I had the opportunity to read Charming as a ARC review with NetGalley. I was pulled in by the incredible synopsis, the nostalgia factor, and my love of all things fairytale.
Things I loved about this story
•refreshing new retellings with female protagonists
•hilarious banter and interesting dialogue
•eloquently written descriptions and details so I felt I was in the world
•twists twists twists
•distinctly different personalities between characters
•Prince Charming gets his own bullet point, what a great character

Things I did not enjoy about the story
•pacing
•non-linear storytelling which distrusted the momentum of the story over and over again

Ultimately I can’t say this one of my favorite reads this year. The pacing and momentum were nearly a deal-breaker for me and I really struggled to finish. That being said, I think the author has so much potential and I look forward to reading for from them in the future.

Forget Damsels in Distress and passive princesses waiting for their true love to show up. This is a book about the princesses who are doing it for themselves. What is that “it”, I hear you say? Why, getting revenge against Prince Charming of course.

Described as ‘John Tucker Must Die’ meets Shrek, this novel by Jade Linwood is an absolute riot. Bursting with dry humour and vibrant characters, the book follows three jilted princesses whom you know from the fairy tales – Sleeping Beauty (“Bella Lucia dei’ Sogni”), Snow White (“Marie Blanche de Neige”), and Rapunzel (“Doctor Emilia Rapunzel”) – as they team up and work to track down and exact revenge on Prince Charming for robbing their treasuries and hearts.

The idea of “what if Prince Charming was the same person in every fairy tale and what if he was actually a total dick” is a brilliant core idea that glues the story together. The opening scene in particular – where Charming fights some ogres en route to rescue Sleeping Beauty – is side splittingly funny and sets the tone of the rest of the novel perfectly.

Whilst the princesses three are interesting, if a little flat in some parts (‘though I particularly liked Linwood’s take on Rapunzel as a wickedly clever, if ruthless doctor), and Charming is very much your soppy, spoiled but effortlessly charismatic and talented antagonist, it is Roland, Charming’s overlooked, slightly gross and grumbling sidekick, who for me steals the show.

Channelling something of Terry Pratchett’s Nobby Nobbs in appearance and mannerisms , the character of Roland and Charming in general also – much to my surprise – reminds me of my love of Discworld novels and Pratchett’s writing style. Linwood brings an acerbic and fresh witty take on the fairy tale setting, turning classic tales of romance on its head, whilst still including a lot of recognisable tropes and world building that so many of us love.

However, I will say that towards the end of the novel, the plot seems rushed. Linwood is clearly keen to wrap up the storyline she’s placed down in front of readers and as a result, the last minute reveal with certain characters lacks the punch it otherwise could have.

Final verdict:

A hilarious, fresh take on well-known fairy tales, with an enjoyable premise that Linwood really manages to sell.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this e-ARC, all opinions are my own.

This was a fun and interesting read. I read the book quite quickly and really enjoyed the plot, I mean princesses teaming up to get revenge on Prince Charming, who doesn't like that ?
I found the princesses' backstories really interesting. I laugh out loud several times while reading.
I however think that the ending felt a bit rushed to me and I would have liked to know more about Prince Charming and his life prior to the events mentioned in the book and his motive/feelings, because I like to understand the villains of stories.
All in all this was a fun and easy read and I think fans of fairy tale reimaginings and teenage rom coms would like this book.

This is a book that lives up to its name. I was immediately charmed. You know when you read the first page of a book, and you know at once you’re going to like it, maybe even buy more than one copy? This was it. When the noble prince immediately swears “by the ever-loving Goose!” you know you’re going to get on with it.

The omniscient narrator takes a tone both lyrical and whimsical, strongly reminding me of Pratchett with a knack for juxtaposing clever, vivid descriptions with quirky humour. The protagonists leap onto stage with all the verve and comedy of pantomime, but that doesn’t mean they’re not well realised. And we’re straight into the action!

Light-hearted page-turner this may be, with strong echoes of Shrek - a fairytale that isn’t quite, poking sly fun at the tired old tropes to which we are all used and re weaving them into something recognisable but changed.

- lots of italics, if you don’t like that
- Nobby Nobbs by way of Baldrick, but actually does have a cunning plan
- deliciously twisted fairytales
- princesses saving themselves
- Revenge story
- Oh no, what’s that I can hear? Is it the sound of my conscience?! hmmmm
- The occasional smatter of fairies and demons, and terrible bargains thereof
- A Fox Queen!!! I love her

Can’t wait to read more from this author! A thoroughly enjoyable romp.

Charming by name, charming by nature.

This book really gave you exactly what it said on the tin and it was such a fun read. Honestly the premise and the story was fantastic, Charming as the villain and a bunch of Disney princesses teaming up to take him down… sign me up!

I loved reading the backstories of each of the women who had been scammed, they linked in with the original stories but with fun twists.

Where this book fell slightly short for me was the links, there were such good plot ideas but everything felt a bit rushed - we would jump from moment to moment without many linking points which really impacted the flow of the book for me. I would loved to have had a bit more interaction between the main characters as there wasn’t really much time to built their relationships.

Overall a really solid book and one I would recommend if you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun.

I needed something easy and fun to read after finishing acotar, and when netgalley sent me this ARC I knew this would be the perfect read to fill that need. This was so cute and whimsical! The writing was a bit juvenile at times, but I still had a great time reading this book.

Charming by Jade Linwood is a delightful and heartwarming novel that will capture the hearts of readers. The plot is well-paced, with just the right amount of drama and tension to keep readers engaged. Linwood's writing style is engaging and easy to read, making it enjoyable and entertaining.
Full review to come on YouTube

Imagine Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty coming together to hunt down Prince Charming, who saved them before robbing them of their gold and dignity—this is the beating heart of the book.

I was immediately taken by the premise, and for the most part, wasn't disappointed. The prose was lovely and whimsical, the world both familiar and refreshing, and the plot well-paced. Each princess had a captivating backstory, and it was rewarding to see them come together to hunt down a man who took everything from them. Prince Charming was also an interesting character (very morally gray, I think) and had a valid reason to be doing what he did.

I do wish I saw more character development in the princesses themselves—there definitely was some, but not enough for me to empathize strongly with any of them. Maybe it would have been different if the book was longer?

Overall: a fun read, and an entertaining fairytale retelling.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Rebellion Publishing and Netgalley for the arc of Charming by Jade Linwood in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This was such a fun read, totally delivering on the promise of Shrek, John Tucker Must Die and The Princess Bride. It reminded me of those cheesy 1990s romcoms where women scorned unite to take down the guy…if you’re too young to remember them I recommend taking a look at The First Wives Club! 😂

I absolutely loved the twist on the princesses and damsels in distress, taking the helm and charting their own destinies and of course revenge on the prince who did the dirty on them.

The world building itself was a delight, pulling out all the fairytale tropes, characters and creatures, to deliver a fantastical world of colour, magic and fantasy…enchanted castles, creatures, forests and of course fairy rings and woodland lodges and inns galore.

Character wise, Roland was a bit of a favourite of mine, his character was mapped out brilliantly and was truly brilliant as the book progressed and I joined up the dots. Charming was portrayed to illuminate the mean and definitely grey centre that sat under the shiny princely patter and looks but, the princesses and damsels were a tad disappointing. For women taking the rudder of their own lives they felt a little flat and two dimensional but, they still delivered their part in the story.

Overall, this was a fun read and delivered a plot that whilst not overly complicated, entertained and amused. A great, light holiday read that kept me entertained as I sunbathed.

Charming by Jade Linwood is an enchanting YA fantasy that weaves beloved fairy tales into a magical story of betrayal and revenge.

Prince charming is a scoundrel. For years he has travelled from city to city with his man servant Roland, in tow on a fiendish quest to plunder the riches of unsuspecting damsels.

He uses his dashing good looks, silver tongue and expert swordsmanship to save princesses in distress. Once he has liberated the damsels, he then proceeds to steal their hearts, swiftly followed by their kingdom's treasure. That is until three of his victims band together to create an unlikely alliance in order to seek revenge...

I really loved the initial premise of Charming and thought this book started out really strong. I enjoyed the three harrowing tales that brought our heroines together. I also adored how beloved characters such as Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty were incorporated in order to create an almost Shrek-like world of twisted fairy tales.

However, at around the halfway mark, I found my attention waning. There seemed to be a tremendous amount of set-up for very little payoff. The ending felt so rushed and clumsy that it left my head spinning. I felt a little disappointed and unsatisfied by the conclusion.

That being said, there were a huge amount of interesting and colourful characters. For the most part, it was lots of fun and outrageously camp.

3.75/5

If Ella Enchanted met John Tucker Must die that’s what the plot of Charming is.

A Charming prince scams princess out of their treasure, they band together and antics ensue as they try to reclaim what is theirs and seek their own kind of justice.

While the take on fairy tales was fun, the character development outside of the introduction chapters was lacking leaving me wanting more. The ended seemed weirdly paced and left me wanting a better tie.

Overall not a bad way to spend a day, but not lighting my world on fire. I wish the author had written this as their 5th book and not their 1st, I think it would have benefitted.

This is not your average fairytale. This tongue in cheek humor and twisted storyline will keep you engaged till the very last page! What if there was more to Prince Charming? Like say, a con man? Expect to be surprised!

What if Prince Charming was actually a liar and a thief, and the storybook princesses banded together to get their revenge? Well, that’s exactly what happens in Charming.

The premise of the book reeled me in, and the superb writing style kept me reading, but the story arc didn’t captivate me and the ending felt rushed. I did laugh out loud a couple of times though, and I really enjoyed the reimagining of beloved characters in a more developed and intelligent way.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Jade Linwood, Rebellion Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Disney meets John Tucker Must Die and The Other Women. I found this a fun romp where I enjoyed each of the "mini" stories on how Prince Charming conned these princesses and how he got his just desserts.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, this book was a DNF for me. I did skim through at least almost half of it, and I really did like the idea, but it fell flat for me. I liked the twist on fairytales and some of the humor, but overall, it just wasn’t for me at this time.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!), and this is my honest review.

Everything sounded so promising until I started reading...
1. I would call it middle-grade and not YA. It just... didn't feel very sophisticated or intellectual for YA. It reads like a tiktok, and feels very spoken.
2. The writing style bugged me so much. Sentences are jarring and overladed, it's like the author was trying too hard to write and it was just so tiring to read and sort through all the words of which half contributed to nothing to do with the lore building or character development.

Idea is great, story is great (but tiring to read) but the execution was not so great. Maybe will be better if it was a play or a musical.

This reads a lot like a teenage romantic comedy. One where all the women to take down the guy who's scorned them, played them off against each other and come out smelling of roses. I loved the subversion of stereotypical tropes. These princesses are not damsels, they're certainly not in distress, and they're out for revenge.

What really stood out was the world building. Think Shrek meets Ella Enchanted with a hodge podge of fantastical creatures and curses. There's a lot of thought that's gone into describing this world, creating a wonderful homey yet fantastical feel to it that sets up the story really well.

However, I do think more could have been done with the characters. Charming is, well charming, yet in a villainous way that doesn't make him endearing to the reader. He's mean, and rightly so, but I wanted to see how he came to be the way he is, and why he treats these princesses like dirt. I wanted more of a morally grey attitude rather than a parody. The princesses are seemed a bit similar too. I wanted more distinction, more fleshing out of their characteristics to make them their own.

Great world, and a fun story. But the characters needed just a bit more emotional depth to them for the story to pull of what it wanted to achieve.

I really loved the premise of this book. A fairy tale retelling where the princesses team up to stop the thieving Prince Charming is such a great idea. The magical realism and world building was also great in this book. I enjoyed each of the backstories of the Princesses although I did find myself wanting to get back to the current day plot at times. Unfortunately I did not connect with the story as much as I would have liked but it is still an enjoyable and fun retelling.

I love the idea of this book. First, Prince Charming is actually a thieving villain (yes!) and then the princesses all meet since they're in the same universe (yes!) and decide to team up to get revenge (so much yes!). I'm almost always up for a fairy tale retelling and love this type of twist.

The author does a great job of creating the world. Magic, fairies, demons, and dragons all exist, and everyone in the world lives with it. It's commonly accepted for princesses to have curses and need rescuing and no one bats an eye - that's just how the world works. Roland, the prince's sidekick, was a great character. I wanted more from him - he thought the prince was an idiot and wasn't afraid to tell him (sometimes in front of others). I understand why the author didn't give us more from Roland, but I would have loved more focused on him, besides that he smells.

Where the book fell short for me was that the characters felt flat. The author developed the world and knew the plot, but the characters felt like afterthoughts. Especially with how the stories were told, with each princess telling her story of how she got scammed (plus some bonus stories from other women who were scammed), it became tedious. There were enough differences between the 3 main characters' stories that it was mostly interesting, but I wanted to get through the backstory and get back to the main story and started sighing each "well, when I met Charming...."

The wrap up was very abrupt, especially after how slow the majority of the story was. It felt like the author realized she only had a limited number of pages left and threw it all in there. We learn why Charming is scamming everyone, but it didn't feel like enough - I wanted to know more about him and how he went from a prince to choosing to scam women (was that his first thought?). Or I wanted more on how the women were after they were scammed; that's another case where we get some information - for example, Bella is traveling - but it could have been fleshed out.

Also, the amount of similes the author used was like waves crashing over me and trying to drown me. The comparisons she used kept taking me out of the story since they were discordant to what was happening. You can say someone screamed without saying it was piercing like the wail of a cat. And once I noticed that, it made them stand out even more.

Overall, this is a decent retelling of the fairy tales. It's very creative and the world is well developed. Some parts need tightening while others need expanding, but it's a fun read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.

I went into this book blind. I knew the basic premise but not much else.

I will say that it was engaging and I finished it....but it was too much like a list. The first couple stories about what the prince did were interesting but after that I found it a bit repetitive to switch to a past view of what happened. I'm not a writer or an editor so I'm not sure what the solution is...maybe less detailed events or him deceiving people or shorter overviews of the women who dont end up being in the story?

I also wish I would have had more background on the prince and more development. It is almost refreshing that it didnt wrap up with him and Bella getting married and him changing his ways...but I think if the book shared more of his background along the way I would have cared more. Instead it was kind of forced in in the last few pages.

Overall I liked the characters. I liked Dr Repunzel and her new story and the addition of the imp, but it could use a little more editing and details to take it from a solid 3 book to a 4 or 5.