Putting the BED in Bedlam: A Review of Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

I can’t ever say enough good things about Elizabeth Hoyt. I think she is one of the most talented historical romance writers out there. Her prose is poignant and poetic without being unnecessarily flowery. Her wordcrafting brings me to tears every single time.

Darling Beast is no different. Friends, this is a heavy book. If you’re interested in content warnings, let me know, but know that there is a lot of on-page violence. There is also graphic descriptions of the violence against mentally ill people, as Apollo escaped from Bedlam after being framed for murder.

From the blurb, I was expecting a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but this is really a retelling of the story of the Minotaur, the labyrinth, and Ariadne. Hoyt leans heavily into the labyrinth symbolism and the story of the Minotaur is told in excerpts at the start of each chapter.

One thing I love about Lily is she is an experienced heroine. But unlike in Hoyt’s To Beguile a Beast, she has a decent amount of experience and isn’t afraid to claim what she wants.

This book is an extremely slow burn to get to the actual sex scenes. But I promise you, the payoff is worth it. The sex is the hottest on page I’ve read from Hoyt—and that’s saying something! Solidly a serrano on the Hoville Heat Index.

Apollo tries to be a grumpy, stoic beast, but he’s really a cinnamon rol. I think I would put him solidly in the gamma hero camp. He’s a sweetie, though. He has so much trauma, and he owns it.

I really love that his progress in healing emotionally is mirrored in the healing of his voice. I thought it was cleverly done.

Lily is a single mom, and this is a trope I keep falling more and more in love with.

I also adore the secondary characters. The Duke of Montgomery should have been the worst character, but I found him likeable. I was over halfway through the book when I realized that he is the hero from Duke of Sin. He’s a manipulative ass, but I stand by the idea that he’s actually neurodivergent. I’d love to confirm my theory with the author!

Hoyt writes children and animals SO well. Indio and Daffodil brought so much comic relief and endearment, but they were also tools to drive Apollo’s character development.

This is not a book to read if you want something lighthearted, but it is beautiful book.

I want to read all of the Maiden Lane series. I’m considering starting a reading challenge next month, maybe with a Discord to chat about it. Interested? Shoot me a message or subscribe to my newsletter. I’ll send out more info if I decide to host this in my newsletter later this month.

Y’all, I’m exhausted. I realize this is not the best written blog post on here. But please trust me when I say I stayed up late to review this book because it’s a must read.