Prince Tennyson

By Jenni James

This captivating story is about a ten-year-old girl who is trying to prove if God is real or not. Her dad died in Iraq the year before and now she wants to know if she’ll ever see him again. Prince Tennyson was his nickname because of how dashing he looked in his uniform—he was her handsome prince. This is an endearing father-daughter story told through the eyes of a ten-year-old. It is a story of overcoming trials, moving on, and finding not only faith in yourself, but in a loving God as well.

I’ve read Jenni James’s Timeless Fairy Tale series and enjoyed most of them, so when I saw she wrote a book about a little girl searching for the answer to “is God real?” because she wants to see her father who died in Iraq, I knew I wanted to read it. Especially when I saw the high ratings it’s gotten, if only just under a hundred ratings on Goodreads. This was a cute and simultaneously sensitive story about loss and the need to know what’s next. Chelsea loved her Dad more than anything, and she has to figure out how to help her mom smile again, make sure her two little siblings don’t forget their Prince, and she desperately wants to know if she’ll get a hug from her Dad again. It’s a faith-affirming and sweet book about family and love that never ends. I liked it, but it was a little predictable (me having read a lot of similar short stories).

I give it a 3.25 out of 5 

Peter Pan

By Jenni James

Peter Pan needs help, and he’s convinced the effervescent Wendy Darling is just the girl to champion his cause. Ever since the mischievous fairy Tinker Bell began recruiting—more like, snatching—boys from London’s orphanages to take them to a magical place called Neverland, things have gotten out of hand. Captain Hook has only become more violent and the boys more lost as their memories of life before Neverland begin to fade. Peter’s only hope is to get the boys back to England and hep bring balance to Neverland before Hook’s dangerous escapades kill them all.

Wendy is not quite certain why such a handsome young man would need her—especially a lad who clearly has a touch of madness in him. What boy learns to fly? But whatever the reason, home life has become too much for her now that her parents are hoping she marries an acquaintance she can barely abide. There is something about Peter Pan that intrigues her greatly, and then there is this magical world he talks about, this Neverland…

First of all, I was perturbed when I discovered that this was a two-parter (or more, not sure as of yet). This deals with the first time Peter meets Wendy and takes her to Neverland. Interestingly, Peter is older, about 18, and he is trying to save the lost boys by bringing them home to London, which they are starting to forget. The fairies are not benevolent, the pirates are evil and definitely try to kill the boys, Peter especially. Peter immediately falls for Wendy, and Wendy, a properly raised high-born girl, cannot help but be intrigued by this disheveled young man who flies and steals kisses from her with grins. I’ve read a fair few retellings of Peter Pan and haven’t really found one that I’d recommend, though I tend to lean toward the ones that portray Hook as the ‘good guy’ and Peter as the antagonist. This was fun to read and I’ll probably end up reading the sequel when I’m bored one day. It’s not going to be a feverish attempt to get it as soon as it comes out though.

I give it a 3 out of 5

The Little Mermaid

By Jenni James

Is grass truly greener than ocean blue?

Pearl has always dreamed of visiting the land of humans, to walk with them, eat with them, and learn everything she can from them. But no one in the North Seas agrees with her. In fact, they are all convinced that the landfolk are a dangerous, scary group of people who would harm the mermaid if they could.

Keel, the great merprince of the North Seas, has never loved anyone as much as he loves Pearl. He knows of her fascination with mankind and realizes she will never be truly settled until she has walked among the humans. So he finally relents, giving her a potion to grow legs of her own so she can experience the world above the water. He vows to come on land and protect her, as he doesn’t trust humans and never will.

While this fairy tale retelling was more engaging than Jenni’s Rapunzel, I still was a tad let down at what I thought was a sort of cheapened view at what should’ve been a longer novel. It once more felt like the bones of a novel that needed muscle, nerves, and skin. Pearl feels like a half-formed strange character who for no discernable reason wants to be a human; she admits no one makes her feel the way Keel does and yet she is still idiotically obsessed with the land. Keel on the other hand, is a self-sacrificing character that only wants to help Pearl get over her obsession so she might have a chance to decide to be happy with him. The plot had potential but the carry-out was too simplistic for me to feel engaged as a reader. It was too easy.

I give it a 2.75 out of 5

Rapunzel

By Jenni James

On Rapunzel’s sixteenth birthday, her parents are tuned to stone by the evil witch, Lady Vactryne, and the girl is taken to be forever hidden away in a tower. The young princess is afraid and all alone, and as the months pass by and her attempts to escape become more desperate, she begins to hope that anyone will come to save her.

Prince Jonathan of Balligyrn has loved Rapunzel since they were children and has vowed to battle the witch, bring Rapunzel back, and restore her kingdom, no matter the cost. It has been years since he last saw her and asked her to wait for him to return from school. Now Jonathan only hopes he is not too late.

The cunning witch has other plans for them both, one that does not involve losing her dreams to mere fools. Who will win—the woman bent on revenge, or the young girl determined to overcome it all?

So, I really enjoyed Jenni James’ first retellings so much more than her last few. This one fell flat for me, because it felt incredibly rushed and had so much potential to be something fantastic. I’ve read a few reviews that talk about how they appreciated how she handled the subject of depression, but I found it hollow and too sudden to be realistic or well-told. This is a story that tries to be a boy-next-store love story with a royal twist, and then a curse, and then Johnathan spends most of the story pining for Rapunzel and wandering around trying to find her. There is the barest trace of character development, most of what we know is told to us rather than shown because this was just bare plot bones showing through everywhere. There was just too much story for the length of book she wanted. I didn’t care for this one as much as her others. The Frog Princess was the last book she wrote that I really enjoyed.

I give this a 2.75 out of 5

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

By Jenni James

Twelve princesses, one gardener, and a mysterious secret…

As the castle gardener, Aleck is paid well, has his own room above the stables, and he is able to support his mother and younger brothers and sisters. Why would he risk it all for one girl?

For weeks now, Princess Cascadia and her eleven sisters have awakened each morning to swollen feet and tattered dancing slippers without any recollection of what happened. Why would someone do this to them? The king calls all the worthy men in the land to come and help solve the riddle of the twelve dancing princesses. The man who is able to sort the mystery will be allowed to choose one of the princesses to wed.

Cascadia immediately turns to Aleck for assistance. If anyone can help her, she knows it is him, and she knows of no man she would rather marry. But will Aleck be able to unravel the mysterious happenings and save the kingdom before those behind the scheme succeed?

So as you may have gathered I tend to read any and all books that Jenni James writes because I am enamored with fairy tales. That being said, this one isn’t my favorite of hers. There are much better retellings of the twelve dancing princesses, my favorite is Entwined by Heather Dixon. This is basically a rehash of the original tale with very little character development and not too much going on except for getting through the plot. It was fine as a read but to be utterly honest, it is a forgettable read. If you want my opinion for Jenni James try Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast or Rumplestiltskin so you know what her best looks like.

This gets a 2.75 out of 5

The Frog Prince

By Jenni James

A prince disguises himself to find true love—Prince Nolan has had enough of Princess Blythe—the woman to whom he has been betrothed since infancy—and her simpering letters. Does the princess truly not have a brain in her head? Never before has he communicated with someone who seemed so childish and spoiled. It was time he met her for himself, to decide if he could actually follow through with this marriage. But to do it right, she must not see how handsome he is. He needs a disguise—something that would show him her true nature.

Nolan asks an old herb woman to transform him into a creature that is disgusting to any female—a frog. The spell will last thirty days unless the princess does the impossible and kisses him. Now the true test begins. Will Blythe prove to be as monstrously annoying as he believes she is, or will he learn to see past his judgments and find a loving princess waiting for him?

Here’s another win for Jenni James! She doesn’t always get a good fairy-tale out there, but this one made my ‘to read again’ list. This is a sweet story with a creative twist to the classic tale; the frog prince voluntarily becomes a frog? Nolan is endearing as a frog and learns that there is so much more to his intended than he thought. Blythe is a girl who just wants what everyone wants; to be herself and be loved for herself. There are shenanigans and misunderstandings and true love in the story which will leave you smiling and making that universal sound of approval, “Awwww…”

I give it a 3.75 out of 5- above average for the author and the genre. 

Cinderella

By Jenni James

When Prince Anthony spies Eleanoria Woodston outside her family home dressed as a servant, he knows something is amiss. Pretending to be John, his cousin’s outrider, he decides to take matters into his own hands and figure out why Ella hasn’t been seen at court. And more importantly why the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom dresses like a pauper.

Ella has had her own bout of trials, including losing her beloved father and facing the wrath and jealousy of her stepmother and stepsisters. Becoming a servant doesn’t seem all that bad until the handsome John comes into her life, now he appears to be upsetting everything. Never before has she been so unsettled. Just his presence is making her dream of a life beyond this one.
When John invites Ella to the ball and she grudgingly accepts, he wonders if he’s truly losing his mind. How would he ever pull off pretending to be John while obviously hosting the ball as Anthony? Especially when the stubborn girl has made it quite obvious she would never attend a ball with a snobbish prince.

Surprisingly I really enjoyed this. There are a billion and one retellings of Cinderella, and while this one follows the original tale fairly close, it does have some unique and endearing twists that had me feeling warm and fond of the two protagonists. I enjoyed their courtship and relationship and the underlying plot of the book. It was pretty fluffy, but entertaining and sweet, just what I like in a story about love and happily-ever-afters.

 

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Snow White

By Jenni James

Raven and Snow White have been the greatest of friends for years, so when Snow’s father, King Herbert, and Raven’s mother, Queen Melantha, wed, the girls’ dreams come true—now they are sisters! However, in an act of exceeding folly, the king presents his new bride with the enchanted Lythereon Mirror as a wedding gift. Its dark power soon corrupts the queen.

Prince Corlan, Raven’s brother, is determined to find a way to destroy the mirror before he loses his mother completely—or it kills them all. Already the queen’s envy of Snow has become obvious. Corlan has been in love with Snow White since they were children and would do anything to protect the beautiful princess, even defy his mother. But when Queen Melantha uses the mirror to force Corlan into killing snow, he knows it will take a battle of great strength to outwit the evil spell surrounding him and save the girl he loves.

 

This book was a little ironic for me because the character that seemed more of the protagonist is Raven, Snow White’s best friend and new sister. Raven had much more depth as a character than Snow, who seemed to be this effortless beauty and a bit of an unobservant dunce at times. I loved the romance between Raven and her prince.  Corlan is a typical but lovable character with a nice twist on his involvement with Snow White. While I did enjoy this tale it isn’t one of my favorite mostly because of Snow White herself and her underdeveloped and stereotypical character.

I give it a 3 out of 5 mostly because of Raven’s story

Rumplestiltskin

By Jenni James

A young prince crippled by a witch.

When Fredrico watches his cruel family mourn his falst death and announce to the kingdom their cursed prince has died, is the day he truly embraces his new life and new name Rumplestiltskin. How could he be known by anything else? His skin is completely rumpled and stilted now. He hides away from the king and queen and grows up as a crippled servant in the castle.
Years later, his younger brother, Marcus, becomes king and humors Aubrynn’s father when he boast that his daughter can turn straw into gold. Intrigued Marcus locks the distraught maiden in a tower and declares to the kingdom that if she can transform the straw, he will marry her, but if she cannot he will kill her father.
Rumplestiltskin is determined to help Aubrynn save her father and marry the king. Now, if only he can remember to keep his real identity a secret and not fall in love with her himself…

 

This is probably my favorite version of Rumplestiltskin I’ve read. It was sweet and had good morals in it; just along the lines of the fun and fluffy romantic stories that Jenni James has written. After reading Hansel and Gretel, I was worried that her other books would go downhill, but she’s right back in the game with this one and I thouroughly enjoyed the story of the young cursed prince who falls for his brother’s intended, not because of her beauty, which she is, but because he is kind and sees her in trouble. It is his kindness that wins her heart, and his inherent goodness and humor. I loved this version and think that anybody who enjoys fairy-tale retellings will love it too. I highly recommend this one.

 

I give it a 4 out of 5- great for a fairy tale.

Hansel and Gretel

By Jenni James

Hansel’s father finds a child lost and alone during a violent thunderstorm. After bringing her in from the tempest, he and his son are startled to discover that she is Gretel, a princess of Larkein—the enemy kingdom their own king has just destroyed. Fearful for her life, Hansel pleads with his father to save her. He believes they can make Gretel good by teaching her their ways. His kindhearted father agrees, but with great trepidation.

Ten years later, Gretel has grown into a lovely young woman who both infuriates and drives Hansel to distraction while he attempts to not lose his heart to her. When the Larkein witch comes back in the guise of a beautiful woman and marries their father, everything is set into a tailspin. Now they must figure out their new stepmother’s plans and prevent her from destroying them all before it is too late.

 

I always feel guilty giving a bad review of anything, but this book just gave me a headache. I read it out loud to someone else, which may have been my first mistake, but the writing was atrocious. It was ridiculous and the language that James decided to use, thus, alas, and so forth felt incredibly out of place. They spoke normally and then suddenly Alas! It was irritating. Also, the plot was boring and the romance so so so cheesy.  This felt like a rough draft that still needed loads of revision.  I was so disappointed because I really love some of her other books. Rumplestiltskin was great, as was Cinderella. This was horrid. Please skip this one if you’re reading her fairy tale collection. Sad day.

I give it a 1 out of 5

Sleeping Beauty

By Jenni James

The sleeping girl has no idea she is asleep.

After Aleyna witnessed the cruel deaths of her family, she was put to sleep by Ezralon the unicorn. He has been keeping her safe, hidden in the forest, until her true prince could come and rescue her.

While Aleyna is protected in the forest, her spirit walks the halls of her ruined, deserted castle in a dream-like existence, believing everything is still perfect. However, she is halted in this state—almost as if time were frozen—until the prince awakens her.

Prince Darien of Lybrooke Court loves a challenge as much as the next man, but believes it will be a fool’s errand to rescue a ghost who is already dead! He’s convinced no one could have survived sleeping thirty years, so what is the point of rescuing a girl who is quite content to haunt on her own?

Of course, if Darien wasn’t so afraid of ghouls, this whole thing could be much easier to fathom…

I was stoked to read this book after reading Jenni James’s “Beauty and the Beast”, and the fact that the hero was afraid of his damsel? How awesome! But, sadly, I was let down. Darien had a bad case of love at first sight, and overcame his fear in the blink of an eye. I was disappointed, hoping for a little more development. It was still enjoyable and sweet, and it’s a great twist on the fairy tale, but I still prefer Cameron Dokey’s “Beauty Sleep” for Sleeping Beauty retelling.

I give it a 3 out of 5 for an average entertaining read.

Beauty and the Beast

By Jenni James

 A prince by day and a wolf by night-

Prince Alexander has been turned into a werewolf and has one year to find someone to love the beast and break the spell, or he will be a wolf forever. He has nearly given up achieving the impossible, knowing no girl would ever fall in love with such a monster.

Just when he is about to abdicate the throne to his cousin, he meets Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, while a wolf, and begins to hope for the first time in months. Can he balance both worlds as a human and beast, gaining the love and trust of a girl who has every reason to despise him?

Cecelia detests the prince. She only knows Alexander as the arrogant monarch—the tyrant who has made her life miserable-though perhaps he’s changed right before her eyes. He’s not as full of himself as he once was. The prince is gentle now…but then again, so is the beast.

 

This was so stinking cute.  As a story it held me captivated and I read it in a day. It was a lovely rehash of my favorite fairy tale. Basically you have the werewolf prince who was a jerk to everyone under his station, including Ceclia, who is one of those people who is annoyingly good. When he is turned into a werewolf it is a maturing experience for him, and he becomes both more observant toward others, but stoic and silent in his troubles of the kingdom and ruling when he isn’t even human. I enjoyed this so much because of the dynamic between beast, Cecelia, and Alexander. There were, of course, things that bothered me though.  As per usual, it’s difficult to show the slow process of change within the prince, so it felt like it was this sudden happening where all at once he became gentle and loving. The story was too quick for me, I would’ve rather had it drawn out more. I want to slowly fall in love with the characters as they start to really see each other. But this was fantastic for a romantic warm-fuzzy book. If you enjoy the fairy tale, I highly suggest this book.

 

I give it a 3 ½ out of 5