Category: Reviews

Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves byLiesl Shurtliff

Fractured Fairy Tale I’ve read one of Shurtliff’s other books and really liked it, but this one was just awesome! I loved the slow lead in to the Snow White story. Shurtliff took her time, letting us get to know “Grump” and the dwarf community. This is important later in the story. I loved the fun and unique descriptions and their food! What they ate is awesome. Once we actually got into the Snow White part of the story, it was close enough to be […]

February 18, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic by Amanda Rawson Hill

Believe, Give, and Trust Those are the three rules of magic that Kate’s grammy teaches her. But they don’t quite work the way Kate hoped. [br] [br] This is such a well-written and wonderful story. It runs through every emotion—happy, sad, grief, loneliness, betrayal, hope, and more. I found myself smiling in places, and swallowing a lump in my throat in other places. [br] [br] As the story slowly unfolds, it goes from present to past and reveals secrets in a very logical way. Kate […]

February 15, 2019 | 0 Comments

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

Awesome Super Heroes! I read this back in 2015 but didn’t post a review. Not sure why because I liked it. But I recently re-read it and I’m remedying that oversight. [br] [br] I still love this story. It’s starts like a superhero origin story, then morphs into Sci Fi. I won’t say more about that because I don’t want to have spoilers. The five teens that being the story are interesting, diverse, and believable. Great character arcs, especially for Maisie and Wilder. I also […]

February 1, 2019 | 0 Comments

Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George

Excellent Historical Fantasy I’m used to reading Jessica Day George’s middle grade and YA fantasy books—that have a lighter feel to them. This one is darker and more violent, and deals with vampires and werewolves. I loved the story. I thought it was a great twist to the whole vampire/werewolf tradition, and a wonderful basis for why most stories have vamps and were as enemies. Loved the ending. [br] [br] The characters were interesting and believable. The plot was wonderful. I was enthralled and stayed […]

January 31, 2019 | 0 Comments

Goblins and Snowflakes by Melanie Karsak

Fun Steampunk Fairy Tale Melanie Karsak is hit or miss for me. She’s mostly hit, but sometimes I find a book that I don’t care for at all. This was not that. I really liked this one. It’s sort of a steampunk fairy tale, with some loose ties to Red Riding Hood and The Shoemaker and the Elves, but with it’s own twists. And it’s also a love story. Very good. It also introduces us to the Red Cape Society which shows up in some […]

January 24, 2019 | 0 Comments

Finding Jack by Melanie Jacobson

Funny and Clean Contemporary Romance I loved this book! I’ve liked a lot of Melanie Jacobson’s contemporary romances. They all seem to have some real message to them, beyond just finding your true love. This one did too. It was really great. [br] [br] The best part though was I loved the main character. She was so funny and clever. So is her roommate, so is her love interest. I just fell in love with the writing and the dialog. There were a couple of […]

January 23, 2019 | 0 Comments

The View from Castle Always by Melissa McShane

Great Read for Fairy Tale Lovers I like Melissa McShane’s books. Some more than others, but all of them are well-written. I enjoyed this one. It has a unique take on the ‘find your destiny’ fantasy. There’s a magic castle, that the heroine can’t leave, a handsome man who refuses to leave, and a knight who can leave but won’t. And then there’s the wild magic—is it good, evil, something else entirely? [br] [br] I thought the characters were interesting. The plot wasn’t as strong […]

January 21, 2019 | 0 Comments

Slayer by Kiersten White

Buffy!!! What’s not to love! First, waving my geek flag here—I’m a true blue Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. This is a spin-off and I was a little worried that I wouldn’t like it because it’s always a gamble when your fav fandom gets a reboot. But it worked. It was great! [br] [br] There were several references and connection to the original Buffy characters and events. That was fun. Buffy herself only shows up in dream sequences. [br] [br] If you remember the end […]

January 17, 2019 | 0 Comments

Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg

Interesting take on demons and possession This is the story of a girl who was sold to a man who wants the power of a demon. Guilt and responsibility for one’s actions when forced upon them is one of the themes of this book. Sandis is strong and courageous. She hates what she has to do in the service of an evil man and demon. But is it the demon that is evil? Or the man commanding it? The book is very well written. Great […]

January 11, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Iron Trial by Cassandra Claire & Holly Black

Love This Book! I love Cassandra Clare. I don’t now how I missed this series. Book 1 was great. You think the main character is going to be the hero, and then there’s a twist and it’s amazing! And isn’t that cover awesome!!! Can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Some paranormal violence, on the level of Harry Potter. In fact, there are several similarities to HP: it’s a year at magic school, there’s a bad guy that everyone is afraid to […]

January 7, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs

Quick Review Sometimes being bullied can push you into doing things you’d never do on your own. And sometimes bullies can become unlikely allies. That’s just one of the themes of this book. The kids are forced to go to a creepy, off-limits island to try to save their friend. While there, they discover a land of magic and ghosts. This started out creepy, then became funny, then creepy again. The ending was awesome! Well-written, great characters, spooky plot line. Glad this will have a […]

January 4, 2019 | 0 Comments

Company of Strangers by Melissa McShane

A New Fantasy Series! One of my favorite authors, Melissa McShane, has started a new fantasy series. What I like about all of her books is that there is a strong female protagonist. Although this book follows the adventures of an unlikely crew of characters, we definitely see things from Sienne’s perspective. As a fledgling wizard who has left her nobility status behind to become a scrapper, Sienne joins a four others in an exquisitely written fantasy quest adventure. What did I think? I love […]

December 11, 2018 | 0 Comments

Promises and Primroses by Josi S. Kilpack

Heartbreak, Resentment, Forgiveness, and Redemption I know I say this every time I review a Josi S. Kilpack book, but I love her stories. They are so character-driven, and include themes that speak to all ages and time periods. Promises and Primroses is the start of the Mayfield Family series. Years ago, Elliott inherited the family estate. Ashamed of the behaviors of his family members, he made it his mission to improve both the estate and the members of the family—breaking a heart in the […]

September 5, 2018 | 0 Comments

The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker

I love Emily Bleeker! I have all of her books. And even though I got a copy of The Waiting Room in return for a review, as soon as I finished reading it I pre-ordered it for my permanent library. This is one of those twisty-turny psychological suspense type stories that happens inside the head of Veronica Shelton. Her husband is dead, her daughter is missing, and weird stuff keeps happening. I spent a good portion of this book trying to determine if she was […]

August 22, 2018 | 0 Comments

The Kitty Committee by Kathryn Berla

Dark & Twisty Amazon needs to add a new genre category: dark and twisty. I generally like twisty. I love it when I can’t figure things out until the very end. Dark, I have a love/hate relationship, depending on what exactly makes it dark. Told in first person, Grace goes back and forth between memories of “something” that happened during her high school years to the results of that event that follow her to college and beyond. Sometimes when a story does that, it becomes […]

August 1, 2018 | 0 Comments