The plot was unique and the dialogue was amusing. 
 I thought the romance could have been improved a little. It needed a bit more reasoning, beyond finding each other attractive and proximity etc. Much like the first two wives. Seemed a bit like it wouldn't have mattered who they were married too because they would have loved them if they were attractive and reasonably kind (especially during the first two thirds of the book). It couldn't really be helped though since the children were such a focus they took up a lot of pages in the story. For that reason, I don't usually enjoy that type of plot but in the case of The Bride and the Beast, I did enjoy it. The kids were so cute and diabolical. Even so, I have to admit, being a stepmother/parent to so many children (and counting) seems a bit like a nightmare to me. I like kids but not to that degree. I can't imagine how draining it would be to have so many mischievous (flat out naughty in some cases) children to look after. Poor Willow will never have a time in her life where she isn't raising children. 
 (view spoiler)[ Side note: the author really won me when Bannor didn't have any children outside of marriage and instead was taking them in to save them. So nice. (hide spoiler)]