Falling for the Beast by Victorine E. Lieske

Title: Falling for the Beast
Author: Victorine E. Lieske
Genre: Retelling, Romance, Fairy Tale
Publication: March 10, 2017

Source: NetGalley

My Rating: 4/5

Aribelle is backed into the position of cleaning house for the horrible Mr. Thaddeus Walker. Not only is he rude, he's dangerously secretive, going out at night and coming home with injuries which seem to heal mysteriously fast. She should be keeping her distance, not trying to break down his barriers. But the more she uncovers, the more attracted she becomes until the cost of exposing his secrets fades behind the risk of losing her heart.

Thaddeus knows he should have sent the girl away instead of allowing her into his home. Now she’s asking questions he can’t answer. And the more time they spend together, the more he wishes he could pull her close and kiss her. But he can’t afford to do that. Beautiful Aribelle could never love a beast.

Falling for the Beast is a sweet romance.

Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter

Title: Beauty of the Beast (Fairy Tale Retellings #1)

Author: Rachel L. Demeter

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Publication: March 15, 2017

My Rating: 5/5

Source: NetGalley

Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.

A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST

Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.

A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE

Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle Rose seeks shelter at a castle—unaware that its beastly and disfigured master is much more than he appears to be. When he imprisons her gravely ill and blind father, she bravely offers herself in his place.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Stripped of his emotional defenses, Adam’s humanity reawakens as he encounters a kindred soul in Isabelle. Together they will wade through darkness and discover beauty and passion in the most unlikely of places. But when a monster from Isabelle’s former life threatens their new love, Demrov’s forgotten prince must emerge from his shadows and face the world once more… 

Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty of the Beast brings a familiar and well-loved fairy tale to life with a rich setting in the kingdom of Demrov and a captivating, Gothic voice.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)

Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fairy Tale, Retelling

Published: February 5, 2013

My Rating: 4/5

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Action, Romance, Retelling, Mythology

Publication: May 3, 2016

My Rating: 5/5

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1)

Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Romance, Retelling, Mythology

Publication: January 1, 2014

My Rating: 3.5/5

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Action, Romance, Retelling

Publication: May 5, 2015

My Rating: 5/5

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is, like the title suggests, a retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice, but with zombies. It's based on the novel of the same title by Seth-Grahame Smith, which follows the same events we see in the original story, but people have come to learn the art of combat, to protect themselves against the undead.

Mr. Darcy's Refuge: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Abigail Reynolds

Title: Mr. Darcy's Refuge: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

Author: Abigail Reynolds
Publisher: White Soup Press

Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Retelling

Publication: September 01, 2012

My Rating: 3/5

Trapped for three days by a flood, and trapped forever by society because of it…. 

The river isn't the only thing overflowing in Hunsford when a natural disaster forces Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to work together. The residents of flood-stricken Hunsford, seeking refuge in the parsonage atop the hill, are unaware they are interrupting Darcy's disastrous proposal. Even worse, the flood has washed out the only bride to Rosings Park, stranding Darcy with the woman who has just refused his offer of marriage. But it may already be too late to redeem Elizabeth’s reputation….

In this Pride & Prejudice variation, the lane dividing the Hunsford parsonage from Rosings Park has been replaced by one of the flood-prone Kentish rivers. The storms are real – the spring of 1811 was remarkable for numerous thunderstorms in Southeast England.

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher

Title: The Seventh Bride

Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Amazon Publishing / 47North

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling

Publication: November 24, 2015

My Rating: 4/5

Source: Publisher on NetGalley

Young Rhea is a miller’s daughter of low birth, so she is understandably surprised when a mysterious nobleman, Lord Crevan, shows up on her doorstep and proposes marriage. Since commoners don’t turn down lords—no matter how sinister they may seem—Rhea is forced to agree to the engagement.

Lord Crevan demands that Rhea visit his remote manor before their wedding. Upon arrival, she discovers that not only was her betrothed married six times before, but his previous wives are all imprisoned in his enchanted castle. Determined not to share their same fate, Rhea asserts her desire for freedom. In answer, Lord Crevan gives Rhea a series of magical tasks to complete, with the threat “Come back before dawn, or else I’ll marry you.”

With time running out and each task more dangerous and bizarre than the last, Rhea must use her resourcefulness, compassion, and bravery to rally the other wives and defeat the sorcerer before he binds her to him forever.

Alice Takes Back Wonderland by David D. Hammons

Title: Alice Takes Back Wonderland

Author: David D. Hammons
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Adventure, Action, Retelling, Young Adult

Publication: September 28, 2015

My Rating: 4/5

Source: Publisher on NetGalley

After ten years of being told she can’t tell the difference between real life and a fairy tale, Alice finally stops believing in Wonderland. So when the White Rabbit shows up at her house, Alice thinks she’s going crazy. Only when the White Rabbit kicks her down the rabbit hole does Alice realize that the magical land she visited as a child is real. But all is not well in Wonderland.

The Ace of Spades has taken over Wonderland and is systematically dismantling all that makes it wonderful. Plain is replacing wondrous, logical is replacing magical, and reason is destroying madness. Alice decides she must help the Mad Hatter and all those fighting to keep Wonderland wonderful. But how can she face such danger when she is just a girl?

Alice must journey across the stars to unite an army. She discovers that fairy tales are real in the magical world beyond the rabbit hole. But they are not the fairy tales she knows. Fairy tales have dangers and adventures of their own, and Alice must overcome the trials of these old stories if she wants to unite the lands against Ace.

With the help of Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White and heroes old and new, Alice may have the strength to take back Wonderland.

Charming: A Charming Book One by Andi Lawrencovna

Title: Charming: A Charming Book One

Author: Andi Lawrencovna

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Action

Published: June 01, 2015

My Rating: 3/5

Source: Reading Alley

Once Upon a Time... Prince Christophe can't die. Or, more precisely, if he dies, so does his country. But that hasn't stopped the King from hosting a ball. And it hasn't stopped Kit's enemies from seeking a quick end between the quadrille and the waltz. The Children of the Wood hold out hope that their Assassin Queen will fulfill the prophecy and end Kit's life. But when Ella vies for the prince's attention, it's not a knife that pierces his heart, or her own. One waltz at a ball. One trip of a slipper. One Prince. And one Assassin. In the world of the Never Lands, Fairy Tales aren't quite like you remember.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fairy Tale, Retelling

Published: January 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguié

Title: Violet Eyes (Once Upon A Time Fairytales)

Author: Debbie Viguié
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Fairy Tale, Romance

Published: February 2010

My Rating: 3/5

When a storm brings the dashing Prince Richard to her family's farm, Violet falls in love at first sight. Richard also gives Violet his heart, but he knows his marriage is destined to be an affair of state, not of passion. For the king and queen have devised a contest to determine who will win their son's hand in marriage.

To be reunited with her prince, Violet must compete against princesses from across the land. It will take all of her wits - and a little help from an unexpected source - if Violet is to demonstrate the depth of her character and become Richard's bride.

Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer

Title: Darcy's Story Author: Janet Aylmer Genre: Historical Fiction, Regency, Romance, Retelling Published: July 1996 My Rating: 2/5 When Elizabeth Bennet first met Mr. Darcy, she found him proud, distant, and rude—despite the other ladies' admiration of his estate in Derbyshire and ten thousand pounds a year. But what was Mr. Darcy thinking?  Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice has long stood among the most beloved novels of all time. The story of Elizabeth Bennet's blossoming romance with "haughty, reserved, and fastidious" Fitzwilliam Darcy has enchanted readers for nearly two centuries. Yet, Mr. Darcy has always remained an intriguing enigma—his thoughts, feelings, and motivations hidden behind a cold, impenetrable exterior . . . until now. With the utmost respect for Austen's original masterwork, author Janet Aylmer loving retells Pride and Prejudice from a bold new perspective: seeing events as they transpire through the eyes of Darcy himself. One of world's great love stories takes on breathtaking new life, and one of fiction's greatest romantic heroes becomes even more sympathetic, compelling, attractive, and accessible, all through the imagination and artistry of a truly gifted storyteller.