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Cece Louise

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In a Dark, Dark Wood (The Forest Tales Series Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Cece Louise (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 164 ratings

Book 3 of 3: The Forest Tales Series

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An imposter posing as a princess. A brooding prince who hides within his castle. An arranged marriage that could ruin them both.

Calia believes in ghosts. How could she not when she is haunted by a past encounter that sent her into hiding? She concocts a plan so crazy, it just might save her— if it doesn’t lead to her downfall. All she has to do is impersonate a missing princess and fulfill that princess’s betrothal to the Prince of Ebonwood.

Prince Brone believes in nothing—certainly not the curse rumored to plague the royal wives of Ebonwood. After the untimely death of his first wife, all he wishes is to be left alone. Once more facing a marriage not of his choosing, he vows not to make the same mistakes that cost him so dearly last time.

Calia soon discovers that fooling the prince will be much harder than she thought. As her complicated feelings for him begin to grow, so does her fear of Ebonwood—a kingdom shrouded in darkness, secrets, and even murder.

Will a warning from beyond the grave save Calia from the fate of the previous Ebonwood wives, or will it spell her ultimate ruin?

Inspired by the classic poem “In a Dark, Dark Wood,” this clean, standalone romantic suspense is perfect for anyone who loves fairy tales with a Gothic twist. Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre!

Author's Note: In a Dark, Dark Wood is a standalone book, so it can be read at any point in the Forest Tales series. Recommended for ages 14 and up (due to some mature themes).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great mash-up of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Beauty and the Beast."- Charity Bradford, Fantasy Romance author

"A beautifully atmospheric story reminiscent of Victoria Holt or Daphne du Maurier, this exciting, twisty story causes delightful shivers and keeps you guessing."- Therese Heckenkamp, Bestselling Christian Fiction author

". . . A fantastic, slow-building enemies-to-lovers romance. I can't recommend this one enough to readers who enjoy clean YA fantasy." - Julie at the One Book More blog

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09FHWL59M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jabberwocky Tales (February 22, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1035 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 314 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #91,693 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #113 in Teen & Young Adult Royalty Fairy Tales & Folklore eBooks
- #117 in Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tales & Folklore Adaptations eBooks
- #151 in Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy eBooks

Customer Reviews:
4.5 164 ratings

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About the author

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Cece Louise

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Cece Louise writes clean novels filled with adventure, romance, and spirit for teens and adults.

Get a FREE ebook of Saving Vengeance at CeceLouise.com!

Cece is an avid reader who has been making up stories in her head as long as she can remember. Despite all that daydreaming, she graduated summa cum laude with a BBA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2012.

When she's not working on her latest story, Cece spends her time having adventures with her husband and two kids, hiking and biking in her home state of WI, and unfortunately, cleaning her house (which she is convinced is secretly inhabited by mischievous, mess-multiplying pixies).

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

164 global ratings

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Amazon Customer

loved it!

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024

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I appreciate such a refreshing story. Characters were well developed and the love story was so believable. I liked the main character was not cliche nor was her Prince. I think it makes this story timeless. Well done!

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024

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This book is filled with twists and turns that keep you engaged to the end.
With a sweet romance blossoming between the prince and Calia, it makes for an enjoyable and satisfying experience.

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2022

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My rating system:
5 stars - Absolutely loved it! I would definitely read again anytime!
4 stars - Really liked it! Will most likely read again sometime.
3 stars - Liked it. Glad I read it but probably won't read again.
2 stars - Didn't like it. Glad I'm done with the book and I'll never read it again.
1 star - Very rare rating. Absolutely hated the book. Will never read again and I'll probably burn any copies I come across.

This is the first book of hers that I've read and I quite enjoyed it. I may have to go back and read the other books in the series. The book read well and the plot moved fairly quickly for which I was thankful. I like books that are quicker and lighter that I can enjoy between other more intense series that I'm reading. I love books with multiple POVs, I love getting into the minds of the different characters. I love fairytale knock offs and adaptations. And I love a good twist which I thought this book had!

One person found this helpful

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Jennifer

Great retelling of Beauty & The Beast, clean good for YA readers

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2023

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“Pretending you were my wife was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.” … “To have to wake up every morning and remind myself that I cannot fall in love with you. And then to fall asleep every night knowing it’s useless because I already have.”

A marriage of convenience retelling of Beauty & the Beast - the story has been on my list for a long time. I’m so glad I finally made time for it!

Beautifully done and so engaging right from the beginning, I could not put down this book. It was filled with the kind of meaningful glances between the main characters that make you blush.

There was a bit of mystery surrounding events that lead her to him and the death of his first wife. It was fun (and shocking) to see how that unfolded.

Prince Brone and Cali stole my heart, I loved their dynamic together. She saw the real person under his beastly exterior; he was protective of her from the beginning. Plus, he could be so swoony when he wanted to be. Like when his first hint of caring for her came in the form of gifting her a handmade clock.

This was a top read for me so far this year, I absolutely loved it! And definitely one of those books I would pay money to re-read for the first times before I knew how the mystery unfolded!

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2024

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I love these books! I highly recommend them!

Found myself reading every moment I could get in!

Very well written!

Helpful

Destiny j

Compelling story, flat ending. WORTH THE READ.

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2022

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the first book I've read by Cece Louise and it won't be the last. A princess with a secret, a broken and reclusive prince. Sign me up for it. I was hooked from the prologue and couldn't put it down. Calia is such a wonderful and appealing character. Brone is compelling and captivating and the two together are so perfect. I loved every interaction. The mystery had me on the edge of my seat the whole story. That is my only issue with the book, I felt the mystery fell a bit flat, but still worth the read.

Helpful

Melinda

Well conceived dark gothic-like fantasy

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was a very enjoyable read. The writing pace was smooth. I appreciate the story being written from the viewpoints of both main characters, Calia and Brone.

Calia is not a strong person, but she is trying her best to help her family and prevent undo suffering for the common people of her homeland and Ebonwood.

Prince Brone has lived his whole life listening to his father tell him he is a disappointment, a cowad, weak, and incapable of being a worthy heir to the throne. Brone's first marriage ended with the death of his wife under suspicious circumstances that were partially blamed on a curse. The prince does not want to marry again, but his father is demanding their line continues.

Calia (as Princess Marilee) and Brone's marriage begins as one of convenience, and the see little of each other and remain civil but nothing more. Events happen that push them into each other's company, and they find more commonality between them which turns into frienship. Calia's real identity is exposed, and she is haunted by a ghost from her past.

There was a twist at the end that was completely unexpected.

This really was a good srory. It is the first book I have read by this author, and I will be reading the other books in this series.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Jessie C

A Dark and Thrilling Romance

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2022

I really liked that these books are stand alone fairytale romances. I'd missed a book in the middle, and it all worked out!

Calia has two younger sisters to care for, and can't find work. With the princess missing and her resemblance to her, Calia hatches a plan. She will take the princesses place in the marriage bargain, they'll still receive their marriage settlement and can look for their daughter, and her sisters can be cared for. What could go wrong?

Prince Brone of Ebonwood is an inventor, and happens to be very observant. He knows there is something off about his potential bride, but what should he do about it?

This story has a marriage of convenience, a curse on the wives of Ebonwood, ghosts, eerie statues and noises, and a happily ever after. I loved the spooky feel, the plot twists, and the sweet romance. I loved seeing Brone and Calia open up to one another.

This book is recommended for an older audience.
Content: clean PG-13 (a few kisses, no language, some violence, attempted rape, and attempted murder)

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In a Dark, Dark Wood (The Forest Tales Series Book 3) Kindle Edition

Editorial Reviews

Review

Product details

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Customer Review: Perfect Mashup of Beauty and the Beast with Jane Eyre

About the author

Cece Louise

Customer reviews

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