Fairy Tales

Review of The Book of G by Lily Archer

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Synopsis:
Villains don’t get happily ever afters, do they?

I have a glorious past full of achievement and renown. I mean, I feel like I must, right? The problem is, I can’t remember it. I can’t even remember my own name. I was found in a river, body mangled and face scarred, with nothing to identify me besides a single embroidered letter.

My memory is a murky blur, but I have a quest, one that will give me back everything I’ve lost. The voice in the water told me so. But the voice seemed to miss a few important highlights—namely the woman who challenges me at every twist and turn of my journey. The woman who tells me I’m a villain. The woman who becomes every fervent whisper of my heart, and every last thought in my head.

If I can complete my quest and recover what I’ve lost, she’ll see we’re meant to be. But villains don’t get happily ever afters, do they?

Lily’s Note: Sometimes falling from a great height can lead to a whole new life. This is a full-length standalone fantasy romance. Let your imagination run wild about who G is and just how wide his evil streak can be (hint: massive.)

Review:
Holy. Crap. I knew I liked morally grey, and enemies to lovers can be amazing, but this Beauty and the Beast retelling is one I never expected to find, and a “villain” I never thought I’d love and resonate with. While I did know who G was from the start, I absolutely fell headfirst into this story and was held captive. I didn’t want to put it down! The writing is concise, the world building on point. The spice was incredible and a 5/5 on that alone. There was never a point where I thought I had the ending figured out, and there were still surprises up to the very epilogue. In taking away G’s past, we’re left seeing why he might think of things the way he did: nature vs. nurture, as well as a general lack of education beyond being a manly man. I absolutely love that while he did grow as a person his quirks and flaws remained the same and became understood and almost endearing. The banter and tension in this book is absolutely perfect. All that being said, this book was amazing and I quite loved it, and strongly recommend it if you like: morally grey, enemies to lovers, Beauty and the Beast retellings, and a whole lot of spice.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Castle of Dusk and Shadows by Rachel L. Schade

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Synopsis:
She’ll do anything to save her family—even marry a fae and face the dead.

Years ago, Elle Blackford’s parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.

Until Elle’s father dies, forcing Elle’s sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood.

But Elle has a plan to change their fate. For she knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life. And she’s determined to save her father from his premature death.

All she needs is powerful magic—magic Prince Fitz possesses.

Taking her sister’s place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.

And the key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband—the one she’d planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.


Pride and Prejudice meets Gothic fae fantasy in this loose retelling, full of plenty of romantic tension (not spice).

Review:
When you make bold claims that your novel is similar to Pride and Prejudice you better have the ability to back that up. Unfortunately, this book has a plot that loosely resembles some of Pride and Prejudice, but the order is wrong. While enemies to lovers is a great trope, Elle, despite being intelligent, spends so much time hating her husband, then learning about him, but is easily swayed to believe the worst despite knowing Fitz better than what she’s led to believe. In the counterpart, when Lizzy believes Darcy to be capable of horrible things via what she’s been told by Wickham, she didn’t know Darcy at all.

The storybuilding of fae magic is great, as is the idea of someone having to let ghosts pass on and having a glade of souls. The mystery was interesting, with enough hints given along the way for a reasonable person to have an inkling what is going on, just to have that idea dashed by clashing information, despite your heart KNOWING you weren’t wrong the first time. The characters were mostly well developed and had you rooting for their happily ever after. While there is some spice, it isn’t over the top; nothing above kissing.

Overall, a cute, quick read, but The House Witch was a tough act to follow.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of A Bond of Broken Glass by T. A. Lawrence

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Synopsis:
The shoe fits, but she’s no Cinderella.

Ellie knows what she wants in life:

  1. Open a glassblowing shop in the art district.
  2. See her father retire.
  3. Marry for love. (If she can find someone who can keep up, that is).




Winning the fae prince’s heart doesn’t make the list.

So when Prince Evander throws a ball to find a human bride, Ellie respectfully declines. And when she reads the morning paper and discovers the prince danced the night away with a mysterious stranger, only for the woman to flee at the stroke of midnight, Ellie can’t help but laugh.

Until she learns the mystery girl left behind a glass slipper.

Ellie’s glass slipper. From the set that went missing from Ellie’s workshop.

So when the idiotic prince decides it’s a good idea to use the slipper to identify the love of his life (because, you know, no two women could possibly share the same shoe size), Ellie doesn’t hesitate to prove the slipper is hers.

Little does she know there’s been a modification to her work of art. The prince may or may not have attached a fae bargain to the shoe, and when Ellie places it on her foot, she finds herself both legally and magically betrothed to the very prince she detests.

Not that Prince Evander is thrilled about the situation, either. After all, he’d thought the shoe would only fit Cinderella.

Together, the unhappy couple must discover a way to break the fae bond, but there’s danger along the way.

And what’s more dangerous than falling in love with someone whose heart belongs to another?

Hilarious and filled with witty banter, this not-so-retelling of Cinderella takes a fresh spin on the classic tale, pairing the dangerous politics of Alondria with the swoon-worthy chemistry of a romantic comedy. A Bond of Broken Glass is the third in a series of interconnected standalones, but you just might recognize a few faces along the way.

Review:
Evander and Ellie are absolutely perfect! There’s danger, a mystery, and a very surprising reveal of who was behind all at the end. We see both Evander and Ellie mature during the story, from fairy tales and belief that hard work is all it takes to have all you want in life to realizing that determination may be able to do much, but you have to work with what fate puts in your path. I absolutely adored the characters in this; they were truly perfect. While the King is NOT my favourite person, Queen Evangeline more than makes up for how turbulent the King can be. The absolute end I had not suspected at all and found it was positively perfect. This book has been my favourite so far in the series; in part because I absolutely loved Ellie’s no nonsense attitude and that she wasn’t just going to give in to Evander because he was a prince, despite whatever complications might arise by trying to be contrary (here’s looking at you, fae bargain!) One of my favourite parts was when she thought, of course Evander just assumes everyone has a faerie godmother!! I am very much looking forward to reading the next two books in the series. Great job, T. A. Lawrence!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A Word so Fitly Spoken by T. A. Lawrence

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Synopsis:
One stunning bride.
One wedding.
One night with the king.
One execution come morning.
Rinse and repeat.

When the fae king of Naenden returns home to his palace only to find that his human queen has committed treason by conspiring to assassinate him, he has the queen executed and decrees that once every mooncycle, he’ll marry a human woman from the kingdom, only to execute her the following morning.

Unless…

Unless one woman offers herself as a sacrificial bride for the rest.

Asha isn’t worried about being chosen, of course. The decree was quite clear about beauty being among the top criteria for being selected as one of the king’s unfortunate brides. And Asha is no beauty, all thanks to the illegal magic that inhabits her body, leaving her scarred and missing an eye. The same magic that occasionally possesses her voice so it can amuse itself by telling a never-ending story with a string of horrible cliffhangers.

The problem is, Asha might not be a beauty, but her sister Dinah is. When Asha realizes Dinah is in danger of being selected as the king’s sacrificial bride, Asha decides she can’t live with that risk. So she offers herself instead.

Except on the night of their wedding, the king grants Asha a final request.

Naturally, she asks to tell her sister one last bedtime story.

Naturally, the king eavesdrops.

The question is…

Will the story save her life…or ruin it?

A tale of love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice, magic and romance, this imaginative retelling of 1,001 Nights will keep you guessing with each turn of the page.

Review:
I would start off by calling this a very different fairy tale retelling. You know that you’re caught up in a fairy tale given the description, but the place, characters, and story really suck you in. Most fairy tales are left open- there aren’t many details and set things, that way they can adapt and change while keeping the same lessons no matter when and where they are told. That being said, the reader is deeply immersed in the world Lawrence designed, quickly enraptured by the unique magic system, balance between fae and human, and between the rich and poor. While the fairy tale itself might have inspired the story, there are so many twists and turns that it truly has a life of its own. There are several beautiful examples of people not always being what they seem/appear to be, as well as cases showing actions prove more of a person’s character than words. Once started, especially toward the last third of the book, it becomes absolutely impossible to put down.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Of Beasts and Vengeance by Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle

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Synopsis:
Zaina thought she could run from her secrets, but they have finally caught up to her.
She’s willing to risk her life for those she loves, but even that might not be enough to stop what’s coming.

Einar has finally let down his guard, but when the woman he trusts takes off in the middle of the night with his people’s only hope for a cure, he realizes what a mistake that was.

They have been living under the shadow of the same monster for longer than either of them realize. But it’s up to them to decide whether that makes them enemies or allies.

You’ve heard it asked, who could ever learn to love a beast? But this time, the question is, could a beast ever learn to love?

Review:
Like the book that came before it, this book was made entirely possible by the main characters not properly communicating and trying to do everything on their own. While that in and of itself can be potentially seen as noble, by this time, you would have thought they would have realized, without being TOLD, that working together will likely be far more lucrative. Once more, there was also very little connection between this novel and the fairy tale around which it is allegedly based; however I am fairly certain I know which “fairy tale” at least one of the other sister’s would end up in.

That being said, I demolished this book; once I started, I couldn’t put it down! It definitely picked up from the first book’s pacing, and while one might say this particular arc of the overall plot was finished, there was more than enough left to leave the reader wanting to continue on with the series. I am content knowing the “resolution” of this arc, and do not intend to continue on with the series, however, if you love it- then full steam ahead! This is the second of five books (so far), with the fifth set to release June 9th.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Of Thorns and Beauty by Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle

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Synopsis:
You think you know the tale as old as time, but you’ve already got it wrong.
There never was a beauty and a beast, only a girl who was both.
And that girl was me.


Zaina will never be free.

She’s forced into an arranged marriage to a Viking King in a castle full of secrets. But she carries secrets of her own, and the scars of her haunted past.

Handed off from one monster to another, she has no choice but to do her best to survive and protect her sisters.

Even if it costs her everything.

A Beauty and the Beast retelling you won’t want to miss, where nothing is what it seems and time is running out.

Review:
This book did not grip me, which didn’t surprise me coming off a book I had quite fallen in the world of. It was interesting enough that I kept reading, but I wasn’t truly drawn into the book until 2/3 of the way through. Zaina never seems like a beast at all, though she does have a tragic past. There wasn’t too much connection between this story and the fairy tale that we know and love, and I think this story may have stood better on its own.

Seeing the slow burn connection of Einar and Zaina, and how Zaina’s mother influenced so much before and after, became truly great; Einar is a very unique and patient man. That being said, this book left on a complete cliffhanger with nothing at all resolved!! I did feel that many of the “surprises” of who was whom in the past/present that Zaina was unaware of were quite obviously foreshadowed. In many parts of this book, it seems as if the easy answer to fix whatever is wrong between Zaina and Einar would be for her to open up and TELL HIM THE TRUTH. That being said, I do plan to continue on with the series.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen

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Synopsis:
I’ve always loved fairytales. I never imagined I’d actually be in one.

When my father wanders into the enchanted realm of the fae, I know I have to go after him. And when he gets imprisoned, I’ll do anything to save him… Even trade my freedom for his. I had no idea I’d end up imprisoned by four sexy fae who turn into beasts at night.

I have to win my freedom, and that means making a bargain with them. They must find their mates in order to break the curse. If I can help them do that, they’ll set me free. Sounds simple, right?

It’s not. Because against my better judgment, I’m starting to fall for these beastly princes. One is smart and sweet, the other mysterious and deadly, another flirty and confident, and the last prince… He’s handsome, strong, has a wicked temper, and is dead-set against breaking the curse. Why does he want to keep me here forever?

But it’s not just my freedom on the line. If I don’t break the princes’ curse soon, all the magic in the Enchanted Vale will be stolen by the evil—and stupidly hot—Prince of Thorns. And I’m not letting my princes stay cursed.

Not after I’ve fallen in love with them.

BONDED BY THORNS is a steamy adult Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a fantasy fae realm. In this version, our beautiful bookworm doesn’t have to choose between the four sexy fae princes. It is a full-length novel that ends on a cliffhanger. It includes MF and MM content. It is intended for mature readers only.

Review:
This book had me enraptured from the beginning. Given how “romance” driven it seemed set up for, there was a lot of lead in and backstory that really had me gripped from the first page. I never once was considering looking to see just how much time I had left chapter to chapter or until the end, unless I was falling asleep while reading and wanted to get to an end point. I loved how Rosalina’s life was shown before and after being with the princes, and how she grows as a character. I cannot wait to be able to read the next book, and oh my gosh, waiting until June is going to be TORTURE!!!

I feel that Rosalina and her previous relationship is very much how many women find themselves dating when they don’t know any better; it’s good enough, okay enough, he’s nice to me etc. I absolutely adored how we saw her relationships with the various characters blossom during the story, so that it’s more than just attraction between her and any of the others. I love she finds herself reevaluating her place in life and in this story, and finding that, just like the real world, sometimes your desires and feelings and future change before you even realize.

There is a hint of spice between Rosalina and one of the princes (not naming names!) however the main spice is MM, and I’d put the dirty talk at about a 5/5 spice and the rest maybe 3/5.

I did absolutely love the subtle nods to the Disney version with “Far off places, daring sword fights, a prince in disguise…” but this could absolutely stand on its own. The flower twist was gorgeous, the thorns and her connection perfect. I have a few suspicions on who some of the main characters so far unseen will turn out to be (fae queen, enchantress) but overall I quite love this book and cannot wait to continue on!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

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Synopsis:
Delilah and Oliver shouldn’t be together. But they are together. And just as they’re getting used to the possibility that happily ever after may really, truly be theirs, the universe sends them a message they can’t ignore: they won’t be allowed to rewrite their story.
 
Delilah and Oliver must decide how much they’re willing to risk for love and what it takes to have a happy ending in a world where the greatest adventures happen off the page.

Review:
This was actually everything I needed to read at the time, and along with Vespertine and another book I’m still in the process of reading, it really helped me feel something when facing personal tragedy. Now, this book does pick up where Between the Lines left off, however, Delilah, in my opinion, becomes quite unlikeable. Oliver and Edgar face a lot of personal trials and tribulations and grow a lot, but Delilah seems to sink into her relationship in a way that seems quite unhealthy. She recognizes this and even begins to dislike herself for it, but she doesn’t change or advance or grow in any way. That’s alright, because this book is honestly more about Oliver and Edgar and what it means to be yourself and put those you love first.

One thing that I think this book does better than almost any other book I’ve read is actually talk about death and dying in a way that makes sense and doesn’t belittle how much it hurts to lose someone. Everyone will lose someone in life, and it can be hard to understand and even harder to know how to pick up your life and continue on when someone who was an integral part is just… gone. Thank you so much to Picoult and van Leer for realizing that this was something that not everyone may have experienced, and that it hits people differently; especially the feelings of guilt.

This book was awesome, and I think it’s a definitely must read if you loved the first; but warning, this one has no pretty pictures (unless you count the chapter headings).

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of A rose in the shadows by Angela White

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Synopsis:
And Beauty arrived at the Beast’s Castle… A new contemporary novel for a tale as old as time

Following her father’s death and bereft of economic means, the young Annabelle moves to Vermont to become the curator of a private library. Among snow-covered mountains, she finds a fairytale castle and a frosty welcome. Annabelle eagerly devotes herself to the work, but a mystery surrounds the owner of the manor house. Who is this Declan Lions? Why are there no photographs or portraits of him in Lions Manor? What is the reason for his withdrawal from the world, surrounded by a solitude that only his boundless wealth can guarantee him? He does not want to meet her. But, nevertheless, Annabelle feels an extraordinary presence beside her…

Annabelle Mayfair has disturbed my peace, the way a stone tossed into a pond shatters the stillness of the surface. And, like that stone, she will be swallowed up, deeper and deeper into the darkness of the abyss. I hate her because… she is so beautiful. Very beautiful. The things I could do to her… the pleasure I’d make her know. Would she be afraid, I wonder? I doubt that she has already discovered what a powerful aphrodisiac fear is. I want to hear her say my name. Yes, I want my name on those full, soft lips, still slightly apart in such a seductive way. The things she could do with that mouth…

Inspired by the acclaimed and beloved fairy tale, A ROSE IN THE SHADOWS is a STANDALONE, CONTEMPORARY and very HOT romance novel with a happy ever after.

Review:
I thought I would like this book from the beginning note about it being for the girls who would have chosen the Phantom, and I wasn’t wrong. Though sometimes a bit slow and definitely more sex filled than anything, this novel does well to show how sometimes tragedies make you want to hide from the world and the right person can make you want to return to the light. The spice in this is absolutely superb. There were some cases where the word usage didn’t seem to match the tone of the story or just seemed to be arbitrarily thrown in to elevate the novel since Annabelle is supposed to be such a lover of words. As a dance person, the overuse of the word arabesque drove me crazy. White clearly used Annabelle’s stepfamily as caricatures and I do believe that was well done, however, Annabelle herself was left as merely being a sweet, uneducated girl that didn’t really seem to have much going for her- some might even go so far as to call her a Mary Sue. That being said, her innocence still called to Declan, and their romance and heat was worth reading.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯