Beauty is about to tame her beast...

Researcher Maggie Donovan has no luck with men, and it doesn't help that she can't keep her eyes off of her sexy boss - the one everyone else in the office calls The Beast. Relationships in the office are forbidden. So no one is more surprised than Maggie when she pretends to be his fiancée to save him during a difficult situation. Not only has she put her job on the line, but the future of the company.

Billionaire Benjamin Gale III doesn't believe in love or romance, but the look on his mother's face when Maggie tells her that she's his fiancée is worth millions. Instead of firing her for her insubordination, he goes along with the ruse. In his arms-and in his bed-she'd be everything he could ever want…which is why he can't have her.

But if he doesn't let her go, they'll lose everything…

Benjamin Gale III is considered a beast of a boss. He is a demanding, work-a-holic with no real emotional connections. He is trying to keep his family business intact with his place as CEO despite some serious opposition. He is stubborn, determined, ambitious, but no one really knows him.

Maggie Donovan is one of his employees with a good heart, sweet personality, wit, and is not intimidated by him. She sometimes even defends him. When they are caught in a situation that could be misinterpreted and used against them, quick thinking leads to a fake engagement.

They are from two different worlds. They have different ideas about their situation and how to proceed. They have limited knowledge of the other one. People out to get them, public scrutiny, private attraction, and fears affect their choices.

He's alpha, bossy, and used to control.  But she makes him want to lose control, adds fun to his life, and helps him find missing pieces of himself he had locked away. She manages to see into his vulnerable core and makes him want to be a better man. I enjoyed the peeling back of his layers and him finding himself again.

She seems shy and quiet at first, but is independent minded and likes to make her own choices. She has a sassy, strong, and protective side too. She even has rules on how a fake engagement should go in order to protect her heart. She is kind and teaches him more about thoughtfulness and generosity, but also is not a doormat. But she is afraid to trust or let him in. She pushes him away a lot because she is tempted by him and he makes her want to not act logical or rational.

There is a lot of chasing, running, differences of opinion, temptation, fear of getting hurt, and trust issues. Both will have to open up, trust, and believe if they want a real chance. But their lives have some complications, outside influences, built in differences, and tough choices that need to be made.

Can two people conditioned not to trust really give their hearts away? Or will they end up as just another cause of pain and regret?

This was a fun, sweet, sexy modern take on Beauty and the Beast with some Cinderella moments thrown in. I loved that Maggie was the one that saw him for more than he appeared to be. And that he was smart enough to see how special she was early on. I enjoyed their dual points of view and their banter. There was definitely some drama mixed in and some antagonistic people that caused some frustration, but it was a quick, engaging read full of sexual tension, drama, and an unlikely romance. 

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Diane Alberts Website/Facebook/Twitter

Diane Alberts is a USA TODAY bestselling Contemporary Romance author with Entangled Publishing. Under the name Jen McLaughlin, she also writes New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling books with Penguin RandomHouse. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.