Nothing extremely ground breaking or earth shattering but sweet and great if you want a fairy tale fix ...
580139
Jack and the bean stock and a bit of Robin Hood thrown in. It was a quick entertaining read. Nothing extremely ground breaking or earth shattering but sweet and great if you want a fairy tale fix with one of the lesser done stories.
3213187
A sweet predictable fairy tale romance. Worth watching if your into chick flicks.
3924085
A fun but not exactly fluffy YA Contemporary Re-telling.

BOOK DETAILS:
Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram, read by Kirsten Leigh, published 2015 / Length: 10 hrs 10 min

SERIES INFO: This book is standalone, but Brian Oliver was mentioned in A is for Abstinence.

SUMMARY:
I have a confession, I have never wanted to marry a prince or an entertainment star (I don't even like my family to take my picture, and I'm too lazy to look good most days). I don't seek out Hollywood or rock star romances. But I do have a weakness for fairy tale retellings.

What draws me to this book is not Ella getting a Hollywood prince, but Ella reconnecting with her best friend - the guy who will always be there for her, no matter what.

CHARACTERS:
Ella(mara) Rodriguez: A beautiful but nerdy book blogger, what's not to like? She is passionate and incredibly strong. Although she has given in to despair in the past, totally understandably, she is still fighting for what she wants & needs.

Brian Oliver (aka Cinder): I'm not actually a fan of bad boy characters, and I have a real problem with a particular throw away statement Brian made that seems to blame his behavior on the inadequacies of all the other women he's been with. That said however, he does totally own and acknowledge the inappropriateness of his past actions. I believe that he really has overcome his past.

Ella & Cinder: Unlike many movie star romance couples, these two have been really good friends since before he hit the big time. They shared so many of the same interests, and their personalities were a really good match. One of the things I loved was how, when Ella became distressed, he Immediately drops the heartthrob persona and became a tender & caring best friend and true love. Even her other friends recognize how he feels about her.

  "Cinder? Thats the guy whos not your boyfriend, but texts you like a twelve-year-old girl experiencing her first crush?

Vivian & Scotty are my favorites among the supporting cast. Scotty is Brian's long suffering assistant and steals every scene he's in.

PLOT:
The beginning sets the tone perfectly.

  The problem with fairy tales is that most of them begin with tragedy. I understand the reasoning behind it. No one likes a pampered heroine. A great character needs trials to overcomeexperiences to give them depth, to make them vulnerable, relatable, and likable. Good characters need hardships to make them strong. The idea makes sense, but it still sucks if you're the heroine.

I am not a fan of books about bullying, so I struggled with those parts. But I love it when Ella finally lets loose at the guy who accidentally injured her.

This is a standalone book with a perfect fairy tale ending.

HIGHLIGHTS / CAUTIONS:

--Brians response to Vivian answering Ellas phone and introducing herself as Ellas best friend.
--Brian's understanding that, in a way, one of the things Ella lost was herself & her own body.
--Scotty going the 2nd mile (or 2nd hundred) in support of Ella.

I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: Lots of swearing (but no F-words). / Quite a bit of sex-talk (but nothing explicit)

OTHER CAUTIONS(?): Ella's father left her mother for another woman, abandoning her in the process. / There is info about a couple who became pregnant before they were married. / One of the characters has 2 Dads, who appear in a couple of scenes (and wicked step sister Anastasia is nasty about it).

NARRATION:
Character voices differentiated = Yes, though sometimes not very strongly / Opposite sex voices acceptable = Yes / Accents = Ella's Boston accent is mostly very subtle except where directly mentioned in the book. I don't know what a Chilean accent sounds like, but this version didn't bother me  / Phrasing, Pacing & Pronunciation = Good / Emoting = Good, I think she did an especially good job on the many moods and layers of Brian. She also did a truly horrible Kaylee (that's a compliment). / Speed = listened on 1.25, my usual, but it was a bit fast.
4388543
This was an interesting fairy tale retelling that was okay. I was expecting a lot from this retelling. I think the idea was good, but the execution was not particularly overwhelming. I kind of felt like there was nothing happy for Aurora in the situation she was stuck in.

We all know that according to the fairy tale that Aurora falls in love and lives happily ever after, well that is hardly the case. I thought that this started off okay and that she is being flustered by all the events which is understandable, but this quickly turns into something that she is not really prepared for.

The world that Aurora had known is gone and is now replaced by a new regime and a new order. She is a princess, but doesnt really feel anything for the Prince, Rodric that awakened her. Aurora from the very start feels like an outsider even though she is royalty, but her very world has been taken by time. Plus magic seems to be fading or so we are led to believe. Now I normally love stories with magic, but it seems to be a very small part of the story until much later. I like stories that have magic woven through out the whole book.

I felt like at times the royalty and others in the book are using Aurora for their own purposes and its frustrating at times. I literally wanted to scream at Aurora. She is like one of those young woman who does what people want of her and what is expected. As time goes on, she starts to assert herself a little bit, but then gets pushed back down. Or someone betrays her or frames her in a way that she never expects. I also felt that the Princes mother is such a bitch to Aurora. The Queen is a real pain to deal with.

The other thing that pissed me off about this book was how the ends seemed to be all neatly tied together or some act of providence helped Aurora. I felt like that it was an easy solution, and not believable. Plus the witch that had cursed Aurora just shows up and helps her. I mean Im supposed to believe this turn of events. It really was not for me.

Normally I like these kinds of books. I felt that it was just okay. That it lacked something passionate in me. I also wish that Aurora had been more assertive. Sometimes when things are a little too convenient at times.

Rating: 3.5 Hearts
3636312
I enjoy Cinderella stories and don't really mind if reality is suspended in the process.  This one is somewhat believable, but I would have liked a little more depth or insight into the character's true motives, especially the prince's.  It all gets explained well enough and overall I really liked the book and read the whole thing very quickly.  I appreciated that there was no objectionable language or gratuitous sex, but I did have to deduct one star for the overuse of the word "frak".  I understood some of the reasoning behind the use of the slang, but it really detracted from the fairy-tale quality of the story and it bothered me every time it showed up.  I am anxious to read the other books in the series, but I find myself hoping the word "frak" doesn't show up.
1854279
I like the idea of novellas: something to sweep me away in an hour or so, but since they are so short, it's tough to find ones that actually tell a decent story.  The Princess Problem was a fun read, and the romance didn't feel rushed.  The fairy tale commercial shoot provided a nice backdrop, and I enjoyed the characters' banter.  There were a couple minor typos in the Kindle edition, but they did not detract from the story.  Will be keeping this one in my Kindle library!
3225245
The 10th Kingdom is the story of a girl from New York City who gets lost in a world where the fairy tales are real, dragged there by a golden retriever, who is actually a prince, who needs help reclaiming his kingdom (and his human body). Along the way, our heroine collides with all sorts of folklore tropes, and has to synthesize into herself the virtues of some of the most famous fairy tale heroines of all time. Okay, admittedly, the whole thing is pretty silly, and it's a very easy read, but I love it anyway. There are a few additions that weren't in the miniseries, but it follows almost exactly apart from those. The interplay of the fairy tales is very clever. Recommended if you liked the miniseries, or if you like revisited versions of the stories from your childhood.
2312744
Outside of the typos and grammatical errors that I'm beginning to find are going to be common (if not rampant) with e-publishing, the story has good bones. It is a sweet beauty and the beast retelling. I found myself a little annoyed by the side romance but not enough to stop reading those parts, which I do if the side story seems unimportant to the plot. It could go either way but I went ahead and was no worse for it. A good editor would make this a 5 star novel.
458084
This book is a sweet and easy romance. The story however, lacks any real conflict or issues that the characters need to overcome.  Sometimes it's nice to read a book that's all happiness and smiles, but I happen to like when the characters need to face a challenge or two.
310098
Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul is a quick-read Christmas novella, easy to finish in an evening or a lazy afternoon. I didn't hate the story, but I didn't exactly love it either. This book had several elements that I enjoy: a sweet Christmas story, a plot to bring together two lonely hearts into a romantic connection, a fantasy that couldn't quite happen in real life, and my favorite of all - a clear Christian message. But somehow this didn't all jell - kind of like trying to put together several foods I like into one dish, when they really don't taste so great together. The attempts to pull the Christian message and the fantasy together just didn't work too well for me and seemed pretty forced or awkward at times.

All that being said, though, there were things I enjoyed. One of my favorite things about the story was Sandy. Probably because she was a special-needs young lady, she seemed to have the innocence of a child and wisdom of one far beyond her years that added some real strength to the story. Sandy's character did more to tie the pieces together than anything else in the book.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
4295508
I liked Someone Else's Fairytale - I would rate that one a four stars because I really liked that it wasn't insta-lust on Chloe's part. Usually, even when the heroine is a bit aloof in the beginning because "she has a brain/self-respect", she still secretly lusts after the dude in question. It was very refreshing that wasn't the case with Chloe. I also really enjoyed her sarcasm and the funny banter in the book. SEF *could* standalone, which I commend Tippetts for. With the epilogue-y ending, it was possible to just stop there and I really regret that I didn't.

Yeah, it was necessary to say why I liked SEF to explain why I didn't like ND as much. ND is much grittier and dark because suddenly Chloe is actually working for realsies as a crim. That was a bit of a jump from the original book's tone to begin with. Throw in the "are you or aren't you having a rocky marriage" angst and it was a bit over the top for me. See, I was expecting Chloe to be her usual sane, collected, not-crazy self, but instead in this book she gets crazy jealous, doesn't talk to her husband or at least doesn't manage to communicate with him (not sure which is worse, tbh), and it really did make me agree with the reader who said that she didn't understand how their marriage *wasn't* rocky.
I agree with that reader who said that a lot of what they are fighting about should definitely be something that should have been dealt with earlier on in their marriage. It really didn't do the series or the readers any favors that so much time was just glossed over. And considering that it never really was made super clear why Jason fell in love with Chloe when they really seemed to be very different people, this book felt a lot weaker as a result of all the marital angst. At the end of book one, it was okay, because even though we hadn't been shown them really talking to each other, really clicking, really getting into each other's life, I could buy the whole "intense emotional rollercoaster woo" thing and suspend disbelief. However, book two just made me feel like they didn't really truly know each other or really work for each other as spouses. Again, agreeing with the reader who said that Vicki did seem to be a better fit for him. Also much less sarcasm and funny banter in this book; in fact I don't remember anything that stood out as funny.
I honestly wished that I'd stopped with book one and didn't move on with two because I feel like it spoiled the fun buzz I had going on from book one.
Also, yeah, I didn't read any of the script part because I wasn't interested because I really wanted to see what was going on with Jas and Chloe. I also thought the excessive detail to crim procedures was ...well, excessive. I never really understood that sort of complaint when someone else complained about Nora Roberts' books having way too much detail about the heroine's jobs or home reno, but I do now. The issue lies in the fact that it didn't seem like there was enough plot or character development or relationship expansion in the story and all the crim stuff was taking up valuable time and book real estate.

Did I buy this book? Yeah. For $0.99 and I almost kind of regret it.
Will I buy the next book in this series? To be honest, I would read it for free or buy it for $0.99 because I kind of want to see if Jas and Chloe's relationship actually ever starts to make sense, but not for anything more than that.
Would I rec this book to a friend? Maybe. I mean, depends on your cuppa tea. I wouldn't go "DON'T BUY IT", but it's really hard to think of someone who the combination of high school-esque immature relationship stuff and gritty crime stuff would work for. Obviously there are people who this works for, note all the five stars, but no one I know personally.
Would I re-read? Nah. I don't think there's enough there in terms of what I like, ie plot/relationship/character dev for me to want to reread. If anything, I'd reread to learn more about crim procedure, but that's it.
2976463
Romantic and sweet with a pinch of tragic.  There are few surprises in the plot, but if you're in the mood for a story that goes right where you hope, you're in luck with this film.  I enjoyed it.
1724581
This was a nice, sweet story. It's a modern day retelling of Cinderella, but in my opinion it's best considered as it's own separate story. It was an enjoyable story and there's a good amount of character growth as well as some romance.
876019
The Hatmakers Heart is a pretty fast read. Despite some slightly clunky writing (Nells realization about her boss during the climactic scene is a bit overstated) the prose flows pretty well. It was especially refreshing to read a book that focuses on a woman overcoming 1930s sexism and personal fears to find her place in the world. The story is simple, but its sweet. Pick it up if you're a sucker for Hallmark films, minus the overwrought romance  Stewart does a good job of adding romance while making sure that it doesnt take away from Nells main story. In fact, even without a love interest, The Hatmakers Heart would still make perfect sense (a definite plus in my book).
3676620
This was my first read by the author, Rachel Hauck, but I did find it an enjoyable read. This book is a Christian Romance novel, that happened to be one of the Amazon Kindle Daily Deals. Right away I loved the cover, I thought it looked romantic, modern day fairy tale-esque. When I read the summary, it definitely appealed to me, as it was essentially a modern day fairy tale reminiscent of Cinderella. I think fans of Rachel H other works, of overt Christian Romances, and of Contemporary Fairy Tale type reads will enjoy this one.
Highlights
The story was a light, fun, whimsical read - it definitely delivered in the modern day fairy tale department and of course in the happy ending. The story was well-written and engaging, although at times it could get a bit detail heavy. I found the characters to overall be realistic, flawed and relatable. I found it refreshing to find a heroine who was both strong and weak at the same time. It was nice to see a character who didn't have it all figured out, and one who had to struggle when the "plan" didn't work out. I think there are many out there who can relate to Susanna's journey: coming from a less than solid or predictable childhood and how that effects our conscious/unconscious choices and needs as an adult. Not everyone has dealt with these issues, and they can be difficult to face even as an adult.
The story itself flowed nicely and was a nice, clean, sweet romance. I enjoyed the fairy tale elements, and the modern setting. I also really loved the detail the author used in carefully crafting the kingdom of Brighton - nice touches of different European influences to create the country/culture. The story reminded me a bit of the movie The Prince and Me, which I've always enjoyed, and definitely held elements of a retelling of Cinderella as well.
Wishes
There were a few things I might have wished for this novel. One would have to be Susanna and Adam's relationship, for a couple who had been together so long - I would have preferred a little bit more of something. Of fight, or back-and-forth, not such easy acceptance I suppose since they were supposed to have been in love and together for so long. I just would have preferred the presence of more emotion around the whole issue.
Aurora was an interesting piece to the novel, I liked her and I didn't. As a "fairy godmother" type figure, it worked, but I also found so of her seemingly incoherent, "prophetic"-type moments off-putting. Overall, I probably would have found the story just as enjoyable without her presence as with. In this same vein, while I enjoyed the story overall and I do not mind Christian novels, at times it could be a bit overt and/or "preachy" which I know can be off-putting. So for those who prefer the more subtle Christian integration, might not enjoy that aspect as much.
Overall, I found the story to be a light, easy and satisfying read. I finished quickly and look forward to reading the next book in the series and finding out what becomes of Brighton.

Recommendations:
For more Christian Romance try
The Princess by Lori Wick
The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick
The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

For more Contemporary, Fairy-Tale-esque Romance try
The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne

Rating:
 3 out of 5 Doxies - Really enjoyed it, go give it a read now!
3351521
Cute stories with a fun, realistic pov. The integration of bible verses into the fairytale was surprising but cool. Best ones were the Snow White and Cinderella ones.
1795820
**Originally written for Book Bliss book blog. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review**
Review: 3 stars
General: Overall I loved the idea behind this. There is so much popularity and hype behind fairy tales and I think there always will be. I think Cameron Jace did an amazing thing by doing what was done with Wicked, and switching perspectives and changing up everything we thought we knew. I really enjoyed reading all the different stories, I thought they were creative and for the most part, entertaining. I will break them down by story in a moment.

What did I have some issue with? I wasn't thrilled with the actual "diary" format. It forced a separation between me and what I was reading. I know the diary setup in teen novels is popular but for me it just didn't work. Also, I loved the prequel but at the same time I found it a little confusing, the history a bit rapid fire and had to read it a few times to make sure I had everything proper as much of is was alluded to throughout the short stories as with being confused a few times in the stories themselves. The other element that truly lowered this review was the grammar and spelling. Throughout words were missing and spelling issues ran throughout, something that is a huge pet peeve of mine.

Snow White Blood Red- I think this was a good choice for a start. It set the tone for the theme throughout the stories. I think there were some distinct character issues with this being a women of regal background, evil or not. I think of all of them this was the most easy to follow in terms of good versus evil but not the best executed based on the narration choices. (Snow White)

Ashes to Ashes, Cinder to Cinder- I liked this one alot due to the narrator being one of the chroniclers. I think it's the first time I've heard an evil take on Cinderella and I thought it was creative and an interesting take on a story that is normally the brightest of all the fairy tales even from a Disney persepctive. (Cinderella)

Beauty Never Dies- This one threw me. I was confused by the title and think that overall it didn't properly illustrate the theme and the story that it was chronicling.  Also, I looked around and could not find anything that linked the original fairy tale to Grimm as it appeared to be written by someone else but that is just a side note. I loved the twists in this one and personally would have given this 5 stars had I read this by itself. (Peter Pan/Sleeping Beauty)
Ladle Rat Rotten Hunt- This one was both strong and weak at the same time. As the one prior it was slowly starting to build on the ones that came before it. That means I also recommend reading them in order in this instance. However this was where I began to realize the narrators were all identical. I felt as though I was rereading the 3 females that had come before and it started to pull me out. (Red)

Mary Mary Quite Contrary- This one had the best concept, but the hardest to follow execution. Finally a truly separate narrator. But I had to read it twice before I followed and then the originality of it slipped away as it was a classic tale once I realized what had occurred. Overall it was great but extremely confusing.

Blood Apples- I loved that this one mixed things up a bit. I think like Beauty Never Dies it was one that carried the set for me. As with the female characters the Prince and Peter were too similar for me given their distinct differences by nature but I still enjoyed reading how everything meshed together.