Review: Once Upon a River

I, like thousands of others, had read Diane Setterfield's bestselling novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Now, I can't remember when I read it. Or even how it ended. But I recall really enjoying it. (Yes, that's probably evidence that I read too many books and I really can't keep track of all of them.) When Once Upon a River showed up at my house last year, I was intrigued simply because of Setterfield's name. Then I read the synopsis. Even more intriguing. And when I was finished? I was a little bit in love.

Here's the synopsis:

A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.
Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.
Is it a miracle?
Is it magic?
Or can it be explained by science?
Replete with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.

This was such a well-told story. I found myself calling it a sort of fable or fairy tale. It was set in a real world but had a sense of the mystical about it, what with all the storytelling and the little girl who was dead and then she wasn't. Or was she? I loved the way Setterfield wrote this novel so much I found myself reading aloud to my colleague as I just couldn't keep such wonderful phrases to myself.

I was emotionally invested from the start. Invested in the whole story and every character I met along the way - and there were a lot of characters. You'd actually think it could get confusing with so many people involved but it wasn't. Setterfield keeps each thread untangled and then masterfully weaves the threads together into an ending that is oh so satisfying.

I really liked reading the customs and folklore of the people and communities Setterfield created. Each town along the river had something it was known for and, being a reader and lover of stories, I really liked that the town the little girl landed in was known for their stories. I could perfectly imagine sitting by the fire at The Swan with a mug of ale or cider and listening to Joe tell his stories. Not only could I imagine it but I wanted to be there. Setterfield created a world that totally and completely drew me in.

And how lovely is this cover? I think it perfectly captures the feel of the novel.

I highly recommend reading Once Upon a River. It's such a delight and a wonderful mix of historical fiction and fairy tales. If you're in a book club, you should consider suggesting Diane Setterfield's latest novel - I think you'll all have a lot to talk about.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Cinderella Screwed Me Over

Like a lot of females, I love fairy tales and have loved them since I was a little girl. This love, according to the main character in Cindi Madsen's novel, is getting women into trouble when it comes to relationships. Cinderella Screwed Me Over was an amusing look at how fairy tales can warp a woman's sense of romance and how there really can be a happily ever after for everyone. I really liked reading it!

Here's the synopsis:

Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.
Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?

Even though Darby was crazy negative about love (more on that in the next paragraph), I loved reading her story. She was smart and funny and had her life totally together (I love that she's an interior designer)...apart from a romantic relationship. I think she was a great chick lit/romance heroine and she's someone I'd love to be able to hang out with and have a drink with. I love when I love the main character! There were a ton of great secondary characters, too. Darby had a fabulous BFF in Stephanie. The scenes with the two of them together clearly illustrated how close they were and that was great to read. Darby's family was a lot of fun to read about (even though I wish there were more scenes with her mom) - Drew, one of her stepbrothers, especially. I also really liked Karl. He fit into the story perfectly and I think Madsen did a great job of establishing their relationship and making it completely believable.

The little negatives I had with the novel really didn't bother me too much, thankfully. Sometimes Darby's overly pessimistic and strict rules drove me nuts. I wanted her to open up and I had a hard time believing anyone could be that negative. Also, the case studies where Darby compares her exes to Disney Princes were cute but sometimes thrown in at an odd time and without no real lead. One chapter had a random, unnecessary paragraph and then went into a case study. It was a bit jarring and I wish they had had more reasons for being included.

As for the romance - sa-woon. That might be surprising considering Darby is doing all she possibly can to keep herself from falling for Jake. The way they met might seem cheesy but it totally worked for the story. I love that he kept popping up in Darby's life before she finally decided to give him a shot. He seemed like the perfect guy and I was rooting for the two of them!

Finally, I loved that the book was funny as well as sweet (and a little sexy). It had the perfect mixture of laughs and serious moments. One quote stuck out for me and I just have to share it. To set the scene: Darby is talking about The Little Mermaid and how things went wrong with Eric and her ex-boyfriend that could be compared to him (I stupidly forgot to note the page number, sorry!):

"And I can't hold much against Ariel, because she was young and naive and easily amused by things like forks."

Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen was a total winner for me. There were a few hiccups and things that bugged me but it isn't enough to keep me from recommending this book. If you like fairy tales, romance, and chick lit, you should read this book!

Happy reading!

An Ode to "Once Upon a Time"

Guys, I am in love with this new show. I'm a girl who grew up with Disney so I'm a sucker for fairy tales. Is it any wonder that I am LOVING ABC's new fairy tale-esque show "Once Upon A Time"?

I heard about this show well before the start date, which was late in the television season. I was so worried about forgetting it was on that I made sure to put a reminder in my phone. What made me want to watch it? It was a combination of a couple of things...

- Fairy Tales - The show promised to tell the story of Snow White and Prince Charming. While she's not one of my favourite princesses (that honour goes to Cinderella with Sleeping Beauty and Belle following close behind) she's still a princess. I love how fairy tales are meant to be told out loud with great visuals. It's great that they've decided to take some classics and put a new twist on it for a television show. I mean, fairy tale characters that are trapped in our world and don't remember their old life? Pretty neat.

- Jennifer Morrison and Ginnifer Goodwin - I've been a fan of Morrison's since she was Cameron on "House" (it really is too bad she couldn't work things out with House...now we're given a revolving door of female doctors...but that's a little off topic). I knew she'd bring great things to the show and I was interested to see how she did on this new show. Same goes for Goodwin. I loved her as Rachel in "Something Borrowed" and was looking forward to getting to see more of her in this show.

Emma (Morrison) and Snow White (Goodwin)

I appreciate that they keep the fairy tales family friendly. They don't shy away from some of the "scarier" aspects of fairy tales - there's fighting with evil trolls and fires and there's a whole episode featuring Snow's Hunter - but they don't go into the gruesome details that they could. And I appreciate that. This means that the show's not for everyone but that's fine by me.

So far "Once Upon A Time" is meeting my expectations. Each show focuses on different fairy tales, Snow White, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Jiminy Cricket, and slowly reveals parts of each character's other life. You start to really understand what makes them tick and you realize what you think you know may not be true. So far my favourite episode has been "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". Yes, it was terrible upsetting at the end but it was just so good. I never even clued in about who Sheriff Graham really was and appreciated that the show surprised me.

I know I'm not the only one out there in the book blogging universe who's also obsessed with "Once Upon A Time" so feel free to comment and let me know what you think!

Vacation Reads Challenge: Scotland by Starlight

Oh my gosh. That's all I can say to this novel right now. Wow.

*breathes*

Ok, that's better. Here we go...

I really liked Nancy Volkers' first novel, A Scottish Ferry Tale, so I knew I should like the sequel Scotland by Starlight as well. I was actually wrong. I loved the sequel. I started the book a few days ago, finished it this evening and during that time I have pretty much been thinking about it nonstop. It was that good. But...well, there's one thing I can't get over but I'll give you the synopsis from Goodreads first and then I'll really get into what I thought about this book.

Cassie Wrentham is on her way to Scotland again... but this time it's not vacation. She's moving in with Ralph Macnair, the charismatic Scotsman who stole her heart. But Cassie wouldn't be Cassie without doubts. Will she find a job in a tight U.K. economy? Would marrying Ralph now be only for convenience's sake? Will she fit in, make friends, make a life there? Or will it all fall apart? Bursting with a lively cast of characters, all with their own stories and challenges, Scotland By Starlight follows Cassie and Ralph from the new beginnings of their intense relationship to a conclusion like no other.

I read A Scottish Ferry Tale as part of a blog tour organized by Chick Lit Plus (if you missed my review, you can find it here). I really enjoyed it, and not only because it was set in Scotland (more about that later). Nancy oh so generously sent me a (signed!) copy of Scotland by Starlight a few months ago and I finally got to read it this week. This was one of those books that I did not want to put down and when I had to, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I don't know what it was about the story that grabbed me so much but I could really feel the intensity of Cassie and Ralph's relationship. Did anyone else feel that way? They love each other so passionately and it really seemed to come through the pages. Their relationship managed to be both idealistic and realistic at the same time. They were just like any other couple with their disagreements, insecurities, and doubts but they were so madly in love with each other and it showed. They seemed to have the perfect balance of a serious but fun relationship and I think that's something that everyone strives for.

One of the things I didn't like about A Scottish Ferry Tale was that Ralph was so much older than Cassie (twenty years older, to be precise...at least, I hope that's precise. My math skills aren't exactly stellar). It was an issue that I felt wasn't mentioned or even really acknowledged in the book. In Scotland by Starlight, however, it really seemed to be addressed, especially when Cassie talked about how she was worried about being left alone. This made it easier for me to really imagine Cassie and Ralph correctly (I used to see Ralph much younger...as you'll see in my review I pictured him looking Matthew Goode) and I think I appreciated the story even better. Personally, I still can't quite get over the twenty year gap, but their love for each other definitely overshadows their age difference.

Part of why I loved this book, and why I chose it as part of the Vacation Reads Challenge (see Ruby's Reads blog for details), is that it is based in Scotland. Being part Scottish (my last name is Stewart. Can't get a whole lot more Scottish than that!) I've always wanted to travel to Scotland. This was one of those books that made me feel like I was actually there. Not because they traveled to many Scottish tourist destinations (though Cassie does show her friend Leslie around a bit when she's visiting), it's more that the characters were all so incredibly Scottish. They live, breath, and speak Scottish on every page and I found myself totally immersed in it. It didn't hurt that Gaelic is spoken by Ralph and his friends and family in their everyday speech. Can you imagine your boyfriend/fiance/husband calling you "mo chridh", instead of the "my heart" or saying "Is tu m'annsachd" instead of "you are my best beloved". Swoon.

I also really liked that each chapter began with the motto of a different Scottish clan. It really added an additional Scottish element to the novel. Each motto was chosen for a reason as it related to the chapter that followed. Of course, I'm partial to chapter 17:

Virescit vulnere virtus

Courage grows strong at a wound

Clan Stewart

There are probably many other things I could say about this book but I don't want to give anything away. That and it's getting late and my brain has stopped functioning correctly. I have to say that I was blindsided by the ending, hence the needing to breathe at the beginning of this post. If you're like me (and a couple of other people) you will cry. A lot. I would probably give this book a five star rating if it wasn't for the ending. I know not all books can have a happy ending but having a sad ending come out of nowhere can be tough. However, that being said, the whole book is so intense, romantic, and real and the conclusion really reflects that. All in all, I loved Scotland by Starlight. I highly recommend you check out both of Nancy Volkers' books - and then let me know what you think!

Now that I've shared with you my ideal travel destination - who wants to tell me where they would love to travel?

Happy reading :)


UPDATE: When I finished this post I emailed Nancy to let her know that I had read, reviewed, and loved her book. I appreciated that she took the time to reply and thank me. I wanted to share a part of her email with you because it shows how authors don't always know how their stories will end up either:  

Many folks are upset by the ending.... all I can say is that I sat down one day and started writing in Ralph's voice, and that's what came out. I didn't like it much either! :-)