Once Upon Ever After Series by J. Saman, Julie Saman

A deliciously steamy, suspenseful, and darker contemporary royalty Beauty and the Beast retelling. Welcome to the cursed kingdom of Messalina…. When my sick father wanders into the off-limits palace where the widowed king of Messalina lives with his three children, I know we're in trouble. Locked away since the tragic death of his wife, the whispers of an ancient royal curse are more alive than ever... moreA deliciously steamy, suspenseful, and darker contemporary royalty Beauty and the Beast retelling. Welcome to the cursed kingdom of Messalina…. When my sick father wanders into the off-limits palace where the widowed king of Messalina lives with his three children, I know we're in trouble. Locked away since the tragic death of his wife, the whispers of an ancient royal curse are more alive than ever. And when my father is taken prisoner and I accidentally break a priceless statue, I learn first hand that the rumors of the callous beast king with his gorgeous face and frosty disposition are true. Especially when he gives me an ultimatum: become the nanny for his children or my father goes to prison. It isn't until I move into the palace that I see there's life in the walls, passion lurking beneath smoldering glances and forbidden moments, and endless love for three beautiful children--the king's one soft spot. The longer I stay, the more in love I fall with the children and the man who does all he can to keep his distance. Until one night he shatters my innocence and shows me exactly what it means to be owned by the king. But this is no fairy tale, and no matter how we feel, we can never be together. On top of that, there's a darkness we can't escape. A danger lurking, waiting to kill again. And when it comes for us, there will be no stopping it until it succeeds. CURSED KING is a STEAMY contemporary (NOT romantasy or paranormal) fairy tale retelling. It is the beginning of a series of four fairy tale retellings with a heavily interconnected plot and is best read in order. Cursed King ends on a CLIFFHANGER with the resolution in Cursed Queen. The remaining books in the series will be standalone couples. This book was previously published through Yonder as The King's Forbidden Nanny. less

A deliciously steamy, suspenseful, and darker contemporary royalty Beauty and the Beast retelling about a grumpy single dad and the woman who brings him to his knees. Welcome to the cursed kingdom of Messalina…. When my sick father wanders into the off-limits palace where the widowed king of Messalina lives with his three children, I know we're in trouble. Locked away since the tragic death of his wife, the whispers of an ancient royal curse are more alive than ever... moreA deliciously steamy, suspenseful, and darker contemporary royalty Beauty and the Beast retelling about a grumpy single dad and the woman who brings him to his knees. Welcome to the cursed kingdom of Messalina…. When my sick father wanders into the off-limits palace where the widowed king of Messalina lives with his three children, I know we're in trouble. Locked away since the tragic death of his wife, the whispers of an ancient royal curse are more alive than ever. And when my father is taken prisoner and I accidentally break a priceless statue, I learn first hand that the rumors of the callous beast king with his gorgeous face and frosty disposition are true. Especially when he gives me an ultimatum: become the nanny for his children or my father goes to prison. It isn't until I move into the palace that I see there's life in the walls, passion lurking beneath smoldering glances and forbidden moments, and endless love for three beautiful children--the king's one soft spot. The longer I stay, the more in love I fall with the children and the man who does all he can to keep his distance. Until one night he shatters my innocence and shows me exactly what it means to be owned by the king. But this is no fairy tale, and no matter how we feel, we can never be together. On top of that, there's a darkness we can't escape. A danger lurking, waiting to kill again. And when it comes for us, there will be no stopping it until it succeeds. CURSED KING is a STEAMY contemporary (NOT romantasy or paranormal) fairy tale retelling. It is the beginning of a series of four fairy tale retellings with a heavily interconnected plot and should be read in order. Cursed King ends on a CLIFFHANGER with the resolution in Cursed Queen. The remaining books in the series will be standalone couples. This book was previously published through Yonder as The King's Forbidden Nanny. less

We thought we broke the curse. I married King Sebastian of Messalina. We're pregnant with twins. His children are happy and thriving in a way they never have. All is finally perfect and as it should be. But we were wrong. Darkness has returned and with it comes more heartbreak and danger than any of us are prepared for. A darkness that not only seeks death, but to tear us apart for good.