The Belle and the Beard
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-24 08:31:15
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kate Canterbary
- ISBN：B08YP9KFZN
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
If you find yourself publicly humiliated， out of work， and unemployable at 35—not to mention newly single—here’s how to salvage your life:
1。 Run away。 Seriously， there’s no shame in disappearing。 Go to that rustic old cottage your aunt left you。 Look out for the colony of bats and the leaky roof。 Oh， and the barrel-chested neighbor with shoulders like the broad side of a barn。 Definitely look out for him。
2。 Stop wallowing and stay busy。 It doesn’t matter whether you know how to bake or fix things around the house。 Do it anyway。 Dust off your southern hospitality and feed that burly， bearded neighbor some pecan pie。
3。 Meet new people。 Chat up the grumpy man-bear， pretend to be his girlfriend when his mother puts you two on the spot， agree to go as his date to a big family party。 Don’t worry—it’s only temporary。
4。 Cry it out。 Screwing up your life entitles you to wine， broody-moody music， and uninterrupted sobbing。
5。 Get over it all by getting under someone。 Count on your fake boyfriend to deliver some very real action between the sheets。
6。 Move on。 The disappearing act， the cottage， the faux beau--none of it can last forever。
~~
If a hell-in-heels campaign strategist moves in next door to you， here’s how to survive the invasion:
1。 Do not engage。 There is no good reason you should chop her wood， haul her boxes， or pick her apples。
2。 Do not accept gifts， especially not the homemade ones。 Disconnect the doorbell， toss your phone over a bridge， hide in the basement if you must， but do not eat her pie。
3。 Do not introduce her to your friends and family。 They’ll favor her over you and never let you forget it。
4。 Do not intervene when she’s crying on the back porch。 Ignore every desire to fix the entire world for her。 By no means should you take her into your arms and memorize her peach-sweet curves。
5。 Do not take her to bed， even if it’s just to get her out of your system。
6。 Do not， under any circumstances， fall in love with her。
Warning: This story includes a meet-burglary， an immortal cat， a biohazard of a banana bread， a meddling mother， fancy toast， and a temporary fling that starts feeling a little too permanent。
1。 Run away。 Seriously， there’s no shame in disappearing。 Go to that rustic old cottage your aunt left you。 Look out for the colony of bats and the leaky roof。 Oh， and the barrel-chested neighbor with shoulders like the broad side of a barn。 Definitely look out for him。
2。 Stop wallowing and stay busy。 It doesn’t matter whether you know how to bake or fix things around the house。 Do it anyway。 Dust off your southern hospitality and feed that burly， bearded neighbor some pecan pie。
3。 Meet new people。 Chat up the grumpy man-bear， pretend to be his girlfriend when his mother puts you two on the spot， agree to go as his date to a big family party。 Don’t worry—it’s only temporary。
4。 Cry it out。 Screwing up your life entitles you to wine， broody-moody music， and uninterrupted sobbing。
5。 Get over it all by getting under someone。 Count on your fake boyfriend to deliver some very real action between the sheets。
6。 Move on。 The disappearing act， the cottage， the faux beau--none of it can last forever。
~~
If a hell-in-heels campaign strategist moves in next door to you， here’s how to survive the invasion:
1。 Do not engage。 There is no good reason you should chop her wood， haul her boxes， or pick her apples。
2。 Do not accept gifts， especially not the homemade ones。 Disconnect the doorbell， toss your phone over a bridge， hide in the basement if you must， but do not eat her pie。
3。 Do not introduce her to your friends and family。 They’ll favor her over you and never let you forget it。
4。 Do not intervene when she’s crying on the back porch。 Ignore every desire to fix the entire world for her。 By no means should you take her into your arms and memorize her peach-sweet curves。
5。 Do not take her to bed， even if it’s just to get her out of your system。
6。 Do not， under any circumstances， fall in love with her。
Warning: This story includes a meet-burglary， an immortal cat， a biohazard of a banana bread， a meddling mother， fancy toast， and a temporary fling that starts feeling a little too permanent。
Reviews
Nicole Smith
，
This was a highly enjoyable read。 I loved Linden。 I would love to move next door to him。 He has this gruff loner vibe， but Jasper brings out a whole new side to him。 He lightens up bit and smiles more often。 Jasper's life is pretty much at rock bottom， but finally heading to her late aunt's house will prove to be the best decision she's ever made。 It puts her on the path to her forever。 It hits home that life is too short to do something you hate and you can start over at anytime。 That message r This was a highly enjoyable read。 I loved Linden。 I would love to move next door to him。 He has this gruff loner vibe， but Jasper brings out a whole new side to him。 He lightens up bit and smiles more often。 Jasper's life is pretty much at rock bottom， but finally heading to her late aunt's house will prove to be the best decision she's ever made。 It puts her on the path to her forever。 It hits home that life is too short to do something you hate and you can start over at anytime。 That message really resonated with me。 This book had me laughing， crying， and smiling。 It's a great story that filled me up。 I loved Linden's family。 Jasper fit in so well and it made me happy to see her creating real true friendships。 It's hard to not swoon at Linden。 He is prime book boyfriend material。 Though he doesn't want to be involved he has this side of him that he can't watch Jasper struggle。 That solidified my opinion of him。 I would recommend this one because trust me you will enjoy it。 。。。more
Karin
，
Linden and Jasper are simply adorable！！ I loved how grumpy Linden was， he just was constantly in a mood and Jasper was like a tornado lol。 These two don’t have a great intro but they are neighbors who can’t escape each other even they tried （which they don’t） but behind all the grumpy gruffness Linden had a caring streak that he tried to hide and he wanted to protect Jasper。 Such a cute story
Megan
，
Over all I really enjoyed this book。 Linden and Jasper were perfect for each other。 There were many times that I found myself laughing out loud。 Especially anytime there was a crock pot in use。 There was no unnecessary drama。 The only reason this one wasn’t a five star read for me was because of the pace。 The middle part of the book seemed to drag a bit for me。 Then once I got towards the end it picked right back up。 I would still recommend this book！Received a arc for a honest review。
Lynn Reynolds
，
Rating: 3。5 StarsLinden is concerned about who his new neighbor is。 Jasper is trying to start fresh but it may be a lot of work。 He likes things a certain way。 Her life seems complicated。 He’s all about telling it like it is and no thought to how the other person might feel。 She’s all about doing things her way。As I was getting to know our main characters， I loved how each had issues about the other。 It made it a necessity to keep turning the page。 The author was good in creating one situation a Rating: 3。5 StarsLinden is concerned about who his new neighbor is。 Jasper is trying to start fresh but it may be a lot of work。 He likes things a certain way。 Her life seems complicated。 He’s all about telling it like it is and no thought to how the other person might feel。 She’s all about doing things her way。As I was getting to know our main characters， I loved how each had issues about the other。 It made it a necessity to keep turning the page。 The author was good in creating one situation after another between them。 The back and forth was almost nonstop。 Sadly， it just felt more like friends with benefits once they got past all the issues。 It’s tagged as a romantic comedy but I’m afraid that I missed the comedy part somehow。 When I read about the book， at the beginning， I went in expecting a fairy tale retelling for modern times and somehow I missed that mark as well。I was not feeling them as a couple but I could see them as really good friends。 Jasper seems to have a very complicated life。 Linden seems more of a take life as it is but has opinions about certain things。 His job was interesting since my uncle was in the forestry business。 And maybe that was part of my issue when it came to Linden’s job。 Living in that state my whole life， and having gone to the Cape a time or two， I could see Linden working in the Berkshires – felt that area may have been more suited to his job。 I know this is a work of fiction but my mind just wouldn’t connect him to the Cape。 When Jasper was in his space， I couldn’t feel a connection that we expect to grow into more。 It was like I was reading two separate stories with no thought of one ending。 The ending was great but I still didn’t feel that connection two people would have when they get that close。 I have read one of the author’s other books and just because I couldn’t connect here doesn’t mean that I’m not going to check out more of her work。I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review。 The opinions I have expressed are my own。 。。。more
Jennifer Pierson
，
Jasper-Anne is a woman whose career crashed & burned in the media， so she finds herself going to the house her aunt left her to let things calm down。 She didn't even think about the fact that it needed a lot of work since it was empty for a cool minute so things really got chaotic。 Linden is a cranky man who likes his solitude even though his personal life doesn't quite support that in my opinion， so he wasn't thrilled when a crazy woman moved in next door to him。 He sees her messing things up a Jasper-Anne is a woman whose career crashed & burned in the media， so she finds herself going to the house her aunt left her to let things calm down。 She didn't even think about the fact that it needed a lot of work since it was empty for a cool minute so things really got chaotic。 Linden is a cranky man who likes his solitude even though his personal life doesn't quite support that in my opinion， so he wasn't thrilled when a crazy woman moved in next door to him。 He sees her messing things up all over the place， tries to help her， and she turns him down every time since she seems to be trying to come off as an independent woman。 Far be it for me to judge her since I'm totally independent these days， but she took it a bit too far in my eyes which got very frustrating。 I'll give them this， they have sparks that do provide super sexy times， but there was just something about them individually and/or together that felt off for me but that's just me。 Seriously， I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you decide for yourselves because I can be a bit difficult these days so I'm sure it's a me thing。 。。。more
2OCC Reviews
，
New to me author with a great title， even better cover and a blurb that made me go， “Hmmm， yeah that looks good”。 And by the time I got to the end of The Belle and the Beard it was good， but getting there was at some points in the book was exasperating。Jasper Ann， my goodness that girl could wear you out！ Stubborn is the first thing that comes to mind but she was also a little pretentious and a lot of confrontational。 Her evolution during the progress of this book was interesting to read。 Even i New to me author with a great title， even better cover and a blurb that made me go， “Hmmm， yeah that looks good”。 And by the time I got to the end of The Belle and the Beard it was good， but getting there was at some points in the book was exasperating。Jasper Ann， my goodness that girl could wear you out！ Stubborn is the first thing that comes to mind but she was also a little pretentious and a lot of confrontational。 Her evolution during the progress of this book was interesting to read。 Even if at times it was maddening that her insight into herself and her behavior was protracted。Linden， gotta love a “Lumberbear”， had more patience with Jasper that most people would。 But that is just the kind of guy Linden is: solid， secure， continuously supportive。A good read that had some exceptional parts。 3 Stars #2OCCMS 。。。more
Lisa
，
This is book was great。 Jasper is in the political business but after messing up so bad she runs。 Where to her aunt's home she left her。 When she arrives the home needs some work and she is bound and determined to make sure she does it on her own。 What she doesn't expect is Linden the neighbor who is overbearing and doesn't have a filter。 The last thing Linden wants to deal with is his new neighbor。 She drives him nuts and he has no idea why he even cares。 Jasper just needs to find peace and I f This is book was great。 Jasper is in the political business but after messing up so bad she runs。 Where to her aunt's home she left her。 When she arrives the home needs some work and she is bound and determined to make sure she does it on her own。 What she doesn't expect is Linden the neighbor who is overbearing and doesn't have a filter。 The last thing Linden wants to deal with is his new neighbor。 She drives him nuts and he has no idea why he even cares。 Jasper just needs to find peace and I feel for her completely and I just wanted to give her a big hug。 These two buttheads and they both have no filters and say like it is。 Find out what happens when it goes too far。 When her life crashes can she survive？ 。。。more
Sophie （slovenianbookworm）
，
DNF @54 %。Let me say what I love about this book。First， the title。 It gives me such Beauty and the beast vibes！ But unfortunately， the book is not like B&b。Second， the cover。 Absolutely gorgeous。 The man， the font， the forest in the background。 LOVE！Third， the man on the cover。 Becuase he needs a separate point。 I love hairly， growly， bearly man in my books。 The one that are grumpy all the time but on the other side softies。 The man on the cover represents my picture of the hero after I read the DNF @54 %。Let me say what I love about this book。First， the title。 It gives me such Beauty and the beast vibes！ But unfortunately， the book is not like B&b。Second， the cover。 Absolutely gorgeous。 The man， the font， the forest in the background。 LOVE！Third， the man on the cover。 Becuase he needs a separate point。 I love hairly， growly， bearly man in my books。 The one that are grumpy all the time but on the other side softies。 The man on the cover represents my picture of the hero after I read the blurb。Forth， the blurb。 At first I had mountain man vibes but the book is set more like in a one way street in the neighbourhood。 But okay， I was fine with that。It was the book that disappointed me。I don’t even know where to begin。 The heroine moves to a run down house that needs a lot of rebuilding and remodelling。 She is 35 and she needs time away from the past。 The hero spots her on the very first day of moving there and he offers his help。 She denies it because she wants to do it all by herself。 I was totally fine by that， I don’t mind snarky heroines， in fact， I love them with some sass。 After she realizes she can’t do it herself she asks for his help and he gladly does it。 Then they each go their own way。 And because she wants to thank him she bakes him something。Now， baking is a term I use very lightly。 You see， when I read the blurb I thought our heroine is some kind of wizard in kitchen and she will make our hero a wonderful pie for every single time after he helped （which is quite a lot） and I LOVED the idea。 Sadly， our heroine is no Jamie Oliver/James Gordon in the kitchen。 In fact， it’s the opposite。She can’t bake。After one failed attempt I thought this was a one time deal。 But no， she doesn’t want to admit her baking sucks and bakes him something every。single。time。 even though the hero （Linden） tells her her baking is basically trash。 She bakes and cooks everything in a crockpot。 As a non-American I actually had to Google what that was and I still couldn’t believe it。 She is 35 years old and she can’t bake （and won’t admit she’s terrible at it even though her products look like a health hazard） and cook anything！ She is actually surviving on toast。 Wth？ I just couldn’t like this character and I disliked the time I had to read about her baking pies and cookies in a crockpot that is obviously not meant for that。 She once even had a fire because of a toaster。 How she survived before she came to that house， is mind-boggling。At the beginning of the book I got this feeling that she was very spoiled。 I don’t remember why but I just had it。I don’t mind the unique names but when I first read Jasper I thought she was the hero。 But I let that slide。Second time that I had to look twice to see what was I reading was when the author in one paragraph mentioned that our hero is pansexual。 It was a short mention， he said that his mom once caught him in bed with another man， if I’m not mistaken and it was said in ”a pansexual way”。 Then the heroine said to him that she， too， likes person before the gender which is a beautiful sentence but what bothered me is that this was it。There was no mention about this after that， we don’t see the bigger picture， if she also said some pansexual moments or was this just a single thought。 Ugh， I just…On one hand， I don’t mind that he is pan， on the other I wish the author elaborated on this more， gave us more background， anything because I was so confused。 I wanted to see their relationship progress but at the same time I kept wondering about him （and possibly） her being pansexual。 So yes， either I would love to know about that up front， since the beginning of the book， or I want more details about that scene。 Because with the story it just felt off。 As a reader you’re just thrown in this situation。So you’re reading a story about a man and a woman， blablabla， ”oh yeah， I am a pan”， ”oh yeah， like that thought too”， okay。I mean ， what was THAT？ Are you or are you not？ What’s with the man from the hotel？ Was he a one night stand？ A lover？ A partner？ Give。 Me。 More。There were a lot of repetition and internal thoughts。 That’s why I couldn’t connect to the characters （and because of all my previous points） and even when there were some romantic scenes I just read without any emotions。 It was also quite a slow book and I just can’t read more about Jasper and her terrible baking skills。 She’s just impossible。I have a lot of books by this author on my tbr and I can’t wait to read them because this one just wasn’t for me。If I read it through the end I’d still give this book 3 stars。ARC provided via Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review。 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。Full post: https://slovenianbookworm。wordpress。c。。。 。。。more
The Book Lover
，
This book was everything I needed and more！ I couldn't put it down！！ This book was everything I needed and more！ I couldn't put it down！！ 。。。more
Cheryl
，
I really want to love this book， but it just didn’t click for me。 It burned slow， and I put it down more than once， hoping that some distance would help。 It did，to a point， but I just never really warmed up to their pairing。I very much liked Linden and found him to be less grumpy and just more introspective and solitary。 His family， while funny， was A。 Lot！ I hadn’t read either of their stories， still thinking on if I’m going to try them out。 Jasper was annoying。 I don’t know of any other way to I really want to love this book， but it just didn’t click for me。 It burned slow， and I put it down more than once， hoping that some distance would help。 It did，to a point， but I just never really warmed up to their pairing。I very much liked Linden and found him to be less grumpy and just more introspective and solitary。 His family， while funny， was A。 Lot！ I hadn’t read either of their stories， still thinking on if I’m going to try them out。 Jasper was annoying。 I don’t know of any other way to describe her。 While smart， independent women are usually wonderful characters， Jasper （and I’m sorry， the name kills me。 I don’t like it for a man， it’s worse for a woman） was too stubborn and abrasive。。。not sunshiny in the least。 I was expecting a grumpy/sunshine couple and I don’t feel that was the way they actually translated into print。The book was well written but it just didn’t grab my attention。 。。。more
Maria Angie Mendoza
，
Add this to your reading list。。。 stat！For me this is THE book for the summer of 2021！I couldn’t put down this book once I started。 Jasper and Lynden’s story is a unique， steamy， feel good story！They are as opposites as they could get。 How they met and what having each other as neighbors。。。 in the woods was priceless！They can’t stand/hate each other but their chemistry and their attraction is combustible。 Their snarky banter was sharp on point and simply delicious。As their story evolved and devel Add this to your reading list。。。 stat！For me this is THE book for the summer of 2021！I couldn’t put down this book once I started。 Jasper and Lynden’s story is a unique， steamy， feel good story！They are as opposites as they could get。 How they met and what having each other as neighbors。。。 in the woods was priceless！They can’t stand/hate each other but their chemistry and their attraction is combustible。 Their snarky banter was sharp on point and simply delicious。As their story evolved and developed， I learned there was so much more to them than the snarky hilarious banter and holy hotness！ There was a vulnerability to these characters that added to the story showed how much heart they have and solidified it as a MUST READ！ 。。。more
Christina
，
Sigh。。。。。。I love Jasper and Linden's story。 I love everything about it。 I have tons of highlighted parts of the book - I always do with Kate's books。 Jasper and Linden take the long way to their HEA and it's rough， beautiful and perfect for them。 There are parts of this book where I shouted， "OMG， me too！！" and parts that could have come straight from my head。 So many reasons to love Jasper and Linden。Kate writes characters that are relatable and witty。 Diana is a hoot。 I really enjoyed getting Sigh。。。。。。I love Jasper and Linden's story。 I love everything about it。 I have tons of highlighted parts of the book - I always do with Kate's books。 Jasper and Linden take the long way to their HEA and it's rough， beautiful and perfect for them。 There are parts of this book where I shouted， "OMG， me too！！" and parts that could have come straight from my head。 So many reasons to love Jasper and Linden。Kate writes characters that are relatable and witty。 Diana is a hoot。 I really enjoyed getting a look into the lives of the triplets and their loves again。 I forgot how much I enjoyed the dynamic of Ash， Magnolia and Linden。 I went back to their books and reread their interactions just because I thought they were hilarious。Can we also talk about the other main character？ Kate's writing always makes me want to visit the East Coast。 I've never been there before but I can picture the forests， Boston and the traffic circles like I see them everyday。 。。。more
Lindsey
，
Kate Canterbary never fails to make me fall in love。 When I saw bearded grumpy male I knew this book would be for me。 I didn’t even connect that it was one of the triplets until I was in the story。 You give me grumpy man bear and I will give you every ounce of my love and attention。 Nothing in this world better than a Lumberbear。 Seriously。 Linden is by far my favorite of all the triplets now。 He is grumpy， and so filthy。 He is an alpha male who knows how to give it all the time。 So many scenes Kate Canterbary never fails to make me fall in love。 When I saw bearded grumpy male I knew this book would be for me。 I didn’t even connect that it was one of the triplets until I was in the story。 You give me grumpy man bear and I will give you every ounce of my love and attention。 Nothing in this world better than a Lumberbear。 Seriously。 Linden is by far my favorite of all the triplets now。 He is grumpy， and so filthy。 He is an alpha male who knows how to give it all the time。 So many scenes had me fanning myself。 Lava panty scale of scorching。 This man could put me up against any tree he wants。 Jasper is someone I really related to。 She is a character that comes off as confident to almost everyone but at her core it is her shield to mask her insecurities。 She is the kind of woman that knows how to get things done and does it。 She doesn’t hesitate。 But she’s also one of those women that can’t figure out the simplest of tasks， but can take down any person in politics with her smart mouth。 She needed someone like Linden who is a true bear and will knock through that wall and push back like she needs。 There is passion in arguing。 There is passion in being with the one you love。 There is passion in finding your path and who you are。 This book is up there with the Walshes for me。 That is high praise because I reread the Walsh series yearly and I recommend it to everyone I can。 Let yourself fall in love with Jasper and Linden like you fell in love that first time。 Feel the love of nature and your surrounding。 Fall in love with changing the world and doing something worth while。 I don’t know what else to say， but I will be listening to this as well。 Also eat all the toast。 。。。more
Korrie’s Korner
，
5 🍑 stars！ “I ALWAYS KNEW Linden was a wolf at heart but now I knew he was a savage one at that。”If I’ve said this once， I’ve said it 1，000x。 Give me a Savage Wolf/lumberjack anyday。 I just love that type of alpha， and Linden was all that more。 This story was so perfect。 I love a slow burn with that tension simmering underneath like a pot on the back burner。 It keeps it simmering just enough for when you are ready to pour on whatever inside。 Jasper Anne & Linden—heaven。 Help。 Me。 What started ou 5 🍑 stars！ “I ALWAYS KNEW Linden was a wolf at heart but now I knew he was a savage one at that。”If I’ve said this once， I’ve said it 1，000x。 Give me a Savage Wolf/lumberjack anyday。 I just love that type of alpha， and Linden was all that more。 This story was so perfect。 I love a slow burn with that tension simmering underneath like a pot on the back burner。 It keeps it simmering just enough for when you are ready to pour on whatever inside。 Jasper Anne & Linden—heaven。 Help。 Me。 What started out as what Linden “thought” was a break in， ended being so much more！This story had heart， humor， burly gruffness， a little bit of the I hate you， but I can’t stop thinking about you vibe。 Just plain Kate Canterbary goodness that I have come to love with every single book she writes。 She is easily becoming a unicorn author for me。 Love her voice and the way she writes her men， and her heroines。 。。。more
Judy
，
You know that author that just always gets the writing “formula” right every time？ That elusive formula that just makes you sit with that book and never want to put it down？ Well to me one author that continually does get it right is Kate Canterbary。 She knows her characters。 She knows how to impact your thinking without a soapbox。 She knows how to use her words in a way that people will enjoy and ponder the new facts and ways of thinking she likes to pose to us。 She knows how to write the best。 You know that author that just always gets the writing “formula” right every time？ That elusive formula that just makes you sit with that book and never want to put it down？ Well to me one author that continually does get it right is Kate Canterbary。 She knows her characters。 She knows how to impact your thinking without a soapbox。 She knows how to use her words in a way that people will enjoy and ponder the new facts and ways of thinking she likes to pose to us。 She knows how to write the best。。。ummm let’s say “down and dirty” intimate scenes that don’t shy from， well， anything really！ （a heartfelt thank you for this Ms。 Canterbary！） You put this all together and you have yet another hit with The Belle and the Beard。 From the beginning to the end you feel that this book is special。 That these characters are special。 They need to be near each other because they。。。well they just NEED each other。 And is the journey of Jasper and Linden realizing they need each other a fun， emotional and frustrating journey？ Why yes， yes it is and it’s so worth the many rotaries （or traffic circles） along the way！ The fresh and poignant writing of this book will make it one you think about long after you finish the last page。 。。。more
kittielovesbooks
，
The Belle （Jasper） and the Beard （Linden） have an interesting first meeting when Linden catches Jasper at what we come to learn is a whole slue of bad and/or unfortunate events。 I love Linden as he is my kind of guy， a little rough around the edges but overall just a good guy。 This story is part of a series， with Linden’s being the last of the Santillian Triplets， but it definitely words as a standalone （I have not read the first two）。 I also loved how we got a bit of a check in with Magnolia an The Belle （Jasper） and the Beard （Linden） have an interesting first meeting when Linden catches Jasper at what we come to learn is a whole slue of bad and/or unfortunate events。 I love Linden as he is my kind of guy， a little rough around the edges but overall just a good guy。 This story is part of a series， with Linden’s being the last of the Santillian Triplets， but it definitely words as a standalone （I have not read the first two）。 I also loved how we got a bit of a check in with Magnolia and Ash！ The one downside （for me） was Jasper’s abrasiveness at times。 This will still go on my re-read list but Jasper will not be one of my favorite heroines。 Overall， though， the story was very enjoyable and there were a ton of laughs！ 。。。more
Jessica Jarvis
，
What a good book。 Take a heroine that is strong and independent and a growly and unapproachable hero and I promise nothing is at it seems。 There is so much chemistry between these two。 It’s sexy and sweet and gives you all the feels。 There is so much more to these characters than meets the eyes and I loved it！
Jessica
，
This book was just what I needed。 Life turned upside down， plans gone out the window and learning to find the new that makes our heart happy。 If that isn't something we can all relate to right now， I'm not sure what is。 Loved all that was Jasper and Linden。 Another great read！ This book was just what I needed。 Life turned upside down， plans gone out the window and learning to find the new that makes our heart happy。 If that isn't something we can all relate to right now， I'm not sure what is。 Loved all that was Jasper and Linden。 Another great read！ 。。。more
Lyndsay TC
，
Jasper got more than she bargained for when she claimed her late aunt's cottage in the woods。 Her less than perfect meet-cute with bearded neighbor Linden was explosive that turned into witty banter throughout the book。 These two stubborn characters met head first on most issues but deep down fell in love with one another for a sweet happily ever after。 Jasper got more than she bargained for when she claimed her late aunt's cottage in the woods。 Her less than perfect meet-cute with bearded neighbor Linden was explosive that turned into witty banter throughout the book。 These two stubborn characters met head first on most issues but deep down fell in love with one another for a sweet happily ever after。 。。。more
Melena Torretta
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Kate Canterbary is an author who has been on my TBR for a long time。 This was a great read！ I had high hopes for it based on the blurb and it didn't disappoint。I didn't realize this was part of a series about Linden and his siblings but I didn't feel like I was missing anything jumping in with this one。 The writing was excellent and the story moved at a nice pace。 I really liked Jasper-Anne and Linden together。 They had great chemistry and were not one-dimensional。 I really enjoyed their sunshin Kate Canterbary is an author who has been on my TBR for a long time。 This was a great read！ I had high hopes for it based on the blurb and it didn't disappoint。I didn't realize this was part of a series about Linden and his siblings but I didn't feel like I was missing anything jumping in with this one。 The writing was excellent and the story moved at a nice pace。 I really liked Jasper-Anne and Linden together。 They had great chemistry and were not one-dimensional。 I really enjoyed their sunshine and grump personalities and how their relationship developed。Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review。 。。。more
Shan
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Linden and Jasper's story falls into realistic romance for me。 That is what I love about Kate Canterbary's books。 It is always easy to relate to the characters and the story because they could be real people。 I loved Linden's intensity for Jasper。 And while Jasper was career-driven， her life takes another turn and forces her to slow down and re-evaluate her goals。 This book delivers on a great balance of banter， laughs， and steamy scenes。 Linden and Jasper's story falls into realistic romance for me。 That is what I love about Kate Canterbary's books。 It is always easy to relate to the characters and the story because they could be real people。 I loved Linden's intensity for Jasper。 And while Jasper was career-driven， her life takes another turn and forces her to slow down and re-evaluate her goals。 This book delivers on a great balance of banter， laughs， and steamy scenes。 。。。more
Deva
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This book has a slightly awkward feel at the beginning。 Like you've walked into the middle of a play that is already happening。 It breaks the mold of most of the books I've been reading lately， and my brain really appreciated it！ Jasper is a great main character。 She's a strong， badass woman， but is also a human。 Life things happened to her and she's reeling but she doesn't need anyone to see her struggle and find her footing again。 It took me awhile， but I realized that Linden low key one of Ka This book has a slightly awkward feel at the beginning。 Like you've walked into the middle of a play that is already happening。 It breaks the mold of most of the books I've been reading lately， and my brain really appreciated it！ Jasper is a great main character。 She's a strong， badass woman， but is also a human。 Life things happened to her and she's reeling but she doesn't need anyone to see her struggle and find her footing again。 It took me awhile， but I realized that Linden low key one of Kate's most alpha characters it's subtle but its THERE。 He's also brilliant and supporting， and nurturing - such an amazing man but he's also bossy and growly。 This one is long。 It reads like a real fairy tale。 As usual， I have no idea how Kate even thinks of the facts she's going to share in her books。 Like， how did she even know to google all those tree facts？ Snuggle up and lose yourself in the story。i loved this one and I think you will too！ 。。。more
Ariadna Basulto
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This was my very first book from Kate Canterbury （I know， I know， I should have read her before）， but it will most definitely not be my last！ I loved BELL AND THE BEARD！ This romance was a the perfect combination of steamy and swoony with just the right amount of feels。 BATB left me with a smile on my face and what more could you ask for then that？！ I loved Linden and Jasper。 These two together were magic。 I loved their lighter， hilarious interaction and witty banter to their deeper moments an This was my very first book from Kate Canterbury （I know， I know， I should have read her before）， but it will most definitely not be my last！ I loved BELL AND THE BEARD！ This romance was a the perfect combination of steamy and swoony with just the right amount of feels。 BATB left me with a smile on my face and what more could you ask for then that？！ I loved Linden and Jasper。 These two together were magic。 I loved their lighter， hilarious interaction and witty banter to their deeper moments and how they slowly begin to let each other in。 Plus all the steeeaaam！ Yes， ma’am！！ Loved！ 。。。more
Vera Blaz
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Jasper-Anne Cleary left DC with her tale between her legs and into a one bedroom bungalow in Massachusetts right next door to a grumpy， growly arborist named Linden。 The instant hate between the two made these neighbors less neighborly。 Jasper was a whirling dervish that was opposite Linden’s quiet， hermit-like existence。 But as they get to know each other， there’s less hate and more love。 Nexus one prefers the quiet， solitary life， Linden is capable of seeing Jasper’s unhappiness and draws out Jasper-Anne Cleary left DC with her tale between her legs and into a one bedroom bungalow in Massachusetts right next door to a grumpy， growly arborist named Linden。 The instant hate between the two made these neighbors less neighborly。 Jasper was a whirling dervish that was opposite Linden’s quiet， hermit-like existence。 But as they get to know each other， there’s less hate and more love。 Nexus one prefers the quiet， solitary life， Linden is capable of seeing Jasper’s unhappiness and draws out her deepest， darkest secrets。 Add in a meddling， well-meaning mother， inedible baked goods， a swarm of bats and a cat who comes and goes as he pleases and we get a story so mesmerizingly beautiful that’s it’s difficult to say goodbye to the characters long after the last page was turned。 These characters are classic Kate。 Their quirky and outspoken， pensive and introspective。 I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review。 。。。more
Dimaris rossy
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3。5For some reason this story is a slow burn even though it has a lot of things happening between these characters。 Linden and Jasper really take the time to get to know each other。 The book feels a bit longer than necessary。 But even when I think Jasper's attitude is a tough pill to swallow， I understand where it's coming from。 And Linden is a determined man so you will see that nothing can discourage him。For the things I really liked。。。 I really like their internal thoughts all through the sto 3。5For some reason this story is a slow burn even though it has a lot of things happening between these characters。 Linden and Jasper really take the time to get to know each other。 The book feels a bit longer than necessary。 But even when I think Jasper's attitude is a tough pill to swallow， I understand where it's coming from。 And Linden is a determined man so you will see that nothing can discourage him。For the things I really liked。。。 I really like their internal thoughts all through the story and I love his nickname for her。 He is soooooo caring。 There’s also no way not to be amused by all the secondary characters， specially the momma of the bunch。 And OMG when Jasper and Linden end up in bed or against a tree wall etc， it is HOT and dirty and yummy！ 。。。more
Krystin Rowley
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Oh， Kate！！ You have done it again。 I am fully immersed in their world。 I genuinely want this relationship！！ Every Canterbary book I’ve read I am invested。
Wendy Livingstone
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Linden is a complex， quiet， calm， and gruff man who prefers the life of solitude， which is interrupted when Jasper arrives at the house next door to him which has been vacant for 2-years。 Jasper is running away from her life with its complications， and high tails it to a house which she inherited from her aunt and knows that this is a place that nobody will think to look for her at。 The chemistry between these two is combustible and undeniable， and he slowly breaks down the walls surrounding her Linden is a complex， quiet， calm， and gruff man who prefers the life of solitude， which is interrupted when Jasper arrives at the house next door to him which has been vacant for 2-years。 Jasper is running away from her life with its complications， and high tails it to a house which she inherited from her aunt and knows that this is a place that nobody will think to look for her at。 The chemistry between these two is combustible and undeniable， and he slowly breaks down the walls surrounding her heart。 This is a well written flawless story which is emotionally charged， and with engaging and relatable characters， great secondary characters， and has a tad angst， intrigue， family， witty banter， love， and is a humorous and entertaining page turner。 I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend。 。。。more
Marianela Aybar （Mari Loves Books Blog）
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I was hooked on this！ Jasper and Linden are perfect for each other and while reading this and seeing their relationship develop to more than just grumpy neighbors， you could feel their chemistry and the pull to each other。 The heat is out of this world。 It was explosive and mostly to do with the tension and the way the story moves。 It's also funny and I loved Linden's mom and the other side characters。 I didn't realize this was part of a series， which I haven't read。 But now I will be picking th I was hooked on this！ Jasper and Linden are perfect for each other and while reading this and seeing their relationship develop to more than just grumpy neighbors， you could feel their chemistry and the pull to each other。 The heat is out of this world。 It was explosive and mostly to do with the tension and the way the story moves。 It's also funny and I loved Linden's mom and the other side characters。 I didn't realize this was part of a series， which I haven't read。 But now I will be picking those up because I am intrigued。 。。。more
Adanna
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Jasper and Linden are far from the typical couple in a romance book。 They are older and have quirky personalities。 Neither has ever been in love nor has a desire to be。 It may take a minute to warm to them， but once you do， there's so much to like about both of them。 Quiet， grumbly， and growly， Linden is intense and imperious but knows how to support Jasper without taking over， and he consistently delivers on his promises。 “I can do it myself” Jasper is in quicksand trying to find her way out an Jasper and Linden are far from the typical couple in a romance book。 They are older and have quirky personalities。 Neither has ever been in love nor has a desire to be。 It may take a minute to warm to them， but once you do， there's so much to like about both of them。 Quiet， grumbly， and growly， Linden is intense and imperious but knows how to support Jasper without taking over， and he consistently delivers on his promises。 “I can do it myself” Jasper is in quicksand trying to find her way out and is prone to gifting （sometimes toxic） baked goods to thank people when they help her。 I loved this couple’s banter， and the tension between them is beyond hot！Any book about any of the Santillian triplets wouldn't be complete without the family matriarch。 Diana Santillian is strongly urging （who am I kidding？！？ she’s demanding） that Linden find someone that he truly cares about and let that person care about him。 It's time for Linden to find someone to settle down with。 While Linden cringes about having this conversation with his mom， I loved her support of Linden finding love in whatever form it takes; love is love。 Diana can be too much -- well-intentioned but somewhat overbearing with her meddling to give gentle “pushes” to her kids。 But， mama does know best！I loved that all of the Santillians are featured in this book。 It was great to get updates on Magnolia， Rob， Zelda， and Ash！ I'm a big fan of this loving， messy， often inappropriate family。 “Nothing blooms in every season。 You shouldn't expect that of yourself when it doesn't occur in nature。”The Belle And The Beard is about giving yourself permission to start over。 This theme resonated with me。 Jasper is holding on to a job that she hates。 She’s given her life to it， and it is her source of pride and confidence。 Losing her job means losing everything she knows about herself。 She's forced to figure out what she wants。 Linden is there encouraging her to find her passion; all else be damned。 Currently living this struggle and doing this hard work， I felt seen！I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful romance about a hell-in-heels campaign strategist and her growly， solitude-loving neighbor who embark on a temporary fling that turns permanent！ 。。。more
A。BookNerd。Bookseller&Bibliophile。Blog
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Finally a new Kate book and the end of the Santillian Triplets。 Starting this book I couldn't get into it， the characters felt forced and I just wasn't feeling it。 I kept going， and I am so glad I did。 I loved Linden， the growly lumberbear who just wanted to live alone amongst the trees。 Jasper-Anne took some convincing but I think I ended up liking her。 She escaped Washington after a scandal in the world of politics。 These two had some amazing chemistry and the book was a push and pull of domin Finally a new Kate book and the end of the Santillian Triplets。 Starting this book I couldn't get into it， the characters felt forced and I just wasn't feeling it。 I kept going， and I am so glad I did。 I loved Linden， the growly lumberbear who just wanted to live alone amongst the trees。 Jasper-Anne took some convincing but I think I ended up liking her。 She escaped Washington after a scandal in the world of politics。 These two had some amazing chemistry and the book was a push and pull of domination and acceptance。 Accepting that things always don't go to plan， but you must keep going。 ~Paige💜 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Belle and the Beard
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Belle and the Beard&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft