The Tale Review

The Heart Beneath the Thorn — A Modern Beauty and the Beast Retelling 💔 In a glittering city of fortunes and façades, The Heart Beneath the Thorn reimagines Beauty and the Beast through the broken glass of betrayal, redemption, and forbidden love. Emilia Grace, a fierce yet quietly bruised soul, is just trying to survive. Between juggling hospital shifts, family debts, and the ghosts of her past, she’s never had the luxury of dreaming. But fate has a cruel sense of humor when she’s assigned to care for Max Carter—the cold-hearted billionaire who once made her school years a waking nightmare. Max was the golden boy with the cruel smirk—the privileged heir with everything, except peace. Years later, a tragic accident leaves him scarred, not just physically but emotionally. Isolated and emotionally exiled, Max is now a man haunted by his past choices and a legacy wrapped in barbed wire. When Emilia walks back into his life, she's no longer the girl he mocked—she's the woman who might just be his undoing. Forced into each other’s orbit, what begins as a war of words slowly melts into lingering stares, late-night confessions, and an unraveling of everything they thought they knew. Max, the beast of her memories, begins to reveal the tender man beneath the mask—a man who collects poetry he never shares, who builds gardens no one sees, and who might have always loved the girl he couldn’t protect. But trust doesn’t bloom easily in thorn-covered soil. And when old enemies, buried secrets, and a scandalous inheritance come to light, Emilia must decide: can she love the man who once broke her, now that he’s the only one trying to piece her back together? A tale of enemies-to-lovers, second chances.

Three men. One heart. Maya’s bl‌ueprint for lo⁠v‌e. May​a Al​v⁠are‍z thought‍ she was on the safest and fulfilled path, a loyal boyfriend, a promis‌ing career, an​d a life free of drama. Till a s‍tormy‌ night and a s⁠tole‍n kiss und‌er the gallery lights shat‍tered everything. Humiliated‌ but unbro⁠ken, Maya threw herself into wor​k mindlessly, only to clash wi⁠th Zane Cro‌ss: a ruthless b‍illionaire client, whose smirk is as dangerous as his secr‍ets. Th⁠ei​r s‍parks igni‌te b‍o⁠ardrooms and headl⁠ines, and soo‍n the city is whisperin⁠g abo‌ut the fire between th‌em. When a scanda‍l threatens t⁠o wr‍e‌ck her care​er and all she’d worked for, M‍ay⁠a makes​ a desperate move.She begins to notice Lucas, the⁠ charming​ Doctor, willing to fake-date her, to cal​m the rumor and get her mat⁠c​h‍making f‌amily’s pressure off her. B​ut fak⁠e dates soon b‍ecom‍e real gl​ances, and r‌eal glances stir old fee⁠lings Maya wasn't prepared for. As corpo​rate sabot‍age, family meddling, and city gossip swirl, Maya begins⁠ to wonder if love is w​orth the risk at all and questions where​ h​e‍r salvatio‌n truly lies, to be fully ready to recieve the love she wants and deserves.

“You should hate me,” He said softly, his cold gaze searching her warm eyes. She just looked up at him, a tired smile on her face. “I'm done. I don't have the strength to hate anyone anymore.” “Then you'll learn,” He murmured. “I'm not the kind of man you survive loving.” ****** Yara is born without a wolfㅡ an outcast to her own pack. Betrayed by her own family, she is banished and falls into the arms of the one man she's never supposed to meet. The lycan king. The one who everyone fears. She's his second chance. He's her last. But fate has a cruel way of playing and the stakes begin to get higher. Will they prevail? Or will the truth tear them apart before they can?

He’s the leader of his Pride. She’s a normal with no idea Shifters exist. Calling a Magical Matchmaking Service isn’t exactly ideal, but Hunter Maverick is desperate to find his mate. If he doesn’t have control of the eight-hundred-pound Tiger living inside him, he can’t run the Pride. The best way to manage his beast is to claim a female as his own, but no one in his Pride calls to him. Only his fated mate will do. There’s just one problem. He has no idea who she is.

"A life lived in love will never be dull.” ….. "If you keep thinking about what society and the world will think, you will never be able to enjoy life," When Vanessa looked at him, Justin further explained, "Because no matter what you do, you will never be able to satisfy them." Tapping the tip of her nose, he added, "And the only person you gotta satisfy is yourself." Pausing for a while, he asked, "So Vanessa Green, have you ever satisfied yourself?" …. Some think love happens only once, while others think it can happen twice or thrice. Sometimes, we force ourselves to love a particular person and give them our all, even though we get nothing in return. When Vanessa's fiance, Oliver Becker left five years ago without saying a word, she felt shattered and miserable. Thinking that Oliver was the only person she loved and could ever love, she patiently waited for five years for his return. But things changed after she met Justin. Justin Wilson, a young, handsome man whose concept of love was completely opposite of that of Vanessa. What will happen after their paths cross ways? Will Vanessa let go of the past? What will happen to their relationship when their past comes knocking at the door? …..

He entered the pack to bring it down. He never expected to fall for the Alpha sworn to destroy him. Silas Hati was raised on war stories. Trained to lie. Sent to the Red Moon to spy from the inside. But the moment he laid eyes on Alpha Ethan Lupa, dangerous, magnetic, cold, something shifted. The mission was simple: gather intel. Expose weakness. Bring Ethan to his knees. What Silas didn’t plan for was the tremor in his chest every time Ethan looked at him like he already belonged. As rivalries ignite and secrets unravel, Silas must choose to either: Destroy the man he’s starting to love, or destroy everything he was sent to protect.

Fajra Hannele faces her destiny of being the Queen of Vampires at a young age. Masyado pang mabigat at mahirap para sa kanya ang lahat, ngunit isang mabigat na responsibilidad na agad ang kanyang pinasan. Sa kabila ng kalungkutan at pagluluksa, hindi maikakaila na naging isa siyang mabuting reyna. A Queen who built their world again and made it stronger, and a Queen whom everyone adores, pero sa kabila ng lahat ng iyon ay ang hindi mapawing lungkot ay naroon pa rin. Katulad ng ibang panunungkulan, hindi nawawala ang mga problema at mga kalaban. Ang konsehong inakala niyang makakatulong sa pamumuno at pagpapanatili ng kaayusan ng kanilang mundo ay ipinakita ang kanilang tunay na kulay. Hindi lang basta kanyang posisyon ang nais ng mga ito, kung hindi na rin ang pagtapos sa kanyang buhay. The table had turned, and she had experienced her downfall. The mighty and brave Queen has fallen, but she didn't let herself drown in that loss. In the process of recovering, more secrets about the past and about her life are revealed. Naipit siya sa isang sitwasyon kung kailan kahit na nais niyang mabilis na makabalik sa kanilang mundo ay wala siyang ibang pagpipilian kung hindi ang maghintay at sumunod. She also finally met her match in that time of chaos, but when she had fallen deeply for him, the truth about their ill-fated relationship was unveiled. Will she be able to go back to her world and claim her throne before everything ends? And will she be able to alter her destiny knowing that the man she started to love and cherish is destined to kill her?

"Her love is like her bite. Lethal yet addicting." Lanver suddenly finds himself trapped in Tierra Lucien – a world full of vampires, werewolves, mages, and other supernatural creatures after he was forcibly brought by a royal vampire family to rebuild their kingdom's protective barrier. Lanver found out that he is not just an ordinary human but a descendant of the great mage in their world. He refused it at first, but they held him captive and promised to take him back home only if he'd do what they want. He had no choice but to agree. Lanver only wants two things: fulfill his job and leave. But there's one thing that is on his way of having a peaceful life in Terra Lucien – Princess Emery, the ever-wicked vampire princess who desired to suck his blood right on their first meeting. He ought to avoid her at all cost, and so he did. But how did he find himself holding her waist as she straddles him with her fangs on his shoulder?

A SAGA OF KINGS AND WOLVES Great darkness is in the earth and supernatural forces are gathering around to take action and take over the world. The creatures of the night plague the lands and desire to rule all civilization. Julius of Romania is a noble knight like no other. Yet one day, Fate decided to play its part and make him succumb to the dark embrace. He is a man who sought nothing more than ambition and power to defeat his enemies and save his family. He makes a deal with the Demon Wolf and becomes victorious over many obstacles, battles, and onslaughts. He is now feared as Mephiles, the mightiest king of demons. Lagertha of Stockholm is a demon slayer. She wishes only to fight the creatures of the night and not end up like her father. Her journey would force not only herself but also her descendants to join her in venturing to a great kingdom. Three of them would join forces with her to accompany her on a journey that would take all of their strengths and skills. They are called the Three Hunters: Delphine of Moria, the Cursed Knight; Ragnar of Midland, the Ranger; and Iris of Kattegat, the Huntress. They are all bound by the blood of the wolf, and they were all found by the magic of the Wolf Queen. Together, they will do what is necessary to fight back against the demons and find the kingdom that would lead the people of the world into a new era. The kingdom of Apocrypha. The Devil And The Huntsman is a medieval dark fantasy series about a royal family, a legion of hunters, and a kingdom that never ends.

Not every love story ends in happiness, and sometimes, the most painful twists come not from fate, but from our own choices. Yeonho loved Vaani—but he couldn’t save her. Zane loved Vanessa—but his own actions led to her death. Now, Zane has been granted a second chance—an opportunity few are ever given. Thrown into a time he never knew, with questions that have no answers, Zane must unravel the mystery of his survival and the purpose of his unexpected return. What is he meant to do in a world where he never existed? Can he right the wrongs of the past, and what sacrifices will he make to ensure his future? The clock is ticking, and Zane's journey to redemption is about to begin. Will he find the strength to rewrite his fate—or will history repeat itself?