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Once Upon a Time

Submitted by Linda Stevens [1] on Thu, 08/12/2010 - 1:54pm

I imagine that many romance readers spent their childhoods repeating the same request I did, "Tell me a story."  The favorite stories were always fairy tales [2].  Romance novels and fairy tales have quite a bit in common:  they contain some level of formula and some element of fantasy, they focus on a romantic pair, and they are both often dismissed as trivial.  To the last claim, I will say that almost anyone, anywhere knows a basic version of the stories grouped below without me having to give any further information.  That's cultural power.

These books are some of my favorites that take a familiar fairy tale plot and spin it into a romance novel.  Did I miss any of your favorites?

Beauty and the Beast

Ravished [3] by Amanda Quick          The Bride and the Beast [4] by Teresa Medeiros

Cinderella

A Kiss at Midnight [5] by Eloisa James        Cinderella Deal [6] by Jennifer Crusie

Sleeping Beauty

Waking the Princess [7] by Susan King        Spindle's End [8] by Robin McKinley

The Little Mermaid

Goddess of the Sea [9] by P.C. Cast        Sleeping with the Fishes [10] by MaryJanice Davidson

The Ugly Duckling

Charm School [11]by Susan Wiggs        Romancing Mister Bridgerton [12] by Julia Quinn

romancing mister bridgerton [12]charm school [11]goddess of the sea [9]waking the princess [7]cinderella deal [6]ravished [13]spindles end [8]sleeping with the fishes [10]


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Source URL: http://hcpl.net/content/once-upon-time-1

Links:
[1] http://hcpl.net/users/linda-stevens
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_tale
[3] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=amanda%20quick%20ravished&index=.GH#focus
[4] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=bride%20beast%20medeiros&index=.GH#focus
[5] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=kiss%20at%20midnight%20eloisa%20james&index=.GH#focus
[6] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=cinderella%20deal%20crusie&index=.GH#focus
[7] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=waking%20the%20princess%20susan%20king&index=.GH#focus
[8] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=spindles%20end%20mckinley&index=.GH#focus
[9] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=goddess%20sea%20cast&index=.GH#focus
[10] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=sleeping%20with%20the%20fishes%20davidson&index=.GH#focus
[11] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=charm%20school%20wiggs&index=.GH#focus
[12] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=romancing%20bridgerton%20quinn&index=.GH#focus
[13] http://catalog.hcpl.net/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=subtab13&term=ravished%20amanda%20quick&index=.GH#focus
[14] http://hcpl.net/category/tags/fairy-tales
[15] http://hcpl.net/taxonomy/term/37