A Thorn Among Roses: A Sapphic Beauty & the Beast Novella
Fairy TalesAdded on January 14, 2026
Description
At seventeen, Alana single-handedly defeated the biggest army that Thornwood had ever seen. By sunrise the very next day, she'd been shunned by her own people, forced to become a recluse and reside in the castle where she was supposed to rule over them. Now, with both her parents gone, she suffers alone, bearing a curse bestowed upon her by the village witch, making her resentful heart as twisted as a vine.But when she finds trespassers on her land, she seizes an opportunity to break the curse from a travelling sorceress. Alana was never looking for company, and she has little faith that the sorceress can change her fate, but years of loneliness have left her craving connection, and unfamiliar emotions begin to surface in the presence of her new companion.But love isn't the only thing on her mind. The kingdom is plagued with whispers of dark forces creeping their way across Thornwood's borders. Jaded by her past, can Alana save her kingdom from evil once more...or will she become the monster her people believe her to be?A sapphic retelling of Beauty & the Beast which explores body image, self acceptance and the magic of love.
Reader Reviews
I knew as soon as this book was announced that I would love it, as an avid lover of both sapphic retellings and Hayley’s other books. It 100% delivered everything I hoped for and more. Once again, I’m in awe of Hayley’s ability to write so diversely, from horror to dystopian, contemporary to this: a stunning, dark, thorny fairytale of monsters, witches, castles, and learning to love oneself despite the imperfections and outward judgement. A Thorn Among Roses packs so much magic and heart into le
another super fun and easy to read book from this author that I adored. I mean a classic story retelling but let’s make it gay full of female rage? sign me up.I thought this was super easy to read, it had interesting fantasy elements that were fun, the pace was hella fast so it kept my interest going and I loved the main characters. the found family was sweet and the relationship was very very cute, overall definitely something you should read if you want easy and fun!!my only *slight* issue is
*swoon*Hayley's take on this classic fairytale is imaginative and wholesome, with many poignant lines on grief, loneliness, love, and pain from the POV of Alana, our "beast".If you enjoy quick reads and fairytale reimaginings with LGBTQ+, mental health and body image representation, you should add this to your TBR!
