I recently came across an online discussion that questioned the validity of Christian billionaire contemporary romance stories. One line of thought put forward in the discussion was a concern that it was unhelpful for Christian women to read romances featuring billionaire heroes.
This discussion piqued my curiosity. I decided to read Inspy Romance author Jackie Castle’s billionaire romance, My Beastly Billionaire, Book 1 in the Grimwood Legacy series.
Here’s the Book Description for My Beastly Billionaire:
His withdrawal from society and her need to prove her worth come to a head in this modern-day Beauty and the Beast retelling.
When Elisa Lucken’s interior design company is hired to decorate the huge but neglected Grimwood Manor for an impromptu holiday gala, Elisa is put in charge of managing the indoor crew. The only catch is–do not disturb the reclusive Duncan Grimwood.
Thrilled and excited about her chance to finally prove herself, Elisa is so absorbed in her work she doesn’t hear the blizzard warning that sends the rest of her crew home.
Jewelry Artisan Duncan Grimwood had a reputation of being a playboy until the motorcycle accident that left him damaged inside and out. After a year of recuperating, Duncan has withdrawn from his lavish lifestyle and now lives like a hermit ignoring his family and the terms of his inheritance trust.
Worried that Duncan will lose his portion of the Grimwood estate, his personal assistant urges him to re-enter the real world by hosting a holiday gala at the manor to display his latest works. He agrees on the condition that nobody disturbs him while he works to finish his last few pieces.
Snowed in for the weekend with his unexpected guest, Duncan is forced out of his cave. Will the beautiful decorator he’s stuck with help him find a new respect for life before he loses everything?
Narelle’s Thoughts:
My Beastly Billionaire is a modern day retelling of The Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Our heroine, Elisa, makes a few unwise decisions that leave her stranded for the Thanksgiving holiday at the country mansion where she’s working as an interior decorator. Our billionaire hero, Duncan, is a reclusive former playboy who is struggling in his recovery from a serious motorcycle accident. He knows the accident was all his fault and that he has to live with the devastating consequences.
Duncan is grumpy and beastly in his manner toward Elisa when he discovers she didn’t follow his orders and leave the country mansion with her colleagues before the blizzard. Elisa knows she messed up, and she has a genuine desire to make amends.
A charming romance develops as Elisa gets to know the real Duncan underneath his gruff exterior. Duncan is entranced by Elisa’s beauty and her sweet nature. Her faith is strong, and Duncan is challenged by Elisa to consider how his own faith impacts his life decisions.
My Beastly Billionaire is a fun and lighthearted romance set on a remote country estate. Duncan is rich, but his inherited wealth comes with certain responsibilities. He also values a person’s character over the size of their bank balance. I recommend this book to readers who like modern day fairy tale romance stories combined with an inspiring faith message.
Book 2 in the series, My Charming Billionaire, is available now. Book 3, My Wayfaring Billionaire, is coming soon.
Do you like reading romances based on fairy tales?
A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
Yes, romances based on fairy tales are a lot of fun to read.
Hi Mary, Yes, they are fun to read. :)
Christians can be billionaires too! I enjoyed this story as well. Alexa Verde and Autumn Macarthur have a new series coming out with billionaires…..and then don’t forget Hallee Bridgemann’s Jewel series….ah, Tony….
Hi Paula, Yes, Hallee’s books are a great example! I’ll be looking forward to Alexa & Autumn’s billionaires romance stories, too! :)
I love reading stories that retell one already known. I have two modern day “Ruth/Boaz” books that were a joy to read.
Love hearing about this “Beauty and the Beast” version!
Hi Susan, Yes, Bible story retellings are fun, too! :)
Yes, I enjoy the retellings. I also like reading “billionaire” stories because they are a delightful escape from reality.
Hi Ellie, yes, the billionaire stories are a delightful escape into a romance story that’s very different to our real lives. :)
Yes, I love books based on fairytales.
Hi Gina, yes, I love how they can cross-genre and be historical or contemporary retellings, for example. Lots of fun to read. :)
This sounds like a great story. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for talking about Christian billionaires!
Hi Sally, You’re very welcome, and I hope you’ll have a chance to read Jackie’s billionaire series. The end of book 1 draws the reader very neatly into the beginning of book 2. :)
Retelling are awesome!
Hi Toni, yes, I totally agree! :)
I read this when first released and thought it a nice modern day fairytale romance with some redemption thrown in.
It was a quick, fun read.
Hi Dalyn, yes, I agree, and I enjoyed how Jackie drew out the redemption theme in the story. :)
Hi Narelle! As a German American, who grew up on the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales, I enjoy reading romances and other stories based on retellings of these familiar tales. I enjoyed Jackie Castle’s My Beastly Billionare’s version. Best wishes and enjoy your weekend.
Hi Renate, I’ve always loved fairy tales, and I’m sure my fear of bears (we only have cute koala bears here in the wild) comes from reading the Goldilocks fairy tale too often, lol. :)
Thank you, Narelle!
I went into this series a little wary in the beginning. But I love fairytale retellings and I’ve grown fond of clean billionaire romances. There’s even a group of authors who encourage each other in this endeavor. They’re great and have been a wonderful help to me. I enjoyed writing about simple, good-hearted people. But I’ve found there are some wonderfully good-hearted rich people who really do desire to help others with what they’ve been blessed with. So, that’s where I went with this series. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the mention.
Hi Jackie, You’re very welcome. Years ago I visited San Francisco and did a day trip coach tour around the city. One of the things that struck me was how much of the city infrastructure was built and paid for by wealthy citizens rather than the government. There are wealthy people who are exceedingly generous and spend/donate money to support good causes. The flip side is studies have estimated up to ten percent of CEO’s are psychopaths or have psychopathic tendencies. There’s a lot of space to explore both lighthearted and darker stories. I grew up reading romances about millionaires and Greek tycoons. I’m glad there’s a clean option and a Christian option for readers who enjoy billionaire stories. :)
Your review makes me want to read the book! I really liked Beauty and the Beast, both as a fairy tale book, then the version on TV with Ron Perlman, and, of course, the Disney movie. To make it a CF is great! I’m not usually a fan of billionaire books; however, I really liked the ones Paula mentioned of Hallee Bridgemann’s, and of course, anything with Autumn’s, Alexa’s, and Marion’s names attached I love!!
Hi Trudy, I hope you’ll have an opportunity to read Jackie’s series, and the upcoming billionaire series by Autumn and Alexa. :)
This sounds like a great book. Yes, I enjoy romances based on fairytales.
Hi Kimberly, I hope you’ll have a chance to read Jackie’s series. :)
I like fairy tail retellings. I guess for myself when I haven’t like billionaire stories is more when they are unrelatable to me. Like living the high life, partying like there is no tomorrow, treating others like slaves or insignificants. When they are billionaires but do good its different.
I know in real like we have billionaire’s like Bill Gates who works hard and has used his money to help so many needy causes.
So for me its more the story than the title. In this case I don’t need to relate to a beauty and beast situation.
Hi Jenny, I’m not a fan of books where the main characters are unkind to their staff. I agree, it’s how the story pans out is what really matters. :)