| Title | : | Once Upon a Fairy Tale: A Multi Author Anthology of Fairy Tale Retellings |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published December 6, 2022 |
Now you can revisit some of your favorite fairy tales, retold in twelve unique stories by a dozen talented authors. From Peter Pan to Rapunzel, Goldilocks to Jack and the Beanstalk, these stories are sure to delight readers and keep them turning the pages long after bedtime.
Once Upon a Fairy Tale: A Multi Author Anthology of Fairy Tale Retellings Reviews
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I'm so excited for this anthology of Fairy Tale Retellings! I love a good fairytale! This is a limited time release and is for raising money for childhood cancers. Great cause!!! And isn't that cover just absolutely gorgeous???!!!
I'm going to add thoughts for each book as I read them. Most are novellas, so quick and easy reads for one sitting. All books are clean reads, but I'll add a content section at the end of each individual review.
~Straight on Till Dusk by Adam Berg~ 4*~
Fun twist on Peter Pan. Very creative. The world has come to an end because of the creation of a drink that allows you to never age or die. Peter is alone in the world except for a couple lost boy friends and his bot Tink. And that pesky Captain Hook and his ship of cyborgs. When he stumbles upon Wendy and her bottle of Eternia drink he knows he has to guard her from Hook at all costs. This is set during a futuristic time period.
Content: Clean. Some mild moments of peril.
~Little Red Rising Hood by Clarissa Kae~ 4*~
Clever story combining Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood. Not everything is as it seems. But a village of women have figured out a way to try to protect themselves and help each other. But of course their antics make the king question if there's a rebellion going on. When he sends a kingsman and a wolf to out what's going on, this quaint Welsh village knows they're in trouble. But the wolf just might be what saves them. The wolf is of course a human with the nickname wolf. ;-) This one is set during a historical time period.
Content: Clean. Some mild moments of peril/fighting.
~The Stepsister by Jennifer Moore~ 5*~
I loved this fun magical take on Cinderella. And that it features the stepsisters. I was cheering for Hilde and her sister Olga to experience some of the joy of the ball. They experienced it for sure but not necessarily in the way they thought they would. Lol! Sweet love story that left me smiling. This is set in a historical time period.
Content: Clean.
~The Magic of Falling by Jo Perry~ 4*~
A beautiful opera singer is stuck in the same routine over and over again. Never gaining freedom to explore and enjoy life while her aunt makes sure she is resting her voice and doing her vocal exercises and such. All of that will change when the younger brother of a duke happens to see her and fall for her. He'll stop at nothing to spend time with her and see if they are a good fit. But no matter her feelings he's determined to help her have control of her life. These two were just adorable together.
Content: Clean.
~Blow Your House Down by Josi Kilpack~5*
Such a fun retelling of The Three Little Pigs! Peg and Mike were fun characters! They are brought together to help save the house Peg has inherited from her grandma. All kinds of weird things keep happening that block Peg in every step she takes to try to renovate the home she loves, filled with great memories.
The chemistry between these two was great. Mike is a widower with two young daughters and they play such a cute part in the story as well. I loved the dynamics of his little family. There are definitely some heartaches and struggles from his past. But as he and Peg come to work together, they can figure out anything. A few little twists that maybe you'll guess, or maybe you'll be surprised about in the end. Charming! And a great story to thwart that Big Bad Wolf!!!
Content: Clean.
~Of Sea, Air & Earth by Julie Wright~
Review To Come
~Me and Mr. Just Right by Kaylee Baldwin~
Review To Come
~Just As You Are by Mindy Burbidge Strunk~
Review To Come
~Jacklyn and the Beanstalk by Nancy Campbell Allen~
Review To Come
~Wooing the Golden Duke by Rebecca Connolly~5*~
Let's just say that I loved it and was grinning and swooning while reading this one! Lydia is the youngest of three sisters being presented at court. She's not too thrilled and is most often ignored by her mom and sisters. Which of course gives her a little freedom to have an adventure. A fun conversation with an unknown man breaks up the boredom and sets her on a path she didn't expect.
A house party, and many shenanigans on behalf of the mother and sisters, Lydia and a Duke meeting over and over again. And a delicious ball. Oh and don't forget the birds! ;-)
Content: Clean.
~Petals Between the Pages by Serene Heiner~
Review To Come
~The Emperor's New Designer by Shaela Kay~
Review To Come
I received a copy from an author but have also purchased my own copy. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!! -
Blow your house down, a novella by Josi Kilpack, was a unique fairytale retelling.
I’ve read a lot of retellings, but never one for the three little pigs. I was curious how it would be approached and enjoyed the creativity. The main characters were likable and the plot was unexpected. If you like modern retellings, in novella form, check this one out! A nice quick read this weekend. -
I bought this collection because I love fairytales, quite a few of the stories are by authors I already read, and all the proceeds are going to The Magic Yarn Project, which makes homespun wigs for children with cancer. All the stories are retellings of traditional fairytales in different genres--some are contemporary, some regency, one was steampunk which I really enjoyed because it's Nancy Campbell Allen. All of them are clean romances with just kisses and most of these are novellas which are fun because you can read a complete story in about an hour.
I think there's basically something for everyone in this collection. -
I read "Blow Your House Down" by Josi S. Kilpack and really enjoyed the contemporary twist of The Three Little Pigs.
I loved the characters in this retelling and the unexpected spins on a classic tale. Although short, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to enjoying more of this book. It's great that the stories can each be read in a sitting and enjoyed a snippet at a time.
*I received a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are my own, but I also bought a copy.* -
This review is the for the “Just as you are” novella portion of the book.
Just as you are was a cute story about a middle aged Admiral and a 22 year old lady. He is trying to find a wife to take with him to New Zealand, but she needs to be strong and resilient. She has finally been given her first season, but to her horror, her hair has all but disappeared leaving her bald and (to herself) she now appears ugly. She is self conscious and is wary of his feelings towards her. He is skeptical of her shyness and wonders who the lady inside really is. Will they find a fondness for eachother and overcome their own insecurities?
You will love this short story and fall in love with the characters and will want to know more of their story, once it is done. 4.5 Stars
*I received this novella for free as an ARC reviewer, but was not required to give it a good rating. All thoughts are solely my own. -
Wow!
This was quite a collection. There were so many great stories in this anthology! I was very impressed. There were a few that it was a struggle to get through. Some that maybe needed another pass by an editor.
Most of the stories were squeaky clean and delightful. There were some that had some mild language. There was a mixture of different time periods, which was fun.
I could usually tell which fairytale was being retold, but there were one or two that I wasn't sure...so I just tried to enjoy them as stories, not retellings.
There were so many stories included that this collection took me a LONG time to finish!! -
These short stories are such a delight!!
I really enjoyed being able to dip in and out of these short stories. Each one done very well. I especially connected with Josi S Kilpack’s story, Blow your House Down.
Each story stands on its own, but the whole purpose of this book and the way it’s supports the Magic Yarn Project, makes it’s so much more special!! -
A Bargain
The anthology of fairy tale retellings is well done. I found all the stories interesting, per se, but I did enjoy the ones where I could identify the original fairy tale that inspired them the most. The novellas span the genres from rom-com, to steampunk to regency to sci-fi, so there’s something for everyone. -
4 - Straight on Till Dusk by Adam Berg - retelling Peter Pan. apocalyptic future, Peter flies with a jet-pack, Tinkerbell is a semisentient flying bot, lost boys are in cryostasis, Hook wants Wendy's Eternia that stops aging
2 - Little Red Rising Hood by Clarissa Kae - would have been a better story without the attempt to make it into Red Riding Hood; she secretly leads the women of the town in stealing back the taxes and casing off the tax collector (so, Robin Hood?), he has been forced to work for the wicked king and returns to the village with the assignment to figure out the mystery, he is nicknamed The Wolf, there is a politically wise grandmother
3 - The Stepsister by Jennifer Moore - retelling of Cinderella, very interesting world, Cindell has all the love and magic to make men fall for her, Hildie is a stepsister that cancels other people's magic and loves to research bugs, she runs into the annonymous prince in the forest and then must rescue him from Cindell's spell; the ending is sadly abrupt, I wish the story was longer with the ending more fleshed out
3 - The Magic of Falling by Jo Perry - retelling of Rapunzel; she is a fantastic opera singer, he falls for her while watching her perform, her aunt keeps her isolated from anyone; cute
3 - Blow Your House Down by Josi Kilpack - loosely Three Little Pigs, she inherits a house, he is trying to help her get financing to pay back taxes and all sorts of financial issues keep getting in the way; there is some shady character out there who bought her sisters out of the inherited straw field and wood mill
4 - Of Sea, Air & Earth by Julie Wright - in the original version of the Little Mermaid, she doesn't get her prince and is turned into sea foam; what if instead of sea foam she was given a chance to prove herself as a human, and 300 years later we get this story; her assignment is to convince him to keep his fishing business, they mesh and beautifully fall in love
5 - Me and Mr. Just Right by Kaylee Baldwin - references Goldilocks and the Three Bears; she rents a cabin for a week in Alaska, then three men (brothers) show up, one is stern, one is a softy, and one is "just right", I love the romance as well as the interaction of the brothers both among themselves and with her
3 - Just As You Are by Mindy Burbidge Strunk - she is in London for the Season, despite having lost all her hair and needing to wear a wig, he is a young admiral, looking for a wife to help him in a political assignment in New Zealand (not sure what fairtale this connects with)
3 - Jacklyn and the Beanstalk by Nancy Campbell Allen - steampunk, she is an airship pilot and bounty hunter, manipulated into searching for "Mr Hood" who is rumored to be gathering an army to overthrow the government, he is Hood and secretly the lost prince and his hideout is in the Beanstalk area of the remote mountains
3 - Wooing the Golden Duke by Rebecca Connolly - she joins her 2 older sisters in their first season (because, what else are her parents going to do with her?) but is expected to let her sisters shine, he is the much sought after bachelor duke, his mother gathers a huge group of debutantes to a house party for him to pick a bride, he says will marry one who makes him laugh
4 - Petals Between the Pages by Serene Heiner - modern setting, he is poor and taking care of his drug addict mom and secretly loves her from afar, she runs a small bookstore with her aging dad, the bookstore burns down, he starts secretly leaving her his copies of books (with petals), rich guy rushes in to "take care" of her and also claims credit for the books; I think this is a Beauty and the Beast spinoff? there is an off-screen character named Cogsworth, a minor character named Chip, and the rich guy's fancy sports car says "beast" on the license plate
3 - The Emperor's New Designer by Shaela Kay - they live across the hall from each other, she designs clothes, he runs tech for an online Emperor, he arranges for her to design the Emperor's clothes for major events, with rave reviews, but she doesn't get credit -
I enjoyed the varied settings. Below are my notes about each story.
-some typos
Straight on till dusk
-sci-fi/dystopian aspects
-mild violence
-4 stars
Little Red Rising Hood
-really enjoyed
-set in historical Wales
-mix of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood
-clean
The Stepsister
-4 stars
-clean
The Magic of Falling
-mild swear words: 3
-set in Victorian England
-clean - reference to unwed mother
-4 stars
-would like to read the story I sense between two of the side characters
Blow Your House Down
-mild swear words: 4
-set in modern America
-clean - maybe living together
-3.5 stars
Of Sea, Air, and Earth
-set in modern America
-4.5 stars
-clean
Me and Mr. Just Right
-set in modern America
-4.5 stars
-clean
Just As You Are
-set in Regency England
-4.5 stars
-clean
-not sure what fairytale it's based on
Jacklyn and the Beanstalk
-steampunk
-mild swear words: 2
-clean - mild violence
-4 stars
Wooing the Golden Duke
-4.5 stars
-clean
Petals Between the Pages
-modern
-swear words: 7
-would have liked it better with less swearing
-4 stars
The Emperor's New Designer
-modern
-Clean -
I absolutely love fairytale retellings! This collection has some authors that I love in it as well as some authors that are new to me. Since the purchase price goes to help kids with childhood cancer I just couldn’t resist. I will review each story as I read it.
THE STEPSISTER - This one is by Jennifer Moore. I love her stories! Such a fun twist to read the Cinderella story from the point of view of one of the ugly stepsisters. There were plenty of twists to the original fairytale. Enough to keep me guessing! In an attempt to save those who live in the Wandering Wood, each of the sisters uses their own gifts and talents to try to help their people not starve. When the prince gets tangled up in the plans things start to get exciting!
WOOING THE GOLDEN DUKE - This story is by Rebecca Connolly. She is the reason I bought the collection. She mentioned the collection on social media and I was instantly intrigued. Her story did not disappoint! I now want to go look up the traditional story about the Golden Goose because I don't remember it. Even without the background story, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Lydia is hilarious and so unpretentious. Morgan and his mom make me laugh. He is so over her attempts to find a wife for him. They are outrageous, but she wants the best for him. I love the stolen moments Morgan and Lydia find to get to know one another. The fireworks were incredible. -
I loved this book. I liked the different takes on all the different fairy tales. One of my favorites was Blow Your House Down by Josi Kilpack. You read stories all the time about the princesses and such. But never about the 3 little pigs. And this was perfect! I love Peg and her things she tells herself at the beginning of the story. That she has all the time she needs, everything works out perfectly, she find joy in the journey, everything works out perfectly, patience is the price of greatness. I need to tell myself that every day!
The fun that happens with Peg, Mike, and his two daughters is really good to see. And I love how it all comes together in the end for a fabulous finish! I highly recommend this book, and this novella in it is a must read!! -
I was so excited about this anthology, so it was extremely disappointing to discover that it didn't appear to be well edited. There were so many sentences that didn't make sense and it interrupted the flow of the stories for me. That said, the actual plotting and world building of each story is very well done. The authors did an excellent job of taking stories that have been told over and over and telling them in a completely new way. So 4.5 stars, but just because the errors were so distracting
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So many amazing retellings!
This book contains the following retellings: Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Three Little Pigs, Little Mermaid, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Golden Goose, Beauty and the Beast, and the Emperor's New Clothes. They were really well written and unique stories. I highly recommend reading them! -
Not only does it include some of our very favorite authors, it’s also a smorgasbord of genres. From regency to contemporary, to dystopian and mystery- all with a little romance thrown in.
The first retelling is of Peter Pan and it sucked me right in. It was so wholly unique, it may be my new favorite rendition of that particular tale.
From re-retellings of some classics, to some lesser known legends I was entertained with every new fable.
Read it, I know you’ll love it. -
I enjoyed most of the stories in this series quite a bit. As with most collections, some are better than others. Fairy Tale retelling can be hit or miss, but these stories were creative and unique in their approach for the most part. They covered many different genres and kept me entertained. I discovered a few new-to-me authors as I read and look forward to finding more of their works to add to my to-read list.
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3.5 stars. I love fairytale retellings and this was a fun anthology of 12 stories covering a wide mix of genres and time periods! Some were a more direct correlation to the original fairytale than others. I also felt like it could have used more editing - I think I came across typos in almost every story (some really threw me like a wrong character name, etc.)
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An anthology of short stories inspired by fairy tales.
All of the stories contain elements of romance.
Overall tone is light and humorous.
I learned after, that a portion of the sales of the novel goes to a charity. -
Great read
What a great collection of stories. with some fabulous authors. I Will search out these authors for more fun stories
