Rapunzel & Robin Hood

Twisting Fairytales #1

by Jessica Erin

Robin Hood was a thief, and Rapunzel was a princess lost in the forest.

I do a job, and I get paid. It isn’t complicated.

Until her.

I was to save the princess of Sherwood from a tower she was locked in and return her to her parents—the king and queen. I get a tidy sum as payment, and the crown pardons my merry men and me for our past crimes.

But things did get complicated. Rapunzel wanted to go to the sea, and I ached to make that wish come true for her. As we made our journey, the passion and longing this princess brought out in me were impossible to ignore.

I was caught between duty, honor, and desire. I had wanted her to trust me so she’d return to her parents. But I soon realized if I took her to the castle, I would never see her again. Never hold her in my arms again.

At least, that’s what I thought would happen.

I rescued Rapunzel, but in reality, she saved me.


Rapunzel and Robin Hood is a fractured fairytale—not a retelling. It’s the first book in The Twisting Fairytales series. All characters are 18 and up, and this novel should be read only by a mature audience.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy Romance, Adult

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2022

Reviews

[Natalie ~ The Biblioholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of retellings and this one had a unique premise. Imagine if Rapunzel ended up with a different guy. And instead of being in the tower because of the witch, Mother Gothel, but because of another source. This mashup was totally unexpected and it worked. It was a bit corny, super sweet, and even during the dark moments, so much light shone through that I didn’t really feel the angst. This was a very easy read and I think I’m in for some very cute surprises as the series continues.

[Caitlin Kenney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, I thought the idea of Robin Hood being Rapunzel's rescuer was really cute and would make for a fun read. Instead, it seems that the focus was on seeing how many other fairy tale characters could be introduced. There was really no build into a relationship, nothing to show you how or why they fell in love.

[Jaycee Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I am conflicted.
The premise of the story is GREAT! So clever to mashup multiple fairy tales and let that story play out.
I feel like this author has a lot of potential, and I am excited to see how that progresses in future books.

However, there were some problems.
Rapunzel was WAY too knowledgeable from the very beginning for someone who had been trapped in a tower her whole life.
I also felt like the fight and capture of Rumolestiltskin should have taken longer. It was replaced very quickly with the conflict that Snow brought, which wasn’t nearly as interesting.

It felt like the author skated over a lot of very important plot points

I will also say that it is HEAVILY influenced by Disney’s Tangled. Her hair and eye color are the same. She paints all over her walls in her tower. She only goes with Robin (a wanted thief, just like Flynn) when he agrees to take her to the lake where she gets to see the stars, etc. Those all could have been really fun Easter eggs to find except it made it feel SO WRONG to read those spicy scenes when the author made you think of these cartoon characters…

It was decent. I am interested to see if the author grows in her storytelling ability, but it was not one that I would widely recommend.

[Rae, shutupandbookup · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last thing I said to the author was hold my tea and now I am here!

I absolutely loved this fluffy, sweet fairy tale. It felt like I was in a Disney mash up of fairy tales. BUT! This is fluffy romance with SPICE.

This is very much a love at first sight, fairy tale theme. It is fast paced but there are some twists and turns. Very light hearted and a cozy little read. With some romance and lots of spice. I loved this book a lot and I enjoyed the combination of multiple fairy tale characters. I saw mention of the next book being the Little Mermaid and Captian Hook? Um yes!!

I'm going to go make a new pot of tea and maybe King Edward would approve. Enjoy the read and give the author some stars!

[Trisha Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

It reads like a Tangled fanfic😅

[yarniabook · Rating 2 out of 5]

So here's what I have to say about this book. This book is good it's fast paced the story is really good The spice is good. However I have two things I cannot stand about it but they're specific to me.

1. He is engaged to maid Marian they are not in love it's kind of a arranged marriage kind of thing. But he is with Rapunzel all this time so basically he's cheating on maid Marian.

2. I am not a fan I don't like books where the girl chases the guy I have never liked those books I am actually okay if the girl chases the guy and then gives him up and he starts chasing her. But other than that I am not okay with the girl chasing the guy I just never have been. And throughout this book Rapunzel is chasing Robin Hood and he keeps leaving her like you deserve better but then he ends up having sex with her so it's confusing.

If those two things do not bother you then I do recommend this book.

[Ilknur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite it being a rather short book, I actually really enjoyed reading it. This is my first Jessica Erin book and it did not disappoint.
I liked the twist the author put to the known Fairytale of Rapunzel and the crossover with Robin Hood. There where other Disney characters mentioned. Though it felt incomplete in a sense, because some storyline were just 'cut off'. But eitherway i can't wait to read the second book in this series.

[Jessica Erin]

Live now and free with Kindle Unlimited!

Get it here- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZD9VJYY

[Joanne Nundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will love this...
This was soooo good. Loved the twist on fairytales Jessica Erin gave us, fantastic storyline and cannot wait to read the next one

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love This!

I absolutely enjoyed this read. The twisting of two fairytales was amazing. The relationship that formed between Rapunzel and Robin was beautifully written. Plus with the sadness and love of the story we get spice. I loved getting a grownup version of the fairytales I grew up with. Well done!

[Adélie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Omg that was so bad. It was so poorly written. From the plot to the dialogues.
It wasn’t even good smut.
It felt like a horny teenage boy who’s never had sex was trying to write Tangled fanfic. Except without all the banter. Just bland dialogues. Bland plot. Really badly written sex scenes. Gag.

[Ashley Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting to love this story as much as I did. I loved every bit of this tale and couldn't stop thinking about it even when I didn't have the chance to read. I didn't want to put it down but unfortunately with kids and work you have to take a pause every now and again. Lol. Anyways, back to the review...

I absolutely love Disney retellings and for them to have spice is an added bonus! Rapunzel and Robin Hood are meant for each other in this twisted tale of multiple different fairy tales including Queen Aurora and King Edward, Snow White and the Dark(Evil) Queen, and Rumpelstiltskin.

Jessica Erin did an amazing job putting her own spin on these classic tales and her writing style is so fluid and easy to read. You can't help but feel good *pun intended ;)* while reading this. I can't wait and look forward to diving in to the next book and read all about The Little Mermaid and Captain Hook!!

[Verbivore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a sucker for anything Robin Hood, I had to read this book. This version of Robin is the bad boy with the heart of gold, underneath a lot of bravado. Told in dual POV we get Robin and Rapunzel's perspective in Jessica Erin's twisted fairy-tale. I wasn't sure how mixing together two classic stories would fit, but the pairing works. They compliment and contrast each other in this fast-paced tale where, as all fairy-tales should all ends well. Oh, and a few other fabled characters make an appearance as well.

[Christina Vourcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. I knew I would love it because I enjoy reading Jessica’s stories, but I also enjoy Once Upon A Time, Tangled (plus the Tangled TV series), and Doctor Who. So this twisted fairytale felt familiar and unique (including spice). I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

[Bethany Blitchington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me major Once Upon a Time vibes, only with more smut and less darkness. Rapunzel and Robin Hood takes place in a world where all our fairy tales, like Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, etc. are all combined. I went into this book thinking it would have some "dark" vibes given the name of the series is "Twisting Fairytales", but there really weren't any. The smut was very vanilla, and the plot was rushed. Regardless, it was a good pallet cleanser between the darker romances I have been reading (although that really wasn't my goal). Will I read it again? Probably not. Will I read the next book in this series? Maybe?

[Kelly Peeples · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I felt like it had so much potential with these two characters but the story felt rushed, there was no depth to the characters or plot. It was very fluffy feeling- not much drama, action, passion. The spice was mild but good. Probably won’t bother with book two

[Steff Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Throwing Robin Hood and Rapunzel together actually sounds like a pretty fantastic idea...but my goodness, does this book have some serious issues.

+ poor and disorganized writing
+ missing character depth / development
+ unrealistic character dynamics -- she was locked in a tower her whole life; there is no possible way she would have understood sex and relationships the way she was portrayed to
+ unrealistic characters in general
+ HOLY HELL, the INSTA LOVE was so painful
+ pointless and contrived plots; some of these literally only served to create unnecessary tension in the relationship
+ miscommunication as a plot device
+ an excess of random storylines & conflicts
+ rushing through aforementioned excess of random storylines & conflicts
+ no coherent plot in general
+ complete & utter mismanagement of Marian's storyline -- if you're going to give Robin a love interest other than Marian, just remove Marian from the book, please
+ cheating!!!
+ I'm sorry...but Rumpelstiltskin? Really?

And this is just the beginning, unfortunately. Honestly, this book reads like it came from the mind of someone who really likes Disney's Tangled, but wanted to make it...horny? Additionally, it's very clear that the author doesn't fully grasp the complexities of someone living their lives in a tower nor the complexities of falling in love.

So, instead of spending any real time on the characters in relation to those two topics, the book was really just a rushed mishmash of all the ideas and events that the author wanted to mash together. Ultimately, she just didn't know how to develop these ideas and put them all together into a coherent and real story.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the stories and fairytales we grew up reading come together in this book. Rapunzel is the lost princess of Sherwood and the king and queen have tasked Robin Hood with finding her and bringing her home. After being locked in the tower for her entire life and lied to by a man who claimed to be her father, she makes the decision to trust Robin Hood. The journey back to Sherwood leads both of them to find and realize things they didn't know they had been missing. They inevitably fall for each other, but when they reach the castle, Robin returns to his men and the promise that holds him there. Rapunzel can't be apart from him though and she's going to do everything she can to ensure they can be together again. But Rumpelstiltskin may have other plans.

"Love didn't always need to be spoken to be known."

[Cat Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a creative mix of myths and stories!

I always love a good retelling but man, when authors decide to mix the stories, it somehow gets even better! The options for creativity build and it can be such a fun experience!

All the characters are fun and creative. I like how they all fit into the stories we know but there’s enough expansion to give individual traits that make each one unique.

One of the downsides of mixing fairy tales is the amount of characters. There’s a bit of that here, with it occasionally feeling overcrowded but as a general rule, the author handles it well.

There isn’t a huge world ending adventure here but that’s the joy of it. Instead, we get the pleasure of two people who likely should not have met discovering a new life together and that’s more than enough for me.

[Racheal · Rating 1 out of 5]

60% dnf.
I feel bad giving this such a poor rating but honestly this book was just so disorganized for its own good. It's like the author couldn't settle on an idea, so they included a little bit of every fairytale. The ideas in this book felt unfinished, the characters lacked depth, the plot was unclear, the romance felt like more of a one night stand/fling... I honestly could go on. I had high hopes for a book where Rapunzel mashes up with Robinhood in a retelling, but Robinhood was such a selfish jerk that only cared about himself. This book maybe could have had potential if the author hadn't tried to fit so much into a book. Like if she had just stuck with a more basic plot and had more detail and depth, this would have been a more enjoyable read.

[Ambar Fernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honesty, I loved the overall idea of these fairytales blending. The author blends Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel and Robin Hood in this book. I really enjoyed how she blended the families to create this story, but I found Rapunzel to be quite annoying. There was something about her character that I couldn’t stand. Robin Hood was a good character, but I feel like they both needed a lot more character development. I also think the final battle with Rumpelstiltskin needed more to it. It was to abrupt. Would I recommend this book? Eh… I don’t think so… I do hope the next books in this series get better, in both storytelling and character development.

[Renee Marski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Towers and forests

When Rapunzel's parents send Robin Hood to rescue her, he never expects to find the most beautiful girl he's ever seen before. He takes her to the sea and then to the castle. It turns out that a deal had been struck before they had been married and Rumplestiltskin took their baby. Robin and Rapunzel fall for each other but circumstances keep them apart. But then she needs him to break a curse and it turns out that they are in love. Can they make it work? And stop Rumplestiltskin?

A great retelling! And spicy!

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Mash-Up of Fairy Tales

I love fairy tale retellings and this is fast-burn and quite smutty. Robin is quite the dream I’d always imagined an adult, steamy version of him would be. I only wish there was more thought and world-building put into the plot and storyline. To solidify everything better. It’s still a quick and fun read!

[Jen H · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I gave it another 20%, but it was...well, I was right, there wasn't much plot left. It went beyond PWP. And the sex scenes were really abrupt.

It gets one stars for the concept. But it never really went anywhere. Also, goodness gracious, the average story on Literotica has more nuance than this.

But it was a decent 39%.

[Mari Acosta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot...

This book had a great plot that could hold so much promise, but the writing did not do it for me. There were parts where it dragged on and other parts where things seemed skimmed over. Spicy scenes felt forced throughout. The book probably could have been better with fade to black scenes. I have yet to decide if I will continue the series.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never thought of combining these worlds together, but it COMPLETELY works. I have to admit it was a bit too Disney at times (& I truly don’t adore Disney, so I’m guessing you can get at what I’m thinking). That being said, I think the story was enjoyable & the characters worked well together.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book but i just fel it was a little to fast paced. The beginning captured me in the book but then the middle and end just felt like it was a bit rushed. But i am pleased with the ending and can totally relate to many emotions in this book.

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked:
-the pure devotion between Rapunzel and Robin
Needs works
-story flow
-character development
-somewhat realistic characters and events

Loved this idea and the love between the 2 characters but feel it could have been executed better. There was a lot of unexplored potential.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story mash up was AMAZING, but it felt rushed. The build up to their romance could have been drawn out if not their engagement. I wanted more from it. Plus the editing was not great, there were quite a few obvious typos that had me re-reading sentences.

[Brittany Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one of my favorites! I love the twisting fairytales, meshing two different stories together. This is very Tangled vibes. I’ve always see Flynn Rider as Robin Hood, it just made sense how he was portrayed. So this storyline is chef’s kiss for every Tangled fan! 🩷