Yes! It’s the third Wednesday of the month again. I can’t believe we’ve hit month seven of TBR Challenge 2011, hosted by @SuperWendy, who blogs The Misadventures of… SUPER LIBRARIAN here.

What’s up this month, you ask?

Why, it’s fairy tales — Beauty and the Beast, Cinderfella, I mean rella, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I’m feeling a little The King and I-ish this morning.

This is the second story in Janet Chapman’s Midnight Bay Series. It’s a paranormal romance… with serious fairy tale tendencies. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Maddy Kimble, the poster girl for caregiver, is definitely a beauty both inside and out, though she doesn’t recognize that in herself. And while she often yearns for a prince charming, what she is really looking for is man whom she can trust with her heart.

Along comes William Kilkenny, who is most definitely a beast. He’s a ninth-century Irish nobleman cursed by a witch and trapped in a dragon’s body, when Maddy first meets him in Moonlight Warrior (Book 1, Midnight Bay Series). Even before the curse went poof, William had his dragon snout firmly fixed on Maddy. Now that he’s back in human form, he pursues her with equal parts beast and charm. He’ll lay down all that he has, all that he is, but he can’t give her the one thing she wants the most. He can’t love her.

I’m a huge Chapman fan. I admit it. I’ve been reading her paranormal romances from the beginning. This one sat in my TBR for a little while, because I knew that once I started it, I wouldn’t be putting it down until it was finished. 340 pages of characterization that leaps right off the page. It has strong emotional impact, with a finely-honed humor throughout, mystery and adventure. A thoroughly satisfying read.

If you enjoy a paranormal adventure with a strong, steamy romance at its core, you might want to experience a Chapman read. Pure pleasure.