One of my all time favorite scene tropes is only one bed. The Proposal and Leap year are both excellent examples of this. No spice is necessary to create fantastic romantic tension with this trope. One of the things that makes it so fun is that the characters are usually in a the getting to know one another stage of their romance or they still think they dislike each other. Forcing them to not only be together, but to share such an intimate space often leads to awkward hilarious moments along with accidental touching and cuddling–*swoon.*
This trope is often found in books with arranged or marriage of convience, forced proximity–especially when they travel, fake spouce/ fiance, or just when the characters find themselfs in a lie or some other awkward situation.
Kidnapped! She is the bait. He is her captor. A monster awaits in a labyrinth of lies. Can she navigate the truth before losing her heart?
When Princess Arianna discovers a plot against Kelkona, she knows she’s in trouble. She rushes to find help—only to get kidnapped. Unfortunately, her knife-throwing skills can’t thwart the nefarious scheme, nor does it stop Silas, the handsome, stoic fae, from binding her to him. Now she is being dragged through the forest on an adventure she didn’t ask for, stuck with a captor who has secrets of his own.
Their time in the forest only heightens her curiosity about Silas, who she wants to believe is more than the villain he seems. And yet he offers no escape, taking her to the very monster who threatens the kingdom—to use her as bait. The monster will stop at nothing, cursing her to remain forever within the maze. Only a true king can save her, but where will she find such a man?
Will she ever escape this monstrous maze and warn her family, or will she fall for the one person whose loyalties she can’t decipher—is he her silent protector or a monster as dangerous as the one prowling the maze? She must untangle the lies before she becomes lost in more ways than one.
Get lost with Arianna in this sweet and swoony reverse “Princess and the Pea” retelling intertwined with the Greek myth of “Ariadne and the Labyrinth.”
To assassinate her target, she must marry her enemy.
Azora has dedicated her life to exacting revenge on the phoenix shifters who murdered her parents. When Prince Tarquin of Pyren demands a bride as part of a peace treaty, the elite strike squad of assassins Azora belongs to agree—she’s the perfect candidate to eliminate the monstrous shifter.
The traces of Pyrenese blood flowing in her veins grant her immunity to fire and will allow her to slay Tarquin, for a phoenix can only be destroyed by one descended from Pyren. The safety of all Termarth is dependent on Azora to maintain her cover; her true identity must never be discovered.
With the tantalizing offer of peace on the altar, Azora weds Tarquin, knowing that as soon as the peace treaty is broken, either bride or groom will be the first casualty. But just as Azora begins to uncover the man behind the monster, skirmishes erupt throughout the land. When the time arrives to finally eliminate the threat to Termarth, Azora’s loyalties are torn.
She intended to gamble her life away, not her heart.
Princess Evelyn has spent her entire life striving to be the proper princess expected of her…only to suddenly discover that she’s not a princess at all, merely a decoy unknowingly masquerading as the heir to the enchanted throne.
With her identity stripped away and her future uncertain, Evelyn struggles to find her purpose and discovers it in a most unexpected source when she stumbles upon whispers that the true princess’s betrothed is plotting to use his upcoming marriage to steal her kingdom’s rare and precious magic. Desperate to prove that her life has meaning other than being an unwitting decoy, Evelyn comes up with a plan to marry the prince before he learns that she’s a fake in order to protect the kingdom she still cares for.
Prince Ryland has his own reasons for agreeing to the hasty union, for the magic in the princess’s royal bloodline is his last chance to save his kingdom from ruin. However, his careful schemes don’t exactly go according to plan when his unconventional wife proves thoroughly uncooperative and seems to be hiding secrets of her own.
As the two navigate the façades, deceit, and dangers threatening them, the lines between enemies and lovers soon begin to blur…yet their growing love comes at a price. In her effort to protect her kingdom, Evelyn might have just put herself and all her people in grave danger.
Ranessa Medzel always wanted to be a princess until she realized she was destined to be the villain. Born as a gorgon with unusual beauty and vibrant emerald hair, she tried her luck at impressing the king as a young child with her ability to command serpents. Everything goes well, until an accident results in a missing prized jewel, and the gorgon becomes the easiest to blame. Angering a divine ruler never ends well, and in Ranessa’s case, it has a rather blinding result… Now cursed to blind anyone she looks at, Ranessa is forced to hide away from the world that had made her a monster. With only a tower full of snakes to keep her company, ideas of revenge serve as her only entertainment. Prince Phillip is the son of the great divine king of the oceans, but he himself wasn’t born with magic. Eager to prove his worth as a future ruler, he sets off on a mission to rid the kingdom of the snake-wielding gorgon who plagues their people. Ranessa is all too pleased to have the prince join her—after all, killing her former betrothed would be the revenge she’s waited her entire life for. Phillip can only prove himself by bringing back the gorgon’s head, and Ranessa can only free herself by killing the royals who forced her into solitude. Will one of them emerge victorious? Or will they both remain blind to the true villains at work?
What if Little Bo Peep, had a skill for catching crooks?
Lady Genevieve Rayelle Palleep loves to point out what no one else notices, which makes it a tad difficult to get along with most suitors. While tracking down details may not be beneficial for her life as a lady, it certainly has uses in her more secretive life. Since being recruited as a crown agent as a child, Evie’s talents have never failed to hunt down black market goods, runaway convicts, or anything else one could imagine… That is, until her next mission bears an interesting request. When eight magic-fused wool cloaks go missing from the black market, the agency doesn’t feel that Evie can handle the task alone. Much to Evie’s regret, she’s assigned her very first partner, an obnoxiously attractive agent by the name of Shepherd. He wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t have to go undercover as courting lovers… or if he wasn’t so perfect. With her new partner in tow, and a mysterious stack of cloaks ready to be found, Evie is determined to prove she never needed Shep’s help from the start. She’s worked too hard to let another man drag her around like a wandering sheep. Will Evie be able to track down the missing wools? Or will her distrust of her partner leave them both lost?
A girl and her grandma… separated by an entire pack of beasts. A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
Roisen Karro and her grandmother run the most beloved bakery in the province of Omaira. Ever since her father disappeared seven years ago, Ro has decided there is no place for a man in her heart, especially an obnoxiously flirty woodcutter. Unfortunately, her granny has no issue encouraging the young man’s advances toward her. At the far end of Omaira, a strange foreigner washes up on the shores and finds himself amongst the ranks of a nefarious group of beasts. With no knowledge of the Ruby Realm or even a grasp on their language, the foreigner agrees to do their dirty work until he gets back on his feet. All they asked him to do was kidnap some girl from a bakery, anyway… As Ro discovers there is more behind her father’s disappearance than she knew, she finds herself entangled in the schemes of a sly new foe. With only the clothes on her back and a pack of wolves on her heels, Ro must find her way back to her granny before it’s too late for them both. Will Ro be able to survive the hunt? Or will the beasts swallow her family whole…?
A disgraced gossip. A lying nobleman. A fake marriage to destroy an empire.
Lady Gisele lost everything when her father was convicted of treason. She was supposed to become a princess, have the court dance to the songs she sang, and trapped in the webs of gossip she spun. Now all the years she’d spent amassing that power was for nothing.
When she’s presented with the chance to get everything she ever wanted, she’ll take it—even when it’s a life-threatening undercover mission in the Esmean Empire. Even when it involves the most infuriating man she’s ever met. She’s desperate enough to risk her life, but is she desperate enough to lose her heart?
Taking his cousin’s identity to uncover a supposedly empire-shattering secret didn’t sound so bad to Lord Hakim, until he ended up stuck with the most insufferable woman he’s ever met. Now he has to pretend to be married to her while also keeping her from realizing that he’s not just her fake husband but also the lord of the estate they’re staying at.
While they chase a secret that could change the world, Hakim has to wrestle with more than one unfortunate truth along the way. Maybe Gisele isn’t what he first thought she was, and that without her, does he even stand a chance at surviving at all?
He’s my fake husband. Our kingdom’s only hope. And he has no idea that I’m desperately in love with him.
I’m not strong and powerful like my brothers. I’m just a princess. A rather spoiled princess. My skills will not help us win this war.
But turns out, my mischievous mind and diplomatic mouth are perfect for subterfuge. By marrying Sol-a magic-wielder-I can sweet talk our way directly into the enemy’s headquarters where Sol can destroy the source of their power.
I just can’t let myself get distracted by my fake husband’s stormy eyes, or the gentle pressure of his hand on my arm as we exchange pleasantries with fellow dignitaries.
Pull it together, princess. Your people come first.
The day Red walked through the woods to meet her grandmother was the day her childhood ended. But she’s not a little girl anymore.
RED: I not only survived the revolution—I thrived. Revered by our people as The Red Rider, I spend my days fighting the ever-present Beasts at our border. But even though I’ve conquered the monsters of my past, their shadows are creeping into my present. When I’m tasked with guarding a tight-laced Pelerine soldier, his contempt makes me see red. I may have survived countless battles, but babysitting this know-it-all just might kill me.
EDDIE: I woke up to a brutal reality after the Battle of Asielboix. Alone and wounded in potentially hostile territory, I’m at the mercy of the intriguing and dangerous Captain Hood. She’s everything I should hate, but I can’t deny that I’m drawn to her. We’re bound together for now and sparks fly as we force each other to confront our demons. It’s hard for me to admit—but I’m hoping one of those sparks ignites something powerful. When Red is called upon to fix her only failure, Eddie turns out to be the one person who can stand by her side—if they can trust each other first.
A girl marked for death, a man branded a monster…a reality that is very different from what it seems
Ember’s defiance has always been a frustration to the rest of her island community. But even she didn’t expect to be selected as the next sacrifice, years before another is due. And she can’t help but wonder if it relates to the strange new ability that’s just begun to stir within her. She doesn’t intend to go down without a fight—in fact, the chance to confront the monster demanding sacrifices is a more welcome path than the marriage her parents had arranged to a local farmer.
Haiden has never heard of Ember’s island, and he couldn’t care less about their plight. He’s fully occupied trying to lift the curse that has turned him into a monster while fending off the stream of maidens determined to break it for him—both feats that are proving impossible in spite of his considerable magical ability.
When Ember charges into his purposely isolated life, badly wounded, full of nonsensical accusations, and entirely undaunted by his hideous form, their paths and plans collide with a force neither is prepared for. It will take more than Ember’s fledgling magic and Haiden’s superior training to lift both his curse and the lies holding her island captive. They’ll first have to learn to actually let each other in, which may prove the hardest sacrifice of all.
An indentured healer. A doomed prince. A nightmarish curse.
When Persis Ophne travels to Gelaira to heal the dark elf prince, the young dune elf stumbles into a kingdom brimming with prejudice and treachery. Her oath—and heart—are further tested when her mistress orders her to kill Prince Haryk.
When she discovers the blind prince is under a malignant curse, she taps the deepest reserves of her sand magic to confront the sentient affliction devouring his body and soul. But trying to break Haryk’s curse unearths long-buried secrets and an ancient evil that threatens to consume the Shadewood Forest. Persis will have to choose how far she will go for the one who stole her heart.
Will Persis and Haryk’s forbidden love survive a powerful blight and bloody betrayals?
A secretive spy. A reluctant suitor. A sinister plot.
Margret Medallan longs to free her family from the clutches of a vile society, but cutting ties with her master would be a fatal mistake. Desperate, Margret reluctantly agrees to a fake engagement with a banished goblin prince, hoping to save her sisters from enslavement and possible death.
Kora Daemon can’t go home unless he rights the wrongs of his past and completes a dangerous, hopeless mission. But when he finds himself bound to a lovely but reluctant spy, the line between right and wrong blurs dangerously. Because now the city of Nestra balances on the edge of a knife…and one wrong move could destroy them all.
Will these lovestruck enemies put aside their differences or will they fall prey to a deadly enemy?
A half-elf woman with deadly magic. A mage hunting for his childhood friend. A bargain that will change everything.
Isarrel Dalmyar is too human for her elven home, and too elven to be accepted anywhere else. Banished after her human magic endangers two elves, she must learn how to control her chaotic power if she ever wants to return home.
Liam Galway’s loyalty to his king has always guided him, so when he’s ordered to find the missing mages of Makaria—including his childhood friend—he does so eagerly. But the sparse clues only hint at dark dealings that stretch far beyond their own borders.
When Isa begs Liam to train her, he has one condition: she must use her elven skills to help him find the mages. It should be a simple task—if Liam can put his duty before his heart… and if Isa’s magic doesn’t kill him in the process.
Thank you so much for reading! Do you have any sweet and swoony fantasy romance recommendations with the one bed trope? Which are your favorite? Tell me in the comments. Meanwhile, I hope you’ve found many new and fantastic reads!
Happy reading!
Alesha Adamson
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Forced proximity is primarily a romance trope and is one of the best ways to create intimacy and allow the main characters to get to know each other–whether they want to or not. You don’t have to have the characters forced to be together to create a romance but for a true romance they do need to spend a good deal of time together. As readers we want to feel that romantic tension–the push and pull of their emotions as they get to know each other and begin to fall in love. We also love that comedic aspect when close becomes too close.
Forced proximity is especially delightful when the characters don’t actually want to spend time together. “Beauty and the Beast” is a classic example of this. Belle never would have chosen to stay with Beast of her own volition, but to save her father she decides to take up his debt and stay with Beast. This forces her to spend time with Beast giving them the opportunity they wouldn’t normally have to fall in love. It also leads to lots of delightful tension.
Understandably, forcing characters to spend time together seems to be an extremely popular trope and is one of my favorite things which is probably why I chose to do it for my first book The Dark King and the Eternal Dance.
Sweet & Swoony Retellings
I’m all about reading and sharing clean content. All of these books should remain sweet and clean giving you all the happy romantic feels with kisses that make you swoon, but without the explicit content. Fade to black should only occur if the characters are married and even then nothing is described. Swears and gore should be zero to mild. Some may contain fantasy violence.
I hope you can find some delightful new books to read!
An unwanted proposal. An unexpected curse. Will Rayna and her eleven sisters ever be free of the Dark King and this eternal dance?
Rayna is not usually the boldest of her sisters. However, when her eldest sister, Faelynn, seems ready to abandon her own happily ever after and accept the Dark King’s proposal, Rayna knows she must act and take drastic measures before someone gets hurt. Measures that just might cost her her heart.
Drake’s reputation as the Dark King precedes him—a reputation he doesn’t quite deserve. When the opportunity arises, Drake seizes the chance to barter for Princess Faelynn’s hand. Weaving his magic, he establishes a weekly ball to court his intended. After six months of rejection, something must change. He never anticipated finding Princess Rayna in his castle disrupting his quiet life.
Will he change directions and acknowledge his heart before it is too late? Or will he live up to his reputation as the Dark King, shattering more than one happily ever after?
No one bothered to tell Daphne Starr that faerytales are real and because of it, she’s stuck in a beanstalk with a beast and a pricked finger. Daphne’s sister and stepsister are in big BIG trouble!
It’s the third and final day
Rumpelstiltskin plans to suck their powers dry
The queen wants them dead
The wolves switched sides
The world is about to end
And did they seriously expect to keep this all from Daphne?
Oh yeah, A LOT of trouble! Because Daphne Starr pricks her finger on a spindle, it awakens the power that was always within her. That’s a big time no-no! Now Rumpelstiltskin and some evil queen are after her. Even more annoying, the biggest player at Omak High is a shapeshifter and he goes beast on her, dragging her into a beanstalk and getting them stuck in a time-warp. He won’t stop asking her to marry him to get to her powers. I mean, give up already! Sure, it’s cool when she scores matching boots with the weirdo cat, and some cute faery guy accidentally tags along for the ride, but . . .Enough is enough already!Halley and Bridgette had better get her out of this—especially since she only has until the battery runs out of her cell phone before she loses . . . to a beast.”Will it be happily ever after or the end?”
Anwen’s uncanny resemblance to Princess Lavena has been a curse since the moment she entered her service, as the spoiled princess has frequently used it to her advantage by forcing Anwen to switch places with her. But Princess Lavena’s latest scheme is her worst—and most dangerous—yet: compelling Anwen to take the princess’s place in her marriage to her loathed fiancé, Prince Liam.
Bound by an enchanted contract not to reveal the charade, Anwen is forced to go through with the masquerade and endure a marriage to a man who despises the woman he believes her to be. As time goes on, Anwen struggles not only to maintain her identity, but to fight her deepening feelings as she begins to fall in love with her new husband, a man who not only isn’t hers to keep, but who has no idea who she really is.
Princess Gemma has been trapped for years within a magical turret, a fate she deems fitting for a sickly princess with little purpose. The enchanted walls offer security, which she’d do anything to maintain, for though she knows she should want to escape, her prison seems far safer than the outside world. But the magic of the tower has begun to fade, bringing with it not only unpredictable dangers but the very real possibility that soon Gemma will be forced to leave the prison she’s grown to trust.
The tower’s shifting magic isn’t the only thing changing, for the longer Gemma spends with her faithful guard, Quinn, the more she realizes that her feelings for him are inappropriate for one of her royal status. But the deeper her feelings for her guard grow, the more Gemma yearns not only to escape the tower in order to see more of the world beyond, but to break through the walls she’s built around herself.
But even if she finds the courage to fight for the life she wants—one filled with possibilities far more beautiful than she’s ever allowed herself to imagine—there’s one final obstacle for her to overcome…for she’s not the only one who has created walls. Though she’s striving to lower hers in order to allow her guard in, Quinn is determined to protect her from his devastating secret by keeping her out.
She was destined to hunt sirens to extinction… but can she complete her mission before one of them captures her heart?
Trapped on an island nation and surrounded by bloodthirsty sirens, the starving people of Haven Harbor are losing hope. Treva, a Deaf blacksmith immune to the tempting call of the sirens lurking in the deep, steps into the perilous role of Siren Hunter. If she can rid the waters of enough sirens, her people could be free at last.
Unbeknownst to her, another creature dwells in the sea, even more ferocious than the dreaded sirens. When Treva faces the monster and loses, her life is saved by a handsome siren who has no voice. Can mortal enemies set their differences aside long enough to unite their nations? Or will Treva ignore her growing feelings and finish what she started?
Treva is certain of one thing—that the famed Siren Hunter of Haven Harbor would never fall for one of her prey.
Peasant girls don’t mingle with dragons, princes, and beastly curses…or so Felicity thought
After a lifetime with a grief-stricken father and a self-absorbed brother, Felicity isn’t daunted by sacrifice. But when protecting her father means falling afoul of the curse that has swallowed the Summer Castle, and Prince Justin along with it, her own safety is not all that’s at stake. The prince’s monstrous form is the least of her concerns—the whole castle has been trapped by his pride, and his absence from the capital is driving the kingdom to ruin.
Justin was born to be a king, not a beast. Between the inhuman coldness he learned from his father, the humiliation of his cursed form, and his powerlessness against his hidden enemies back in the capital, laughter is the last thing on his mind. But even though she’s a prisoner, nothing seems to dampen the intruder’s maddening cheerfulness. Justin has to break his curse, and he needs someone like Felicity to do it. But as she begins to thaw the ice around his heart, he discovers her past is not what it seems.
With time running out, not just for the castle’s inhabitants, but for the kingdom of Albury, they will need more than the help of a dragon to break the curse and prevent disaster before it’s too late. But for all Felicity’s warmth and laughter, even she could never look at Justin and like what she sees.
When a beautiful thief meets a beastly king, it’s anything but true love. Unless a haunted castle can change their minds…
Zara has always hated to steal, even from the dead, but treasure hunting is the only life she knows—until her father’s cowardice traps her in an abandoned Erathi castle. She soon discovers that her new home is far less empty than she once believed, and far more dangerous than she could ever have predicted.
Alexei is king of a forgotten kingdom—its people dead or enslaved, and the magic that once protected it lost to all but memory. His only hope to save those few who remain is to return to the place where Erath fell, and brave the shadowed halls of a castle that echoes with the ghosts of his past.
When their paths collide, Alexei and Zara may both have a chance to atone for past mistakes… unless they kill each other first. Brought together by a castle, a cat, and a crew of allies both expected and unexpected, they will plumb the depths of an unimaginable betrayal and forge the foundations of a love they would risk anything to keep.
Finnan wants nothing more than to join the kingdom’s guard and leave sheep-herding behind forever. All he must do is perform a deed heroic enough to be recognized by the king. His search brings him to the middle of the forest, where he stumbles across a maiden living in a tower with no doors. She claims to be the missing princess of Aelia and assures him that her father will knight him if he aids in freeing her from her curse. Could it be so simple?
Princess Rapunzel has been living alone in her tower for six years, convinced this will be her life forevermore. She could never travel to the Enchantress’s cottage to break her curse on her own. It’s hopeless. Until a handsome stranger appears at the base of her tower and offers to be her guide across the Esper Sea.
Will she be able to make it to the Enchantress without her curse hurting anyone? And will the Enchantress even be able to help? Or will this curse endlessly come between her and those she loves?
A mafia heiress. A desperate bargain. A cursed wolf prince without hope.
Nikita has one goal in life: to take her father’s place in the Bratva syndicate. While her sisters want nothing more than advantageous marriages to wealthy men, Nikita wants control of her own life.
But when her father is tricked into a bargain with Gavriil, the prince of Skazka, to protect her family’s legacy, Nikita has no choice but to steal the portal ring and take his place.
Within the walls of the castle, she finds a spoiled royal, hallways filled with strange statues, and a magic she didn’t know existed.
Tasked with finding a way to break the curse, Nikita spends hours pouring over ancient texts, looking for answers — and a way out.
Her one reprieve is her music. After finding the hidden piano room, she takes her refuge there. Soon, so does Gavriil. Suddenly, the broody enemy is becoming a friend—or something more.
Passions ignite and Nikita must do all she can to save the prince and his people from the curse that could destroy them. Time is running out. Each day, Gavriil turns more and more into a wolf, losing his human emotions and memories.
If Nikita can’t break the curse, there will be no trace of Gavriil left, and he’ll become the monster he’s always feared himself to be—forfeiting his humanity, and heart, forever.
All her life, Alaine has suffered the weight of her beauty and she is tired of it. When an unexpected debt threatens her family, Alaine is urged to accept a lucrative marriage to her worst nightmare. She flees to the nearby forest and encounters a witch that offers to help her. The last thing Alaine expects is to be taken away, stripped of her beauty, and abandoned at a curious cottage with no way out.
Daric has been cursed for centuries when a strange young woman wanders into his secluded corner of the woods, claiming to be a lost beauty. For years, his only goal had been to escape the enchanted cottage and exact revenge against the witch that ensnared him. But sharing his curse with Alaine might not be so bad, especially if she’s the one that can break it.
Daric yearns to see them both free. Alaine knows her family is counting on her, but as her reluctant friendship with Daric blossoms into something more, she must decide if saving her parents is worth losing him and returning to the marriage she escaped.
A beastly prince. A beautiful servant. Can two imperfect souls learn to love before the last petal falls? When a kraken attack leaves her family destitute, Rosemary Mercer strikes a bargain. She will serve Prince Darian for a year to erase her father’s debts. But there is more at stake than money, and the prince’s beastly curse changes more than his appearance. Can Rosemary uphold her end of the bargain without getting caught in the spell herself? A lifetime of selfishness and pride has cost Prince Darian his humanity, his throne, and the means to make it right. As shadows gather around his kingdom, his only hope for redemption is the brave servant who refuses to be intimidated by his monstrous form. But would she still help him if she were free to leave?
Can Rosemary and Darian see past appearances and find the beauty within themselves? Or will they be torn apart by a plot much bigger than an evil curse?
What if Cinderella was a princess and Prince Charming invaded her kingdom?
Returning to her home-kingdom after ten long years of the dark prince and his father’s invasion, the crownless princess Austrella is quite unrecognisable even to her family. She finds herself a job in her uncle—the duke’s house, under a new identity, and begin a new life when she learns about the yearly ball hosted at the palace for the prince. Austrella grabs this opportunity and makes it to the ball—just to see her old home.
But what unfolds when the dark prince choses Austrella as his bride? How will Austrella escape the fate that bounds her to the one who is the source of all her problems? Can she tolerate being with someone who overthrew her family, killed her brother, and usurped her father’s throne, without risking her true identity?
A runaway bride finds her way into an abandoned manor… A Retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Lady Aurelia Lockly has finally turned sixteen and hopes that her parents may finally loosen the reins on her position as a proper lady. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case; instead of gaining respect, she gains an arranged marriage with a complete stranger. Despite Aurelia’s lack of consent, her parents pursue the engagement, anyway. After all, it would benefit the family business fabulously… Not wanting to be forced into the role of a pretentious wife, Aurelia makes a run for it. Luckily enough, she comes across an abandoned estate that would be perfect for hiding in… That is, it would be, if it was actually abandoned. Can Aurelia escape without being sent back home? Or will her mysterious new hosts send her running for other reasons? With the aid of a young lord and a rather fluffy new companion, Aurelia will hide, race, and fight her way to freedom. But can she escape what she was born into?
Emmazel lives in a tower with her father and a talking cat named Night, and, much to her father’s chagrin, keeps marrying off her companions to the princes and lords who try to rescue her. That is, until the prince she choses for her newest companion, Heather, changes everything…
Surrounded by glass and glamour, how can you know what’s real?
Now Isobel’s life is perfect – as long as she doesn’t look too closely at the cracks in the glass. Yet, it’s a lonely life, so when a charming young man takes the place of her reflection and speaks with her, she’s glad for the companionship, even if his secrets threaten to topple everything she knows. Just how did she come to live in this glass palace?
Before Kieran might play the part of the roguish younger prince, but he takes seriously his role as the last line of defense against threats to his parents and brother. When Lothilla brings her goddaughter to court wrapped in too much glamour, and his brother falls for the girl too quickly, he knows that something must be wrong. But what can he do against the power of an elder fae?
Secrets and mystery abound, and who knows the truth under the perfection? What will stay standing when the illusion is destroyed?
Once upon a time, a human girl was kidnapped by a fae prince…for her own good.
I was just minding my own business in the woods. At night. As you do when your family is as messed up as mine. When I was rudely abducted to Faerie by a grizzly bear.
Okay, so he’s actually a cursed fae prince named Leith. And yes, he did technically save me from the creepily intelligent wolves that were chasing me down. But now I’m trapped at his castle until they go away, and this prince is far from charming, what with the missing eye, and the curse, and did he cut his own hair with a sword?
I suppose it could be worse. Yes, the castle and it’s inhabitants have been cursed by the Unseelie Queen, but I don’t have a fox handmaiden back home to braid my hair every day. Or dresses that shimmer like starlight. And maybe the prince isn’t so bad, when he’s not growling at me. He might even be handsome under those scars.
But that’s besides the point. I’m going to figure out the curse this castle is under, save my new friends, and get back home before I lose my heart to this beast of a prince.
Until then, I hope there’s at least a decent library somewhere in this castle.
Trusting a talking cat was perhaps the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard of . . .
Helena Sheppard always prided herself on keeping a level head. But when she gives up the flock of sheep meant to be her dowry to preserve her younger sister’s happiness, she accepts a cat to appease her family despite the impracticality. When the cat starts talking and insisting on an adventure, Helena finds her path taking rather unexpected turns.
Cursed by a dragoness nearly a century ago, Reed hasn’t spoken to a human in nearly as long. When Helena proves herself worthy, he grows determined to see the former shepherdess properly rewarded even if it means leading her to Carabas and encouraging her to accept the attentions of a nice knight.
But when they discover a dragon in Carabas, what will it cost to save the people and the kingdom?
A fantasy retelling of the classic fairytale, Puss in Boots
The curse stole her voice, but breaking it may cost everything she holds dear.
Hidden in the northern mountains, Sybil longs for the day when their curse will be broken. Life with only gryphons as company is not easy. She knows that she is the key to returning her brothers to their human forms but doing so may be impossible. Then everything changes when she saves a stranger.
Damian is a hunted man. When he makes the mistake of trying to protect a mysterious and silent girl, his fate takes an unexpected turn. A foreigner, he’s lived on the run for years. As he grows closer to Sybil, he discovers she doesn’t need a voice to speak. However, he cannot forget his haunted past and the gryphons she claims as brothers are eager to see him gone.
With danger closing in on all sides, will Sybil be forced to sacrifice something greater than her voice?
A desperate attempt to save a child demands sacrifice.
Imani Tanzer is the closest her young brother has to a mother. When he falls ill due to a vengeful dragoness, it seems almost impossible to save him. Yet when she hears rumors of a dragon healer, Imani risks seeking him out. The dragon gives her a sliver of hope—the curse can be transferred but she and her sisters must leave their family behind forever.
William left behind his painful past when he agreed to be the huntsman and companion to the golden dragon. When his master binds three sisters in service to him, the last thing William expected was to grow to care for the eldest, Imani. Yet as the years pass and the sisters perform their nightly dances, he finds himself loving from afar.
When the curse turns dark, will love be strong enough to save them all?
A fantasy retelling of the classic fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Clean romance, adventure, and humor combine to bring classic fairytales and myths to new life in Love’s Enchanted Tales, a series of interconnected stand-alone stories. Each story can be read and enjoyed on its own. However, for greatest enjoyment they should be read in order.
They survived one curse, breaking another could burn them.
Thalassa and Alina spent one hundred years dancing for a golden dragon. With their elder sister and her huntsman venturing north, they are left to figure out a new place in life. One that might not involve dragons. However, when the dragons are attacked by a shadowy cabal, the sisters choose to join a quest to root out the organization before it can bring war back to the Five Kingdoms.
Lore spent over a century alone save for his human companions, the huntsman and three sisters. A healer and curse breaker, he closed away his emotions after unimaginable loss until one of the sisters dared challenge his rule of detachment. Something he cannot allow. When he discovers an old enemy is involved with the cabal attack, he agrees to help break the cabal’s schemes in hopes the dancer wrapping her fingers around his heart will fall for another.
Their quest becomes more perilous when the cabal uses magic to separate the group and curse the dragons to madness. Thalassa and Alina must each fight for their dragon’s mind. But to survive this curse, they must unlock the secrets of their own heritage before everyone succumbs to dragon’s fire.
A fantasy retelling of the classic fairytale, Snow White and Rose Red
In Brianna’s new world of ice and snow, the coldest things by far are the eyes of her betrothed…
Brianna bears a deadly secret: she’s not the princess she is pretending to be. If the prince finds out, her life will be forfeit and her country plunged into war.But there is more to the icy prince than meets the eye, and Brianna slowly unravels the secrets of his dark past while surviving in a strange culture.
However her goodness and wit will only get her so far. Terrifying beasts stalk the border and a murderer is at work in the town. They know the truth of Brianna’s identity and will stop at nothing to destroy all she has fought for.
She’s the shunned, strange and unwanted maiden living alone in the woods. He’s the noble, handsome, and highly eligible personal knight of the King. So why is he always seeking her out?
Willow is familiar with the unkind words of others. With her ugly and undesirable grey-white hair and black eyes, the villagers never tire of their mocking. Only one person has ever been kind to her–Sir Thomas. Despite her intense attraction to the kind and handsome knight, Willow knows he could never want her–the cursed outcast with the strange ability to speak with animals.
When Thomas takes a walk in the woods on a cool autumn day, he never imagines finding the mythical Westwoods–woods he only knows from bedtime stories told to children. After becoming stranded, he is relieved when Willow stumbles upon him. As they wait out a storm together in a small cave, their feelings for one another can no longer be denied.
As they emerge from the cave and search for a way out of the woods, Willow starts to wonder if she could belong with Thomas. Could someone truly want her? However, when they discover secrets about Willow’s true identity, their budding relationship is threatened. Will discovering her past change whatever seems to be forming between them faster than a leaf falling to the forest floor? Or is belonging more than being accepted by others, but accepting one’s self?
What if Little Bo Peep, had a skill for catching crooks?
Lady Genevieve Rayelle Palleep loves to point out what no one else notices, which makes it a tad difficult to get along with most suitors. While tracking down details may not be beneficial for her life as a lady, it certainly has uses in her more secretive life. Since being recruited as a crown agent as a child, Evie’s talents have never failed to hunt down black market goods, runaway convicts, or anything else one could imagine… That is, until her next mission bears an interesting request. When eight magic-fused wool cloaks go missing from the black market, the agency doesn’t feel that Evie can handle the task alone. Much to Evie’s regret, she’s assigned her very first partner, an obnoxiously attractive agent by the name of Shepherd. He wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t have to go undercover as courting lovers… or if he wasn’t so perfect. With her new partner in tow, and a mysterious stack of cloaks ready to be found, Evie is determined to prove she never needed Shep’s help from the start. She’s worked too hard to let another man drag her around like a wandering sheep. Will Evie be able to track down the missing wools? Or will her distrust of her partner leave them both lost?
She’s a con artist who’s ready to start fresh. He’s her last target before she’s placed under house arrest. What will happen when he pays her a visit in her new prison?
Charlotte Chryses has spent enough time pick-pocketing and thieving to know that it’s not the life she wants, but her father doesn’t feel the same. Her illusion magic is far too useful for her father to let her leave the family trade. She could always run away, but that becomes more difficult when one of her father’s tricks offends the king.
With no other way to keep himself out from behind bars, Charlotte’s father convinces the king that his daughter’s magic is capable of turning common items into gold. This intrigues the king just enough to place her on house arrest with instructions to transmute whatever he brings her, but how is she meant to fool the king when her magic can only cast illusions?
With her freedom and her father on the line, Charlotte finds help in the most unlikely of guests when her solitude is interrupted by a former victim of her thievery. With only a weak form of magic, a strange new companion, and one very fat cat, Charlotte must find her way out of the cottage and out of the life that holds her trapped. Will she ever be free of her cozy prison? Or will she end up in a cell that’s far colder?
She must marry a prince for the good of her kingdom…but the man cursed with dragon features who saved her life is the wrong prince.
Raelyn would love a simple life getting up to mischief with her brother and being valued for herself, not her title, but she’s a princess with the weight of a peace treaty on her shoulders.
When Raelyn gets separated from her family on the way to her arranged marriage to the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom, she is saved by a beast…
But now he won’t let her leave.
Not only does the monster claim to be Alexander, the rightful crown prince living in hiding, but he refuses to escort her back to her family. Trapped in dangerous mountains with an infuriating, fire-breathing dragon-man, Raelyn fears for the future of her kingdom and the safety of her family.
And yet…
The kindness of the cursed prince’s human friends surprises her. When Alexander reveals the shocking truth of his curse, she begins to see past the monstrous exterior to the prince’s human heart. But will Raelyn have the courage to admit her growing love for a cursed man? And will her family manage to salvage the treaty when they think her dead?
An unwanted proposal. An unexpected curse. Will Rayna and her eleven sisters ever be free of the Dark King and this eternal dance?
Rayna is not usually the boldest of her sisters. However, when her eldest sister, Faelynn, seems ready to abandon her own happily ever after and accept the Dark King’s proposal, Rayna knows she must act and take drastic measures before someone gets hurt. Measures that just might cost her her heart.
Drake’s reputation as the Dark King precedes him—a reputation he doesn’t quite deserve. When the opportunity arises, Drake seizes the chance to barter for Princess Faelynn’s hand. Weaving his magic, he establishes a weekly ball to court his intended. After six months of rejection, something must change. He never anticipated finding Princess Rayna in his castle disrupting his quiet life.
Will he change directions and acknowledge his heart before it is too late? Or will he live up to his reputation as the Dark King, shattering more than one happily ever after?
Ranessa Medzel always wanted to be a princess until she realized she was destined to be the villain. Born as a gorgon with unusual beauty and vibrant emerald hair, she tried her luck at impressing the king as a young child with her ability to command serpents. Everything goes well, until an accident results in a missing prized jewel, and the gorgon becomes the easiest to blame. Angering a divine ruler never ends well, and in Ranessa’s case, it has a rather blinding result… Now cursed to blind anyone she looks at, Ranessa is forced to hide away from the world that had made her a monster. With only a tower full of snakes to keep her company, ideas of revenge serve as her only entertainment. Prince Phillip is the son of the great divine king of the oceans, but he himself wasn’t born with magic. Eager to prove his worth as a future ruler, he sets off on a mission to rid the kingdom of the snake-wielding gorgon who plagues their people. Ranessa is all too pleased to have the prince join her—after all, killing her former betrothed would be the revenge she’s waited her entire life for. Phillip can only prove himself by bringing back the gorgon’s head, and Ranessa can only free herself by killing the royals who forced her into solitude. Will one of them emerge victorious? Or will they both remain blind to the true villains at work?
A Son of Zeus A Lost Warrior A Love Stronger than Mountains
Hercules, son of Zeus, has no place. The eldest son of the Storm King lost his home, his name, and his family in a fit of madness. A madness he fears will emerge once more.
An earth elemental with the strength of mountains, he hides from his father’s schemes by staying far away from elemental strongholds. Wandering the land as a warrior for hire is a small penance for his past. But when a fire elemental asks him to save her village, he risks being rediscovered by the Storm King.
Deianeira calls to his heart. A call he must resist. Battling monsters is easier than risking the return of his madness. But when an act of treachery endangers Deianeira, Hercules will do anything to save her.
A romantic fantasy inspired by the classic myths of Hercules
A Daughter of Zeus A Loyal Servant A Love Daring to Rebel
Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the ultimate strategist. Her mind is her greatest strength in surviving the Storm King’s court. And she proves it by being her father’s most loyal child. Until the day she fails a mission.
Desperate to regain her place, Athena obeys Zeus’ command to bring a recalcitrant weapon smith to heel. Hephaestus of the fire elementals is the greatest weapon smith known to elementals and he is infuriating. Athena’s strength lies in her mind but crossing a water elemental risks drowning. When Hephaestus challenges her loyalty to the Storm King, she thinks she can handle any scheme.
A smith with a magnificent mind is not what she expected. But when they are both accused of disloyalty, Athena faces the most challenging choice of her life. Stay loyal to the father she cannot trust. Or, rely on an unexpected bond and rebel.
A romantic fantasy inspired by the classic myths of Athena and Hephaestus
All Vera wants is to survive her wedding day without disaster striking, no easy task for a quarter-mage like Vera. But all her hopes fade when a stranger traps Vera, claiming she’s dangerous. The day gets worse when she is shoved inside the Labyrinth, an enchanted prison for the worst of criminals.
In this place, madness reigns. The monsters—both real and imagined—are all ruled by a terrible force that feeds on fear. Vera must keep her wits about her as she navigates this deadly place, searching for a way out.
When she meets another mortal trapped within, she doesn’t know if she can trust him. But as their paths continue to cross, it seems as if the maze is forcing them to work together. Can they help each other defeat the monsters and survive in this nightmare world? But in the Labyrinth, nothing is as it seems.
A cursed king. A hunted sorceress. A mad plan for survival.
Newly crowned, Red blames one person for his father’s murder: the secret sorceress sworn to protect the king.
Alyana Barron, Royal Sorcerer to the throne of Tandera, has been hiding from a dangerous enemy bent on destroying her magic–and Red’s rash behavior has just told her enemy where to find her.
When Red activates a hidden curse, he must rely on Aly for survival, but Aly’s magic is tied directly to his wellbeing. As the curse drains his life, it weakens her magic as well.
Fighting for survival, their lives entwine in ways neither of them expected. To find a cure, they must put aside their mutual distrust and work together, but the closer they get to a solution, the nearer they step toward death, for the path to the cure is as dangerous as the curse itself.
The enemy is dead. The battle has only just begun.
Red and Aly thought they had eliminated the greatest to their lives, but as they return from their trip north, a new enemy rises from within their own ranks, threatening to rip Red and Aly apart.
Lord Benedict Alexander has a distant claim to the throne, and he will do everything in his power to usurp Red’s rule before the official coronation at summer’s end. Convinced Red was corrupted by his trip into the Canyon, Lord Alexander fights to destroy Red’s kingship, and with it, Red’s Binding to Aly.
Now Red must earn the trust of his countrymen, not only to retain his throne and continue his fight against Kassia and the Canyon, but to keep Aly as well, for Aly is bound to serve the crown, no matter who wears it.
Fight for the crown. Fight for love. Or lose them both.
Tana was ready to be the crown princess. She was not ready to lose her father and save her home.
Keegan had left his home to run away from his past, but he cannot escape his heritage or his mistakes.
As the two fight to save Heimat Draz, they discover they must learn to trust both themselves and each other, because a lot more than just Tana’s kingdom is at risk. If they cannot defeat the evil spreading, all of Sandig Skaa will be destroyed.
To kill the prince, she must first kill her heart.
Princess Riona was eight when the Revonian king murdered her family and conquered her kingdom with a mysterious magic. She has spent the last decade training—and waiting for her moment to avenge them all and reclaim her rightful title.
Now that the king is ailing, Riona secures a position within the Revonian royal palace. Her goals? Get close to the prince. Kill him. Uncover Revon’s secret magic. Make the king suffer. Only then can she take back her country.
But the closer she gets to the prince, the more he surprises her with kindness, honor, and wit. He is nothing like his cruel father. Worse yet, he sees right through to her heart. When she planned this assassination, her heart didn’t factor in.
In a land of darkness and deadly adversaries… He might just be the deadliest one of all.
Burdened by a debt she can never hope to repay, Aislin is sent by her cruel lord to the mysterious land of Dunmaren, where she must beg the night elves for a single favor. The shapeshifters demand a steep price, but Aislin will do anything to save her family—even travel alone into a nightmare forest filled with monsters.
Except she isn’t quite alone…
Talyn’s magic is as deadly as his blades, but he lives only for his chance at revenge. Betrayed and imprisoned by his night elf kin, his only hope of freedom is to serve as guide and bodyguard to a human woman foolish enough to enter the perilous depths of the Darkspring.
Talyn wants nothing to do with a weak and useless human. In Dunmaren, only the strong survive, and soft things are easily broken. But Aislin defies his expectations at every turn, and what he once believed to be weakness might just prove the key to their survival.
In the shadows beneath the earth, an unlikely bond is forged between the renegade night elf and the fiercely determined human. But few ever return from the depths, and it will take more than stubbornness and steel to defeat the enemy that awaits them at the very heart of the Darkspring.
In a world full of elves, woodwose, gargoyles, and brownies among others, humans can’t help crossing paths with all of the magical species. Well, everyone except Avril. She manages to avoid all elves. Then one day, her master orders her to steal a dagger from the very elf she wishes to evade most, the elven spymaster of Eldarlan. Bound by her indenture, she has no choice but to obey. She plans a swift sneak-and-grab mission, but things go awry.
Illeron knows more than any elf should. The gathering, analyzing, and disseminating of information consumes his life to the point his brother suggests he needs a distraction. So, when a human woman breaks into his study to steal his dagger, he seizes the opportunity and offers her a bargain she can’t refuse. And a fate he never imagined.
Merlon, the king of Eldarlan’s healer, hides his soft heart beneath a prickly exterior. Despite a traumatic childhood, he strives to excel as a healer and an elf. But he gets more than he bargained for when he rescues a human woman from certain death right before being snared in the curse put on the king of Eldarlan.
Left to fend for herself in an absent elf healer’s compound, Adela tries to be useful. The patients call her the healer’s apprentice. Something the healer rejects when he finally returns. Despite his grumpy manner, the healer displays a strange mixture of kindness and care. Intrigued, Adela suspects the healer hides more than he reveals.
Essie would do anything for her kingdom…even marry an elf prince she just met that morning.
The human kingdom of Escarland and the elven kingdom of Tarenhiel have existed in an uneasy peace after their last wars ended with both kings dead. As tensions rise once again, desperate diplomacy might be the only way to avert war. If only negotiations between elves and humans were that simple.
When a diplomatic meeting goes horribly wrong, Essie, a human princess, finds herself married to the elf prince and warrior Laesornysh. Fitting in to the serene, quiet elf culture might be a little difficult for this talkative princess, but she’s determined to make it work.
With impending war and tenuous alliances, it will be up to Essie to unite her two peoples. And maybe get her hands on elven conditioner while she’s at it.
In the quaint, cliffside town of Overton Heights, FIONA—a real-life witch masquerading as a stage magician—steps into the spotlight and spies the one man capable of destroying the stable life (and cover) she’s built for herself and her half-mundane daughter: a social media superstar famous for debunking people with paranormal abilities. Fiona casts a malfunction spell to stop him. But like many of her spells, the muddled magic leads to bigger problems.
ARTHUR hates magicians and ghost hunters and fortune tellers, anyone with so-called paranormal abilities. They make a living by deceiving others, so he earns his by exposing them for frauds. His father had been a magician, and the only real magic he’d performed was a disappearing act when he’d vanished from his life forever. On the agenda tonight is the smoking hot Fiona the Ice Magician, only he can’t record the show because everything he touches breaks. A trip to his van to retrieve another pen lands him—headfirst—into a more dire situation.
Sprawled across the rocks at the bottom of a cliff, Fiona discovers Arthur’s unconscious body and uses magic to save the dude in distress. When he wakes, witnesses real magic, and threatens to expose her, Fiona administers two hours’ worth of an Amnesia Ambrosia to make him forget, but in the struggle, he bites her finger, drawing blood, and the spell is reversed. He wakes with a full set of memories of a happy life with Fiona and her daughter, HAYLEE. Spelled into a fake marriage, Fiona must play house with the enemy until a counter spell can be found. Until then, magic and mayhem unfold as she makes him pay for his misdeeds. Can she pretend to be married to the enemy without falling for him?
A dragon billionaire. The heiress of a rival company. They agree on nothing. When their companies are required to collaborate, will their rivalry blind them to something better than business?
Peter Krall is the charming one among his circle of friends. He knows his place in the family business of running one of the country’s preeminent PR firms. Lead with his charm and neither business rivals nor women resist for long. With one notable exception—the new VP of Communications for a rival paranormal PR firm.
Rebecca Halliman has always fought to prove herself worthy of being adopted into the Halliman legacy. Burying the truth about her half-siren was part of that battle. The other was earning her way through the ranks of her father’s company. Newly appointed to VP of Communications, she faces her greatest challenge when a high profile meeting between human and paranormal politicians requires her to work with her playboy rival.
The rivals could be a dream team in the making in and out of the board room. If they can ever have a conversation without arguing. However, when secrets threaten to break their temporary alliance as well as their companies, Peter and Rebecca could lose everything unless they choose to take a chance on each other.
Thank you so much for reading. I’d love to hear about any sweet and swoony fantasy romance forced proximity books you’ve read. Drop your recommendations and favorites in the comments. Meanwhile, I hope you’ve found many new and fantastic reads! If you enjoyed this list and would like to receive more be sure to join my newsletter by subscribing with the link below.
As someone who struggles with dyslexia, anytime I find a character who also struggles with dyslexia I feel seen, even when the author gets things wrong.
I get it. A lot of people think dyslexia has to do with your eyes or vision (it doesn’t–I love that dictionary.com explicitly states that it does not have to do with intelligence or vision). Yes I get a little bit annoyed that this false hood persists but I really appreciate that the author tried! (For those of you wondering it has to do with the way the language center of the brain processes information.)
However to avoid spreading false information I feel it is imperative for authors to do their research especially if they don’t have experience with the specific disability they are portraying. We want to do all of those things in the quote above, normalize it, raise awareness, increase representation and provide a new prospective.
When I first began writing The Wolf’s Golden Deception, I did not set out with the intention to write a book about someone with a disability, however as I dug into the myth and did some more research I realized that losing a limb would be perfect for my story. Except I was hesitant at first. What did I know about such things? I don’t have a close relationship with anyone who has had a similar experience.
So I did what I always do when searching out information, I turned to the all-knowing internet. However I didn’t want generalized medical information about it, I wanted real personal accounts. I watched people on You-Tube share their stories and read numerous personal accounts, both for those who had experienced snake bites and for those who had lost a limb. I was touched by all of their stories and grateful for the opportunity to learn more as I did my best to portray what it might have been like for my character Mira.
Stolen magic. Broken trust. Can love save Rafe and Mira from being consumed by the Wolf’s deception? Or is it already too late?
For months, Lord Rafe has been ensnared in a deception that he wishes he’d never fallen for. But what else could he do to protect his family? What started out as something seemingly harmless became achingly complex when he fell in love with Princess Mira. Refusing to see her hurt by his poor choices, he made the painful decision to stay away from her.
Mira still doesn’t understand why the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with vanished after the end of the midnight balls. When he finally returns contrite and ready to court her, she wants to forgive him and regain what they once had. But Rafe is accused of a shocking crime and banished just as a tragedy strikes that changes Mira’s life forever. Now they must meet cloaked in secret if they wish to be together.
Can they solve the mystery of the Wolf before time runs out, or will their secrets and their forbidden love be exposed, making things more precarious than ever?
A poisoned apple and true love’s first kiss were only the beginning to Snow White’s story…
After a handsome prince swoops in to save the day, Snow can’t help but feel like something is still missing in her life. She begins to wonder if “happily ever after” really exists, because what she is experiencing certainly isn’t the idyllic life she imaged a princess would have. With each passing day, Snow feels an increasing desire to escape the pressures of the castle and return to the brothers who live in the cottage in the woods.
Snow adores the youngest of the brothers, who cannot speak and has an inexplicable, infectious joy about him. Oliver’s grouchy caregiver doesn’t want anyone to get close to their family, and continually rebuffs Snow’s kindness. Snow can only hope that the unlikely friendship of these two brothers will be the key to unlocking her heart and happiness.
*Representation: Prominent character has an intellectual disability.
James Hook never meant to become a pirate, and never dreamed that he would turn against best friend, Peter Pan. Every adventure and eternal youth awaited them… until a pixie exposes a shocking revelation. Tinkerbell’s information forces James into acknowledging that, far from being the benevolent hero he painted himself to be, Peter Pan was kidnapping innocent children.
After accepting the traumatic loss of his hand and of the family he can barely remember, James deserts Pan. In the fight to rescue the Lost Boys, Hook will risk everything, even if that means becoming the most notorious villain in Neverland… or losing the fiery pixie who is stealing his heart.
Can the original Lost Boy vanquish Neverland’s greatest threat?
Princess Gemma has been trapped for years within a magical turret, a fate she deems fitting for a sickly princess with little purpose. The enchanted walls offer security, which she’d do anything to maintain, for though she knows she should want to escape, her prison seems far safer than the outside world. But the magic of the tower has begun to fade, bringing with it not only unpredictable dangers but the very real possibility that soon Gemma will be forced to leave the prison she’s grown to trust.
The tower’s shifting magic isn’t the only thing changing, for the longer Gemma spends with her faithful guard, Quinn, the more she realizes that her feelings for him are inappropriate for one of her royal status. But the deeper her feelings for her guard grow, the more Gemma yearns not only to escape the tower in order to see more of the world beyond, but to break through the walls she’s built around herself.
But even if she finds the courage to fight for the life she wants—one filled with possibilities far more beautiful than she’s ever allowed herself to imagine—there’s one final obstacle for her to overcome…for she’s not the only one who has created walls. Though she’s striving to lower hers in order to allow her guard in, Quinn is determined to protect her from his devastating secret by keeping her out.
*Representation: Main character struggles with chronic illness. Another main character begins to go blind.
As the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, Marisa spends her days exploring the different locations the enchanted lighthouse takes her to—as well as developing her magical ability to manipulate water. But when her magic inadvertently causes a tragic accident, she chooses to pay penance by giving up both her voice and her magic.
For years, Marisa is content with her self-imposed silence…until the day she saves Prince Owen from drowning. What begins as a noble rescue soon entangles her in a fake engagement…one whose promised reward might not be worth the risk should Prince Owen’s intended discover their deception.
Marisa makes every attempt to protect her heart during their façade, but the endearing prince makes it increasingly more difficult to remember it’s nothing but a ruse. The closer they become, the less of a charade their relationship feels, and the more Marisa misses the words that are no longer hers, yearning to finally free herself from her guilt and reclaim her voice.
*Representation: Main character experiences a traumatic event and stops speaking.
A usurped princess. A mercenary sorcerer. A fate neither expected.
As a crown princess, Ava has always anticipated betrayals—but never from her own twin. The unspeakable treachery comes the night Ava meets her true love, when Lina hires the infamous sorcerer, Lord Von Rothbart, to turn Ava into a swan, and takes her place.
Kept across the mountains in Dietrich’s castle lake, Ava’s repeated attempts to escape, to return to her prince and life, keep failing. But in the last time Dietrich recaptures her, she gets close enough to glimpse the terrible truth of what she left behind—starting with that of her prince.
Yet, it’s Dietrich’s true motivations and the unique bond that forms between them that shock her the most.
Will she reject their burgeoning feelings and trust to undo his efforts and reclaim her kingdom? Will he risk the consequences of freeing her from his curse? Will their love survive the demands of duty, and the toll of resentment and threats? Or will it fade away with the moonlight at sunrise?
*Representation: Main character’s foot was injured and never healed properly
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
*Representation: Main character has cerebral palsy
What if Rumpelstiltskin and the miller’s daughter fell for each other?
Meg is cursed, bewitched with breath taking beauty at the cost of absolute obedience to her father. Rhys, her best friend, is also cursed. He is able to spin straw into gold, but each pump of the treadle exacts a terrible price. Two souls were never so perfect for each other, but fate seems determined to pull them apart.
When the King holds Meg hostage and demands gold, she must decide… Is she willing to let Rhys suffer if it saves her own life or will she accept the King’s punishment and let Rhys go free?
*Representation: Main character has rheumatoid arthritis.
A beastly curse. A dangerous secret. A princess with a plan.
Princess Neylan is fed up with meddling sorcerers. With more knowledge about the dangers of sorcery than any of her eleven sisters, book-loving Neylan never imagined she would lose her heart to a man who’d been cursed, much less one she’d never met. Won over after months of correspondence, she joins Master Healer Keir in a distant kingdom, confident her presence will be the cure. But when her attempt to break his beastly curse fails, she turns to an unforeseen ally who offers a solution that will grant her the knowledge she seeks … or else destroy all chances of happiness forever.
A duchess, a beast, and a castle full of hungry hostages…
Duchess Mirabel Brantley has spent nearly all her life being sheltered due to her fragile health. With no hope of ever living the life of adventure she dreamed of, Mira agrees to an arranged marriage with the neighboring duke of Dhurin. Their betrothal celebration might have been pleasant if they didn’t already despise each other, but it also might have helped if the entire party wasn’t taken hostage…
The ex-prince Conan has been left beaten and scarred after his partnership with the criminal group, the beasts. With a hunger for vengeance against the Ruby Realm and a never-ending craving for power, Conan seizes the entire Dhurin castle with the help of an enchanted gift. His terms are simple; hand over Dhurin, and the hostages live. Refuse and… well, the guests will learn why he was favored by the beasts.
Mira is a prisoner at her own party, but they might not be in as much trouble as they thought when a lone caster offers up her powers as protection. With the ability to cast her magic into living plants, the caster selects a simple rose to contain her gift. With only the dwindling lifespan of a rose keeping the hostages from being torn apart, it’s only a matter of time before matters get grim. Can Mira convince their captor to set them free before their time runs out? Or will they simply wilt with their rose?
*Representation: Main character deals with celiac disease.
After a foolhardy rescue attempt in the middle of a raging storm, Ariel found herself crippled and robbed of the one thing she had always taken for granted–her legs. As an initiate to the Daughters of the Creator, she strove to find meaning and purpose in her life through service to others, and tried to convince herself that saving the life of the Earl of Ashland’s young son was worth the price of her legs. But despite all that, in her deepest parts she still dreams of the day she will be able to dance again. Twelve years later, a meeting with the mysterious (and probably completely untrustworthy) Captain Lesard leaves with her greatest wish fulfilled: he can restore her legs to her for three days if she agrees to help him find the treasure hidden in Davy Jones’ locker–but the cost is her voice.
Davy Jones, heir to the Earl of Ashland, has been on the trail of Captain Pierre Lesard for almost a year, ever since he discovered the nefarious pirate had been the one keeping his cousin Pan captive. Lesard has evaded capture twice, but the newest trail leads Davy and his friend John Childs to the island country of Maregar. Davy remembers well the site of his near death, and the voice of the girl who rescued him still haunts his dreams at night. With Lesard as his excuse, he can finally return and express the proper gratitude to the girl who saved him all those years ago.
When their paths collide, Ariel and Davy race against Lesard to find the locker and the treasure he believes is hidden inside. As her time slips away, Ariel is forced to make a choice: Will she take Lesard’s offer and have her legs restored permanently? Or can she give up the dream she has been holding onto for years in order to once again save Davy’s life?
*Representation: Main character suffers a severe leg injury.
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
*Representation: Main character has a limb difference.
I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.
Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer—even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.
Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own.
But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.
A bitter and reclusive prince. A determined intruder. An unlikely friendship.
His face scarred from a witch’s curse, Prince Sebastian retreats inside his castle, resentful and angry. He shuns contact with everyone except the Red Hoods, the elite soldiers he trains and leads.
Four years ago, Sienna was kidnapped. Still traumatized by her ordeal, she needs to learn to protect herself to feel safe again, and she wants the Prince to train her.
Reluctantly, Sebastian agrees.
But long-held beliefs aren’t so easy to cast aside. Can the bitter soldier and the haunted girl overcome their demons? Or will their pasts rip them apart?
*Representation: Main character has severe burn scars.
A disguised princess. A friend in need. A desperate plan. And one entitled prince standing in their way.
To save her friend, Princess Natashya travels across the continent and goes undercover as a servant, Asha. But the enchanted golden ball that could help them is in the possession of the Prince, and his price for relinquishing it is the one thing Asha doesn’t have… time.
As the Midsummer Ball approaches, so does the deadline. Natashya’s involvement is risking her own Kingdom, but is she risking her heart as well?
Princess Aurora is not going to wait for a prince to rescue her.
Trapped in an enchanted sleep, Aurora uses her magical link to twelve other princesses to find out how to break the spell. But she also has to contend with the mysterious man who visits her in her sleep. Is he her protector as he claims, or is he her jailer?
Meanwhile, Aurora’s sister Rosebud and their friend Sienna are on a quest to find her. The three must work together to uncover the secrets of the past if they want to have a future. They made a blood vow to each other, and they are going to fulfil it: No princess left behind.
No matter what it takes.
*Representation: Main character deals with depression.
It was just a dance. But in Caelan, dancing changes everything. Especially if you’re a princess.
Princess Ilani is cursed. She can no longer dance, and is therefore considered worthless. Forgotten. Invisible. Until her twelve sisters are trapped in a deadly game with a breathtaking prize—a royal bride and an empire for the taking, if a man is willing to risk everything for a chance to win.
Only Ilani can see the sinister forces at work behind the scenes and the danger lurking beneath the smiles of the court. But who will listen to a cursed princess? No one, that’s who. No one except a strangely compelling foreigner, whose motives remain shrouded in secrecy and mistrust.
As darkness gathers and deadly plans come to light, a fierce princess and a dangerously charming spy may be the only ones who can save both their kingdoms from the malice and magic of a treacherous adversary.
*Representation: Main character’s legs were broken and never healed properly.
Can a disabled mage save a prince from a terrible fate?
When she was fourteen, Gabi promised she’d do anything to protect Prince Alrik of Arksar. Including falling in love with him, in case true love’s kiss is needed to break the curse. But six years later, Alrik hasn’t expressed interest in any woman. He is content to flirt, but never showed a strong attachment for anyone. And now the witch who cursed him has returned after years in exile…
Time is also running out in Savony, where trolls have broken out from underground, terrorizing the castle. More help is needed to defeat the trolls, but with half the mages tasked to protect Alrik, how will Alix, Sybil, and the princes band together and save their kingdom from an unprecedented crisis?
*Representation: Main character has a foot injury.
The Fair and Foul courts of the fey folk have long yearned for one to bring them together in peace, but hopes are dashed when the fairest prince and the prophecy concerning him are laid to ruin. Burdened with shame and sorrow, the prince flees to the cold mountains far above the forests and lochs with nothing but animals and goblins for company.
When a human huntress stumbles upon him in her search for a legendary predator, their fates are intertwined. But she hides deadly secrets, and if he dares to trust her, he may risk the doom of both courts to an ancient evil…
It’s a fun magic, except in a world filled with vampires and werewolves, it doesn’t exactly make me a powerhouse. Instead, the supernatural community has classified me as an outcast, which means one thing: picking on me is open season all day, every day.
The local fae are the worst of all, and it’s during one of their regular “capture the cat-girl” sessions that I shift into my cat form and meet HIM for the first time.
Noctus is so powerful his magic radiates off him like a sun, and my fae captors can barely look in his general direction. And then my life gets even more terrifying when Noctus decides to take me with him. As a pet.
Why did he pick today to “adopt don’t shop” a cat?
It gets worse when I realize he’s an elf, a ruling race of supernaturals that was supposedly killed off centuries ago.
But he’s not just any elf, no. He’s an elven king, with heaps of secrets to protect. Secrets that I am quickly learning since he includes his new pet in everything from breaking into buildings to inspect classified paperwork to tracking down sketchy supernaturals.
All this means if he gets even a hint that I’m not a real cat, I’m going to find out firsthand how elves treat their prisoners.
So, escaping Noctus is priority #1. How hard can it be? (Answer: very.)
*Representation: Main character has anxiety and side character is blind.
After her father uproots the family to the northern duchy of Brackenhurst, Grace Eldon and her four younger sisters struggle with a new life of hardship. Desperate to keep a roof over their heads amid mounting debts, she and her youngest sister seek employment in the Duke of Brackenhurst’s household despite fearsome rumors.
Scarred and maimed from a terrible fire Silas Isling, Duke of Brackenhurst, buries himself in his work to avoid the stares of pity and fear. When one of the new maids shows no fear at his appearance, he is intrigued. That is until his meddling steward gives her the task of cleaning Silas’ bookroom. It is a most unwelcome disruption since he prefers to be alone.
While a thief plagues his castle, an old nemesis reappears, and enemies invade in the guise of guests. Amidst the distractions and chaos, Grace brings some unexpected order. Once convinced his scars had stolen all hope for love, Silas finds his life forever changed by the quiet maid. Could she love a scarred Duke?
*Representation: Main Character struggles with vision problems, chronic illness and has a limb difference.
They survived one curse, breaking another could burn them.
Thalassa and Alina spent one hundred years dancing for a golden dragon. With their elder sister and her huntsman venturing north, they are left to figure out a new place in life. One that might not involve dragons. However, when the dragons are attacked by a shadowy cabal, the sisters choose to join a quest to root out the organization before it can bring war back to the Five Kingdoms.
Lore spent over a century alone save for his human companions, the huntsman and three sisters. A healer and curse breaker, he closed away his emotions after unimaginable loss until one of the sisters dared challenge his rule of detachment. Something he cannot allow. When he discovers an old enemy is involved with the cabal attack, he agrees to help break the cabal’s schemes in hopes the dancer wrapping her fingers around his heart will fall for another.
Their quest becomes more perilous when the cabal uses magic to separate the group and curse the dragons to madness. Thalassa and Alina must each fight for their dragon’s mind. But to survive this curse, they must unlock the secrets of their own heritage before everyone succumbs to dragon’s fire.
The curse stole her voice, but breaking it may cost everything she holds dear.
Hidden in the northern mountains, Sybil longs for the day when their curse will be broken. Life with only gryphons as company is not easy. She knows that she is the key to returning her brothers to their human forms but doing so may be impossible. Then everything changes when she saves a stranger.
Damian is a hunted man. When he makes the mistake of trying to protect a mysterious and silent girl, his fate takes an unexpected turn. A foreigner, he’s lived on the run for years. As he grows closer to Sybil, he discovers she doesn’t need a voice to speak. However, he cannot forget his haunted past and the gryphons she claims as brothers are eager to see him gone.
With danger closing in on all sides, will Sybil be forced to sacrifice something greater than her voice?
A Daughter of Zeus A Loyal Servant A Love Daring to Rebel
Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the ultimate strategist. Her mind is her greatest strength in surviving the Storm King’s court. And she proves it by being her father’s most loyal child. Until the day she fails a mission.
Desperate to regain her place, Athena obeys Zeus’ command to bring a recalcitrant weapon smith to heel. Hephaestus of the fire elementals is the greatest weapon smith known to elementals and he is infuriating. Athena’s strength lies in her mind but crossing a water elemental risks drowning. When Hephaestus challenges her loyalty to the Storm King, she thinks she can handle any scheme.
A smith with a magnificent mind is not what she expected. But when they are both accused of disloyalty, Athena faces the most challenging choice of her life. Stay loyal to the father she cannot trust. Or, rely on an unexpected bond and rebel.
*Representation: Main character suffered severe injury resulting in weakened legs.
The King of Eldarlan hates parties. Superficial conversations and social niceties never come easy for him. When cursed to host human princesses at a party every night, he considers it mild torture until an unusual princess appears one night. Wrapped in a worn robe with bare feet and tousled hair, she intrigues him immediately
Kate had been a princess only a matter of hours before being pulled from her bed by a magical spell. It drops her in an enchanted garden populated by silent elves and princesses of various ages. Attempting to avoid the unsolicited advice of her new peers, she retreats to the dark hedge maze where she encounters her host.
A kidnapped governess. A goblin prince. A world on the brink of disaster.
Anrid Fray left her sister for an arranged marriage to a dark elf; instead, she is stolen away and accidentally binds herself to a temperamental magic known as the Bifrost. She only wants to find her betrothed, but a harassed Runemaster and a pack of unruly orphans won’t let her leave.
Prince Jael Daemon needs to save his kingdom from strange earthquakes, but the Bifrost protecting Agmon is inexplicably failing. The last thing he wants is responsibility for his wayward younger brother, a naïve human girl, and her homeless goblinborn children who are all in danger.
With the Bifrost under attack and their souls bonded to its fate, can these star-crossed lovers reconcile duty and desire before shadows consume all they hold dear?
*Representation: The goblin children are inspired by down syndrome.
Join Dragon School. Learn to Fly. Sixteen-year-old Amel arrived at Dragon School just like everyone else – with a dream to ride dragons and join the Dominion Dragon Riders. But Amel has a crippled leg and Dragon School training is gruelling. Before she can even become an initiate, she must complete her First Flight on a dragon. Can Amel survive First Flight and become a Dragon School initiate or will her dreams dash on the rocks below?
A DISABLED TEEN. AN EMPATHETIC PHOENIX. A MAGIC THAT COMES FROM THE HEART.
Disabled and rejected in her community, Sersha has never had a best friend. Until one day, a phoenix enters her world, tied to her heart in a way no one can break. Now, this great fiery beast has adopted her as his best friend and he wants to take her away from the world she’s known until now. But Sersha’s village is in trouble and unless she can learn to work with her phoenix friend right now, they might both lose the future they were counting on. Will Sersha’s big heart be enough to forge a bond between them?
**It sounds liked there are characters struggling with things from anxiety to a limb difference to neurodivergence throughout the whole Mark of the Least series.
Have you read any of these books? Any other books with disability representation that you loved and read? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!
I was pleased and happily surprised at the amount of books I was able to find with such wonderful and diverse representation! A huge thank you to all of these amazing authors who made these books possible and those on the sidelines who helped them (and us) learn and understand the stories behind the disabilities. I hope you are able to find some new and fantastic reads and learn a little bit more about the struggles–seen and unseen–that some people might be facing.
Happy Reading!
Alesha Adamson
P.S. If you want to find more disability inclusive books or find a sensitivity reader check out disabilitybookweek.org or follow @disability.book.week on Instagram.
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In 2019 I had the amazing opportunity to team up with eleven other authors to create a twisted fairytale series where the traditional villain is instead the hero of the tale. What a blessing it was to have this series to look forward to publishing in 2021 and to get to work with this group of amazing authors during a world-wide pandemic. What a blessing to have the friendship of these fabulous women when everyone was feeling isolated and alone. We were there for each other supporting and learning from each of our experiences and talents. And even more amazing still, I was blessed to have this experience as I launched my debut novel The Dark King and the Eternal Dance.
Even villains need a happily ever after
What if the enchantress fell in love with the beast? or the sea witch wasn’t so evil? Suppose the sorcerer won the swan princess’s heart? “A Villain’s Ever After” will take you to places where wishes really do come true… from a certain point of view. Except the unexpected as we fall in love with the villains who might not be the “bad guy” after all. Featuring twelve short novels full of magic, romance and adventure, you’ll see villains in a while new light. Who said said villains can’t have happily ever afters?
If there’s one thing Astrid, an aspiring enchantress, has learned throughout her studies, it’s that magic must only be used for good. But when an egocentric prince breaks her sister’s heart, Astrid’s only focus is revenge, and what better way to enact it than with a well-chosen curse?
A simple incantation is all it takes to transform the arrogant prince’s appearance to match the state of his heart. But something goes wrong, causing the spell to affect not only the prince, but its caster as well.
For thirty-nine nights, the sultan of Zunbar has chosen a new wife. For thirty-nine dawns, they are pronounced dead.
When Sultan Zayne summons my best friend to be taken as his newest victim, I can no longer pretend to be blind and volunteer in her stead. My only plan–weave a story each night and hopefully learn why he would kill in the first place.
Robin of the Greenwood spends her days robbing from the rich to feed the poor. With her knowledge of the fae paths, she eludes all attempts to capture her. But she and her merry band of brothers never seem to get anywhere. The more she steals, the more the evil Duke Guy “Bluebeard” taxes the villagers.
When Robin discovers that Duke Guy plans to marry yet again, she conceives a plan for a final, big score. As Guy’s wife, she will have access to his wealth. The lord is notorious for killing his wives shortly after he marries them, but Robin has no plans to be dead wife number four.
What if the prince fell in love with the stepsister?
Lady Charlotte needs a rich husband, and fast. Good thing she has plenty of beauty and charm, with no foolish ideas of love to get in the way of her plans. When the chance to catch the wealthiest, most eligible bachelor in the kingdom appears, she will do everything in her power to win such a prize; even if she must break a few hearts along the way. But in the end, it is her own heart that’s troubled. Perhaps true love really does exist, but if so, it’s not with the man she has caught…
Grik the goblin spends his days as a janitor cleaning the Metropolitan Dance Hall, drawn to the Elvish world and tired of the darkness of his underground home. He secretly pines for the ballet company’s lead dancer, Rosanna, but his own ugliness and shyness stand in the way of confessing his love.
When a handsome soldier named Paul appears on the scene to make a bid for Rosanna’s affections, Grik’s jealousy bubbles over and he commits the unthinkable, plunging all of them into the river and down into the depths of the earth.
No matter how the sugar sparkles, never sample the sweets.
Evony is the daughter of a witch, with all of her reputation but none of her powers. She’s spent her whole life in the heart of the forest, safe from outsiders in a wondrous candy cottage as dangerous as it is beautiful. Kept company by a trio of tiny companions—a loyal gingerbread dragon and two mischievous brownies—Evony’s one desire is to find a place in the human world. But first, she must find a way to undo her mother’s spells and free the poor souls who fell to temptation. Only two obstacles stand in her way. A traveler with distracting molasses-brown eyes, and the one creation the witch left behind with the power to stop her: the gingerbread man.
An unwanted proposal. An unexpected curse. Will Rayna, and her eleven sisters ever be free of the Dark King and this eternal dance?
Rayna is not usually the boldest of her sisters. However, when her eldest sister, Faelynn, seems ready to abandon her own happily ever after and accept the Dark King’s proposal, Rayna knows she must act and take drastic measures before someone gets hurt. Measures that just might cost her her heart.
Deep in the forest, far from the light, a sorceress with magic of the blackest kind keeps prisoner the princess she stole away years ago. From time to time, a prince will come to challenge her, but by and large, life is peaceful for Gothel. And that’s just the way she likes it.
She’s not prepared for the earnest young prince who seems more determined to talk her to death than challenge her to a duel of magic; nor, having tricked him into a battle of questions, is she expecting him to show more interest in her than the tower-bound princess.
A usurped princess. A mercenary sorcerer. A fate neither expected.
As a crown princess, Ava has always anticipated betrayals—but never from her own twin. The unspeakable treachery comes the night Ava meets her true love, when Lina hires the infamous sorcerer, Lord Von Rothbart, to turn Ava into a swan, and takes her place.
A mysterious stranger, an enchantress grandmother, and an overprotective mother. Can Cerise trust any of them?
Cerise DuBois might as well be invisible. Not even her scarlet cloak attracts male interest, and her mother begins to despair of snaring a husband for a boring middle daughter with no magic ability. If not for her baking talents, Cerise would be a hopeless burden on the family.
All mermaids long for the magic of a human soul. Briony won’t drown sailors to get it.
She makes potions instead, earning a reputation as a witch and becoming a social outcast. When a little mermaid asks for a potion that can reunite her with the human she loves, Briony reluctantly agrees.
But there is more to the mermaid’s plan than a quest for love. The more Briony interacts with the human prince the mermaid wants to claim, the more she suspects that he never loved the little mermaid at all.
Shy but magically talented, Princess Carabosse only wants to help her people as they face the looming threat of the Warlock King and his daughter, Aurora. Aurora was gifted from infancy with fairy blessings that make her the most lethal magic-user the world has seen in centuries . . . and she wants Cara’s kingdom.
The only hope for fighting off this deadly threat is the loyalty of the twelve Dragon Lords. They have sworn allegiance to the Briar Crown. But when the crown falls into Aurora’s clutches, who will the dragons serve?
Happy Reading
Alesha Adamson
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The big bad wolf is the villain in many fairytales. The wolf is dangerous and cunning. He is a beast of prey ready to eat those who are too trusting. In “Little Red Riding Hood” he deceives her not once but twice. First when she encounters him on the walk through the woods and he suavely asks her where she is headed suggesting she pick flowers for her grandmother. Then again when he sets up his trap, disguising himself as her grandmother so he can eat her.
In Charles Perrault’s version from 1697, the tale ends there. A depressingly cautionary tale. However when the Grimm brothers adapted the story in the 1800’s they changed the ending by adding a woodcutter who saves both Little Red and Grandmother from the belly of the wolf, filling his belly with rocks instead. While in even earlier versions of the tale, Little Red saves herself by stating that she needs to go to the bathroom and cleverly running away.
Whatever the version, the message is clear: be careful who you trust. The proverbial “wolf in sheep’s clothing” may be hiding in the woods, in broad daylight, or even in your own home. Thankfully there are red flags to help us detect the wolves from the sheep. Such as the wolf’s distinctive eyes, ears and teeth. And like the Little Red of old–when she realized that the person before her wasn’t her grandmother–we can run or get the help needed.
When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor’s twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist–wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory.
But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it’s not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse . . .
This book was a fabulous sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball! Rereading the blurb only makes me want to reread the entire series!
Princess Ava used to be a weapon–sharp, strong and beautiful. But when she fails at her most important task, she’s forced to flee from her own family.
Only her personal bodyguard, Hans, remains loyal. Hans claims to know the real Ava but she finds that hard to believe–after all, she’s been the villain so long that she can’t remember anything else.
This book has definitely been one of my favorite books by Melanie Cellier! I adore the characters and their banter and the journey they go on throughout the book.
Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated; until she saves her crush’s life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it’s next fairytale victim. To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.
This book is a delightful mesh-up of Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and a few more grim tales. It is set in the modern day giving you the paranormal feels. I loved the entire series!
Stolen magic. Broken trust. Can love save Rafe and Mira from being consumed by the Wolf’s deception? Or is it already too late?
For months, Lord Rafe has been ensnared in a deception that he wishes he’d never fallen for. But what else could he do to protect his family? What started out as something seemingly harmless became achingly complex when he fell in love with Princess Mira. Refusing to see her hurt by his poor choices, he made the painful decision to stay away from her.
Mira still doesn’t understand why the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with vanished after the end of the midnight balls. When he finally returns contrite and ready to court her, she wants to forgive him and regain what they once had. But Rafe is accused of a shocking crime and banished just as a tragedy strikes that changes Mira’s life forever. Now they must meet cloaked in secret if they wish to be together.
I came up with the idea for this book when I was still thinking about the villain theme from the Villain’s Ever After anthology. In fact, I came up with a whole series based around this theme. For this tale based off of both “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Orpheus and Eurydice,” I wanted to have the person everyone thought was the villain, not be the actual villain, and so the blackmail plot was born. Add in a snake and a delightfully fairytale, Greek and Norse inspired world with my own set of magical rules and I had a delightful time writing this book! It is the second instalment of my Ever After in Vilastoria stand-alone series.
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of Marissa Meyer’s bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison–even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
This is a delightful companion to the widely popular Cinder. If dystopian, meshed with fairytale steampunk sounds like your jam, you will probably enjoy this series.
A mysterious stranger, an enchantress grandmother, and an overprotective mother. Can Cerise trust any of them?
Cerise DuBois might as well be invisible. Not even her scarlet cloak attracts male interest, and her mother begins to despair of snaring a husband for a boring middle daughter with no magic ability. If not for her baking talents, Cerise would be a hopeless burden on the family.
Or so she believes until a dark man with eyes like gold appears in the family bakery to deliver an invitation from a grandmother she has never met . . . and real trouble begins. What if everything Cerise believes about herself and her family is false?
If you love fast paced writing and corky lovable characters you will probably enjoy reading J.M. Stengl’s books. I’m looking forward to giving this one a try.
There are no wolves in the woods, they said. You’ll be completely safe, they said. They lied.
Batrice Reyard has everything she’s ever wanted—a fabulous job, an understanding mentor, and the freedom to be herself. Or so she thought…
I have yet to read any of Kenley Davidson books but am looking forward to giving her a try. From the reviews, her books might be a tad violent and on the darker side but still happy enough that I think I can enjoy them. (I’ve also been told that some of her books have a few swear words.)
A girl determined to fight her own battles. A boy desperate to protect her at all costs. And a prowling villain with a deceptively charming smile.
After watching her two closest friends survive mistreatment and degradation, Emeline is determined never to become a victim herself, no matter how small and quiet she may be. She’s proven to others that she can take charge as a cook; now she’s proving to herself that she can handle any situation.
The girl who’s bitten by a wolf and marked for life. A boy, shrouded in secrecy, who watches over her. The one man who can save her from her dark curse…or doom her to it.
In this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, when Liesel’s mother died, Liesel felt as though the world had ended. To make matters worse, in his grief, her father moves them to a village deep in a sunless forest. In her terror, Liesel tries to flee back to her grandparents that they left behind, but before she can escape, she’s bitten by a wolf, and unbeknownst to her, marked for a terrifying destiny.
A girl and her grandma… separated by an entire pack of beasts.
Roisen Karro and her grandmother run the most beloved bakery in the province of Omaira. Ever since her father disappeared seven years ago, Ro has decided there is no place for a man in her heart, especially an obnoxiously flirty woodcutter. Unfortunately, her granny has no issue encouraging the young man’s advances toward her.
A bitter and reclusive prince. A determined intruder. An unlikely friendship.
His face scarred from a witch’s curse, Prince Sebastian retreats inside his castle, resentful and angry. He shuns contact with everyone except the Red Hoods, the elite soldiers he trains and leads.
Four years ago, Sienna was kidnapped. Still traumatized by her ordeal, she needs to learn to protect herself to feel safe again, and she wants the Prince to train her.
Reluctantly, Sebastian agrees.
*A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast with a grumpy hero.
The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella vows to escape the usual pitfalls. Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with “Granny,” the local wisewoman. But on the way home she’s attacked by a wolf—who turns out to be a cursed nobleman. Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh—when he isn’t howling at the moon. Bella knows all too well that breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he’s only an occasional werewolf) and a little Godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending.
This book is geared toward adults yet from everything I can tell it seems clean. Many reviewers said it felt like a YA book and one reviewer mentioned that there were some slight inuendoes.
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris–the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She’s determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
*This looks like a dark retelling with mild to moderate violence. And can I just say the cover is gorgeous!
So you think you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the girl with the unfortunate name and the inability to tell the difference between her grandmother and a member of a different species? Well, then, try your hand at answering these questions: Which character (not including Little Red herself) is the most fashion challenged? Who (not including the wolf) is the scariest? Who (not including Granny) is the most easily scared? Who is the strangest (notice we’re not “not including” anyone, because they’re all a little off.)? Who (no fair saying “the author”) has stuffing for brains? Master storyteller Vivian Vande Velde crafts eight new stories involving one of the world’s most beloved (and mixed-up) characters in literature. You may never look at fairy tales in quite the same way again.
*Reader Suggested Recommendations:
Cloaked by Rachel Kovaciny a historical western retelling (mild violence)
Mountain of the Wolfby Elisabeth Grace a historical western retelling novella length (moderate violence)
The Wolf Gate by Hannah Sandvig a modern portal fae retelling.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you find many new and fantastic reads! If you enjoyed this list and would like to receive more be sure to join my newsletter by subscribing with the link below.
“The Twelve Dancing Princesses” is a lesser known fairytale from the Grimm Brothers. It is also known as “The Worn-Out Shoes” or “The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces.” One of the most popular adaptations is the Barbie movie from 2006: Barbie in 12 Dancing Princesses.
I had never heard of the fairytale until I was in college and a roommate suggested I read it. Suddenly I saw the story everywhere, starting with Jessica Day George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball. This fairytale soon became one of my favorites.
For those of you unfamiliar with the original tale, I’ll tell you my quick rendition based off the many versions (including the original Grimm tale) I read for my own adaptation of the tale, The Dark King and the Eternal Dance.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses Tale
Once upon a time, there was a king who had been blessed with twelve beautiful daughters (Because how else are princesses to look). One morning he found that each of his twelve daughters had somehow worn their dancing slippers to shreds. How had this happened? They had been in their room all night long. He demanded his daughters offer an explanation; however, they refused to disclose anything. Though he locked them into their room each night, the problem continued.
Frustrated at having to purchase all twelve of his daughters new dancing slippers each day, he sent out a proclamation. Any man who could solve the mystery of the tattered slippers would be offered a reward and the hand of marriage to the daughter of his choosing. Nobles and princes alike came to solve the mystery. All failed and were put to death (because killing off the unsuccessful makes perfect sense).
Out in the kingdom, a war-weary soldier came upon an old lady as he journeyed. He paused to help her. As a reward, she offered him an invisibility cloak and told him to use it to solve the mystery of the tattered slippers. She then advised him not to eat or drink anything the princesses offered him.
Armed with knowledge, he went to the castle to solve the mystery. As had been done before, he was locked in with the princesses. The princesses graciously offered him bread and wine. He discreetly disposed of the offered food and drink into a (conveniently located) plant. When the sisters went to bed, he pretended to sleep.
At the stroke of midnight, he heard a stirring. Through partially closed eyes, he watched as a portal opened and the sisters began exiting. Throwing on the invisibility cloak, he hurried to follow the youngest sister down the staircase that now descended from their room into a dark wood.
In his rush he accidently stepped on the youngest sisters cloak.
“Ow! Someone stepped on my cloak.” She complained, looking about.
“It must have gotten caught on a nail.” Her eldest sister assured her.
He continued following them into a stunning forest made entirely of silver trees. Amazed, he snapped off a twig.
“What was that?” The youngest sister gasped.
“It’s just the princes, they are so excited to see us that they are cheering.”
They continued down the pathway, entering into a gleaming forest made entirely of gold. After a time, the golden forest gave way to a glittering forest made entirely of diamonds glinting under the moonlight.
Before long, the princesses came to a lake where twelve princes with twelve boats awaited their arrival. The soldier snuck onto the boat of the youngest princess causing the prince rowing their boat to comment upon the princess being heavier then he remembered.
When they finally reached the other side of the lake, they enter an enchanted dance where the princesses danced with the princes the whole night, until their slippers were worn entirely to pieces.
The soldier followed them for the next two nights. On the second night he took a golden twig. Again the youngest heard the snap and complained. Her concerns were put off. On the third night he took a diamond twig that once more does not go unnoticed. At the dance that final night, he took a golden goblet as his final piece of evidence.
The morning of the third day, he went to the king with all that he had found. Elated the king offered the soldier the promised reward, plus the hand of one of his daughters in marriage. The soldier married the eldest princess. And they all lived happily ever after.
But of course there are several holes in this story (as fairytales are wont to have). Holes that several authors answer in interesting and entertaining ways.
Rose is one of twelve princesses–sisters condemned to dance every night in the palace of the King Under Stone. Galen is a young soldier returning from war. Together they will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to attend the endless midnight balls. All they need is an invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with silver needles, and that most critical fairy tale ingredient–true love.
This was my first proper exposure to the Twelve Dancing Princesses and will always have a special place in my heart. This book was spell-binding and captivating with surprising twists along the way. All the elements were so beautifully woven that I was convinced that knitting something must have been part of the original tale.
High in the Transylvanian woods, at the castle Piscul Draculi, live five daughters and their doting father. It’s an idyllic life for Jena, the second eldest, who spends her time exploring the mysterious forest with her constant companion, a most unusual frog. But best by far is the castle’s hidden portal, known only to the sisters. Every Full Moon, they alone can pass through it into the enchanted world of the Other Kingdom. There they dance through the night with the fey creatures of this magical realm.
I loved this fairytale so much that I was excited to find this second retelling. Juilet Marillier has a lush beautiful way of describing everything. I was transported into this darkly stunning world. It was so well done that it felt not only plausible but real. The characters were lovable and there was a memorable frog! Just writing this makes me want to read this again.
Tired of the tight leash that she and her sisters are kept on by their parents, Rachel Durham is seeking for a way out: and one night, she unexpectedly finds one in their Chesepeake Bay home. As the pull of the night world grows inexorably stronger upon Rachel, her anxious father enlists the aid of Paul Fester (soldier, medic, juggler, and ninja) to find out what his daughters are up to. Paul embarks on a daring but difficult balancing act to win the girls’ trust – before it’s too late.
This book is an exciting and modern twist on the classic tale. I remember it giving me that fairie-portal world feel with a touch of paranormal.
Twelve princesses suffer from a puzzling (if silly) curse, and anyone who ends it will win a reward. Reveka, a sharp-witted and irreverent apprentice herbalist, wants that reward. But her investigations lead to deeper mysteries and a daunting choice—will she break the curse at the peril of her own soul?
A delightful blend of my two favorite fairytales Twelve Dancing Princesses and Beauty and the Beast! I absolutely loved the twist at the end of this book!
Some people bomb singing auditions. Sadie throws up on live TV during hers. So yeah, there’s no way she’ll ever be able to face strangers again, let alone the people at her high school.
Her performance on America’s Top Talent is so bad it earns her a fairy godmother through the Magical Alliance’s Pitiful Damsel Outreach Program. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Sadie’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing fairy godmother to save the day—or perhaps make it even more horrible.
Wishes are, after all, unpredictable things.
Janette Rallison became another favorite author when I read her refreshing and hilarious book My Fair Godmother. Imagine my delight when I discovered that her final book in the series meshed “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” and “The Little Mermaid”. This is definitely a series I’ve read again and again.
When Princess Liliana and her twin sister set sail for new lands, she hopes to find adventure and romance. But the people of Marin live under the shadow of a curse–one powerful enough to destroy entire kingdoms. To protect them all, Lily and eleven other princesses are forced to participate in a mysterious and secret tournament.
More recently I was thrilled to discover this unique rendition of the tale. I was sucked in right from the beginning and loved how she made it into a tournament and had twelve contestants as the ‘sisters’. I adored the main character and her twin sister as well as their unexpected connection. When you finish it, you’ll want to immediately grab the next book and read her sisters story!
An unwanted proposal. An unexpected curse. Will Rayna, and her eleven sisters ever be free of the Dark King and this eternal dance.
Rayna is not usually the boldest of her sisters. However, when her eldest sister, Faelynn, seems ready to abandon her own happily ever after and accept the Dark King’s proposal, Rayna knows she must act and take drastic measures before someone gets hurt. Measures that just might cost her her heart.
An intertwined retelling of the “Twelve Dancing Princesses” and of “Hades and Persephone”.
As you might imagine, all the previous books had a hand in inspiring my own retelling. Since it had become one of my favorite retellings, I’d been thinking about how to incorporate it into a fairytale mesh-up idea I had when Camille Peters suggested I join her villain anthology. So of course this idea sprang to mind. Before long, Drake and Rayna had taken up residence in my mind and I’d begun crafting their delightful story.
Don’t get caught eavesdropping on a dragon—or dancing might be the least of your problems.
With eleven younger sisters, Princess Zinnia usually has little choice but to be responsible. But if she had her way, she’d spend her time exploring the seashore and cavorting with the dragons often found there. When she sees one of those dragons flying mysteriously over her castle one night, the temptation to sneak out after it is too strong to resist. Except, by the time she realizes she doesn’t recognize this dragon, she’s already witnessed something much bigger than she was ready for. And now she’s trapped, her sisters along with her.
After reading the rest of this delightful series I’m eager to begin this last story! Her books are sure to be full of swoony romance and endearing dragons.
Quinn is a loyal soldier of Farset, willing to risk her life on behalf of her country and squad. So, when a fellow soldier volunteers for a dangerous mission, Quinn joins him. Their assignment is to investigate the nightly disappearance of the twelve royal princesses, a mystery none have solved as those who attempt it vanish. But when she follows the girls, Quinn uncovers the truth: the princesses are cursed, and they’re not alone.
If you are familiar with the fairytale romance genre you have probably heard of, or read K.M Shea. This retelling definitely sounds like an exciting and unique tale to add to my pile!
A kingdom of shadows. A soldier sworn to protect. A princess silenced by love.
Princess Lily, the eldest of twelve sisters and reluctant heir to a mighty kingdom, struggles to live up to her inheritance … and to free herself from her mother’s matchmaking attempts. While seeking refuge from an overzealous suitor, Lily stumbles into a secret underground kingdom where she meets a mysterious sorcerer-prince. When she and her sisters become entangled in his dangerous curse, she must find a way to end their nightly dances and prove herself worthy of the Firethorn Crown.
Lea was a part of the Villain’s Ever After anthology with me. I read and adored her book Hansel and the Gingerbread Queen and can’t wait to read more of her books. Especially if it is “Twelve Dancing Princesses”! Her rich fantasy world was simply delightful!
If he falls to the lure of the curse, the dance might trap him forever.
Alex has survived his first year as high king. The new counsel has improved cooperation between the kingdoms, and peace seems achievable. When the Tuckawassee queen sends him an invitation he can’t refuse, Alex must once again face his greatest threat for the sake of peace.
I’m super eager to read this retelling. Another book I read by her was so exiting, I simply couldn’t put it down. I anticipate this book being just as engrossing!
The true story of the twelve dancing princesses has now been recorded…
Thirteen sisters have grown up hidden away by their Uncle, who rules the kingdom by proxy. When the eldest sister marries, her husband will take the throne. But the king has no intention of giving up his crown.
Maybe I’m biased but after working with Nina Clare for the Villain’s Ever After anthology, I’m excited to give this book a try too!
Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it’s taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.
I would be remiss if I didn’t include this very popular adaptation. The cover of this book is lovely and I tried to read it several years back but for whatever reason I couldn’t get into it. Perhaps I simply wasn’t in the mood for a retelling at that time. If you read and loved this retelling I’d love to hear what made it a must read for you. Maybe I’ll consider giving it another try.
Twelve princesses, one gardener, and a mysterious secret . . . As the castle gardener, Aleck is paid well, has his own room above the stables, and he is able to support his mother and younger brothers and sisters. Why would he risk it all for one girl? For weeks now, Princess Cascadia and her eleven sisters have awakened each morning to swollen feet and tattered dancing slippers without any recollection of what happened. Why would someone do this to them?
Jenni James always delivers sweet, entertaining, and quick reads! I’m looking forward to giving this retelling a try.
Zita is not an ordinary servant girl—she’s the thirteenth daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita’s father banished her to the servants’ quarters to work in the kitchens, where she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret.
It was just a dance. But in Caelan, dancing changes everything. Especially if you’re a princess.
Princess Ilani is cursed. She can no longer dance, and is therefore considered worthless. Forgotten. Invisible. Until her twelve sisters are trapped in a deadly game with a breathtaking prize—a royal bride and an empire for the taking, if a man is willing to risk everything for a chance to win.
Kenley Davidson’s books seem to have risen in popularity, I’m looking forward to giving her a try soon! (I’m told that there is very minimal language but an over all clean read.)
Celine’s life is the stuff fairy tales are made of. She’s beautiful, talented, and brave. Unfortunately, her tale comes complete with a wicked stepmother! When Violet steps into Celine’s life, everything changes and weird things begin to happen to her—bizarre accidents, strange illnesses, and rabid animal attacks. Celine doesn’t feel safe anywhere. It’s almost as if some hateful witch is out to get her.
“Twelve Dancing Princesses” seems to be the back story in this “Snow White” retelling. Any time you read something by Alex Flinn be prepared for all the feels of teenage angst.
A desperate attempt to save a child demands sacrifice.
Imani Tanzer is the closest her young brother has to a mother. When he falls ill due to a vengeful dragoness, it seems almost impossible to save him. Yet when she hears rumors of a dragon healer, Imani risks seeking him out. The dragon gives her a sliver of hope—the curse can be transferred but she and her sisters must leave their family behind forever.
I’ve had several people recommend Kimberly Rogers to me and look forward to reading some of her books!
Rowena, the youngest of twelve sisters, loves to slip out of the castle at night and dance in a magical forest. Soon she convinces her sisters to join her. When Sir Ethan notices that his daughters’ slippers look tattered every morning, he is certain they’ve been sneaking out. So he posts a challenge to all the suitors in the kingdom: The first man to discover where his daughters have been is free to marry the one he chooses.
A retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses in which an old soldier discovers, with a little help from a lavender-eyed witch, the surprising truth about where the princesses dance their shoes to tatters every night.
A book of three short stories the last being the “Twelve Dancing Princesses”. Robin McKinley had always been a favorite read for me. I’m just sad the story is short.
Plagued by nightmares for the last few years, Katrine only wanted answers. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a tangled web of melody as she tries to free a cursed king and his brothers. No one deserves existence such as theirs, but dare she risk her very life?
Phew! I made it to twenty-two recommendations. I know that there are even more “Twelve Dancing Princess” retellings and I’m certain more are being written. Drop your favorites in the comments. Which fabulous sweet and swoony retellings did I miss?
* ReaderSuggested Recommendations:
A Lonely Dance by Selina R Gonzolez (Mild swearing and violence–Triggers: past abuse off page.)
I never set out to be an author. The whole thing happened quite by accident.
In fact, if you had asked me what I wanted to be as a child, an author would have been the last thing on my mind. Don’t get me wrong I loved stories, at least in the form of dramatic play with my dolls, Barbie’s, stuffed animals or anything that was cute and needed a story. However, books were quite a mystery. Why anyone bothered to read those boring words was beyond me. I much preferred movies and my own made-up stories. Reading was much too hard.
It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I developed a love of reading (mainly due to my mother and sister, but that is another story). As my sister began reading to me, I suddenly realized that those words unfolded a whole new world of adventure, magic and fun. I simply couldn’t get enough of it.
Then in middle school the writing bug started to infect all my friends, especially as they discovered Harry Potter fan fiction. It seemed that all anyone could talk about was writing and Harry Potter. Several of my friends had decided that writing fan fiction was just the thing. We all had to do it! I quietly protested that writing our own stories was much better than using someone else’s ideas, but they couldn’t be swayed. We must get started right away and we could do it together.
Thus, the Harry Potter fanfic notebook was born. One day I was handed a blue notebook and told it was my turn to write the next part of the story. Four of us would be contributing to this tale. Nothing much was discussed other than we each had our own characters and would write the next part of the story when our turn came. Needless to say, we didn’t get very far. We passed the notebook around for a few weeks before things started to taper off. Two of the girls may have continued on, but I was much too concerned with having some kind of cohesive plot, so I didn’t mind when my next turn never came.
However, it did encourage many of us to start writing our own stories. I decided to start my own unique adventure. There was no need to copy some story that had already been told. My story was about a young girl (much like me) who was kidnapped by the evil villain, who had been following her and her friends (uncannily similar to my own friends) all around town. I wrote and wrote until nearly half the notebook was filled, except then I couldn’t figure out what to do once she had been kidnapped and was being transported to another world. I couldn’t wait to get to the other world but what to do while in the middle of space with only her kidnapper for company. Just how did one fill in all the middle bits?
In a fit of irritation and disillusionment, I tore the notebook into pieces. Whatever was happening was so bad that I didn’t think it was even worth saving. There were a few other weak attempts to rewrite the story, all met with failure.
Then one unsuspecting day in twelfth grade Humanities, my dabble with writing long forgotten, we were given an assignment to write our own creation myth. Excited, I started in on a story about the creation of fairies. I had this whole plan with how I was going to incorporate all of the elements that were needed.
Then I put fingers to the keyboard and… nothing.
I was stumped. How does one begin such a thing? Then pulling upon years of English class and the five-paragraph essay, I began. Except, unfortunately it sounded exactly like an English essay and nothing like a story, myth or otherwise.
Discouraged, I deleted the page I had managed to type and sighed. Writing a myth was turning out to be much more complicated than I had expected. Finally, after seeking help from several friends, I closed my eyes, pictured a scene, and began to write.
Thus, the dock scene was born. I imagined a girl sitting upon a dock watching the sunset. A name even popped into my head, Nyah. Footsteps echoed against the wood of the dock as they did in my mind and the scene continued to flow. Before I knew it, I had written several pages and class was over.
Except, as the days passed and I continued to think about my myth and slowly add to it, I began to worry. This whole thing felt much too large. How would I ever finish it on time? Besides, I felt like the story was straining to be more than a just creation myth.
Then one unsuspecting afternoon, my Humanities teacher announced that we didn’t have time to finish our myths, and after much deliberation, she had decided to cancel the assignment. However, if anyone wished to finish on their own time, then it would be extra credit.
I rejoiced. This was too good to be true. My myth had been set free! I no longer needed to force it into specific parameters. I could make it into the novel it had been yearning to become. Eagerly I typed out several more pages. Until I realized that I needed a new plot and more information to continue. Besides, I was getting ready to graduate, there simply wasn’t time to worry about writing a myth. So, there it sat for several months, waiting, but not quite forgotten.
I graduated and headed to college excited to start this new chapter of my life, writing a novel was far from my thoughts. Then during a fateful four hour bus ride home for the holidays, I had nothing to do but think, and nothing better to think about then the myth turned novel that had been stewing in the back of my mind for the better part of a year. Over the course of that bus ride, an exciting and complex plot began unfolding: Complete with magic, romance, plot twists, and a truly evil villain. Gone were the fairies (but maybe not completely) and a new story began to emerge.
I kept writing, slowly but surely, determined to finish this story that seemed to keep materializing. I wasn’t very far into it when I realized that several elements of this story were similar to many of the stories I had previously attempted to write, something about this tale was longing to be written.
About a year and a half later, I took a creative writing class and suddenly my myth turned novel began to take off. Thirty pages turned to sixty and sixty pages turned to ninety while the story continued to grow. Although this particular story (now a three-book series) still isn’t entirely finished, through writing this book, I discovered a joy of writing that I never thought possible and a barrage of story ideas just waiting to be written.
I will forever be grateful for that twelfth grade Humanities teacher who unknowingly provided me with an outlet to discover a talent I never knew I had. Without her, I never would have accidentally started a novel and discovered a love of writing that has prompted me to write several more stories and truly become an author.
Alesha Adamson 