Book two of the Magical Bakery series, I have to say that I enjoyed Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti by Bailey Cates even more than Brownies and Broomsticks, the first book of the series.

If you're a lover of the Brothers' Grimm, Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, the first of the Woodcutter Sisters series, is the book for you. This is not a retelling of old favorites but a whole new story with all the fairy tale elements I love.



I've been seeing a lot of reviews, both negative and positive describing this book as a fairy tale retold. That is not what this is. It is a whole new fairy tale.

The biggest mistake anyone can make when opening this book is to think you know the story already. This is an entirely new creature.

What Alethea Kontis does in this book is bring to like our favorite tales from the Brothers Grimm and a touch of Hans Christen Anderson to weave the magical rules of this world.

This is a world where, if a girl meets a talking frog, she easily figures out its a man because her world is full of enchanted frogs turned men, full of Kings with no name, full of fairy godmothers baring magical gifts.

I quite enjoyed this read. It sets up a beautiful world and Alethea's writing voice is perfect for it. She captures the true essence of fairy tales and makes them her own.

I grew up with Brothers Grimm and every once in a while, Alethea would make a reference to apples and you knew they must be poisoned, or to any other number of things and if you're a true fairy tale lover, you understand the rules of them.

She doesn't spell it out for you but if you pay enough attention, she leaves you enough clues to make an educated guess. Like so many people having violet eyes. I think this says how much magic is in their blood. Purple and violet always seem to be a reference to magic.

This was a lovely start to what is going to be an enchanting series.

Just remember, when you open the book, let Alethea weave her magical tale. She's not retelling you a story you've heard a thousand times. She's using the age old fairy tale references and rules to create something entirely new. She's setting up a world that I can't wait to visit again to find out what happened with all of Sunday's sisters and, hopefully, her brothers too.

This review was served up by Bryonna Nobles.

Kari and I wanted to do something a little different on this review blog. We're readers above all else and love discussing books.  We've decided to create our own Book Club called Book Brunch.

At the beginning of every month, we'll select a book that we can all read and at the end of the month, we'll set up a Book Brunch on the blog to discuss! This is a great way to expand your literary horizons and find new authors to adore.

Since we're already halfway through January, the following book will be discussed at the end of February. So to kick off our first Book Brunch, we have:

Debut novelist, Nicki Salcedo

Seven years ago, a knife-wielding stranger left socialite Ava Camden for dead on the sidewalk of an upscale Atlanta restaurant. She survived, but her face was brutally scarred. The police, the courts, and the powerful Camden family pinned the assault on only one suspect: Joel Sapphire, a twenty-year-old star athlete on the cusp of a pro football career. Too drunk to remember any details, Joel was found over Ava’s body, holding the bloody weapon.

Graham Sapphire grew up fighting on the city’s tough southside, and he’ll never let the Camdens crush his family. Now a wealthy hotelier, he’s determined to clear his brother’s name—and to find the monster responsible for Ava’s scars. Graham started writing to Ava the day his brother entered prison, asking her to give him a chance and offering his help. She never answered—but she never stopped reading.


Now Joel has been paroled, only to vanish before Graham can reach him. Is he lurking in the shadows or on the run from death threats? Ava is the lure that will bring him back, but she’s not alone in the fight. Graham will give his life—and even his brother’s—to protect her. The bond between them is hot, tender, and almost as dangerous as the hunter who waits in the shadows of the city’s darkest streets.


Kari and I hope you'll join us on February 28 to discuss this amazing novel. It promises to be quite an experience. Maybe we'll even get lucky and the author herself will drop by. You never know!