Charming

The Princess Bride x Shrek x John Tucker Must Die

Charming follows Prince Charming and his companion Roland, who go from kingdom to kingdom under synonymous names. Prince Charming fulfills prophecies and saves maidens, then robs the country blind right before wedding vows are to be made.

But finally, his crimes are catching up to him, when one fated evening brings three of his victims together. Marie Blanche, Dr. Emilia Rapunzel and Bella Lucia—respectively Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.

This was so much fun to read! It felt both cozy and familiar while still being fresh with unexpected turns. 4.5 stars, because some of the latter additions could have been more fleshed out. But I really loved this and will be recommending to my audience!

4 stars

I’ve just recently gotten into these fairytale retellings, and I have to say this has been one of my favorites to date. I really enjoyed the fun take on Prince Charming, somewhat reminiscent of Flynn Ryder (if you know 😉)! The humor was on point and the writing so easy to read and digest. I read it over the course of 2 days, I just couldn’t get enough! I really hope to see more of this genre from Jade Linwood ❤️

This was a very cozy fantasy read! The entire concept of Prince Charming being a con artist & the princesses he’s deceived working together to catch him is amazing and reminded me a lot of Shrek (which I love). I loved all of the little twists and different takes on different fairytales. I would definitely recommend this if you love retellings and want a cozy low stakes story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for sending me a copy to review!

A Con-artist prince.

Three princesses out for revenge.

Holy Moley this was a fun-tastic read!

I absolutely loved how this story did some fantastic retellings of our favorite princesses - Aurora, Snow White, and Rapunzel. I even love how they gather together to prepare to dish out some justice for the prince who thought he could come into their lives, pretend to love them while robbing the families' vaults, and then run away. Yeah, that is not how you make a name for yourself. xD Seriously, I could not help but cheer on those girls.

Our Prince Charming, well he is anything but Charming. He is a con artist, a swindler, and so full of himself that he won't be caught. Yeah, sorry hun, but you played your hand wayyyy too many times and those girls - they are not playing whatever game you got.

This book was fun and engaging. The storyline is lush and original and the characters are so well-written that I loved them. I am glad to see some bad ass girls from fairytales. You don't often see those. Most are just pansy damsels-in-distress. These girls break the mold and that is wonderful to see. You have the naive girl, the girl locked up in the tower, and the princess forced to take over a kingdom because her father would not do so. I got he was mourning but I am glad to see the princess step up.

This story is not your average story. These girls are great and you will come to love each and every one of them.


Thank you Netgalley, author, and Solaris for giving me a chance to give an honest opinion of this book.

Let's get this clear right upfront: I don't give five stars lightly. And I certainly don't lightly compare authors to Terry Pratchett. But here we are: I've done the first, and I'm about to do the second.

Right from the moment he was described as "pre-crouched," Roland, Prince Charming's manservant, reminded me of a Terry Pratchett character, and his dialog reinforced that; he has much the same speech pattern as Gaspode the Wonder Dog, with more than a touch of Nobby Nobbs. On top of that, the depth of description, the clearly motivated (and determined, and ethical, except those that aren't ethical) characters, the more-than-competent prose, and of course the touches of humour all reminded me of the master. Admittedly, it's Pratchett that's faded a bit in the sun, less hilarious, less absurd, less intense all around, but that helps to establish it as not just a homage or pastiche but its own thing, even if displaying a clear influence.

So what is that thing? I've shelved it as "heist," but that's not entirely accurate; while Prince Charming is an itinerant swindler and thief, he doesn't so much perform heists as inveigle his way into a kingdom or occasionally grand duchy, often solving its pressing problem (with a genuine solution, to give him credit); get engaged to the princess or other noble daughter; express an interest in the security around the vault, which his prospective father-in-law is happy to discuss with him; and then disappear on the morning of the wedding with as much of the treasury as his beast of burden, the Mostly Donkey, can carry. Three of his victims - to give the names of their inspirations rather than the versions they bear in this book, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rapunzel - happen to meet at a wedding, compare stories, and plan, not a heist, but a sting.

Bella (Sleeping Beauty), given supernatural grace by the Good Folk at her birth, is an expert swordfighter. Marie Blanche (Snow White)'s character incorporates the Huntsman who spared her in the traditional story; she can also not only speak the language of birds, but has power, or at least influence, over all woodland creatures. Not just squirrels, either, but bears and wolves and wild boars and even dragons. Rapunzel, having got out from under the thumb of her sinister mentor, has become a Doctor of the Arcane Arts in her own right. They make a formidable team.

Not only that, but they grow and change, coming to personal realizations in the course of their sting on Charming. It's this, along with the general quality of the writing, that elevates the book to the five-star level for me. The characters have depth and heft and dimension, and when you start with well-known fairy-tale characters (or even when you don't) that's far from automatic; it takes skill, a lot of it.

This is good. Very good. It's a strong recommendation from me.

I saw someone comparing this book to the film John Tucker Must Die and I can't agree more!

Prince Charming (which can't stop picturing as a mix between Prince Charming from Shrek and Flynn Rider from Tangled) and his partner Roland, go from kingdom to kingdom saving maides from all sorts of evils and curses, promising to take their hand in marriage only for the kingdom to wake up the next day to empty coffers and Prince Charming nowhere to be found. But after three of his victims find one another at a dinner party a plan is hatched to find Prince Charming and bring him to justice.

I loved every part of Charming! It's a fun and easy read filled with much humor and adventure. It's been awhile since I've openly laughed while reading and that fact that this is YA makes it even more special. It definitely stands out from the other books in its genre in the best way possible.

I really home that the author will turn this into a whole collection of fairytale retellings with the same sense of humor she has shown in Charming.

I really enjoyed Charming!
It was such a fun fairy tale retelling!
It was well written and It did actually remind me of shrek which was awesome!
I really highly recommend this book!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ever wondered what would happen if you crossed Disney Princesses with John Tucker must die? This is the book for you.

Superbly written and spellbindingly addictive, I loved reading this book.

Overall this book was, well, charming!

Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for the ARC.

I love a good irreverent retelling / fairytale mash-up and as someone who always found the handsome princes somewhat insipid, this was right up my street. This was funny, fast paced and light hearted. A great read for when you’ve hit a slump or just need to escape.