Unleashing Mr. Darcy

Unleashing Mr. Darcy 
by Teri Wilson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.

Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon? (Description from Goodreads.com)

What a cute book! I first saw the description in this monthly publication, Bookpages, our library gets that talks about upcoming releases.  It just sounded too fun to pass up, so I requested the book through interlibrary loan.  

Set in modern times, with a very modern main character, I loved seeing the influence of Pride and Prejudice in these pages.  Sometimes it was tongue-in-cheek, like when Elizabeth's sister, Jenna, makes a comment about how of course the hot British guy she meets is named Darcy, why wouldn't he be?  Sometimes, it was more a direct rewrite of the characters or a plot scene.  In every case, Wilson does a bang up job and this book is a winner for fans of Austen rewrites.  

The plot makes sense, the characters shine, and the romance is stellar.  I adored this book and will probably be purchasing a copy for my collection.  Well done. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed through Interlibrary Loan

Anxiously Awaiting...Splintered!

Splintered
by A.G. Howard

Publication date: January 2013

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

I have to confess...I just saw this over on Stories and Sweeties' Waiting on Wednesday and I loved it soooo much that I had to put it up here, too!! This story sounds amazing! I love whenever authors take on our classics with a dark twist.  I think this one will be great. I just wish we didn't have to wait so long for it...

Enchanted

Enchanted

by Alethea Kontis

Publication date: May 8, 2012

It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past—and hers? (description from Amazon.com)

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This is definitely one of the best fairy tale mash-ups I have read in a long time. It outright sparkles. 

The characters are well drawn, fully fledged...with flaws and all.  They have hidden agendas, complicated interactions, and yet also a seemingly infinite hope for a bright and loving future.

Here, fanciful bits of almost every classic fairy tale combine and dance through Sunday's story, creating a vibrant, effervescent new world for readers to play in. The twists and turns of the story include nods to genre classics, and end up highlighting an emotional depth that I had not expected in the story. 

This is truly a book that no fairy tale reader should miss.
Worthy of a sparkly gold star.

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ