{Exclusive Short Story+Review+Autographed Book Giveaway} TWIN ROSES [A Fairy Tale] by Sarah Cross and the final part of the tour-exclusive novella "Three Nights, Twelve Princesses, One Curse!"
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The first book about the world of Beau Rivage,
KILL ME SOFTLY,
is on sale for
$1.99
as an ebook!What a great deal!!!
Today, you get a special treat...
I'm both reviewing the novella TWIN ROSES and sharing the final part in a new novella from Sarah Cross,
"Three Nights, Twelve Princesses, One Curse,"
which is being shared exclusively through these tour stops.
Check out parts 1-5 here:
PART ONE - Two Chicks on Books
PART TWO - Magical Urban Fantasy Reads
PART THREE - Tales of the Ravenous Reader
PART FOUR - Du Livre
PART FIVE - A Glass of Wine
PART SIX - A Backwards Story
And now, get ready to read the final part of
"Three Nights, Twelve Princesses, One Curse!"
And now, my review of TWIN ROSES!
O P E N I N G L I N E:
When you did a fairy-tale theme in Beau Rivage, you did it all the way.
Ruby Ramble brewed coffee and chatted with customers while her twin sister, Pearl, mixed batter and shaped cookies in the kitchen. The sisters' curse had inspired the theme for their mother's café, and they were as much a part of the atmosphere as the decor. Ruby with her bright red lipstick, Pearl with the dusting of flour on her braided hair and dark brown skin.
(pg. 6, US e-book edition)
I've also reviewed the FREE online novella about Beau Rivage, AFTER THE BALL. The main characters from this one made a fun cameo!
Author Sarah Cross has also created some fun guest posts for Fairy Tale Fortnight and Splash into Summer that you can read now: The Fairy Tale Princess You Don't Want to Be, White as Snow, Red as Blood, Perfect for a Retelling (This one is about TEAR YOU APART!), Edible Mermaids: Ningyo and Rumiko Takahashi's Mermaid Saga
There can never be too many books set in the world of Beau Rivage. I feel very spoiled lately, because Sarah Cross came out with two new stories back to back. After reading KILL ME SOFTLY when it first came out, I found the free novella "After the Ball" on Cross' website. And then...nothing. Last month, Cross released a brand-new novella, "Twin Roses," and this month, a new full-length novel, TEAR YOU APART. During this blog tour, we've been given another new novella, which I'm lucky enough to share with you today (See above). I hope Cross continues to come out with new novels and novellas set in this world, even if she self-publishes them after this month's news that Egmont USA is closing its doors. (Especially Beauty and the Beast. I need one after all these hints!)TWIN ROSES is the most traditional of all the Beau Rivage stories I've encountered so far. It alao has the least amount of darkness. It explores Happily Ever After, when curses work just as they should. But at the same time, it explores more nuanced themes, as I've come to expect from Cross. In the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, though both sisters befriend a bear (who is, in truth, a cursed prince), only one of the sisters, Snow White, can live Happily Ever After with him after the enchantment ends. Rose Red is granted the consolation prize of marrying the bear prince's brother. Both sisters become princesses and live Happily Ever After. But can it be Happily Ever After if only one sister wins her childhood friend's heart?
Pearl and Ruby Ramble are twins who share everything. Their mother trained them to always share, and there's nothing that doesn't belong to both of them, not even their childhood bear friend. But as they grow older and their fairy tale ending is upon them, there's one thing they can't share: The heart of a prince. Will the sisters let the promise of Happily Ever After come between them?
Cross gives readers Happily Ever After in the most traditional sense, while also exploring the hearts and desires of the secondary characters so often left behind in fairy tales. We never think twice about their wishes, and all of that is turned upside down. What is Happily Ever After? Is it more important than family?If you're looking for a quick fairy tale read rooted in tradition and set in the enchanting world of Beau Rivage, TWIN ROSES won't disappointed. It can easily be read in one sitting, and there are nods to a few characters previously met in various other Beau Rivage stories (introduced in a spoiler-free way!). I also loved the idea of a themed café. I already wish Beau Rivage was a real place...but now I really do because I want to visit the Ramble family's amazing café! The atmosphere in this short story is lovely and imaginative.
I really love how every Beau Rivage story from Cross has new themes to explore, and digs into the truth behind Happily Ever After and whether or not the notion is sustainable in today's world. I can't wait to see what elements Cross introduces us to next!
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C O N T E N T R A T I N G S
Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details
Romance: G ( Very tame! Mild touching )
Language: --
Violence: G ( A mild scene with a dwarf getting into trouble )
Violence: G ( A mild scene with a dwarf getting into trouble )
Other: --
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C O V E R D E S I G N:
I like that the curly leaves and thorns were brought back from the KILL ME SOFTLY and TEAR YOU APART covers, which ties them all together and adds a pretty, fairy tale-esque touch to the cover.
The inclusion of the two roses is very appropriate and works well for the story's contents.
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O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: TWIN ROSES
Author: Sarah Cross
Author: Sarah Cross
Release Date: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Egmont USA
Received: Purchased
Received: Purchased
SUMMARY:
A modern retelling of Snow White and Rose Red in the world of KILL ME SOFTLY and TEAR YOU APART for fans of Once Upon a Time and Maleficent.
Pearl and Ruby have always shared everything, including their Snow White and Rose Red curse. When they were little kids, that meant sharing Pop-Tarts and cartoons with Theo, the enchanted bear prince who came to visit them every winter, and then disappeared from their lives.
And at seventeen, sharing is still their way of life—clothes, double dates, part-time jobs at their mom’s cafe, Twin Roses.
And then the harbinger of the second half of their curse shows up—the annoying man who caused the bear prince to be cursed in the first place who they must help if their prince—their fated love—is to return to their lives in human form, and they’re ecstatic.
But the sisters forgot one little detail. There are two of them, and only one Theo. And now only one of the sisters can have the happy ending.
Author: Sarah Cross
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Egmont USA
SUMMARY:
An edgy fairy tale retelling of Snow White set in the world of KILL ME SOFTLY for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.
Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?
POP CULTURE CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF TWISTING FAIRY TALES: ABC's Once Upon a Time and NBC's Grimm continue to pull in high ratings. And with the anticipated Angelina Jolie Maleficent (2014), the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods (2014), and Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella (2015), Hollywood is infected with fairy tale fever.
CAMEOS FROM FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Viv, who first appeared in KILL ME SOFTLY trailed by her brooding boy-toy Henley, takes center stage in this new Beau Rivage tale. Other familiar characters including Blue and Jewel are back to help her defy her destiny.
TEENS LOVE THIS FAIRY TALE WORLD: KILL ME SOFTLY was a 2013 YALSA Teens' Top 10. Readers have been clamoring for a sequel.
A FRESH TAKE ON THE FAMILIAR: Drawing on Snow White, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Rumpelstiltskin, TEAR YOU APART is very conscious of the way these stories have pervaded pop culture, twisting known tropes into an exciting new story that can stand on its own.
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****Giveaway*****
Enter to win...
Win (1) of TEN signed copies of TEAR YOU APART by Sarah Cross
US/Canada Only.
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