"One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by."
If spring is the promise of renewal, then summer is the fulfillment of that promise. The world is alive with sunshine, laughter, and lazy afternoons.
Summer also brings a fantastic new crop of books to take to the beach with you — especially fairy tale retellings.
Settle into your hammock with a glass of iced tea, and let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated fairy tale retellings hitting shelves this summer.
Greyson hides many things from the Unseelie Court when they invade his estate each autumn for the Wild Hunt. During his required appearance as host, he is surprised to find a human among the glittering fae. She can see him even when he is using his stealth magic, which means only one thing—they are soul mates. Can he protect her amidst the swirl of fae politics and a plot against her life?
Lyra has grown up among the fae. She has been trained to be the perfect servant. Then her master brings her to the Unseelie Court event of the year and demands she demonstrate her skills to nobles. With the promise of freedom as a motivator, she willingly agrees. Then she realizes her master’s true plan thanks to the intimidating fae lord hosting the event. Though why he would be invested in her fate is a mystery.
The Unseelie’s Wallflower is a light, fantasy romance novella about a relationship between an Unseelie and a human woman. It features faes, fated mates, and a romance between a noble and a servant, all played out against a backdrop of the peril, politics, and maneuverings of the Unseelie Court.
Release date: June 6
What if Little Bo Peep had a skill for catching crooks?
Lady Genevieve Rayelle Palleep loves to point out what no one else notices, which makes it a tad difficult for her to get along with most suitors. While tracking down details may not be beneficial for her life as a lady, it certainly has uses in her more secretive life. Since being recruited as a crown agent as a child, Evie’s talents have never failed to hunt down black market goods, runaway convicts, or anything else one could imagine… That is, until her next mission bears an interesting request.
When eight magic-fused wool cloaks go missing from the black market, the agency doesn’t feel that Evie can handle the task alone. Much to Evie’s regret, she’s assigned her very first partner, an obnoxiously attractive agent by the name of Shepherd. He wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t have to go undercover as courting lovers… Or if he wasn’t so perfect.
With her new partner in tow and a mysterious stack of cloaks ready to be found, Evie is determined to prove she never needed Shep’s help from the start. She’s worked too hard to let another man drag her around like a wandering sheep. Will Evie be able to track down the missing wools? Or will her distrust of her partner leave them both lost?
Release date: July 11
Princess Rosa wants to be royal about as much as Prince Emmett wants to be a mindless wolf.
Rosa never wanted to become a princess through her mother’s marriage to Teren’s king. She especially doesn’t want the pressure to marry according to her new station. She’d rather be running wild on her grandmother’s property in the Forest of Ilgal. Neither the rumors of giant wolves nor the growing danger from the forest’s thickening magic especially trouble her.
Prince Emmett of Medulle is intimately familiar with the dangers of the forest’s magic. His disastrous attempt to alleviate it has already led to four years of fear and shame. And now the wolf in his mind is taking not only his body, but his life. His parents think his limited time should be spent marrying and producing an heir, but romance is the last thing on Emmett’s mind. Who would marry a wolf?
Besides, the vivacious princess and the serious prince don’t even like each other. Of course not. Their only point of alliance is their shared desire to resolve the crisis of the magic in Ilgal. Unfortunately, powerful forces are working against that goal. And as the magic of the forest grows, so does the magic holding Emmett in its grip.
Time is running dangerously short for them to find out what’s really at work in the forest…before the wolf consumes not only Emmett, but Rosa as well.
Release date: July 14
A girl with insomnia, cursed with a dragon’s heart every time she sleeps…
A Retelling of Sleeping Beauty
Kaliope never had the best relationship with sleep. Since her infancy, her three aunts have struggled with her insomnia and even more whenever she finally closed her eyes. Dark circles and yawning weren’t too terrible to handle as Kaliope grew, until one day, she begins to do more than simply sleepwalk. When word of nightly attacks spread throughout their village, Kaliope realizes that she’s the culprit when waking up near the carnage.
The Isleen soldier, Daniel, has gained a great deal of respect from the Grand Duke after his involvement with the deathly events in Shainee, granting him an interesting new mission. The Grand Duke has received reports of mysterious attacks all coming from a quiet village. The residents fear the infamous terrorists, the dragons, are to blame, and the Grand Duke believes they might be right. After his daughter was cursed, he hid her away to protect her from further harm from the dragons, but had they finally found her? The Grand Duke gives Daniel two Protect his daughter, and destroy whatever is causing the attacks.
Kaliope and her aunts must keep her curse secret and location hidden. Otherwise, the golden king who placed the curse may come to finish whatever he had planned for her… With a soldier both hunting her down and trying to protect her, it’s only a matter of time before her nightmares become a reality.
Release date: August 1
Blair is a prisoner who has been sentenced to die, but on the morning of her execution, she’s spared the noose by an unusual opportunity—pose as a decoy for the princess and learn which member of the court is the secret assassin after Her Highness’s life. If she uncovers the truth before they strike, she’ll receive a full pardon. But if she doesn’t, she’ll be forced to discover the threat at the cost of her life.
Despite the chance to avoid the gallows, Blair has no interest in helping the royal family…until she realizes that this will be an opportunity to complete the mission she was condemned to die for. But the task proves far more difficult than she anticipated when she finds herself entangled with a handsome and charming man—son of a prestigious Dukedom by day, and heir to the most infamous assassin house by night.
Luke’s involvement with the intriguing princess is solely for the sake of his own mission, and despite the dangers in getting involved, Blair finds herself captivated by the infuriating Lord beyond investigating him as her main suspect. Yet target and enemy quickly find themselves drawn to one another by more than the intrigue surrounding them. With the secrets they both keep, falling in love is far too risky…especially with an unknown assailant and mysterious curse lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.
Release date: August 11
She’s the “perfect princess” with secrets she can never tell. He’s a prince betrothed to another.
Their royal obligations pull them apart, so why do they keep finding themselves drawn to each other? When Princess Filia’s brother is too ill to attend the fall festival at Alpenglow Kingdom, she goes in his place. But being from a tropical island, Filia has never experienced the autumn season. Though she feels like a fish out of water, her guide, Crown Prince Dawson, is more than happy to make her feel at home.
Filia has known Dawson from past adventures, but she can’t help noticing there’s something different in their acquaintance this time. She’s betrothed to someone from her island kingdom. He’s betrothed to someone for political purposes. They can never be together. Yet there’s something more sweet and cozy going on than cinnamon rolls, hot cocoa, and crisp autumn air.
But even as the two start falling for each other, Filia has a secret she cannot speak aloud, for if she does, it will change the course of her future. When Filia’s escort, a conniving aunt, discovers Filia’s secret, there’s more at risk than Filia’s reputation.
Will Filia and Dawson keep their hearts guarded, fulfilling their royal obligations? Or will Filia’s secret ruin whatever chance they have at being together?
Release date: August 25
In addition to the above releases, there’s more to come!
- The Shadow Realm, a collection of Halloween themed retellings (The Invisible Man, Pinocchio, & Dracula), by Abigail Manning coming out on August 15!
- The Mermaid’s Kiss (Sea Princesses of Eventyr Book 2) by Ella Glass and Jessica Parker should be releasing late August!
Front porch swings, hammocks, beaches – I can’t wait to find the perfect spot in the sun to read these new releases!
What about you – what book are you most excited for?