GLASS SLIPPERS, EVER AFTER AND ME by Julie Wright

Can the fairy tale bring Charlotte the happiness she’s looking for, or was he always there to begin with?

A modern, reimagined Cinderella story.

When aspiring author Charlotte Kingsley finally gets published, she thinks all her dreams have come true. But the trouble begins when her publicity firm reinvents her quirky online presence into a perfectly curated dream life. Gone are the days of sweatpant posts and ice cream binges with her best friend, Anders, replaced instead with beautiful clothes, orchestrated selfies, and no boyfriend. Only, that carefully curated fairy tale life is ruining her self-esteem and making her feel like a fraud.

When a bestselling author takes Charlotte under her wing—almost like a fairy godmother—she helps Charlotte see the beautiful person she already is and the worth of being authentic. But is it too late to save her relationship with Anders? The clock is quickly ticking towards midnight, and Charlotte must decide between her fairy tale life and the man she loves, before he's gone forever.


 Opening line:
""If fairy godmothers existed, there would never be an empty space in the freezer where the ice cream goes.""

What a great way to start the book! Julie Wright is witty, smart and a fantastic creator of characters. She knows how to pull in the reader, make them laugh, cry and swoon, all in one book.

The main character, Lettie, is funny and hopeful and a writer. Her best friend, Anders, is a drool worthy Swede, who lives just down the hall. They both support each other as they each pursue their dreams. Dreams can come true, they just don't always come true in the way the characters wanted, which of course means, they have conflict, and discussions, and sassy times.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

THE BLOOD SPELL by C.J. Redwine Cinderella retelling!

 Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan.

Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating violence among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures.

When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts.

When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?


Opening line:
"Once upon a time..."

I had no idea I would be reading a Cinderella retelling. I didn't know what the book was really about, either. Plenty of my friends enjoyed it so I thought I'd give it a shot.

First, I love the name Blue, short for Bernadina. What a great, original name for the female main character. Blue is kind, loves her father and grandmother, and cares for others. She cares for the homeless children of the town and tries to help them in anyway she can. When the children start to disappear, she's determined to find a way to help them.

Second, Kellan, the prince, is back from school and ready to be the king. Only, he's not ready because the first thing he has to do is pick a bride from the right families. Which means, lots of posturing, manipulating and murder by the families and their enemies. Kellan is sharp, fun, driven, and a kind brother to his sister who can't speak. They even have their own sign language.

Third, Blue and Kellan's parents were good friends so the children grew up together. Kellan was reckless and loved to push the boundaries, while Blue put a stop to his 'fun' often, which Kellan hated. So when Kellan comes back from school, Blue is right there to tell him to stop behaving in a way that can get himself killed and he's right there telling her to leave him alone. As you can tell, they aren't the closest of friends.
But as they go through trials, and Kellan helps Blue through some personal hardships, and Blue is there to listen to Kellan, their anomosity turns to friendship and they can stand to be around each other.
Then their feelings deepen even more are they share their innermost secrets with each other. Which brings me to...

Five. The romance was a nice, slow burn. It was fun to read about their feelings for each other as their trust deepened.

And through their story, their is a rogue witch, a blood wraith, and an evil stepmother. CINDERELLA!

I loved the retelling.

The only point that got me was that there were two characters who got left out of the story, particularly at the end. Maybe I miss what happened to them? The stepsisters were gone from the story about three-fourths of the way into the story. I would've like to know what happened to them.

There is some violence, kissing, sexual tension and no swear words (that I can think of0. I'm ready to read another book by Ms. Redwine!

KISS OF THE SPINDLE by Nancy Campbell Allen HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

 A steampunk Sleeping Beauty story from the author of Beauty and the Clockwork Beast.

Doctor Isla Cooper is cursed. Literally. Each night, at the stroke of midnight she falls into a death-like sleep from which she cannot be awakened for six hours. To make it worse, the curse has an expiration date—after a year, it becomes permanent. And the year is almost up.

In a desperate attempt to find Malette—the witch who cursed her—Isla blackmails her way onto Daniel Pickett's private airship bound for the Caribbean, only to discover she's traveling with three illegal shapeshifters and the despicable Nigel Crowe, a government official determined to hunt down and exterminate every shapeshifter in England. Isla and Daniel must work together to keep the identities of the shapeshifters hidden while coming to terms with their own hidden secrets, and their blossoming attraction to each other.

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and plenty of romance, Kiss of the Spindle is steampunk Sleeping Beauty story. It is a race against the clock as Isla and Daniel try to hunt down the elusive Malette before Isla's death-like sleep becomes permanent.


 Opening line:
"Isla Elizabeth Cooper extended her hand toward the airship ticket agent."

Isla has had a spell, or rather, a curse placed on her, where every night at midnight she falls into a deep sleep and doesn't awake until 6 am. She jokes she sleeps like the dead and she almost does; her breath is shallow and her skin is tinged with blue. She's on a deadline to find the cure before the curse becomes permanent.
She bullies her way on to an airship, much to the dismay of the captain, Daniel Pickett who does not want any more passengers on his ship but somehow cannot resist Isla. For on Daniel's ship are three shape shifters who Daniel is smuggling away from London and persecution.
Before Daniel can get off the ground, another unwanted person bullies his way onto the airship: Nigel Crowe. Notorious for sending shape shifters off to the dungeon or to be hanged. His work is in total contrast to what Isla does, so the tension between the two and then the whole ship's passengers begins right from the start.
The author does a fantastic job of fleshing out her characters where the reader comes to love and cheer for them. Even the villain is easy to hate! And the 'ton Samson was easily a favorite of mine.
I enjoyed the storyline of Sleeping Beauty and the mix of steampunk and a twist of the plot.
The romance was perfectly paced in that it wasn't overly dramatic or love at first sight It was a sweet build up until the...well, I can't tell you. You just need to read this book!
I would recommend this book to any reader who loves a well-written adventure with enough romance and kissing to keep reading.

Thanks to netgalley for the read!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

 Opening line:
"My parlor smelled of linseed and spike lavender, and a dab of lead tin yellow glistened on my canvas."

A painter, a fae prince and romance; what could be better?

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

 When Lucy Pickett arrives at Blackwell Manor to tend to her ailing cousin, Kate, she finds more than she bargained for. A restless ghost roams the hallways, werewolves have been reported in the area, and vampires lurk across the Scottish border. Lord Miles himself is clearly hiding a secret. He is brash and inhospitable, and does not take kindly to visitors—even one as smart and attractive as Miss Pickett. He is unsettled by the mysterious deaths of his new wife, Clara, and his sister, Marie. Working together, Miles and Lucy attempt to restore peace to Blackwell Manor. But can Lucy solve the mystery of Miles? Can she love the man—beast and all?

First line:
"It had never been proven that Lord Blackwell had killed his wife, but then the man in question hadn't actually denied it, either."

Oh my. I loved this book more than I thought I would! Because a twist on Beauty and the Beast with a twist of steampunk? I wasn't sure. But yes. I loved it.
Lucy's cousin is ill, which is very unusual for her so Lucy takes it on herself to help her get better. She arrives at Blackmoor Manor to rude servants, rumors of ghosts and murder most foul.
Lucy is smart (she's a botanist!) and witty (she takes on the Beast, er, Earl of Blackmoor) and brave (she survives so many attacks! Seriously! How many can one girl take?). She uncovers many of the mysterious surrounding the Manor and the family and in the meantime, finds herself caring for the Earl. He, on the other hand, pulls away from anyone who might betray him or hurt him and his brother. He's very protective of those close to him and doesn't give much to the wiles of women. But somehow, Lucy draws him in with her wit and spirit and bravery.
This story is set in the Victorian era with a bit steampunk, werewolves, vampires, magic and mystery and fairy tale. It's a great, clean romantic book that I would recommend to anyone.

L: No
V: animal and human attacks, poisonings, murder, but none graphic
S: kissing

5 STARS




Thanks to netgalley for the advance read in exchange for my honest review.