This was my first fairytale retelling - but what hooked me in wanting to read it was the fact that it was a Sleeping Beauty Retelling, but also had Fae, witches and Dragons I mean what more could you want, and I really enjoyed reading this one.

I found that I flew through this book, with a storyline that draws you in, world building that makes you wish you could visit the courts and takes you on the journey with our 2 MCs.

I liked the dynamics of the 2 MCs with Aurelias - fierce protectiveness of those around her and herself ( which does come across as very argumentative and defensive which can annoy people) and Fenns playfulness getting under her skin and slowly learning to trust him. I do hope that there might be another book with these 2 as the MCs as they learn to be the rulers they can be and see more development from them.

It has a few tropes, enemies to lovers, strained relationships, fake relationships, secrets, and more!

It's the first book i've read by R.L Perez, and it won't be my last.

If you are looking for a book with magic, dragons, action, romance, and more, then I would recommend adding this to your tbr

Sleeping Beauty was my favourite fairy tale as a kid so I was really excited to read this book ✨

I enjoyed the nods towards the movie like the fairies, Mal the dragon & the sleeping curse. However, it was still its own original story. The movie is very Knight in shining armour, but I enjoyed how Aurelia can hold her own in this story.

This book for the most part felt more YA to me than new adult. The smut felt out of place with the rest of the book and it was added to make it New Adult.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read

As a sleeping beauty retelling this book did well, introducing new ideas and twists, diverting from the original story and making this book stand out in its own right.
There were multiple plots/subplots and themes happening at the same time, and around the 250 page mark I was worried about whether they could all be tied up properly by the end of the book. Whilst a few parts felt slightly rushed, the author did manage this very well.
The FMC was slightly difficult to like at times, being argumentative and aggressive with little explanation, however, this fit her character well when you learn more of her past struggles.
The MMC went through a lot of growth through this book, starting out as a spoilt princeling shirking responsibility and ending up realising his faults. I respect the way that the author achieved this, and felt that the dual POV really helped his progression.
Something of note for me was the consent practices and signposting, this was refreshing to see. It made me respect the characters even at times when I was questioning them!
Overall I enjoyed this book, and felt that the author achieved a unique concept and executed the twists and turns very well.

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!*

4.25/5 stars

I love a good retelling of a fairy tale, and this was done well! If you love Fourth Wing and dragons and royalty and magic with a small bit of fairytales, then this book is for you!

This book didn't keep me up at night wanting to read, but it did keep me coming back. Once we were in the Star Court, I was FULLY on board. I cannot wait for the next book!

This is the first book I’ve read from RL Perez and I really enjoyed it. The book is a Sleeping Beauty re-imagining, centered on Aurelia and Fenn. Aurelia and Fenn are from opposing fae kingdoms and they strike a bargain to help each other. They must journey together to Fenn’s kingdom and along the way they fall in love. The spicy scenes are spicy and the twists and turns in the plot kept me interested, even though I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. It’s a stand alone story so everything is wrapped up by the end of the book, which I really liked. Oh, and there are dragons, which is always a plus. Be mindful of triggers as there is discussion of past SA in this book at several points.

A SLEEPING BEAUTY RETELLING? Say less!!

This book was SO GOOD! R.L. Perez did an exceptional job weaving in hints of the original story while keeping the story unique.

I loved the characters and the pacing of the story kept me captivated throughout the entirety of the book.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ms. Perez's publishing team for allowing me an arc copy to enjoy in exchange for an honest review

First fantasy I've ever read and I absolutely loved it. There was just enough spice 🌶️ and fairytale. I loved the retelling of Sleeping Beauty and the ending was absolutely 🤌 chef's kiss. But the relationship with the dragons that carried Aurelia throughout the book was absolutely wonderful. I will definitely be adding more of R.L's books to my TBR list.

If you love fairy tales and grew up wanting to be a princess, this is for you!

Loved this Sleeping Beauty retelling. I found this book was beautifully written an beautifully articulated the romance aspect. The chemistry and banter between Aurelia and Fennick was perfection. It had all of the fantasy beings in it from ogres to dragons, fae and more. It was such a great world to imagine. The characters were great and were greatly developed. Devoured this book and loved every minute

🚨Please check trigger warnings

Crown of Slumber surprised me. I've never read a retelling before so I didn't know what to expect going into this boc really enjoyed this. As a beginner re-telling reader, I think that the twist on Sleeping Beauty is implemented nicely. It doesn’t feel like a copy of Sleeping Beauty at any point :) Although this is a standalone, the development of the story doesn’t feel rushed in the slightest. I did guess a lot of the plot twists because of the clues that the author leaves but I love being right sooo. The world-building and magic system are great, uncomplicated but still fun. And this book is so fast-paced wow! There is always something going on whether its angst and romance or new revelations and mystery so that was amazing. However, I felt that the climax was anticlimactic. The villain was not well-established in my opinion so I didn't feel the anxiety situation and the ending felt abrupt, almost as if more was intended to be written but ultimately let go of.

My favourite part was obviously Aurelia and Fennick! Their chemistry is so good, as soon as they learn each others identity we go into a great enemies-to-lovers dynamic. I loved the back and forth they have between hate and love, it was this interesting slow burn that I have never read before. Their banter is so cute and had me giggling and kicking my feet so much - there isn't that much of it but when it does come up it's a joy! Although my one critique of them is that it all happened very fast. Does it feel fast? No, but the author does mention multiple times that this is happening over a week and there is no way two sworn enemies fell in love that fast...but alas I still adored Aurelia and Fenn. Fenn is such a gentleman in this book, he's patient and understanding but also really witty and playful. Aurelian is also a sweet character - I love how much she cares for her family and kingdom and how much she is willing to sacrifice for them. Overall, very well-written characters.

You're probably asking why I have such a high rating for a book that I find many faults in but the feel of this book is just so captivating and exciting and despite all the downsides, I could not put this down.

✨ Includes:
Enemies-to-lovers
Angst & banter
Major plot twists & mystery
Fae & witches & dragons

Thank you to NetGalley, R.L. Perez and Willow Haven Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Crown of Slumber
By R.L. Perez
Via NetGalley

4.5 ⭐ 2🌶️

Tropes:
Slow Burn - Fairytale Retelling - Enemies to Lovers -New Adult Romance

Main Characters:
Aurelia and Fenn

Stand out lines/quotes:
Fenn - “That dress is a far more dangerous weapon than any dagger you’ve threatened me with”
~~~~~
F- "My love will shine through the night, guiding you home to me”
A- “Even when the stars go dark”

My Thoughts:
I LOVED this take on Sleeping Beauty! It was very different and so so so good! I tend to be skeptical of retellings of Disney fairytales because I love the original ones so much but this spin on it was different enough that it didn’t ruin the original for me. The elements from the original storyline that were brought into this storyline were so well thought out and so well placed that now I need to go back and read R.L.Perez’s other retellings and any future ones! I am officially a fan now!

Thank you NetGalley and Willow Haven Press for sending me the ARC and giving me the opportunity to review this book.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed stepping into this world. The world building was done beautifully with the chance to get to know three very different courts. The nod to sleeping beauty and the magical elements of this story kept me wanting to continue. The connection Princess Aurelia had with her dragons was everything and I will forever think of them as giant puppies!!
I was pleasantly surprised with this story and enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I read this book in just one day. It was well written and a delightful story. Dragons, witches, kingdoms, and a bada** heroine. The writing was well done with enough world building to understand without being daunting- it flowed and was exciting the whole way. While some elements are familiar from other fantasies and you could in some instances guess what was coming next it was still an amazing light and refreshing read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sleeping beauty retelling, dragons, witches and fae? Yes please.

This book is a multi POV between our two MCs, which I love. Aurilia is the princess of the summer court and needs something to help her kingdom and her baby dragon, the only place she can get this help is the midnight court. Fenn is the prince of the midnight court and he also needs something to help his kingdom, you guessed it, from the summer court. But there’s one problem. The two courts are mortal enemies and they have to work together to save their kingdoms.

I really enjoyed this retelling there was parts you could see the sleeping beauty story but this is its own, a world of fae, witches, curses, dragons and magic. If you like a book with all these things then this is the one for you.

The word building and the imagery you get for the different kingdoms is easy to follow unlike some other high fae books, the romance is just right and the spice is ok. I liked the banter between our MCs and the dragons are adorable.

I would definitely recommend this book, overall it’s an enjoyable read and I give it 3.5/5 ⭐️

Right from the start, this book grabbed me tight, pulled me in, and didn't let go. In my opinion, it was such an incredible twist on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale with the perfect amount of romance, spice, and plot.

This is such a unique sleeping beauty retelling. The story was refreshing whilst still keeping the classic feeling to the tale. The world building was fantastic, I could imagine the courts with the way in which they were described so beautifully. A beautiful slow burn romance between 2 enemies from different courts.

So I think the book was entertaining as most of this author’s books. I think that the author did well at selling the relationship between our main characters as “believable”. Both characters had inner monologues- that described their three-dimensional motivations and backstories that didn't need/involve the other. The plot and world-building was interesting too! I liked the lore of the world and the magic/powers of each of the creatures/people we were introduced to. I enjoyed the disagreements. Our characters were attracted to each other from the jump and I appreciated the book was super fast paced and easy to read. The last maybe 70 pages felt a little dragged out and I felt could have been wrapped up better.

Loved this book. A perfect play on sleeping beauty. For me Aurelia was an updated sleeping beauty, I loved that she was powerful FMC and didn’t need a prince to save her. Also DRAGONS! Which always makes a book better. Adored the world and the characters. This book included some of my favourite tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- one bed
-he falls first
- who did this to you?
- Amazing banter!
Can’t wait to read more by R.L. Perez

First, thank you to R.L. Perez and Willow Haven Press for an ARC to this wonderful story!

Crown of Slumber is a retelling of my favorite Disney princess story but with dual POV's, lots of twists, and sexy scenes . R.L. Perez put a spin to a classic story and its characters. Aurelia and Finn got me hooked and looking forward to their love story and happy ever after.

Aurelia is a strong, powerful, caring character with secrets that begin to reveal themselves more and more, especially as she spends more time with Finn. Finn is a charming, witty, and clever character with secrets of his own. Together they go on a dangerous missions to save their kingdoms from war and evil magic. They were never supposed to fall in love for real but as they unravel mysteries, face dangers, and betrayals they start to really see each other for who and what they really are. If you like some sexy scenes there are a few very sexy and descriptive scenes (the forest ;)) that add to the two main characters fiery relationship.

I loved the way R. L. Perez described all the courts and gave each their own look, traditions, and history, especially Aurelia and Finns kingdoms. I especially liked how R.L. Perez described how Finn helped Aurelia through her panic attacks, as she went through a traumatic experience before meeting Finn. As someone who has experienced anxiety attacks that can quickly turn to panic attacks, especially when dealing with it alone, I like how Finn kept Aurelia with him and talked to her through her attack making it easier to keep her grounded and ease her breathing to relax. I am not a fan of multiple POV's but I think Perez did it just right, giving just the right amount of information in each of the characters POV.

Crown of Slumber is book 1 of Crowns of the Fae series and I can't wait to read the next one and the kind of spin R.L. Perez will put on it.

Favorite Qoute(s)/ Line(s)-

"Firebird," I said. "You're a firebird. It accounts for your flaming temper and your need to fly." - Prince Finn.

Are you a fan of romantasy? Then you'll like this book.

I thought the world building was great. At times, I found the writing to be rather juvenile and thought that some of the characters acted strangely just for the sake of drama. I found the FMC difficult to like, but the MMC was very likeable. Despite these criticisms, I was entertained the whole way through the book, and didn't put it down. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Aurelia has lived for hundreds of years and she doesn’t remember her past whatsoever. There are witches that make her forget or ‘reset’ her memories quite a bit.

When she learns of a sleeping curse that is going around her down, she teams up with a Prince to save her family. His kingdom has the only source of the cure, Stardust. He has her pose as his betrothed to make the alliance believable.

They start to have a fake relationship with usually leads with tension, angst, banter, etc etc.

I enjoyed this book for what it was (a sleeping beauty retelling) and I wouldn’t say it was my most favorite read but it definitely wasn’t the worst either.

The writing just seemed mediocre during some of the scenes and it just never made sense to me during some of it.

There were some times where some of the things in the book just didn’t make any sense at all. And some scenes that just felt like they didn’t belong at all. It almost made me want to skip to the end but I persevered and so glad I did!

- Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review -