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The Tales of Arcana Fortune
Seven nights, Seven tales
Young healer Serena Rose has always dreamed of fairytales, but the chances of finding true love living alone in the a cottage by the wood are… slim. Instead, she spends her days chasing down mischievous woodland critters, brewing tonics, and taking care of her family's ancient records of fairytales, many of which have been outlawed in the kingdom of Lumina where she resides.
However her quiet life is upended when she is approached by a dark haired stranger searching for a book in her family’s collection, The Tales of Arcana Fortune. In between searching for more information on the book, and fighting their budding attraction, they accidentally free a malicious immortal sealed with an ancient spell.
Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
Young healer Serena Rose has always dreamed of fairytales, but the chances of finding true love living alone in the a cottage by the wood are… slim. Instead, she spends her days chasing down mischievous woodland critters, brewing tonics, and taking care of her family's ancient records of fairytales, many of which have been outlawed in the kingdom of Lumina where she resides.
However her quiet life is upended when she is approached by a dark haired stranger searching for a book in her family’s collection, The Tales of Arcana Fortune. In between searching for more information on the book, and fighting their budding attraction, they accidentally free a malicious immortal sealed with an ancient spell.
Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2025
984 people are currently reading
16432 people want to read
About the author
Hafsa.A. Jawad
1 book256 followersHafsa has pink hair, a white bunny named Meeko and no clue what she’s doing most of the time. She’s been a bookish artist since 2018 and The Tales of Arcana Fortune is her debut novel. She loves tea, romance books, musicals, anime and food so spicy it brings tears to your eyes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 691 reviews
June 9, 2025
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
⤿ 💌 10/06/25
4 stars, rtc. I really didn't expect this book to be SO GOOD?? the last few chapters had me crying frrr 😭 Grim & Serena were literally so cute 🤧💓
⤿ 💌 30/05/25
I lowkey requested for this arc because the artwork gave the vibes of OUABH 🙈💖 I have been in a slump due to academic stress, so hopefully this one makes up for my lost reading pace!😩🤞🏻
⤿ 💌 10/06/25
4 stars, rtc. I really didn't expect this book to be SO GOOD?? the last few chapters had me crying frrr 😭 Grim & Serena were literally so cute 🤧💓
⤿ 💌 30/05/25
I lowkey requested for this arc because the artwork gave the vibes of OUABH 🙈💖 I have been in a slump due to academic stress, so hopefully this one makes up for my lost reading pace!😩🤞🏻
May 23, 2025
4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I’ve gone through my entire life alone, never feeling like anything was missing, but now that I’ve met you, Serena Rose, I feel like my life will never be the same without you in it.”
What an enchanting debut! Woven with classic fairytale elements beautifully which made me reminisce about all the wondrous tales I read as a child.
The Tales of Arcana Fortune reads as a love letter to beloved fairytales that made many of us believe in magic, hope, and the wonders of true love.
Serena Rose is a heroine full of whimsy and charm. Even in the face of grief and high-stake challenges, she had proven that you don't need a sword to persevere—your sharpest weapons can be your own wit and courage—even with an enigmatic companion.
The book is infused with whimsical magic, witty humor, fairytalesque ambience, wicked bargains, high-stakes trials, magical creatures, and once-in-a-life-time love.
Thank you Hafsa for gifting me with an eARC! It's been a delight going on this journey with your chaotic duo who I adore so much!
This book is perfect for fans of Once Upon A Broken Heart, Blackthorn and Grim trilogy, and classic fairytale enthusiasts who enjoy experiencing fairytales with a new twist!
“I’ve gone through my entire life alone, never feeling like anything was missing, but now that I’ve met you, Serena Rose, I feel like my life will never be the same without you in it.”
What an enchanting debut! Woven with classic fairytale elements beautifully which made me reminisce about all the wondrous tales I read as a child.
The Tales of Arcana Fortune reads as a love letter to beloved fairytales that made many of us believe in magic, hope, and the wonders of true love.
Serena Rose is a heroine full of whimsy and charm. Even in the face of grief and high-stake challenges, she had proven that you don't need a sword to persevere—your sharpest weapons can be your own wit and courage—even with an enigmatic companion.
The book is infused with whimsical magic, witty humor, fairytalesque ambience, wicked bargains, high-stakes trials, magical creatures, and once-in-a-life-time love.
Thank you Hafsa for gifting me with an eARC! It's been a delight going on this journey with your chaotic duo who I adore so much!
This book is perfect for fans of Once Upon A Broken Heart, Blackthorn and Grim trilogy, and classic fairytale enthusiasts who enjoy experiencing fairytales with a new twist!
June 4, 2025
Unfortunately, it was all too rushed. With only a handful of chapters in each nightly fairytale dream, it lacked detail or depth. We rushed through every fairytale and there was no real struggle or risk. There were a few punctuation/grammatical errors and inconsistent capitalisation of the Sceptre.
On their 4th day of knowing each other Serena and Grim acknowledge that they’re the best friend either has had and a couple of days later they are the loves of each other’s lives. I know it’s meant to be a fairytale type story but they interacted so little. They had no chemistry.
It did read like a fanfiction of OUABH including the whimsical writing style and pink haired heroine. It wasn’t for me as it read very juvenile. All of the characters spoke like they were from a children’s story. Too much telling rather than showing and an abundance of adverbs used.
“He said darkly and swept away, taking his evil presence out of her garden.”
However, there are lots of f-bombs in it which didn’t fit at all with the story. There is also a suggestion of a sex scene.
The final thing was that it felt a little bit like a regurgitation of a thesaurus. At one point an injured arm is called an “abused appendage”. You can just repeat the use of arm, it’s okay.
I wanted to like it as I love all things fairytale alas… no 😔
On their 4th day of knowing each other Serena and Grim acknowledge that they’re the best friend either has had and a couple of days later they are the loves of each other’s lives. I know it’s meant to be a fairytale type story but they interacted so little. They had no chemistry.
It did read like a fanfiction of OUABH including the whimsical writing style and pink haired heroine. It wasn’t for me as it read very juvenile. All of the characters spoke like they were from a children’s story. Too much telling rather than showing and an abundance of adverbs used.
“He said darkly and swept away, taking his evil presence out of her garden.”
However, there are lots of f-bombs in it which didn’t fit at all with the story. There is also a suggestion of a sex scene.
The final thing was that it felt a little bit like a regurgitation of a thesaurus. At one point an injured arm is called an “abused appendage”. You can just repeat the use of arm, it’s okay.
I wanted to like it as I love all things fairytale alas… no 😔
June 20, 2025
fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me. fool me like these romantasy books keep doing, shame on all of you. all of this to say, i have no idea why i keep falling for this romantasy charade.
i am so tired of this tropefication of books. while tropes were meant to ease the mind of the reader, in a way, to make choosing one’s next read easier, now they are just stamps to conform to; instead of conforming to the beauty of imagination and idiosyncrasy, the industry decides to tick off some dopamine kickers and move on. i am tired.
the idea was SO good, but the execution was subpar at best. the fairytale trials, while quite intriguing and interesting, were let down on a completely criminal level, charms of the idea washed down the toilet. the characters were boring, cliche, especially the mmc. the romance made no sense. no chemistry and no believability whatsoever. the writing was so into your face, no subtlety, just words spewed at you like you are five years old and lack critical thinking as well as media comprehension skills. the info dumps… jesus, even this review has more finesse then the prose does.
nevertheless i liked the what i can only assume was adhd representation. wasnt a big part, but just made my tiny adhd heart swell. also the humor was very good every now and then (you have no idea how much i cackled at the ‘kai gray’ part), i caught myself laughing out loud a couple of times. serena was quite interesting and lovely as a character, although obviously made to be the ‘not like other fmc in romantasy! she wants LOVE!’ and while i appreciate that, it was so clearly just another trope engendered for the sake of being a trope. the atmosphere was nice and cozy, i liked the fairytale vibes. other than that… just sad.
the author has potential however and i wish them all the best.
in conclusion, children, dont trust romantasy goodreads reviews anymore. when you are doubtful about reading a romantasy book, read the low star reviews first, they will most likely be unbiased and rightfully critical. toodles
i am so tired of this tropefication of books. while tropes were meant to ease the mind of the reader, in a way, to make choosing one’s next read easier, now they are just stamps to conform to; instead of conforming to the beauty of imagination and idiosyncrasy, the industry decides to tick off some dopamine kickers and move on. i am tired.
the idea was SO good, but the execution was subpar at best. the fairytale trials, while quite intriguing and interesting, were let down on a completely criminal level, charms of the idea washed down the toilet. the characters were boring, cliche, especially the mmc. the romance made no sense. no chemistry and no believability whatsoever. the writing was so into your face, no subtlety, just words spewed at you like you are five years old and lack critical thinking as well as media comprehension skills. the info dumps… jesus, even this review has more finesse then the prose does.
nevertheless i liked the what i can only assume was adhd representation. wasnt a big part, but just made my tiny adhd heart swell. also the humor was very good every now and then (you have no idea how much i cackled at the ‘kai gray’ part), i caught myself laughing out loud a couple of times. serena was quite interesting and lovely as a character, although obviously made to be the ‘not like other fmc in romantasy! she wants LOVE!’ and while i appreciate that, it was so clearly just another trope engendered for the sake of being a trope. the atmosphere was nice and cozy, i liked the fairytale vibes. other than that… just sad.
the author has potential however and i wish them all the best.
in conclusion, children, dont trust romantasy goodreads reviews anymore. when you are doubtful about reading a romantasy book, read the low star reviews first, they will most likely be unbiased and rightfully critical. toodles
April 24, 2025
THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTE✨✨✨✨
A perfect cozy, whimsical fantasy, filled with fairytales we all love and know, an fmc with a heart of gold, and a mmc who will take your breath away.
I absolutely adored this book and it’s perfect for fans of ‘Once Upon a Broken Heart’ and ‘The Brothers Grimm Fairytales’. Picture reading this on a rainy day by the fireplace…trust. Because the vibes were IMMACULATE🥹 NEED MORE NOW!!!!!
A perfect cozy, whimsical fantasy, filled with fairytales we all love and know, an fmc with a heart of gold, and a mmc who will take your breath away.
I absolutely adored this book and it’s perfect for fans of ‘Once Upon a Broken Heart’ and ‘The Brothers Grimm Fairytales’. Picture reading this on a rainy day by the fireplace…trust. Because the vibes were IMMACULATE🥹 NEED MORE NOW!!!!!
Read
July 7, 2025soft dnfing @ page 101
knowing my unwavering love for fairytales and whimsy, ill probably come back to this eventually sometime, but im putting it on pause for now because i felt my interest for this book leave me so quickly.
as a serial ouabh lover i thought i'd love this. it def had those vibes but it just lacked so much and had little substance.
i wasnt interested in the history, there were errors in punctuation and grammar that i kept spotting, and overall im no longer excited for what happens next. it could have been explained better, and even the mmc made me feel nothing 😓 im also not that fond of serena, the fmc. she is gorgeous with her pink hair and fairytale-esque personality but all of a sudden we find out shes important for a reason i wouldnt even be able to tell u bc i have no idea. like i dont even remember that's how much idgaf. this is why i think the history could have been written better, because it's directly linked with serena. lots of things just didnt make sense or were sudden/random...
besides that, she swears so much and i have no idea why the author had to make such a point of making her curse, it wouldnt have been a problem but it doesnt align with her personality so it comes off as random?? 😭 the writing was beautiful as well, so i cant EXACTLY put my finger on what didnt work for me with this book, but ill write a more detailed opinion once i come back to it. trying to pull through has been putting me in a reading slump.
the author has got a lot of potential and i wish i'd liked this as much as some reviewers did.
pre-read: BACK TO ROMANTASIES! THIS IS A CUTE LITTLE FAIRYTALE and very newly released so i cant wait. already has ouabh vibesssss. 💘💘
knowing my unwavering love for fairytales and whimsy, ill probably come back to this eventually sometime, but im putting it on pause for now because i felt my interest for this book leave me so quickly.
as a serial ouabh lover i thought i'd love this. it def had those vibes but it just lacked so much and had little substance.
i wasnt interested in the history, there were errors in punctuation and grammar that i kept spotting, and overall im no longer excited for what happens next. it could have been explained better, and even the mmc made me feel nothing 😓 im also not that fond of serena, the fmc. she is gorgeous with her pink hair and fairytale-esque personality but all of a sudden we find out shes important for a reason i wouldnt even be able to tell u bc i have no idea. like i dont even remember that's how much idgaf. this is why i think the history could have been written better, because it's directly linked with serena. lots of things just didnt make sense or were sudden/random...
besides that, she swears so much and i have no idea why the author had to make such a point of making her curse, it wouldnt have been a problem but it doesnt align with her personality so it comes off as random?? 😭 the writing was beautiful as well, so i cant EXACTLY put my finger on what didnt work for me with this book, but ill write a more detailed opinion once i come back to it. trying to pull through has been putting me in a reading slump.
the author has got a lot of potential and i wish i'd liked this as much as some reviewers did.
pre-read: BACK TO ROMANTASIES! THIS IS A CUTE LITTLE FAIRYTALE and very newly released so i cant wait. already has ouabh vibesssss. 💘💘
May 27, 2025
I HAVE AN ARC AND AND I AM SO EXCITED TO READ IT SOON!
4 out of 5 stars!
Once upon a time, in the quiet corners of a reader’s heart, a new tale whispered its arrival—a debut spun from stardust and dreams. Long before I turned its first page, I could feel the magic shimmering in the air, as if the book itself had been stitched from the same threads as the bedtime fairytales I cherished as a child.
From the very first chapter, its spell was cast. The world between these pages shimmered with whimsy, glittered with romance, and danced with the kind of mischief only true fairytales dare to hold. Its charm reminded me dearly of the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy—a kingdom I adore with all my bookish soul—and to echo such magic is no small enchantment.
If your heart longs for something fresh yet timeless, playful yet poignant—something with a fiercely loveable heroine, a maddeningly swoon-worthy hero (or perhaps something even more deliciously complicated), and a romance that glows like fireflies in twilight—then look no further. This book is your next magical carriage ride into the land of just one more page.
Many thanks yet again for the author for granting me an early copy of this magical book!
4 out of 5 stars!
Once upon a time, in the quiet corners of a reader’s heart, a new tale whispered its arrival—a debut spun from stardust and dreams. Long before I turned its first page, I could feel the magic shimmering in the air, as if the book itself had been stitched from the same threads as the bedtime fairytales I cherished as a child.
From the very first chapter, its spell was cast. The world between these pages shimmered with whimsy, glittered with romance, and danced with the kind of mischief only true fairytales dare to hold. Its charm reminded me dearly of the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy—a kingdom I adore with all my bookish soul—and to echo such magic is no small enchantment.
If your heart longs for something fresh yet timeless, playful yet poignant—something with a fiercely loveable heroine, a maddeningly swoon-worthy hero (or perhaps something even more deliciously complicated), and a romance that glows like fireflies in twilight—then look no further. This book is your next magical carriage ride into the land of just one more page.
Many thanks yet again for the author for granting me an early copy of this magical book!
May 31, 2025
4.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
Have you ever looked at a book cover or character art and just knew it was going to be your next favorite? That’s exactly how I felt with this one. The moment I saw the character art, I had to apply for the ARC. And let me tell you... it delivered everything I hoped for and more. 🥹
Thank you so much Hafsa for approving me for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡
Seven nights. Seven tales. One curse
Serena Rose lives a quiet life in the woods, chasing mysterious woodland critters, brewing potions, and protecting her family’s forbidden fairytales.
But when a brooding stranger shows up in search of a lost book, The Tales of Arcana Fortune, they accidentally awaken an immortal sealed away by ancient magic.
Now cursed to live through a different fairytale each night, Serena must survive magical trials, and uncover long-buried truths before the curse takes everything.
𐙚⋆°🦢.⋆ᥫ᭡ 𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𐙚⋆°🦢.⋆ᥫ᭡
Where do I even begin? This might be one of the coziest books I’ve read in a long time. I wanted to curl up inside this story and never leave. Everything about it felt so perfectly balanced.. cozy, magical, warm, and enchanting.
Serena Rose, our pink haired, tea loving FMC, absolutely stole my heart. She’s sweet, quirky, and soft, yet quietly strong and determined. As a fellow tea addict, I felt so connected to her 😂
Grim...mysterious, a little grumpy, and deliciously morally grey, with a tragic past. I adored him. He’s fiercely protective and so tender with Serena. I was living for those “touch her and die” vibes 🤭
Their bond was everything 💓. I loved how it stayed strong even through trials that tested their love and loyalty. Their dynamic had me completely hooked. Each trial, inspired by a classic fairytale, made the story even more interesting, and with every tale, the tone grew darker, more intense, and more magical.
Hafsa’s writing is whimsical. Beautifully blending comforting nostalgia with an undercurrent of danger, giving us a tale that feels both familiar and brand new.
If you loved the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, this one’s for you. You’ll absolutely devour it 🤌
Have you ever looked at a book cover or character art and just knew it was going to be your next favorite? That’s exactly how I felt with this one. The moment I saw the character art, I had to apply for the ARC. And let me tell you... it delivered everything I hoped for and more. 🥹
Thank you so much Hafsa for approving me for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡
Seven nights. Seven tales. One curse
Serena Rose lives a quiet life in the woods, chasing mysterious woodland critters, brewing potions, and protecting her family’s forbidden fairytales.
But when a brooding stranger shows up in search of a lost book, The Tales of Arcana Fortune, they accidentally awaken an immortal sealed away by ancient magic.
Now cursed to live through a different fairytale each night, Serena must survive magical trials, and uncover long-buried truths before the curse takes everything.
𐙚⋆°🦢.⋆ᥫ᭡ 𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𐙚⋆°🦢.⋆ᥫ᭡
Where do I even begin? This might be one of the coziest books I’ve read in a long time. I wanted to curl up inside this story and never leave. Everything about it felt so perfectly balanced.. cozy, magical, warm, and enchanting.
Serena Rose, our pink haired, tea loving FMC, absolutely stole my heart. She’s sweet, quirky, and soft, yet quietly strong and determined. As a fellow tea addict, I felt so connected to her 😂
Grim...mysterious, a little grumpy, and deliciously morally grey, with a tragic past. I adored him. He’s fiercely protective and so tender with Serena. I was living for those “touch her and die” vibes 🤭
Their bond was everything 💓. I loved how it stayed strong even through trials that tested their love and loyalty. Their dynamic had me completely hooked. Each trial, inspired by a classic fairytale, made the story even more interesting, and with every tale, the tone grew darker, more intense, and more magical.
Hafsa’s writing is whimsical. Beautifully blending comforting nostalgia with an undercurrent of danger, giving us a tale that feels both familiar and brand new.
If you loved the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, this one’s for you. You’ll absolutely devour it 🤌
November 19, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
the art in this book is so gorgeous and the characters were cute but apart from that i didn’t really feel a connection to this book.
it’s sad because this book had potential. it was just rushed and not explained well enough. but the whimsical vibe was definitely there!
the art in this book is so gorgeous and the characters were cute but apart from that i didn’t really feel a connection to this book.
it’s sad because this book had potential. it was just rushed and not explained well enough. but the whimsical vibe was definitely there!
June 1, 2025
The Brothers Grimm meets Once Upon a Broken Heart meets Kingdom Hearts meets Cottage Core. Is that not enough to get you interested?? What if I told you the fmc and mmc have a relationship like TohruxKyo, Hak/Yona, and Sophie/Howl? Full of banter, overcoming hurt together, and green flags all around?
After being cursed by a wicked immortal, Serena must face and overcome seven trials based on the fairytales she was raised on, or risk losing everything... including her heart and her freedom.
THE TALES OF ARCANA FORTUNE intertwines a compelling, heartwarming, unique overarching plot with several short stories based on fairytales we've come to know and love. However, each has a twist, and I absolutely loved how Serena and G play parts in each one, putting them in all kinds of angsty, hurt/comfort situations, which I EAT UP. Every time.
We have the one-bed trope, touch her and die, grumpy x sunshine, and other things I want to mention, but want to keep this spoiler-free, so I'll just say I giggled and kicked my feet a lot.
After each trial, I was fiending to get to the next to find out what the next fairytale was, and who would play what part, but I also absolutely loved the time in between where Serena and G got to know each other more. They were perfect for each other. SO PERFECT. I LOVE THEM.
The worldbuilding was excellent and so full of life, and I'd love to know more of the lore and what our two loves do after *insert spoilers*. If there could ever be another book...coughpleasecoughpleasecoughcough.
For fans of fairytales, soft and kind fmcs, adoring and protective mmcs, and absolutely whimsical writing, THE TALES OF THE ARCANA FORTUNE will be your next favorite romantasy!
After being cursed by a wicked immortal, Serena must face and overcome seven trials based on the fairytales she was raised on, or risk losing everything... including her heart and her freedom.
THE TALES OF ARCANA FORTUNE intertwines a compelling, heartwarming, unique overarching plot with several short stories based on fairytales we've come to know and love. However, each has a twist, and I absolutely loved how Serena and G play parts in each one, putting them in all kinds of angsty, hurt/comfort situations, which I EAT UP. Every time.
We have the one-bed trope, touch her and die, grumpy x sunshine, and other things I want to mention, but want to keep this spoiler-free, so I'll just say I giggled and kicked my feet a lot.
After each trial, I was fiending to get to the next to find out what the next fairytale was, and who would play what part, but I also absolutely loved the time in between where Serena and G got to know each other more. They were perfect for each other. SO PERFECT. I LOVE THEM.
The worldbuilding was excellent and so full of life, and I'd love to know more of the lore and what our two loves do after *insert spoilers*. If there could ever be another book...coughpleasecoughpleasecoughcough.
For fans of fairytales, soft and kind fmcs, adoring and protective mmcs, and absolutely whimsical writing, THE TALES OF THE ARCANA FORTUNE will be your next favorite romantasy!
June 14, 2025
⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎
⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 0
.☘︎ ݁˖ This book was absolutely adorable 🤭💗 If you loved Once Upon a Broken Heart or Assistant to the Villain, I highly recommend picking this one up. The characters were lovable, the banter was on point, and the fairytale retellings were done so well. Honestly, it was such a fun and heartwarming read from start to finish. I’m really excited to see where the story goes in the second book, especially with the way things were left off 🫶🏼
જ⁀➴ some of the fairytale retellings in the book ᡣ𐭩:
❀˖° the snow queen ❄︎
｡𖦹°‧ beauty and the beast ꫂ ၴႅၴ
❀˖° Snow White
｡𖦹°‧ red riding hood 𓃦
❀˖° the little mermaid 𓇼
｡𖦹°‧ Jack and the beanstalk 𓇢
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧
⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 0
.☘︎ ݁˖ This book was absolutely adorable 🤭💗 If you loved Once Upon a Broken Heart or Assistant to the Villain, I highly recommend picking this one up. The characters were lovable, the banter was on point, and the fairytale retellings were done so well. Honestly, it was such a fun and heartwarming read from start to finish. I’m really excited to see where the story goes in the second book, especially with the way things were left off 🫶🏼
જ⁀➴ some of the fairytale retellings in the book ᡣ𐭩:
❀˖° the snow queen ❄︎
｡𖦹°‧ beauty and the beast ꫂ ၴႅၴ
❀˖° Snow White
｡𖦹°‧ red riding hood 𓃦
❀˖° the little mermaid 𓇼
｡𖦹°‧ Jack and the beanstalk 𓇢
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧
August 10, 2025
DNF'D at 75%
Oh my goodness.
I am so disappointed by this book. LIKE SO DISAPPOINTED.
I had high hopes...the highest hopes.
I started this book and LOVED it, I loved Aunt Maeve, I loved Serena and her character, her cute little role as a healer in the village, the vibes were there!
And then, sigh, the let down arrived.
Sir Kai Gray, A.K.A Grim. What is the obsession with using names such as 'Grim' or 'Gray' or 'Kai' in romantasy books?!
Anyways, there was absolutley no chemistry between these two, so I was firstly excited, I was like
"Omg, finally a real enemies to lovers situation."
No.
Because four days in to their little adventure, the morally gray MMC, turns to jello. All of a sudden he can smile??? And doesn't get grossed out when the FMC is bold enough to call him 'her best friend ever'
I know our FMC is a hermit who shelters away from life, and hasn't had friends and is incredibly lonely..but girl...calm the heck down! Who tells the morally gray MMC that they're your bestest friend ever, one day into the adventure..no one!
AND HE RESPONDS WITH SOMETHING LIKE 'YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND TOO.'
WHAT??!!!
then the plot twist or whatever was just stupid! And at some point I was beginning to hope, to pray, TO BEG, that maybe Lore was the love interest (yes, Lore, the villain of the story)
which by the way his reasoning for cursing these two was literally...nothing..there was no reason! He just created a larger threat for himself..
But then all of a sudden I'm reading this YA book...and the next they're doing it!
WHAT?!!
I think we need to reconfirm what YA is...
If you're going to so obviously advertise your book as a similar story to OUABH...take the fluffy element into it PAHLEASSEEEEE
Also wanted to say, this book was so like "this is what happened" there was no showing, we got told everything, the whole book just LACKED emotion, the FMC LACKED brains and the MMC LACKED consistency in his character.
The only good thing this book did successfully was allow me to put myself first.
I'm hungry, STARVED, for a 5 star read or just one that doesn't make me feel like I'm reading as a chore.
Oh my goodness.
I am so disappointed by this book. LIKE SO DISAPPOINTED.
I had high hopes...the highest hopes.
I started this book and LOVED it, I loved Aunt Maeve, I loved Serena and her character, her cute little role as a healer in the village, the vibes were there!
And then, sigh, the let down arrived.
Sir Kai Gray, A.K.A Grim. What is the obsession with using names such as 'Grim' or 'Gray' or 'Kai' in romantasy books?!
Anyways, there was absolutley no chemistry between these two, so I was firstly excited, I was like
"Omg, finally a real enemies to lovers situation."
No.
Because four days in to their little adventure, the morally gray MMC, turns to jello. All of a sudden he can smile??? And doesn't get grossed out when the FMC is bold enough to call him 'her best friend ever'
I know our FMC is a hermit who shelters away from life, and hasn't had friends and is incredibly lonely..but girl...calm the heck down! Who tells the morally gray MMC that they're your bestest friend ever, one day into the adventure..no one!
AND HE RESPONDS WITH SOMETHING LIKE 'YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND TOO.'
WHAT??!!!
then the plot twist or whatever was just stupid! And at some point I was beginning to hope, to pray, TO BEG, that maybe Lore was the love interest (yes, Lore, the villain of the story)
which by the way his reasoning for cursing these two was literally...nothing..there was no reason! He just created a larger threat for himself..
But then all of a sudden I'm reading this YA book...and the next they're doing it!
WHAT?!!
I think we need to reconfirm what YA is...
If you're going to so obviously advertise your book as a similar story to OUABH...take the fluffy element into it PAHLEASSEEEEE
Also wanted to say, this book was so like "this is what happened" there was no showing, we got told everything, the whole book just LACKED emotion, the FMC LACKED brains and the MMC LACKED consistency in his character.
The only good thing this book did successfully was allow me to put myself first.
I'm hungry, STARVED, for a 5 star read or just one that doesn't make me feel like I'm reading as a chore.
August 2, 2025
dnf
what in the ai generated story is this
what in the ai generated story is this
September 7, 2025
**3,75/5**
"That's the thing about love, it can make monsters out of anyone."
- Fairytale trials
- Sentient curse
- Faeries & Spirits
- Forgotten Magic
- Whimsical setting
What I liked:
- The concept of the story: the main characters must live through various slightly altered fairytales, taking on different roles and acting their way through them. So interesting!
- The way the the curse felt almost sentient, adapting to the main character on its own and learning about her so it could shape itself around her fears and hopes.
- The setting was delightfully whimsical! I want to live in the cottage full of books and fairytale stories, surrounded by a magical forest so badly!
What I didn’t like:
- Often, problems were solved too quickly and easily, and obstacles conveniently evaporated. I would have preferred fewer but more challenging trials for the main characters.
- I wished we had gotten Grim’s POV earlier in the book, and not only in the second half, after he and Serena had already formed a bond. It would have added more depth to his character at the beginning, when we were mostly just told he was grumpy, even though he simply didn’t talk much.
Writing style: 3,5/5
Characters: 4/5
Story & Plot: 3,5/5
Vibes: 5/5
Will I read the next book: yes
Will I buy buy a physical copy: already did
"That's the thing about love, it can make monsters out of anyone."
- Fairytale trials
- Sentient curse
- Faeries & Spirits
- Forgotten Magic
- Whimsical setting
What I liked:
- The concept of the story: the main characters must live through various slightly altered fairytales, taking on different roles and acting their way through them. So interesting!
- The way the the curse felt almost sentient, adapting to the main character on its own and learning about her so it could shape itself around her fears and hopes.
- The setting was delightfully whimsical! I want to live in the cottage full of books and fairytale stories, surrounded by a magical forest so badly!
What I didn’t like:
- Often, problems were solved too quickly and easily, and obstacles conveniently evaporated. I would have preferred fewer but more challenging trials for the main characters.
- I wished we had gotten Grim’s POV earlier in the book, and not only in the second half, after he and Serena had already formed a bond. It would have added more depth to his character at the beginning, when we were mostly just told he was grumpy, even though he simply didn’t talk much.
Writing style: 3,5/5
Characters: 4/5
Story & Plot: 3,5/5
Vibes: 5/5
Will I read the next book: yes
Will I buy buy a physical copy: already did
June 1, 2025
A young woman must survive seven nights in seven different fairytales in order to break the curse laid upon her.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this early!
⭑ ⭑ ½
This is probably the definition of cosy romantasy, and i see where fans of OUABH will enjoy this. If you like cosy, whimsical cottagecore-fantasy vibes, you’re in for a treat. Unfortunately i just had too many issues with the overall storytelling. There were key things that upon closer look kind of fall apart and make very little sense. But there’s definitely some talent here for storytelling, and i would be interested in seeing what else the author has in the works.
The Plot
I was very interested and excited at the idea of a young woman and this mysterious man having to live in these different fairytales, but that excitement faded very quickly when absolutely no or very little stakes were introduced. I never felt, despite Serena and Grim having to go through these deadly fairytales or being cursed, that they were ever in any danger. As soon as that was revealed, i couldn’t take him seriously as the villain. There was no longer any threat.
The Fairytales
For the fairytales, i would have loved to see them fleshed out and developed further than what we got. I feel like we got very surface level with the fairytales. Very little time was spent painting them in and making them feel magical and lived in, and Serena and Grim’s time spent in them felt very rushed. I get the fixation with the number seven, it’s very important in magic and faerie and all that, but i think fitting in seven vastly different fairytales across the book watered them down and made the storytelling and the emotional impact the author was going for, very weak. It would have been stronger and more potent if she had focused on three or four stories, and the characters discovering themselves and their feelings towards each other within them.
The Characters
Serena is very soft, very feminine, (very pink), and over the course of the book kind of grows into herself and becomes much more confident than what we see of her at the beginning. I loved that. She fought for what she believed in, what and who she wanted and i appreciated that she remained true to herself despite the curse. What i didn’t like was she was constantly saying how lonely she was, how she didn’t have any friends, but we don’t see her make any attempts at talking to people outside of her work as a healer. . With some communication that could have been remedied and we wouldn’t have needed to hear about how lonely she was all the time. I also NEEDED Serena to be described by some other characteristic than her goddamn pink hair. Her pink hair is mentioned forty-one times. 41. Not including synonyms for pink. At some point you have to trust that your readers know that Serena Rose has pink hair.
Grim in comparison to Serena, fell kind of flat. I believe that may be because we don’t see his perspective on things too much, only a few chapters are dedicated to his POV, but for me here was just kind of there. He is supposed to be very chivalrous and a sort of “Black Knight” kind of character, and while he was very sweet towards Serena and he was polite, he’s not joining the round table. For me, at least.
The romance between them, however, is where things for the characters start to fall apart. I really couldn’t buy that them was based on anything other than attraction. I will say there are plenty of cute moments between the two of them, some casual intimacy, but there was not a single moment where you could tell that Serena and Grim were falling in love. I know that characters don't always recognize that they're falling in love, which is a trope i devour, but it has to be recognizable to your readers that your characters are falling in love. It felt like it went straight from thinking the other is attractive → straight to being in love.
Overall
This was just not my cup of peppermint tea. As much as the plot interested me, no matter how excited i was at the prospect of deadly fairytales, i could not overlook the issues throughout the story, and there were too many little things (like the constant mention of her pink hair) that irked me.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this early!
⭑ ⭑ ½
This is probably the definition of cosy romantasy, and i see where fans of OUABH will enjoy this. If you like cosy, whimsical cottagecore-fantasy vibes, you’re in for a treat. Unfortunately i just had too many issues with the overall storytelling. There were key things that upon closer look kind of fall apart and make very little sense. But there’s definitely some talent here for storytelling, and i would be interested in seeing what else the author has in the works.
The Plot
I was very interested and excited at the idea of a young woman and this mysterious man having to live in these different fairytales, but that excitement faded very quickly when absolutely no or very little stakes were introduced. I never felt, despite Serena and Grim having to go through these deadly fairytales or being cursed, that they were ever in any danger. As soon as that was revealed, i couldn’t take him seriously as the villain. There was no longer any threat.
The Fairytales
For the fairytales, i would have loved to see them fleshed out and developed further than what we got. I feel like we got very surface level with the fairytales. Very little time was spent painting them in and making them feel magical and lived in, and Serena and Grim’s time spent in them felt very rushed. I get the fixation with the number seven, it’s very important in magic and faerie and all that, but i think fitting in seven vastly different fairytales across the book watered them down and made the storytelling and the emotional impact the author was going for, very weak. It would have been stronger and more potent if she had focused on three or four stories, and the characters discovering themselves and their feelings towards each other within them.
The Characters
Serena is very soft, very feminine, (very pink), and over the course of the book kind of grows into herself and becomes much more confident than what we see of her at the beginning. I loved that. She fought for what she believed in, what and who she wanted and i appreciated that she remained true to herself despite the curse. What i didn’t like was she was constantly saying how lonely she was, how she didn’t have any friends, but we don’t see her make any attempts at talking to people outside of her work as a healer. . With some communication that could have been remedied and we wouldn’t have needed to hear about how lonely she was all the time. I also NEEDED Serena to be described by some other characteristic than her goddamn pink hair. Her pink hair is mentioned forty-one times. 41. Not including synonyms for pink. At some point you have to trust that your readers know that Serena Rose has pink hair.
Grim in comparison to Serena, fell kind of flat. I believe that may be because we don’t see his perspective on things too much, only a few chapters are dedicated to his POV, but for me here was just kind of there. He is supposed to be very chivalrous and a sort of “Black Knight” kind of character, and while he was very sweet towards Serena and he was polite, he’s not joining the round table. For me, at least.
The romance between them, however, is where things for the characters start to fall apart. I really couldn’t buy that them was based on anything other than attraction. I will say there are plenty of cute moments between the two of them, some casual intimacy, but there was not a single moment where you could tell that Serena and Grim were falling in love. I know that characters don't always recognize that they're falling in love, which is a trope i devour, but it has to be recognizable to your readers that your characters are falling in love. It felt like it went straight from thinking the other is attractive → straight to being in love.
Overall
This was just not my cup of peppermint tea. As much as the plot interested me, no matter how excited i was at the prospect of deadly fairytales, i could not overlook the issues throughout the story, and there were too many little things (like the constant mention of her pink hair) that irked me.
May 20, 2025
★★★.5
"𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐... 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥."
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Overall, this wasn't a bad read but I struggled to stay engaged at times. I know others will love it, especially if you love whimsical, magical, cottagecore, and fairytale vibes. It's perfect for readers who are hopeless romantics that love a happily ever after. What I did enjoy were the seven fairytales throughout. Seven nights, seven tales. I LOVED seeing the different stories the FMC and MC were placed in with its own spin of having to solve the riddles or beat the curses within that tale.
My issue with this book was the pacing, specifically the romance between the FMC and MC. While their characters didn't feel flat, it also didn't feel very flushed out, and the feelings/declarations between them were fast. There were also moments that felt a bit juvenile which took me out. I also wanted to know more about the villain from the beginning rather than him just appearing and immediately cursing the FMC, and then we don't really find out why until quite later.
Overall, I think this is a good debut novel! It definitely has the potential and the art the author creates is drop-dead gorgeous ❤︎
"𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐... 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥."
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Overall, this wasn't a bad read but I struggled to stay engaged at times. I know others will love it, especially if you love whimsical, magical, cottagecore, and fairytale vibes. It's perfect for readers who are hopeless romantics that love a happily ever after. What I did enjoy were the seven fairytales throughout. Seven nights, seven tales. I LOVED seeing the different stories the FMC and MC were placed in with its own spin of having to solve the riddles or beat the curses within that tale.
My issue with this book was the pacing, specifically the romance between the FMC and MC. While their characters didn't feel flat, it also didn't feel very flushed out, and the feelings/declarations between them were fast. There were also moments that felt a bit juvenile which took me out. I also wanted to know more about the villain from the beginning rather than him just appearing and immediately cursing the FMC, and then we don't really find out why until quite later.
Overall, I think this is a good debut novel! It definitely has the potential and the art the author creates is drop-dead gorgeous ❤︎
June 18, 2025
DNF 40%
This started out very well, I legit thought it was going to be a 5 star read. The writing got increasingly cheesy and juvenile. This would be fine if it was geared towards young adult, but the amount of cussing makes me think it’s not and maybe it’s just not well written. I cringed at so much of this. I think sweetness is great, but too much and you just get a toothache. Someone mentioned this felt like OUABH fan fiction and I have to agree. Rina and Grim felt like Walmart Evangeline and Jacks. This lacked depth and lost my interest, it’s perfect if you just want the cozy cottagecore vibes.
This started out very well, I legit thought it was going to be a 5 star read. The writing got increasingly cheesy and juvenile. This would be fine if it was geared towards young adult, but the amount of cussing makes me think it’s not and maybe it’s just not well written. I cringed at so much of this. I think sweetness is great, but too much and you just get a toothache. Someone mentioned this felt like OUABH fan fiction and I have to agree. Rina and Grim felt like Walmart Evangeline and Jacks. This lacked depth and lost my interest, it’s perfect if you just want the cozy cottagecore vibes.
July 31, 2025
dnf-ed at 60% 🤧
⋆˚✿˖°
pre-reads: seven trials inspired by different fairytales?? SAY NO MORE.
⋆˚✿˖°
pre-reads: seven trials inspired by different fairytales?? SAY NO MORE.
April 29, 2025
4.5⭐
Thank you so much to Hafsa Jawad for the ARC.
𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 is about Serena Rose, a healer who dreamed of fairytales, but the chances of finding true love while living alone in a cottage were slim. However her quiet life is upended when she is approached by a dark haired stranger searching for a book in her family’s collection. While searching for the book and fighting their budding attraction with banter, they accidentally free a malicious immortal upon finding the book. Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
This book is such an amazing reminiscent of fairytales and a wonderful tribute to those fairytales that made many childhoods magical. The fairytale atmospheric setting made it feel like it was a new fairytale brewn --- dreamy, magical and immersive --- taking me to an incredibly lyrical and whimsical world of tales and fairies.
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞, the FMC, also known as Rina by her friends was an amazing relatable character. She's kind and vulnerable, with the eyes of a healer and a reader, who is incredibly brave and strong. She repeatedly proved her love for her lover and fought to be with him, despite the challenges and trials between them.
𝐆, th MMC, also known by another name which I do not want to spoil is the swoony love interest I've read in fairytales. He's incredibly protective of Serena despite his grumpy behaviour and is in love with Serena in a way that no one comes between them and it's been proved so many times in so many trials. He's strong and believes he's not worthy of love but I'm so happy at the way Serena proved him wrong.
The character development was very good. The unique twists in the classic fairytales in the trials were very strong.
The emotion impact and weight of grief, the slow-burning and yearning romance, the sinister evil creature, the side characters and the fairytales gave the story layers of depth and the ending of the book perfectly concluded Serena and G's story!
The Trials happen to take a big portion of the book and each trial is unique to a tale and never repetitive. The trials they go through together solidified their love for each other and put their love on trial too. The tales the trials used have a unique twist which did not make it feel copied.
The relationship between Serena and the MMC was something that started at grumpy x sunshine, to caring for each other to become lovers. The slow-burn sizzled the tension between them so well!
The one thing that made me respect Serena's character that no matter the changes with the MMC during the trials's magic --- including the personality turnarounds --- she remained a consistent characters with her personality and her love for the MMC neevr faltered. Her feelings for him never changed. This added a layer to their relationship and made the yearning angsty, making anyone root for this couple.
If you love whimsical fairytales with unique twists, a gentle romance and a deadly morally-gray immortal evil villain, this book is the perfect cosy read!
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐟𝐬𝐚 𝐀. 𝐉𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲.
Thank you so much to Hafsa Jawad for the ARC.
𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 is about Serena Rose, a healer who dreamed of fairytales, but the chances of finding true love while living alone in a cottage were slim. However her quiet life is upended when she is approached by a dark haired stranger searching for a book in her family’s collection. While searching for the book and fighting their budding attraction with banter, they accidentally free a malicious immortal upon finding the book. Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
This book is such an amazing reminiscent of fairytales and a wonderful tribute to those fairytales that made many childhoods magical. The fairytale atmospheric setting made it feel like it was a new fairytale brewn --- dreamy, magical and immersive --- taking me to an incredibly lyrical and whimsical world of tales and fairies.
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞, the FMC, also known as Rina by her friends was an amazing relatable character. She's kind and vulnerable, with the eyes of a healer and a reader, who is incredibly brave and strong. She repeatedly proved her love for her lover and fought to be with him, despite the challenges and trials between them.
𝐆, th MMC, also known by another name which I do not want to spoil is the swoony love interest I've read in fairytales. He's incredibly protective of Serena despite his grumpy behaviour and is in love with Serena in a way that no one comes between them and it's been proved so many times in so many trials. He's strong and believes he's not worthy of love but I'm so happy at the way Serena proved him wrong.
The character development was very good. The unique twists in the classic fairytales in the trials were very strong.
The emotion impact and weight of grief, the slow-burning and yearning romance, the sinister evil creature, the side characters and the fairytales gave the story layers of depth and the ending of the book perfectly concluded Serena and G's story!
The Trials happen to take a big portion of the book and each trial is unique to a tale and never repetitive. The trials they go through together solidified their love for each other and put their love on trial too. The tales the trials used have a unique twist which did not make it feel copied.
The relationship between Serena and the MMC was something that started at grumpy x sunshine, to caring for each other to become lovers. The slow-burn sizzled the tension between them so well!
The one thing that made me respect Serena's character that no matter the changes with the MMC during the trials's magic --- including the personality turnarounds --- she remained a consistent characters with her personality and her love for the MMC neevr faltered. Her feelings for him never changed. This added a layer to their relationship and made the yearning angsty, making anyone root for this couple.
If you love whimsical fairytales with unique twists, a gentle romance and a deadly morally-gray immortal evil villain, this book is the perfect cosy read!
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐟𝐬𝐚 𝐀. 𝐉𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲.
August 26, 2025
౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ 2.75⭑
!!MINOR SPOILERS!!
SERENA ROSE
I feel like her naivety was supposed to be endearing in some way, but unfortunately I just found it irritating. In my eyes, the author was going for an Evangeline Fox sort of character—the pink hair, the hopeless romantic—but I feel like the writing did not convey that in the way that Stephanie Garber did. Of course, I realise that that is the whole point of her character, as she’s supposed to mirror Arcana, in a way, but that is something that irked me about her character.
Other than that, I did quite like her, and I related to her loneliness a little as well. I supported her and she definitely wasn’t a bad MC, but I just didn’t like her all that much.
GRIM
I really like him. I think he’s a great love interest, especially for Serena, and I love how protective he is over her. But there is one thing that irks me about him, and that is mainly the author’s fault.
Now, let me make this clear: I love the boy obsessed with his girl trope. It’s one of my favourites in the entire world of tropes. I mean, Wes Bennett is my favourite book boyfriend, for goodness sakes! But with Grim, that’s really all there was to him in my opinion.Obviously I know that he had the traumatic backstory thing, and him being a monster, but that’s all there really was.
If we had gotten his POV earlier, like within the first twenty percent, then maybe the author could’ve added a little more depth to him, but his POV came about 55% in, when he was already in love with Serena, and because of that, it just seemed to me like that’s all there really was to him.
Of course, I still love him as a character—although I wasn’t swooning over him like I do with other book boyfriends—, but that’s the one thing that irked me about his character.
LORE
Okay, I know he’s the villain, but I actually found him so funny. Like: “Tsk tsk. You shouldn’t frown so. Fairytale princesses shouldn’t get wrinkles!” ICON.
Although I did guess that he was in love with Arcana almost as soon as he said something about her, I thought that that added a great layer of depth to his character that I actually think is somewhat lacking from Grim’s.
Overall, I think he’s a great, well-written villain, who’s also somewhat hilarious at times (I actually love sarcastic villains so much, even when they are satan spawn).
ROMANCE
I don’t know if it’s just me, but the romance was far too quick for me. I know it’s supposed to be, but after knowing each other five days they’re all, like, “Oh, I love you, I’m yours” and that’s just weird to me.
And when Grim was away from Serena for, like, ten minutes he was like “Stars, he missed her”. Like, Grim, babe, please calm down. You’ve lived without her your entire life and you’ve survived. I’m sure you’ll be just fine.
I don’t know, maybe if the author had maybe written it longer, if that makes sense (like, written the tales longer, with more danger, etc.) then it wouldn’t seem super duper quick, but it just was for me.
PLOT
I thought the book’s premise was really interesting—them going into different tales, navigating their way through it—but it just fell a little flat to me.
For one, I think that the author should’ve lengthened the suspense scenes, because they lasted, like, a page, and then they kissed and made up, and I just didn’t enjoy that.
Second of all, like I was saying about the romance, I think she should’ve lengthened the days and added more details outside of them going into the tales, like expanding on the side characters—Daisy, for example. Side characters are supposed to be fun characters, or characters that move the plot forward, but none of the side characters really did that. The reverend perhaps moved the romance on a little, and showed a different side to Grim, but other than that they just really weren’t useful.
OVERALL
The author definitely seemed like she was trying to do a bit of copying from OUABH and Stephanie Garber in general. Not just the pink hair of Serena, but the cutting of a corset (Julian Santos in Caraval); “… I am her monster” (“I am a monster, but whether you remember it or not, I am your monster, Evangeline”); hell, even the writing style seemed similar!
I also never particularly had the desire to keep reading. I didn’t dread picking it up, nor do I wish that I never read it, but while I was reading, I wasn’t invested that much. And I actually forgot I was reading it half the time. Like, one time I was thinking that I should start reading Chamber of Secrets (because my Harry Potter phase is coming back), and then my brain went “Oh, wait, no, you’re reading something else”. I think low-stakes fantasy just isn’t for me personally.
Overall, I’d give it a 2.75 stars. I did enjoy it while I was reading, but I never had the desire to pick it up, nor did I feel any satisfaction when I finished it. I will also probably never think of this book again. Because of that, it’s a 2.75 star.
!!MINOR SPOILERS!!
SERENA ROSE
I feel like her naivety was supposed to be endearing in some way, but unfortunately I just found it irritating. In my eyes, the author was going for an Evangeline Fox sort of character—the pink hair, the hopeless romantic—but I feel like the writing did not convey that in the way that Stephanie Garber did. Of course, I realise that that is the whole point of her character, as she’s supposed to mirror Arcana, in a way, but that is something that irked me about her character.
Other than that, I did quite like her, and I related to her loneliness a little as well. I supported her and she definitely wasn’t a bad MC, but I just didn’t like her all that much.
GRIM
I really like him. I think he’s a great love interest, especially for Serena, and I love how protective he is over her. But there is one thing that irks me about him, and that is mainly the author’s fault.
Now, let me make this clear: I love the boy obsessed with his girl trope. It’s one of my favourites in the entire world of tropes. I mean, Wes Bennett is my favourite book boyfriend, for goodness sakes! But with Grim, that’s really all there was to him in my opinion.Obviously I know that he had the traumatic backstory thing, and him being a monster, but that’s all there really was.
If we had gotten his POV earlier, like within the first twenty percent, then maybe the author could’ve added a little more depth to him, but his POV came about 55% in, when he was already in love with Serena, and because of that, it just seemed to me like that’s all there really was to him.
Of course, I still love him as a character—although I wasn’t swooning over him like I do with other book boyfriends—, but that’s the one thing that irked me about his character.
LORE
Okay, I know he’s the villain, but I actually found him so funny. Like: “Tsk tsk. You shouldn’t frown so. Fairytale princesses shouldn’t get wrinkles!” ICON.
Although I did guess that he was in love with Arcana almost as soon as he said something about her, I thought that that added a great layer of depth to his character that I actually think is somewhat lacking from Grim’s.
Overall, I think he’s a great, well-written villain, who’s also somewhat hilarious at times (I actually love sarcastic villains so much, even when they are satan spawn).
ROMANCE
I don’t know if it’s just me, but the romance was far too quick for me. I know it’s supposed to be, but after knowing each other five days they’re all, like, “Oh, I love you, I’m yours” and that’s just weird to me.
And when Grim was away from Serena for, like, ten minutes he was like “Stars, he missed her”. Like, Grim, babe, please calm down. You’ve lived without her your entire life and you’ve survived. I’m sure you’ll be just fine.
I don’t know, maybe if the author had maybe written it longer, if that makes sense (like, written the tales longer, with more danger, etc.) then it wouldn’t seem super duper quick, but it just was for me.
PLOT
I thought the book’s premise was really interesting—them going into different tales, navigating their way through it—but it just fell a little flat to me.
For one, I think that the author should’ve lengthened the suspense scenes, because they lasted, like, a page, and then they kissed and made up, and I just didn’t enjoy that.
Second of all, like I was saying about the romance, I think she should’ve lengthened the days and added more details outside of them going into the tales, like expanding on the side characters—Daisy, for example. Side characters are supposed to be fun characters, or characters that move the plot forward, but none of the side characters really did that. The reverend perhaps moved the romance on a little, and showed a different side to Grim, but other than that they just really weren’t useful.
OVERALL
The author definitely seemed like she was trying to do a bit of copying from OUABH and Stephanie Garber in general. Not just the pink hair of Serena, but the cutting of a corset (Julian Santos in Caraval); “… I am her monster” (“I am a monster, but whether you remember it or not, I am your monster, Evangeline”); hell, even the writing style seemed similar!
I also never particularly had the desire to keep reading. I didn’t dread picking it up, nor do I wish that I never read it, but while I was reading, I wasn’t invested that much. And I actually forgot I was reading it half the time. Like, one time I was thinking that I should start reading Chamber of Secrets (because my Harry Potter phase is coming back), and then my brain went “Oh, wait, no, you’re reading something else”. I think low-stakes fantasy just isn’t for me personally.
Overall, I’d give it a 2.75 stars. I did enjoy it while I was reading, but I never had the desire to pick it up, nor did I feel any satisfaction when I finished it. I will also probably never think of this book again. Because of that, it’s a 2.75 star.
February 16, 2025
The Tales of Arcana Fortune is going to be something special for those that have a timeless love of fairy tales, romanticisms of fighting for their dreams, and a penchant to entertain their curiosities for adventure!
June 7, 2025
It's like watching to a little girl play with her dolls.
January 6, 2026
The Tales Of Arcana Fortune is truly a love letter to every fairytale we grew up hearing as children, and as someone who adores every sort of retelling, it’s no wonder that i enjoyed this so much. I loved how Hafsa A Jawad added her own unique spin to every tale she covered, while keeping them the same at their core.
The world might be simpler than some other romantasy books , but between the fairytales, curses, fairies, spirits, and the sweet cottage with a particular thieving squirrel, i don’t think anything else is needed at all. Hafsa A Jawad has a lovely writing style, and one that had me looking up a few lovely new words to add to my vocabulary!
For me, the characters were a large part of how much i enjoyed this book. The FMC, Serena, was utterly delighted, and as i have a soft spot for softer, sweet heroines, how quickly i loved her pink-haired, tea-addicted, kindhearted self case as no surprise to me.
Similarly, a particular mysterious stranger and his grumpily sarcastic charm caught my attention as soon as he stepped onto the page, and i adored seeing him slowly fall into Serena’s antics and chaos with a roguish smile.
Their relationship was utterly adorable, and had me smiling and giggling more times than i can count. Though the timeline of their love story moved a little faster than i normally prefer, the author wrote it so well i didn’t mind at all.
I can easily see The Tales Of Arcana Fortune ending up being a comfort read for me, as while the story does have high stakes, the world is just so beautifully crafted and cozily cottagecore-coded that i don’t think anyone could help but be comforted by it!
My only qualm is that i felt the villain (and, at points, the world) were a little underdeveloped and could have been a little more fleshed out, but overall, this didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book.
The world might be simpler than some other romantasy books , but between the fairytales, curses, fairies, spirits, and the sweet cottage with a particular thieving squirrel, i don’t think anything else is needed at all. Hafsa A Jawad has a lovely writing style, and one that had me looking up a few lovely new words to add to my vocabulary!
For me, the characters were a large part of how much i enjoyed this book. The FMC, Serena, was utterly delighted, and as i have a soft spot for softer, sweet heroines, how quickly i loved her pink-haired, tea-addicted, kindhearted self case as no surprise to me.
Similarly, a particular mysterious stranger and his grumpily sarcastic charm caught my attention as soon as he stepped onto the page, and i adored seeing him slowly fall into Serena’s antics and chaos with a roguish smile.
Their relationship was utterly adorable, and had me smiling and giggling more times than i can count. Though the timeline of their love story moved a little faster than i normally prefer, the author wrote it so well i didn’t mind at all.
I can easily see The Tales Of Arcana Fortune ending up being a comfort read for me, as while the story does have high stakes, the world is just so beautifully crafted and cozily cottagecore-coded that i don’t think anyone could help but be comforted by it!
My only qualm is that i felt the villain (and, at points, the world) were a little underdeveloped and could have been a little more fleshed out, but overall, this didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book.
Want to read
May 21, 2025I believe it's my duty to let you know about this one:
Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
April 11, 2025
Remember that feeling when you'd rush to catch a Disney movie as people were scrambling to skip the "Disney's fast play" and the castle would illuminate the screen and your entire heart would squeeze? This book elicited that emotion time and time again from me.
From start to end, I experienced every emotion from overwhelming joy to heart breaking sadness as I joined along Serena Rose's journey. At the very start, I fell in love with Serena. She is truly the character I have needed in my reading life. She is both strong and feminine and I love how she has built the life she wants (p.s. SERENA'S OUTFITS ARE EVERYTHING) until a certain tall, dark, and handsome distraction decides to disrupt everything.
I know Romantasy is a bit of a trend right now and for me, this is the absolute perfect balance. The romance in this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and the fantasy knocked me right off. Serena and our MMC are my new favorite couple. I didn't even know that was possible until reading this book. One thing that matters most to me when reading about a couple, is that they truly do connect and have a solid foundation to their relationship. And honestly? I think that these two have THE STRONGEST. Between their quests, developing friendship, and communication I love their love. They feel so real and genuine and just UGH I love them and want to go back and reread this book just to have more time with them.
A major part of this story is a series of fairytale retellings. Initially, I was concerned this would be repetitive or each wouldn't be able to hit very hard. HOWEVER I am happy to report that the stories were executed to PERFECTION. Throughout the retellings, I felt that every one had higher stakes than the last and loved seeing Serena and our MMC fall for each other throughout the journey. Beyond that, I LOVE that the stories all grow together to ensure the overall plot continues and ties together in a way I truly didn't see coming, but genuinely enjoyed so much.
All in all, if you like fairytale style fantasy and sweet romance, I can't recommend this book enough! Thank you so much to the author for an advanced copy, I had so much fun reading this book I can't wait to dive into my reread!
From start to end, I experienced every emotion from overwhelming joy to heart breaking sadness as I joined along Serena Rose's journey. At the very start, I fell in love with Serena. She is truly the character I have needed in my reading life. She is both strong and feminine and I love how she has built the life she wants (p.s. SERENA'S OUTFITS ARE EVERYTHING) until a certain tall, dark, and handsome distraction decides to disrupt everything.
I know Romantasy is a bit of a trend right now and for me, this is the absolute perfect balance. The romance in this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and the fantasy knocked me right off. Serena and our MMC are my new favorite couple. I didn't even know that was possible until reading this book. One thing that matters most to me when reading about a couple, is that they truly do connect and have a solid foundation to their relationship. And honestly? I think that these two have THE STRONGEST. Between their quests, developing friendship, and communication I love their love. They feel so real and genuine and just UGH I love them and want to go back and reread this book just to have more time with them.
A major part of this story is a series of fairytale retellings. Initially, I was concerned this would be repetitive or each wouldn't be able to hit very hard. HOWEVER I am happy to report that the stories were executed to PERFECTION. Throughout the retellings, I felt that every one had higher stakes than the last and loved seeing Serena and our MMC fall for each other throughout the journey. Beyond that, I LOVE that the stories all grow together to ensure the overall plot continues and ties together in a way I truly didn't see coming, but genuinely enjoyed so much.
All in all, if you like fairytale style fantasy and sweet romance, I can't recommend this book enough! Thank you so much to the author for an advanced copy, I had so much fun reading this book I can't wait to dive into my reread!
June 19, 2025
Was very underwhelmed after reading the reviews. The writing was weird and so rushed. Felt like the author was trying to fit too much plot in too little book.
For example:
‘“Go through the door," he shouted. "I'll hold off the beast so you can pass safely through."
Torn, she hesitated, and then headed to the door. Grabbing the doorknob, she pulled it open and looked back one more time. Grim had fought off the beast and was running toward her.’
Like what??? Why even include the beast if you’re not going to show him fighting it off?? 😭😭 That was such an unnecessary detail
And that was one of many of those moments. The characters would constantly find themselves in trouble and then something would come along and magically show them the way in the next sentence? Without them even having to put up any sort of fight or go on any sort of adventure. Everything was either handed to them on a silver platter or they had the best damn luck I’ve ever seen in my life.
The beginning was boring and then the middle got kind of exciting and then the ending was boring. I found myself skimming through chapters more than reading them. And they were supposedly put through 7 trials/fairytales but none of them lasted longer than like 15 pages and that’s what the entire book is supposed to be about.
The concept was good and if it had been done properly, in the right amount of pages, then I think it would’ve been a phenomenal read, but the delivery was just… not good. 🥴 Hope they have fun in the second book, but I wouldn’t know because I will not be reading 😭🤚🏻
For example:
‘“Go through the door," he shouted. "I'll hold off the beast so you can pass safely through."
Torn, she hesitated, and then headed to the door. Grabbing the doorknob, she pulled it open and looked back one more time. Grim had fought off the beast and was running toward her.’
Like what??? Why even include the beast if you’re not going to show him fighting it off?? 😭😭 That was such an unnecessary detail
And that was one of many of those moments. The characters would constantly find themselves in trouble and then something would come along and magically show them the way in the next sentence? Without them even having to put up any sort of fight or go on any sort of adventure. Everything was either handed to them on a silver platter or they had the best damn luck I’ve ever seen in my life.
The beginning was boring and then the middle got kind of exciting and then the ending was boring. I found myself skimming through chapters more than reading them. And they were supposedly put through 7 trials/fairytales but none of them lasted longer than like 15 pages and that’s what the entire book is supposed to be about.
The concept was good and if it had been done properly, in the right amount of pages, then I think it would’ve been a phenomenal read, but the delivery was just… not good. 🥴 Hope they have fun in the second book, but I wouldn’t know because I will not be reading 😭🤚🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2025
Not my favorite. I thought the idea of this book was really cool but overall it wasn’t really hitting like I thought it would 😞
January 18, 2026
absolutely loved this
grim 🤤
grim 🤤
September 2, 2025
That was like a bunch of low budget Disney movies all wrapped up into assistant to the villain with just a dash of cringey wattpad writing and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT.
🌎: The world was pretty nostalgic for me. It was like watching one of those random movies where they just compile a bunch of well known stories together and added like a twist to them. The ones that are so bad that they’re good. The world (and honestly the rest of this book) felt exactly like that. The story starts out in some random kingdom that literally gets no development because the characters spend most of the page time either drinking tea in a woodland cottage or stuck in a fairytale. But the simplicity works. I didn’t have to think hard or confuse myself in order to understand the world. It was random, and cliched, but amazing.
👥: The characters were not really unique, but the sort of generic that gives the illusion of uniqueness. Like “I’ve read this character a million times before but I love it because I know I’d never run into them in the real world. To everyone saying that Serena reminds them of Evangeline you are 100% right, and that’s kind of the point. I loved the comfort and familiarity, but also how different it feels from reality. And also SOMEBODY GET ME A MAN LIKE GRIM. This guy was like literally the most average book boyfriend ever, like basically just Kai Azer and Aaron Warner mixed together. And the side characters were enormously cringe and useless, but it was ok because it put more focus on the main couple.
➡️: after her beloved aunt dies and leaves the family library to her, Serena rose finds herself stuck with grief in her little cottage in the woods in a not-so-sweet village. Until Avery handsome and grumpy scholar appears asking to study her books. She says yes, obviously. After ensuing chaos and misunderstanding, both her and the scholar, Grim, find themselves to be cursed to complete seven fairytales in seven nights or die. Over the seven nights, grim and Serena have to come front their pasts, their ghosts, and their demons through the medium of fairytale adventures, and even find themselves falling in love.
Really fast paced read. And at times really medium paced read. It sort of depends on how the author was feeling, ig.
📝: The writing style was craaazy. At the beginning, it reminded me of a mix between wattpad and I’m-a-teen-writer writing style. I cringed and considered putting it down and y’all was it worth it. There were whimsical fairytales, random confessions of love, and funny comments all over the place. And what’s great about it is that not for one second did it feel like I should take this book seriously. If I did, it would have been a definite DNF, but the author understood that the writing would not fly in a serious novel, respected that. There were a I’ll plenty scenes that had depth and were serious, and they were written pretty well. But for the most part, it was just random chaos.
🌶️: the spice is 2/5. There’s like 1.5 chapters where it’s fade to black, stopping right before it gets graphic. There’s a lot of kissing, starting by at about 50%. The language is really vulgar, like “wow! I can’t believe that actually came out of your innocent mouth” vulgar. There is a bit of violence, but not too bad.
🩷: I loved the romance in this. As I have mentioned before, the love interest is just Kai Azer with a different name. Actually, for like four chapters, his name was Kai. But their romance was so good. He was making confessions of love and telling her she was his reason for breathing at only 53% of the way through, it was really cute. And the slightest bit too intense, but I’ll take what I can get.
This book is definitely for the whimsy romance lovers. Fans of the fairytale-like world of assistant to the villain, and people who miss the cringey movies where they took from literally every single fairytale ever. *sigh* I miss those. I really mean it when I say I grew up on that crap. And also for fans of the character Evangeline. And tea. There was a lot of tea.
🌎: The world was pretty nostalgic for me. It was like watching one of those random movies where they just compile a bunch of well known stories together and added like a twist to them. The ones that are so bad that they’re good. The world (and honestly the rest of this book) felt exactly like that. The story starts out in some random kingdom that literally gets no development because the characters spend most of the page time either drinking tea in a woodland cottage or stuck in a fairytale. But the simplicity works. I didn’t have to think hard or confuse myself in order to understand the world. It was random, and cliched, but amazing.
👥: The characters were not really unique, but the sort of generic that gives the illusion of uniqueness. Like “I’ve read this character a million times before but I love it because I know I’d never run into them in the real world. To everyone saying that Serena reminds them of Evangeline you are 100% right, and that’s kind of the point. I loved the comfort and familiarity, but also how different it feels from reality. And also SOMEBODY GET ME A MAN LIKE GRIM. This guy was like literally the most average book boyfriend ever, like basically just Kai Azer and Aaron Warner mixed together. And the side characters were enormously cringe and useless, but it was ok because it put more focus on the main couple.
➡️: after her beloved aunt dies and leaves the family library to her, Serena rose finds herself stuck with grief in her little cottage in the woods in a not-so-sweet village. Until Avery handsome and grumpy scholar appears asking to study her books. She says yes, obviously. After ensuing chaos and misunderstanding, both her and the scholar, Grim, find themselves to be cursed to complete seven fairytales in seven nights or die. Over the seven nights, grim and Serena have to come front their pasts, their ghosts, and their demons through the medium of fairytale adventures, and even find themselves falling in love.
Really fast paced read. And at times really medium paced read. It sort of depends on how the author was feeling, ig.
📝: The writing style was craaazy. At the beginning, it reminded me of a mix between wattpad and I’m-a-teen-writer writing style. I cringed and considered putting it down and y’all was it worth it. There were whimsical fairytales, random confessions of love, and funny comments all over the place. And what’s great about it is that not for one second did it feel like I should take this book seriously. If I did, it would have been a definite DNF, but the author understood that the writing would not fly in a serious novel, respected that. There were a I’ll plenty scenes that had depth and were serious, and they were written pretty well. But for the most part, it was just random chaos.
🌶️: the spice is 2/5. There’s like 1.5 chapters where it’s fade to black, stopping right before it gets graphic. There’s a lot of kissing, starting by at about 50%. The language is really vulgar, like “wow! I can’t believe that actually came out of your innocent mouth” vulgar. There is a bit of violence, but not too bad.
🩷: I loved the romance in this. As I have mentioned before, the love interest is just Kai Azer with a different name. Actually, for like four chapters, his name was Kai. But their romance was so good. He was making confessions of love and telling her she was his reason for breathing at only 53% of the way through, it was really cute. And the slightest bit too intense, but I’ll take what I can get.
This book is definitely for the whimsy romance lovers. Fans of the fairytale-like world of assistant to the villain, and people who miss the cringey movies where they took from literally every single fairytale ever. *sigh* I miss those. I really mean it when I say I grew up on that crap. And also for fans of the character Evangeline. And tea. There was a lot of tea.
May 23, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
A love letter to fairytales.
Rina, who's always been fond of fairytales, finds herself cursed into living 7 different fairytales across 7 nights and she has to survive them in order to break the curse. Along comes Grim and his ulterior motives and ends up joining her on this journey to keep her safe. As we live a fairytale after another and our couple spend night after the other together, they come to care for each other and have many discoveries about themselves and the world they're living in.
As much as I enjoyed the Disney-like imagery and atmosphere, I still found it to be disappointing. A half baked romance that didn't have enough time to develop and a MC that constantly conveyed that she felt like she's never been understood by her family yet never actually tried to communicate her feelings made it irritating. The stakes were nonexistent which made me not care about the characters. lastly the sentimental moments were not sentimental to me, they were feeble.
In conclusion, the cottage-core, cozy fantasy was good, however, it can’t be the only thing that sustains the book. In my head every single character was dressed in a cheap parody clothing like they’re in an SNL skit.
Thank you to the author for this arc
A love letter to fairytales.
Rina, who's always been fond of fairytales, finds herself cursed into living 7 different fairytales across 7 nights and she has to survive them in order to break the curse. Along comes Grim and his ulterior motives and ends up joining her on this journey to keep her safe. As we live a fairytale after another and our couple spend night after the other together, they come to care for each other and have many discoveries about themselves and the world they're living in.
As much as I enjoyed the Disney-like imagery and atmosphere, I still found it to be disappointing. A half baked romance that didn't have enough time to develop and a MC that constantly conveyed that she felt like she's never been understood by her family yet never actually tried to communicate her feelings made it irritating. The stakes were nonexistent which made me not care about the characters. lastly the sentimental moments were not sentimental to me, they were feeble.
In conclusion, the cottage-core, cozy fantasy was good, however, it can’t be the only thing that sustains the book. In my head every single character was dressed in a cheap parody clothing like they’re in an SNL skit.
Thank you to the author for this arc
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