Ugly Girl

Faite Falling #1

by Mary E. Twomey

Running toward danger is about to become Rosie's full-time job.
When a grizzled stranger crashes into her life and lifts the concealment that has marred her face since childhood, Rosie Avalon leaves everything she knows behind. Pulled into a realm teeming with magical creatures, Rosie must navigate this new, broken world while avoiding capture by the evil queen, who knows there's more to Rosie than meets the eye.
Bastien is an Untouchable, feared and shunned by all but a handful of elite warriors. His realm has been ravaged by the evil queen's reign, but he will stop at nothing to save the land he loves, even if it means pushing Rosie past her breaking point.
Thrust into a quest that threatens to destroy her family, Rosie's path is she must sacrifice all she holds dear to save a world on the brink of collapse, and hope she doesn't lose herself along the way.
This is the first in a 14-part fantasy romance series written by USA Today Bestselling Author Mary E. Twomey.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Ebooks, Amazon, Fae

468 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2017

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Mary E. Twomey lives in Michigan with her three adorable children. She enjoys reading, writing, vegetarian cooking, and telling her children fantastic stories about wombats.

While she loves writing fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal tales for her readers, Mary also writes romance under the name Tuesday Embers.

Visit her online at www.maryetwomey.com.

Reviews

[Choko · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of a contemporary fairy tale...

*** 3.44 ***

I recently finished the Feet away series by this author and wanted to check some of her other work out. Since at the end of the last book I got to read a preview for Ugly Girl, it intrigued me enough to start with the Faite Falling series.

This book is an introduction to the life of Rosie Avalon, a 22year old dyslexic college student, who while very active in sports, and more particularly soccer, has dealt with scoliosis, a hump, a lazy eye, and a grotesque amount of acne, making her an easy target for ridicule. She would have been even worse off if not for the love of her devoted aunt, who has been caring for her since the death of her mother, and her best friend, who has supported and loved her unconditionally since childhood.

Rosie has come to terms with her life, but one day brings tremendous changes to her body and soon after she is abducted, which leads to her introduction to a whole different world and her life, as well as her view of who she is, are torn asunder, and she has to learn a set of new rules to play by...

This is the contemporary part of the story. Then there is Avalon, the magic world where things are going really, really wrong and Rosie is forced to find a way to stay alive. Yes, this is a fairy tail with a major Disney component - Rosie can talk with animals!!! I thought that was kind of adorable😀.

Just as in her other series, Ms. Twomey's strength is the easy banter and ability to write relatable characters. They are never perfect, always heavily flawed, do a ton of impulsive stuff for which they are usually sorry later, but are also well intentioned and have a well established sense of right and wrong, without being too strict with the definitions. However, although her female characters are less then sexually active, there is always a lot of flirting and thinking about flirting... I would say that the target audience is young adult or teens, but I guess it could be enjoyed by those of us who are older of age but still young at heart 😉. The prose is very accessible, the characters tend to get both friendly and combative fast, and it is a very quick and easy read. You wouldn't know if it is your cup of tea unless you try it. I plan on continuing on...

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, the books in all the series I've read by Twomey follow a formula, but it's a formula I really enjoy. It gives me a healthy level of escapism and the butterflies I don't feel in real life anymore. They succeed completely at what they are meant to be, fun, fast paced, fantasy romances.

I really enjoy this story and I always appreciate that each series she writes utilizes a different country's folklore. It keeps things interesting. I particularly love how the main character in this one can speak to animals, it adds a bit of joy to the harrowing story.

My only complaint, which is why I took a star away, is the ugly girl concept. I didn't much care for the fact that as an "ugly girl" no one looked her way which kept her virginal and alone well into her 20s. Then she loses a charm and suddenly she's pretty and hot guys are all over her. It wasn't something I cared for. However, I'll mention that I loved how her best friend didn't change when she did, he was constant and real for her. She also had self esteem as the "ugly girl" which was good.

As all these books have, there's several impossibly handsome and perfect men to fall for with Rosie and while it's all a bit silly it's a nice break from the real world. Plus, who doesn't want to conjure up a hot lumberjack? lol

[Kate Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faîte Falling is an 11-Part Urban Fantasy Series based in French Folklore.

“The atmosphere in the noisy bar was just starting to hit its sweet spot, with the blaring music enticing the college crowd to remember everything that was good about being young and away from home. We frequently came here after I finished a soccer game, yet somehow there were always a couple guys drunk enough to challenge us, even though we were undefeated at pool…but a few people on the fringes gave us weird looks.

Me. They gave me weird looks. Not that I could blame them. I had scoliosis, which resulted in a pretty sizable hump on my back. Pair that with my lazy left eye, and I was ripe for receiving at least one grimace a day. One of my stellar nicknames in high school had been Baby Got Too Much Back. The other one was Crater Face, due to the painful acne that never went away. Judah was my other half because he’d never once looked at me like I was the ugly girl, and I’d never teased him about being super into Star Trek, spending his entire life at the top of the curve or being Jewish.”

This quote introduces us to two characters for this series: Ms. Rosie (Ro) Avalon and her best friend Judah. This is the beginning of a new 11 part series entitled the Faîte Falling Series by Mary E. Twomey. The author uses in-depth research on French culture and folklore in exploring how “incredible the French are, and how rich they make literature.” Ms. Twomey goes on to state that “each title of this 11-part series is a nasty name we call ourselves when we're turned around. One of the big themes in this series is knowing who you are, and how positive self-talk can change the trajectory of your fate.”

The pace of this new book was fluid, Fantastical French mythical beings with amazing powers interwoven with American human every-day reality, suspenseful scenes tinged with humorous bantering between the very well-developed characters to lighten their perilous passage. Additionally, we will be meeting along Rosie Avalon’s journey some French Canadian animals and a French Creole demigod, to name a few of the Fantastical French classic creatures.

Once again, I will not reveal ANY spoilers, Dearest Reader as I wish for you to relish the Beginning of such a Mind-blowing Journey for a new heroine: Ms. Rosie Avalon.

I gave this book five (5) stars as I Thoroughly Enjoyed this Fantastical French Fable and I passionately advise you, Dear Reader to Please check out this new series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher and I have voluntarily reviewed it.


Date Published: November 2nd, 2017
Format: e-book (kindle)
Genre: French Folk Tales, Mythology, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction
Available at: Amazon.com

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (4/28/2018)!💝

Blurb:
"Ugly Girl" is book one of an 11-part fantasy romance series, which is based in French folklore.

Rosie Avalon doesn’t know what to make of the bounty hunter who barreled into her life and turned everything on its head. When he lifts her concealment, Rosie goes from having a face that makes people cringe, to being suddenly beautiful. Bastien promises she’ll be safe when he takes her to a world teeming with Fae, Retifs, Brownies and the like, but with a target on her back and too many broken parts in this new magical world, Rosie isn’t sure a safe place exists under her evil mother’s rule.

Now with everyone trying to use her for gifts she never knew she had, Rosie wonders if life was better back when she was the ugly girl.

[Teresa Lavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun and awesome story! I am so looking forward to the rest of this series. I loved it when a book in a series has a legitimate ending, yet also, clearly, can continue. Very well done!

[Linda Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hooked again. Mary E. Twomey's great new series is another winning combination of great characters and an amazing storyline that already promises to break my heart and then heal it again.

Rosie is such a great character. She makes me laugh so much with comments. She and her bestie have a great relationship but it is not your usual friendship. The nicknames for each other are so funny and they have their own language. She and her aunt have been a team on their own and now have to join others to keep her safe and take on an important mission.

Bastien is the man who I expect will break her heart and hopefully heal it too. He is someone not used to opening up to anyone. He has had a tragic past and is a warrior. He and Rosie are going to be interesting together.

There is quite a few hints of some of the major conflicts to come. I look forward to them and dread them at the same time. I know the author is not afraid of taking big chances with the storyline and never know what to expect. I do know I never have regretted going on the journey with her.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.

[Patience Cruise · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading this I was enthralled. Immediately knowing she wouldn't always be the ugly girl that she is in the beginning I had to know more. Why did it happen, how did it happen and how soon would everything unfold. Have no fear, the story starts quick and you suddenly realize you're racing one page after the next to learn more.
Suddenly Rosie is beautiful and finds herself being thrown into another world of danger and adventure. She takes a chance following two handsome strangers, her only solace is knowing her aunt who raised her would be with her every step of the way. Only, with every step she learns the woman who raised her may be more of a stranger than these men from another world.
Rosie has a greater role to play in this strange world than she expected. As oddities of her childhood now seem to make sense the world around her falls apart.
Mary's words and story weaving will leave you begging for more all to soon! I cannot wait for book 2!

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Mary has the beginning of a wonderful and engaging series! Always fabulous characters, this time is no exception, and stories that make you go hmmm, laugh out loud, run for the kleenex, and overall just make you not want to put the book down until the end. The story has plenty of twists and turns that leave room for more in the story line, but make you furious because you just have to wait! Without spoilers here, this is the story of Rosie, who it turns out is not Ugly at all...but read this book to find out for yourself. If you pass it up, you are truly missing out on not only a great author, but a great story. I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle Willms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding fantasy

Rarely do I feel compelled to immediately rush to purchase the second book in a series. I finished this book, though, and knew I had elbow what happened next. This was a beautifully written tale that swept me along in an awe-inspiring journey. The characters were fully developed, believable, flawed, likable, reprehensible, charming, and/or sweet. This is a series that I fear has me deeply,irreversibly hooked.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It started out okay but when there were the snakes and then the poppies on top of that with a lot of biting and clawing, I thought the second injury was just too much. Let's move on with the story instead of having these long drawn out many levels of pain scenes. It ended very abruptly too which makes me think that one of these injury scenes was added as filler. 3 stars

[Sharon Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading the series?

I have to admit I only read about a third of the book. Why? First, while both the story and the quality of the writing were fine, they weren't great. Second, the target audience was YA/NA and I wasn't in the mood for the immaturity. I probably would have powered through, but then I realized it was a 14 book (at least!) series. I wasn't nearly as invested as I needed to be for that.

[LaGina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book. I wasnt able to put it down, that was until my eyes started to work against me and wouldnt focus for me to finish this in one sitting. I cant wait to read more in this series.

[Rossana Peña Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow no esperaba esta historia. me gustó espero que todo el año pueda toparme con libros igual de entretenidos.

[Gizelle Chia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It follows the same formula as the Undraland and Terraway series (by the same author)but factors in folklore from a different culture... This time the culture being French folklore which is original and interesting for me.

Because the stories follow the same formula it can become quite repetitive if I was to read Mary’s books closely together. So I purposely leave some time between reading Mary’s books because I know what to expect and I want to be able to appreciate her great story telling for what it is.

Mary writes multi-layered characters with real-life flaws and you get sucked into their world in the best way possible. Embarking on Mary’s books means you have to gear up for a rocky journey that will have you feeling a whole range of emotions by the time you’re through.

So with that said I’ve put on my big girl panties and I’m saddled up for this long and eventful journey. *Yee-haw*

PS. I’m loving Bastien so far bc he reminds me of Finn and Fossegrim.

[Miss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read and I loved following the journey that Rosie started. This was a great start to this series and I am absolutely looking forward to the next books in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashleigh Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so not interested in the “I didn’t get a chance to tell you something major about you and now I don’t have time to tell you because you’re in danger... because I didn’t tell you.” Ugh. Also, why can’t the so-called “ugly” girl just stay that way? Why does she have to be “pretty?” Not for me...

[Punkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh

Back and fourth. Some interesting takes on magic. The title is a bit misleading. . . . . . .

[K ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

↪ buddyread

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book I would normally read or even look for but my daughter asked me to read it along side her it is a 9 part serial which would have been enough for me NOT to get it, My daughter wants me to read it so read it I did and what surprise I thoroughly Enjoyed this story and look forward to learning where Rosie ends up. Appears there are several young fans of the series and after reading it, I can certainly understand why. Overall enjoyed the story and characters with some oddities woven in for good measure but struggled to maintain my connection to the characters throughout the story.
There were several times I found myself scanning thru the pages to bypass the immaturity rearing it's head at the most unexpected times. Rosie grew up surrounded by folks who pointing fingers, stared, and were cruel to her because of how she appeared. However, the callused maturity you would expect to be present would go MIA during the strangest times. One minute she is doubting herself and allowing someone to belittle her in front of her peers and yet, the next minute, retaliating on behalf of another with a verbally assault to the very same villain. Another inconsistency was her relationship with Lane. There were several times where Lane would come across as this loving doting mother of a 10 year old (baby talk included) and then the conversation transitions to two best friends talking about mature subjects - all within the same scene. Its inconsistencies like this which may confuse a reader and make it difficult to trust the merit of the character.
In the end, I my curiosity was peaked enough to want to continue reading the next book in the series to learn what becomes of Rosie and her people. My hope is that she continues to mature and evolve into the strong sassy heroine everyone wants her to be.

[Aimee Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book I would ordinary purchase but the sale price was right. Enjoyed this story and look forward to learning where Rosie ends up. Appears there are several fans of the series and after reading it, I can certainly understand why. Overall enjoyed the story and characters with some oddities woven in for good measure but struggled to maintain my connection to the characters throughout the story.
There were several times I found myself scanning thru the pages to bypass the immaturity rearing it's head at the most unexpected times. Rosie grew up surrounded by folks who pointing fingers, stared, and were cruel to her because of how she appeared. However, the callused maturity you would expect to be present would go MIA during the strangest times. One minute she is doubting herself and allowing someone to belittle her in front of her peers and yet, the next minute, retaliating on behalf of another with a verbally assault to the very same villain. Another inconsistency was her relationship with Lane. There were several times where Lane would come across as this loving doting mother of a 10 year old (baby talk included) and then the conversation transitions to two best friends talking about mature subjects - all within the same scene. Its inconsistencies like this which may confuse a reader and make it difficult to trust the merit of the character.
In the end, I my curiosity was peaked enough to want to continue reading the next book in the series to learn what becomes of Rosie and her people. My hope is that she continues to mature and evolve into the strong sassy heroine everyone wants her to be.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugly Girl by Mary Twomey is a surprising tale of a girl who discovers that she has special magical gifts and is from another world.
The world building of this tale was remarkable. Even when the character went from the ugly duckling to a beautiful swan overnight, I found I didn’t hate her. I have read so many books where the main character discovers they are a princess from another world with special magical powers that only they can use. Powers that they gain a mastery over in a few moments and use to save the day in every instance.
The main character has had her powers her entire life, but never really thought of them as powers. She has always been able to talk to and understand animals. She has always had an innate sense of direction, but didn’t realize it made her a human compass. The abilities don’t increase, she just learns more that she could do with them.
I feel for the character who goes from unnoticed at best or aggressively disliked for her appearance, to being a rare beauty that everyone is attracted to. She doesn’t know what to do with the newfound popularity. I admired that she stayed true to herself and her beliefs even in this newfound world that has been hidden from her for her entire life.
She seems young and innocent, even a bit naïve, trusting strangers and hoping desperately for a family that she never knew. I want to cheer for her, and possibly see gruesome deaths for a few characters that were less palatable.
Fans of magic and adventure will enjoy this book. I hope to see how the rest of the series continues.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book, so left me hanging I must know what happens next. Loved it. She was once ugly and was rocking it, until one night she finds out she is not actually ugly and its all a charm her mum gave her, but things got really weird after that, she was always weird, talking to animals, never getting lost. Well now shes finding out who she really is, and wow what a shock. now she must become who she was meant to be, and with her friends along both animals and well not so human, she journeys into the unknown. A must read. no I'm off to find the next book

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa Kirkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Completely lost myself in it! Can't wait for the next instalment to arrive in my mailbox! Such an easy read and I loved that Rosie's personality remained true through the book!

Rosie is just a normal girl until she receives a rude shove into the unknown world of the Fey. With her odd companions, Rosie sets off to achieve the previously unachievable and restore the land of the Fey to its previous glory.

I don't want to say too much as I don't want to spoil it but you need to read this :)

[bex · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 star

It could be a very good book--if it felt like a complete story. But it ends in the middle of the action, without the characters even being safe in a reasonable fashion (no sense of even a pause in the journey) and without a character arc for the MC. Sure, she learns a bunch of stuff and finds out she has magic, but she doesn't reach any semblance of acceptance of herself and has no agency in the parts that change.

When I got to the end and saw list of other books, I realized I'd failed to check my blacklist when I downloaded this one.

[Diana Fleming · Rating 2 out of 5]

How to explain this woman's personality? If you put her in a room with a big red 'do not push-danger!' button and one instruction "do not push the danger button", not only would she push the danger button and require rescuing, she would then spend the next two chapters berating you for not accepting her decision to do so. Followed by immediately pushing the very next such button that you encounter.

Oh and the ugliness is magically resolved right at the start in favour of her being a beautiful lost fairy princess.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really intrigued by this book. A female protagonist that wasn't an author/reader insert. She was ugly and knew it. Nothing particularly special except of course a magical pendant given to her by her aunt falls off and she turns into a beauty. At which point o put it down and will not pick it up again. I've read this story a hundred times. I don't need a rehash

[bookwormmama · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ridiculous. I love fantasy with romance, but this was smut that took a story line with promise and reduced it to the backdrop for a promised man to paw at an inexperienced woman he’d just met the entire time. I’d been after a light and easy read, but it was beyond my personal capacity for suspension of disbelief.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think that I’m the target audience for this one. Our fmc is 22, yet she speaks and acts as if she’s around 13. I mean, the girls calls people buttholes ffs. Also, the slang is this is truly terrible. No way I could get through 14 books of this.

[Lorna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh.

Let's create a character who is "ugly" and horrible, with disabilities, and employ the "fix the crip" trope right off.

No thank you. Ableist all get out.

The author also needs a reminder on how the bell curve works.

[Emily Hobbs · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at like 3%

author googled "what does an ugly person look like" and thought scoliosis, a lazy eye, acne and no tits was the perfect choice. Because fuck anyone with those attributes amiright

it's giving; "FMC has her glasses taken off and is immediately unrecognizably gorgeous" trope.