This was a nice read. There was nothing that was over the top about it. The characters were decent and the setting was easy to envision. The book was a quick read as well.

A fun read which starts out well and Kyra and gets even better when Fred and his dog appear. The plot isn't overly complex but this was a compelling read nonetheless.

Honestly now one of my “go to “ books when I recommend standalone fantasy to my students. It’s got a great friend story, a little romance, lots of action, and just the right dose of humor. And it’s got a cute pig! What more could you want?

Requested and downloaded this book back in 2013 with every intention of reading it but then it expired on my device before I had the chance. Have felt bad about that and as a result haven't wanted to leave a review but with more and more publishers relying on Feedback ratings I need to clear out some of these older titles in my queue.

Really interesting world building. It was the cover that drew me in and fascinated by the main character. A nice story and I was invested in the characters journey.

In one word: cute.

I didn't expect this to have such a MG feel to it, but it was okay. I am such a sucker for fairytales that I was fully able to enjoy a story that was a little too squeaky clean to be YA.

I found this to be a fun read, but not really remarkable. I loved that the main character was so fierce. She really did not need anyone to save her. She was fully capable of taking care of herself. But of course, it wouldn't be a fairytale if it stayed that way. Enter Fred. Such a dreamy bloke with a great sense of humor and a heart of gold.

Of course, not everyone is what they appear to be. Right? Right.

That's all I'm really going to say about that. This was a fun, light read. Nothing heavy or thought provoking. Certainly not life-altering. Just fun and enjoyable. There was one little surprise that I didn't anticipate, but I won't tell you what that was!

If you enjoy fairytales, this is a perfect addition to your book shelf.

Easily one of my most beloved books, and Rosie is on the cover! There was so much about this book that I loved.

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 3 stars! Cute and the perfect kind of action-adventure type read for a middle grade/younger YA reader, but I don't think I was in the right frame of mind for this book at this time. However, I think it has all the elements to make a younger reader, an age in which this book is specifically targeted, truly happy.

♥ Review: I remember a handful of years ago this book received a lot of praise due in part to the magical aspects of the book but also because of the unfortunate passing of its author prior to its release. I had requested the book simply because I kept seeing it pop up on my Goodreads timeline, and after gaining access to it, then I noticed where the author had recently died. I'll openly admit that was probably my biggest reason from shying away from reading the book. What if I read it and didn't fall in love? I didn't want to be the asshole who gave a recently deceased author's book a crappy rating, and so, long story short: this book kept getting pushed to the side because I didn't want to be mean. However, now it stands as being the last book left between me and my catch-up-on-my-request review goal on NetGalley, so I finally had to dive in. . . and all my fears resurfaced because I didn't, in fact, love this book like a few of my other GR friends did.

I won't lie, it was a cute read, and I could certainly understand why other readers would adore it, but it simply wasn't for me. The characters were smart and likable, the romance while fast-tracked was kind of adorable, the witchy/potion elements were intriguing, and the scheming plot was suspenseful, but it all seemed to be missing some grander aspect to really pull me in and keep me engaged. Overall, I didn't dislike the book, but seeing as it took me more than a week to finish it when I'm usually a few hours to a day or two type reader, you can see that it failed on more than a few occasions to really hold my interest.

♥ Rec It? Maybe? I think younger readers (middle grader to younger YA) will enjoy this book a great deal. As for upper YA or adults venturing in to YA genre, it didn't feel like it contained enough depth for me to really give it a solid recommendation.

♥ A very special thanks to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.

I absolutely loved this novel. It was whimsical and exciting and extremely fun. I loved the snark of the characters and their depth. While reading I was reminded of my favorite novels by Patricia C. Wrede and the novels by Christopher Healy. It was a not so typical fairytale, and I loved every minute.