Recent Reads

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester (2026)

After her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Aria Jones is sent to California to live with her aunt, at the iconic Chateau Marmont.  She grows up in the hotel, learning all sorts of secrets and meeting all kinds of people.  When Theo Winchester buys the hotel, Aria finds herself falling in love with the rock star - but will she get her happily ever after?  I was interested in this book because it's a Jane Eyre retelling and that's one of my favorite books.  There are enough callbacks to the original to make the comparison, yet Lester also brings a fresh, new story.  I have to admit, I struggled a bit in the beginning with this book.  The story moves back and forth between the present day and flashbacks to Aria's early years at the Chateau.  The writing, however, wasn't always super clear and I honestly couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't at times.  When we get to the part of the story where Aria/Jane runs away from her wedding, due to discovering a big secret about her fiancé, I finally felt like the story came alive.  After years of never leaving the Chateau, Aria makes a big move, and I appreciated her courage to finally make changes in her life and also help those around her.  3.5 stars

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf (2025)

A wealthy ranching family hosts a gender reveal party, but things turn chaotic when two explosions rock the party, leaving one woman dead.  An ATF agent is brought in to investigate, and more secrets than anticipated are revealed.  Since there always seems to be a headline about gender reveal parties going wrong, I was intrigued by this premise, but unfortunately this turned out to be kind of a "meh" read for me.  First, the writing was just not great - very stilted and could have used more editing.  There were inconsistencies in the narrative, too - first they said the gender reveal party was when Madeline was 37 weeks pregnant, then she was 7 months, then 4 weeks away from giving birth - none of it made sense!  The ATF agent had a clear conflict of interest but decided to keep it a secret.  None of the reveals were particularly interesting or surprising - just a bunch of unlikable people doing bad things.  The one exception was Madeline's sister, and I wish we had gotten to know her a little better.  3 stars

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Recent Reads

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca (2024)

Looking for a new start, Cassie buys a house in a small town called Boneyard Key.  She likes her new town - and also Nick, who owns a local coffee shop.  But when she discovers her house is haunted, will she stick around?  This has been on my TBR since last fall, and I finally got a chance to read it - unfortunately, I was pretty underwhelmed.  Is it bad that I was more interested in the ghosts than the two main characters?  Cassie and Nick were just bland - I never really felt like I got a clear picture of who they were or what they wanted, or if they were truly on the same page as each other.  I thought the backstories of the ghosts haunting their homes were much more intriguing; there's a twist involving the ghosts that I clocked almost immediately and I was disappointed that it took the characters so long to realize it.  Cute idea for a seasonal romance, but didn't really work for me.  3 stars

Sally's Lament by Mari Mancusi (2024)

In this installment of the Disney Twisted Tales series, Mari Mancusi explores what might have happened if Sally had discovered Christmas Town instead of Jack Skellington.  Sally is entranced by the village, but she soon discovers an evil undertone to the cheeriness of the town.  I have to admit, I'd never seen The Nightmare Before Christmas before I read this book, but I love this series and so wanted to try it.  For me, this was an incredibly successful story.  I felt like there was enough background from the original movie incorporated that I understood the basic premise, and I enjoyed Sally and Jack's adventures in Christmas Town.  Both Sally and Jack feel a bit stunted in Halloween Town, so figuring out the mystery of this new place and helping new friends along the way really helped them.  I thought the writing was fantastic and the story was clear (some of the Twisted Tales can get a bit convoluted).  And don't get me started on that last chapter - so many happy tears!  5 stars

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Blog Tour + Review: The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories by Ekta R. Garg

Today I'm partnering with WOW! Women on Writing to celebrate the release of The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories by Ekta R. Garg!  I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Summary

Have you ever wondered why Jack and Jill needed that pail of water in the first place? Or how Sleeping Beauty managed to prick her finger despite a royal order to destroy every spindle in the kingdom?

Fairy tales and nursery rhymes have given us some of the most iconic characters and images in storytelling; think Cinderella’s glass slipper or Jack’s oversized beanstalk. But what about the in-between moments? The ones that never made it to the page?

In this enchanting micro-collection of short stories, award-winning author Ekta R. Garg explores the untold scenes between the lines of some of our most loved tales. Find out what the Wicked Witch of the East was doing in the road before Dorothy’s house fell on her. Learn where Goldilocks came from. Meet the conmen who convinced the emperor he had new clothes and more.

Rediscover the wit, heart, and magic of the classics, and see them as you’ve never seen them before in The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories.

Purchase a copy of The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories on Amazon. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

In this micro-collection of stories, Ekta Garg has been inspired by some very famous fairy tales and other stories - The Wizard of Oz, Jack & Jill, Goldilocks, you name it! Instead of straightforward retellings, Garg takes those small overlooked or off-the-page details and creatively expands upon them, adding imagined context to these classic stories. For example, why were Jack and Jill going up the hill to fetch a pail of water in the nursery rhyme? Who was Goldilocks before she entered the bears' house? It was so fun to explore and think about these stories in a new way, and I especially enjoyed the way Garg wove some fairy tales together in unexpected but clever ways.

4 stars

Recent Reads: The Oz Edition

Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor (2025)

In Before Dorothy, Hazel Gaynor imagines a new story for Emily Gale (Auntie Em to Dorothy), exploring how she and Henry came to Kansas and ending up raising their niece.  The Wizard of Oz is such a beloved story and movie, so it is a little nerve-wracking to enter that territory in a new way, but Gaynor does a beautiful job making Emily a truly well-rounded character.  We see her strained relationship with her sister, fall in love with Henry, and struggle through difficult years on the farm.  I loved all the nods to the original story, all those little Easter eggs that make this story even more special.  It's nostalgic, it's heartbreaking at times, but watching Emily become Auntie Em is really incredible.  4 stars

After Oz by Gordon McAlpine (2024)

After being missing for four days, Dorothy returns to the Gale farm with a fantastical tale of spending time in Oz, including accidentally killing a witch.  When a local spinster is then found murdered, the townspeople begin to wonder if something more sinister happened.  I thought this was a very interesting take on The Wizard of Oz - what happened after Dorothy returned?  Did people believe her story?  In this case, no, and she is committed to an asylum, but one doctor, after hearing of the case, is determined to prove Dorothy's innocence.  Themes of religion, persecution, and prejudice are woven through the novel, which is a short but satisfying read.  Although the ending went a bit off the rails for me, I enjoyed the journey.  4 stars

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Recent Reads

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (2024)

Thirty years after his best friend disappeared from their backyard tent, never to be seen again, Ethan is back in his childhood home, and when strange things start happening, he hopes that the police can find out what happened to Billy once and for all.  This was a mixed bag for me.  I enjoyed what appeared to be the supernatural elements - was Billy really leaving messages for Ethan?  And the mysterious nearby Hawthorne Institute - what was going on there, and did it have something to do with Billy's disappearance?  The story felt a bit repetitive, though, and the final reveal felt really lacking to me, considering all the side tangents that Sager took with the plot.  3.5 stars

So This Is Love by Elizabeth Lim (2020)

This installment of the Twisted Tales series focuses on Cinderella and imagines what might have happened to her had she never had the opportunity to try on the glass slipper after the ball where she meets the prince.  She eventually gains a position in the castle, serving as a maid to the prince's aunt, and she and the prince do find their way back to each other, while trying to stop a plot to overthrow the king.  I thought this was an interesting addition to the Cinderella story - there's political intrigue, romance, and, of course, magic.  It's always fun to see where the authors in this series take the stories, away from the known and beloved plots.  4 stars

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Retellings Quick Reviews

 Jane & Edward by Melodie Edwards (2023)

A modern-day retelling of Jane Eyre, taking place in a Canadian law firm.  Jane has had a rough life, but sees a legal assistant career as a good way to finally become financially independent.  Her first job out of school is at a prestigious law firm, working for one of the partners.  Although he has a poor reputation, Jane sees another side to him, and Edward also falls for Jane - but will his secrets keep them apart?  Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books, and I think, with the updates the author made, it lends itself well to a modern setting.  Jane is practical, no-nonsense, and gets things done.  Even when she has moments of weakness, she allows herself only a short time to fall apart before getting back on with it.  I loved the way she handled Edward when no other assistant could.  I think he could have hid his feelings for longer - it seemed like he came around too quickly.  For a debut author, the pacing and writing were nice, although it could have done with more editing.  There were some cringey uses of modern slang, yet at certain points, the writing reminded me of the classic book and I was confused as to what era the book was taking place in.  Not sure if that was intentional or not!  Overall, though, I enjoyed the way the author used elements of the original story to create this new one.  4 stars

 

 

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne (2023)

 

Angelika Frankenstein is an assistant to her brother, scientist Victor Frankenstein, and while he works on his projects, she is running a simultaneous experiment to reanimate a man of her own, to create her perfect match.  When the experiment works, she has to deal with the fact that he may not want to be who she wants him to be.  Ok, this is going to get a little ranty - what did I just read?  I appreciate a good retelling, and the idea of creating your own man, because you can't find one worthy enough of you, is clever - although a little creepy because this man used to be dead.  I was a little confused right from the beginning - Angelika goes from searching the morgue for body parts to reanimating "Will" to declaring her true love so quickly, I felt like I missed something - how did she get this idea?  What were her previous attempts like?  How does she decide what makes up her perfect man?  And considering she's using random body parts, what does she know about him other than what he looks like?  Did she never consider that when he "woke up," he might have memories of his old life, a life he might need or want to return to?  What if he was married?  What if he had kids?  Just so many questions!!  And Angelika was not really a great person - if you've completely run out of suitors, maybe the problem is you?  The way she kept mentioning how rich she was and could just buy Will anything he wanted was off-putting, too, like that's what would make him fall in love with her.  I guess she does grow a bit over the course of the book, but this one was just a "meh" read for me.  3 stars

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Quick Reviews

Off to the Races by Elsie Silver (2022)

Vaughn is trying to save his family's ranch after his grandfather's passing and a scandal about fixing horse races.  He hires Billie to train the ranch's horses.  The two can't stay away from each other, but will Vaughn decide that the ranch or Billie is more important to him?  I liked Billie at first - she's feisty and sassy and not afraid to say what's on her mind, however inappropriate.  I was a little disappointed that at times she was relegated to stereotypical female character roles - cooking for Vaughn and spending the second half of the story always in tears, despite how strong she seemed earlier.  I liked the ranch setting and learning more about horse racing/horse training.  I'm not really an animal person, but DD the horse really captured my heart!  So, what does it say about the romance when I'm talking more about a horse than the relationship?  It was ok, with some spice, but nothing really new or super interesting to me.  3 stars

Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler (2021)

A modern adaption of Anne of Green Gables, set in New York City as Anne finishes up her master's degree and comes back into contact with Gil Blythe after five years (and a disastrous kiss) apart.  I wanted to love this so much - I read the original just a couple years ago, for the first time, and fell thoroughly in love with Anne, plus I love a good retelling.  But I don't know, something was missing for me.  Maybe it's because she's older, but I didn't feel the same charm from Anne.  She seemed bland, almost a side character in her own life.  The slow-burn (but not really) romance between her and Gil felt natural; of course you want these two to end up together.  However, the third-act events that break them apart for a time had me rolling my eyes a bit.  I did enjoy seeing how the author incorporated all the original characters, though.  3 stars

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Quick Reviews: Pride & Prejudice Retellings

A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King (2021)

A contemporary retelling of the classic Pride & Prejudice, set in and around a New York City burlesque show.  Liz Bennet was an aspiring interior designer until an incident at her internship forced her to give up her dream.  She made her way to NYC and started working at a burlesque show, where she ultimately meets Will Darcy.  I tend to really enjoy P&P retellings, and there was a lot to like about this one.  I liked the way the author updated the characters; Jane is now Liz's gay best friend and her other sisters have been replaced by a found family at the burlesque show.  Although a bit clumsy with his words (when he can actually get one in), Will Darcy is dreamy - handsome, successful, and totally into Liz.  The chemistry between them just oozed off the page; the tension between the two is the heart of the original story, but I liked that the author brought them together more quickly in this version.  I expect that retellings generally won't deviate too much from their original source material, but my quibble here is that it almost followed it too closely, despite the modern setting.  There's really no question because you know exactly how everything will turn out.  King's lush writing definitely helps, but I felt myself looking for something a bit more.  3.5 stars

Accomplished by Amanda Quain (2022)

 

This Pride & Prejudice retelling focuses on one of the secondary characters of the original book, Georgiana Darcy, as it modernizes the story and reimagines it set at an elite private high school.  I loved that this story wasn't about the main couple, but rather tells a new story from a different point of view.  Here, Georgiana (Georgie in this modern version) has been duped by Wickham, who was selling drugs from her dorm room without her knowledge, and she is returning to school as a pariah.  But Georgie isn't ready to give up, and she hatches a plan to reclaim her good name.  I liked the parallels to the original, although this story definitely doesn't rely too much on it, so it feels really fresh.  I felt for Georgie and was rooting for her to succeed, but at times her plans felt so... I don't know, singular?  Not well-thought out?  There wasn't a lot of nuance; it was more like, "If I do this one thing, everything will be fixed," without necessarily thinking through all the consequences.  I guess, to be fair, she is a teenager, but it reinforced my feelings that YA is no longer a top genre for me.  3 stars

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Quick Reviews: Cinderella Retellings

At the Stroke of Midnight by Tara Sivec (2018)

Cynthia's husband ran off with their babysitter and all their money.  When she meets two other women in the neighborhood who also have money problems, the three of them decide to start a stripping business, dressed as Disney princesses, of course.  Although a little light on the retelling part of it, this was such a fun book!  Cynthia was a great main character - she's spent years being the "perfect" wife and mother, and now that her ex is gone, she's realizing how much she changed herself in order to please him.  I loved watching her come into her own and start doing all the things she denied herself for so long, although at times she came across as really naive.  Her love interest is PJ, a local strip club owner who comes across pretty gruff at first but eventually shows he has a heart of gold underneath.  Nothing too hard to think about here, just a low-drama, entertaining, funny romance!  4 stars

Cinders Like Glass by Clarissa Kae (2021)

Lady Ada Whitworth is just trying to make it to her next birthday, when she will be of age and free to leave the home of stepfamily.  However, her stepbrother Lord Rochelle has been implicated in a plot to kill the queen.  Now, the queen's protector, the Duke of Girard, is on the hunt for Rochelle when he crosses paths with Ada.  He wonders if she is helping her brother, while simultaneously falling for her.  This one was a mixed bag for me.  I liked the spy aspect of it and Girard's hunt for traitors.  As part of a series, you won't get all the answers in this book, though.  I didn't think the characters were particularly well-drawn or consistent.  Girard is known as the Dark Duke, yet he acts like a complete sap around Ada from the beginning.  Ada, for her part, has a stutter and doesn't seem to have had much socialization in her life, yet she is able to deftly flirt and converse with the Duke.  Lord Rochelle was an interesting character and he kept me guessing as to what his true intentions were.  There was something about the writing that never made me feel completely immersed in the story and kind of kept me at arms' length, so that was a little disappointing.  3 stars

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Fiction/Nonfiction Mini-Reviews: The Mr. Darcy Edition

Dating Mr. Darcy by Kate O'Keeffe (2020)

In order to promote her activewear line, Emma joins a reality TV dating show where the women compete to win the heart of their own "Mr. Darcy," in this case an English aristocrat named Sebastian.  Only intent to stay on for a short time, she unwittingly begins to fall for him.  

 

I love Pride & Prejudice retellings, so I was eager to try this one out.  Unfortunately, I had some issues with the story.  Emma often comes across as obnoxious and immature (seriously, how many times can one person say "dude"?).  She's so obviously not on the show for the right reasons (although, to be fair, how many dating reality show participants are?) that I'm surprised they didn't kick her off immediately.  She tries to be the comedian of the group, but she's so sorely unfunny.  The plot is rather predictable, as well.  I did, however, enjoy the reality TV show aspect and getting to know the other participants (they range from totally crazy to totally sweet).  I also liked watching Emma and Sebastian learn about each other and their completely different worlds.  So, overall, a bit cheesy and predictable, but for those who enjoy clean, low-angst romances, it might be worth a try!  3 stars

There's Something About Darcy by Gabrielle Malcolm (2020)

 

Mr. Darcy, introduced in Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, is probably one of the most popular and enduring characters in literature.  In There's Something About Darcy, Gabrielle Malcolm explores different aspects of the character, how he may have inspired other classic characters, and his impact on modern novels.

I feel like I was expecting something different from this nonfiction book.  I think I expected more analysis and while it was obvious the author had done her research on Darcy and the myriad of ways he shows up in pop culture, the book often just felt like a laundry list of books and movies.  Malcolm recounted the plots of many books and it just felt extraneous at times.  I think she's also put a lot of stock in the Colin Firth version of Mr. Darcy; I've never seen that adaptation and it clearly hasn't impacted my enjoyment of the original book and the many retellings I've read.  I liked her analysis of the original Darcy character and how he was been influenced by the time period Austen lived in, but I suppose I wanted more about how the character's (and original story's) universal traits have an almost timeless appeal that still translates today, especially considering the many modern retellings that have been published just in the last couple decades alone.  3 stars

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Mini-Reviews: Pride & Prejudice Retellings

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (2019)

As much as I love P&P retellings, this one fell way short for me.  Trisha is a successful neurosurgeon who has been somewhat estranged from her family for almost 15 years.  DJ Caine is a chef whose sister is being treated by Trisha.  The two have their issues from the start, but might they be able to overcome their first impressions?  I did enjoy some things - I loved the culture and the food, and the way the author played with elements of the original story (the two leads are kind of swapped) without tying herself down with trying to incorporate everything.  Unfortunately, there was a lot I didn't like - first, the book was way too long (almost 500 pages!).  It could have easily been 100 pages shorter.  There was so much extraneous background information on so many of the characters.  I just didn't need it all.  I hated the way Trisha's family treated her.  They were basically gaslighting her for something that was in no way her fault (and it also happened when she was a teenager - they need to get over themselves).  The romance was lacking - I know P&P is a slow burn, but to not get a payoff on the romance until literally the last few pages in a book this long was frustrating.  Finally, the writing was very repetitive.  The author would constantly detail what the characters wanted to say in a heated conversation followed by what they actually said.  It was very confusing and I had to keep rereading sections to figure out what was actually happening.  2.5 stars

Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway (2013)

 

A modern take on Pride & Prejudice between two Civil War historians at a small Mississippi college.  Ransom and Shelby's first meeting doesn't go well after he writes a terrible review of her book in a national magazine.  Her blunt honesty and his stoic nature find them in one misunderstanding after another but they eventually get to know each other better.  Although I didn't love this book, I thought there were things to enjoy.  One thing I had an issue with was how nasty some of the characters were to Shelby, and it felt completely unwarranted.  Her department head is constantly finding ways to undermine her, for instance.  I also felt like there were scenes and plot threads that went nowhere.  But I did enjoy the way the author took elements of the classic novel and adapted them to a more modern setting.  She didn't use every character and situation, but the ones she did are easily identifiable.  I also liked the college setting and the fact that the two main characters are historians.  The little touches of Southern history were really interesting.  I didn't realize this book was Christian fiction, so the story was fairly clean and the romance very simplified, but it worked here.  3.5 stars

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Quick Reviews: A Trio of Cinderella Retellings

 Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me by Julie Wright (2019)

Struggling writer Charlotte finally gets her big break with a self-help book inspired by her favorite fairy tales, but will the success be worth it if she has to completely change her image and hide her boyfriend?

This was a cute story, very loosely inspired by Cinderella.  Charlotte is a regular girl, but her publicist insists she needs a more polished image, including pretending she's single, just around the same time she and her best friend Anders decide to start dating.  Anders is a sweet guy, very traditional and family-oriented.  I liked the peek behind the curtain of the publishing industry, and I wish there were more scenes with a fellow famous author who takes Charlotte under her wing because she gave really good advice.  This is a "clean" romance, which is perfectly fine, but I also never really felt the spark between Charlotte and Anders and was hoping for a little more heat.  There were also some weird time jumps and sometimes it felt like more was happening off the page than on.  But, easy to read with some charming supporting characters.  3 stars

Rogue Princess by B.R. Meyers (2020)

Sci-fi Cinderella in space!  A princess who wants to marry for love!  A thief that helps her uncover a rebellious faction on their planet!  Practically the whole time I was reading this book, I got the feeling I had read it before - it's very similar to Marissa Meyer's Cinder, even little details like the tablets everyone uses, although this one is a gender-swapped retelling.  So, unfortunately, right from the start, I had issues because nothing felt new and fresh.  Delia, our princess, is bland and not too smart - when she first meets Aidan, our thief, his lies about who he was were so paper-thin, yet she never saw through them.  The world-building is not great, and even by the end of this rather short book, I was still questioning who some of the characters were.  But, there is a pretty good twist, and Delia's sister Shania is a bright spot in the story - she's spunky and I loved her attention to detail in analyzing all of Delia's suitors.  3 stars

Charlie Glass's Slippers by Holly McQueen (2014)

After his death, Charlie Glass's father leaves his luxury shoe company to her - instead of his ex-wife and two other daughters.  In addition to her new responsibilities, Charlie has also drastically changed her appearance, but finds it may not be worth the effort.

I thought this was a cute Cinderella retelling.  I loved the clever ways the the author incorporated important elements of the original story in a modern way - her glam up, the shoes, the evil stepmother, the prince.  Charlie has not had an easy life, but she's still upbeat and kind.  Even though she never worked at the shoe company before, she throws herself into it wholeheartedly, knowing it was her father's passion.  There's also a rom-com element to the story.  I think many readers will identify with her body issues, even after she loses a bunch of weight.  There is a lot of fat-shaming in this book, and my heart broke for Charlie every time her stepmother was cruel to her.  The book probably could have been a bit shorter - at times the pacing dragged and felt repetitive.  However, it was still light and entertaining.  3.5 stars

Retellings Mini-Reviews

Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra (2019)

I haven't read Little Women yet, but this contemporary retelling, focusing on older sisters Meg and Jo, appealed to me anyway!  Meg and Jo are now grown adults leading very different lives - Meg is a stay-at-home mom in North Carolina and Jo is a line cook and secret food blogger in NYC.  However, when their mother gets sick, all the sisters come home to help.

I really enjoyed Kantra's writing; it's very readable and relatable.  The story is told from the alternating POVs of sisters Meg and Jo, with appearances by their younger sisters.  I loved Jo's story - trying to make it as a journalist in NYC, she ends up falling for her chef boss who doesn't know she's also a food blogger.  However, I felt her "friendship" with childhood friend Trey was poorly explained and executed.  Meg frustrated me a bit - she's the type of person that would rather do everything herself because she doesn't trust anyone else.  I felt so bad for her husband!  As much as I loved the March sisters and mother, their father made me angry - he does important work, but neglects his own family.  Overall, though, a great story about family!  4 stars

Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl (2020)

In this anthology, 10 authors re-imagine the legendary character of Elizabeth Bennet in a series of sequels, prequels, and retellings.  Even though I'm normally not a fan of short stories, I can't resist a good P&P retelling!

I wish there had been more variety in the stories.  A couple of them felt like they could have been chapters in the original story (Darcy fighting Wickham, Elizabeth touring Pemberley).  A couple took place in the times right before or right after the events of P&P.  I wish there had been more stories set in different times and places; to me, those were more creative and interesting.  Elizabeth as an electrical engineering student in the 80s; Elizabeth as a stage actress in the 1920s; and Elizabeth and Darcy going on a blind date in the present day - these stories show how timeless the classic really is.  While the writing was generally good in all the stories, none really stood out to me as completely amazing.  I often seem to have this issue with short story collections, though.  However, if you're a P&P fan, you might want to give this one a chance.  3.5 stars

Retellings Mini-Reviews

Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield (2020)

I am kind of obsessed with England's Tudor dynasty, so when I heard about this modern retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives, I knew I had to read it!  This book starts in 1985, when Harry Rose (Henry VIII) is married to Katie (Catherine of Aragon), and continues all the way to 2018, encompassing all the major events of the historical figure's life, but with a twist.

Instead of being the King of England, Harry Rose is a media mogul always at the cutting edge.  I thought it would be really difficult for Hayfield to create justifications for six marriages in this day and age, but she managed it in some clever and unexpected ways.  Likewise, he obviously couldn't actually behead his wives, yet Hayfield was still able to include some untimely deaths.  A huge portion of the book is spent on the first two wives, which basically fits with the original timeline, but it also then felt like the last four marriages were rushed a bit.  The writing was a bit stiff and stilted at times, and there were some cheesy scenarios, but the story was generally a soapy, gossipy, drama-filled delight that I couldn't stop reading.  Hayfield also included a lot of pop culture references, which helped ground the story in the time period and setting.  4 stars

The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greeley (2019)

In The Clergyman's Wife, Molly Greeley explores a side character from Pride & Prejudice and what her life might have been like after that story ended. Charlotte Lucas is known for being Elizabeth Bennet's best friend and the woman who married Mr. Collins after Elizabeth rejected him.  It seemed like an abrupt decision, and in this book, we go inside Charlotte's head and get to know her much better.

This book is a short, quiet, and thoughtful read.  Greeley explores the marriage between Charlotte and Mr. Collins; as the years have passed, Charlotte begins to wonder if she made the right decision in marrying him.  She saw it as an opportunity for security and comfort but never as a love connection.  When she meets farmer Mr. Travis, she feels things she has never felt for her husband.

I enjoyed this new look at the Pride & Prejudice world.  It was nice to revisit the characters.  Mr. Collins is still an awkward man who is constantly looking for praise from others.  Elizabeth and Darcy make an appearance, as well.  But Charlotte is undoubtedly the star, and we get to see her in a whole new light.  4 stars

Review: Anna K.

Anna K.
Jenny Lee
Expected publication date: March 3, 2020

Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather an sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.

As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak. - from Goodreads

I received this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways.

Anna Karenina was one of the few books I read "for fun" while I was in college.  I remember sitting in the student center on a Friday night getting swept away in Tolstoy's epic love story.  When I heard about this modern retelling, set in NYC high society and from the point of view of teenagers, I was immediately intrigued.  Although some things worked, I also had some issues with this one.

Cons:

• Unfortunately, I didn't think the writing was anything spectacular.  It felt really stilted at times.
• It was really hard for me to connect to the characters.  These teenagers have access to so much money and drugs, and throw elaborate parties just for the hell of it.  There was never enough parental supervision.  While I don't doubt that there's a certain segment of the population that lives like this, it was just very hard for me to like many of the characters.
• Although the idea of aging down the original characters is good in theory, in some ways it didn't work.  Vronsky seemed a little too young for the amount of experience he purports to have.  At 16, he's had almost more partners than he can count, and yet when he meets Anna, suddenly he is a changed and devoted man.  I can relate to being young and in love and feeling like you're the only two people in the world, but from the outside, it sometimes doesn't ring totally true.

Pros:

• At the beginning of the book, I didn't really care for Anna.  She seemed aloof and way too mature for her age.  She's in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend and it seems like her whole life is already planned out for her.  But when she meets Vronsky, she becomes a whole new person, someone I liked a lot more - happier and more spontaneous.  I liked the way Vronsky brought out the best in her.
• Steven, Anna's brother, was one of my favorite characters.  Although I could have done without all the drug use, I loved the relationship he and Anna have.  He would do anything for his sister, and he also seemed sincerely remorseful after cheating on his girlfriend, Lolly.  He was a fun guy that also had a big heart.
• The original story is quite long and filled with insights on the politics and culture of the time.  Lee was able to hit the highlights of the original without getting bogged down in too much detail.  It was easy to see the parallels and inspiration and in many ways the modernization felt effortless.  
• Although there were many gossipy, teenage drama-filled moments, Lee also didn't shy away from tough subjects like addiction and death.  

3.5 stars

Mini-Reviews: 2019 Releases

The Babysitter's Coven by Kate Williams (2019)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Babysitter's Club in this fun story about two teenage girls who realize they're witches that need to protect the world from danger.

Esme and her best friend Janis formed a babysitter's club years ago, and now the new girl in school, Cassandra, wants to join.  Strange things seem to be happening around Esme, but maybe Cassandra can help explain them.  The girls discover that they are witches, and they'll have to learn quick because something evil is coming.

I wanted to like this book more, although it was a fun and cute story.  At the beginning, I was a little thrown off by Esme's "voice" - I'll admit, I haven't been a teenager in a long time, but I felt like the author didn't really capture the teenage feel very well.  It felt like how an adult thinks teenagers talk - or maybe kids today really do just talk in acronyms?  It smoothed out as the book went on, though.  The pacing was a little off, too.  It took a long time for the action to start, and then there wasn't really enough of it.   However, this is the first book in a series, and I'm interested to see where the story goes next, because there were some good threads that were introduced - the potential is definitely there.  I especially liked the storyline with Esme's mother.  It was also fun seeing the girls learn to use their powers and perform spells.  3.5 stars

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig (2019)

 A retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," House of Salt and Sorrows tells the story of Annaleigh, one of twelve daughters of a duke of an island in the sea.   When we meet Annaleigh, four of her sisters have died, and she begins to wonder if something sinister is at work.

This book was the creepy story I was looking for this fall.  At turns gory, eerie, and spooky, it didn't shy away from the darkness, but rather embraced it and made it a part of the story.  I appreciated that the author wasn't afraid to push boundaries.  Annaleigh was a bit of unreliable narrator - she was haunted by ghostly visions and seemed convinced that at least one of her sisters had been murdered, although no one else seems to believe her.  The sheer amount of sister characters was overwhelming at times and only a couple of them really stood out to me, but I thought the author did a good job of creating a sense of unease and fear in the girls, especially as they are convinced that they're cursed and doomed to die early deaths.  As the story goes on, a few twists are revealed, and although I didn't really expect the religious aspects, I liked the way the story played out.  If you're looking for an atmospheric retelling, this is it!  4 stars

Mini-Reviews: Retellings

Ten by Gretchen McNeil (2012)

Thanks to Tracy at Cornerfolds for the rec!

Several teens are lured to a house party on a remote island, but when a storm cuts off all communication and people start dying, they realize something sinister is going on.

I was totally sucked in by this Agatha Christie retelling.  The action (and deaths) started almost immediately and didn't let up.  Knowing the twist from the original story, I was interested to see if McNeil would stay true to it or come up with something new - basically, I was kept guessing the entire time as to the identity of the killer!  The details were kind of gory in some parts, but not anything worse than any teen slasher movie I've ever seen.

I had a couple issues with the book.  There was far too much romance - people are being murdered and they can't find a way off the island, yet Meg, the main character, was so obsessed with every look and touch from her crush.  Also, while the reasoning behind the murders was plausible, I hate when the villain stops to spell out their entire plan, and it also seemed a bit too sophisticated.  Overall, though, it was a very quick, action-filled read!  4 stars

Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody & Joanne Rendell (2019)

A retelling of the classic Les Miserables, set in the future on a distant planet.  Three people from very different walks of life are brought together as their world faces upheaval and revolution.

I've never actually read Les Miserables, but I have a general idea of the story, and I was impressed by how the authors translated the revolutionary times of 19th century France to a futuristic society in a far-off universe.  It didn't feel like a stretch at all that the planet of Laterre, after a few hundred years of civilization, is on the brink of revolution as most of the citizens are poor and barely surviving, while a select few are living the high life.  I loved watching the characters of Chatine, Marcellus and Alouette interact, working with and against each other.  I was probably most interested in Alouette's story, as she has spent much of her life in an underground community that houses books saved from the old world and also keeps a history of the current world.  Yep, in this world, very few people can read anymore - it's a lost art.  Although this book is quite lengthy, I never felt bored, and the cliffhanger ending made me eager for the next installment, to find out where the characters could possibly go next.  4 stars

Mini-Review: Sherwood

Sherwood
Meagan Spooner
Published March 19, 2019

Robin of Locksley is dead.

Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on, but the people of Locksley town, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, need a protector. And the dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley and Marian’s fiancé.

Who is there to stop them?

Marian never meant to tread in Robin’s footsteps—never intended to stand as a beacon of hope to those awaiting his triumphant return. But with a sweep of his green cloak and the flash of her sword, Marian makes the choice to become her own hero: Robin Hood. - from Goodreads

When Robin is killed fighting in the Crusades, Marian doesn't know what she'll do.  While trying to help a friend, she is accidentally mistaken for Robin and she realizes she has a chance to help improve the lives of those in her community.

I've never read a Robin Hood retelling and I only know the basic premise of the original story,  so I went in with minimal expectations.  Spooner is a gifted writer; her stories always have this quiet elegance about them.  However, this kind of meant that the action scenes didn't have a huge spark to them.  I never really got a thrill from any fight or heist scenes.  And I wanted more of those heist scenes; the small bits we got of Marian and the Merry Men planning and executing their missions to steal from the rich to give to the poor were quite fun.

Marian is a bit of the cliche "not like other girls" character.  Her height and archery skills set her apart and she doesn't feel particularly comfortable performing "typical" female duties.  I had to suspend some disbelief that people couldn't immediately tell she was a woman in Robin's clothes (although there were some good discussions about people seeing what they want to see, and to be fair, those closest to her weren't fooled).

The romance felt completely underdeveloped and unnecessary.  I much preferred the flashbacks to choice moments in Robin and Marian's relationship.  It just felt so real, especially how Marian remembered Robin in certain ways that others didn't necessarily agree with.  It made me wonder if that was because of his death and how things would have been different had he come back from the Crusades, and it made Marian question how well she actually knew him.

3 stars

Retellings Mini-Reviews

Ten Little Astronauts by Damon L. Wakes (2018)

A novella retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, set aboard a spaceship headed for a distant planet.

Blair, an engineer, is one of 4000 people cryogenically frozen on a ship hurtling through space.  He along with nine other people are awoken when the ship detects something that needs their attention.  When they find a person who has clearly been murdered, they all soon realize that one of them must have done it.

It's bad enough that the ship is partially crippled, but now these crew members have to figure out who the murderer is among them.  The story is quite short and moves at a fast pace, so there wasn't a ton of time for any character development or even build-up of the mystery.  It was really more process of elimination as more people are killed, so that was a little disappointing.  I wish the story had been more fleshed out, but I did enjoy the straightforward writing and the space setting, and the reasoning behind the murders was pretty unexpected.  4 stars

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal (2019)

A retelling of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan.  Alys is one of five sisters that her mother can't wait to see married off.  When she meets Valentine Darsee at a wedding, sparks fly - but not in a good way.  However, as she gets to know him, Alys realizes there might be more to Darsee than she originally thought.

I love P&P retellings, and this was a good one.  The idea of a mother wanting to find wealthy husbands for her daughters translated well to the modern setting.  I loved Alys' headstrong and independent nature; as a teacher, she is constantly impressing upon her students that they can have dreams besides only becoming a wife and mother.  She herself doesn't think she will ever get married.  At times, she could be a little too sanctimonious, particularly when disciplining her sisters.  Her mother was wonderfully overbearing and her father had the heart and dry sense of humor of the original Mr. Bennet (my favorite character from the classic story).  Kamal did a beautiful job of bringing the setting of Pakistan to life - the culture, religion, clothing, FOOD.  It was totally immersive.  My only quibble with the book was that it sometimes felt too close to the original, like just the names were changed.  I wish Kamal had been a little more creative with the retelling.  4 stars

Review: The Dead Queens Club

The Dead Queens Club
Hannah Capin
Published January 29, 2019

Mean Girls meets The Tudors in Hannah Capin’s The Dead Queens Club, a clever contemporary YA retelling of Henry VIII and his wives (or, in this case, his high school girlfriends). Told from the perspective of Annie Marck (“Cleves”), a 17-year-old aspiring journalist from Cleveland who meets Henry at summer camp, The Dead Queens Club is a fun, snarky read that provides great historical detail in an accessible way for teens while giving the infamous tale of Henry VIII its own unique spin.

What do a future ambassador, an overly ambitious Francophile, a hospital-volunteering Girl Scout, the new girl from Cleveland, the junior cheer captain, and the vice president of the debate club have in common? It sounds like the ridiculously long lead-up to an astoundingly absurd punchline, right? Except it’s not. Well, unless my life is the joke, which is kind of starting to look like a possibility given how beyond soap opera it’s been since I moved to Lancaster. But anyway, here’s your answer: we’ve all had the questionable privilege of going out with Lancaster High School’s de facto king. Otherwise known as my best friend. Otherwise known as the reason I’ve already helped steal a car, a jet ski, and one hundred spray-painted water bottles when it’s not even Christmas break yet. Otherwise known as Henry. Jersey number 8.

Meet Cleves. Girlfriend number four and the narrator of The Dead Queens Club, a young adult retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives. Cleves is the only girlfriend to come out of her relationship with Henry unscathed—but most breakups are messy, right? And sometimes tragic accidents happen…twice… - from Goodreads

The Tudor era is one of my favorite historical eras to read about, both fiction and nonfiction, so when I heard about a modern retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives, set in high school, I knew I had to read it.  In The Dead Queens Club, Hannah Capin has captured the spirits of the original historical figures with a whole new dose of drama.

Undoubtedly, the reign of Henry VIII was marked by personal, political, and religious upheaval, but turning him into a high school golden boy who can't keep a relationship is kind of ingenious (not to make light of history, particularly since he had two of his wives executed).  The Henry of this story is athletic, smart, and charming - everyone loves him.  He's not perfect, though.  He has a wicked temper, and he can't stand the thought of any of his girlfriends cheating on him; it's almost instant grounds for a break-up (but he can cheat on them - hypocrite).  But now that two of his exes have died, is it impossible to believe that he had something to do with it?

Our narrator is Annie/girlfriend #4/"Cleves," who is Henry's best friend.  Although she loves to write and has grand ideas for the school paper, she's not very ambitious and has no idea what she's going to do when she graduates.  She could be frustrating because she obviously still has feelings for Henry and defends him almost to a fault - she never wants to believe anything bad about him.

Running through the story is the mystery of what happened to Anna Boleyn, who died in a fiery explosion on prom night.  Did she really set it all up?  Was she trying to kill Henry?  There were so many rumors and stories, it was hard to know who and what to believe.

The writing and dialogue are snappy and keep the story moving, although the pacing wasn't always the best.  I don't know if it's my age, but at times the writing felt a little too clever and full of slang; there were parts I had to read a couple times just to understand what the characters were saying.  Also, there is A LOT of slut-shaming, with Anna Boleyn and Katie Howard taking the brunt of it.  Such unnecessary malice, although I liked the way Cleves took a stand against it.

4 stars