ARC from Netgalley

A really fun and interesting read! Alice in Wonderland isn’t as common as some of the others when it comes to fairytale re-imaginings.
I can’t say I’ve read the original but having watched the Disney film I can appreciate the way it winds in with the original source material.
I also love the role that our white rabbit (Finn) takes on in this book!
Also who doesn’t love a librarian as an MC!

Thank you to NetGALLEY AND city Owl Press for this opportunity to read rage and review this arc which will be available April 25,2023.

Wonderland must always have an Alice, and Eliza Carroll is the next.

This was a freaking weird fantasy romp into a world well known. I honestly do not know how I feel about this book. Like it was good. Finn aka the White Rabbit and Eliza’s relationship was good but I couldn’t get into the world as much as I would have liked. Something about it was not grabbing me but I enjoyed it for what it was. A romance fantasy set in Wonderland. Give it a read and tell me if I am just in need of a re read once it’s out to buy

The Alice Curse
By Megan VanDyke

I’m going to preface this by saying I almost didn’t finish it and ended up skipping a couple big chunks instead… but if you (unlike me) are into steamy romance maybe you’d appreciate it more. I will, however, be focusing on the world/characters/plot and mostly ignore the romance aspect for this review. That whole part was just not for me.

Moving on! I thought the world was intriguing, the two warring courts and a curse that keeps them from all out mutual destruction. The characters were also an interesting array. Some were definitely more caricatures than fully fleshed out, but it’s a fairly short book so I understand leaning into some of those tropes. The plot… had some good and bad points to it. I don’t want to spoil it, but I was hoping for a bit more of a subversion of expectations. It was pretty straightforward, almost formulaic, how it all turned out.

Overall not for me, but I could see how it might appeal to other readers.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much. It took me less than a day to read it. I couldn't put it down. I was rooting for Finn and Eliza the whole time. I've read stories of where the Hatter and Alice end up I never thought about her pairing up with the white rabbit. I really hope the author comes back to this world in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

Okay, I absolutely loved this. It’s a hot and steamy version of Alice in Wonderland and I’m here for it. I also really loved the plot of this. The red court being fun and out there while the white court follows the rules. Then “Alice” having to pick which court gets to rule. It was a very interesting plot and I honestly couldn’t put this book down.

I also just knew there was more to Finn than what was being lead on. I adored him with Eliza (Alice). Also, my favorite character may possibly be Chesa. She represents the Cheshire Cat and she was just funny and laid back. I love how she made everything happen and how blunt she was.

The romance in this book was honestly so lovely and the spice was well…spicy. I never knew I need an adult version of Alice in Wonderland but here we are. Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

5 stars!

I like The Alice Curse, it is fast paced, highly entertaining, and gripping. The world building and the character development are as good as always, the storytelling kept me reading.

Wonderland needs Alice to function and when the last Alice passes away... a new one is needed, but can she survive Wonderland? With the help of a mysterious stranger who can turn into a rabbit, Eliza will soon find herself going on the most unlikely journey of her life. Eliza Carroll used to be close to her grandmother who would tell her stories of a mysterious land called Wonderland but as the years went on they became separated as Eliza focused on her life. When she is called to her grandmother’s will reading, she is shocked to discover that her grandmother left her everything. Another surprise that awaits her is that her parent’s political machinations have sprung a surprise engagement on Eliza to a man she has never meant and has never wanted. She runs off only to find herself in the arms of a man named Finn who declares she is the next Alice and takes her to Wonderland. Finn, the White Rabbit, can transform into a rabbit and is tasked with securing the latest Alice for Wonderland as without an Alice to decide which court, Red or White, is to rule, Wonderland will devolve into utter chaos. Finn is tasked with securing Alice for the Red Court and if he fails to do so, it’s his head that will be rolling... literally. Turns out Eliza’s grandmother was the last Alice and had tasked Finn with finding Eliza and showing her around Wonderland before she made her choice over which court is to rule, and as Alice, Finn has to do as she commands. What Finn never expects is to be completely bewitched by this new Alice, by Eliza. What started off as just a simple task of getting her only turns more complicated as their journey goes on and the feelings between them grows. Yet Wonderland is complicated and so are it’s courts... and Finn has so many secrets. Can Alice survive both courts and her growing feelings for Finn or will Wonderland destroy her too? This was such a fun take on the Alice in Wonderland story and I had a blast with it. Fair warning though, please be aware of the triggers in this book before going into it, as I went into it blind and didn’t realize before reading. I like the chemistry between Finn and Eliza and I especially adored Chesa because, yes, I do love Cheshire Cat the most haha. Overall, it’s a great take on a classic fairytale and a fun reimagining that will be perfect for fans of the original story! It gave me Once Upon a Time Wonderland show vibes and I am all here for it!

*Thanks Netgalley and ARC provided by City Owl Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This is a fabulous novel that I really enjoyed. Alice, as she is known in Wonderland and Finn, are amazing characters and the attraction between them is obvious. The Duchess is introduced and I really enjoyed her character as well. I never thought that I would read anything new about Wonderland, but this novel brings it to light. Of course nothing can beat Alice in Wonderland, but this novel is really good. The bit about Finn being the White Rabbit is very enjoyable. I can only give it five stars, but I would give it more if I could.