Some pirates steal gold. Others steal hearts. On Ageless Isle, the wrong choice can cost you both.
Bellarose Bonnay once believed happily ever after only belonged in books.
The second book in the twisted fairy tale series, The Aerowyn Tales.
Detailed description:
Bellarose Bonnay
Bellarose Bonnay is a former French aristocrat turned penniless orphan in bustling New Orleans. She spends her days as a maid at Rose Manor and her nights escaping into fairy tales. Her one shred of safety is Quinn, the awkward yet brilliant blacksmith. He teaches her secret swordplay and quietly dreams of a future at her side. Pirates are just the villains in other people’s stories… until the cold–eyed captain they call Falcon strides in.
Captain Jasper Falcon
Captain Jasper Falcon has survived beatings, betrayal, and mutiny to become the most notorious pirate of the Caribbean. His name inspires fear in every port. His latest goal: reach the legendary Ageless Isle, an enchanted island whispered to hold unimaginable treasure, immortality, fae magic, and mermaid–guarded waterfalls of jewels. To get there he needs a new blade, a small crew of desperate men, and something entertaining enough to distract him from the blood on his hands. He needs someone to help him forget the nightmares that no treasure has yet silenced.
Twisted Bargain
After a twisted bargain with Quinn goes horribly wrong, Bella wakes to find herself bound in the luxurious captain’s cabin of the Black Fear. Bella is forced to write letters that make it look like she boarded willingly. She must use every ounce of her bookish cleverness and hard–won courage to survive among ruthless pirates without losing herself. Jasper promises she will remain “a guest,” but the hook where his hand used to be, the knife at his belt, and the way the crew watches her say otherwise.
The Storm
The sea witch Callista, a monstrous mer–sorceress with a serpent’s tail and a vendetta against the fae king, hurls a deadly typhoon that smashes the Black Fear to splinters. Bella plunges into waters where mermaids are real and very hungry. Rescued by a shockingly red-haired mermaid named Cerise, Bella discovers her life has collided with a much larger design. Under the watchful eye of Aerowyn, the enchantress, and manipulated by King Peter, a fae ruler disguised as a humble first mate, Bella doesn’t know who to trust.
Welcome to Ageless Isle:
- An island where time stops and boys who wish on stars become mischievous forest leprechauns.
- A realm where pixies, mermaids, and redcap fae have their own brutal codes and bargains.
- A place where selfish hearts are tested in a lagoon of living jewels, where water uses your deepest fear against you.
- A crossroads for twisted fairy tale retellings including Beauty and the Beast, mermaid myths, and Peter Pan reimaginings.
As pirates and leprechaun boys are pushed through impossible fae trials, Bella must tell stories to save her life. She faces her own fears in a world shaped by narrative. Watch the ruthless Captain Falcon face his sins in the very waters that once sheltered his tears. On Ageless Isle, villains can be redeemed, heroes can fall, and happily ever after is never free.
Bella’s Heart
Bella’s heart is still anchored to Quinn, the deformed blacksmith she left behind in New Orleans. Jasper begins to make choices no pirate should. When urses rebound, mermaids bleed, and a half–shared heart binds a pirate to the sea, Bella must decide:
- Is she the girl waiting for true love to rescue her?
- Or is she the heroine of her own coming–of–age YA fantasy?
- Is she willing to walk into danger, negotiate with enchantresses, and choose mercy over revenge?
Perfect for readers who love:
- YA fantasy romance with slow–burn tension and emotional depth
- Fairy tale retellings and mashups with fresh twists
- Swashbuckling pirate adventures with heart and humor
- Fae magic, mermaids, sea witches, leprechauns, and curses
- Themes of redemption, forgiveness, trauma healing, and second chances
- Clean (no explicit content) romantic fantasy set in a lush, historical–feeling world
Bellarose and the Pirate is book 2 in a connected fairy story world from author Carla Reighard, weaving together the threads of multiple beloved tales in a richly imagined YA fantasy series.
Similar books to “Bellarose and the Pirate”:
Fairy Tale Retellings with Multiple Stories Woven Together:
- “The Lunar Chronicles” by Marissa Meyer – Multiple fairy tales reimagined, interconnected characters“
Romance with Class Differences & Redemption Arcs:
- Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” – Enemies-to-lovers, overcoming first impressions, class considerations
Other Fairy Tale Type Stories:
- “Caraval” series by Stephanie Garber,
- “Cursebreakers” series by Brigid Kemmerer
If you’re ready for pirates, fae, mermaids, and a brave book–dragon heroine who refuses to stay in the background of her own story, you will love Bella’s journey.
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Goodreads
Content:
Only kisses, some innuendos to swearing and inappropriate relationships (not spelled out), mentions of alcohol with typical pirate behavior, kidnapping, sleeping draft, violence with sword fighting and mutiny (Captain is murdered), some characters suffer from past child abuse,
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Captain Jasper Falcon
One of the main characters in Bellarose and the Pirate is Jasper. He’s a Captain Hook retelling, but with influences from Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, Westley from Princess Bride, and Killian Jones from the TV show Once Upon a Time. The tattoo idea came from Carla’s friend who said she would love a character who looked like Stanislav Lanevski, the actor who played Viktor Krum in Harry Potter. As an adult, he is rather muscular and full of tattoos, which is much like Jasper Falcon.
Bellarose and the Pirate – Deleted Parts
BATP Character descriptions
