Beautiful Beloved

I hope no one was watching me through the window as I read this book because I realized, at least 16 times, that I was reading with a stupid cheesy smile on my face the entire time... anyway...Beautiful Beloved, a Beautiful Bastard novella, follows Max Stella and his wife, Sara, as they navigate the first few months after the birth of their daughter. Known for their exhibitionism and kinky lifestyle in Beautiful Stranger, Max and Sara might secretly be longing to get back to their tawdry ways, but now, seeing each other as parents, makes it difficult to juxtapose who they once were with who they are now. This story follows them through the series of mishaps that plagues them as they try to find the happy medium between being new parents, and the sexually adventurous Max and Sara they once were.Told in alternating first person points of view, we get the whole picture here... Max and Sara's secret desires, their innermost feelings, and the perspectives of their hilarious friends as they try to resume their respective social lives. This is a whole new Max Stella. I fell in love with Max's vulgarity and dominance in Beautiful Stranger, but with Beautiful Beloved comes a sweeter side of him, an emotional, sentimental side that I love equally. His love for Sara seems grander, more complete, as he sees her in a light he couldn't before pre-motherhood. Sara struggles with her longing to be seen as a woman, not just as a mother in this novella. Max can't help feeling like he has to be careful with this fragile little flower petal, but Sara just wants him to take her as he always had before. Beautiful Beloved maintains the humor and the sexually steamy nature that the entire Beautiful Bastard series is renowned for, but there's a delicious sweetness, a softness to this installment that makes me love the dynamic between Max and Sara in a way I hadn't before.The banter and witty personalities that make up this group of friends never gets old, in fact it gets better and better as the group grows and changes. It's laugh out loud funny while still feeling genuine. Will and Bennett giving Max a hard time for wearing the baby to work in a carrier... Chloe, Hannah and George discussing post-baby sex with Sara... the writing and the dialogue in this entire book is just perfect. Rife with humor, but honest and real, it makes me wish I could read Christina Lauren books all day everyday. Beautiful Beloved also briefly introduces Max's brother, Niall, who gets his own story in the next full-length installment, Beautiful Secret, and I can not wait for more of him. He's a delicious addition to this addictive group of characters and I'm foaming at the mouth for more of his story.The writing team of Christina Lauren never ceases to knock me off my feet. This entire series is completely consuming and addictive and just when you think it can't get any better, they show up once again with more deliciousness. Sexually charged, wrought with humor and sarcasm, and overflowing with sweet and salty romance, Christina Lauren delivers yet another unexpected, yet completely surprising, addition to the Beautiful Bastard series with Beautiful Beloved.

This novella follows Max and Sara after the birth of their first child. The two characters from "Beautiful Stranger" love to visit a kink club and give regular shows. Sara loves to be watched and Max loves showing her off. After the birth of their daughter they struggle to find a balance. Sara wants to resume the romantic side of their romance by going on date nights and heading back to the club while Max is wrestling with viewing Sara as the mother of their daughter and not just a strong woman. He also wrestles with how turned on he is by after-pregnant Sara. He finds her larger breasts, fuller hips, and motherly touch irresistible. As the two endure horrible date after horrible date they try to discover their old spark while moving forward.This was a delightful read and I really enjoyed it. I sat down with mediocre expectations since I haven't loved the other novellas in the series. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a story with romantic fantasy elements grounded in reality. How different is a couple's life after the birth of the child? Surely there are dynamic changes during the pregnancy but for the most part there are still two people not three. Now there is a third person who cannot be reasoned with in any way. So it was amazing to read about them navigating their lives.On top of that the characters were wrestling with how they felt now they had a child. Sara felt so guilty about wanting to go back to work. Max was very supportive of her stating their daughter would grow up knowing her mother was an amazing mom and a successful businesswoman. That was refreshing. At the same time Max struggled with perspective. Before the birth of the baby he saw Sara as this unbelievably strong woman and a sexual fantasy. Now he sees her as a mother and she means more to him. He has to reconcile her new status with how he treats her. Can he still give her rough sex or is she too fragile? Can he go back to sharing her with the world now they have a daughter?For me the highlight was the domestic side of the story. Instead of this book being sex, sex, sex with little character growth (like the previous novellas), this story focused on Max and Sara the people. It focused on the couple and discussed issues I'm sure all new parents go through (well maybe without their particular kink). They wrestle with leaving the baby at home and spending a night away. They struggle with finding time to have sex when their daughter always cries out when they are in the middle of it. They struggle to go back to work and live their lives.In the end I thought it was a great story, a relatable story, and a story I think everyone should read. It's only 99 cents people so dive in now!3.5 StarsPublished by Pocket StarFebruary 2, 201580 PagesProvided by--Me

It was good to revisit Max & Sara as parents. The trials and tribulations of caring for a newborn (and your first child) are realistically portrayed. One thought/criticism that I do have is why/how on Earth such a wealthy couple (Sara’s parents own department stores and Max is a successful financier) would not have hired a nanny or night nurse...(?!?)... especially when they have a driver??? I suppose it is all in the name of literary license(?). I suppose there would not have been half the story / novella without the various assistants, friends, colleagues and siblings attempting to babysit...

This made me smile wryly to my self. The basic plot of this incredibly short little story was Max and Sara attempting to rediscover their kink after the birth of their gorgeous baby daughter. To my delight this featured appearances from Bennett and Chloe and Will and Hanna so the banter was witty and lively, I loved that part of it. That Sara was untroubled by stretch marks and with an ability to gain weight gracefully in a way that transformed her into a yummy mummy and not a blubbery blimp had me rolling my eyes a little but I guess it's all part of the fantasy.Max and Sara are still devoted to one another so that made for a sweet read but their particular brand of kink is getting it on in front of strangers and that's a big lady-boner slayer for me I'm afraid. Definitely a case of it's me not the book in this instance as the dirty talk and the erotic writing was as sizzling hot as always from this writer(s).Then there was the teaser for the next full-length book in this series, Beautiful Secret, featuring Max' s brother Niall. Flip me that looks a goodie.Enjoyable but not an essential read. Probably one for Max and Sara fans.

Lovely to catch up with Max the sexy Brit and Sara the fire cracker.Awe, Annabelle sounds such a cutie, has the work and his wife wrapped around her tiny little fingers.Its hard juggling 'new' parenthood with normal everyday life, and they seem to be hanging on in there.These were larger than life characters before their baby, but seeing them deal with their lives after Anna was so sweet and cute.I loved all the failed attempts of their nights out, loved the comedy of errors. Hmmmm sexy Will, glad we got more of him, plus the cute George who both failed miserably at babysitting !Uh oh, Niall; clearly i'm biased but to have tow very hot sexy Brits in one book, so lucky.Niall gave them both back some sanity, their club night sexy as hell.Thanks for bringing u s this sexy hot red before we get to meet Niall in all his British glory, cant wait.

Max and Sara are starting their life as new parents this novella follows them going though an adjustment period. scenarios where done well and they are finding the time to keep the intimacy into there busy life’s. I really liked this novella and how much Max and Sara really want to make and find the time for each other

I am a fan of the Christina Lauren duo and I have read all the books of this series. To be fair some of them are brilliant like Beautiful Bastard or more recently Beautiful Secret but some of them are really disappointing like Beautiful Bombshell or this one. Sometimes you just have the impression that the book was rushed or that the writers lacked inspiration. Quantity over quality is never a good thing but that book might have been part of a commercial deal that they had to deliver no matter what. Anyway the read was just ok for me.