Krystal Wade is back with a spine-tingling retelling of Cinderella!
In this edge-of-your seat, tension filled retelling of Cinderella, a vengeful schizophrenic pulls sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine into his dark world. She must make a choice: save her abusive, alcoholic father and bitter little sister and allow the only people who've treated Haley like family to die, or seek out the killer and save them all.
CHARMING
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that's great . . . as long as you don't die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone's determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.
Available at: Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
REVIEW BY NADIA CHIEF BOOK OBSESSIVE PIMPETTE
***Obsessed by Books arc copy given in exchange for an honest review***
"Thirty two steps until Haley Tremaine entered hell. Thirty two steps until she walked into the smell of alcohol and burned microwaveable meals, into a place where fear overwhelmed. "
Haley is keeping together her broken family... just. After her mother makes the decision enough is enough of her alcoholic father a tragic accident results in her being trapped in a Cinderella esque existence. Once dreaming of a bright future now juggling caring for her family; cleaning, washing, cooking, working and school work Haley's life is a living hell. Her father drinks too much and uses her as a punching bag. She tries to hide her abuse from everyone but she isn't fooling them all. I wrongly assumed her saviour would be the gorgeous Chris Charming. The story is a slow build of hope and trust between the two of them, as he reaches out to her and breaks down his bad boy image.
Just as I got settled in to a warm and heart warming read I thought I had jumped to the wrong book on my kindle!
"Stomach lurching, Haley looked inside the envelope: a finger with Dad's wedding band, a pasty, pale round finger tattooed with Don't Call the Police."
"Stomach lurching, Haley looked inside the envelope: a finger with Dad's wedding band, a pasty, pale round finger tattooed with Don't Call the Police."
This modern day fairy tale warps into an episode of CSI and I loved it. From being a retelling of a classic it morphs into a who dunnit read that sends your mind into a twist! Without giving any spoilers it's hard to describe this novel any further but suffice to say it's more than your average teenage love story. Well written with depth and background to the characters, you get hooked on the very first page. The secondary characters like Chritine and Richard all add dimension and layer the story with humour and explore relationships. It is a fab book that I would recommend. I rated it four stars as for me it was missing hot hot sex scenes or as they are teenagers so maybe not appropriate I would have liked a little more graphic violence! I'm blood thirsty ;)
Excerpt 3 from CHARMING by Krystal Wade
“Hey, kids.” Mrs. Charming stood by their feet, smiling down at them, still linked to her husband. “We should head out. Park closes at dark. Plus your dad and I have a movie to go see.”
Chris drove Haley back to his house; both sat quietly, leaning somewhat toward the center of the small Porsche. He pulled up next to Dad’s truck and sighed. “Thank you for being so good to them.”
“Chris—”
“No, I mean it.” Chris opened the truck door for her, then closed it as she slid onto the cold leather seat.
Haley rolled down the window and leaned on her elbow, so close to him, so freaking close. “They’re good people.”
And deserve better than me in their life.
“Most people treat them as if they’re just money bags from which to draw upon when they have a need.”
“I don’t need anything from them. I just want your family to be happy, you to be happy, Chris.”
“You’re different, Haley Tremaine.”
“So are you, Chris Charming.” Haley turned the key in the ignition, but the truck wouldn’t start. Cold, stabbing panic ripped apart her lungs.
“Guess I’ll need to walk.”
“You’re nuts if you think I’m letting you walk. Murderer on the loose, remember?” Laughing, Chris opened the door and took Haley by the hand, then guided her to the driver’s side of his car. “In fact, I’d really like you to drive.”
She smiled and snatched the keys. “Okay. Fine, but you better wear your seatbelt.”
He did, and she drove, and they laughed, winding down country roads, passing cars as though they sat still and Chris and Haley were in a speeding bullet. Haley downshifted and squealed the tires as she stopped in front of her house on Main Street. But when she glanced at the front of the house, her heart skidded to a halt.
Niles sat on her porch, bouquet of flowers in hand, scowling.
About Krystal Wade:
Krystal Wade is happily married to the love of her life (don’t gag) and raising three beautiful children in the gorgeous state of Virginia. They live just outside Washington, D.C., and every day she wakes up to find herself stuck in traffic trying to get there. When she’s not working, commuting, or chasing after her three children (four if you count the man), you can usually find Krystal outside talking to her chickens like they’re the cutest things in the world (they are), or training her amazing dogs how to herd said chickens (which they love), or curled up on the sofa with a good book (why can’t that be 100% of the time?).
Keep up with the tour by stopping by one of these fabulous sites:
- Oct 1st ~ Katie's Stories (Guest Post), Obsessed by Books (Spotlight w/Excerpt & Review), and The Power of 3 Readers (Spotlight w/Excerpt)
Thanks for the awesome review and for participating in the tour! <3
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