Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me the opportunity to read "Charming" by Jade Linwood. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to enjoying this book. I am a sucker for fairy tale characters, reimaginings, and retellings. And this story seemed to have princess bride and into the woods type of vibes, except for it did not hold my attention, I found myself easily confused, lost and struggled to keep pushing myself to get into the story. Others might enjoy this more than I did, but I felt disappointed..

What a wonderfully weird and weirdly wonderful book this is, full to the brim of all the folk that we love and hate from the fairy tales of our childhood. Jade does a lovely job of putting them all together so that they mesh, mash and clash in all sorts of ways whilst telling the story of how Prince Charming only is in name.

Much as I had fun reading Charming, I could not bring myself to offer 4 stars but think it is worth more than 3 and would suggest that this is an excellent Summer holiday read.

*DNF @ 42%*

There were some of the fairytale retellings which were good and I enjoyed, however a good portion of them I found lacking something. Either they didn’t suit the fairytale to me, or they just weren’t captivating enough to keep my interest.

In the end, I just wasn’t enjoying this book as much as I thought I would, and decided not to finish it. I can definitely see why this would suit some people though, so make sure to check out other reviews before you read.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion for my copy of this e-ARC, in return for an honest review.

As others have said, this book is sort of a Shrek/Hoodwinked type deal with multiple fairytale characters who interact. I expected this to be a fun revenge heist with feminist themes, and for the most part it lived up to the description.

What I didn't like:
-The book drops us right into the action, starting with Prince Charming pulling off one of his scams. I think these types of starts can be really good when well done, but risk being confusing, and unfortunately I was pretty confused as to what was happening.
-I thought giving all the princesses backgrounds and names inspired by different European countries was sort of an odd choice. For a book that relies on the reader having knowledge of princess stories, adding another influence was a lot and sort of random?
-The ending wasn't very climactic. The build-up was interesting but the final confrontation felt hollow.
-The backstories of the Snow White and Rapunzel characters were very long. While it gave a lot of insight into their characters, I was tapping my foot waiting to get to the heist part of the story.
-The heist wasn't really a heist? Kind of more of a series of confrontations? It was like there were multiple mini climaxes.

What I liked:
-I was honestly a little worried this would be a 'girlboss' book (for lack of a better descriptor) with badass women with no flaws and smarmy men with no redeeming qualities, but I was pleasantly surprised! The women are very well written with diverse motivations and flaws. And Charming and his buddy Roland are fun to read, with some complexity as well.
-The banter between Charming and Roland was really funny, I wanted more of it.
-Often lyrically written with beautiful descriptions of the environment and emotions.

While I think the plot needed some more work, I recommend this book for fans of fairytale retellings, complex female characters, and funny banter.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Charming. This was a mix of lots of stories and fairy tales and was a lot more interesting than I had expected.

Charming is a funny and chaotic take on retellings of the Grimm fairytales, where happy ever after with Prince Charming is the last thing, a Princess wants.

Roguish and handsome, Charming saves the damsel in distress, while emptying out their coffers. After one too many heists, three of his victims decide to get revenge.

The story was funny and well executed. There have been many comparisons to Shrek, but I would add 10th Kingdom into the mix too. It was quirky and fun, with magic and mayhem added into the mix to be a very entertaining read.

Although the character’s backgrounds were explored well and the world building was spot on, the character development itself felt a little flat. Their interactions with Charming in their separate tales didn’t quite capture the adoration they had towards him for the betrayal to completely pay off. The tales were a little rushed so that Charming’s development didn’t quite happen and he remained one-dimensional. Their need for revenge didn’t quite go beyond him being a cad who liked to twirl his moustache like a silent movie villain.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the e-ARC.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While the premise was interesting I didn’t connect with the characters or the story in a meaningful manner. Some books just aren’t for us, and that’s alright.

Sorry DNF
I found the writing style and language used to be a little immature and this did distract me from the story. This may be due to personal taste so apologies for not finishing this.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Charming checked so many boxes for me. I don't think I've highlighted any other book as much as I highlighted lines from Charming. If it was a physical copy my highlighter would've run out of ink.
It was so...dare I say? Charming.
Charming is an absolute despicable character, in the best way. From his unmatched grace and vanity, to his unparalleled arrogance. He is the epitome of every Prince Charming ever, although he most resembles Prince Charming from Shrek.
The princesses, and one distinguished doctor, are fantastic. I love the twist on their stories making them strong, resilient, and absolutely brilliant, while still letting them be soft and caring. Our main princesses are a take on Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty. Each one of them has their own storyline while also having an over reaching arc as a group. We also get to meet a feisty Cinderella and a whole host of other scorned princesses.
Roland is the star of the story and I will not be accepting other opinions on that. Thank you.
There are some issues with pacing once the princesses are together and on their journey. Things are happening and the prose is fantastic, the story is clear... then suddenly it's mumble mumble things are still happening... and then back to clear story and we got here some how? It’s such a small part of the overall story and did not distract from my overall enjoyment.
I am curious if it will be a standalone since it ends in a way that leaves it open to a sequel, not on a cliffhanger but with questions that could be answered.

I was expecting this story to unspool through Charming’s viewpoint, given the beginning. So I was pleasantly surprised when we got the next slice of the adventure through Marie Blanche de Neige’s viewpoint (Snow White, in case you’re wondering). It’s all very well done, with nice twists that plays with our foreknowledge and tweaks our assumptions. There is also deftness with the mashing up of the various stories so it doesn’t graunch – I was particularly fond of the plotline surrounding Rumpelstiltskin, which had me chuckling aloud.

The writing is slick and accomplished and the characters are well done. I liked that the two older female protagonists definitely have edges and Bella’s sweet and obliging nature is regarded as a bit of a disappointment that, hopefully, she’ll grow out of. As for the denouement – I had a strong feeling that I knew where this was all going, until it went somewhere else entirely. That’s always my favourite sort of plot twist. I finished this one with a happy mixture of pleasure and a little bit of sadness that I’d come to the end of a thoroughly entertaining time with some wonderfully familiar characters – but not as I’d previously known them. Highly recommended for fans of fairytale retelling adventures. While I obtained an arc of Charming from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

This was such a good premise, but a let down in the execution. It felt like a fun fairytale that everything connected very conveniently. I wish there was more of a tie in with the chapters, they felt like they jumped from scene to scene

LOVED this!!! Definitely needing to order a physical copy so I can reread it. This was fresh but new all at the same time. If you are looking for a cozy fantasy romance I highly suggest checking it out.

As a fan of fractured fairy tales/twisted fairy tales/fairy tale retellings, I was SO excited for this book. Unfortunately, it just fell flat for me. I had to really push myself to keep reading page by page. The retellings were still pretty close to the original, but hunting down Charming just didn't seem worth it. In his line of destruction, how did no one communicate and warn other kingdoms about his thievery and deception?

Independently, the characters didn't seem to have much depth. My favorite pleasant surprise came at the end with Roland...but that was too little too late.

Overall: 2.5 stars

I'll tell my students about: magic, language, trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion, Solaris for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Fantastic fun fairytale adventure of revenge. I found the three protagonists to be all equally interesting and yet so distinct, it was great seeing how they processed Charmings betrayal so differently and how they chose to move forwards. The way different fairytales have been adapted is brilliant, so refreshing and i feel moves away from the usual tropes found in many fairytale retellings, I can't say too much without spoilers but they're all such distinct settings and backgrounds.
The only thing i disliked was the ending, it didn't feel super satisfying, although i acknowledge it's setting up for a continuation of the story so i can understand that.

Overall it was a really enjoyable story, with excellent characters and world building.

A funny and refreshing read that unfortunately fell flat in the end. I loved the idea of Prince Charming being a con man and the "damsels in distress" coming together to get back at him. The retellings of the different fairytales were entertaining, but it all ended very unsatisfyingly. Nothing was really resolved.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Rebellion Solaris for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Charming’ by Jade Linwood.

The novel opens at the briar-surrounded castle where Lady Bella Lucia dei’ Sogni has lain for a hundred years in an enchanted sleep. Prince Jean-Marc Charming Arundel, known to all as Prince Charming, has come to the castle accompanied by his valet, Roland. Charming dutifully fulfils his role and after Bella awakes, secures the blessing of the King to wed her. So then they live happily ever after? Well, not quite. …

It turns out that Charming is actually a gifted con man, who has been travelling from one kingdom to the next, rescuing endangered princesses and maidens. Then after securing their troths, he loots their fathers’ treasuries and is well on his way before the dawn.

The distressed Bella is approached by two of Charming’s previous victims, Princess Marie Blanche de Neige, whose stepmother tried to poison her with an apple, and the sorceress, Doctor Emilia Rapunzel, who had been imprisoned by Mother Hilda, a witch. They suggest a way for all three to gain revenge and retrieve their lost treasures.

The three young women embark on their mission and along the way there are encounters with dragons, a fox queen, and various representatives of the Good Folk.

This comic fantasy delights in playing with familiar fairy tale tropes. The publishers have draw comparisons with ‘Shrek’ and I felt this was apt. Given the caddish role of Prince Charming, it also evoked memories for me of ‘Into the Woods’, though in that musical there were two Princes.

Overall, I found ‘Charming’ an entertaining romp and felt that Jade Linwood demonstrated a keen appreciation of the original tales and clearly had great fun subverting them.

Sadly this book wasn't for me, I liked the writing style and it was good but I just didn't vibe with it personally.

This is the second rogue-ish fairytale mashup that I’ve read in 2023 and I must say, I like this microtrend. Charming tells the tale of three women fleeced by the handsome titular prince and how they work together to exact their revenge. The initial 30-40% of the story introduces us to Lady Bella dei’ Sogni, Doctor Emilia Rapunzel, and Princess Marie Blanche de la Neige and the various circumstances by which they were saved by Prince Charming and were then subsequently robbed.
I appreciated the opportunity to get such a detailed backstory for each of our leading ladies and found each of them to be likable characters, though Lady Bella always tried to see the good in a person and it made her seem terribly naive. This did, however, throw off the pacing because we spend so long fleshing out Bella, Rapunzel, and Marie Blanche’s histories that everything seems to move far too quickly once they actually set off to enact their revenge on Charming.
Prince Charming himself has a somewhat vague backstory and he’s mostly just presented as a smooth talking con-man who’s largely successful thanks to his magical sidekick Roland. Yes, he’s certainly brave enough to rescue these three ladies (and so many more) from unfortunate circumstances but he’s naught but a scoundrel. For my tastes, he was too shallow to be a proper villain. I wish he had been given enough of a past to make me feel like he was more than a cardboard cut out of a handsome con-man. Even the bit towards the end that explains his motivation behind all the elaborate rescues and robberies was too little too late.
This was a fun read that kept me entertained the entire six days it took me to read this thanks to a suddenly very busy schedule. Despite my slow progress, I found I wanted to come back and pick this up to see what would happen next. While this isn’t going to make any favorites lists, I had a good time reading it and I think it would make a fun beach read!

I got 50% of the way through this book and have decided to DNF.

I really loved the concept of fairytales meets John Tucker Must Die. But I will say that the second half of that comparison hasn't felt like it really started yet and I got halfway through.

I was super curious about this when I started reading, and I did like that the princesses were based on ones that we know, but they never felt fully formed.

I also didn't like that Roland has such horrible descriptors. It felt like he was belittled and beaten down for no reason. And to make it worse, there was another mention of people who were disabled, but a slur was used.

I wanted to give this book one more chance, but nothing is really happening, and I woke up this morning knowing that I just couldn't finish.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disappointing. I feel like this premise could make a great film, but the execution here just wasn’t it. It sort of feels like the author got so caught up in their own premise that they forgot they needed to actually write the rest of the story!

The best descriptor I can come up with for this book is flat, and the biggest problem was that there was absolutely no character development. I get that they’re all meant to be fairytale archetypes, but they should still be able to be three-dimensional people at the same time.

The third person omniscient writing style also made the problem worse. Again, it was trying to mimic the patterns of old folk tales, but it just ended up completely emotionless, and made me feel very removed from the characters and their feelings.

Plus, based on the synopsis, I was expecting this to be a story of female friendship, when in actual fact the three heroines spent the whole book sniping at each other for the same things over and over, which got repetitive and frustrating very fast.

The plot also felt very rushed, and the payoff only left me with more questions. If I thought the heroines were flat, Charming himself was paper-thin, and I never really felt like I understood his motivations or how he got to where he was.

CW: emotional abuse, gaslighting