The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale was a great retelling of The Wizard of Oz in today's modern world. This book was character driven with 3 men that has similar issues as the Tin Man, The cowardly Lion and The Scarecrow. Dee was a delightful character, however her dissertation talk became too much.

Links coming soon.

3.5 rounding up to 4

I really liked the parallels between The Wizard of Oz. The author did a good job of sneaking those similarities. As an Oz super fan, I wished this was a bit more true to the story though - I didn’t understand the Ireland setting 🤷🏻‍♀️ but overall, it was an enjoyable read and I always appreciate a HEA ♥️

3.5 stars, rounded up. This is a very charming, if sometimes a *little* too sweet, Wizard of Oz inspired story. I loved the Irish setting and enjoyed the way Dorothy found herself, and some wonderful friendships, along the way.

📖𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲
🖊️Virginia Kantra
💕Women’s Fiction
★★★★½

𝘼 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙒𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙊𝙯.

💭𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
I’ve only read a few modern retellings, but this was my favorite so far! It was so charming and sweet, and I loved the sense of adventure as Dorothy “Dee” Gale travels from Kansas to Dublin, Ireland to attend a writing program.

I thought the cast of characters were so fun, inspired by the characters in The Wizard of Oz.

🎧Overall I really enjoyed this heartwarming story with themes of self-discovery and believing in yourself. I paired the book with the audiobook and thought the full narration cast was such a delight!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
💕self-discovery
🧺baked goods
💕a modern re-telling
🧺a heartwarming story

*many thanks to Berkley romance, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Tim and even Sam. While at first I thought she would go for Sam, I was glad the route the book took. The setting was in Dublin and oh so dreamy. I want to go to Sam's little tea shop. This was a story you loved the main character more when she stood up for herself, her friends when they did it for her, and loathed all those that used her.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the promotional advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Dorothy "Dee" Gale needs to get out of Kansas, now. A professor at her college just released a novel based on their love affair, and it's not very flattering. He also dumps her, sending her into a whirlwind of uncertainty. Needing to run away and focus on her writing, she applies and is accepted to Trinity College in Ireland. The lush landscape and fresh scenery are just what she needs to find herself. There she makes a group of friends who are struggling with their own paths in life, fighting similar demons. We see a heartless Tim as the Tin Man; Sam as the scarecrow, wanting to finish his degree; Reeti as the courageless lioness; and scary Maeve Ward as the Wicked Witch. Dee's little sister, Toni, a.k.a. Toto, joins her in Ireland as well, searching for her own identity.

With an outstanding cast of supportive characters, this reimagining of Dorothy and her trip to Oz is truly a delight to read. Kantra has developed a very likable character in Dee, creating a story of discovery and triumph. You find yourself rooting for the entire cast of characters, even though it did take me a minute to warm up to Tim.

Overall it is a lovely retelling, and the parallels are certainly there. An added bonus is the story Dee writes for her thesis at Trinity mimicking her life, thus Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz's life for a bit of an inception feeling. It just works.

I love fairytale retellings. This is the first Wizard of Oz one that I have read, and I love it. Virginia Kantra took a familiar story and brought it into the current time and did it perfectly.

Dee (aka Dorothy) has started a new journey to find a way to finish her college education and start the career she has always wanted in writing. The new journey has her opening her eyes, looking at what she always believed, and seeing how her reactions to life caused the decisions she made. She was forced to grow up at a young age and made “safe” decisions her entire life. With her new journey she was forced to step outside her comfort zone, rely on others for help, and stand up for herself.


I read and loved Virginia Kantra’s Little Women retelling and was so excited to see that she was writing another. I recommend picking up your own copying and visiting Oz (or Dublin) for a great book.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

I love Virginia Kantra's writing, and I was super excited for TFLODG. This book was everything I hoped it would be! It is a mash-up of a women's fiction and romance, and I was captivated by the characters and the setting.

Virginia's seamless writing from her previous books weaves a tale you won't be able to put down in TFLODG. Her writing makes you fall in love with the characters, and I found myself thinking about them as friends the more I read! I was on the hook from the beginning. I read the print copy, but I found a lot of positive reviews for the audiobook...so now I want to re-read this one on audio!

I love the message of positivity this book has, too, of stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking control of your power. This book is just a winner all the way around!

Star Rating: 4⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC of this book!
This published on 12/5 so it’s available now!

👠After a bad break up writing student, Dorothy (Dee) Gale flees Kansas for the Emerald Isle’s Trinity College.
She works to grow in confidence in herself and in her writing and befriends several people along the way. Sam is “brainless” and “only” works in his family’s shop, “heartless” Tim is closed off due to his past, and “loyal” Reeti is Dee’s biggest cheerleader.

👠Full of subtle nods to the original book and film, this character driven book highlights Dee’s journey to understanding the importance of herself and humbling herself to accept help from those who love her. I really enjoyed it!

👠The Wizard of Oz was my favorite childhood movie and is still one of my all time favorites so I was so thrilled to pick this up.

3.5⭐ rounded up

I love the Wizard of Oz, so when I heard about Virginia Kantra writing a retelling, I just had to add to my TBR. So glad I was able to read this one. Kantra is a great author, and I loved her Little Women retellings. While I really enjoyed the story, I was anticipating more Wizard of Oz references. There are some, but not as much as I was expecting. Also, the audiobook was so great! It has a full cast which is great with the different accents.

*Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the #gifted egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

Dee Gale has just arrived at Trinity College in Dublin. Upon registration she is shocked to learn her advisor died in a tragic accident; a house being transported on the road fell on her. Dee (Dorothy) is from Kansas. Her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry raised her and her sister Toni on a farm after their mother passed away. Having completed her undergraduate degree at KU, Dee wandered off the academic brick road when she fell in love with (and was later publicly destroyed by) Grayson Kettering, a professor in the very same English department where she was supposed to be working on her dissertation. Two years wasted while she focused on Gray instead of herself, Dee was lucky to find this opportunity in a land far away from her troubles. Now Dee must get to work, not only on her education but figuring out what kind of writer she is meant to be. While typing her fingers to the bone to impress a wicked new graduate advisor, Dee also finds fabulous new friends and a completely unexpected romance. This modern retelling of The Wizard of Oz is a delightful, completely original and unputdownable read. I loved every single clever reference connecting Fairytale Life to it’s classic inspiration. I truly did not want it to end!

I'm really torn with this debut romance! Parts really spoke to me - I loved the Dublin setting and all the literature references (Anne of Green Gables and Wizard of Oz especially) but the story dragged a lot of and kind of went all over the place. I felt it was longer than necessary and the romance was fairly lackluster. Just an okay read but I would read more from this author as I feel like she's just getting her footings as a new writer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for and early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

When Dorothy “Dee” flees Kansas for a writing program in Ireland, she meets Sam (who is brainless like the scarecrow), Tim (who is heartless like the tin man) and Reeti (who is as loyal as a lion). With her new friends, Dee ventures to find out who she really is, and the meaning of home. This book was so fun! Loved the touches of Wizard of Oz references and the found family aspects!

Dorothy, or Dee as most people call her, has spent most of her life trying to belong. After her mom, a free-spirit, world-traveling artist, dies, Dee and her sister Toni move to Kansas to live with their Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Dee, an aspiring author, attends grad school nearby. But when her boyfriend, a faculty member, publishes a best selling novel with a main character that is reminiscent of Dee and portrayed in a negative light, she can’t stand the idea of facing him or her classmates. So she applies to a program at Trinity College in Dublin. In Dublin she meets a series of friends - the “heartless” Tim, college dropout Sam, and loyal but scared Reeti. With these new friends by her side, Dee conquers a new beginning and finds the confidence to not only move on, but face her fears.

I loved this unique retelling of The Wizard of Oz and really appreciated how while the characters had some similarities to the original story, they were also very much their own. Each character was quirky and fun yet so relatable and the found family Dee found was so special. I also adored the setting. The descriptions made me want to take a trip to Ireland. The real star of this story was Dee. Watching her journey and seeing her confidence grow was beautiful and inspiring.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is a modern reimagining of The Wizard of Oz and I am happy to report that this story really worked! Instead of making her way to the Emerald City, our Dorothy (who goes by Dee) finds herself in the Emerald Isle, Dublin, Ireland to be exact to finish her masters program at Trinity College.

Part of the fun while reading, is placing the characters to their movie counterparts- Dee’s younger sister Toni who follows her to Dublin, is lovingly referred to as Toto. Then there’s Tim who is extremely protective of his heart and Sam, who doesn’t seem to use his brain. Dee in a love triangle with our Tin Man and Scarecrow? We love to see it. The connections go on and on, showing the true creativity of author Virginia Kantra.

I read the ebook as well as listened to the audio. The full cast of narrators added so much to the story- bravo to Rachel L. Jacobs, Damian Gildea and Christian Coulson on a brilliant performance.

While this is a retelling, it is more about taking back control over your own life. No spoilers, but watching Dee ultimately triumph was joyous. However, this is a slow burn. The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale is a very character driven plot with many different storylines. I didn’t struggle to keep it all straight but the pacing is a bit of a struggle.

Ultimately, this is an enjoyable read that I recommend!

After being humiliated by her ex, Dorothy “Dee” Gale flees to Ireland where she realizes she isn’t in Kansas anymore. When she arrives she meets Sam, who dropped out of school to take over the family business (The Scarecrow); Tim, who doesn’t let people in (The Tubman); and Reeti, who doesn’t have the courage to tell her parents what she wants to do with her life (The Cowardly Lion). These three become her friends and help her deal with her witch of a professor and to find her way home!

I was super excited to read this modern retelling of The Wizard of Oz. Found family is a trope I love so I enjoyed how the characters all became family for Dee in their own ways. There is a bit of a love triangle with Dee, Sam, and Tim, but it didn’t take away from the story. In the beginning I wanted her to end up with one of them, so I struggled a bit when that didn’t happen, however, it did make sense who she ended up with. There were some parts that dragged a bit for me, but I really enjoyed this unique retelling and Kantra’s writing style. I loved reading the connections to The Wizard of Oz, and thought Kantra did a great job of not making them over the top.

I listened to the audiobook while reading the eARC, and enjoyed that it was a full cast with separate narrators for Dee, Sam, and Tim. I did struggle a bit with the accents and actually think I would have liked this one better if it was only told from Dee’s point of view.

Short synopsis: Based off the classic, The Wizard of Oz, Dee (Dorothy) Gale goes to Trinity College in Ireland to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.

My thoughts: What a great cover! I new immediately that it was a Wizard of Oz inspired book based on the cover alone. I’ve always loved the Wizard of Oz, so the references intermingled throughout the story were so fun to find.

Dee sure faced a difficult childhood, parents dying young, being shuffled from home to home before living with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, helping to raise her sister. I really appreciated her growth as a character as she learned to forge her own path and find her own happiness.

Overall cute story with a cute romance subplot but the book did feel a little long and repetitive at times. While the growth of Dee and her sister were great, it focused a little too much on Dee’s dissertation which left me somewhat uninterested.

Read if you love:
- The Wizard of Oz
- Romance subplot
- Ireland
- Writing journey
- Character driven story with growth
- Sisterly relationships

“Words had power, to wound or to heal, to define and create. ‘Words are important,’ I insisted. ‘Nothing tells you more about someone than what they say.’ ‘Except what
they do.’”

“Women who tell the truth have always been called witches.”

4.5 stars! This story grabbed my heart and didn’t let go. Maybe it’s that I’m old enough to remember when The Wizard Of Oz was played on tv once a year and it was the only day of the year I was allowed to stay up late. My mother made popcorn and it was an event, let me tell you. Once. A. Year.

Because of that I have such fond memories of Dorothy and her journey. So to read a story where Dorothy Gale is struggling in her life, has lost her mother, has taken on the responsibility of her younger sister, and is trying to write a story had me devouring it. Some of my favorite elements were the creation of Toto and the snarkiness but underlying devotion of Aunt Em. All of the magical elements that encompass the story were expertly weaved in making it so enjoyable.

The audiobook has three narrators and they all did a fabulous job of capturing the essence of these characters on their journey. A win/win.

Thank you for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for the ARC on exchange for an honest review.

Dorothy Gale is moving to Dublin to finish her thesis after her relationship with her professor goes down in flames when he used her as his muse for his next hit novel. She moves from Kansas to Dublin completely broken down, only to arrive and find out that what she expected has changed. While there, she meets her Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and Good and Bad Witches.

I read a review on Goodreads that said that this book was unique enough and good enough that it could’ve functioned without using the Wizard of Oz as a catch and I do agree. I thought the Wizard of Oz nods made for some interesting and fun parts of the story, I do feel it would’ve been just as interesting without it.

The story itself doesn’t follow the Wizard of Oz at all. It just uses some characters as inspiration for the friends and faculty. Sam is a café owner who dropped out of college when his dad died and has always felt he isn’t smart enough- Scarecrow. Tim is ex military and has shut down all feelings- Tin Man. Then we have her two faculty members, Maeve and Glenda- Wicked and Good Witches.

I did love the relationships that Dorothy had. I loved her with everyone and felt like it was so fun to read. I did feel like it was two books in one. There was the first half where Dorothy was alone in Dublin, and then the second half where her sister shows up. I was really busy so I read this book pretty slowly and by the time I finished the book, I kind of forgot a lot of what happened in the first half. There are definitely some storylines that get dropped a little bit which would be my only criticism. Well, that and I didn’t love her concept for her novel. It got a little bit too weirdly close to Oz for me. Almost as if the original author didn’t exist.

If you are a Wizard of Oz fan and a romance fan, I would highly recommend this book. This is the only semi-love triangle that I have enjoyed. The characters are unique and Dorothy’s conflicts are as well. I haven’t read anything like that and I found myself rooting for Dorothy the whole time. I would only not recommend it to people who are huge fans of Oz and the similarities would bother them. Otherwise, please check this one out!

This book was so enjoyable. I went in mostly blind- just knowing that it pays some homage to The Wizard of Oz. I did not see it as any sort of retelling- which was good. There are similarities to parts of the original- but mainly location, names and a search that leads back home.

Dee was a great character. Most of her life had been taking up as little space as possible, being mother to her younger sister and being as helpful as possible. When she finally decides to move and start fresh in Ireland, she is surprised to find out how strong she really is. She slowly sees the pieces of her personality - formed out of necessity- that now need to be addressed and adjusted.

There are several entertaining side characters and one very easy to hate. Dee’s character arc was great, as were each of the side characters’. At times sad, the book balances that melancholic feel with bursts of levity and hope. I was vested in these friends and found the ending right on track.

Thank you to @berkleypub for including me on the book tour and for providing a copy for me to read and review.