The Winter Ghosts

By Kate Mosse

(Blurb: In the winter of 1928, still seeking some kind of resolution to the horrors of World War I, Freddie is traveling through the beautiful but forbidding French Pyrenees. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. Dazed, he stumbles through the woods, emerging in a tiny village, where he finds an inn to wait out the blizzard. There he meets Fabrissa, a lovely young woman also mourning a lost generation. 
Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories. By the time dawn breaks, Freddie will have unearthed a tragic, centuries-old mystery, and discovered his own role in the life of this remote town.)

This novel was a 'spur of the moment' buy. I didn't know if I'd ever get to reading it. let alone to liking it! I thought it would be a romance (which, I'm ashamed to say, swayed my decision on whether to buy it) but I fell so hard in love with the story that I found early on, that I didn't care that it wasn't a typical love story. 

Freddy's journey quickly became my own, his sorrows were mine and I loved going on his journey with him, both mentally and physically. He is such an intense character, desperate to heal himself, yet also convinced he will mourn for the rest of his days. But once he meets her, he realises that by unearthing the memories and truth of someone else's past, he can unearth his own, and finally find respite and healing.

This novel was very addicting and was a pleasure to read, though the mystery of the story did get confusing at some points, leaving me with questions that never really got answered. This made reading the novel quite difficult, though I did enjoy it very much. With that in thought, I give this novel a 8/10 :) 

"I am simply a book drunkard." 
~ L.M. Montgomery

"Reading one book is like eating one potato chip."
~Diane Duane

Princess of the Midnight Ball

By Jessica Day George

(Blurb: A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… 

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. 

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.)

This is a beautiful fairytale, full of magic and mysteries, love and danger. Unlike many other retellings, this novel is full of sorcery and unbelievable magic that assure us that it's all a fairytale, which is great, as it takes us right back to our childhood! This story is beautifully woven (pun intended ;)) and is great to read when your in the mood for a light-hearted fairytale, that keeps you falling in love with the main characters. 
What I really love about this novel is Rose, the main character and the eldest of the 12 princesses. She's not perfect, we see her getting annoyed with her sisters, blaming Galen for her illness and being rude to the people around her. And Galen is just so sweet! He's quite of an enigma as well! He's an ex-soldier who knits his own socks and such, which, though common in that time, is quite odd to read, at first. But his willingness and determination to save the woman he loves (not to mention her 11 younger sisters), makes his bravery and loveliness shine!! 
This is just the perfect, light novel to read when you want to escape down memory lane to a place and time where monster's lurk just below the surface and where you're knight in shining armour actually wears armour! 
I give this an 8/10! It's so sweet, and you're sure to love it :)

"Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it on your own terms."
~ Angela Carter

The Fairest Beauty

By Melanie Dickerson

(Blurb: A daring rescue. A difficult choice. 

Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe? 

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. 

When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.)

Melanie Dickerson is pure perfection! She strikes again! This time with the classic tale of deeply-rooted jealousy, true love and loyalty: the Brothers' Grimm very own Snow White. 

She weaves a beautiful tale that follows innocent, yet wise, Sophie as she battles all manner of evil that strives to destroy her, both mentally and physically. And while 'doing battle', she learns that the secret to victory is true love and God's healing power. This perfect story is complete with a beautiful and enchanting heroine that I personally, really relate to (which made me love her even more) and a handsome and charismatic hero that is more than just his 'brute strength'. Melanie Dickerson gives our originally unnamed and quite confusing prince what we've always longed for! He has a first class personality which keeps us falling for him over and over again *sigh*. 

I love this novel so much (this is the second time I've read it) and I find that I can't find the right words with which to express just how much I love it (irritating)! 

Well, this novel is just perfection, truly. The characters are all different and loveable and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times! Despite what you'd think, this story is more than the small fairytale we all grew up with, and expands our hearts and minds, as the goodness and sweetness of the characters fills our own senses as we fall deeper and deeper into the story. Woven with the Gospel message and more truth about God, this novel shines as a beacon for those with a love of God and romance. 

A 10/10, no question. Please read it, you won't regret it.