The Perks of Being a Beauty

<img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1380222758ra/529879.gif" width="400" height="300" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><b>Another winner by Manda Collins!</b><br><br>I've read all the books in the Ugly Duckling series and I love Manda Collins' work! I am so excited for her new series!<br><br><b>This is a charming novella about the villain in the series.</b> How can you route for her? Amelia Snowe was a bully and pure evil. But as always, the evil ones are the broken ones. She got better throughout the course of the series and I was hoping to get her book! And I did.<br><br>In this book, an unfortunate turn of events have made Miss Snowe into the paid companion to Harriet. Harriet's mother is throwing a house party to find a husband to Harriet. And Quentin shows up, the man who proposed to Amelia before she went to London. And so Amelia is forced to participate in the party to even out the numbers. <b>And it is incredibly funny and sweet.</b><br><br><i>I believe you overestimate my interest in..." she paused, searching for the right word, "...in horticulture. In fact, I'm quite sure that I do not care for it at all."<br>"A fib if I ever heard one, Miss Snowe," he said with a smug laugh. "In fact, I'd wager that you enjoyed your foray into the art of making things grow quite a bit."</i><br><br><b>This is a tale about redemption and lovers reunited. </b>It's awesome, but I'd really recommend that you start from the beginning.<br><br><i>Thanks to St. Martin's Paperbacks and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. It was a pure pleasure!</i>

Miss Amelia Snow, noted mean-spirited beauty of the ton, has had a turn of fate. After her mother dies and she is left with no money, she takes on a job as a companion where she tries to blend in and help her charge find a good match. When a childhood friend arrives at a country house party, she remembers how she broke his heart and how he has always had a piece of hers. However, Amelia turned into a different woman after she went to London with her mother, who always told Amelia that all other girls were her competition, and Lord Quetin Fortescue is unaware of the pain and humiliation she caused in the ton. Even though Amelia has made amends with the woman she hurt, she still has not forgiven herself and is a bit hard about life. A rainstorm forces this couple to seek shelter together and this, of course, leads to a good heart to heart and some heated moments. Can Quetion show Ameila she is not the woman of her past and ready to move forward, together? With the humor, depth and a dash of heat I have come to expect from Manda Collins, The Perks of Being a Beauty is a story of forgiveness, healing and heart. 4 stars <br /><br /><i>eARC provided by St Martins Press via Netgalley</i>

Actual rating: 3.5<br /><br />I haven't read Manda Collins' Ugly Ducklings series, besides one which I DNFed, but I'm tempted to go back and skim them just on the basis of seeing this novella's heroine in action. I didn't feel lost at all for not knowing her previously in the books, this can easily be read as a standalone. It's an enjoyable, light novel; the characterization was a little one-dimensional, but overall, this was an enjoyable, easy little read. Whatever fault there was can be attributed more to the short nature of the novella itself, and so a lack of depth is to be expected in a book such as this.<br /><br />I found Amelia's character to be a little bit too perfect in this novella. Amelia Snowe has been brought low in circumstance and in nature, since her debut and years as the reigning diamond of the ton. After her mother's death, creditors came to her door, and she has been reduced to finding employment as a lady's companion. <br /><br /><b>"If she’d been a nicer person, or a more gracious winner, she might have survived by relying on the kindness of her friends. But the realization that she was fast becoming a thoroughly unlikeable person had come too late to save her from ostracism once her mother was gone."</b><br /><br />Along with her destitution came her disgrace in the eyes of the public, after a particularly mortifying outburst where her true nature, that of a Regency Mean Girl, was revealed. Encouraged by her title-mad mother, Amelia spent years picking and choosing among the bachelors of the ton, never finding anyone befitting her standards, <b>“I thought it would be easy enough to find some titled gentleman who was willing to trade his title for my beauty. More fool me.”</b> She even turned down Quentin Fortescue, the youngest son of a duke, in her dedicated quest for a title.<br /><br />Amelia has since changed 180 degrees. She is truly remorseful for her actions, and is deeply introspective in retrospect as she reflects on what she has done and the people she has hurt. <b>"I know now that I was so cruel because I was in pain myself, but that doesn’t take away the fact that I did it. And I can never forget it."</b> Regardless, she is quiet, demure, softspoken, and just a little bit too lacking in spirit for my liking. I know she has to change, but her actions, her feelings towards herself are a little bit too remorseful. It's not a bad thing to have backbone. There is a difference between remorse and being a martyr to said remorse, and I feel Amelia's character is closer to the latter. She is <i>too</i> perfect now, it's befitting her position as a lady's maid, much less a beautiful one who has to downplay herself for her shrewish employer's sake, but I would have liked to see a little bit more spark underneath behind the scenes.<br /><br />Lord Quentin is a likeable man. He's not a rake, he was truly in love with Amelia and proposed to her before he broke his heart. He is only human, <b>"he hadn’t wished her ill, but he was honest enough with himself to admit that seeing her brought low by the choice she’d made that day so many years ago was somewhat gratifying."</b> Quentin is just a good beta hero. I liked that he does not hold a grudge against Amelia. She broke his heart, but he moved on, he made a success out of his life, and he does not allow his past to define him. Quentin does not mope around, he does not seek revenge, and whatever he felt about her betrayal, he does not use it against her in her reduced circumstance or make her life difficult in any way. Even if their current courtship is short, I felt there was more to it than just attraction as he got to know her and understand her actions in the past. He does not judge her, he does not ostracize her, but he listens to and accepts her previous faults; I loved that about him.<br /><br />It's not a big deal, but it bothered me a bit that there was a lot of classism and thinly veiled insults for the new-money middle class for which Amelia works. There is no actual villain, but the other characters in the book were very one-dimensional. Literally, almost everyone depicted with the exception of the major characters were portrayed as addle-brained dimwits without the ability to string together two words. The woman who employs her is "barely literate," the other adults are "featherwits," the gentlemen "whose idea of scintillating conversation consisted of him saying “what ho” and “crikey” over and over again." And etc. The focus is on the two main characters, and that's fine, I just wished everything weren't so black and white.

Posted on: <a href="http://buriedunderromance.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-perks-of-being-beauty-by-manda.html" rel="nofollow noopener">Buried Under Romance</a><br /><br />I was initially reluctant to read about a character who was an obvious antagonist in Manda Collins' previous books, but upon reading this novella, I had really grown to like Amelia Snow, for her change of character was not only believable, but heart-warming. <br /><br />Her mother's sudden death had left Miss Amelia Snow destitute, forced to seek a position as a lady's companion to a family whom in the past she would have snubbed. Suffice it to say, Amelia had experienced an epiphany, belatedly realizing that her past behavior was beyond horrific, and that she truly needed to make amends to the "Ugly Ducklings" (heroines of the author's previous series). Armed with her new understanding of herself, and how her physical beauty had blinded her to believe in the irrelevance of inner beauty, she has resolved to be a better person, and to put the past behind her. However, when fate intervenes at a house party and she meets again Lord Quentin Fortescue, someone whose love she has spurned in the past due to youthful foolishness. Quentin, despite still desiring Amelia, cannot forget how she rejected his marriage proposal. Can they battle their past conflicts and arrive at a happy-ever-after? Or will each leave broken-hearted? <br /><br />The answer is, of course, the first, though in the course of this novell Amelia and Quentin falls in love all over again. I find Amelia's confession of her past character to Quentin admirable, as is her willingness to admit her mistakes and seek forgiveness. Quentin, albeit understanding of Amelia's current plight, is reluctant to bare his heart again, in fear that it will be crushed anew. But even with knowledge of Amelia's previous disgraceful behaviors, he finds in the current Amelia the same qualities he fell in love with as a youth. Truly, it is a remarkable journey for the two to end up together again, and to the author's credit this is a very well-written novella of old love and forgiveness. <br /><br />*ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review<br />

<b>THE PERKS OF BEING A BEAUTY is a sweet and heartwarming story of redemption, forgiveness and second chances.</b><br><br>When I finished reading <b>How to Entice an Earl</b>, I was surprised that Manda Collins obviously intended to redeem the Ugly Ducklings' arch nemesis, Amelia Snow. Amelia had been so despicable, I doubted Ms Collins could make me see her as a sympathetic heroine. Well, not only did I like and sympathise with Amelia, but I truly wanted her to have her Happy Ever After!<br><br>All Amelia's actions reveal a very different person...someone who has the courage to openly admit to Quentin the extent of her cruel, conniving behaviour. I could see her determination to be a better person in the way she cares about and guides Harriet and champions the cause of the mistreated maid, Mary.<br><br>I adore Quentin! I thought his initial reaction to seeing Amelia humbled was a very human one. Amelia had refused his proposal of marriage in favour of <i>someone more important than a second son</i> and so he enjoyed seeing her brought down a peg or two. Then he begins to see just how much effort she had made to atone for her sins and can't help but admire her. He also comes to understand how much her behaviour was the result of her mother's ambitions and why Amelia was so desperate to please her mother even at the expense of her own happiness. These revelations only serve to make Amelia more sympathetic and likeable.<br><br>Thrown together for the scavenger hunt, I enjoyed watching Amelia and Quentin regain that easy friendship they had once shared and the rekindling of their love seems such a natural progression. <br><br>I love the waltz scene where everyone thinks Quentin and Amelia are talking about horticulture but Quentin is talking about something quite different altogether!! <br><br>I also like the inclusion of two characters from Ms Collins' new <b> <i>Wicked Widows</i> </b> series but blink and you might miss them!<br><br>This novella is a such a charming ending to the <i> <b>Ugly Ducklings</b> </i>series. I'm certainly looking forward to Manda Collins' new series and already have <b>WHY DUKES SAY I DO</b> downloaded on my Kindle.<br><br><b>REVIEW RATING: 4/5 Stars</b><br><br><b>SENSUALITY RATING: HOT</b><br><br>Read August 2013<br><br><br><i> Ugly Ducklings series to date (click on book covers for more details):<br><br><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/11496925.How_to_Dance_with_a_Duke__Ugly_Ducklings___1_" title="How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, #1) by Manda Collins" rel="noopener"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336793352s/11496925.jpg" alt="How to Dance with a Duke (Ugly Ducklings, #1) by Manda Collins" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/13014074.How_to_Romance_a_Rake__Ugly_Ducklings__2_" title="How to Romance a Rake (Ugly Ducklings #2) by Manda Collins" rel="noopener"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1323796788s/13014074.jpg" alt="How to Romance a Rake (Ugly Ducklings #2) by Manda Collins" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/13612939.How_to_Entice_an_Earl__Ugly_Ducklings___3_" title="How to Entice an Earl (Ugly Ducklings, #3) by Manda Collins" rel="noopener"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1343340408s/13612939.jpg" alt="How to Entice an Earl (Ugly Ducklings, #3) by Manda Collins" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/17338876.The_Perks_of_Being_a_Beauty__Ugly_Ducklings___3_5_" title="The Perks of Being a Beauty (Ugly Ducklings, #3.5) by Manda Collins" rel="noopener"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363862608s/17338876.jpg" alt="The Perks of Being a Beauty (Ugly Ducklings, #3.5) by Manda Collins" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><br><br>This review is also posted on my blog:<br><br><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/2013/08/29/review-of-the-perks-of-being-a-beauty-by-manda-collins/">http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/...</a></i>

Romance readers are notoriously tough in their judgment of female characters, and so redeemed heroines are much rarer than redeemed heroes. I admit that I was a scoffer when I first heard that Manda Collins was going to write Amelia Snowe’s story. I don’t have much forgiveness to offer mean girls, and I already thought Cecily, Juliet, and Maddie were too quick to accept Amelia’s apologies in How to Entice an Earl. I should have trusted this author.<br /><br />Collins shows her readers a truly repentant heroine, one whose present circumstances are more than payback for her offenses. She also reveals Amelia’s history, so that the reader understands the forces that shaped her into the jealous, spiteful beauty whose venom spilled out in the Ugly Ducklings books. In this case, to understand is to forgive, and I wasn’t very far into The Perks of Being a Beauty before I found Amelia a sympathetic character whose HEA I was anticipating.<br /><br />It doesn’t hurt that Quentin is a delicious beta hero, my favorite type, and that the two are involved in a reunion romance, my favorite trope. I really liked that he was not content to be merely the younger son of a duke but was actively engaged in building his fortune in a socially enlightened manner. I thought the time he spent in America as the son-in-law of a wealthy industrialist made both his interest in trade and his more egalitarian ways credible.<br /><br />If you read the Ugly Ducklings books, you will find that The Perks of Being a Beauty is the perfect after dinner cordial—sweet and intoxicating. If you haven’t read the Ugly Ducklings series, I have three novels and a novella to recommend to you.<br /><br />See full review at Just Janga:<br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2013/06/tuesday-review-perks-of-being-beauty.html">http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2013/06...</a><br />

This is a short reason why I love historical romances...I needed this little novella to remind me!

<a href="http://gotfiction.com/review-the-perks-of-being-a-beauty-by-manda-collins/" rel="nofollow noopener">Read this review on Got Fiction? Book Blog</a><br /><br />After the last <b>Ugly Ducklings</b> book, I actually found myself wanting to hear Amelia’s story. This novella is my wish granted! <br /><br />Amelia Snow has been the darling of the <i>ton</i> and was definitely the most beautiful lady on the marriage mart. But if all this is true, why is she still unwed? Short answer, Amelia’s a jerk. She’s been horrible to the other ladies in the <i>ton</i>, primarily 3 whom she dubbed <b>The Ugly Ducklings</b>. All 3 of whom are married to men who rejected Amelia. <br /><br />In this novella, Amelia is forced to seek employment as a companion after her mother dies leaving Amelia penniless and in debt. She also realizes that she was a horrible person, and that if she wants to survive, she’ll have to change her ways:<br /><br /><i>"If she’d been a nicer person, or a more gracious winner, she might have survived by relying on the kindness of her friends. But the realization that she was fast becoming a thoroughly unlikeable person had come too late to save her from ostracism once her mother was gone."</i><br /><br />It doesn’t help that the mother of her new charge treats Amelia abominably. Amelia is forced to change her whole personality, and it’s definitely a change for the better. While preparing her charge for a country party, Amelia is determined to be the absolute model of decorum, she downplays her stunning looks, and she keeps to the background. Her plan is going well too, until she stumbles across a surprise guest.<br /><br />Lord Quentin Fortescue is shocked to see his childhood sweetheart as a companion to the family he’s doing business with. He also isn’t afraid to admit that he’s not at all sad to see her humbled a bit. But he doesn’t know how her past couple years in London really went, so he’s even more shocked to hear her admit how awful she’d truly been. She also explains more why she left him for London, and he realizes that maybe he’s not all that upset anymore.<br /><br />The two of them are a great couple. Quentin is a lovely hero, and I truly liked Amelia’s change of heart and personality. You can read this as a stand-alone, so if you get the chance, you should absolutely grab it! <br /><br /><br />***ARC courtesy of St. Martin's Press

When an author can take a character that they've previously made me hate and turn them into a credible heroine, I feel that they are talented at their craft. I loathe mean girls, so I was amazed that Manda Collins could make me feel any sympathy for Amelia Snowe, much less convince me to like her. I have not yet read the book that comes prior to this one, so I don't know how gradually the transformation of Amelia occurred, but she ended up making a great counterpart for the kind, forgiving Quentin Fortescue. The two were great characters, and I enjoyed their story.<br /><br />Former dreadful mean girl Amelia Snowe has taken a fall from darling of the ton to paid companion. Her attitude and the way she presents herself to others has taken a sharp turn. When her former childhood friend and rejected suitor, Quentin Fortescue, appears unexpectedly at a house party hosted by her employers, she confesses all of her earlier cruel behavior to him. Although Quentin was also hurt by Amelia, he quickly forgives her and finds the sparks of his feelings for her growing while Amelia is putting her past behavior behind her and processing her true feelings.<br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and will be quickly going back to read the book before it that I missed. I enjoyed the characters in this novella, and the storyline kept me interested. Since this was a short novella, I really liked the way that Amelia and Quentin were reviving a past relationship. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.

Amelia has been a thorn in my butt in the series, the bully who gets off on preying on others. In this novella, Amelia turns over a new leaf and I actually enjoyed reading about her.<br /><br />It wasn't annoying at all and it was so heartwarming to see her genuinely caring for her charge. Readers are told of her backstory and why she behaved like she did before.<br /><br />Nevertheless, I was happy for Amelia finally getting her very own HEA and at the same time am very sad to see this lovable series coming to an end.