The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: The Fae Princes (Vicious Lost Boys #4)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

I thought Peter Pan was a myth and Neverland a fairytale. A story spun by my mother who had lost her mind a long time ago.

But there was no denying the overwhelming shadow cast by Peter Pan when he was standing in my house.

Pan took me captive to Neverland and I somehow found my place among him and the Lost Boys.

I’ve never looked back.

Now I’m entangled right alongside him in a war we can’t seem to escape. We thought we had defeated our enemies.

We thought we could finally have our happily ever after.

But there was one enemy we never saw coming.

A fairy who has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The fairy with golden wings and a dark, twisted heart.

She wants Neverland and she’ll stop at nothing to have it. Including destroying anyone who stands in her way, even her own flesh and blood.

The cliffhanger at the end of the last book was absolutely bonkers! I didn’t not see that coming, but got very excited to see how they all handled this twist. I really enjoyed all of the characters, except Peter Pan. He was so brooding and unconnected to the other characters in this book that I really got annoyed with him. I wanted to see a really explosive confrontation between him and anyone else. Alas, he just moped along until Roc intercedes at the end. Beyond my quibbles with Pan, I loved seeing Kas and Bash really step up into their own destiny and exert power. I loved seeing the evolving relationships between Winnie and each of the men (except Pan of course). The ending is pretty abrupt, but I wasn’t dissatisfied. The main storyline concludes and we get a sense of the peace in the last chapters. I do want to try and pick up the spin off series featuring Hook and Roc.

Vicious Lost Boys:

#1 The Never King
#2 The Dark One
#3 Their Vicious Darling
#4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile:

Their Vicious Darling by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: Their Vicious Darling (Vicious Lost Boys #3)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House LLC 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 248

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

The Dark One has finally accepted me…just in time for everything to change. Because Vane’s brother, The Crocodile, has just arrived on Neverland soil and he’s not alone. He’s brought with him members of the royal Darkland family and they want Vane’s Death Shadow back at any cost.

Of course, Peter Pan, Vane, Kas and Bash, they’re all familiar with war. But war isn’t easy when love is on the line.

I know those vicious Lost Boys would do anything to protect me. But what if I’m not the one that needs saving?

As power shifts on the island and shadows are claimed, all five of us have to let go of who we were, if we have any chance of becoming who we are destined to be.

Ooohhhh Winnie’s got a shadow! This book has definitely been my favorite so far. We get more development in the overall big plot and the relationships between the characters. Never thought that I would say that Vane may just be my favorite. (I really thought I would gravitate toward Kas.) I loved seeing Winnie really stand up for herself and be confident in her abilities. I loved seeing Roc come into play and add another dynamic to the conflict. And we get to spend time with Hook and Smee. I cannot wait to see how this all ends.

Vicious Lost Boys:

#1 The Never King
#2 The Dark One
#3 Their Vicious Darling
#4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: The Dark One (Vicious Lost Boys #2)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 228

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Cover Lover - Skull

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

I spent most of my life feeling dead inside — until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

It wasn't until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive.

But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There's something darker and more sinister haunting the forest.

And worse, the fae queen and Captain Hook are ready to fight for control of Neverland and they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

War is brewing—can the Never King get his shadow back and assume his rightful throne? And if he does, where will I fit?

Or will all of Neverland be in jeopardy right along with my dark, twisted heart?

I wasn’t absolutely sold with the first book in this series, but thankfully the second one pulled me in more. We get more plot and characterization and less erotica scenes. Thank goodness! The first volume felt a bit more like reading a Penthouse letter than a good dark romance. We pivot to more of a focus on the increasing relationships between Winnie and the men and even between the men. We learn more about the islands and the shadows on the loose. I’m invested in this series now and cannot wait to see where it goes.

Vicious Lost Boys:

#1 The Never King
#2 The Dark One
#3 Their Vicious Darling
#4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle

Title: A Ship of Bones and Teeth

Author: Karina Halle

Publisher: Karina Halle 2023

Genre: Romance Fantasy

Pages: 508

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - The Lighthouse: Fairytale Retelling - The Little Mermaid

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

Princess Maren is a woman with a secret.

When she was just 16-years old, she sold her soul to the sea witch Edonia, giving up a life underwater in exchange for the love of Prince Aerik on land. But after a decade of abuse and misery inflicted by the cruel prince, Maren wants nothing more than to leave him and her royal role behind and find Edonia to reverse the spell.

An opportunity for escape presents itself when the prince and princess are traveling overseas and are taken hostage by a band of notorious pirates, led by the fearsome Captain Ramsay "Bones" Battista. Maren has heard the sordid stories about the infamous pirate--not only is his ship supposedly haunted and crewed by the damned, but that no prisoners ever survive. Fortunately for Maren, she learns that the captain also has a score to settle with the sea witch. With any luck, Maren may be able to get her old life back, even if it's being held in the captain's wicked hands.

But Ramsay gets more than he bargained for when he learns who--and what--Maren is, and that her appetite for revenge, freedom, and bloodlust rivals his.

Meanwhile Maren finds herself falling for the pirate's dark nature, even as she discovers that Ramsay has a secret more deadly than her own.

When it comes to the high seas, not all monsters lurk beneath the surface.

I grabbed this one as a dark, adult retelling of The Little Mermaid and it really hit the spot for me this week. I dove in not quite knowing what to expect, but very quickly I got my feet underneath me and the plot hit full steam. Trying to figure out exactly who Maren and Ramsay were was an added bonus to the storyline. We get a contentious relationship between our main characters until larger forces bring them together. I was fully immersed in the world and wanted to see more from all of the other characters. I must say that the steamy scenes are very steamy and very riské; be forewarned. While I really enjoyed this book, I might have actually been a bit sad that this is a standalone.

Romanceopoly 2025 Board Light Skin Brown Hair.jpg

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys #1)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 192

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Dark; Fairytale Retellings - Peter Pan

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.

But it’s pointless.

Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

Finally picked up this series after my interest in darker romance. I am a bit disappointed, but not enough to stop reading the series. Really this is very focused on the steamy scenes as opposed to plot or really characterization. We dive immediately into the world and have to very quickly understand what is happening without a lot of explanation. As the book progresses, we get some little bits, but then we focus on the physical aspect again. Winnie is not my favorite, but I am very interested in all the men involved. I really want to get more backstories and world building in the next book.

Vicious Lost Boys:

#1 The Never King
#2 The Dark One
#3 Their Vicious Darling
#4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile:

Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

Title: Kiss the Girl (Meant to Be #2)

Author: Zoraida Córdova

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Romanceopoly - Crystal Lake (Fairytale retelling)

Spice Meter: 3

A modern tale of unexpectedly falling in love, and finding your voice—the highly anticipated third installment of in the acclaimed and best-selling Meant to Be collection. Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters—together, known as the band Siren Seven—have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she's the girl who has everything. But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour, and Ariel can't wait to spend the summer just living a normal life—part of a world she's only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show. The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It's there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father—and goes with him. Caught between the world she longs for and the one she's left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love, and, somehow, find her own voice?

I finally got around this Little Mermaid retelling. I was going to read it last fall, but of course, I had too many library books checked out and had to make some tough choices. I got it back and sped through this very lite retelling. I found that I really dig the rock star trope in my romance. In this one, we get a Disney-esque pop star going undercover to rediscover herself and find her path in music and a up-and-coming lead singer out to get a record deal. I’m not a super fan of intentional lying in romances, but I will forgive Ariel as she is trying to escape her controlling father. We breeze through this book with some very cute encounters and lite sexual tension. Overall, it was a good romance even if it was very closed door. Cute retelling.

Meant to Be:

#1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
#2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
#3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova
#4 Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren
#5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

star-rating-remains-the-most-important-part-of-a-review-cad0047.cad0047.png

Next up on the TBR pile:

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

Title: Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be #4)

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings

Spice Rating: 3

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fireon a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they've both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

For most of this book, I was fully engaged in the story. I do love the forced proximity trope and the sunshine/grump trope, and this one was a great example of those. The beginning was a bit slow, but once we got on the road, the story really got moving. I loved seeing Ren and Fitz begin to trust each other and find themselves on the road trip. The scene in the biker bar was hilarious and just perfect for their story. I was interested to see how their relationship progressed. But then we get to the last fourth of the book. Everything was way too rushed for my tastes. I wanted to sit with the characters a bit more. I wanted to see the characters interact with others (like Mary!) and let those other characters see how they have changed. I wanted to see the main characters in their next place. The epilogue was a complete throwaway. I just really wanted more with this book.

Meant to Be:

#1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
#2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
#3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova
#4 Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren
#5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Next up on the TBR pile:

We Kept Her in the Cellar by W.R. Gorman

Title: We Kept Her in the Cellar

Author: W.R. Gorman

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairy Tale Retellings

Where I Got It: Library

Eunice lives her life by three simple rules: One, always refer to Cinderella as family. Two, never let Cinderella gain access to rats or mice. Three, never look upon Cinderella between the hours of twelve and three a.m.

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. As her stepsister, Eunice is expected to care for her and keep the family’s secret. For years, Eunice has faithfully done so. Her childhood flew by in a blur of nightmares, tears, and near-misses with the monster living in the cellar. But when she befriends the handsome Prince Credence and secures an invitation to the ball, Eunice is determined to break free.

When her younger sister, Hortense, steps up to care for Cinderella, Eunice grabs her chance to dance the night away—until Cinderella escapes. With her eldritch powers, Cinderella attends the ball and sweeps Prince Credence off his feet, leaving behind a trail of carnage and destruction as well as a single green glass slipper.

With Cinderella unleashed, Eunice must determine how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice in order to stop Cinderella. Unsettling and macabre at every turn, this page-turning horror will bewitch horror fans and leave its readers anxiously checking the locks on their cellar doors.

Oh yes! This was exactly the kind of horror I was hoping to read this season. We get a fairy tale turned on its Lovecraftian head. Everything starts normal, but then as soon as Cinderella arrives. we now that things are just a little off. Very quickly things go from bad to worst. I absolutely reveled in Cinderella’s creepy nature and the ways in which she tried to mess with Eunice. And then the second half of the book really kicked into high gear. I was dreading where the story was going, but in for the ride. This boo is not for those that get squeamish easily. There are some horrifying scenes throughout. I was in it until the very last page.

Next up on the TBR pile:

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Title: By the Book (Meant to Be #2)

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Romance Author (actually works in book industry) Finds Romance; Fairytale Retelling - Beauty and the Beast

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4

Sometimes to truly know a person, you have to read between the lines.

Isabelle is completely lost. When she first began her career in publishing after college, she did not expect to be twenty-five, still living at home, and one of the few Black employees at her publishing house. Overworked and underpaid, constantly torn between speaking up or stifling herself, Izzy thinks there must be more to this publishing life. So when she overhears her boss complaining about a beastly high-profile author who has failed to deliver his long-awaited manuscript, Isabelle sees an opportunity to finally get the promotion she deserves.

All she has to do is go to the author’s Santa Barbara mansion and give him a pep talk or three. How hard could it be?

But Izzy quickly finds out she is in over her head. Beau Towers is not some celebrity lightweight writing a tell-all memoir. He is jaded and withdrawn and―it turns out―just as lost as Izzy. But despite his standoffishness, Izzy needs Beau to deliver, and with her encouragement, his story begins to spill onto the page. They soon discover they have more in common than either of them expected, and as their deadline nears, Izzy and Beau begin to realize there may be something there that wasn't there before.

Ooof. I think I am not a fan of Jasmine Guillory. I desperately want to like her books, but the two that I have read have just not intrigued me. For this one, the characters seem way too young to be the actual ages they are supposed to be. I found Izzy to be way too naive and grating as a character. I found her to be too much at times. Usually I like the grump and sunshine trope, but this one really fell flat for me. Izzy is too much and Beau gives us nothing. In fact, I was super annoyed the revelation late in the book that Beau had been keeping a secret journal this whole time in which he expressed his love for Izzy very early on. I just could not with that part of the book.

Meant to Be:

#1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
#2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
#3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova
#4 Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren
#5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lost Boy by Christina Henry

Title: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Titan Books 2017

Genre: Horror; Fantasy

Pages: 292

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies.

This book has been on my TBR list for years now. I had previously enjoyed Henry’s brand of mixing horror and fairy tales and this one definitely hit the spot. Right away, we know that we are going dive deep into how Jamie become Captain Hook. I was hoping for a villainous portrayal of Peter Pan and I got exactly what I was hoping for. In fact, he was much more horrendous than even I imagined. (I have always very much disliked the Peter Pan character from literature and the movie/tv versions.) We quickly learn how demented Peter is and attempt to navigate his impossible situations alongside Jamie and the other Lost Boys. In a short amount of time, I really came to care for those kids. But I knew that this story was not going to end well. Overall, this one is not for squeamish people and especially not for anyone who cannot handle violence involved children.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Poison by Sarah Pinborough

Title: Poison (Tales from the Kingdom #1)

Author: Sarah Pinborough

Publisher: Titan Books 2013

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 181

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairy Tale - Snow White; Library Love

Meet handsome prince, the jealous queen, and the beautiful girl as you’ve never seen them before . . . Sarah Pinborough’s charming, provocative, and adult spin on Snow White will captivate fans of the classic fairy tale all over again.

Poison is the first of Sarah Pinborough’s three sexy, contemporary retellings of classic fairy tales featuring the heroes and villains we all love.

Such a disappointment! I love a good fairy tale retelling and this was not it. The book tries to make a more risqué Snow White story, but ends up getting confused about what it wants to be. At times, we get a very immature story of a young girl (who’s incredibly annoying I might add). At other times, we get a story of a misunderstood woman rebelling against the bounds of society. And at other times, we get a spicy romance. None of it quite works together for a cohesive narrator. I have incredibly disappointed and left with so many questions. Given my feelings with this volume, I will not be attempting to get those answers in the rest of the series.

Tales from the Kingdom

#1 Poison
#2 Charm
#3 Beauty

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Title: A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm #1)

Author: Adam Gidwitz

Publisher: Dutton Books 2010

Genre: MG Fantasy Horror

Pages: 256

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairy Tales; 52 Book Club - Author Self-Insert

In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

A lovely horrifying spin on the Hansel and Gretel stories. I love how Gidwitz mixes up the classic stories into one large narrative. With every story, the situation becomes even more horrifying and my love for this book grew. But I think my favorite story was the story were Hansel tricked the devil. The narrative voice with the author inserts was an added bonus to the book. I will most definitely have to continue reading the series.

A Tale Dark & Grimm

#1 A Tale Dark & Grimm
#2 In a Glass Grimmly
#3 The Grimm Conclusion

Next up on the TBR pile:

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Crimson Bound

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 2015

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 441

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairy Tales; In Case You Missed It - 2015

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless—straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in a vain effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her hunt for the legendary sword that might save their world. Together, they navigate the opulent world of the courtly elite, where beauty and power reign and no one can be trusted. And as the two become unexpected allies, they discover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic . . . and a love that may be their undoing. Within a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Oof this one really did not work for me at all. I picked it up as a Red Riding Hood retelling and was hoping for a good fantasy novel. The world building was interesting if confusing. At times I got very into the weeds trying to figure out if the references were straight out of French lore or if the author made it up. Parts of the story got really convoluted. But my biggest complaint are directly about the romance. Why do we have to have another silly love triangle? I really dislike the female protagonist following her destiny only to find two men standing in her way. The biggest issue was that Armand was a complete nothing burger of a character. I could not imagine why Rachelle would ever fall for him. Really the same goes for Erec. This book may have been saved if the stupid love triangle was dropped.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

Title: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known(Wayward Children #9)

Author: Seanan McGuire

Publisher: Tordotcom 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages:146

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - No People on the Cover; Library Love

Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children.

When the school’s (literally irresistible) mean girl realizes that Antsy's talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, Antsy is forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise.

Along the way, they will travel from a world which hides painful memories that cut as sharply as its beauty, to a land that time wasn’t yet old enough to forget―and more than one student's life will change forever.

“People who’ve been hurt often think they have some sort of right tot go around hurting other people,” said Sumi. “They think trauma’s a toy to keep handing down forever. Bu the fact that someone hurt you and tied you up in knots doesn’t give you the right to it to anybody else.” Pg. 94

That quote right there sums up the entire series and literally had me in tears. Beautiful story about a collection of characters struggling to find their places in the world (or multiple worlds). This volume is most definitely directly continues the story in the previous volume. We get a concise story of Antsy finding her way back and helping other characters on the way. I felt something akin to catharsis when I reached the final page. One of the best feelings.

Wayward Children

Next up on the TBR pile:

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Title: Strands of Bronze and Gold

Author: Jane Nickerson

Publisher: Random House 2013

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairy Tales - Bluebeard; Library Love

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

Last year I read a great Bluebeard retelling (T. Kingfisher’s The Seventh Bride), so I had to go looking for another one. I found a ton of short stories in collections, but I wanted a full length story. I finally found this book and snapped it from the library. Overall, I thought this was really good. Sophia sufficiently grows and changes throughout the novel. Enough so that I could actually appreciate her has a character. From there, we get some great side characters with enough of their agency to make full people instead of tools for Sophia’s story. In fact the only characters that I didn’t love were Sophia’s family. But I get ultimately she has to be left all alone to face her fears and take her agency back. I loved the slow reveal of the mystery and the past, but I do wish that it happened slightly faster and more time was spent with Sophia wrestling with what to do with the information. Ultimately, this was a good readable entertaining retelling of the Bluebeard story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

Title: Thistlefoot

Author: GennaRose Nethercott

Publisher: Anchor 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 448

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: BOTM Cleanout; Unread Shelf

The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive an inheritance, the siblings agree to meet—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs.

Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas’ ancestral home outside Kyiv—but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine’s blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family’s traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide—erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future.

An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is a sweeping epic rich in Eastern European folklore: a powerful and poignant exploration of healing from multi-generational trauma told by a bold new talent.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable fairy tale retelling. I loved how Nethercott flips the story to exist in our world. A world where houses do not have legs and a sentience. This makes for an interesting play on the classic fairy tale. My favorite sections were the ones told from the perspective of the house. Apparently, I really enjoy non-human character narrations. Laying out the history of the Jewish people added a more serious layer to this story, but one that was greatly appreciated. My biggest complaint is the pacing. The story felt overly long with nothing happening for large sections. A bit more editing would have increased my enjoyment.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Title: Thornhedge

Author: T. Kingfisher

Publisher: Tor Books 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 116

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

A lovely fracture fairy tale full of great writing and a fast-paced plot. This little story gives us another perspective on the Sleeping Beauty tale. We get to fall for Toadling in all her other-worldly quirk. We see Toadling connect with a human. And we learn about just how Toadling came to be the guard for an overgrown keep and a sleeping form. I loved how Kingfisher took the Sleeping Beauty story and turned it on its head. I have a real weakness for the “what if the princess was evil?” type of fracture fairy tale. This slim novella was tons of fun with a satisfying ending.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Break Your Glass Slippers by Amanda Lovelace

Title: Break Your Glass Slippers

Author: Amanda Lovelace

Publisher: Andrews McMeel 2020

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 160

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

amanda lovelace, the bestselling & award-winning author of the “women are some kind of magic” poetry series, presents a new companion series, “you are your own fairy tale” the first installment, break your glass slippers, is about overcoming those who don’t see your worth, even if that person is sometimes yourself. in the epic tale of your life, you are the most important character while everyone is but a forgotten footnote. even the prince.

Friends at the bookish recommendation gave this book title to me as something I would enjoy. And I really did enjoy this! Lovelace’s slim collection of poetry is a mix of fairy tale retellings and autobiographical poems. The style and topics are very much in the same vein as Nikita Gill’s writings. I really love her stuff and Lovelace’s came close to it, but not quite surpassed Gill’s poems. I enjoyed these poems but as a collection, they were very slim. I wanted a bit more depth and reflection. But, I think I do need to read to rest of the volumes in her collection.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Title: Cinderella is Dead

Author: Kalynn Bayron

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 389

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Summer TBR

It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all--and in the process, they learn that there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew . . .

This was a recommendation from some of my friends at the retreat. I randomly picked it up as there was no wait at the library. And it was a lovely retelling of the Cinderella story. We get a plucky heroine that sets out on a dangerous path to find the truth. I liked that the author made Sophia queer, but the “romance” with her childhood best friend and then Constance just fell a little flat for me. It was more like that first crush. The overall romance aspect of the book didn’t land with me, but that might be because I am not a young adult. I did enjoy the twisting of the fairy tale story and the overall mystery of the kingdom. Those parts were really fun to read even if I did predict most of the big reveals. A fun retelling that’s a little different from the norm.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snow, Glass, Apples

Title: Snow, Glass, Apples

Author: Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran

Publisher: Headline 2019

Genre: Comic

Pages: 64

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

A chilling fantasy retelling of the Snow White fairy tale by New York Times bestselling creators Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran!

A not-so-evil queen is terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter and determined to repel this creature and save her kingdom from a world where happy endings aren't so happily ever after.

Randomly saw this one the library shelf and immediately grabbed it. This is a very dark retailing of the Snow White story. Not for children at all. The story itself is pretty interesting, but it’s the art that really shines in this volume. Doran layers so many pieces into each panel. My eye hardly knew where to look first. After reading the story once, I went back to look at some of my favorite pages again. Such beautiful art!

Next up on the TBR pile: