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BOOK REVIEW: 'Wickedly Charming' by Kristine Grayson
Monday, January 23, 2012 | Posted by
Laura
Title: Wickedly Charming (Fates #7)
Author: Kristine Grayson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: March 2011
ARC: 352 Pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
SUMMARY:
Cinderella's Prince Charming is divorced and at a dead-end in his career, so he opens a bookstore and travels the land ordering books and discovering new authors. Still handsome and still charming, he has given up on women, royalty, and anything that smacks of a future.
Mellie is sick and tired of being called the Evil Stepmother. She did her best by her stepdaughter Snow White, but the girl resented her to no end and made all kinds of false accusations.
Neither of them believes in happily ever after anymore, but both of them believe in happily for the moment... (Goodreads)
REVIEW:
This is an imaginative and fun take on a fairytale. Our two main characters are Charming, the Prince Charming of Cinderella fame. Who is now a beleaguered father of two, middle aged and bespectacled. Who has reinvented himself in the Greater World as a bookseller and renamed himself Dave. He is also the father of two girls who have been abandoned by their selfish mother and Charming's ex Ella. Our heroine is Mellie, Snow White's evil stepmother, who is on a campaign to clear her name and that of other evil stepmother, because it certainly wasn't her that fed Snow the poisoned apple!
The book starts off with Charming at a book fair, because he is a total book geek and runs his own book store (personally I don't see anything wrong with this!), where Mellie is campaigning against the misrepresentation of fairy tale characters in novels. Sparks fly as Charming is horrified at Mellie's wish to censor fiction. The pair are like chalk and cheese with Charming quietly bookish, although gifted of course with magical charm, and Mellie outspoken, yet insecure all at the same time. It's not long before Charming convinces Mellie there maybe a very different approach to improving the perception of wicked step mothers, after all look at vampires - everyone loves them now! Cue an unlikely partnership.
As a lover of happy endings and fairytales, I did have to get over the fact that Prince Charming and Cinderella are divorced, but not only that but Cinderella is the baddie. The horror! ;-)
This isn't a hot and sizzling romance, more like a warm and fuzzy one, or a hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the top. But I wouldn't say there were lots of sizzle and sparks and the love story itself is a slow burner.
The pace of the book is also sedate. I liked the world creation of the Greater World (our human world) and the magical kingdoms where fairytale characters really exist in separate kingdoms. The story is however, slow moving at times. There are some really witty scenes, a fab coffee shop sequence springs to mind and there are some parts that unfortunately dragged. Which meant the overall flow of the book could have done with a bit more speed and a little less detail. For example, we meet some characters briefly, never to see them again.
This is the first book I have read by Grayson, but I've since discovered she has written a series of these fairy tale adaptations. While I enjoyed the story and its gentle chiding at fairytales, I probably wouldn't want to read lots of them. But perhaps that is more to do with my love of fairytales and happily ever after, than a criticism of the writing, because I did enjoy it never the less.
VERDICT:
A fun take on what happens after happily ever after with our favourite and not so favourite fairytale characters. A gentle love story that will probably appeal to people who like less spicy romances.
RATING: 6/10 - Good
Kristine Grayson Online:
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5 comments:
This sounds like an interesting concept, but like you I probably won't be searching this one out. Just not my cup of tea. Great review and thanks for posting!
You had me at "He owns his own bookstore" - that's my type of storybook hero!!
This sounds like a sweet romance, I may have to pick it up for one of those times I just need a simple pick-me-up! Thanks for the great review :)
-Jac @ For Love and Books
I ADORE reimaginings of fairy tales--probably why one of my favorite shows at the moment is Once Upon a Time, and that Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's Snow White, Blood Red is one of my favorite books. I love seeing the new twists authors can bring to the old tales. Even with the slow pacing moments, this one sounds interesting enough to draw me in.
Smiles!
Lori
I have put this book downs so many times but I do agree with your review. It is very sweet and I think if you are in the right mood, very good for a summer afternoon. I am going to come back to it in spring and see if it is just "mood"itis that is keeping me from enjoying it!
@Amy glad you liked the review :) I think there is a bit of a trend for fairytale rewrites at the moment
@Jac you're welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I like a book shop owner hero too ;)
@LoriStongin if you love fairytale rewrite this is problem one for you then :) I've never seen Once Upon A Time, I'll look out for it.
@Felicia the slow parts do make you want to put the book down I do agree, but I'm glad I persevered with it.