Why Does 'The Speckled Beauty' Have Such Mixed Reviews?

For thousands of years, the tale of the Lycan beast who lurked the forbidden forest had been told. Every five hundred years, six females were allegedly sacrificed from the wolf village to the beast and it was rumoured that their bodies were left to rot at the entrance of the forest for all to see. Many times, this tale was retold to scare the young wolves from venturing into the forest and keep them in check, because no one wanted to be a scapegoat in the hands of the unforgiving and murderous beast. Nola Reynolds has always been a headstrong fiery pure blood who has always believed there was no Lycan beast and all the tales about him were just made up myths and fairy tales, aimed at scaring the younger ones. Little does she know that one night was all it was going to take to change her life forever. Things take an unsettling turn for Nola when she, alongside five other girls, are chosen on the night of the full moon. She is faced with the most shocking revelation of her life standing before her, in flesh and blood— The Lycan Beast. Is it her fate to run away and free herself from the hands of the predator, or does she have to give in to her sweet, twisted story of beauty and the beast?

Isabel's life has been a constant struggle with the word "ugly." Her Leucoderma skin disease had made her believe that she could never be beautiful. It seemed like every person she met had an opinion about her appearance, and none of them were kind. They made her feel like it was a crime to not be born with flawless skin. Despite her outside flaws, Isabel had a pure soul, but unfortunately, no one ever bothered to understand it. Instead, they treated her like she was worthless, as if her appearance was all that mattered. But hope arrived when Isabel's marriage was arranged with the handsome and charming Mason Williams. For the first time in her life, Isabel started to believe that someone might accept her for who she was, without judging her physical appearance. She dreamed of Mason being the love of her life, someone who would see past her flaws and cherish her inner beauty. However, on the day of their marriage, Isabel's hopes were crushed when Mason Williams called her "The Ugly Bride." It was like a punch in the stomach, and Isabel wondered if Mason would ever be able to love her for who she truly was. Would he hate her forever or be able to see past her physical flaws and fall madly in love with her pure soul? Only time could tell...

The story is about Erina Saul, the daughter of a wolf hunter who is captured by werewolves and sold to the feared werewolf king, Magnus the Lycan. Despite mistreatment by the pack, Magnus desires Erina because of an ancient prophecy. At first, he fights this attraction to her, knowing that if he gave in, it might mean his death. Erina's father orchestrated her capture to fulfill the prophecy of an unspoiled maid conquering the Lycan. However, Erina, who never wanted to harm anyone, eventually stood up to her bullies with the Lycan's support. She eventually lets Magnus turn her into a werewolf and falls in love with him, only to be betrayed by both him and her father. Erina leaves the pack, raises her pup in France, while Magnus realizes his mistake and searches for her. The story questions whether Erina will forgive Magnus for his actions or will she live as a rogue forever.

Trigger warning: Hardcore and 18+ content, reader discretion is advised. Lavinia is the Alpha's daughter but she has been locked up in a cottage in the forest her entire life. She was never told the reason why and the extent of her full potential was hidden away from her. After 18 years of being hidden away, she is finally allowed her freedom but it comes with a price, she'll have to marry the Prince of a rival pack. She makes the sacrifice for her freedom and meets Rylan, her arranged mate. He seems to be all that she could have ever dreamed of, her life seems to be going perfectly for the first time but is everything truly as it seems? What dark secrets could they be hiding from her? What exactly is the mystery behind the cursed wolf?

This is a sexy and dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast where the beauty is a shy and sweet twenty-one year old girl and the beast is a twisted, psychotic, arrogant and cunning vampire. ****"C-can you p-please be gentle?" She meekly stuttered out between tears and hiccups. Her gaze still attached to the ceiling. Seconds passed. She could feel her cheeks heat up even after uttering that small request. What it implied. She'd never had sex before. She hadn't even seen a naked male before, in her entire life. She didn't know what to expect. But she definitely knew that it was going to hurt. The girls from her high-school had warned her of that. That it was going to hurt really bad at first. And that it wasn't actually that pleasant either. She startled at the sudden sound of his masculine chuckle. Her head instinctually turned to look at him before she could even try and stop herself. She watched him turn to lie on his side, his elbow digging into the soft pillow as he held his head in his hand. A sly smirk displaying on his beautifully-carved features. "And why would I do that?" He rose one brow. She immediately felt her cheeks burn even hotter. "B-because I asked you nicely," she bit her lip. Her hands were still tightly holding onto that duvet, keeping it at chin level. His gaze momentarily dropped to her mouth, taking notice of that small action. "A-and because I'm scared. I haven't done this before. Any of this," she truthfully admitted after a moment, her gaze lowering as she couldn't help but feel so embarrassed. About all of it. What she'd just told him, their current position. All of it. "You mean the sucking or the fucking part?"***

Loosely based on the well known fairytale, this is a re-imagination of the original Beauty and the beast; a story as old as time with an incredible twist. In the small town of Redwood- where she grew up- Arabella will find herself in more trouble than she bargained for when she ends up in the palace of the incredibly handsome, yet moody, Royce. Will Arabella find out the truth about her mysterious host or will her life end before she has a chance to escape?