Book picks similar to
Loathly by Erica Forrest


fantasy
beauty-and-the-beast
fairy-tales
set-aside-meh

Heartless as a Tin Man


Kendra Moreno - 2021
    . .The world has completely lost its mind. Not only is Briella Mae trying to pick up the pieces of her life, but she suddenly finds herself falling into some sort of nightmare named Oz while hanging out at Bullfrog Creek. She only wanted a new start. . . she didn’t realize she’d literally have to start anew.Gillikin City seemed like the safest place to go in Oz but Breilla Mae soon learns why everyone fears the fluorescent metropolis. The Tin Man rules Gillikin with an iron axe, and he doesn’t take kindly to newcomers, especially when they look him in the eyes without fear. But Briella Mae has seen the devil, and the Tin Man ain’t him.With worlds merging, chaos reigning, and true villains breaking loose, Briella finds herself with no option but to team up with the heartless Tin Man. Will she survive the coming storm without adding her heart to his collection?If only the Tin Man had a heart of his own. . .

The Shadow Queen


C.J. Redwine - 2016
    To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of the Arabian Nights


Cameron Dokey - 1997
    Deeply hurt and bitterly angry, he vows never to be deceived again. Unfortunately, the king's plan to protect himself will endanger all of the realm's young women, unless one of them will volunteer to marry the king - and surrender her life. To everyone's relief and horror, one young woman steps forward. The daughter of a legendary storyteller, Shahrazad believes it is her destiny to accept this risk and sacrifice herself.On the night of her wedding to the king, Shahrazad begins to weave a tale. Fascinated, the king lets her live night after night. Just when Shahrazad dares to believe that she has found a way to keep her life — and an unexpected love - a treacherous plot will disrupt her plan. Now she can only hope that love is strong enough to save her.

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book


Jennifer Donnelly - 2017
    When she comes upon Nevermore, an enchanted book unlike anything else she has seen in the castle, Belle finds herself pulled into its pages and transported to a world of glamour and intrigue. The adventures Belle has always imagined, the dreams she was forced to give up when she became a prisoner, seem within reach again.The charming and mysterious characters Belle meets within the pages of Nevermore offer her glamorous conversation, a life of dazzling Parisian luxury, and even a reunion she never thought possible. Here Belle can have everything she has ever wished for. But what about her friends in the Beast’s castle? Can Belle trust her new companions inside the pages of Nevermore? Is Nevermore’s world even real? Belle must uncover the truth about the book, before she loses herself in it forever.

The Swan Maiden


Heather Tomlinson - 2007
    A third daughter can dream of being a creature of flight and magic, of wearing a swan-skin like her sisters. But Doucette must run the castle household while her older sisters learn to weave spells. Her dream of flying is exactly that--until the day she discovers her own hidden birthright. Sudden, soaring freedom--it is a wish come true. Yet it comes with a price. As Doucette struggles to find her own way in the world, she risks losing the one she loves most of all. An age-old fairy tale told in a refreshingly original voice, Heather Tomlinson's stunning debut is fantasy at its most eloquent and richly imagined.

The Scarlet Rose


Valia Lind - 2021
    A desperate bargain. A cursed wolf prince without hope. Nikita has one goal in life: to take her father’s place in the Bratva syndicate. While her sisters want nothing more than advantageous marriages to wealthy men, Nikita wants control of her own life.But when her father is tricked into a bargain with Gavriil, the prince of Skazka, to protect her family's legacy, Nikita has no choice but to steal the portal ring and take his place.Within the walls of the castle, she finds a spoiled royal, hallways filled with strange statues, and a magic she didn’t know existed. Tasked with finding a way to break the curse, Nikita spends hours pouring over ancient texts, looking for answers — and a way out.Her one reprieve is her music. After finding the hidden piano room, she takes her refuge there. Soon, so does Gavriil. Suddenly, the broody enemy is becoming a friend—or something more.Passions ignite and Nikita must do all she can to save the prince and his people from the curse that could destroy them.Time is running out. Each day, Gavriil turns more and more into a wolf, losing his human emotions and memories.If Nikita can’t break the curse, there will be no trace of Gavriil left, and he’ll become the monster he’s always feared himself to be—forfeiting his humanity, and heart, forever.The Scarlet Rose is a retelling of the traditional Russian Beauty and the Beast fairytale. Set in the world of Skazka, this complete stand-alone novel is full of banter, heart, found family, and romance!

The Scarred Prince


Erika Everest - 2020
    A DETERMINED INTRUDER. AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP.His face scarred from a witch’s curse, Prince Sebastian retreats inside his castle, resentful and angry. He shuns contact with everyone except the Red Hoods, the elite soldiers he trains and leads.Four years ago, Sienna was kidnapped. Still traumatized by her ordeal, she needs to learn to protect herself to feel safe again, and she wants the Prince to train her.Reluctantly, Sebastian agrees.But long-held beliefs aren't so easy to cast aside. Can the bitter soldier and the haunted girl overcome their demons? Or will their pasts rip them apart?If you enjoy strong heroines who refuse to wait to be rescued and the men who love and accept them wrapped in a fairy tale bow, you’ll love The Scarred Prince and this new series of standalone but interconnected fairy tale retellings.

Moonlight and Ashes


Sophie Masson - 2012
    There is a girl whose fortunes have plummeted from wealthy aristocrat to that of a servant girl. A magic hazel twig, a dashing prince, and a desperate escape from danger combine to tell the story of a girl who refuses to allow her fairy godmother to arrange her future for her. Instead, this is the story of Selena who will take charge of her own destiny and learn that her magic is not to be feared but celebrated. Pure fairytale—with all the romance, magic, and adventure that goes along with it.

Beauty and the Beast


Vivienne Savage - 2016
    Prince Alistair isn’t an ordinary dragon. He’s a shifter afflicted by a curse, unable to become human again until he finds his true love. When a mortal king’s adventurers trespass in Alistair’s territory to steal a rare flower, the prince decides to steal a valuable prize of his own. (Author's Note: This is a magical retelling of the beloved tale written for an adult audience. Reader discretion is advised.)

Beauty and the Beast


Kerrianne Coombes - 2012
    Her only hope of escape comes in the form of Brigg, cursed Rain Demon and bitter, human hating bastard. But beggars can’t be choosers.When Brigg finds himself in possession of a human and a horde of angry demons desperate to get her back, he flees. When he realizes that she is the daughter of the witch that cursed him and his family, he believes that he has finally got the opportunity he has been hoping for. The only thing he must decide now is what is more important to him, the reversal of the curse, or revenge?Neither one are prepared for the flame that ignites between them. But will the spark be enough to break to the curse that holds them apart?

East


Edith Pattou - 2003
    Since the day she was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home... but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever. So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage Rose to come away with it--in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family--she readily agrees. Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart-- and finds her purpose--and realizes her journey has only just begun.

The Princess Curse


Merrie Haskell - 2011
    Everyone who tries disappears or falls into an enchanted sleep. Thirteen-year-old Reveka, a smart, courageous herbalist’s apprentice, decides to attempt to break the curse despite the danger. Unravelling the mystery behind the curse leads Reveka to the Underworld, and to save the princesses, Reveka will have to risk her soul. Princess Curse combines magic, suspense, humor, and adventure into a story perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine.

Beastly Duke & the Winsome Bride (Regency Fairytale Romance #1)


Charity McColl - 2016
    Her wicked stepmother, twisted with jealousy, arranges a marriage for Samantha with a rich, arrogant and cruel man. It only the actions of her concerned father that save her from this fate worse than death. Or so it seems, until she discovers that her father’s plan is to send her hundreds of miles away to Lord Callum’s castle in Inverness, as servant and cook to a disfigured beast of a man, hidden from all but those who dare enter his maternal grandfather’s home. Which is worse? Marriage to a monster, or servant to a beast? In this original Regency fairytale the classic tale of Beauty and Beast takes a decidedly romantic Regency turn.

The Evil Queen


Gena Showalter - 2019
    Except, fairy tales aren’t based on myths and legends of the past—they are prophecies of the future.Raised in the mortal realm, Everly Morrow has no idea she’s a real-life fairy-tale princess—until she manifests an ability to commune with mirrors.Look. See… What will one peek hurt?Soon, a horrifying truth is revealed. She is fated to be Snow White’s greatest enemy, the Evil Queen.With powers beyond her imagination or control, Everly returns to the land of her birth. There, she meets Roth Charmaine, the supposed Prince Charming. Their attraction is undeniable, but their relationship is doomed. As the prophecy unfolds, Everly faces one betrayal after another, and giving in to her dark side proves more tempting every day. Can she resist, or will she become the queen—and villain—she was born to be?The battle between good and evil is on.

House of Salt and Sorrows


Erin A. Craig - 2019
    Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.