Showing posts with label 27-Retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 27-Retelling. Show all posts

Throwback Thursday // Romance Retellings

February 08, 2024


Hey everyone and welcome to another Throwback Thursday! Every other week I'll be sharing my book recommendations within a specific romantic trope or theme.

Today I'm sharing the first five Romance Retellings I loved and reviewed on the blog. Retellings are stories we've all pretty much heard, but the author has taken their own spin on things. It could be fantastical, magical, dark, contemporary, etc. There's something really special when a story retold has such a unique voice.

If you happen to know of a book in this theme that you think I'd love, please let me know.



The Bachelor Auction by Rachel Van Dyken


Cinderella never had to deal with this crap. I seriously enjoyed this book WAAAAY more than I expected to. It made me realize that RVD was someone I wanted to read more from. I easily fell for these main characters, Jane and Brock, and this attempt at a Cinderella retelling. It was hilarious and romantic and I only wanted more in the end.

Find my review HERE



Don't Speak by Katy Regnery


A fisherman’s daughter.
The governor’s son.
Two very different worlds.

It was slow to start, but I was soon engrossed in a story about two poor unfortunate souls. See what I did there? This book definitely tried to make a girl swoon with characters who quickly grab a hold of your heart and force you to enjoy the ride.

Find my review HERE



Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter


Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty of the Beast brings a familiar and well-loved fairy tale to life with a rich setting in the kingdom of Demrov and a captivating, Gothic voice. Honestly, this book made a bunch of promises and I was more than a tad skeptical when I cracked it open, but putting the odd blurb aside, I really enjoyed myself. Adam was a beast of a man, but no mythical beast and Isabelle was the only woman to see the very heart of him.

Find my review HERE



The Black Lily by Juliette Cross


Arabelle is sworn to kill Marius at all costs, but what if Prince Charming is more than he appears to be? If it weren't for this book, I never would have fallen in love with the way this author writes. I never would have met the witches, wolves, and grims that make up most of my favourite characters. So she's definitely worth the read :)

Find my review HERE



In Bed with the Beast by Tara Sivec


A tale as old as time: she needs a place to stay, he's a grump with a secret and an extra room...can love find a way? If you love your romance with a touch of ridiculous, you'll definitely enjoy this book. It's funny, silly, and endearing and very easy to recommend.

Find my review HERE

Review // A Court of Sugar and Spice by Rebecca F. Kenney

July 03, 2023


"You Keep making me hate you," I whisper.
"Good." A muscle flexes in his temple.
"That will make everything easier."
~ Louisa & Lir

──────────── ♔ ────────────


A Court of Sugar and Spice by Rebecca F. Kenney


My Rating - ★★★★¼
Standalone - Wicked Darlings #1
Release - January 1, 2022
Genre/Trope - Fantasy retelling / elements of instalove and enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person (Clara & Louisa)
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 373

With their inheritance restricted until their marriage, sisters Clara and Louisa, both in their twenties, must live with their godfather Drosselmeyer. One night, an accident brings to life one of the strange wooden dolls in Drosselmeyer's mansion. The Nutcracker doll is a cursed Fae prince, and he pleads for the sisters' help. During the ensuing journey into the Fae realm, Clara encounters the handsome Sugarplum Faerie, and he promises her the chance to enact all her forbidden fantasies. Meanwhile Louisa and the Nutcracker Prince battle and bicker over everything, despite the growing attraction between them. And to make matters worse, the entire Seelie kingdom is under threat of conquest by the Rat King, ruler of the Dread Court.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

When I picked this book up, I had no idea what I was in for… AND I LOVED IT!! This author has found a new fan in me and after reading A Court of Sugar and Spice, I’ll never look at the Nutcracker or the Sugar Plum Faerie the same!

I walked into a world of magic, with mythical creatures, dangerous terrain, and tons of adventure. The author captured the feeling and wonder of this world perfectly. I could easily imagine the impossible trees and valleys, Fin’s infamous candies and bombs, the beauty that surrounded these characters.

Sorry for being vague, but I truly believe that the plot of this story needs to be experienced rather than told. It’s sexy, fun, charming, and full of love. There happens to be another book involving Clara and Fin and I’m excited to read it!

My Two Cents

Rebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance about sassy, strong women and hot guys with tragic backstories... pirates, warlords, demons, Fae, and royals. Her two main series are the "Dark Rulers" series (standalones in a shared world) and the Immortal Warriors series (connected books). She has also written a zombie-apocalypse/vampire-romance trilogy (book 1 is "The Vampires Will Save You"). Other books include a demon romance duet, a dark mermaid fantasy duology, and other spicy retellings.

Rebecca lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.

For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on TikTok @rebeccafkenney, Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, and on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1.

Review // Scarred by Emily McIntire

April 19, 2023

Scarred by Emily McIntire

Sara Beatreaux is not my problem.
Normally, I wouldn't care.
I shouldn't care.
But I do.

────── ♔ ──────


Scarred by Emily McIntire

Scarred by Emily McIntire


Standalone - Never After #2
Release - January 4, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies to lovers / vengeance / retelling / royals
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 348 pages

She doesn't belong to him...she belongs to the crown.

Prince Tristan Faasa was never destined for the throne. That was always his brother, Michael. The same brother responsible for both Tristan's tormented childhood and the scar that mars his face. When their father dies, Michael is set to assume the throne, and Tristan is set to steal it. The leader of a secret rebellion, Tristan will stop at nothing to end his brother's reign. But when Michael's new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new kind of war. The kind that begs the question of what's more important, the crown or the woman about to wear it.

Sara has one plan. Marry the King and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the Scarred Prince. He's dangerous. Forbidden. And one of the men she's been sent to kill. But the line between hatred and passion has never seemed so thin, and as secrets come to light, Sara grows unsure of whom she can trust—torn between vengeance and the villain she was never supposed to love.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon


Scarred by Emily McIntire

My Two Cents

3.5 "Burn it all down" stars

Not quite a retelling, but it did have a lot in common with The Lion King. A scarred prince, some nefarious goings on, and a love story. I guess a villain deserves a happy ending too!

When his father dies, Tristan is alone in the world. His brother has the throne, the council is corrupt, and their people are starving. Tristan is determined to change things. His goals are dangerous, but he seems to laugh in the face of danger. << see what I did there?

When Sara's father dies, she vows revenge. She means to kill every member of the Faasa family, hopefully bringing back prosperity to her beloved lands. While her family schemed for her to be chosen as the King's future wife, she plotted and planned. And when she finally meets her future family, it's easy for her to imagine them all dying from her blades.

But then she gets to know Tristan, the outcast, the man in the shadows. He's nothing like what she thought he was and everything she needed in her life. With her conviction waning, can she find a new passion with him?

"The truth is, I am yours. Wholly. Inexplicably. Painfully. Unconditionally." He moves my hand until the dagger presses against his throat. "And if you need to sacrifice my soul so you're able to live with yours, then do it."

While I enjoyed this story, I wish someone had warned me that it was a slow build on the filth. I loved Tristan's obsessive, possessive self and his dirty mouth, but I wanted more. I know I'm greedy, but so much of this book was about these two fighting against their growing feelings that I wanted to spend time with them as a couple.

And yes, the author does offer an epilogue, but I would have to sign up for the newsletter and I'm not about to do that. No offense, but I'm on a newsletter cleanse. So I'm here, at the end of the book, happy that this couple gets to actually be a couple, but hopelessly wanting more. I'm good with all of the murder-y mayhem that happened, I was gleeful whenever Tristan's madness appeared, I'll never look at hash the same way again, and I liked everything in between. I'll be checking out the next book in the series for sure.

The Author

Emily McIntire is an Amazon Top 15 and Publishers Weekly best selling author known for her Never After Series, where she gives our favorite villains their happily ever afters. With books that range from small town to dark romance, she doesn’t like to box herself into one type of story, but at the core of all her novels is soul deep love. When she’s not writing you can find her enjoying her family, or lost between the pages of a good book.

Find more information at https://www.emilymcintire.com

Review // Hooked by Emily McIntire

March 25, 2023

Hooked by Emily McIntire

"You are, without a doubt, the only good I've ever known." - Hook

────── ♔ ──────


Hooked by Emily McIntire

Hooked by Emily McIntire


Standalone - Never After #1
Genre - Dark Romance / retelling / vengeance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 312 pages

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

He wants revenge, but he wants her more…

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings, check the author's website.

My Two Cents

4 "Even a villain deserves to be loved" stars

I absolutely love retellings and this one is loosely based on Peter Pan. I really enjoyed experiencing the nostalgia for one of my childhood classics.

James "Hook" Barrie was driven by the dark deeds that happened in his past. His family was assassinated. He was terrorized by his hateful uncle. He was surrounded by the criminal underworld and flourished. He had the makings of an intriguing and mysterious villain and with his British accent... let's just say that I had no trouble liking this character.

Wendy was another story. Incredibly naive and sheltered, she lived a life of privilege, blissfully unaware of where her wealth and influence actually came from. All she knew was that her loving father was suddenly distant. He was hardly around and all she wanted was to draw him closer. She wasn't prepared for a man like Hook and who she became when she was with him.

It all started with a little bit of faith.
Misplaced trust.
Missing pixie dust.
And a villain who just needed to steal a little love.

Betrayal was everywhere, but together, these two found a freedom neither had ever known. For the first time, Hook found himself caring about something more than his thirst for revenge. And Wendy was becoming the woman she always dreamed of being. Someone who's thoughts and concerns mattered to someone. With Hook prepared to give her everything she wanted and needed, she only had to sacrifice one thing... her father.

Could she do it?

Read the book and find out!

The Author

Emily McIntire is an Amazon Top 15 and Publishers Weekly best selling author known for her Never After Series, where she gives our favorite villains their happily ever afters. With books that range from small town to dark romance, she doesn’t like to box herself into one type of story, but at the core of all her novels is soul deep love. When she’s not writing you can find her enjoying her family, or lost between the pages of a good book.

Find more information at https://www.emilymcintire.com

Review // The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery

March 04, 2023

The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery

There was no future for Asher Lee and Savannah Carmichael

────── ♔ ──────


The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery

The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery


Standalone - A Modern Fairytale
Release - June 15, 2014
Genre - Contemporary Romance / retelling / military
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 296 pages

Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn't been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher's hand and disfigured half of his face, he's lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy...that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress with a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn't felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other's hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they'll have to decide if the love they found in one another's arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.

My Two Cents

4.5 "So easy to love" stars

Is it possible not to fall in love with the characters Katy Regnery creates? I'm having no such luck because both Asher and Savannah were so easy to love!

Asher: a war vet, he was once the town hero, but after being hit by an IED and sustaining physical damage, he returned to a cool welcome. After being basically shunned, if people weren't running away in horror due to his deformity, he closed himself off on his family's estate.

The problem with hope was that you were required to acknowledge the possibility of not getting what you desperately hoped for.

Savannah: the town's sweetheart, she made good in the big city, but loving the wrong person ruined her career and she's back home. What better way to get back in the game than to interview a war hero?

"Don't ask me again about your face. Don't wonder for a minute if I feel like i'm being shortchanged by choosing to be with you. Just know this: you walked out of my dreams fully formed. I wasn't about to let you walk away."

From the first meet-cute, I knew this was story was going to be lovely. I knew that these characters were going to give me everything and more and that the author was going to do an incredible job of playing with my heart. I wasn't wrong.

There were tons of sweet moments. I smiled, swooned, giggled, and sighed my way through this book. Even though I was easily able to predict the conflict to come between Asher and Savannah, my heart still ached for them.

I can't find not one thing wrong with this story aside from wanting more. I would have loved an epilogue, but honestly, the time spent with these characters was so enjoyable that I can easily imagine their happily ever after together.

The Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract, and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.

Several dozen books and three RITA® nominations later, Katy claims authorship of the multititled Blueberry Lane series, the A Modern Fairytale collection, the Summerhaven series, the Odds Are Good collection, the Arranged duo, and several other stand-alone romances, including the critically acclaimed mainstream fiction novel Unloved, a love story.

Find more information at https://www.katyregnery.com

Winter's Arrow by Lexi C. Foss

May 10, 2020

Winter's Arrow by Lexi C Foss

I made her look like that.
I painted her in my scent.
I f**ked her into beautiful submission.
And I loved every damn minute of it.

Abducted by K.I. Lynn

May 02, 2020


I was a caged bird. A pet awaiting a sentence bound to be more grim than any fairy-tale horror.

Stealing Cinderella by A. Zavarelli

March 30, 2020

Stealing Cinderella by A Zavarelli

Every royal has their dirty little secret. His was me.

Descending Into Madness by Stacey Marie Brown

February 13, 2020

Descending Into Madness by Stacey Marie Brown

“If you don’t know where you are, what does it matter where here is? Here is merely relative to knowing where you are.”

Legend by M.R. Leahy

February 06, 2020

Legend by M.R. Leahy

"Through darkness you were born, now darkness you will live. Bound are your powers, no longer able to shift. Hidden throughout time, you will cease to exist until the chosen one appears with our God-given gift. When the marks unite, the prince shall change and the one true king will take his name."

Siren by Hazel Grace

January 04, 2020

Siren by Hazel Grace
In my humble opinion...

Siren is the first book I've read from Hazel Grace and she's made me a fan on her first try! It was dark and delicious, entrancing, captivating, and utterly spellbinding!

In the South Seas, mermaids are real. They lure unsuspecting travellers who venture too far or hunters who seek to kill them for fortune, with their looks and their songs... with their magic. They can be vicious and cruel, especially when it comes to protecting themselves and those they love. Dagen learns this the hard way when his search for a trinket to bring hope and prosperity to his people lands him in the laps of not just any mermaids, but the princesses of the sea. He's stumbled upon an island that no one but the sirens should be able to see and the seven princesses will use whatever means necessary to find out his true intentions. Can love blossom in the midst of torture and death? You better believe it can!

I was told that this is the author's first attempt at a fantasy romance and I think she did an incredible job with it. From the world building, the intricacies of the plot, the many hidden gems I discovered, the intensely developed characters, and the descriptive colors of the people and their surroundings, it was easy to fall in love with Grace's writing. I highlighted so many great lines and then realized I couldn't share them because they contained spoilers and I don't intend to ruin this for anyone. Siren is a raw, gritty, addictive, mystical read with surprisingly tender moments. These characters were amazing and I hope to see them again.

┈┈┈┈┈◦•✩•◦┈┈┈┈┈


So why not FIVE STARS?! It really all comes down to the author's word choice. There was poor placement all over the place. Words that were misleading or didn't mean what the author was trying to convey. Luckily I could understand what she was trying to say, but it was annoying. Examples include 'brustle' instead of 'bristle', 'alluding' when nothing was being alluded to, etc. I'm not sure if the editor(s) have caught it yet so that these errors don't make it into the final copy, but I can only hope. Sometimes using big or complex words, especially when they're not words you mean to use, isn't the best option. Simple is always better because it leaves less room for mistakes... in my humble opinion.

Find your copy of Siren by Hazel Grace here:
GoodreadsAmazon


About the Book

Siren by Hazel Grace
I’m one of the most alluring creatures in the world.
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
Powerful.
A siren.
One of seven princesses of Lacuna.
But I wanted more than that, so much more than the trinkets I stowed in my caverns. I wanted my own piece of the world.
And I got it.
However with that wish came a price, and that price came with secrets.
Two of which should never have been able to set foot on where I reside.
The fate of my heart belongs to Lacuna, but whose heart belongs to me?

About Hazel Grace

Hazel Grace is an avid music lover and hardcore Oakland Raiders fan from the mitten state of Michigan. Her writing goals are "what the f*ck" storylines while enjoying her readers private messaging her to cuss her out.

The Hunted by Bethany-Kris

January 01, 2020

The Hunted by Bethany-Kris

Let the hunt begin...