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An Untraditional Fairy Tale #1

An Untraditional Fairy Tale

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New edit due to some previous proofread issues. If you downloaded before July 2022, please update via your amazon account prior to reading :) I can only apologise if you've already read, as there may have been some typos.

Just adding, there was a slight issue in April where I thought the correct edition had been uploaded, but somehow the older draft ended up back online. . . it has now been updated... yes, I'm cursed... and so is this book.


Our story was one filled with heartache.

But overpowered by love.

It wasn't a traditional happy ever after.

But it was one I wanted to be part of. . .

Charles
The first second I saw her, I felt feelings for her that I didn't know existed.
She was born to be mine. She was
everything. . . the bright stars that lit up my darkness. The angel that would save me from hell. She wanted a fairy tale but I wasn't born to be Prince Charming. All I could offer was a horror story. I just had no idea how horrible a story it would be. . .
She was stolen from me by monsters from my past, they dimmed the bright lights in her soul, but I'd walked in the darkness for years, I knew where to find her. I knew I'd revive her. And knew I'd end her pain when I ended the lives of those who caused it.

I'd happily play the villain in this story, as long as I wasn't hers.



Pepper
I fell in love with him before I ever saw his perfect face. He was raised through hate but he taught me what love was. But then I was taken from him and hurt in ways worse than I'd imagined possible. They broke my skin, my bones, my mind, I should have died but my God saved me. . . he was the sun behind my dark clouds, giving me the power to survive the unsurvivable. He was my justice. He was their karma. He was my king.

He was my reason. My happy ending.

He didn't think he could be the hero in my story. . . He was wrong.

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Published July 12, 2021

195 people are currently reading
1162 people want to read

About the author

Cori Zahara

13 books811 followers
Just a weirdo, who has imaginary people talking to her...who she then writes books on, starting with the end of their story. Yes, I told you...weird.

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5 stars
102 (39%)
4 stars
73 (28%)
3 stars
53 (20%)
2 stars
17 (6%)
1 star
11 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for D.L. Howe.
Author 25 books601 followers
October 8, 2021
Um, this dude sounds like bad news. Stalking, demanding to be kept a secret. This feels like those college parties when the girl blindly accepts the pre-poured drink. Next thing you know she’ll be accepting candy from strangers and rides in shady vans. It’s a slippery slope, my friend.

Rape fantasy is a hard sell, it’s either done extremely well or horribly bad. This was done fairly well, I liked the added danger. I even liked that it was more for him and she wasn’t that into it. It made it feel more genuine in the most fucked up kind of way.

I like that she breaks through all his many defenses. I like it even more that he breaks his own rules just for her.

She might be a little blinded by that good dick … I suppose only time will tell.

Turns out the Devil you know is indeed better then the one you don’t know. Or is it?

The DVD’s are a nice twist over the traditional ransom note. (In fact the entire reasoning, to get back at Charles was clever.) I’m glad to see the writer didn’t hold back on the brutality, it made it more realistic and gritty. I do feel like that part didn’t last very long.

Poor Pepper, the pain and misery, the anxiety, the depression that all stems from the worst trauma. I honestly wasn’t sure about Charles in the first half but he proved his worth in this.

Also his OCD was handled well, it added another texture to a complex story.

This is a story jam packed with turmoil, angst, all encompassing love and more darkness then the deepest cave. I definitely recommend if you’re not triggered by brutality and rape.
Profile Image for Shabby  -BookBistroBlog.
1,935 reviews988 followers
April 2, 2022
It's a hard hitting story. Some heavy triggers so I don't know how much you can digest. There's brutal descriptions of rape and abuse, so read it at your own discretion.
I loved the plot. It was authentic and plausible. In fact we had a case similar to this one in India almost a decade ago. So similarities were eerie and deadly.
I believe this was Cori's first book so was quite unpolished. But even after re-edits, her writing lacks in finesse and concision.
The plot was a blockbuster, she focused so much on how the characters - Charles Rubicchon, Lucia,Skye and even Louise, we're effected by the crime committed against Pepper. She was kidnapped and gang raped, tortured for 10 days mercilessly. But the Ripple effect spreads to all in the periphery. Their lives, perspectives, relationships change. And not necessarily for the better.
I had a few problems with the plot too. Pepper recovered fast enough for someone who has sustained body splitting injuries. She's up and about and ready for sex without too much of psychological trauma, or maybe it didn't come across as such.
Relationship between skye and Charles got resolved pretty much instantly, while Louie still harbours the understandable hatred.
The most complex character was Charles and he was executed brilliantly. His inner monologues, though repetitive were very eye opening and insightful.
Also Cori uses two sets of pronouns for two separate characters in the same sentence and it takes a second to realise who she's talking about.
The description of the actual rape were more like psychotic episodes and that killed the dread a lot.
The end scene was severely lacking in execution. Charles kept mouthing threats while holding the gun yet Rubicchon overpowers simply by waiting it out.
All in all a very good story but needs lots of edits. I hope cori takes these suggestions as constructive criticism more than not.
3.5 stars for the Man Behind The monster
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Profile Image for Valentina.
1,177 reviews410 followers
March 1, 2023
On and on in the characters’ head, so much prose. I did like the main characters, Charles and Pepper, but couldn’t push through all the text.

This was not dark to me. I found the story romantic until I had to pause due too much extraneous detail.
Profile Image for Chey.
1,494 reviews50 followers
November 30, 2021
It's hard to write about non-con fantasies and make them read well. But the author did this flawlessly and created an intriguing story you can't help but enjoy. Their writing is fantastic and they have a way of story telling that pulls you into the story.

Always mind your triggers, because there are a lot throughout this story, but it is so worth the read.
Profile Image for Cori Zahara.
Author 13 books811 followers
October 23, 2022
Hey guys! the book has been updated for 2022, so unless you downloaded like right now. . . (Summer 2022) update via your amazon account. . . there were a few sneaky typos missed in the original proofread. Plus, a sneak peak has been added at the back (a small glimpse into book two) . . . However, Charles and Pepper's story is still the same, so please do check triggers before reading.

Just adding, there was a slight issue in April; somehow the older draft ended up back online, but it has now been updated... yes, I'm cursed... and so is this book.
Profile Image for Maria (Ri).
5,137 reviews15 followers
January 27, 2022
4 stars

Very surprising book. It is most definitely dark but there also is a beauty in it. I was very surprised by the twists. It was hard to read at times, however, the author did a great job at creating characters that were perfectly imperfect. There was growth in the characters.

I'm surprised there is a part two of the book as the book seemed to have ended on a good note and seemed to have closure. It will be interesting to see where the author takes these characters next.
Profile Image for Hijab Raza.
68 reviews
February 25, 2024
4.5 stars. This was almost perfection, I loved Charles and his character was so complex and different than most. I could really see him struggle and seeing how his childhood affected him so much to this day and how strong he was made me love him even more lol. I loved the dynamic between Pepper and Charles, and seeing how they were perfect for each other, two broken people who understood each other perfectly and required each other for healing. Ik it’s part of the title and all and it makes sense but every time they mentioned “fairytale” or “untraditional fairytale” I couldn’t help but cringe. It was a little predictable at times and the last chapter did annoy me a little but it made sense in the end. I wonder what the second book is going to be about, I just hope it doesn’t stretch the story out too much and make it boring. Overall good read, and I really enjoyed the authors writing style there were so many beautifully written dialogues, and Charles’s pov was my favorite.
72 reviews2 followers
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January 22, 2022
This book took me to dark places and then lit them up with so much light. Pepper and Charles faced so many challenges in their brief time together. I wasn’t sure they would overcome any of them, and I was gutted for them. This story kept my emotions on the edge of my soul and I thought for sure there was no possible HEA. Then I got not one, but two HEA at the end.
The supporting characters were some of my faves as well ( shout out to Eelya) and really added to the story.

If you want dark, twisty romance, this is a good book for you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Steph.
29 reviews
January 17, 2022
The storyline is great! Pepper is a Brit who moved to Paris to escape a bad relationship. She works as an escort but doesn’t sleep with her clients. She has received flirty emails from a mysterious stranger and decides to meet him. Charles (her mysterious stranger) is not a good man but is infatuated with Pepper. Their relationship starts to blossom until one day when Pepper goes missing, and they have fight their way back together after what happened to her.
Profile Image for Molly.
451 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2022
This book was dark, with many triggers, but the story kept me on the edge of my seat. Pepper and Charles faced some of the toughest challenges in this book and author has a way of evoking so many emotions in the reader through those situations. Some parts were extremely tough to read but I've never read a book like this before. This does have a HEA but their story continues into Part 2, releasing on 1/27/2022
Profile Image for Judy Chestnutt.
373 reviews3 followers
October 6, 2021
Wow this story was both shocking and amazing and Crazy!!!

One word to describe this book Crazy!!!! This book had so many quirky things ongoing on I had a hard time putting g it down. I experienced so many emotions with this couple they both experienced so many horrible things and the ending just wow. This book is not for the weak there are so many bad things but in a delicious way. I wonder what book 2 will be like because how do you top what happened in this book?
Profile Image for Meggy.
5 reviews
February 11, 2022
one of my the best read so far !! I LOVE dark books but this one isn’t disappointing 🖤 the author Didn’t shy away to go that dark and I adore it. The second part is even better and darker. It’s a must read when you like to hurt bad for the male hero in a story
5 reviews
October 14, 2021
Dark and delightful

Excellent, riveting story. Well paced and keeps the intrigue going throughout. Main characters are richly described and angsty in all the right ways.
Profile Image for Lisa Baffi.
848 reviews13 followers
February 2, 2022
Four stars!!

I really liked the story, the way Pepper and Charles were able to show each other how to trust and love again. However, some parts of the story seemed to drag on. However, I would read another book by this author.
Profile Image for Jana Natalie.
156 reviews7 followers
January 20, 2022
This is a very emotional book. Both characters have dark pasts and demons that haunt them. They find their way to each other and no almost at first glimpse that the other is the light to their own dark. Pepper doesn’t loose faith and manages to put Charles under her spell.
Various parts in the beginning remind me very much of E.L. James’ 50 Shades of Grey.
2 reviews
October 27, 2021
Loved this book. Avoid if you have triggers (as there are quite a few) but the story is amazing. Charles and Pepper are absolutely perfect together.
2 reviews
October 1, 2021
Dark and delicious. I loved it. The story follows Charles and Pepper, who meet to act out a sex fantasy. They later realise the strength of their feelings when Pepper is abducted and tortured as an act of revenge against her new love interest. There are many dark themes and triggers throughout... however, there was an equal amount of love and sweet moments... I've heard part 2 has less of those, as its darker, but I am looking forward to reading it! Loved the character development and the relationships with side characters.
97 reviews
August 3, 2021
Great story poorly written

This is an amazing concept for a story. The characters are well developed. The problem is with editing. Many run-on sentences. Everywhere in the story where the word LET was used was changed to LEFT. Why did the word cum need to be in italics every time? I actually googled the author to see if this book had been translated from another language because of all the simple errors. It was a great story, but so hard to read.
Profile Image for Tashina Fulbright.
242 reviews2 followers
October 31, 2021
The story line is good and I loved the dark parts but for some reason it kinda bored me. There seemed to be so much description that it would take two or more pages before someone answered a question. And that seemed to happen a lot. I have heard the second one is even darker and I hope so. This one was tame for me. But again I can read just about anything and it not seem dark to me.
Profile Image for Book.Girl49.
224 reviews9 followers
August 17, 2021
I hate the star rating system...

First let me start with the stars. I don't think you really can give a great review with the stars. I liked this book. It wasn't my favorite because I believe I realized that super dark romance may just not be my thing. I gave three stars because the book overall is good. I likely would go 3.5 if I had the option. The story is suspenseful and the characters are well written.

This book has themes of rape, murder, sodomy, and violence. This is all disclosed at the beginning of the book. Nothing I've read in the past has bothered me but some of this truly made me uncomfortable.
When reading, you should definitely keep in mind this is a first book from a new author. There is a little overboard description of feelings throughout but the story itself is captivating and the characters have good chemistry. There are some edits and corrections being made for future editions but even with a mistype here and there you know what the characters are saying. This is a part one in the series but it does not have a cliffhanger and I'll definitely read part two. As with all authors I really believe once Cori finds her groove future books will be awesome. If you like super dark books this could definitely be for you!
Profile Image for Jennie.
44 reviews1 follower
September 26, 2021
Over all I think the premise of this story was good. I only had a few issues with this book and I’m all honestly is only the writing style.
In some parts it was hard to keep up with what was happening at the time. Are we in a memory/flashback? How did his father end up on the floor during said flash back? It Alamogordo like the memories were to detailed in the middle of something already happening.
I do think the book was translated at some point which over all is a non issue. I had an easier time mainly because I lived in Europe for 4 years and I understood how they spoke so it was a non issue for me.
The actual story itself was really good. I didn’t get the “predictable” vibe I would normally get from these types of books because the story definitely kept evolving which was nice. Even if there wasn’t a whole lot of explanation in the beginning of how they met.
Louie still confuses the fuck out of me but I’m hoping there is more of an explanation there in book 2 which I VERY much look forward to reading.

All in all I did enjoy the book and I would give it a solid 3.75/5 stars. ❤️❤️
Profile Image for Ana Thompson.
25 reviews3 followers
March 30, 2022
Potentially good story ruined by the writing

Info dumps, telling, telling, and more telling, characters whose motivations/emotions/reactions are either non-existent, contradictory, or downright ludicrous, too much time spent in the characters heads, and a disjointed, abrupt writing style peppered liberally with mistakes ruined what could’ve been a good story idea.

I kept reading, though, after seeing the author’s disclaimer that it had been edited and updated, and because this duet had been recommended in one of my book groups. Unfortunately, the misused words, inarticulate explanations, and other issues I’ve outlined didn’t get any better, so I DNFd at 83%.

Of course, YMMV because reader tastes aren’t one size fits all… however, I will not be proceeding with the next book.
Profile Image for MiSsE.
211 reviews4 followers
October 24, 2024
LORDY LORD 👀

I think I’m truly addicted to Cori Zahara. I’ve been binging all of her books and I don’t think I can stop anytime soon.

This book once again has so MANY TRIGGER WARNINGS, so do NOT read if you can’t handle the dark where there definitely is very little light.

Another well written story about two broken people who have been through so much turmoil in their life, brought together by a few simple messages sent back and forth online.

There is Rape, Sexual Assault, Child Rape and Molestation, Violence, kidnapping, hostage situation, etc. please read at you’re own risk
2 reviews
September 2, 2021
This is a very dark read, but I really loved the story and the chemistry of the characters. Character development was great and made me excited for part 2, which I've heard via social media is darker again. I am aware of the author's unfortunate situation, regarding the proofread errors, but as I have only recently downloaded, I was lucky enough to get the updated version. As mentioned, this is a very dark romance and won't be to everyone's taste due to the trigger warning themes, but if you enjoy a darker read, I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Nikki reads.
262 reviews8 followers
July 24, 2023
Deep, dark and delightful!

If you’re looking for a book that’s going to pull you in and take you through every emotion possible, this is a book for you. That being said it’s extremely dark and you really should turn the trigger warnings. The highs and lows in this book are mind blowing, it is one rough ride to the beautiful finish. I absolutely adore all the characters and couldn’t be more happy with the ending of book 1. This is probably the most deepest book I’ve ever read and I can’t wait to read the next!
Profile Image for Blair Paxton.
83 reviews
May 30, 2022
DNF. I just couldn’t. It was just too everywhere and not making a lot of sense. The idea of the plot was good, but it just jumping everywhere and I made it to 23% at page 110 and knew there was no way I was going to make it another 400 pages. It was very repetitive, scenes and dialogue, and things just didn’t make sense and I would have to reread. The MMC had immediate growth in the book and the characters fell in love immediately and that’s just not for me

There are also huge rape triggers.
Profile Image for Kyla Hartman.
38 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2024
Think Beauty & the Beast meets Haunting Adeline meets 50 shades of Grey, except SPICIER. 🥵

There truly aren’t enough words to describe the love I now have for this book, or these characters. They will forever have a piece of my heart. I went through so many emotions while reading this toward some characters, but ultimately I’ve fallen in love with them and their story. I can’t wait to jump into Pt. 2 and see how this story truly ends. 🫶🏼
Profile Image for LeLe.
635 reviews2 followers
May 20, 2024
Did not like the writing style. The writing doesn’t flow. It’s all inner monologue and thoughts, I didn’t get into the story. Also: the ‘story’ itself was all over the place.

US girl lives in France, is a escort and Skye is her chauffeur but also the brother of the MMC (forgot his name). MMC is suppose to be very bad, can not stand being touched. Guess what? After one encounter the heroine can touch him… blablabla.

DNF.
Profile Image for Krista.
1,242 reviews7 followers
January 24, 2022
Pipe escapes an abusive relationship and runs away to Paris. She becomes an escort, but refuses to sleep with clients, and her driver seems to be her only friend. While there she develops an online flirtation with Charles. Charles is not a good man but is captivated with Piper. This is a 3.5 read for me. The story line was good, but it took me awhile to get into the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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