Upside Down by Liz Gavin

Good evening, blog readers:

I want to start off by apologizing for abandoning the blog for so long…unfortunately sometimes life gets in the way of reading…which makes me kind of sad. But moving on, I’m kicking off my blog again and I’m going to start with “Upside Down” by Liz Gavin, the book was provided by the author for an honest review.

 

So the story starts off with the first book, rather than jump straight in to the sequel, which I found perfect for those who haven’t read the first book or simply need a refresher of the first book.

I liked that we saw more of Carol, and how the author was able to showcase her conflict with having feelings for both Mark and Cindy.

What I really liked about this book is that the reader can really understand Carol’s POV, the author did a great job of humanizing Carol and really showcasing her feelings and her struggle during her journey. Not only showcasing her feelings but also giving us a glimpse into the world she grew up in as well as how that has had an impact on her during the course of the book.

Having said that, I would like to point out that i would have liked to have experienced the same amount of exposure to both Cindy and Mark’s POV. 

The story was well told and I give it a rating of 3.5.

One Night of Misbehavior – Shelley Munro

One Night of Misbehavior by Shelley Munro

“Charlotte Dixon ignores her stepmother’s edict and, in an act of disobedience, attends one of the social events of the year—a masquerade costume ball. Charlotte’s naughtiness escalates when she dances and smooches with a sexy mystery man. The night of anonymous passion that follows makes her yearn for a different life, but the next day she’s back to her dull routine of household management.

 

Advertising tycoon, Ash Marlborough is about to set a private investigator on the trail of his nameless princess when she waltzes right into his place of work. Charlotte is shocked to meet her masked man in the flesh, and even more perturbed when he asks her out on a date. Despite craving another night of sexy loving, she doesn’t have time for a man, not when she wants to reinvent herself and grasp a new, improved life with both hands. But Ash knows what he wants, and he’s determined to win the heart of his princess. Let the dance of seduction commence.

 

Warning: Contains a conniving stepmother, selfish stepsisters, a grandmother with fairy godmother tendencies and a sexy masked man who is willing to face them all for the love of a good woman.”

*****FAIR WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD*****

Shelley Munro weaves a modern Cinderella, Charlotte Dixon. Although I normally tend to stay away from modern versions of fairy tales, I have to admit Ms. Munro did a really great job of not only maintaining the essence of what is “Cinderella” but of also making the story her own. 

When we first meet Charlotte we realize that she really is a genuine and caring person, who would do anything for her grandmother, including putting her life and dreams on hold to take care of her as her health declines, Unfortunately, for Charlotte, putting her life on hold also means dealing with her stepmother and stepsisters who feel that she should also take care of them. When Charlotte’s grandmother sends her to “the ball” she meets Ash Marlborough, who has everything and can have anything and everything he could ever want. I liked that Ms. Munro made Ash so human, so flawed, rather than just a “Prince Charming.”  

Although, the story of how they come to get to know each other is one that has been told and re-told in so many books and ways, Ms. Munro made it funny and fresh, but most importantly she made it her own, rather than just another book with the same plot. I liked how Ash and Charlotte’s story and relationship developed and how they organically developed a no-sense, no-drama relationship without the interference of third parties. 

What I found the most refreshing was that the protagonist of this story, Charlotte, is an everyday kind of girl in search of a life worth living, a life where independence is the ultimate goal rather than finding her Prince Charming. I liked that she is not your typical virgin protagonist who does not know what she really wants or who she is but rather she’s an everyday girl in search of independence, of life and success.

Overall, this was a really great read and I rate it 4.5 stars.