Beauty and the Werewolf

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey, 2011 Luna

     Isabella Beauchamps watches over her young stepsisters and runs the household for her stepmother, until one night visiting Granny in the forest she is attacked by a great wolf. Bella fights back and survives the attack with no more than a wolf-bite. The next morning, though Bella wakes to find the king's guard whisking her away to the Duke's palace.
     There she learns the mystery of Duke Sebastian and his seclusion. Sebastian is cursed to become a wolf the three nights of the full moon. However, no one knows why. Bella's imprisonment forces her into close contact with the werewolf-duke until it is discovered whether or not she too will become a werewolf.
     Her capture is simply frustrating while the Godmother Elena, Duke Sebastian, Granny and other local magicians search for a solution. To fill her time, Bella takes lessons in magic with Sebastian and discovers he is a scholarly young man, but good company. He teaches her of the Tradition and its role in their lives.
     But with knowledge of the Tradition comes knowledge of the paths it fights to force Bella down. Bella, along with the duke's illegitimate brother and Sebastian himself, searches for a way out of the castle and away from the fateful force of the Tradition.
     Beauty and the Werewolf is a refreshing take on the story of the Beauty and the Beast. Dropped into a world similar to eighteenth century France, Bella is not your average woman and her fate is not that of the average Beauty. The story is suitable for readers of all ages, though some material is more appropriate for teens and older readers.