Once Upon a Kiss

Imp World #18.5 - RumpleIMPskin

by Yasmine Galenorn (Contributor), Alethea Kontis, Anthea Sharp (Contributor)

Seventeen all new, magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will warm even the coldest hearts. Inspired by old favorites as well as lesser-known tales, find retellings of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Old Rinkrank, King Thrushbeard, The Princess and the Pea, and many more - all with fresh, romantic twists - just in time for Valentine’s Day~

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis
On the way to her wedding, brave and clever Princess Sabine falls into a Glass Mountain, where she is trapped with a crotchety man she calls “Old Rinkrank.” The two form a unique, unlikely friendship while working to escape.

THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards
When two struggling business owners compete for the contract of a lifetime, it’s all bakers on deck. Mix in a dollop of rivalry, a tablespoon of romance, and a pinch of magic, and you’ve got the recipe for one heck of a bake-off. May the best decorator win!

GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley
A young woman in ancient Greece is tasked with carving a new statue for Aphrodite's temple. But what happens when she falls in love with her art?

RED– Sarra Cannon
Charlotte is searching for a cure to save her sister, but what she finds in the woods is not at all what she expects...

PRINCESS CHARMING – Yasmine Galenorn
Sometimes, the road to Happily Ever After leads a girl right past Prince Charming... into the arms of his sister.

MAD ABOUT YOU – Jennifer Blackstream
Alice doesn't want to marry the Mad Hatter. Will an unexpected trip to Wonderland change her mind?

THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER—Anthea Sharp
A mermaid gives up everything to be with the mortal man she loves – but can there be a happy ending when the Sea Witch intervenes?

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE – Julia Crane
Juliet enters the afterlife and discovers the truth behind her relationship with Romeo and Paris - and that their greatest challenge is yet to come.

SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Aisling, a young Faelorehn artist, finds herself falling for the son of one of the famed Tuatha De Danann. The only problem is, she’s unaware of his true identity, and her selfish uncle will do anything to keep her from realizing her dreams.

THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW – Mandy M. Roth
Sometimes, a prince isn’t as charming as history would like you to believe. And sometimes, a princess needs an alpha male shifter to find her happily ever after.

RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar
An imp finds herself in a fairytale world without her infernal powers facing an impossible task. Will Sam barter away her firstborn? Will her angelic main-squeeze save her? Or will she come up with a devilish solution of her own?

THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy
Star’s refusal of suitors lined up for her hand has her family in knots, but when the city is bombed and overthrown, she loses everything. After she’s rescued by a handsome stranger named Clyde, she sneaks away to save her parents but finds herself trapped in the new president’s clutches.

RUSH - C. Gockel
Misogyny is a beast.
When the incarnation of Creation gets angry at Rush for innocently stating his opinion, she curses him to find true love in two weeks … or else.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM – Phaedra Weldon
Her first love has been placed under a spell.

THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki Jefford
Isabel Ivers’s stepfather will do anything to secure his place as Far North’s new ruler, even if it means marrying her off to the depraved prince of the lowlands.

CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle Madison
Despite fighting in countless battles to bring peace to warring kingdoms, Pynnelope, a warrior maiden made of wood, knows no fear. Becoming human is all she desires until she discovers she can have so much more.

A SMALL MAGIC - Devon Monk
A cursed princess, a talking pea, and a wish that changes everything.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Paranormal Romance

588 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2017

About the author

NOTE: I SELDOM visit Goodreads and do very little here. Please see my website for more information on my work: https://galenorn.com

New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.

She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/

NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I've only read the RumpelImpskin novella, but I'm not going to rate an an anthology featuring my favorite Imp anything less than 5 stars regardless of how good - or bad - the rest of the stories are. ESPECIALLY an anthology where the oldest archangel in existence finally gets laid- human style. Soooooo; five stars it is;-)

#VirginNoMore. #EndOfA6BillionDrySpell.

I will go back and read at least a couple of the other stories eventually, but for now I'm sated and ready for bed.

[David Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this collection was a very mixed bag. The majority of stories were well written and enjoyable, with a couple that were outstanding. On the other end of the scale there were two that I did not finish, in both cases because I felt that the writing or the editing was very poor. So this time I *am* going to play favourites, and just highlight the stories that I thought were really good.

Very nicely written, engaging, and satisfyingly complete stories included:

The Bakers Grimm by Hailey Edwards - very well balanced romance with a clever twist and a surprising amount of suspense wrung from a couple of bakers with a magical touch in their separate kitchens. Five stars.

Soot and Stone by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson offered an excellent concept and engaging characters along with beautiful descriptive writing, slightly - only slightly - marred by a heavy hand with the plot. Still four stars.

RumpelIMPskin by Debra Dunbar was very naughty but hugely entertaining. Dunbar knows how to keep her readers engaged, and does so even with a couple of rather forced turns in the plot. Four stars.

Crafted with a Kiss by Shawntelle Madison. I found myself unexpectedly taken with this clever retelling. Madison doesn't explain everything about the magic in the story, but that's fine with me - it's more about the characters anyway. Five stars.

A Small Magic by Devon Monk was for me the gem of the collection. What a creative imagination, what beautiful characterization, what suspense, what surprises - and all presented with an irresistible charm. I'll be looking for what else Devon Monk has written. Wonderful short story. Five stars plus any spare stars that may have been forgotten under a mattress somewhere...!

With a pricetag of just $0.99 on Amazon, this anthology is worth the few pennies it will cost you.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, mostly for The Sea King's Daughter by Anthea Sharp and The Huntsman's Snow by Mandy M. Roth, two retellings based on "The Little Mermaid" and "Snow White" respectively, which were the ones I found most entertaining from the anthology. It was a little disappointing that there was no story spinning off from B&B and that the retelling of another favourite of mine, Little Red Riding Hood, wasn't to my taste.

[Sarah TheAromaofBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of short stories are all retellings of fairy tales by random YA authors.  I picked it up as a free Kindle book in hopes of maybe finding some new authors to check out.  However, none of the stories in this collection rated higher than a 3/5 for me, and some I didn't even bother to finish.  To me, a short story should still have a coherent plot with a beginning, middle, and end, and some kind of driving force for the protagonists, but a lot of these stories just came across as 'sample' writing - a few stories literally just stopped and were like, 'If you want to find out more about what happens next, be sure to check out my book!' which annoyed me so much that I won't be checking out their books.

Overall, not a complete waste of time, but almost.

[Treece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 amazing stars

Most anthologies may have a few goodies, a load of crappies, and a few nappies. I enjoyed the entire book. Every single freakin' story in this bad boy was well written and kept my attention. Now, of course, there are some stories I liked more than others. This is all personal taste and preference etc.

Below, I'm listing all the stories I liked, to the ones I really liked, and the ones that got the super like stamp of anthology love.

Kinda Liked

The Glass Sky-Alexia Purdy

Rumpelimpskin-Debra Dunbar

The Toad Prince-Nikki Jefford

Liked

Glass Mountain-Alethea Kontis

Red-Sarra Cannon

Mad About You-Jennifer Blackstream

Rush-C. Gockel

Really Liked

The Bakers Grimm-Hailey Edwards

Galatea & Pygmalion-Kate Donley

Princess Charming-Yasmine Galenorn

Romeo & Juliet: The Afterlife-Julia Crane

Crafted with a Kiss-Shawntelle Madison

Perchance to Dream-Phaedra Weldon

Wanna read it again? Heck, yes!

Soot & Stone: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld-Jenna Elizabeth Stone (sign me up for this author!)

A Small Magic-Devon Monk (Did they save the best for last? Darn, right!)


The Huntsman's Snow-Mandy M. Roth (Shades of Chris Hemsworth in SW & the Huntsman, Batman!)

The stories were quite progressive and empowering in so many ways. Lots of positive messages about women and girls in this world and other worlds beyond. I believe in my heart the characters in these stories, reflect the positive aspects of what we all can do to make this world rock and to bring about the best in the human spirit with love, hope, and respect of life. All from the spark of a single kiss in all its many various loving forms.

[Lyn Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this anthology and i am glad that i did! It is an amazing book and i found many authors that i know love. The best anthology!!

The Glass Mountain - Althea Kontis - 5*
Wow...I loved this story!!! This is the first book i have read by this author and i am super super impressed and will definitely be following this up with reading more of her work, especially if it is the same quality as this story.
If you want a super imaginative, descriptive and vivid fairy tale then this story is definitely for you! I can't recommend this story highly enough! While reading this book you see it's not just words on paper but an insight and a view into a magical world that you see in your mind's eye that takes you back to all the old fairy tales that i know that i grew up with, a feeling that anything is possible and for me this shows the quality and talent of the author.
The characters in this book are so realistic in a fantasy world, you can relate to them as you get to know them, their thoughts, feeling and motivations i won't give anything away but i adore how this story ended! A must read!!

The Bakers Grimm - Hailey Edwards - 5*
Brilliant!!! I loved this story, i couldn't stop reading this book, it really taps into your imagination and into the hopeless romantic in me, i also loved the fact that the story is based in a small family run business as it shows the struggles and trials people go through to keep businesses afloat. The descriptions in this book, especially the small details are very realistic and i think that's one of the reason this book is so good, because us as readers can visualise the settings of this story and all the different aspects in it.
The characters are very easy to relate to and i believe that we can all imagine ourselves in each character's shoes, knowing their feelings and intentions that are very human. Reading this definitely makes me want to read moe of this author's work and i would highly recommend this author to other readers!!

Galatea and Pygmalion - Kate Danley - 5*
This is another author that i have never read before so i had no idea what to expect, this story surpassed all my expectations!!! This book gave me physical goosebumps at the end and i would say that is a definite sign of an amazing weaver of words!!
I fell in love with everything about this book. This story just spoke to me spoke to my imagination and the belief of true love and finding your soulmate and this book definitely ticks those boxes. The descriptions are very detailed and very descriptive, especially for the world and the time that this story is based in. I loved Galatea, she lives in a world that there are not a lot of options and she buries herself in the art that she loves, deep down she is a strong independant woman who knows her mind but she has to act and behave in a certain way. I especially loved the way this story concluded, it made me smile a lot! This story and this author is a must read!!!

Red - Sarra Cannon - 5*
I have been meaning to read this authors work for a while so i am so so glad that this story was part of this anthology. I adored this story and i am now dying to read the rest of her work. It impressed me so so much and i couldnt stop reading this story and i was sort of gutted when it finished! This author has a serious talent for writing, the way that the details were described in this story was so detailed it did spark my thirst for fairy tales which i have always loved so much.
The way that this story played out was brilliant and i loved how vivid it is, it really just makes me want to read more of this authors books, i would love to now where this story would go next. I also adored the characters in this book, the two main characters are very different but they also have many similarities, they are both very strong, and independant with a side of them that is extremely protective of those people they care about. I loved reading about their connection together.

Princess Charming - Yasmine Galenorn - 4*
I really enjoyed this story, it was a different way to get all the information wanted across by doing it through letters between very close friends and i thought this was a very clever way for the story to stand out. The other thing i loved was not only did you get intimate details on two different fairytales, others were also mentioned, they all live in the same world! The story of Belle and Beast has always been my favourite and i have always had a soft spot for cinderella so i think that's one of the reasons i enjoyed it so much.
I also loved the thread running through this of the strength of women, that you don't have have to be what others want, you can break the mold and love is love no matter who the other person is, when you fall in love, you don't care what others think of how unconventional the relationship is.
Reading this had definitely made me want to read more of this authors work as i loved the details in this, you really saw who the people were, even though it was through letters. A definite must read for fairytale lovers!!

Mad About You - Jennifer Blackstream - 5*
This is the first book i have read by this author and i absolutely adored it!!! I loved how the author has taken the original story and put a spin on it but still kept the feeling of Wonderland, i think the idea was simply brilliant!!!
I loved that Alice was grown up, trying to live her own life, the way she wants to but having pressure from her family at the same time, so she is always warring with herself inside, but she has a determination and a strength inside her. I adored Jasper!!! And the twist with the cat, i never saw that coming but it made so much sense to me at the same time. This book is very respectful to the original and i loved the way it is such a unique book with the author's imagination in full swing. The way this author writes is so vivid, the descriptions are so colourful and you see it all in HD the whole way through, i am now dying to read more of this authors work, i am so so impressed with her work!!!

The Sea King’s Daughter - Anthea Sharp - 4*
The Little Mermaid was always one of my favourites and i still love it today so knowing that this is what this tale is about left me excited and i loved the conclusion to this story, it is really different to the original and i loved that about this.
It is written really well and once you finish this you want to know what happens next in this world, you do want to find out more. I loved the description of the sea witch and how she looked! This is a very descriptive book filled with imagination and an obvious love of fairytales!After reading this book i definitely would want to read more of this author's work, another must read!

Romeo & Juliet : The Afterlife - Julia Crane - 4*
I really didn't know what i would think of this as the story of Romeo & Juliet is an all time classic so i surprised myself when i found that i really really enjoyed this story and i definitely want to know what is going to happen next! I also loved the way that this story is written making me want to read more of this author's work.
The way that this author wrote this story had a completely different spin on it which i didn't expect, it was a nice surprise though and i loved the fantasy aspect of it. I always wanted Romeo and Juliet to have more time together to celebrate their love and this gave it to me in spades, i loved the idea of our environment is a projection of our own minds!
This story and this author's work is a definite must read!!!

Soot & Stone : A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - 5* - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - 5*
This is the first book i have read by this author so really didn't know what my opinion of this book would be but i absolutely adored this book I have always loved the retellings of Cinderella and i adored the way this book was written, being someone who has always had a passion for art of all kinds i think that is one of the reasons that i took to this book so much. The other thing i adored about this book, which i haven't read in other retellings was the male aspect of her uncle and cousins, i think this gave it a really fresh feeling.
I really enjoyed the way that this author writes, filled with imagination and such vivid and creative descriptions, i will definitely be looking to read more of this author's work after reading this story! It is a definate must read and a major page turner!!!

The Huntsman's Snow - Mandy M Roth - 5*
This author is so so talented and i am really glad this story was in this anthology. Reading fairy tales i never really took to Princes, unlike others around me so i am glad i wasn't the only one that rooted for the huntsman. Add to that a shifter and i was hooked!!! This author has a way of writing that pulls you into her imagination, she is able to mix fantasy and reality in a way that spark the reader's own imagination. I can't rate this story high enough and i think everyone should not only read this story but all of this author's work!
This story is written in a way that although it's a novella, due to the detailed descriptions of the world , the history and the people in it, it feels a lot longer that it actually is. I adored this!!!

RumpellIMPskin - Debra Dunbar - 4*
I really really enjoyed this page turner of a story! It is a quick fun read that gives you an insight into how this author writes, into her imagination and vision. Once reading this readers will definitely want to read more of this author's work if they haven't already! She is a super talented author that is able to take a fairy tale and put a modern twist to it that makes it all her own.
Readers will find that once they start this story they won't be able to stop reading and then won't want the story to end. I loved this spin on the tale of rumpelstiltskin, you can't beat a supernatural fairy tale with new ideas but still being respectful to the original. This is written in a very vivid style, setting of your own imagination as you are reading it. Another classic book by this author!

The Glass Sky - Alexia Purdy - 5*
I am a big fan of this author's work and this story just makes me love her writing even more! The fairytale that this story is based on is not one that i have read so this was a fresh story for me. I love how this author is able combine, fantasy, magic and realism into her stories and they really draw you in, once you have read one of her books you will be hooked on her writing.
I adored this storyline! A strong independant woman who just wants to be left alone without pressure to marry as everyone around her is pressuring her to do so she is a brilliant character filled with defiance, inner fire and stubbornness to do what she thinks is right! I loved how the descriptions were so detailed and vivid, it's a place that you want to be. This is definitely a must read….i can't rate this highly enough...I adored it!!!

Rush - C Gockel - 4*
I really really enjoyed this story, i was a little confused at the beginning because of the history before this book but i understood it all and enjoyed every moment of it. The one thing that i loved about this book was the underlying theme that love, deep love doesn't have to be a romantic relationship and family doesn't have to be blood, you can make your own family if needs be.
I will definitely be looking to read more of this author's work really enjoyed how the author wrote, this is the first book i have read by this author and i loved the world created in this book, it is a very unique way to look at magical beings and i liked that it was different to anything i have read before.

Perchance to Dream - Phaedra Weldon - 4*
There is nothing better than a strong heroine! I love the fact that the roles were sort of reversed in this story, i love a strong female character in books instead of the man being the savior so this story was right up my street. You also can't beat true love and the lengths someone will go to to save and be with the one the one that they love!
I found this storyline to be a very compelling and addictive read making it a page turner and would love to read on in this world, would love to know if this carries on.I loved the magical aspect of this story with the secrets and surprises, the world and the characters written into it were written so well and although i have not read this author's work before i now want to read her other work and this is solely based on reading this story

The Toad Prince - Nikki Jefford - 5*
I adored this book and was gutted when it finished, i am dying to know more and would love to read more of this author's work as i haven't read her books before but after this story i can't wait to read more!!
The vivid and alluring nature of this book hooks you from the first page and the way the author describes the settings, the world and the characters is outstanding! You are given just enough information to keep you thoroughly hooked on every word and it makes you want more! I loved the way this author wrote, in such a way that a re-imagined fairytale feels new and fresh but still a fairytale, i seriously adored this and i can't rate this book highly enough, i would recommend this to everyone!!!

Crafted with a Kiss - Shawntelle Madison - 5*
The thing i loved about this book is the fact that the inspiration was Pinocchio. When you hear about and read retellings of fairytales, the story of Pinocchio is overlooked most of the time so i loved that this story was so unique. This story is inspiring in the fact that i see it that everyone is different and loving someone who others see as different can complete you, everyone is unique!
I loved the way that this was written, that the character is grown up and female, as always i adore my strong female characters and she is definitely that, having nothing to do with the fact that she is wooden, her heart and soul is human. The way this ended just made me want to read on, it's a very compelling book that makes you just want to keep turning the pages and then read more of this author's work! She is extremely talented and i would recommend her to everyone!!!

A Small Magic - Devon Monk - 5*
I have been meaning to read this authors work for a while so i am glad that i have read this! I always felt that the original princess and the pea story was too delicate, what i mean is that just because she is a princess she has to be ‘perfect’. She had to act, dress and think a certain way and i never believed this to be true, to me i always believed a princess to have her own mind and be outspoken so reading this story showed me i wasn't the only one with this opinion. I adored this story and if i didn't already want to read this author's work before i definitely would now. It is such a magical tale with a strong woman even though she can't communicate in a traditional way, this has made her stronger and i loved that!!
I can't recommend this tale highly enough and once i had started i couldn't stop reading, there is such imagination written into this book and i am now dying to read more of this author's work!

[Nerdy Werewolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I’d learned a long time ago that it was much more important to rely on my feelings than on things that made sense."

Well, that was a fun read. Yes, I took my time. At first I was reading a story a week, then I stopped and read some other stuff...then I read the rest all together. No reason; I just did. I love fairy tales and I adore love stories and this was a wonderful melding of both. Some stood out more than others but I can honeslty say that I didn't read one that didn't fit in. If anyone can recommend another anthology to rival this one, I'm interested.

For my own use:
The Glass Mountain by Alethea Kontis-The Glass Mountain by Hermann Kletke
The Bakers Grimm by Hailey Edwards-Rumpelstiltskin in a bakery.
Galatea and Pygmalion by Kate Danley-Metamorphosis by Ovid
Red by Sarra Cannon-Little Red Riding Hood with magic and subversions.
Princess Charming by Yasmine Galenorn-Cinderella/Beauty & the Beast correspondence.
Mad About You by Jennifer Blacksteam-Alice in Wonderland with were-tigers.
The Sea King's Daughter by Althea Sharp-The Little Mermaid-almost entirely.
Romeo & Juliet: The Afterlife by Julia Crane-Romeo & Juliet mixed with a little Alice in Wonderland.
Soot and Stone by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson-A Celtic Mythology slant on Cinderella.
The Huntsman's Snow by Mandy M. Roth-Snow White and werewolves-Aroooo!
RumpelIMPskin by Debra Dunbar-Rumpelstiltskin in a parallel universe side-story.
The Glass Sky by Alexia Purdy-King Thrushbeard-modern-ish fantasy?
Rush by C. Gockel-Beauty & the Beast that studies the human psyche rather than true love.
Perchance to Dream by Phaedra Weldon-Magic-centric version of Sleeping Beauty-inverted.
The Toad Prince by Nikki Jefford-Frog Prince? Felt like the beginning to something bigger.
Crafted with a Kiss by Shawntelle Madison-Pinocchio-excellent retelling. Gender-swap.
A Small Magic by Devon Monk-The Princess & the Pea-but expanded and hilarious.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit and miss. I found "Galatea and Pygmalion" by Kate Danley to be a rather interesting take on the Greek myth. The story makes good use of gender roles and storytelling. "Princess Charming" by Yasmine Galenorn was the best tale in the collection. I love the use of letter writing and the solutions to the problems. "Soot and Stone" by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson was a really cool retelling of Cinderella. While I thought "A Small Magic" by Devon Monk was a bit longer than it had to be, it was also creative and unique.

[Syd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, overall I really enjoyed Once Upon a Kiss . There were so many stories that left me feeling enchanted! A few of them didn't connect with me, but I felt like they would have had more potential if given a full novel to explore the respective characters and plot.

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis
4.5 stars
This was a perfect story to start with. It had that "once upon a time" feel to it, that made me ready to cozy up by the fire side. (Alas if only we had a fireplace!) Though I really liked the pacing of it, because though it was a short story time passed for the characters to get to know each other and fall in love. Our princess was plunky and adorable and so very likable. Our hero was mysterious and broody but goodhearted. And of course it ended happily ever after!

THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards
4.5 stars
Omg, I wanted to squeal like a five year old. This story was so sweet I'm surprised it didn't give me a cavity! While the world introduced is a magical setting, I will confess to being disappointed that the magical aspect was left pretty much untouched. However the characters mooooore than made up for this slight disappointment! They were just so real and that's what made me fall in love with this story. It was an innocent kind of love, but it left room for the happenings of something beautiful!

GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley
3.5 stars
I didn't want this story to end. There was definitely a bittersweet element to this story that was highly appropriate given the Greek setting. Galatea was so talented and it was so much fun to get to read her story and see her find her love! At first, I'll confess, I didn't like the ending because it still had a bittersweet conclusion, but then the little "epilogue" if you will gave it the flavor I was looking for. I did not expect them to both turn into statues! Wow, that really upset me because I wanted her to be with a man who encouraged her passion for art. But, the little "epilogue" where you find out that they come to life every now and then made me realize that even though it wasn't the ending I was expecting it was still a good ending.

RED– Sarra Cannon
3.5 stars
Could I please have the novel format of this story because I soooooo wanted to find out what happened next with these characters! It felt a little rushed, because there was so much happening, but the world the characters were in was so intriguing that I know I will definitely be looking up this author more.

PRINCESS CHARMING – Yasmine Galenorn
2 stars
I'm sorry but this style of storytelling didn't click with me. For girls who don't mind their princess cussing, talking about sex, I kid you not, at one point Cinderella says this while talking about how unhappy she was that her dad married her horrible stepmother: "I know he was hard up and she’s the best he could get but damn, wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier if he just made friends with his own hand?" Is it just me, or is it very uncomfortable for children to talk in such a vulgar way about their parent's sex life? being horny, and overall crude, then go for it! I think it would appeal to a different reader. I was actually kind of bummed because the story itself was pretty adorable, I just didn't like the writing style.

MAD ABOUT YOU – Jennifer Blackstream
4 stars
Oooooh now this was so intriguing! I haven't really been a fan of Alice in Wonderland but this story definitely gave me a new perspective! Alice not wanting to be crazy, the way the Chesire cat was "invisible" to everyone, and Mister Jaspar Wellington - a.k.a the Mad Hatter! Now, I would have liked a more direct correlation to him being a "mad hatter" but dang if his character wasn't great!
I wished it was longer because I would have loved to explore the characters further.

THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER—Anthea Sharp
4 stars
My jaw was gaping when this finished. I had to re-read the last paragraph to make sure it had actually ended. This was beautiful in a way that held true to the original, and more tragic version, of the little mermaid. Even though the story wasn't very original, the writing style swept me away.

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE – Julia Crane
2 stars
...Well...this was a very interesting take on the love triangle between Romeo, Juliet, and Paris. There really wasn't any type of resolution that I could gather. It seemed more like it was supposed to be the exposition of a novel.

SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
5 stars
YES! Yes, yes, yes! This story was so gorgeous. I confess, I'm a bit of a sucker for rags-to-riches kind of stories but this one also had a beautiful world that it was set in, a handsome and mysterious love interest, and beautiful, kindhearted, and talented leading lady. This was definitely one of my favorites!

THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW – Mandy M. Roth
2.5 stars
I'm kind of conflicted about this one? Snow seemed so adorably precious. The Huntsman was super sexy. I don't know, I guess this just seemed like it should have been set up for a steamy adult fiction romance. But I really loved how there was a little epilogue so we could check in on how the characters were doing down the road!

RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar
1 star
I'm sorry. But no. This was not for me. It seemed like it could be a cool novel. But no. The characters just seemed to awkward in the world they ended up in. And there were so many questions that went unanswered so I felt more uncomfortable than satisfied.

THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy
1 star
When the main character is a complete brat and goes into a dangerous situation without backup, I can't stick with the story. So sorry but this was a DNF.

RUSH - C. Gockel
4 stars
This was different from what I expected but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Rush was definitely a misogynist jerk so I was relieved when he underwent some character development! But omg the magic system they had? So creative! I loved Rush's musical magic, and did I mention I loved his character development? This is an author I will be excited to look into more.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM – Phaedra Weldon
3.5 stars
A rough start, I had a hard time connecting to the setting and the characters. But things definitely picked up! I liked Thomas, he was sweet and kind but still had that mysterious air to him. The magic system was also fun to read about.

THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki Jefford
1.5 stars
Did. Not. Like. The leading lady was timid through the whole thing, but then when we finnnnally see in her element and feeling confident the story wraps up in what feels like two paragraphs. There wasn't enough romantic development between heroine and her...prince. Plus, the prince showed a glimmer of potential at the end of the story, but nothing that made her worthy to be a love interest in my opinion.

CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle Madison
3.5 stars
Pinocchio has never been a fairytale I've enjoyed. However, when said character is a kick-butt wooden lady with an adorable name - Pynn, she's called Pynn . How cute is that? - well I definitely enjoy the story a lot more! I struggled with the romance. There really didn't seem to be any chemistry, more a sense of guilt that Pynn resembled Kristos' long lost love. Allllso, Pynn became more human through the accumulation of magical stones. But where did the stones come from? Why were they magical? Why did these stones seem to be drawn to Pynn? So many questions and not enough answers.

A SMALL MAGIC - Devon Monk
5 stars
One of my favorite stories from this collection!!!! Princess and the Pea has always been a story that's intrigued me...but, like the author, I've never liked the idea that the princess should be a frail and dainty thing. But this! This princess talks to inanimate objects! The Pea can talk! And it's quite intelligent. The witch refuses to help! And wow, overall kudos to a job well done!

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Upon A Kiss

Once upon a Kiss

A unique collection of short fairytale retelling that were interesting and fun.


The Glass Mountain

An interesting tale of a glass mountain lost in time. It was a little too quick to really get a good feel for the characters and their relationship but it did put a smile on my face.

The Bakers Grimm

Entertaining! This was a fun little story with a dash of magic and a sprinkle of romance.

Galatea and Pygmalion

A great story full of wonder, imagination and magical love.

Red

A sweet story of forbidden love that left me wanting more.

Princess Charming

I had a hard time getting into this one. It was meant to be funny but with style with the writing letters I don’t know it was hard for me to get into.

Mad About You

A fun twist on Alice and Wonderland with new original creatures and ideas.

The Sea King’s Daughter

I enjoyed this one very much. I liked the retelling of the Little Mermaid it was full of magic and love.

Romeo and Juliet The Afterlife

A different story about what happens in the afterlife with a twist to the classic Romeo and Juliet romance. I was a little upset that the story just ended with no real ending.

Soot and Stone

A sweet story full of love, magic and art. I enjoyed the characters.

The Huntmans Snow

A cute little short about Snow White and the Huntsman with a touch of magic, romance and misunderstandings.

Rumpelimpskin

A funny fast paced tale that moved quickly. It was just okay for me I couldn’t really get into the story or the characters.

The Glass Sky

A time traveling romance filled with second and third chances to get live right lol

Rush

A little different. I enjoyed the various concepts explored but not sure what I think of it overall.

Perchance to Dream

A fun twisted tale full of unpredictable magic, mistaken identities and of course romance.

The Toad Prince

Well not much to say about this one to be honest. I was kind of disappointed nothing really happened.

Crafted with Kiss

A very unique take on Pinocchio. I enjoyed the twist!

A Small Magic

Interesting for sure! I liked the flow and it kept me interested the whole way through.

[Carly Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only stopped reading one of the stories in this collection and thoroughly enjoyed most of the others, so here's a brief review of each of them:

"The Glass Mountain" by Alethea Kontis - 5 stars
I'd never heard the story of Old Rinkrank, but that didn't keep me from loving this retelling of it. I especially like that the author explains that she wrote it to fix all the details from the original that didn't make any sense. She did a great job and I definitely want to check out some of her other work.

"The Bakers Grimm" by Hailey Edwards - 5 stars
Seriously enjoyed this dueling bakeries story (made me crave sugar!) Sweet romance and engaging characters. Another author for me to check out!

"Galatea and Pygmalion" by Kate Danley - 4 stars
This was a decent story and I really liked that Galatea was the sculptress creating her ideal man, but I wasn't as thrilled with the ending. But the story was really well done other than that and the ending didn't make me hate the whole story, it just didn't make me super happy.

"Red" by Sarra Cannon - 3 stars
While well written, this story seemed more like it was designed to get me to ask questions about what wasn't well explained so that I would buy whatever series it ties into. Maybe that's not what the author intended, but it's how it left me feeling. I was kind of intrigued, but also aggravated that so much was left to find out.

"Princess Charming" by Yasmine Galenorn - 4 stars
This was a pretty entertaining, light little read. I really enjoyed that the whole story unfolds as letters between two girls just trying to deal with and understand these fairy tale lives they are living.

"Mad About You" by Jennifer Blackstream - 3 stars
I enjoyed this well enough, but this one felt like it was trying to sell a series as well and I wasn't enamored with the story.

"The Sea King's Daughter" by Anthea Sharp - 1 star
Spoilers: This one just really didn't do a whole lot for me. The fact that she only got a year with the guy, then had a baby that she had to leave behind as well... THEN she keeps the guy pining for her because he gets to see her once a year for a brief time, so he never moves on - but also doesn't include their daughter in getting so see her mom either! Both those things were major strikes against the story, but then she turns him into a merman - basically taking him from their daughter with no warning?!? Super selfish people I hated by the end.

"Romeo and Juliet: The Afterlife" by Julia Crane - 3 stars
I wouldn't have considered Romeo and Juliet a fairy tale, but it works well enough. I did appreciate the whole difference of them being a split soul (along with Paris) but also would have liked to actually see them all work the whole thing out instead of just seeing them being given the possibility to maybe get it right.

"Soot and Stone: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld" by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - 4 stars
Even though this story ties into another series, the author wrote a great enough story that it didn't matter. I didn't finish it having a whole bunch of questions about that world. And I really enjoyed the two romantic leads.

"The Huntsman's Snow" by Mandy M. Roth - 3 stars
This was an okay, but short short-story. I liked that the story begins after Snow White has been rescued, but other than that good beginning there was just something lacking in the rest of it for me.

"RumpelIMPskin" by Debra Dunbar - 3 stars
This was another story that seemed designed to get me to check out whatever series it's a part of. Seriously there was just so much different that must be a part of whatever world this is based in and the author tried to explain it enough for readers not familiar with that world, but there just wasn't enough. And I might have given that more of a pass, but I really didn't like the female lead, Sam, nor could I see any reason the male lead would "love" her.

"The Glass Sky" by Alexia Purdy - 1 star
This is the story I quit reading. The writing/characters seemed very juvenile to me.

"Rush" by C. Gockel - 5 stars
I really couldn't see how the author was going to redeem such an awful main character, Rush. I really didn't like him, which was how he was supposed to be - a total misogynist - and the author did a great job with that. Then brought about a change in him with magic, that was truly magical and believable. And while it appears that this is a spin off from a series, with writing like this it doesn't matter.

"Perchance to Dream" by Phaedra Weldon - 2 stars
This just wasn't that well crafted of a story to me. You have to use a certain language to do magic, but one guy uses ordinary words and still gets the same result. Why on earth wouldn't anyone who knows this do the same thing when using the certain language doesn't work most of the time?? That was just one of the things that bothered me - other than the main characters weren't really that interesting.

"The Toad Prince" by Nikki Jefford - 1 star
Not really sure why this depressing story was included, but I definitely didn't like it.

"Crafted With a Kiss" by Shawntelle Madison - 2 stars
This was an okay story, but I just wasn't caught up in it. And this is stupid, but the king wants to know something from the wooden woman, but the question is never stated - um, why? kinda an important plot point not to spell out.

"A Small Magic" by Devon Monk - 5 stars
Very nice little story that fleshes out the whole "Princess and the Pea" story and gives it emotion and characters you get to like in a very short time frame.

[KelticKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of "The Glass Sky" by Alexia Purdy - Only

Star is a privileged young woman. The biggest obstacle is getting her parents to understand she doesn't want to marry. She attends a ball with her parents, where she is given the ultimatum, to choose a husband or have one chosen for her. She rebuffs all suitors that day including a man she insults & nicknames: Lord Thrushbeard.

As she escapes to the library, her world explodes with shattering glass, crumbling concrete & books pummeling to the floor. When the dust clears, she is rescued by a handsome young man with dark hair & brilliant blue eyes - Clyde.

This story is a Fairytale reimagining of King Thrushbeard. This is a tale I am not really familiar with but I did enjoy the author's version. Hoping there's more to this story since it did have a bit of cliffy ending!

Remember don't judge a "book" or person by appearances.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy.

[Victoria G · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall very nice anthology, it's been quite a while since I read a short story collection and I have to say that I quite enjoyed it.

I'm usually a reader who prefers going by author and my fave style is to read one book by someone I enjoy and immediately hunt down everything else they've written 😂 So reading a collection like that has always thrown me out for a loop, and this was no exception. Although I got a whiplash from the frequent change of style really, I got a few new authors I'm really interested in out of it 💞

As with every anthology there were a few really bad, almost sample like stories, several good ones and a few that were real gems! My short notes and rating for each of them below:

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis - 2/5
Way too long and not impressive. I hated the way the MMC was treating the FMC through most of this story. There's no excuse for rudeness. And the he does the most surprising 180 I've seen suddenly loving her and dotting on her??? Also the sister who supposedly loved her sent her to rot in a cell in a heartbeat which felt like quite the escalation. We never got any explanation about how the heroic rescue happened either.

THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards - 5/5
The only author I knew of before I started this read and why I picked it up in the first place. Amazing and fun as always!

GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley - 3/5
I'm so sorry but this one was just plain boring 🙈 Not truly bad but just meh.

RED– Sarra Cannon - 5/5
A truly good read. Made me interested in reading the related books!

PRINCESS CHARMING – Yasmine Galenorn - 4/5
That was the biggest style whiplash in this anthology. I wasn't prepared for the modern talk in what seemed to be letter correspondence. That being said I liked the plot and the twist on the classical tale.

MAD ABOUT YOU – Jennifer Blackstream - 5/5
Honestly intriguing! It was fast paced and pretty awesome overall. Makes me want to read more from that author.

THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER—Anthea Sharp - 3/5
A kind of mid for me. A little too long but it wasn't a bad read. The story made me sad though - I was rooting for the MCs to find happiness earlier.

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE – Julia Crane - 1/5
Absolutely unbearable. It was a tough read between the ridiculous setting in the afterlife, the fact that Romeo and Juliet were actually supposed to be a trouple (ok that I can take), and me being forced to read sentences like "The masculine part of your soul - the logical one grew too big and had to split in two" (like women can't possibly be logical 🙄). But this wasn't the worst! No, the worst part was that as soon as this ridiculous setting was placed (alongside tired guardian angels and their final random number trial to not kill themselves upon meeting each other) and 5 seconds before we met Paris (the third of our trouple) this story ended abruptly!!! Almost mid sentence 😭 Just skip this one.

SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - 5/5
A really good one! The writing style was really nice to read, and it was a fully fleshed out story - even if it was short. The characters were likeable and I liked the types of magic - very creative!

THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW – Mandy M. Roth - 1/5
Another horrible one. The Huntsman (seriously how many times I read his title? Name?? If it's name why didn't his friends call him Hunt or something 😭) was so annoying. Such a loser too, being content to let a liar and a coward to marry the supposed love of his life. And the vomit inducing backstory of him almost being in the room when Snow was born and "immediately" falling in love with the infant???? Seriously, negative stars

RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar - 5/5
This one was hilarious 😂 I really enjoyed it, and I'm seriously contemplating reading the whole Imp series just because Sam is a hoot!

THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy - 1/5
One of the worst from this selection. It read like such a generic dystopian future YA, I was bored to tears three pages in. The FMC was absolutely unbearable - spoiled and egoistical, and the MMC was classical 2D hero type. It is a slightly rewritten Hunger games clone, down to the names - the FMC gets trapped by President Glass? Really 🙄

RUSH - C. Gockel - 5/5
One of the best imo! I got so pissed at Rush's misogyny I almost quit the story before I realized what was happening 😂 Really good writing, I loved reading through the POV of someone I'd hate and that's a true talent! One of the authors I'd read more from 🔥

PERCHANCE TO DREAM – Phaedra Weldon - 5/5
That was such an interesting story! The concept was amazing and the storytelling was intriguing. Another author I'd happily read more from.

THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki Jefford - 4/5
It was intriguing but we got too many names for such a short story and I couldn't even learn why he was called the toad prince? Definitely felt more like a writing sample.

CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle Madison - 4/5
Not a bad one, but a little weird. The ending was very unclear - how did it all work out? Did they manage to escape??? It ended super abruptly.

A SMALL MAGIC - Devon Monk - 5/5
Such a good little story with a very very intriguing magical use! I read a lot of fantasy and I'm used to the most magical manifestations but this one truly delighted me!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this a higher rating as I truly enjoyed about 3/4 of the short stories. The problem was with the remaining 1/4. The language in those was unpleasant and some of them were too sexual to be, in my opinion, considered romantic faerie tales. A couple should be listed more as erotica than romance. At least I know now to steer clear of those authors. I will be looking up the authors that I felt did an excellent job to see what full length novels they have available.

All in all, I was able to discover new authors whose style I like so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

[Gypsy Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as included in the Once Upon a Kiss anthology.

Millie works as a baker in her mother’s cookie shop. A rich customer visits one day, saying he heard they made the best deserts in town and wanted to offer them a deal to supply cookies for Leonard’s Bakery. But the customer was having trouble deciding between Millie’s mother’s cookies or Grimm’s Bakery next door and suggested a competition between the two bakeries, each day asking for a larger and more complicated order.

This is such a cute, sweet short story. I would classify it as a cozy (cozy drama or cozy romance). I did find myself scratching my head on why it was included in a fantasy collection when, aside from being a fairy tale urban retelling, there aren’t any other fantasy elements in it. It’s a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, but there’s no magical man who saves the day by using magic. There is a mention of Millie being an elf, but I never saw any pointed ears. And there’s a mention of the Grimms being witches, but they never used any magic in their food that I ever saw. The story is just a cooking competition between the two bakeries with a cute romance going between Millie and Daryl, the baker next door, with a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe with their respective mothers feuding. I loved the tentative romance as they tried to find time to express their feelings as they worked themselves to death at their jobs to save the bakeries, not wanting to let their mothers down.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope to come back and review each tale individually when I've got time, but as a collection I found there were quite a few gems to appreciate here (as well as a few that didn't quite hit the mark) for me.
I thought there were some great, creative takes built on the bones of the familiar stories I grew up with...some modern twists and some sweetly traditional.

I also found a few new-to-me authors whose work I'd like to read more of thanks to this collection - can't wait to read more!

[Esther Plant · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF DNF DNF!!! I am so angry at this anthology that I have to express how much I hate it! Let this review be a cautionary tale to the young and innocent.

This stupid book got way more of my time than it deserved. One or two of the stories were really good, some of them were meh, and at least three of them are utterly horrible trash. I stayed up til two am last night just trying to find and get through one that wasn’t R rated, so that nastiness wasn’t the last thing I read before going to sleep.

Its greatest flaw isn't even the R rated stuff, its the fact that there is zero consistency in the target audience of these stories. Some of them were well suited for children, some were a bit steamier and more befitting a teen novel, and then without warning some were so horrendously graphic (and I don't mean blood and guts graphic) that I wanted to stab my eyes out. I personally don’t want to read the weird horny fantasies, but I understand there are those who have no such qualms. Whatever, live your life, that’s not my complaint. This anthology is objectively a mess. The only unifying aspect is that they are all fairytale (and also Shakespeare?) retellings. They have about as much in common with each other as Puff the Magic Dragon has with Game of Thrones.

I should have deleted this collection from my kobo at the first sign of content I don’t want, but I kept thinking “surely it can’t get any worse, I just need to skim past this one questionable story and everything will be fine”. It was not fine. DNF.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited but actually bought it, and now remember why quit buying collection no matter how 'cheap' when half or more end up duds usually. Taking the HIGHEST possible numbers the whole set wouldn't come out to evev a {amazon} 3 but for the very few did like going to go with the 3.

The Glass Mountain was maybe 4ish, The Baker's Grimm {though not sure how the bakeries equal Rumplestilskin in any real way} about 4ish, Galatea and Pygmalian was 3ish, but then there was Red made no sense from start to finish, don't even know what story it's supposed to be 'like' BUT it didn't make much sense and writer needs to quit using sexaul/pseudo sexual situations as crutch instead of actual romance which bad enough when there is no actual sense for it to be in story, really running for your life and your sister's life on the line and dead parents because of coven who lied about everything and you have the hots for someone/thing you don't even know or know about during life and death situation yeah whatever, and stories such as this why have quit buying anthologies and collections no matter low $ 2 at best

PRINCESS CHARMING really need to cut out the fru fru chick{s} stuff regarding the YOLO and other only presently used acronyms, didn't bother me in the least it was princess charming just don't want to have to read all the chick lit yuck otherwise it would have been a good story {although being thrown in to the story with weird correspondence thing and having to figure it out as went wasn't great either} and no reason to put sex in 2
MAD ABOUT YOU again someone attempting to write and using the crutch of sex/sexual situations when there was no need 3ish could've been 5

THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER repititious use words/phrases even in same sentence, if it's so dangerous to go up above the sea then why allowed even once a year, not sure how one can clasp finned 'fingers' then a bit later clasp fingers make up mind about description, how can she be laughing aloud one second not even smiling the next but supposedly her eyes sparkling, why would lungs respond even though already used to it but then second time only after going up further out of water when all she got hit with is WATER spray, no voice but now fingers is the language so totally different she couldn't write in the sand or on paper? Leave your kid, both parents and no big deal or mention about kid again? 2

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE idiot believes in heaven but no hell it's oxymoronic, she doesn't believe then she's starting to, then at end oh magic sounds promising uh what,ending was a total letdown after suffering through the chick lit crap 2 btw 1 story is English Lit the other is fairy tale so wouldn't be mixing fairy tales by mixing them 'together' at some stage or future story because 1 is Eng Lit/Shakespeare not Grimm etc

SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld she wasn't getting paid or much out of her work?, why would she stupid chick run just because he didn't fully tell her who he was, she didn't tell him everything either, usual tired same old about the female tiresome and stupid, why didn't she just quit or better yet in front of everyone demand he do it in front of them which he couldn't then do it herself, another using chick lit crutches 2/3

THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW ok twilight-esque chick lit mixed with 90210 teen angst stupidity, and before thinking better of WHAT, how can someone be 10 years older than her yet 'just a pup' when she was born, then to put in sexual situations writing crutch, could have been 4/5 not 2 at best

RUMPELIMPSKIN Excuse me, 5 sentences in and drop the F bomb for no reason, that means no real talent for writing real stories which this 'story' proved quickly and repeatedly, really evidenced by the crap in your face double meaning obviouusly meaning the worst, how this had even the SLIGHTEST link to the original or even Grimms' original who knows 1 and use names not just 'her' or 'she when there's a bunch of those, and btw I blog on what's billed as the world's largest sex site and they can actually write, not just use crutches to prop up a cardboard storyline, and really 'bales' of hay hmmm how'd she get bales undone it takes a knife or something versus just scattered hay, you're about to die so you have sex? yeah whatever, and obviously still doesn't know about guy recovery time tho mentions it yet still claims hard, less than 1.

THE GLASS SKY prologue first telling the possible end uh makes no sense, about as much no sense as a downstairs in a snow globe, how does someone's lips on your skin tingle when you're wearing the same long gloves that were just mentioned, she's buried in books and can't move but at the same time she lifts hem of her dress, why say clavicle when you can say {left/right/both} collarbone, someone can't learn how to ride motorcycle by watching someone else do it less so if behind the person holding on and definitely no for person in front holding hand of person in back because imblance and lack of steering abilty and just stupid, you wouldn't know it was cottage nor what looked like from pulling in to basement from tunnel, why would motorcycle leave tracks on concrete even 'light dusting' makes no sense because how far down any track would that remain, back and forth story line is confusing in several ways and serves to do nothing but that {confuse} leading nowhere, and how stupid is chick not to have known who he was, no idea what this story was supposed to have been about and even told later still see no resemblance 1

RUSH - C. Gockel 'great' yet another story full of cussing for no reason, the lights are blinding but yet a couple sentences later he can 'feel' around him with CLOSED eyes uh what, the general story dragged at first and was confusing in places but overall a 3 could have been a 4

PERCHANCE TO DREAM bit too convoluted so a 3 or so just eh-ish


THE TOAD PRINCE uh what? 2 at best
.

CRAFTED WITH A KISS maybe as much as a 3, it rather dragged out, especially for a short story


A SMALL MAGIC already one huh, what does a dark drawer have to do with a porrige bowl and spoon, if she couldn't hear any person, animal, or thing, how then did she hear the porrige bowl and spoon, the mattresses etcetera, and saying somewhere else it had to be 'inanimate' doesn't explain the pea that's organic not really 'inanimate', but overall would say it's one of the too few stories that would have gotten the 4-5 definitely.

[Melissa (missy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.The Glass Mountain - Alethea Kontis

2.The Bakers Grimm - Hailey Edwards

3.Galatea and Pygmalion - Kate Danley

4.Red – Sarra Cannon

5.Princess Charming – Yasmine Galenorn

6.Mad About You – Jennifer Blackstream

7.The Sea King’s Daughter—Anthea Sharp

8.Romeo and Juliet: The Afterlife – Julia Crane

9.Soot and Stone: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

10.The Huntsman’s Snow – Mandy M. Roth

11.Epilogue The Huntsman’s Snow – Mandy M. Roth

12.RumpelIMPskin - Debra Dunbar

13.Prologue The Glass Sky - Alexia Purdy

14.The Glass Sky - Alexia Purdy

15.Rush - C. Gockel

16.Perchance to Dream – Phaedra Weldon

17.The Toad Prince - Nikki Jefford

18.Crafted With A Kiss - Shawntelle Madison

19.A Small Magic - Devon Monk


These seemed more like sample chapters
but they was all good
I will have to check into more from the authors

[Kylie Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t finish this book. It wasn’t that the stories were bad, there just wasn’t enough to them and I found myself getting bored.

[Sabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, what a ride... it's more of a 2.5 stars.

So, this book is a modern twist to our well known fairy tales. Some are short, some are long. Some are really lovely, and some... I wish I had skipped. So, let's take a look, shall we?

1 .THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis
A dark glass mountain appears and every once in a while people disappear. So it's safer to take the road around it. Princess Sabine fails to take the safe road and she is swallowed by the mountain where she finds herself in the company of a grumpy man she calls "Rinkrank".
--> interesting start, the concept of the mountain is strange and I don't think I understood it. Sabine and Rinkrank get to experience modern comodities such as plumbing and modern bathrooms and enchanted cupboards which provide everything they need.

2. THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards
Modern take on "Romeo and Juliet". Two rival bakeries find some common (romantic) ground.
--> Really lovely story.

3. GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley
A young woman in ancient Greece has to carve a statue for Aphrodite's temple. She falls in love with her creation.
--> difficult start, somekind of a Cinderella story mixed with greek tales.

4. RED- Sarra Cannon
Charlotte is trying to protect her little sister who experiences violent visions.
--> Witches, visions, Little Red Riding Hood and... it sounds better than it was.

5. PRINCESS CHARMING - Yasmine Galenorn
Cinderella is best friends with Belle and they keep in touch with letters.
--> Cinderella falls in love with Prince Charming's sister and Belle with the Beast. They write each other hillarious letters using modern language. Very entertaining!

6. MAD ABOUT YOU - Jennifer Blackstream
A grown-up Alice meets the "Mad Hatter" and she's taken to Wonderland.
--> this one started really strange but turned out really lovely. I wish it had been a full length novel

7. THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER--Anthea Sharp
Ariel retold
--> I don't know. Never liked the original story, I didn't hate this one.

8. ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE - Julia Crane
Romeo, Juliet and Paris (wow, that's new) are trapped in a cycle that hasn't found a happy end so far. In the afterlife Julia learns that they need to find a way to stop the violence
--> This one was good, I really enjoyed it. I don't remember the end, but I remember I liked it

9. SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
--> Another one I forgot.

10. THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW - Mandy M. Roth
--> Snow and the Huntsman. It reminded me of the TV show, even if Snow and the Huntsman aren't acquainted there

11. RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar
Rumple is a female imp and finds herself trapped in a world where her magic doesn't work. Sam, tricks her into giving up her firstborn. Gabriel the Archangel is the only one who can save her.
--> Loved, loved, loved this one!!! I want more!

12. THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy
Star needs to find a husband asap. But she refuses everybody and risks being sent away from her home. When her city is bombed she loses everything and is trapped in a giant snow globe and magic forces her to dance everytime she hears music.
--> well, some weird mix of YA and a few aspects from "The Hunger Games".

13. RUSH - C. Gockel
Rush, a former NAVY Seal, is cursed to find true love within two weeks.
--> too modern, to real for my taste

14. PERCHANCE TO DREAM - Phaedra Weldon
--> another story I don't remember

15. THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki Jefford
--> A northern Cinderella and her toad prince (who doesn't look like a toad at all, but everybody keeps comparing him to one). Started interesting and ended abruptly. I didn't get it at all.

16. CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle Madison
Pynnelope, a wooden maiden warrior, wishes to become human and experience life.
--> Interesting take on Pinocchio and the Pygmalion legend.

17. A SMALL MAGIC - Devon Monk
A young woman is not able to communicate with other people, only with things and animals. When a pea hidden under her mattrases informes her that she's a princes living under a curse the princes leaves to find a cure.
--> This one was really lovely.

[Nastazia Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was what I exactly needed to read this period🥰 I particularly enjoyed Soot and Stone story and the Perchance to Dream. Most of the tales are well-written and remove heaviness from your heart💚 For this reason, it is a must-read anthology!

[Jenne Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for review and this is a voluntary review.

If you enjoy traditional fairy tales that explore a different point of view or plot twist, this is your book!

I read all 17 stories in this book, I will review my favorites.

First is Princess Charming by Yasmine Galenorn. This story was a fun quick read! Cindy (aka Cinderella) and Arabelle (aka Belle) are best friends who write letters to one another. As you read each letter, their particular love story unfolds. Cindy's word choice ("spawn" for her step sisters for example) totally cracks me up. I feel that if I were stuck in an abusive situation as Cinerella was, I would act and think a lot like Cindy...Yasmine keeps it real! Arabelle has her own personality too. She is not as"door-matty" as the original Disney Belle. Plus, she discusses the reality of dating a beast! It hinders the sex life! Luckily, both characters find love and happiness in the end...Cindy actually falls for a princess, not a prince. This story makes me want to see Yasmine's take on other fairy tale characters!

Next is Mad About You by Jennifer Blackstream. This story fascinated me the moment I realized the Mad Hatter was going to be Alice (who is grown up in this version)'s love interest! That was a twist I've never seen before. I don't want to give too much away, but Jennifer dives in the background of the Mad Hatter's character...by the end it obvious they are soulmates. The story ended but I wanted to read more! I was thrilled to see the author's note stating she may make this story/world a full length novel. If she does, I look forward to reading more!

Last, I'd like to review The Sea King's Daugher by Anthea Sharp. I've been a huge fan of Disney's Little Mermaid since I was a kid so this story intrigued me right away. This story had so many details to it, it helped me visualize what it would be like swimming down into the ocean. For example, depending on the depth of the ocean, the water would be a certain color (depending on how much sunlight could seep through). Plus, Anthea was able to describe what I would imagine it would feel like like physically going to to the surface after spending all your time underwater. Your hair would feel different, breathing would obviously be different and air would feel different on your skin. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but this story loosely--I stress loosely--follows the Disney's The Little Mermaid. Anthea does a great job of blending known Little Mermaid tales and adding her own unique slant.

[Sophie Constable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a really good collection of short stories and I enjoyed almost all of them. Rating: Three and a half stars (rounded up)

The Glass Mountain by Alethea Kontis:
This story is based off of a little known fairy-tale called 'Old Rinkrank' which I must admit I have never heard of. However, I really liked this story and the main character. I also liked the romance part and laughed out loud on a few occasions. It was also just the right length for a short story and made me really want to check out this author's other work.

The Bakers Grimm by Hailey Edwards:
This was really cute and had a very tight plot. I loved the main characters and their relationship which was the main cuteness factor in this story. It was also set in a bakery and I must admit that I got very hungry while reading this book. Another author whose books I'm likely to check out!

Galatea and Pygmalion by Kate Danley:
I loved this one! I loved the character of Galatea and how you could really feel her pain throughout the story. I also loved the ending and how bittersweet it ended up being. I also really liked how the author gender-swapped this myth and this story definitely made me want to go and check out her work!

Red by Sarra Cannon:
This was a really cool short story. I really liked the main character of Charlotte and her devotion to her sister. The story also kept you gripped all the way through. I do feel like it might have worked slightly better as a novel (or at least a novella or something with more page space) as some bits felt a little rushed. However, I desperately want to read more stuff set in this world!

Princess Charming by Yasmine Galenorn:
Is it too early to say that this one is my favourite? But, honestly, I'm a sucker for anything LGBT+ and that's exactly what this story was. I loved the characters and the way that the story was told was well. The letters thing was just genius. It was also a really cute story that made me laugh out loud on several occasions. I also loved how many different fairy-tales seemed to fit into this world. Another author that I'll be definitely be checking out this author's other work!

Mad About You by Jennifer Blackthorn:
Another story that I loved. Everything about this one was brilliant; the world-building, the characters, the plot. I loved the way it all unfolded and the little nods to the original story. In fact, I wouldn't really mind reading a full novel version of this one. I want to know more about the characters and the world and will definitely be checking out this author's other work!

The Sea King's Daughter by Anthea Sharp:
This was really sweet. I liked how it kept them main elements of the original tale and it's sadness while also retaining a happy ending for it's characters. However, I really want to know more about Brea. I liked the dual PoVs and how that gave you an insight into the heads of both of the leads. Overall, this was a cute little story!

Romeo and Juliet: The Afterlife by Julia Crane:
I was probably looking forwards to this story the most after looking at all the titles. However, while i really liked the concept to me the whole thing (especially the end) just fell very flat. I could tell straight away that the concept likely needed a novel so it could be explored satisfactorily which was reinforced by the way it ended. I just felt the whole way through that this was the first chapter of an novel which annoyed me. I did like the character of Juliet though her constant mentioning of how in love with Romeo she was slightly annoyed me. I also liked the world-building and personally I think the story would have worked a lot better it it was just Juliet rescuing Romeo from the afterlife. However, I will probably check out this author's other work if only to know what happens next (well played, author, well played)!

Soot and Stone: A Fae tale of the Other world by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson:
This was a nice short story but it's definitely not my favourite. It had a good plot but I found it to be very predictable and I could easily guess what was going to happen next. I did like the main character and her ambition to become a sculptor. However, I wasn't feeling the romance in this one and so it fell a bit flat.

The Huntsman's Snow by Mandy M.Roth:
This one felt more like the last few chapters of a novel than a standalone short story. It felt a lot like what happened in this story was the conclusion of a Snow White retelling and I just felt rather disappointed.

RumpelIMPskin by Debra Dunbar:
This was a nice short story but to me it was very clear that it was set in an already established world and you were expected to already know everything about the characters. It was a good short story though I wasn't the biggest fan of the sex scene as it felt rather random and unnecessary. However, this story did make me want to know more about it's world and characters! (Which I suppose was kind of the point)

The Glass Sky by Alexia Purdy:
This one also fell a little flat as if I remember correctly the fairy-tale it's based off relies heavily on character development for it's happy ending while in this version the main character stayed a spoilt brat the entire way through. I do feel like it may have worked slightly better a a novel. I also wasn't at all keen on the romance as it felt way to much like love at first sight to me.

Rush by C.Gockel:
I really loved this one and how it ended up not being romantic love that saved the lead but instead platonic and familial love. I also loved how the main character developed from being an arsehole to someone you could actually root for over the course of the story. I also really want more stuff set in this world, like now!

Perchance to Dream by Phaedra Wilson:
This was a nice, enjoyable short story. I really liked the main character and how in the end it sort of ended up being her that had to save the guy instead of the other way around. I really liked the twist and overall this was an enjoyable short story.

The Toad Prince by Nikki Jefford:
I really didn't like this one. The main character was okay but I feel like I spent the whole story waiting for it to start. There was also no romance to speak of as the guy frequently treated the girl like an object and she frequently said that she hated him. To be honest, I might even go as far as to say I hated this one!

Crafted With a kiss by Shawntelle Madison:
This was a nice short story and I liked the main character. I wasn't feeling the romance aspect despite the fact that it was integral to the story and one character's motivation. I felt like it might have worked better as a platonic relationship. However, I did find it to be a very enjoyable retelling.

A Small Magic by Devon Monk:
I loved this one. It was a perfect, magical end to this anthology. I really loved the main character and her relationship with the other lead. I also loved the way it kind of made fun of traditional fairy-tales. A brilliant short story and another author that I'll be checking out!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wonderfully great and the not so great

I usually prefer individual books so that I can sift out any books or short stories not worth re-reading, but I took a chance on this collection to immerse myself in faerie tale retells. This collection is a keeper; almost all these tales are worth returning to and are just right for a work break. There are a couple stories that debase the original tale with an excess of crude language or frank sexuality (no erotica). It was more than the content: the plot and character shifts emptied out the faerie tale instead of expanding on it. Most add whole new layers to these faerie tales and some very fine plot twists! Characters are given more depth too. And many kept me thinking on them, or quietly laughing over them, as I returned to the real world. Happy reading!

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the fairy tales I really enjoyed and would have given five stars. Others, not so much. I particularly didn't like the "re-telling" of The Little Mermaid - not much is different in this iteration from the original (not enough in my opinion to really say that it is a separate work). I also was a little frustrated at the stories that abruptly stopped in what seemed to be the middle of the story - it appears some of the authors just used this collection to start their story, and then advertise the separate book they were writing. This being said, I enjoyed most of the stories and thought reading the collection was worthwhile. It was nice to pick up a collection of alternate fairy tales and read something different for a change. :) I would recommend to those looking for an easy, enjoyable read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this gorgeous anthology, an author's note accompanies each story, noting the original fairy tale inspiration and thoughts behind changes made to the original source material. Many of the original fairy tales will be familiar to readers--such as the little mermaid in "The Sea King's Daughter," a beautiful retelling by Anthea Sharp. Kontis' tale is based on a folk tale I'd never read before and is even more enjoyable for it, complete with strange spells and princesses who fall into them. The stories range in length from short stories to novellas with chapters. A very enjoyable anthology with surprising diversity in tone and subject, and a steal at its current 99c price.

[Deborah Andreasen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few gems

There were some stories in this anthology that were fantastic! But some of them were either inappropriate (with explicit content and or heavy language) or they just weren't as well written as others. I can get over the fact that some weren't as well written. That just happens. But I have top stress that this was NOT a clean read. I almost suggested this to my tween niece to read because she loves retellings. But I'm glad I didn't. Please note that some of these retellings are appropriate for all readers and some are definitely not.

Overall I really enjoyed this anthology but I can't recommend it based on the content.

[Greymalkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most anthologies, there were a few gems and a few clunkers, with the remainder being forgettable meh.

The ones I enjoyed were:
"Princess Charming" (a fun take on Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella via letters between the two ladies)
"Perchance to Dream" (I really liked the idea, even if the execution undercut the story's cleverness a little).
"A Small Magic" (a charming and creative take on "The Princess and the Pea")

I have to mention "Rush" because while I disliked the protagonist intensely (which was intentional by the author), I thought that she did a brave and interesting thing to try for a redemptive arc on a misogynistic asshole. It worked better than I thought it would.

[Tera Comer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because it has so many of my favorite authors in it, Alexia Purdy, Nikki Jefford, C. Gockel, Mandy M Roth, and Anthea Sharp. When I found out that Alexia Purdy had a short story in this " The Glass Sky" I knew I wanted to read it, and was given a advanced reader copy of it. After I read the story I knew I wanted to own this collection, so I bought it! Every single story in this collection is original, even if based off old favorite fairy tales. The spins the authors put into the stories make them really enjoyable, and I honestly can not choose which one was my favorite!!!