Destiny could rewrite every fairy tale ever told.

Detailed Description:

In Bellarose and the Captain, Bellarose Bonnay, a once privileged French baron’s daughter, is now an orphaned immigrant in New Orleans. 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 destroys her chance at escape, 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.
Hero

Before he became Captain Modo, he was Quinn, the deformed son of a tavern owner. Quinn was mocked and feared for his hunched back and plain face. Bellarose was the only one who ever looked past his appearance. When the fae enchantress, Aerowyn offered to remake him as a handsome, capable captain, he agreed to rescue Bellarose from pirates.

The catch: Bellarose must fall in love with Captain Modo, not Quinn. She cannot learn his true identity, or the spell twists into a curse. If she does not love him as he is, he will never find true love with anyone.

Now Quinn Modo lives his dream and his nightmare at once. He can finally protect Bellarose with the strength and skill he always wished for. But now every smile, every accidental touch, every almost-confession risks shattering everything. If Bella discovers that the awkward, kind boy she once knew was the infuriating, book-rescuing captain, it could doom them both.

As the Notre Dame cuts through shimmering magical seas, Bellarose and the captain face:

– Callista, the vengeful sea witch. She sends kraken and storms to steal Bellarose, the bargaining chip with the fae king.

-Eira, a former human cursed into dragon form. She is forced to guard Bellarose on a lonely island while the dragon is desperate for her own redemption.

– Aerowyn, a conflicted fae enchantress. Her father’s crusade against selfishness has created monsters far worse than he ever intended.

Aerowyn claims that stories in other realms once unfolded very differently, with more hope and less horror. Now, thanks to curses and misused magic, fairy tales have been warped into darker versions of themselves. The only way to untangle them, she says, is for Bellarose to live out her own true fairy tale ending.

But no one will tell Bellarose exactly what that “happy ending” costs.

Is it:

Returning safely to New Orleans and leaving magic behind?
Accepting the captain, flaws and all, no matter who he used to be?
Trading her own life or future to break the enchantments?

When Callista corners them on the open deck and forces an impossible bargain. Bellarose must finally decide what she believes about beauty, worth, sacrifice, and love.