About the book: year / After the sudden death of her father, Ruby Atwood is forced to drop out of college to care for her younger brother. Deeply in debt and on the brink of poverty, Ruby gets involved in some shady dealings on the streets of New Orleans to put food on the table for her small family. Until one night, in a dark alley, she discovers a hideous Beast that she could never imagine in her worst nightmares. Shrouded in darkness, the Beast wanders the alleys of New Orleans - alone, wild and without hope, his demon kills him. The Beast seeks the only person who can satisfy the demon within—the daughter of the man responsible for his curse, Ruby Atwood. Trapped, Ruby quickly realizes that she must use her wits to stay alive in the face of certain death at the hands of the monster. But the more she tries to escape, the more attached she becomes to the Beast. Desire and fear collide to create an unforgettable story of hope, faith and love that is only found in fairy tales...