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Transplanted Tales #3
Along Came a Spider
Along came a spider…
When Trish Muffet is attacked at a grisly crime scene, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. But since walking away from everything two years before, Nicky’s been doling out vigilante justice as “The Spider,” taking on the vicious predators of the night in hopes it’ll lead him to his ultimate target – Vlad Dracula. And he needs Trish’s help.
Although Nicky’s renegade style goes against everything Trish stands for, she’ll do what she must to bring Dracula down. With danger stalking her, Trish knows the only person she can count on is the one man who has the power to leave her breathless. There’s no way she’s letting this spider frighten her away…
When Trish Muffet is attacked at a grisly crime scene, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. But since walking away from everything two years before, Nicky’s been doling out vigilante justice as “The Spider,” taking on the vicious predators of the night in hopes it’ll lead him to his ultimate target – Vlad Dracula. And he needs Trish’s help.
Although Nicky’s renegade style goes against everything Trish stands for, she’ll do what she must to bring Dracula down. With danger stalking her, Trish knows the only person she can count on is the one man who has the power to leave her breathless. There’s no way she’s letting this spider frighten her away…
191 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
38 people are currently reading
788 people want to read
About the author
Kate SeRine
13 books457 followersKate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it's no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. She's the author of the award-winning TRANSPLANTED TALES series, the PROTECT AND SERVE series, and the DARK ALLIANCE series.
Kate has been a finalist in the Fire and Ice Contest (2010), the Finally a Bride Contest (2010), the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence (2013), and the Booksellers Best Award (2017); and is the recipient of The Emily (2012), the National Readers Choice Award (2012), and the National Excellence in Story Telling Award (2022). She is represented by Nicole Resciniti with the Seymour Agency.
Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project--probably while consuming way too much coffee.
Series reading order:
Transplanted Tales:
Red
Grimm Consequences
The Better to See You
Along Came a Spider
Ever After
Better Watch Out
Protect & Serve:
"Torn" (prequel novella in WAY OF THE WARRIOR)
Stop at Nothing
Safe from Harm
Dark Alliance:
Deceived
Concealed
Kate has been a finalist in the Fire and Ice Contest (2010), the Finally a Bride Contest (2010), the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence (2013), and the Booksellers Best Award (2017); and is the recipient of The Emily (2012), the National Readers Choice Award (2012), and the National Excellence in Story Telling Award (2022). She is represented by Nicole Resciniti with the Seymour Agency.
Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project--probably while consuming way too much coffee.
Series reading order:
Transplanted Tales:
Red
Grimm Consequences
The Better to See You
Along Came a Spider
Ever After
Better Watch Out
Protect & Serve:
"Torn" (prequel novella in WAY OF THE WARRIOR)
Stop at Nothing
Safe from Harm
Dark Alliance:
Deceived
Concealed
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 30, 2020
”You asked me once to come with you and I spent over a hundred years regretting that I told you no. I’m not making that mistake again.”
“Know something, doll? I love ya.”
This is the third book in the Transplanted Tales series and you should read the other two before you start this one.
Trish (aka Beatrice) (Little Miss Muffet) and Nicky (Little Boy Blue) met when they first arrived in the Here and Now.
“Want to come with me?” he asked,”
“I did want to go with him even though logic and reason warned me that such a thing was reckless and foolish. I swallowed hard, hating what I was about to say. “I cannot,” I told him, wishing I had the courage to flout propriety and take my chances with a man whose name I didn’t even know. “It wouldn’t be proper.”
That decision lead to them being separated for over 100 years but Trish has always had a crush on Nicky.
Trish is the head of Forensics for the Fairytale Management Authority (FMA) and has the ability to read the final thoughts of the dead. Nicky was a mob boss but has been MIA for the past couple of years since he was attacked and his wife was killed (this happened in Book 1). He is hell-bent on tracking down Dracula (who he thinks is responsible for his wife’s death) and is a vigilante that goes by the name “The Spider“.🕷
Nicky grinned. “They didn’t give me that nickname. That’s what I told them to call me.”
“I guess I’ve thought of myself that way for a while now,” he sighed, lying back against his pillow with his arm behind his head. “I mean, I frightened Miss Muffet away on my first day in the Here and Now, didn’t I?”
“The Spider,” Alex said. “He’s been popping up all over the place lately, coming in, kicking some ass, and disappearing before the Ordinary cops arrive. The New Orleans office said he took out a couple of Tales down their way, though, so he appears to be an equal opportunity ass kicker. It’s like something out of a comic book”
When Trish is attacked at a crime scene, The Spider comes to her rescue and they are once again reunited. Nicky and Trish team up to try to take down Dracula, but of course that road isn’t easy. Besides their huge attraction to each other and the constant battle to keep their hands off each other (which of course fails miserably ☺️🔥), they encounter all kinds of Tales along the way....most of which are helpful in their own unique way 😉
- Dracula - still sucking people’s blood
- The Sandman (ruthless crime boss)
- Snow White (a madam)
- Cupid (wants to start an escort service with Snow White)
- Aladdin (works for FMA)
- Mary, Mary quite contrary (prosecutor)
- Tess-Little Red Riding Hood (Tale enforcer)
- Nate-The Grim Reaper
- Lavender- Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother
- Seth-The Big Bad Wolf
- Mrs. Reed-from Jane Eyre (matron of the Asylum)
- The 3 Little Pigs (hitmen)
- Jack Be Nimble (hacker)
- Rumpelstiltskin (jeweler)
“You can take the Tale out of Make Believe, but you can’t take Make Believe out of the Tale.”
I thought the little “tiff” between Snow White and Trish was hilarious .....🤣
”I sent a wide-eyed glance Nicky’s way, wondering what the hell he’d done to piss off Snow White so much that she’d want to relieve him of his dangly bits.“
“Do they get tired of a used up, has-been princess who’d spread her legs for anyone?”
She laughed, but there was no amusement in it. “Not as tired as they get of a cock-tease whose legs have to be pried open with a crowbar.”
I batted my lashes and smiled sweetly. “I’d rather hand out crowbars to pry open my legs than ‘now serving’ tickets to the turnstile in my vagina.”
There is a ton of action and lots of steamy scenes between Trish and Nicky and I had no problem flipping through pages like a mad woman. Who was behind all this? Who was protecting Dracula? Why was he intent on getting to Trish? Who was going to be the next Tale to show up?😀 What were they going to be like?
See.....lots of things kept me engaged. 👍
With each book, this world continues to grow and evolve and more and more fairytale, nursery rhyme and literary characters come to life in new and unexpected ways. It’s been great fun to experience the author’s creativity as she transforms our beloved (and villainous) storybook characters into “real” beings. Each book has a new romantic couple and there is always intrigue and mystery as the reader tries to unravel who is really involved in the nefarious activities surrounding the Tales.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this series and I applaud the author for creating something truly magical and unique. 👏👏
“And, so, my friends, I’m happy to report that in true fairytale fashion, we lived—and loved—happily ever after.”
Quotes:
“You must control your fear, Beatrice, or your fear will control you. Never let your mind slip into the abyss where chaos reigns. . .”
“Here was an intensely intelligent and quietly courageous man who could command respect from his friends and instill fear in the hearts of those who weren’t. He was also capable of genuine kindness and the deepest and most profound love. But I was shocked to see that he had absolutely no idea what a remarkable man he could be.”
Trish: "Over the last couple of years I’d become more reckless, more headstrong, and much less willing to take anyone’s shit. Plus, I’d become an unrepentant potty mouth, casting aside my milder curses for the much harsher, more colorful versions she used and finding it completely and utterly liberating.”
“You sometimes come off as a bit hard around the edges, but you’re actually a softy and have a way of making people feel comfortable and safe without even trying. You intentionally present the impression of ease and charm with a vibe of underlying danger,
but when I look closer, I can see there’s much more than what’s on the surface. You have a sturdiness and steadfastness of spirit that’s rare these days.”
He took another swig of his Scotch, then grunted. “And you got all that from my furniture?”
I shook my head. “No. I got that from how you’ve looked after your friends all these years, the respect and loyalty you command from the people who know you, the fear you inspire in the people who don’t. I got that from how you fought those vampires and how you didn’t even think twice about helping me when I was in danger from that ghost. How you could’ve dumped me at FMA headquarters or on any one of my colleagues, but you brought me to your home.”
“I read the dead at every crime scene.”
“Dear Trish—do you like me? Check yes or no.”
“Oh, my God,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “This is ludicrous.”
“Then stop avoiding the question,” he prompted with a laugh.
“You really can’t deny I’m irresistible, doll. Charming, funny . . . devilishly handsome, too. Oh, and humble.”
“I blinked at the surreal Hannibal Lecter moment we seemed to be having. If he so much as hinted at Chianti and fava beans, I was outta there.”
“You know as well as I do that some of us have . . . altered . . . since we arrived, based upon how our origin stories are perceived by popular culture,” he explained”
“Know something, doll? I love ya.”
This is the third book in the Transplanted Tales series and you should read the other two before you start this one.
Trish (aka Beatrice) (Little Miss Muffet) and Nicky (Little Boy Blue) met when they first arrived in the Here and Now.
“Want to come with me?” he asked,”
“I did want to go with him even though logic and reason warned me that such a thing was reckless and foolish. I swallowed hard, hating what I was about to say. “I cannot,” I told him, wishing I had the courage to flout propriety and take my chances with a man whose name I didn’t even know. “It wouldn’t be proper.”
That decision lead to them being separated for over 100 years but Trish has always had a crush on Nicky.
Trish is the head of Forensics for the Fairytale Management Authority (FMA) and has the ability to read the final thoughts of the dead. Nicky was a mob boss but has been MIA for the past couple of years since he was attacked and his wife was killed (this happened in Book 1). He is hell-bent on tracking down Dracula (who he thinks is responsible for his wife’s death) and is a vigilante that goes by the name “The Spider“.🕷
Nicky grinned. “They didn’t give me that nickname. That’s what I told them to call me.”
“I guess I’ve thought of myself that way for a while now,” he sighed, lying back against his pillow with his arm behind his head. “I mean, I frightened Miss Muffet away on my first day in the Here and Now, didn’t I?”
“The Spider,” Alex said. “He’s been popping up all over the place lately, coming in, kicking some ass, and disappearing before the Ordinary cops arrive. The New Orleans office said he took out a couple of Tales down their way, though, so he appears to be an equal opportunity ass kicker. It’s like something out of a comic book”
When Trish is attacked at a crime scene, The Spider comes to her rescue and they are once again reunited. Nicky and Trish team up to try to take down Dracula, but of course that road isn’t easy. Besides their huge attraction to each other and the constant battle to keep their hands off each other (which of course fails miserably ☺️🔥), they encounter all kinds of Tales along the way....most of which are helpful in their own unique way 😉
- Dracula - still sucking people’s blood
- The Sandman (ruthless crime boss)
- Snow White (a madam)
- Cupid (wants to start an escort service with Snow White)
- Aladdin (works for FMA)
- Mary, Mary quite contrary (prosecutor)
- Tess-Little Red Riding Hood (Tale enforcer)
- Nate-The Grim Reaper
- Lavender- Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother
- Seth-The Big Bad Wolf
- Mrs. Reed-from Jane Eyre (matron of the Asylum)
- The 3 Little Pigs (hitmen)
- Jack Be Nimble (hacker)
- Rumpelstiltskin (jeweler)
“You can take the Tale out of Make Believe, but you can’t take Make Believe out of the Tale.”
I thought the little “tiff” between Snow White and Trish was hilarious .....🤣
”I sent a wide-eyed glance Nicky’s way, wondering what the hell he’d done to piss off Snow White so much that she’d want to relieve him of his dangly bits.“
“Do they get tired of a used up, has-been princess who’d spread her legs for anyone?”
She laughed, but there was no amusement in it. “Not as tired as they get of a cock-tease whose legs have to be pried open with a crowbar.”
I batted my lashes and smiled sweetly. “I’d rather hand out crowbars to pry open my legs than ‘now serving’ tickets to the turnstile in my vagina.”
There is a ton of action and lots of steamy scenes between Trish and Nicky and I had no problem flipping through pages like a mad woman. Who was behind all this? Who was protecting Dracula? Why was he intent on getting to Trish? Who was going to be the next Tale to show up?😀 What were they going to be like?
See.....lots of things kept me engaged. 👍
With each book, this world continues to grow and evolve and more and more fairytale, nursery rhyme and literary characters come to life in new and unexpected ways. It’s been great fun to experience the author’s creativity as she transforms our beloved (and villainous) storybook characters into “real” beings. Each book has a new romantic couple and there is always intrigue and mystery as the reader tries to unravel who is really involved in the nefarious activities surrounding the Tales.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this series and I applaud the author for creating something truly magical and unique. 👏👏
“And, so, my friends, I’m happy to report that in true fairytale fashion, we lived—and loved—happily ever after.”
Quotes:
“You must control your fear, Beatrice, or your fear will control you. Never let your mind slip into the abyss where chaos reigns. . .”
“Here was an intensely intelligent and quietly courageous man who could command respect from his friends and instill fear in the hearts of those who weren’t. He was also capable of genuine kindness and the deepest and most profound love. But I was shocked to see that he had absolutely no idea what a remarkable man he could be.”
Trish: "Over the last couple of years I’d become more reckless, more headstrong, and much less willing to take anyone’s shit. Plus, I’d become an unrepentant potty mouth, casting aside my milder curses for the much harsher, more colorful versions she used and finding it completely and utterly liberating.”
“You sometimes come off as a bit hard around the edges, but you’re actually a softy and have a way of making people feel comfortable and safe without even trying. You intentionally present the impression of ease and charm with a vibe of underlying danger,
but when I look closer, I can see there’s much more than what’s on the surface. You have a sturdiness and steadfastness of spirit that’s rare these days.”
He took another swig of his Scotch, then grunted. “And you got all that from my furniture?”
I shook my head. “No. I got that from how you’ve looked after your friends all these years, the respect and loyalty you command from the people who know you, the fear you inspire in the people who don’t. I got that from how you fought those vampires and how you didn’t even think twice about helping me when I was in danger from that ghost. How you could’ve dumped me at FMA headquarters or on any one of my colleagues, but you brought me to your home.”
“I read the dead at every crime scene.”
“Dear Trish—do you like me? Check yes or no.”
“Oh, my God,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “This is ludicrous.”
“Then stop avoiding the question,” he prompted with a laugh.
“You really can’t deny I’m irresistible, doll. Charming, funny . . . devilishly handsome, too. Oh, and humble.”
“I blinked at the surreal Hannibal Lecter moment we seemed to be having. If he so much as hinted at Chianti and fava beans, I was outta there.”
“You know as well as I do that some of us have . . . altered . . . since we arrived, based upon how our origin stories are perceived by popular culture,” he explained”
May 25, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
The third book of the Transplanted Tales series, Along Came a Spider is brought to us by Little Miss Muffet's PoV. She goes by Trish in the here in now working for the FMA (Fairytale Management Authority) to solve crimes perpetrated on tales. She has a special talent to see the last moments of the newly deceased to help find their killers. It also works unexpectedly sometimes with the living, to see into their souls, which makes dating a bit hellish.
Trish has been in love with Nicky Blue (Little Boy Blue, a kingpin in the here and how) since that first day she ended up in the here and now but hasn't been really close to him since that first day coming over. She has seen him here and there and helped save his life in the first book, but for the most part she has pined for him from a far while he dated Red for years and then married Juliette, from Romeo and Juliette. That ended a bit tragically as you know if you read Red, but it is years later now and Nicky is hunting Vlad the man/vampire for the loss of this semi-perfect life, when Vlad set his sights on Trish, Nicky vows to protect her.
There are a few more politics in play in this one as Al Laddin is trying to keep the tales being in the here and now safe, while the Agency is becoming more bold in their efforts to find out what makes tales tick in a cut you apart and see what's inside kind of way which never goes well for the tale. As Trish and Nick try to figure out why there are ordinary vampires in the city, the Agency is hot on their tales and showing up at the worst times.
Let's say I love Trish and Nicky; they are great characters and the world in this book is really a lot of fun with all the different Fairytale plopped into the real world. Even Rumpelstiltskin has an interesting story of why he wanted a child of his own and how the stories vilified him. That said there are some areas in this book I thought could have been fleshed out a little better, especially the connection Vlad had to Trish. There was one scene in an Trish's apartment that didn't make a ton of sense, later on in the book, other than to throw Trish and Nicky together in the same house. That said though, it is still an entertaining story and I really liked how it all came together in the end.
One of the best parts of the story is getting to see past characters come back into play. Red and Nate as they are expecting their first child and Lavender and Seth in their newly coupled glory made appearances. Gideon also stole the show for a few scenes as well and I look forward to seeing his story eventually.
Overall, this is a fun series and quick reads with some interesting characters in wonderful idea of a world where some of your favorite characters and villains from books are just wandering around.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
The third book of the Transplanted Tales series, Along Came a Spider is brought to us by Little Miss Muffet's PoV. She goes by Trish in the here in now working for the FMA (Fairytale Management Authority) to solve crimes perpetrated on tales. She has a special talent to see the last moments of the newly deceased to help find their killers. It also works unexpectedly sometimes with the living, to see into their souls, which makes dating a bit hellish.
Trish has been in love with Nicky Blue (Little Boy Blue, a kingpin in the here and how) since that first day she ended up in the here and now but hasn't been really close to him since that first day coming over. She has seen him here and there and helped save his life in the first book, but for the most part she has pined for him from a far while he dated Red for years and then married Juliette, from Romeo and Juliette. That ended a bit tragically as you know if you read Red, but it is years later now and Nicky is hunting Vlad the man/vampire for the loss of this semi-perfect life, when Vlad set his sights on Trish, Nicky vows to protect her.
There are a few more politics in play in this one as Al Laddin is trying to keep the tales being in the here and now safe, while the Agency is becoming more bold in their efforts to find out what makes tales tick in a cut you apart and see what's inside kind of way which never goes well for the tale. As Trish and Nick try to figure out why there are ordinary vampires in the city, the Agency is hot on their tales and showing up at the worst times.
Let's say I love Trish and Nicky; they are great characters and the world in this book is really a lot of fun with all the different Fairytale plopped into the real world. Even Rumpelstiltskin has an interesting story of why he wanted a child of his own and how the stories vilified him. That said there are some areas in this book I thought could have been fleshed out a little better, especially the connection Vlad had to Trish. There was one scene in an Trish's apartment that didn't make a ton of sense, later on in the book, other than to throw Trish and Nicky together in the same house. That said though, it is still an entertaining story and I really liked how it all came together in the end.
One of the best parts of the story is getting to see past characters come back into play. Red and Nate as they are expecting their first child and Lavender and Seth in their newly coupled glory made appearances. Gideon also stole the show for a few scenes as well and I look forward to seeing his story eventually.
Overall, this is a fun series and quick reads with some interesting characters in wonderful idea of a world where some of your favorite characters and villains from books are just wandering around.
November 29, 2025
I have loved reading Transplanted Tales from RED on. Kate SeRine superbly twists the fairy tales of old into an adult, sexy, paranormal story set in the “Now”.
In this installment, Trish Muffet (little Miss Muffet) is a crime scene investigator with the ability to re-live the last few moments of the victim's life. When Trish is attacked by some kind of vampire hybrid, Nicky “Little Boy Blue” comes to the rescue.
Nicky has had known criminal connections and has been dispersing his revenge for his wife's death via vigilante justice. During an investigation into the crime, Nicky again must rescue Trish from a violent ghost attack in her own home.
Trish knows that Nicky's, AKA “the Spider”, actions goes against her law abiding principles but when Dracula, Vlad, starts to haunt her dreams she realizes that Nicky is the only person she can count on.
Trish has harbored a secret crush on Nicky for years, which only intensifies the sexual tension between Nicky and Trish. Kate SeRine's hot, sensual mystery is a fantastic installment in the Transplanted Tales series.
I highly recommend reading the previous books in this series before reading Along Came A Spider. Although the story is a standalone, the background characters offer key components that I wouldn't want to miss.
Along Came A Spider is a brilliantly twisted tale of murder, ghosts, vampires, criminal investigation, and a rocking hot romance.
I received this ARC copy of Along Came a Spider from Kensington Books - eKensington Originals in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication August 1, 2013.
In this installment, Trish Muffet (little Miss Muffet) is a crime scene investigator with the ability to re-live the last few moments of the victim's life. When Trish is attacked by some kind of vampire hybrid, Nicky “Little Boy Blue” comes to the rescue.
Nicky has had known criminal connections and has been dispersing his revenge for his wife's death via vigilante justice. During an investigation into the crime, Nicky again must rescue Trish from a violent ghost attack in her own home.
Trish knows that Nicky's, AKA “the Spider”, actions goes against her law abiding principles but when Dracula, Vlad, starts to haunt her dreams she realizes that Nicky is the only person she can count on.
Trish has harbored a secret crush on Nicky for years, which only intensifies the sexual tension between Nicky and Trish. Kate SeRine's hot, sensual mystery is a fantastic installment in the Transplanted Tales series.
I highly recommend reading the previous books in this series before reading Along Came A Spider. Although the story is a standalone, the background characters offer key components that I wouldn't want to miss.
Along Came A Spider is a brilliantly twisted tale of murder, ghosts, vampires, criminal investigation, and a rocking hot romance.
I received this ARC copy of Along Came a Spider from Kensington Books - eKensington Originals in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication August 1, 2013.
July 24, 2013
A have a feeling that if I had read the previous 2 books I would have understood some parts of the story better. Triss is a character I liked and she seemed a little kick ass too.
I liked the end with the Dracula. I wasn't expecting to feel sorry for the villain of the story. Plus what happened was a little surprising too ;) .
When I was reading the book I couldn't put it down. I was so focused and draw to the story. For me it belongs to easy and quick category without missing anything vital for a good read.
I could say that it was a mix of a police/mystery and the Once upon a time storyline, if I had to find something similar.
I liked the end with the Dracula. I wasn't expecting to feel sorry for the villain of the story. Plus what happened was a little surprising too ;) .
When I was reading the book I couldn't put it down. I was so focused and draw to the story. For me it belongs to easy and quick category without missing anything vital for a good read.
I could say that it was a mix of a police/mystery and the Once upon a time storyline, if I had to find something similar.
July 1, 2013
Would've been a 3, but I decided that I couldn't really punish the book for my having not read the previous two installments, so I'm settling on 3.5/5.
Great idea, but I didn't really love the execution, and it was pretty obvious I'd missed a LOT by not having read the first two in the series.
Great idea, but I didn't really love the execution, and it was pretty obvious I'd missed a LOT by not having read the first two in the series.
August 1, 2013
Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks
Along Came a Spider is the third installment in Kate SeRine’s Transplanted Tales series. I absolutely love this series. It is incredibly unique and the world Kate has built is just brilliant. You see, years ago Cinderella’s godmother screwed up a spell and sent some of our favorite Nursery Rhyme, Fairy Tale and Classic Literary characters into our world, the Here & Now. We Ordinaries are oblivious to their existence mostly because the Tales have blended well into our society. They have done so by taking regular jobs and living regular lives. It’s amazing what some of these characters do for a living! Sure, they are immortal and have to move around a lot to avoid being noticed as different, but besides that, they are just like you and me. Well…other than they all come with an insane background story. And that story is not always what we see on the page from their initial tale.
We do revisit some storylines from book to book so I recommend reading these books in order but every installment also comes with a fantastic romance and a neat Happily Ever After. Book one, Red, featured Tess Little (Little Red Riding Hood) and Nate Grimm (the Grimm Reaper). Book two, The Better to See You, told us about Lavender Seelie (Cinderella’s fairy godmother) and Seth Wolf (the big bad wolf). Finally, this latest installment, Along Came a Spider tells the tale of Trish Muffet (Little Miss Muffet) and Nicky Blue (Little Boy Blue).
In the first book, we met Dracula. He’s a big bad and he did something horrible to Nicky in that book. Two years have passed since book one and Nicky has been MIA since then. Apparently he’s gone all vigilante and has been tracking Dracula down with ultimate plans for him that are not too pretty. He calls himself Spider. (You see the twist there, where the title comes from now? Pretty clever, eh?) But now he’s back and he needs Trish’s help.
Trish has been infatuated with Nicky since the moment they both arrived in the Here & Now. Nicky has since been married but that has not faded Trish’s crush. Nicky is now available but he is very damaged, the events from book one having taken a real toll on his heart and his mind. I love Trish and Nicky together. In fact, they are my favorite couple so far. Their passion, their chemistry, their dialogue…all of it is superb.
I have liked Trish since the first time I met her. She is very smart and has a little snark and temper to her I enjoy. She is no pushover. She is strong yet not so much so that she feels unreachable. I have also liked Nicky since the first time I met him. He’s smooth and clever and so incredibly sexy. Also, there is a strong vulnerability to him that actually makes him even sexier! They help each other in their quest to find Dracula and in healing each other’s hearts.
Other than tracking down Dracula to ‘teach him a not too pleasant lesson’, there are these odd sort of vampires to deal with too. Where are they coming from and who is responsible for them? The obvious answer is Dracula but is it really him?
Trish and Nicky are also dealing with humans who were usually there to help the Tales’ law enforcement division but who now seem bent on capturing Tales to try to isolate what makes them special. They want to run tests and experiments to see if they can figure them out. I am not a huge fan of plotlines like these. They are common in paranormal fiction and they always get on my nerves. Yes, this one did rub me a bit wrong while I was reading it, especially considering it’s the first time we’ve heard of such a thing happening in the series, but it wasn’t as bad as most that I’ve read. I think the thing that bugged me the most is that it all seemed to have come out of nowhere. It didn’t even seem to fit into the flow of this book. But of course, by the end of the story, you want to smack yourself for doubting because it does actually fit nicely into the story and it makes sense when you find out the reason for it. But while getting there…that was my only little beef with this one.
I want to say one little thing about Kate’s talent as an author. Not only has she created a world that continues to blow me away, she has a knack for writing characters you attach yourself to quickly – no matter how insignificant they might seem. You find yourself caring for the most second secondary character…and you have only read them for three or four pages! The Pigs (who are actually men) are a great example of this. They are around for a few lines then something happens are you find yourself hoping they are okay. Why should I care?! They were slimy too! But you do care and that’s because Kate has talent. Another example of this is Dracula. He did horrible things yet I found myself in tears over him. What is that?! That is odd…but that is awesome.
Overall, and even with the humans being bastards sideplot, I did really enjoy this book. I am overjoyed to know that a novella about Tess and Nate is in the works as well as a fourth book for the series. Ever After will be Gideon’s story (woot!) and is due out next year. I. Can. Not. Wait.
Along Came a Spider does what a great story should do: it sucks you in, it bounces you around a bit, it makes you sweat and it makes you smile. If you have yet to discover the Transplanted Tales, read it next. Its characters will win you over and its creativity will amaze you. What more could you want?
4.5 stars
Along Came a Spider is the third installment in Kate SeRine’s Transplanted Tales series. I absolutely love this series. It is incredibly unique and the world Kate has built is just brilliant. You see, years ago Cinderella’s godmother screwed up a spell and sent some of our favorite Nursery Rhyme, Fairy Tale and Classic Literary characters into our world, the Here & Now. We Ordinaries are oblivious to their existence mostly because the Tales have blended well into our society. They have done so by taking regular jobs and living regular lives. It’s amazing what some of these characters do for a living! Sure, they are immortal and have to move around a lot to avoid being noticed as different, but besides that, they are just like you and me. Well…other than they all come with an insane background story. And that story is not always what we see on the page from their initial tale.
We do revisit some storylines from book to book so I recommend reading these books in order but every installment also comes with a fantastic romance and a neat Happily Ever After. Book one, Red, featured Tess Little (Little Red Riding Hood) and Nate Grimm (the Grimm Reaper). Book two, The Better to See You, told us about Lavender Seelie (Cinderella’s fairy godmother) and Seth Wolf (the big bad wolf). Finally, this latest installment, Along Came a Spider tells the tale of Trish Muffet (Little Miss Muffet) and Nicky Blue (Little Boy Blue).
In the first book, we met Dracula. He’s a big bad and he did something horrible to Nicky in that book. Two years have passed since book one and Nicky has been MIA since then. Apparently he’s gone all vigilante and has been tracking Dracula down with ultimate plans for him that are not too pretty. He calls himself Spider. (You see the twist there, where the title comes from now? Pretty clever, eh?) But now he’s back and he needs Trish’s help.
Trish has been infatuated with Nicky since the moment they both arrived in the Here & Now. Nicky has since been married but that has not faded Trish’s crush. Nicky is now available but he is very damaged, the events from book one having taken a real toll on his heart and his mind. I love Trish and Nicky together. In fact, they are my favorite couple so far. Their passion, their chemistry, their dialogue…all of it is superb.
I have liked Trish since the first time I met her. She is very smart and has a little snark and temper to her I enjoy. She is no pushover. She is strong yet not so much so that she feels unreachable. I have also liked Nicky since the first time I met him. He’s smooth and clever and so incredibly sexy. Also, there is a strong vulnerability to him that actually makes him even sexier! They help each other in their quest to find Dracula and in healing each other’s hearts.
Other than tracking down Dracula to ‘teach him a not too pleasant lesson’, there are these odd sort of vampires to deal with too. Where are they coming from and who is responsible for them? The obvious answer is Dracula but is it really him?
Trish and Nicky are also dealing with humans who were usually there to help the Tales’ law enforcement division but who now seem bent on capturing Tales to try to isolate what makes them special. They want to run tests and experiments to see if they can figure them out. I am not a huge fan of plotlines like these. They are common in paranormal fiction and they always get on my nerves. Yes, this one did rub me a bit wrong while I was reading it, especially considering it’s the first time we’ve heard of such a thing happening in the series, but it wasn’t as bad as most that I’ve read. I think the thing that bugged me the most is that it all seemed to have come out of nowhere. It didn’t even seem to fit into the flow of this book. But of course, by the end of the story, you want to smack yourself for doubting because it does actually fit nicely into the story and it makes sense when you find out the reason for it. But while getting there…that was my only little beef with this one.
I want to say one little thing about Kate’s talent as an author. Not only has she created a world that continues to blow me away, she has a knack for writing characters you attach yourself to quickly – no matter how insignificant they might seem. You find yourself caring for the most second secondary character…and you have only read them for three or four pages! The Pigs (who are actually men) are a great example of this. They are around for a few lines then something happens are you find yourself hoping they are okay. Why should I care?! They were slimy too! But you do care and that’s because Kate has talent. Another example of this is Dracula. He did horrible things yet I found myself in tears over him. What is that?! That is odd…but that is awesome.
Overall, and even with the humans being bastards sideplot, I did really enjoy this book. I am overjoyed to know that a novella about Tess and Nate is in the works as well as a fourth book for the series. Ever After will be Gideon’s story (woot!) and is due out next year. I. Can. Not. Wait.
Along Came a Spider does what a great story should do: it sucks you in, it bounces you around a bit, it makes you sweat and it makes you smile. If you have yet to discover the Transplanted Tales, read it next. Its characters will win you over and its creativity will amaze you. What more could you want?
4.5 stars
June 16, 2013
When Beatrice 'Trish' Muffet was drawn out of the land of Make Believe and into the Here and Now, her life changed completely. Offered a chance to run from the folks who came to collect her to help her transition by Nicky Blue, she chose to stay, rather than following the man that she knew with one special glance would be important to her forever.
Years later, she works investigating murders of folks from Tales, using her ability to read people with a gaze, she sees what they saw and experienced just before dying.
Now, a series of strange deaths have been happening and it seems that the elusive Dracula may have a hand in it. Even worse, the murders may be crossing over the line from Tale folk to every day human beings which could cause the exposure of everyone from Make Believe.
Nicky Blue who has been tracking Dracula returns in time to save her from certain death and she realizes that he is the renegade 'Spider' who has been serving vigilante justice.
He needs her help now and this is one spider that Little Miss Muffet does not fear.
Along Came a Spider is a telling of the story of two nursery rhyme characters, Little Miss Muffet and Little Boy Blue.
The author has done a wonderful job giving each of the folks a life of their own, making them well-rounded people instead of rhyme stick-figures.
The story has an undercurrent of humor, without sacrificing the dramatic parts of the plot and the romance and passion were nicely balanced and well-written.
I had not read this author's previous books, though they are in a genre that I like, simply because I had not come across them. I will most likely go back and read them now, as this one was quite engaging!
Years later, she works investigating murders of folks from Tales, using her ability to read people with a gaze, she sees what they saw and experienced just before dying.
Now, a series of strange deaths have been happening and it seems that the elusive Dracula may have a hand in it. Even worse, the murders may be crossing over the line from Tale folk to every day human beings which could cause the exposure of everyone from Make Believe.
Nicky Blue who has been tracking Dracula returns in time to save her from certain death and she realizes that he is the renegade 'Spider' who has been serving vigilante justice.
He needs her help now and this is one spider that Little Miss Muffet does not fear.
Along Came a Spider is a telling of the story of two nursery rhyme characters, Little Miss Muffet and Little Boy Blue.
The author has done a wonderful job giving each of the folks a life of their own, making them well-rounded people instead of rhyme stick-figures.
The story has an undercurrent of humor, without sacrificing the dramatic parts of the plot and the romance and passion were nicely balanced and well-written.
I had not read this author's previous books, though they are in a genre that I like, simply because I had not come across them. I will most likely go back and read them now, as this one was quite engaging!
June 24, 2013
This book doesn't come out until the first of August, but I'm likely to forget to review it then, so I'll do it now!
I really like the world-building and the characters in this novel. The Tales (that's fairy tale folk, for you guys not in the know) have been transplanted from their realm to our world full of Ordinaries (you and me) and are just trying to fit in and fly under the radar.
Add some power-tripping jerks with badges, a psychotic vampire, fairy-dust trafficking, and a few other familiar surprises, and you have all the makings of a great paranormal read, even without the hotter-than-hot chemistry between the Spider and lil' Miss Muffet!
I definitely recommend this book for fans of paranormal action/romance!
**I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley for review purposes. No monies were exchanged.**
I really like the world-building and the characters in this novel. The Tales (that's fairy tale folk, for you guys not in the know) have been transplanted from their realm to our world full of Ordinaries (you and me) and are just trying to fit in and fly under the radar.
Add some power-tripping jerks with badges, a psychotic vampire, fairy-dust trafficking, and a few other familiar surprises, and you have all the makings of a great paranormal read, even without the hotter-than-hot chemistry between the Spider and lil' Miss Muffet!
I definitely recommend this book for fans of paranormal action/romance!
**I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley for review purposes. No monies were exchanged.**
May 27, 2022
Another great addition to the Transplanted Tales series! Honestly, this is such an underrated series and each book features amazing characters with the perfect amount of romance, steam and suspense!
Along Came A Spider follows the story of Trish Muffet and Nicky 'Little Boy' Blue - who have been transported into the real world along with many other fairytale/fictional characters after a spell goes awry. It's quite common to come across Beauty and the Beast and other fairy tale retellings, but this one is quite unique as it has Little Miss Muffet and Little Boy Blue - all grown up now(and they seem like a perfect pair, don't they lol?😂).
Trish Muffet now works for the Fairytale Management Authority and she has some special powers that let her see the last moments of the victims before they die, which is quite useful but terrifying, to be honest. And she's had a crush on Nicky from the moment they arrived in the real world - Here and Now.
When she's attacked at a crime scene, Nicky ends up coming to her rescue. Nicky's had quite a tough life and he's been masquerading as the vigilante 'Spider'(get it?) after his wife's death. He's been tracking Vlad the Dracula for many years and when he sees that Trish might be in danger because of Vlad, he helps her out and they decide to join forces.
I loved the relationship between Trish and Nicky in this one! She's been pining for him for so many years, so I was so glad to see them fall for each other and I was totally rooting for Trish! She's quite amazing with her snark and protective nature. And I don't even need to say much about Nicky as I'd been wanting to read his story from the first moment that we came across him in book one! We also get to meet Red, Nate, Lavender and Seth. It was so much fun seeing them again! I also loved the fact that all of the characters are well developed - including the antagonists, and they have such fascinating backstories!
The author has created an amazing world with unique characters and I'd love to read each one's story as a separate book lol! I'd definitely recommend this series if you haven't read it yet, as you'll certainly enjoy it!
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
You can also find this review on my blog here and enter the giveaway!
Along Came A Spider follows the story of Trish Muffet and Nicky 'Little Boy' Blue - who have been transported into the real world along with many other fairytale/fictional characters after a spell goes awry. It's quite common to come across Beauty and the Beast and other fairy tale retellings, but this one is quite unique as it has Little Miss Muffet and Little Boy Blue - all grown up now(and they seem like a perfect pair, don't they lol?😂).
Trish Muffet now works for the Fairytale Management Authority and she has some special powers that let her see the last moments of the victims before they die, which is quite useful but terrifying, to be honest. And she's had a crush on Nicky from the moment they arrived in the real world - Here and Now.
When she's attacked at a crime scene, Nicky ends up coming to her rescue. Nicky's had quite a tough life and he's been masquerading as the vigilante 'Spider'(get it?) after his wife's death. He's been tracking Vlad the Dracula for many years and when he sees that Trish might be in danger because of Vlad, he helps her out and they decide to join forces.
I loved the relationship between Trish and Nicky in this one! She's been pining for him for so many years, so I was so glad to see them fall for each other and I was totally rooting for Trish! She's quite amazing with her snark and protective nature. And I don't even need to say much about Nicky as I'd been wanting to read his story from the first moment that we came across him in book one! We also get to meet Red, Nate, Lavender and Seth. It was so much fun seeing them again! I also loved the fact that all of the characters are well developed - including the antagonists, and they have such fascinating backstories!
The author has created an amazing world with unique characters and I'd love to read each one's story as a separate book lol! I'd definitely recommend this series if you haven't read it yet, as you'll certainly enjoy it!
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
You can also find this review on my blog here and enter the giveaway!
July 1, 2023
3.5 stars
Honestly, I haven't really been FULLY satisfied with the relationship in this series so far. Basically because they all felt coming VERY FAST. Sure, in this book, Trish Muffet (from "Little Miss Muffet") has always hide a crush for Nicky Blue - but still, I wasn't sold that Nicky was into Trish all this time too. The development of the relationship just didn't work for me. Like, it's more into physical than the meet of the mind and heart.
I still enjoy the introduction to so many Tale characters transplanted in the Here and Now. It's very interesting because these characters didn't just come from the FAIRY tale, but also tale like rhymes or Lit (for example, the villain here is Dracula). And the "hooks-up" between them are intriguing (like Rumplestilskin here, who apparently has a HUSBAND in this world!).
Honestly, I haven't really been FULLY satisfied with the relationship in this series so far. Basically because they all felt coming VERY FAST. Sure, in this book, Trish Muffet (from "Little Miss Muffet") has always hide a crush for Nicky Blue - but still, I wasn't sold that Nicky was into Trish all this time too. The development of the relationship just didn't work for me. Like, it's more into physical than the meet of the mind and heart.
I still enjoy the introduction to so many Tale characters transplanted in the Here and Now. It's very interesting because these characters didn't just come from the FAIRY tale, but also tale like rhymes or Lit (for example, the villain here is Dracula). And the "hooks-up" between them are intriguing (like Rumplestilskin here, who apparently has a HUSBAND in this world!).
December 22, 2024
I enjoy the world-building in this series a lot. The idea of fairy tale characters suddenly landing in the real world and interacting with people is clever and interesting and I like it a lot.
I have also really enjoyed the earlier stories in the series. This book had the world-building aspect but I wasn't quite as engaged with the main characters. Both Tess and Nicky were a bit "boo-hoo, woe-is-me" for my taste.
I also found this story a bit darker than the earlier books. I plan to continue with this series because I have mostly really enjoyed these books.
I have also really enjoyed the earlier stories in the series. This book had the world-building aspect but I wasn't quite as engaged with the main characters. Both Tess and Nicky were a bit "boo-hoo, woe-is-me" for my taste.
I also found this story a bit darker than the earlier books. I plan to continue with this series because I have mostly really enjoyed these books.
June 27, 2013
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I eyed Kate SeRine's work since forever and actually had "Red", the first book in the series in my Kindle but never had a chance to read it. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, it was a good incentive. I like the blurb and decide to request it.
I was not sure if this is the good idea because I had some issues related to the fact that this was the third book in the series. There are some fact or incident that happened in the first two books that mentioned in this book and I felt like I missed something important. However, this book is still an enjoyable read with interesting concept.
The world concept of this series was the best element. What would happened when the characters in fairy tales, literature, nursery rhythms transplanted into the real world. Do they continue their own storyline that we knew and loved? or they became someone else began a new life.
So in this story we saw Snow White as a madam in a brothel, Prince Charming as a crooked businessman, and the three little pigs became hitmen. It was fun and expand your imagination a lot about some certain characters.
However, our hero and heroine came from the nursery rhythms, which I admitted due to English was not my first language, I had no idea about them so I need to do some research in order to understand the aspect of their psyche. It did not mean that it was necessary but it would enriched the story.
Trish Muffet, the girl who encountered the spider in nursery rhythms now was working for the organization that looked after the characters from Tales who transplanted to the real world. She investigated the murder of Tales character, which linked to Dracula. But something went wrong, she was attacked but finally rescued by Nicky Blue, another Tales character who actually came to the real world the same time as she.
For all those time since she arrived to the real world, Trish felt something to Nicky but after he asked her to leave with him that first day (when arrived in the real world) and she said no, they went separate way. During that time Nicky became her best friend's lover, got married, lost his wife to the attack in the first book. Now Nicky came back for revenge to Dracula by becoming a vigilant named "the Spider".
I felt a lot of portion in the story were in the first two books, which I was told but not experience myself in this book. It more liked I went to the theater half way of the showing. I got all the fact of what happened but not the feeling. And that was what I felt about the relationship between Trish and Nicky. I could tell that there were something between those two. But when they actually said the L word especially when Nicky said after everything that happened to him (which happened in the first two books) he was in love with Trish, I really did not get the intimacy. I think the love was real but I did not feel it in the story.
Same thing happened with the characters. Since both Trish and Nick were the continuing characters from the first two books, a lot of their back story maybe told in those two books, which unfortunately I did not read. So I did not really know them well especially Nicky. The story was told in first person POV and that was Trish. Nicky became quite a distant character. I knew he pushed himself from just a nursery rhyme to the mafia boss (?? not quite sure). I wanted to know more about that but it was only mentioned in passing. A lot of interesting feathers of both Trish and Nick were in passing assuming the reader already knew from the first two books. And what is the obsession about Red (the heroine from the first book)? The story spent too much time on her.
I loved the suspense element. I admitted I was a fool for not seeing through the plot. Good for the author.
It might be my fault not to begin this series from the beginning. My opinion might change in case of the romance between Trish and Nicky if I read through their interaction in the first two books.
In summary, great concept (enough to make me read the rest of the story), good suspense and characters but not deep enough to make me fell in love with them.
I eyed Kate SeRine's work since forever and actually had "Red", the first book in the series in my Kindle but never had a chance to read it. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, it was a good incentive. I like the blurb and decide to request it.
I was not sure if this is the good idea because I had some issues related to the fact that this was the third book in the series. There are some fact or incident that happened in the first two books that mentioned in this book and I felt like I missed something important. However, this book is still an enjoyable read with interesting concept.
The world concept of this series was the best element. What would happened when the characters in fairy tales, literature, nursery rhythms transplanted into the real world. Do they continue their own storyline that we knew and loved? or they became someone else began a new life.
So in this story we saw Snow White as a madam in a brothel, Prince Charming as a crooked businessman, and the three little pigs became hitmen. It was fun and expand your imagination a lot about some certain characters.
However, our hero and heroine came from the nursery rhythms, which I admitted due to English was not my first language, I had no idea about them so I need to do some research in order to understand the aspect of their psyche. It did not mean that it was necessary but it would enriched the story.
Trish Muffet, the girl who encountered the spider in nursery rhythms now was working for the organization that looked after the characters from Tales who transplanted to the real world. She investigated the murder of Tales character, which linked to Dracula. But something went wrong, she was attacked but finally rescued by Nicky Blue, another Tales character who actually came to the real world the same time as she.
For all those time since she arrived to the real world, Trish felt something to Nicky but after he asked her to leave with him that first day (when arrived in the real world) and she said no, they went separate way. During that time Nicky became her best friend's lover, got married, lost his wife to the attack in the first book. Now Nicky came back for revenge to Dracula by becoming a vigilant named "the Spider".
I felt a lot of portion in the story were in the first two books, which I was told but not experience myself in this book. It more liked I went to the theater half way of the showing. I got all the fact of what happened but not the feeling. And that was what I felt about the relationship between Trish and Nicky. I could tell that there were something between those two. But when they actually said the L word especially when Nicky said after everything that happened to him (which happened in the first two books) he was in love with Trish, I really did not get the intimacy. I think the love was real but I did not feel it in the story.
Same thing happened with the characters. Since both Trish and Nick were the continuing characters from the first two books, a lot of their back story maybe told in those two books, which unfortunately I did not read. So I did not really know them well especially Nicky. The story was told in first person POV and that was Trish. Nicky became quite a distant character. I knew he pushed himself from just a nursery rhyme to the mafia boss (?? not quite sure). I wanted to know more about that but it was only mentioned in passing. A lot of interesting feathers of both Trish and Nick were in passing assuming the reader already knew from the first two books. And what is the obsession about Red (the heroine from the first book)? The story spent too much time on her.
I loved the suspense element. I admitted I was a fool for not seeing through the plot. Good for the author.
It might be my fault not to begin this series from the beginning. My opinion might change in case of the romance between Trish and Nicky if I read through their interaction in the first two books.
In summary, great concept (enough to make me read the rest of the story), good suspense and characters but not deep enough to make me fell in love with them.
January 1, 2016
4.5 Stars, might be my fav of the series so far.
Again, SeRine delivers a very fun, romantic, action-packed romp full of fairytale, nursery rhyme and literary characters. Our couple is wonderful. As the FMA's medical examiner, Trish has her own way of reading the final thoughts of the dead. Nicky was one of my favs from Red, and I was so happy for him to have his chance at Happily Ever After. These two came into the Ordinary world at the same time, but while Nicky pursued a life of crime, Trish used her talents to serve in the FMA. I loved watching them together. Nicky is charming and Trish is a lot tougher than she first appears. They work so very well.
The action was good and there is a furthering of the dangers of living side by side with an unknowing Ordinary world. It seems as though some ends are tied up, but we'll see. There is so much that can happen in this world. It will be interesting to discover where this goes in future stories.
We get to see Red and Nate as well as Lavender and Seth. Gideon also plays a part, and I can't wait for his story in book 4. SeRine knows how to craft a fantastic romantic hero - just the right amount of charm, swagger and power without going full neanderthal. I love the heroines too - smart, capable, imperfect, and very easy to root for.
[received an ARC]
Again, SeRine delivers a very fun, romantic, action-packed romp full of fairytale, nursery rhyme and literary characters. Our couple is wonderful. As the FMA's medical examiner, Trish has her own way of reading the final thoughts of the dead. Nicky was one of my favs from Red, and I was so happy for him to have his chance at Happily Ever After. These two came into the Ordinary world at the same time, but while Nicky pursued a life of crime, Trish used her talents to serve in the FMA. I loved watching them together. Nicky is charming and Trish is a lot tougher than she first appears. They work so very well.
The action was good and there is a furthering of the dangers of living side by side with an unknowing Ordinary world. It seems as though some ends are tied up, but we'll see. There is so much that can happen in this world. It will be interesting to discover where this goes in future stories.
We get to see Red and Nate as well as Lavender and Seth. Gideon also plays a part, and I can't wait for his story in book 4. SeRine knows how to craft a fantastic romantic hero - just the right amount of charm, swagger and power without going full neanderthal. I love the heroines too - smart, capable, imperfect, and very easy to root for.
[received an ARC]
July 25, 2013
I am so glad I was given a chance to be able to read this book! I don't think I would have read it otherwise! I am so going back to read the others!!
This was a mystery/romance/paranormal book with a totally original pool of characters! Nursery rhymes & other story's classic characters come to life as their world kicks them out into ours making them real! Dracula & his girls wreak havoc as Little Miss Muffet & Red Riding Hood catch the case while working for the FMA...
Redd is currently married & pregnant... And Trish Muffet s in love with & partnering up with Nicky Blue (Little Boy Blue) who lost his wife Juliet (from Romeo & Juliet) via Dracula. This is their story!
There are so many characters to run into, it's funny & exciting all the time! The romance was HOT! I loved it!!
This was a mystery/romance/paranormal book with a totally original pool of characters! Nursery rhymes & other story's classic characters come to life as their world kicks them out into ours making them real! Dracula & his girls wreak havoc as Little Miss Muffet & Red Riding Hood catch the case while working for the FMA...
Redd is currently married & pregnant... And Trish Muffet s in love with & partnering up with Nicky Blue (Little Boy Blue) who lost his wife Juliet (from Romeo & Juliet) via Dracula. This is their story!
There are so many characters to run into, it's funny & exciting all the time! The romance was HOT! I loved it!!
June 29, 2013
Yet another fantastic novel by Kate SeRine! A compelling and truly original series. Fun, quirky, sexy, and sweet at all of the right moments. This is a MUST read for all fans of urban fantasy/ paranormal romance.
August 10, 2013
I wish wish wish I could give this one 10 stars! I had to read it all in one sitting because I could absolutely NOT put it down. I'm pretty sure my family went without food yesterday...
June 27, 2013
Love SeRine's Tales.... Aah to bad there wasn't a happy ending for Dracula. I would love to know which woman/tale he will set his teeth in. review coming up soon. (July 30)
June 30, 2013
Most definitely LOVED this book. I haven't read the others in the series but I will now.
*ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY
*ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY
July 26, 2013
This book is fabulous! Review to post in conjunction with tour date.
August 12, 2013
You Rock Kate!
June 19, 2022
My top thoughts:
This series is FANTASTIC and this may be my favorite so far? We already knew both the main characters fairly well from the previous two books and I was so eager for their story. And it surpassed my hopes and expectations – not just in their romance and character development, but in the plot as well.
What I liked/didn’t like:
I think one of the things I’m enjoying most about this series is the way it’s breathing life into often ignored fairy tale / nursery rhyme / fictional characters (called Tales) and combining them with familiar ones. We started with Tess “Red” Little (Little Red Riding Hood), a more familiar character that gets lots of attention. But then we drifted it a little with Lavendar (Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother). And now we’re so far off the beaten path with Trish Muffet… Little Miss Muffet! I doubt she’s ever had a book and definitely not one like this. I already knew I loved her from the previous books, but there was so much more to her than I knew. She’s a no-nonsense, tough as hell, forensic scientist for the FMA (Fairytale Management Authority). And I just love the way the nursery rhyme about the spider is all twisted into something so much more in this book. And then her love interest – Nicky Blue – is little Boy Blue (again, way off the beat path)! And I also knew I loved him from previous books. He’s a good bad guy – in that he’s plays on the wrong side of the law, but he’s not out to hurt people – and he’s built wealth for himself in the Here and Now after being a nobody in Make Believe. I felt for him instantly, as his wife (Juliet, from Romeo and Juliet) was killed in book one and he’s tormented over his inability to protect her. He’s busy seeking vengeance. I think if I have one complaint it would be that everyone is Red’s Ex and I like to start seeing stories where she hasn’t slept with the love interest (and I do think those are coming). Not that this caused any friction in this book – Nicky is not in love with Red (though he does care for her) and Red is so in love with Nate. In fact, I also really loved seeing the continuation of her story – she’s pregnant – and Lavender’s story too – they visit! It’s nice the way old characters keep cropping back up.
Beyond the characters, the story is just fantastic. There’s a mystery element – I think these definitely qualify as Fantasy Mysteries/Detective stories. And we have a continuing element that has been a problem since the first book, namely Dracula. But we have a new player on the scene – The Agency – that’s very bad news for the Tales. Well, new in the sense that I think this is the first we’ve heard about them, but they’ve been around for a while. Just in the past two years (which is when book 1 started) they’ve been changing into more of a problematic player. I’ll let you read it and learn more about them for yourself, as you really truly must read this series. I do think you could hop into this one and understand what’s going on, but you’d miss out on a lot of background information and character development, so I wouldn’t recommend it. But they’re great, so why would you want to skip ahead?
This is truly a great combination of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, crime/detective genres to give you all awesomeness.
This series is FANTASTIC and this may be my favorite so far? We already knew both the main characters fairly well from the previous two books and I was so eager for their story. And it surpassed my hopes and expectations – not just in their romance and character development, but in the plot as well.
What I liked/didn’t like:
I think one of the things I’m enjoying most about this series is the way it’s breathing life into often ignored fairy tale / nursery rhyme / fictional characters (called Tales) and combining them with familiar ones. We started with Tess “Red” Little (Little Red Riding Hood), a more familiar character that gets lots of attention. But then we drifted it a little with Lavendar (Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother). And now we’re so far off the beaten path with Trish Muffet… Little Miss Muffet! I doubt she’s ever had a book and definitely not one like this. I already knew I loved her from the previous books, but there was so much more to her than I knew. She’s a no-nonsense, tough as hell, forensic scientist for the FMA (Fairytale Management Authority). And I just love the way the nursery rhyme about the spider is all twisted into something so much more in this book. And then her love interest – Nicky Blue – is little Boy Blue (again, way off the beat path)! And I also knew I loved him from previous books. He’s a good bad guy – in that he’s plays on the wrong side of the law, but he’s not out to hurt people – and he’s built wealth for himself in the Here and Now after being a nobody in Make Believe. I felt for him instantly, as his wife (Juliet, from Romeo and Juliet) was killed in book one and he’s tormented over his inability to protect her. He’s busy seeking vengeance. I think if I have one complaint it would be that everyone is Red’s Ex and I like to start seeing stories where she hasn’t slept with the love interest (and I do think those are coming). Not that this caused any friction in this book – Nicky is not in love with Red (though he does care for her) and Red is so in love with Nate. In fact, I also really loved seeing the continuation of her story – she’s pregnant – and Lavender’s story too – they visit! It’s nice the way old characters keep cropping back up.
Beyond the characters, the story is just fantastic. There’s a mystery element – I think these definitely qualify as Fantasy Mysteries/Detective stories. And we have a continuing element that has been a problem since the first book, namely Dracula. But we have a new player on the scene – The Agency – that’s very bad news for the Tales. Well, new in the sense that I think this is the first we’ve heard about them, but they’ve been around for a while. Just in the past two years (which is when book 1 started) they’ve been changing into more of a problematic player. I’ll let you read it and learn more about them for yourself, as you really truly must read this series. I do think you could hop into this one and understand what’s going on, but you’d miss out on a lot of background information and character development, so I wouldn’t recommend it. But they’re great, so why would you want to skip ahead?
This is truly a great combination of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, crime/detective genres to give you all awesomeness.
July 30, 2013
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/07/review-...
Favorite Quote:“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Wrong fairytale, you idiot.”
Trish “Little Miss” Muffet has loved Nicky “Little Boy” Blue since she was snatched from Make Believe and sent to the Here and Now. But fate had different plans for the two of them and Trish resigned herself to crushing on him from afar. When she is attacked at a crime scene, she is shocked her rescuer is none other than Nicky. Nicky has been missing for two years after he was viciously attacked and his wife killed. Now a vigilante that goes by the moniker “the spider”, Nicky is taking down predators on his way to his ultimate target-Vlad Dracula-the man who ordered the hit on him and his wife. And he needs Trish’s help.
Trish doesn’t believe in Nicky’s renegade way of doling out justice, but she agrees Vlad needs taking down. As Trish and Nicky work together to capture the rogue vampire, the heat that has always simmered between them blazes into a smoldering inferno, but Nicky has no plans to remain in town after his job is done. With danger coming at them from all sides, Trish knows the only man who can save her is a prickly spider whose touch leaves her breathless. Can Little Miss Muffet convince Little Boy Blue to come sit on her tuffet with her or will fear of the unknown scare them both away?
When Nat from WickedLilPixie brought this book to my attention, all I could think of was, “Ugh, Once Upon A Time fanfic.” I did some investigating and saw I actually had the first two in the series on my ereader. After reading the blurb to book one, Red I was intrigued enough to give it a try. I devoured books one and two in one day and requested the third one ASAP. ReSine’s Transplanted series offers a unique look into the mythology of fairytales in this mixture of UF/PNR; twisting it all into a sexy dark funny story that kept me hooked. Though it has a bit of an OUAT feel to it in the overall premise, the similarities end there.
***MILD SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS AHEAD! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!***
Set in an alternative modern time, we learn in book one that Lavender Seelie, Cinderella’s fairy godmother, let her ego get the best of her and somehow managed to bring forth and trap certain fairy tale, nursery rhyme, and literary characters in our world. Unable to undo what she did, the characters rebuilt their lives and learned to survive in the Here and Now with the Ordinaries (humans). Each book focuses on one hero and heroine with a resolvable conflict and HEA ending. I wouldn’t recommend reading out of order, though. There is a continuing arc and characters and situations bleed over into each new installment.
Along Came A Spider is the 3rd installment of ReSine’s Transplanted series. Well-plotted and cast with strong and personable characters, Along Came A Spider is filled with taut suspense, delicious betrayal, dangerous antagonists, and a healthy dose of humor and romance. An engaging world that captured me from page one. A strongly character driven story, I love how ReSine expands on each character’s story, adding dimension and personality. For example, Snow White is a brothel owner after her prince divorces her and leaves her broke. The Three Little Pigs are shady house builders. Little Red Riding Hood is an enforcer/police officer for FMA-Fairytale Management Authority-a law enforcement agency. The Sandman is a drug pushing kingpin.
SeRine builds her world with a deft hand; achieving a nice balance between the story and her continuing evolving world. She introduces new characters and plot elements in a way that does not overburden the reader with unrealistic interpretation or facilitate the need for continuous explanations. The story is a perfect blending of seductive romance, non stop action, realistic main characters, secondary characters, and intriguing mystery. Well thought out and fast paced, it creates a satisfying arc of development for the main characters and culminates in two very different sort of conflicts – one that threatens the lives of Trish and Nicky and one that threatens their happily ever after.
I enjoyed getting to know Trish and Nicky better. We met them in previous books but this installment is one hundred percent their story. Trish is a coroner for FMA. Her special gift allows her to help solve cases involving murdered Tales. Nicky is a mob boss who uses loyalty and goodwill to keep his people happy and businesses successful. Both of them are intelligent, strong willed, and very independent yet with hidden vulnerabilities that makes them very loyal to their friends. They would both give their lives to save a friend. Trish is a bit girly girl but can more than hold her own when it comes to kicking arse and taking names. She and Nicky work well together. Having been given hints that they were attracted to one another from the beginning, their flirting and romance moves fast but at a realistic rate. No need to dance around, the chemistry is there and I like characters that act on it without playing unnecessary games. Their romance blends well with the plot lines, running smoothly underneath. Fantastic banter keeps the storyline moving at a brisk pace and injects livity into the drama surrounding them.
The secondary cast of characters are an eccentric and quirky bunch. We see old friends and meet some new friends. I enjoyed seeing what Red/Nate and Lavender/Seth are up to and where their relationships have taken them. Meeting Lavender’s family garners many laughs along with a few of Snow White’s skeevy dwarf doorman.
The main conflict wraps up nicely in a flurry of action and suspense. We are left with some interesting questions while setting up some new storylines. I was shocked by one particular event but liked the manner in which ReSine resolves it. All in all, Along Came A Spider is a satisfying read and I recommend this series to anyone who loves snark, humor, mystery, and steamy uncomplicated romance in their paranormal diet. I look forward to the next installment-title and release date to be announced.
RATING: B
Favorite Quote:“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Wrong fairytale, you idiot.”
Trish “Little Miss” Muffet has loved Nicky “Little Boy” Blue since she was snatched from Make Believe and sent to the Here and Now. But fate had different plans for the two of them and Trish resigned herself to crushing on him from afar. When she is attacked at a crime scene, she is shocked her rescuer is none other than Nicky. Nicky has been missing for two years after he was viciously attacked and his wife killed. Now a vigilante that goes by the moniker “the spider”, Nicky is taking down predators on his way to his ultimate target-Vlad Dracula-the man who ordered the hit on him and his wife. And he needs Trish’s help.
Trish doesn’t believe in Nicky’s renegade way of doling out justice, but she agrees Vlad needs taking down. As Trish and Nicky work together to capture the rogue vampire, the heat that has always simmered between them blazes into a smoldering inferno, but Nicky has no plans to remain in town after his job is done. With danger coming at them from all sides, Trish knows the only man who can save her is a prickly spider whose touch leaves her breathless. Can Little Miss Muffet convince Little Boy Blue to come sit on her tuffet with her or will fear of the unknown scare them both away?
When Nat from WickedLilPixie brought this book to my attention, all I could think of was, “Ugh, Once Upon A Time fanfic.” I did some investigating and saw I actually had the first two in the series on my ereader. After reading the blurb to book one, Red I was intrigued enough to give it a try. I devoured books one and two in one day and requested the third one ASAP. ReSine’s Transplanted series offers a unique look into the mythology of fairytales in this mixture of UF/PNR; twisting it all into a sexy dark funny story that kept me hooked. Though it has a bit of an OUAT feel to it in the overall premise, the similarities end there.
***MILD SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS AHEAD! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!***
Set in an alternative modern time, we learn in book one that Lavender Seelie, Cinderella’s fairy godmother, let her ego get the best of her and somehow managed to bring forth and trap certain fairy tale, nursery rhyme, and literary characters in our world. Unable to undo what she did, the characters rebuilt their lives and learned to survive in the Here and Now with the Ordinaries (humans). Each book focuses on one hero and heroine with a resolvable conflict and HEA ending. I wouldn’t recommend reading out of order, though. There is a continuing arc and characters and situations bleed over into each new installment.
Along Came A Spider is the 3rd installment of ReSine’s Transplanted series. Well-plotted and cast with strong and personable characters, Along Came A Spider is filled with taut suspense, delicious betrayal, dangerous antagonists, and a healthy dose of humor and romance. An engaging world that captured me from page one. A strongly character driven story, I love how ReSine expands on each character’s story, adding dimension and personality. For example, Snow White is a brothel owner after her prince divorces her and leaves her broke. The Three Little Pigs are shady house builders. Little Red Riding Hood is an enforcer/police officer for FMA-Fairytale Management Authority-a law enforcement agency. The Sandman is a drug pushing kingpin.
SeRine builds her world with a deft hand; achieving a nice balance between the story and her continuing evolving world. She introduces new characters and plot elements in a way that does not overburden the reader with unrealistic interpretation or facilitate the need for continuous explanations. The story is a perfect blending of seductive romance, non stop action, realistic main characters, secondary characters, and intriguing mystery. Well thought out and fast paced, it creates a satisfying arc of development for the main characters and culminates in two very different sort of conflicts – one that threatens the lives of Trish and Nicky and one that threatens their happily ever after.
I enjoyed getting to know Trish and Nicky better. We met them in previous books but this installment is one hundred percent their story. Trish is a coroner for FMA. Her special gift allows her to help solve cases involving murdered Tales. Nicky is a mob boss who uses loyalty and goodwill to keep his people happy and businesses successful. Both of them are intelligent, strong willed, and very independent yet with hidden vulnerabilities that makes them very loyal to their friends. They would both give their lives to save a friend. Trish is a bit girly girl but can more than hold her own when it comes to kicking arse and taking names. She and Nicky work well together. Having been given hints that they were attracted to one another from the beginning, their flirting and romance moves fast but at a realistic rate. No need to dance around, the chemistry is there and I like characters that act on it without playing unnecessary games. Their romance blends well with the plot lines, running smoothly underneath. Fantastic banter keeps the storyline moving at a brisk pace and injects livity into the drama surrounding them.
The secondary cast of characters are an eccentric and quirky bunch. We see old friends and meet some new friends. I enjoyed seeing what Red/Nate and Lavender/Seth are up to and where their relationships have taken them. Meeting Lavender’s family garners many laughs along with a few of Snow White’s skeevy dwarf doorman.
The main conflict wraps up nicely in a flurry of action and suspense. We are left with some interesting questions while setting up some new storylines. I was shocked by one particular event but liked the manner in which ReSine resolves it. All in all, Along Came A Spider is a satisfying read and I recommend this series to anyone who loves snark, humor, mystery, and steamy uncomplicated romance in their paranormal diet. I look forward to the next installment-title and release date to be announced.
RATING: B
August 4, 2013
Holy schmoley, was that book fun or what!
I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about starting this story for two reasons. One, because I haven’t read the first two books in this series and secondly, it kinda sounded a little too cutesy and I had visions of this being some bland YA paranormal rompety-romp through an enchanted forest somewhere in magic-ville.
Frankly my dear, I could have not have been more wrong. Along Came a Spider was almost (dare I say it?) an urban fantasy rompety-romp through the backstreets of Chicago (hard-core urban fantasy lovers might disagree with me here – it didn’t feel very paranormaly to me). There were copious amounts of ass-kicking to keep me entertained, a 200 year old romance in play, sexy times were brief but naughty and thankfully, not too flowery – plus the characters were far more ‘Grimm’ than ‘Disney’.
For the uninitiated, Transplanted Tales is a series set in modern day Chicago where humans are unaware that fictional characters live among them. This ranges from fairy-tales such as Cinderella, to nursery rhymes like Little Bo Peep, moving across to literature – Mr Darcy ahoy there! (I’m a huuuuge Darcy daydreamer, HUGE!) and even characters from Shakespeare make an appearance.
Characters from Make Believe started popping up in the Here And Now after a spell made by Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother went hideously wrong. We can also blame Aladdin’s genie for egging her on to do it in the first place… damn you smooth talking, wise-cracking genie! And it was on this momentous occasion that Little Miss Muffet bumped into Little Boy Blue, wondering where the heck they disappeared to. They’re instantly smitten for one another. But unfortunately for Nicky Blue, a disorientated and scared ‘Trish’ Muffet declines his offer to run away together and make a life of their own (I have to hand it to the lad, he’s a fast worker), preferring to follow the other dazed and confused characters.
Sadly, they don’t see one another for another two hundred years and when they do meet, their lives have moved on in very different directions. They’ve changed, becoming harder, wiser and sadly in Nicky’s case: feeling very blue (you geddit?) sniggers.
Nicky
Say goodbye to the lederhosen and hello to my little friend – Nicky Blue. If you’re partial to a mafia man then come on down and check out the guns on this guy. Nicky’s like a character straight out of the Godfather, he’s pure gentleman with a capital G, has a thing about ‘respect’ and likes to call women either ‘dolls’ or ‘dames’. In Make Believe he’s famous for falling asleep on a pile of hay. Not so sexy, I admit. Nicky has built on his unimpressive background from being a petty thief to working as a hit-man and then running his own business. Now let me get this straight. He’s in the business and although several characters allude to his business, we aren’t told exactly what his business really is. hhmmm.
Things aren’t really going all that well for him. His wife was murdered by a mad sorceress in the first book and he has spent the last two years out of town and up to who knows what. But now he’s back – bigger and badder than ever and out for revenge against the person who started this whole shabang – Count ‘Vlad’ Dracula. ah-ah-ah. To do this, he’s set himself up with a super cool street fighting hero persona called ‘The Spider’. Sadly, he doesn't sport a cape, for shame, but he does have a utility belt. Very, very important.
It is on one of his crime busting sprees that he runs into Trish Muffet and saves her skinny ass from a couple of feisty lady vamps.
“All I did was stick my nose in where it didn’t belong and nearly get myself killed.”
“Yeah, well, no offense, doll, but I’m getting the impression that’s your MO.”
There was no judgement or censure in his voice, but still I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. He was obviously referring to my colossally stupid decision to go chasing after strangely undulating shadows earlier that night. Nothing says dumb-ass quite like walking straight into a vampire ambush.
Trish is no longer the girl she once was either. She’s a forensic examiner for a Tale crime busting organisation run by Aladdin, or Al as he likes to be called now. Trish is well versed in seeing blood and gore on a daily basis, where she gets the opportunity to use her unique powers to look into a dead person’s eyes and see what they were thinking about prior to their death. She is Super Awesomeness.
Trish
But she is still a bit of an outsider and a loner, longing for something other than her job to fill her days. But in the meantime she is more than happy to kick some Make Believe ass. Go Girl!
It’s not long before Trish and Nicky join forces to take down Dracula and his pesky minions, but before this they get to drool all over one another first:
I’d been dreaming about that stupid grin on his face nearly every night since we came over. And some of those dreams were a little… speculative.
So if you are looking for something energetic, entertaining and a bit different to your usual urban fantasy/paranormal romance fare – I urge you to have a read. I had so much fun and cannot wait to squeeze in the other two books into my reading schedule.
Read more with The Urban Book Thief here
I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about starting this story for two reasons. One, because I haven’t read the first two books in this series and secondly, it kinda sounded a little too cutesy and I had visions of this being some bland YA paranormal rompety-romp through an enchanted forest somewhere in magic-ville.
Frankly my dear, I could have not have been more wrong. Along Came a Spider was almost (dare I say it?) an urban fantasy rompety-romp through the backstreets of Chicago (hard-core urban fantasy lovers might disagree with me here – it didn’t feel very paranormaly to me). There were copious amounts of ass-kicking to keep me entertained, a 200 year old romance in play, sexy times were brief but naughty and thankfully, not too flowery – plus the characters were far more ‘Grimm’ than ‘Disney’.
For the uninitiated, Transplanted Tales is a series set in modern day Chicago where humans are unaware that fictional characters live among them. This ranges from fairy-tales such as Cinderella, to nursery rhymes like Little Bo Peep, moving across to literature – Mr Darcy ahoy there! (I’m a huuuuge Darcy daydreamer, HUGE!) and even characters from Shakespeare make an appearance.
Characters from Make Believe started popping up in the Here And Now after a spell made by Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother went hideously wrong. We can also blame Aladdin’s genie for egging her on to do it in the first place… damn you smooth talking, wise-cracking genie! And it was on this momentous occasion that Little Miss Muffet bumped into Little Boy Blue, wondering where the heck they disappeared to. They’re instantly smitten for one another. But unfortunately for Nicky Blue, a disorientated and scared ‘Trish’ Muffet declines his offer to run away together and make a life of their own (I have to hand it to the lad, he’s a fast worker), preferring to follow the other dazed and confused characters.
Sadly, they don’t see one another for another two hundred years and when they do meet, their lives have moved on in very different directions. They’ve changed, becoming harder, wiser and sadly in Nicky’s case: feeling very blue (you geddit?) sniggers.
Nicky
Say goodbye to the lederhosen and hello to my little friend – Nicky Blue. If you’re partial to a mafia man then come on down and check out the guns on this guy. Nicky’s like a character straight out of the Godfather, he’s pure gentleman with a capital G, has a thing about ‘respect’ and likes to call women either ‘dolls’ or ‘dames’. In Make Believe he’s famous for falling asleep on a pile of hay. Not so sexy, I admit. Nicky has built on his unimpressive background from being a petty thief to working as a hit-man and then running his own business. Now let me get this straight. He’s in the business and although several characters allude to his business, we aren’t told exactly what his business really is. hhmmm.
Things aren’t really going all that well for him. His wife was murdered by a mad sorceress in the first book and he has spent the last two years out of town and up to who knows what. But now he’s back – bigger and badder than ever and out for revenge against the person who started this whole shabang – Count ‘Vlad’ Dracula. ah-ah-ah. To do this, he’s set himself up with a super cool street fighting hero persona called ‘The Spider’. Sadly, he doesn't sport a cape, for shame, but he does have a utility belt. Very, very important.
It is on one of his crime busting sprees that he runs into Trish Muffet and saves her skinny ass from a couple of feisty lady vamps.
“All I did was stick my nose in where it didn’t belong and nearly get myself killed.”
“Yeah, well, no offense, doll, but I’m getting the impression that’s your MO.”
There was no judgement or censure in his voice, but still I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. He was obviously referring to my colossally stupid decision to go chasing after strangely undulating shadows earlier that night. Nothing says dumb-ass quite like walking straight into a vampire ambush.
Trish is no longer the girl she once was either. She’s a forensic examiner for a Tale crime busting organisation run by Aladdin, or Al as he likes to be called now. Trish is well versed in seeing blood and gore on a daily basis, where she gets the opportunity to use her unique powers to look into a dead person’s eyes and see what they were thinking about prior to their death. She is Super Awesomeness.
Trish
But she is still a bit of an outsider and a loner, longing for something other than her job to fill her days. But in the meantime she is more than happy to kick some Make Believe ass. Go Girl!
It’s not long before Trish and Nicky join forces to take down Dracula and his pesky minions, but before this they get to drool all over one another first:
I’d been dreaming about that stupid grin on his face nearly every night since we came over. And some of those dreams were a little… speculative.
So if you are looking for something energetic, entertaining and a bit different to your usual urban fantasy/paranormal romance fare – I urge you to have a read. I had so much fun and cannot wait to squeeze in the other two books into my reading schedule.
Read more with The Urban Book Thief here
August 13, 2013
**Find this and other reviews at The Demon Librarian**
Another Transplanted Tales hit!
When the Transplanted Tales series burst onto my reading horizon last year, I knew I had found something special. I couldn't get enough of book 1, Red, and book 2, The Better To See You, was a lot of fun as well. When I discovered that book 3 would star two of my favorite supporting characters, well, there may have been a lot of grinning and happy dancing involved ;)
The story itself kicks off with a new breed of vampire terrorizing the streets, and all evidence seems to lead back to the infamous vamp of all vamps, Vlad Dracula, whom we first met in book one. As a longtime and vital member of the FMA team, Trish Muffet has the gruesome task of processing the crime scenes. Not an easy job, by any means, and it isn't made any easier when Ordinaries get involved. The human-run Agency creates all sorts of problems for both Trish and the FMA, and it's quickly apparent that they have their own agenda when it comes to the Tales and this case. Throw in an entity that is haunting Trish, and the reappearance of Nicky Blue, aka The Spider, and you've got all the makings for an exciting read.
Along Came A Spider delighted me in every way. I knew Trish was a great character, but I didn't appreciate how truly kickass she was until I read this book. She's an engaging heroine - intelligent, snarky, and tough as nails when she needs to be - and while Tess from book one remains my favorite heroine in the series, Trish is a very close second. I liked her in every way, right from the get-go, and I enjoyed her story so much, I was actually peeved when it ended because I wanted it to keep going!
Leading man Nicky "Little Boy" Blue is one of those wonderful characters who straddles the line between light and dark, the kind of guy who can save the day one minute and lay a smackdown on his enemies the next. I was already half in love with Nicky after book one, so you can imagine the levels of fangirlness I reached in Along Came A Spider. He's exactly the kind of hero I go for, and wow, does he ever share some chemistry with Trish! I loved their backstory, and the longing they both felt for one another that added a delicious, sexually-charged intensity to all of their interactions.
The supporting cast is amazing as well. Not only do we get to see more of the couples from previous books (Tess and Nate, Lavendar and Seth), there's also tantalizing glimpses of other Tales who are sure to make their way into future books. Gideon in particular....holy hotness, Gideon!!! He was a total scene stealer and I cannot WAIT to read his story.
A bit of paranormal romance, a bit of urban fantasy, and all awesomeness, the Transplanted Tales series offers readers everything they could possibly ask for - creative storytelling, action and humor, fantastic characters, and a world you will to return to again and again. You simply MUST read it!
4.5 Stars ★★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Another Transplanted Tales hit!
When the Transplanted Tales series burst onto my reading horizon last year, I knew I had found something special. I couldn't get enough of book 1, Red, and book 2, The Better To See You, was a lot of fun as well. When I discovered that book 3 would star two of my favorite supporting characters, well, there may have been a lot of grinning and happy dancing involved ;)
The story itself kicks off with a new breed of vampire terrorizing the streets, and all evidence seems to lead back to the infamous vamp of all vamps, Vlad Dracula, whom we first met in book one. As a longtime and vital member of the FMA team, Trish Muffet has the gruesome task of processing the crime scenes. Not an easy job, by any means, and it isn't made any easier when Ordinaries get involved. The human-run Agency creates all sorts of problems for both Trish and the FMA, and it's quickly apparent that they have their own agenda when it comes to the Tales and this case. Throw in an entity that is haunting Trish, and the reappearance of Nicky Blue, aka The Spider, and you've got all the makings for an exciting read.
Along Came A Spider delighted me in every way. I knew Trish was a great character, but I didn't appreciate how truly kickass she was until I read this book. She's an engaging heroine - intelligent, snarky, and tough as nails when she needs to be - and while Tess from book one remains my favorite heroine in the series, Trish is a very close second. I liked her in every way, right from the get-go, and I enjoyed her story so much, I was actually peeved when it ended because I wanted it to keep going!
Leading man Nicky "Little Boy" Blue is one of those wonderful characters who straddles the line between light and dark, the kind of guy who can save the day one minute and lay a smackdown on his enemies the next. I was already half in love with Nicky after book one, so you can imagine the levels of fangirlness I reached in Along Came A Spider. He's exactly the kind of hero I go for, and wow, does he ever share some chemistry with Trish! I loved their backstory, and the longing they both felt for one another that added a delicious, sexually-charged intensity to all of their interactions.
The supporting cast is amazing as well. Not only do we get to see more of the couples from previous books (Tess and Nate, Lavendar and Seth), there's also tantalizing glimpses of other Tales who are sure to make their way into future books. Gideon in particular....holy hotness, Gideon!!! He was a total scene stealer and I cannot WAIT to read his story.
A bit of paranormal romance, a bit of urban fantasy, and all awesomeness, the Transplanted Tales series offers readers everything they could possibly ask for - creative storytelling, action and humor, fantastic characters, and a world you will to return to again and again. You simply MUST read it!
4.5 Stars ★★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2013
Review from Backchatting Books
I adored the first two novels in this series because of their characterisation, plots and settings so I had very high expectations for this one. This is the story of Beatrice “Trish” Muffet and the spider who loved her, Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. Trish first met Nicky when they were transplanted and promptly fell in love. She watched from afar as Nicky built his criminal empire, married Jules Capulet (one of the Willies) and supported him after Jules was murdered. Jules’ death turned Nicky into “the Spider”, a vigilante, as he thinks that dealing with the scum of the earth may bring him closer to nailing Vlad Dracula. Vlad however is after Trish and Nicky is determined to protect her.
I admired Trish from the moment we first met her in Red. She was a no-nonsense kind of character who worked as a coroner and forensics investigator for the Fairytale Management Authority (FMA). Trish displayed loyalty, courage and determination in equal qualities. I loved the way her fear of spiders was explained as I wasn’t sure how closely SeRine was going to follow the original nursery rhyme. Nicky is the shade to Trish’s light. He worked his way up from a petty thief to a mafia style crime lord. His inability to save the people he cared about most weighed heavily on him. For a tough guy like Nicky, being helpless is pretty frightening. He scaled back his operations and focused on what was important – protecting those he loved and getting Jules the justice she deserved. Trish and Nicky’s relationship was very sweet and a pleasure to read.
While the romance was great, SeRine’s strength is clearly creating a robust world for her characters. I loved seeing how the Tales fitted into ‘normal’ society such as the three little pigs becoming hit men and Rumpelstiltskin an exclusive jeweller. SeRine has gradually expanded her world and this time we have a sinister government group known as “the Agency” interfering with the FMA. The novel was well paced and provided lots of action and romance with a healthy dollop of humour.
You need to start this series from the beginning so you can see why our Crew of Light (sorry I couldn’t resist) is so determined to take down Dracula and how their relationships evolved over time. Considering the awesomeness of the other two books, this is no great hardship. I’m looking forward to Gideon’s tale next.
*Book received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I adored the first two novels in this series because of their characterisation, plots and settings so I had very high expectations for this one. This is the story of Beatrice “Trish” Muffet and the spider who loved her, Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. Trish first met Nicky when they were transplanted and promptly fell in love. She watched from afar as Nicky built his criminal empire, married Jules Capulet (one of the Willies) and supported him after Jules was murdered. Jules’ death turned Nicky into “the Spider”, a vigilante, as he thinks that dealing with the scum of the earth may bring him closer to nailing Vlad Dracula. Vlad however is after Trish and Nicky is determined to protect her.
I admired Trish from the moment we first met her in Red. She was a no-nonsense kind of character who worked as a coroner and forensics investigator for the Fairytale Management Authority (FMA). Trish displayed loyalty, courage and determination in equal qualities. I loved the way her fear of spiders was explained as I wasn’t sure how closely SeRine was going to follow the original nursery rhyme. Nicky is the shade to Trish’s light. He worked his way up from a petty thief to a mafia style crime lord. His inability to save the people he cared about most weighed heavily on him. For a tough guy like Nicky, being helpless is pretty frightening. He scaled back his operations and focused on what was important – protecting those he loved and getting Jules the justice she deserved. Trish and Nicky’s relationship was very sweet and a pleasure to read.
While the romance was great, SeRine’s strength is clearly creating a robust world for her characters. I loved seeing how the Tales fitted into ‘normal’ society such as the three little pigs becoming hit men and Rumpelstiltskin an exclusive jeweller. SeRine has gradually expanded her world and this time we have a sinister government group known as “the Agency” interfering with the FMA. The novel was well paced and provided lots of action and romance with a healthy dollop of humour.
You need to start this series from the beginning so you can see why our Crew of Light (sorry I couldn’t resist) is so determined to take down Dracula and how their relationships evolved over time. Considering the awesomeness of the other two books, this is no great hardship. I’m looking forward to Gideon’s tale next.
*Book received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
July 27, 2013
Originally posted at PaperbackWonderland
Arc provided by netgalley
A couple months ago i read Red and i loved it! The idea was original, and as a fairy tale addict, i loved reading about characters that made me company through my childhood, as well as growing up.
The tone of that story was definitely urban fantasy, with a little paranormal romance in with, that i could have done without....(especially the parts with Vlad, the vampire).. but all in all, it was an interesting story to read.
The second one The Better To See You was definitely more paranormal romance than urban fantasy oriented, but since i liked the characters (Seth, the werewolf and Lavender, the Fairy Godmother) and their chemistry, i could deal with it.
The plot of the stories...
That's the thing. Besides the romances that are created and developed in each and every story, the second and third book follow something that started with the first book. The thing is, i can't help feeling that that situation involving two precise characters wasn't strong enough for two books...much less three!
So, i'm afraid that this plot wasn't able to convince me....
Also, regarding the romance between the characters, it was only able to convince me in their chemistry...because the whole: I looked into your eyes and saw your soul" and "i looked into your eyes and falled in love with you" isn't my thing as a reader.
Also as pet peeves, i have to say that i could have done without popular references. eg: Kardashians...
Then Nicky is a grown man/Tale, so why not calling him, Nick?
Then although i like some diversity in characters, there were times when i felt i was hearing/reading a lot of "blah..blah..blah..." coming from noisy characters that didn't add anything to the story. And in the end it all felt very clichéd...
Sooooo, although i didn't enjoy this one...i'll be waiting for the next one, hoping that it will written more along the lines of the first one ...
Red
Arc provided by netgalley
A couple months ago i read Red and i loved it! The idea was original, and as a fairy tale addict, i loved reading about characters that made me company through my childhood, as well as growing up.
The tone of that story was definitely urban fantasy, with a little paranormal romance in with, that i could have done without....(especially the parts with Vlad, the vampire).. but all in all, it was an interesting story to read.
The second one The Better To See You was definitely more paranormal romance than urban fantasy oriented, but since i liked the characters (Seth, the werewolf and Lavender, the Fairy Godmother) and their chemistry, i could deal with it.
The plot of the stories...
That's the thing. Besides the romances that are created and developed in each and every story, the second and third book follow something that started with the first book. The thing is, i can't help feeling that that situation involving two precise characters wasn't strong enough for two books...much less three!
So, i'm afraid that this plot wasn't able to convince me....
Also, regarding the romance between the characters, it was only able to convince me in their chemistry...because the whole: I looked into your eyes and saw your soul" and "i looked into your eyes and falled in love with you" isn't my thing as a reader.
Also as pet peeves, i have to say that i could have done without popular references. eg: Kardashians...
Then Nicky is a grown man/Tale, so why not calling him, Nick?
Then although i like some diversity in characters, there were times when i felt i was hearing/reading a lot of "blah..blah..blah..." coming from noisy characters that didn't add anything to the story. And in the end it all felt very clichéd...
Sooooo, although i didn't enjoy this one...i'll be waiting for the next one, hoping that it will written more along the lines of the first one ...
Red
August 1, 2013
When Trish Muffet is attacked at a grisly crime scene, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. But since walking away from everything two years before, Nicky’s been doling out vigilante justice as “The Spider,” taking on the vicious predators of the night in hopes it’ll lead him to his ultimate target – Vlad Dracula. And he needs Trish’s help.
Although Nicky’s renegade style goes against everything Trish stands for, she’ll do what she must to bring Dracula down. With danger stalking her, Trish knows the only person she can count on is the one man who has the power to leave her breathless. There’s no way she’s letting this spider frighten her away…
Review:
Kate is the Queen of the Faery Tale world!
I was so glad when Along Came a Spider came on Netgalley that I had to rush and get my copy. This is the third in the Transplanted Tales series and Kate is still keeping me hooked on all the characters. I love how she weaves tales and literary characters into riveting stories and gives us a fresh take on them; the Three Little Pigs as hit-men, Rumpelstiltskin as a jeweler, Snow White as a Madame of a brothel...just to list a few. The dialog is first rate and at points was making me laugh out loud!
This book is Trish Muffet and Nicky Blue's story, though we started seeing their unrequited love in the previous books. This, one kept me on the edge of my seat with them trying to figure out who is behind the killings and the haunting of Trish by, oh get real I am not going to tell you...lol Trish really do compliment each other and so glad they got their own story.
This book has the whole package and well worth taking the time to read, I think you will be as hooked as I am! I know this can be a stand alone book, but I would suggest reading the others in the series. There are some nuances that you might miss and because they are great in their own right.
And for those who like me, are addicted to this series Kate announced the other day we will get a novella and a book next year...I will be waiting anxiously :)
Although Nicky’s renegade style goes against everything Trish stands for, she’ll do what she must to bring Dracula down. With danger stalking her, Trish knows the only person she can count on is the one man who has the power to leave her breathless. There’s no way she’s letting this spider frighten her away…
Review:
Kate is the Queen of the Faery Tale world!
I was so glad when Along Came a Spider came on Netgalley that I had to rush and get my copy. This is the third in the Transplanted Tales series and Kate is still keeping me hooked on all the characters. I love how she weaves tales and literary characters into riveting stories and gives us a fresh take on them; the Three Little Pigs as hit-men, Rumpelstiltskin as a jeweler, Snow White as a Madame of a brothel...just to list a few. The dialog is first rate and at points was making me laugh out loud!
This book is Trish Muffet and Nicky Blue's story, though we started seeing their unrequited love in the previous books. This, one kept me on the edge of my seat with them trying to figure out who is behind the killings and the haunting of Trish by, oh get real I am not going to tell you...lol Trish really do compliment each other and so glad they got their own story.
This book has the whole package and well worth taking the time to read, I think you will be as hooked as I am! I know this can be a stand alone book, but I would suggest reading the others in the series. There are some nuances that you might miss and because they are great in their own right.
And for those who like me, are addicted to this series Kate announced the other day we will get a novella and a book next year...I will be waiting anxiously :)
January 29, 2015
What a great way to continue the Transplanted Tales series! With each book, the world continues to grow, and more interesting characters are added. There's always a great mystery, as well as an awesome romance to love. And this one was no exception.
Trish was an awesome heroine! Smart with a healthy temper, I found her to be a great narrator for this story. She never let anyone push her around, and spoke out about her feelings. Her love and loyalty towards her friends was admirable. Watching her overcome her fears made for excellent reading.
Then, of course, there are the side characters. Everyone from the earlier novels played a part in this one. It was great catching up with Red, Lavender, Nate, and Seth. I loved seeing how their lives went after the ends of their books. Al played a bigger part in this book, as well. I spent a lot of time questioning his loyalty to the Tales. But we found out something quite unexpected about him which I think gave his character some much-needed humanity. Then, there was the mysterious Alex, the FMA agent. He turned out to be different than I thought. Ian Spalding was definitely a character I hated, since he was selfish and only cared for himself. Finally, there was Nicky. Honestly, I think he and Trish just may be my favorite couple in this series. I wasn't sure if I could get behind Nicky as a love interest, but wow! He's fiercely loyal and protective, charming, and can be quite deadly if need be.
The plot followed Trish as she tried to figure out where odd vampires were coming from. After getting attacked by a ghost in her apartment, she was rescued by Nicky. After that, there was lots of action, mystery, and romance. It was really great reading.
In the end, this series just gets better and better. I'm quite sad I only have one book left. But, it's Gideon's story, and after all the pagetime he received in this novel, I'm really excited to see his story.
Trish was an awesome heroine! Smart with a healthy temper, I found her to be a great narrator for this story. She never let anyone push her around, and spoke out about her feelings. Her love and loyalty towards her friends was admirable. Watching her overcome her fears made for excellent reading.
Then, of course, there are the side characters. Everyone from the earlier novels played a part in this one. It was great catching up with Red, Lavender, Nate, and Seth. I loved seeing how their lives went after the ends of their books. Al played a bigger part in this book, as well. I spent a lot of time questioning his loyalty to the Tales. But we found out something quite unexpected about him which I think gave his character some much-needed humanity. Then, there was the mysterious Alex, the FMA agent. He turned out to be different than I thought. Ian Spalding was definitely a character I hated, since he was selfish and only cared for himself. Finally, there was Nicky. Honestly, I think he and Trish just may be my favorite couple in this series. I wasn't sure if I could get behind Nicky as a love interest, but wow! He's fiercely loyal and protective, charming, and can be quite deadly if need be.
The plot followed Trish as she tried to figure out where odd vampires were coming from. After getting attacked by a ghost in her apartment, she was rescued by Nicky. After that, there was lots of action, mystery, and romance. It was really great reading.
In the end, this series just gets better and better. I'm quite sad I only have one book left. But, it's Gideon's story, and after all the pagetime he received in this novel, I'm really excited to see his story.
July 20, 2013
Literary figures in the here and now? Sign me up please!
I saw this book on NetGalley and it called my name immediately. The concept behind this book gave me the happies. Think Once Upon a Time (TV show) but more, expanded. It's any literary figure, any character, suddenly being dropped into the here and now. They don't age (at least not as we do). Trying to figure out how to make it here. Most of them have a power.
They are our paranormal creatures.
Now, my only complaint, and it is totally not the books fault, is that this is book 3 in the series. I was a dumbass, and didn't look into that before I started reading the story. The book made a valiant attempt to let readers know what had previously happened, but I definitely feel that it wasn't enough. I easily followed along with the story but there were only passing references to prior events, and those events were apparently very important to the continuation of events.
Having said that? This was fun. I really enjoyed tying to figure out who the character was, what story they belonged in. I loved that the characters were not just limited to fairy tales but also included literature - Jane Eyre, Dracula, etc. I really enjoyed seeing the *special powers* each character possesssed in our world. The plot was good, familiar, but had enough quirks to make it unique. I would love to know more about each character (although that could have been done in prior books...).
I'd give this a solid 3.5/5. If I had read the previous books, I'm pretty sure this would have been at least a 4/5.
I saw this book on NetGalley and it called my name immediately. The concept behind this book gave me the happies. Think Once Upon a Time (TV show) but more, expanded. It's any literary figure, any character, suddenly being dropped into the here and now. They don't age (at least not as we do). Trying to figure out how to make it here. Most of them have a power.
They are our paranormal creatures.
Now, my only complaint, and it is totally not the books fault, is that this is book 3 in the series. I was a dumbass, and didn't look into that before I started reading the story. The book made a valiant attempt to let readers know what had previously happened, but I definitely feel that it wasn't enough. I easily followed along with the story but there were only passing references to prior events, and those events were apparently very important to the continuation of events.
Having said that? This was fun. I really enjoyed tying to figure out who the character was, what story they belonged in. I loved that the characters were not just limited to fairy tales but also included literature - Jane Eyre, Dracula, etc. I really enjoyed seeing the *special powers* each character possesssed in our world. The plot was good, familiar, but had enough quirks to make it unique. I would love to know more about each character (although that could have been done in prior books...).
I'd give this a solid 3.5/5. If I had read the previous books, I'm pretty sure this would have been at least a 4/5.
August 2, 2013
Received ARC through netgalley
I will start by saying I have not read the previous books in this series. While I don't think it's necessary to read them first, they are referred to a lot in this book and would help with any confusion about what the characters are talking about.
Along came a spider is a great twist to normal fairytales. It had a very original take on it and I really enjoyed the story itself.
Nicky Blue and Trish Muffet end up in Here and Now together. They ended up going their separate ways. Years later, Trish is attacked at a crime scene and Nicky comes to her rescue.
Nicky Blue disappeared after his wife's death 2 years earlier. When he returns, he is trying to hunt down Dracula, who is responsible for his wife's murder.
Trish is working for the FMA, trying to solve the murder of the sandman. Things just don't seem right and she is trying to find his killers. Someone is creating vampires, but who.
I really loved the character. I also enjoyed getting to see how the Tales lived their lives before and after coming to the ordinaries world. The details in this story were amazing. Not to much to make you want to skip ahead but not so little that you are left confused.
I will definitely go back to read the two previous stories and can't wait for the next book in this series. I am now a new fan of Kate SeRine's work!!!
If you a looking for a new paranormal twist, to some of your favorite stories, this is definitely for you. Start with Red!!
I will start by saying I have not read the previous books in this series. While I don't think it's necessary to read them first, they are referred to a lot in this book and would help with any confusion about what the characters are talking about.
Along came a spider is a great twist to normal fairytales. It had a very original take on it and I really enjoyed the story itself.
Nicky Blue and Trish Muffet end up in Here and Now together. They ended up going their separate ways. Years later, Trish is attacked at a crime scene and Nicky comes to her rescue.
Nicky Blue disappeared after his wife's death 2 years earlier. When he returns, he is trying to hunt down Dracula, who is responsible for his wife's murder.
Trish is working for the FMA, trying to solve the murder of the sandman. Things just don't seem right and she is trying to find his killers. Someone is creating vampires, but who.
I really loved the character. I also enjoyed getting to see how the Tales lived their lives before and after coming to the ordinaries world. The details in this story were amazing. Not to much to make you want to skip ahead but not so little that you are left confused.
I will definitely go back to read the two previous stories and can't wait for the next book in this series. I am now a new fan of Kate SeRine's work!!!
If you a looking for a new paranormal twist, to some of your favorite stories, this is definitely for you. Start with Red!!
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