February is often celebrated as the month of love, with Valentine’s Day at its heart. What better way to embrace the season of romance than losing yourself in a fairy tale retelling? Whether it’s a dashing prince, a courageous heroine, or a reimagined classic with a new twist, these stories weave wonder and romance into every page.
Here are three enchanting fairy tale retellings I recently read—perfect for a little February escapism!
The Winter Prince by Constance Lopez is a clean fantasy romance with a fresh take on Beauty and the Beast, and I enjoyed Revi and Kienna’s romance. Revi, the cursed Fae Prince of the Winter Court, was an intriguing, wounded Beast, while Kienna, the court’s last hope, was delightfully spunky. I loved the new twists in the original story, including the banter between Revi and his cousin and the believable way the romance unfolded.
I wasn’t familiar with Ms Lopez’s work before borrowing The Winter Prince in Kindle Unlimited, but I enjoyed it so much I read all the books in her Kasmian Chronicles series. I’m not a huge fantasy reader and tend not to read books involving magic—one can’t have a cursed Beast without a cast spell, though!—but I’m a sucker for well-written stories and wonderful romances!
Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer is a Christian historical romance mashup of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. This delightful, faith-filled tale follows Letty, a young woman living in the Texas wilderness with her grandmother, and Philip, the Pinkerton agent tasked to bring her safely home to Houston.
Ms Witemeyer’s skilful use of the forced proximity trope allowed their romance to blossom naturally, developing believably from strangers to friends, and then into something more. Letty was also a worthy heroine with her mix of innocence, wisdom, and kindness. She faced some challenging—nail-biting!—moments, yet she never gave up.
The Beggar Prince by Kate Stradling is a non-magical fantasy retelling of a lesser-known fairy tale, King Thrushbeard. I’d never heard of this fairy tale before I borrowed this novel in Kindle Unlimited. So, before diving into the story, I Googled a rundown of the original… and discovered why this wasn’t a popular fairy tale. I chose this novel hoping it would offer a fresh, improved take on the original, and I’m happy to report it did!
Tor and Leonie’s story was more plausible than the original, with fun, snarky banter and an interesting twist on why the Laughing Princess behaved as she did. Despite the lies, their vulnerability with each other solidified their romance and helped them overcome a cartload of issues.
Have you read any of these fairy tale retellings? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
