Whimsical and fun from beginning to end!
I read a preview of this book on Bookish First and it sounded wonderful so I wrote a review based on my first impression. Then, I found the book on Netgalley and requested an ARC. Soon, I was gifted an ARC from Bookish First. What I’m saying is, I have two sources to thank. When Bookish First chooses to give you an ARC, they mail a copy of the book (in this case, a softcover). When you get an ARC from Netgalley, it’s an ebook. I’ve gotten used to reading ebooks, but I decided to switch things up and read the physical book this time. I think I’ll stick with ebooks when I have the option.
This book is so much fun! I love the characters and the plot. The fairy godmothers, Petunia, Bluebonnet, and Jonquil might be a little overdone at times, but it’s hard to fault them for that. Lucky and Ransom (love that his last name is Payne) are sweet. I thought it was a bit silly that the thing that haunted Ransom was the nickname of “The Boy Who Missed,” but since it’s a silly book, I suppose it’s as good a motivation for him as any. Clearly, he needs to overcome his desire to avoid looking foolish. Lucky has to overcome her belief that she is unlucky, which is difficult to do when everything seems to indicate that’s exactly what she is.
There’s a lot of talk about fairy tales and princes and princesses, and someone asks why it always has to be a prince saving a princess. After that, “Roderick (Ransom’s best friend) nodded along but then he said something that surprised RAnsom. ‘Sometimes, when princes save the princess, they’re really being saved, too.’” It’s a bit of foreshadowing, naturally, but it’s not just that Ransom has to save himself, but also that Lucky needs to save herself (and maybe him as well). In other words, both H&h need to experience the hero’s journey, and because there is an HEA, both of them do.
The entire book was amusing and it never feels heavy-handed in the “lessons/morals” department, but there was one scene in particular that made me laugh out loud. I hate to use that phrase because it’s so cliche, but it’s true. I really did. Lucky doesn’t know that Ever After is truly magical and her godmothers are fairy godmothers. She wanders through the dress shop looking for Rosebud and happens upon a scene from Cinderella. There, she sees a beautiful dress on a dress form, surrounded by mice with bobbins, a doe watching through the window, a bunny also perched on the windowsill, and a fat cardinal holding a needle in his mouth. They all freeze, until finally the cardinal drops the needle and says “Caw?” And it sounds like a human making fun of a bird. His next comment is, “Shit, that’s not it.”
The town is made up of fairy tale characters who each make appearances—Red and Grammy, Hansel, Rosebud (the seamstress), Ravena (the “evil” witch), and Prince Charming, currently in the form of a frog. Apparently, he’s a really disgusting-looking frog, and I love the backstory for how/why he ended up that way, but this cracked me up: “The frog made a sound that might’ve been a “ribbitt” on a smaller creature, but this one sounded like the doorbell to the underworld.”
Overall, I love the book and I highly recommend it. I think it’s appropriate for adults and teens—anyone who likes whimsy and fantasy and true love.
This book is so much fun! I love the characters and the plot. The fairy godmothers, Petunia, Bluebonnet, and Jonquil might be a little overdone at times, but it’s hard to fault them for that. Lucky and Ransom (love that his last name is Payne) are sweet. I thought it was a bit silly that the thing that haunted Ransom was the nickname of “The Boy Who Missed,” but since it’s a silly book, I suppose it’s as good a motivation for him as any. Clearly, he needs to overcome his desire to avoid looking foolish. Lucky has to overcome her belief that she is unlucky, which is difficult to do when everything seems to indicate that’s exactly what she is.
There’s a lot of talk about fairy tales and princes and princesses, and someone asks why it always has to be a prince saving a princess. After that, “Roderick (Ransom’s best friend) nodded along but then he said something that surprised RAnsom. ‘Sometimes, when princes save the princess, they’re really being saved, too.’” It’s a bit of foreshadowing, naturally, but it’s not just that Ransom has to save himself, but also that Lucky needs to save herself (and maybe him as well). In other words, both H&h need to experience the hero’s journey, and because there is an HEA, both of them do.
The entire book was amusing and it never feels heavy-handed in the “lessons/morals” department, but there was one scene in particular that made me laugh out loud. I hate to use that phrase because it’s so cliche, but it’s true. I really did. Lucky doesn’t know that Ever After is truly magical and her godmothers are fairy godmothers. She wanders through the dress shop looking for Rosebud and happens upon a scene from Cinderella. There, she sees a beautiful dress on a dress form, surrounded by mice with bobbins, a doe watching through the window, a bunny also perched on the windowsill, and a fat cardinal holding a needle in his mouth. They all freeze, until finally the cardinal drops the needle and says “Caw?” And it sounds like a human making fun of a bird. His next comment is, “Shit, that’s not it.”
The town is made up of fairy tale characters who each make appearances—Red and Grammy, Hansel, Rosebud (the seamstress), Ravena (the “evil” witch), and Prince Charming, currently in the form of a frog. Apparently, he’s a really disgusting-looking frog, and I love the backstory for how/why he ended up that way, but this cracked me up: “The frog made a sound that might’ve been a “ribbitt” on a smaller creature, but this one sounded like the doorbell to the underworld.”
Overall, I love the book and I highly recommend it. I think it’s appropriate for adults and teens—anyone who likes whimsy and fantasy and true love.