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The Dark Forest
The Dark Forest
The most controversial book of 2017 ~ Carolyn Faulkner
*Publisher’s Warning – This anthology is extremely dark, twisted, and will push your comfort level. There are taboo, and high kink level acts, graphic sex, anal play, ménage, age play, and whatever else your darkest mind can think of. Do not buy this book if you are expecting your typical hearts and flowers romance.
The most controversial book of 2017 ~ Carolyn Faulkner
Enjoy seven wicked tales from seven bestselling authors, each more deliciously deviant than the last! This anthology breaks every rule and is extremely taboo. It is so dark that it’s actually black, and definitely not for the faint of heart. This anthology is not your typical romance. You have been warned.
Nothing is as it seems in our dark and twisted fairyland. Princes are not charming and the path to happily ever after is paved with creative punishments and supplication. Do not fret for our fair maidens. These are still fairytales. Love will conquer all in the end.
Included in this anthology are:
BEAUTIFULLY PRIMAL
A Beauty and the Beast tale by Zoe Blake
SLEEP, MY BEAUTY
A Sleeping Beauty story by Alta Hensley
SAVING ELLA
A Cinderella tale by Tabitha Black
MR. WOLFFE’S LITTLE RED
A Little Red Riding Hood story by Maggie Ryan
GOLDI IN CHAINS
A Goldilocks story by Maren Smith
NIGHTMARES IN WONDERLAND
An Alice in Wonderland tale by Addison Cain
THE TOWER
A Rapunzel story by Jennifer Bene
*Publisher’s Warning – This anthology is extremely dark, twisted, and will push your comfort level. There are taboo, and high kink level acts, graphic sex, anal play, ménage, age play, and whatever else your darkest mind can think of. Do not buy this book if you are expecting your typical hearts and flowers romance.
609 pages, ebook
First published January 16, 2017
147 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
About the author
Zoe Blake
87 books3,118 followersZoe Blake is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the romantic suspense saga The Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy inspired by her own heritage as well as her obsession with jewelry, travel, and the salacious gossip of history’s most infamous families.
She delights in writing Dark Romance books filled with overly possessive billionaires, taboo scenes, and unexpected twists. She usually spends her ill-gotten gains on martinis, vacations, and red lipstick.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/zoeblakebooks/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zoeblakebooks/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeblakebooks
She delights in writing Dark Romance books filled with overly possessive billionaires, taboo scenes, and unexpected twists. She usually spends her ill-gotten gains on martinis, vacations, and red lipstick.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/zoeblakebooks/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zoeblakebooks/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeblakebooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 11, 2017
WARNING:
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU'RE AN ADULT. IF YOU CHOOSE OTHERWISE, SOME OF THESE THINGS MAY OCCUR;
•Nausea
-A strong feeling of sickness due to the things that the sadists in this stories put inside the rectum of their partners. It's so fucking disgusting, so if you have a faint heart then leave this book UNREAD.
•Loss of Appetite
-You may not be able to eat for a whole day, simple food may remind you of things that you should never think of while eating. For example, soup will remind you of a specific type of body fluid with a color of white. A hotdog and an egg will remind you of you know. So if you wish to eat your everyday fill THROW THIS FUCKING BOOK OUT OF YOUR WINDOW NOW.
•Spacing Out
-You may find yourself spacing out, you will think of your life decisions and see if reading this book was the worst thing you've ever done (which of course it is).
•A Phantom of Pain on your Backside
-Each time you read a scene about things that were being entered inside a girl's backside you will fucking grimace and wince as though you were the one being punished. You'll be afraid to even poop (believe me, I know)
•Lack of Sleep
-Each time you close your eyes, you will see things playing out in your mind and trust me when I say that it's not erotic at all.
•Consider Being a Nun
-After reading this book, you will consider being a nun. Simply because being a forever virgin and asexual sounds promising than experiencing the things that you were about to read in this novel.
BOOK REVIEW
First of all, how come I possess this type of book?
My cousin is huge fan of erotica, she bought this book using my kindle and ask me to read it in exchange of a McDonald meal and who would refuse that? No one right? Especially not me. Lol
This book started well, it wasn't that harsh at first but then the rest of the stories came and each were more disturbing than the last. I never had any idea what BDSM means before reading this novel and now my eyes are tainted. The Darkest Forest is an erotic retelling of seven fairytale stories that we are all really aware of.
-Beautifully Primal- by Zoe Blake
Of all the stories this one was the most inoffensive of them all.
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and was also the safest way to get turned on of all the seven erotic tales. After reading this one and between starting the second you will begin to question whether you did the right thing of opening this book in the first place.
-Sleep, my Beauty- by Alta Hensley
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
This was not erotic at all. It has the dystopian feels in it and while there is an intercourse going on, it doesn't feel right and feels more like a rape.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black
This is where the masochist and sadist thing started. Compared to the next retellings --after Cinderella-- this one was the mildest of them all in which case means that no anal invasion happened in this story. Lmao. (goodness, I just said that)
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red by Maggie Ryan
This is the part where I literally vomited. It was too much, the things that they've done were so fucking overboard and I wasn't prepared so I ran to the bathroom and threw up. These two were insane, I can't even.
Goldi in Chains by Maren Smith
At this point, I was too ill to continue but I still did and barely survived by skimming the pages. This is a foursome activity, that is all much there to know.
The Tower by Jennifer Bene
This one features rape and sexual harassment which was later on joined by a severe Stockholm Syndrome.
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain
This is a dark and twisted tale of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland where in Alice have this chronic masturbation disease, I guess? Lol I don't know, but she basically chopped her husband in the end.
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU'RE AN ADULT. IF YOU CHOOSE OTHERWISE, SOME OF THESE THINGS MAY OCCUR;
•Nausea
-A strong feeling of sickness due to the things that the sadists in this stories put inside the rectum of their partners. It's so fucking disgusting, so if you have a faint heart then leave this book UNREAD.
•Loss of Appetite
-You may not be able to eat for a whole day, simple food may remind you of things that you should never think of while eating. For example, soup will remind you of a specific type of body fluid with a color of white. A hotdog and an egg will remind you of you know. So if you wish to eat your everyday fill THROW THIS FUCKING BOOK OUT OF YOUR WINDOW NOW.
•Spacing Out
-You may find yourself spacing out, you will think of your life decisions and see if reading this book was the worst thing you've ever done (which of course it is).
•A Phantom of Pain on your Backside
-Each time you read a scene about things that were being entered inside a girl's backside you will fucking grimace and wince as though you were the one being punished. You'll be afraid to even poop (believe me, I know)
•Lack of Sleep
-Each time you close your eyes, you will see things playing out in your mind and trust me when I say that it's not erotic at all.
•Consider Being a Nun
-After reading this book, you will consider being a nun. Simply because being a forever virgin and asexual sounds promising than experiencing the things that you were about to read in this novel.
BOOK REVIEW
First of all, how come I possess this type of book?
My cousin is huge fan of erotica, she bought this book using my kindle and ask me to read it in exchange of a McDonald meal and who would refuse that? No one right? Especially not me. Lol
This book started well, it wasn't that harsh at first but then the rest of the stories came and each were more disturbing than the last. I never had any idea what BDSM means before reading this novel and now my eyes are tainted. The Darkest Forest is an erotic retelling of seven fairytale stories that we are all really aware of.
-Beautifully Primal- by Zoe Blake
You hear the bark and fear the bite but cannot escape the Beast's dark embrace. Your wild nature calls to his own and demands to be tamed. Resistance will not be tolerated, the Beast will have his way.
Of all the stories this one was the most inoffensive of them all.
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and was also the safest way to get turned on of all the seven erotic tales. After reading this one and between starting the second you will begin to question whether you did the right thing of opening this book in the first place.
-Sleep, my Beauty- by Alta Hensley
In this world, everything was forever. The belief of hope had long expired, and no one believed or lived by looking toward the future for a possible good outcome. Hope dissipated right along with the sunrays—nothing but grey, dread, and despair in its place.
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
This was not erotic at all. It has the dystopian feels in it and while there is an intercourse going on, it doesn't feel right and feels more like a rape.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black
Seduced by his music and drawn to his gaze, she will kneel before him; his to obey. If you tremble and wince at the thought of such blind obedience then this may not be the tale for you. But if the thought of absolute control makes your heart flutter, then turn the page!
This is where the masochist and sadist thing started. Compared to the next retellings --after Cinderella-- this one was the mildest of them all in which case means that no anal invasion happened in this story. Lmao. (goodness, I just said that)
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red by Maggie Ryan
Some people would call her crazy, others would condemn her for her lifestyle choices, but none of those understood. Though she didn’t understand everything either, all she needed to know was that she loved Drake Wolffe with every fiber of her being.
This is the part where I literally vomited. It was too much, the things that they've done were so fucking overboard and I wasn't prepared so I ran to the bathroom and threw up. These two were insane, I can't even.
Goldi in Chains by Maren Smith
When too big meets too hot, it's always just right.
At this point, I was too ill to continue but I still did and barely survived by skimming the pages. This is a foursome activity, that is all much there to know.
The Tower by Jennifer Bene
When kings make bad decisions, sometimes it's the princesses who bear the burden. Tortured, tormented, and used for dark purposes, you're in for a ride. Tread lightly, the nightmare doesn't end when Rapunzel leaves The Tower this time.
This one features rape and sexual harassment which was later on joined by a severe Stockholm Syndrome.
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain
This is where the romance ends and the nightmares begin.
This is a dark and twisted tale of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland where in Alice have this chronic masturbation disease, I guess? Lol I don't know, but she basically chopped her husband in the end.
April 5, 2017
Uf, this was an interesting insight yet thrilling and challenging in a way...a collection of very well known seven fairytales presented in every possible twisted, messy BDSM way possible, some of them including humiliation and degradation as a turn on for the characters.
Beautiful Primal (aka Beauty and the Beast)
- my fave of them all, mild bdsm, sassy heroine and demanding alpha, push/pull, chase/catch
Sleep, My Beauty (Sleeping Beauty)
- sex slavery in dystopia, troubled Prince and a heroine equaly broken, they save eat other...awww (I expected some serious devious shit, but it was kinda...sweet LOL)
Savin Ella (Cindarella)
- humiliation/degradation (not my cuppa)
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red (Little Red Riding Hood)
- the most twisted one, mild to hard BDSM with some pretty unpleasant shit LOL but I kinda liked it #shameless
Goldie in Chains (Goldielocks)
- three were-bears caught Goldie in the middle of crime of stealing from them, they have a nice set of toys to extract the punishement for the naughty girl, full BDSM in action (and it's all wrapped up in an interesting role-play)
The Tower (Rapunzel)
- the most complicated one, in presenting the plot, I actually liked it from that perspective BUT the sex stuff was the least erotic , but for some, it might work, who knows...
Nightmares in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)
- the most fucked up, I understood shit, I get fuckin lost in the original too LMAO, I got nothing out of it, but lets say it had an interesting idea *wink*
All in all, twisty, thrilling and interesting in seeing how different authors envision something that is all too familiar and same ol, same ol and turn it into smth fresh and new!
May 25, 2017
Main Genres:
MF, Dark, BDSM, Erotica, Fairytale Retellings, Anthology
Recommended:
Yes
Warning:
If you're not into Dark Erotica &/or heavy BDSM erotica, then this might not be your cuppa.
General Thoughts:
This anthology has pretty much everything. Okay maybe not everything, but there is a lot of variety. All of the stories were very different from each other. However, they all had in common the fairytale twist with either Dark Erotica &/or BDSM content. And a mix of genres ranging from historical, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal...
Bonus:
I gave this anthology major bonus points for all the different types of kinks used, sooo many sexy time hotness be like...
Currently Available At:
Amazon.com ❥ Kindle Unlimited ✔
(Received ARC in exchange for an honest review. A positive rating/review was not required or requested.)
MF, Dark, BDSM, Erotica, Fairytale Retellings, Anthology
Recommended:
Yes
Warning:
If you're not into Dark Erotica &/or heavy BDSM erotica, then this might not be your cuppa.
General Thoughts:
This anthology has pretty much everything. Okay maybe not everything, but there is a lot of variety. All of the stories were very different from each other. However, they all had in common the fairytale twist with either Dark Erotica &/or BDSM content. And a mix of genres ranging from historical, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal...
Bonus:
I gave this anthology major bonus points for all the different types of kinks used, sooo many sexy time hotness be like...
Currently Available At:
Amazon.com ❥ Kindle Unlimited ✔
(Received ARC in exchange for an honest review. A positive rating/review was not required or requested.)
March 13, 2021
I'm currently reading this in between reading other books - my rating may change as a result.
For some reason I started with Saving Ella by Tabitha Black. Since these are based on fairly tales I overlooked what felt like a weak back story, since it had to fit with the Cinderella theme. I was actually enjoying the story until the 'hero' slapped the heroine around the face because she was so overawed by being in his presence she couldn't speak.
Now since he was hosting a kinky BDSM party I was expecting some graphic play BUT since the couple had only just met, hadn't agreed to play or discussed limits etc (yes, yes it's a work of fiction blah, blah) so sorry but this was straight up abuse. If she had lamped (thumped) him one back I would have cheered and continued with the story. Sadly she took this abuse and that was when I gave up on that story.
For some reason I started with Saving Ella by Tabitha Black. Since these are based on fairly tales I overlooked what felt like a weak back story, since it had to fit with the Cinderella theme. I was actually enjoying the story until the 'hero' slapped the heroine around the face because she was so overawed by being in his presence she couldn't speak.
Now since he was hosting a kinky BDSM party I was expecting some graphic play BUT since the couple had only just met, hadn't agreed to play or discussed limits etc (yes, yes it's a work of fiction blah, blah) so sorry but this was straight up abuse. If she had lamped (thumped) him one back I would have cheered and continued with the story. Sadly she took this abuse and that was when I gave up on that story.
February 20, 2019
3* STARS!
Read this if:
- you're depraved enough.
- you're okay with "rape" & dub-con.
- you're dirty fucked up.
- you're either sadist or masochist.
- you're unholy creature.
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake - ★★★★✩
(A Beauty and the Beast Tale)
Review: Not your usual Beauty and the Beast. Physically she's a Beauty but her inside is really ugly. Her Prince isn't a hairy beast with scary claw however he is with sadistic and punishment for the Beauty. Overall, I loved the twist.
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley - ★★★✩✩
(A Sleeping Beauty Story)
Review: Literally not about a sleeping princess. The beauty, Briar Rose sacrificed herself. No one can fight against Maleficent and his sadistic. Her new Master, Prince, questioned himself and the beauty in front of her. She's fearless. The story was rather short and unsatisfying.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black - ★★★★✩
(A Cinderella Tale)
Review: Like your usual Cinderella, Ella is in modern era still couldn't escape her stepmother. Her stepbrother is a sadist (no sex involved) and her stepsister is mousy. Ella's heart is about Zainon Matthews, the rock star prince. If you don't mind water play and hard spanking, he's maybe your prince. Anyway, the story was really interesting and quickly wrapped with happy ending.
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red by Maggie Ryan - ★★★★✩
(A Little Red Riding Hood Story)
Review: The story is about a kinky relationship between Regina and her Master/Daddy. It was playfully kinky and surprisingly light.
Goldie in Chains by Maren Smith - ★★★★✩
(A Goldilocks Story)
Review: Another kinky role-play story. So much sex and foursome. Loved it!
The Tower by Jennifer Bene - ★★★✩✩
(A Rapunzel Story)
Review: The darkest story among others. Rebecca Sinclair is daddy's good girl. However, she was kidnapped, abused and raped by a strange man. He did every kinky dub-con towards her in exchange for some ransom. But it is not all about money, it is a revenge. Even in the darkness, there's a light. Rebecca's hate-to-love with her kidnapper became something to heal them both.
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain - ★★★✩✩
(An Alice in Wonderland Story)
Review: TICK TOCK! Alice is raised as a prim and proper girl. To be her parents' trophy prize. Her nightmares always come to 'play' with her. The Hatter is her only savior. Alice has gone mad and embraced it. Overall, the story was really confusing. Truly, madly, horror.
Read this if:
- you're depraved enough.
- you're okay with "rape" & dub-con.
- you're dirty fucked up.
- you're either sadist or masochist.
- you're unholy creature.
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake - ★★★★✩
(A Beauty and the Beast Tale)
Review: Not your usual Beauty and the Beast. Physically she's a Beauty but her inside is really ugly. Her Prince isn't a hairy beast with scary claw however he is with sadistic and punishment for the Beauty. Overall, I loved the twist.
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley - ★★★✩✩
(A Sleeping Beauty Story)
Review: Literally not about a sleeping princess. The beauty, Briar Rose sacrificed herself. No one can fight against Maleficent and his sadistic. Her new Master, Prince, questioned himself and the beauty in front of her. She's fearless. The story was rather short and unsatisfying.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black - ★★★★✩
(A Cinderella Tale)
Review: Like your usual Cinderella, Ella is in modern era still couldn't escape her stepmother. Her stepbrother is a sadist (no sex involved) and her stepsister is mousy. Ella's heart is about Zainon Matthews, the rock star prince. If you don't mind water play and hard spanking, he's maybe your prince. Anyway, the story was really interesting and quickly wrapped with happy ending.
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red by Maggie Ryan - ★★★★✩
(A Little Red Riding Hood Story)
Review: The story is about a kinky relationship between Regina and her Master/Daddy. It was playfully kinky and surprisingly light.
Goldie in Chains by Maren Smith - ★★★★✩
(A Goldilocks Story)
Review: Another kinky role-play story. So much sex and foursome. Loved it!
The Tower by Jennifer Bene - ★★★✩✩
(A Rapunzel Story)
Review: The darkest story among others. Rebecca Sinclair is daddy's good girl. However, she was kidnapped, abused and raped by a strange man. He did every kinky dub-con towards her in exchange for some ransom. But it is not all about money, it is a revenge. Even in the darkness, there's a light. Rebecca's hate-to-love with her kidnapper became something to heal them both.
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain - ★★★✩✩
(An Alice in Wonderland Story)
Review: TICK TOCK! Alice is raised as a prim and proper girl. To be her parents' trophy prize. Her nightmares always come to 'play' with her. The Hatter is her only savior. Alice has gone mad and embraced it. Overall, the story was really confusing. Truly, madly, horror.
February 7, 2017
NOT THE FAIRYTALES YOU GREW UP ON
What an amazing and highly unconventional group of fairytales. The stories include various time eras, from the historical era to modern times, to a dystopian world. These are DARK, not romance, more of an erotic horror type of tales. They are not for the faint at heart. If you are looking for a sweet romance, with a slap and tickle, mild domestic discipline, this is not going to be your type of book. If you are willing to be shocked, gasp, cringe and can have an open mind and accept creative writing, open this book. The story will have various proclivities, kink, and taboos.
BEAUTIFULLY PRIMAL
A Beauty and the Beast tale by Zoe Blake
JUST LIKE IN HER DREAMS…YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE AWAKENED THE BEAST
“Your beauty is your curse. You shall only know happiness through pain, will only find love through supplication to the beast. Be forced to yield to the hand of your master or face your destiny alone.”
The curse placed on Beatrice by a gypsy will come true, but not necessarily in a bad way. Her life changed after the death of her mother, the withdrawal of her father, and the feeling of abandonment. Rhys will become her true master. “This was domination. This was taking. Conquering. This was raw, primal behavior by a man unaccustomed to the formal, gentilities of high society.”
SLEEP, MY BEAUTY
A Sleeping Beauty story by Alta Hensley
THE KISS WAS FOREVER BONDING US AS ONE
“Sleep, my beauties. But when you dream, be warned. You will discover dark taboos, delicious fantasies, and sexual delights you may never want to wake from.”
A war-torn land, with Lord Maleficent in control, and taking all the young women ages twenty-five and younger to use, abuse, and discard. Briar Rose would rather give herself up than take the chance of those in her village dying to protect her. Drugged, stripped, transported, enslaved, and abused, and used will be her life. Given to her trainer, Prince, he is also a prisoner of this evil empire, can this beauty save him? My life hasn’t been roses before, but rather the thorns. Could it really get much worse?”
SAVING ELLA
A Cinderella tale by Tabitha Black
SHE JUST WANTED TO EXPERIENCE, TO ENJOY, TO SURRENDER
“Seduced by his music and drawn to his gaze, she will kneel before him; his to obey. If you tremble and wince at the thought of such blind obedience, then this may not be the tale for you. But if the thought of absolute control makes your heart flutter, then turn the page!”
“Zainon Matthew was a musician—no, a rock god.” Ella is nothing more than a servant to her stepmother and stepsiblings since her father died. Her stepbrother, Nathan, gets off on beating her with a paddle. Her stepsister, Anastasia, is meek, but quiet. All Ella wants is to go see Zainon Matthews in concert, and Anastasia helps her do that. But being invited to his private party will be an eye opener for both the sadistic Zainon, and for the masochist, Ella.
MR. WOLFFE'S LITTLE RED
A Little Red Riding Hood story by Maggie Ryan
THE BETTER TO ATONE FOR MY DEAR
“Be forewarned that within the dark, deep forest lies a cabin. The ‘goodies’ Little Red has gathered on her way will be used to remind her what happens when a little one is a naughty girl.”
Regina Redd works an important job in an office, but she has a Master, Drake Wolffe, who is sometimes her daddy. When he returns from a trip, she will be summons to a meeting and reckoning for her transgressions while he was away. Part of the time, she will be Little Red, and the last bit of her confession and punishment, she will be Regina.
GOLDI IN CHAINS
A Goldilocks story by Maren Smith
WHEN TOO BIG MEETS TOO HOT, IT’S ALWAYS JUST RIGHT
“Three vengeful shifters…one thieving burglar caught red-handed…Beware!”
Goldi, the thief, is captured and becomes the sex slave to three dominant were-bears with sadistic proclivities. She finds herself imprisoned in their dungeon, restrained, and at their mercy. Let the games begin. Just remember, no, is not a safeword.
THE TOWER
A Rapunzel story by Jennifer Bene
SHE’D BEEN SURROUNDED BY MONSTERS HER ENTIRE LIFE.
“When kings make bad decisions, sometimes it’s the princesses who bear the burden. Tortured, tormented, and used for dark purposes, you’re in for a ride. Tread lightly; the nightmare doesn’t end when Rapunzel leavesThe Tower this time.”
Rebecca has been the dutiful daughter all her life. Doing what her father expects of her. Living still with her father at the Tower, working for him at his company, Monarch Systems. She finds herself, raped, drugged, kidnapped, whipped, and abused by her captor. Adam Gothel is determined to take the one thing from Daniel William Sinclair, his princess, Rapunzel with the golden hair. When the truth comes to light about her life, who is the real monster in this tale? “He deserved some light, and she had discovered that she craved the dark.
NIGHTMARES IN WONDERLAND
An Alice in Wonderland tale by Addison Cain
YOU ARE AS PURE AS MUCH AS YOU ARE INSANE.
“How deep into the woods are you willing to stroll? For the story ahead is truly dark and twisted. The horrors of thorny thickets and poisonous swamps await. You’ve been warned. This is where the romance ends, and the nightmares begin.”
Young Alice was like a little prize doll, to be shown and then put away on a shelf. “My purpose was to serve as a pretty item for others to enjoy.” She is haunted night after night when the White Rabbit turns his head to stare at her, and then they come to torment her each night. No one believes her, and eventually, she is sent away to an asylum when her demons follow. “What games we will play. What degradations you will adore me for.”
What an amazing and highly unconventional group of fairytales. The stories include various time eras, from the historical era to modern times, to a dystopian world. These are DARK, not romance, more of an erotic horror type of tales. They are not for the faint at heart. If you are looking for a sweet romance, with a slap and tickle, mild domestic discipline, this is not going to be your type of book. If you are willing to be shocked, gasp, cringe and can have an open mind and accept creative writing, open this book. The story will have various proclivities, kink, and taboos.
BEAUTIFULLY PRIMAL
A Beauty and the Beast tale by Zoe Blake
JUST LIKE IN HER DREAMS…YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE AWAKENED THE BEAST
“Your beauty is your curse. You shall only know happiness through pain, will only find love through supplication to the beast. Be forced to yield to the hand of your master or face your destiny alone.”
The curse placed on Beatrice by a gypsy will come true, but not necessarily in a bad way. Her life changed after the death of her mother, the withdrawal of her father, and the feeling of abandonment. Rhys will become her true master. “This was domination. This was taking. Conquering. This was raw, primal behavior by a man unaccustomed to the formal, gentilities of high society.”
SLEEP, MY BEAUTY
A Sleeping Beauty story by Alta Hensley
THE KISS WAS FOREVER BONDING US AS ONE
“Sleep, my beauties. But when you dream, be warned. You will discover dark taboos, delicious fantasies, and sexual delights you may never want to wake from.”
A war-torn land, with Lord Maleficent in control, and taking all the young women ages twenty-five and younger to use, abuse, and discard. Briar Rose would rather give herself up than take the chance of those in her village dying to protect her. Drugged, stripped, transported, enslaved, and abused, and used will be her life. Given to her trainer, Prince, he is also a prisoner of this evil empire, can this beauty save him? My life hasn’t been roses before, but rather the thorns. Could it really get much worse?”
SAVING ELLA
A Cinderella tale by Tabitha Black
SHE JUST WANTED TO EXPERIENCE, TO ENJOY, TO SURRENDER
“Seduced by his music and drawn to his gaze, she will kneel before him; his to obey. If you tremble and wince at the thought of such blind obedience, then this may not be the tale for you. But if the thought of absolute control makes your heart flutter, then turn the page!”
“Zainon Matthew was a musician—no, a rock god.” Ella is nothing more than a servant to her stepmother and stepsiblings since her father died. Her stepbrother, Nathan, gets off on beating her with a paddle. Her stepsister, Anastasia, is meek, but quiet. All Ella wants is to go see Zainon Matthews in concert, and Anastasia helps her do that. But being invited to his private party will be an eye opener for both the sadistic Zainon, and for the masochist, Ella.
MR. WOLFFE'S LITTLE RED
A Little Red Riding Hood story by Maggie Ryan
THE BETTER TO ATONE FOR MY DEAR
“Be forewarned that within the dark, deep forest lies a cabin. The ‘goodies’ Little Red has gathered on her way will be used to remind her what happens when a little one is a naughty girl.”
Regina Redd works an important job in an office, but she has a Master, Drake Wolffe, who is sometimes her daddy. When he returns from a trip, she will be summons to a meeting and reckoning for her transgressions while he was away. Part of the time, she will be Little Red, and the last bit of her confession and punishment, she will be Regina.
GOLDI IN CHAINS
A Goldilocks story by Maren Smith
WHEN TOO BIG MEETS TOO HOT, IT’S ALWAYS JUST RIGHT
“Three vengeful shifters…one thieving burglar caught red-handed…Beware!”
Goldi, the thief, is captured and becomes the sex slave to three dominant were-bears with sadistic proclivities. She finds herself imprisoned in their dungeon, restrained, and at their mercy. Let the games begin. Just remember, no, is not a safeword.
THE TOWER
A Rapunzel story by Jennifer Bene
SHE’D BEEN SURROUNDED BY MONSTERS HER ENTIRE LIFE.
“When kings make bad decisions, sometimes it’s the princesses who bear the burden. Tortured, tormented, and used for dark purposes, you’re in for a ride. Tread lightly; the nightmare doesn’t end when Rapunzel leavesThe Tower this time.”
Rebecca has been the dutiful daughter all her life. Doing what her father expects of her. Living still with her father at the Tower, working for him at his company, Monarch Systems. She finds herself, raped, drugged, kidnapped, whipped, and abused by her captor. Adam Gothel is determined to take the one thing from Daniel William Sinclair, his princess, Rapunzel with the golden hair. When the truth comes to light about her life, who is the real monster in this tale? “He deserved some light, and she had discovered that she craved the dark.
NIGHTMARES IN WONDERLAND
An Alice in Wonderland tale by Addison Cain
YOU ARE AS PURE AS MUCH AS YOU ARE INSANE.
“How deep into the woods are you willing to stroll? For the story ahead is truly dark and twisted. The horrors of thorny thickets and poisonous swamps await. You’ve been warned. This is where the romance ends, and the nightmares begin.”
Young Alice was like a little prize doll, to be shown and then put away on a shelf. “My purpose was to serve as a pretty item for others to enjoy.” She is haunted night after night when the White Rabbit turns his head to stare at her, and then they come to torment her each night. No one believes her, and eventually, she is sent away to an asylum when her demons follow. “What games we will play. What degradations you will adore me for.”
November 24, 2021
I'll see how these stories compare to the retellings I've read.
Like seriously, why put a brunette on the cover if all the princesses/main female protagonists, other than one, are blondes in this book? Cover should be 6 blondes and a brunette somewhere in the middle.
SAVING ELLA- Tabitha Black- Griselda is an 18 year old blond. Prince charming is a rock star musician and the ball is a friggin concert. This story is so stupid that I didn't properly finish it and just skimmed the last two chapters. I think this one has a golden shower, no shit. Hey, I just met you, and this is craaaazy, but here's my contract, I'm going to piss on you.
BEAUTIFULLY PRIMAL- Zoe Blake- Beatrice is a young blond. The story was longer than most of the others and I believe more detailed. It was ok but I'm going to pretend I didn't read chapter 10.
THE TOWER- Jennifer Bene- Rebecca is a 24 year old blond. Set in modern times, this one has got to be the most twisted and darkest tale in this book. The last two chapters were a bitch to get through.
SLEEP, MY BEAUTY- by Alta Hensley- Aurora is a 24 year old blond. Maleficent is a man and he is a sadist. Although he is the most powerful character in the story, he isn't a main character we see. The beginning reminds me of Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty retelling. The story is short and anti-climatic.
GOLDI IN CHAINS- Maren Smith- Goldilocks is obviously a blonde and she is a hired thief in this story.
NIGHTMARES IN WONDERLAND- Addison Cain- Alice is a little blond girl when the story starts. Pass if you can.
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red- Maggie Ryan- Regina is a young woman with auburn hair. I left this one for last and quite honestly, I completely lost interest by this point and by reading a little of the beginning.
Like seriously, why put a brunette on the cover if all the princesses/main female protagonists, other than one, are blondes in this book? Cover should be 6 blondes and a brunette somewhere in the middle.
SAVING ELLA- Tabitha Black- Griselda is an 18 year old blond. Prince charming is a rock star musician and the ball is a friggin concert. This story is so stupid that I didn't properly finish it and just skimmed the last two chapters. I think this one has a golden shower, no shit. Hey, I just met you, and this is craaaazy, but here's my contract, I'm going to piss on you.
BEAUTIFULLY PRIMAL- Zoe Blake- Beatrice is a young blond. The story was longer than most of the others and I believe more detailed. It was ok but I'm going to pretend I didn't read chapter 10.
THE TOWER- Jennifer Bene- Rebecca is a 24 year old blond. Set in modern times, this one has got to be the most twisted and darkest tale in this book. The last two chapters were a bitch to get through.
SLEEP, MY BEAUTY- by Alta Hensley- Aurora is a 24 year old blond. Maleficent is a man and he is a sadist. Although he is the most powerful character in the story, he isn't a main character we see. The beginning reminds me of Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty retelling. The story is short and anti-climatic.
GOLDI IN CHAINS- Maren Smith- Goldilocks is obviously a blonde and she is a hired thief in this story.
NIGHTMARES IN WONDERLAND- Addison Cain- Alice is a little blond girl when the story starts. Pass if you can.
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red- Maggie Ryan- Regina is a young woman with auburn hair. I left this one for last and quite honestly, I completely lost interest by this point and by reading a little of the beginning.
February 25, 2018
This was a good collection of short dark erotic fairytales.
Zoe Blake's take on Beauty and the Beast was really interesting with the girl being the beast. Sleeping Beauty was good although I felt it was rushed.
Cinderella by Tabitha Black was one of my favorites in this collection. The BDSM in this story was hot.
Maggie Ryan's Little Red Riding hood was also one of my favorites in this collection. This story was full of hot scenes and punishment.
Goldilocks by Maren Smith was a straight to the point story that I likes three men and Goldie was hot.
Rapunzel by Jennifer Benes was also a good short story it was hot also.
Nightmare in Wonderland by Addison Cain it read like a horror story to me but I have read Ms. Cain's work before and I don't like reading horror but I liked this story.
This was a really good book all of the stories were well written with no errors in grammar or spelling.
Zoe Blake's take on Beauty and the Beast was really interesting with the girl being the beast. Sleeping Beauty was good although I felt it was rushed.
Cinderella by Tabitha Black was one of my favorites in this collection. The BDSM in this story was hot.
Maggie Ryan's Little Red Riding hood was also one of my favorites in this collection. This story was full of hot scenes and punishment.
Goldilocks by Maren Smith was a straight to the point story that I likes three men and Goldie was hot.
Rapunzel by Jennifer Benes was also a good short story it was hot also.
Nightmare in Wonderland by Addison Cain it read like a horror story to me but I have read Ms. Cain's work before and I don't like reading horror but I liked this story.
This was a really good book all of the stories were well written with no errors in grammar or spelling.
December 28, 2017
3.5 Stars!
I enjoyed this one. I've become more interested in anthologies lately, whereas I used to not like them at all. I've found the thrill in a short story with a quick, satisfying ending. This book was a fun read. It was dark in some places (loved!!), interesting and kept me reading throughout each individual story. Most of the stories were great. Some of the stories I liked better than others. But overall, it worth the read. This is definitely not your typical fairy tale though. A lot of the content isn't for the faint of heart. But I love the dark places, so it was right up my ally.
I enjoyed this one. I've become more interested in anthologies lately, whereas I used to not like them at all. I've found the thrill in a short story with a quick, satisfying ending. This book was a fun read. It was dark in some places (loved!!), interesting and kept me reading throughout each individual story. Most of the stories were great. Some of the stories I liked better than others. But overall, it worth the read. This is definitely not your typical fairy tale though. A lot of the content isn't for the faint of heart. But I love the dark places, so it was right up my ally.
February 3, 2017
This anthology is a collection of fairy tale retellings. They are mainly dark, very erotic, and very creative. Do take the warnings that precede each story seriously, some of the images are not particularly comfortable. Even though I have a few complaints, it is a very good collection of stories, all creative and by highly skilled authors.
Beautifully Primal - A Beauty and the Beast Tale by Zoe Blake
Although this take on Beauty and the Beast was very creative, and wonderfully erotic, I'm not entirely sure if it worked for me.
I did enjoy the way Beatrice was multi-faceted and not just a spoiled brat. I loved the description of fragrances and the makings of perfumes. I had mixed feelings about Rhys, although it is a fairy tale and an arrogant prince kind of fits the bill. Rhys mostly worked, but I did not like the punishment he doles out after Beatrice discovers his deceit. Even an arrogant asshole of a prince should apologize, or at least fess up, when caught in a lie... but I remind myself it is a fairy tale, not a contemporary romance.
It was the twist at the end that just didn't work for me. It was okay, but I didn't really see the point.
Sleep, My Beauty - A Sleeping Beauty Story by Alta Hensley
This was a haunting and very dark take on Sleeping Beauty which was very well done. Normally, this author's writing style doesn't work well for me, but in this case I wish she had written more - lots more! I wouldn't call it a cliff hanger ending, but it did feel as though the story had really just gotten started when it was over. Drat!
Saving Ella - A Cinderella Story by Tabitha Black
Cinderella stories have long been a favorite of mine and I've read and watched many of them over the years. This one wasn't the best, nor was it the worst I've read, but it was above average. It was set in modern times, and worked quite well in that setting - the prince in this case being a rock star. The only problem I had with the setting is the unlikeliness that Ella would be so completely naive and unaware of how to escape her evil step mother and step brother (that was a cool touch - an ugly step brother rather than sister), but it's a fairy tale and it was easy to let go of my logical mind in this case. Personally, I dislike humiliation, and found the method Zainon used for Ella to prove her submission pretty distasteful, but that is a personal preference issue. My biggest complaint, is the lack of closure for the evil step mother and brother. It drives me crazy not to have a good comeuppance for the baddies!
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red - A Tale f the Dark Forest by Maggie Ryan
This one was fun, very erotic, and really ouchie! I'm not a huge fan of age play, but it works in this story. The punishment "session" isn't light, but it is fully consensual which made it much easier for me to let go and enjoy.
Goldi In Chains by Maren Smith
I liked this one about equally with Maggie Ryan's take on Little Red Riding Hood. The author did a great job building tension and drawing the reader into the story. I'll leave it there so I don't spoil anything.
The Tower - A Rapunzel Story by Jennifer Bene
This story is harsh, and the warning is well deserved. There is no disputing the fact it starts out with rape and, for me, it was very difficult to forget that fact enough to accept the rest of the story. It is well written and one of the longer stories in the collection, but I ended up unsure how I felt about it. I suppose the fact it made me feel so much is an indication of a good story - not a comfortable story, but a well crafted one.
Nightmares in Wonderland - An Alice in Wonderland Tale by Addison Cain
The warning that precedes the last story in the collection should be taken seriously - it is a very, very dark story with no happy ending or redemption. I've never liked Alice in Wonderland, not even the Disney movie. I think it's because I don't care for dream/nightmare scenarios and Alice's adventures always struck me as pretty nightmarish. This version is a hideous string of nightmares, and I rather wish I'd listened to my first instinct and left it unread. Now, with all that said, this author is very good at her craft and her words evoke feelings very effectively. If you like erotic horror, you may like this very short story - personally I didn't find it erotic, but I did find it horrifying.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Beautifully Primal - A Beauty and the Beast Tale by Zoe Blake
Although this take on Beauty and the Beast was very creative, and wonderfully erotic, I'm not entirely sure if it worked for me.
I did enjoy the way Beatrice was multi-faceted and not just a spoiled brat. I loved the description of fragrances and the makings of perfumes. I had mixed feelings about Rhys, although it is a fairy tale and an arrogant prince kind of fits the bill. Rhys mostly worked, but I did not like the punishment he doles out after Beatrice discovers his deceit. Even an arrogant asshole of a prince should apologize, or at least fess up, when caught in a lie... but I remind myself it is a fairy tale, not a contemporary romance.
It was the twist at the end that just didn't work for me. It was okay, but I didn't really see the point.
Sleep, My Beauty - A Sleeping Beauty Story by Alta Hensley
This was a haunting and very dark take on Sleeping Beauty which was very well done. Normally, this author's writing style doesn't work well for me, but in this case I wish she had written more - lots more! I wouldn't call it a cliff hanger ending, but it did feel as though the story had really just gotten started when it was over. Drat!
Saving Ella - A Cinderella Story by Tabitha Black
Cinderella stories have long been a favorite of mine and I've read and watched many of them over the years. This one wasn't the best, nor was it the worst I've read, but it was above average. It was set in modern times, and worked quite well in that setting - the prince in this case being a rock star. The only problem I had with the setting is the unlikeliness that Ella would be so completely naive and unaware of how to escape her evil step mother and step brother (that was a cool touch - an ugly step brother rather than sister), but it's a fairy tale and it was easy to let go of my logical mind in this case. Personally, I dislike humiliation, and found the method Zainon used for Ella to prove her submission pretty distasteful, but that is a personal preference issue. My biggest complaint, is the lack of closure for the evil step mother and brother. It drives me crazy not to have a good comeuppance for the baddies!
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red - A Tale f the Dark Forest by Maggie Ryan
This one was fun, very erotic, and really ouchie! I'm not a huge fan of age play, but it works in this story. The punishment "session" isn't light, but it is fully consensual which made it much easier for me to let go and enjoy.
Goldi In Chains by Maren Smith
I liked this one about equally with Maggie Ryan's take on Little Red Riding Hood. The author did a great job building tension and drawing the reader into the story. I'll leave it there so I don't spoil anything.
The Tower - A Rapunzel Story by Jennifer Bene
This story is harsh, and the warning is well deserved. There is no disputing the fact it starts out with rape and, for me, it was very difficult to forget that fact enough to accept the rest of the story. It is well written and one of the longer stories in the collection, but I ended up unsure how I felt about it. I suppose the fact it made me feel so much is an indication of a good story - not a comfortable story, but a well crafted one.
Nightmares in Wonderland - An Alice in Wonderland Tale by Addison Cain
The warning that precedes the last story in the collection should be taken seriously - it is a very, very dark story with no happy ending or redemption. I've never liked Alice in Wonderland, not even the Disney movie. I think it's because I don't care for dream/nightmare scenarios and Alice's adventures always struck me as pretty nightmarish. This version is a hideous string of nightmares, and I rather wish I'd listened to my first instinct and left it unread. Now, with all that said, this author is very good at her craft and her words evoke feelings very effectively. If you like erotic horror, you may like this very short story - personally I didn't find it erotic, but I did find it horrifying.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
February 6, 2017
You think you've read Dark.
You think you've read Twisted.
You don't know nothin' ...Snow. ;)
It can't be stressed enough that if you don't *like* DARK on a side of DARK with a big helping of - yeah, yeah, you get it - THESE AIN'T DISNEY HEA's. There is some sweet. There is HOT. AND YOU GET ALL THE TWISTED, SHOCKING, DARK FAIRYTALES YOU CAN HANDLE. All the favorites were in this. These were fast, dirty, TABOO and like nothing you've read before. I tend to prefer finite, happy endings on my dark romances - but I knew going in that not all of the stories had these, and what it did was whet my appetite. I was only familiar with one of these authors, so this was a fabulously enjoyable way to be introduced to more =D I received an advanced reader copy and was asked to share my honest review when I finished.
You think you've read Twisted.
You don't know nothin' ...Snow. ;)
It can't be stressed enough that if you don't *like* DARK on a side of DARK with a big helping of - yeah, yeah, you get it - THESE AIN'T DISNEY HEA's. There is some sweet. There is HOT. AND YOU GET ALL THE TWISTED, SHOCKING, DARK FAIRYTALES YOU CAN HANDLE. All the favorites were in this. These were fast, dirty, TABOO and like nothing you've read before. I tend to prefer finite, happy endings on my dark romances - but I knew going in that not all of the stories had these, and what it did was whet my appetite. I was only familiar with one of these authors, so this was a fabulously enjoyable way to be introduced to more =D I received an advanced reader copy and was asked to share my honest review when I finished.
January 28, 2018
2.5 stars
March 7, 2018
4 stars for Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain
February 7, 2017
All of the stories contained within this anthology are a bit darker than Blushing books normally publishes. So if that's not for you, I suggest you skip this book. On the other hand if you enjoy (or want to try) darker stories, where the punishments go beyond spankings and there's more creative kinks involved, this is an enjoyable anthology to read.
Here's my rankings by story:
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake 5-stars
So if you've been following other reviews by me, you'll know I like Zoe Blake and I feel like she nailed this story! Definitely dark, with imaginative sex scenes and nicely developed characters with a sold backstory and good world. The ending had a slightly trope but unexpected ending it didn't really detract from the overall romance of the story, at least not for me.
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley 3 or 4 -stars
If I had started reading this story as more of a literature novella with elements of romance and sex, I'd probably give it 4-stars. Unfortunately, I read it immediately after the Ms. Blake's entry and was expecting more romance and sex for which I have to say, this book didn't quite deliver as I'd anticipated, hence I want to give it 3-stars. It's still a darker story, with elements of distopia and overall well written but don't expect romance and sex to be a major element and I suspect you'll enjoy it more for what it is.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black 4-stars
Very erotic, with creative sex scenes and thankfully not your typically Cinderella ending. I quite enjoyed this one and almost wish there was sequel (Hint, hint, Ms. Black) for I'd definitely love to read more about Ella and her Prince.
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red by Maggie Ryan 4-stars
Ms. Ryan's entry covers age-play so if that isn't your thing, I'd suggest you skip this one. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's more like a scene from the couple's ongoing life rather than developing the romance. Very sexy, very creative but don't expect a HEA or significant backstory in how Red and Mr. Wolffe met, etc. It's covered but only enough as one might expect in a story that is more of a snap shot of a larger story rather than the full story.
Goldi in Chains by Maren Smith 5-stars
Shape-shifter lovers this is your story. It's also for those into menage stories. Quite well done, lots of erotic scenes. The ending was quite interesting to me. At one point I read a bit that seemed out of place and but once I got to the end that the out-of-place bit actually made sense, so stick with it to the end.
The Tower by Jennifer Bene 3 or 4-stars
My humblest apologizes to Ms. Bene but considering the political climate at the time this book came out there were some unfortunate parallels that my mind couldn't help but draw. This left a bit of a sour taste for me for the first one or two chapters. However, if you do what I did, which was read the first chapter, walk away for a bit (perhaps overnight or something) then resume with chapter 2. Then the story is actually quite nice with some lovely sex scenes and very nice HEA. By the way, if you're craving a really nice happily ever after story. This is story's ending is perhaps the one that left hit that HEA sweet spot the best for me.
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain 4-stars
I'd have to say that this is darkest of all the stories in this collection. And I strongly recommend that if you're looking for an HEA or strong romance elements, skip this one. This is an Alice in Wonderland story told from a slightly different perspective. Quite well written and enjoyable but not for the faint of heart and not for those who want a more traditional romance.
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED AN ADVANCE READER COPY OF THIS BOOK
Here's my rankings by story:
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake 5-stars
So if you've been following other reviews by me, you'll know I like Zoe Blake and I feel like she nailed this story! Definitely dark, with imaginative sex scenes and nicely developed characters with a sold backstory and good world. The ending had a slightly trope but unexpected ending it didn't really detract from the overall romance of the story, at least not for me.
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley 3 or 4 -stars
If I had started reading this story as more of a literature novella with elements of romance and sex, I'd probably give it 4-stars. Unfortunately, I read it immediately after the Ms. Blake's entry and was expecting more romance and sex for which I have to say, this book didn't quite deliver as I'd anticipated, hence I want to give it 3-stars. It's still a darker story, with elements of distopia and overall well written but don't expect romance and sex to be a major element and I suspect you'll enjoy it more for what it is.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black 4-stars
Very erotic, with creative sex scenes and thankfully not your typically Cinderella ending. I quite enjoyed this one and almost wish there was sequel (Hint, hint, Ms. Black) for I'd definitely love to read more about Ella and her Prince.
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red by Maggie Ryan 4-stars
Ms. Ryan's entry covers age-play so if that isn't your thing, I'd suggest you skip this one. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's more like a scene from the couple's ongoing life rather than developing the romance. Very sexy, very creative but don't expect a HEA or significant backstory in how Red and Mr. Wolffe met, etc. It's covered but only enough as one might expect in a story that is more of a snap shot of a larger story rather than the full story.
Goldi in Chains by Maren Smith 5-stars
Shape-shifter lovers this is your story. It's also for those into menage stories. Quite well done, lots of erotic scenes. The ending was quite interesting to me. At one point I read a bit that seemed out of place and but once I got to the end that the out-of-place bit actually made sense, so stick with it to the end.
The Tower by Jennifer Bene 3 or 4-stars
My humblest apologizes to Ms. Bene but considering the political climate at the time this book came out there were some unfortunate parallels that my mind couldn't help but draw. This left a bit of a sour taste for me for the first one or two chapters. However, if you do what I did, which was read the first chapter, walk away for a bit (perhaps overnight or something) then resume with chapter 2. Then the story is actually quite nice with some lovely sex scenes and very nice HEA. By the way, if you're craving a really nice happily ever after story. This is story's ending is perhaps the one that left hit that HEA sweet spot the best for me.
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain 4-stars
I'd have to say that this is darkest of all the stories in this collection. And I strongly recommend that if you're looking for an HEA or strong romance elements, skip this one. This is an Alice in Wonderland story told from a slightly different perspective. Quite well written and enjoyable but not for the faint of heart and not for those who want a more traditional romance.
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED AN ADVANCE READER COPY OF THIS BOOK
February 6, 2017
Grab a hold of your seat and get ready for an unbelievably wild ride! Whew, this book is epic! No synopsis from me, you can read it for yourself and read the publisher's warning, seriously, no complaining later ;) Seven twisted, dark, sexy and wicked fairytales from superbly talented authors. I'm not gonna lie; I read every book these authors write because I know I'm going to get a fantastic read every single time and, yes, they hit it out of the park with this one! These stories will make you gasp and squirm as you turn the pages and, if you're anything like me, you'll enjoy every second of it! You can read wine and roses romances every day of the week, and they are wonderful, but every once in a while it's exciting to venture to the dark side! Quit reading here; buy, read the book and enjoy!!
March 2, 2017
Overall this anthology was very good. I found that a few of the stories were a bit tamer than I had first assumed they were going to be. Their promise not living up to the expectation. I did find the last two stories to both stand out for me in my mind, one because it was a touch longer and the expected darkness was there from the beginning with The tower break in and subsequent torture of Rapunzel. I did feel a bit let down as it ended on a far sweeter tone than hoped for. The final story was fascinating for me in its horror. No sweet to counteract the nightmares. The ending just a continuation of a new horror to endure.
So yes a darker adult take on the classic fairy tales, but that was what made them all the sweeter.
So yes a darker adult take on the classic fairy tales, but that was what made them all the sweeter.
April 5, 2017
While I haven't read all of the stories that make up this collection I've read enough to know that I like it. Each of these amazing authors puts their own sexual and kinky twist on classic fairytales, but beware, as you move deeper into The Dark Forest the tales start to take a darker turn.
While some of the tales may be a little intense for readers, if you're a fan of J.A. Huss or Callie Hart's style of writing than I think you'll enjoy this collaboration of authors.
While some of the tales may be a little intense for readers, if you're a fan of J.A. Huss or Callie Hart's style of writing than I think you'll enjoy this collaboration of authors.
February 15, 2017
Seven dark reads that give you a whole new prospective on Fairytales. These are all fast-paced reads with characters you are familiar with, however if you are not a fan of dark and erotic romance, I would not recommend this read for you. I did enjoy these dark tales, the stories are fast paced and have lots of drama and suspense. A really liked it.
Read
February 26, 2017J'ai arrêté ma lecture car ce n'est vraiment pas mon style, lorsqu'une femme dit non (ou un homme d'ailleurs!), c'est non! J'ai essayé de lire la première nouvelle jusqu'au bout, mais à un moment, trop c'est trop, je ne suis vraiment pas en phase avec ce genre d'histoire.
September 25, 2018
Seven different stories, all offering something different. A real bang for your buck, but too bad it is out of print now - yes, the eBook is no longer available. Shucks!
October 31, 2021
Dnf, for me it was a waste of money.
July 20, 2023
The Dark Forest is a compilation of seven erotic fairy tales by seven romance authors who put their unique spin on well-known storybook and folktales. Since I’ve greatly enjoyed Nancy Madore’s Enchanted anthologies, I thought I’d dive into something similar. So, let’s see what The Dark Forest has to offer, shall we?
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake
The first story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In quite a nice touch, it is Belle, here named Beatrice, who is the jerk. A pampered daughter of a wealthy merchant, she regularly abuses her servants, to the point they nickname her Beatrice the Beastly. After banishing an old Romani woman from her father’s estate, Beatrice earns herself the older woman’s curse—she won’t find either love or happiness without painful submission.
Rhys is a prince whose father arranges for him to marry Beatrice. However, Rhys wants to make sure his betrothed’s temperament suits him before agreeing to the match, so he disguises himself as a stable master in her father’s employ. He catches up to Beatrice as she’s out on a horse ride, then strips her, spanks her, humiliates her and makes her orgasm before sending her home.
That night, Rhys climbs to her balcony to have sex with her. The rest of the story progresses much as you’d expect—Rhys subjugates and tames Beatrice until she accepts her submission. Needless to say, there is a dubious consent element here that the twist ending all but nullifies.
Narratively, this tale resembles The Taming of the Shrew far more than any of the Beauty and the Beast versions you and I are familiar with. It’s all about a man who wants to bring a spirited woman to heel. Why he even seeks out a stubborn, feisty wife in the first place if his ultimate goal is to break her will is beyond me, but okay. Beautifully Primal isn’t especially well-written, but it’s more than serviceable for readers with a submission kink.
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley
The title says it all—a Sleeping Beauty retelling. It’s significantly darker than the first story, far more rapey. If The Taming of the Shrew is the spiritual cousin of the first story, then The Handmaid’s Tale is definitely this one’s.
Briar Rose lives in a broken world ruled by the despotic Maleficent, a powerful overlord who regularly adds women to his already sizeable harem. But, before the women are taken to him, they must first be broken by their trainers.
In a truly disturbing scene, dozens of naked women are ushered into a room where their individual trainers introduce themselves by shoving their penises in their mouths. There are slaps, beatings, oral rapes, crying and pleading all over, but Briar Rose tunes out all the sounds by focusing on her trainer. She doesn’t resist him and thus escapes physical punishment.
Her trainer, Prince, is revealed to have once been a resistance fighter who infiltrated Maleficent’s ranks to overthrow him from the inside. After realising the tyrant was simply too powerful, Prince embraced the darkness within, continuing to act as part of a system that sees him regularly torturing, raping and murdering women. Lovely…
It’s Prince’s duty to break the women he’s put in charge of, but Briar Rose is already so broken, she barely responds to his abusive treatment, dutifully participating in the violence and humiliation he subjects her to. What finally breaks her is when he urinates on her. Her reaction instantly transforms Prince from a tormentor itching to make her cry to a repentant man who wants nothing more than to protect her.
The next morning, Briar Rose is to be brought to Maleficent. Prince is conflicted and promptly decides to fight for her. Pretending to kill her, Prince leaves Maleficent’s compound with Briar’s lifeless body and takes her to one of the resistance shelters, vowing to resume his fight against the dictator and rescue all the sex slaves, the end.
Well, this one was pretty much unreadable. An unlikeable hero, a passive heroine and a bunch of sex slaves getting their anuses impaled on dildos nailed to a bench… A bench that was actually designed by our supposed hero… Lovely…
Look, I’ve got nothing against torture-porn erotica, but this was 2% porn and 98% torture. And very poorly-written, to boot.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black
Ella, our present-day Cinderella, has pretty much the same life as her folktale counterpart—she’s little more than an indentured servant to her stepfamily. Despite their cruelty, Ella goes on obeying them for years, making her something of an ideal submissive. Her one joy in life is the upcoming concert of rock star Zainon.
Zainon is… Not the best dom representation in the world. At the backstage after-party, he hosts an orgy that Ella attends. She finds his brutalities arousing, he tests her commitment by parading her around the party naked and then pissing on her to mark her as his, the end.
In many respects, Saving Ella somehow manages to simultaneously be both super tame and unnecessarily cruel. It isn’t too engaging and mostly drags, but I’m sure readers with a pain and/or humiliation kink would love it.
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red by Maggie Ryan
I’m not terribly familiar with ageplay, nor does it sound enticing to me. Hence, I found the whole Daddy-taking-care-of-his-little-girl-dressed-in-child’s-clothing thing… Eh… Unappealing. But hey, if that’s your thing, go for it, no judgements here.
This was actually one of the better-written novellas. The dialogue was cringey as all hell, but at least the descriptions were decent. I also appreciated that it featured a couple already in a relationship who knew each other’s preferences and were already prepared for an intense night.
The BDSM elements still felt a bit too exaggerated. Less is more indeed, so cramming every single fetish under the sun into a single intense evening feels not only superfluous, but also counterproductive. At some point, the shocking edginess loses its, well, edge, and piling more on top only serves to further dull the already desensitised reader’s experience. I reckon the lesson here is—there’s only so much you can cram into one sex scene before I start yawning.
Goldi in Chains by Maren Smith
Goldi is a sassy burglar with a no-nonsense attitude. Her new assignment has her venturing deep into the woods to a secluded cottage where she’s to steal a ledger. What she doesn’t realise is that the house belongs to three were-bears. They shift into men before Goldi’s eyes and, as punishment for the break-in, tie her up in their dungeon that’s better-equipped than most sex shops.
Despite a rocky start, I really enjoyed this little novella. It’s got consensual nonconsent, spanking, flogging, roleplay, you name it. Better yet, the author knows when to pull the plug—no pun intended—and let the scene fade to black, leaving the rest to our imagination. She knows not to inundate the reader with too much all at once and leave them desensitised.
Furthermore, I really liked the dynamic of the three shifters and their submissive. Very early on, it becomes clear that these are four people who know one another through and through. Their interactions allow for quite a bit of humour and levity. The whole experience of reading this story boiled down to alternating between humming in appreciation and chuckling at the leads’ chemistry—in my book, precisely what erotica is supposed to accomplish.
The Tower by Jennifer Bene
RapunzelRebecca is the neglected daughter of a busy CEO of a software company who pays her little attention. One evening, a masked intruder enters Rebecca’s flat, violently subdues her, then rapes her. He says he hates her father and is going after her for revenge, before sedating her. Rebecca comes to in a hi-tech dungeon where the man whips and slaps her into recording the hostage tape he’ll send to her father.
I won’t spoil the rest of the story, since it’s so deliciously dark, intriguing and unputdownable that it’d be a shame to divulge all the details. I’ll warn you, though—if you’re not into ravishment fantasies, Lima and Stockholm, or affection blooming amid abuse, this novella isn’t for you.
While some of the dialogue is a bit heavy-handed, The Tower is by far the best-written of the tales. It offers readers a captivating psychological mystery, complete with fucked-up characters. And that’s generally what I’m looking for when it comes to erotica—I need it to be a narrative first and porn second.
Furthermore, it’s genuinely shocking how much narrative mileage this story gets from a novella-length tale. I wouldn’t say it’s on par with something like Basic Instinct, but it’s still worth checking out if suspenseful erotic fiction is your thing. Will definitely be reading Jennifer Bene in the future.
I skipped the final fairy tale in this anthology solely because it’s by Addison Cain. I’ve never read any of her works and I never will, because I’ve heard of her practices and find them… Unethical, in brief.
It goes without saying that the following is just my subjective opinion. If asked to rank the novellas from best to worst, that list might look something like this:
1. The Tower 5★
2. Beautifully Primal 4.5★
3. Goldi in Chains 3.5★
4. Saving Ella 2★
5. Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red 1.5★
6. Sleep, My Beauty 1★
All in all, I got far more than I expected out of this collection. I won’t pretend my expectations were high, but some of the stories still managed to pleasantly surprise me.
Despite Goodreads, the blurb and the publisher constantly warning me about the twisted darkness of this anthology, the included stories are, for the most part, curiously tame, The Tower really being the only one to plunge into dark erotica without reserve. Most of the rest seem too scared to fully commit to the taboo stuff, often copping out by revealing everything unsavoury to have been part of a dream sequence or consensual all along.
It takes a singular kind of confidence to actually dive into dark erotic romance and no small amount of writing talent to successfully pull it off. Speaking of talent, most of the novellas feature mediocre, some even appalling writing. Moreover, there is a difference between presenting taboo stuff like rare kinks and nonconsent with care, genuine understanding and steadfast commitment and tossing one gratuitous thing on top of another for shock value.
I’m sorry to say most of the included stories lean far more toward the shock and gross-out factor. They’re the equivalent of sulky teens being all contrarian for contrarianism’s sake. My message to those authors would be—just because you’re edgy on the outside doesn’t magically make you revolutionary, nor your fiction stellar. Focus more on the characters’ chemistry and motivations and less on mind-blowing kinks.
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake
The first story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In quite a nice touch, it is Belle, here named Beatrice, who is the jerk. A pampered daughter of a wealthy merchant, she regularly abuses her servants, to the point they nickname her Beatrice the Beastly. After banishing an old Romani woman from her father’s estate, Beatrice earns herself the older woman’s curse—she won’t find either love or happiness without painful submission.
Rhys is a prince whose father arranges for him to marry Beatrice. However, Rhys wants to make sure his betrothed’s temperament suits him before agreeing to the match, so he disguises himself as a stable master in her father’s employ. He catches up to Beatrice as she’s out on a horse ride, then strips her, spanks her, humiliates her and makes her orgasm before sending her home.
That night, Rhys climbs to her balcony to have sex with her. The rest of the story progresses much as you’d expect—Rhys subjugates and tames Beatrice until she accepts her submission. Needless to say, there is a dubious consent element here that the twist ending all but nullifies.
Narratively, this tale resembles The Taming of the Shrew far more than any of the Beauty and the Beast versions you and I are familiar with. It’s all about a man who wants to bring a spirited woman to heel. Why he even seeks out a stubborn, feisty wife in the first place if his ultimate goal is to break her will is beyond me, but okay. Beautifully Primal isn’t especially well-written, but it’s more than serviceable for readers with a submission kink.
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley
The title says it all—a Sleeping Beauty retelling. It’s significantly darker than the first story, far more rapey. If The Taming of the Shrew is the spiritual cousin of the first story, then The Handmaid’s Tale is definitely this one’s.
Briar Rose lives in a broken world ruled by the despotic Maleficent, a powerful overlord who regularly adds women to his already sizeable harem. But, before the women are taken to him, they must first be broken by their trainers.
In a truly disturbing scene, dozens of naked women are ushered into a room where their individual trainers introduce themselves by shoving their penises in their mouths. There are slaps, beatings, oral rapes, crying and pleading all over, but Briar Rose tunes out all the sounds by focusing on her trainer. She doesn’t resist him and thus escapes physical punishment.
Her trainer, Prince, is revealed to have once been a resistance fighter who infiltrated Maleficent’s ranks to overthrow him from the inside. After realising the tyrant was simply too powerful, Prince embraced the darkness within, continuing to act as part of a system that sees him regularly torturing, raping and murdering women. Lovely…
It’s Prince’s duty to break the women he’s put in charge of, but Briar Rose is already so broken, she barely responds to his abusive treatment, dutifully participating in the violence and humiliation he subjects her to. What finally breaks her is when he urinates on her. Her reaction instantly transforms Prince from a tormentor itching to make her cry to a repentant man who wants nothing more than to protect her.
The next morning, Briar Rose is to be brought to Maleficent. Prince is conflicted and promptly decides to fight for her. Pretending to kill her, Prince leaves Maleficent’s compound with Briar’s lifeless body and takes her to one of the resistance shelters, vowing to resume his fight against the dictator and rescue all the sex slaves, the end.
Well, this one was pretty much unreadable. An unlikeable hero, a passive heroine and a bunch of sex slaves getting their anuses impaled on dildos nailed to a bench… A bench that was actually designed by our supposed hero… Lovely…
Look, I’ve got nothing against torture-porn erotica, but this was 2% porn and 98% torture. And very poorly-written, to boot.
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black
Ella, our present-day Cinderella, has pretty much the same life as her folktale counterpart—she’s little more than an indentured servant to her stepfamily. Despite their cruelty, Ella goes on obeying them for years, making her something of an ideal submissive. Her one joy in life is the upcoming concert of rock star Zainon.
Zainon is… Not the best dom representation in the world. At the backstage after-party, he hosts an orgy that Ella attends. She finds his brutalities arousing, he tests her commitment by parading her around the party naked and then pissing on her to mark her as his, the end.
In many respects, Saving Ella somehow manages to simultaneously be both super tame and unnecessarily cruel. It isn’t too engaging and mostly drags, but I’m sure readers with a pain and/or humiliation kink would love it.
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red by Maggie Ryan
I’m not terribly familiar with ageplay, nor does it sound enticing to me. Hence, I found the whole Daddy-taking-care-of-his-little-girl-dressed-in-child’s-clothing thing… Eh… Unappealing. But hey, if that’s your thing, go for it, no judgements here.
This was actually one of the better-written novellas. The dialogue was cringey as all hell, but at least the descriptions were decent. I also appreciated that it featured a couple already in a relationship who knew each other’s preferences and were already prepared for an intense night.
The BDSM elements still felt a bit too exaggerated. Less is more indeed, so cramming every single fetish under the sun into a single intense evening feels not only superfluous, but also counterproductive. At some point, the shocking edginess loses its, well, edge, and piling more on top only serves to further dull the already desensitised reader’s experience. I reckon the lesson here is—there’s only so much you can cram into one sex scene before I start yawning.
Goldi in Chains by Maren Smith
Goldi is a sassy burglar with a no-nonsense attitude. Her new assignment has her venturing deep into the woods to a secluded cottage where she’s to steal a ledger. What she doesn’t realise is that the house belongs to three were-bears. They shift into men before Goldi’s eyes and, as punishment for the break-in, tie her up in their dungeon that’s better-equipped than most sex shops.
Despite a rocky start, I really enjoyed this little novella. It’s got consensual nonconsent, spanking, flogging, roleplay, you name it. Better yet, the author knows when to pull the plug—no pun intended—and let the scene fade to black, leaving the rest to our imagination. She knows not to inundate the reader with too much all at once and leave them desensitised.
Furthermore, I really liked the dynamic of the three shifters and their submissive. Very early on, it becomes clear that these are four people who know one another through and through. Their interactions allow for quite a bit of humour and levity. The whole experience of reading this story boiled down to alternating between humming in appreciation and chuckling at the leads’ chemistry—in my book, precisely what erotica is supposed to accomplish.
The Tower by Jennifer Bene
I won’t spoil the rest of the story, since it’s so deliciously dark, intriguing and unputdownable that it’d be a shame to divulge all the details. I’ll warn you, though—if you’re not into ravishment fantasies, Lima and Stockholm, or affection blooming amid abuse, this novella isn’t for you.
While some of the dialogue is a bit heavy-handed, The Tower is by far the best-written of the tales. It offers readers a captivating psychological mystery, complete with fucked-up characters. And that’s generally what I’m looking for when it comes to erotica—I need it to be a narrative first and porn second.
Furthermore, it’s genuinely shocking how much narrative mileage this story gets from a novella-length tale. I wouldn’t say it’s on par with something like Basic Instinct, but it’s still worth checking out if suspenseful erotic fiction is your thing. Will definitely be reading Jennifer Bene in the future.
I skipped the final fairy tale in this anthology solely because it’s by Addison Cain. I’ve never read any of her works and I never will, because I’ve heard of her practices and find them… Unethical, in brief.
It goes without saying that the following is just my subjective opinion. If asked to rank the novellas from best to worst, that list might look something like this:
1. The Tower 5★
2. Beautifully Primal 4.5★
3. Goldi in Chains 3.5★
4. Saving Ella 2★
5. Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red 1.5★
6. Sleep, My Beauty 1★
All in all, I got far more than I expected out of this collection. I won’t pretend my expectations were high, but some of the stories still managed to pleasantly surprise me.
Despite Goodreads, the blurb and the publisher constantly warning me about the twisted darkness of this anthology, the included stories are, for the most part, curiously tame, The Tower really being the only one to plunge into dark erotica without reserve. Most of the rest seem too scared to fully commit to the taboo stuff, often copping out by revealing everything unsavoury to have been part of a dream sequence or consensual all along.
It takes a singular kind of confidence to actually dive into dark erotic romance and no small amount of writing talent to successfully pull it off. Speaking of talent, most of the novellas feature mediocre, some even appalling writing. Moreover, there is a difference between presenting taboo stuff like rare kinks and nonconsent with care, genuine understanding and steadfast commitment and tossing one gratuitous thing on top of another for shock value.
I’m sorry to say most of the included stories lean far more toward the shock and gross-out factor. They’re the equivalent of sulky teens being all contrarian for contrarianism’s sake. My message to those authors would be—just because you’re edgy on the outside doesn’t magically make you revolutionary, nor your fiction stellar. Focus more on the characters’ chemistry and motivations and less on mind-blowing kinks.
January 24, 2017
This is one super HOT HOT HOT collection of stories! Do you like dark? Do you like things that go bump in the night? Hang on because each story is just a bit darker than the previous one and is going to leave you breathless! Very well worth the wait and worth the read.
Zoe Blake started this collection off with a Beauty and the Beast story. I found this as a wonderful start to the collection. Beatrice is going to be married off by her father and she is furious. Rhys wants to meet her bride-to-be to see what she is really like and he finds her defiant. The development of these characters is fun and I think this was a good choice as a starting story.
Alta Hensley kicked off the next story with a much darker Sleeping Beauty story.I really enjoyed this story, as Brair gives herself to Maleficent and goes into training as a sex slave. She meets her trainer Prince and he is confused why she isn't fighting. It brings feelings back to him and he wants to save her. A very nice, very dark story that was a fully enjoyable read. I wouldn't mind this story continuing on!
Tabatha Black kicked off the next story with a darker Cinderella story. This is a cool rock story, Ella sneaks off to a rock concert and meets Zainon Matthews, rock god. She gets invited to the after party and will do anything to be with Zainon. I like the way the story develops and Ms Black does a good job of making the characters seem real.
Maggie Ryan was next with a dark Little Red Riding Hood. This was an enjoyable read as Regina Redd goes on a journey to atone for some of her naughtiness. This has some nice spanking scenes, some CNC and is a steamy story.
Next up was Maren Smith with a Goldilocks story. I actually really enjoyed this story until the very end, the last twist was a bit disappointing for me for this Dark Forest collection. Perhaps this should have been the first or second story in the collection. This is a super hot read with a wonderfully hot menage focus.
Jennifer Bene had probably the darkest story of the series in her Rapunzel tale. This was a fabulously dark non-con story about Rebecca who is raped and kidnapped by someone who wants to destroy her father by destroying her. The author does a fabulous job of bringing the reader through the story, with a twist at the end I never saw coming. 5 huge stars!!
Addison Cain finished up this collection with a wickedly dark, almost horror, story about Alice in Wonderland. This is a perfect closing story to this Dark Forest series as the reader is brought through the wild and very twisted tale. Alice is tormented by beings and is rejected by her parents, her nanny and committed to a psyche hospital, her only friend becomes one of these beings. This story lives up to the name of the series Dark Forest and is another solid 5 star read.
Zoe Blake started this collection off with a Beauty and the Beast story. I found this as a wonderful start to the collection. Beatrice is going to be married off by her father and she is furious. Rhys wants to meet her bride-to-be to see what she is really like and he finds her defiant. The development of these characters is fun and I think this was a good choice as a starting story.
Alta Hensley kicked off the next story with a much darker Sleeping Beauty story.I really enjoyed this story, as Brair gives herself to Maleficent and goes into training as a sex slave. She meets her trainer Prince and he is confused why she isn't fighting. It brings feelings back to him and he wants to save her. A very nice, very dark story that was a fully enjoyable read. I wouldn't mind this story continuing on!
Tabatha Black kicked off the next story with a darker Cinderella story. This is a cool rock story, Ella sneaks off to a rock concert and meets Zainon Matthews, rock god. She gets invited to the after party and will do anything to be with Zainon. I like the way the story develops and Ms Black does a good job of making the characters seem real.
Maggie Ryan was next with a dark Little Red Riding Hood. This was an enjoyable read as Regina Redd goes on a journey to atone for some of her naughtiness. This has some nice spanking scenes, some CNC and is a steamy story.
Next up was Maren Smith with a Goldilocks story. I actually really enjoyed this story until the very end, the last twist was a bit disappointing for me for this Dark Forest collection. Perhaps this should have been the first or second story in the collection. This is a super hot read with a wonderfully hot menage focus.
Jennifer Bene had probably the darkest story of the series in her Rapunzel tale. This was a fabulously dark non-con story about Rebecca who is raped and kidnapped by someone who wants to destroy her father by destroying her. The author does a fabulous job of bringing the reader through the story, with a twist at the end I never saw coming. 5 huge stars!!
Addison Cain finished up this collection with a wickedly dark, almost horror, story about Alice in Wonderland. This is a perfect closing story to this Dark Forest series as the reader is brought through the wild and very twisted tale. Alice is tormented by beings and is rejected by her parents, her nanny and committed to a psyche hospital, her only friend becomes one of these beings. This story lives up to the name of the series Dark Forest and is another solid 5 star read.
May 3, 2017
Yeah.....no..
I expected so much from from this compilation and I ended up not caring very much for it. It even had a few authors that I'd been meaning to check out. The writing itself was fantastic but I found myself skimming several scenes. I'll just go story by story.
Beautifully Primal
I liked this Beauty and the Beast spin until **avert your eyes from spoiler** the princess (yeah, so what, I forgot her name) woke up. I hate dream sequence stories. I may try something else by this author.
Sleep My Beauty
I liked Alta Hensley's dystopian take on Sleeping Beauty..until the end. **Hide your eyes again.** What the AF was that ending?!! Did The Resistance go back and fight? Did Maleficent's Army find out what really happened and come after them? Ugh. Terrible ending. Love some Alta but this just sucked.
Saving Ella
Cute Cinderella story golden shower and all. But there's always a but with me. I wish that dink of a stepbrother and that stepmother died or got arrested or some sort of comeuppance. Also how was Ella such a toughguy when getting a totally not-hot paddling from the dink SB but was all sweet and dainty with the rock dude? Yeah I forgot his name too. And strangely I want to know what Anastasia and that skank Anna from the groupie van felt. I'll never find out cause the story just ended.
Mr Wolffe's Little Red
No description needed since I cannot insert the sound of me gagging and retching into my review. I just started getting into age play romance. Thank Christ this wasn't the first of the genre that I've read because I'd never ever read another one. Granny Grimm and enema administration have no place in literature. Off to vomit again.
Goldi in Chains
Hated it.
Goldi? No redeeming qualities.
Werebears? Wish they'd mauled Goldi to death then got captured and sold to the circus. The sex wasn't hot. The scene was so busy and convoluted I couldn't follow along. Zero stars.
The Tower
The ONLY great story in the entire book. Dub/Non-con is my type of romance. This story had a great plot with well developed characters and easily could have been a full novel. I liked this story so much that as soon as I'm done with this review, I'm downloading a real Jennifer Bene book.
Nightmares in Wonderland
I generally like to have my mind blown with a book. This did just that but not all the way in a good way. I don't know what to say because I'm still cocking my head like my dog asking what the hell did I just read. This book has been effing with my mind since I finished it at 2am.
I expected so much from from this compilation and I ended up not caring very much for it. It even had a few authors that I'd been meaning to check out. The writing itself was fantastic but I found myself skimming several scenes. I'll just go story by story.
Beautifully Primal
I liked this Beauty and the Beast spin until **avert your eyes from spoiler** the princess (yeah, so what, I forgot her name) woke up. I hate dream sequence stories. I may try something else by this author.
Sleep My Beauty
I liked Alta Hensley's dystopian take on Sleeping Beauty..until the end. **Hide your eyes again.** What the AF was that ending?!! Did The Resistance go back and fight? Did Maleficent's Army find out what really happened and come after them? Ugh. Terrible ending. Love some Alta but this just sucked.
Saving Ella
Cute Cinderella story golden shower and all. But there's always a but with me. I wish that dink of a stepbrother and that stepmother died or got arrested or some sort of comeuppance. Also how was Ella such a toughguy when getting a totally not-hot paddling from the dink SB but was all sweet and dainty with the rock dude? Yeah I forgot his name too. And strangely I want to know what Anastasia and that skank Anna from the groupie van felt. I'll never find out cause the story just ended.
Mr Wolffe's Little Red
No description needed since I cannot insert the sound of me gagging and retching into my review. I just started getting into age play romance. Thank Christ this wasn't the first of the genre that I've read because I'd never ever read another one. Granny Grimm and enema administration have no place in literature. Off to vomit again.
Goldi in Chains
Hated it.
Goldi? No redeeming qualities.
Werebears? Wish they'd mauled Goldi to death then got captured and sold to the circus. The sex wasn't hot. The scene was so busy and convoluted I couldn't follow along. Zero stars.
The Tower
The ONLY great story in the entire book. Dub/Non-con is my type of romance. This story had a great plot with well developed characters and easily could have been a full novel. I liked this story so much that as soon as I'm done with this review, I'm downloading a real Jennifer Bene book.
Nightmares in Wonderland
I generally like to have my mind blown with a book. This did just that but not all the way in a good way. I don't know what to say because I'm still cocking my head like my dog asking what the hell did I just read. This book has been effing with my mind since I finished it at 2am.
January 27, 2017
Beautifully Primal Zoe Blake
Meet Beatrice, a perfumer and her father that decides it is time she should get married. He has completed a marriage contract with the King of Dessin Anime on behalf of his son Prince Jeanne-Marious de Rhysmont. A stranger comes to her rescue after she is thrown from her horse.
Sleep my Beauty Alta Hensley
Briar was under 25 and the Maleficient Army was coming for all women under 25. Her friends Ruth, Jane and Anna each
took a knife and made a slice into the area of the shoulder blade each imparting gifts of courage, endurance, and submission.
Saving Ella Tabitha Black
Ella is given more chores than she can complete. When she doesn't complete within an impossible time limit she is disciplined by her step brother Nathan. Her father died and she is left with her stepmother. Ella goes on a blind date and her life is never the same again.
Mr. Wolfe's Little Red Maggie Ryan
Regina is in trouble with her daddy and Master Wolfe. She arrives at the location per the invitation she received. She loads her basket with items and takes them to Granny Grimm. She later unites with her Daddy and Master Wolfe.
Goldi in Chains Maren Smith
Goldi is to break in and steal a ledger for her customer and is to receive $2000.00. She thinks she is alone and breaks in the backdoor. She is caught by 3 werebears that shift into their
human form. She won't want to steal again. She finds her thefts has put her in a very dangerous situation. There is a big twist at the end.
The Tower Jennifer Bene
Rebecca has long blond hair and she lives in the Tower condo. She is kidnapped, drugged and then raped. She has been kidnapped because of the sins of her father. She has been lied to her whole life. Who could this abductor be?
Nightmares in Wonderland Addison Cain
Alice starts to have problems when she is given a rabbit that starts with her attacks by mysterious and scary friends. She is the only one that can see them. She continues to see them unable to sleep, and unable to eat.. Her parents turn her over to a doctor that has an asylum where she is supposed to be cured of hysterics.
Meet Beatrice, a perfumer and her father that decides it is time she should get married. He has completed a marriage contract with the King of Dessin Anime on behalf of his son Prince Jeanne-Marious de Rhysmont. A stranger comes to her rescue after she is thrown from her horse.
Sleep my Beauty Alta Hensley
Briar was under 25 and the Maleficient Army was coming for all women under 25. Her friends Ruth, Jane and Anna each
took a knife and made a slice into the area of the shoulder blade each imparting gifts of courage, endurance, and submission.
Saving Ella Tabitha Black
Ella is given more chores than she can complete. When she doesn't complete within an impossible time limit she is disciplined by her step brother Nathan. Her father died and she is left with her stepmother. Ella goes on a blind date and her life is never the same again.
Mr. Wolfe's Little Red Maggie Ryan
Regina is in trouble with her daddy and Master Wolfe. She arrives at the location per the invitation she received. She loads her basket with items and takes them to Granny Grimm. She later unites with her Daddy and Master Wolfe.
Goldi in Chains Maren Smith
Goldi is to break in and steal a ledger for her customer and is to receive $2000.00. She thinks she is alone and breaks in the backdoor. She is caught by 3 werebears that shift into their
human form. She won't want to steal again. She finds her thefts has put her in a very dangerous situation. There is a big twist at the end.
The Tower Jennifer Bene
Rebecca has long blond hair and she lives in the Tower condo. She is kidnapped, drugged and then raped. She has been kidnapped because of the sins of her father. She has been lied to her whole life. Who could this abductor be?
Nightmares in Wonderland Addison Cain
Alice starts to have problems when she is given a rabbit that starts with her attacks by mysterious and scary friends. She is the only one that can see them. She continues to see them unable to sleep, and unable to eat.. Her parents turn her over to a doctor that has an asylum where she is supposed to be cured of hysterics.
June 5, 2018
I have been looking forward tot his book since I heard about it. 7 dark and twisted fairytales by some great writers, what is not to love.
Absolutely loved A Beauty and the Beast tale by Zoe Blake. The story start with a beautiful poems which sets the mood. Bea makes perfums and I loved how Bea analyses all the smells around her. It works great for this story. It was also a very sexy read.
A Sleeping Beauty story by Alta Hensley was a really short story. I think I would have liked a few more chapters on the Beauties and what they had to go through. This story was very dark. Loved the charcaters though.
A Cinderella tale by Tabitha Black. What I loved about this story is how the Prince in the story is now a musician with a very dark kinky side. And when Ella went for what she wanted and was able to make her own choice.
A Little Red Riding Hood story by Maggie Ryan. I had a good laugh about the waxseal in the shape of an ass and I loved the walk in the wood. I am not a huge fan of age play, but it worked in the story and Red went into adult mode in the end. There was also a lot of love in this story and some very good spanking scenes.
A Goldilocks story by Maren Smith. If you like shifters and menages then this is the story for you. Marien Smith writes amazing BDSM stories and this is no exeption. And there is also a lot of humor in this story.
A Rapunzel story by Jennifer Bene. This is one dark, twisted story. If non con is a trigger for you then don’t read this story. If you like a dark prince who is bend on breaking the princess then you should dive right in. It is a well written captive story with a lot of raw sex. And with a strong heroine. And by the end you will come to the conclusion that Rapunzel did get saved.
An Alice in Wonderland tale by Addison Cain. I have to say that this was the least of the stories for me. It was dark, but I found it more a horror story then anything else. Also sad and weird.
Absolutely loved A Beauty and the Beast tale by Zoe Blake. The story start with a beautiful poems which sets the mood. Bea makes perfums and I loved how Bea analyses all the smells around her. It works great for this story. It was also a very sexy read.
A Sleeping Beauty story by Alta Hensley was a really short story. I think I would have liked a few more chapters on the Beauties and what they had to go through. This story was very dark. Loved the charcaters though.
A Cinderella tale by Tabitha Black. What I loved about this story is how the Prince in the story is now a musician with a very dark kinky side. And when Ella went for what she wanted and was able to make her own choice.
A Little Red Riding Hood story by Maggie Ryan. I had a good laugh about the waxseal in the shape of an ass and I loved the walk in the wood. I am not a huge fan of age play, but it worked in the story and Red went into adult mode in the end. There was also a lot of love in this story and some very good spanking scenes.
A Goldilocks story by Maren Smith. If you like shifters and menages then this is the story for you. Marien Smith writes amazing BDSM stories and this is no exeption. And there is also a lot of humor in this story.
A Rapunzel story by Jennifer Bene. This is one dark, twisted story. If non con is a trigger for you then don’t read this story. If you like a dark prince who is bend on breaking the princess then you should dive right in. It is a well written captive story with a lot of raw sex. And with a strong heroine. And by the end you will come to the conclusion that Rapunzel did get saved.
An Alice in Wonderland tale by Addison Cain. I have to say that this was the least of the stories for me. It was dark, but I found it more a horror story then anything else. Also sad and weird.
February 18, 2017
Very well written stories that will leave your bottom throbbing and perhaps a wet stain on your bed sheets. I like that these stories are novella length b/c some of the scenes in the stories are very intense. I had 'phantom' bottom pains with some. LOL A few of the authors were first time reads for me and novella was a good starter.
*** 5 Spanks ***
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake - I have read everything that Zoe Blake has written and this did not disappoint. I loved the characters Rhys and Beatrice. Nothings beats a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast with the added twist of kink.
***4 Spanks***
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley - This was a short from Alta Hensley of the re-telling of Sleeping Beauty
**4 Spanks***
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black - I enjoyed this rendition of Cinderella. This is my first time reading a story from Tabitha Black. I will be reading more of her works.
**4.5 Spanks**
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red by Maggie Ryan - I like age play with my kink. There are so many versions of Little Red Riding Hood re-written but this is a first Maggie Ryan read for me and I really enjoyed it.
**4 Spanks**
Goldi In Chains by Maren Smith - This was not your typical Goldilocks and The Three Bears this was Goldi and the Three Were-Bears and kink. I enjoyed this one too.
**4.5 Spanks**
The Tower by Jennifer Bene - Dark version of Rapunzel. This was a good one too.
**4 Screams**
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain - Perhaps the darkest of the shorts.
*** 5 Spanks ***
Beautifully Primal by Zoe Blake - I have read everything that Zoe Blake has written and this did not disappoint. I loved the characters Rhys and Beatrice. Nothings beats a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast with the added twist of kink.
***4 Spanks***
Sleep, My Beauty by Alta Hensley - This was a short from Alta Hensley of the re-telling of Sleeping Beauty
**4 Spanks***
Saving Ella by Tabitha Black - I enjoyed this rendition of Cinderella. This is my first time reading a story from Tabitha Black. I will be reading more of her works.
**4.5 Spanks**
Mr. Wolffe’s Little Red by Maggie Ryan - I like age play with my kink. There are so many versions of Little Red Riding Hood re-written but this is a first Maggie Ryan read for me and I really enjoyed it.
**4 Spanks**
Goldi In Chains by Maren Smith - This was not your typical Goldilocks and The Three Bears this was Goldi and the Three Were-Bears and kink. I enjoyed this one too.
**4.5 Spanks**
The Tower by Jennifer Bene - Dark version of Rapunzel. This was a good one too.
**4 Screams**
Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain - Perhaps the darkest of the shorts.
January 21, 2018
Original take on classics. Amazing!
Zoe Blake's take on beauty n the beast was refreshing! The girl being the 'beast' was definitely a new turn and the curse she was in was a pretty good one if u ask me haha. It was a great little read
Alta hensley's sleeping beauty was also original. The ending seemed very quick though and felt like it was cut in the middle of the story. Hoping therell be more to this in the future?
Tabitha Black's rendition of Cinderella was.. Wow. Not sure how I felt about it. I liked where she was going with it but the spanking seemed so abrupt and the main focus that its as if that's what bdsm was all about. I liked the idea but feel it could of been better in a slightly different path
For the little red riding hood by Maggie ryan, i loved how the road to punishment shows the dynamics of the submissive and the dominant. The surrender and the care. The beginning was over descriptive in my opinion but that's just me nitpicking.
Maren Smith's version of goldilocks was straight to the point haha. It involved three male shifters although not much shifting involved except in the very beginning. Goldi punished and then learned how much she loved it lol
Jennifer Benes Rapunzel story. Wow.. Seemed like a complete story. Full plot and twist and absolutely loved the ending with Adam never breaking character. Loved it.
Nightmare in wonderland by Addison cain.. True to its title, this was soo Hauntingly good. Saved the best for last
Zoe Blake's take on beauty n the beast was refreshing! The girl being the 'beast' was definitely a new turn and the curse she was in was a pretty good one if u ask me haha. It was a great little read
Alta hensley's sleeping beauty was also original. The ending seemed very quick though and felt like it was cut in the middle of the story. Hoping therell be more to this in the future?
Tabitha Black's rendition of Cinderella was.. Wow. Not sure how I felt about it. I liked where she was going with it but the spanking seemed so abrupt and the main focus that its as if that's what bdsm was all about. I liked the idea but feel it could of been better in a slightly different path
For the little red riding hood by Maggie ryan, i loved how the road to punishment shows the dynamics of the submissive and the dominant. The surrender and the care. The beginning was over descriptive in my opinion but that's just me nitpicking.
Maren Smith's version of goldilocks was straight to the point haha. It involved three male shifters although not much shifting involved except in the very beginning. Goldi punished and then learned how much she loved it lol
Jennifer Benes Rapunzel story. Wow.. Seemed like a complete story. Full plot and twist and absolutely loved the ending with Adam never breaking character. Loved it.
Nightmare in wonderland by Addison cain.. True to its title, this was soo Hauntingly good. Saved the best for last
June 20, 2017
Anthologies are a mixed bag. Always on the hunt for new authors to read, this collection offered just the chance. It was a nice distraction for a rainy day, but some authors just jive with the psyche, and Nightmares in Wonderland by Addison Cain punched all of those buttons for me. Is it possible to be so enamored with an author's writing that your tastes and preferences start altering slowly bit by bit? The imagery of the Mad Hatter as a spider short-circuited this admittedly arachnophobic reader, but it was an aptly creepy description that fit with the sensual, disparate tale. The levels in which Alice was pushed to was not something I usually read about, but faithful reading led to a delightfully twisted tale. I enjoy the author's archetypes for her characters and while the Mad Hatter is not by any means a good person, the ending is satisfying. I'm thankful to have read the story and it is the most memorable in the collection.
July 11, 2018
Beautifully Primal-Zoe Blake
I loved the hero in this story, and how he knew the way to Beatrice's heart and mind.
Sleep, My Beauty-Alta Hensley
This post-apocalyptic story story was an interesting twist. I'd love to read more about this one.
Saving Ella-Tabitha Black
Ella has earned herself a night on the town, and goes to a concert of her favorite singer and gets more than she ever hoped for.
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red-Maggie Ryan
Mr. Wolffe is very good at planning scavenger hunts for his Little Red.
Goldi in Chains-Maren Smith
Oh, this was was a doozy. I loved this story!
The Tower-Jennifer Bene
I loved this story about Rebecca and the ordeal she went through to learn about her family.
Nightmares in Wonderland-Addison Cain
This book was a twisted little story that was a creepy delight to read. I had so many questions, but it was spooky and a little like a scary story to read in the dark.
I loved the hero in this story, and how he knew the way to Beatrice's heart and mind.
Sleep, My Beauty-Alta Hensley
This post-apocalyptic story story was an interesting twist. I'd love to read more about this one.
Saving Ella-Tabitha Black
Ella has earned herself a night on the town, and goes to a concert of her favorite singer and gets more than she ever hoped for.
Mr. Wolffe's Little Red-Maggie Ryan
Mr. Wolffe is very good at planning scavenger hunts for his Little Red.
Goldi in Chains-Maren Smith
Oh, this was was a doozy. I loved this story!
The Tower-Jennifer Bene
I loved this story about Rebecca and the ordeal she went through to learn about her family.
Nightmares in Wonderland-Addison Cain
This book was a twisted little story that was a creepy delight to read. I had so many questions, but it was spooky and a little like a scary story to read in the dark.
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