#Ashley Evercott

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Book Review: A Charming Hope by Ashley Evercott

In my opinion, the Frog Prince would be one of the hardest fairy tales to retell, but Ashley did such an incredible job of it in her book, A Charming Hope, the ninth book in the multi-author Hope Ever After series. Book blurb Can one find hope after heartbreak? After the woman he loved chooses his brother over him, Prince Devon vows to never love again. In a moment of anger, he insults the…

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Enchanting Fate - Book Review

Title: Enchanting Fate

Author: Ashley Evercott

Series: Fairy Tales of Gallia #1

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

** Thank you BookSirens and the author for access to this ARC. This is my honest review.**

Enchanting Fate is a fantastic Beauty and the Beast retelling. I enjoy retellings a great deal and was intrigued by the synopsis to this one that I'm so glad I chose to read it! From a debut author, this world blew me away with how intricate details were woven into it. From the characters to the world-building, and the presence of the original fairytale, Ashley Evercott succeeded in making this world its own within the boundaries of a retelling. This is a book told from four POVs, though mostly the two main characters Marguerite and Henri, and at no time did I find this confusing or hastily done. Each voice was clear and purposeful towards the story's progression, and I enjoyed having the insight from all four characters. I really appreciated both Marguerite and Henri's past storylines of struggles. Both have faced a great deal of suffering, and from the heavy expectations of sticking to propriety and birth status. Their families have caused pain that has been long-lasting on how they react to those around them, and I liked watching how they navigated their certain weaknesses in the company of each other and with those who have been kind to them, which helps uncover new desires for their futures. I also liked the level of honesty they established over time whilst enduring the curse. Seeing their building connection blossom into what it was in the ending made the angstier moments worth it. I have to admit that Isa didn't leave nearly a lasting impression on me as Claude did, and whilst I understood her feelings, she was my least enjoyed of the four voices in this novel. Claude, however, was a fantastic character and I enjoyed his thoughts, along with how he prompted action from both Marguerite and Henri along the way. The curse itself was cleverly strung together, woven in through some of the elements of the original fairytale and by Evercott's skilled imagination. I loved the change that everyone cursed was an animal of some sort, and how that continued to afflict changes the closer to the curse's culmination. I also enjoyed the addition of other fairytales used in some scenes, which again, knowing the plans for the next book in Fairy Tales of Gallia, was a neat touch by the author in setting up the overall series. Many times throughout reading Enchanting Fate, I was surprised this was a debut novel, from how well-thought the plot and characters were. Because of that, I marked it as an enjoyable 5 star read.

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Books Read in 2022

Here you can find a list of books I’ve read in 2022. Any reviews shared will be linked to the book title.

JANUARY

Kingdom of the Wicked - Kerri Maniscalco

The Mistake - Elle Kennedy

Kingdom of the Cursed - Kerri Maniscalco

The Crossing Gate - Asiel R Lavie

Dating Brooklyn - Peyton James

Serendipity - Anthology

You and Me on Vacation - Emily Henry

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby - Sarah Ready

The Lord of Stariel - AJ Lancaster

Falling For The Suitor - Holly Kerr

Daughter of Retribution - Wren Cartwright

What The Fang? - Stacey Kennedy 

Enchanting Fate - Ashley Evercott

The Soulmate Equation - Christina Lauren

From Blood and Ash - Jennifer L Armentrout

Hot Girl Summer - Sonia Palermo

Cop an Attitude - Hilary Grossman

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating - Christina Lauren 

To Hate Adam Connor - Ella Maise 

The 7 Rules of Moving On - Jess K Hardy

The Wrong Kind of Love - Lexi Ryan 

Fall With Me - Jennifer L Armentrout

Straight Up Love - Lexi Ryan

Dirty, Reckless Love - Lexi Ryan

FEBRUARY

Wrapped in Love - Lexi Ryan

Crazy For Your Love - Lexi Ryan

If It’s Only Love - Lexi Ryan

Not Without Your Love - Lexi Ryan

Dream of You - Jennifer L Armentrout

Second Star to the Left - Megan Van Dyke

House of Earth and Blood - Sarah J Maas

To Get to the Other Side - Kelly Ohlert

Lore Olympus Vol 1 - Rachel Symthe