Falling for the Pied Piper: To Win a Dark Heart

To Win a Dark Heart

by Ashley Evercott

A Stewardess branded by failure

A Piper on the run

One pursuit that blurs the line between justice and love

Selene was the perfect stewardess—until she cursed a prince into a beast. To atone for her transgression, she is branded and must apprehend the Pied Piper who stole one-hundred-and-thirty children from their homes. But the man she finds isn’t the villain she expected.

Living on the run is the only way Reid can mask the truth of his crime. He never expected to be caught, but a crafty, magic-wielding stewardess outsmarts him. Yet, the more time he spends with her, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets buried.

What begins as a mission of redemption becomes a journey of unraveling truths—and hearts. In a world of peril and wild magic, Selene and Reid must decide whether to cling to their facades or risk everything for a love that could cost them both their freedom.

Falling for the Pied Piper is a retelling that combines elements of The Beauty and the Beast and The Pied Piper. Set after the events of each of these stories, this no-spice romantasy is the 10th book in the To Win a Dark Heart series which retells fairytales as old as time, but this time it’s the villain’s turn to get a happy ending.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Romantasy, Retellings

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 20, 2026

About the author

Ashley Evercott was born and raised where it’s mostly sunny and there’s always traffic on the 91. From a young age, she has dreamed of far-off worlds and star-crossed lovers. She is proud to pen these stories to life and combine fantasy and swoony romance. When she is not writing, she consumes as many romance books as possible and hangs out with her cat and supportive husband.

Reviews

[Jo|Ruth Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute story and a clever mix of fairytales rolled into one. Selena is desperate to gain her parents’ approval, and she believes the only way to do that is by catching the Pied Piper and bringing him back. But he has plans of his own. When she finally captures Reid (the Pied Piper), she quickly realizes he’s not at all who she expected.

As much as she tries to find his flaws and force herself to turn him in and cage him, she can’t bring herself to do it. Now she has to decide: does she risk her family’s approval to keep him safe, or follow through with the plan and regain their favor by betraying him?

The chemistry between Selena and Reid is strong and believable. The story works really well as a novella, and small details. like Petunia the pet rat, add charm and personality.

I received a complimentary copy, and this review reflects my honest opinion.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I am a big fan of the Pied Piper story, mainly because he fits so well into the “not a hero but not totally a villain” category. Especially depending on what version you read. That element is kept here because while Reid is absolutely a trickster, he has his morals/his lines he won’t cross and has a “this is who I am, deal with it” attitude. I enjoy his dialogue a lot because he makes no excuses for the kind of person he is.

Selene took me a while to warm up to. Not because she was necessarily bad but because there wasn’t a ton about her that stuck out. She’s essentially on this quest to make amends for cursing the Beauty and the Beast Prince and truthfully, that’s the most interesting thing about her. She has some corrupted morals but there’s not a ton done with them. Her most interesting scenes are when her past is pulled into the forefront. But she’s completely serviceable. Just not remarkable.

I do really love this world’s magic system. I adore when magic is given a kind of political or lawful oversight (because of course it would!) and the way Selene has to handle and deal with it drives a lot of the plot. I enjoyed seeing a twist where the oversight isn’t necessarily corrupt, just isn’t super forgiving either.

A fun adventure story with just enough romance to keep it

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely travelogue of a mashup retelling of BnB and Pied Piper.

Nobody ever wonders about the fate of the Enchantress who cursed Beast and her real reasons for cursing him, coz let’s face it, the story we’ve been told ain’t all that. Whar if she was out of line and got punished for it? What if they sent her after the Piper? What if the Piper wasn’t a villain at all? What could be a good reason for luring 140 children away from a single town? What don’t we know about the Piper’s background?

This story made me completely rethink both, Pied Piper and BnB as the author managed to turn everything topsy-turvy - loved it! Loved the banter and the slow falling in love of Selene & Reid, even though the storyline read like an action-adventure-packed travelogue. The good-girl-gone-rogue over love angle was nice as was his jokster-villain-and-not-defending-it stance.

Fave line: “She’d heard better lies by lesser villains than him.”

Recommended for lovers of clean NA mashup retellings, but if you want to keep to the story the Disney Enchantress told everyone about why she cursed the prince, don’t venture here as you might not like the real reason.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and turns await

Both of the main characters are on trial for their crimes, but neither crime is what it appears. The stories have layers that are revealed the deeper we get into the story. I love the way the author added these extra depths, because it kept the story interesting with an element of unpredictability that didn't feel out of place. The way Selene's magic went haywire made for multiple moments that made me smile. Reid grew on me. He originally seemed capricious and arrogant, but when his true character emerged, he became a character I could hope had a better ending. Selene and Reid both underwent character growth that matched the plot. Nothing felt forced to me. Altogether, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy fairy tales, the unexpected, and redemption arcs.

*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Lj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a clever twist on the tale of the Pied Piper and includes the 'sorceress' from Beauty and the Beast as one of the main characters and gives some insight into her side of that tale. Neither main character is terribly likeable at the start which can make it hard to keep reading, but as this is a story with a lot of character growth and redemption this initial characterisation is necessary, you just have to stick with it. I would have liked to see more worldbuilding as I am left with questions about the setting and situation, but I guess there are only so many words you can stuff into a novella and the author chose to use those words for detailing other matters.

I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.

[AlissaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an arc from the author.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved how it connected the Pied Piper with Beauty and the Beast, but not in the way you expect it to. I thought Reid was a wonderful and charming character, thought to be the villain, hunted down by the brave Selene. Though probably raised and a pampered privileged girl, she faces discomfort to track down the Pied Piper. Lots of fun little twists in the story. I loved the slow burn, clean romance between Selene and Reid. And don’t forget Reid’s adorable rat, Petunia. Her sweet little personality adds to the story. Fun read! I would definitely recommend.

[Emilee Forrester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I arc read Falling for the Pied Piper for Ashely Evercott. This story is a no-spice Romantasy that will leave you wanting more.

Falling for the Pied Piper is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and the Pied Piper. It is the 10th book in To Win a Dark series.

Falling for the Pied Piper was riveting and unique. I loved how Selene was portrayed. And I loved how she was the stewardess who cursed the beast. I was expecting the storyline to turn out the way it did, but I loved it.

I loved Reid and Petunia, especially Petunia. The storyline was amazing! And I can’t wait for you guys to read this story.

It comes out on March 20,2026

[Mary Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an interesting twist on the Pied Piper, and a Beauty and the Beast backstory. Selene is a bit hard to take in the first half of the book, who wears eye makeup while trudging through the woods? We find that she is the one who cursed the prince into the beast, and not for altruistic reasons. As she hunts the Pied Piper, Reid, we become involved with his character and wish for his survival. Thankfully, Selene has a change of heart. Who really had the dark heart? I think you will know!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beauty and the Beast elements were unique (the character was not the "beauty" or the "beast") but the representation was not strong enough for me to consider it a mash-up. I think it would have been stronger as just a Pied Piper retelling! That said, I loved the character of the Pied Piper. From his very first appearance, I knew there was something deeper to him. The writing was strong and didn't detract from the reading experience, which for me is a huge plus. It was light on the humor, which surprised me based on the Piper's personality. I would love a prequel with his backstory!

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I liked this book a lot. Selene has an interesting character arc and I liked the twist with what she was hiding. And her father being so controlling and demanding perfection made her sympathetic without excusing her behavior.

I also really liked Reid. He's compassionate and selfless but also has enough mystery about him to make him interesting.

I do hope we get more books in this world because I'd love to learn more about the magic system.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Raeleane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 10th book in the To Win A Dark Heart series by Ashley Evercott is absolutely amazing villianous mashup of Beauty and the Beast and the Pied Piper. The world she builds is brilliant, beautiful, and magical with action, adventure, twists and turns and a few surprises. The MC's, Selene and Reid are very well written, captivating and engaging. I absolutely enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it!

[Adena Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Selene and I have something in common - we are attracted to rogues, and Reid is definitely a rogue. The author created a man with a heart hidden carefully by his smirk and grin AND a care for children. How unfair to us susceptible females. I love the characters, I love the situation they are in, I love how it call comes together into a spectacular takedown. This is so swoony!

I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Martelize Schütte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reid constantly taunts Selene with his songs and jokes to get a reaction. Selene is focused on her task and don't like distractions. But they both want redemption from misunderstood crimes. ❤️ I love how Reid gave Selene nicknames 🤩 Also the banter between these two is hilarious!

[Zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating fairytale remake with the lesser known "villains" getting their own stories. Super easy to read; I got sucked right into the tale. Loved it and recommend!
I received this story as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story!! I loved the mix of the two fairytales, and it was so fun to find parts of their stories within this book. I especially enjoyed reading about Selene and Reid falling in love!! A clean and sweet story for everyone!!

[Laramee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic blend of Beauty and the Beast and the pied piper! I am loving this series!

I received an ARC from the author and all opinions are my own.

[H J Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!
Full review to come.

[Doris Plank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, great version of the original tale!
Wonderful story, didn't want to put it down!
I want to thank the author for the ARC book, this is my opinion and my review is entirely voluntary.

[Sarah Ryder]

Full review and rating to come!