REVIEW: THE CRYSTAL SLIPPER ~ SELENA FULTON

Sometimes you just have to believe...

 

A single crystal slipper. It was probably the weirdest gift librarian Celinda Branham ever received during a Christmas gift exchange. Who would even wear these in the real world? Not Celinda, wearer of sensible shoes and fairy tale naysayer. That said, she certainly has the requisite wicked stepmother, irritating stepsister, and empty bank account. Of course, if she actually believed in all that fantastical junk, she could wait for her Prince Charming...

 

Only Prince Charming doesn't exist.

 

But Preston Chandler believes in fairy tales. Oh, does he ever. All he did was spurn the advances of a certain witch, and now his sister is under a sleeping spell. And the only way to break it? Find the other glass slipper and give someone "Love's First Kiss." But when Preston finally tracks down Celinda, he's dismayed to discover that the shy librarian who owns the other shoe has no interest in anything remotely resembling magic - including love. Now he must find a way into his Cinderella's cynical heart, or lose his sister... and his only chance for true love.

Entangled Publishing has graciously supplied me with a complimentary copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

The Crystal Slipper by Selena Fulton is a contemporary take on two classic fairy tales (Cinderella with a dash of Sleeping Beauty).  Preston spurns the affections of a woman who turns out to be a novice witch.  In a moment of fury she punishes him by targeting the one woman she knows he loves: his sister.  Preston's sister is under a sleeping spell, looking for all the world as if she is in a coma. Preston knows better: his only chance at saving his sister is breaking the spell by reuniting two crystal slippers. Preston tracks down the second slipper in America, in the possession of a painfully shy librarian. However, reuniting the slippers is only the beginning; only love's first kiss can break the spell.  To break the spell Preston must not only convince Celinda to give him her heart, but he must finally humble himself and fall in love as well.  The problem is, Celinda doesn't believe in magic, fairy tales or love...

I mostly enjoyed this refreshing take on a classic. Fulton totally revamped the storyline which meant it was not a predictable read at all.  I really liked Celinda, I found her to be a very complex yet relatable character.  I enjoyed seeing her coming into her own, conquering her demons and finally allowing her true self to shine.  The problem is I can't say the same about Preston.  While Fulton tried her best to make him a sympathetic character, I never warmed up to him quite as you should warm up to the hero.  I resented his attempts to make Celinda fall for him when he had no intention of catching her.  Throughout the book he used her to further his own agenda, despite seeing how truly sweet and vulnerable she is.  *Spoiler alert*  I mean, she even gives him her virginity (though the book remains faithful to the fairy tale genre by not containing a sex scene), and the first thing he thinks is he hopes she doesn't want anything long term.  The morning after he's so cold and distant, even I wanted to slap him.  He's by no means the worst hero I've ever come across, but I would have appreciated a few more pros other than he is rich and handsome.  I suppose he is a decent guy trying to save his sister's life, but he could have handled the Celinda-situation much, much better.

Another issue I have with the book is that throughout the story the threat of a hostile takeover looms over Preston as he is neglecting the family business in his quest to save his sister.  This issue is never settled in a tangible manner and the reader is left to assume that it sorted itself out and everything worked out perfectly.  I would have preferred a clear resolution, perhaps even a dramatic scene or two. Furthermore we have a manipulative witch who never has to answer for her crimes, an evil stepmother and a paedophilic stepfather who are introduced purely to frustrate the reader, and receive no real comeuppance.  Authors should never introduce situations that need to be resolved if they have no intention of actually resolving them.

Having said that, overall The Crystal Slipper is a very charming, sweet, enjoyable read.

Product Information:

Title: The Crystal Slipper

Author: Selena Fulton

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Year: 2014

Pages: 222

ASIN: B00N6LOHK4

REVIEW: SINNER'S CREED ~ SCOTT STAPP

Growing up in the 80’s and 90's with two older brothers, it was impossible not to develop an appreciation for rock ‘n roll.  While I have dipped my toe in the pools of other genres from time to time, thankfully rock has always been my favourite.  I’ve always loved rock music.  I’ve always loved Jesus.  I’d never imagined the two could merge until one day back in 1999 when my brother Christian brought home the CD Human Clay, by a band called Creed.  He walked into my room, said “Listen to this”, and played me the song Higher.  The opening riff had my hooked already and by the time the drums kicked in I had a huge smile on my face.  I was in love with the song before Scott Stapp even started singing.  Then came the lyrics.  I looked at my brother and said “It sounds like he’s singing about Heaven”.  Chris replied “He is singing about Heaven”, and a whole new world was opened to me.  I had never heard music about God in the Rock genre before.  (I’m not saying it didn’t exist, I had just personally never heard it before).  At the age of 14, Creed introduced me to the new medium combining two great loves of my life, and changed the way I looked at music.  For that I will always be thankful, and for this reason Creed will always hold a special place in my heart.  To this day Higher is one of my all-time favourite songs. 

Never could I have imagined that behind the man responsible for some of my favourite song lyrics ever, was a world of hurt.  In Sinner’s Creed, Scott Stapp shares the story of his life.  A story filled with rejection, depression, betrayal and addiction – but also a story about the grace of God, the gift of redemption and the joys of unconditional love.

Sin is forever knocking, beating at the iron door.
Don't even open for an instant, sin always wants more - Scott Stapp

Sinner’s Creed is a memoir you truly have to read for yourself, so I won’t say too much in the way of spoilers.  Scott starts his tale as a young boy with an absentee father, soon introduced to the man who would become his stepfather.  The injustices committed against Scott by a man who should have protected him and shaped him, caused me so much anger.  It’s unthinkable how one man’s warped perception of God can damage others, especially children!  Some of the things he said about God…

Scott had many bad experiences with so-called believers throughout his life.  He was even unjustly punished for confessing a mistake he had made and for telling the truth.  It’s truly terrifying how Christians can be responsible for sending other Christians running from the church.  Having finally found a church where I feel welcome and at home, I have come to realise anew how important fellowship with other believers truly are.  It’s a miracle that despite some of the things other believers have said and done, that Scott never gave up on loving God even though he ran away from the church.  The loving God his grandfather told him about is the One he held onto and it saved his life – a great piece of advice for parents!  The foundation you lay for your child CAN be strong enough to withstand the storms of life.

Scott furthermore shares stories of how he got screwed over (to my mind, at least) by everyone from his family, friends, his band members, his managers… it was quite disheartening at times to realise how much he had to go through and how unappreciated all his efforts were.  Yet Scott never points fingers at others; he simply tells his story and shares how all of that led to feelings of abandonment and betrayal, which led to even bigger problems.  Furthermore, Scott doesn’t pretend to be a blameless victim – he comes clean about his own mistakes and takes responsibility for his actions.  The reader gets an inside look at the pressures of being the frontman of a successful rock band, and the pitfalls of fame and fortune.

What saddened me most is that Creed was labelled uncool because of the Christian imagery in their music.  To me, this was the very thing that made them cool!  

While Sinner’s Creed is a dark read at times, as it always does the light overpowers the dark.  Ultimately it portrays how turning to God can save your life, and your spirit. 

Product Information:

Title: Sinner's Creed

Author: Scott Stapp (with David Ritz)

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Year: 2012

Pages: 336

ISBN-10: 1414364575

ISBN-13: 978-1414364575

ASIN: B007V69IHW 

REVIEW: HER PERFECT GAME ~ SHANNYN SCHROEDER

Charlie Castle is an expert archer and a fierce warrior - in her favorite video game, anyway. But college life was a program she couldn't quite master. To land a cybertech job without a degree, she's entering a "hackfest" over spring break, where she also hopes to meet the sweet gamer who's been flirting with her online. Instead, she runs into the man she had once thought was the love of her life; the man who walked away years ago, without saying goodbye.

Jonah Best has never gotten over Charlie, whose kisses were always as deliciously creative as her coding. But now that they're face to face again, he doesn't know how to admit that her online admirer is really him - or how to convince her that he's offering her a job for her incredible skills, not her sex appeal. Can Jonah cut through their communication glitches and persuade Charlie that the next level up for them should be forever?

Kensington Books has graciously provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Her perfect game is the second book in Shannyn Schroeder’s Hot & Nerdy series, and can be read as a standalone novel.

The story focuses on Jonah and Charlie, former lovers facing a second chance at happily ever after.  Their love story started years ago when Charlie’s college room-mate had committed suicide after an old boyfriend released very private materials of her over the internet.  Charlie became determined to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again and befriended Jonah, who taught her everything she needed to know about hacking.  Charlie became obsessive in her efforts to prowl cyberspace looking for transgressors.  Helplessly watching the girl he loved lose herself, Jonah could no longer stand by and watch Charlie engage in the self-destructive behaviour that had started to take over her life, and walked away from the girl he loved.  Now, years later, he realises the error of his ways and wants a second shot at love.  Charlie is her old self again, the girl he fell in love with, and she’s an even better hacker than he remembers. 

Jonah’s abandonment gave Charlie the wake-up call she needed to get her life back on track.  While she managed to get over her heartbreak, she never forgot the only man she truly loved.  When she unexpectedly meets up with Jonah at a hackfest, Charlie can’t deny the pull she feels towards him, but something is holding her back - Charlie has started to fall for her online friend, "Win".  Can she choose between the man she loved who had broken her heart and her trust, and the safe, reliable friend who had helped her heal her heart? 

I had a hard time really getting into this story for two reasons.  Firstly, I never felt connected to the characters; I never really got immersed in the story to the extent that I was heavily invested in the outcome.  While I respect Charlie as a hacker and gamer, I never came to like her.  I do appreciate, however, that Charlie is not your typical heroine.  She has attitude, she’s nerdy and unapologetic for it.  As for Jonah, I had a hard time dealing with his reason for leaving Charlie the way that he did.  He claims he loved her too much to watch her self-destruct.  For some reason this felt like an easy out to me.  Perhaps because the author didn’t really establish exactly what Charlie had done that was so terrible.  Personally I just didn’t get the impression that she was that far gone.  Either way, to my mind you don’t abandon someone you love when they lose their way – you help them find their way back.  The fact that Jonah left without first breaking up with her, without even saying goodbye? I had a hard time respecting him after that.  Sure he was remorseful and sweet, but I never came to believe Jonah was sincere in his reasoning. 

Secondly, the whole hacking aspect wasn’t really explained in a way that I could understand.  It just didn’t translate well.  I never knew if the characters were playing some kind of game and were using their skills to create cheats, or whether they were working in Matrix like code.  I had absolutely no idea what was going on, on the computer screens.  Having said that, I do appreciate the fact that the author wrote a book about a girl gamer/hacker, and that she was good enough to give the guys a run for their money.  I also enjoyed the convention setting.  The author took me to Comic-Con, if you will, and those scenes were quite enjoyable.  While I may not have bonded with the characters in the way that I wanted, I do think that the author did a good job of portraying the chemistry between Jonah and Charlie.  It was obvious they were still very much infatuated with each other despite their separation, and their connection was tangible.  However, I do feel that Charlie fell back into Jonah’s arms way too easily and way too quickly – he should have had to work for it just a little given the way he had abandoned her.

Product Information:

Title: Her perfect game

Author: Shannyn Schroeder

Publisher: Kensington Books

Year: 2014

Pages: 112

ASIN: B00KM906W2

ISBN-10:1601833342

ISBN-13: 9781601833341

REVIEW: RULES OF PROTECTION ~ ALISON BLISS

Entangled Publishing has graciously provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

A birthday celebration turns deadly when Emily Foster stumbles upon a mob hit.  Being the first witness who managed to stay alive, Emily is suddenly invaluable to the FBI.  She finds herself in the care of none other than Special Agent Jake Ward, the hot guy she was shamelessly flirting with at the club before the murder happened.  Furious at Jake when she realises he had only used flirting with her as a cover, Emily is hardly a cooperative witness, but when bullets start flying as she attempts to leave the police station she can no longer deny that her life is in danger.  Swooped into witness protection before she can bat an eye, Emily is given a new name and is headed for a new life in a new town.  Within mere hours Emily’s safe house is compromised and Jake realises the mob has inside help.  For reasons of his own Jake can’t afford to let anything happen to Emily - She is the key to finally putting away the man who had his parents murdered.  Knowing someone in the FBI is feeding the mob information, Jake goes rogue and whisks Emily away to The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Texas.  Suddenly the city girl finds herself on a farm with Jake’s aunt and uncle, and Emily can’t decide what her biggest challenge will be; country living or Jake Ward?

Rules of Protection, the debut novel of Alison Bliss and the first book in the Tangled in Texas series is a fun, fast read featuring a cast of colourful characters.  I really like Emily.  She’s a pretty tough city girl (foster care will do that to you), but has an undeniably vulnerability to her.  She has absolutely no filter and whatever she’s thinking comes out of her mouth, getting her in trouble with Jake quite often.  I love, love, love her attitude.  Her words and actions amused me to no end and I was definitely invested in her story.  I was a little annoyed at first by her aggressive promiscuity (I hadn’t seen anyone try so hard to get a guy in bed since Bella Swan), but it later became apparent that it’s all part of a defence mechanism and Emily is by no means a slut.  

Jake is a very rigid man, extremely stubborn and I found him to be awfully hard on Emily.  Even so he was easy to like.  It’s clear that keeping Emily safe is his number one priority, and she's not making it easy for him.  He’s out of his depth with Emily and doesn’t quite know how to handle her.  Being used to ladylike Southern belles, Jake definitely meets his match in the opinionated, streetwise Emily.  The sparks coming off Emily and Jake together are explosive.  Two strong personalities are bound to clash, and clash they do.  Jake is a strict rule follower and Emily is a rule breaker.  That alone causes enough friction to fan the flames even hotter.  The chemistry between Emily and Jake is really great and it was fun watching these two navigate their way towards a relationship.  

I like that Emily is by no means a damsel in distress.  While Jake never hesitates to protect her, she doesn’t need it.  She’s resourceful and brave, and does what she needs to do to get herself out of trouble.  Jake's past also comes into play and he must ultimately choose which is more important; his revenge or Emily's safety.  The identity of the FBI mole is also a constant mystery that demands to be solved. 

The country setting was very realistic and the secondary characters add a rich layer to the story.  The action is spread out quite nicely and is just the right ratio to romance.  *Mild spoiler alert* Jake was a massive jerk to Emily right before the final showdown, and while she did punish him for his actions in a way neither he nor I saw coming, I do think she let him off the hook way too easily.  I would have liked to see some grovelling and an apology for his past actions.  But hey, I guess love makes you soft :)

Product Information:

Title: Rules of Protection:

Author: Alison Bliss

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Year: 2014

Pages: 314

ASIN: B00MEGM7NQ

  

REVIEW: ONCE UPON A PRINCE ~ RACHEL HAUCK

Suzanna Truit grew up in a dysfunctional home where her parents were always fighting – the plate throwing, screaming at the top of their lungs kind of fighting.  In her teen years, however, her parents found the Lord and turned their marriage around.  The unpredictability of her living situation, however, ingrained in Suzanna the need to live a safe, predictable life; the need to always have a plan.

Content in her comfortable, safe, predictable relationship with her high school sweetheart, a soldier, Suzanna is happy to wait for Adam to finish his tours of duty and ultimately a proposal.  After twelve years together when a stroll on the beach turns into a break-up instead of an engagement, Suzanna is flabbergasted.  She is even more shocked to find that she isn’t heartbroken, just furious – at herself, for hiding in a dead-end relationship for 12 years.  Adam wasn’t wrong when he said they didn’t love each other like spouses should love each other, and the fact that she couldn’t see it before he pointed it out leaves Suzanna frustrated and confused. 

After storming off, Suzanna seeks refuge under Lovers’ Oak, where she meets Nate Kenneth, a charming man on vacation from Brighton.  Nate and Suzanna have instant chemistry and an instant friendship forms.  Soon they are spending every day together, but neither have a romantic relationship in mind.  Suzanna is still reeling from her Adam situation, and Nate has a much, much bigger complication: He is truly Nathaniel, crown prince and heir to the throne of Brighton.  According to Brighton law no heir to the throne may marry a foreigner, so Nate knows from the start that no good can come of seeing Suzanna as anything more than a friend.  Even if marrying Suzanna wouldn’t cost him his crown, the political situation in Brighton and its sister country, Hessenberg, is such that Nate might just be forced to marry the beautiful but cunning Lady Genevieve.  His family, his parliament and even the people of Brighton are certainly pushing him towards it.

Nate and Suzanna’s friendship soon blossoms into a mutual attraction, but with both of them fighting it every step of the way it seems like a happily ever after isn’t in the cards for Nate and Suzanna.  Upon news of the King’s death, Nate leaves Suzanna behind and returns to his life and responsibilities in Brighton.  Certain that a clean break would be the only way to get over Suzanna and the hopes of what could never be, Nate doesn’t make contact with her again… until five months later when Suzanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

Having lost her long-time boyfriend, her job and her home in recent months, the girl dependent on a plan doesn’t have one.  Suzanna must finally learn to let go and let God.

Having nothing keeping her home, Suzanna embarks on a journey to the European country that will steal her heart, and the man who already has…

Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck is the first book in the Royal Wedding series, and can be read as a standalone.

I truly wanted to love this book.  The beautiful cover first caught my eye and the blurb had my hopelessly romantic heart sighing in anticipation.  An ordinary girl winning the heart of an honest to goodness prince is a tale as old as time, and the ultimate dream of every little girl.  Something about this book just didn’t work for me, though.  

I liked both Nathaniel and Suzanna, and I enjoyed the two of them together.  My favourite part of the story was how Nathaniel and Suzanna each found strength in their relationship with God to overcome the challenges they faced, and how that is what ultimately brings them together.  Their shared faith is the foundation on which their friendship is built, and the aspects of faith are realistically handled without ever being preachy. 

Suzanna’s family were sweethearts (especially her sister, who I hope will get her own book down the line), but I did not like Nathaniel’s mother or his brother.  They were set against his relationship with Suzanna before they even met her, despite the fact that he clearly loved her.  Five months apart couldn’t drive her from his heart, but they cared more about the monarchy than his wellbeing.  He was clearly miserable, he was losing weight, but they would rather he keep the country stable by marrying the conniving Genevieve, who he couldn’t stand, than try to help him find some way to be with the woman who made him smile, who made him laugh, who made him the best version of himself – exactly the kind of woman a King needs by his side.  I understand that sometimes royals need to put their country’s wellbeing before personal happiness, but it seemed Nate’s mother and brother didn’t care for Nate’s wellbeing at all.  They merely wanted him to fall in line and commit himself to a lifetime of misery all in the name of politics.  They invite Suzanna to his coronation solely to prove to him how out of place she would be in their world.  They are certain her presence would highlight the differences between her and Lady Genevieve, and that her unsuitability would help his sense of duty to prevail.  Nathaniel’s entire family treats Suzanna like dirt.  The servants make up for it though, and I loved them all.

While I love the premise and the main characters, there was just a little something missing for me.  I had a hard time believing the depth of their relationship.  I didn’t quite believe that they could be so very connected considering their limited interaction.  I suppose you could argue that it was simply because they were meant to be, but I didn’t completely buy into the depth of their love.  *Mild spoiler alert*  They spend two weeks together, and make no contact for five months. Suzanna goes to Brighton for the coronation, they spend three days together, Suzanna goes home. They make no contact for five months. Nathaniel shows up at Lovers’ Oak to propose to Suzanna, she happily accepts – at this point they haven’t spent three weeks together and they haven’t even shared a kiss.  As much as I would love to throw caution to the wind in the name of a good love story, this just didn’t completely work for me. I wasn’t convinced that they were madly in love at this point. 

Once Upon A Prince is by no means a terrible book, it just lacked a little something for me.  I will, however, give the next book in the series a go.

Princess Ever After will focus on Regina Beswick, the heir of Hessenberg.  I look forward to seeing a regular girl, and a tomboy at that, learn she is a long lost princess.  That is the kind of transition I would have liked to see of Suzanna.  I would have enjoyed more focus on Nate and Suzanna’s relationship back in Brighton, seeing them act like a couple instead of friends, and seeing Suzanna face the challenges a commoner would need to overcome on her journey to becoming queen.  

Product Information:

Title: Once Upon a Prince

Author: Rachel Hauck

Publisher: Zondervan

Year: 2013

Number of pages: 353

ISBN-10: 0310315476

ISBN-13: 978-0310315476

ASIN: B00A9UJWU0