Book Review: The Vixen and the Vet

My first thoughts on The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery was that it was cute, had nice friction between the characters, and that it could be a really good book. And it was, but I stopped at 73%.

The story is about a journalist down on her luck and trying to fight her way back to the top, and a severely wounded war veteran trying to hide his scars from the world. So when I read it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I thought it could work. Had I not known it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I might have finished the book and adored it. Instead I was looking for comparisons. Yes, the vet has beastly scars. Yes, he does have a giant library. Yes, he's hiding from the world. Yes, the journalist is pretty. But that's where the comparisons ended. I wanted more of a fight between them. He accepted her into his house too quickly. And they were intimate too quickly. So, this part of the book fell flat for me.

Katy has really good reviews on her story and the book was a RITA finalist, so see for yourself.

The Vixen and the Vet

In this modern-retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn't been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher's hand and disfigured half of his face, he's lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy...that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress with a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn't felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other's hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they'll have to decide if the love they found in one another's arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.

** Contemporary Romance. Due to profanity, realistically depicted scenes of war and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**