Peaflower: A Princess and the Pea Retelling

A Garden of Fairy Tales

by Jessica A. Tanner

Her kingdom is under attack. His brother is her betrothed.

Princess Marion Thornhill and her lady-in-waiting Emma flee their kingdom of Brecker with the hope of reaching the princess’s betrothed and garnering help against attacking forces. But along the way, Emma reveals her true loyalties. Left stranded in the woods during a spring storm, Marion crosses paths with her betrothed’s brother Rupert, a prince cursed by an angered fairy. Rupert helps Marion - but can they get help for Brecker before it’s too late? And what about their entangled hearts?

Spring has sprung with these seven swoony-sweet retellings. Each novella finds its happily ever after amidst themes of rebirth, hope, and new life. Each book is fully independent, and they can be read in any order. Peaflower is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea featuring tropes such as an evil lady-in-waiting and a princess with an animal sidekick.

Genres: Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2025

About the author

When she isn’t writing stories full of vivid characters and creatures, Jessica A. Tanner enjoys a view of the Rocky Mountains, takes long walks, and hangs with her many critters. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Realm Makers, and Wolf Creek Christian Writers Network (WCCWN).

Jessica has a short story ("The Missing Book" under her short-lived penname Silver Mist) and a short piece (“His Words, Our Words”) published in LOOKING AT LIFE, a collection by WCCWN; a testimony in TWENTY-THREE JOURNEYS TO CHRIST compiled by Gregg Heid; three stories ("Zombie Turkey;" "Icy Snow, Towropes, and Divine Intervention;" and "Ditches, Hillsides, and Prayer") in A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE: A COLLECTION OF EVERYDAY MIRACLES compiled by Lynn Moffett; two stories ("Kat" and "Nancy's Hat") in THE ADVENTURES OF A HORSE NAMED GEORGE also compiled by Lynn Moffett; a short story ("The Invisible Boy") in THE INVISIBLE FILES: CLASSIC MONSTERS ANTHOLOGY #4 from Ye Olde Dragon Books; a short story ("The Pale New Kid") in ONCE BITTEN...: CLASSIC MONSTER ANTHOLOGY #5 from Ye Olde Dragon Books; a short story ("The Glowing Bean") in UP THE DOWN BEANSTALK: FAIRYTALE ANTHOLOGY #6 also from Ye Olde Dragon Books; and several pieces published under the Matter of Faith column of the Pagosa Sun’s Preview.

Her debut novel, SONJI, is now available wherever books are sold thanks to Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. It has received honorable mentions - aka winner awards - in the Royal Dragonfly (2024), Purple Dragonfly (2025), and Story Monsters Approved! (2024) Book Awards.

Her debut novella, PEAFLOWER: a Princess and the Pea retelling, was published independently in April 2025 and received some wonderful reviews.

Both SONJI and PEAFLOWER have been reviewed in Clean Fiction Magazine. SONJI in the Winter 2024 Edition. PEAFLOWER in the Summer 2025 Edition.

Reviews

[Jasmine (LadyBookmont_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rtc!!



*I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review. A positive review was not required. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Courtney Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the most adorable thing you will probably EVER read!!!!!! I mean, the FMC’s pet rat gets POV chapters, need I say more????!!!!!

While Peaflower is primarily marketed as a Princess and the Pea retelling, fairy tale lovers will be DELIGHTED with all the references to other fairy tales Jessica threw in!

If you are looking for a book so adorable it will have you squeaking for more, READ THIS BOOK!!!!! You won’t regret it!!!!!!

[D.T. Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

To me, this was more of a combination of fairytales than a retelling. The Princess and the Pea, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Jack and the Beanstalk were all readily identifiable, as well as elements of The Frog Prince. In some ways, the combination of fairytales reminded me of the middle grade series The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley.

Although everything makes sense, there was always so much going on that the pacing felt too fast a lot of the time.

I loved Clevey and his little personality all through the book.

The title for God in this, however, felt off to me. Every time I read "The Man in the sky," it felt like "the Man Upstairs," which tends to be used rather irreverently. And while I'm one hundred percent confident that was not the intent, that's how it read for me personally.

[Lavay Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read April 2026:
This was such FUN! This time I slowed down and read in a few days! It's quite refreshing to read a fairytale retelling where romance is not the main focus of the story. (All right, it sort of is, but once you read it, you'll understand!)

PS: Still don't like rats... but Cheeky Cleevy had to steal the show!

Review April 2025:
Oh, my goodness, this was LOVELY!!!

Did I just I read this delightful tale within several hours this morning? Yes. Yes, I did!

Jessica A. Tanner has outdone herself with this "retelling" of... multiple fairytales? (Well, technically it's a mashup of two-- Princess and the Pea and another one... but there are several other "nods" woven throughout!) I don't want to spoil too much!

The whole story was just... WOW! I didn't think a plot full of intriguing mysteries, family dramas, and unexpected TWISTS could be perfectly balanced with WHOLESOME FUN! Trust me... this is not your typical fairy-tale retelling.

Ah, this tale was full of delightful characters--- except for two certain villains. But I'll gush about the main ones:

Dear, darling Marion: She's been hurt so many times (more so than her EVIL lady-in-waiting)... and yet to see her grow from her struggles into a brave woman with a big heart. We need more sweet protagonists! (And her near-blindness was SO well done!)

Cinnamon-roll Prince Rupert: Goodness, he surprised me in many ways! His struggles with guilt and shame mixed in with a terrible curse over some mistakes (and a few of others') nearly melted my heart. And yet, we see him shine in helping others and learning to forgive... and to love even as his curse manifested!

And the romance between them! Just LOVELY! (Though I wanted to see them kiss... no thanks to a certain rat!)

Cheeky Cleevy, Marion's pet rat: Now, I don't like rats... but Cleevy just won my heart! His cheekiness and bravery brought such humor and delight in this tale, and his love for his princess is just so sweet!

I can't praise enough about this delightful romp of a fairytale!

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peaflower: A Princess and the Pea Retelling
A Garden of Fairy Tales Book
By Jessica A. Tanner

Princess Marion Thornhill is forced to flee when her kingdom is attacked. She, her lady-in-waiting, and guards are sent to ask for aid from Princess Marion's betrothed. But surprises await Marion, starting with a betrayal. Thank goodness, Marion has Cleeevy, her loyal pet rat, to keep her company and assist her as she struggles to survive the evil plots of those who turned on her. When she unexpectedly crosses paths with Prince Rupert, her betrothed's younger brother, he helps her as much as his curse allows. But can they find a way to overcome curses and betrayals to find a happily-ever-after?

Peaflower is A Princess and the Pea retelling, but the further one gets into the pages of this book, the more nods there are to other fairy tales. Then there is Cleevy, who is a significant character throughout this book. We get to hear his thoughts and see his heroic personality in action. This is a charming read featuring a dangerous adversary or two who aim to bring down Marion and the Kingdom of Becker. Truly dastardly doings that need a furry hero to step up and thwart them.

I love Cleevy and wish all rats could be so helpful. This was a fun read, and I thoroughly enjoyed this truly unique retelling and mash-up of fairy tales. A few of the fairy tales I noted were Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Jack and the Beanstalk. This is a world I would love to visit again. There were several characters whose lives I would love to explore further.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet fairytale retelling with an unexpected POV

Such a wonderful, witty retelling that gives credit with fun nods and Easter eggs to not one but two fairytales. or even three?. With a well-developed, faith-filled plot, plenty of action, a few unexpected twists and turns, and an easy and engaging style the novel is a delight to read. As honestly, the entire series.
And though it’s a sweet, magical story, the novel doesn’t shy from issues like consequences for awful actions, need for forgiveness, change of heart, to name a few.
The novel also boast many side characters and nods to different interconnected stories which just whet your appetite to read more.

This is my first foray into this author’s work but the novel definitely pleasantly surprised me.

I had a privilege to read an advanced copy and absolutely loved it! All opinions expressed are my own.

[Alesa Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute retelling of Princess and the Pea and Beauty and the Beast with a whole bunch of other fairy tales sprinkled in.

It was a little hard to follow at times, but not so much that I didn’t enjoy the story. It was written from 3 point of views, so that may have been a part of why I got a little confused at times.

[Helene Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful fairytale! The plot twists kept coming and I read it straight through. I loved that one of the point of view characters was a pet rat.

[Mystery Rose Writer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite possibly the strangest book I have ever read. For some reason, I liked reading Cleevy's POV best.
The book moved very fast and felt rather short despite being the longest out of the series. All of their problems seemed to be resolved very quickly, which was fine because then they had other problems to deal with. 😆
Overall it was an interesting read, but once is probably enough for me.

[Mildly Mad Hatter(Semi Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 54%
There were so many different fairy tales mashed into this and it felt very jumpy. Things were going way too fast and there wasn’t much depth to the story. The guy apparently fell in love with the girl after meeting for one day. I did like Cleevy McCleverson though.

[Bryanna Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was enjoyable and had a lot of potential. It did feel like the plot was all over the place, and also like I was reading bullet points from the story instead of a full cohesive story because the pacing was very fast. The author wrote that she is planning to write more fairytales in the future and I look forward to seeing how those stories play out.

[funkelbunt.liest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peaflower is a fun and sweet novella and a great addition to the Garden of Fairy Tale series.

It is labeled as a Princess and the Pea retelling and even though we find enough elements to remind us of said fairy tale, it’s actually more a mashup of quite a lot of fairy tales. Besides the Princess and the Pea there a elements of and hints to the Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty - and probably a few more, but it’s been a few weeks since I finished this one, so you have to read for yourselves to find all the little easter eggs.

I do love these mashups, but for such a short novella it was maybe a bit too much. There was a lot happening and there were rather a lot of characters. There were in fact so many characters meeting and talking, intriguing and helping in so many different settings and situations that our main characters rarely have time to even be together. So even though I think both main characters were very sweet, the romance part was not very convincing, since it felt like they barely knew each other to be honest.

While I wasn’t sure at the beginning, I definitely loved the special POV of Cleevy the rat. He added to the uniqueness of the story and both his relationship with Marion and Rupert were adorable. (He spent much more time with them than they did with each other…)

I definitely enjoyed this cute novella, but I think it could have improved if it had been longer and more fleshed out or if there had been fewer details and situations that weren’t necessary to the main plot. It’s a cute and quick read, one I recommend if you love fairy tales and especially mashups and for younger readers.

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peaflower by Jessica Tanner is one in a series of retellings of fairy tales. This time, it’s The Princess and the Pea, or are there other famous stories included?
Princess Marion Thornhill is on her way to seek help for her kingdom, Brecker. Right from the start, Marion’s efforts are thwarted, and she’s left to fend for herself in the middle of a forest. Fortunately for Marion, she’s not entirely alone as she has a friendly rat named Cleevey McCleverson and a nearby prince, Rupert Erlandson, the brother prince to Marion’s betrothed. While Peaflower is a novella, it packs in enough plot for a full-length novel. Humor, romance, adversity, all the elements of a good fairy tale are here.The tale twists and turns in unexpected ways, incorporating other fantasy themes.
A worthy addition to your collection, Peaflower is for all readers who love a wonderful, clean retelling of a fairy tale. Such a delight to read, I’ll be looking at the others in the Garden series.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peaflower by Jessica A Tanner
🐹 Loyalty 
🐹 An arranged betrothal 
🐹 Hope
🐹 Helping each other
🐹 Sweet romance, a kiss (no spice)
Genre: Fairytale retelling 
Princess Marion becomes stranded in the woods and is recused by her prince charming. But wait no, she's already betrothed... to his brother!
Although labeled as a Princess and the Pea retelling what made this one so fun is how many retellings are mixed in! There's a large dose of Beauty and the Beast along with a sprinkling of Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and more! Also a charming pet rat Cleevy, his relationship with Prince Rupert was probably my favorite part of the book. Would recommend for teens or if you're looking for a light adventure!
Standalone in the Garden of Fairy Tales series 
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC (published April 25), all opinions are my own

[Lj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peaflower is a simple, sweet, and fun mash-up of two main fairy-tales with influences and mentions of several others. While I didn't personally find the writing to be particularly sophisticated, it was engaging enough and I suspect if I'd been reading this when I was about twelve I would have loved it. The plot has plenty of twists and turns, some more likely than others. It is told from three point-of-views, the FMC, the MMC, and one unexpected but rather fun POV. It is a clean, sweet, light-hearted way to pass a couple of hours reading.

I received a free ARC and offer an honest review.

[Cass · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 50%, 2-2.5*

The writing was not for me. The style is very simplistic, and feels targeted for a younger audience. The story jumps around quite a bit with three alternating points of view, and there are continuity errors. The characters don't have a lot of depth. In fact the pet rat was my favorite character and seemed to have the most personality. The princess cried a lot and slept a lot. The prince barely spoke or interacted with her, yet fell in love. There seemed to be a lot of references to other books, or at least fairy tales, which were kind of interestingly combined, but weren't enough to keep me reading.

[Ami Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This clean fairytale compilation was fascinating to read! Although it was mostly a combination of The Princess and the Pea, it also had a good portion of Beauty and the Beast and Falada, with a hint of Snow White, and Jack and the Beanstalk. I loved the Christian theme that was evident throughout the whole story and the character growth that I saw! This is an author that I’m going to follow!

[Deanna Nielson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this, but it wasn't my favorite. The plot felt like it jumped around a lot, and the characters and relationships lacked depth. The rat was surprisingly the most interesting character. I think if some of the plot points/ fairy tale elements were removed and others delved into more, that would help add that depth. I also felt that Man in the Sky is a bit awkward.

[A. Mantonya]

Paused at chapter 34.
Short easy read with lots of allusions to other fairytales.

[Jessica Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite comfort reads for so many reasons - not just because I had the humble honor of getting to write it :)