Book: Taming the Beast by Amy Prokopis
Reviewed by Suzy Wickedly Good Reads
Rating: 3/5
Taming the Beast is the first book in Amy Prokopis's Billionaire Beasts of New York series, a supernatural mafia? Yep, you have my attention. There was something about this world that reminded me of the older paranormal romance series I used to devour, especially The Kindred.
Jansen is a very, VERY old vampire who keeps New York's supernatural underground in line through his exclusive club, The Beast. And there's one particularly important rule: humans cannot know supernaturals exist. Enter Ruby. Ruby is a fashion photographer who accidentally wanders into The Beast and lands herself in enough trouble that Jansen is forced to intervene and reveal exactly what he is in the process. Instead of running terrified, Ruby basically takes the whole supernatural revelation in stride. She's not afraid of Jansen, refuses to back down from him, and that immediately catches his attention. And things escalate quickly from there. This is definitely not a slow-burn romance. Jansen and Ruby's relationship leans heavily into a BDSM Dom/sub dynamic, with Ruby happily embracing her inner brat and Jansen being more than willing to handle her behavior. Their chemistry and banter were definitely there, and I enjoyed watching Ruby challenge a vampire who's probably spent centuries having everyone else fall in line.
Where the story lost me a little was in the execution. The pacing and flow seemed to bounce around, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. There was also a LOT of luxury-brand name-dropping. I understand we're dealing with billionaire characters and extravagant lifestyles, but after a while, it became a little much for this average working-class reader. (And I think I reached my lifetime quota for the nickname "little fox.")
My biggest issue, though, was the romance itself. Jansen and Ruby absolutely had sexual chemistry, but their relationship felt much more like a Dom/sub connection than two people genuinely falling in love. I kept waiting for that deeper emotional connection. The moment that would make me believe these two were it for each other I don't think it ever completely arrived.
That said, there's a lot of potential here. The supernatural underground intrigued me, there are side characters I definitely want to know more about, and this is only the beginning of the Billionaire Beasts of New York world. Was it a perfect read for me? No. Did it make me curious enough to see where Amy Prokopis takes this series next? Absolutely.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ A solid 3 stars and a promising start to a new paranormal romance world.