Bluebeard's Bride

Displaced Fairytales

by Mary Mecham

She ran from one monster…straight into the arms of another.
When Alia traded her future for her sister’s freedom, she knew exactly what awaited her—a murderous husband with a trail of vanished wives. Upon discovering a hidden lamp, she makes a desperate wish to save her life, not knowing that genie magic always comes with a cruel twist.


Alia is hurled halfway across the world and straight into the clutches of Zafir, a villainous vizier with ambitions of his own. Now Alia is trapped in a foreign kingdom, her sister is in more danger than ever, and the murderous husband she fled is hunting for her.

So Alia strikes a dangerous bargain with the one man she absolutely should not trust. The problem is…an overdose on a highly illegal love potion leaves them questioning which feelings are real and which are not.

With her sister out of reach and a villain chained to her side, how is she supposed to save anyone, least of all herself?

Bluebeard’s Bride is a standalone no-spice fantasy romance packed with villain vibes, sharp-tongued banter, forced proximity, and love potion shenanigans perfect for fans who love their fairy tales clever, edgy, and delightfully unhinged.

Tropes in Bluebeard's Hate at First SightEnemies to LoversOverdosing on Love PotionHandcuffed TogetherOnly One BedKissing Lessons with the VillainSnarky Banter
What Readers Are
"Bluebeard meets Aladdin in a story that keeps you on your toes."

"If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers, Aladdin retellings and unexpected plot twists, you definitely want to read this story!"

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Mary Mecham writes high stakes, high swoon, no spice romantasy and fairy tale retellings packed full of adventure and romances. Her greatest joy is writing snarky banter and morally grey characters.

She is a born and raised Texan with a love of theater and books overshadowed only by her passion for disability advocacy. Her favorite food is chips and queso, her favorite holiday is April Fool's Day, and her favorite trope is enemies to lovers.

When she isn't writing, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and trying out new experiences, from fire breathing and axe throwing to trapeze flying and power paragliding.

She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three children.

You can get a FREE e-copy of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling, A Curse of Gold and Beauty, when you sign up for her newsletter at MaryMecham.com

Reviews

[Reese Songbird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh. This was a masterpiece of enemies to lovers banter, no spice romance, and high stakes. Each character was dynamic and wonderfully crafted with their own charming (or not so charming) personalities and traits. Alia and Zafir?? Perfection. Adore them. Love them. Favorite couple I’ve read in a book in quite a long time!
Also my first favorite of this year!
The plot was so good, so intriguing and gripping, and I basically read this in one sitting, I just could NOT put it down!!
I was smiling like a little girl, giggling, and snorting in laughter, refusing to speak to anyone who wanted my attention while I read this lol
I could fangirl about this book allllllll day. All month. All year.
Literally. I will probably reread it soon because I neeeeeeeed this type of book in my life!!
Yall when I say I’m obsessed with this book!!!
There were so many scenes that I just completely adore and when I get my physical copy, will probably tab so I can find them quickly…but then again there’s too many of them for me to do that…I’d mark every page 🤣 so I guess I’ll be rereading a lot hehe
But the way Zafir is with Alia?! So respectful so honorable, yet so fun and charming and wonderful and lovely. Alia is so full of spunk and personality, and the two of them make a wonderful pair!
Also the villain!! So wonderfully done but man was he intense!!
If I had to pick one thing about the book I loved the most is Zafir and Alia’s relationship. I know that’s mostly what the book is about, but truly it’s my favorite part. He truly is the epitome of what a guy should be like in treating a woman (you’ll see when you read it) even if he is gruff at the beginning.
I love that he’s real and authentic. I love that Alia tries to see past his guard and truly cares about his walls and why he built them. I love how he cares so gently with her but would fight for her until his last breath. I love how she fights for him too.
A beautiful impactful romance of real emotions and real connection!

Content:
No spice romance, kissing, talking of seducing a man and lessons on how to do so, blood, violence, death, some scenes that could be disturbing to some because of violence, potions and poison

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, just wow. This was an amazing book. The author does not do things halfway with those tropes. They’re present and in full force! And that twist!?! I did not see it coming at all! It was incredibly clever and oh so devious…

Alia and Zafir were SO snarky! I laughed out loud too many times to count at their banter. When they finally start getting to know one another, Zafir’s sweet and protective side comes out. He fell so hard for her! Then there is Alia. Her dry humor and wit were absolutely hilarious, and I loved that neither of them were perfect and made mistakes. Honestly, I just got the impression that these two were perfect for each other.

On another note, the mentions of potion making and the different ingredients were very interesting to read about, and I actually wanted more details on the particulars of it. Those aspects of it made me feel like I was back in Harry Potter’s potions class. As usual for Mary Mecham’s books, the world building was superb and sucked you straight into the story.

Now, at least for me personally, I did have a couple notable things to mention with the romance content. There were a few times the kisses got too detailed and I was like, “Hey you two, I’m still in the room here!”, but absolutely no cheating happened. I for one was very happy about that. Another time when Alia was having nightmares about Rahil (Bluebeard character) almost killing her, Zafir woke her up and she asked him to stay with her. Now don’t get me wrong, that is an amazing moment right there. However, he did get into the bed with her for the rest of the night. No funny business happens, so don't worry. I mean this phrase in the strictly literal sense, and nothing spicy is even thought about. In the morning, they do share a kiss before they are interrupted though. Frankly, Mary Mecham does an astonishingly good job of keeping her books kisses only, especially with the sketchy tropes involved. However, if you're like me and prefer your romance absolutely squeaky clean, this will toe your boundary lines a little.

Romance…
4 kisses lasting a paragraph or so, and bordering on very detailed
2 not detailed kisses (MMC)
1 not detailed kiss (Bluebeard character)
2 almost kisses with MMC and 1 with a side character
When Zafir is under the influence of the infatuation elixir, he tries to kiss Alia without her permission, but regains control of himself without anything having actually happened.
Wondering what it would be like to kiss
Noticing appearance/muscles
Thinking about a kiss and wanting to kiss again
Wanting to touch/embrace
Multiple embraces
Repeated references to seducing someone into giving money (just with attraction/kissing, not going any further than that)
Kissing lessons and flirting lessons
Mention of Zafir not letting Alia wear something inappropriate


Other notable content…
This is definitely NOT a fluffy book. It’s a Bluebeard retelling after all. There is on-page attempted murder and fighting. Mentions of how Rahil’s (Bluebeard character) previous wives died. Mentions of blood and stabbing. Nightmares from attempted murder. Pain. Mentions of Alia selling illegal potions on the black market. Drugging people. Lots more of that sort of thing, but no gore.
All in all, this book is probably one of my new favorites from this author and definitely lived up to my expectations. It's not often I get to say that, especially with how much this book was hyped up.

Because of the romance and violence content present, I would personally recommend this book for at least 15 years and up. I can’t wait for the next book from Mary Mecham.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a review. I was not required to leave a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions were my own. I genuinely enjoyed this book.

[Kiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bluebeard’s Bride by Mary Mecham is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride that mixes Aladdin and Bluebeard.

First of all, what. A. Ride. Amazing. The wait was really well worth it. I loved the twist that the author took with both fairy tales. It really made such a wonderful read as you really couldn’t guess what was going on. The world building was beautiful and I loved seeing the characters we loved from previous books in this one too. The magic written throughout was infectious to read.

🧞‍♂️Hate at first sight
🧞‍♂️Chained to the villain
🧞‍♂️Villain gets the girl
🧞‍♂️Enemies to lovers
🧞‍♂️Insane banter
🧞‍♂️Grumpy workaholic

The banter was amazing, the characters were thrilling, and the antics were gut wrenching. Everything seemed to be piled up against the main characters and it made you wonder how there could be a good ending. This book was the prime definition of enemies to lovers. The chemistry… oh lordieeeee me. Give me moreeeee. Who knew a villain could be so romantic.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Thank you Mary Mecham for the free book.

[Sadie Thorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was almost going to be a three star review until I read the ending…the twist was a beautifully crafted masterpeice!

I’m not the hugest fan of forced enemies to lovers (i.e. they insta-despise each other for absolutely no reason) but the witty banter? So good!

As for addictive levels?
Through the roof! I needed to study, but every time I swiped to the next page to stop, it drew me in and I couldn’t leave.

I know it’s a good book when the last chapters are read in my head at 2x speed which is what happened here. I was holding on to every word and like I said, the end was the best part (in a good way!)

And I laughed out loud (not really iykwim) when there was a guy named Julian with a lemur (and later a lemur named Julian)—get it? King Julian the lemur from Madagascar? Didn’t know that was one of the retelling aspects…

Amazing for Romantasy fans of swoon without spice!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Tammy Villiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a good retelling. The characters fit into the story well and I liked that this book felt more plot than romance even though the romance is still promising.

However if there are some things…I wished we got more into Zafir and Rahil’s background more than given. I understand it’s not exactly a full novel novel in a continued series, but I really would’ve loved to explore more. Zafir’s personal path and continued routine was complex and proved to be interesting and I would’ve loved more. Every character in fact.

The world building also has so much potential for more interesting stories and characters and the politics going on. I’d love a political fantasy based in this world by Mary Mecham. I adore her work.

Anyway I enjoyed this storyline and would recommend it to anyone looking for a banter filled story about genies and wishes gone rogue with a dash of enemies to lovers tale.

I received an ARC and this is my own review!

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I finished the first page, I was IN. By page 50, I'd changed my mind a bunch of times about what was happening....and then had to scream WHAT IS HAPPENING?! in that way you do when you're shocked and can't read fast enough. And by the end of the book I'd giggled, gasped, screamed (in the delighted way), squealed, cracked up (the banter you guys....the banter!), smirked...and I immediately wanted to read it all over again. Also, can we talk about the TWIST. I actually had to stop reading for a second (which is saying something) in order to absorb it. What a great braiding together of two tales and a very fun take on enemies-to-lovers! If you like damsels who distress others, forced proximity, and general swooniness, this is for you.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashleigh R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I did receive an ARC of this book.

Bluebeard’s Bride is yet another excellent fairytale retelling from Mary Mecham! I really enjoyed the snarky banter between the main characters and how their relationship grows throughout the story.

I will admit, I wasn’t sure how this story was going to go, especially when told from the POV of Bluebeard’s sixth bride and that it was somehow mixed with the story of Aladdin, but the creative twist on the story was very enjoyable! Also, she got me with the plot twist at the end.

If you enjoy reading fairytales with high stakes, high swoon and no spice, then this book is right up your alley.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed (but no spice 🙌), and snarky banter galore.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only read one other book in the Displaced Tales series so far, but I am loving them! This book stars Alia who starts out the story as one of Bluebeard’s doomed brides. I won’t give away how, but she ends up halfway around the world with Zafir, picture a hot Jafar! I loved how these stories wove together! There was adventure, a healthy dose of conniving, potions, banter, make-up tutorials, and a kissing lesson. Trust me, you want to be here for this book!

Set in the same world as Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice and Rapunzel’s Gambit, this book can be read independently, but I highly recommend the other two books. Not because they’re necessary to understanding the plot, but because they are that GOOD!

[Brielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so muchhh for sure one of the best ones ive read from this author

I enjoyed reading the banter between the two main leads, they were so entertainingggg It made me so happy also to see characters from old books appear in this book
》Alia is sooo snarky but she has such a soft heart underneathhhh
》Zafir was so sweettt and thoughtful especially towards the end but his good character was portrayed from the beginninggg
》I loved the sibling love from alia and nadia they loved each other so muchhhh

The only part that dissapointed me was that there was no big plot twist towards the endddd i was so exited for the plot twissttttt

overall i would rate it 4 starssss tysm for the arccc

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. The romance was incredibly well done, and the plot twist was beautiful.
Zafir was an awesome MMC. He had great character development, and his protective side was fun to see. Alia was a great FMC, and her snark was entertaining. I love the way she constantly fought for her sister. The way the two of them interacted was hilarious.
I loved revisiting the world of Pyren and seeing how things are going there. The potions were entertaining, even if the love potion made things a little weird. Nothing happened, I was just slightly uncomfortable for a moment.

I received an advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by Mary Mecham! I think it definitely qualifies for the definition of a page-turner. The banter was bantering, the romance was romancing, the plot was plotting, and that twist… well, I did not see that coming. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book all around. I also really appreciated the depth to some of the side characters and the development of the main characters. I love it when authors make every detail intentional. Which is also why I loved the little cameos so much! I will gladly recommend this book to my friends once it’s released!

I received an ARC, but all opinions are my own.

[Claire Kohler · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO MUCH FUN!

The banter in this book was hilarious and had me laughing out loud multiple times. Such an addictive read. I loved how both the main characters have bad qualities, but the author wrote them in such a way that you sympathized for them AND they both grew a lot from knowing each other. Couples that make each other better people are my favorite.

Also, the twist at the end was so good! Didn't see it coming, but it made so much sense.

The kisses got a little too detailed for my preference, but never went beyond kissing. So nice to read a no spice romance.

[Ashlyn Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite book that Mary had released. This blend of Bluebeard and Aladdin is SPOT ON!! The banter, the adventure, and the SWOON!! I love the handcuffed trope, and it only got better when the love potion experiments happened! The characters are so perfect, balancing the dark with the light. The stakes were high, the tension taught, and means for an adventure for the ages!!
Thank you for the arc!!

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bluebeard meets Aladdin in a story that keeps you on your toes. Each time you start to get a little comfortable, there’s that one little thing to make you wonder what on earth is actually happening. I mean…are you serious with that twist at the end? Perfect way to merge these stories in a way that makes sense and creates the villain that this story really needed.

[Al Pal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness gracious I loved this book so much. I dont know how I didnt see the plot twist coming? And Julian not liking her, holy crap I loved that. ZAFIR SELLING EVERYTHING FOR HER WAS SO ROMANTIC. Overall just such a good progression of enemies to romance felt slow enough to feel like love but firey enough to be a yayayayayay.

[AndieRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! I don’t typically like Bluebeard retellings (ick), but I couldn’t put Mecham’s down. A master of plot twists, Mecham skillfully intertwines these two fairytales. Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice is one of my all time favorite books, and this additional story set in the same world was perfect!


No spice
No language
ALL THE BANTER
Enemies to lovers

[Emily Hoefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a unique way to tell a classical tale. If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers, Aladdin retellings and unexpected plot twists, you definitely want to read this story! (No spice, high stakes, standalone, but part of an interconnected series if you don’t want to leave after just one book)

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I think Mary can’t write a book that I love more, she proves me wrong! I loved this story. There was so much banter, emotions were everywhere, and there were major twists to the story. This book was definitely worth the hype!!

[Audrey Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely 5 stars! This book has it all: twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very last page, high-stakes excitement, the best kissing scene ever, and awesome flirty banter! Maybe her best book yet! You won't be able to put it down! (So don't start it at bedtime!)

[Jordan Crouson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I'll read this book time and time again. Loved that is was a clean romance without any cussing, and completely safe for teen readers. I can't recommend it enough

[Hattie Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully fun read! I love the assurance that Mary Mecham will always deliver a no-spice masterpiece!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loved this book so much! The banter was so entertaining it had me laughing out loud. As always, Mary Mecham delivered a beautifully written book I can't wait to read the next one!