Once Upon A Dream Review

Happy Monday!

 I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! I am excited about the reviews and other posts I have in store for this week. So let's get this amazing week started off with a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell, is an amazing remake of the tale of Sleeping Beauty that we all know and love, except it has a twist to it.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways.

It should be simple—a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess', it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over.

With a desperate fairy's last curse infiltrating her mind, Princess Aurora will have to navigate a dangerous and magical landscape deep in the depths of her dreams. Soon she stumbles upon Phillip, a charming prince eager to join her quest. But with Maleficent's agents following her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are, and moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?"

In the original tale of Sleeping Beauty the Prince defeats the dragon, and rescues Aurora from her curse. But what if when the Prince went to awake Aurora he feel into a deep sleep curse of his own, and becomes trapped within the same dream as Aurora? Aurora is lead on a twisty adventure to find a way back to herself, while trying to figure out just who she is. When she meets Phillip along the journey she has to learn to trust him. Can she trust him to help get them both out of the nightmare or is he just another pawn of Maleficent's that will lead her on a wild goose chase?

This version of sleeping beauty had me enraptured from the very first word. It stays true to the story we all know and love, but the twist that Liz puts on the original story gives the reader a new found respect for Aurora. No longer does Aurora have to have a man to save her from her sleeping curse, but in this story the Princess gets to take her own story into her hands, which helps women see themselves as capable of saving themselves, without having to wait for a Prince's kiss.

Go find your own happily ever after readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

The Cold King Review

Happy Wednesday Readers!

 Today I am going to be reviewing The Cold King by Amber Jaeger, which is a different way to look at the story of Beauty and the Beast. This story took me on a wild ride that I had no intention of getting off until I reached the end, which I did lose a lot of sleep reading it, but hey it was 100% worth it.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "From the author of The Hemlock Bay Series comes a new retelling of an old tale…

… Not every Beast is a prince charming at heart and not every Beauty is a maiden just waiting for love…

Calia Thorn has lived her entire life in a small town sheltered by the Cold King’s mountain. Working day and night to care for her younger siblings, complete her unending chores and please her selfish, lazy mother has left her with few dreams for her own future.

But then even those meager hopes are taken from her when the Cold King comes down from his mountain to demand a new servant. Ungraceful, unladylike, undesired and unwanted by even her own family, Calia is chosen to be sent to the palace.

The Cold King has lived for three hundred years under a curse imposed by his own father. With no hope of ever breaking it, he settles for keeping his heart frozen against any pain— or hope.

When his new servant arrives, she challenges him in ways no one ever has and sparks fly. But not every Beast is a prince charming at heart and not every beauty is a maiden just waiting for love.

Sometimes happily ever after isn’t so easy… "

All Calia wants to do is make sure her younger siblings are taken care of, because her mother is too lazy and self absorbed to take care of them herself. Calia doesn't feel appreciated by her family, and it seems that her mother is always trying to get rid of her. When the chance comes to send a new servant to the Cold Kings castle, Calia's mom jumps at the chance for riches, and to get rid of her daughter. When Calia is deposited at the castle, she sees it as a new challenge to escape the life she previously had. However as she gets to know the Cold King she starts to learn that not everything is as it seems, and that just maybe he is as stuck as she is. With both of them in a situation they never wanted or asked for can they help each other survive or be stuck in their unwanted situations forever?

This book is so beautifully written by Amber that the reader is brought on a wild adventure, and with the detailed description, you will be transported into the castle with Calia. What I really loved about this book is it took the story of Beauty and the Beast, and put a spin on it, while keeping to the spirit of the original story. Any lover of Beauty and the Beast  needs to read this amazing story, and get lost in the Cold King's castle.

Happy enchanted adventures my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Winterspell Review

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

 With Christmas being right around the corner I wanted to review a book that put me in the Christmas spirit. Winterspell by Claire Legrand is a retelling of the Nutcracker, and what a story it is. I honestly knew very little about the Nutcracker before I read this book, and I haven't even seen the ballet of it, although I have always wanted to. Even with going in not knowing a lot about the story, this story paints a clear and descriptive picture of what the Nutcracker is about.

The description was taken from the Goodreads  website:

 "The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince…but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor’s ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother’s murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted—by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they’re to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets—and a need she can’t define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won’t leave Cane unscathed—if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear."

Clara's world is thrown through a loop on Christmas Eve when her home is destroyed and her father is taken. Clara doesn't know what to do, until she learns about the world of Cane. Clara must journey into the unknown if she wants to save her father and the life she has always known. Clara must put aside her fears and find the strength within herself to save the world of Cane and save Nicholas, who she must trust with her life. If she can get Nicholas back on a throne that is rightfully his, than she can return with her father to her own world. Will Clara be able to save her father or will her fears overcome her that she succumbs to them and is trapped in the world of Cane forever?

Claire is such an amazing storyteller, that she brings the reader into a dark retelling of the Nutcracker, and spins the most beautiful story of a heroine who must find her true self. She gives life to all of her characters, and with her storytelling, the reader doesn't have to know anything about the Nutcracker prior to reading the story. This is one story that everyone who loves adventure, mystery, and characters going on a journey to find out who they really are, cannot miss!

Enjoy this dark Nutcracker retelling adventure my friends!



The image was taken from the Goodreads website.

Reflection Review

Hello Readers!

 I hope everyone had an amazing weekend, I know mine was relaxing after getting my final grades and graduation done. You all know how much of a Disney fan I am, and this book is by far one of my favorite retellings. Reflection by Elizabeth Lim, is a retelling of the amazing Disney movie Mulan! The second I saw this book was coming out, and read the description, I knew I had to have this book, and it did not disappoint.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "What if Mulan had to travel to the Underworld?
When Captain Shang is mortally wounded by Shan Yu in battle, Mulan must travel to the Underworld, Diyu, in order to save him from certain death. But King Yama, the ruler of Diyu, is not willing to give Shang up easily. With the help of Shang's great lion guardian ShiShi, Mulan must traverse Diyu to find Shang's spirit, face harrowing obstacles, and leave by sunrise--or become King Yama's prisoner forever. Moreover, Mulan is still disguised as the soldier called Ping, wrestling with the decision to reveal her true identity to her closest friend. Will Mulan be able to save Shang before it's too late? Will he ever be able to trust her again? Or will she lose him--and be lost in the Underworld--forever?"

What would have happened if Shang had been more severely wounded, and got shot with the arrow instead of Mulan? In this retelling, you get to dive into the what if world, and it is one amazing ride. Mulan has to travel to the Underworld to save Shang's soul, and save his life in the process. She joins Shang's guardian ShiShi, and runs into some trouble. She has to save Shang, but when she finds him will he willingly go with her or will he choose to stay where he can be reunited with his deceased loved ones?

What I really loved about this book, as the rest of the books in the series, it takes the story that we all know and love, and ramps it up a couple of notches. This story will take the reader on a wild journey into what would have happened if Shang got shot instead of Mulan. Mulan feels so much guilt that she knows she has to save Shang's life even if it means she exposes her secret and puts her own life in danger. Elizabeth takes the reader on a winding journey through the Underworld, and delivers a more in depth story to Mulan. She doesn't take anything away from what the movie does, but adds on to it and draws the reader into a dark world of what if's.

Enjoy the Underworld dearies!



Image taken from Goodreads website.

Splintered Review

Happy Monday Guys!

  I hope everyone had a good weekend, I know mine was busy getting everything down for the end of my semester. I wanted to review a book that I love so, so much! Splintered by A.G. Howard, is a retake on Alice in Wonderland, with a dark twist, and a sexy guy named Morpheus, who ended up on my hot literary guys list last week.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own."

Alyssa is just your run of the mill ordinary girl, except she hears flowers and bugs talking to her. She thinks she is going crazy and tries to chalk it up as to hearing things. When her mother starts slipping further away from reality, Alyssa meets Morpheus, who helps Alyssa realize that everything her mother was telling her was probably true. Take into account this mysterious man, and her crush on her best friend Jeb, and you got one love triangle on your hands. As Alyssa journeys through Wonderland, the reader is taken on an action packed adventure with her, and you will see all your favorite scenes from Wonderland, and a few more that take the story into a whole new world.

A.G. Howard has a talent for making sexy male characters, Morpheus will always be my favorite, although Jeb doesn't sound too bad, and taking the reader through a magical journey. She has the ability to pull the reader into the story, where you will experience all the wonder that Alyssa is experiencing, and you will feel like you are walking and dancing in Wonderland right along with her. If you love Alice in Wonderland or just love retellings that don't take away from the classic story, than you don't need to miss out on this once in a lifetime adventure. Also, this is book one of a trilogy, and all I have to say is the adventure just keeps getting better and better!

Have a tea party with Morpheus down in Wonderland fellow readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

As Old As Time Review

Hello Fellow Book Geeks!!

  Can you believe that Thanksgiving is this week!?!? Where has this year gone, and why does every year feel like it is going faster and faster? My favorite Disney movie has always been Beauty and the Beast, so you can image when I found out there where doing a retelling of it, I was freaking out. Today I will be reviewing As Old As Time by the amazing Liz Braswell. This is also part of the Twisted Tales series, and I was so happy with this amazing story.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "What if Belle’s mother cursed the Beast?

Belle is a lot of things: smart, resourceful, restless. She longs to escape her poor provincial town for good. She wants to explore the world, despite her father’s reluctance to leave their little cottage in case Belle’s mother returns—a mother she barely remembers. Belle also happens to be the captive of a terrifying, angry beast. And that is her primary concern.

But Belle touches the Beast’s enchanted rose, intriguing images flood her mind—images of the mother she believed she would never see again. Stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful Enchantress who cursed the Beast, his castle, and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast must work together to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is twenty-one years in the making."

If you have seen the movie Beauty and the Beast or read the many different versions of the story, you know how the story goes. An enchantress curses a spoiled Prince, and turns him into a hideous beast to teach him a lesson. He has to get someone to fall in love with him to break the spell, and through twists and turns Belle falls in love with the beast and they live happily ever after. However, in this story Belle finds out it was her mom who cursed the beast, and together they must untangle a mystery from the past.

Liz sticks with the original Disney story, however she adds a sense of mystery to it that will leave the reader guessing until the very end of the story. There are new scenes thrown in with the old scenes, and nothing is taken away from the original story. In the movie Belle came to save the beast, however in this story when Belle gets into trouble it's up to the beast to save her. I loved this retelling so much, and I honestly believe that it gives a reader a deeper understanding of the story, and the sacrifices the characters are willing to make for each other. Liz brings a deeper understanding to the beautiful story of accepting someone for who they are, instead of how they look.

Dive into an adventure as old as time my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Juliet: A Review

Happy Wednesday!

 My favorite play by William Shakespeare has and always will be Romeo and Juliet. So today, I am going to be reviewing Juliet by Anne Fortier. I remember the day I picked up this book, I was walking around the bookstore looking for my next adventure when the title jumped out at me. I flipped the book around and the second I read the description, I knew that I had to have this book. It has now became one of my favorites that I have read over and over!

The description comes from the Goodreads website:

 "When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told that it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families immortalized in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he?"

Julie's orderly world is turned upside down when her aunt passes away, and she is left with a huge mystery on her hands. She decides to travel to Siena, Italy to figure out what her mother left for her in a safety-deposit box, what she doesn't expect is to be thrown into a historical rabbit hole, where the story she grew to love is actually a reality. Along the way she meets characters, who have a huge part to play in the outcome, and that will help her get down to the truth of the story of the real Romeo and Juliet. Along the way she will have to learn to leave her comfort zone, and do things that she normally wouldn't do. Will she be able to find Romeo to save her or is he just a fictional character?

I absolutely loved the way Anne brings the reader into both the past and the present by telling the story from Julie's and Giulietta's points of view. Her take on Romeo and Juliet is so beautiful and gives Shakespeare's characters a new way to live in the modern world. Anne captures the essence of Shakespeare's writing while at the same time putting a new and interesting twist on the tale that we have all come to know. You will see characters and scenes in this book that give a whole new meaning to the scenes from the play. This is a must read for fans of William Shakespeare, and who love the story of the star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

Fall in love with a pair of star crossed lovers all over again!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Tiger Lily Review

Hello Dearies!

 So I have loved the movie Peter Pan ever since I was a child, and if you have seen the movie than you will recognize the name of this book. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson brings the readers back to Neverland, for an all new adventure with the character of Tiger Lily. Jodi introduces you to another side of Neverland while introducing you to a character that stories about Peter Pan mention, but with this one you get to deep dive into just who exactly Tiger Lily is.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair...

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up."

Tiger Lily is in love with the mysterious boy who doesn't want to grow up, and since he is her first love, all she wants to do is be with him. Tiger Lily goes on a journey that will make her follow her heart, and find herself in the process. Jodi takes the secondary character of Tiger Lily, and gives her a new life. While reading this book, you get to see Tiger Lily in her own element, and she is given her voice. When I read this book I remember thinking that Tiger Lily is one strong woman, who will do anything for love, however in the end she finds who she is meant to truly be. This is a must read for anyone who wants to live in Neverland, and learn more about the amazing character of Tiger Lily.

Safe travels to Neverland my fellow lost readers!

Eligible: Review

Hello Readers!

 So my favorite book is and probably always will be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. With that being said I like to read variations of the story and see it from other authors perspective, which is exactly what you get with Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld. Curtis takes the story and essence of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and puts a modern spin on the story that will have you drawn in from the first sentence.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "This version of the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy is one that you have and haven't met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master's degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won't discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane's fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip's friend, neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy, reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . And yet, first impressions can be deceiving."

Elizabeth or Liz as she is known in this book is in the career she loves, and in a city she loves. When her and Jane have to go back home to take care of their father, they come home to see their home is falling apart and their sisters aren't doing anything to help out. When Jane meets the handsome Chip Bingley, Liz is introduced to his best friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, which you can just imagine how that goes. Each character embodies the essence of the original characters, but they are brought into a more modern world. Normally with variations the author will try to make the characters their own, and the reader doesn't get the feeling like they are the same characters that they have come to love and know. However, Curtis takes Austen's characters into a modern world without them losing the characteristics that made readers everywhere fall in love with them.

If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice you need to read this book, because I know you won't be disappointed.

Happy retelling adventures my friends!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

Jane A Review

Hello Fellow Readers!

  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Today I am going to be reviewing Jane by April Linder. When I stumbled upon this book, I knew I had to read it because it sounded like a unique take on Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I am one of those people that love retellings  of classic novels, and being one who loves Jane Eyre I was willing to read it. Now, when someone does a retelling of a classic novel, you do get slightly worried, because what if it totally destroys the original. I did have this feeling, however when I began to read it, I couldn't put it down, and I just knew I had to finish it. I was not at all disappointed with the way April brought new life into a classic love story. She didn't take anything away from the original, instead you added more depth and character to the story.

The description of Jane is below, provided from the Goodreads website:

 "Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. 

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers."

Jane Moore has all the characteristics of the original Jane, however they have been upgraded to fit into a new society, and introduce a new audience to the classic tale. Plus, Mr. Rochester has been turned into a sexy rock star named Nico Rathburn. Even his name sounds sexy...and this comes from a girl who apparently has a thing for jerks, because I fell in love with the original Mr. Rochester, just as I did Nico. When you read this book you see the complex relationship between Jane and Nico, and you get to see how they evolve as individuals. Nico is one of the best takes on Mr. Rochester that I have seen so far, and I will admit I may even like Nico slightly better, but only just slightly. April breathes life into her characters, makes them dance off the page, and right into the readers hearts. This book will help the classic live on for generations.

Any fan of Charlotte Bronte or Jane Eyre needs to read this amazing book, and hopefully fall in love with this updated characters as I did!

Happy Reading!

Image taken from Goodreads website.