TagRetellings

Sweet Yet Anti-climatic: A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova

S

The Gist: A standalone epic fantasy loosely based on the mythology of Hades and Persephone, and while an enemies-to-lovers romance that has its sweet parts, the lack of world-building, endearing characterizations and number of plot holes made the novel quite anti-climatic.

Series: Married to Magic, #1*

Release Date: November 6, 2020

Synopsis
Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Uprooted, this stand-alone, fantasy romance about a human girl and her marriage to the Elf King is impossible to put down!

The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.

To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.

That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.

Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a “happily ever after” ending. It’s perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.

Ending
HFN but the extended epilogue shows it’s a HEA (you can access the extra scene through the back of the ebook or on Elise Kova’s website)
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental neglect
• Themes of isolation and abandonment
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
No cheating
Does have OW/OM drama (kind of)
– The Heroine was in love with her childhood best friend, but he turns out to be an asshole. And, apparently, she wasn’t “in love” with him but loved the idea of him? (There’s kissing *before* the Heroine meets the Hero)
– The Hero tried to date/court *his* best friend 3-4 years ago; she’s currently the Hand of the King. They both agreed they were better off friends. Their relationship didn’t progress past kissing but apparently, that attempt made them closer as friends.
Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 3-stars

*Each novel in the series is Standalone

(more…)

Refreshing and Romantic: The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard

R

Series: Everleigh Sisters*

Release Date: November 26, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Beauty and the Beast meets Taming of the Shrew in this laugh-out-loud and heartfelt Regency romance.

Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his servants, and snarling at anyone who gets too close. With a ruined face like his, it’s hard to like much about the world. Especially smart-mouthed harpies—with lips better suited to kissing than speaking—who brave his castle with indecent proposals.

But Lady Astrid Everleigh will stop at nothing to see her younger sister safe from a notorious scoundrel, even if it means offering herself up on a silver platter to the forbidding Beast of Beswick himself. And by offer, she means what no highborn lady of sound and sensible mind would ever dream of—a tender of marriage with her as his bride.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• POC Author
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• No OTT sad parts
• Sexism
– The Heroine is a victim of the ton’s inclination to believe a man over a woman when it comes to being “ruined”–the Heroine rejected a love interest in her youth and in revenge, the man ruined her standing in the ton, and is working on marrying her younger sister
• Harsh words exchanged between the Hero and Heroine
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
No cheating
No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
Does Not have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

*Each novel in the series is Standalone

(more…)

Enchanting and Atmospheric: The Beholder by Anna Bright

E

Series: The Beholder

Release Date: June 4, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

<strong>Ending</strong>

Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
• BIPOC side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
No OTT sad parts
• Heroine suffers emotional abuse from her step-mother
• Heroine’s mother died (off-page)
• The Heroine’s father is ill
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Allusion to violence
• Heroine is 18 and looking for a husband
• Romantic relationship between adoptive siblings
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

(more…)

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

A

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>

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

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Torture
• Death
• Murder
• Allusions to rape
• Severe PTSD
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
No cheating
Does have OW/OM drama
– The Hero does sleep with an OW as part of a Spring ritual… the Hero and Heroine are not together at this point. And, the Heroine never meets the OW.
– The villainess of the story wants the Hero (which is not reciprocated by the Hero). The villainess is a sexual predator.
– The Heroine is kissed by an OM, after the Heroine and Hero are together, for her “protection.” The Hero sees the OM kiss the Heroine.
No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

(more…)

The Vixen and the Vet (A Modern Fairytale, #1) by Kate Regnery

T

Series: A Modern Fairytale*

Release Date: June 15th, 2014

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Burned by an unreliable source, Savannah Carmichael, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get her skin back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher’s hand and disfigured half of his face, he’s lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy … that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress and a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn’t felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other’s hearts in ways neither though possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they’ll have to decide if the love they found in one another’s arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• A main character who is partially blind and had part of one arm amputated due to serving in the US Military
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• PTSD
• Death of family
• Grief
• Sexual assault
• Violence
• Gaslighting
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
No cheating
No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 5/5 stars

*Each novel in the series is Standalone

(more…)

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die, #1) by Danielle Paige

D

Series: Dorothy Must Die

Release Date: April 1st, 2014 

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado – taking you with it – you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can’t be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There’s still the yellow brick road, though – but even that’s crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They said she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm – and I’m the other girl from Kansas. 

I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. 

I’ve been trained to fight. 

And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman’s heart.
Steal the Scarecrow’s brain.
Take the Lion’s courage.

Then and only then – Dorothy must die!

<strong>Ending</strong>

 Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Drug addiction
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Murder
• Slavery
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Some kissing
• Mild language
• Underage drinking
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

(more…)

Follow Me on Wordpress

Follow Talk Nerdy To Me on WordPress.com

Currently Reading

You Should See Me in a Crown
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I Hope I Join the Band: Narrative, Affiliation, and Antiraciset Rhetoric


Sarah Anne's favorite books »

Archives

Upcoming Releases

Parade
The Art of Catching Feelings
A Novel Love Story


Sarah Anne's favorite books »