[Review] The Beastly Brothers: Carnival of Sin by K.M. Mixon

Publisher's synopsis: Scarlett Matthews is a criminally introverted twenty-something, but her best friend and confidant won’t allow it to continue. Claiming sure insanity, Scarlett allows Rachel to take her to the traveling carnival of sin stopped in their town. What Scarlett finds there, however, sets her on a path as far from the one she’d been on as possible. As she lets down her walls and allows herself to explore, will she ever be the same? Or will the carnival show her a piece of herself she never knew existed, completely spinning her onto an alternative path?

Ivan and Leonidas Beastly are the proud heirs and operators of the carnival of sin. It’s changed since their father died, of course. Catering now to the depravity that sells, sex. One implausible encounter will entangle their destinies with one female both brothers will fall for desperately. Will they be able to step out of one another’s way? Or will Scarlett damn them both as they lose all their father worked so hard to build?

This traveling carnival is like none you’ve visited before. Between these covers lies magic, mayhem, and the mystical arts. Snuggle in tight, draw the blinds, and dive into the breathtaking carnival of sin. 

My thoughts: The Beastly Brothers was a solid 3.5 stars for me. There was a lot I did enjoy about this book, but I definitely could have used a bit more plot resolution to make this a four star read. 

Starting with the things I did like, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ivan and Leonidas. These two were different sides of the same coin, and this story would not have been anywhere near as engaging if Scarlett had chosen only one brother. They completed each other, and Scarlett's journey would have been severely lacking if she had only chosen one half of the duo. 

I also enjoyed the premise of the whole story. The Carnival itself was tantalizing and unique; it's no wonder sweet, innocent Scarlett fell so hard for the flair and sin the Beastly brothers provided with their travelling acts. 

However, some of the plot ended up really falling short for me. There were several plot devices/points of conflict that ended up sort of just disappearing halfway through and were never mentioned again. While I appreciate the focus on the main characters, this lack of conflict resolution left me wanting more. 

I also spent most of the story not loving Scarlett as the FMC. For me, character development is the main thing that makes me love or hate a book, and Scarlett ended up going from vanilla to blood play with no real emotional journey in between. With little to no emotional development throughout her journey, she sort of just fell flat to me. I would have loved to see more of her dealing with her newfound kinks; it can be a lot to come to terms with, but Scarlett seemingly just accepted everything without any second thoughts. 

Overall, I enjoyed the premise of The Beastly Brothers, but I really would have loved it had there been a bit more resolution in terms of plot devices/conflicts and character development for Scarlett. 

Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy of this title! 

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Release date: 10/31/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: BookSirens