wasn’t the reality. I think that was one of the things that stood out to me. Even though she was wronged, she didn’t let that change her. She was just a beautiful soul and this was exactly the thing that needed to rub off on Sebastian.

Overall, this was another wonderful addition to the series. It took a classic tale and found a way to apply it to the current world. A beast didn’t need to be a creature and the beauty didn’t have to be trapped in a castle. I loved that throughout the novella you were able to see echoes of the classic tale. The moral of the story was the same, and we were given a wonderful mystery to solve. If you are looking for a retelling mixed with a mystery this is book for you!