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Bastan Hollow Saga #1
Charming
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07J2FHJ7V
Lilou Adler is a student at the Bastan College for Applied Physics: a magic school focussed on training adult witches and warlocks to become Enforcers. As an Enforcer-in-training, she is one of the many tasked with keeping each generation of fairy tale creatures on track with their fates.
There are just a few problems:
1. Being tasked with the all-important "Cinderella" tale as her first assignment had to be a clerical error.
2. Prince Charming is too busy chasing fairy "tail" to settle down.
3. Cinderella has sticky fingers and boundary issues.
4. A certain someone is hell-bent on taking her out of commission, but not even the High Warlock of Bastan can stop this witch when she gets started.
Arlo Demarcus is the High Warlock of Bastan and it’s his job to investigate magical crimes and to enforce magical law. It’s also his job to protect the next target in a string of magical murders: Lilou Adler.
There are just a few problems:
1. Lilou being tasked with the all-important "Cinderella" tale as her first assignment had to be a joke.
2. A certain someone is hell-bent on making his job a living hell, but there’s no way a twenty-something Enforcer-in-training is going to stop this warlock when he gets started.
This is a full, standalone novel. It is book #1 of the Bastan Hollow Saga, but each book CAN be read as a standalone.
Lilou Adler is a student at the Bastan College for Applied Physics: a magic school focussed on training adult witches and warlocks to become Enforcers. As an Enforcer-in-training, she is one of the many tasked with keeping each generation of fairy tale creatures on track with their fates.
There are just a few problems:
1. Being tasked with the all-important "Cinderella" tale as her first assignment had to be a clerical error.
2. Prince Charming is too busy chasing fairy "tail" to settle down.
3. Cinderella has sticky fingers and boundary issues.
4. A certain someone is hell-bent on taking her out of commission, but not even the High Warlock of Bastan can stop this witch when she gets started.
Arlo Demarcus is the High Warlock of Bastan and it’s his job to investigate magical crimes and to enforce magical law. It’s also his job to protect the next target in a string of magical murders: Lilou Adler.
There are just a few problems:
1. Lilou being tasked with the all-important "Cinderella" tale as her first assignment had to be a joke.
2. A certain someone is hell-bent on making his job a living hell, but there’s no way a twenty-something Enforcer-in-training is going to stop this warlock when he gets started.
This is a full, standalone novel. It is book #1 of the Bastan Hollow Saga, but each book CAN be read as a standalone.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2018
1196 people are currently reading
3825 people want to read
About the author
Jane Washington
33 books4,566 followersJane is a Wall-Street Journal bestselling author who spends all her time writing books and then telling people not to read them.
Find her here: https://linktr.ee/janewashingtonbooks
Find her here: https://linktr.ee/janewashingtonbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
January 2, 2019
Super cute fairy-tale book
I don't know about you, but I've been in a retelling mood. So far, I'm loving all the books that have come my way and I'm doing a mini shout out towards Kindle Unlimited as well. Keep up the great work KU!
Charming was really cute. I liked how it had so many different little elements. It had a bit of mystery, fantasy, fairytale, a hint of romance, and loads more. In it, you will meet Lilou Adler. She's like an enforce/witch in training and she just got the mother load of assignments.
Cinder-freaking-ella.
Of course, everyone thinks this is some mistake - even Lil. However, that's not the case. It also doesn't help that people are kind of murdering her kind. Now other than the magical part being pretty cool - I loved her sarcasm. PLUS she also likes to drink wine, a lot, and that made me happy too! She's kind of like my twin.. in a fairy-tale realm.
Then there's Arlo, who is dreamy and mysterious. Once I met him.. and they met each other, I shipped. I SHIPPED ALL DAY, EVERY PAGE, ETC. I loved his moodiness because Lil and basically everyone else made him better.. or I guess moodier? Especially those damn stone statues.
Now I get that this book was a retelling of Cinderella.. but the stone statues made me think of the hunchback.. and now all I want to do is watch Disney movies. I will definitely be diving into the next book of this series because I'm loving it so far. I need more!
I don't know about you, but I've been in a retelling mood. So far, I'm loving all the books that have come my way and I'm doing a mini shout out towards Kindle Unlimited as well. Keep up the great work KU!
Charming was really cute. I liked how it had so many different little elements. It had a bit of mystery, fantasy, fairytale, a hint of romance, and loads more. In it, you will meet Lilou Adler. She's like an enforce/witch in training and she just got the mother load of assignments.
Cinder-freaking-ella.
Of course, everyone thinks this is some mistake - even Lil. However, that's not the case. It also doesn't help that people are kind of murdering her kind. Now other than the magical part being pretty cool - I loved her sarcasm. PLUS she also likes to drink wine, a lot, and that made me happy too! She's kind of like my twin.. in a fairy-tale realm.
Then there's Arlo, who is dreamy and mysterious. Once I met him.. and they met each other, I shipped. I SHIPPED ALL DAY, EVERY PAGE, ETC. I loved his moodiness because Lil and basically everyone else made him better.. or I guess moodier? Especially those damn stone statues.
Now I get that this book was a retelling of Cinderella.. but the stone statues made me think of the hunchback.. and now all I want to do is watch Disney movies. I will definitely be diving into the next book of this series because I'm loving it so far. I need more!
April 19, 2023
this was.... really really good. just what i needed, an entertaining, funny, sexy, romantic book full of baddass sarcastic women. Jane Washington has done it again, and i can't wait to read some more of her stuff.
September 10, 2023
This book is NOTHING like I thought it would be, but nonetheless, an absolute DELIGHT! I was expecting something more serious and fantastical, especially with such a gobsmacking cover, but I can't say I'm disappointed because the story was absolutely hilarious! Jane Washington's sarcastic sense of humor is brilliant. I found myself laughing out loud several times. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
December 10, 2018
What did I just read!? It was smart, inventive, hilarious and just plain entertaining!! Fairytales just became more delightful and delicious!! Jane Washington is stunningly brilliant!! Her creativity continues to astound and this is one spellbinding fairytale that's utterly charming 💖 With parents that are slightly anxious, a kleptomaniac heroine, highly imaginative goblins, hormone driven fairies, a warlock who's dark, dreamy and devastatingly powerful and a bit of a man whore prince, Lilou has her hands quite full! With a refreshingly witty charm and a propensity to power through situations, it's up to Lil to save the worlds. She's up against a dark force, but her group of misfits totally has her back! You simply have to go along on this adventure with Lilou and Arlo. This is one couple that you'll be impatiently waiting for to fall in love because they are so obviously made for each other 💗💗💗 Bump this up to the top of your TBR pile!!
February 18, 2019
If I had the humor of a high school freshman, I might have loved it. There was talk about blow jobs, stealing a non-virgin's virginity, and other ridiculous things that I found outdated and overused. For example:
The only characters I actually enjoyed were the adorable little goblin/troll things and the enchanted statues. I felt absolutely no connection to any of the other characters. The High Warlock and Lilou the Lawless—or more accurately Lilou the Lame—held no depth whatsoever. The instalove ruined any chance we had at learning more about them because their internal monologue and dialogue blabbed on and on about each other and nothing else of importance.
And I know other reviewers already mentioned this, but I want to say it myself: Why the hell was the Cinderella task given so much noteworthiness and said to be this huge deal, when in all reality it was only a big let down? I was expecting difficulty and maybe even a little bit of Lilou's proclaimed badassery being unleashed, but no. Nothing. Happens. Everyone makes a big deal out of it, saying that a student in training couldn't handle such a significant assignment, yet it literally could have been done within a day or two. This was lacking some serious amount of imagination and creativity. The prospect of the story is enticing but it needs more!
I wanted to love this book. I really really did. The cover is gorgeous. The excerpt was attention grabbing, and most importantly, it was written by Jane Washington, one of my favorite authors. I just couldn't :(
“Everyone, this is Kendal,” I grumbled. “The worst friend a girl could have.”
“Don’t mind Lilou,” Kendal tittered, patting my head. “She hasn’t had sex in a while. It makes her cranky. It makes us all cranky, right, girls?” She looked around, waiting for the rest of the fairies to agree . . . except there weren’t any other fairies around. She shrugged it off. “Anyway, you should be famed for blowjobs,” she told Beth. “Beth the Blowjobber.”
The only characters I actually enjoyed were the adorable little goblin/troll things and the enchanted statues. I felt absolutely no connection to any of the other characters. The High Warlock and Lilou the Lawless—or more accurately Lilou the Lame—held no depth whatsoever. The instalove ruined any chance we had at learning more about them because their internal monologue and dialogue blabbed on and on about each other and nothing else of importance.
And I know other reviewers already mentioned this, but I want to say it myself: Why the hell was the Cinderella task given so much noteworthiness and said to be this huge deal, when in all reality it was only a big let down? I was expecting difficulty and maybe even a little bit of Lilou's proclaimed badassery being unleashed, but no. Nothing. Happens. Everyone makes a big deal out of it, saying that a student in training couldn't handle such a significant assignment, yet it literally could have been done within a day or two. This was lacking some serious amount of imagination and creativity. The prospect of the story is enticing but it needs more!
I wanted to love this book. I really really did. The cover is gorgeous. The excerpt was attention grabbing, and most importantly, it was written by Jane Washington, one of my favorite authors. I just couldn't :(
January 17, 2019
I didn't get what I expected to get based on the synopsis. The book was funnier than I expected it to be, but it wasn't as focused on Cinderella as I expected it to be. The fairy tale element was more like a side story compared to the "love story" and overarching mystery, so this might not be the story for you if you're looking for a fairy tale retelling. The romance itself was underwhelming, and some plot points bothered me. That said, my biggest complaint is that the author repeatedly treated the idea of a woman raping a man as a joke. Apparently the fact that the guy is a man whore was supposed to make that act funny and acceptable, but it didn't. Not even a little bit. Each book in the series seems to be set to act as a standalone story, but I'm not really interested in continuing this series. Full review to come.
September 2, 2021
I thought this book was interesting as I read it but when I got to the end and discovered that it is a standalone I was very disappointed. It was juvenile but not overly so, I wanted it to be more fleshed out and was hoping so see that in the next book, instead this is it. Left me very unsatisfied.
Want to read
August 20, 2024*******
Pre-review
Inspired by @SK's rave reviews of Ironside Academy, I checked out some of the authors other work as Reverse Harem series don't call to me...however this one did, especially when I saw @Darcey's review 😇
Interconnected series of standalone books starting in a magic school with a twist on fairytales...yes please!
Also the covers....c'mon y'all know me 🤩
Pre-review
Inspired by @SK's rave reviews of Ironside Academy, I checked out some of the authors other work as Reverse Harem series don't call to me...however this one did, especially when I saw @Darcey's review 😇
Interconnected series of standalone books starting in a magic school with a twist on fairytales...yes please!
Also the covers....c'mon y'all know me 🤩
July 11, 2021
DNF
This book had a lot of stuff going on that made me happy to read it ,like the mystery of who's transferring blood magic to the witches , lilouh actually convincing prince charming to abandon his harem garden ,harem mansion, harem pool ,harem castle btw if you don't realize (our dear prince is obsessed with harem)and become faithful to our dear Cinderella in order for the two dimensions bastan and earth not to experience mass destruction. Also did I mention we have some sexy powerful warlord .As I said there was so many interesting stuff going on in this book
BUT...
I hated it and here's why in romance novel what really matters is the first meeting between the MC ,some Authors tend to use the same troupe Heroine being in love with the Hero for years with first glance while hero never noticed her till one day Bam! He sees her and he's suddenly in love with her 💀. while sometimes this troupe is done well and makes the book more interesting due to the Heroine unique trait ,most of the time it's done wrong and our heroine is just the same as every other heroine who's story starts out like that. It's so annoying reading that the only reason this two fell in love was because of their looks and that's it!! .the writing was childish and most of the time the characters all the characters were behaving like little children even the elders who are supposedly 2,000 years or something like that were cracking child jokes about how badass they were like Batman 😭.
The hero our dear old warlock is pretty generic the richest and most powerful enforcer , loves all things black, one glance at the heroine and he was in love and couldn't stop thinking about her cos she's different, cracks cringey Batman jokes ,his alias Slade.
Our heroine is no better apparently very smart,a top class student but yet she always confused, girl doesn't even know she's a top class student 😂, Has the highest magic energy in the entire dimension but doesn't know it even if she's being a witch all her life 🤦, fell in love with the MC because of his looks ,being pining for him , and swore off dating, wannabe stubborn and sassy 🙄
All in all it was disappointing no mindplay ,just 1 Dimensional characters, inconsistent plot
This book had a lot of stuff going on that made me happy to read it ,like the mystery of who's transferring blood magic to the witches , lilouh actually convincing prince charming to abandon his harem garden ,harem mansion, harem pool ,harem castle btw if you don't realize (our dear prince is obsessed with harem)and become faithful to our dear Cinderella in order for the two dimensions bastan and earth not to experience mass destruction. Also did I mention we have some sexy powerful warlord .As I said there was so many interesting stuff going on in this book
BUT...
I hated it and here's why in romance novel what really matters is the first meeting between the MC ,some Authors tend to use the same troupe Heroine being in love with the Hero for years with first glance while hero never noticed her till one day Bam! He sees her and he's suddenly in love with her 💀. while sometimes this troupe is done well and makes the book more interesting due to the Heroine unique trait ,most of the time it's done wrong and our heroine is just the same as every other heroine who's story starts out like that. It's so annoying reading that the only reason this two fell in love was because of their looks and that's it!! .the writing was childish and most of the time the characters all the characters were behaving like little children even the elders who are supposedly 2,000 years or something like that were cracking child jokes about how badass they were like Batman 😭.
The hero our dear old warlock is pretty generic the richest and most powerful enforcer , loves all things black, one glance at the heroine and he was in love and couldn't stop thinking about her cos she's different, cracks cringey Batman jokes ,his alias Slade.
Our heroine is no better apparently very smart,a top class student but yet she always confused, girl doesn't even know she's a top class student 😂, Has the highest magic energy in the entire dimension but doesn't know it even if she's being a witch all her life 🤦, fell in love with the MC because of his looks ,being pining for him , and swore off dating, wannabe stubborn and sassy 🙄
All in all it was disappointing no mindplay ,just 1 Dimensional characters, inconsistent plot
July 20, 2019
This wasn’t bad, but I don’t like that it’s stand alone.
I feel like where we ended isn’t enough for me and that I want to know more about THIS couple. I don’t want to go onto a new couple even though I like Slade.
This book was good but when it starts off it’s pretty confusing. I didn’t understand what exactly was going on and the descriptions were way too long that I started skimming to get to the good parts.
The show down was a bit anticlimactic. There wasn’t anything too crazy or too dangerous that happened.
I really like Arlo and he’s not as icy as he first appears. But the whole premise is to make the fairytale work, but it isn’t the real focus when we read. We get glossing overs on how that all went down. I didn’t get the goblins and why they acted the way they did.
Still confused a bit. And this next book is another couple. I’m not sure I’ll continue. I just personally prefer series that follow the same characters. Especially in a paranormal book.
I feel like where we ended isn’t enough for me and that I want to know more about THIS couple. I don’t want to go onto a new couple even though I like Slade.
This book was good but when it starts off it’s pretty confusing. I didn’t understand what exactly was going on and the descriptions were way too long that I started skimming to get to the good parts.
The show down was a bit anticlimactic. There wasn’t anything too crazy or too dangerous that happened.
I really like Arlo and he’s not as icy as he first appears. But the whole premise is to make the fairytale work, but it isn’t the real focus when we read. We get glossing overs on how that all went down. I didn’t get the goblins and why they acted the way they did.
Still confused a bit. And this next book is another couple. I’m not sure I’ll continue. I just personally prefer series that follow the same characters. Especially in a paranormal book.
December 9, 2018
I’m not sure I have ever read a book that i wanted to be thrown into more than this one. The world is so unique and I adore the characters. It reads a bit like Gilmore Girls with witty, fast-paced banter. Jane Washington is one of my favorite authors, and this is by far my favorite book of hers! Can’t recommend enough.
December 29, 2018
This was a short, fun read, but it was missing substance.
+ I liked the idea behind it: that there are people out there who have to ensure fairytales repeat themselves in order to keep the human world from descending into chaos.
- There was a LOT of exposition that came in the form of huge info dumps, especially towards the start of the story. This was almost enough to out me off, but I decided to soldier on. The author is also very detailed in her descriptions. Whenever the characters use runes, she will describe the shape of the rune in detail. Some readers might need this, but I found it left me zoning out.
+ Despite some apprehensions, I liked Lilou’s character for the most part. Sometimes she exasperated me, and at times she was a little too OTT, but she was good at bouncing back from whatever was thrown her way.
- I did not like the romance. It just sort of blossomed out of nothing. I didn’t feel the click between the characters, and didn’t like their first few interactions. Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine, and this one really didn’t work for me.
+ I adored some of the supporting characters. The goblins were fabulous, especially Pen the Peaceful. Some of their scenes had me giggling away to myself.
- Other supporting characters were a waste of space. The best friend, Amanda? She serves no purpose. The two male friends she meets up with at college? No clue what they’re there for, but they get detailed descriptions during their introduction then never show up again.
+ The magic system. The author obviously thought it through, and it is nicely detailed (if overly detailed at times). It’s one that I can buy into, though, and i enjoyed understanding the workings behind how the characters’ powers work.
- The villains weren’t really developed enough. After all the time spent getting to the climax of the story, I’d have liked to have seen more from the villains, been able to better understand them. As it is, they work in the shadows until almost the very end, and then they’re dealt with rather swiftly.
It was an enjoyable distraction. I don’t know yet whether or not I’m interested enough to want to continue with the series.
+ I liked the idea behind it: that there are people out there who have to ensure fairytales repeat themselves in order to keep the human world from descending into chaos.
- There was a LOT of exposition that came in the form of huge info dumps, especially towards the start of the story. This was almost enough to out me off, but I decided to soldier on. The author is also very detailed in her descriptions. Whenever the characters use runes, she will describe the shape of the rune in detail. Some readers might need this, but I found it left me zoning out.
+ Despite some apprehensions, I liked Lilou’s character for the most part. Sometimes she exasperated me, and at times she was a little too OTT, but she was good at bouncing back from whatever was thrown her way.
- I did not like the romance. It just sort of blossomed out of nothing. I didn’t feel the click between the characters, and didn’t like their first few interactions. Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine, and this one really didn’t work for me.
+ I adored some of the supporting characters. The goblins were fabulous, especially Pen the Peaceful. Some of their scenes had me giggling away to myself.
- Other supporting characters were a waste of space. The best friend, Amanda? She serves no purpose. The two male friends she meets up with at college? No clue what they’re there for, but they get detailed descriptions during their introduction then never show up again.
+ The magic system. The author obviously thought it through, and it is nicely detailed (if overly detailed at times). It’s one that I can buy into, though, and i enjoyed understanding the workings behind how the characters’ powers work.
- The villains weren’t really developed enough. After all the time spent getting to the climax of the story, I’d have liked to have seen more from the villains, been able to better understand them. As it is, they work in the shadows until almost the very end, and then they’re dealt with rather swiftly.
It was an enjoyable distraction. I don’t know yet whether or not I’m interested enough to want to continue with the series.
February 2, 2019
DNF @ 68%
I went into this one with a lot of excitement since I have read and enjoyed other books by Jane Washington. While it started off interesting, I just wanted more background from the book and never really understood the magic or how exactly the fairy tales would affect the human world. I can take some crazy and confusion if the book is a fun crazy though...
The romance isn't there like at all? I was so shocked that I felt absolutely no chemistry between the two main characters and surprised that they barely interact. He also does a ton of questionable things, like next level Edward Cullen.
I was willing to push through, because I wanted to know how it would end. I couldn't when rape was being used as a joke-- joke for the author, not the characters. This is another place where not understanding how the fairy tales have to be done comes into play, but more importantly considering and getting people onboard to rape someone, even if they are a guy, is not okay. LIKE SO NOT OKAY. It was actually disgusting to read about. I tried going farther hoping someone would be horrified, but no. I had to stop.
10/10 do not recommend, unfortunately :(
I went into this one with a lot of excitement since I have read and enjoyed other books by Jane Washington. While it started off interesting, I just wanted more background from the book and never really understood the magic or how exactly the fairy tales would affect the human world. I can take some crazy and confusion if the book is a fun crazy though...
The romance isn't there like at all? I was so shocked that I felt absolutely no chemistry between the two main characters and surprised that they barely interact. He also does a ton of questionable things, like next level Edward Cullen.
I was willing to push through, because I wanted to know how it would end. I couldn't when rape was being used as a joke-- joke for the author, not the characters. This is another place where not understanding how the fairy tales have to be done comes into play, but more importantly considering and getting people onboard to rape someone, even if they are a guy, is not okay. LIKE SO NOT OKAY. It was actually disgusting to read about. I tried going farther hoping someone would be horrified, but no. I had to stop.
10/10 do not recommend, unfortunately :(
December 15, 2018
14% DNF/Abandoned
I liked the concept of the book and I liked the first 8% of the book. Then the book became very cliche and I already knew exactly what was going to happen. There was a lot of unnecessary description of the College and the surrounding environment. A lot of description with maybe a paragraph or two with actual content. Disappointing.
When you read a lot of Magic-Fantasy type books, it is nice to see a refreshing idea, but unfortunately, this was not a new one.
I liked the concept of the book and I liked the first 8% of the book. Then the book became very cliche and I already knew exactly what was going to happen. There was a lot of unnecessary description of the College and the surrounding environment. A lot of description with maybe a paragraph or two with actual content. Disappointing.
When you read a lot of Magic-Fantasy type books, it is nice to see a refreshing idea, but unfortunately, this was not a new one.
December 22, 2018
I found this one a bit disappointing. I think that the elements were there, but they just sorta congealed and ended up not blending into a smooth story.
-The characters were good, if not reminiscent of the characters from Trickery.
-There was so much story introduced. I am under the assumption from the preview of the second book that it's not about Arlo and Lilou. If it isn't, why the hell set so much backstory rolling. Now I'm feeling gipped because this book read like a super long prequel that will never be resolved. I think Lilou and Arlo taking on adventures and solving problems would be a great way to approach the series.
-The descriptions were long-winded. I had to force myself to continue reading on. Some of those paragraphs were SOOOO LONG.
-There just wasn't enough story to suck me in. It was like I was looking at a painting rather than jumping through a portal.
-There wasn't enough tension. I feel like Nees came out of left field and felt very non-threatening. And the conflict with him was introduced and solved in like one and a half chapters.
-The pacing felt uber weird.
Overall, moderately entertaining but felt underdeveloped and half-baked. The strongest element was the characters.
-The characters were good, if not reminiscent of the characters from Trickery.
-There was so much story introduced. I am under the assumption from the preview of the second book that it's not about Arlo and Lilou. If it isn't, why the hell set so much backstory rolling. Now I'm feeling gipped because this book read like a super long prequel that will never be resolved. I think Lilou and Arlo taking on adventures and solving problems would be a great way to approach the series.
-The descriptions were long-winded. I had to force myself to continue reading on. Some of those paragraphs were SOOOO LONG.
-There just wasn't enough story to suck me in. It was like I was looking at a painting rather than jumping through a portal.
-There wasn't enough tension. I feel like Nees came out of left field and felt very non-threatening. And the conflict with him was introduced and solved in like one and a half chapters.
-The pacing felt uber weird.
Overall, moderately entertaining but felt underdeveloped and half-baked. The strongest element was the characters.
December 10, 2018
Unexpectedly fresh take on the Cinderella story and fairy tales in general. Jane Washington takes us on a journey that shows fairy tales aren't just for kids We follow Lilou a witch who is tasked with ensuring Cinderella and Prince Charming stick to the fairy tale and get thier happy ending ( in more ways than one ;) ). On the way we meet LiLou's love interest the high warlock and Washington creates such sexual tension that at one time I really thought a barn would be the deal spot for a romantic escapade. Not only does Washington keep the story fresh & exciting, she keeps the reader engrossed with plot twists and of course humor. The hilarious quips and side banter in the book made it for a quick read and had me wondering if I was falling in love with the side characters (who I feel steal the show at times )or the main characters as they embark on their own love story.
I can't wait to see what the next installment brings and let's just say night gown tassels were never apart of my vocabulary, but now it's a common term . Thank you Jane Washington!
I can't wait to see what the next installment brings and let's just say night gown tassels were never apart of my vocabulary, but now it's a common term . Thank you Jane Washington!
January 4, 2019
I LOVED this book. I laughed out loud so many times at the brilliant, quirky dialogue and a main character that I want to be friends with in real life.
Lilou is such a wonderful protagonist. She’s smart, strong, stubborn, and loves herself. She’s everything I wanted in a heroine for this book, and her sarcastic, goofy humor made this book so much fun.
But Charming was more than just hilarious- it was sexy and smart and I cared about the characters. I want to spend more time in this world with these people- they felt like friends by the end of the book.
I know this is a stand-alone book, but I’m just going to cross my fingers that we get more stories that follow Lilou and Arlo. Until then I’m just going to have to re-read this book, which is now one of my new favorite reads.
Lilou is such a wonderful protagonist. She’s smart, strong, stubborn, and loves herself. She’s everything I wanted in a heroine for this book, and her sarcastic, goofy humor made this book so much fun.
But Charming was more than just hilarious- it was sexy and smart and I cared about the characters. I want to spend more time in this world with these people- they felt like friends by the end of the book.
I know this is a stand-alone book, but I’m just going to cross my fingers that we get more stories that follow Lilou and Arlo. Until then I’m just going to have to re-read this book, which is now one of my new favorite reads.
December 11, 2018
Jane does it again! Charming is definitely one of a kind and I can't wait for the next book in the series. This is definitely not what I was expecting. This is not a Cinderella retelling it's a story all of it's own that will captivate you from beginning to end. I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. This book will throw you some surprises and more. I honestly don't know how Jane keeps doing it. If she were a baseball player she would be a homerun hitter. I'm never disappointed when I buy one of her books because I know it's going to be AMAZING.
December 18, 2018
Oh, Jane, that was fun!
A really fun and funny take on our old fairy tales. Charming was full of action, magic, humor and still sexy. Refreshing way to look at these tales.
A really fun and funny take on our old fairy tales. Charming was full of action, magic, humor and still sexy. Refreshing way to look at these tales.
dnf
March 7, 2020DNF at 42%
Not really a fan of the characters. Or maybe I'm reading this at the wrong time. Who knows?
Not really a fan of the characters. Or maybe I'm reading this at the wrong time. Who knows?
May 1, 2019
I had a bit of a tough time getting into it at first ... I think because I found it a bit gross that the people who should be determined to keep people safe - the High Witch and High Warlock - really took a long time to get engaged with the problem. The High Warlock (Arlo Demarcus) did get on board with protecting Lilou eventually, but until very late in the process, the stupid High Witch kept haranguing him to let it go.
Who in hell keeps the people of this society safe if not for these two? Why did it seem like they just couldn't be bothered? It was ridiculous, petty, and made them both look utterly unfit (the High Witch bitch much more than Arlo, who was taking steps even as he was rolling his eyes about it). And even the Enforcers (I'm looking at you, Slade) were condescending assholes.
I loved Lilou though, utterly. I just was really, really put off by how awful everyone in this society was, from stupid Ethel on through the other assholes in charge. Almost enough to make me root for the bad guys to overthrow them ... but not at the expense of Lilou.
She was great, and I felt bad for her because freaking everyone was working against her for most of this book. Luckily, she was charming enough to win other allies.
Who in hell keeps the people of this society safe if not for these two? Why did it seem like they just couldn't be bothered? It was ridiculous, petty, and made them both look utterly unfit (the High Witch bitch much more than Arlo, who was taking steps even as he was rolling his eyes about it). And even the Enforcers (I'm looking at you, Slade) were condescending assholes.
I loved Lilou though, utterly. I just was really, really put off by how awful everyone in this society was, from stupid Ethel on through the other assholes in charge. Almost enough to make me root for the bad guys to overthrow them ... but not at the expense of Lilou.
She was great, and I felt bad for her because freaking everyone was working against her for most of this book. Luckily, she was charming enough to win other allies.
January 16, 2019
Yessssss! There are so many reasons to love Jane Washington's books but for me the humor takes the cake. She is soooo talented at writing heroines that you just hate to love but can't help it because they are such a hot dang mess!
Got to take a minute here and express some major love for the premise and the world building... though it did have me twisted occasionally I really like the uniqueness and reinvention here. It was surprisingly profound to me because I just watched a debate between some scientific minds talking about the importance of story, myth and folklore, in regards to the basis of humanity as it is today. Though this book is nowhere near that in depth or seriousness, it was leaning that way and I was totally on board! Lilou, our FMC, super clever, word vomit heroine! The banter in this book had me legit rolling... I just can't even...
Lilou is a witch living on and between Earth and layers of a fairytale world called Baston. Here in this in between, Lilou and her people learn how to use magic and study to complete fairy tales which happen over and over and keep the world functioning properly. Lilou out of nowhere gets signed one of the most important assignments.... Cinderella... which is unheard of for someone who is just a second year. As it turns out there is also a mass murderer out hunting witches of Lilou's bloodline and its up to Lilou and the High Warlock... who may or may not be a demon.. confusing conversation there LOL, to find the killer but also make sure the story gets its happy ending or else the earth begins to fall into madness!
Sooooo entertaining! Can't wait to recommend to some friends to see what they think. This is a stand alone book however its in a saga with other fairy tales and I can't wait to continue in this world!!
Got to take a minute here and express some major love for the premise and the world building... though it did have me twisted occasionally I really like the uniqueness and reinvention here. It was surprisingly profound to me because I just watched a debate between some scientific minds talking about the importance of story, myth and folklore, in regards to the basis of humanity as it is today. Though this book is nowhere near that in depth or seriousness, it was leaning that way and I was totally on board! Lilou, our FMC, super clever, word vomit heroine! The banter in this book had me legit rolling... I just can't even...
Lilou is a witch living on and between Earth and layers of a fairytale world called Baston. Here in this in between, Lilou and her people learn how to use magic and study to complete fairy tales which happen over and over and keep the world functioning properly. Lilou out of nowhere gets signed one of the most important assignments.... Cinderella... which is unheard of for someone who is just a second year. As it turns out there is also a mass murderer out hunting witches of Lilou's bloodline and its up to Lilou and the High Warlock... who may or may not be a demon.. confusing conversation there LOL, to find the killer but also make sure the story gets its happy ending or else the earth begins to fall into madness!
Sooooo entertaining! Can't wait to recommend to some friends to see what they think. This is a stand alone book however its in a saga with other fairy tales and I can't wait to continue in this world!!
September 25, 2019
Well, she did it again. Jane Washington blew me away and stole a piece of my heart. My goodness, this story is nothing short of brilliant. I honestly can’t tell you why it took me so long to read this one but I’m SO happy that I finally picked it up. It’s not at all what I expected, and everything that I needed.
This story is clever and so thoughtfully written. It’s also funny in this totally original and off-kilter way that you just inherently know is the authors own special brand of humor shining through. Because the story is articulated so gracefully, you can’t help but visualize every single hilarious and ridiculous situation that is written. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud, but I can tell you that it warmed my heart and left me pleasantly surprised.
The characters are phenomenal and totally unique, you can’t help but love every single oddball that is thrown your way. I could read a thousand more stories set in this world and never tire of their charades. That could be because the heroine is so relatable and perfectly imperfect, or it could simply be because the author is so talented that she manages to weave you into this fairy tale seamlessly. Whatever the reason, I doubt anyone will be able to resist the charm and allure of this sweet and exhilarating story.
This story is clever and so thoughtfully written. It’s also funny in this totally original and off-kilter way that you just inherently know is the authors own special brand of humor shining through. Because the story is articulated so gracefully, you can’t help but visualize every single hilarious and ridiculous situation that is written. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud, but I can tell you that it warmed my heart and left me pleasantly surprised.
The characters are phenomenal and totally unique, you can’t help but love every single oddball that is thrown your way. I could read a thousand more stories set in this world and never tire of their charades. That could be because the heroine is so relatable and perfectly imperfect, or it could simply be because the author is so talented that she manages to weave you into this fairy tale seamlessly. Whatever the reason, I doubt anyone will be able to resist the charm and allure of this sweet and exhilarating story.
December 15, 2018
This was, well, an utterly charming (to use a groan-inducing pun) book. Lilou is an excellent heroine - smart, funny, powerful, pretty, and not afraid to keep her man on his toes. Arlo is a wonderful hero - stoic, serious, handsome, powerful, and ridiculous. Not to mention the great side characters, and the incredibly intriguing and hilarious beyond belief plot. I was laughing all the time with this book, and very interested in what was going to happen next. I have read Jane Washington's books that were cowritten with other authors, but this one proves to me that she is a force to be reckoned with all on her own! 5 stars.
December 28, 2018
There's really no need to even read the blurb if it has Jane Washington's name across it. You know you're going to be fully entertained and transported from the first sentence until the final period. One of my favorite things about Washington's books is the pacing. She's masterfully learned exactly how to give you all the information you need at exactly the right time. The characters feel real and fully fleshed out. I always find one character that I know would be my best friend if they were real. Her humor is spot on and hits like a mac truck. This is one of my favorite Cinderella retellings, and I can't wait for the second book in the series!
January 2, 2019
Seriously LOL'D
I don't typically leave reviews, but I had to on this one. I enjoy books about magic and fairytales as well as romance with a lil' bit of steamy, well-written sex, and I lucked out with this one. I'm not a huge fan of 1st person narratives as I like to know what the characters are thinking and feeling, so I was happy that the narrative went back and forth between the 2 main characters. I thought this story was unique, well-written, and even found myself laughing out loud a few times. I'm looking forward to the next story in this series, and I will be looking to read more by Ms. Jane Washington.
I don't typically leave reviews, but I had to on this one. I enjoy books about magic and fairytales as well as romance with a lil' bit of steamy, well-written sex, and I lucked out with this one. I'm not a huge fan of 1st person narratives as I like to know what the characters are thinking and feeling, so I was happy that the narrative went back and forth between the 2 main characters. I thought this story was unique, well-written, and even found myself laughing out loud a few times. I'm looking forward to the next story in this series, and I will be looking to read more by Ms. Jane Washington.
December 10, 2018
Every time Jane Washington starts a new series I’m at the edge of my seat waiting for the awesomeness that is her story telling to begin. Charming was unique, funny, random, different and freaking funny (did I already say that?). Lilou Adler has to be one of my favorite heroines. She was unusually unusual in the very best way. I absolutely loved her sarcastic motor mouth ways. When you coupled her with the stoic icy hotness that is Arlo, there was no way that this book could be anything but amazing. I can’t wait for the next book of the series!
December 9, 2018
I eagerly await all releases from Jane Washington and this new book did not disappoint. Charming is full of rich storytelling, humour and romance. I absolutely loved it. I loved the main character Lilou so much and she is perfectly balanced with Arlo. The relationship between Lilou and the varied friends she meets is genius.
This whole book was an absolute joy to read, I cannot recommned it enough.
This whole book was an absolute joy to read, I cannot recommned it enough.
March 14, 2019
I reeeaaally struggled to get through this, in fact I pretty much skimmed the last two chapters. In part this is due to my life being all kinds of crazy busy at the moment but it’s mostly down to the odd tone of this story. There was too much humour for me to really get all that invested in the characters, it prevented me from taking the story seriously, I had no drive whatsoever to see anyone succeed or win. It’s a shame really.
July 30, 2020
Lilou and Arlo get 5 fairy stars.
This book is amazing. The take on our classical fairytales together with this new story completely woven around it is brilliant. The drama (the creatures) and the suspense is brilliant. I love Cinderellas ending as well (or Beth's I guess). And I love how everything works itself out even though all their plans fail. A great book with a great story.
This book is amazing. The take on our classical fairytales together with this new story completely woven around it is brilliant. The drama (the creatures) and the suspense is brilliant. I love Cinderellas ending as well (or Beth's I guess). And I love how everything works itself out even though all their plans fail. A great book with a great story.
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