A Villain’s Happily Ever After: A Guide to the Never After Series
Hey there, romance readers!
Today, we’re diving into Emily McIntire’s Never After series. Villains get their happy-ever-after in this collection of dark and delicious reimaginings of classic fairy tales. From Hooked, a twisted take on Peter Pan, to Twisted, a dark contemporary romance inspired by Aladdin, these books will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Emily McIntire’s Never After series differs from traditional fairy tales in several ways. They are complete standalones and can be enjoyed in any order. They are all in their own universes with entirely new characters and storylines. These stories are loosely based on classic fairy tales with no real storyline ties to the original fairy tale.
But before getting started, this is a friendly reminder to be aware of your triggers and to check for any necessary trigger warnings associated with the titles below.
Never After Series
Emily McIntire
The Never After Series is a collection of complete standalones inspired by different villains. They are dark romances intended for adult audiences and contain mature subject matter not suitable for everyone.
Reader Discretion Is Advised.
These are fractured fairy tales. They are not retellings, and they are not fantasy.
For readers who enjoy
- Dark Romance
- Contemporary Romance
- New Adult Romance
- Enemies-to-Lovers
- Age gap Romance
Reading Order
Each book can be read as a standalone.
James wants to destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels and sees an opportunity when Peter’s daughter, Wendy, shows up in his bar. James plans to seduce Wendy and use her for revenge, but his organization starts to crumble, and he has to find the traitor. As James gets to know Wendy, he sees her as more than just a pawn in his game. Wendy has been sheltered most of her life by her wealthy father, but she falls for James despite knowing he is dangerous. As their relationship grows more heated, Wendy is unsure if she’s falling for James or the monster, Hook.
Scarred revolves around Prince Tristan Faasa, who was never destined for the throne, and his brother Michael, who is set to assume the throne after their father’s death. Tristan is the leader of a secret rebellion and will stop at nothing to end his brother’s reign. However, when Michael’s new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux, arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new war. Sara plans to marry the king and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the dangerous and forbidden Scarred Prince, one of the men she’s been sent to kill.
Evelina Westerly has always been a bad person. She is the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her family’s drug empire. Evelina is ruthless and seeks revenge for her sister’s murder. She doesn’t have time for anything else, especially not love. After a one-night stand with a gorgeous man, she returns to her criminal ways. However, that same man is the new Westerly lackey under a different name. His real secret is that he is an undercover DEA agent, determined to destroy the drug trade that devastated his family. When he realizes that Evelina is the woman he’s been fantasizing about since their night at the club, attraction battles with disgust. Evelina embodies everything he’s against, and he’s been sent to bring her down. But as they learn more about each other’s darkness, they realize they are more alike than they thought. Nicholas must decide if he can love a wretched woman, even if it means ruining both of their lives.
Yasmin Karam, the daughter of a wealthy man, is determined to make her father’s final days happy. However, her father’s last wish is for her to marry a man of his choosing, which conflicts with her love for a servant. In a desperate move, Yasmin strikes a deal with Julian, her father’s right-hand man, not realizing he has his own agenda. Julian’s goal is to become the most powerful man in the world, and he will stop at nothing to inherit what he believes is rightfully his. Despite their dislike for each other, Julian decides that Yasmin will be his, no matter what it takes to convince her.
Crossed follows Father Cade Frédéric, a holy man who has dedicated his life to the church. He is tasked to become the priest in Festivalé, Vermont, a town riddled with despair. Amaya Paquette is Festivalé’s beautiful mystery who spends her days caring for her younger brother and her nights transforming into Esmeralda, dancing for greedy eyes and shameless lips. Father Cade finds himself ensnared by Amaya, convinced she’s using witchcraft to lure him to her. He decides he’ll be her demise, even if it means killing the only woman he might ever love.
What books have you read from the Never After series? Share your spoiler-free thoughts in the comments below!
Vicious Lost Boys
Nikki St. Crowe
Following Darling and her adventures in Neverland.
For readers who enjoy
- Reverse Harems
- Dark Romance
- Fairytale Retellings
- Fantasy
- Fae
Reading Order
Kings of Sin
Ana Huang
Seven sins. Seven billionaires. Seven women are going to turn their world upside down.
For readers who enjoy
- Contemporary Romance
- New Adult Romance
- Dark Romance
- Arranged marriages
- Forced Proximity
Reading Order
Monsters & Muses
Sav R. Miller
Monsters & Muses is a series of standalone contemporary romance novels based loosely on characters/frameworks of different Greek myths.
For readers who enjoy
- Dark Romance
- Greek Mythology
- Contemporary Romance
- Mafia Romance
- Age Gap
Reading Order
Wicked Villains
Katee Robert
Take a walk on the dark side with these sexy fairy tale retellings where the villains are front and center. These dark romances are high heat level and feature a variety of pairings with all your favorite fairy tale villains.
Genres & Tropes
- Fairytale Retellings
- Fantasy
- Enemies-to-Lovers
- LGBTQ+
- BDSM
Reading Order
Thirsty for more fantasy recommendations? Check out Cursed Realms: Five Twisted Tales of Dark Fantasy.
Don’t forget to share which books you will add to your TBR. Comment below!
Stay spicy,
AJ 💋
