Once Upon a Rhyme (Charming #1) by Jack Heckel

The dragon is dead. The princess has been saved. There is but one problem: Prince Charming had nothing to do with it.

So here I am with another book that I normally wouldn't read, but found very entertaining. Once Upon a Rhyme is a mish-mash of fairy tales all brought together in this first volume of The Charming Tales.

Blurb...

In order to save his royal reputation, Prince Charming must begrudgingly enlist the help of accidental hero William Pickett. The two set out on an adventure that has them fighting trolls, outwitting a scoundrel, and drinking the foulest ale ever, collecting bruises to both body and pride along the way. Meanwhile, the rescued princess, Gwendolyn, turns out to be one dangerously distressed damsel, and an evil presence takes over Castle White in Charming's absence …

Enter this rollicking world and discover just what happens when a fairytale leaves the well-trodden path of "once upon a time."

My thoughts...

This is a very clever story that reminded me of a cross between The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men in Tights because of the humor - some laugh-out-loud, some tongue-in-cheek, some dry wit, and some just plain eye-rolling. It's a fun read and might be okay for younger kids if you don't mind explaining things like what 'tryst' and 'making love' mean, or why the Prince might not want to leave a certain woman's bed chamber. **wink, wink** That said, there's nothing even close to descriptive sex but it's up to you to decide if it's suitable for your younger readers.

The story continues with Happily Never After: Volume II of The Charming Tales.

My thanks to HarperCollins Voyager for providing me with a copy of this story.

The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James

The Duke is Mine is the third in Eloisa James’ Fairy Tales series, re-tellings of the classic fairy tales we grew up with. I absolutely adore this series and am sorry I waited so long to read this “Princess and the Pea” installment.

Blurb 

He is a duke in search of a perfect bride.

She is a lady—but a long way from perfect.

Tarquin, the powerful Duke of Sconce, knows perfectly well that the decorous and fashionably slender Georgiana Lytton will make him a proper duchess. So why can't he stop thinking about her twin sister, the curvy, headstrong, and altogether unconventional Olivia? Not only is Olivia betrothed to another man, but their improper, albeit intoxicating, flirtation makes her unsuitability all the more clear.

Determined to make a perfect match, he methodically cuts Olivia from his thoughts, allowing logic and duty to triumph over passion…Until, in his darkest hour, Quin begins to question whether perfection has anything to do with love.

To win Olivia's hand he would have to give up all the beliefs he holds most dear, and surrender heart, body and soul…

Unless it's already too late.

*****

The Duke is Mine is the third in Eloisa James’ Fairy Tales series, re-tellings of the classic fairy tales we grew up with. I absolutely adore this series and am sorry I waited so long to read this “Princess and the Pea” installment.

Eloisa James is one of my favorite Historical Romance authors. Her stories are always clever, funny, romantic, passionate, and sometimes they’re even poignant. This is one of those times. There were moments I was nearly brought to tears, though explaining why would give away too much.

And again, I can’t go into it too deeply, but there were things I wish had happened differently, things that would have made this a 5 star read for me. I know that given the times, the attitudes and expectations of London’s aristocracy, certain things would have happened and been acceptable. Certain circumstances, certain words, certain… well… events. To be honest, there were a couple of things that didn’t set well with me. But could they have been written differently, in a less heartbreaking way? The truth is, I don’t know. I’m just not creative enough to be able to lay it all out in a plot that wouldn’t have broken my heart the way parts of this story did.

The bottom line…

I truly do enjoy Ms. James’ writing and, when it’s all said and done, I fell hard for Olivia and Quin and their happily ever after. I hope there will be many more stories to come.

Mirror, Mirror Anthology by J.D. Robb

Once upon a time…

…in a world far removed from the days when fairy tales were new, five bestselling authors spin versions that take the classic stories into a new dimension. You’ll recognize Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and other enduring characters, but they’ll exist in realms beyond your imagination, where the familiar is transformed into the extraordinary and otherworldly. 

*****

4.5 intriguing, lively, romantic, sinister, and enchanting stars!

This anthology offers something for everyone, and should not be missed!

#1 - Taken in Death by J.D. Robb - 5 stars -

For whatever reason, I haven't yet ventured into J.D. Robb's In Death series, even though my daughter is wild about these stories and owns every book. But I received the Mirror, Mirror anthology for review, so figured, why not give it a go. Holy cow! From the very first paragraph this story grabbed hold. It's a riveting retelling of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, and leaves absolutely no doubt in my mind why this series is so popular - Intense, intriguing, masterfully told... Ms. Robb is a brilliant author!

#2 - If Wishes Were Horses by Mary Blayney - 4 stars -

Told in shades of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this is a delightful historical romance. It's a story about finding your perfect fit - be it in chairs, beds, or that once in a lifetime love. It's also a story about being careful what you wish for, because when your wish comes true, it might not happen in the way you had hoped.

#3 - Beauty, Sleeping by Elaine Fox - 5 stars -

This is a wonderfully imaginative and thoroughly entertaining retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It's unique, romantic, thoughtful, and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading. I also appreciated the 'moral of the story' which Ms. Fox wove neatly into this modern day twist on a beloved fairy tale.

#4- The Christmas Comet by Mary Kay McComas - 4 stars -

There was something special about this story...a feeling of hope, faith, love, and sweet but not sappy. Drawing from by Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Matchstick Girl, and the Brothers Grimm's The Star Money, theres just so much heart to this tale!

#5 - Stroke of Midnight by R. C. Ryan - 4 stars -

A modern day Cinderella tale, this story is entertaining and enchanting! I loved the strength of our heroine, Sydney, and her sense of adventure that led her to Cullen and their Happily Ever After!

The Bottom Line - I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. Each author has a distinctive, creative, and very entertaining voice and I'm looking forward to reading more of their writing!

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine


Mirror, Mirror
J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, and R.C. Ryan
Jove
Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0515154078
****1/2  

Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James

  

Once upon a time…

A duke fell in love

Gowan Stoughton of Craigievar, Duke of Kinross, values order and self-control above all else. So when he meets a lady as serene as she is beautiful, he promptly asks for her hand in marriage.

With a lady

Edie—whose passionate temperament is the opposite of serene—had such a high fever at her own debut ball that she didn’t notice anyone, not even the notoriously elusive Duke of Kinross. When her father accepts his offer… she panics.

And when their marriage night isn’t all it could be, she pretends.

In a tower.

But Edie’s inability to hide her feelings makes pretending impossible, and when their marriage implodes, she retreats to a tower—locking Gowan out.

Now Gowan faces his greatest challenge. Neither commands nor reason work with his spirited young bride. How can he convince her to give him the keys to the tower…

When she already has the keys to his heart?

***** 

I’m a huge fan of Eloisa James’s Fairy Tales series, each book a delightful, sexy, poignant retelling of a time honored classic fairy tale. Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea… all wonderful stories revisited, their happily ever afters given a lively, fresh twist. And now it’s ‘Rapunzel’s’ turn to be freed from the tower she’s locked herself away in, but can her Prince Not-So-Charming convince her to let him in, before it’s too late?

Truly, I’ve enjoyed every single story in this somewhat-related-but-not-quite-connected series. Humor, passion, romance, lessons to be learned… all woven together to create not just romance novels, but beautiful love stories. Book after book I find myself laughing, sighing, fanning myself, and sometimes even crying... and when the story is through, I find myself wanting more.

I fell head over heels in love with Gowan! What an amazing, sexy, Highlander! To say I adore him is putting it mildly, though there were moments I wished I could reach through the pages and smack him right upside his gorgeous head! Stubborn, yes - clueless, definitely! But when a man's heart is on the line - especially a man afraid of repeating his parent's horrible mistakes - there are bound to be issues. But what I love most about Gowan is that he thinks things through, works things out, and does whatever he must to make all things right.

Edie is a fun heroine! Innocent but not naive, clueless but not stupid, in her upcoming marriage she wants to avoid the mistakes that her own parents made. But when your role model is a step mother who thinks flirting with men and smoking cheroots is the way to get your husband's attention, things are bound to get sticky. I truly did love both Edie and her step mother Layla, but I wanted to throttle Edie for turning to Layla for advice, given Layla's unorthodox and ineffective methods for wooing a man.

Despite those moments when I wanted to do bodily harm to Gowan and Edie, I adored them both! Once again, Eloisa James has breathed new life into a classic fairy tale, giving us a story to lose ourselves in with people to love, and they lived happily ever after!

My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James

 

How can she dare to imagine he loves her…when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?

Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.

Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime…until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.

Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.

And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love—or War.

**********

The Ugly Duchess is yet another wonderful story in Eloisa James’ Fairy Tales series. In all that it is charming, romantic, funny and sweetly sexy, it’s also heartwarming, poignant and a truly beautiful love story. 

There’s something so special about Ms. James’ retelling of these classic stories. We read the originals as children and learned valuable lessons, and now, as adults, we can read them and learn those lessons again while being entertained and seduced by the magic and power of love.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adored James who had loved Theo, his Daisy, since childhood. Best friends, companions, confidantes… these are the things enduring relationships are built on, and James and Daisy had that, and more, from the start.

Of course this tale is about recognizing where real beauty is found, and in this scene, one of my favorites of the story, that lesson was beautifully delivered -

“If you ever utter a word about my wife that is less than complimentary, I will not slam you against the wall again. I will instead send you through a window. And not on the ground floor, either.”

James didn’t wait for an answer; who expects garbage to answer back? Instead, he held out his arm to his wife.

When they turned, they saw that the gallery was now crammed with people.

“My duchess,” James stated, his eyes sweeping the crowd with the air of a man who has ruled the waves. “She is not a swan, because that would imply she had once been an ugly duckling.”

He glanced down at Theo. Her eyes were painted with an exotic tilt at the corners. Her cheekbones were regal and her bottom lip was colored a perfect red that made it more kissable than it already was. Small but lush breasts, skin the color of clear moonlight, rose above a waist the size of a man’s hand.

But none of that mattered compared to the innate kindness in her eyes, the joyful turn of her lip, the wild intelligence with which she greeted every day.

That was beautiful.

And so is this story. I laughed, sighed and even got weepy a few times. And now, as I sit here thinking back on this charming tale, I can't help but smile for all the Daisies and their James' throughout history who understood that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and as Confucius so insightfully told us, "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

And how sad are their lives for all that they miss.

My sincerest 'thank you' to HarperCollins/Avon Publishing for sending me a review copy of this wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

A Kiss At Midnight (Fairy Tales #1) by Eloisa James

     This is not your mama’s Cinderella story!

     In A Kiss at Midnight we have a Godmother whose wisdom rivals any magic found in a wand, “rats” I wanted to love and cuddle and who’d be welcome at my house anytime, a stepsister who isn’t so wicked, and a step mother who is, a coach to whisk you away at the stroke of midnight, and a prince who is more than just charming, he’s a wonderful, honorable and a worthy human being – not to mention downright sexy!

     This was such a delightful re-telling of the classic Cinderella fairytale, presented in a way that makes one believe that finding your very own Prince Charming could happen to anyone. As might be expected, this story is splendid, enchanting and funny, heartwarming and at times heartbreaking, but one thing your mama’s Cinderella didn’t have was the heat between our hero and heroine, Gabriel, the prince and the Kate Daltry, our very own, in the flesh, Cinderella.

     I’m not going to spend time going over the plot details, as it’s really not necessary. Most all of us have either read the classic or seen this fairytale love story on the big screen, thanks to Walt Disney, and with the exception of a few minor twists to make this fit into “real life,” there’s no question about which fairytale A Kiss at Midnight is spun from.

     I want to say, Ms. James, thank you for this lovely story. It had me smiling, sighing, laughing out loud and even crying. This is the first book I’ve read by you, and I’m hooked! I’m thrilled to hear that you’ll be writing more in this series and that Wick, dear Wick, will be getting his own story in a novella. Thank you!

     Dear readers of my review, I urge you, if you’re in the mood for a light, feel good read, pick up this book and allow yourself to be swept away into this grown up Cinderella world, where insignificant little house maids can find their Prince Charming and together live their happily ever after.