Become immersed in tales that take on a new twist as fairytales become entwined together. Magic, mythology, legends—anything imaginable can, and will happen. These SIX, all new, stories from USA TODAY and bestselling authors will leave you mesmerized, enthralled, and romantically enchanted… watches his life pass as leaves fall from the great rowan tree, indicating the trickling end of his mortality. Only a special woman can break the curse, one who will be identified by the cut of an ancient spear under a layer of mattresses. Evina MacGregor cannot be injured in battle, even as her comrades fall around her, yet she cannot remember her past. After years of wandering the world in search of answers, she stumbles upon an enchanted castle and a beastly man who may hold the secret to her identity. She may be the one to break the curse, but time is running out for both of them.
Rescued by a Sea Nymph by Rebekah Lewis Captain James Harlow loses his hand, and nearly his life, in an encounter with a group of young miscreants. When Ione, a mermaid, saves him from drowning, she decides to trade her fins for legs and leave her old life for one on land. They are given only three days to determine if they are meant to be together, but a sociopathic young Earl endeavors to ruin it all.
Scandalous Liaison by Amanda Mariel In her youth, Grace Stratton, the Duchess of Abernathy, gave her heart to Lewis Duffield, an American plantation owner. Family duty tore them apart as she was required to wed another man. After years of being widowed, Grace finds herself alone with Lewis and their old flames rekindle, but can they recapture the all consuming love they once shared?
Infinitely My Marquess by Dawn Brower The Marquess of Cinderbury and Lady Annalise Palmer are two lost souls in search of salvation. Together they can help each other heal, if they can believe in love, and in each other long enough to escape the torment they’ve both suffered; as well as, uncover an unimaginable devotion.
It Must be Magic by Sandra Sookoo When Averell Woode, a huntsman’s daughter hidden away in an enchanted tree, meets Quinn Lansdowne, the spare prince of Annanvale as well as a wolf shifter, sparks–and arrows–fly. Perhaps it’s fate or even destiny, but love blooms between them. Too bad an evil queen holds Averell’s life in the balance unless she kills Prince Charming, who is Quinn’s brother. Only the heart and freewill can decide the future… and a little magic won’t hurt either.
Luring a Lord’s Love by Tammy Andresen When Arianna is attacked by men dressed as wolves in the forest, she is sure no one will help her and she dives into the icy ocean rather than be captured. Lord Nicholas Fairfield is a sailor at heart, and he can’t help but wonder about mermaids when he fishes a red-haired beauty from the sea. But the trouble engulfing her village is no myth and it’s up to him to save Arianna, her family, and the Scottish people who are under attack. But can he protect his own heart?
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This is a box set of unusual fairytale stories that we know by heart. The stories are Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and the list goes on. Each author puts their own spin on the stories and sometimes combines them into one. The characters in each story has their own set of problems to overcome. They are strong in their own right and are interesting. Each story has its own plot with twist and turns that keep you reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to walk a different path.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well, I tried to put my review in here, but BookBub said it was too long. That is probably true for a single book, but this was an anthology with 6 books in it. So, Please see my FULL review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2496727705?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
This is another anthology that I just didn’t have time to read all the stories! The concept for this anthology is twisted fairy tales and after reading just Madeline Martin’s contribution, I am certainly going to come back to this book to read the rest!!!
Her Highland Beast by Madeline Martin – 5 stars – Duncan Maclean saved a young girl fifteen years ago and ends up cursed. While he was off saving the girl, his mother and her companion were set upon by outlaws and mortally wounded. Duncan arrives back just before they die, his mother’s companion is a witch and she curses Duncan – but softens the curse when his mother begs for mercy. He will live for 15 years, his time marked by the leaves of a rowan tree, if he does not win the heart of a daughter of Morrigan, his life will end when the last leaf falls from the tree. She gives him a rusty spearhead from the spear of Assal and tells him he must put the spearhead under 12 mattresses to test any woman he thinks is a daughter of Morrigan. Duncan becomes obsessed with the tree and never leaves the castle, his time is running out and all hope seems lost. But fate seems to smile upon him when a young woman wanders into his garden. Evina MacGregor is a mercenary, she has no family and no memory of her time before waking in a monastery – she has an uncanny ability with weapons and is never injured. She stumbles into Duncan’s garden during a storm and is amazed to find the garden an oasis, she touches the rowan tree and is attacked by a huge man. He takes her in the castle and his manservant Gillespie begs him to “test” her, he will take care of everything, including staffing the castle, Duncan is wary, but agrees. They feed her and offer her a bed for the night. Evina is amazed, the room is gorgeous and the bed has 12 mattresses, she is not accustomed to such luxury and even if the servants are a little strange, she looks forward to staying. But when she tries to sleep, she feels incredible pain and in the morning finds she has been cut! She has survived countless battles without so much as a scratch! She decides to leave, but after wandering in the storm, she ends up back at the castle. She demands answers and Duncan tells her of his curse (without mentioning about the Daughter of Morrigan part) it is then that he learns that Evina is the girl he saved all those years ago. Later back in her room, Evina breaks down, all her hopes and dreams seem to have been lost – in a fit of rage, she pulls all the mattresses from the bed before falling down exhausted. Within moments of falling asleep she is woken by excruciating pain. Duncan finds her, apparently dead, but Gillespie uses magic to save her. She wakes and needs answers – they tell her she is a daughter of Morrigan and show her the spearhead – they will help her learn about her mother. Duncan and Evina spend time together researching Morrigan and something starts to blossom between them. When Duncan learns how she can meet her mother, he is willing to sacrifice himself to make her greatest wish come true. Evina doesn’t know the full truth of Duncan’s curse, so she wants to go to her mother’s realm. She knows that Duncan needs her help to break his curse and promises to return. She enters her mother’s kingdom, but before she can meet her, she realizes that Duncan is dying and she needs to go to him. But if she leaves, she can never return, so she must choose, Duncan or fulfilling her greatest wish! This was a great story, I am a huge fan of twisted fairytales and this was the perfect blending of Beauty and the Beast with the Princess and the Pea. This story was well written, flows nicely, has steamy love scenes, amusing moments, magic, heartache, a lot of emotion and a lovely ending.
I will definitely be coming back to this book as soon as I am caught up with my other ARC commitments!! This book is being released at a special price for all the stories and even if you only get to read this story, it is worth every penny!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me*
Madeline Martin does it again! The Highland Beast is book one in Romantically Enchanted, A Twisted Fairytale Collection and if the rest of this collection is anything like Madeline’s story I will be reading the other stories as well. Her story takes on a medieval twist of The Princess and the Pea with a fantasy and mystical feel. Madeline has a true talent for writing such amazing stories and you can’t help but fall in love with her wonderful characters, Evina and Duncan. The descriptions are vivid and easy to follow. Though the story is sad it does have it’s HEA. This story has death, curses, a witch, mistrust, caring, understanding, sacrifices, kindness, friendship, grieving, rescue and yes falling in love but is it too late? You will just have to read this story to find out. I highly recommend you read this book.
***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.
This was a wonderful collection of fairytale based stories. Each author gave their storyline a unique twist and each and every story was entertaining and enjoyable. One of the highlights of this anthology for me was the first story, Her Highland Beast by Madeline Martin. This one was a truly enchanting story. My heart went out to Duncan right from the beginning of the story. Evina was such a strong character you couldn’t help but like her. The entire story was creative and unique and definitely a page turner. I couldn’t read fast enough to see what was going to happen next. I am going to have to go back and re-read it as I am sure I likely missed things the first time through I was so anxious to find out how it was going to end! Lol! The entire book is definitely a must read and I can honestly recommend it.
Her Highland Beast–Duncan McLean is on the hunt for the person who screamed. He left his mother and her maid in waiting, a witch, to seek the source hoping it would be a maiden. Who he finds is a young girl who was protected by a warrior lying dead. He takes her to the monks. There he puts a ruby ring on her finger and leaves her. Upon returning to his mother, he finds her near death;s door as well as her witch. The witch curses him but when his mother asks her to spare him, she gives him an out. Now it is up to him to find out what the witch meant and to save his life.
Rescued by a Sea Nymph—James is a part of the ton and unbeknown to anyone else, he smuggles. One night he is surprised and when he awakens is tied to a tree with a young man trying to take over his ship and his business. Then the lad ups the anti by asking for James one and only sister. He;s set adrift in a game of chance. Ione, a sea nymph finds him. Life for both gets very interesting.
Scandalous Liaison- –Grace loves Lewis but her parents have signed the betrothal papers for her to marry a duke. With a heavy heart she breaks off with the man she loves. Twenty years later on her way to fulfill a commitment to her nephew. On the way her coach hits a rut and breaks an axle. At a close inn she runs into her love, Lewis. She;s a widow and had hopped to reignite their youth a few years back but it wasn’t to be. But now maybe hope can be rekindled.
These are three stories included in this set and sets the stage for enjoying the rest.
I thoroughly loved the stories in this set. I am normally not too enamored with regency style stories but these stories I thoroughly enjoyed. Each reminds me of a faery tale and all will keep you enthralled.
Fantastic stories and reads.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a clever and entertaining collection of alternative fairy tales. I enjoyed the stories and trying to match them up to the original fairy tales. The collection contains six very different stories with elements of magic, adventure, and love. In some cases hard choices have to be made for love, and the characters must decide what is most important in their lives. Very fun, enjoyable reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a nice collection of reworked and mashed up fairy tales. All the stories are very different and it was fun to try to figure out how many fairy tales were in each story and how they compared to the original. I enjoyed them all but my personal favorite was Rescued by a Sea Nymph by Rebekah Lewis. It was quite funny and the heroine was feisty. I found all the stories to be very imaginative.
However, in “Scandalous Liaison” by Amanda Mariel I could never figure out what fairy tales or any other story she incorporated. It seemed like a regular Regency romance. It was good, but no ‘magic’.
As usual, any issues I have are with editing for typos, incorrect word usage, and word repetition. ‘Smirk’ is vastly overused in “Her Highland Beast” by Madeline Martin. Sigh. Writers – STOP USING THIS WORD for all your facial expressions! That is lazy writing.
“Infinitely my Marquess” was quite clever but had several modern word usages. Also, this sentence; “He got his education by default”. Shouldn’t it be “He had gotten his education by default”?
In “It Must Be Magic”, the word ‘belly’ was vastly overused.
In all the stories, too many sentences end incorrectly in prepositions.
However, these are entertaining stories. Just need professional editing.
A well-written story and a book I would recommend, six very good stories that had me turning pages. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I truly appreciate the darker twists some of the authors were able to weave into their stories. The old tales were told in new ways that had me craving more! Ms. Martin’s twist on The Princess and the Pea mixed with other folklore was awesome and one of my favorites!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Romantically Enchanted box set that totals around 665 pages and includes some great authors…also some I haven’t yet read. Box sets are the best for finding new authors and having a selection of books right at hand. This is an especially good one I will say with some great captivating stories that give us a nice easy break in the day or for a quick night read when you pick one. I would highly recommend this box set and all of the great authors. Here are a list of books that you will get in this set:
Her Highland Beast by Madeline Martin
Rescued by a Sea Nymph by Rebekah Lewis
Scandalous Liaison by Amanda Mariel
Infinitely My Marquess by Dawn Brower
It Must be Magic by Sandra Sookoo
Luring a Lord’s Love by Tammy Andresen
Review of Her HIghland Beast by Madeline Martin
Madeline Martin is an author that I follow quite closely. Anytime, she publishes a book I am on it like a duck on a June bug. I recently was gifted a copy of Her Highland Beast to read. It is a combination of Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Pea fairy tales. I normally don’t read Fantasy as a genre, but when Martin publishes a story I grab it regardless of the genre. I enjoyed this story. Duncan Maclean is cursed by a witch who likens his life to the leaves on a rowan tree near his castle. As each leaf falls, it marks his life slipping away. Only a special woman can break the curse. Enter Evina MacGregor – a young woman who is a trained warrior. Can Evina break the curse? Will Duncan be saved? Grab it and find out…as well as any other Martin books you can find.
Her Highland Beast by Madeline Martin
This twisted fairytale is a cross between Princess and the pea and Beauty and the beast. A special dagger represents the pea and the rowan tree represents the rose.
Duncan saves the young Evina, but a the cost of loosing his mother, His mother’s maid curses him. If he does not receive the love from Morrigana’s daughter by his 30th birthday, Duncan will die.
Highly recommend this book story.
Rescued By A Sea Nymph by Rebekha Lewis. This twisted fairytale is a cross between The Little Mermaid and an evil Peter Pan.
Ione is tired of being a mermaid, she craves adventure as a human.
Ione gets here wish a become mortal and she has 3 days to decides whether to stay a human, and be with Captain James or return to her life in the sea,
Luring A Lady’s Love by Tammy Andersen
Arianna is on her way to check on her grandmother and gets chased by wolves. She escapes the clutches of these wolves, but finds herself in danger of drowning.
Capita Nick rescues her and is determined to help Arianna and her family.
Her Highland Beast by Madeline Martin
My Rating: Spice Level: 1/2
This one has some Beauty and the Beast vibes with some twists that I love. Fate brought them together after all those years. I love how much detail there is to the curses and how they bring them together. They were a good match for each other and the ending definitely had me holding my breath.
Evina is a warrior and a woman that does what she wants. I really liked her and how she made it clear what she wanted. I felt bad for her when it came to remembering her past, but she needed to know.
Duncan has been locked away watching that tree for so long that he doesn’t know how to be around people. He really was sweet and put her first after getting to know her. I really liked him and how he softened.
Rescued by a Sea Nymph by Rebekah Lewis
My Rating: Spice Level:
This is one of my favorites so far in this set. It’s full of suspense from the start and I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages. The way he lost his hand was shocking and their meeting was fate. I had no clue how it was all going to play out and loved everything from the connection between them to the story they told. The ending was perfect!
Ione wanted more than what her sisters had and was different from them. She had no problem saying what she thought or what she wanted. I loved her right away because she was such a quick thinker and wouldn’t be controlled.
James loved his sister and wasn’t going to let some young entAriannaitled kid take everything from him. He saw her for her and not like she was different. I loved how he didn’t act shocked by the gods or how she talked or acted.
Scandalous Liaison by Amanda Mariel
My Rating: Spice Level:
I was so glad to see these two get their story! I love a past loves story, especially in a quick read. These two deserved to be together after all the time that has went by. It was clear that they loved each other from the start and that they never stopped loving each other. I was worried about what would happen near the end, but they had a lot of support behind them.
Grace is a strong woman that wished she could have followed her heart years ago. I loved her when she first appeared in another story and loved her more in this one. She always put others first and it was time to put herself first.
Lewis never forgot about her and thought she never had forgotten about him. I loved him in the previous story he was in because his heart was always in the right place. He understood why she did what she had to and that their worlds were different.
Infinitely My Marquess by Dawn Brower
My Rating: Spice Level:
Some Cinderella and Red Riding Hood vibes with this one! I loved how much was packed into this one and the twists were unexpected. They were meant to meet and help each other. I loved that there weren’t any loose ends to their pasts and that they got to know why some things happened.
Annalise is willing to take the risks to do what’s right and help others. I loved her right away because she kept a smile on her face and didn’t think twice about doing something. She was strong and brave at every turn.
Ryan should have had a black heart because of his upbringing, but he didn’t. I loved that he thought about others so much and wanted to help. He didn’t hesitate to help and wanted to protect those around him.
It Must be Magic by Sandra Sookoo
My Rating: Spice Level:
It really is magic in this one! The enchanted forest comes to life in full force and will have you on the edge of your seat. I was so into it that I jumped at their first meeting like I was there. There were twists at every turn that could have kept them apart, but they only brought them closer. Magic fought them and brought them together at the same time. The ending left me wanting more in a good way. I loved that it blended Snow White, Cinderella, and many other things together.
Averell had been hidden away by her father for a good reason, but she isn’t oblivious to the dangers in the woods. I loved her right away because she knew how to protect herself and listened to her heart. She was the complete opposite of the queen and couldn’t hurt an innocent person.
Quinn avoids marriage because of his curse, but his wolf instincts have other ideas. I loved that he was trying to be honest, but was enjoying the freedom of being himself. He wasn’t going to give her up or let her go alone into battle.
Luring a Lord’s Love by Tammy Andresen
My Rating: Spice Level: 1/2
This one will give you chills! The wolves hooked me and I had no clue how everything was going to turn out. Magic lead them to each other and helped them battle evil. The magic explains the strong pull to each other and the visions make it interesting. The ending made me hold my breath because I didn’t know what would happen.
Arianna knew something was going on in her village just not how powerful it was. I loved her from the start because she knew she could trust him. She realized that magic was real and powerful.
Nick knew he had to protect her and the village. I loved that he didn’t hesitate to save her and listened to her granny. He knew magic was real and that it could be good or bad.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review.
This is a wonderful book to read it has wonderful book, It is very well written with strong characters and I enjoyed reading it very much. I recommend this box set to anyone who loves a great book to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Her Highland Beast
by Madeline Martin
Cursed by a witch, Duncan Maclean watches his life pass as leaves fall from the great rowan tree, indicating the trickling end of his mortality. Only a special woman can break the curse, one who will be identified by the cut of an ancient spear under a layer of mattresses. Evina MacGregor cannot be injured in battle, even as her comrades fall around her, yet she cannot remember her past. After years of wandering the world in search of answers, she stumbles upon an enchanted castle and a beastly man who may hold the secret to her identity. She may be the one to break the curse, but time is running out for both of them.
My Thoughts:
This is my favorite of this collection. A mixture of fairytales, Princess and the Pea and Beauty and the Beast this tale is not to be missed.
It is remarkable how this couple got their HEA against all odds. This one gets 4.75 of 5.0 stars.
Rescued by a Sea Nymph
by Rebekah Lewis
Captain James Harlow loses his hand, and nearly his life, in an encounter with a group of young miscreants. When Ione, a mermaid, saves him from drowning, she decides to trade her fins for legs and leave her old life for one on land. They are given only three days to determine if they are meant to be together, but a sociopathic young Earl endeavors to ruin it all.
My Thoughts:
I had not read anything by this author before. This tale is a spin off on The Little Mermaid. We have James who a disturbed young man attempts to get rid of, a mermaid who rescues him from the sea and promptly falls for the injured man. With only three days to decide if she will return to the sea or live the rest of her life as a human Ione has a difficult decision to make.
I gave this tale 4.25 of 5.0 stars. It is also very well written and I will look for other books by this author.
Scandalous Liaison
by Amanda Mariel
In her youth, Grace Stratton, the Duchess of Abernathy, gave her heart to Lewis Duffield, an American plantation owner. Family duty tore them apart as she was required to wed another man. After years of being widowed, Grace finds herself alone with Lewis and their old flames rekindle, but can they recapture the all consuming love they once shared?
My Thoughts:
This is a typical second chance at love scenario. Unlike the other novellas in this collection it lacks the magical element that draws the reader in. It is still an enjoyable story though.
I gave this one 4.0 of 5.0 stars. Amanda Mariel has quickly become a favorite so I know I will read more of her books in the future.
Infinitely My Marquess
by Dawn Brower
The Marquess of Cinderbury and Lady Annalise Palmer are two lost souls in search of salvation. Together they can help each other heal, if they can believe in love, and in each other long enough to escape the torment they’ve both suffered; as well as, uncover an unimaginable devotion.
My Thoughts:
This is a reverse Cinderella story with the Marquess being our Cinderella like character. He has an evil stepmother and equally despicable step sisters. Can Annalise and Ryan heal each other and find love? Well when magic is involved anything is possible.
I gave this short read 4.5 of 5.0
It Must be Magic
by Sandra Sookoo
When Averell Woode, a huntsman’s daughter hidden away in an enchanted tree, meets Quinn Lansdowne, the spare prince of Annanvale as well as a wolf shifter, sparks–and arrows–fly. Perhaps it’s fate or even destiny, but love blooms between them. Too bad an evil queen holds Averell’s life in the balance unless she kills Prince Charming, who is Quinn’s brother. Only the heart and freewill can decide the future… and a little magic won’t hurt either.
My Thoughts:
I liked this novella but none of the others measure up to Madeline Martin’s offering.This novella is the typical shapeshifter scenario with the hero and his brother being cursed, human by day and changing to wolves by night. Love between Averell and The Prince of Annavale seems to be destined however our hero and heroine have much to overcome to get their HEA but it does eventually happen for them as in all good fairytales.
I gave this tale 4.25 of 5.0 stars.
Luring a Lord’s Love
by Tammy Andresen
When Arianna is attacked by men dressed as wolves in the forest, she is sure no one will help her and she dives into the icy ocean rather than be captured. Lord Nicholas Fairfield is a sailor at heart, and he can’t help but wonder about mermaids when he fishes a red-haired beauty from the sea. But the trouble engulfing her village is no myth and it’s up to him to save Arianna, her family, and the Scottish people who are under attack. But can he protect his own heart?
My Thoughts:
I have read and reviewed Tammy Andresen books before. Fantasy and loads of magic abound in this title.
We have a mixture of fairytales here that includes Little Red Riding Hood and The little Mermaid scenario emerges again in this novella that ends in a cliffhanger. You will need to read the sequel to get the full story. I didn’t like this story enough to read the next book when it comes out.
I gave this one 3.75 of 5.0 stars. It was my least favorite of the tales.
The overall rating adds up to a 4.25 of 5.0 star rating.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a wonderful set of books. It was so much fun to read. Pure joy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for a free copy.
Great collection
This book is an anthology of authors, but I will review the one that I read from Dawn Brower – Infinitely My Marquess:
This story was insta-love kind. The Hero here was similar in circumstance with the fairy tale story of Cinderella but make no mistake in the heroines circumstance – she’s not a princess whose going to save the Hero. The heroine here has her own dilemma to face. But then, all fairy tale’s end in HEA right, so even if there are many hindrances in their way, the H and h overcame it all. This particular story has its own twists and turns.
The whole collection is great. The mixture of fairytale twists and paranormal stories. Overall, I enjoyed it – recommended it even.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I am basing this off the first story in this anthology. I enjoyed Her Highland Beast, which included a Princess and the Pea fairy tale mixed in with Beauty and the Beast. Evina and Duncan were destined though they almost lost each other. As their story unfolded, I became involved in the story. I cried at the end when all looked bleak, and I was touched with what the power of their love could do and what those around them were willing to do.
As I read the other stories, I will edit this post.
Romantically Enchanted boxed set A Twisted Fairytale Collection by Dawn Brower. This boxed set is full of heartfelt romance, a twist of suspense, down to earth and believably flawed characters, and witty, entertaining dialogue. My free opinion. Thanks.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.