Bonus: Beauty and the Blacksmith

Avon Books

Beauty and the Blacksmith
Tessa Dare
2013

The Summary
"Beautiful and elegant, Miss Diana Highwood is destined to marry a wealthy, well-placed nobleman.  At least, that's what her mother has loudly declared to everyone in Spindle Cove.

"But Diana's not excited by dukes and lords.  The only man who makes her heart pound is the village blacksmith, Aaron Dawes.  By birth and fortune, they couldn't be more wrong for each other...but during stolen, steamy moments in the smithy, his strong hands feel so right.

"Is there love forged strong enough to last, or are they just playing with fire?"

The Good
Honestly, I haven't had the best luck with Tessa Dare's novellas.  After reading Once Upon a Winter's Eve and The Legend of the Werestag, I'm currently two for two with disappointing stories; however, Beauty and the Blacksmith proved to be an unexpected delight.  Humorous and light-hearted, Beauty and the Blacksmith is a sweet little romance to read in one evening.

Personally, I liked Diana and Aaron.  Diana is an educated young lady who has spent her life stifled by her infirmity and her mother; she has been burdened with the knowledge that she should win a wealthy suitor and keep her family from abject poverty.  But she wants more for herself:  she wants Aaron, and she wants dreams of her own.  She's brave enough to go out there and put her heart on the line, daring to dream and hope and wish.

And I loved her for it.

And, I hate to say it, Aaron is terribly worthy of swooning.  As far as romantic partners go, he sets the bar pretty high.  He's a nice, steady man who cares about his family, about his village, about his friends; moreover, he's the quintessential "provider" and, while he's willing to protect Diana, he's also willing to stand out of her way when she needs it.  And he doesn't get angry when she burns dinner.

Let's face it, he's pretty much perfect.  (At least, I thought so.)

Together, they're absolutely adorable.  I couldn't help hoping and wishing for the best for them, as I watched their romance unfold, as I watched them struggle with social expectations--i.e. Diana's mother's lofty aspirations for her daughter--and their own misgivings.  It's sweet, it's romantic, and it's a pretty great novella.

The Bad
Not really anything to report.  There were a few moments that I didn't care for, but it happens in all romance novels.

At least it didn't have a love triangle.

The Ugly
Explicit material.

Like I would have put anything else?