Sleeping Beauty and the Beast

This is my first read by Melissa Lemon and I'm now a hooked fan!

Thank goodness she already has two other books out that I can read!

I love the idea of taking fairy tales and twisting them up. But, she takes it one step further by intertwining two of them together. The author mind reels at the intricacies, but the reader mind says: THAT ROCKS!

I felt deeply sorry for both Eglantine and Duncan. Both craved human contact and understanding but had a difficult time attaining such ends. I had sympathy for Henry, the beast, and also the witch. Poor creatures. Life isn't all fairy tale even in a fairy tale!

The characters are well developed, likable, and have distinctive voices. The descriptions give a great sense of location, clothing, and use of sensory perception without being verbose. Steady pacing moves the story along. Tidy ending. I loathe loose ends!

The cover intrigues and frightens me at the same time, but it's beautifully rendered and a great visual clue to the inner story.

No parental warnings. It's a clean read. I'd say probably 10+.

A fast enjoyable read for anyone wishing to be lost in an enchanting fairy tale.

Blurb: Trapped in a cursed sleep, the only experiences Princess Eglantine has are the ones in her dreams. There she meets Prince Henry of Fallund, a neighboring kingdom on the brink of war. Meanwhile, Prince Henry's brother Duncan discovers a vicious beast imprisoned for murder. Captivated by her, he works to free her from both the prison bars she's locked behind and the ones surrounding her heart and mind. Sleeping Beauty and the Beast reinvents and seamlessly intertwines the classic fairy tales Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.

Bio: Melissa Lemon is the author of two other fairy tale retellings: Cinder and Ella and Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem. She is also the author of a sweet romance called Blue Sky. Writing is just one of her passions. She also loves music, reading, baking and exercising. She is wife to a patient man, mother to three spunky girls, and warden to a tolerant cat named Matilda.

Blog: http://lemoninkwell.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246544-sleeping-beauty-and-the-beast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormelissalemon
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Beauty-Beast-Melissa-Lemon/dp/1499788800/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403610036&sr=1-1&keywords=sleeping+beauty+and+the+beast
Hardback: http://www.lulu.com/shop/melissa-lemon/sleeping-beauty-and-the-beast/hardcover/product-21681887.html;jsessionid=AE0700B3DE82A1A8F6093BAB5FF30535