Series Review // The Beast by Jaden Wilkes

Today's flashback is The Beast series by Jaden Wilkes. I read these books many years ago and each book made the series better and better. Per the author: This is not a fairy tale, this is what happens when the music ends and life goes on after the credits roll. This is about simply existing until you find yourself and write your own happily ever after, no matter what form it takes.

1. The Beast

Dimitri Sokolov is a man scarred, physically and emotionally. From the rough streets of Moscow to the highest ranks in the Solntsevskaya Bratva, he has seen it all.

An attack four years ago left him disfigured and in seclusion, hiding from reactions to his appearance and in safety from those who failed to kill him the first time.

Comfortable in his penthouse, managing his billion dollar businesses, he's resigned himself to be alone, simply called The Beast among those who've dealt with him in the past.

Columbia Grey is a pseudo-activist trying to save her neighbourhood from a developer intent on levelling it to build apartment towers. She goes along with a plan to confront the CEO of the company on his own turf, to force him to listen to her demands...all in a pathetic attempt to impress a man she barely likes.

Little does she know, she's taken herself into the mouth of the beast, a man familiar with death and destruction, sex and seduction, a man used to getting exactly what he wants and a man with nothing left to lose.

She's a beauty, but will that be enough to tame the beast and save her life?

Rating -

This is the first book I've read from Jaden Wilkes and I thoroughly enjoyed it's dark and twisted theme. She surely drew my mind into a nightmare. This book does touch on some BDSM but more on the S & M side.

Unfortunately I suffered a disconnect from the characters. I'm not sure what I was looking for but by the end I hadn't found it. It was hard to like Columbia. I couldn't really get into her head although half the story is told from her POV. And she truly pissed me off at one point. When Dimitri was trying to get her to submit she kept begging to go home. Internally she wanted to get back to her life. What life? Wasn't she molested by her dad/step-dad for over a decade? I get she wanted to protect her sister, but when Dimitri offered to kill him, she wasn't exactly screaming "YES PLEASE!!" So yeah, she didn't exactly float my boat. I'm hoping for better from her in the next book, especially because of that epilogue.

I actually really liked Dimitri. He's the sole reason this book gets 3 stars. He was dark, twisted, disfigured, vengeful, a killer, a wee bit insane, etc. Everything I want in a dark hero. He's not a good guy and he's not sorry about it. However, I do think he's the perfect match for Columbia. What he's gone through is excruciating, from childhood to now, and I like that he's finally able to grab a slice of happy with her.

I'm off to read book 2 and hopefully find what was missing in this one.

2. Perfectly Normal

Take a girl like Columbia, put her in a vastly different life with a man unlike anyone she's ever known. Throw in Dimitri's nightmares, the Concierge's disdain for Dimitri's new house guest and a few hundred people looking high and low for the both of them...and it makes for a very interesting read.

Picking up at the end of the last chapter, this novel covers the time until the two leave Hong Kong, before the epilogue of the first bestselling novel in this series, The Beast.

Two twisted and imperfect beings must adjust to their new lives together while avoiding detection from authorities and an international crime ring.

Rating -

I just love when the heroine of the story gets a backbone. In this installment, Columbia is determined to learn what it takes to be a part of Dimitri's life, including how to kill.

This book had all the excitement and action I was missing in the first one. I really liked it. I got a little bothered by how lovey dovey Dimi and Col were, but it was still sweet lol. Dimitri is still my favourite character, however, Columbia has definitely come into her own and has endeared herself to me. I'm not quite as annoyed by her as I was in the previous book. Nico's new role, or rather no longer hidden role, was intriguing, however, I'm not a fan of threesomes. I am a firm believer in one man for one woman and vice versa. It may be old fashioned but I am crazy possessive and have no intention of sharing or being shared. Maybe it's part of my older sibling syndrome. Who knows. But that was the only big issue I had with this book. It was hot as f*ck but not my cup of tea. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, so that's a plus. And I'm still interested in finding out more about the mysterious Nico.

I'm really curious about who this Ioana character is and how she ties in with Columbia and Dimitri. I'm sure it's going to be one fun adventure in book 3.

3. Little Dove

How can you ever hope to find normal when your life is anything but?

Determined to make amends for his past, and show Columbia he truly is a changed man, Dimitri sets out to right wrongs and decimate those who bring nothing but sorrow to the world.

Something goes wrong and Columbia is taken, spirited away into the underground world of sex trafficking and international crime syndicates.

Dimitri must fight his way across the Europe to find her and bring her home. He would rather see the world burn than live without her in it.

He will tear the world apart looking for his little dove.

This is a tragic story exploring the consequences of daring to love in the midst of chaos and terror.

Rating -

HOLY FREAKING SH*T!! This was the BEST book out of the entire series!!

This book had everything I was looking for from the previous books. EVERYTHING!!

Torture. Killing. Fighting. Dubious consent (although there was absolutely no doubt that most people would not be consenting to the madness!). Love. Devotion. Loyalty. More killing. More torture. Mercenaries. New alliances. Rocket launchers. New friendships. Just wonderful wonderful wonderful things.

I actually loved Columbia (finally!) in this book. She was freaking amazing. Girl could hold her own in a male dominated ?industry? Not sure what you would call it, but she did her thang. She still got a little too stuck in her head, but overall her character was stellar!

Dimitri. Dimi. Frig I loved this dude. All things Dimi were amazing as usual. His madness. His torture schemes. His freaking love, loyalty and devotion were off the freaking charts. This man could do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. I want a Dimitri in my life too dammit!

Honestly, I could list point for point why this book was incredible but I'm not going to ruin the plot for anyone. And I'm not going to take away from Jaden Wilkes' profits. She did an awesome job with writing this story and you need to do yourself a favour and freaking read it!