Book picks similar to
The Beast & the Beauty: A Bad Boy Romance Inspired by the Classic Fairy Tale by Nikki Steele
contemporary
romance
retellings
sampled-and-declined
Poisoned
Jennifer Donnelly - 2020
Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman pulled out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart.It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . . With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.
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.
The Virgin's Dom
Ashlee Price - 2017
Show me what I own. She has a not-so-little secret. No guy has ever been able to get her off. They try to cross that line with her. They might get close but ultimately they fail. They leave holding the bag. ...Or, should I say, holding the cuffs and whips. Rinse. Repeat. Until she met me: A self-made billionaire who’s into BDSM. I want to make her mine. I want to own her beyond just as my one night auction prize. I want to give her all the pleasures any man can offer a woman. I want her to surrender and submit to my commands. I love hearing her say..."Yes, Sir...Yes, Daddy" She wants to trust me. She wants to have faith in me. But how could she? With all the men in her life constantly taking advantage of her and disappointing her. I know deep down she wants me. But things aren’t that simple. Nothing worth fighting for ever is. ***This is a full length, stand-alone, dark billionaire romance with a happily ever after ending. This edition includes an epilogue to the main story along with several hot bonus books for your continued reading pleasure. Come along for the ride ;-)***
A Thousand Nights
E.K. Johnston - 2015
When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awakened by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.
Spinning Starlight
R.C. Lewis - 2015
But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it’s hard to escape it. So when a group of men shows up at her house uninvited, she assumes it’s just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired.Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi’s vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead.Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home—a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers’ survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back?Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans strings the heart of the classic with a stunning, imaginative world as a star-crossed family fights for its very survival.
A Rush of Wings
Laura E. Weymouth - 2021
But though she hears voices on the wind and possesses unusual talents, her mother Mairead believes Rowenna lacks discipline, and refuses to teach her the craft that keeps their Scottish village safe. When Mairead dies a sinister death, it seems Rowenna’s one chance to grow into her power has passed. Then, on a fateful, storm-tossed night, Rowenna rescues a handsome stranger named Gawen from a shipwreck, and her mother miraculously returns from the dead. Or so it appears.This resurrected Mairead is nothing like the old one: to hide her new and monstrous nature, she turns Rowenna’s brothers and Gawen into swans and robs Rowenna of her voice. Forced to flee, Rowenna travels to the city of Inverness to find a way to break the curse. But monsters take many forms, and in Inverness Rowenna is soon caught in a web of strangers who want to use her raw magic for their own gain. If she wishes to save herself and the people she loves most, Rowenna will have to take her fate into her own hands, and unlock the power that has evaded her for so long.Content warnings are available via the author's website.
Mutually Exclusive
Charlotte Winston - 2015
She follows the rules, stays the course, but there’s only so far she can bend before she breaks. Her reputation is everything, but she can’t resist temptation when given an opportunity to join Club Valentine, the exclusive sex club that caters to the wealthy.Roman Valentine makes a living providing people a place to exercise their sexual preferences with discretion. He knows how to keep secrets, especially since he has some of his own he doesn’t want discovered. Alexandra provides a distraction he doesn’t need, but Roman how can he say no when she makes him an offer he can’t refuse.Their agreement is simple. Discretion, orgasms, and never mix business with pleasure. But what happens when business becomes personal? How will they react when the secrets they keep buried threaten to overtake them? And what’s Alexandra supposed to do when Roman’s secret directly impacts her life?
Unbirthday
Liz Braswell - 2020
She'd rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian's lively salon, ignoring her sister's wishes that she stop all that "nonsense" and become a "respectable" member of society. Alice is happy to meander to Miss. Yao's teashop or to visit the children playing in the Square. She's also interested in learning more about the young lawyer she met there, but just because she's curious, of course, not because he was sweet and charming.But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects-the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar. There's something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all-a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice's help. Mary Ann.Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts' tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so . . . before the End of Time?
Mountain Man's Fever: The Complete Series Box Set
Lauren Wood - 2018
I didn't know what I was missing before I found Ayla. She was a stranger that made my heart race and my body hot. All I had to do was get my lips on hers and give her the temptation." Mountain Man's Proposal "Her smile was innocent, but her body was so damn hot. She got a job and I got a new outlook on life. She brought out the side of me that I didn’t even know was alive. With her, I started to think about the future." Mountain Man's Bride "He was back and everything was changing. He wanted something from me, more than I first thought. It was hard to think when he was near and now Chris was too close. His lips were so demanding and I yearned for the power that he possessed over my body." Mountain Man's Secret Baby "Just like the tall peaks of Alaska… Ethan is untamed and rough around the edges. No one knows why he’s here in Nome, But something draws me to his stormy eyes… And I lose control of everything." Mountain Man's Fever is a complete series box set. As always, lots of love and romance and a very satisfying HEA!
Kill Me Softly
Sarah Cross - 2012
Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.
Hellbound Lovers MC (Books 1-4): WOLF, GRAYSON, RIGGS & CAIN
Crimson Syn - 2018
The Hellbound Lovers are tough, ride hard, and love fiercely. And when they set their heart on something, There’s nothing stopping them from getting what they want. Especially when that something involves top of the line curves That make their engines rumble and purr like a smooth dream. When these men fall, they fall hard, And when impending danger threatens what they love most They’ll do whatever it takes to protect it. Duty and honor collide with wild passion in this sexy and dirty MC Romance.
Kingdom of Ash and Briars
Hannah West - 2016
An ancient breed of immortal magic beings, elicromancers have been winnowed down to merely two - now three - after centuries of bloody conflict in the realm. Their gifts are fraught with responsibility, and sixteen-year-old Bristal is torn between two paths. Should she vow to seek the good of the world, to protect and serve mortals? Or should she follow the strength of her power, even if it leads to unknown terrors? She draws on her ability to disguise herself as a man to infiltrate a prince's band of soldiers, and masquerades as a fairy godmother to shield a cursed princess, but time is running out. As an army of dark creatures grows closer, Bristal faces a supernatural war. To save the kingdoms, Bristal must find the courage to show her true form.Building on homages to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jane Austen’s Emma and the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, Hannah West makes a spectacular debut.
My Billionaire Protector
R.S. Lively - 2018
Ten years ago, I gave Carter my innocence.
Breaking Free
Juliana Haygert - 2013
To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.After a fire takes her grandma's life and kills her horse, Hannah's immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can't turn away even though she's not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.Author's note: this book contains scenes of domestic violence, mentions of animal cruelty, strong language, sex scenes (no rape!), and a HEA.The Breaking Series:Breaking Free (Book 1)Breaking Away (Book 2)Breaking Through (Book 3)Breaking Down (Book 4)*All books are standalone and can be read out of order.
Her Boyfriend's Friend
Mia Ford - 2019
I noticed his eyes first, deep luscious pools I wanted to dive in and drown. The broad shoulders, mighty fine muscles, and dimpled smile didn't hurt either. And as soon as I met him, I just felt... warm and protected. Safe. One hitch though - Nate's my fiancé's friend. And I'm not the type to cheat. Unlike my jerk of a fiancé. Yeah, guess what I just found out. Good old Jack has been playing around. Of course, it's one rule for him and another for me. I know what Nate and I have is real. So real there's a baby growing to prove it. But if Jack finds out he'll destroy us. He's the billionaire that runs this town. Is true love worth the price?