Julia N. White
Desperate Forest
A lost princess and a hardened traveler collide when Princess Roselynn steps into one of Jay’s trapping nets. She’s not the prey he looks for, but he will soon discover her value. A Desperate Forest is a retelling of Robin Hood with a twist. This story isn’t about Robin, it’s about ‘Little John’ and a young princess who takes center stage. Princess Roselynn discovers her evil uncle murdered her father and wishes to remove her from his path to the throne. To survive and prove his guilt Roselynn plots a route to the land of her handsome betrothed.
Only one problem. She must enter Eternity Forest.
Rumored to be enchanted, the wood is full of vicious creatures and thieves hiding from the law. A net traps her as she passes through and she meets Jay the man who set it. A blunt and distrustful rouge who leads a band of misfortunate people along with a disgruntled knight to a nearby kingdom. Roselynn discovers that some people may be more innocent and (others more guilty) than she first believed.
This story ends with a twist I didn’t see coming. I love how the author weaves in all the points of the legend of Robin Hood and adds her own twist. In this story, we learn about bravery, sacrifice, and trust.
I give this tale 4 dragons out of 5.
Age Rating: 13+
Romance rating: squeaky clean enemies-to-lovers trope.
Violence rating: Mild, a small amount of blood.
The Jabberwocky Princess:
Inspired by the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll and set in a medieval fantasy world, book two of The Forest Tales Series is written as a stand-alone.
The daughter of a monster hunter, Kainda has heard her fair share of name-calling. Her father disappeared a few years ago, rumored to have gone mad in his last days.
Desperate to disprove the rumors, and starving for adventures of her own, she pleads with the spoiled Prince Ander to allow her to join his mission.
His quest is to slay a mysterious beast that has re-emerged in a nearby kingdom and ravages herds by night. Ander agrees but under one condition, Kainda stays in a safe place away from the battle. He must kill the monster in order to earn the hand of a princess and win his father’s favor. Kainda despises his privileged attitude but will soon discover unfounded rumors plague him too.
I loved this book! Kainda is a warrior princess who is strong, smart, and kind. All my favorite qualities of a character. She’s not the only loveable character either, the whole team will grow on you. I love how expertly Cece Louise weaves the poem Jabberwocky into this fantasy setting. I applaud her surprising ending and would recommend this amazing tale to young adults who love thrilling clean mysteries.
5 Jabberwockys out of 5!
Age Rating: 13+
Romance rating: Quick kiss and some handholding.
Violence rating: Mild, a small amount of blood.
Inspired by the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll and is set in a medieval fantasy world. Book two of The Forest Tales Series is written as a stand-alone.
Recommend to young adults who love fantasy and thrilling clean mysteries.
Mazarine
A young woman cursed to swim by day and walk by night, and a man with a dark past are forced to work together to survive.
Marilee knows she shouldn’t trust the man she just saved from a shipwreck but what choice does she have? She is hundreds of miles away from home and because of her disappearance, her betrothed might attack her parents’ kingdom in retaliation. She didn’t what to be forced into this marriage but had to pay the price when she ran away. Cursed by a strange, dark mermaid she is obliged to be a mermaid by day and human by night.
Darius, the man she saved, is not the prince charming he once believed himself to be. His kingdom was stolen by his long-lost half-brother who has more ethics than Darius could ever hope to have. Sentenced to life on a prison ship, Darius believed he would be better off dead. But a storm tosses him off his boat and into the arms of a mermaid. Against his better judgment, he strikes a deal with her in exchange for a reward that could help him make a new life.
Together the two set sail to Marilee’s kingdom but pirates, thieves, sharks, and untrustworthy sea folk bring challenges they do not expect. Old foes resurface as well as old lies. Can Marilee trust Darius to get her home safely? Can Darius fall in love again and change for the better?
I loved this retelling of the Little Mermaid! Loaded with action, tension, and of course romance, this story kept me turning pages. I loved having a morally grey male lead and the mystery of what he will do next.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 mermaid tales overall.
Age Rating: 14+
Romance rating: Romance is a pure and teen-appropriate story that leans on the enemies-to-lovers trope.
Violence rating: Mild with a small amount of blood and sword/ fist fights.
This is book three of The Forest Tales Series and is written as a stand-alone.
In a Dark, Dark Wood
A missing princess means an opportunity for a girl on the run, but a cunning and scarred prince threatens her plan.
Calia heard the rumors of the hermit Prince Brone and his cruel father, but she is willing to marry him if it means securing a good life for her sisters. Calia looks a lot like the missing princess engaged to Brone and she proposes a plan to her rulers. She will disguise herself as their daughter to marry Prince Brone and stop a potential war if they will take care of her orphaned sisters. They agree, and Calia immediately realizes she’s in over her head. Brone is a broken and secretive man. Deformed from a bear attack, he walks with a cane and hides in secret rooms in the castle. His first wife died under mysterious circumstances and is rumored to have been murdered by him.
Brone’s father, who is slowly losing his mind but not his hatred for his deformed son, arranged both marriages and hopes this one will last.
Quiet but clever Brone notices Calia does not possess the poise of a princess and quickly discovers her deception. She isn’t his betrothed, but he decides to keep her secret and marry her anyway to keep the kingdoms out of war.
He tries to unlock her secrets, but she avoids his questions, afraid to reveal why she ran away from home.
Strange voices and visitors plague the castle and Calia discovers some of Brone’s own secrets. Can they work together to keep the kingdoms at peace and find the true murder of Brone’s first wife? Or will they crumble beneath the weight of a mad king who hates them both?
This Beauty and the Beast retelling combined with a flavor of little red riding hood was amazing! I loved the way CeCe Louise wove secrets within the story and drew you in making you want more.
I must admit I let my phone read this to me when I contracted Covid and I fell asleep at one point. I woke up in the middle of an intense scene where Calia is chasing a voice that sounds a lot like a girl calling for help but is met with a dark figure instead. It still gives me shivers when I think about it but in a good way.
I give this clean retelling of two fairy tales 5 out of 5 red hoods.
Age Rating: 16+
Romance rating: It is a clean romance, but a few times servants raise questions of if the marriage has been consummated and so may not be appropriate for younger readers.
Violence rating: Mild as well. Any deaths are off-screen.
These four tales are fantastic and I’m so glad they popped up on my amazon recommendations. If you love fairytale retellings and want to support self-published books you should check them out!
P.s. (Or as I like to say, psssst!) I have my Instagram and TikTok up and running if you would like to follow me for more book reviews and writertly things! Follow me at Julia N. White (@julias.writing.journey) or julias.writing.journey (@julias.writing.journey) | TikTok. Thank you and have a wonderful New Year!
Gretchen Carlson
Julane Fisher
Kristen Gwen
Wow! These books look fabulous. I ❤️ retellings. Thanks for sharing!
They were a blast to read!
Thanks for these great reviews. I appreciate your ratings for age, violence and romance!
Thanks! Elise actually gave me the idea!