Autorentext

Hafsa A. Jawad

Zusammenfassung
**An irresistibly charming cozy romantasy about a young healer who must pass seven trials inspired by classic fairytales to lift a deadly curse, with the help of a mysterious stranger—perfect for fans of Heather Fawcett and Sarah Beth Durst!

Once upon a time, there were no Happily Ever Afters...**

Young healer Serena Rose has always dreamed of the kind of romance fairytales are made of, but the chances of finding true love living alone in a cottage by the wood are… slim. Instead, she spends her days chasing down mischievous woodland critters, brewing tonics, and taking care of her family's ancient records of fairytales, many of which have been outlawed in the kingdom of Lumina.

Her quiet life is upended when she is approached by a dark-haired stranger searching for a book in her family’s collection, The Tales of Arcana Fortune. In between searching for more information on the book, and fighting their budding attraction, they accidentally free a malicious immortal sealed with an ancient spell.

Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.

Leseprobe
Chapter One

Ten Years Ago

Rina Rose did not appreciate the cold. And she certainly did not appreciate discovering that the fun trip her mother had promised her was to a cold, gloomy village in the middle of nowhere. Looking out the foggy glass, she realized why her brothers had made hasty excuses when Mama announced it was time for Rina to finally visit Glenn, the village where her mother had once lived. Where her Aunt Maeve still resided.

Mama’s description had made it sound like she would be visit­ing somewhere special, but the place she was currently staring at was anything but. The village seemed to exist only in shades of gray—­the buildings, the atmosphere, even the people. As much as she tried not to feel disappointed, her heart sank as she took in her surroundings. She had harbored a secret hope that Glenn would be a charming fairy-­tale place, the opposite of their noisy fishing town of Leis. The persistent drizzle that greeted her when she stepped out of the coach furthered the insult, and she felt her wish that the village would be a special place wither like a fragile flower in winter.

Feeling quite put out, she stayed silent as her mother led her to the woods that bordered Glenn. She reminded herself that she wasn’t a baby anymore, so she couldn’t complain too much, but every step she took made her wish her mother had never suggested this trip.

They had just entered the woods when she felt it—­an almost imperceptible shift in the atmosphere. The rain tapered off, and a gentle breeze ruffled her hair as shy, golden rays of the sun swept through the gaps in the trees, drenching the place in gold. Wildflowers dotted the sides of the path, and birds sang a song that made her little heart want to dance with joy.

“The rain’s gone,” she said in wonder.

Her mother gave her a small smile. “The woods are pretty, aren’t they? I used to love playing here. Your gran would always get cross with me when I returned home with muddy skirts.”

Rina looked at her in surprise. She couldn’t imagine her neat and tidy mother ever getting herself dirty.

“Was Aunt Maeve like that as well?”

“No, she much preferred staying indoors to read.”

“Does she live in the woods now?”

“Your aunt lives in the family cottage on the other side of the forest.” Mama’s words were tinged with disapproval. Rina didn’t understand why; living near a place as pretty as this seemed lovely to her. Not for the first time, Rina wondered what kind of a person her aunt was.

“Why does she never visit Leis?”

This time, the strain in her mother’s tone was loud and clear. “Aunt Maeve is a very busy woman. She doesn’t really have time for visits outside of Glenn.”

Frowning, Rina scuffed her shoes on the ground but hastily stopped when she remembered that her mother hated when she did that. Racking her brain for all the information she had gleaned about her aunt over the years, she asked another question that was bothering her.

“You said Aunt Maeve was there when I was born,” she said. “Why did I never see her after that? Does she not like me?”

“Of course not!” exclaimed her mother. “Your Aunt Maeve fell in love with you the minute she saw you. She was forever holding you in her arms, right up until the day we left for Leis.”

“If that were true, wouldn’t she want to come visit me often after that?”

“Oh, look, we’ve arrived!” said Mama, her voice heavy with relief. She tugged Rina’s hand forward.

Rina looked to where her mother was gesturing, and all questions disappeared. Before her was a cottage that most certainly belonged to the faeries.

“Welcome to Primrose Cottage.” Her mother smiled at the wonder on Rina’s face.

Primrose Cottage was everything her mother had promised and more.

The cottage walls were covered in ivy and honeysuckle, and the garden was charmingly overgrown with the prettiest flowers in the brightest colors. Roses, hydrangeas, pansies, all littered around in abundance. As they stepped through the rickety brown gate into the garden, the faint song of a babbling brook carried from somewhere behind the cottage. The air practically vibrated with the kind of magic she was sure faeries had—­good and pure. Nothing like the bustling town she lived in. The cobblestoned path was surrounded by tiny daisies, and it led to the front door, which was engraved with a single rose. Just like her name.

The door opened then, and a tall, lithe woman with messy dark hair piled up on her head appeared. Her dress was rumpled, the hem covered in dust, and her hands were smudged with ink. A delicate pair of golden spectacles perched upon her long, narrow nose.

Rina suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to step behind her mother, who instead nudged her forward to greet her aunt for the first time. Aunt Maeve took her little hand, and her eyes glimmered with an odd emotion.

“Welcome,” she said, her voice pleasant and throaty. “I’ve prepared your rooms already. You can wash up and rest awhile before the meal.”

“Thank you,” said her mother. “I’ve had my hands full with this one asking me a million questions the entire way here.”

That was unfair. Rina had been a perfect model of good behavior the entire time, asking her mother only a few things to sate her curiosity.

Her aunt led them upstairs and pushed open a cracked wooden door to reveal a small, cozy-­looking room with furniture that looked like it had been carved by elves. Sunlight streamed through the window, and in the corner, a huge tabby cat curled up for a nap.

“Sorry about Whiskers; this is where he likes to take his after­noon nap. I can take him downstairs if you want?”

“No!” Rina blurted, dazzled by the fairy-­tale picture the entire scene made. “Let him sleep. We don’t mind, right, Mama?”

Her mother agreed, and Aunt Maeve thanked them before turning and disappearing downstairs. Rina perched on the bed, watching her mother unpack as a thousand queries flew around in her head.

Sensing the storm of chatter that would inevitably come her way, her mother paused and quickly ushered Rina to the door her aunt had left through. “Why don’t you go take a look around? There’s still some ti…