Once Upon a Christmas

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

BOYD, ANDREA

DAWN, MIKAL

SHILOH, TONI

STRONG, ANGELA RUTH

WEAVER, JAYCEE

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS

Embrace the magic of the Christmas season with these contemporary twists on timeless tales.

Upon a Dream by Andrea Boyd -- Talia once loved performing in her aunts' theater, but a sleeping disorder relegates her to behind the scenes grunt work. After hearing her sing, Philip won't stop until she's back on stage. She just might find the courage, if only she can stay awake long enough to try.

Claim My Heart by Mikal Dawn -- Li Na feels a bit like her childhood heroine as she impersonates her father and whisks across the night sky on a mission. Colin Wen's Hun of a boss insists he must take no prisoners and win the legal battle before Christmas. As the two figure out which side they should be fighting for, there's no denying the law of attraction is at play.

A Snow White Christmas by Toni Shiloh -- Distraught to find out her fiance connived with her stepmother to take her inheritance, Amala White drives straight into a blizzard. Seeking refuge at Seven Groves Orchard, Amala finds more than she bargained for in the handsome Marcus and his comical uncles.

Christmas Ella by Angela Ruth Strong -- Reality TV becomes a fairy tale when the star of All That Glitters sweeps location director Ella Goodwin off her feet for Christmas. But to avoid disapproval from his snooty stepmother and stepsisters, she attends the new Year's mascarade ball in disguise, never expecting the other shoe to drop.

A Splash of Love by Jaycee Weaver -- Las Vegas casino mermaid Brie Finnegan dreams of life outside the glitz. When her boss, Sirene, sends her to Albuquerque for a deal with the Reyes restaurateur family, Brie falls for more than the city's culture. For her dreams to come true, Brie will need to figure out and stop whatever Sirene's planning.

My Review:

published in 2019

This is the Christmas collection that got away last year. I was desperate to read it but I don't read ebooks and the paperback edition wasn't available on Book Depository so I might have had a bibliophile tantrum...possibly of rather epic proportions. Fast forward to this year and its still not available on BD but rather than waste all that energy gallumping around in a royal snit, I broke down and placed an Amazon order. :-) Because...

Christmas and fairy tales and two authors I enjoy plus three new-to-me ones to try out. Eeeep! 

So here's a rundown of each novella:

Upon a Dream by Andrea Boyd

Fairy tale inspiration: Sleeping Beauty

Contemporary adaptation: Very clever twist on the sleeping curse -- like so clever I want to gush over it but I can't because that would spoil it for you. But it's brilliant!

Plot and setting: Love the theater backdrop. Brought me back to when I'd take my daughter to fairy tale plays at Christmas so it made me nostalgic. Fascinating backstage production details added great dimension to the retelling. Had fun making connections with the classic tale in this modern setting. 

Characters: Crazy doting aunts -- everyone needs a set like Talia's! And Phillip -- the entitled hero with a heart and an awakening in store. He's perfect for sweet, burdened Talia who has her own kind of reckoning to face. They are perfect for each other!

fave quote: "If you want to pass down a true legacy to your family, teach them about God." (p73)

Claim My Heart by Mikal Dawn

Fairy tale inspiration: Mulan

Contemporary adaptation: Kinda brilliant lawyer angle with Li Na take over her sick father's case against a nasty Scrooge/Grinch opponent aptly nicknamed the Hun.

Plot and setting: The legal backdrop makes for an interesting read without being too detailed or confusing for readers like me who understand absolutely nothing about the law. 

Characters: She's a klutz which makes for some hilarious slapstick type comedy though he is gallant and chivalrous no matter what chaos ensues. Love the chemistry between Li Na and Colin and there's just enough angst to trip them up on their way to a happily ever after.

A Snow White Christmas by Toni Shiloh

Fairy tale inspiration: Snow White

Contemporary adaptation: Perfect modern day version of an evil step-mother. Shudder. Love Amala's sheltered 'poor little rich' girl persona. And her worm of a fiance, Hunter (get it?) added to the angst. I felt every iota of Amala's emotional turmoil. And when she gets to Seven Groves Orchard the fun...and healing...really begin.

Plot and setting: Seven Orchards is the perfect, out-of-the way setting. Especially when Amala gets snowed in with only a handsome doctor and his seven uncles to keep her company! Love the way the romance develops -- from trepidation to wary wonder and full-on enlightenment., And Amala's faith journey is something special. 

Characters: Oh-la-la I was in a perpetual mush puddle state over Marcus. He's a bit brooding, wary of risking his heart but he can't resist Amala and their scenes sizzle! And those uncles! It was so much fun identifying who represented which dwarf. :-)

Fave quote: "I love God." ...

                   "But do you let Him love you back?" 

                                                            (p 209)

Christmas Ella by Angela Ruth Strong 

Fairy tale inspiration: Cinderella

Contemporary adaptation: This one has a neat reality show twist which actually makes for a lot of great Cinderella moments. With a few unique spins, like the evil step-sisters and odious mama belong to the hero, not the heroine! And the fairy godmother parallel is brilliant! :-)

Plot and setting:  I am so not into reality shows that I quite enjoyed fuming and dissing over this celeb family (except for Paxton, of course.) Gah, but those sisters and that entitled mama got on my very last nerve. And there were plenty of opportunities for their true cattiness to shine in this setting. The western locale (Wyoming) brought a really unique spin on the traditional tale

Characters: Absolutely loved Ella -- the beleaguered behind-the-scenes location director. And Paxton is just plain swoonworthy! He's managed to avoid all the reality show nastiness so he's just an ordinary guy with an ordinary life looking for an ordinary girl to share it with. Hellllooo, Ella, are you listening? She wants to but those mean girls are just so...argh! The 'villains' of this tale are definitely of the love-to-hate-'em variety.

A Splash of Love by Jaycee Weaver

Fairy tale inspiration: Little Mermaid

Contemporary adaptation: A mermaid in the middle of the desert?! Now that's a really clever twist! So well done too. This is a definite nod to the Disney version complete with a "kiss d' girl" moment. :-) Oh -- and the way Brie's inability to speak is worked into the story is soooooooo funny!

Plot and setting: A Las Vegas casino with all the glitz and glamour that goes with it as well as a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico which is rich in art and history. Absolutely loved both because they are so far from what I experience up here in the chilly north. There's quite a few twists that include a bit of mystery which kept me eagerly turning pages until I reached the Christmasy perfection of a conclusion.

Characters: Derek and the whole Reyes clan! Loved 'em all -- especially his abuela. Brie's family is...complicated. And the way Derek pursues Brie, trying to draw her out of her shell is soooo sweet and swoony!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Once Upon a Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 14 2020. Offer open to International Readers.