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Forever After Retellings #4
A Beautiful Love
Preston Blake had it all—wealth, a picturesque estate, and a growing affection with his childhood best friend Caroline Avery—until an unfortunate accident leaves him badly scarred in more ways than one. Isolated by the cruel eyes of society, Preston’s only wish is to find where he now belongs. Caroline Avery is recently out in society, and thanks to Preston Blake’s broken promises, finds herself being chased by a determined earl instead of courted by her best friend. When, after a year’s absence, Preston finally accepts an invitation to visit her family’s estate, Caroline is determined to feign indifference to his company. But being back together proves more challenging than either friend conceived. Caroline longs to return to the past, but Preston cannot let go of his fears. How could they possibly have a future together?
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2019
305 people are currently reading
985 people want to read
About the author
Megan Walker
6 books995 followersMegan Walker was raised on a berry farm in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where her imagination took her to times past and worlds away. While earning her degree in Early Childhood Education, she married her one true love and started a family. But her imaginings of Regency England wouldn't leave her alone, so she picked up a pen. And the rest is history. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
June 13, 2024
Hopefully I won’t regret later down the road reading two The Ugly Duckling retellings back-to-back, but there’s some major differences in the story so I hope I can keep them separated in my mind. 😅
"The Princess Search" by Melanie Cellier
FMC is the Duckling
Focused more on her being rejected and an outcast
Fairytale Fantasy World
"A Beautiful Love" by Megan Walker
MMC is the Duckling
Focused on his physical appearance
Regency Setting
I was actually really excited about this novella because of the childhood best friends to more trope (one of the best tropes in my opinion!) but I was concerned about Preston believing that Caroline deserved more than him now that he was scarred. It always makes me want to smack the male lead with a shoe when I see that on the horizon. 🤨
So far this whole series—at least the 4 out of 6 that I’ve read so far—could be expanded into full length books. Most have made me feel jipped that they were so short because I really enjoyed the ones I’ve read!
This book had no murderer, serial killer, or stalker but yet it had high suspense for me—because there was a predator after the ducklings. (I happen to love ducks and especially ducklings, if you didn’t know.) Proper regency lady or not, I feel like I would have been out on the lakeshore every night with a shotgun watching, but that’s just me. And apparently Caroline to a degree as well, so I liked her for that reason alone. 👏🏻
Overall a very sweet novella with a very sweet romance. Because of the length, the noble idiot trope (where the man guy thinks the girl is better off without him because of xyz) wasn’t dragged out and I appreciate that, but yet would read a full-length book of this plot as well. 😉
Main Content:
No Christian content, but there is a old mean goose named Lucifer; The phrases ‘thank heavens’ and ‘thanking his stars’ are each said once; A mention of fate giving someone a difficulty in their life.
Preston rescued a family from their building home and because of it, is scarred on his face and chest (This is the Ugly Duckling part of the story); He doesn’t regret his actions and would do it again; Many people stare, gasp, and talk badly about him and his appearance; Preston recalls the fire & is confused once when recalling it when awake (PTSD symptoms, up to a few sentences); He thinks he is scarred and broken not only on his body but his mind and soul as well (also believing that he doesn’t belong anywhere after the fire & that some days it’s hard to get out of bed); Preston hears others’ negative words about him and believes it to be true (because of his appearance, he thinks that Caroline deserves better than him); We hear people on-page say hurtful and untrue things about Preston’s appearance (such as calling him ugly and a monster); Caroline recalls seeing an injured duckling (up to a few sentences on the injuries and her emotions).
Fighting, Hitting someone, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/Bleeding (up to a few sentences);
Mentions of fighting & hitting someone; Mentions of the fire, injuries (including a mother’s feet having to be amputated), scars, & blood (up to a few sentences); Mentions of nightmares and paralyzing visions (Preston has both on page);
Mentions of eavesdropping, gossip, & rumors; Mentions of ducklings being attacked & mauled by an unknown predator (none of the ducklings are killed, but they are injured, up to a few descriptions of their injuries; Traps are set to catch the predator); A few mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of hatred.
No major language, but words/phrases like ‘blast it all’, ‘blasted’, ‘drat’, ‘gads’, ‘my heavens’, ‘good heavens’, ‘heavens’, and ‘what the devil’ are all said (up to a few times each); A mention of a curse said (but not written out).
Two hand kisses, two cheek kisses, a not detailed kiss, and a kiss lasting a handful of sentences; Staring at another’s lips; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, Smelling, & Noticing (up to a few sentences in details); Blushes;
Remembering touches, embraces, & hand holding (a line or two in details); Wanting to touch, embrace, & kiss (a couple sentences); Preston imagines marrying Caroline and waking up in bed next to him (no details); When he’s confused, Preston tries to take off his shirt & later when she bothers him at night, Caroline notices his chest and muscles (a few sentences describing); A few mentions of kisses & kissing (including a dare when they were children); A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a wedding night; A mention of a mistress; A mention of chaperones.
"The Princess Search" by Melanie Cellier
FMC is the Duckling
Focused more on her being rejected and an outcast
Fairytale Fantasy World
"A Beautiful Love" by Megan Walker
MMC is the Duckling
Focused on his physical appearance
Regency Setting
I was actually really excited about this novella because of the childhood best friends to more trope (one of the best tropes in my opinion!) but I was concerned about Preston believing that Caroline deserved more than him now that he was scarred. It always makes me want to smack the male lead with a shoe when I see that on the horizon. 🤨
So far this whole series—at least the 4 out of 6 that I’ve read so far—could be expanded into full length books. Most have made me feel jipped that they were so short because I really enjoyed the ones I’ve read!
This book had no murderer, serial killer, or stalker but yet it had high suspense for me—because there was a predator after the ducklings. (I happen to love ducks and especially ducklings, if you didn’t know.) Proper regency lady or not, I feel like I would have been out on the lakeshore every night with a shotgun watching, but that’s just me. And apparently Caroline to a degree as well, so I liked her for that reason alone. 👏🏻
Overall a very sweet novella with a very sweet romance. Because of the length, the noble idiot trope (where the man guy thinks the girl is better off without him because of xyz) wasn’t dragged out and I appreciate that, but yet would read a full-length book of this plot as well. 😉
Main Content:
No Christian content, but there is a old mean goose named Lucifer; The phrases ‘thank heavens’ and ‘thanking his stars’ are each said once; A mention of fate giving someone a difficulty in their life.
Preston rescued a family from their building home and because of it, is scarred on his face and chest (This is the Ugly Duckling part of the story); He doesn’t regret his actions and would do it again; Many people stare, gasp, and talk badly about him and his appearance; Preston recalls the fire & is confused once when recalling it when awake (PTSD symptoms, up to a few sentences); He thinks he is scarred and broken not only on his body but his mind and soul as well (also believing that he doesn’t belong anywhere after the fire & that some days it’s hard to get out of bed); Preston hears others’ negative words about him and believes it to be true (because of his appearance, he thinks that Caroline deserves better than him); We hear people on-page say hurtful and untrue things about Preston’s appearance (such as calling him ugly and a monster); Caroline recalls seeing an injured duckling (up to a few sentences on the injuries and her emotions).
Fighting, Hitting someone, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/Bleeding (up to a few sentences);
Mentions of fighting & hitting someone; Mentions of the fire, injuries (including a mother’s feet having to be amputated), scars, & blood (up to a few sentences); Mentions of nightmares and paralyzing visions (Preston has both on page);
Mentions of eavesdropping, gossip, & rumors; Mentions of ducklings being attacked & mauled by an unknown predator (none of the ducklings are killed, but they are injured, up to a few descriptions of their injuries; Traps are set to catch the predator); A few mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of hatred.
No major language, but words/phrases like ‘blast it all’, ‘blasted’, ‘drat’, ‘gads’, ‘my heavens’, ‘good heavens’, ‘heavens’, and ‘what the devil’ are all said (up to a few times each); A mention of a curse said (but not written out).
Two hand kisses, two cheek kisses, a not detailed kiss, and a kiss lasting a handful of sentences; Staring at another’s lips; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, Smelling, & Noticing (up to a few sentences in details); Blushes;
Remembering touches, embraces, & hand holding (a line or two in details); Wanting to touch, embrace, & kiss (a couple sentences); Preston imagines marrying Caroline and waking up in bed next to him (no details); When he’s confused, Preston tries to take off his shirt & later when she bothers him at night, Caroline notices his chest and muscles (a few sentences describing); A few mentions of kisses & kissing (including a dare when they were children); A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a wedding night; A mention of a mistress; A mention of chaperones.
September 29, 2024
This book was the reason I found out about this series. It was nice and I enjoyed it, but - and I can’t believe I’m saying it about a novella - it dragged.
Caroline and Preston have been friends for their entire lives. A year ago they promised each other that they’d be together. But then Preston was hurt and scarred in a fire and broke their almost-engagement, because he didn’t think Caroline would still want him. How could he think she was that shallow is beyond me. For most of the book Preston was busy with I-love-you-but-we-can’t-be-together, and it was annoying how dense he was and how much time it took him to realize that.
All in all it was cute and I still love this author’s writing, but I expected more.
3,5 stars
Caroline and Preston have been friends for their entire lives. A year ago they promised each other that they’d be together. But then Preston was hurt and scarred in a fire and broke their almost-engagement, because he didn’t think Caroline would still want him. How could he think she was that shallow is beyond me. For most of the book Preston was busy with I-love-you-but-we-can’t-be-together, and it was annoying how dense he was and how much time it took him to realize that.
All in all it was cute and I still love this author’s writing, but I expected more.
3,5 stars
March 31, 2019
This was a cute story. These Regency fairy tale retellings are very unique. They have elements of the fairy tale but are mostly a novella length regency romance. This is a new author and she did very well. If I had advice for her it would be to create a character and don't have her or him do something completely out of character, unless you explain your reasoning very well. Our Heroine in this story did something near the end that pulled me out of the story, it felt unbelievable. I will be keeping an eye out for this author.
November 20, 2021
Retelling of the Ugly Duckling
October 1, 2024
2.5 stars
Meh. I didn’t really care for this one, though the ending was nice and a few moments on the way there. My lack of enthusiasm stems from the fact that this piled on a whole bunch of my least favorite things:
Preston had an awful experience, true, and will carry scars and trauma for the rest of his life. But the withdrawal, the self-pity, the breaking of his promise to Caroline all point to a lack of character and weakness. Who wants a whiner?
Also, he indulged in the (to me) unforgivable “I must hurt you to save you” unilateral decision-making.
The whole duck thing was saccharine.
Overall, this felt very contrived, and Preston felt more like an actor playing a part than a real person.
Meh. I didn’t really care for this one, though the ending was nice and a few moments on the way there. My lack of enthusiasm stems from the fact that this piled on a whole bunch of my least favorite things:
Preston had an awful experience, true, and will carry scars and trauma for the rest of his life. But the withdrawal, the self-pity, the breaking of his promise to Caroline all point to a lack of character and weakness. Who wants a whiner?
Also, he indulged in the (to me) unforgivable “I must hurt you to save you” unilateral decision-making.
The whole duck thing was saccharine.
Overall, this felt very contrived, and Preston felt more like an actor playing a part than a real person.
August 7, 2024
This was such a precious book! Even though the two main characters were both kind of dumb (in the "you're already in love why don't you see it" way), they were so great together.
May 9, 2019
This was such a cute regency retelling of The Ugly Duckling that features not only childhood friendship that blossoms into love, but is a beautiful story about the healing power of that love. Preston was physically—and emotionally—scarred in a fire that made him feel he was unlovable and that he no longer deserves the affection of his childhood friend. Caroline is determined to help him heal the scars of his mind and heart in order for him to see his worth so that he can realize that she still loves him no matter what.
The story develops at a gradual pace, beginning with Preston and Caroline's reunion and going through their healing, rekindling their friendship, and eventually trusting one another in order to open up their hearts once more to the other's love. It took awhile for Preston and Caroline to both heal from the hurts they inadvertently caused one another and communicate their feelings in order to come to an understanding, but it wasn’t enough to be frustrating, making this novella one of the few I didn’t wish were longer; it felt exactly the right length. The romance was supplemented by a subplot about Romeo the duckling, which I thought was a cute addition.
Not only was the friendship and romance between Caroline and Preston sweet and adorable, the message of the story was incredibly touching—Preston doesn’t turn into a figurative swan, but his outlook is transformed as he learns to no longer be defined by his scars in order to love himself and his life in a new way through the healing friendship and love of Caroline. Both characters were lovely and I loved the emphasis on inner beauty and seeing past the scars and appearance of a person to their heart, making A Beautiful Love a truly beautiful love story.
The story develops at a gradual pace, beginning with Preston and Caroline's reunion and going through their healing, rekindling their friendship, and eventually trusting one another in order to open up their hearts once more to the other's love. It took awhile for Preston and Caroline to both heal from the hurts they inadvertently caused one another and communicate their feelings in order to come to an understanding, but it wasn’t enough to be frustrating, making this novella one of the few I didn’t wish were longer; it felt exactly the right length. The romance was supplemented by a subplot about Romeo the duckling, which I thought was a cute addition.
Not only was the friendship and romance between Caroline and Preston sweet and adorable, the message of the story was incredibly touching—Preston doesn’t turn into a figurative swan, but his outlook is transformed as he learns to no longer be defined by his scars in order to love himself and his life in a new way through the healing friendship and love of Caroline. Both characters were lovely and I loved the emphasis on inner beauty and seeing past the scars and appearance of a person to their heart, making A Beautiful Love a truly beautiful love story.
January 25, 2020
A Beautiful Love by Megan Walker is based on The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson.
Preston Blake is a hero but was disfigured while saving a family from a burning cottage. He is reclusive and cannot think of keeping his promis of marriage to Caroline Avery. Preston is shunned by society but Caroline seeks to show him that she still lives the person he really is. The setting is Regency England. The story flows smoothly amid that time period.
A nice, sweet, clean novella that speaks of hope.
* I won this book from Sally Britton on a Facebook post. All opinions are my own.*
Preston Blake is a hero but was disfigured while saving a family from a burning cottage. He is reclusive and cannot think of keeping his promis of marriage to Caroline Avery. Preston is shunned by society but Caroline seeks to show him that she still lives the person he really is. The setting is Regency England. The story flows smoothly amid that time period.
A nice, sweet, clean novella that speaks of hope.
* I won this book from Sally Britton on a Facebook post. All opinions are my own.*
September 29, 2022
I don’t think I have read an Ugly Duckling retelling before. I thought this was done beautifully. While we don’t get a complete transformation at the end it is beautiful. It almost has a Beauty and the Beast hint I feel like. Because it was more about the heart and not the outward appearance.
This was also almost a second chance. The couple wasn’t officially together before Preston’s accident, but he is also trying to figure out if he is right for Caroline. Either way, they were cute together.
Rtc
This was also almost a second chance. The couple wasn’t officially together before Preston’s accident, but he is also trying to figure out if he is right for Caroline. Either way, they were cute together.
Rtc
March 18, 2020
A great short read! A beautiful clean novella about friendship and love.
I've recently read Mrs. Walker's new book 'Lakeshire Park' and I was so enchanted by her writing that I went after her backlist and found this story. It did not disappoint. A Beautiful Love is a charming clean novella about two childhood friends who fell in love with each other but were separated by a terrible accident that left the hero scarred inside and out. What I love the most about Mrs. Walker's stories is that you feel the emotion of the characters, the intensity of the small gestures. A great short read!
I've recently read Mrs. Walker's new book 'Lakeshire Park' and I was so enchanted by her writing that I went after her backlist and found this story. It did not disappoint. A Beautiful Love is a charming clean novella about two childhood friends who fell in love with each other but were separated by a terrible accident that left the hero scarred inside and out. What I love the most about Mrs. Walker's stories is that you feel the emotion of the characters, the intensity of the small gestures. A great short read!
March 26, 2019
Lately, novellas have really seemed to hit the spot. This one was just what the doctor ordered. I loved the way the author took elements from The Ugly Duckly and wove it into her story. I also don't know why, but I was expecting the woman to be the "ugly duckling," so when I opened to find it was actually the hero, I was immediately pulled in. Caroline was like a breath of fresh air and Preston desperately needed that air. His backstory was heroic and heartbreaking. I look forward to more books from Megan Walker, I hope they are coming soon!
January 22, 2023
Megan Walker writes beautiful stories and this one does not disappoint. This is a retelling (somewhat) of the story of The Ugly Duckling.
After a year of healing and recovery from rescuing a tenant family from a house fire, Preston Blake returns to Mayberry Park with his mother to visit their family's best friends, the Avery family. Thomas Avery was Preston's best chum, and Caroline Avery was the sweet little girl of his childhood, whom he had grown to love over the years. Their parents complete the family and welcome Preston with open arms, even though he is extremely self-conscious of the scars left on his face and body by the fire.
The story is about Preston's battle with the physical and emotional scars that plague him daily. At Mayberry Park, his healing continues while renewing friendships and slowly recapturing the magic of Caroline's presence. After the fire, Preston had written Caroline a letter that all but severed their friendship that had blossomed to love. While they were not engaged, he broke promises he made to her, but Caroline was not about to let Preston go without a fight. I loved how she kind of took one look at his scars, got her fill, took a breath, then treated him like the love of her life, as if nothing was different. Because to her, it was superficial. She didn't care about his scars. It was the man and his heart that she wanted. Preston, however, couldn't understand how she would want him anymore, even though he still felt love for her. As close as she would try to get, he would keep pushing her away, feeling unworthy of her affection and inadequate of giving her the kind of life she wanted. But when an invitation to a ball is extended, Preston has no desire to go and be the oddity. Unwilling to accept a future without Preston, Caroline issues him a challenge... one that just might change his life forever.
There is also a cute side-story involving a baby duck named Romeo, which helps bring Preston and Caroline closer, honestly talking, reminiscing and working together to solve a problem.
This was a novella and a very nice story. I enjoy the author's writing style and she had a lovely cast of characters. I liked that both Preston's mother and the Avery family all approved and encouraged Preston and Caroline's relationship. They weren't overbearing but just helpful enough to push them along to a happily ever after. Valcourt is a suitor pursuing Caroline, but when he starts belittling Preston in public, he's not doing it in any attempt to win Caroline. He was just being an ass. He gets his comeuppance from Preston, but I would have liked to have seen Caroline issue her own as well. This was really a second-chance romance. Not enough to be a love triangle, which suits me just fine. I would love to read more by this author but sadly there are only three current works, with a fourth set for release next month. I highly recommend her novel Lakeshire Park. It is just beautiful. I look forward to her February release of Miss Newbury's List.
After a year of healing and recovery from rescuing a tenant family from a house fire, Preston Blake returns to Mayberry Park with his mother to visit their family's best friends, the Avery family. Thomas Avery was Preston's best chum, and Caroline Avery was the sweet little girl of his childhood, whom he had grown to love over the years. Their parents complete the family and welcome Preston with open arms, even though he is extremely self-conscious of the scars left on his face and body by the fire.
The story is about Preston's battle with the physical and emotional scars that plague him daily. At Mayberry Park, his healing continues while renewing friendships and slowly recapturing the magic of Caroline's presence. After the fire, Preston had written Caroline a letter that all but severed their friendship that had blossomed to love. While they were not engaged, he broke promises he made to her, but Caroline was not about to let Preston go without a fight. I loved how she kind of took one look at his scars, got her fill, took a breath, then treated him like the love of her life, as if nothing was different. Because to her, it was superficial. She didn't care about his scars. It was the man and his heart that she wanted. Preston, however, couldn't understand how she would want him anymore, even though he still felt love for her. As close as she would try to get, he would keep pushing her away, feeling unworthy of her affection and inadequate of giving her the kind of life she wanted. But when an invitation to a ball is extended, Preston has no desire to go and be the oddity. Unwilling to accept a future without Preston, Caroline issues him a challenge... one that just might change his life forever.
There is also a cute side-story involving a baby duck named Romeo, which helps bring Preston and Caroline closer, honestly talking, reminiscing and working together to solve a problem.
This was a novella and a very nice story. I enjoy the author's writing style and she had a lovely cast of characters. I liked that both Preston's mother and the Avery family all approved and encouraged Preston and Caroline's relationship. They weren't overbearing but just helpful enough to push them along to a happily ever after. Valcourt is a suitor pursuing Caroline, but when he starts belittling Preston in public, he's not doing it in any attempt to win Caroline. He was just being an ass. He gets his comeuppance from Preston, but I would have liked to have seen Caroline issue her own as well. This was really a second-chance romance. Not enough to be a love triangle, which suits me just fine. I would love to read more by this author but sadly there are only three current works, with a fourth set for release next month. I highly recommend her novel Lakeshire Park. It is just beautiful. I look forward to her February release of Miss Newbury's List.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
The Absence of Beauty Does Not Equate the Absence of Worth
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Source: Purchased
TYPE OF NOVEL: Regency Romance, Novella
SERIES: Forever After Retellings #4 (each book is stand alone by a different author)
THE PREMISE:
Preston Blake and Caroline Avery grew up as childhood friends and should be becoming lovers now that Caroline is officially out in society. But when Preston went into a burning building to help save his tenants everything changed. With unsightly scars and a broken spirit, Preston no longer feels he can offer Caroline the life she deserves, so he has no intention of keeping his promises or forming a courtship….no matter how much he loves her…
MY THOUGHTS:
Having read and adored Megan Walker’s exquisite Lakeshire Park, I was determined to find and read anything else she published. I was delighted to dicsover this Regency novella that was part of a fairy tale series. I love that Megan Walker was inspired by such an uncommon and overlooked fairy tale – The Ugly Duckling.
I was immediately invested in our principal characters in this friends-to-lovers romance. Preston is honorable and selfless, and Caroline is wonderfully loyal and compassionate I love that we learn even more about their admirable qualities as the story progressed. Such as the strength of Caroline’s love – she knows Preston has internal scars as well as external, and she patiently and sensitively tries to help him heal from them. And Preston willingness to put others before know matter what his own wishes and desires. I loved this couple’s interactions together, and I loved how you could feel their emotions and deep love for each other. If anything, I wish I could have witnessed some more of their past and the moments of first realizing their feelings for each other just to develop their relationship even more.
In addition to Preston and Caroline, the other key player in this story is Romeo – a young duck that was mysteriously attacked and that Caroline is nursing back to health. Poor Romeo! What kind of predator is attacking him? Caroline is determined to find out! I enjoyed this little subplot mystery surrounding Romeo, and I was completely endeared to him. In addition to being cute, Romeo aptly provides a metaphor for the integral theme of this tale – every creature is worthy of love no matter their appearance. Ms Walker subtly and skillfully weaves in other important messages about internal healing, developing a healthy mindset, and disregarding the cruelty and bad behavior of others throughout this novella as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
🦆 What a creative and clever homage to The Ugly Duckling!
🤕 An inspiring tale of dealing with pain and disappointment and learning how to heal and look forward.
📚 I am eager to seek out the other books in the Forever After Retellings series, especially since I recognize some of the other authors involved!
Austenesque Reviews
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Source: Purchased
TYPE OF NOVEL: Regency Romance, Novella
SERIES: Forever After Retellings #4 (each book is stand alone by a different author)
THE PREMISE:
Preston Blake and Caroline Avery grew up as childhood friends and should be becoming lovers now that Caroline is officially out in society. But when Preston went into a burning building to help save his tenants everything changed. With unsightly scars and a broken spirit, Preston no longer feels he can offer Caroline the life she deserves, so he has no intention of keeping his promises or forming a courtship….no matter how much he loves her…
MY THOUGHTS:
Having read and adored Megan Walker’s exquisite Lakeshire Park, I was determined to find and read anything else she published. I was delighted to dicsover this Regency novella that was part of a fairy tale series. I love that Megan Walker was inspired by such an uncommon and overlooked fairy tale – The Ugly Duckling.
I was immediately invested in our principal characters in this friends-to-lovers romance. Preston is honorable and selfless, and Caroline is wonderfully loyal and compassionate I love that we learn even more about their admirable qualities as the story progressed. Such as the strength of Caroline’s love – she knows Preston has internal scars as well as external, and she patiently and sensitively tries to help him heal from them. And Preston willingness to put others before know matter what his own wishes and desires. I loved this couple’s interactions together, and I loved how you could feel their emotions and deep love for each other. If anything, I wish I could have witnessed some more of their past and the moments of first realizing their feelings for each other just to develop their relationship even more.
In addition to Preston and Caroline, the other key player in this story is Romeo – a young duck that was mysteriously attacked and that Caroline is nursing back to health. Poor Romeo! What kind of predator is attacking him? Caroline is determined to find out! I enjoyed this little subplot mystery surrounding Romeo, and I was completely endeared to him. In addition to being cute, Romeo aptly provides a metaphor for the integral theme of this tale – every creature is worthy of love no matter their appearance. Ms Walker subtly and skillfully weaves in other important messages about internal healing, developing a healthy mindset, and disregarding the cruelty and bad behavior of others throughout this novella as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
🦆 What a creative and clever homage to The Ugly Duckling!
🤕 An inspiring tale of dealing with pain and disappointment and learning how to heal and look forward.
📚 I am eager to seek out the other books in the Forever After Retellings series, especially since I recognize some of the other authors involved!
Austenesque Reviews
June 4, 2022
Sweet and perfect! I love fairy tale retellings but this was my first ugly duckling retelling. It was a great story, and I couldn’t help but think of beauty and the beast, which is one of my favorite fairy tales.
February 16, 2020
Easy read
An OK read, was pleasant enough, and develops a little considering Preston's experiences and injury. I got it for free on a discounted sale - so it was ok.
An OK read, was pleasant enough, and develops a little considering Preston's experiences and injury. I got it for free on a discounted sale - so it was ok.
March 11, 2020
see full review at: https://joyofreadingweb.wordpress.com...
I enjoyed reading this sweet short story with a fairy-tale twist on the Hans Christian Anderson classic story of The Ugly Duckling. These wounded, yet charming characters warmed my heart. This is the first story in this Forever After collection that I have had the pleasure to read. I believe the stories each stand on their own and are joined with the theme of fairy-tales. I do hope to read the other stories as well.
We each mask pain in various ways. Often by pushing away the very ones that love us the most. The enemy takes the opportunity to whisper his lies, and before we know it feelings of unworthiness, and depression creep into our very souls. We lose our focus and our identity when we take our eyes off our loving Creator.
There were moments that I laughed out loud with the characters, gasped in surprise and smiled while happy tears pooled in my eyes. If you are looking for a sweet regency romance to enjoy, I highly recommend this story. I look forward to reading more from Megan Walker in the future!
(I purchased a digital copy of this book from Amazon for my own collection. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
I enjoyed reading this sweet short story with a fairy-tale twist on the Hans Christian Anderson classic story of The Ugly Duckling. These wounded, yet charming characters warmed my heart. This is the first story in this Forever After collection that I have had the pleasure to read. I believe the stories each stand on their own and are joined with the theme of fairy-tales. I do hope to read the other stories as well.
We each mask pain in various ways. Often by pushing away the very ones that love us the most. The enemy takes the opportunity to whisper his lies, and before we know it feelings of unworthiness, and depression creep into our very souls. We lose our focus and our identity when we take our eyes off our loving Creator.
There were moments that I laughed out loud with the characters, gasped in surprise and smiled while happy tears pooled in my eyes. If you are looking for a sweet regency romance to enjoy, I highly recommend this story. I look forward to reading more from Megan Walker in the future!
(I purchased a digital copy of this book from Amazon for my own collection. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)
March 20, 2019
I've never considered a retelling of the Ugly Duckling, but Megan Walker did a great job. For a while I felt it was more a story of Beauty and the Beast, but she surprised me in the end. Caroline is such a wonderful loving woman. It is no surprise that she sees past Preston's scars or doesn't see them at all. I loved the close friendship these two shared and their deep love for one another.
This book is not historically accurate as Preston and Caroline would have had a chaperone at all times, but I didn't mind. I don't know that it would have been as beautiful a story if they'd conformed to all of society's rules. So if you're a stickler for historical accuracy you may not enjoy this one.
This book is not historically accurate as Preston and Caroline would have had a chaperone at all times, but I didn't mind. I don't know that it would have been as beautiful a story if they'd conformed to all of society's rules. So if you're a stickler for historical accuracy you may not enjoy this one.
March 24, 2019
The sweetness of the story sticks you better than taffy on your braces
I'm still swooning over the ending of this one!
There were numerous enjoyable moments in this story. Clever thoughts and vivid metaphors painted a wonderful scene, but the icing on this cake was the tender and beautiful ending.
I can't wait for more books by this author!
On a steaminess level I would rate this a pleasant PG.
This book is definitely worthy of a repeat read!
I'm still swooning over the ending of this one!
There were numerous enjoyable moments in this story. Clever thoughts and vivid metaphors painted a wonderful scene, but the icing on this cake was the tender and beautiful ending.
I can't wait for more books by this author!
On a steaminess level I would rate this a pleasant PG.
This book is definitely worthy of a repeat read!
December 29, 2019
1.5 stars.
Clean and safe but a bit slow and boring.
Clean and safe but a bit slow and boring.
May 18, 2019
"The Ugly Duckling" meets the Regency era. It was a bit of a stretch, since it was a guy who went from handsome to ugly instead of the other way around, but overall I think it held to the point of the original: that appearances change and should not define people.
February 9, 2020
A great read. Ms. Walker is quickly becoming a must-read author for me.
March 5, 2020
Romance, clean, period; Fairy tale retelling
Loved this one! Another retelling, this one of Beauty and the Beast.
Loved this one! Another retelling, this one of Beauty and the Beast.
February 24, 2023
Not surprised I liked this one so much. I found this series looking for books by this author. Cute story! Love the childhood crush stories.
March 18, 2019
This is the first book I have read by Megan Walker. That makes sense since it his her debut work. This novella is part of the Forever After Series. It is a Ugly Duckling story retold. It was the perfect little romance between friends Preston and Carolyn. Preston was injured in a fire and was scarred badly. But his spirit is also scarred and he is a “broken man”. A year after his accident he returns to visit his lifelong friends Carolyn and his brother Thomas. Carolyn has hopes for a match with Preston before the accident. Now she has to convince Preston of his worth and that she still loves him.
This is a short, sweet love story. Megan did an excellent job on her debut book.
This is a short, sweet love story. Megan did an excellent job on her debut book.
August 18, 2021
Totally predictable and honestly quite boring. I did like Caroline, she was funny and witty, but it didn't help to make the story more interesting.
I read Lakeshire Park by this author and liked it better (even so I hoped for more "battle of words" in this one), but I guess I won't read more books by M. W.
Edit to say Lucifer was the best !
I read Lakeshire Park by this author and liked it better (even so I hoped for more "battle of words" in this one), but I guess I won't read more books by M. W.
Edit to say Lucifer was the best !
May 2, 2020
I can hardly believe that this is a début novel! I love how the author has captured the essence of the original story but still made it into a brand new version of her own. I love clean regency novels & I have my favourite authors but this is a new author to look out for! I can highly recommend :)
March 28, 2019
Scarred
A beautiful story about sacrifices for the ones we love even when those sacrifices are misguided. But love will end up the victor if we let love overcome our scars and others opinions.
A beautiful story about sacrifices for the ones we love even when those sacrifices are misguided. But love will end up the victor if we let love overcome our scars and others opinions.
May 27, 2025
Sweet Regency story
I enjoyed this “ugly duckling” fairytale version, set in the regency era. It was unique and a quick and easy read. It was slow moving in parts and fairly predictable, but still a good story.
I enjoyed this “ugly duckling” fairytale version, set in the regency era. It was unique and a quick and easy read. It was slow moving in parts and fairly predictable, but still a good story.
May 27, 2019
This was an interesting concept but not really compelling in any way.
April 7, 2020
I like the idea of this series- I’ve never really read regency retellings of fairy tales. But the ugly duckling just did not work for me. His “transformation “ didn’t even make sense either.
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