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Happily Ever After: Reloaded
Happily ever after, the sweetest of tales. Love conquers all without fail. Bear witness to the beauty of love and set sail together forever, as time will tell. Beware the cottage in the woods, for all may not be as picturesque as it seems. But if love, hard won, and lust everlasting is what you gleam, then enter and enjoy our wicked scenes. In Grimm's Dungeon lies your darkest fancies. Tales of unrestrained passion that dance with the shadows of your fears and love that fairs best in the dusk, that grew from showers of tears. Will you surrender to the depravity within, knowing that you may never see light again?
538 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
October 31, 2023
I really loved how the various authors took the fairytales, aged them up, revamped them and spiced them up for a new and improved version for those who love retellings! It's a thicker book, but a quick read! Well done and a must read!
Please make sure you check any listed content warnings before each story.
Please make sure you check any listed content warnings before each story.
October 28, 2023
I love book 1! The authors took familiar tales and wove them into their own with mixes of plot and spice with intrigue and mystery on what will happen next.
Well done! I can't wait to read the next volume 🥰😁
Well done! I can't wait to read the next volume 🥰😁
November 2, 2023
I just loved how these authors took inspiration from fairy tales while still making them feel fresh and unique. They are all so talented. I thought this book had a good mix of cute, action and sad. There was great character development and good plots. There were some big cliff hangers so if that’s your thing then you’ll like these, especially the first two. Rating a book with many short stories is hard because it’s natural to like some more than others. Thank you to the authors for having me as an ARC reader!
October 27, 2023
A great collection of short stories! These retellings of classic fairytales are awesome, and some are also sprinkled with a bit of spice. Dive in and check out the beginnings of the stories from a variety of authors all in one book. Can't wait to see what volume 2 has in store for us!
November 1, 2023
I do love me a retelling. I especially love when an author is so dang creative that they are able to take a fairy tale and twist it up into something else, making it unique.
In this first installment of Reloaded we bear witness to the beauty of love overcoming all as they sail into the sunset of Happily Ever After....plus a little spice.
Settle in my friends and enjoy the adult version of your favorite bedtime stories!
In this first installment of Reloaded we bear witness to the beauty of love overcoming all as they sail into the sunset of Happily Ever After....plus a little spice.
Settle in my friends and enjoy the adult version of your favorite bedtime stories!
November 15, 2023
Fairytale retellings are one of my favorite things to read about. This is a collection of short stories. Every one of these stories are so unique and different from each other. I loved the twists and inspiration each author did in writing their story.
Ahhh it was so good! 🩷
If you like retellings, pick up this book!
Ahhh it was so good! 🩷
If you like retellings, pick up this book!
November 7, 2023
Rated 4.5 ⭐️
This book is a collection of fairy tale retellings by various authors. So, not only are you getting a new revamped spicy adult version, but you are getting different writing styles. When I first started reading this, it bothered me that the stories left you on a cliffhanger, but the more stories I read, I actually enjoyed it.
When I received this ebook I tried to guess which Fairy tale retelling would be my favorite and my least favorite. Boy, was I wrong. I enjoyed all of them, but my 2 favorites were The Ugly Duckling and The Black Swan ones. Two completely different styles of storyline and writing styles.
Thank you to all the authors in this book, Roxy Leigh, Haven Fox, Ellie Lukas, Sienna Gypsy, and Lina Ravenhill. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this ebook for free. This review is 100% my own and honest review.
This book is a collection of fairy tale retellings by various authors. So, not only are you getting a new revamped spicy adult version, but you are getting different writing styles. When I first started reading this, it bothered me that the stories left you on a cliffhanger, but the more stories I read, I actually enjoyed it.
When I received this ebook I tried to guess which Fairy tale retelling would be my favorite and my least favorite. Boy, was I wrong. I enjoyed all of them, but my 2 favorites were The Ugly Duckling and The Black Swan ones. Two completely different styles of storyline and writing styles.
Thank you to all the authors in this book, Roxy Leigh, Haven Fox, Ellie Lukas, Sienna Gypsy, and Lina Ravenhill. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this ebook for free. This review is 100% my own and honest review.
November 5, 2023
I love these retellings!! Some ended on a cliffhanger so just be ready. The authors do plan on releasing more so put on your anticipation panties 😂
I loved these! Can’t wait to start the next book to see what insanely creative stories are next.
I loved these! Can’t wait to start the next book to see what insanely creative stories are next.
November 4, 2023
This anthology is the first in a series of 3. Volume 1 is composed of renditions of Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, The Swan Princess and Firebird, and promises sweet tension and beautiful endings.
Story 1 - A Heart of Ruby Flame: A Tale of Firebird by Lina Ravenhill
Set in the Italian-inspired city of Catanis, this story features a beautiful thief Evie, her bewitched cockatiel sidekick, and the fearsome royal adviser Bjorn that they’ve stolen from.
During the celebrations of carnival and opulent ball, the two recognize each other. What happens next leaves you on the edge of your seat!
Tropes/themes:
🎭Dual POV
🎭Secret identities
🎭Opposites attract
🎭War and politics
Story 2 - Mystical Embrace: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling by Sienna Gypsy
Set in a magical forest, Aurora (Beauty) finds solace in the magical forest while the alpha (Beast) of a cursed werewolf shifter community waits to find his mate to break the curse. Is it destiny that connects them? Will Aurora be able to fall in love with a wolf?
Tropes/themes:
🪞Dual POV
🪞Damsel in distress
🪞Found family
🪞Wolf shifters
🪞Curses
🪞Fated mates
Story 3 - Unpretty: A Contemporary Ugly Duckling Retelling by Ellie Lukas
Penny Royale has always been told she is lesser and does not belong in her family. Christian Anderson has never considered dating anyone seriously, until he met Penny. Will her painful past and insecurities keep them apart?
Tropes/themes:
🦆Dual POV
🦆Secret identify
🦆Grumpy x sunshine
🦆Instant attraction
Story 4 - Mafia Tales- The Little Red Riding Hood Edition by Haven Fox
Rowan lost her parents and was taken in by the head of a crime syndicate. After her adopted grandma is brutally murdered, she turns to the last person she ever wanted to see again, the man who shattered her heart years ago. Riven, a wolf shifter, is now the head of the syndicate. They must work together to find the culprits targeting the syndicate and Rowan.
Tropes/themes:
🐺Dual POV
🐺Second chance romance
🐺Shifters
🐺Mafia and magic
🐺Revenge
Book 5 - Black Swan - A Contemporary Swan Princess Retelling by Roxy Leigh
Octavia was raised to take her father’s place as Donna of the Hendrix Mafia. Suddenly, she’s forced into an arranged marriage with her childhood crush and subsequent nemesis, who will inherit the role instead. With her choice and birthright taken from her, Octavia is determined to avoid this fate, no matter the cost.
Tropes/themes:
🦢Dual POV
🦢Revenge
🦢Betrayal
🦢Arranged marriage
🦢Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
Each story is delightfully dark and steamy, featuring different characters and varying lengths. I loved how the familiarity of each fairytale was reimagined with a mix of historical and contemporary settings and distinct twists.
I hadn’t read many mafia romances up until now and I have to say that the last two stories have turned me into a fan 🙌
I cannot wait to read the next 2 volumes! Definitely be sure to check out the trigger warnings before each story.
**I received a free e-ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Thank you to all the authors Lina Ravenhill, Sienna Gypsy, Ellie Lukas, Haven Fox, Roxy Leigh and Stratton House Publishing for the amazing opportunity!**
Story 1 - A Heart of Ruby Flame: A Tale of Firebird by Lina Ravenhill
Set in the Italian-inspired city of Catanis, this story features a beautiful thief Evie, her bewitched cockatiel sidekick, and the fearsome royal adviser Bjorn that they’ve stolen from.
During the celebrations of carnival and opulent ball, the two recognize each other. What happens next leaves you on the edge of your seat!
Tropes/themes:
🎭Dual POV
🎭Secret identities
🎭Opposites attract
🎭War and politics
Story 2 - Mystical Embrace: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling by Sienna Gypsy
Set in a magical forest, Aurora (Beauty) finds solace in the magical forest while the alpha (Beast) of a cursed werewolf shifter community waits to find his mate to break the curse. Is it destiny that connects them? Will Aurora be able to fall in love with a wolf?
Tropes/themes:
🪞Dual POV
🪞Damsel in distress
🪞Found family
🪞Wolf shifters
🪞Curses
🪞Fated mates
Story 3 - Unpretty: A Contemporary Ugly Duckling Retelling by Ellie Lukas
Penny Royale has always been told she is lesser and does not belong in her family. Christian Anderson has never considered dating anyone seriously, until he met Penny. Will her painful past and insecurities keep them apart?
Tropes/themes:
🦆Dual POV
🦆Secret identify
🦆Grumpy x sunshine
🦆Instant attraction
Story 4 - Mafia Tales- The Little Red Riding Hood Edition by Haven Fox
Rowan lost her parents and was taken in by the head of a crime syndicate. After her adopted grandma is brutally murdered, she turns to the last person she ever wanted to see again, the man who shattered her heart years ago. Riven, a wolf shifter, is now the head of the syndicate. They must work together to find the culprits targeting the syndicate and Rowan.
Tropes/themes:
🐺Dual POV
🐺Second chance romance
🐺Shifters
🐺Mafia and magic
🐺Revenge
Book 5 - Black Swan - A Contemporary Swan Princess Retelling by Roxy Leigh
Octavia was raised to take her father’s place as Donna of the Hendrix Mafia. Suddenly, she’s forced into an arranged marriage with her childhood crush and subsequent nemesis, who will inherit the role instead. With her choice and birthright taken from her, Octavia is determined to avoid this fate, no matter the cost.
Tropes/themes:
🦢Dual POV
🦢Revenge
🦢Betrayal
🦢Arranged marriage
🦢Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
Each story is delightfully dark and steamy, featuring different characters and varying lengths. I loved how the familiarity of each fairytale was reimagined with a mix of historical and contemporary settings and distinct twists.
I hadn’t read many mafia romances up until now and I have to say that the last two stories have turned me into a fan 🙌
I cannot wait to read the next 2 volumes! Definitely be sure to check out the trigger warnings before each story.
**I received a free e-ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Thank you to all the authors Lina Ravenhill, Sienna Gypsy, Ellie Lukas, Haven Fox, Roxy Leigh and Stratton House Publishing for the amazing opportunity!**
November 7, 2023
!h.o.l.y c.r.a.p! This collection of short stories was put together by an amazing group of authors that each put such a unique spin on their fairytale retelling! Whether you're an open-ending lover or HEA fairy, you'll find a story that leaves you speechless in this anthology!
A Heart of Ruby Flame is a Firebird retelling that is fast paced and definitely left me wanting more!
Mystical Embrace is a Beauty and The Beast retelling with shifters and magic. I loved watching the main characters bond grow overtime and have so many questions I hope will be answered later!
Unpretty is an Ugly Duckling retelling and o.m.g I LOVED the bigger girl representation in this story. It's not often that a main character is described as curvy, and when they are they are CONFIDENT AF (which YES QUEEN GO OFF) but the reality for a lot of bigger people is that there are struggles with confidence and a lot of insecurities, if that is you, you will be able to relate to our MFC and see her find her value. The insta-love trope isn't really my cup of tea but if it's one of your faves, you will LOVE this.
Mafia Tales is a Red Riding Hood retelling with shifters and magic, I loved this take on Little Red and the big bad wolf. This might end up being your favorite story if you like forbidden love with an age gap!
Black Swan is a Swan Princess dark romance mafia retelling with friends to enemies to lovers that I just couldn't put down! There's lies, spice, and oooo the betrayal!! But don't you worry, there's a nice shot of revenge that ties it all up!
A Heart of Ruby Flame is a Firebird retelling that is fast paced and definitely left me wanting more!
Mystical Embrace is a Beauty and The Beast retelling with shifters and magic. I loved watching the main characters bond grow overtime and have so many questions I hope will be answered later!
Unpretty is an Ugly Duckling retelling and o.m.g I LOVED the bigger girl representation in this story. It's not often that a main character is described as curvy, and when they are they are CONFIDENT AF (which YES QUEEN GO OFF) but the reality for a lot of bigger people is that there are struggles with confidence and a lot of insecurities, if that is you, you will be able to relate to our MFC and see her find her value. The insta-love trope isn't really my cup of tea but if it's one of your faves, you will LOVE this.
Mafia Tales is a Red Riding Hood retelling with shifters and magic, I loved this take on Little Red and the big bad wolf. This might end up being your favorite story if you like forbidden love with an age gap!
Black Swan is a Swan Princess dark romance mafia retelling with friends to enemies to lovers that I just couldn't put down! There's lies, spice, and oooo the betrayal!! But don't you worry, there's a nice shot of revenge that ties it all up!
November 17, 2023
A buffet of reimaginings that are filled with romance, mystery, incredible storylines and some really nice spicy bits. I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of this three book anthology. Definitely recommend if you like anything fairytale related.
January 23, 2024
This was such a great collection of short stories! I love the more mature twists on fairytales and the quick pace of the storytelling. It can be a little draining reading full length novels, so it is nice to read short stories that pack a strong punch. Another great thing about anthologies is being introduced to an author's writing. I picked this up because I really enjoy Lina Ravenhill's writing, but had never read anything by the other authors. Now I'm adding their other books to my TBR and checking to see what they have coming out!
A Heart of Ruby Flame (Firebird) by Lina Ravenhill
I've read the Aforetime trilogy by Lina so I may be a little bias. I absolutely loved this story! This character initially appeared in book two, Aforetime: Cursed City and was a character that I wanted to know more about. I was absolutely thrilled to find out she was going to have her own story and I believe this is just a preview. Because that ending! I was so sad to flip for the next page and it was over. These pages absolutely flew by for me and kept me so engaged and intrigued. Lost memories? Past love? I need more!
Mystical Embrace (Beauty and the Beast) by Sienna Gypsy
There were so many things to love about this. The alpha wolf, the flashbacks of Aurora and Marcello playing as children, the hidden world behind a magical barrier, and the mirror that shows glimpses of the future. I was a little thrown by Aurora's lack of personal safety, but it was great to see the wolf swoop in and save the day. I like the connection / bond that started to form and how it was manifesting. And that ending! The first two stories in this anthology left me reeling. Came out of nowhere.
Unpretty (Ugly Duckling) by Ellie Lukas
Christian was absolutely swoon worthy! Besides being drop dead gorgeous, he seems like such a kind hearted, generous soul, and he treated Penelope so well. I felt so bad for how Penelope was treated by her "family", though it was great to see things turning around for her at the end. The characters and story line were great, it just seemed a little rushed or too much insta love. This is actually a story I wouldn't mind seeing expanded as I think it would be better as a slow burn.
Mafia Tales (Little Red Riding Hood) by Haven Fox
I've never read any mafia books before, but I think this story is going to make me search a few out. Short stories are great because the plot moves along quickly, then I always end up wanting more because it was awesome and I don't want it to end. I want more Rowan and Riven, they were absolutely perfect! Mafia plus magic plus supernatural creates?! A delightful mix. And what is up with Charming and Violet? I really hope there's more coming from this world.
Black Swan (Swan Princess) by Roxy Leigh
Another fantastic mafia story. The transition between the prologue and the first chapter was great. I thought there was going to be fighting between Octavia and Dean, but no...straight to spicy. I really enjoyed Octavia being so strong willed and fighting back against preconceived notions that women can't lead / rule. She has men in her life who believe in her and support her, so it was great how everything came together. I'm also a sucker for couples who have secretly loved each other forever getting their happy ending, so this was one of my favorite stories in this anthology.
Thank you to the authors for the ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A Heart of Ruby Flame (Firebird) by Lina Ravenhill
I've read the Aforetime trilogy by Lina so I may be a little bias. I absolutely loved this story! This character initially appeared in book two, Aforetime: Cursed City and was a character that I wanted to know more about. I was absolutely thrilled to find out she was going to have her own story and I believe this is just a preview. Because that ending! I was so sad to flip for the next page and it was over. These pages absolutely flew by for me and kept me so engaged and intrigued. Lost memories? Past love? I need more!
Mystical Embrace (Beauty and the Beast) by Sienna Gypsy
There were so many things to love about this. The alpha wolf, the flashbacks of Aurora and Marcello playing as children, the hidden world behind a magical barrier, and the mirror that shows glimpses of the future. I was a little thrown by Aurora's lack of personal safety, but it was great to see the wolf swoop in and save the day. I like the connection / bond that started to form and how it was manifesting. And that ending! The first two stories in this anthology left me reeling. Came out of nowhere.
Unpretty (Ugly Duckling) by Ellie Lukas
Christian was absolutely swoon worthy! Besides being drop dead gorgeous, he seems like such a kind hearted, generous soul, and he treated Penelope so well. I felt so bad for how Penelope was treated by her "family", though it was great to see things turning around for her at the end. The characters and story line were great, it just seemed a little rushed or too much insta love. This is actually a story I wouldn't mind seeing expanded as I think it would be better as a slow burn.
Mafia Tales (Little Red Riding Hood) by Haven Fox
I've never read any mafia books before, but I think this story is going to make me search a few out. Short stories are great because the plot moves along quickly, then I always end up wanting more because it was awesome and I don't want it to end. I want more Rowan and Riven, they were absolutely perfect! Mafia plus magic plus supernatural creates?! A delightful mix. And what is up with Charming and Violet? I really hope there's more coming from this world.
Black Swan (Swan Princess) by Roxy Leigh
Another fantastic mafia story. The transition between the prologue and the first chapter was great. I thought there was going to be fighting between Octavia and Dean, but no...straight to spicy. I really enjoyed Octavia being so strong willed and fighting back against preconceived notions that women can't lead / rule. She has men in her life who believe in her and support her, so it was great how everything came together. I'm also a sucker for couples who have secretly loved each other forever getting their happy ending, so this was one of my favorite stories in this anthology.
Thank you to the authors for the ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 1, 2023
A HEART OF RUBY AND FLAME:
⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this and weirdly enough i was already forming attachments with the characters and became very intrigued on their backstory. However, i’m a bit disappointed it ended there because i would just love to hear more and read more.
MYSTICAL EMBRACE:
⭐️
I’m not really into stories about wolves even if they are technically also human because it’s just weird to me, but other than that i began to like the characters and found myself upset with a cliffhanger so clearly i did enjoy it even with the whole wolf thing.
UNPRETTY:
⭐️⭐️
This one has to be close to becoming my favourite, along with the first story. I don’t know why i just instantly could feel for the MC and her childhood, and it really connected with me and i loved the relationship between the characters as well as the storyline which had a very clear resolution which i liked compared to the others that didn’t.
MAFIA TALES:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
So far this one is definitely my favourite, probably because it had a lot more plot as well as romance compared to the other ones. Once again i loved the characters, but i don’t like how fast paced it all is, which i know is key for a short story. The plot was very interesting as well, so it didn’t bore me.
BLACK SWAN:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It feels like the more i read the better they get. This one was my favourite out of all the stories in volume 1 because this actually felt like it could’ve been an actual book. For that alone, i loved it. I absolutely fell in love with the main character - i can’t help myself when it comes to a strong female lead. As well as the romantic interest being the sort of guy to bow down to her, and submit to her. I loved the storyline, as bad as it might sound, i live for the traumatic plots because it really does make a reader feel emotional and gives the character more depth - and i’m not saying you can’t do that without including and inflicting traumas.
⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this and weirdly enough i was already forming attachments with the characters and became very intrigued on their backstory. However, i’m a bit disappointed it ended there because i would just love to hear more and read more.
MYSTICAL EMBRACE:
⭐️
I’m not really into stories about wolves even if they are technically also human because it’s just weird to me, but other than that i began to like the characters and found myself upset with a cliffhanger so clearly i did enjoy it even with the whole wolf thing.
UNPRETTY:
⭐️⭐️
This one has to be close to becoming my favourite, along with the first story. I don’t know why i just instantly could feel for the MC and her childhood, and it really connected with me and i loved the relationship between the characters as well as the storyline which had a very clear resolution which i liked compared to the others that didn’t.
MAFIA TALES:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
So far this one is definitely my favourite, probably because it had a lot more plot as well as romance compared to the other ones. Once again i loved the characters, but i don’t like how fast paced it all is, which i know is key for a short story. The plot was very interesting as well, so it didn’t bore me.
BLACK SWAN:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It feels like the more i read the better they get. This one was my favourite out of all the stories in volume 1 because this actually felt like it could’ve been an actual book. For that alone, i loved it. I absolutely fell in love with the main character - i can’t help myself when it comes to a strong female lead. As well as the romantic interest being the sort of guy to bow down to her, and submit to her. I loved the storyline, as bad as it might sound, i live for the traumatic plots because it really does make a reader feel emotional and gives the character more depth - and i’m not saying you can’t do that without including and inflicting traumas.
November 10, 2023
I absolutely loved reading these short stories. I'm a big fan of Fairytales retelling and each one of these were excellent! Some ended on major cliffhangers and others ended on HEA. Some were very spicy and others had romantic/sexual tension but would be less spicy or not spicy at all. There was a good variety in genres. But all were captivating from the start and well written!
Fairy Tales Reloaded Anthology
Book 1
A heart of ruby flame -
A tale of firebird retelling
⭐4/5
I loved the story but definitely needed more from Evie & Bjorn's story than the cliffhanger ending! It was a little tease to a story with great potential. The author, Lina Ravenhill, wrote an excellent short story that left us needing more and with so many questions. Tropes: secret identity, opposites attract, dual POV.
Mystical Embrace -
A beauty and the beast retelling
⭐5/5🌶️2/5
I devoured this story and it finished way too soon. I needed the extra few chapters to get my HEA instead of this cliffhanger. Haha beautiful and entertaining retailing of Beauty and the beast. A great page turner that kept me captivated through each chapters.
Tropes: Wolf Shifters, Fated mates, paranormal, dual POV.
Un pretty -
A contemporary ugly duckling retelling
⭐4/5 🌶️4/5
Spicy retelling. Beautiful ending with a happily ever after which was greatly appreciated after both previous cliffhangers (!!) haha The way Penny is treated by her "family" is maddening but the way Christian worships her from the start was exactly what our little Penny needed!
Tropes: love at first sight, plus sized FMC, protective MMC, switched at birth, bullying, HEA.
Mafia tales -
The little red riding hood retailing
⭐4/5 🌶️3/5
I enjoyed the characters growth of Red. It was a fun novella that took us on an adventure in a paranormal realm. Loosely based on the red riding hood, I enjoyed the little nods to our beloved childhood story with the authors new take on it.
Tropes: Mafia romance, paranormal characters, HEA, revenge, Shifters, dual POV.
Black swan -
A contempary swan princess retelling
⭐5/5 🌶️4/5
I devoured this story, Mafia romances aren't necessarily my go to but I was very excited to read a Swan Princess retailling and it was Everything I wanted and more.
Tropes: Arranged marriage, Mafia romance, childhood crush, kidnapping, strong & independent FMC, dual POV, HEA.
Fairy Tales Reloaded Anthology
Book 1
A heart of ruby flame -
A tale of firebird retelling
⭐4/5
I loved the story but definitely needed more from Evie & Bjorn's story than the cliffhanger ending! It was a little tease to a story with great potential. The author, Lina Ravenhill, wrote an excellent short story that left us needing more and with so many questions. Tropes: secret identity, opposites attract, dual POV.
Mystical Embrace -
A beauty and the beast retelling
⭐5/5🌶️2/5
I devoured this story and it finished way too soon. I needed the extra few chapters to get my HEA instead of this cliffhanger. Haha beautiful and entertaining retailing of Beauty and the beast. A great page turner that kept me captivated through each chapters.
Tropes: Wolf Shifters, Fated mates, paranormal, dual POV.
Un pretty -
A contemporary ugly duckling retelling
⭐4/5 🌶️4/5
Spicy retelling. Beautiful ending with a happily ever after which was greatly appreciated after both previous cliffhangers (!!) haha The way Penny is treated by her "family" is maddening but the way Christian worships her from the start was exactly what our little Penny needed!
Tropes: love at first sight, plus sized FMC, protective MMC, switched at birth, bullying, HEA.
Mafia tales -
The little red riding hood retailing
⭐4/5 🌶️3/5
I enjoyed the characters growth of Red. It was a fun novella that took us on an adventure in a paranormal realm. Loosely based on the red riding hood, I enjoyed the little nods to our beloved childhood story with the authors new take on it.
Tropes: Mafia romance, paranormal characters, HEA, revenge, Shifters, dual POV.
Black swan -
A contempary swan princess retelling
⭐5/5 🌶️4/5
I devoured this story, Mafia romances aren't necessarily my go to but I was very excited to read a Swan Princess retailling and it was Everything I wanted and more.
Tropes: Arranged marriage, Mafia romance, childhood crush, kidnapping, strong & independent FMC, dual POV, HEA.
November 8, 2023
I was lucky enough to be selected to ARC read the Fairytales Reloaded Trilogy. Each book is a short anthology of different fairytales vamped up and made spicy!
The way I review anthologies is to rate each one and then average out.
3.7 stars average so rounded to 4.
A Heart of Ruby Flame
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The tale of Firebird! This intrigued me and I wanted to know more but it was left so abruptly. I really hope this will be a full-length tale as I need to know what happens!!
Mystical Embrace
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
A wolf version of Beauty and the Beast. This was another which was left on a cliffhanger. I was hooked on the tale and I just have to know what happens next.
Unpretty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ellie Lukas takes us back to Lustre Lake. Chaos was amazing and the ducklings, aaawww! With Ellie’s books I come for the animals and stay for the smut.
Mafia Tales
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A mafia twist on Little Red Riding Hood. This was interesting and I loved the name dropping of fairy tale creatures/characters.
Black Swan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my favourite. I love a strong FMC and this had that in spades along with a side of betrayal and revenge.
The way I review anthologies is to rate each one and then average out.
3.7 stars average so rounded to 4.
A Heart of Ruby Flame
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The tale of Firebird! This intrigued me and I wanted to know more but it was left so abruptly. I really hope this will be a full-length tale as I need to know what happens!!
Mystical Embrace
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
A wolf version of Beauty and the Beast. This was another which was left on a cliffhanger. I was hooked on the tale and I just have to know what happens next.
Unpretty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ellie Lukas takes us back to Lustre Lake. Chaos was amazing and the ducklings, aaawww! With Ellie’s books I come for the animals and stay for the smut.
Mafia Tales
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A mafia twist on Little Red Riding Hood. This was interesting and I loved the name dropping of fairy tale creatures/characters.
Black Swan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my favourite. I love a strong FMC and this had that in spades along with a side of betrayal and revenge.
November 17, 2023
1)A Heart of Ruby Flame (A Tale of FireBird) ~Lina Ravenhill…11/3-11/4⭐️⭐️⭐️
•She’s a thief with a bird like companion, he’s gifted in combat, and they are both connected. Left me on a cliffhanger.
2)Mystical Embrace (A Beauty and the Beast retelling) ~Sienna Gypsy…11/4-11/7⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•when the big bad wolf is cursed until he can find his mate, his beauty. Left me on a cliffhanger.
3)Unpretty (A Contemporary Ugly Duckling retelling) ~Ellie Lukas…11/7-11/7⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Oh my heart!! Penny and Christian stumble upon each other in the unlikeliest of places through a mistaken identity Penny finds the family she always craved. Spice level: 2.5.
4)Mafia Tales (The LITTLE Red Riding Hood edition) ~Haven Fox…11/7-11/8⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Riven and Rowen give Little Red Ridding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf a whole new meaning. Caught in the middle of a possible syndicate take over by a rogue from the past, they can’t help but reconnect. Spice level: 3.
5)Black Swan (A Contemporary Swan Princess Retelling) ~Roxy Leigh…11/8-11/8⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•She’s a mafia princess destined to rule, he’s her best friend forced into the life too soon. After finally reconnecting a twist of fate leads to the family being betrayed by those “most loyal.”
•She’s a thief with a bird like companion, he’s gifted in combat, and they are both connected. Left me on a cliffhanger.
2)Mystical Embrace (A Beauty and the Beast retelling) ~Sienna Gypsy…11/4-11/7⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•when the big bad wolf is cursed until he can find his mate, his beauty. Left me on a cliffhanger.
3)Unpretty (A Contemporary Ugly Duckling retelling) ~Ellie Lukas…11/7-11/7⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Oh my heart!! Penny and Christian stumble upon each other in the unlikeliest of places through a mistaken identity Penny finds the family she always craved. Spice level: 2.5.
4)Mafia Tales (The LITTLE Red Riding Hood edition) ~Haven Fox…11/7-11/8⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Riven and Rowen give Little Red Ridding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf a whole new meaning. Caught in the middle of a possible syndicate take over by a rogue from the past, they can’t help but reconnect. Spice level: 3.
5)Black Swan (A Contemporary Swan Princess Retelling) ~Roxy Leigh…11/8-11/8⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•She’s a mafia princess destined to rule, he’s her best friend forced into the life too soon. After finally reconnecting a twist of fate leads to the family being betrayed by those “most loyal.”
November 17, 2023
This collection of 5 short stories was a great retelling of classic fairy tales. I enjoyed something from each of them. The first story with the cliff hanger left me wanting more and Milo was my favorite.
I enjoyed the dual POV and wolf shitfters in story number 2. Aurora is such a wonderer and curious woman.
How Unpretty stole my heart… to me its a story about finding yourself despite others opinions and I think many of us resonate with that!
The Little Red Ridding good retelling has broken hearts, mafia vibes, and love connection.
In the last story which is a Swan Princess retellin, we have our beloved Forced/Marriage of convenience and many of use knows how that goes 😉 … this compilation is filled with all the things this book lover, loves!!
I enjoyed the dual POV and wolf shitfters in story number 2. Aurora is such a wonderer and curious woman.
How Unpretty stole my heart… to me its a story about finding yourself despite others opinions and I think many of us resonate with that!
The Little Red Ridding good retelling has broken hearts, mafia vibes, and love connection.
In the last story which is a Swan Princess retellin, we have our beloved Forced/Marriage of convenience and many of use knows how that goes 😉 … this compilation is filled with all the things this book lover, loves!!
November 15, 2023
This first volume of fairytales features 5 stories. They include retellings of beauty and the beast, the firebird, the ugly duckling, little red riding hood and the black swan. Each story except the first two were complete novellas. My favorite was unpretty by ellie Lukas. I loved the characters and the goat was hilarious. I really resonated the most with that story. Overall every story was intriguing and made me want more from the worlds. The spice in the last 3 (ugly duckling, red riding hood and black swan) was fantastic 👌. I enjoyed these renditions very much, most of them were on the lighter side while a few had darker themes, but still considered contemporary Romance. Highly recommend giving this anthology a read!
November 11, 2023
Happily Ever After: Fairytales Reloaded is an absolutely incredible anthology that has amazing fairytale retellings, tons of magic, and wonderful characters!
These short stories will leave readers NEEDING more! The authors featured in this anthology took all of my favorite stories as well as new ones and perfectly reimagined them in modern ways. Although there are various stories, the book as a whole is a very quick and easy read.
I absolutely loved the endings of each book. Some of the stories allow readers to imagine the ending, leaving enough room for a continuation. I hope that one day each of these stories become full length novels!!!
I highly recommend for fellow fairytale lovers!
These short stories will leave readers NEEDING more! The authors featured in this anthology took all of my favorite stories as well as new ones and perfectly reimagined them in modern ways. Although there are various stories, the book as a whole is a very quick and easy read.
I absolutely loved the endings of each book. Some of the stories allow readers to imagine the ending, leaving enough room for a continuation. I hope that one day each of these stories become full length novels!!!
I highly recommend for fellow fairytale lovers!
November 13, 2023
I love anthologies and I really love retellings, so when I heard about about a 3 volume anthology full of fairytale retellings I couldn’t wait to sign up for an ARC!!
This set has so many great retellings, and this is just the first volume. Included are:
🔥A Heart of Ruby Flame (A Tale of Firebird) by Lina Ravenhill
🌹Mystical Embrace (Beauty and the Beast) by Sienna Gypsy
🐥Unpretty (The Ugly Duckling) by Ellie Lukas
🖤Mafia Tales (Little Red Riding
Hood) by Haven Fox
🦢Black Swan (The Swan Princess) by Roxy Leigh
✨Tropes for Vol 1
🩷Soulmates
🩷Damsel in Distress
🩷Shifters
🩷Revenge
🩷Forced Marriage
These stories get progressively darker and spicer with each volume so there is something for everyone in these stories! I really enjoyed reading these author’s takes on these fairytales and can’t wait to read the next volume!
This set has so many great retellings, and this is just the first volume. Included are:
🔥A Heart of Ruby Flame (A Tale of Firebird) by Lina Ravenhill
🌹Mystical Embrace (Beauty and the Beast) by Sienna Gypsy
🐥Unpretty (The Ugly Duckling) by Ellie Lukas
🖤Mafia Tales (Little Red Riding
Hood) by Haven Fox
🦢Black Swan (The Swan Princess) by Roxy Leigh
✨Tropes for Vol 1
🩷Soulmates
🩷Damsel in Distress
🩷Shifters
🩷Revenge
🩷Forced Marriage
These stories get progressively darker and spicer with each volume so there is something for everyone in these stories! I really enjoyed reading these author’s takes on these fairytales and can’t wait to read the next volume!
November 6, 2023
♡ARC Review♡
This was such a cute collection of short stories! Some are completely new and unheard of, and some are retellings of your favorite children's fairytales. Most of the stories have spice, but not all.
I really enjoyed most of the stories! The world's and characters were really well fleshed out, making this a quick read for me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
This was such a cute collection of short stories! Some are completely new and unheard of, and some are retellings of your favorite children's fairytales. Most of the stories have spice, but not all.
I really enjoyed most of the stories! The world's and characters were really well fleshed out, making this a quick read for me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
November 3, 2023
4/5⭐️
3/5🌶️
This was a fun anthology of some fairy tale retellings. I have my favorites of course but they were all amazing stories and I am ready for the full length or the next installment of most!
3/5🌶️
This was a fun anthology of some fairy tale retellings. I have my favorites of course but they were all amazing stories and I am ready for the full length or the next installment of most!
November 2, 2023
Love this collection of short stories!! I love how the authors took the general idea of the fairy tale and made it completely their own. It’s not super obvious that these are fairy tale retellings which I honestly prefer so that there’s still some mystery that’s to happen. Ugly duckling and black swan were my favorites.
November 22, 2023
I’ve never read such a beautiful collection. This is Book 1 of 3 (and yes I’ve devoured them all), which begins the anthology with some spice and some HEA.
𝑨 ��𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒖𝒃𝒚 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 by Lina Ravenhill is a Firebird retelling (which I’ve never read). Fast paced with secret identities and a cliffhanger that is whew!
𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑬𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 by Sienna Gypsy is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with shifters, unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever read. It was beautiful and captivating.
𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 by Ellie Lukas is an Ugly Duckling retelling with representation of curvy girls that I absolutely loved. I really related to it. A beautiful and spicy HEA.
𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 by Haven Fox is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling with forbidden love at its core. The shifters and magic are amazing.
𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑺𝒘𝒂𝒏 by Roxy Leigh is a dark mafia romance version of the Swan Princess. I really loved the revenge and 🌶️ on this one!
Each story begins with its own trigger warnings, which I appreciate, and are followed by an 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟 so you can learn more about these amazing authors 💜 You won’t want to miss these fairy tales!
Thank you Stratton House Publishing for the ARC.
𝑨 ��𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒖𝒃𝒚 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 by Lina Ravenhill is a Firebird retelling (which I’ve never read). Fast paced with secret identities and a cliffhanger that is whew!
𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑬𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 by Sienna Gypsy is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with shifters, unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever read. It was beautiful and captivating.
𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 by Ellie Lukas is an Ugly Duckling retelling with representation of curvy girls that I absolutely loved. I really related to it. A beautiful and spicy HEA.
𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 by Haven Fox is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling with forbidden love at its core. The shifters and magic are amazing.
𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑺𝒘𝒂𝒏 by Roxy Leigh is a dark mafia romance version of the Swan Princess. I really loved the revenge and 🌶️ on this one!
Each story begins with its own trigger warnings, which I appreciate, and are followed by an 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟 so you can learn more about these amazing authors 💜 You won’t want to miss these fairy tales!
Thank you Stratton House Publishing for the ARC.
January 1, 2024
✨𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘✨
Each one of these fairytale retelling was beautiful, touching, and inspiring in its own way. I was captivated and drawn in everytime I started the next story. I loved that they were nothing like the original fairytale, and had a spicy and unique spin on it. It was exactly what I needed to open up my imagination.
A Heart of Ruby Flame
A Heart of Ruby Flame grasped my attention and had me wanting more. Lina did a beautiful job retelling the story and I'm hoping she continues it so I can see how things end with Evie and Bjorn.
Mystical Embrace
I loved Mystical Embrace. The way the characters communicates with one another was very creative and exciting. I would love to see if the main characters end up together and what happens to the pack
Unpretty
I love how forward Christian is with Penelope. Neither of them haven't verbally expressed how they feel about each other but Christin takes control with the little movements he makes as if they're dating. I can't help but have the biggest smile when reading how he feels about Penelope and treats her. The twist was a happy surprise and definitely tied the story together.
Mafia Tales
Rowans story in Mafia Tales was a unique spin on Red Riding Hood. The connection Red and Rivan had was spicy and had you wanting more. I enjoyed the Mafia background every character played especially the grandmother because it was the complete opposite of how we believed her to be. This was the longest of the stories and had a ton of detail painting you a clear picture.
Black Swan
Black swan was by far my favorite of the stories. I loved that Octavia was a strong and fierce FMC who stood her ground and didn't put of with anyone's crap. I enjoyed the Mafia aspect and I was easily drawn in with the twists and turns with each scene playing out.
Each one of these fairytale retelling was beautiful, touching, and inspiring in its own way. I was captivated and drawn in everytime I started the next story. I loved that they were nothing like the original fairytale, and had a spicy and unique spin on it. It was exactly what I needed to open up my imagination.
A Heart of Ruby Flame
A Heart of Ruby Flame grasped my attention and had me wanting more. Lina did a beautiful job retelling the story and I'm hoping she continues it so I can see how things end with Evie and Bjorn.
Mystical Embrace
I loved Mystical Embrace. The way the characters communicates with one another was very creative and exciting. I would love to see if the main characters end up together and what happens to the pack
Unpretty
I love how forward Christian is with Penelope. Neither of them haven't verbally expressed how they feel about each other but Christin takes control with the little movements he makes as if they're dating. I can't help but have the biggest smile when reading how he feels about Penelope and treats her. The twist was a happy surprise and definitely tied the story together.
Mafia Tales
Rowans story in Mafia Tales was a unique spin on Red Riding Hood. The connection Red and Rivan had was spicy and had you wanting more. I enjoyed the Mafia background every character played especially the grandmother because it was the complete opposite of how we believed her to be. This was the longest of the stories and had a ton of detail painting you a clear picture.
Black Swan
Black swan was by far my favorite of the stories. I loved that Octavia was a strong and fierce FMC who stood her ground and didn't put of with anyone's crap. I enjoyed the Mafia aspect and I was easily drawn in with the twists and turns with each scene playing out.
November 19, 2023
Reloaded: Happily Every After is Book 1 of 3 of a Fairytale Retelling Anthology. This first book contains 5 short stories written by different authors.
A Heart Of Ruby Flame by Lina Ravenhill was the first up. It is retelling of Firebird, a story with which I am not familiar. This story features Bjorn and Evie. Bjorn appears to be a man with some kind of magical abilities to be feared. He is invited to Catanis for the annual masquerade where he meets Evie. She is a thief who wears many disguises so as not to be caught. She has a cockatiel sidekick who seems to have been cursed by a witch. They both share some traumatic past. When Evie robs Bjorn, he feels strangely called to her.
This story is ten chapters long. It felt like a teaser to a full length book, but I didn't see anything mentioned. I was thoroughly engaged, and then it just ended leaving me confused and frustrated.
Mystical Embrace by Sienna Gypsy was the second story. This was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The Beast in this tale is a wolf shifter named Marcello. He is the alpha of a pack that has been cursed to remain in their wolf form, within a defined boundary, until he finds his mate. It has been years and time is running out. He holds no hope that he will find his mate as there is magic concealing their territory that dissuades others from entering. As they cannot really leave and others cannot come, he feels the pursuit is pointless. Aurora, the FMC is the maiden who enjoys spending time in the woods. She is a simple woman who works in a bakery and spends time with friends. Somehow she has been targeted by some evil men who seek to abduct her. Marcelo starts sharing dreams with Aurora, and can sense her and her feelings. Of course he needs to protect her but he needs to figure out how to get her to their den, and how to communicate with her in his wolf form.
This story is 18 chapters. Once again I was engaged in the story, and then it just ended. This one alludes to a HEA but never actually got there. I was left disappointed with so many unanswered questions.
I can tell you at this point I was tempted to put the book down and just walk away. I was not in the mood for another teaser.
Unpretty by Ellie Lukas was the third story. This was a retelling of the Ugly Duckling featuring Penelope Royale and Christian Andersen. (The name of the MMC gave me a chuckle.) Penelope always wanted to be loved and appreciated by her family, but instead she was neglected, emotionally manipulated and even bullied. Her father was a movie star who lived in the limelight. Her mother, a model, and sister Lizzy, a beauty queen, had the physique of those in the public eye. Penelope did not. She was mostly hidden away so as not to reflect poorly on the others.
When Penelope grew up, she inherited some land from her grandmother. She moved there and started an animal sanctuary. A rambunctious goat named Chaos gets away from her and leads her to unexpectedly meet Christian in the forested area by Lustre Lake. Christian mistakes her for his sister's best friend and speaks somewhat harshly to her thinking she is Rosie. When he is distracted by a phone call, she slips away. Later Christian heads to his folks' house where he sees Rosie and asks her about the goat. He quickly realizes that while the two resemble one another, they aren't the same person. He is somewhat relieved since he found himself attracted to non-Rosie and given that he'd known Rosie for years, didn't understand the sudden change in his feelings.
Christian meets Penelope again when picking up chicken feed at the store, and then again when her car breaks down. While Penelope lives with the trauma of her childhood, she also recalls how he spoke to her. Even though she is attracted to him, she cannot believe that he might reciprocate that attraction. The alpha male inside Christian wants to claim her as his own, but he has to work for it.
This one finally left me sated! It was cute and funny and spicy and had an actual conclusion. It had a bit of mystery with a satisfying ending. I liked it! I was happy to see that the author has additional books planed around Lustre Lake. I'm not sure if these books tell the stories of other characters mentioned in this short story, but I'm definitely interested in checking them out.
Mafia Tales by Haven Fox is the fourth story, a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This one features Rowan (aka Red) and Riven Dalmatius. When Rowan's family was killed, she went to live with Lillian, her adopted grandmother and head of the Gallego Syndicate. She is very attracted to Riven, a wolf shifter who works for her grandmother. At the age of 18, Rowan is almost sexually assaulted by another of Lillian's men, but Riven stops it. At the age of 21, Riven attends Rowan's birthday party, an event her grandmother insisted upon. Riven can't stomach seeing her with anyone else and the two sneak away to the gazebo where they have sex. Lillian finds out, and in an effort to keep her granddaughter safe, she ensures the two do not meet up again. Six years later, Rowan no longer lives with her grandmother but now resides in Cloverdale. She speaks with her grandmother regularly. When something seems off, she heads back home and discovers Lillian has been murdered. She reaches out to the one person she thinks who can help - Riven, the new head of the Syndicate.
This retelling was an age gap, second chance romance. It is definitely spicy, witty and entertaining. In addition to the underlying retelling and romance, there's also some mystery and action. It kept me engaged. While there was some layers that seemed unnecessary overall it was a fun read. Some of the content left me wondering if another standalone but connected story is planned.
Last but not least was Black Swan by Roxy Leigh, a retelling of Swan Princess. I thought this fairy tale was similar to the Swan Lake ballet, but I think this might be yet another folk tale with which I am unfamiliar. This story features Octavia (aka Tay), the only daughter to the widowed Don of the Hendrix Mafia. She was raised in a very sheltered environment with few friends. Dean, the son of the Don's second, was one of her only friends. He has loved Tay forever and while she has loved him back, when he called her a Mafia Princess she knew he didn't see her for who she was and pushed him away.
Tay was raised to know and understand the family business with the understanding that one day she would take over. However, one day her father calls a meeting and announces that he will be selecting his daughter's husband in order to assure that the right man is in place to assume the role of Don, and he chose Dean. Octavia is furious and livid. She tries to convince her father to allow her the freedom not only to choose her own spouse but to assume the role she was born to have - the first Donna. He steadfastly refuses and anticipating that she will try to flee, sets his bodyguards to watch over her.
A dinner is arranged for Dean and Octavia to meet as an affianced couple. There Dean helps create a diversion allowing Octavia to escape. He misses her dearly but knows she would never be happy if she remained. Unfortunately, while Dean thinks she has fled, she has actually been kidnapped and imprisoned where she is being tortured until she agrees to marry another man who wants to assume control over the Hendrix Mafia.
This was a great story! I love reading about strong FMCs, and Tay is certainly that. She doesn't bend and she strives not to break. There is also a beautiful love story in this one where Tay finally knows that she is seen and respected for who she is. As a bonus, there's also some fun spice.
I was struggling with how to rate this book as the first two stories left me feeling really irritated. I will be reading books 2 and 3 and hope that the stories all have conclusions. While I might anticipate a cliffhanger for a book, the same is not true for a short story. The latter three stories saved it for me.
My #NewToMeWord in this book was bolt holes. This means somewhere an individual can go when they want to get away from others and possibly hide.
A Heart Of Ruby Flame by Lina Ravenhill was the first up. It is retelling of Firebird, a story with which I am not familiar. This story features Bjorn and Evie. Bjorn appears to be a man with some kind of magical abilities to be feared. He is invited to Catanis for the annual masquerade where he meets Evie. She is a thief who wears many disguises so as not to be caught. She has a cockatiel sidekick who seems to have been cursed by a witch. They both share some traumatic past. When Evie robs Bjorn, he feels strangely called to her.
This story is ten chapters long. It felt like a teaser to a full length book, but I didn't see anything mentioned. I was thoroughly engaged, and then it just ended leaving me confused and frustrated.
Mystical Embrace by Sienna Gypsy was the second story. This was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The Beast in this tale is a wolf shifter named Marcello. He is the alpha of a pack that has been cursed to remain in their wolf form, within a defined boundary, until he finds his mate. It has been years and time is running out. He holds no hope that he will find his mate as there is magic concealing their territory that dissuades others from entering. As they cannot really leave and others cannot come, he feels the pursuit is pointless. Aurora, the FMC is the maiden who enjoys spending time in the woods. She is a simple woman who works in a bakery and spends time with friends. Somehow she has been targeted by some evil men who seek to abduct her. Marcelo starts sharing dreams with Aurora, and can sense her and her feelings. Of course he needs to protect her but he needs to figure out how to get her to their den, and how to communicate with her in his wolf form.
This story is 18 chapters. Once again I was engaged in the story, and then it just ended. This one alludes to a HEA but never actually got there. I was left disappointed with so many unanswered questions.
I can tell you at this point I was tempted to put the book down and just walk away. I was not in the mood for another teaser.
Unpretty by Ellie Lukas was the third story. This was a retelling of the Ugly Duckling featuring Penelope Royale and Christian Andersen. (The name of the MMC gave me a chuckle.) Penelope always wanted to be loved and appreciated by her family, but instead she was neglected, emotionally manipulated and even bullied. Her father was a movie star who lived in the limelight. Her mother, a model, and sister Lizzy, a beauty queen, had the physique of those in the public eye. Penelope did not. She was mostly hidden away so as not to reflect poorly on the others.
When Penelope grew up, she inherited some land from her grandmother. She moved there and started an animal sanctuary. A rambunctious goat named Chaos gets away from her and leads her to unexpectedly meet Christian in the forested area by Lustre Lake. Christian mistakes her for his sister's best friend and speaks somewhat harshly to her thinking she is Rosie. When he is distracted by a phone call, she slips away. Later Christian heads to his folks' house where he sees Rosie and asks her about the goat. He quickly realizes that while the two resemble one another, they aren't the same person. He is somewhat relieved since he found himself attracted to non-Rosie and given that he'd known Rosie for years, didn't understand the sudden change in his feelings.
Christian meets Penelope again when picking up chicken feed at the store, and then again when her car breaks down. While Penelope lives with the trauma of her childhood, she also recalls how he spoke to her. Even though she is attracted to him, she cannot believe that he might reciprocate that attraction. The alpha male inside Christian wants to claim her as his own, but he has to work for it.
This one finally left me sated! It was cute and funny and spicy and had an actual conclusion. It had a bit of mystery with a satisfying ending. I liked it! I was happy to see that the author has additional books planed around Lustre Lake. I'm not sure if these books tell the stories of other characters mentioned in this short story, but I'm definitely interested in checking them out.
Mafia Tales by Haven Fox is the fourth story, a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This one features Rowan (aka Red) and Riven Dalmatius. When Rowan's family was killed, she went to live with Lillian, her adopted grandmother and head of the Gallego Syndicate. She is very attracted to Riven, a wolf shifter who works for her grandmother. At the age of 18, Rowan is almost sexually assaulted by another of Lillian's men, but Riven stops it. At the age of 21, Riven attends Rowan's birthday party, an event her grandmother insisted upon. Riven can't stomach seeing her with anyone else and the two sneak away to the gazebo where they have sex. Lillian finds out, and in an effort to keep her granddaughter safe, she ensures the two do not meet up again. Six years later, Rowan no longer lives with her grandmother but now resides in Cloverdale. She speaks with her grandmother regularly. When something seems off, she heads back home and discovers Lillian has been murdered. She reaches out to the one person she thinks who can help - Riven, the new head of the Syndicate.
This retelling was an age gap, second chance romance. It is definitely spicy, witty and entertaining. In addition to the underlying retelling and romance, there's also some mystery and action. It kept me engaged. While there was some layers that seemed unnecessary overall it was a fun read. Some of the content left me wondering if another standalone but connected story is planned.
Last but not least was Black Swan by Roxy Leigh, a retelling of Swan Princess. I thought this fairy tale was similar to the Swan Lake ballet, but I think this might be yet another folk tale with which I am unfamiliar. This story features Octavia (aka Tay), the only daughter to the widowed Don of the Hendrix Mafia. She was raised in a very sheltered environment with few friends. Dean, the son of the Don's second, was one of her only friends. He has loved Tay forever and while she has loved him back, when he called her a Mafia Princess she knew he didn't see her for who she was and pushed him away.
Tay was raised to know and understand the family business with the understanding that one day she would take over. However, one day her father calls a meeting and announces that he will be selecting his daughter's husband in order to assure that the right man is in place to assume the role of Don, and he chose Dean. Octavia is furious and livid. She tries to convince her father to allow her the freedom not only to choose her own spouse but to assume the role she was born to have - the first Donna. He steadfastly refuses and anticipating that she will try to flee, sets his bodyguards to watch over her.
A dinner is arranged for Dean and Octavia to meet as an affianced couple. There Dean helps create a diversion allowing Octavia to escape. He misses her dearly but knows she would never be happy if she remained. Unfortunately, while Dean thinks she has fled, she has actually been kidnapped and imprisoned where she is being tortured until she agrees to marry another man who wants to assume control over the Hendrix Mafia.
This was a great story! I love reading about strong FMCs, and Tay is certainly that. She doesn't bend and she strives not to break. There is also a beautiful love story in this one where Tay finally knows that she is seen and respected for who she is. As a bonus, there's also some fun spice.
I was struggling with how to rate this book as the first two stories left me feeling really irritated. I will be reading books 2 and 3 and hope that the stories all have conclusions. While I might anticipate a cliffhanger for a book, the same is not true for a short story. The latter three stories saved it for me.
My #NewToMeWord in this book was bolt holes. This means somewhere an individual can go when they want to get away from others and possibly hide.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2023
Fairy Tales Reloaded Anthology, Volume One: Happily Ever After
*ARC review*
Stories included:
🥀A Heart of Ruby Flame by Lina Ravenhill
🥀Mystical Embrace by Sienna Gypsy
🥀Unpretty by Ellie Lukas
🥀Mafia Tales by Haven Fox
🥀Black Swan by Roxy Leigh
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
This anthology is comprised of three separate volumes, which gradually increase in darkness! The first volume, Happily Ever After, contained the lighter stories, and all ended in a HEA as per the title!
These talented authors came together to compile an amazing collection of some of our favorite fairytales, rewritten. Some were loosely based, while others were easier to tell it was a retelling, which I think kept it interesting.
They were all very creative and I found myself wishing that there were more to the story, especially with some of those cliffhangers!!! Beware that there are a few lol. I loved that the trigger warnings were listed before each story as well as a blurb.
This particular volume had retellings of Firebird, Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, Little Red Riding Hood, and Swan Princess.
*ARC review*
Stories included:
🥀A Heart of Ruby Flame by Lina Ravenhill
🥀Mystical Embrace by Sienna Gypsy
🥀Unpretty by Ellie Lukas
🥀Mafia Tales by Haven Fox
🥀Black Swan by Roxy Leigh
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
This anthology is comprised of three separate volumes, which gradually increase in darkness! The first volume, Happily Ever After, contained the lighter stories, and all ended in a HEA as per the title!
These talented authors came together to compile an amazing collection of some of our favorite fairytales, rewritten. Some were loosely based, while others were easier to tell it was a retelling, which I think kept it interesting.
They were all very creative and I found myself wishing that there were more to the story, especially with some of those cliffhangers!!! Beware that there are a few lol. I loved that the trigger warnings were listed before each story as well as a blurb.
This particular volume had retellings of Firebird, Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, Little Red Riding Hood, and Swan Princess.
November 29, 2023
Overall really enjoyed this anthology, would of liked more from some of the short stories as the endings felt abrupt but quite a few anthology stories do this. However, the stories all delivered very well especially from a fairytale retelling perspective. I’ve broken down my review below for each book.
A Heart of Ruby Flame - ahhhhh I want to know what happens next. This is one of those short stories that I simply put felt too short, despite this though I felt the detailing of the characters and environments were gorgeous though.
Mystical Embrace - ok, the ending for this one felt unfair, I needed more from this and desperately want to know what happens next. The concept was excellent, alongside the magical lore and fated mate bond.
Unpretty- I adored this short story! It felt so complete with a modern twist on a traditional fairytale. The emotions on display, both good and bad, were palpable. The characters were easily loveable and quick to fully insert themselves into the core of this story.
Mafia Tales - loved how the fairytale blended with the mafia aspect. The spice was HOT, and the tension between Rowan and Riven was palpable. Great modern twist, with a story that felt whole despite the shorter word count.
Black Swan - again another excellent fairytale retelling in a contemporary world with mafia influences. Octavia’s strength and resilience really shines through in this story. The flow of the plot felt natural and un-rushed which I thought we amazing considering it was a short story.
A Heart of Ruby Flame - ahhhhh I want to know what happens next. This is one of those short stories that I simply put felt too short, despite this though I felt the detailing of the characters and environments were gorgeous though.
Mystical Embrace - ok, the ending for this one felt unfair, I needed more from this and desperately want to know what happens next. The concept was excellent, alongside the magical lore and fated mate bond.
Unpretty- I adored this short story! It felt so complete with a modern twist on a traditional fairytale. The emotions on display, both good and bad, were palpable. The characters were easily loveable and quick to fully insert themselves into the core of this story.
Mafia Tales - loved how the fairytale blended with the mafia aspect. The spice was HOT, and the tension between Rowan and Riven was palpable. Great modern twist, with a story that felt whole despite the shorter word count.
Black Swan - again another excellent fairytale retelling in a contemporary world with mafia influences. Octavia’s strength and resilience really shines through in this story. The flow of the plot felt natural and un-rushed which I thought we amazing considering it was a short story.
November 23, 2023
Happily Ever After Book1
Book 1 the Fairytales Reloaded Anthology, is a fantastic compilation of creative retellings of some old favorites. Each one is unique and has a terrific spin on each tale. There are some cliffhangers, so be prepared.
A HEART OF RUBY FLAME, a retelling of Firebird, by Lina Ravenhill and captured me right from the start. The characters were intriguing and the story exciting. The ending left me wanting more.
MYSTICAL EMBRACE by Sienna Gypsy is a beautiful spin on Beauty and the Beast. The captivating characters, magic and evolution of their deepening bond is all written beautifully.
UNPRETTY is a fantastic original rendition of The Ugly Duckling by Ellie Lukas I absolutely adored the story. This incredibly creative twist captured my heart, and had all the feels. The beauty of the relationship and the instalove Christian has for Penelope is magnificent. The tenderness and nurturing, combined with the development of self-love and acceptance was absolutely perfect. This story for me was honestly such an awesomely amazing adaptation I truly can’t say enough about it.
MAFIA TALES First, I always love mafia stories and this take on Red Riding Hood by Haven Fox was spot on . I absolutely loved these characters. The forbidden love, age gap and morally gray shifters, hell yes! The suspenseful plot, plus divine spicy romance was all fantastically written.
BLACK SWAN a
an outstanding new version of the Swan princess by Roxy Leigh. Friends to enemies to lovers, betrayals and delicious spice all come together to make one of my favorite stories in this anthology. very difficult to describe how much I loved this story. I absolutely loved our FMC in this dark mafia retelling. She is strong-willed feisty, and determined to make her own way in this male dominant underworld.Our sexy MMC who also lives in this dark underworld with many internal struggles makes sacrifices for his true love. This is a very emotional read with a very satisfying ending.
I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to read this first book of the trilogy and highly recommended. I will be reading these authors other works as well and you should too.
Book 1 the Fairytales Reloaded Anthology, is a fantastic compilation of creative retellings of some old favorites. Each one is unique and has a terrific spin on each tale. There are some cliffhangers, so be prepared.
A HEART OF RUBY FLAME, a retelling of Firebird, by Lina Ravenhill and captured me right from the start. The characters were intriguing and the story exciting. The ending left me wanting more.
MYSTICAL EMBRACE by Sienna Gypsy is a beautiful spin on Beauty and the Beast. The captivating characters, magic and evolution of their deepening bond is all written beautifully.
UNPRETTY is a fantastic original rendition of The Ugly Duckling by Ellie Lukas I absolutely adored the story. This incredibly creative twist captured my heart, and had all the feels. The beauty of the relationship and the instalove Christian has for Penelope is magnificent. The tenderness and nurturing, combined with the development of self-love and acceptance was absolutely perfect. This story for me was honestly such an awesomely amazing adaptation I truly can’t say enough about it.
MAFIA TALES First, I always love mafia stories and this take on Red Riding Hood by Haven Fox was spot on . I absolutely loved these characters. The forbidden love, age gap and morally gray shifters, hell yes! The suspenseful plot, plus divine spicy romance was all fantastically written.
BLACK SWAN a
an outstanding new version of the Swan princess by Roxy Leigh. Friends to enemies to lovers, betrayals and delicious spice all come together to make one of my favorite stories in this anthology. very difficult to describe how much I loved this story. I absolutely loved our FMC in this dark mafia retelling. She is strong-willed feisty, and determined to make her own way in this male dominant underworld.Our sexy MMC who also lives in this dark underworld with many internal struggles makes sacrifices for his true love. This is a very emotional read with a very satisfying ending.
I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to read this first book of the trilogy and highly recommended. I will be reading these authors other works as well and you should too.
November 11, 2023
Fairytales Reloaded Anthology
Three books of fairy tale retellings that get progressively spicer as you go? How was I ever supposed to resist?
I love a good retelling, and I loved the short story anthology format, because I felt like I got more stories, more romance, more adventure, and more spice!
The fact that the books get darker and spicer as you go was a genius idea for an anthology. This way, people can have an idea what to expect going in, and choose their adventure so to speak.
Overall, there are some really fantastic stories from some amazing authors in this series.
Three books of fairy tale retellings that get progressively spicer as you go? How was I ever supposed to resist?
I love a good retelling, and I loved the short story anthology format, because I felt like I got more stories, more romance, more adventure, and more spice!
The fact that the books get darker and spicer as you go was a genius idea for an anthology. This way, people can have an idea what to expect going in, and choose their adventure so to speak.
Overall, there are some really fantastic stories from some amazing authors in this series.
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