(Review) Utterly Charming

Title: Utterly Charming
Author: Kristine Grayson
Publisher:Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pub Date: October 2011
Pages: 320

Source: I received an Advanced Readers Copy from publisher for my honest review.

About the Book:
Bestselling author Kristine Grayson’s fairy tale romances bring the classic stories into the present day, where fairy tale characters must grapple with the complexities of modern life as well as their own destinies.

This time when Sleeping Beauty wakes up, she wants nothing to do with the man who kissed her. Consoling Alex Blackstone, the rejected suitor who is a brilliant magician but inept when it comes to women, falls to modern career woman and lawyer, Nora Barr. Nora now has to deal with Beauty’s evil stepmother, and the discovery that Alex just might be her own personal Prince Charming…

This is the second book in Kristine’s contemporary fantasy trilogy based on classic fairy tales. The first one is Wickedly Charming and the third one is Thoroughly Kissed (which I think will be a continuation of the Sleeping beauty tale).  Kristine writes about classic fairy tales but with a modern day twist.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for bringing these books to the US. I am so excited that I have discovered another author that I love reading her books and can’t wait to read them as soon as I get them.

 Utterly Charming is about the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. This was one of my favorite fairy tales growing up. What little girl doesn’t dream about being put to sleep only to be woken up by a handsome prince charming?

The book opens up with ten years ago. Nora is a young attorney running her own practice but honestly is barely making it and is on the verge of loosing it all if she doesn’t get some new clients. Its almost like a blessing in disguise when we are introduced to Aethelstan Blackstone and his associate Sancho Panza. They are in need of an attorney and one they know they can trust.

Well following from where the classic fairy tale sort of leaves off we find out that Sleeping Beauty (Emma) is apparently Aethlestan (Alex’s) sole mate and they are to be together forever but it seems that Emma’s guardian, Ealhswith has decided to back out of the arrangement and wants nothing more to do with him.

Aethlestan realizes that he has to fight for Emma and her well being. Nora listens to them but quickly dismisses them because there isn’t a case there. Thinking this is the last time she will see them she is quickly mistaken because shortly after that meeting she is contacted by Sancho for help. It appears as though Aethlestan has been arrested for burning up a neighborhood and that there might possibly be a murder involved.

Unsure on how she wants to approach the situation she calls in her friend, Max who is another lawyer and they went to law school together. Max goes to meet Aethlestan in jail and he gets the dirt on Aethlestan and quickly needs to speak with Nora so that he can share it with her. Sancho’s also needs Nora to hide a microbus and has given her enough money to cover the next ten years and then some and all she has to do is keep this microbus hidden and not look inside. Nora remains true to this because she realizes there is enough money to keep her practice open.

Then ten years to the day of meeting the duo she is plagued by terrible dreams and goes to the garage to look inside the microbus. Its there that she seems a glass coffin with someone inside it with instructions on what to do. Nora follows them to a tee and Sleeping Beauty is awaken.

Although things don’t go according to plan with these characters. Will Sleeping Beauty be able to handle living in the 21st century?

I absolutely loved the book and I admit to reading it all in one sitting. It was a fun and quick read. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Thanks so much Sourcebooks for sending this to me.