To Charm A Prince (Zebra Historical Romance)

Average customer rating:

agree with other reveiws..and

Can You Say "Co-Dependent"?

Not Your Average Grasso Read

Supremely Inconsistent

Ugh, I made myself finish this book
To Charm A Prince (Zebra Historical Romance)
Patricia Grasso
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Grasso, Patricia | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0821774727

Customer Reviews:

agree with other reveiws..and.......2006-06-15

please authors, do your research. This book was supposed to take place in 1812 and the heroine is reading Pride and Prejudice by her favorite author, Jane Austen, which, a) wasn't published until 1813, and b) Jane wrote anonymously!!! her name did not appear in the original publications. It just said, by the author of Sense and Sensibility. GRRRRRRR

Can You Say "Co-Dependent"?.......2006-03-06

Wow. This book was really something. For the first half, you have your cardboard cutout characters: an arrogant, yet likable prince meets a sweet young girl who has brief flashes of spirit. Very brief. Anyway, our story progresses, the couple fall into lust, fall into bed, even though the prince has sworn never to marry and our heroine has resigned herself to a life as a limping spinster.
Here comes the unwanted pregnancy. Now our prince does a complete 180 and becomes a total you-know-what. He "despises" the heroine, and proceeds to verbally abuse her, humiliate her in front of friends and family, lock her in her room, and force her to marry him, even though he makes it perfectly clear that he can't stand her. What a guy.
The heroine, meanwhile, cries and sobs and feels sorry for herself (with reason),all the while professing her love for the prince, taking his abuse (and her family's), and obeying his every command to "sit" and "stay". Woof woof.
What a disaster. And in the end, all is made clear and they all live happily ever after. Yeah, right. By this time you'll be wishing the prince would get run over by a bus and the heroine would be the one pushing him.

Not Your Average Grasso Read.......2005-10-31

I'm a large fan of Ms. Grasso but this read is not what we normally get from this very talented lady. The problem with this read really boils down to characterization. Both lead characters were very hard to like for different reasons. Rudolf may be a prince of Russia but he's just to autocratic to be a romantic lead. Samantha...well, Samantha limps everywhere and she has more pity parties than any heroine I've ever read.

Samantha is getting ready to marry and by doing so bringing an end to the animosity that has been between the Douglas and Emerson's families. But, when the Prince abducts Samantha in an attempt to save her life, things for these two are now much different. Rudolf can't offer marriage and Samantha only wants the chance to live a happy ending with a man that will be willing to overlook her limp. But, try as they might these two people can't escape the attraction that burns between them and when they finally arrive in Scotland, they play house and find out that the attraction between them will not be denied. Now these two must work together to stay one step ahead of a killer that wants not only Rudolf dead, but Samantha as well. Will these two people ever be able to have a happy life?

Again the self-pity and arrogant nature of the two leads took away from the romance just a touch. On the flip side of this coin the conflict between Rudolf and his family was a very good vehicle for the story and in actuality was a saving grace for a story that tended to flounder due to inconsistency between Rudolf and Samantha.

Supremely Inconsistent.......2004-05-29

"In to Charm a Prince", readers are treated nee tortured with an "I hate you, don't leave me" mentality. Dubious heroine Samantha varies from righteous indignation, to easy capitulation. She hates Rudolf, she loves Rudolf, she speaks up for herself, she allows herself to be trampled all over. And for a hero Rudolf is sadly lacking. At times incredibly arrogant and rude, he persists in reminding Samantha and the reader that he is a prince and therefore entitled to unswavaring obedience from all his belongings including Samantha.

Were I Samantha and I had been hit in the eye, told I were a piece of chattel, publicly humiliated on a grand scale, and demeaned every day, the prince would have been history. Instead Samantha chooses to take him back time after time only citing the fact that she loves him.

I continued to read the book in hopes that Samantha would come to her senses, her family would intervene or divine providence would assist. As it neared the end and the pages dwindled, I realized that no such thing would happen. The only highlight in this book were the surrounding cast of characters, Aunt Roxie, Samantha's sisters especially Victoria and adopted sons Drake and Grant.

If you choose to read this book, don't be surprised to find yourself banging your head with the book, mentally screaming back at the pages telling Samantha to run and don't look back.

Ugh, I made myself finish this book.......2004-03-11

I was so disappointed in the characters. I had read a previous book by Grasso and thought she was a good author but this was a real letdown. Like one reviewer states, the heroine has extremely poor self esteem and is always complaining about being a pathetic cripple. The hero is brutal in his treatment of her. He is rude, arrogant and has no depth to him whatsoever. Whenever he mistreats her, she vows that she will NOT marry him and then he orders her to marry him and she responds "well, okay." The whole book is a series of this exact scenario. I kept wanting the heroine to realize her true worth and marry someone else. At the same time, the heroine was just as annoying as the hero with so many contradictions. It is as if her love for the prince weakens her rather than strengthens. I love romance. I read a book a day. I would not put this book in with that genre. There is no romance because there is no depth of feeling evoked in the reader for these characters or their situations.

The Princess and the Goblin Book and Charm (Charming Classics)

Average customer rating:

some people will praise anything . . .
Pretty "Princess"

The Princess and the Goblin Book and Charm (Charming Classics)
George Macdonald
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060095520
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Book Description

Irene is still a very young princess, but she must grow up quickly when she and her mountain home are threatened by the goblins who dwell below it.

Customer Reviews:

some people will praise anything . . ........2007-06-23

Father of fantasy, my foot. I gave this ridiculous "story" sixty pages and am still waiting for something to happen. The epic tradition of Tolkien and (arguably) Lewis hails from the Mabinogion and (also arguably) the Kalevala, not from some pathetic effort by Macdonald to pen a "fantasy" that my twin four-year-olds could outdo.

Pretty "Princess".......2005-11-14

It's a credit to "Princess and the Goblin" that its author was a personal favorite (and shaping influence) to fantasy titans C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. But if their liking for George MacDonald's works isn't enough to impress, then take it just for what it is: A creepy, unique, compelling work of early fantasy.

Little Princess Irene has always been kept in ignorance of the goblins -- until one night when she and her nursemaid stay out a bit too late, and are chased by a bizarre creature. They are rescued by a young miner boy, Curdie, who tells her the way to deal with them.

While mining, Curdie explores underground caverns where the goblins dwell, uncovers a terrible plot -- and is taken captive by the malignant goblin queen. And Irene explores a mysterious tower where her magical "great-grandmother" lives -- not knowing yet that she's at the center of the goblins' plotting, and that Curdie may be her only hope.

Like many early fantasy stories, "The Princess and the Goblin" is a book completely free of cliches. Written in the 1800s, this book has the flavour of a long-forgotten fairy tale that MacDonald simply dug up and presented to the public. We have goblins, monsters, a heroic young boy, a brave princess, noble kings and magical ladies. What else is a fairy tale about?

It's also striking for its mixture of childlike optimism and extraordinary writing. MacDonald often writes some scenes with the sort of twee flavour of many nineteenth-century novels, with chirrupy kids and kindly servants. But he also can whip up some truly amazing atmosphere: exquisite moonlit scenes that play out like dreams, or underground disasters that sound like nightmares.

Similarly, it's a credit to him that the characters of Curdie and Irene are as likable as they are. Irene in particular is a triumph, since she borders on twitty sometimes. Perhaps that was deliberate, since this little girl gradually grows in strength and guts as the book progresses, bringing her up to speed with the more mature Curdie.

Part fable and part-fairy tale, and populated with goblins, miners and magical grandmothers, "The Princess and the Goblin" is an enchanting prelude to the modern fantasy genre.

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Grimly's Muddy Spud

Little Jordan Ray's Muddy Spud
Gris Grimly
Manufacturer: Baby Tattoo Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0972938869

Book Description

What do an optimistic lad named Jordan Ray, a down-and-out peasant, a mad hare, a grumpy old troll, an oyster, a knight, a water nymph, a griffin and an eclectic collection of supporting characters have in common' Why, a muddy spud, of course. Gris Grimly has crafted a story rooted in his admiration of Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum, and Dr. Seuss. In over 40 pieces of richly-detailed artwork influenced by Arthur Rackham and Edward Gorey, this is an uncommonly lyrical mix of strong story, compelling characters and awe-inspiring art.

Customer Reviews:

Grimly's Muddy Spud.......2005-05-11

"Little Jordan Ray's Muddy Spud" delivers exactly what the title promises: an imaginative bizarre concoction of storytelling and illustration that brings little Jordan Ray and the other characters of Gris Grimly's world to life. Written in verse, his work has an elegance and sophistication lacking in many children's books, while still enticing the reader with his macabre sense of humor. He has the ability to challenge children verbally while drawing the child into his often gruesome world.

I was fortunate enough to meet Grimly at his art opening in Soho last weekend. His art work is reason enough to want this book, however after purchasing it and having him sign it (I had only previously seen his art), I was very happy to learn that the stories that tie his work together are as wonderful as the images he produces.

We follow Little Jordan Ray through a world filled with nymphs, mad hares, and other characters that are both frightening and inviting. Much in the tradition of Jack and the Bean Stalk, we are watching this child go off on his own to sell his family's possessions to help with their financial woes. Grimly does a wonderful job of meshing traditional storytelling with a more contemporary vibe that allows the new generations to relate and enjoy the challenging and engaging material.

Average customer rating:

Truly a wonderful novel.
Great gift
An excellent book for girls
A Great Classic Read
Not just for children

Anne of Green Gables (Book and Charm)
L. M. Montgomery
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0694012513

Amazon.com

When Marilla Cuthbert's brother, Matthew, returns home to Green Gables with a chatty redheaded orphan girl, Marilla exclaims, "But we asked for a boy. We have no use for a girl." It's not long, though, before the Cuthberts can't imagine how they could ever do without young Anne of Green Gables--but not for the original reasons they sought an orphan. Somewhere between the time Anne "confesses" to losing Marilla's amethyst pin (which she never took) in hopes of being allowed to go to a picnic, and when Anne accidentally dyes her hated carrot-red hair green, Marilla says to Matthew, "One thing's for certain, no house that Anne's in will ever be dull." And no book that she's in will be, either. This adapted version of the classic, Anne of Green Gables, introduces younger readers to the irrepressible heroine of L.M. Montgomery's many stories. Adapter M.C. Helldorfer includes only a few of Anne's mirthful and poignant adventures, yet manages to capture the freshness of one of children's literature's spunkiest, most beloved characters. There's just enough to make beginning readers want more--luckily, there's a lot more in the originals! Illustrator Ellen Beier creates vibrant pictures to portray the beauty of the land around Green Gables and the spirited nature of Anne herself. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert had planned to adopt a boy to help out around Green Gables farm. But waiting for Mathew at the train station is freckle–faced, red–headed Anne Shirley – a talkative eleven–year–old orphan with a heart full of dreams and a desperate longing for a home. From the minute Anne sets foot in Mathew's buggy, Green Gables will never be the same!

A beautiful gift edition of the best–loved children's book featuring a charm necklace. Anne of Green Gables has delighted generations of readers and this special edition is sure to be a winner.

Ages 6+

Download Description

Lucy Maud Montgomery's timeless story of an impetuous young orphan who finds a family in the small Canadian town of Avonlea.

Customer Reviews:

Truly a wonderful novel........2007-08-17

No matter what age you are or what genre of book you usually read, this is a terrific work of art. Everyone should take a rainy afternoon off to sit back, relax and read one of the greatest novels ever published. (And all other novels in the Anne of Green Gables series is just as exceptional!)

Great gift .......2007-08-14

My niece loves this book. She was gifted them for past christmas. She says she has read it several times now. Great story for the almost teen.

An excellent book for girls.......2007-08-14

but my whole family loves this book along with the whole series. L.M. Montgomery's style of writing brings you right in with Anne. She makes the reader feel like a kindred spirit.

A girl who is accidentally chosen to be adopted winds up being the best thing that ever happened to Green Gables. Lots of fun and excitement is the only thing that can describe the life of Anne.

A Great Classic Read.......2007-04-18

Anne of Green Gables is about an orphan who is adopted by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. It takes Anne awhile to adjust to life in the elegant Green Gables, and gets into some pretty funny mishaps, like accidently giving her friend Diana too much raspberry cordial, for example, but in the end finds her way. Anee's point fo view is hilarious and very entertaining. This is a wonderful read for girls everywhere and is a classic that is not to be missed.

Not just for children.......2007-04-09

I first read "Anne of Green Gables" when I was a young teenager. It had been my mother's favorite book and was not in print at the time. My grandmother had a copy of this book as well as most of the other "Anne books". I was completely enchanted by the odd little red headed orphan who spelled her name with an "e". At the end of two weeks, I had read all of the Anne books and started over at the first. As the years passed, the books came back into publication and I've purchased copies of everything by L.M. Montgomery that is in print. More than 20 years later and I still love the Anne books.

L.M. Montgomery created characters so believable that you can imagine your own joy at seeing the White Way of Delight for the first time or the mortification of jumping into bed on top of your best friends grumpy old aunt. This is a story you can read over and over and never be bored. I must warn you though. When this story ends, you will want to pick up "Anne of Avonlea" and when you finish that one, you won't want to waste any time picking up "Anne of the Island". Unlike other sequels or series, the story doesn't get old or redundant. Anne goes to Queens and then makes it to college. She marries and has children of her own in "Anne's House of Dreams" and "Anne of Windy Poplars". Finally, the series ends with stories of her children in "Rainbow Valley" and with "Rilla of Ingleside" as her youngest deals with being a young woman during WWI. Instead of buying just the first book, buy the set, The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)

A Charming Princess Collection Book and Charm (Charming Classics)

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A Charming Princess Collection Book and Charm (Charming Classics)
Various
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 006059604X
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Book Description

Sleeping Beauty, sweet Cinderella, and the little mermaid are but a few of the young noblewomen chronicled in A Charming Princess Collection. Though they often find themselves in peril, the girls in each story sparkle with courage and majestic grace. This anthology includes beloved favorites, such as Snow White by the Brothers Grimm and Louisa May Alcott's The Brownie and the Princess. This delightful treasury of happily–ever–afters, with its glittery tiara charm, is sure to awaken the princess inside us all!

Little Lord Fauntleroy Book and Charm (Charming Classics)

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Little Lord Fauntleroy Book and Charm (Charming Classics)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Manufacturer: HarperFestival
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Royalty | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Princesses | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 006055990X
Release Date: 2004-06-15

Book Description

"Are you the Earl?" he said."I'm your grandson, you know ... I'm Lord Fauntleroy."

Young Cedric Errol doesn't know much about Earls, and he certainly never dreamt of becoming one. But when an unexpected visitor arrives to tell him he is to inherit a title and a fortune, he learns quickly what his new position entails. Whisked from the bustling streets of New York to an English country estate, the new Lord Fauntleroy must contend with his grumpy old grandfather and separation from his mother. Yet, despite the challenges of his new life, the little lord proves he has many lessons to teach those around him.

Average customer rating:

Interesting idea and writing style, but feels unfinished. Not recommended.
Echoes of Dark Tales

Ten Thousand Charms
Leander Watts
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618448977

Book Description

Roddy's dirt poor. He has no family to speak of and has been sold off like a slave to labor endlessly at making rope in cruel Mr. Queed's factory. Thea's father is of royal blood, though his tiny kingdom has been taken away from him. Exiled from their homeland, Thea and her sisters have come all the way from Germany to the frontier of America, where wild beasts still roam, and much stranger creatures too. Enter Scalander, who commands the crows and evil spirits, and skulks in primeval forests. He sees Thea and plots to make her his bride. Roddy joins forces with the king and his daughters, fighting back to free themselves from Scalander's plans of blackmail and murder. This dark and mystical third novel by Leander Watts continues the gothic tradition of Stonecutter and Wild Ride to Heaven. Like the ropes Roddy labors to make, this story is woven together from a number of twisted strands. Fear, loyalty, suspicion, and love all combine to make a fantastic and original tale.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting idea and writing style, but feels unfinished. Not recommended........2006-07-23

An old German king without a kingdom sets sail for America with his three daughters in tow. The King knows no English, he had no desire to rule his country; his only interest is in "charms," the unexplained mysteries that he finds in the world: mysterious objects, unexplained events, archaic remnants. In America he meets a boy named Roddy, a young ropemaker's apprentice who seems to be surrounded by the charms that fascinate King Ivars. Ivars, Roddy, and Princess Thea are pulled into a web of mystery, darkness, magic, and fear when one charm, the Parliament of Crows, comes to town. Ten Thousand Charms is a young adult book with very short chapters, an impersonal writing style, and a distinct gothic charm. It is a promising novel with a number of interesting underlying concepts, but it feels unfinished and leaves the reader unfulfilled. I like the idea and the style, but I don't really recommend this book. There are better YA novels out there, although it would be nice to see more with the dark, mysterious aspects that this one offers.

I have a longstanding love for young adult fiction. Because children, more than adults, are willing to indulge mystery and miracle, young adult fiction tends to be more magical without being bogged down with excuses and apologies for the magic. Furthermore, YA novels are often coming of age stories (it is, after all, the issue of the age), and a good coming of age novel is rewarding, heartening, and comforting. They reaffirm choices, character, and the rocky but rewarding journey toward maturity. Watts starts in with a sense of magic and opens up a coming of age story, but neither reach fruition in this novel. In Ten Thousand Charms, the magical basis is there--the reader is thrown into a story where strange events happen, crows gather in the thousands, and one main character lives among these events while another actively seeks them out. The coming of age story begins when Roddy begins for the first time to look at his ability to interact with these mysteries as a gift rather than a curse.

The plot then gets absorbed with Thea's marriage to a magical dark prince of the forest. Roddy and the King are almost forgotten, and even thought they arrive to rescue her they never again become interesting characters. The magic is there but the book doesn't delve into it very deeply; Roddy's coming of age is returned to briefly at the end of the book but his story seems truncated. It's as if this is merely the briefest of introductions into a non-conformist, gothic, sharp-edged magical story about growing up. If there were more it would be really interesting, but as it stands it's disappointing, teasing, unfulfilling, even frustrating for the reader. Watts has the right idea and I commend that, I even hope to see his style and ideas in a longer work, but I don't recommend this book. There are other YA novels out there to read instead, and, even if it's short, this one isn't worth picking up.

Echoes of Dark Tales .......2005-07-09

Ten Thousand Charms transports the dark mood of a Grimm fairytale to upstate New York, but, as is the case with many fairytales, the narrative remains slight. Roddy is a young boy sold as an indentured servant to a rope factory, where he turns the crank as a rope monkey. When an ousted Germanic king and his three pretty daughters purchase a farm down the road, the paths of the family and Roddy begin to intertwine. The eccentric king is obsessed with "charms" - odd occurrences and omens. A gathering of crows provides the impetus for a series of threatening events involving Roddy, the king, and the king's treasured second daughter Thea.

The book is a mishmash of literary echoes. Queed, the despotic ropemaker, is a direct descendant of Dickens's Mr. Squeers, the cruel schoolmaster in Nicholas Nickleby. Thea's courage and beauty, as compared to the laziness of her sisters, are qualities lifted straight from Beauty and the Beast. Roddy, like so many heroes, is a virtual orphan, with the same naiveté of a David Copperfield. The strange thing with yellow eyes that lives in the woods and assumes many forms has, unfortunately, already been eclipsed by Rowling's description of the slithering Voldemort.

Many of the plot twists seem peripheral to the mood that Watts has created. In fact, the book's strengths lie in the way Watts weaves the reality of early America with the mythic sensibility built up in Europe over thousands of years of history. Roddy, Thea, and the king's inner workings are never fully explained, which fits with the dialogue, firmly planted in folktale. The plot's denouement, while atmospheric, was a little flat, and some of its elements (a ring, fire, and taking care of minor villains) had a Lord of the Rings feel.

Watts's book, which has a lovely lyrical rhythm in parts, may have been better served by a shorter story, omitting superfluous characters and descriptions and focusing on the mix of a dark tale with prosaic folk life in the Genesee Valley. Watts is the not the first to try this combination (Washington Irving can be heard muttering "Crane" from his grave), but it remains an intriguing premise.

There is a Little Prince In Every Frog: Spells and Charms for Finding, Binding, and Transforming Your Toad (and Living Happily Ever After)

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There is a Little Prince In Every Frog: Spells and Charms for Finding, Binding, and Transforming Your Toad (and Living Happily Ever After)
Midia Star
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0764157612
Release Date: 2003-12-05

Book Description

Here's a lighthearted and magical self-help book for women who never seem to meet Mister Right. The author advises on ways to employ practical magic to banish the "toads," find and attract a partner who has only a few warts-or in certain cases, transform the toad in her life into Prince Charming. The spells are all easy to perform and fun for women practicing alone or getting together with friends on a girls' night out. Included are: Attraction spells for catching a Prince ... Binding spells to make sure he doesn't ride away ... Love spells to keep the passion hopping ... Transforming spells for times when he's really a toad. Whether women take the spells seriously or are just having fun, they'll be inspired to find ways of creating magical relationships that can last a lifetime. 20 color illustrations.

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