Return: Hansel and Gretel Retold (Book 10 in the Romance a Medieval Fairytale series) PAPERBACK

An imaginative Hansel & Gretel retelling interwoven with Celtic lore where women (while they are not legal rulers) fight at their men's side and are able to choose their own husbands.When Rhona's mother dies she discovers her station isn't what she thought it was. When her father takes a new wife who wants to give him sons, Rhona's & her sisters life is in danger. On a neighbouring isle, Grieve's first love betrays him and to avoid him acting out he is assigned as squire to Rhona's father. With war looming on the horizon and an allegiance with the Vikings to be made, Rhona and Grieve navigate the war preparations & dangers that ensue.I loved Rhona's headstrong character and her fighter spirit. Grieve seemed a bit of a wuss at times, but then the girl was formidable. At times, it felt more like an 18+ fairytale, tbh, on account of how mature the female Mc was and also due to 2 candid but not overly descriptive sex scenes & the daughters of the Isles being free to pick & sample their men before marriage.Recommended for lovers of upper YA (15+) fantasy with medium heat level, retold fairytales and strong, independent women.

Okay at 1st I was a bit confused, still am in a bit lol that I might have to listen/read this 1 more time. But I really liked it very much. I like how it went with Blow the book before this one. But with that ending I can't wait to here the next book in the series.

This series gets better as more of the books are read. Each book is a great stand alone story. But, they are all tied together. What's great is knowing the links doesn't detract from each story.Rhonda and Grieve are the Greta and Hansel of the title. They're lovers who pose as brother and sister for a part of the story.Character development is nicely done. The world view is very consistent with the other books in this series.This was an enjoyable read. Strong female lead protagonists and honorable men are perfect foils for the plot.

No gingerbread cottage here...but very nicely interleaved stories with heroines with hidden depths. And surprising connections. I will say, as someone who had to walk on eggshells in a previous relationship (because if it was possible for anything I said to be misinterpreted, it was) I do not care for how often the characters here tend to be wrong about what their soulmates feel. Seems like excessive drama. Otherwise, masterful interpretations and reimaginings.

Demelza is unsurpassed in the genre of fairytale retellings. She can take a seed of an idea from the classic tale, and grow it into something truly different. As in all of her books, the female lead character is a strong woman, no matter what obstacles are put into her path.