Timeless Fairy Tales: Books 1-3: Beauty and the Beast, Wild Swans, Cinderella and the Colonel

Timeless Fairy Tales #1-3

by K.M. Shea

A lonely beast, an impossible task, and one pair of glass slippers. Three timeless tales retold.

Read the first three books of this bestselling series of fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, the Wild Swans, and Cinderella and the Colonel in this special boxset.

Book 1: Beauty and the Beast
Once upon a time Elle made a mistake. A miscalculation sends her through the roof of an enchanted chateau owned by the exiled Prince Severin. Cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him, Severin has given up all hope of shattering the spell. But Elle is stranded until her broken leg mends, and the pair can’t seem to avoid each other thanks to the meddling servants. Eventually Elle’s playful manners and Severin’s hidden gentleness draw the pair together.

But not all love stories can end that easily. After all, Elle is not what she seems, and when she risks everything to save Severin, will he be able to forgive her lies?

Book 2: The Wild Swans
Elise is no hero. As the foster-daughter of the royal family of Arcainia she is content to indulge her love of numbers and play the part of the perfect princess foil to the seven princes who are her foster-brothers. But when her wicked stepmother curses the princes and turns them into swans there is only one person who can save Elise. She must knit seven shirts of stinging nettles, one for each brother. And even though the pain is excruciating, she can’t speak a word.

With famine and war looming in their homeland, if Elise doesn’t finish this task the country and the princes will be lost forever. Is her love enough to save them all?

Book 3: Cinderella and the Colonel
Cinderella may be a duchess, but her life is in tatters. Orphaned, destitute, and living in a country recovering from a hostile takeover, she is desperate to save her lands and servants.
Unfortunately, her sacrifices aren’t enough, and she is given one season to pay off her debts. All seems lost, until she is befriended by the debonair Colonel Friedrich—a citizen of the oppressing country that now rules her homeland.

Though Friedrich shamelessly flirts with her, Cinderella wonders if he is more than he appears to be. What if together they could unite their lands against the bitterness and resentment that threatens to destroy them?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retellings, Clean Romance, Magic

785 pages, ebook

Published April 3, 2018

About the author

My pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.

I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!

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Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the first book was a downer, I thoroughly enjoyed the other two and am excited to read the rest of this series! These were also super fun to discuss with my mom as we buddy read all three together. ☺️


🌹Beauty and the Beast—2 Stars🌹

I don’t normally like Beauty and the Beast retellings (there are exceptions, of course), so I wasn’t thrilled that this was the first book, but I decided to give it a shot anyways because I enjoy other books by this author.

Needless to say this isn’t one of them.

It started off kinda slow but with enough intriguing bits that made me keep going, even though the plot is just random events that happen with no context or meaning beyond pushing the characters together romantically. Overall not great, but it was fine enough that I was leaning towards a 3 star rating until I reached the last three chapters.

Oh, my gosh, those three chapters made me SO TICKED!!! I got whiplash at least four times, events happened for no reason, people got mad at each other for no reason then weren’t in the next chapter without explanation, and the ending was so abrupt it made my head spin. Just WHAT?!?! Needless to say that’s how this book got dropped to a 2 star rating and made me so mad I got into a reading slump for two days.

I’m still continuing with the series as I LOVE other books by this author, but certainly not this one. If you don’t like B&TB retellings then I’d suggest skipping this one, and if you do, maybe check out reviews from others who love this book. Because I sadly didn’t.


‼️Content‼️

Language: danged

Violence: a girl falls through a glass roof and breaks her leg; injuries and blood (not detailed); a boy mocks a girl and throws a rock at her; a crutch is thrown at a boy and knocks him out of a tree; an evil witch wants to cut out a girl’s heart and eat it; a character kills an evil witch; assassins try to kill a character

Sexual: a kiss (not detailed)

Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol

Other: magic; a character is cursed to look like a beast; a character is illegitimate



🦢The Wild Swans—4 Stars 🦢

After reading Beauty and the Beast (and, um, not really liking it 😬) I was a bit skeptical of how I would like this one even though The Princess and the Pea had restored a little of my faith in the series.

However. This book has a love triangle. And we all know how much I ADORE those. 😒🙄

So naturally I really liked this book. 😆

The love triangle is actually hardly there at all—I know, SHOCKER, Elise was actually more concerned with breaking the curse and rescuing her kingdom rather than mooning over two boys. THE MATURITY PEOPLE!!!! It was amazing! Also the author literally allows you to choose through the epilogues at the end which guy you want Elise to end up with. I know the author got a lot of backlash for how “lazy” this was, but honestly I thought it was creative and even nice to those who maybe wanted Elise with the other guy. While one IS more suited personality and interest wise (I’m not gonna say who) I originally wanted her with the other guy until my mom (who I was buddy reading this book with) and I discussed it and I realized, yeah, Elise would actually work better with the other guy then the one I wanted to choose. 😆

Love triangle aside, Elise’s character growth is AMAZING. She goes through so much and finds her worth and value in herself and in her family without having to be perfect all the time, and it just blew me away by how WELL her arc was handled and done to the point where I was cheering for her wholeheartedly by the end even though at the beginning I found her rather stiff. All seven brothers have arcs too, and I loved how much closer the siblings grew together through all their various hardships.

From what I remember of the original tale this retelling is very close while also taking liberties to flesh things out (as all good fairy tale retellings do). The climax did feel a tiny bit of “that’s it?” in defeating the villain, HOWEVER I was able to overlook it due to just seeing how far Elise had come in that, yes it was an “easy win” but she never would have been able to defeat them at the beginning and therefore her new strength was what kept the climax from falling completely flat.

I enjoyed this book WAY more than I thought I would—my faith in this series has been restored! Hopefully all the other books are just as good or better than this one!


‼️Content‼️

Language: what the; gee

Violence: a hunter nearly shoots a swan; a girl throws rocks at a hunter; a man grabs a girl by the wrist and throws her over his shoulder (she gets away); a character is tied to a stake and nearly burned to death; a character fights soldiers; a character is killed by magic and their face boils before they turn to ash (not detailed)

Sexual: kissing (not detailed)

Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol at meals

Other: magic; enchanters; magical abilities, objects, and creatures; characters are cursed into swans



👠Cinderella and the Colonel—4 Stars👠

This is the most unique retelling of Cinderella I’ve ever read! Rather than making Cinderella poor and a mistreated servant, she’s actually a Duchess of an in debt estate due to a war where her country was conquered by another and she really dislikes them for it (understandably). So already with this new take the story starts out WAY differently then your normal Cinderella tale which also takes things a step further by making her Prince Charming a colonel that at first she wants nothing to do with, lol.

I loved Cinderella and Friedrich and seeing their relationship move from irritating each other to friendship to more was so well done and flowed so naturally I was almost as surprised as Cinderella by the change (but not really, lol 😆). Cinderella herself goes through such a change and while she still has the kindness she’s so well known for, she also has a more fiery and sometimes even petty side that makes her an entirely different yet familiar character all at once. And under all his charm Friedrich is such a sweetheart and I love him for it. 🥰

So far this is my favorite in the series, and I can’t wait to continue!


‼️Content‼️

Language: darn it; darned

Violence: arrows are shot at characters; characters are chased and attacked by assassins; a character kills an assassin (not shown); a mage captures a woman and tries to choke her; an arrow hits a guy’s shoulder; fighting with magic and farm tools as weapons; a girl slaps a guy

Sexual: mild suggestive hints/comments; kissing (not detailed)

Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol

Other: magic; mages, enchanters, a fairy godmother, and magicians; magical objects and powers; death


[Read as one of my 2023 Specific New Books to Read goal]

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless Fairy Tales: Books 1–3 by K. M. Shea – This was on sale, but my reviews for the individual books are posted! I LOVE this series, so I encourage you to snap up the series or check it out on kindle unlimited! Happy Reading!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a compilation of three stories- Beauty and the Beast (which I have reviewed previously), Wild Swan, and Cinderella and the Colonel. All three stories are retellings of classic fairy tales. I'm skipping the review on Beauty and the Beast since I've already written one.

Wild Swans was interesting, a retelling of a less known fairy tale about a princess who must save her 7 brothers by sewing nettle shirts for them. But I felt the pacing of the story was off. There were paragraphs at the beginning that would span months and jump forward in time suddenly. Also, I didn't buy the romance. It felt more like "these are my two choices, I guess I'll pick one." Though the author didn't seem to want to choose either since she gave two alternate endings with the main character choosing each of the love interests. It felt like a cop-out. Both endings work because the story didn't lean into either love strongly.

Cinderella and the Colonel is definitely the strongest story out of the three. It follows Cinderella, a poor noble lady trying to save her property by working beside her servants, selling goods in the local market, and learning about farming. Cinderella was very likable and relatable; not because I own an estate but because she cared for people and took her responsibility for her servants seriously. The love story side was a nice slow burn, with the Colonel worming his way into her life slowly but surely. It was a great new take on the classic tale.

All three stories take place in the same world. The connections and references are pleasing and fun. And I feel each story really adds to the overall feel of this fairy tale world. Overall the stories are fun, not deep or life changing, but a quick, fun read, with a few technical problems (pacing, character development, etc) that seem to get better with each one.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed :(

I'm disappointed in this book. I've read the entire fairytale enchantress series, the prequel snow queen series, the entire king Arthur and her knights series and read books 1 and 2 out of the timeless fairytales series and out of all of these books this is the only one I hate! Simply because this book has to much VIOLENCE, and I found it rather depressing and many many times throughout the book I was confused. Apparently she's a spy or some kind of warrior because she's had training with weapons...but these assassin's start coming after her and there's just a lot of fighting and action and them plotting to kill someone (I think the target is her/Cinderella). Lastly there isn't much similarities to Cinderella I get it's a retelling, but her father was never in it, and her stepmother/stepsisters were hardly in it as well. Instead of being optimistic about her life she is pessimistic and cynical and "foolish." (She's foolish because she won't lay off any of her servants or help and while noble. She is broke and her estate is about to be seized by the government leaving them with no poessesions anyways.) To conclude, I'm just not a fan of this book, and I've seen her do much better writing so this is why I rated this book so harshly.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books! In order....
Beauty and the Beast: Elle is hilarious. Elle and Severin are darling. I love sarcasm, and some of Elle's lines...they're great. The side characters are incredibly entertaining as well!

Wild Swans: Elise has more brothers than I do, even if mine are brothers by blood. :) Elise is a strong, sweet character, who, while mild, is still sarcastic and able to hold her own. This book has a little twist near the end that I greatly appreciated. :)

Cinderella and the Colonel: Cinderella is another strong, determined female character, while Friedrich is quite entertaining. Their personalities play off each other perfectly for the maximum amount of believable fun. Furthermore, the plot has some action and mystery thrown in. :)

[Rhona Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good three books

I've given it 4 stars and not 5. I loved the Wild Swans, and Cinderella and the Colonel. But Beauty and the Beast I couldn't get into, maybe it was me. I read 5 chapters, but wasn't feeling it, seeing it in my head as I normally do. So I went onto the next book. That's why the 4 stars. I've read a few versions of Beauty and the Beast, but it just didn't gel. No worries though, the other two books were very good and I enjoyed them. Those I read easily and enjoyed. So I'm recommending the book, but not highly. Other people may like the first book and have no issues. Perhaps coming from a contemporary series to reading stories of old as it were didn't help. My mind focused elsewhere.

[Jonathan Van Crumpet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast
The Wild Swans
Cinderella and the Colonel

This sweet and fun collection of 'retellings' is both relaxing and refreshing. It's not my favourite genre, but one of my favourite authors, so I gave them a try.

While vaguely based on the original tales, these stories all have differences that make them more relevant to modern life and philosophy, not only the obvious - damsels not meekly waiting to be saved - but also themes such as discrimination, social integration, economics etc. that resonate with today's readers.

The style is engaging and written with a wry humour, but underpinned with kindness, humanity and a HEA in each book. What's not to like?

788 pages of delight.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed these retellings, even though I'm 65 and no longer part of the youth market. I especially appreciated the retelling of the wild swans, reflecting that there are so few opportunities for teens to see devotion or determination personified. K. M. Shea is one of my favorite authors. I see her skill at characterization increasing and more and more interesting people the result, which makes for richer stories. I love that she highlights underlying structures to relationships, that there's more than just the individual but the impact of the individual on those surrounding her (in most cases). I look forward to reading anything K. M. Shea writes.

[Candice Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful bundle

I had read two of the three books before years ago and I found myself enjoying them again and seeing the connections between the stories and countries and characters. I'm excited to read more stories tying into this magical world ms Shea has created. There are nods to the original fairy tales with a unique blend of other elements to make everything feel fresh and new.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first collection of K. M. Shea books that I have read. I like fairy tales told in different ways. I really enjoyed Shea's take on these three tales. The first and third books were my favorite, but I liked all three. She has created a unique world where these tales intertwine a bit with their locations and mention of previous characters. I look forward to reading the next three tales.

[Sherri Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling

This is my favorite of the timeless tales. It goes much deeper than just a fairy tale retelling. I was gripped by the story, and read it in one day. It also made me think about it for a long long time after I finished reading. Forgiveness. Courage. Love. This book is worth your time and thoughts!

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contemporary Brothers Grimm

Born & raised in Germany I grew up with these fairy tales (Märchen) and KM Shea’s upgrade enhanced these stories even more so! ❤️ can’t wait to read the rest!

Even if you’ve read the original tales, these enhancements will make you fall in love again.

I highly recommend ALL of KM Shea’s books!

[Sara Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming Retellings of classic fairy tales with a modernist twist. Read the enchantress books first (though I’m still waiting for that story arc to end). All of the books tie together with characters from other books making cameo appearances as needed for the overall plot

[Heidi Troutman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all three stories

I have my daughter reading them and suggested them to my sister. The stories are retellings but with unique twists that are just delightful. I now have a large addition to my TBR pile as I work my way through the rest of K.M. Shea’s books.

[Amanda Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 classic tales retold..

.. for a modern adult audience. Strong females fighting the forces of evil, its certainly not Disney and that's all to the good. If you want your Princesses waiting to be saved by a dashing Prince riding in to save the day then look elsewhere!

[MommaReadsALot9785 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing retelling of the Fairytales!

This boxset is one of the best thay I have read. K.M. goes into wonderful detail and makes it where it is hard to put down the set! I highly recommend it! I'm looking forward to starting the next boxset in this series.

[Rebekah Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. Very intriguing and keeps you reading. Love that K. M. She’s had a different plot to each book in this series. It teaches love, forgiveness, kindness, etc.

I highly recommend these books.

[A.M. Hogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

Timeless Fairy Tales: Books 1-3 were just as amazing as the first time I read them. And the second. K. M. Shea is a master storyteller, and all her books are filled with love and laughter. True love really is the most powerful magic of all.

[Whitnee Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun and inventive take on traditional fairytales

Cute, clean stories with strong female leads and generally healthy relationships. Plus they made me laugh. ☺️

It was fun to get to choose which suitor was best and debate it with my girls for the second book. 😂

[A. Tebbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, legit

At the end of cinderella, when her community stood and cheered for her, I was totally fighting tears

Each of these books have a taste of every emotion, and endearing characters

I wont say more to avoid spoilers, other than Shea has mastered the art of storytelling

[Julie Grimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written! Well done! Enjoyed them all. Great job of putting her own spin on these old tales.

[Readingwithmare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good retelling of classic fairytales and in this lovely collection you get three wonderful stories. My only complaint is that they all felt rushed.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great twist on fairy tales

I love a good fairy tale retelling. This is it, a good amount for surprise and predictability. Highly recommend reading.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and laughter

The whole series is full of loyalty, ingenuity and friendship. The good guys were determined to be goid and so they won. I loved it.

[Melanie Snapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun retelling

These are all fun ante retelling of classic fairy tales. There is a slight similarity, but enough different to keep you reading.

[Annette McIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

These three tales are handled well by the author and they all tell a familiar fairy tale with a new setting.

[hana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fantasy Romantic Fairytales Retold

But not for my cuppa...
Beauty and the Beast are better then the other story in the series...
But only just slightly...

[Shanna Ramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

love and trust this author

Such enjoyable & uplifting stories! They are filled with lovely characters who grow and change, interesting plots, fun magic, and imaginative twists on familiar tales.

[Kathleen Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shea is one of my fav authors, and I really enjoyed reading the accompaning stories to her other series. It filled in a few spots, and gave the secondary characters that I liked more story time.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read the completed books in the Fairy Tale Enchantress series that is a companion/continuation for Timeless Fairy Tales series first as I was not really aware of the connection between the 2 until after I started them. I am glad I read those first. I think I enjoyed these more already having some connections to the characters.

Beauty and the Beast - 5 stars. I loved this one. Elle and Severin are extremely fun characters and I really enjoyed their story

Wild Swans - 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the majority of this one with the exception of 2 of the brothers being in love with Elise and the choose your own ending. I would have much preferred a single love interest and single ending. That being said I chose Falk because he made the effort to care for Elise's hands and stayed with her all day as a swan. The rest of the story was very entertaining.

Cinderella and the Colonel - 4 stars. I really liked this one. It was a very sweet enjoyable retelling and I am sure I will read it again.

K.M. Shea writes very enjoyable universes and I really like that there is a large cast of characters. The crossover elements are fun to follow. It is also nice that for most of the books there really isn't a barrier of entry. They can be read as standalones. I started in several odd places myself and I had no trouble immersing myself in the stories.