REVIEW: THE FAIREST BEAUTY ~ MELANIE DICKERSON

Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.

When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.

I hate giving bad reviews. Truly, I take no pleasure in criticizing someone else's efforts - However, I am always truthful in my reviews, and I have to start of by saying this book took me forever to read.  It did not hold my attention, I never became emotionally invested in the outcome and I had to force myself to finish it.  I'm still in the process of trying to retrain my brain to abandon books I don't enjoy, but alas, I still have mild OCD when it comes to finishing what I start.

From the blurb I assume it is understood that this is a retelling of Snow White.  While I usually enjoy a fresh take on a classic, I just did not enjoy this book at all.  This isn't going to be a detailed review, I will just point out what I have a problem with.    First of all, I don't like the characters. Sophie is just way too good to be true.  She is portrayed as this perfect person who memorizes and quotes Scripture, and never sins.  Ever.  She doesn't even harbour ill feelings towards her stepmother who abuses everyone around her. This is just absolutely unrealistic and makes it impossible to relate to Sophie.  As for Gabe, he is portrayed as arrogant and self-indulgent - kind of hard to like a "hero" when the only reason he went to rescue Sophie was to stick it to his brother.  Against his parents' direct instructions and against Valten's wishes, Gabe nevertheless went to find Sophie by himself.  It is expressly stated in the book several times how much joy Gabe gets from being the one to find his brother's fiancee.  Later he tries to convince himself and everyone around him that God placed the desire in his heart and that it must have been God's will for him to be the one to find Sophie. I have a HUGE problem with this approach considering this book is classified as religious fiction.  Please remember, Ms Dickerson, that honour thy father and mother is one of the ten commandments. You can't have your character wilfully disobey his parents for purely selfish reasons and try to justify it by claiming that it was God's will. This can be very confusing for non-believers reading this book as it is a pretty big contradiction. I would rather have had Gabe not try to justify his behaviour at all, admit he did something wrong and learn from it - that would have been more realistic, as well. 

Ermengard (another problem I have is the author using annoying, hard to pronounce names) is a ridiculous villain and I couldn't take her seriously.  She's so pathetic, I questioned the backbone and integrity of the whole cast of characters who allowed her to treat them the way they did.  I also had no respect for Sophie's father who deserted his Kingdom after Ermengard tricked him into believing Sophie had died.  He just up and left, leaving his loyal subjects to be tormented by his evil wife. 

Last, but not least, I did not see any chemistry between Sophie and Gabe.  Their relationship was not believable to me and I had no emotional connection to either of them.  I had developed more feelings towards Valten in the limited time I got to spend with him (ten pages?) than I ever had for either Sophie or Gabe.

Towards the end of the book I just started skipping sections, wanting to reach the end; I even skimmed right over the final confrontation between Sophie and Ermengard (which should have been gripping, right?).  Sadly I just did not enjoy this book at all.

Product Information:

Title: The Fairest Beauty 

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Publisher: Zonderkidz

Year: 2013

Pages: 334

ISBN-10: 0310724392

ISBN-13: 9780310724391

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