In a Dark, Dark Wood by CeCe Louise

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In a Dark, Dark Wood

by Cece Louise

Series: Forest Tales #4
Series Rating:
Published by Jabberwocky Tales on February 22, 2022
Genres: Fairy Tales Folklore Fantasy
Pages: 297
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Desperate Forest, The Jabberwocky Princess, Mazarine, To Escape a Wonderland

In a dark, dark wood, there was a dark, dark man . . .

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.  

Author's Note: Recommended for ages 14 and up (due to some mature themes).

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise is a young peasant girl trying to keep her family safe from any harm and was sent to Ebonwood to keep her sisters safe.

Will Calia keep up the pretense of being Princess Marilee?

Calia

Calia takes us on her journey of transforming from a peasant girl to the missing Princess Marilee of the last book. At times Calia has a bit of a hard time keeping up the pretense that she isn’t the princess that was betrothed to Brone, especially when questioned about her home. Calia is a special girl at the young age of nineteen who has to take care of her three younger siblings as best as she can. She could think of the best thing to make sure that they had work and a roof over their heads. But she had to go to Ebonwood to ensure her country had enough money. Calia is a sweetheart and one that I would love to have helped in Ebonwood if I was there.

Brone

Brone is the crowned prince of Ebonwood, and he has two sides of himself. The first side is one that he shows to everyone. This first side is about keeping up a pretense that he doesn’t care what others think of him. The second side, though, is one that just wants to be loved despite the way he looks. Brone has had a tough childhood and adulthood at the hands of his father. His first wife was no better, and I think he was afraid that this marriage to Princess Marilee would be as harsh. I like Brone a lot as a character because he grew more and more as the story progressed. Brone just needed the gentle hand of someone that also needed him as Calia did.

Five Stars

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise reminded me of Rebecca for a bit in some chapters, and I thought that was cool. I loved the references to the poem that inspired this story as well. Ms. Louise has done another excellent job crafting a remarkable story that had me enthralled from the beginning. I couldn’t put the book down for anything..well, except for sleep. I loved the characters a lot, and I felt terrible for King Sullivan at the end. My rating for In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise is five stars. I am giving it a big recommendation to anyone that loves a gothic historical romance.

The Forest Tales Series

 

You can get the series through #KindleUnlimited, too, except Saving Vengeance.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge

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