Category: Historical Paranormal/Fantasy

Fall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor

On By TracyIn Cozy Fantasy, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Paranormal / Fantasy, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Fall for a FairytaleFall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 10, 2026

When Orc Jayce Rivendale enters a tavern in the backwoods of Feylight, he couldn’t begin to imagine how much his life was about to change. For years Jayce has been wandering around the country and supporting himself running cons, so when he spots a barmaid who he is sure could pass for the lost fey princess of Feylight who disappeared fifteen years ago when Lord Blackwood staged a coup against the crown, killing the fey Queen and disappeared along with the princess. The king was left heartbroken and has become a recluse while the country has fallen on hard times. Jayce is sure he can convince the King that she is his long-lost daughter and collect a reward that will set him up for life. But before he can charm her into helping him, his past catches up with him in the form of two Lycan henchmen for the crime lord Silver. Lucky for him, the little barmaid steps in and saves him, now he just has to con her into helping him claim the reward. Simple enough, until his heart becomes involved.

Clove has been alone for years, she has no memory of her life prior to waking up with a torn wing in a hospital in Wingspire City after the coup and being transferred to an orphanage where she stayed until she was eighteen, since then she has been working odd jobs trying to earn enough to return to Wingspire City, where she hopes to find answers about her past life. When the charming orc who was flirting with her is grabbed by some shifty looking Lycans, she steps in to help and finds herself on the run with him. When they escape the tavern, he explains that he knew the princess as a young girl and is sure that she is the lost princess and offers to help her reclaim her life. She is pretty sure he is not being honest, but the more time she spends with him the less she cares and actually begins to hope that he is right and that she can have the fairytale ending, complete with a handsome orc hero.

This was such cute story with amazing characters and lots of surprising twists and turns, not to mention a decent amount of spice. Clove and Jayce are both likable characters with pain and loss in their past that have shaped their lives, but they have not completely lost faith. Together, they bring out the best in each other and support each other without question. The book has a lost princess, an adorable hootbear, a charming orc, relentless henchmen, sky bandits, a very persistent villain, a heartbroken Fey King, steamyish love scenes, lots of action and finally a fairytale ending. I do wish there had been a definitive declaration between Clove and Jayce and some idea of their future together, but overall, it was a fun read and one I would happily recommend to readers who enjoy a spicy fantasy romance with a bit of whimsy.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for a DRC/ALC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

A Cinderella Christmas by Sabrina Jefferies, Mary Jo Putney & Anna Bradley

On By TracyIn Anthology, Christmas, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, historical-romance, Novella, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

A Cinderella ChristmasA Cinderella Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries

Tracy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Series: Anthology with Ongoing Series Connections

Release Date: October 27, 2026

Three of my favorite historical romance authors have collaborated to write a Christmas anthology, with each author contributing a new, never-before-published novella with a Christmas theme and a HEA.

THE MISTLETOE MAIDEN by Sabrina Jeffries, 3.5 stars – Eve Archer is back in England after being detained in France by Napoleon for years. But the life she once knew is gone, as her father passed before they returned, leaving her and her step-mother and young brother to fend for themselves. She is reunited with Noel Davenant, Viscount Cokesbury, her best friend’s older brother, who is determined to help her restore her family’s fortune, but is unwilling to risk his heart. I liked this one but could have done without the “other woman” plotline – it was not necessary and made both Eve and Noel look bad. This novella is connected to the Lords of Hazard series.

THE CINDERELLA CHALLENGE by Mary Jo Putney, 3 stars – Rejected by her father for being gifted, young Casey was taken in by Jamie Harris, a man who was also gifted. For years she has hidden by disguising herself as a young man and working in the offices of the Chatham Royal Navy Dockyard. But when she reports her concerns of a plot against Britain’s most brilliant engineer to the home office, she didn’t count on them sending Cameron Tremayne or that he would also be gifted. Cameron insists on taking back to London and introducing her to the Tremaynes and helping her find herself and possibly soulmate. This one was a bit rushed, and I just didn’t get the “Cinderella” connection. This novella is connected to the Dangerous Gifts series.

A WINTER’S WISH by Anna Bradley, 4 stars – Estella Harley wants to escape her cruel stepmother and her nasty stepsisters who treat her as little more than a servant. She has her chance when the family is invited to a house party hosted by the mysterious Duke of Hawthorne as a lady’s maid. At the estate she meets Christopher Ambrose, the duke’s gardener and is smitten, but all is not as it seems and sometimes, fairytales do come true. Of the three novellas, this was the only story that had any semblance to Cinderella and I enjoyed it, but I do think the villains got off way too easy. I am not sure if this is connected to an ongoing series.

This was an interesting anthology, but other than Anna Bradley’s offering, I didn’t really get the Cinderella connection. Overall, it was a fun Christmasy anthology with great characters and unique storylines that each end with a happily ever after. If you have been reading the author’s ongoing series, you will be delighted with the connections, but you can still enjoy the novellas without having read the series.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for a DRC/ALC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *