Miss Burton unmasked a Prince
592867
Kept you guessing.  Miss Burton was such a joy and so fun to see how she stood up for what she believed to be true and never let anyone tell her she  shouldn't be that way.
657263
At the beginning of this tale we find the now famous Brothers Grimm summoned to the estate of the Grande Dame (Jeanne Moreau). It seems her great great grandmother is one Danielle Du Barbarac whose portrait hangs in the Dames parlour and is the true Cinderella of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale. The Dame wishes to set the story straight, but before doing so she shows the Grimm Brothers a very ornate slipper that appears to be made of glass! Thus the Dames telling of Danielles story begins. The story from here follows the traditional storyline of wicked stepmother, a Baroness, played so well by Angelica Huston and with at least one bad stepsister while the other by the end reforms.  There is much more interaction between Danielle and her Prince (Dougray Scott) long before the Ball, she masquerading using her mothers name, the Comtesse Nicole de Lancret, in order to save a wrongly accused servant. As they continue to periodically meet or run into each other, Prince Henry is amazed, marvels, and is even schooled by Danielle which opens his eyes and his heart. Although she is nobility, due to her station as servant under her stepmother and because she feels for the common people Daniele never considers herself noble. Megan Dodds gives a great performance as the reformed step sister Marguerite who due to her love of food sometimes faces the distain of the Baroness, her mother. The story even interweaves an older Leonardo Da Vinci, who eventually paints Danielles portrait as a belated wedding present. This grand retelling of Cinderella makes it a real story involving real people rather than a mere fairy tale from a book.
86759
Emily Balfour is the youngest of Oscar Balfour's daughters. She is a ballerina. She leaves her home after her mother dies because she can not come to terms with her father's infidelity. She met the Notorious Prince very briefly, the evening of the annual ball at her father's home. One year later while he waging a PR battle to clean up his image, he finds her helping in a run down youth center. The Prince convinces Emily to return to his country with him so that she can teach his orphaned niece ballet. An improbable story but India Grey is a wonderful writer and makes this Cinderella-ish story work. She is able to keep the over the top scenes from being ridiculous. The Balfour Brides series is fun.
2395143
This was a cute, modern-day fairytale that was entertaining. Think Pretty Woman meets the story of Prince Will and Kate. The bad boy remided me of the Prince Harry we see in the news.
2630273
I've read and loved other books by Frances Hodgson Burnett, but The Lost Prince is by far the best. The story is exciting and mysterious and I don't understand why I had never heard of it before. This is a great story and a "must read" for lovers of Edwardian era adventure stories.
2953061
The children love this book.  It has a new twist on Cinderella but she still gets Prince Charming in the end.  Great book to share with boys and girls!
1469379
A Kiss for Lady Mary contains a stalker gold-digging cousin, sneaky matchmaking old ladies and two stubborn headstrong young people. Ella Quinn wrote a story that is a mixture of romance, adventure and secrets. Central characters Mary and Kit have always had hidden feelings for one another. The matchmakers(Marys grandmother, Kits mother and friend) concoct a scheme that will kill two birds with one stone. Protect Mary from her unscrupulous cousin and bring Kit and Mary one step closer to admitting their feelings. The story starts off a little slow but it is an enchanting read and quite funny in some areas. I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
2944083
I loved this story! It really shows the true Cinderella and the author really shows her imagination! I am 10, so I would recommend this book to readers in  4th to 6th grade
4685993
After Gabe defies his family and gallops off in searhc of his brother's betrothed, he is faced with the challenge of escaping with Sophie from the evil Duchess's domain.  However, neither of them counted on falling for each other in the escape for freedom.

I have loved fairy tales since childhood and adore all of Melanie Dickerson's princess story retellings. The Fairest Beauty, based on the Sleeping Beauty, is no exception. Melanie incorporates faith, love, and adventure into an inspiring and spellbinding tale.

While the plot was somewhat predictable, I was surprised at the climax and enjoyed watching Gabe mature into a responsible young man. His character development was believable and I was happy for him in the end. However, I have to admit I did pity his brother, Valten.

My one complaint with The Fairest Beauty is I felt the romance between Sophie and Gabe happened too fast and as a result did not feel as believable as the romance in Melanie Dickerson's previous books. Overall, while not my favorite of Dickerson's novels, I greatly enjoyed The Fairest Beauty and am looking forward to Melanie Dickerson's next release!

Rating: 4/5

Ages: 14+

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
Zondervan
ISBN: 0310724392

*Many thanks to Melanie Dickerson and Zondervan for the review copy. I was not required to write a positive review.*
3947349
Unmasked is the story of Mel, a young girl with special paranormal abilities, who is in training to be a Mask. The community of Masks are skilled mediators, called upon to negotiate disputes, and they are as revered as they are feared. Trained to be neutral, objective and emotionless, they lead a rather solitary life. Mel is sent to Cillary Keep to study human nature, and to see where she fits in society. A chance encounter with a hunter named Ott changes her destiny forever.
It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I got to Chapter 5 I was drawn into the world and quickly became engrossed.
This book is beautifully written and EM Kaplan has a magical way with words.
I'd highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy/paranormal romance.
2639563
A mediocre fairy tale turned into a wonderful piece of art! This film portrayed Cinderella (Drew Barrymore) in such a way that you cannot help but fall in love with the story.
You get to meet the prince, Cinderella's best friend, The "Fairy Godmother" (Leonardo DaVinci - which was charming beyond belief) and her step-sisters. They are all cast in quite a different light and it draws you right in.  The costuming and acting were quite superb. The movie keeps you rooting 'Cindersoot' on.
Do yourself a favor and get this movie!
872171
Credit to Drew Barrymore for her performance in a Cinderella role. This one is a gem of a story, beautifully told. The inclusion of Leonardo da Vinci as a quirky senior inventor and friend adds a light-hearted note to the film.
2427327
Bella and the Beast; A Cinderella Sisterhood Novel.
It is the story of Bella and Miles.
The most precious treasure of well known fables is love: sometimes fairy tales can come true. Even a confirmed bachelor can meet his perfect match.
Bella Jones has been raised overseas by her explorer father. She is entertained by the customary etiquette of nobility, but she can feel like a fish out of water when she returns to cultured England. In order the save her younger siblings from financial disaster, she must gain access to a ducal household to find the map to an ancient collection. Unless she can ply the proud, handsome duke from his fits of bad moods, it will be a worthless attempt.
The Duke of Aylwin, Miles Grayson, prefers antiquities above all else. He especially doesn't like meddling females with all their irritating questions.
Miles is charmed by Bella's blue eyes and smile. She is unusually enchanting, and he has trouble resisting the temptation to kiss her.  The pair are suddenly involved in a mystery going back to their childhoods. Miles realizes that Bella the key to his heart, the most valuable discovery.
This was a romantic story with passion, stirrings, and mystery. I enjoyed it and will look forward to reading other books in this series.
2761959
This is another classic fairy tale given the Disney treatment.  The story is rather familiar.  When the Princess Aurora is born, she is presented to her kingdom.  Yet the celebration is short lived when the evil enchantress Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) shows up uninvited.  As retaliation, she curses the baby to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die by the evening of her sixteenth birthday.

Fortunately, the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, are there to soften the curse.  Aurora won't die, just fall into an enchanted sleep so only love's first kiss can wake her.  They even plot to hide and raise Aurora as their own to keep the curse from coming true.  Will that plan succeed?  Is there any way to defeat Maleficent?

This movie is often praised for it's look, and rightly so.  Based on artwork from the Middle Ages, it provides a stylized look.  The amount of detail in the backgrounds alone is amazing.  The characters fit this stylized world while still looking real.  Additionally, the background music is majestic.  It is adapted from bits and pieces of Tchaikovsky's ballet based on the fairy tale, and it fits the look of the film perfectly.

And as much as it looks and sounds great, this isn't my favorite of the Disney princess movies.  There is only one song from the movie that is at all memorable.  "Once Upon a Dream" is great.  The others are choral pieces that slow things down.  Speaking of slowing things down, the prologue, while needed to set up the story, is very slow.  Once we get to Aurora's sixteenth birthday, things pick up.  But even then, the princess comes across as a boring character.  The thing that saves this film story wise are the fairies.  The three good fairies are wonderfully funny.  And Maleficent is an exciting evil villain.  In fact, she might scare young kids.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good movie.  But when compared to Disney's other fairy tales, it is a little weak.
4115549
I was somewhat hesitant about the reviews I read. But after watching this, I can say that it is a really nice movie. I missed the prince charming. Regardless of what some think is unnecessary, that is what fairy tales are, so I missed it. That said, I loved that she was her own person and she made the right decisions to get out of a bind. This is what I want my daughter to do, be her own person, making her own decision and then finding the perfect prince charming, because he will be an awesome guy that respects her. Loved it.
2050579
I am thrilled with this Precious Moments Cinderella!!! I loved the picture, but I was even happier when I received it. The details are outstanding. She is holding the prince and he looks just like the prince. Jaq and Gus look like they jumped out of the movie. My favorite part is the glass slipper. I got this for my sister and I see it becoming an heirloom passed down to her daughter.
854287
I absolutely adored this book. It took what we all know about fairy tales and tweaked it into something I didn't expect. The narrator of the story is funny and occasionally "talks" to the reader. The princes are not what you would expect, but they all have their own strengths and weakness and they learn to work together. The princesses will also surprise you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fair tales and especially to readers in grades 3-8. (I got my copy from our public library)