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Alice: Pick a Card #1
Alice in the Land of Clovers
There were two facts that I was sure of; Wonderland was not real and I, Alice Grey, was a very ordinary young woman—it was impossible for me to be otherwise.
Or so I thought.
I had begun to accept that my father would not return from the war when his pocket watch mysteriously reappears and is stolen by a white rabbit. But just as I give up on catching the rabbit, I fall into a hole, landing somewhere that is most certainly not Oxford.
I soon realize that this is the Wonderland my father had told me stories about. But the White Rabbit of my father’s story is no longer a rabbit, he’s a man-- a king even, one with three charming brothers, all heirs to a far greater throne. Only one of them is destined to become the King of Cards and rule over all-- and he needs a queen.
Unfortunately, I have no interest in being anyone’s queen or falling in love; all I wish to do is return to Oxford. However, I cannot do it alone, I have to put my trust in someone. But the characters of Wonderland are far from ordinary and even further from trustworthy-- Each seems to have their own agenda, and someone does not want me to leave Wonderland at all.
If I stay, I could lose everything I’ve ever known, and if I leave, I could lose everything I’ve ever wanted.
Or so I thought.
I had begun to accept that my father would not return from the war when his pocket watch mysteriously reappears and is stolen by a white rabbit. But just as I give up on catching the rabbit, I fall into a hole, landing somewhere that is most certainly not Oxford.
I soon realize that this is the Wonderland my father had told me stories about. But the White Rabbit of my father’s story is no longer a rabbit, he’s a man-- a king even, one with three charming brothers, all heirs to a far greater throne. Only one of them is destined to become the King of Cards and rule over all-- and he needs a queen.
Unfortunately, I have no interest in being anyone’s queen or falling in love; all I wish to do is return to Oxford. However, I cannot do it alone, I have to put my trust in someone. But the characters of Wonderland are far from ordinary and even further from trustworthy-- Each seems to have their own agenda, and someone does not want me to leave Wonderland at all.
If I stay, I could lose everything I’ve ever known, and if I leave, I could lose everything I’ve ever wanted.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 20, 2022
The beginning was a little boring. I thought about DNFing for a while. I think it had to do with the writing style. It’s meant to be old and formal, but it doesn’t read naturally.
In this version of the story, your well-known crazy friends become human prospects for Alice, which overall I thought was an interesting take.
After I hit 25%, the story started to get interesting. I like Alice here, how snarky she is. The characters in Wonderland get a fresh take that I loved, I think Claude was my favorite.
If you like Alice in Wonderland retellings, I’m sure this is a fresh one you can add to your favorites.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
In this version of the story, your well-known crazy friends become human prospects for Alice, which overall I thought was an interesting take.
After I hit 25%, the story started to get interesting. I like Alice here, how snarky she is. The characters in Wonderland get a fresh take that I loved, I think Claude was my favorite.
If you like Alice in Wonderland retellings, I’m sure this is a fresh one you can add to your favorites.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
March 22, 2026
Short summary
Alice Grey, a girl who is stubborn enough to believe that her father who disappeared in war time is still alive. One day, a disastrous day, ended with name-calling and tea spilling. She went to her father's grave; it was the day of his disappearance. While grieving and putting an end in believing in the Alice in Wonderland story her father always told her before bedtime, she notices on the ground a pocket watch. Inspecting it she finds out that it belongs to her father. First reluctant to take it with her she placed it on the ground again, where a white rabbit steals it and makes her run after him, until she falls into a deep, deep hole.
Pacing
Plot
The pacing of the plot was well done. Many other reviews complained that the beginning was too slow and I thought so at first too until I continued reading and started to realise how important the beginning actual was. The beginning was slow on purpose so that the reader can sympathise with Alice when she says that she wants to go back home. Her homesickness wouldn't leave an impact on the reader if the reader gets no time to get to know Alice and her normal everyday life before she falls into Wonderland. So, hearing her expressing homesickness is much better understood by the reader in this way than if the story took no time to establish the original world she lived in first.
Characters
The pace of the characters, especially their development and love was too fast. The love happened out of the blue. It felt rushed and therefore also unrealistic. I could have enjoyed it more if it would have been slower.
Writing Style
Vocabulary
The story takes place in England but was written in American English. I think the author tried to use British vocabulary to make it sound believable, but that didn't work well. As someone who is familiar with British vocabulary I noticed this unfortunately a lot and it bothered me. If the story is set in England then I also expect the characters to speak in British and not American English.
Time
The book seldom informed the reader if it was day or night and if the days were skipped and if so how many. That made me have no sense of time (which was confusing at times). I'm not sure if that was made on purpose or not, as it's known that time runs differently in Wonderland than in the real world.
Characters
I like how the characters were slightly changed without making it seem odd.
The Mad Hatter
William didn't just talk gibberish the whole time, he could talk normally with sense.
The Cheshire Cat
Claude, had his infamous grin on and seemed always amused, but could also be serious if needed.
The White Rabbit
Fitzgerald, as arrogant as ever and unfortunately not seeming to be nice to Alice at least once. It's a love story after all, so I hoped for him to come to his senses, but perhaps he does so in the next book.
Outroduction
Whoever decides to read this shouldn't stop reading it 'cause one little thing was bothersome. I also was thinking to stop and didn't and I'm so glad I didn't. It needs time and patience to fully understand everything, and some stuff is only explained at the end of the first book. The stuff that stays unanswered will get answered (hopefully) in the next books. I had my lows and highs with this book. Looking forward to read the next book of this series.
(I changed the rating from 4/5 to 3/5 'cause while it was entertaining I had some issues that still bother me to this day. I think I was too lenient when I first rated it).
StoryGraph review (with marked spoilers)
Started the book: 27. December 2023
Finished the book: 28. December 2023
Wrote the review: 28. December 2023
Edited the review: 22. March 2026
Alice Grey, a girl who is stubborn enough to believe that her father who disappeared in war time is still alive. One day, a disastrous day, ended with name-calling and tea spilling. She went to her father's grave; it was the day of his disappearance. While grieving and putting an end in believing in the Alice in Wonderland story her father always told her before bedtime, she notices on the ground a pocket watch. Inspecting it she finds out that it belongs to her father. First reluctant to take it with her she placed it on the ground again, where a white rabbit steals it and makes her run after him, until she falls into a deep, deep hole.
Pacing
Plot
The pacing of the plot was well done. Many other reviews complained that the beginning was too slow and I thought so at first too until I continued reading and started to realise how important the beginning actual was. The beginning was slow on purpose so that the reader can sympathise with Alice when she says that she wants to go back home. Her homesickness wouldn't leave an impact on the reader if the reader gets no time to get to know Alice and her normal everyday life before she falls into Wonderland. So, hearing her expressing homesickness is much better understood by the reader in this way than if the story took no time to establish the original world she lived in first.
I wanted to fall in love, real love, and have a husband who loved me back some day, who didn't want me for some crown or ambition—And now you have trapped me here.
Characters
The pace of the characters, especially their development and love was too fast. The love happened out of the blue. It felt rushed and therefore also unrealistic. I could have enjoyed it more if it would have been slower.
Writing Style
Vocabulary
The story takes place in England but was written in American English. I think the author tried to use British vocabulary to make it sound believable, but that didn't work well. As someone who is familiar with British vocabulary I noticed this unfortunately a lot and it bothered me. If the story is set in England then I also expect the characters to speak in British and not American English.
Time
The book seldom informed the reader if it was day or night and if the days were skipped and if so how many. That made me have no sense of time (which was confusing at times). I'm not sure if that was made on purpose or not, as it's known that time runs differently in Wonderland than in the real world.
Characters
I like how the characters were slightly changed without making it seem odd.
The Mad Hatter
William didn't just talk gibberish the whole time, he could talk normally with sense.
The Cheshire Cat
Claude, had his infamous grin on and seemed always amused, but could also be serious if needed.
Things are much more entertaining with friends.
The White Rabbit
Fitzgerald, as arrogant as ever and unfortunately not seeming to be nice to Alice at least once. It's a love story after all, so I hoped for him to come to his senses, but perhaps he does so in the next book.
Love is an afterthought, plenty of people fall in love after many years of being married. Alice doesn't like me yet, but she will soon. And I have checked every rule and law, I am allowed this privilege so long as she came on her own, which with all things considered, she technically did. So, I'm claiming her as mine.
Outroduction
Whoever decides to read this shouldn't stop reading it 'cause one little thing was bothersome. I also was thinking to stop and didn't and I'm so glad I didn't. It needs time and patience to fully understand everything, and some stuff is only explained at the end of the first book. The stuff that stays unanswered will get answered (hopefully) in the next books. I had my lows and highs with this book. Looking forward to read the next book of this series.
(I changed the rating from 4/5 to 3/5 'cause while it was entertaining I had some issues that still bother me to this day. I think I was too lenient when I first rated it).
StoryGraph review (with marked spoilers)
Started the book: 27. December 2023
Finished the book: 28. December 2023
Wrote the review: 28. December 2023
Edited the review: 22. March 2026
October 4, 2023
DNF at about 20% in — I just read about 10 pages of the same dude saying “she’s going to marry me” and Alice saying she is not and it’s taken it’s toll on me, I cannot do this book anymore
March 24, 2024
What a fun lil Alice in Wonderland book. It was quick, easy to read, and left me wondering what happens next. I love that its set during World War I or II. I'll definitely be picking up book 2 to see what happens next and to see which guy she starts really falling for. There was light spice in this and I feel like the rest of this series will get spicier.
![Profile Image for Yves V.H. [Slow reading].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1768806067i/170151541._UY200_CR6,0,200,200_.jpg)
February 14, 2024
3.5 ⭐
Hmmm, I think it is a wonderful story though there were times that I got confused because scenes would change suddenly and sometimes, I really do not understand what they were talking about 😅
Nonetheless, I still very much enjoyed the story (specially since I love Alice in Wonderland). This is more on a mature side and sprinkled with romance but that is not the focus of the story; it focuses more on how Alice try to figure out what Wonderland really is.
At some point, I found Alice a little bit annoying because she loves to complain about a lot of things but if I live in the society she lives in, I probably would complain a lot too specially if my mother tries to marry me off just so she could find a man 🙄
The other characters, not gonna lie, their nicknames got me confused. Sometimes, I don't know who is who anymore and just wait until it says 'the rabbit' or 'the Cheshire cat' etc. because somehow, they are also kings that represents the different cards. I wish that got established better.
I still have lots of questions like what happend to the Red Queen? Who killed her father if it's not William? Why are these men obsessed with Alice? Why did Alice's father went there in the first place? Etc. There are more books in the series so I guess these questions will be answered eventually.
“Life can be like that, sometimes, it does not turn out how we think it will. But so long as you keep your head up and keep moving forward, I’m certain that you will eventually find a reality worth living,”
Hmmm, I think it is a wonderful story though there were times that I got confused because scenes would change suddenly and sometimes, I really do not understand what they were talking about 😅
Nonetheless, I still very much enjoyed the story (specially since I love Alice in Wonderland). This is more on a mature side and sprinkled with romance but that is not the focus of the story; it focuses more on how Alice try to figure out what Wonderland really is.
At some point, I found Alice a little bit annoying because she loves to complain about a lot of things but if I live in the society she lives in, I probably would complain a lot too specially if my mother tries to marry me off just so she could find a man 🙄
The other characters, not gonna lie, their nicknames got me confused. Sometimes, I don't know who is who anymore and just wait until it says 'the rabbit' or 'the Cheshire cat' etc. because somehow, they are also kings that represents the different cards. I wish that got established better.
I still have lots of questions like what happend to the Red Queen? Who killed her father if it's not William? Why are these men obsessed with Alice? Why did Alice's father went there in the first place? Etc. There are more books in the series so I guess these questions will be answered eventually.
“Life can be like that, sometimes, it does not turn out how we think it will. But so long as you keep your head up and keep moving forward, I’m certain that you will eventually find a reality worth living,”
March 16, 2022
Magical, wonderful, madness, sexy, intriguing, wistful, nostalgic.
This is a wonderful retelling of “Alice in Wonderland”. Once, Alice Grey, a headstrong 20-year-old English woman starts chasing a white rabbit who’s stollen her MIA father’s watch I could not put this book down. It was fun, intriguing, a bit sexy and a whole lot of wonderland madness. In wonderland, Alice meets four kings, one for each suit, each different and each with an agenda. She must discover what happened to her father, what everyone’s true motives are, if she can trust anyone and how she’s going to get back home. As I said, this is a brilliant retelling that keeps enough of the original to be fun and nostalgic but also has woven a very complex and interesting cast of characters diving further into the magically illogical and mysterious ways of wonderland.
The beginning is a bit slow but it’s needed for us to see her world in Oxford and if you stick with it you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, also #TeamKaeden!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
#BookSirens #AliceInTheLandOfClovers #BALovejoy
This is a wonderful retelling of “Alice in Wonderland”. Once, Alice Grey, a headstrong 20-year-old English woman starts chasing a white rabbit who’s stollen her MIA father’s watch I could not put this book down. It was fun, intriguing, a bit sexy and a whole lot of wonderland madness. In wonderland, Alice meets four kings, one for each suit, each different and each with an agenda. She must discover what happened to her father, what everyone’s true motives are, if she can trust anyone and how she’s going to get back home. As I said, this is a brilliant retelling that keeps enough of the original to be fun and nostalgic but also has woven a very complex and interesting cast of characters diving further into the magically illogical and mysterious ways of wonderland.
The beginning is a bit slow but it’s needed for us to see her world in Oxford and if you stick with it you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, also #TeamKaeden!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
#BookSirens #AliceInTheLandOfClovers #BALovejoy
December 12, 2021
There is one way to tempt me to pick up an arc, even when I actually don't really have the time for one. If you offer me an Alice in Wonderland retelling I will always have a hard time saying no. So, when I got my BookSirens e-mail asking me if I was interested in reading this arc, there was actually no way I was gonna say no, even if I had a hard time squeezing the book in, even if the time window to get my review in was small.
I'm incredibly glad that I read this book. The way Lovejoy played with the story of Wonderland, its characters and its world is phenomenal. The atmosphere in this book is amazing. Throughout the entire book there is a certain kind of tension. Because the world feels strange and makes no sense. Because the characters are like themselves and yet not. Because there is always a hidden agenda and something threatening.
Alice' emotions are also described and written beautifully. It's so easy to understand how she feels and why she feels that way. It's so easy to connect with her and her emotions. And during the last chapters, when the clock was counting down, I had my heart racing in my chest because I was so rooting for Alice to get what she wanted. Especially because I thought her final choice was mature and very responsible.
Lovejoy also did a great job with the characters. I have the feeling that we haven't seen the true hearts and souls of the Wonderland kings so far and yet they were all layered and interesting and mostly intriguing. All those characters were incredibly grey. You never knew who could be trusted, who couldn't be trusted and what their true motivations, plans and agendas were. I'm therefore really looking forward to the next book!
I'm incredibly glad that I read this book. The way Lovejoy played with the story of Wonderland, its characters and its world is phenomenal. The atmosphere in this book is amazing. Throughout the entire book there is a certain kind of tension. Because the world feels strange and makes no sense. Because the characters are like themselves and yet not. Because there is always a hidden agenda and something threatening.
Alice' emotions are also described and written beautifully. It's so easy to understand how she feels and why she feels that way. It's so easy to connect with her and her emotions. And during the last chapters, when the clock was counting down, I had my heart racing in my chest because I was so rooting for Alice to get what she wanted. Especially because I thought her final choice was mature and very responsible.
Lovejoy also did a great job with the characters. I have the feeling that we haven't seen the true hearts and souls of the Wonderland kings so far and yet they were all layered and interesting and mostly intriguing. All those characters were incredibly grey. You never knew who could be trusted, who couldn't be trusted and what their true motivations, plans and agendas were. I'm therefore really looking forward to the next book!
April 15, 2022
ALICE IN THE LAND OF CLOVERS
BY: B.A. LOVEJOY
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
They were everything to me. And even when I was seventeen, I still held onto those memories of astonishing tales and impossible things. Impossible things not only like Wonderland but like my father returning and sitting on the banks of the River Thames with me once more, telling me stories as if we hadn’t spent over a year apart.
ALICE IN THE LAND OF CLOVERS is book one in the Alice: Pick a card series that follows a young lady called Alice who grew up with her father telling tales about Wonderland. The story takes place during the Second World War, a war that made her father not return to the family. Now, along with her sister who is already married, and her mother who tries to let Alice marry, Alice herself has other plans, that soon change when she falls into Wonderland.
This isn’t a book I normally pick up for myself, considering I am more of an action reader, but I wanted to try something new considering a reading slump is lurking me into not reading at all. This book is a quick read with a fun main character that knows her place. I loved her snarky attitude from time to time, while also showing that she had a side that cares about the ones she picks deeply. The atmosphere is classic Wonderland but also makes it a whole new place for readers that aren’t familiar with it. The same goes for the characters; although they are all human, they still keep their characteristics while on the other hand making them new people.
For me picking up a romance, I didn’t go into it with high expectations. I did enjoy the characters themselves and could place myself into Alice and her wanting to go home, and I felt that was written realistically. I could comment on the fact the romance was all over the place, but because the book knows that about itself, I felt like it was written well enough for me to not care too deeply about it and just go with the flow, which was luckily easy to do.
In the end, I definitely will pick the next books since I am curious to see where the story will go, and this quick read was a fun ride anyway!
BY: B.A. LOVEJOY
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
They were everything to me. And even when I was seventeen, I still held onto those memories of astonishing tales and impossible things. Impossible things not only like Wonderland but like my father returning and sitting on the banks of the River Thames with me once more, telling me stories as if we hadn’t spent over a year apart.
ALICE IN THE LAND OF CLOVERS is book one in the Alice: Pick a card series that follows a young lady called Alice who grew up with her father telling tales about Wonderland. The story takes place during the Second World War, a war that made her father not return to the family. Now, along with her sister who is already married, and her mother who tries to let Alice marry, Alice herself has other plans, that soon change when she falls into Wonderland.
This isn’t a book I normally pick up for myself, considering I am more of an action reader, but I wanted to try something new considering a reading slump is lurking me into not reading at all. This book is a quick read with a fun main character that knows her place. I loved her snarky attitude from time to time, while also showing that she had a side that cares about the ones she picks deeply. The atmosphere is classic Wonderland but also makes it a whole new place for readers that aren’t familiar with it. The same goes for the characters; although they are all human, they still keep their characteristics while on the other hand making them new people.
For me picking up a romance, I didn’t go into it with high expectations. I did enjoy the characters themselves and could place myself into Alice and her wanting to go home, and I felt that was written realistically. I could comment on the fact the romance was all over the place, but because the book knows that about itself, I felt like it was written well enough for me to not care too deeply about it and just go with the flow, which was luckily easy to do.
In the end, I definitely will pick the next books since I am curious to see where the story will go, and this quick read was a fun ride anyway!
August 22, 2022
Amazing retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Set in the 1940's during WWII, Alice is a grown woman. With a mother and a sister, her father gone too war, and ends up missing. She wants to go to Oxford to become a professor, a smart bright well read young woman. As she was growing up her father would tell her stories of Wonderland and it's denizens. One day she goes to her fathers grave to visit and talk with him, as she looks down she spots a pocket watch in the grass. Then she spots a white rabbit, and as we all know the story decides to run after the rabbit. After she ends up in Wonderland, she realizes that it is set up into four kingdoms. These kingdoms are named after the different card suites, and each kingdom is ruled by a King. The kings are actually brothers, but with each a different mother. There is a rule in Wonderland, that who ever gets married first, will then become the King of Cards and rule over all of Wonderland.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 19, 2022
Alice was sure Wonderland was not real and that she was only ordinary. She was trying to accept that her father would not come home from the war, especially when his pocket watch appears and suddenly gets stolen by a rabbit. But the White Rabbit of her story is no longer a rabbit, he’s a man, one with three brothers. All of them are wanting King of Cards but only one can rule, and he needs a queen.
I love a good fairytale retelling and this one is no exception. It started out slow, but once it picked up it was one, I couldn't put down. I love the romance in the book and the characters were well written. I loved that it wasn’t modern, with the book set during World War two. My only issue was that Alice seemed childish, especially considering that she is an adult and not a childlike in the original fairytale. Overall, this was a great romance novel and an amazing fairytale retelling.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love a good fairytale retelling and this one is no exception. It started out slow, but once it picked up it was one, I couldn't put down. I love the romance in the book and the characters were well written. I loved that it wasn’t modern, with the book set during World War two. My only issue was that Alice seemed childish, especially considering that she is an adult and not a childlike in the original fairytale. Overall, this was a great romance novel and an amazing fairytale retelling.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! The Book Sirens sent me this ARC to read, and I thought it sounded very interesting! It took me some time to get into, because the way it’s written isn’t what I’m used to, as far as the language goes and the “speak” of that makes sense; it was really cool to see how all of these characters I’ve known from a childhood story were turned into men, kings even; I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen the entire time, and I am ready for the next book to see what happens next! I am left with wanting so much more, and there’s so many loose ends to be tied!
** I received this book for free and this review is voluntary **
** I received this book for free and this review is voluntary **
January 30, 2022
What an incredible spin on Alice!
I've always been fascinated with Wonderland and all it's quirks, so it comes as no surprise that when one of my "must-read" authors wrote a tale of Alice, I had no choice but to devour it.
Lovejoy really brings the characters alive in her tales, weaving a beautiful backdrop and stunning details that all culminate into a gorgeous story that demands to be read and re-read time and time again. I can't wait to see where this series goes, and see more of the intricacies of Alice in Wonderland
I've always been fascinated with Wonderland and all it's quirks, so it comes as no surprise that when one of my "must-read" authors wrote a tale of Alice, I had no choice but to devour it.
Lovejoy really brings the characters alive in her tales, weaving a beautiful backdrop and stunning details that all culminate into a gorgeous story that demands to be read and re-read time and time again. I can't wait to see where this series goes, and see more of the intricacies of Alice in Wonderland
March 31, 2022
2.75 Stars
I really wanted to like this novel, I mean who doesn't like Alice In Wonderland, but unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the writing style. The story wasn't bad at all, it was different and creative. I just wasn't able to click with the writing and ended up skimming through most of the novel. Also I didn't like Alice's character, she could be a bit hostile and rude at times. In the end, it just wasn't for me.
***I would like to thank BookSirens and Bethany Anne Lovejoy (the author) for graciously providing a copy of the novel for me to read & review.***
I really wanted to like this novel, I mean who doesn't like Alice In Wonderland, but unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the writing style. The story wasn't bad at all, it was different and creative. I just wasn't able to click with the writing and ended up skimming through most of the novel. Also I didn't like Alice's character, she could be a bit hostile and rude at times. In the end, it just wasn't for me.
***I would like to thank BookSirens and Bethany Anne Lovejoy (the author) for graciously providing a copy of the novel for me to read & review.***
December 23, 2023
“Well, he conned you into coming here, didn’t he?” Thomas countered, looking back at me, and suddenly I couldn’t help but laugh—but the awful, snort laughter that would make my mother yell, the kind that made me blush once more as I tried to fight it back but found myself unable to. “You have a lovely laugh,” Thomas proclaimed, his smile spreading wider and his hand moving to the small of my back as he hurried me along. “No need to be ashamed. In fact, I think I would like your company if you gave it to me, Alice.”
//
This book. Gods, this book. It was so delightfully messy, and I felt that the vision of it was such a unique spin to retell Alice as? To have her as a bit of an unreliable narrator so that as we go along the path of events with her, everything seems to almost hit harder. Particularly when it comes to her central emotional arc lesson for this book at least, of Judgement, and how easily you can misconstrue things by doing so too quickly, too fast, and not delving deeper. A not-so-small part of me is *very* glad that that arc was a feature of this first book and not a bug.
Also, the way that the romances in this are written distinctly makes me reminiscent of the late 2000s/early 2010s visual novels where you don't *really* know whose route you've been majority fulfilling until like, near the end of the game. Because honestly, Manon and Fitz aside, I love all of our options. I've always been a Mad Hatter girl, so I'm never *not* going to root for William, but this installment has made Kaeden a *very* solid contender for me. Although I will say, Claude is the realest one in this game, purely because not only is he larger than life, flamboyant, and hot, but he is a man who can--and will!--stand on business. 🐑🤍
//
And yet still I waited, even as Kaeden’s hand overlapped mine. Even as he reached for the knob. Even as his body pulled away from mine. I could focus on nothing else.
//
This book. Gods, this book. It was so delightfully messy, and I felt that the vision of it was such a unique spin to retell Alice as? To have her as a bit of an unreliable narrator so that as we go along the path of events with her, everything seems to almost hit harder. Particularly when it comes to her central emotional arc lesson for this book at least, of Judgement, and how easily you can misconstrue things by doing so too quickly, too fast, and not delving deeper. A not-so-small part of me is *very* glad that that arc was a feature of this first book and not a bug.
Also, the way that the romances in this are written distinctly makes me reminiscent of the late 2000s/early 2010s visual novels where you don't *really* know whose route you've been majority fulfilling until like, near the end of the game. Because honestly, Manon and Fitz aside, I love all of our options. I've always been a Mad Hatter girl, so I'm never *not* going to root for William, but this installment has made Kaeden a *very* solid contender for me. Although I will say, Claude is the realest one in this game, purely because not only is he larger than life, flamboyant, and hot, but he is a man who can--and will!--stand on business. 🐑🤍
//
And yet still I waited, even as Kaeden’s hand overlapped mine. Even as he reached for the knob. Even as his body pulled away from mine. I could focus on nothing else.
August 18, 2024
What the…?
Absolute incoherent drivel.
Info dumps. Drawn out thoughts that go on, bore, and lose you. As someone who adores the original I admired the attempt at remaining true to the source but what the heck?
This was so icky. Men pawing at Alice claiming her in the real world then she’s abducted by the white rabbit and forced into a betrothal…after she just escaped the real worlds betrothal…
This… it was not good.
Absolute incoherent drivel.
Info dumps. Drawn out thoughts that go on, bore, and lose you. As someone who adores the original I admired the attempt at remaining true to the source but what the heck?
This was so icky. Men pawing at Alice claiming her in the real world then she’s abducted by the white rabbit and forced into a betrothal…after she just escaped the real worlds betrothal…
This… it was not good.
December 3, 2021
When I read the synopsis to Alice in the Land of Clovers, I thought this book could go one of two ways: 1) a twisted retelling with crazy worldbuilding and even crazier characters, with a touch of spice or 2) some crazy, no-one-asked-for-this reverse harem adult novel. While there is a time and place for each, I was really hoping for the former with this one and that's exactly what I got.
What I liked about this book:
1. The characters, because it isn't Alice in Wonderland without crazy-ass characters. Let's start with almost everyone having the hots for Alice, who is completely shit on in Oxford for her "fat ankles" and not being as pretty as her sister. Add to that her being kidnapped and everyone wanting to marry her to gain greater power...
Fitz (the White Rabbit) - the snob King of the City of Diamonds who kidnaps Alice to be his bride so he can claim the ultimate power of Wonderland. Get a clue babe, it doesn't matter if you give her all the space in the world, it will not make her heart grow fonder.
Claude (the Cheshire Cat) - the intriguing King of Spades who can promise Alice a loveless, but fun marriage. Not only are you even less romantic than Fitz who thinks eventually he can win Alice's love, I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you. You are downright shady.
William (the Mad Hatter) -the looney King of Clovers who is currently anticipated to get the advanced kingmanship (is that a thing?). I don't know if it's because you're the oldest brother or because you were good friends with Alice's dad, but you will always, always seem old to me. Therefore, if there is a love interest that blooms here with Alice, I mean EVEN ONE KISS, I will be disgruntled. Let's keep this one on the up and up.
Kaeden (the King (not Queen) of Hearts) - the assumed similar tempered son to the Queen of Hearts and youngest brother. I love the way you meet Alice, I love your reserved nature, and I love that while everyone is expecting the worst of you, you are probably the most honest character of all. Also, just to throw this out there, a misunderstood guy with the name Kaeden has to end up as the ultimate love interest, right?!? I guess we'll see how the rest of the series goes, but that's where my money went immediately.
Alice -I love your wit and quick-thinking. Your sarcasm and feminist viewpoints are on point and I can't wait to see more of the badass you'll become in order to survive Wonderland.
Thomas - a knight-type who is in charge of guarding Alice for most of her time in Wonderland. You were my first choice for Alice,
2. I am a sucker for good, detailed worldbuilding, and B.A. Lovejoy didn't disappoint. I like the idea of all of these realms ruled by the different suits and then the idea of a king of kings, if you will. I even more like the idea that there are human folk (like Thomas and Alice), mild animal folk (like Fitz and Claude), moderate animal folk (like Erwic the caterpillar), and full animal folk (like the mock turtle). These varying degrees of humanity/animalism were very interesting to me and kept me captivated each time a new character was introduced thinking "Ooooh, what/who are they going to be? Human? Animal?"
3. I liked that there were a couple of things turned around from the Alice in Wonderland that I am familiar with. Besides the obvious, I really liked the portrayal of the Queen of Hearts as not necessarily bad, just suffering from severe mental illness that has gone untreated due to stigma. I hope this will become a more talked about point in later books, because I truly want to see her sympathized.
What could have been better:
1. To be completely honest, I didn't love the first 15% to 20% of this book. I felt like there were a bunch of things that happened that didn't really come to fruition in any way in this first book. Now, they may be things that come back in later books, but I just didn't see why there was a large need for a bunch of stuff in the forefront that didn't ultimately get resolved. For example, we learn that she is in love with her sister's husband and we also see her mother's attempts to set her up with a couple of different guys, one of whom proposes. I was very confused by both of these things being brought up and dwelt on for no apparent reason. Was the first 15% of the book just to show that Alice doesn't want to get married? If so, I feel that could have been accomplished a lot quicker than taking up 1/5 of the book.
4.5 stars!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What I liked about this book:
1. The characters, because it isn't Alice in Wonderland without crazy-ass characters. Let's start with almost everyone having the hots for Alice, who is completely shit on in Oxford for her "fat ankles" and not being as pretty as her sister. Add to that her being kidnapped and everyone wanting to marry her to gain greater power...
Fitz (the White Rabbit) - the snob King of the City of Diamonds who kidnaps Alice to be his bride so he can claim the ultimate power of Wonderland. Get a clue babe, it doesn't matter if you give her all the space in the world, it will not make her heart grow fonder.
Claude (the Cheshire Cat) - the intriguing King of Spades who can promise Alice a loveless, but fun marriage. Not only are you even less romantic than Fitz who thinks eventually he can win Alice's love, I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you. You are downright shady.
William (the Mad Hatter) -the looney King of Clovers who is currently anticipated to get the advanced kingmanship (is that a thing?). I don't know if it's because you're the oldest brother or because you were good friends with Alice's dad, but you will always, always seem old to me. Therefore, if there is a love interest that blooms here with Alice, I mean EVEN ONE KISS, I will be disgruntled. Let's keep this one on the up and up.
Kaeden (the King (not Queen) of Hearts) - the assumed similar tempered son to the Queen of Hearts and youngest brother. I love the way you meet Alice, I love your reserved nature, and I love that while everyone is expecting the worst of you, you are probably the most honest character of all. Also, just to throw this out there, a misunderstood guy with the name Kaeden has to end up as the ultimate love interest, right?!? I guess we'll see how the rest of the series goes, but that's where my money went immediately.
Alice -I love your wit and quick-thinking. Your sarcasm and feminist viewpoints are on point and I can't wait to see more of the badass you'll become in order to survive Wonderland.
Thomas - a knight-type who is in charge of guarding Alice for most of her time in Wonderland. You were my first choice for Alice,
2. I am a sucker for good, detailed worldbuilding, and B.A. Lovejoy didn't disappoint. I like the idea of all of these realms ruled by the different suits and then the idea of a king of kings, if you will. I even more like the idea that there are human folk (like Thomas and Alice), mild animal folk (like Fitz and Claude), moderate animal folk (like Erwic the caterpillar), and full animal folk (like the mock turtle). These varying degrees of humanity/animalism were very interesting to me and kept me captivated each time a new character was introduced thinking "Ooooh, what/who are they going to be? Human? Animal?"
3. I liked that there were a couple of things turned around from the Alice in Wonderland that I am familiar with. Besides the obvious, I really liked the portrayal of the Queen of Hearts as not necessarily bad, just suffering from severe mental illness that has gone untreated due to stigma. I hope this will become a more talked about point in later books, because I truly want to see her sympathized.
What could have been better:
1. To be completely honest, I didn't love the first 15% to 20% of this book. I felt like there were a bunch of things that happened that didn't really come to fruition in any way in this first book. Now, they may be things that come back in later books, but I just didn't see why there was a large need for a bunch of stuff in the forefront that didn't ultimately get resolved. For example, we learn that she is in love with her sister's husband and we also see her mother's attempts to set her up with a couple of different guys, one of whom proposes. I was very confused by both of these things being brought up and dwelt on for no apparent reason. Was the first 15% of the book just to show that Alice doesn't want to get married? If so, I feel that could have been accomplished a lot quicker than taking up 1/5 of the book.
4.5 stars!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 25, 2024
I wanted to like this so bad, I should have DNF but I kept reading. I ended up skimming about half the book because the entire thing felt the complete same, it could have been a much shorter book. The best part was probably the last 15% of the book where some action finally happened.
March 30, 2025
2,5/5
Me gustó mucho pero le falta bastante profundidad. Espero que se la den en los próximos libros porque es una trama muy interesante. Una vez más, sé que puedo confiar en los re-tellings para leer algo entretenido (y más si son de Alicia). YA me estoy descargando el que sigue.
Me gustó mucho pero le falta bastante profundidad. Espero que se la den en los próximos libros porque es una trama muy interesante. Una vez más, sé que puedo confiar en los re-tellings para leer algo entretenido (y más si son de Alicia). YA me estoy descargando el que sigue.
April 9, 2025
surprisingly really good
I got this book during a fill your kindle day not thinking much of it other than it sounded cool. I took a chance after reading another book and honestly loved every second of this book. The way Alice thinks makes me think I’m insane but I love it.
I got this book during a fill your kindle day not thinking much of it other than it sounded cool. I took a chance after reading another book and honestly loved every second of this book. The way Alice thinks makes me think I’m insane but I love it.
July 27, 2023
First of all, thank you to the booksirens for the ARC. I pick this book because of the title itself. I'm a fan of the Cheshire Cat and wanted to know if this book also uses the same theme of "madness" as the core of this book. This book retells "Alice in Wonderland" with a personal touch of magical dust in this story.
"Alice in the Land of Clovers" is a whimsical and enchanting novel that takes readers on a delightful journey through a fantastical world. Written by an imaginative author, this book offers a fresh and unique twist on the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland.
The story follows Alice, a curious and adventurous young girl who finds herself transported to the Land of Clovers, a place filled with magical creatures and peculiar characters. As Alice navigates this extraordinary realm, she encounters talking animals, eccentric personalities, and encounters various challenges that test her courage and wit. The author's vivid descriptions and imaginative storytelling bring the characters and settings to life, captivating readers from start to finish.
The author's writing style is whimsical and lyrical, perfectly suited to the fantastical nature of the story. The prose flows smoothly, creating a seamless reading experience. The author's attention to detail and ability to create vivid imagery allow readers to immerse themselves fully in the Land of Clovers, making it feel like a tangible and enchanting place.
"Alice in the Land of Clovers" explores themes of imagination, self-discovery, and the power of belief. Through Alice's journey, readers are reminded of the importance of embracing their curiosity, facing challenges with resilience, and staying true to themselves. The book encourages readers to embrace their own uniqueness and to find the magic within their own lives.
"Alice in the Land of Clovers" is a delightful and imaginative novel that will captivate readers of all ages. The author's ability to create a whimsical world filled with memorable characters is commendable. This book is a perfect escape from reality, offering a charming and magical reading experience that will leave readers with a sense of wonder and a desire for more adventures in the Land of Clovers.
May 18, 2022
I have a lot of mixed emotions about this book and have struggled with how to frame my reading experience in this review. On the one hand, the foundations of the story and the re-imagination of Alice in Wonderland was very interesting. I think that Lovejoy’s concept can provide the basis for a captivating fantasy series with great world building. Additionally, the characters were largely quirky, intriguing, witty and fun to read about. Alice is a strong, female lead and while she doesn’t have her entire life planned out, she’s not ready to completely surrender to the gender norms of her time- something she makes abundantly clear throughout the novel. The four kings she meets in wonderland also have distinct and often conflicting personalities, which heavily inform each of their relationships with Alice (plus they are all hot, which helps). The basis of the story and the characters are so good that I may be tempted to revisit this series, even though I’m not giving it a stellar rating.
Now when it comes to things I didn’t like, my critique mostly falls to the writing style. It was a little slow and somewhat confusing, and I often felt as though I was just trudging along. Additionally, the writing style made it difficult for me to understand character interactions and there was more than one occasion in which I had to re-read a section several times to understand who is saying what and why. As soon as Alice entered Wonderland, I had several questions, and they weren’t really answered over the course of the novel. These proved to be the same questions Alice had but it didn’t seem like she searched particularly hard for answers, which was incredibly frustrating. I understand the author is likely setting up for the remaining books of this series, but it would have been more satisfying/clarifying if at least a few of these major questions were addressed.
Overall, I liked the story, worldbuilding and characters, I just struggled with this particular writing style and wanted a few more chapters with some answers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Now when it comes to things I didn’t like, my critique mostly falls to the writing style. It was a little slow and somewhat confusing, and I often felt as though I was just trudging along. Additionally, the writing style made it difficult for me to understand character interactions and there was more than one occasion in which I had to re-read a section several times to understand who is saying what and why. As soon as Alice entered Wonderland, I had several questions, and they weren’t really answered over the course of the novel. These proved to be the same questions Alice had but it didn’t seem like she searched particularly hard for answers, which was incredibly frustrating. I understand the author is likely setting up for the remaining books of this series, but it would have been more satisfying/clarifying if at least a few of these major questions were addressed.
Overall, I liked the story, worldbuilding and characters, I just struggled with this particular writing style and wanted a few more chapters with some answers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 8, 2022
World War 2 Oxford finds a girl called Alice struggling to find her place: the man she loves has married her sister and her mother is keen to find her a husband from the men remaining. But Alice dreams of more and remembers the stories of Wonderland from her father, missing but presumed dead. Then she sees a rabbit holding her father's pocket watch - and being Alice, she chases it and… well you'll just have to read the book to find out.
Alice as a protagonist is quite gobby but seems to just be reacting to events around her rather than knowing herself and what she wants and how to get this. For all her feistiness, she's actually quite passive.
The opening section in Oxford does need some changes:
- If this is Oxford in England then Americanisms such as panty hose instead of tights or stockings spoil the world-building.
- Oxford University isn't a campus. Whilst it's true to say that there's an area of the city which is predominated by university buildings, other colleges / departments / facilities are dotted all over.
- Is it believable that a well brought up girl in 1940s Oxford would use lots of bad language? For me, this isn't which then mars the set-up.
Despite the above, this book / and series shows promise in a good set-up and premise but just needs some tidying up to score a higher review rating.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Alice as a protagonist is quite gobby but seems to just be reacting to events around her rather than knowing herself and what she wants and how to get this. For all her feistiness, she's actually quite passive.
The opening section in Oxford does need some changes:
- If this is Oxford in England then Americanisms such as panty hose instead of tights or stockings spoil the world-building.
- Oxford University isn't a campus. Whilst it's true to say that there's an area of the city which is predominated by university buildings, other colleges / departments / facilities are dotted all over.
- Is it believable that a well brought up girl in 1940s Oxford would use lots of bad language? For me, this isn't which then mars the set-up.
Despite the above, this book / and series shows promise in a good set-up and premise but just needs some tidying up to score a higher review rating.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 11, 2023
It was almost so good
I wanted this book to be so good and it almost was. But I got to the end and felt like I’d only read half a story. The premise was really interesting and I like the somewhat headstrong Alice, but overall the story felt half-baked and had too many run-on sentences for my taste. Not saying no to the second book, but I’m not totally sold on reading it either.
I wanted this book to be so good and it almost was. But I got to the end and felt like I’d only read half a story. The premise was really interesting and I like the somewhat headstrong Alice, but overall the story felt half-baked and had too many run-on sentences for my taste. Not saying no to the second book, but I’m not totally sold on reading it either.
February 6, 2022
ARC received (Thanks to BookSirens) for an honest review
This book is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland as you may have guessed and it just didn’t hit for me. I felt as if the book moved rather slowly. It tried to be a slow burn and it made me at times not want to finish reading the story. I can usually read romance within 4, if really good then 1 day. This book took me 7+ because I kept putting it down. It rarely held my attention until the last 5 or so chapters. Those chapters helped me give the 2 star review. If the book started off the same way it ended, this definitely would have been a different review.
This book is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland as you may have guessed and it just didn’t hit for me. I felt as if the book moved rather slowly. It tried to be a slow burn and it made me at times not want to finish reading the story. I can usually read romance within 4, if really good then 1 day. This book took me 7+ because I kept putting it down. It rarely held my attention until the last 5 or so chapters. Those chapters helped me give the 2 star review. If the book started off the same way it ended, this definitely would have been a different review.
December 17, 2021
~~~~ 4.5 Stars ~~~~
This book left me wanting more more more! I LOVED Alice In Wonderland and I'm a big fan of retellings... that's to say, I'm a fan of them so long as they are done well and lately there have been many a retellings out there. Was this book as good as its progenitor? It's not quite Lewis Carroll but it's darn fine in its own right.
This book's backdrop was full of wonder, had a dollop of edginess and a large helping of whimsy. It did happen to be (somewhat), annoyingly, centered around marrying off Alice. Almost EVERYONE wanted/desired/needed Alice's hand in marriage... each for their own purposes but want her they did and (at times) annoying it was. The confusing, twisted logic of the original books was there... to a degree.. but it was not "what the heck is happening in this nonsensical place?" but more along the lines of "okay, this is new and weird and (slightly) magical and familiar and I'm here for it!"... maybe not so present for some of that ending though. BUT, even though I didn't like some of the cringey, trigger worthy parts, they did elicit potent emotions from me so I'd say that it surely hit its mark. The writing had a lot to do with that, it was solid, evocative and intense in certain areas.
The premise led me to believe that this book would be firmly in my wheelhouse. It also claimed to offer us something unique. The former was true and the latter, truer still. The world building was good... I wish I could gush about this, seeing how it is an integral aspect of what made Alice in Wonderland so... magical/enthralling/surreal/ethereal. It would have been more well recieved/reviewed if it didnt have pacing issues at times. Now that's not to say it was a disaster... Alice in the Land of Clovers DID have things I adored.
Things like:
- I really enjoyed and appreciated the species delineation. There were "the animal folk and the human folk, but with the animal folk there was different degrees." There were "mild animal folk, barely even animal, there is moderate animal folk" (ie the talking/smoking caterpillar) and lastly there were full on animal folk. There were card people and of course Alice was an undisputed, full fledged human. These were fun to imagine, especially the Cheshire Cat.
- I loved how the characters that we have come to love have morphed. Their roles, traits, and all around personas were turned on their heads, making the most remarkable ones into kings of the 4 suit realms. Each of their personalities were unique and quirky and dynamic and their differing backstories were extremely interesting. I loved them all (I even loathed a few) but I think Kaeden (King of Hearts) and Claude (Cheshire cat) were the biggest thieves of them all, they stole my swooning heart... it was a slow theft but my heart is now split in two... or more like three (ahem Will Herindale) but you get the gist.
- I loved how strong willed (almost to a fault), unapologetically opinionated, brave and fierce Alice was. She was also bull headed, rash and indecisive especially when it came to the matters of the heart. She was decidedly a product of an English, wartime, sheltered, privileged life so her quirks and hangups could possibly be attributed to that.
- The twisty ending was rough to witness but pretty easy to suss out ahead of the big reveal. YET it was a tense, visceral moment in the book and worth the wait. There should, however, be trigger warnings listed.
- There was one tame, and one not so tame, sexytime sections. I think they were done tastefully, not too explicit, but if you are adverse to that sort of thing then be aware.
Overall:
This book claimed to have a unique take on the original Alice In Wonderland novel. Now THAT is a bold claim and some big shoes to fill AND for the most part, it succeeded. This was not a typical retelling which I appreciated. It did have a slight pacing issue in spots but it was never offensive enough to force me to skim or even put the book aside. The writing was authentic and the dialogue was entertaining... I was ensnared. I need more of everything. I needed more background whimsy, I needed more of each character's history and all around, general page time. It's atypical for me but I also need more nascent, burgeoning, percolating love interest drama. I'm usually not one for love triangles or even rhombus(es)? Rhombus(i)? Rhombus(im)? Whatever the plural of a rhombus is, I usually don't go for it but this was not too bad. It was a little incessant and in your face but it didn't make me want to hurl... my stomach contents or the book.
Was this a masterpiece? I don't think so BUT it IS a really good book in its own right! I reccomend this read without reservation but just be prepared to:
a) see beloved characters in a new light.
b) see some love geometry (labeling it as a love triangle is definitely a misnomer).
c) experience a couple of sexy bits.
d) live through a cringey ending.
e) see Alice differently (especially what she is like at the end of the book).
All in all I'd say that this book is a success and I'm excited to see how things turn out. Come on book#2, I need you!!
~ Enjoy
*** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ***
This book left me wanting more more more! I LOVED Alice In Wonderland and I'm a big fan of retellings... that's to say, I'm a fan of them so long as they are done well and lately there have been many a retellings out there. Was this book as good as its progenitor? It's not quite Lewis Carroll but it's darn fine in its own right.
This book's backdrop was full of wonder, had a dollop of edginess and a large helping of whimsy. It did happen to be (somewhat), annoyingly, centered around marrying off Alice. Almost EVERYONE wanted/desired/needed Alice's hand in marriage... each for their own purposes but want her they did and (at times) annoying it was. The confusing, twisted logic of the original books was there... to a degree.. but it was not "what the heck is happening in this nonsensical place?" but more along the lines of "okay, this is new and weird and (slightly) magical and familiar and I'm here for it!"... maybe not so present for some of that ending though. BUT, even though I didn't like some of the cringey, trigger worthy parts, they did elicit potent emotions from me so I'd say that it surely hit its mark. The writing had a lot to do with that, it was solid, evocative and intense in certain areas.
The premise led me to believe that this book would be firmly in my wheelhouse. It also claimed to offer us something unique. The former was true and the latter, truer still. The world building was good... I wish I could gush about this, seeing how it is an integral aspect of what made Alice in Wonderland so... magical/enthralling/surreal/ethereal. It would have been more well recieved/reviewed if it didnt have pacing issues at times. Now that's not to say it was a disaster... Alice in the Land of Clovers DID have things I adored.
Things like:
- I really enjoyed and appreciated the species delineation. There were "the animal folk and the human folk, but with the animal folk there was different degrees." There were "mild animal folk, barely even animal, there is moderate animal folk" (ie the talking/smoking caterpillar) and lastly there were full on animal folk. There were card people and of course Alice was an undisputed, full fledged human. These were fun to imagine, especially the Cheshire Cat.
- I loved how the characters that we have come to love have morphed. Their roles, traits, and all around personas were turned on their heads, making the most remarkable ones into kings of the 4 suit realms. Each of their personalities were unique and quirky and dynamic and their differing backstories were extremely interesting. I loved them all (I even loathed a few) but I think Kaeden (King of Hearts) and Claude (Cheshire cat) were the biggest thieves of them all, they stole my swooning heart... it was a slow theft but my heart is now split in two... or more like three (ahem Will Herindale) but you get the gist.
- I loved how strong willed (almost to a fault), unapologetically opinionated, brave and fierce Alice was. She was also bull headed, rash and indecisive especially when it came to the matters of the heart. She was decidedly a product of an English, wartime, sheltered, privileged life so her quirks and hangups could possibly be attributed to that.
- The twisty ending was rough to witness but pretty easy to suss out ahead of the big reveal. YET it was a tense, visceral moment in the book and worth the wait. There should, however, be trigger warnings listed.
- There was one tame, and one not so tame, sexytime sections. I think they were done tastefully, not too explicit, but if you are adverse to that sort of thing then be aware.
Overall:
This book claimed to have a unique take on the original Alice In Wonderland novel. Now THAT is a bold claim and some big shoes to fill AND for the most part, it succeeded. This was not a typical retelling which I appreciated. It did have a slight pacing issue in spots but it was never offensive enough to force me to skim or even put the book aside. The writing was authentic and the dialogue was entertaining... I was ensnared. I need more of everything. I needed more background whimsy, I needed more of each character's history and all around, general page time. It's atypical for me but I also need more nascent, burgeoning, percolating love interest drama. I'm usually not one for love triangles or even rhombus(es)? Rhombus(i)? Rhombus(im)? Whatever the plural of a rhombus is, I usually don't go for it but this was not too bad. It was a little incessant and in your face but it didn't make me want to hurl... my stomach contents or the book.
Was this a masterpiece? I don't think so BUT it IS a really good book in its own right! I reccomend this read without reservation but just be prepared to:
a) see beloved characters in a new light.
b) see some love geometry (labeling it as a love triangle is definitely a misnomer).
c) experience a couple of sexy bits.
d) live through a cringey ending.
e) see Alice differently (especially what she is like at the end of the book).
All in all I'd say that this book is a success and I'm excited to see how things turn out. Come on book#2, I need you!!
~ Enjoy
*** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ***
July 9, 2024
"I looked for faces amongst flowers and magic in rabbit holes, endless tea parties and roses that could only have been painted red by a painter’s brush— searching for that hint of extraordinary in the extra ordinary."
Rating: 3 ⭐️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: Ebook
Pages: 287
Spice: 1 🌶️
POV: First POV
S/S: Alice: Pick a Card #1
Check trigger warnings for any book
Hmmmm not what I was expecting…
I love an Alice retelling, and I was sure I was going to really enjoy this one but I was a tiny bit disappointed.
Plot-wise, it was alright, moved quite fast. But in itself it was simple: get Alice to Wonderland and then Alice trying to get out of Wonderland.
As for the lore, I did find it quite interesting how the author took the classic elements and gave them a spin. For the four main men to be half brothers as well as the Kings of Wonderland? Very neat.
As for Alice, she felt a tad bit annoying. I couldn’t quite understand her character through the story. At the start, she seems in love with her sister’s husband? But we don’t really get anything explained about that. Then she’s rightfully annoyed at Fritz, but also hates Kaedan but then loves him?
And the Thomas thing? I felt it coming but it also felt so last minute and again, oddly placed in the story?
I’ll say that Claude was my favorite personality of the bunch.
Overall, lots of great elements but they just didn’t fit right, the flow of the story wasn’t smooth. I might give the second book a shot but I’m still unsure.
Favorite quotes (MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS):
"Because sometimes you needed to believe in impossible things in order to survive that which you found unbearably possible."
"Sit by father’s grave and think of Wonderland. Wish that either my father would return, or that a big,
stupid hole would open up in the ground and take me away from this land. Wasn’t that what normal,
fatherless twenty-year-olds did?"
“I will tell you now, my dear, that there are few men alive who want to know that there are women who are smarter than them,” she whispered, “and even fewer yet who are actually more intelligent than a woman.”
"War was hell and magic wasn’t real. I didn’t need to be some famous man to say that."
"But white rabbits rarely adhere to the command of women. Very few things did, unfortunately."
"God. Dammit. Alice. A pair of pretty eyes and I was nothing but putty? Jesus, who had raised me?"
"For all that I’d heard of other girls giggling and gawking when there was a pretty man, it turned out I could be just as much a victim of the same phenomenon. My god."
"You have William, he’s the oldest, he’s from the fields of clovers to the North, they call him the Mad Hatter because, well; he’s mad, quite frankly,” Thomas said with a roll of his eyes. “And then Fitz of the City of Diamonds, he’s the second oldest and the Rabbit because of his ears. He’s a bit of a snob.” Thomas shook his head, moving on, “Claude, or Cheshire, Reginald called him that, and I’m not really quite sure why. Third oldest, King of Spades,” Thomas said. “And Kaeden…” “The Queen of Hearts,” I summarized because I knew this story, I knew how it went. There was a Queen of Hearts, and she had an awful temper and was an absolute terror. “King of Hearts,” Thomas corrected. “Kaeden is the King of Hearts.”
“I couldn’t help but think that you would be absolutely fascinating, Alice.”
"Wonderland. My god. I was in Wonderland."
"I had never known such power in a name. At least not my name."
"The world had a very strange way of making the worst people feel far too important."
"That was a problem when it came to handsome men. Far too often the world was kinder to them than they would ever be to a woman."
"Something about the older brothers, how they held themselves, left me feeling uncomfortable. I think it was because, in a way, there was a danger to older men. They knew more of the world than I did, and they were all too aware of it."
"The problem was that I, Alice Grey, never knew when to back down."
“You are dangerous,” he whispered, to which I had only one reply. “Kiss me again,” I dared him, though it was a selfish move on my part. “Kiss me and see how dangerous I can be,”
Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram
Rating: 3 ⭐️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: Ebook
Pages: 287
Spice: 1 🌶️
POV: First POV
S/S: Alice: Pick a Card #1
Check trigger warnings for any book
Hmmmm not what I was expecting…
I love an Alice retelling, and I was sure I was going to really enjoy this one but I was a tiny bit disappointed.
Plot-wise, it was alright, moved quite fast. But in itself it was simple: get Alice to Wonderland and then Alice trying to get out of Wonderland.
As for the lore, I did find it quite interesting how the author took the classic elements and gave them a spin. For the four main men to be half brothers as well as the Kings of Wonderland? Very neat.
As for Alice, she felt a tad bit annoying. I couldn’t quite understand her character through the story. At the start, she seems in love with her sister’s husband? But we don’t really get anything explained about that. Then she’s rightfully annoyed at Fritz, but also hates Kaedan but then loves him?
And the Thomas thing? I felt it coming but it also felt so last minute and again, oddly placed in the story?
I’ll say that Claude was my favorite personality of the bunch.
Overall, lots of great elements but they just didn’t fit right, the flow of the story wasn’t smooth. I might give the second book a shot but I’m still unsure.
Favorite quotes (MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS):
"Because sometimes you needed to believe in impossible things in order to survive that which you found unbearably possible."
"Sit by father’s grave and think of Wonderland. Wish that either my father would return, or that a big,
stupid hole would open up in the ground and take me away from this land. Wasn’t that what normal,
fatherless twenty-year-olds did?"
“I will tell you now, my dear, that there are few men alive who want to know that there are women who are smarter than them,” she whispered, “and even fewer yet who are actually more intelligent than a woman.”
"War was hell and magic wasn’t real. I didn’t need to be some famous man to say that."
"But white rabbits rarely adhere to the command of women. Very few things did, unfortunately."
"God. Dammit. Alice. A pair of pretty eyes and I was nothing but putty? Jesus, who had raised me?"
"For all that I’d heard of other girls giggling and gawking when there was a pretty man, it turned out I could be just as much a victim of the same phenomenon. My god."
"You have William, he’s the oldest, he’s from the fields of clovers to the North, they call him the Mad Hatter because, well; he’s mad, quite frankly,” Thomas said with a roll of his eyes. “And then Fitz of the City of Diamonds, he’s the second oldest and the Rabbit because of his ears. He’s a bit of a snob.” Thomas shook his head, moving on, “Claude, or Cheshire, Reginald called him that, and I’m not really quite sure why. Third oldest, King of Spades,” Thomas said. “And Kaeden…” “The Queen of Hearts,” I summarized because I knew this story, I knew how it went. There was a Queen of Hearts, and she had an awful temper and was an absolute terror. “King of Hearts,” Thomas corrected. “Kaeden is the King of Hearts.”
“I couldn’t help but think that you would be absolutely fascinating, Alice.”
"Wonderland. My god. I was in Wonderland."
"I had never known such power in a name. At least not my name."
"The world had a very strange way of making the worst people feel far too important."
"That was a problem when it came to handsome men. Far too often the world was kinder to them than they would ever be to a woman."
"Something about the older brothers, how they held themselves, left me feeling uncomfortable. I think it was because, in a way, there was a danger to older men. They knew more of the world than I did, and they were all too aware of it."
"The problem was that I, Alice Grey, never knew when to back down."
“You are dangerous,” he whispered, to which I had only one reply. “Kiss me again,” I dared him, though it was a selfish move on my part. “Kiss me and see how dangerous I can be,”
Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram
December 7, 2021
I really hope this book gets the attention it deserves because OOOOH MY GOLLY was I squealing and giggling the entire time I was reading it. I first was interested in this title because it is the same as one of my most favorite Japanese otome dating games. AND LET ME TELL YA. IF YOU LOVE OTOME GAMES. THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR YOU. Okay enough fangirling, time for the review.
Characters. The main reason why I love all Alice in Wonderland re-tellings. Alice is a witty, strong protagonist that stands up for herself and knows how to swing her fists to protect herself. SHE DON'T NEED A MAN. Which she makes very clear in her unusual situation: she is faced with four bachelors from the kingdoms of Clover, Spades, Hearts, and Diamond, who each are looking for a bride to become King of all of Wonderland.
-Fitz (White Rabbit, King of Diamond) Fitz is the one who tricks Alice into falling down the rabbit hole. He has one goal: make Alice his wife. The one word in his vocabulary? "Yet." But Alice doesn't love you?? "Yet." She doesn't want to be next to her kidnapper? "Yet." He's a posh snob who loves the rules and wants Alice if follow his. Be his or nothing.
-William (Mad Hatter, King of Clovers) William DOES NOT want to be king. It is almost humorous how much he is avoiding the title, yet, he is the only one engaged. I love all scenes with him as it always sparked a crazy light. He has a warming personality when he is not off the walls bonkers which I appreciated in its little moments.
-Claude (Cheshire Cat, King of Spades) Claude is your typical flirt bachelor. He does not wish to find or fall in love but can offer a world of fun and dancing. He has his moments :)
-Kaeden (King of Hearts) From the start I knew I liked Kaeden. He's the shy, misunderstood, hesitant type who is the only one who is genuinely kind to Alice from the beginning. He understands the situation she was brought into and emphasizes with her. I can't wait to read more about him to be honest.
Pacing. The beginning of the book describes Alice's life in Oxford, England. She's seen as weird. Has fat ankles (a theme that comes up often). Typical Alice in the real world vibes. Then she falls down the rabbit hole and the adventure starts! From the beginning Alice has her own voice. She doesn't just go along with what everyone drags her along to and is set on her own agenda to get out of Wonderland and find answers about her father. I appreciated that she wasn't a weak female lead that needed someone to save her from every situation.
Worldbuilding. Love the magic of the world. My favorite is "Home", a house-rearranging ghost who looks out for Alice. B.A. Lovejoy did an amazing job building the world and the whimsical-ness of it all.
Romance. I mean. It's a reverse harem romance book. There's romance everywhere and everywhere you did not expect it to be. It's not all perfect, which I appreciated. Alice is faced with many different forms of love and must find one that is genuine and not a need for power. Also, UNEXPECTED SPICE. WOO!
Ahh I wish I could fangirl more about this series. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next especially after that cliffhanger that left me screaming!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read more reviews at: https://thatbemediana.blogspot.com/
Characters. The main reason why I love all Alice in Wonderland re-tellings. Alice is a witty, strong protagonist that stands up for herself and knows how to swing her fists to protect herself. SHE DON'T NEED A MAN. Which she makes very clear in her unusual situation: she is faced with four bachelors from the kingdoms of Clover, Spades, Hearts, and Diamond, who each are looking for a bride to become King of all of Wonderland.
-Fitz (White Rabbit, King of Diamond) Fitz is the one who tricks Alice into falling down the rabbit hole. He has one goal: make Alice his wife. The one word in his vocabulary? "Yet." But Alice doesn't love you?? "Yet." She doesn't want to be next to her kidnapper? "Yet." He's a posh snob who loves the rules and wants Alice if follow his. Be his or nothing.
-William (Mad Hatter, King of Clovers) William DOES NOT want to be king. It is almost humorous how much he is avoiding the title, yet, he is the only one engaged. I love all scenes with him as it always sparked a crazy light. He has a warming personality when he is not off the walls bonkers which I appreciated in its little moments.
-Claude (Cheshire Cat, King of Spades) Claude is your typical flirt bachelor. He does not wish to find or fall in love but can offer a world of fun and dancing. He has his moments :)
-Kaeden (King of Hearts) From the start I knew I liked Kaeden. He's the shy, misunderstood, hesitant type who is the only one who is genuinely kind to Alice from the beginning. He understands the situation she was brought into and emphasizes with her. I can't wait to read more about him to be honest.
Pacing. The beginning of the book describes Alice's life in Oxford, England. She's seen as weird. Has fat ankles (a theme that comes up often). Typical Alice in the real world vibes. Then she falls down the rabbit hole and the adventure starts! From the beginning Alice has her own voice. She doesn't just go along with what everyone drags her along to and is set on her own agenda to get out of Wonderland and find answers about her father. I appreciated that she wasn't a weak female lead that needed someone to save her from every situation.
Worldbuilding. Love the magic of the world. My favorite is "Home", a house-rearranging ghost who looks out for Alice. B.A. Lovejoy did an amazing job building the world and the whimsical-ness of it all.
Romance. I mean. It's a reverse harem romance book. There's romance everywhere and everywhere you did not expect it to be. It's not all perfect, which I appreciated. Alice is faced with many different forms of love and must find one that is genuine and not a need for power. Also, UNEXPECTED SPICE. WOO!
Ahh I wish I could fangirl more about this series. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next especially after that cliffhanger that left me screaming!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read more reviews at: https://thatbemediana.blogspot.com/
January 20, 2022
4.5*
Oh. My. God.
So, i’m the kind of girl that sees an Alice in Wonderland retelling and is immediately sold on reading the book (same goes for Peter Pan, of course), though they don’t always hit the spot with me.
After reading the first few paragraphs of the prologue of ‘Alice in the Land of Clovers’, I had a feeling I was going to love this book (‘searching for that hint of extraordinary in the extra ordinary.’ -loved that🙌), and by the end of the prologue I knew I was absolutely going to love it (‘Because sometimes you needed to believe in impossible things in order to survive that which you found unbearably possible.’ -ugh, yes! very relatable😩😂).
And I was not wrong.
I LOVED all the references to the original Alice in Wonderland and the way that Bethany Anne Lovejoy morphed certain aspects in order to fit them into her version of Wonderland, whilst still keeping that Carroll wonder (particularly in the personalities of Alice and the Kings), was just.. *chefs kiss*🤌
First up we meet the demanding, rule abiding, overbearing, Fitz, the White Rabbit. I honestly thought and worried that Lovejoy was going to try and get us to warm up to Fitz in this book, but i’m glad that she didn’t try to rush that or force it onto us. Instead we were gifted with that speech to him from Alice at the end, which was honestly perfect.🙌
Next up we get to meet Claude, the King of Spades, and Thomas, a Card. We obviously feel a kinship with Thomas, being a couple of paupers amongst Kings, alongside a clear instant attraction to go with it -all hail those hazel eyes😍
Now, Claude..the moment we were introduced to Fitz and got a sort of feel for the animal folk of Wonderland, I just knew I was going to adore the Cheshire Cat😻 I couldn’t help but smile every time he appeared, equally intrigued and allured by him.
Next up we meet Kaeden, King of Hearts. Awkward and shy, and clearly misunderstood, Kaeden captured my heart from the get go, and he never let it go.🥰 He was honestly so well written and I was so disappointed in Alice in the end when she just ran from him without saying anything, he didn’t deserve that.😭💔
Lastly, we’re introduced to William, King of Clovers. I liked the way that William was written, incorporating that Mad Hatter essence that we all know and love, yet not animatedly so.👌
I got a little suspicious of our villain after something another character had said (trying not to give too many spoilers here😂), but that twist at the end..😱 (‘you didn’t even ask’ -I mean, WHAT!?)
Maybe I should have seen it, I know there was a hint, but my god..😱 I honestly gave my boyfriend a fright when I reacted to that part😂😂
Needless to say, I inhaled this book. I lost track of how many times I threw my head back groaning, ‘Ugh, I love this book!’😩😂🙌
*Only deducted half a star because there were a couple of points where I had to reread a paragraph as the writing just didn’t seem to flow as well or the wording caught me a little off guard, but that could have just been me. It wasn’t perfect, but I loved it too much to give it less than that!
I am now off to check out the bonus prologue as I very eagerly and impatiently await the next book😩😭😂
♣️♦️♠️♥️
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Oh. My. God.
So, i’m the kind of girl that sees an Alice in Wonderland retelling and is immediately sold on reading the book (same goes for Peter Pan, of course), though they don’t always hit the spot with me.
After reading the first few paragraphs of the prologue of ‘Alice in the Land of Clovers’, I had a feeling I was going to love this book (‘searching for that hint of extraordinary in the extra ordinary.’ -loved that🙌), and by the end of the prologue I knew I was absolutely going to love it (‘Because sometimes you needed to believe in impossible things in order to survive that which you found unbearably possible.’ -ugh, yes! very relatable😩😂).
And I was not wrong.
I LOVED all the references to the original Alice in Wonderland and the way that Bethany Anne Lovejoy morphed certain aspects in order to fit them into her version of Wonderland, whilst still keeping that Carroll wonder (particularly in the personalities of Alice and the Kings), was just.. *chefs kiss*🤌
First up we meet the demanding, rule abiding, overbearing, Fitz, the White Rabbit. I honestly thought and worried that Lovejoy was going to try and get us to warm up to Fitz in this book, but i’m glad that she didn’t try to rush that or force it onto us. Instead we were gifted with that speech to him from Alice at the end, which was honestly perfect.🙌
Next up we get to meet Claude, the King of Spades, and Thomas, a Card. We obviously feel a kinship with Thomas, being a couple of paupers amongst Kings, alongside a clear instant attraction to go with it -all hail those hazel eyes😍
Now, Claude..the moment we were introduced to Fitz and got a sort of feel for the animal folk of Wonderland, I just knew I was going to adore the Cheshire Cat😻 I couldn’t help but smile every time he appeared, equally intrigued and allured by him.
Next up we meet Kaeden, King of Hearts. Awkward and shy, and clearly misunderstood, Kaeden captured my heart from the get go, and he never let it go.🥰 He was honestly so well written and I was so disappointed in Alice in the end when she just ran from him without saying anything, he didn’t deserve that.😭💔
Lastly, we’re introduced to William, King of Clovers. I liked the way that William was written, incorporating that Mad Hatter essence that we all know and love, yet not animatedly so.👌
I got a little suspicious of our villain after something another character had said (trying not to give too many spoilers here😂), but that twist at the end..😱 (‘you didn’t even ask’ -I mean, WHAT!?)
Maybe I should have seen it, I know there was a hint, but my god..😱 I honestly gave my boyfriend a fright when I reacted to that part😂😂
Needless to say, I inhaled this book. I lost track of how many times I threw my head back groaning, ‘Ugh, I love this book!’😩😂🙌
*Only deducted half a star because there were a couple of points where I had to reread a paragraph as the writing just didn’t seem to flow as well or the wording caught me a little off guard, but that could have just been me. It wasn’t perfect, but I loved it too much to give it less than that!
I am now off to check out the bonus prologue as I very eagerly and impatiently await the next book😩😭😂
♣️♦️♠️♥️
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2022
The more I read, the better it got!
Alice in the Land of Clovers by Bethany Anne Lovejoy is the first in the Alice: Pick a Card, Alice in Wonderland retelling, Series and it does not disappoint. Alice is 20 and being forced into a life she doesn’t want while also coping with the disappearance of her father. She ends up following the rabbit down a hole, by accident, and realizes she’s in Wonderland. The rabbit turns into a man and tells her he brought her there to marry her. So of course, she’s a bit confused and enraged as she realizes Wonderland is real and they are trying to do the same thing her mother is doing to her in England. She sets off on a path to find her way back home.
I loved that this story dealt with some tough themes such as grief, death, loss, female independence, and arranged marriages. It was refreshing to see this story being told in a way that was reminiscent of the original yet completely a story of its own. I liked the twisted idea of the character roles as well as Alice’s personality being more independent and wanting more than what she was being forced into. Woven between the craziness was humor and mystery, which enhanced the entire experience.
Additionally, I liked that we got to know a little about each of the kings. Every time I start to question, wait, who is that one again? It's explained in the story. I’m sure there’s more to come throughout the series.
As amazing as the story was, the beginning was a bit slow from time to time. It could have been even better if there was a little more conflict and/or action happening in the first few chapters. Aside from that, it was great!
I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s into retellings with some smut, wanting to see another version of Alice in Wonderland, or just curious about venturing into something new.
This interesting retelling left me wanting more, but also satisfied. I can’t wait to dive into Alice In the City of Diamonds.
*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Alice in the Land of Clovers from B.A. Lovejoy via BookSirens
Alice in the Land of Clovers by Bethany Anne Lovejoy is the first in the Alice: Pick a Card, Alice in Wonderland retelling, Series and it does not disappoint. Alice is 20 and being forced into a life she doesn’t want while also coping with the disappearance of her father. She ends up following the rabbit down a hole, by accident, and realizes she’s in Wonderland. The rabbit turns into a man and tells her he brought her there to marry her. So of course, she’s a bit confused and enraged as she realizes Wonderland is real and they are trying to do the same thing her mother is doing to her in England. She sets off on a path to find her way back home.
I loved that this story dealt with some tough themes such as grief, death, loss, female independence, and arranged marriages. It was refreshing to see this story being told in a way that was reminiscent of the original yet completely a story of its own. I liked the twisted idea of the character roles as well as Alice’s personality being more independent and wanting more than what she was being forced into. Woven between the craziness was humor and mystery, which enhanced the entire experience.
Additionally, I liked that we got to know a little about each of the kings. Every time I start to question, wait, who is that one again? It's explained in the story. I’m sure there’s more to come throughout the series.
As amazing as the story was, the beginning was a bit slow from time to time. It could have been even better if there was a little more conflict and/or action happening in the first few chapters. Aside from that, it was great!
I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s into retellings with some smut, wanting to see another version of Alice in Wonderland, or just curious about venturing into something new.
This interesting retelling left me wanting more, but also satisfied. I can’t wait to dive into Alice In the City of Diamonds.
*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Alice in the Land of Clovers from B.A. Lovejoy via BookSirens
February 12, 2022
This book is New Adult fantasy romance, and a retelling of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It’s set in wartime England and we follow Alice Grey, a strong-willed, outspoken girl who knows what she wants and doesn’t get along with her overbearing mother. She falls into Wonderland while trying to deal with problems in her life; namely that her mother is pressuring her to get married and the men on offer are pretty awful honestly.
The author has a really interesting and enjoyable take on this story and the classic elements are all included and spun in the author’s unique way. At first I was really worried as this story is a tricky one to retell, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the four different Card Kingdoms and the Four Kings who rule them. The magic and charm of Wonderland is captured really well.
The characters are all pretty interesting too. The book is told in the first person POV and I enjoyed Alice’s POV a lot. She’s strong, spunky and has a good sense of humour. The Kings were all unique and different as characters too.
One of the areas for improvement in my opinion is that the characters could be more developed, but perhaps that’s going to happen in the sequel. This book is fairly short after all. Also, the romances felt a bit too insta-love for my liking. Character development would help with this too. By the end Alice really isn’t tied to anyone specific so who knows where things will go.
At times I found the story hard to follow. Partly due to the writing style. Perhaps the author was trying to go for a Lewis Carroll-esque style but at times I found myself asking lots of questions about what is actually going on, who was holding whose hand, or why things just weren’t explained.
However, as the story goes on Alice herself asks a lot of questions too, which helped as I then felt that part of this confusion is intended. It is Wonderland after all, where nothing quite makes sense and the sequel will clear up some of these areas hopefully too.
This series has lots of potential and I did enjoy this book a lot. I will be reading the sequel for sure.
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC copy.
The author has a really interesting and enjoyable take on this story and the classic elements are all included and spun in the author’s unique way. At first I was really worried as this story is a tricky one to retell, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the four different Card Kingdoms and the Four Kings who rule them. The magic and charm of Wonderland is captured really well.
The characters are all pretty interesting too. The book is told in the first person POV and I enjoyed Alice’s POV a lot. She’s strong, spunky and has a good sense of humour. The Kings were all unique and different as characters too.
One of the areas for improvement in my opinion is that the characters could be more developed, but perhaps that’s going to happen in the sequel. This book is fairly short after all. Also, the romances felt a bit too insta-love for my liking. Character development would help with this too. By the end Alice really isn’t tied to anyone specific so who knows where things will go.
At times I found the story hard to follow. Partly due to the writing style. Perhaps the author was trying to go for a Lewis Carroll-esque style but at times I found myself asking lots of questions about what is actually going on, who was holding whose hand, or why things just weren’t explained.
However, as the story goes on Alice herself asks a lot of questions too, which helped as I then felt that part of this confusion is intended. It is Wonderland after all, where nothing quite makes sense and the sequel will clear up some of these areas hopefully too.
This series has lots of potential and I did enjoy this book a lot. I will be reading the sequel for sure.
Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC copy.
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