Really fun take on a fairy tale classic
349100
This was so much fun to read.  Its a unique combination of the classic fairytale and the disney version set in a modern type setting.  Only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5 was a kind of abrupt and somewhat akward first sex scene.  Seemed out of place and not very romantic.  Otherwise great, great, great.  Its one to read more than once.
4049938
This was a really fun modern fairytale-type fantasy. I really liked the alter ego aspect and felt it was done well, though I would have enjoyed a little more Kaleb time. (Who wouldn't?! ;)
I really liked both Daisy and Ryder/Kaleb, and the side characters as well. Ms. Derry, our heroes mom, was especially likeable.

This wasn't terribly deep, but it was fully satisfying and a really fun read! Daisy's motivation to help her family was a little weak, but it worked fine for the story. The added stipulations were a bit weird though - The entire thing was because of Kaleb's grandfather's will, which makes the contest rules and how they wind up affecting the ending feel confusing.

The conflict and last 10% felt a bit rushed, but still wrapped everything up nicely.

Fun story, great sexual chemistry, and a moderately-quick read make me recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of indulgence!
2168979
I enjoyed this book. It was a nice take on a classic fairy-tale. Pearce added mythology and character to a bland story about staying on the path. My mother teaches preschool and uses the Little Red Riding Hood story at the beginning of the year to get her 3-year-olds to stay in line. This novel addresses each person's path, but not necessarily how to stay on them but to question them. Scarlett has her path of hunting and Rosie comes to terms with her feelings toward the hunting lifestyle. Pearce did a wonderful job of portraying both sisters' perspectives.
526604
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.  I though it may be for a younger crowd, but it doesn't matter.  It was a nice refreshing change of story for a middle aged person like me!  I guess I still love a good fairy tale!

I loved the concept for the museum!  How unique.  If only it were real, what a great place it would be to visit.  I loved all the characters.  Ming annoyed me at one point with one of her actions, but I still liked her.
 I will admit I missed the connection between a couple of the characters, such as the old woman witch who trained Bianca for the three days, but it very well may just be something I missed.  I am going to breeze through it again before I get the second book.  I found the story captivating and I wanted to get back to it as soon as I could.  Can't wait to read the next.
2205184
This book is a role-reversal of the Snow White fairy tale.  Instead of focusing on Snow White (who isn't named Snow White in this story), it focuses on the seven dwarfs, and really one dwarf in particular.  It's really not like the original fairy tale, but I liked that.  It was a completely fresh take on the story.

Basically, (don't worry, no spoilers), the main character, Alariq, is exiled from Ishtara, his city-state, where he has been a skilled and faithful leader in the military there for a long time.  Six other dwarfs take his side when he's charged with a crime (that he didn't commit, obviously) and so they're all exiled as a consequence.  They then have to find a new place to live because, like most fantasy worlds, the Continent is a dangerous place.  That's when they meet Tianna (the Snow White character), who takes them in when they're in trouble (so the opposite of what happens in the original fairy tale).  The rest would get into spoiler-territory, so I'll leave it at that.

I really enjoyed the characters and the story.  The book was fast-paced and well-written.  There's a lot of action (mostly fighting, but some internal group-conflict too), but also a lot of character development, which is often missing from action-oriented books.  There were some romantic undertones, but it certainly was not central to the story.  I personally think it was just enough, although I hope we get more of it in later books.  I really appreciated the fresh take on Snow White/Tianna.  Instead of being the damsel-in-distress type, she's a loner and a fighter too, which is a nice change.

There was good world-building, without flooding the pages with unnecessary information.  I wish we got a little more backstory on all of the characters, but I can understand why we didn't (there are six other dwarfs, plus Tianna, plus the bad guys, which would be too much).  The world seems to be slightly different from a typical fantasy world.  When I read it, instead of getting feudal England, I got the feeling it was more like pre-colonial North America, which was another nice change.

Basically I would say it's a traditional fantasy book, without being so traditional that it feels like all the other fantasy books out there.  The characters, bad guys, and plot were definitely all unique and there were no cliches or anything like that.  I will definitely be re-reading this one and waiting (somewhat impatiently) for the next one.

Disclaimer: I received a free pre-release copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
2443131
It's always fun to read a fairy tale retelling.  I have to admit that the Twelve Dancing Princesses is probably my least favorite fairy tale and it's been re-done SO many times, I was worried going into this that I might not like it.  BUT.

I love how Sarah Boucher changed this into a real life story instead of a fairy tale with magic.  The story is told through the eyes of Jonas, a groundskeeper, which is also different.  The story fit so much better for me.  Everything felt new and different and I liked it!  The twisty twists were just what I needed to connect on a better level with this story.

There are a lot of characters in this book- we really only get a glimpse of most of the sisters- not enough to really know them at all.  They were just there in a fuzzy sort of way.  The story really only involved a handful of people on a personal level which was fine by me.

Overall I thought this was a cute story.  It's one that can be enjoyed by all ages- preteen to adult.

Content:  Clean- no swearing or sexual situations.

- I received a copy of this book from the author.  A favorable was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.
4333022
I adore fairytales, especially those retold. It's always interesting to see the different takes on these classic stories. One of my favorites is Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block, which had a much darker side. And so I was pleasantly surprised by the darkness of these fairytales.  Often we think of Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Cinderella and others as victims. However, Lucy Pireel takes these characters and transforms them into the bad guys. Who can hate the Big Bad Wolf when Red is on her way to becoming a home wrecker? And what about Cinderella, who seeks out revenge on her father and sisters? Snow White is a drug dealer who seeks to return home, but is not welcome. And let's not forget about Rumpelstiltskin...and his wicked deals, but perhaps some people deserves the tricks he plays?
 These short stories are fast paced and easily read. Rosie, AKA Red, meets up with her friends to hear all about their great news. Jealous, she seeks out one of her friends boyfriends, and bribes him. She finds more than what she bargained for. Cinderella seeks freedom at any cost, but she doesn't realize what that price is. Snow White has broken her fathers heart in dealing "euphoria" and is banished from home, where she meets little men whom she lives with. These men she demands and bosses around. Rumpelstiltskin, well, he may not be that bad after all.
 If you enjoy fairy tales, especially those with a twist, I recommend this short collection of stories. It's fun, easy read, and it puts a spin on classic tales that we all love.
643815
Thank you to KidLitExchange and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.

I love fairytale retellings and books with sisterly love. Plus, these girls do the rescuing which is awesome, especially in a children's story. I had never read the original fairytale so I don't know what has been changed but it also gave me the opportunity to not know what to expect, which was fun.

I am very tempted to go right out and buy myself a finished copy so I can see what all the final artwork is.
3989033
I love fairy tales and remember reading them over and over when I was little, so naturally I would want to read a modern take on one of the classics and was pleasantly surprised. This was a great retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Loved it
2763257
This book was entertaining and a fun twist on the classic!
924301
This was a splendid retelling of Cinderella. The setting of having to work at the Blackmore Miller trying to save money to go to Paris to study design and having to deal with a greedy step-mother and step- sister. The good guy okay is not a prince but a duke will do I think and she has a wonderful friend in Lorna. A must read for anyone seeking a fresh and enjoyable story. Oh, let me not forget there is a bit of steam to this story too. Take a chance on it is a fun twist on the classic fairytale. I did download this book free but not from the author. I do have her Quest of Honor that I will be a reviewing shortly. After reading this story I wanted to be part of her arc group.
1102778
My daughter and I really enjoyed this book.  It takes the classic story of cinderella and gives a humorously plausible alternative.  The art is well drawn and colored.  At the end there is a nice little section with a glossary for concepts used in the narrative as well as discussion topics.  Highly recommend this especially for girls who are fans of Cinderella.  We will certainly be reading the other books in the series soon!
4642350
My son (9) and I finished this book tonight and we're both excited to read the next one in the series. This is a fun fairytale. I look forward to reading it to my daughter when she's a bit older. My son enjoys classic fairytales and myths, so he had no trouble getting caught up in the story. We also enjoyed the allusions to the classics. Nice illustrations at the beginning of each chapter give a hint of what is to come, but don't give away the good parts. Truly enjoyable.
1760222
An interesting twist on the classic Beauty and Beast tale.  The characters are well developed and endearing, and the story pulled me in pretty quickly. Grace Draven has not disappointed in this re-telling of the classic.
3412116
I love the classic fairy tale retelling genre, and this was a great, fun story with lots of action and a fierce, powerful hero. The world-building is fantastic with a new, exciting take on dragons. I loved the way that the magic was used and how Lorelai was taught to use it. The characters are very good, though a little cliche. Lorelai was definitely a Mary Sue, but I still loved her determination, courage, and selflessness. Kol is also a good character who carries a heavy burden, and who also couldn't catch a break in any situation. That said, my favourite character was Leo, Lorelai's brother. The action was thrilling and extremely creative and carried a fair amount of surprises. It's very different from the well known Disney story and while it wasn't perfect, I definitely loved it and am very excited to see where this series could go next.
4184301
When I put Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl on my "to-read" list, I thought it was just a retelling of a classic fairy tale. It surprised me, though -- The Goose Girl is actually the first in the Books of Bayern series, a timeless story that is as much fantasy as it is a period tale.

The Goose Girl is an adaptation of the Grimm story by the same name. The crown princess of a peaceful kingdom is bartered into an arranged marriage as part of a political treaty with a neighboring land. Princess Ani is not your typical princess -- she's more interested in spending time by the swan pond or in the stables than on social calls with other court ladies. She can talk to the swans, and hear the thoughts of her stallion, Falada. She can even communicate with the wind. But those gifts aren't enough to save her from mutinous guards and a false lady-in-waiting intent at stealing her crown. Soon she's lost in a strange land, working as a Goose Girl, and hiding from her former countrymen that she hopes think she is dead.

This is a great story -- fantasy meets love story, meets medieval adventure, meets tried-and-true classic fairy tale. Ani (or Isi, or the Goose Girl, or the Yellow Girl -- she wears lots of hats in the course of the book) is a great heroine, and I can't wait to pick up the thread of her adventures in the next Book of Bayern, Enna Burning.
4006558
I liked how the author combined classic characters from everyday fairy-tales and gave it her own spin. She also did a great job of putting in just enough magic to make you want more but never did it bog down the story so much that explanations were necessary every time magic was used. Its a simple but enjoyable story that I could read over and over. The only reason I'd want this to become a series is to keep reading about this world and see what other creative spins the author can make out of the classic fairy tales.