Destiny could rewrite every fairy tale ever told.

The third book in the twisted fairy tale series, The Aerowyn Tales.

Bellarose and the Captain is book three in Carla Reighard’s interconnected fairy tale universe, The Aerowyn Tales. It blends heartfelt character growth with whimsical magic, danger on the high seas, and a romance built on friendship, honesty, and hard-won trust.

Fairy tales are real

In Bellarose and the Captain, Bellarose Bonnay, a once privileged French baron’s daughter, becomes an orphaned immigrant in New Orleans until pirates kidnapped her. She prefers the company of books to people, but the real-world refuses to stay quiet. A mysterious old woman, an enchanted plantation, a pirate captain, and a ruthless sea witch named Callista drag Bellarose into a hidden war between the fae and their own cursed creations.

When a Callista’s storm upsets her chance at escape from the pirates, Bellarose is rescued from drowning by Captain Modo. He’s a solemn, rule-bound young captain whose enchanted ship, the Notre Dame, sails through both normal seas and magical realms. Modo’s duty is simple in theory and impossible in practice. He must deliver Bellarose safely back to Louisiana while resisting the growing pull of his heart. He must hide the truth of who he really is.

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• YA clean romantic fantasy with deep emotional stakes
• Fairy tale mashups featuring Beauty and the Beast, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and sea lore
• Fae bargains, morally gray magic, and complex villains
• High seas adventure and portals to hidden realms
• Bookish heroines who find their courage and their voice

Check out Goodreads to see what readers are saying about Bellarose and the Captain.

Goodreads

Content Warnings:

Only kisses, some innuendos to swearing, use of word, “bloody”, innuendos to inappropriate relationships (not spelled out), mentions of alcohol with typical pirate behavior, kidnapping, sleeping draft, violence with sword fighting and magical creatures , some characters suffer from past child abuse.

More

The character, Captain Modo in Bellarose and the Captain acts stiff like Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, who inspired Carla to write Modo the way she did.

Though he acts like a plank is up his back, the real reason for his behavior is to protect his secret from Bellarose who he rescued from the pirates.

Something about Captain Modo’s no-nonsense nature pulled her toward him, no matter how little sense it made.

Even though, she can’t help but think of Quinn, the man she thought she loved. Since Quinn didn’t attempt to rescue her, she assumed he didn’t care for her the same way. Though this seemingly love triangle has it’s complications, it all works out in the end.

Bellarose III – Interlude is a short book. The author withdrew the book from publication after Quinn’s 2021 release because it contained duplicate content. In 2025, Quinn became Bellarose and the Captain as part of the rebranded series.

BATC Character descriptions