Keep on Believing - A Cinderella Story: Historical Cinderella Fairy Tale (Where Dreams Come True Book 4) by Marie Higgins: A Book Review

Keep on Believing - A Cinderella Story: Historical Cinderella Fairy Tale (Where Dreams Come True Book 4)
Author: Marie Higgins
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Amazon
Release Date: 2016
Pages: 180
Source: This book was given to me by Audiobookworm Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Taking some of the family’s jewels, Ella Spencer and her brother left the kingdom in the dead of night, escaping the clutches of their evil stepmother. Ella realized they need a different life than one of a servant. Now living in a new kingdom, Ella believes this is where they can start over again. So far, it’s working…until her brother’s school teacher starts poking his nose into their business. She cannot tell him the truth, yet deep down inside, she feels that he might be her Prince Charming after all, and be the one who’ll save her from danger.

Christopher Morgan is hiding secrets that he never plans to divulge. The sister of one of his students intrigues him, and he can’t keep from wanting to know more about her. When a man comes around asking questions, Chris fears Ella is not safe and he needs to protect her. But he finds that he is the one in need of a dream-come-true. Can he hope that Ella will be the one to rescue him out of his life before these secrets destroy him?

My Review: Keep on Believing is a retelling of Cinderella. Ella and her brother, Billy, leave the clutches of their evil grandmother and decide to settle in a new kingdom with a new identity. Everything seems fine until Billy’s school teacher starts looking into Ella and her family. Ella tries to hide her secrets, but as she starts to fall for him, she wonders if she should tell him the truth. Can Ella learn to trust him and learn to believe in love?

Ella was a very fun character. She is feisty and stubborn. She is also very practical. One thing that I love about Ella was that she definitely is not a damsel in distress and is very capable of relying on herself. Her only fault is that she spoils her brother Billy, much to his school teacher’s dismay. There were a few times that I disliked her because since she was a wealthy woman, she believed that every situation she runs into could be bought with money. I adored her romance with the school teacher, Chris. At first, they greatly disliked each other, then they gradually start to fall for each other.

Overall, this book is about family, trust, friendship, and love. While I did think that there was not much growth to the characters, I found them all to be likable. The world-building was a bit vague. The novel is mostly told rather than shown. There were also times that I questioned Chris’s teaching practices. Still, I greatly enjoyed the novel. The narrator did a great job in voicing all the characters. It was a very entertaining story, and one that I will definitely listen to or read again. This is a charming, light retelling that is perfect for all fairy-tale fans. I recommend Keep on Believing for fans of Melanie Dickerson, K. M. Shea, and Jenni James.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Guest Post by Elisa DeCarlo: From Corsets to Chemises: Fashion as Liberation

Today's guest writer is Elisa DeCarlo. Elisa DeCarlo has published two novels, Strong Spirits and The Devil You Say as well as The Abortionist's Daughter . Her work is also in a number of anthologies. Elisa has also written and performed a number of solo shows across the country. In 2013, the Exit Press will publish an anthology of her stage work. Elisa was born in Westchester, NY, and grew up there and in New York City. As an actress, she has performed in television, radio and film. In her guest post, Elisa DeCarlo talks women's fashion in the 1910s. Be sure to check out my review of The Abortionist's Daughter soon. Thank you, Mrs. DeCarlo. From Corsets to Chemises: Fashion As Liberation In The Abortionist’s Daughter , which is set in 1916, the evolution of the main character, Melanie Daniels, is not only shown by her thoughts actions, but also her clothes. Since I am an obsessed fashion buff, I had to write about the clothes! Queen Victoria ...

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein: A Book Review

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Author: Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Mythology Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: 1983 Pages: 256 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With the long-awaited publication of this book, we have for the first time in any modern literary form one of the most vital and important of ancient myths—that of Inanna, the world’s first goddess of recorded history and the beloved deity of the ancient Sumerians. The stories and hymns of Inanna (known to the Semites as Ishtar) are inscribed on clay tablets which date back to 2,000 B.C. Over the past forty years, these cuneiform tablets have gradually been restored and deciphered by a small group of international scholars. In this groundbreaking book, Samuel Noah Kramer, the preeminent living expert on Sumer, and Diane Wolkstein, a gifted storyteller and folklorist, have retranslated, order...

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Chantal Gadoury: Allerleirauh

Today's guest writer is Chantal Gadoury. She is the author of Allerleirauh , a retelling of the lesser known fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. In this guest post, she explores the history behind the Grimm's fairytale. I have a lifelong passion for fairytales, and I look forward to reviewing Allerleirauh soon! I hope this guest post gives you some insight into her fairytale retelling. Thank you, Mrs. Gadoury! Allerleirauh There’s always a story behind a story, whether we as the readers know that or not. Behind every great fairy tale, there is a place where it made origin; an event or person that influenced the past cultures to create the stories that we all know and love today. Even the untold fairy tales, like “Allerleirauh,” have a place in origin. It’s hard to say, “Yes! This is exactly how this story came to be,” but it can give a general idea of how a story might have been created. ...

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