Twisting Grace: A Dark Ugly Duckling Retelling

by Emily Klepp

I am suffocating in a world where wealth and appearances are everything. My so-called family only cares about my money. Every part of my life is controlled, from what I wear to how much I eat. I am their puppet, and this is their show. When everything finally comes crashing down, it’s Cyrus who cuts the strings that keep me tied to their strict expectations. With him and his family, I discover the truth and a love that defies my elitist upbringing. In this tangled web of darkness, I must find my true self and hold on to a love that I deserve.

They tried to twist me until I broke but now that I have tasted freedom, I refuse to give it up.

I will fight my way to where I belong.
This is a DARK fairytale retelling of The Ugly Duckling and contains HEAVY triggers.

Reader’s discretion is HIGHLY advised.

This is NOT the fairytale you know.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Retellings, Crime, Spicy, Abuse

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 23, 2024

About the author

Visit my Linktree here -> https://linktr.ee/emilykleppnovels

Emily Klepp is a Western North Carolina native residing in eastern Tennessee with her loving husband and two beautiful children. She has been writing since she was fourteen years old as a way to cope with her anxiety. She hopes to help others be able to speak their truth by writing about topics that are considered too taboo for societal norms.

Reviews

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ugly duckling retelling with so many emotions felt. From trauma and SA to a found family and learning what acceptance and love truly are, this story goes through so many feelings that make you feel as if you’re in the FMC’s shoes. Overall a beautiful story and incredibly well written. Kudos to Emily for writing another amazing book.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was fantastic. Gracie faced something awful with no one to support her—her family was a major letdown, having mistreated her for years. Still, she rose above it and found happiness and love. And Cyrus? He was sweet and sexy, just what Gracie needed.

[Heath Steph Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever not cried for one of Emily’s books. I felt all of the emotions… sadness…shock…disgust…helpless…happy..free…spicy… a range of emotions. I laughed and cried. Gracie and her grandfather are precious. Cyrus, you my friend , are wild. Gracie’s “family” are terrible and Jon gave me the ick big time. Read your trigger warnings as there is definitely sensitive subjects in this.

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read but so good.

I loved Gracie and felt so sorry for her with that family. What Jon did to her and the fact that she felt like she couldn’t tell her family.

I was so relieved when she got away and met Cyrus. She deserved to find her people and she really did. Her wee grandad was amazing. He didn’t need to love her the way he did or do what he did to make sure she was cared for. I really liked the little twist when she first goes to see him at the nursing home.

I would love if the biker gang could get their on series. I would love for Gracie to get more involved with Jack and Blane lives.

[Smut Cartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

They tried to twist me until I broke but now that I have tasted freedom, I refuse to give it up.
I will fight my way to where I belong.

For such a short read, this Dark Ugly Duckling re-telling hits all the spots! Gracie is so broken, but when she finds the courage to run from her family, she truly blooms into something beautiful. Gracie lands herself into the arms of the incredible Cyrus at his MC Club and their chemistry is spicy!

Tropes:
- Age Gap
- Plus size FMC
- Cinnamon Roll MMC
- Found family
- Trauma Healing

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite one of the last few books I read. It's short and sweet. Well not so sweet in some instances. This one isn't as dark as her others but it definitely has some trauma. Things were resolved quickly and efficiently and I appreciated that. I love Gracie's grandpa and how he helped her fix everything. Plus Cyrus was a great support. And I'm so glad Blane and Jack welcomed her to their family. She deserved to be happy.

[Ariel Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Gracie and Cyrus. His immediate reaction to protect her, her seeing the kindness in his eyes and then realizing that they are connected! Awesome story with relatable characters.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶.5

[Charlotte Thurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lov3d how this turned around check your triggers

[Kenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quickie with a burly biker teddy bear than this one is for you ❤️

I Absolutely loved the way Gracie stood up and decided to finally take control of her life! and the way Cyrus instantly felt the need to protect her!
I wish it was a much longer book because the plot is absolutely amazing!

[Erin Stapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I think Emily's book can't get better, she still maintains to capture me. Grabbing me into the world of healing from trauma and traumatic events. Bringing the good the bad and the characters that help one find their happiness and heal from their trauma. The books bring everything together and yet maintain spice and sexiness that is so desirable when reading this. Amazing read that brings us Gracie and Cyrus and how he helps her free herself from her puppet strings and gain the strength to see her beauty.

[Alicia Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why but I thought this book was gonna be way different than what it actually is. I like this better than what I was thinking anyways though lol. Emily Klepp writes about things that a lot of people struggle with yet we don’t hear much about, like Gracie’s eating disorder. There’s more but that was one example. I like that she sometimes brings things like that to her books. I really like the story and I love the characters minus the people she thought were her family. This is a short story but has a lot in it. My only issue is that I feel like maybe it should’ve been longer or that the way some things happened should’ve been a little different to make them more believable especially with everything Gracie had been through and needs to go through to be ok. That’s just my option though and even with that this is still a good book. Mind Your Triggers.

[Kayla T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from start to finish. Gracie has been through so much with her family that she has to overcome. Cyrus is a great character who helps Gracie each step of the way. I love the found family vibe that was given as you continue to read on. This is a quick read and I recommend checking it out!

[KitKat K8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤🐥Twisting Grace: A Dark Ugly Duckling Retelling🐥🖤

🐥Plus size FMC
🖤Virgin FMC
🐥MC Romance
🖤Found Family
🐥Age Gap
🖤Daddy/Caretaker MMC
🐥Cinnamon roll Dom
🖤Heavy Triggers/Spice
🐥Exhibitionism

⬇️Blurb⬇️

I am suffocating in a world where wealth and appearances are everything. My so-called family only cares about my money. Every part of my life is controlled, from what I wear to how much I eat. I am their puppet, and this is their show. When everything finally comes crashing down, it’s Cyrus who cuts the strings that keep me tied to their strict expectations. With him and his family, I discover the truth and a love that defies my elitist upbringing. In this tangled web of darkness, I must find my true self and hold on to a love that I deserve.They tried to twist me until I broke but now that I have tasted freedom, I refuse to give it up.

This is a DARK fairytale retelling of The Ugly Duckling and contains HEAVY triggers.

Reader’s discretion is HIGHLY advised.

This is NOT the fairytale you know.

*********************************************************

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Cyrus & Gracie? Top tier. I love a good age gap, and this book does it well! Lots of romance. Lots of trauma. Lots of SPICE. A good plot twist!! Not only does Cyrus take her in, but he is able to reach her & actually help her heal from the negative default she’s grown accustomed to. The found family? Ugh. Love it! It’s always a great time when you find people you click with, but when those people accept you immediately and treat you as if you’ve always been a part? WE LOVE IT! Gracie’s ending was beyond deserved - her mother is TRASH.

✨ fav highlights ✨

▪️ Cyrus starts his bike as my former family walks through the parking lot, stopping to look at us. “Let’s get married,” I say, now that only he can hear me through the helmets. “Right now?” He asks happily. “There’s a little chapel that is always open,” I tell him. “Let’s get married,” he confirms before taking off. I lay my head on his back and enjoy the rumble of the engine and the wind swirling around us as he drives us into the main road.

▪️ I never felt like I belonged, but I was just an ugly duckling, waiting to find my way home. Now I am a beautiful swan amongst my people. They accepted me with open arms, and I am finally happy. I am finally free.

[Brooke Torrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisting Grace is a dark Ugly Duckling retelling filled with drama, twists and turns, and spice. This book was such a fast-paced, emotional read for me, and touches on dark themes and topics. Make sure to check the CW to make sure this is a book for you. I loved the storyline it was original and page-turning. My heart broke for the FMC. She was mistreated and taken advantage of, but she was determined to survive by any means possible. The MMC was intense and loyal to his friends and family. I laughed, cried, and fist-pumped a few times while reading this book. Emily Klepp is an amazing writer she is gritty and doesn't hold back in her storytelling.

Grace is strong, determined, and stubborn. My heart broke for her in the first part of this book and wanted to reach into this book and hug her. She's a survivor and she showed it throughout this book. Cyrus is intense, loyal, and knows what he wants. I loved the protectiveness of Grace he instantly had and the lengths he would go to for her. Their chemistry was instant and undeniable. This story was a rollercoaster of emotions and anticipation of what would happen next.

[Nasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Grace is a dark Ugly Duckling Retelling and Emily get to the point with Gracie's story very well. It's a short, spice and with a little bit of darkness inside (it's only from my point, for some it can be dark).

Not only her family is horrible to her but after what happened to Gracie, she finally finds the courage and runs away from her bullying family/parents. How fate it wants she runs into Cyrus, the MC President. It was really great that Gracie broke through her cocoon and her character development grows though the story. With her new found family and Cyrus by her side, she is stornger than ever. Cyrus is great man, a soft big teddy bear 😉🐻.

🍀𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒔𝒘𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚. 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆.🍀

What to expect from Gracie and Cyrus story is: found family, trauma healing, body shaming, eating disorder, MC Romance, Virgin FMC, R@pe, Controlling parents, etc....

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisting Grace is a good Dark Ugly Duckling Retelling.

What you get....
♡MC Romance
♡Plus Size FMC
♡Cinnamon Roll Dom
♡Daddy
♡Brat
♡Insta Love
♡Virgin FMC
♡Possessive
♡Dark Romance
♡Ugly Duckling Retelling
♡Spicy
♡Exhibitionism
♡Trauma
♡Trauma Healing
♡Found Family
♡Heavy Triggers
♡Body Shaming
♡Body Dysmorphia
♡Eating Disorder
♡Controlling Parents
♡Bullying
♡SA
♡Kidnapping
♡Emotional Abuse

Gracie is dealt a bad hand, and her family is horrible to her. She endures so much trauma and decides to escape the horror story that is her life. She runs literally into Cyrus, and he brings her into his MC world and wants to protect her. I really enjoyed reading about how Gracie grows throughout her story. The chemistry is sizzling between Gracie and Cyrus.

Emily does it again! She does an amazing job at sucking you into her stories and making you love her characters!

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m the biggest Emily Klepp stan. Like she knows how to write dark romance. The girlies that get it, get it and those that don’t, don’t. I could read everyone one of her books and never get tired of them.
She writes such in-depth characters while also making them their own people. It creates such an interesting story and makes you come back for more.
Gracie is such a beautiful character. Despite the abuse she suffers from everyone, she still learns to love again. She not only learns stuff in this book but also unlearns it. I think her unlearning is the most interesting part of this book since it was so ingrained in her being.
Cyrus is such a wonderful love interest. He believes Gracie from the get-go and this is what allows their love to grow. I honestly couldn’t see a better person for Gracie.
The side characters are so endearing especially for such a short book. While you don’t understand all their motivations and thoughts, you can tell they are what Gracie needs to grow.
Emily Klepp is steadily becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m beyond privileged to be able to write ARC reviews for her.

[Chaotic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisting Grace is a dark ugly duckling retelling which is part of the once upon a darkness collection. This book contains heavy triggers so don’t forget to check the TW/CW before diving in.
The story follows Gracie, suffering in a world where wealth and appearance are everything, her life is controlled by her greedy so called family, when everything comes crashing down Gracie finds refuge Cyrus.

I love this collection of retellings and Emily didn’t disappoint with Twisting Grace taking us on another journey of trauma and healing, though I felt it was a bit on the softer side to Emily’s other stories this was still another emotional read, you can’t help but feel for Gracie and her experiences and our big protective biker Cyrus I love the instant desire to protect Gracie.
Overall this was a great quick read definitely recommend to those who enjoy dark romance and/or dark retelling

[Brae Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for another unputdownable book from the wonderful Emily.
This is an ugly duckling retelling and it’s amazing.

The spice is spicing. The trauma is traumatic. Fall in love with Gracie and Cyrus like I did.

Gracie is starved and bullied her entire life by her parents, sister, and sisters fiancé. After an event one night, her sisters fiancé ends up raping her. She can’t tell anyone because no one would believe he’d do that to an “fat chick” like her. He does it again the night she decides to leave. She runs into a big biker named Cyrus and the rest is pretty much history. She later finds out that the man she thought was her dad, isn’t. But his dad leaves her everything when he dies.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good book that you can just sit down and read in one sitting and this was that book. I would say that this book was definitely on the lighter side of what Emily normally writes, but it still deals with eating disorders, abuse, starvation, and rape, so do be mindful before going into this book. I love that this was a fast paced romance that took you on the emotional roller coaster as we follow Gracie through the realization that she can’t keep living that way she has been and that she needed to get out. I love the way that her and Cyrus just instantly click and it’s a whirlwind romance from there. Emily really has a way of writing trauma stories that show how the woman can overcome all that’s happened to her and still find her happily ever after.

[Nikki76ReadsX · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ugly Duckling? NO, but yeah I get it, I get it so much. I loved this novella and everything it is about.
Gracie is relatable, probably in more ways than you think. Her family is horrible, they are all pretty people on the outside. Pretty meaning that they are models and designers and well just so called high class rich. They treat Gracie, who is a little curvy and not as outwardly attractive to them, like sh!t. Even her brother in law is horrible and does horrible things to her. Then one day she has enough and she runs.
When Gracie runs into a MC club bar and finds herself with Cyrus, its game over for those who treated her so bad. Cyrus is everything you want in a man. He is strong and defiantly not what you expect him to be. He is protective, caring and supportive. He brings out everything beautiful in Gracie and she finds herself with a new wonderful family.
This book had me crushed emotionally in a good way. I wanted to cry, laugh and feel so many things. Damn Emily Klepp books always hit home on the trauma trope, and I am not sure I have found a single less than 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read in her books. Her emotional bond with each character she writes about just tears at your heartstrings. Truly a book for the bookshelf, a book to read again and again.

[Rid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisting Grace is a dark, contemporary retelling of the Ugly Duckling. Born the unwanted child in a rich, influential family Grace suffers body shaming and abuse throughout her childhood and into adulthood. Eventually, Grace is pushed beyond her breaking point and runs away from her family.

She runs directly into the arms of Cyrus, the president of a notorious gun running biker gang, who falls for her and her sassy nature immediately. Grace finds a new family and strength to get back at her “so-called family”, reclaim what’s rightfully hers, and cut them out of her life permanently.

This is novella is less than 150 pages and is a quick, very trigger heavy read. Some key tropes are instalove, SA survivor, body shaming, curvy FMC, age gap, biker romance, found family, and revenge.

[Rebecca Georgiev · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emily Does It Again Every Single Time! She is Incredible at sucking you into her World and making you love her characters! I devoured this book in one sitting! This was a fast-paced story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride and the strength that can overcome all that’s happened to Gracie and still find her HEA.

Ugly Duckling Retelling✔️
Dark Romance✔️
MC Romance✔️
Insta Love✔️
Possessive/ Cinnamon Roll Dom✔️
Plus Size/ Virgin FMC✔️
Bullying✔️
Controlling Parents✔️
Eating Disorder✔️
Trauma/ Trauma Healing✔️
Body Shaming✔️
Body Dysmorphia✔️
Daddy✔️
Brat✔️
SA✔️
Kidnapping✔️
Emotional Abuse✔️
Spicy✔️
Exhibitionism✔️
Found Family✔️
HEA✔️

⚠️⚠️As Always Please Check Your Triggers Warning⚠️⚠️

[Vivien R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novella so it was a fast read but it's filled with all the emotions you would expect from an Emily Klepp story. Even though it's only about 100 pages, I still feel like a read a full length book. This story was full of great characters and a lot of trauma for the main female character, Gracie, to overcome. This story is loosely based on the Ugly Duckling story. Gracie's family is not nice to her and treats her awful but she finds solace and love in an unlikely character, Cyrus, the leader of a motorcycle club. Where her family tore her down, he wants to build up her self esteem. He also finds her very attractive which she finds hard to accept at first because her family always made her feel like the ugly duckling. This was a great story, I highly recommend this author.

[Shelby Seal(Allen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a quick and easy read! The Ugly Duckling is one story I have yet to read a retelling of and I really enjoyed this one!

Gracie lives with her family who literally treat her terribly, and she experiences so terrible abuse from them as well as her sister's fiancée.

Cyrus is outwardly someone you wouldn't expect to be so sweet and caring because of his lifestyle, but he handles Gracie with such care and compassion. With all the love she should've had at home!

If you read this please make sure to check the trigger warnings because it does start out pretty dark! ⚠️

Thank you to Emily for writing this! Another compelling and dark read! I can't wait to read what you put out next!

I received this book as an advanced review copy, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
Genre: Dark Romance
POV: First Person
Tropes & Kinks: Trauma healing, found family, virgin/inexperienced fmc, Motorcycle club, small age gap, exhibitionism
TW: S3xual Assault, r@pe, eating disorder, body dysmorphia, controlling parents, bullying, body shaming
Standalone: Yes
Ending: HEA


This one was a fast paced and a fast burn novella but still with so much story even though it was short. Definitely an ugly duckling turning into a swan type story. Gracie goes from shy, timid and kept under the thumb of her parents to outgoing, take no shit, and tied to a biker gang. What a ride!

[Jess McCallops · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book put me through one hell of a rollercoaster ride of emotions with each one of the characters. One minute I am crying, the next minute I am all happy and excited for Gracie. Jon, I felt was absolutely disgusting, and I wish that we were able to see more of what karmic energy he got unleashed on him. Gracie's family should be ashamed of themselves. The way they treated her was horrendous and it's no wonder she was in the dark place that she was. Cyrus is an absolute gem. They way he cared for Gracie and took her in was so beautiful. I love every bit of this book. I seriously did not want it to end!

[sycokittykat - Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugly duckling finds where she really belonged

Grace has been the unwanted and unappreciated child all her life. Surrounded by the expectations and demands of her family she is losing herself.

When something happens and everything comes crashing down she finds herself running into Cyrus. He sees how broken she is and feels like he can help. He offers he safety and in doing so Grace is able to discover who she always was meant to be.

This story is dark and you should make sure you read trigger warnings. I was so invested in the story that I read it all at once without pause.

[Tishana Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really been loving Emily's retelling series with the "Once Upon a Darkness" collection.

"Twisting Grace" is a retelling of "The Ugly Duckling" story and Emily did a beautiful job of really doing this retelling justice while navigating through trauma, and emotions and showing that we can still be accepted and find love when we find the "family" that will love us for who we are inside. As with other books she writes, she really puts her all into the trauma/sensitive topics and shows that her characters can rise above their trauma to show strength and find the happy ending that they deserve. Overall, a great read and another 5 star novella by Em!

[Stefanie McLain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, what a read. I’m going to start by saying please check content warnings. This can fall under a dark romance to some people but not me. There are some dark topics that are touched on though. This short quick read was very well written and entertaining. The FMC runs after being hurt. The MMC sees her and just wants to help. He falls first, and falls hard. The FMC is learning to trust the MMC. There is family drama and some found family. This does end in a HEA. As far spice, it’s there. In most cases it is open door, but not a ton of details. This fact does not lower the heat of the spice in my opinion.

Overall, ratings fall as 4 stars, 3 peppers, and 1 black heart.