Once Upon a Trope

Give Me a Steamy Fairytale Retelling and I'm All In

One of the most prolific and popular romance tropes out there—and one of my absolute favorites—is the fairytale inspired romance, or a fairytale retelling. There's just something about those familiar stories, reimagined with all the heat, heart, and depth that modern romance brings, that makes them completely irresistible.

Give me a steamy romance inspired by Beauty and the Beast and it's pretty much a guaranteed one-click for me. The emotionally wounded hero, the brave and kind heroine, the tension, the transformation, the slow burn that turns into a raging inferno? Yes, yes, and absolutely yes.

But it's not just Beauty and the Beast that gets me. I also love steamy romances inspired by Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White (hello, reverse harem anyone?), Rapunzel—honestly, the list goes on and on. These classic tales give us that delicious blend of the familiar and the unexpected. You think you know the story, but in the hands of the right romance author? You’re in for a whole new world.

Some of my favorite fairytale retellings that have seriously lived rent-free in my mind:

Finding Forever by Natasha Anders – A beautifully emotional Cinderella-inspired romance that brings the angst and longing I adore.

Ravished by Amanda Quick – This one’s Beauty and the Beast reimagined with Quick’s signature wit, intelligence, and sexual tension that sizzles.

Owned by the Lost Boys by AJ Merlin – Peter Pan has never felt so dark and seductive. Seriously, the vibes in this one? Chef’s kiss.

Bollywood and the Beast by Suleikha Snyder – A gorgeously diverse take on Beauty and the Beast with Bollywood glam, deep emotion, and yes, all the steam.

Silenced by Serena Akeroyd – Dark, powerful hero meets light, fierce heroine, and the sparks? Oh, they fly. Inspired by Persephone & Hades (which I know is not technically a fairytale, but I’ve always thought Beauty and the Beast was a bit of a retelling of their story with a twist).

I also asked my readers to give me a list of some of their favorite retellings and here they are:

Hooked by Emily McIntire is more than one reader’s favorite fairytale retelling. Amanda C. says it’s a contemporary dark Peter Pan inspired romance. Yum!

According to Jolene E, Wonder by Evelyn Flood is Alice in Wonderland meets The Hunger Games. (Yes, it did make it onto my TBR.)

Lori S. recommends Cold Queen by K Webster, which is in her words, “a dark fantasy romance. Inspired by Snow Queen/Frozen and with all the sexy times goodness and of course good storyline.”

Beauty by Robin Mckinley is “a truly awesome version!” according to Barbara C.

Beautiful Beast by Neva Altaj would have been on my list above but Jackie A. recommended it too.

Of Song and Sceptor by Liesl West is a dark Little Mermaid retelling according to Manda K, who recommended it.

I really believe part of the magic in these stories is how they give us a sense of comfort—familiar archetypes, known story elements—but with fresh twists, empowered characters, and all the grown-up stuff we didn’t know we needed when we first heard these stories as kids.

Also, the romantic fantasy of fairytales? Still alive and very well, thank you. Castles, curses, hidden identities, forbidden love, dangerous rescues, epic sacrifices—it all blends into the kind of high-stakes romance that makes your heart race in the best way. Which is why I enjoy writing fairytale inspired romance so much myself.

If you want to check out some of them, give these a try:

Brutal Capo from my Syndicate Rules series is a mafia romance take on Beauty and the Beast. She’s his captive, but he grows orchids instead of roses and he’s definitely not too tamed at the end.

Take Me from my Regency Scandals series is steamy and emotional with a strong Beauty and the Beast vibe. (I told you that was my favorite, right?)

Cinderella’s Jilted Billionaire kinda says it all in the title. 😅 (Yes, I was playing with titles and visibility on Amazon, etc. when I went Indie. Not sure I’ve figured it out yet, but I’m working on it.)

So yeah, if it's fairytale-inspired and steamy? It's probably already on my TBR. And if it’s got a Beast who’s only partially tamed by love, I’m definitely clicking that “Buy Now” button.

Got a favorite fairytale retelling? Tell me! I’m always ready for another magical, sexy adventure. 💫

For info on all of my books, visit my website.

Find me on social media:
BookBub: Lucy Monroe
goodreads: Lucy Monroe
Facebook: LucyMonroe.Romance
Instagram: lucymonroeromance
Pinterest: lucymonroebooks
YouTube: @LucyMonroeBooks
Threads: lucymonroeromance

Thanks for reading! If you want to get more fantastic book recs and news about what’s going on with my books, subscribe right here.