Lady Isabella rescues a runaway girl, fleeing an engagement with Major Nicholas Reynolds. She names him an ogre because of the burn scar he acquired in the Napoleonic campaigns. When Isabella's nickname spreads through the ton, she's embarrassed and decided to rehabilitate his good name by spending time with him.
I love Beauty and the Beast stories, and I know I've read this one before, though I couldn't find it on my Read list with either of the two titles. I'm going to assume if I reviewed it earlier that I felt the same way. I only reread it because it's a quick read and the author indicated she had changed the ending. It was pretty much as I remembered, an okay story with characters I couldn't relate to. Isabella lies and gossips while Nicholas is somewhat inflexible and hot-tempered; really, why would a war hero take such offense at a nickname? I was glad when he finally got over it at the masquerade.
Then they both change midway through the book without much motivation, it seemed to me. Isabella decides marriage might be for her though she never intended it earlier, and Nicholas decides a more mature woman would be better after wooing young malleable debutantes.
It wasn't a bad story; it just seemed fairly rote. Though Isabella picks up Harriet, the young runaway, she seems to ignore her after. The girl is just a plot point that seemed pointless. After all, Isabella and Nicholas could have met without her being involved and the rest of the story wouldn't have changed. I did like all the kittens. ( )

Very enjoyable read, despite the plot twist toward the end. Lack of an epilogue is bothersome. ( )

Emily May has become an auto read for me. I love historicals and EM does a good one. ( )

Isabella rescues Harriet who is running away from an engagement to a man she fears, Nicholas. Harriet describes Nicholas as an ogre and Isabella inadvertently causes Nicholas to be called "Ogre" by society. In order to make amends, she offers to take him as her "beau" for a flirtation aimed at rehabilitating him. One thing leads to another and Harriet is still hiding on the third floor of her house.

I enjoyed this story very much, but am knocking off one star for all the twists at the end, which became a little wearisome (as did Harriet's character in general). ( )