Book Recommendations, Dark Fairytale Retellings

 1. Wicked Villains Series (Book 1 Desperate Measures) by Katee Robert

y Savior… Or My Ruin?

One night and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar. As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice. Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.

But a gilded cage is still a prison, I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man I’m falling for.

2. Never After Series (Book 1 Hooked) by Emily McIntire

once Upon A Time, there was a little boy.
His belly was full of laughter, his life full of joy.
Until one day, something changed; stripped his innocence away.
The hole inside makes space for the devil to come and play.
His dreams were gone forever, he grew up way too fast.
An endless night of crocodiles, and watches made of glass.
He grew into a villain, the taste of vengeance on his tongue.
Craving to make his enemies pay for the misdeeds they had done.
Instead, he found a darling girl and refused to let her go.
For what better way to make the man pay than to steal his little shadow.

*Hooked is a full-length, complete standalone and the first in The Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. This is a DARK contemporary romance (not a literal retelling and not fantasy) featuring mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.*

3. Gilded Cage by C. Lymari

A Twisted Tales Novel

𝑰𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔; 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕. 𝑰𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔.
Once upon a time, there was a girl with hair like gold. She was subjected to the cruelty of this world.
For she was no princess but a mere pawn, her beauty something others sought.
In this world, she didn’t know who to trust, because to the cruel prince, she didn’t want to belong.
This made her callous and cold. The once sweet girl turned into a monster on her own.
So she struck a deal with an unsuspecting knight—but they spoke in riddles, deceit, and lies.
𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆... (

4. Ruthless Boys Series (Book 1 Dark Fae) by Caroline Peckham

What do a heartless Dragon Shifter, a cold-blooded Basilisk, an arrogant Lion Shifter, and a brooding, tattooed Harpy have in common...?
Me. Elise Callisto. Vampire. Angel of vengeance. And a girl on a mission to destroy one of them for murdering my brother. I just don't know which one did it yet.

When I kicked the ass of a Werewolf who was high on a new and dangerous drug called Killblaze, his final words painted a dark reality for me.

The King of Aurora Academy killed my brother.

The trouble is, there are four kings at that school and each of them has motive and cutthroat natures.

Aurora Academy isn't a place for the faint of heart. To put it lightly, my town is the asshole of Solaria where the dodgiest Fae in the kingdom resides. The school itself is divided by the two gangs who run this town. The Lunar Brotherhood and the Oscura Clan. And guess what? Two of the kings run the gangs at the school, their hatred for each other so fierce I hear a day doesn't go by without blood being spilled in the halls.

I might be a petite, lilac-haired girl who looks like a fragile doll, but they haven't been introduced to my fangs yet. And they don't know why I'm really here. Or that I'll do whatever it takes to bring down the Fae who took my flesh and blood from me.

I don't believe in fate, but I do know this... the King who killed my brother is a dead man walking. And I'm prepared to sacrifice my heart, body, and soul to ensure I get my revenge.

This is a reverse harem series set in the world of Zodiac Academy four years before the Vega Twins were Awakened. Expect some character cross-over, dark and hot romance, and a twisted murder mystery that will leave your head spinning. 

5. Zodiac Academy (Book 1 The Awakening) by Caroline Peckham

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently, it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. This means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals are ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.

6. Dark Olympus Series (Book 1 Neon Gods) by Katee Robert

He was supposed to be a myth.
But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell... he was, quite simply, mine.

Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade.

With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth... a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed.

Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…
  
A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

7. Deliciously Dark Fairytales Series (Book 1 A Ruin of Roses) by KF Breene

A spicy new twist on an old classic - a deliciously dark Beauty and the Beast reimagining.

I could save him, but he would ruin me.

The beast.
The creature that stalks the forbidden wood.
The dragon prince.

He has suffered a fate worse than death. We all have. A curse put upon us by the mad king.

We are a kingdom locked in time. Shifters are unable to feel our animals. Stuck here by a deal between the late king and a demon who seeks our destruction.

The only one keeping this kingdom alive is Nyfain, the golden prince to a stolen throne. The last dragon shifter.

He’s our hope.
He’s my nightmare.

When he catches me trespassing in the forbidden wood, he doesn’t punish me with death, as he’s entitled.

He takes me, instead. Forces me back to the castle as his prisoner. Seeks to use me.

Apparently, I can save him. I can save the whole forgotten kingdom, locked away by the demon king’s power.

But it would mean taming the monster beneath his skin. It would mean giving myself to him.

It would mean my ruin.

_ _ _ _ _ _

This is a dark and sexy Beauty and the Beast retelling, featuring a strong heroine, a dangerous anti-hero, and a humorous supporting cast. It is a full-length novel at 80k words and suitable for 18+. This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger. Buckle up. The author was let off her leash. (

8. Rosewood Realm Series (Book 1 Venom) by Dee Garcia

t’s no secret I’ve always despised Peter Pan.
A common thread amongst the factions, I should’ve killed him when I had the chance, long before he sank his claws deep into Tinksley’s heart.
But his death at my hands wasn’t what the plan called for…
I’d always been drawn to the girl, innocently enough at first…until that vile abomination marked her with his stamp, unleashing a sense of propriety I had no right to.
Didn’t matter—he had her...and I wanted her.
Then like magic, he disappeared.
I thought my time had come, but the road to owning Tinksley’s heart comes with a price. A price so dark and depraved it strips her of her purity and awakens the beast within.
All because of the truth.
Sometimes, there is honor in revenge, and it will be my utmost pleasure to watch as Peter Pan finally meets his maker.
His maker who will now always and forever be my Queen.

9. Kings of Eden by Mila Young

I've danced for some powerful and deadly men. But lately, instead of dollars, I'm collecting death warrants.

I’ve always played with danger. And as long as I followed the rules, I told myself I’d always be safe.

One night is all it took, one mistake, and now every damned mafia criminal in the Black Spades gang is after me.

But so are the Kings of Eden.

Cassius, Dracon, and Knox-- they're monsters that would make the devil's serpent look like an inchworm.

They want to play with me, break me, rule me.

What they don't know is that I'll never fall to my knees... even if that's exactly where they want me.

10. A Modern Fairytale Series (Book 1 The Vixen and the Vet) by Katy Regnery

In this modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get 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 with 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 thought 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.

~Book information and blurbs found on goodreads.com