Cress (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3) by Marissa Meyer {Review}

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles Book 3) by Marissa Meyer

Hardcover, 550 pages

Published February 4th 2014 by Feiwel & Friends 

 

 

Even in the future. there are damsels in distress...

In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

 

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My Review: 5 Stars

 

Finally! I started this one a looonnnggg time ago and had to set it aside for review books and I've finally read it. This is such a terrific series and I just couldn't put this one down--I think it's my favorite so far.

 

Cress is a Lunar shell, trapped on a satellite. When a daring rescue falls apart, an exciting and dangerous adventure begins on Earth. I love that we get to see a continuation of Cinder's story, as well as Scarlet's, although not as much hers. This series is best read in order, to fully appreciate the characters, the setting, and the events. 

 

Cress is an adorable character. I loved her Opera singing, daydreaming, and attitude about life. The combination of this unlikely group of characters really warmed my heart and kept me engaged, wondering how in the world they could possibly get out of their sticky situations. The story, for the most part, went back and forth between a couple of different settings to show what was going on with the different characters. I never felt lost, but I must admit--my favorites were those with Cress and Thorne in them.

  

Let's talk about Thorne for just a minute. Hello--he's like Han Solo, who was one of my biggest childhood crushes! I couldn't help but swoon over his cocky, snarky, charming swagger. He had me laughing and I just couldn't get enough.

 

I'm so excited that Winter is already out and I'm looking forward to reading it! I would highly recommend this to those who love science fiction (which I don't, but I loved this), fairy tales with a twist, and a good, clean, romantic adventure.

 

Content: mild violence; mild romance. Clean!

 

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Buy Links:

 

About the Author:

 

Marissa Meyer is a fangirl at heart, with a closet full of costumes, a Harry Potter wand on her desk, and a Tuxedo Mask doll hanging from her rear view mirror. Han and Leia are still her OTP. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Marissa writes books for teens, including the NYT bestselling series: The Lunar Chronicles.

Follow her blog or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.marissameyer.com.  

Finding Mrs. Right by Debbie White {Review and Giveaway}

What do you do when you’re one of the wealthiest bachelors in New York and can’t seem to find your soul-mate?

 Tired of being alone but fed up with being set up by his friends, Gabe decides to take a break from dating when Rose enters his life. Could she be the one he’s been waiting for? But after a heavy blow to Gabe’s ego, he meets Veronica in the park and something about her resonates with him. And then there is Sally, Gabe’s loyal assistant. Gabe never saw her as a romantic partner until…
Rose is beautiful, smart and climbing the career ladder. Having a permanent relationship may not be in the cards for her. Veronica has a secret she’s been carrying for a while and when she decides to let Gabe in on it, it may hurt their chances of a relationship. Sally’s life is complicated and Gabe could complicate it even more. 
Will any of these women be the soul-mate Gabe has been waiting for or will they just be another disappointing attempt in his search for finding Mrs. Right?

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon UK ~ 

~ Amazon Canada ~ Amazon Australia ~

Debbie currently resides in beautiful Sonoma County, California, where the jagged Pacific coastline meets the rolling hills cascading with vineyards. She writes romance novellas that feature strong, independent women, who when faced with adversity, or tragedy, fine strength and overcome the perils that stand in their way. She’s an avid supporter of animal rescue, and happily donates a portion of sales from her books to rescue organizations. She has two adult children, and two granddaughters. In her spare time, she loves to garden, travel; enjoy family, and her beloved rescue dogs, Dash and Briar. Her real passion of course is writing, and she uses her 20+ years as a military wife as inspiration for her stories. The Salty Dog takes places in Bodega, a small fishing community she has the pleasure of visiting often. The project she is currently working on involves travel to exotic and foreign places, another area she has experience.

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Wordpress ~ Website ~ Blog ~

~ Pinterest ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ 

3 Stars

This is not a typical boy-meets-girl romance. Gabe is a wealthy playboy, one whom everyone thinks should settle down. When he decides to find his soul mate, things get a little crazy with blind dates and false alarms. Some of those blind dates were absurdly hilarious.

Gabe is a little older for a leading, single hero, but I enjoyed the process of his dating life and I especially liked his relationship with Cooper, his assistant. They have a funny way of communicating and expressing their thoughts, which is entertaining. The premise is a lot of fun, but the execution fell a little flat for me. The characters all seemed to have the same prim and proper voice and the conversations lack emotion.

Once Gabe makes the decision to find someone, he's all in and has suddenly reformed from his playboy "love 'em and leave 'em" ways. It's nice that he can do an about-face and really settle into life, but at the same time, it's ironic that one girl he dates is in it for the physical aspects and he gets so offended, yet he was just that way himself. I like consistency with a character and realistic reactions to situations and I didn't always feel that with this book.

I thought I knew from the beginning who he would end up with and was pleasantly surprised with the twists. This is a good story for those who love "fluff" reads with some steam.

Content: some language; spicy romance (the act is technically behind closed doors, but there is a little more content than I'm comfortable with leading up to it and there are implications of what's going on).

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Loving Leah by Lynne Larson {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

Loving Leah by Lynne Larson

Kindle Edition, 208 pages

Published April 1st 2016 by Covenant Communications 

“Promise me, Ethan, no matter what, you must stay here! You can’t make a sound! Promise me you won’t!”
 
Caught in the middle of a massacre in Lawrence, Kansas, during the Civil War, Leah Donaldson, a twenty-year-old Mormon governess, must risk everything to save two children in her care—and she lives to pay dearly for the decision. Young Ethan Pace loves Leah and can hardly stay still as she is taken away by the enemy for refusing to reveal where he and his sister are hiding.
Five years later, Ethan desperately searches for her, trying to reconcile all that has happened and grappling with his feelings for her. Still idealizing Leah, he hopes she has survived and that he can help her get to Zion and her people. But after everything she’s been through since they last met, will Leah overcome her regrets and allow love into her life? Will she come to see Ethan as the caring man he has become rather than the lovesick boy she once knew?
 

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My Review: 4 Stars

I always enjoy a fictional story with a bit of real history mixed into it and this one delivers. The Civil War had some guerillas and this story shows just how much damage they did to one small town in Kansas. This time period is full of stories and I loved the way the Mormon pioneers were tied to the Civil War, joined mainly by one main character, Leah. Leah is orphaned and working as a governess until she can join Zion out West. She is caring for 14-year-old, Ethan, and his younger sister, Addie, while their father fights in the war. Years after the rebels attacked, Leah is full of regrets, but Ethan is determined to help fulfill her dreams. 

Leah is a likable character, one who is very wise and mature for her age at times and almost childlike at others. She's very accepting and loving because of her background and really makes the lives of these children and their friends entertaining and memorable. Ethan is smitten by the pretty governess. The story is told in first person, through his eyes, which is interesting. I appreciated watching him grow up and become a man.

The story is heartbreaking and hard to read at times, but has a light and hopeful feeling throughout most of it. It made me think back on my carefree summer days as a child. While mostly predictable, there are a few twists that I wasn't expecting, especially toward the end. This would be an especially enjoyable read for those who like historical fiction and/or fictional stories about the Mormon pioneers.

Content: religious references to LDS beliefs (not preachy); some violence (one scene is a little intense, but not graphic); very mild romance (vague reference to rape). Clean!

*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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Buy Links:

About the Author:

Lynne Larson is an award-winning teacher and writer with a special interest in western history, particularly as It relates to women. Several of her stories, essays, and articles have appeared in regional magazines, as well as in Latter-day Saint publications.

Her novel, In the Shadow of an Angel, grew from her great regard for the pioneers who put the statue of Moroni on the temple long ago, never realizing the changes that would come as the golden figure watched over their Zion for the next one hundred years. Nor could those early builders fully imagine the generations coming after them, for whom the statue would be a beacon and a guide, millions of people, each with a life to live and a story to tell, and all connected by the angel on the spire.

Giveaway:

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Follow the Tour:

*April 25^th: http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/,  

http://www.wishfulendings.com/

 

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http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/blog/,  

https://atransparentmom.com/

 

*April 27^th: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/,  

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http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/,  

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Waiting on Wednesday: Under An Adirondack Sky by Karen Rock

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted 

by Breaking the Spine,

that spotlights upcoming releases.

 

My pick is Under An Adirondack Sky 

by Karen Rock.

Karen is one of my favorite Harlequin Heartwarming authors

and I always eagerly await her next book.

 

Coming July 1, 2016....

 

 

Can he juggle everything…including her?

After raising his siblings and running the family pub for more than a decade, Aiden Walsh has set his own dreams aside. Until the most beautiful woman he's ever seen stumbles into his bar, and his arms. Too bad Rebecca Day is the school psychologist in charge of his brother's future. Who's he kidding? He doesn't have room in his full life for romance anyway. But forced to join Rebecca and her group of troubled teens on an Adirondack wilderness adventure, he realizes keeping his family afloat isn't enough for him…not by a long shot.

 

Numbers Ignite (Numbers Game #2) by Rebecca Rode {Review}

Numbers Ignite (Numbers Game #2) by Rebecca Rode
Published January 26th 2016



Treena and Vance think they’ve pulled out of the numbers game forever. They’re wrong.

After Treena’s disastrous attempt to unite the nation, she has the deaths of hundreds haunting her dreams. Now, with hatred and accusations following her past the border, she’s determined to leave that horrible day behind and find a peaceful, uneventful life with Vance and the settlers. But when she starts seeing mysterious figures hiding in the abandoned cities at night and uncovers a strange desert population, she realizes there’s a danger much greater than NORA to worry about—and she just abandoned her people to their fate.

Vance is a prisoner. Being rejected by the girl he loves and put on trial for betraying his clan are bad enough, but now he’s been framed for a crime he never committed. Their less-than-perfect refuge has become the political game of a madman, and Vance is the only one who can stop it—if he can keep from being executed first.

Treena and Vance are still very much in the game, and this time it will take everything they have to save those they love.

*Numbers Ignite is the sequel to the runaway Amazon #1 Bestseller, Numbers Game.

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My Review: 5 Stars

It's been awhile since I've read Book 1 (see my review here), but I didn't have too much trouble jumping right into this story. And yes, they should definitely be read in order!

The book jumps between Treena's and Vance's points of view and I loved that, since they are in different places and there's never a question about what's going on in the other one's life. I honestly can't imagine how I would survive in a society such as this and manage all the anxiety. Treena is haunted by her past and determined to move on. She's so resourceful, yet surprisingly compassionate. I admire characters such as her. Vance is really down on his luck, but he's not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I love how determined and creative he is. 

There are some great surprises and suspenseful moments, as well as some characters to both hate and love. For as long as it is, I flew through it, as the pacing is fast and written in a way to motivate the reader. I could not believe the ending---really?!?! Please, Ms. Rode, please let there be more and soon! This is perfect for those who enjoy a great Dystopian, with the expected violence and romance that accompany it.

Content: mild violence (fighting, war, etc); mild romance (a few kissing, some swoony). Clean!    

*I received a copy through eBooks for Review in exchange for an honest review*

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Buy Link:

About the Author:

REBECCA RODE is an award-winning author and journalist. She is the author of the bestselling YA dystopian novel, NUMBERS GAME, and the inspirational book, HOW TO HAVE PEACE WHEN YOU'RE FALLING TO PIECES. She also writes for Deseret News, KSL.com, FamilyShare, and Provo Daily Herald. However, her true love is writing for teenagers. She enjoys traveling, reading, and martial arts, and she has a ridiculous addiction to chocolate-banana shakes. She lives with her husband and four children between a mountain and a lake. Visit her at www.AuthorRebeccaRode.com. 

   

A Kiss and a Dream by Linda Andrews {Book Blast}

A Kiss and a Dream by Linda Andrews

She escapes with a dead woman's name and finds sanctuary with a widower reeling from his wife's betrayal. Can a love built on lies survive the truth? Gretchen Foltz honors her late father's request and ends up locked in the workhouse by her greedy brother. Dreaming of a home and freedom, she embarks on a dangerous winter journey. She awakes in a stranger's home. Hiding behind a lie, she discovers a man worthy of her trust. Kian Bryne is struggling to feed his four children. The last thing he needs is to rescue a woman stranded on the ice and running from her own demons. With his rich in-laws threatening to take custody his children, he'll make a desperate alliance to keep his family together. When a simple kiss shatters their agreement, he's left yearning for more. Can they untangle the lies before someone separates them forever?  

Excerpt:

In this scene, Gretchen learns that Kian has a secret dream to be a carriage driver on the island. She has a dream of her own and knows the power of them, so she is determined to help him achieve his goal.

"It was a stupid dream. I should sell it, ta pay ya." Kian jerked the covering into place and turned away.

"Nein. No." She followed him. "Dream is not stupid. Dream is good."

She slowed down to hit the correct sound at the end. Just so he understood.

He yanked pieces of oak from the pile near the door and dropped them into her pail.

"I help you vith your dream." She pulled out the bigger pieces and returned them to the stack before tugging the handle from his grip. Selecting the right size for the cook stove, she filled her bucket. "You see."

"Why?" He stared at the wood pile and huddled in his jacket.

She didn't want to think too hard about the why. Instead, she clasped the pail to her chest and hustled for the door.

He beat her there and pushed back the snow, so she could squeeze through the opening. Before she exited, he stayed her with a hand on her arm. "Why?"

"Because I have the dreams, too. And you are helping to make them true." She ducked under his arm and walked into the cold. More than he knew. Maybe more than was safe for her heart.

 

 

Author Linda Andrews

Linda Andrews lives with her husband and three children in Phoenix, Arizona. When she announced to her family that her paranormal romance was to be published, her sister pronounce: “What else would she write? She’s never been normal.” All kidding aside, writing has become a surprising passion and she’s followed that passion into history, the future, and beyond. Sometimes, she incorporates her science background and other times, she allows the magic of love to take center stage in sweet historicals.

Website * Twitter

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/11/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

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Snow White by Jenni James (Faerie Tale Collection Tour) {Review and Giveaway}

Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: June 4, 2012
Number of pages: 142

Beauty and the Beast (Faerie Tale Collection #1)
Beauty and the Beast is the first in a new series of fairy tales for young adult readers. Fans of Disney, fairy tales, and fantasy will love the Faerie Tale Collection by Jenni James. A prince by day and a wolf by night--

Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.

Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?

Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable—though perhaps he's changed right before her eyes. He's not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now... but then again, so is the beast.

​GOODREADS | AMAZON

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: August 15, 2013
Number of pages: 123

Sleeping Beauty (Faerie Tale Collection #2)
The sleeping girl has no idea she is asleep.

After Aleyna witnessed the cruel deaths of her family, she was put to sleep by Ezralon the unicorn. He has been keeping her safe, hidden in the forest, until her true prince could come and rescue her.

While Aleyna is protected in the forest, her spirit walks the halls of her ruined, deserted castle in a dream-like existence, believing everything is still perfect. However, she is halted in this state—almost as if time were frozen—until the prince awakens her.

Prince Darién of Lybrooke Court loves a challenge as much as the next man, but believes it will be a fool’s errand to rescue a ghost who is already dead! He’s convinced no one could have survived sleeping thirty years, so what is the point of rescuing a girl who is quite content to haunt on her own?

Of course, if Darién wasn’t so afraid of ghouls, this whole thing could be much easier to fathom...

GOODREADS | AMAZON

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: August 15, 2013
Number of pages: 213

Rumplestiltskin (Faerie Tale Collection #3)
A young prince crippled by a witch--

When Fredrico watches his cruel family mourn his false death and announce to the kingdom their cursed prince has died, is the day he truly embraces his new life and new name Rumplestiltskin. How could he be known by anything else? —His skin is completely rumpled and stilted now. He hides away from the king and queen and grows up as a crippled servant in the castle.

Years later, his younger brother, Marcus, becomes king and humors Aubrynn’s father when he boasts that his daughter can turn straw into gold. Intrigued Marcus locks the distraught maiden in a tower and declares to the kingdom that if she can transform the straw, he will marry her, but if she cannot he will kill her father.

Rumplestiltskin is determined to help Aubrynn save her father and marry the king. Now, if only he can remember to keep his real identity a secret and not fall in love with her himself…

​GOODREADS | AMAZON

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: July 31, 2013
Number of pages: 236

Cinderella (Faerie Tale Collection #4)
When Prince Anthony spies Eleanoria Woodston outside her family home dressed as a servant, he knows something is amiss. Pretending to be John, his cousin’s outrider, he decides to take matters into his own hands and figure out why Ella hasn’t been seen at court. And more importantly why the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom dresses like a pauper.

Ella has had her own bout of trials, including losing her beloved father and facing the wrath and jealousy of her stepmother and stepsisters. Becoming a servant doesn’t seem all that bad until the handsome John comes into her life, now he appears to be upsetting everything. Never before has she been so unsettled. Just his presence is making her dream of a life beyond this one.

When John invites Ella to the ball and she grudgingly accepts, he wonders if he’s truly losing his mind. How would he ever pull off pretending to be John while obviously hosting the ball as Anthony? Especially when the stubborn girl has made it quite obvious she would never attend a ball with a snobbish prince.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Number of pages: 160

Hansel and Gretel (Faerie Tale Collection #5)
Hansel's father finds a child lost and alone during a violent thunderstorm. After bringing her in from the tempest, he and his son are startled to discover that she is Gretel, a princess of Larkein the enemy kingdom their own king has just destroyed. Fearful for her life, Hansel pleads with his father to save her. He believes they can make Gretel good by teaching her their ways. His kindhearted father agrees, but with great trepidation.

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: March 31, 2013
Number of pages: 162

Jack and the Beansalk (Faerie Tale Collection #6)
​The quest to save a girl from a giant--

Jack Waithwrite is livid when he learns that his fiancée, Rachel, has been stolen by a giant and taken up to a kingdom in the sky. Without the means to save her, he travels with his sister to Larkein, the place where dark magic abides, to discover a way to help Rachel. While there, a cunning witch knows who he is and offers to help him. However, when he finds out the kidnapping was orchestrated by the witch to use him as her pawn for her own schemes, his true quest begins. Now Jack must outwit a giant and stay one step ahead of the witch in time to save Rachel.

Enjoy Jack and the Beanstalk, the continuing tale of Hansel and Gretel and what happened after they were married. Jack and Jill Waithwrite are the children of Hansel and Gretel, and as their parents before them had adventures, now it is their turn.

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: September 21, 2013
Number of pages: 238

Snow White (Faerie Tale Collection #7)
An enchanted mirror, a tale of envy--

Raven and Snow White have been the greatest of friends for years, so when Snow’s father, King Herbert, and Raven’s mother, Queen Melantha, wed, the girls’ dreams come true—now they are sisters! However, in an act of exceeding folly, the king presents his new bride with the enchanted Lythereon Mirror as a wedding gift. Its dark power soon corrupts the queen.

Prince Corlan, Raven’s brother, is determined to find a way to destroy the mirror before he loses his mother completely—or it kills them all. Already the queen’s envy of Snow has become obvious. Corlan has been in love with Snow White since they were children and would do anything to protect the beautiful princess, even defy his mother. But when Queen Melantha uses the mirror to force Corlan into killing Snow, he knows it will take a battle of great strength to outwit the evil spell surrounding him and save the girl he loves.

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: December 6, 2013
Number of pages: 170

The Frog Prince (Faerie Tale Collection #8)

A prince disguises himself to find true love--

Prince Nolan has had enough of Princess Blythe—the woman to whom he has been betrothed since infancy—and her simpering letters. Does the princess truly not have a brain in her head? Never before has he communicated with someone who seemed so childish and spoiled. It was time he met her for himself, to decide if he could actually follow through with this marriage. But to do it right, she must not see how handsome he is. He needs a disguise—something that would show him her true nature.

Nolan asks an old herb woman to transform him into a creature that is disgusting to any female—a frog. The spell will last thirty days unless the princess does the impossible and kisses him. Now the true test begins. Will Blythe prove to be as monstrously annoying as he believes she is, or will he learn to see past his judgments and find a loving princess waiting for him?

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: February 17, 2014
Number of pages: 184 

The Twelve Dancing Princesses (The Faerie Tale Collection #9)
Twelve princesses, one gardener, and a mysterious secret . . .

As the castle gardener, Aleck is paid well, has his own room above the stables, and he is able to support his mother and younger brothers and sisters. Why would he risk it all for one girl?

For weeks now, Princess Cascadia and her eleven sisters have awakened each morning to swollen feet and tattered dancing slippers without any recollection of what happened. Why would someone do this to them? The king calls all the worthy men in the land to come and help solve the riddle of the twelve dancing princesses. The man who is able to sort the mystery will be allowed to choose one of the princesses to wed.

Cascadia immediately turns to Aleck for assistance. If anyone can help her, she knows it is him, and she knows of no man she would rather marry. But will Aleck be able to unravel the mysterious happenings and save the kingdom before those behind the scheme succeed?

GOODREADS | AMAZON

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: October 2014
Number of pages: 164

Rapunzel (Faerie Tale Collection #10)
A kidnapped girl faces insurmountable odds …

On Rapunzel’s sixteenth birthday, her parents are turned to stone by the evil witch, Lady Vactryne, and the girl is taken to be forever hidden away in a tower. The young princess is afraid and all alone, and as the months pass by and her attempts to escape become more desperate, she begins to lose hope that anyone will come to save her.

Prince Jonathan of Balligyrn has loved Rapunzel since they were children and has vowed to battle the witch, bring Rapunzel back, and restore her kingdom, no matter the cost. It has been years since he last saw her and asked her to wait for him to return from school. Now Jonathan only hopes he is not too late.

The cunning witch has other plans for them both, one that does not involve losing her dreams to mere fools. Who will win—the woman bent on revenge, or the young girl determined to overcome it all?

GOODREADS | AMAZON 

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The Little Mermaid (Faerie Tale Collection #11)
Is grass truly greener than ocean blue?

Pearl has always dreamed of visiting the land of humans, to walk with them, eat with them, and learn everything she can from them. But no one in the North Seas agrees with her. In fact, they are all convinced that the landfolk are a dangerous, scary group of people who would harm the mermaid if they could.

Keel, the great merprince of the North Seas, has never loved anyone as much as he loves Pearl. He knows of her fascination with mankind and realizes she will never be truly settled until she has walked among the humans. So he finally relents, giving her a potion to grow legs of her own so she can experience the world above the water. He vows to come on land and protect her, as he doesn’t trust humans and never will.

Join us in this unique twist of a tale about a princess determined to find a world and life better than her own, and the prince who is willing to risk it all to guarantee that she finds her own happiness. 

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Series: Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairytale, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Number of pages: 186

Peter Pan (Faerie Tale Collectoin #12)
Peter Pan needs help, and he's convinced the effervescent Wendy Darling is just the girl to champion his cause. Ever since the mischievous fairy Tinker Bell began recruiting—more like, snatching—boys from London's orphanages to take them to a magical place called Neverland, things have gotten out of hand. Captain Hook has only become more violent and the boys more lost as their memories of life before Neverland begin to fade. Peter's only hope is to get the boys back to England and help bring balance to Neverland before Hook's dangerous escapades kill them all.

Wendy is not quite certain why such a handsome young man would need her—especially a lad who clearly has a touch of madness in him. What boy learns to fly? But whatever the reason, home life has become too much for her now that her parents are hoping she marries an acquaintance she can barely abide. There is something about Peter Pan that intrigues her greatly, and then there is this magical world he talks about, this Neverland . . .

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Books in the Series and Books Still to Come...

Other books in this series still to come:

13. Return to Netherland 14.Captain Hook 15. Princess Red 16. Princess with the Golden Touch 17. Princess and the Pea 18. Rose Red 19. Thumbelina 20. The Ugly Princess 21. Diamonds and Toads

22. The Ice Queen 23. The Forgotten Princess 24. King Thrushbeard 25. The Swan Princess 26. The Goose Girl 27. The Light Princesses 28. Princess Nightingale 29. The Princess Who Never Laughed 30. The Disenchanted Queen

Jenni James is the busy mother of ten kids (7 hers, 3 her hubby's) and has over twenty-five published book babies. She's an award-winning, best-selling author, who works full-time from home and dreams about magical things and then writes about what she dreams.

Some of her works include The Jane Austen Diaries (Pride & Popularity, Emmalee, Persuaded...), The Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection (Cinderella, Snow White, Rumplestiltskin, Beauty and the Beast...), the Andy & Annie series for children, Revitalizing Jane: Drowning, My Paranormal Life, Not Cinderella's Type, and the Austen in Love Series.

When she isn't writing up a storm, she is chasing her kids around their new cottage and farm in the tops of the southwestern mountains, entertaining friends at home, or kissing her amazingly hunky hubby. Her life is full of laughter, crazy, and sunshine.

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SNOW WHITE

CHAPTER ONE
 RAVEN LAUGHED AS SHE looked across the ballroom at her new sister, Snow.  They were the best of friends and had been for years—now she could not believe her luck!  Sisters, truly sisters—it seemed like a magical wish come true.  They had imagined and dreamed of it, and it was finally a reality.  Snow’s father had proposed less than four months ago to Raven’s mother, Queen Melantha Flynn, a beautiful, widowed woman with two children.
Not that they were still children. Corlan was nearly twenty-two and Raven and Snow were both in their late teens, but Snow’s father would always consider them children.  Raven watched as her beautiful new sister ran up to her, her long black curls bobbing as she came.  There was not one person in Snow’s kingdom who had not instantly become enamored with the girl.  She had a special quality about her—a naivety and zest for life, an inner joy—something that radiated from her happy smile and wound itself about the hearts of all those who were near her.
“It has finally happened!” Snow exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Raven and hugged her tightly.
“I know, I know! I cannot believe today has come at last!”
Snow pulled back, her full red lips arching in a pretty smile against her pale skin, her black lashes fluttering briefly over her brilliant blue eyes.  She was a stunning beauty.  If Raven did not love her as much as she did, she would find the green tinges of jealously invading her thoughts, but as it was, she simply could not think ill of the enchanting Snow White. No one could.
“Where is Corlan?” Snow grinned.  “I must hug my new brother as well.”
Raven glanced over to where Corlan stood, watching them intently, his eyes never straying from Snow.  He had been head over heels for the girl since they were children.  Long before their parents had agreed to marry, King Herbert, Snow’s father, had often brought her to play with them, the neighboring royal children, so she could experience friendship.  He worried that without her mother, she would become too sad and lose the finer, elegant qualities needed to turn into a lady and ruler one day.  And so he hoped to bring her out of the melancholy of losing her dear mother and into the warmth of the Flynn court.
“He is over there.” Raven nodded toward her brother.
She grinned at Corlan’s reaction as the stunning girl rushed toward him and threw her arms about his shoulders.  He held her and closed his eyes briefly, no doubt reveling in the feel of her so close to him.
Snow pulled back, and Raven loved the way her brother’s eyes observed that lively face before him, watching each movement, each smile, each word as it came from her lips.
When would he tell her he was in love?  Raven had been asking him for months now, but he would never answer. 
Just then, a dashing young man stepped forward and bowed low before the pretty princess in her red-and-gold gown.
“Princess Snow,” Raven heard him say, “will you do me the honor of dancing the first set with me?”
Raven glanced around the grand ballroom.  It would seem indeed that it was time to begin the entertainment her mother had requested.  Several couples already lined the outskirts of the floor, waiting for the king and new queen to begin their nuptial dance.
“Snow is dancing with me for the first set,” Corlan answered.
Raven looked over at her brother.  Bravo.  He stood just a bit taller, with his arm wrapped around Snow’s shoulders.
Snow smiled sweetly at the man.  “I promise to go out on the floor with you during the second.”
The man glanced from Snow to Corlan and then back to Snow again.  He must have liked the smile on her face, for he bowed lower and said, “Your Highness, there is nothing I wish for more.”
She nodded, and then looked up at Corlan.
“Shall we?” he asked.
They really did make an incredible couple.  Corlan was so tall and dashing, with his distinguished brown hair and lightly sun-kissed skin and deep green eyes.  He was a sight to behold.  But Snow, bless her heart, did not ever appear to prefer one man over the other.  She seemed completely oblivious to the male species altogether—enjoying them, of course, and smiling serenely and capturing their hearts one by one.  But every suitor who came to stare and try his hand for the fair princess left with a confused look on his face, for they simply did not know what to make of her.  Did she not like them?  Did they do something wrong?  She seemed happy enough, but pushed away their advances as if they were nothing to her. Again and again, Raven watched princes from all over the continent come and try their best to woo her, but to no avail.
“King Herbert and Queen Melantha will now take the floor,” the herald announced grandly.
Raven watched her mother, a stunning red-haired beauty glorious in pale-gold silk, step into the arms of her beloved Herbert as they began to waltz on the floor of the sparkling chandeliered room.  The guests exclaimed over the couple as they passed by, tittering behind fans and whispering of their happiness for the great king and queen.
They had sent a surge of new hope throughout the land by uniting the two kingdoms.  Raven could feel the excitement and joy buzzing through the air in pings of awareness at the exhilaration this wedding brought to all.
Raven smiled as her mother came near and then dipped and spun away as the music wound down.  Even though she was in her early forties, there was no woman who could claim to have the beauty she still possessed—a vision of loveliness from her shining head of hair to her dainty, nimble feet.
The first set of dances were about to begin.  Raven sighed and looked around the room, her heart clenching slightly within her chest.  So many of the couples were already eagerly waiting to take their places on the dance floor.  She had hoped that by now, a young man would have been inclined to ask for her hand during this particular set, today of all days when it was her mother’s wedding.  But no young man made his way toward her.  Indeed, most of them were across the room, keenly watching Snow and Corlan speak softly and laugh with one another.
It was no use.  There would never be a man who saw her while her dear new sister was in the room.  Taking a deep breath, she blinked back a few tears and attempted to paste on a smile.  She refused to become a silly water pot today, when truly everything she could have wished for came true.  This was the happiest day of her life.
“Excuse me, Princess Raven Flynn?” a dashing young man asked as he walked toward her and then bowed.
Butterflies flurried wildly within her chest.  “Yes?” she replied a little breathlessly.  He was unbelievably handsome, with his blond hair and deep brown eyes.
“Forgive me for being so forward and not waiting for a proper introduction.  I am Prince Terrance from the Sybright court and was pointed in your direction.  I was wondering if you knew if the Princess Snow White was free this set?  I have only just arrived, by invitation of King Herbert, and have been eager to meet this paragon I have heard mentioned.”
“Oh.” Her smile tightened.  “Of course.”  She nodded, reminding herself that someone as attractive as he would only ever wish to be with Snow.  “She is engaged at present,” she said as the dancers began to walk upon the floor. “But if you wait your turn, she is indeed very amiable and would be more than happy to stand up with you.”
“Perfect.”  He smiled, showing off two adorable dimples as he did so.
Raven gasped, and then quickly bit her lip to keep from doing it again.   She had always longed for a man with dimples.
Terrance grinned down at her, those indentations only deepening more.  “Are you perchance free at the moment?” he asked, looking around as if amazed she was still standing with him and not upon the floor.
“Yes, I am.”
“And do you mean to dance?”
“Of course I do.”
He took a pace back and swept another bow.  “Forgive me, princess!  I did not realize.  Please, would you do me the honor of stepping out with me?”
She giggled.  “I would be delighted,” she said as she placed her hand within his and walked onto the floor.

*I received a copy through Singing Librarian Tours in exchange for an honest review*

My Review: 5 Stars

This is one of my favorite re-tellings by Ms. James thus far! From the start, I wondered what in the world possessed the king to give his new bride an evil mirror for a wedding gift, but of course, had that not happened, we wouldn't have this magical story.

Snow's father remarries her best friend's mother and life couldn't be better...until that cursed mirror enters the picture. A sweeter girl can't be found--who couldn't like Snow?! I love the twists that Jenni James gives this story--things that make complete sense to me, but that I hadn't ever thought about before. It's so easy to hate the evil queen, but this version shows a downfall and reasons to why she ends up so evil and my feelings of hatred took a turn towards pity instead.

This is a great story for those who love a classic story with a few surprises that make it unique. I love these tales in this series because they're not too long, but long enough to give a reader a good escape and breathe some fresh air into a familiar book.

Content: mild violence (attempted murder, blood, etc--not too graphic); mild romance (kissing); moments of peril. Clean!

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April 18--Beauty & the Beast--Singing Librarian Books
 April 19--Sleeping Beauty--Bookworm Lisa
 April 20--Rumplestiltskin--26 Countless Possibilities
 April 21--Cinderella--Reading Is My SuperPower
 April 22--Hansel & Gretel--Katie's Clean Book Collection ​
 April 23--Jack & the Beanstalk--Wishful Endings
 April 25--Snow White--Katie's Clean Book Collection 
 April 26--The Frog Prince--Smiling Book Reviews
 April 27--The Twelve Dancing Princesses--Mel's Shelves
 April 28--Rapunzel--Reading Is My SuperPower
 April 29--The Little Mermaid--Wishful Endings
 April 30--Peter Pan--Singing Librarian Books