It Started With Goodbye

Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.

A modern play on the Cinderella story arc, Christina June’s IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE shows us that sometimes going after what you want means breaking the rules.

My thoughts: I loved this story! I've mentioned before that I really enjoy fairy tales and reading retold fairy tales. It Started With Goodbye is my very favorite kind of retelling, since it was a Cinderella story while being totally original too. I loved the characters and that Tatum isn't the only one we connect with. I highly recommend this one, since it was delightful and surprisingly deep. It also is clean, which can be hard to find in a YA title.
I look forward to reading more by Christina!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Swan and Shadow

Aislin is cursed. A regular college student at night and a swan during the day, Aislin can only break the curse by finding her true love. But when her beloved discovers the truth, will his fear override their love? This modern adaptation of Swan Lake will help you discover what love really means.

My thoughts: I think the author did a fabulous job of bringing the characters to life, especially the twin sisters who are both affected (though, one way more than the other) by the family curse. I like that the story flip flops back and forth between Aislin, who is dealing with being cursed, and Maeve, who is trying to help her sister figure out how to break the curse. For the most part, I felt like the story moves along nicely, though I would of liked more development, especially with the ending! Over all though, I think the author did a wonderful job of re-telling the story of Swan Lake!
I received this book from Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review.

Here's some trivia for you. Enjoy!

10. The author's favorite character is based on a crush she had in 10th grade. They even share a first name.
9. Because the book is set in Boston, the author tried to stay true to the demographics. She grew up knowing Iranian, Saudi, Irish, Italian, Czech, Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, Greek, Spanish-speaking and Armenian immigrants and first-generation Americans fairly well.
8. The protagonists' family lives in her cousins' house in Cambridge, MA.. Not literally, but she describes the neighborhood and house layout based on memories of that home.
7. The author and her editor had very different ideas about the ending. Neither of them actually got the ending they originally proposed, but the author came up with something completely different and her editor declared it to be her favorite of the ideas.
6. At one point, a character's introversion is hatefully mistaken for developmental delays. This conversation was inspired by the author's own experiences. She went through speech therapy as a child and was taught to speak slowly and precisely. As a result, her best friend in Boston originally thought that she had wandered off from the Special Education room at school. The speech pattern changed when she became bilingual and discovered that Spanish conversation moves at the speed of light. When she returned from 18 months of Spanish-speaking work, her mother asked why she spoke so fast in English.
5. The "Interludes" in the book are not plot-driving, just family stories that they all know. One that did not make it into the final book is about the swan maiden learning how to fly. After she tried taking flight from the roof and broke her foot, her sister taught her how to dive and adapted that to aerodynamics.
4. This book has interrupted two others. In 2012, the author was querying an urban fantasy thriller set in Philadelphia when a friend from Boston mentioned the premise to an editor. That editor read the first 50 pages and asked for the rest, but never responded to the finished product. In March 2015, the author was working on a story involving politics, fairy godmothers and a matchmaker when an acquisiions editor at Cedar Fort books approached her about publishing the book. The author is now writing the book that was interrupted in 2015 and intends to finish it this time.
3. All Boston-centric events--the Fourth of July Boston Pops concert, First Night and The Nutcracker at the Wang Center, etc. --are drawn from Olsen family pastimes. In fact, one proofreader had to point out to the author that she had no idea why a character would be carrying buttons in her pocket on New Year's Eve. This led to the explanation of First Night lapel pins and the inability of the author to think of buttons without smirking.
2. The characters spend almost all of their travel time on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority trains. This is because the author got in the habit of riding the T everywhere for high school and thinks that driving in Boston is nonsensical.
1. The author chose to send the swan maiden to Boston University because she was a Boston University Academy student for two years before transferring to her alma mater, Lexington Christian Academy. During her BUA years, she discovered that the BU libraries were open fantastically late and this helped her with research papers and Physics assignments. Like the swan maiden, she had no exact curfew, but had to let her parents know where she'd be if she stayed out late.

The Golden Braid

The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower…

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel, in turn, rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to him than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery are about to be revealed after seventeen years. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

My thoughts: It's no secret that I enjoy a good re-telling of fairy tales, so I was thrilled to have the chance to read The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson. Taking the old story of Rapunzel and making it her own, Melanie does a wonderful job of bringing to life the Medieval ages, when knights and fair maidens, minstrels and kings were at their height. I like how she brings the characters to life, weaving together an unforgettable story of faith and bravery. An excellent tale to pick up as the weather turns colder!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Out of the Ashes

When Ashelandra’s father dies, she ends up a servant in her own house, instead of the Baroness she was supposed to become. But Ash’s secret sorcery could be the key to winning back her home and following her heart to a future she never imagined. This fantasy-infused Cinderella story puts a magical twist on a classic tale. Riveting and original, it’s a spellbinding read.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this story immensely! While it was inspired by the story of Cinderella, and is somewhat of a retelling of the old story, it is still very original and so much fun. The main character is quite like able from the get go, with her mischievous streak and knack for magic. I like how the story is told over the span of several years, making it seem fuller and adding quite a bit to the depth of the characters.
If you enjoy fairy tale stories, then this is the book for you!
I received this book from Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review.

Bearskin

When Conrad, Moiria, and Heppson’s evil enchantress mother tries to convince them to follow her dark ways, they must each decide where the line lies between good and evil, magic and mythology. Based on a lesser-known fairy tale, this young adult book features an impossible romance, an intricate plot, and twists you won’t see coming.

My thoughts: Bearskin has been one of my favorite fairy tales since I was a young teenager, so I was thrilled to have the chance to read this re-telling of the fairy tale! While there are a lot of twists that keep the reader guessing, I was surprised how dark this re-telling is. I never quite thought of the story in the way that it is told in this book!
While it is a bit darker than I care for, I think it is well worth reading if you enjoy fairy tales.
I received this book from Cedar Fort in exchange for my honest review.

How to Catch a Prince

American heiress Corina Del Rey’s life was devastated by war. Every thing she loved was lost. But after five years of grief, she’s shed her grave clothes and started over in the sunshine along the Florida coast.

But some things are not so easily forgotten. When a secret from her past confronts her face to face, she realizes she must follow her heart. Even if it cost her everything.

Prince Stephen of Brighton Kingdom is a former Royal Air Command lieutenant turned star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life after the devastation of war.

When his brother, King Nathaniel, discovers Stephen’s pre war secret, he must deal with an aspect of his life he longed to forget. But how can he do so without exposing the truth and breaching national security?

Yet, true love has a destiny all it’s own. As the cathedral bells peal through Cathedral City, Corina and Stephen must chose to answer the call of love on their hearts.

Or let it be lost forever?

My thoughts: I've been a fan of Rachel Shuck's for some time now, having read a lot of her books. I think this one is my favorite so far! Probably because most of us, as young girls, dreamed of being a princess and living in a castle. I know I still like my "happily ever after" endings!
While their is loss and grief in this story, it also has a strong message of God's love and guidance in our lives. The characters are solid and I enjoyed getting to know them. This is a story you won't want to miss!
I received this story from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review