Series: Fairy Tales of the Magicorum

BOOK REVIEW: Slippers And Thieves (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4) by Christina Bauer

BOOK REVIEW: Slippers And Thieves (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4) by Christina BauerSlippers And Thieves (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4)
by Christina Bauer
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Years ago, Elle ― never call her Cinderella ― escaped her evil step family in order to build a new life for herself in Manhattan. Today, Elle’s awful past is a distant memory. In fact, Elle even attends West Lake Prep, an exclusive high school where regular humans mix with members of the Magicorum, such as fairies, shifters and witches. Although she still must live in hiding from her evil step family, Elle always has found ways to get whatever her heart desires.

That is, until Alec Le Charme. Sure, Alec is the heir to the Le Charme dynasty of high-end jewelers, but he's also kind, charismatic, and has a knee-melting smile.

Long story short, Elle has fallen for Alec, hard. Unfortunately, thanks to Elle’s evil step family, the Le Charme heir is absolutely off limits. In fact, if Elle and Alec so much as kiss, it could start a magical chain reaction that would end in powerful factions of witches and wizards going to war. As a result, Elle and Alec vow to stay friends, no matter what. Then West Lake Prep holds a masquerade ball. Identities get mixed up and forbidden kisses are finally shared.

Time for the Magicorum to go to war, and for Elle to confront her hidden past in ways she never thought possible.

Review:

Slippers and Thieves unfortunately didn’t work for me.  This makes me so sad because I loved this series.  The previous books were intricate and made me smile and laugh.  They were impossible to put down and I was always glued to the pages.  But Slippers and Thieves didn’t even feel like the others books. It felt choppy and there were inconsistencies with the previous books.  I’m not sure what happened, but the further I got into this story, the more it didn’t work for me.  I’m so sad because I loved these characters, ugh.  So here were some of my problems with this story…

 

✮ Elle’s Backstory Differs✮

In Shifters and Glyphs, Elle didn’t know she was a Warden.  Until the Colonel told her what she truly was, and she was shocked.  But in this book, she knew she was a Warden even before she met Briar Rose or the Colonel.  Her parents told her when she was little.

Another inconsistency was that in this book, Elle said her parents took her wings.  In the previous book, Colonel said he took her wings.  It was so she could change the way she looked and escape the captors who imprisoned her since they knew she was the warden of fae magic.  But that doesn’t line up with the history we’re given about her in this story – She was always with her parents, they took her wings in this book and she was never imprisoned when she was a child.

Also in the previous books, Elle said that she couldn’t use her magic or her family would find her.  But in this book, she couldn’t use her magic because the fae would kill her if they found out she was their Warden.

 

✮ Missing Houses✮

In the first book, Wolves and Roses, Elle said she had other safe houses. Besides the cabin. Yet in this book, when they have to find a place to stay, she only says she has her place in the village. Where are the other safe houses? Why weren’t they mentioned? And even though her cabin burnt down, she was supposed to have it rebuilt with the insurance money. The cabin wasn’t even mentioned once in this story.

 

✮ Where’s The Money✮

I don’t get how Elle had two houses in the first book. Yes she returns stolen jewels to their rightful owner, but in this book she gets paid a few hundred dollars here and a few hundred dollars there.  How did she afford two houses, especially one in the village?  She couldn’t access the money she saved, so I don’t get it.

 

✮ Gustav✮

In the movie Cinderella, she was kind and friends with the mice.  She had saved and fed them, in exchange they did favors for her.  But in this book, Elle continually asked Gustav for help and why he kept coming back was beyond me.  It always left a bitter taste in my mouth that she expected him to help and she never did anything back in return. Except that one time.  But even that one time, she threatened him with something he hates.  Not nice.

 

✮ Things That Made Me Say Why✮

I don’t get why her dad said they needed the future step sisters help in their shop.  Especially when he said they couldn’t survive without them.  Not only did he cover one of their shifts in the shop that left him frazzled, but they never did any work from what we saw.  They just hid in the back.  What was the point of that conversation between Elle and her dad?

 

✮ More Questions✮

In the previous books, Alex says his parents will pay a scholarship and give the girls an apartment in their building. But in this book, his mom was shocked they went to the same school and it wasn’t even mentioned that they helped give the girls their apartment.  The mom didn’t even realize they were living there.

Also, in the first book, Elle was in Alec’s office. People saw them together and it was such a huge deal they had to escape. But in this story we learn how his moves were being watched. Nothing was said to his mom, how did she not know?

 

There were so many more issues than this, but these were the ones that bothered me the most.  If you can’t tell, I struggle when there are inconsistencies in a story.  Especially when it feels like I’m reading a beta version in a finished copy.  So I’m sad to be walking away from this series.  But when I constantly get pulled out of a story for hiccups, it doesn’t matter how fabulous the characters are, I just can’t go on.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Shifters and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2) by Christina Bauer

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Shifters and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2) by Christina Bauer

If you enjoy paranormal romance that has humor, a snarky heroine, a wonderful hero and two fabulous best friends then definitely check out my 4 Star Review below and enter a wonderful giveaway! Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Shifters and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2) by Christina BauerShifters and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2)
by Christina Bauer
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

After being raised by the meanest fairies in the history of ever, Bryar Rose is now free to live her own life. For the first time, she’s attending West Lake Prep, a regular high school. Well, mostly regular. Some students are actually hidden members of the Magicorum. In other words, they’re really wizards, fairies, or shifters. Bry doesn’t mind, though. She’s thrilled to enjoy all the new experiences of being around normal kids her age, from locker pranks to lunchtime mystery meat. Everything is going along great, except for one thing.

Bry’s dreams about the pyramids of Egypt have gotten darker and more sinister. Every night, she sees her new man Knox and her best friend Elle in danger.

With no other choice, Bry plans to leave school to explore the pyramids on her own. But her new man Knox discovers the scheme and is having none of it. He wants to stay by her side, no matter what. It’s a good thing too, because Bry must solve the mystery of her attraction to the pyramids and soon. Otherwise, it could cost the lives of those she loves most.

And that means not only Knox, but also her best friend Elle.

Review:

Shifters and Glyphs was an action packed adventure that was filled with friendship, laughter and love.  If you’re not familiar with this series, you definitely need to start out with the first book Wolves and Roses.  You can read my review of that book here.  Each book flowed into the next and the storytelling was very creative.  The characters were living out their lives according to their fairy tale theme and it was a mix of shifters, wizards, fairies and other creatures too.  So if you adore paranormal romance, definitely check this series out.

Knox gently rests his palm against my cheek. “I’m not leaving you. I’m not losing you.” All the intensity in the world shines in his ice-blue eyes.

If it’s been a while since you have read Wolves and Roses, this book catches you up and then some.  I felt like I easily stepped back into this world and it contained all of the knowledge from the previous book.  Life has changed so much since we first met them. Bryar and her best friend Elle were getting ready to start their senior year in a school for magical beings.  Knox became Byrar’s mate and while it seemed like there were feelings between their two best friends, Alec and Elle, they still claim to be just friends and I loved that they play video games together lol.  I loved their little group of four, they were as thick as thieves and I couldn’t wait to see what awaited them!

Leaning in, Knox brushes the barest kiss across my lips. “You’re my mate, Bry. My life. My soul. I love you.”

As more pieces of the puzzle started to fit together it became easier to see the bigger picture.  While I guessed how a lot of things played out, I was shocked by the hugest twist of all. I definitely didn’t see that one coming!  And it was so much fun getting answers to so many answers of the questions I had.  Even some that have been lingering from book one!  The only thing I missed was hearing Knox’s pov.  I loved listening to his chapters in the first book, he was beyond intoxicating, and I was secretly wishing to hear his voice again.  If there’s ever a novella released in his voice I’d completely devour it!  So if you enjoy paranormal romance that has silly humor, a snarky heroine, a wonderful hero and two fabulous best friends then definitely check this one out!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the Monster House Books, LLC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Reading Order & Links:


Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)


Wolves and Roses #1
Review:

Jen

Moonlight and Midtown #2
Review:

Jen


Shifters and Glyphs #3
Review:

Jen

About Christina Bauer:

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Blog / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn

 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

♥ You can follow the tour by clicking here. ♥

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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Moonlight And Midtown (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1.5) by Christina Bauer

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Moonlight And Midtown (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1.5) by Christina Bauer

I had so much fun reading this Novella! So check out my 4 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Moonlight And Midtown (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1.5) by Christina BauerMoonlight And Midtown (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1.5)
by Christina Bauer
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

After battling werewolves and evil aunties, Bryar Rose is ready to enjoy her new life. No more crazy aunties. Her curse is toast. And Bry’s new man, Knox, is literally a dream come true. Best of all, Bry will soon attend a regular high school. Forget those sketchy tutors! To get ready, Bry is dedicating the rest of her summer to some serious back-to-school shopping with her best friend, Elle. It’s a blast, except for one thing:

Mysterious strangers are following Bry across Manhattan.

All these stalkers have oddly familiar scents and an uncanny ability to slip into the shadows whenever Bry tries to confront them. Even worse, their presence is making Knox act crazy with a capital C.

But Bry’s having none of it. Enough of her life has already been ruined by secrets. With Elle’s help, Bry plans to confront these strangers, find out what they want, and send them packing. Trouble is, the truth about their identity won’t be so easy to manage, especially when Bry finds out how these stalkers could change her future with Knox…and not for the better.

Review:

*You can read my review of Book #1 Wolves and Roses here*

Moonlight and Midtown was a ton of fun and the perfect way to see what our favorite characters were up to.  Ultimately we got to watch Bryar and Elle’s shopping extravaganza and oh my gosh, it was action packed and a little bit crazy lol.  But we also got to learn more about the world that they lived in and watch Bryar and Knox start to find their place in life. This novella was a quick, lighthearted read that left me feeling even more excited for the next book in this series!

Nyxa takes a half step backward. “I command you to leave my presence.” But her words come out as a half whisper.
Nyxa is afraid.
As well she should be.
Knox and I share a quick look. There’s no need to speak. We both know what we want to do.

I loved getting a peak into Bryar’s struggles, since she learned what she was.  But the poor girl couldn’t catch a break and her wolf was uncontrollable. Thankfully she had Elle, her bestie, who was ready to take her on a shopping trip since she kept destroying her clothes every time she shifted.  And speaking of Elle, we also got to see Alex, a warlock and Knox’s best friend. The interaction between Elle and Alex was a lot of fun and I need to find out more about Elle’s past and why that hinders them from being together.  They’re so fabulous together!  See, I need that next book now lol.

Right here, this moment. This is what I like so much about being with Knox. He understands me like no one else ever has.

But my favorite in this series?  Knox. He was as seductive as ever.  And I loved what a good friend he had become to Bryar.  They worked together so well.  I mean, yes he was her mate, but still, I loved the way they meshed.  It warmed my heart how Knox would help Byrar out and that he was always by her side. Even though he had his own struggles……

His ice-blue eyes lock with mine as he twirls us around. “Say it again.”
My face turns about three shades of red. “Mate.”

Just like the first book in this series, this novella was beyond adorable.  So if you loved Wolves and Roses, definitely give this one a try.  It was a super quick read and it was a ton of fun.  I loved every minute of it!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by Monster House Books LLC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Reading Order & Links:


Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)


Wolves and Roses #1
Review:

Jen

Moonlight and Midtown #2
Review:

Jen


Shifters and Glyphs #3
Review:

Jen

About Christina Bauer:

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn

 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1) by Christina Bauer

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY - Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1) by Christina Bauer

Wolves and Roses was soooo much fun and I can’t wait to devour the rest of this author’s books! Check out my 4.5 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy!

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1) by Christina BauerWolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1)
by Christina Bauer
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose has a problem. She’s descended from one of the three magical races—shifters, fairies, or witches. That makes her one of the Magicorum, and Magicorum always follow a fairy tale life template. In Bryar’s case, that template should be Sleeping Beauty.

“Should” being the key word.

Trouble is, Bryar is nowhere near the sleeping beauty life template. Not even close. She doesn’t like birds or woodland creatures. She can’t sing. And she certainly can’t stand Prince Philpot, the so-called “His Highness of Hedge Funds” that her aunties want her to marry. Even worse, Bryar’s having recurring dreams of a bad boy hottie and is obsessed with finding papyri from ancient Egypt. What’s up with that?

All Bryar wants is to attend a regular high school with normal humans and forget all about shifters, fairies, witches, and the curse that Colonel Mallory the Magnificent placed on her. And she might be able to do just that--if only she can just keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday when the spell that’s ruined her life goes buh-bye.

But that plan gets turned upside down when Bryar Rose meets Knox, the bad boy who’s literally from her dreams. Knox is a powerful werewolf, and his presence in her life changes everything, and not just because he makes her knees turn into Jell-O. If Bryar can’t figure out who—or what—she really is, it might cost both her and Knox their lives… as well as jeopardize the very nature of magic itself.

Review:

Wolves and Roses captivated my attention with unique ideas, characters that I quickly loved and a story-line that was tons of fun!  I was hoping to pick up a book that was entertaining and enjoyable, and by that first page I knew I had found the exact book I was looking for.  So if you adore paranormal romance that has a strong and snarky heroine, a fabulous best friend, a swoon worthy guy and a mystery that pulls you in, then definitely check out this book.

Now is not the time to worry about Knox. It’s the time to tell my best friend that I killed someone and burned her house down.
Yipes
.
Straightening my shoulders, I knock on the door. – Bryar

I’ve never read a story where characters are supposed to live out their lives according to their fairy tale theme.  What a fun idea!  They’re referred to as Magicorum and they belong to one of the three magical races: shifters, witches, or fairies.  Bryar Rose is supposed to be following her Sleeping Beauty life template, but she’s definitely failing at that.  Yeah she has three fairies watching over her, a charming Prince who wants to marry her, and she has to use an inhaler to keep from falling asleep.  But the girl could care less about following her path because she’s obsessed with finding papyri from ancient Egypt.  And she dreams about this hot guy, Knox, that is definitely not the Prince she is supposed to marry lol.

“Don’t order me around.”
Damn. I want to do more than order her around. I want to build my life around this girl . Know her thoughts. Touch her skin. Bring her into my world and never let go.
How can one woman upend your entire existence so quickly? – Knox

Ohhh I loved Bryar Rose!  From her brutally honest thoughts to letting others know her opinion, she had me cracking up with her snarky ways!  She definitely doesn’t take anyone’s garbage and I loved how she stood up for herself and those she loved.  She’s fiercely loyal, especially with her best friend Elle who is also failing at following her life template.  Elle’s is Cinderella btw.  So between Bryar hunting for papyri and Elle being an expert jewel thief and con artist, they quickly find themselves in some situations that has them befriending two guys that I love, Knox and Alex.  I loved how the four of them formed a friendship and worked together.  The way they interacted made me into a smiling and laughing fool.  

I gently stroke Wolf-Knox’s neck. “What can I do to help?”
“Run from here.” Wolf-Knox’s voice is so low I can hardly hear him. “Never come back.”
My blood turns cold. “But you’ll die.”

Oh my gosh, I heart Knox so hard.  He’s a powerful werewolf and I couldn’t help but love his growly ways.  We quickly learn that he is protective, fierce and oh so sexy.  Thankfully some of the chapters are in Knox’s voice, and I loved seeing the world through his eyes.  I loved hearing what he thought of Elle, the extra clues we learned from him and the internal fights he had with his inner wolf had me cracking up.  Knox is definitely book boyfriend material!  So I desperately wanted Bryar to fall for him as fast and as hard as I did.  But here’s the thing, Bryar is stubborn and fights her attraction to Knox.  

This isn’t the ending to any fairy tale template, but I’m not sure I want to follow someone else’s path anymore.
This time, the choice is mine. – Bryar

So I’m going to be purposely vague about how the plot unfolds, because it’s more fun not knowing what’s going to happen!  Just know that the ending was perfect!  It wrapped up some pressing issues, but there’s still a lot that needs to be resolved or figured out.  So yes, I can’t wait to read the next book!  I can’t wait to be surrounded by these characters I loved again.  Even if I did guess how a few things turned out, I didn’t care at all.  This book was too much fun and the writing was so easy to devour.  So until that next book releases, I’m definitely looking forward to reading other books this author has written!

*ARC kindly provided by Monster House Books LLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Reading Order & Links:


Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)


Wolves and Roses #1
Review:

Jen

Moonlight and Midtown #2
Review:

Jen


Shifters and Glyphs #3
Review:

Jen

 

About Author:

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press. Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn

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