Published February 25th 2016 by Mirror Press
Seventeen-year-old Adrielle doesn’t believe in magic; she merely possesses it, though no one has ever mentioned that her unusual gifts—exceptional speed, a flair for fire, and an intimate knowledge of flora—aren’t things she was born with. When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection.
While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.
From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.
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My Review: 5 Stars
I read the premise for this story awhile ago and all I remembered was "magic." I was not expecting a mishmash of fairy tales, lovable characters, a darling romance, and a prince! I was definitely pleasantly surprised.
Adrielle has had a hard upbringing, as the youngest of eleven and when left orphaned and unwanted, she travels to find her older, mysterious sister--one whom she doesn't remember. Many mishaps and adventures lead her to her destination, where she is constantly learning--learning about herself, life, and more.
I'm a sucker for any story involving a prince and when fairy tales are added, I'm in heaven! This took on a real Sleeping Beauty flavor, but there were other recognized elements to other fairy tales and I love the way they are all woven together in a familiar, yet original way. I absolutely adored the relationships and characters, as they are each important to the story, yet take on realistic personalities, coming alive in a new way for me. This is definitely a series that I'll be keeping an eye on.
Content: mild romance; mild violence. Clean!
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
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Buy Links:
About the Author:
Michele Paige Holmes spent her childhood and youth in Arizona and
northern California, often curled up with a good book instead of out
enjoying the sunshine. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a
degree in Elementary Education and found it an excellent major in which
to indulge her love of children's literature.
Her first novel, COUNTING STARS (Covenant Communications 2007), won the 2007 Whitney Award for best romance. The sequel, a romantic suspense titled, ALL THE STARS IN HEAVEN (Covenant 2009), was a Whitney finalist, as was her first historical romance, CAPTIVE HEART (Covenant 2011). MY LUCKY STARS (Covenant 2012) completed the Stars series.
In October 2014 Michele launched the Hearthfire historical romance line with the publication of SAVING GRACE (Mirror Press 2014). The companion novel, LOVING HELEN (Mirror Press 2015) was released in February 2015. A third book about this same family, MARRYING CHRISTOPHER, (Mirror Press 2015) was published in August 2015, with a Christmas novella, TWELVE DAYS IN DECEMBER (Mirror Press 2015) released in December.
The next Hearthfire historical romance will be published in early summer of 2016.
In February 2016, Michele is launching the first book in the FOREVER AFTER young adult fairy tale series. FIRST LIGHT (Mirror Press February 2016) will be followed by a sequel LAST DAY in fall 2016. A third fairy tale, PARADISE, will be published in 2017.
Michele attributes much of what she knows about good writing to time spent with her critique group and feels that joining a critique group is the single best thing an author can to do help improve his or her writing. She has been a member of RWA and URWA, LDStorymakers, and The League of Utah Writers. Michele enjoys both attending and teaching at conferences.
When not reading or writing romance, Michele is busy with her full time job as a wife and mother. She and her husband live in Utah with their five high maintenance children and a Shitzu that resembles a teddy bear, in a house with a wonderful view of the mountains. You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on Facebook and twitter.
Michele Paige Holmes spent her childhood and youth in Arizona and
northern California, often curled up with a good book instead of out
enjoying the sunshine. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a
degree in Elementary Education and found it an excellent major in which
to indulge her love of children's literature.Her first novel, COUNTING STARS (Covenant Communications 2007), won the 2007 Whitney Award for best romance. The sequel, a romantic suspense titled, ALL THE STARS IN HEAVEN (Covenant 2009), was a Whitney finalist, as was her first historical romance, CAPTIVE HEART (Covenant 2011). MY LUCKY STARS (Covenant 2012) completed the Stars series.
In October 2014 Michele launched the Hearthfire historical romance line with the publication of SAVING GRACE (Mirror Press 2014). The companion novel, LOVING HELEN (Mirror Press 2015) was released in February 2015. A third book about this same family, MARRYING CHRISTOPHER, (Mirror Press 2015) was published in August 2015, with a Christmas novella, TWELVE DAYS IN DECEMBER (Mirror Press 2015) released in December.
The next Hearthfire historical romance will be published in early summer of 2016.
In February 2016, Michele is launching the first book in the FOREVER AFTER young adult fairy tale series. FIRST LIGHT (Mirror Press February 2016) will be followed by a sequel LAST DAY in fall 2016. A third fairy tale, PARADISE, will be published in 2017.
Michele attributes much of what she knows about good writing to time spent with her critique group and feels that joining a critique group is the single best thing an author can to do help improve his or her writing. She has been a member of RWA and URWA, LDStorymakers, and The League of Utah Writers. Michele enjoys both attending and teaching at conferences.
When not reading or writing romance, Michele is busy with her full time job as a wife and mother. She and her husband live in Utah with their five high maintenance children and a Shitzu that resembles a teddy bear, in a house with a wonderful view of the mountains. You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on Facebook and twitter.
Links for Michele Paige Holmes
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/
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Thank you, Katie!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
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