Monday, September 5, 2016

{Book Review} The Rose and the Balloon by Kirsten Fichter


In a kingdom where fauna and flora are held in higher esteem than breakfast, Dmitri is a prince who yearns for change and plans it in a single daring act that will alter his life forever. However, when his demented mother accidentally causes the destruction of a prized garden of roses, Dmitri is horrified when she proposes his hand in marriage to make up for it. Not only will a wife hamper his glorious plans, he doesn't even want one.

Janelle has spent her whole life on her father's rose farm, tending the roses and staying simple. But she really yearns for something greater than the flower beds. But now there's a wrench thrown in the works – the crazy Queen Maeva wants her to marry the prince, and all for ruining her father's beloved roses.

This is Beauty and the Beast with a twist like you've never seen it before.


Amazon | CreateSpace | GoodReads | Author's Blog

 

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Well, this was a little bite of sweetness!


A while back Kirsten a.k.a Kiri was looking for beta-readers for her newly written Beauty and the Beast story, and I obviously couldn’t miss out on that goodness. Not only was it a Beauty and the Beast story, but it involved HOT AIR BALLOONS. You should all know I’m obsessed with hot air balloons. I don’t even know WHY. I just am. It’s on the top of my bucket list to ride one. And I look at pictures of them on Pinterest all the time for no other reason than to drool over the gorgeous, whimsical things. It’s a weird thing about me BUT I LOVE THEM. So when I realized my talented friend was not only doing a story of my favorite fairytale but with a hot air balloon. Well, I devoured it like a piranha to a cupcake.


Imagine my complete and utter ecstasy when Kiri announced she was going to publish her B&B novella.


OF COURSE I ordered the book the very day it released and swallowed it whole as soon as it came in the mail. It was my dear friend’s story IN A PHYSICAL BOOK. IN MY HANDS. Oh, happy day!


And ahhh, the story was just as delightful as I remembered.



Jenelle and Dmitri are both very headstrong people who find themselves suddenly forced into a mutually unwanted betrothal. Throw in an unstable mother, a rose-obsessed father, a pair of mischievous twins, and some hot air balloons, and insanity ensues.

 

CHARACTERS


Jenelle:
Jenelle is our “Beauty”, but what I love about her is she’s not the perfect, quiet little Beauty we usually have. Jenelle is stubborn and set in her ways, and can match the “Beast” with her fiery temper. But only if she’s pushed. Naturally, she’s a clever, fun-loving girl who does her best to live a life without her mother, and with a father who forgets most everything, including his daughter, in favor of his beloved roses. Jenelle’s life hasn’t been one of ease and pleasure, and she has a quiet strength about her I admired. She’s unlike any “Beauty” I’ve ever read, and I loved that about her.


Dmitri:
This is our “Beast” character who is disgruntled about the life he’s been thrust into. With a mother deemed crazy and no father, he’s closed himself off to the world. There’s such a layer of depth to Dmitri that we see peeled back one bit at a time as the story progresses. Sometimes I was frustrated with him, sometimes I wanted to hug him. The complexity of his character was perfection. And then you mix his stone-cold spirit with Jenelle’s fiery one and oooh, much fun!


Queen Maeva:
I ADORED “Crazy Maeva”. She was one of my favorites. I have this odd obsession with characters who aren’t all “there”. Who have special mental disabilities. Winter from The Lunar Chronicles or Lady Peg from the Valley of the Dragons trilogy would fit this description. Eccentric and childlike and just all around adorable. That was Queen Maeva.


Nicolas and Nicoline:
THE TWINS. Without a doubt, one of the BEST parts of the book. Nicolas and Nicoline are the younger siblings of Dmitri, and are in a constant contest to kill each other (read: prank the other just for fun). Their shenanigans had me rolling with laughter. And then there’s a part at the end and JUST. . . Well, you’ll just have to read it! *grins*


Lord Roux:
At first you think Jenelle’s father is a selfish man. I mean, who cares about a rose garden more than his own daughter? But Kiri has a way of endearing each and every one of her quirky characters to her readers. I actually found myself laughing during a couple of Lord Roux’s scenes. I don’t want to say much in fear of spoiling things, but let’s just say I liked his addition to the story a lot.


All together, they’re a completely fun and complex cast—all so different with their own secrets and desires. Between them all, there was some great dialogue, tension, and plot twists.


Also can we talk about those names? I loved ALL of the names in this book. Jenelle, Dmitri, Maeva, Nicolas, Nicoline—JUST GIVE ME ALL THE PRETTY NAMES.



What was really cool about this story was how clever it was. This is a Beauty and the Beast story without a lick of magic, and yet still includes a glowing rose. And, as the author says, it’s an upside down Beauty and the Beast. I love the twists and turns it took, and also the touch of steampunk thrown in.


It’s also just FUN. This is only a novella, so it’s a very quick read. I think I read it in under 2 hours. As I said at the beginning, it’s a bite of sweetness. There’s something. . .bright about the story. I don’t even know how to explain it. A beautiful castle and rose gardens and gorgeously wonderful hot air balloons and fun pranks with the young twins and a library and. . .I DON’T KNOW. It was just bright and happy and fun.


If you’re needing something light and sweet to read, I highly recommend this one.


I think my only complaint is the romance maybe happened a teeny bit fast. But, again, it’s a novella, so there was really nothing much that could have been done. Otherwise, I loved every word.


Kirsten has a beautiful way with words. What really struck me was the dialogue. Not only is it quick and witty, the characters SOUND like they’re from a fairytale-type world without it seeming too rich. I have a hard time reading old fashioned dialogue because it’s slow and thick. But Kirsten seamlessly made the dialogue easy to read and realistic but without making it too modern. I really admired that! And the entire narration reads smooth and beautifully. She has a wonderful style!

 

Content Cautions

Not a thing! Perfectly clean. Like I said, this is a light, fun read, that could easily be read by anyone. Even the romance isn’t laid on very thick.

 

Conclusion

The Rose and the Balloon has a delightful, complex cast, a bunch of secrets and plot twists along the way, and beautiful writing. If you want a surprisingly upside down Beauty and the Beast story, then here it is!


It’s a quick, happy story that will put a smile on your face.
Like a piece of your favorite candy.


Also, this is a Beauty and the Beast story with a HOT AIR BALLOON! Do you need any more reasons to read it???

 

 

Have you read The Rose and the Balloon? BECAUSE
YOU NEED TO. Do you like fairytale stories? And am I
the only one with a weird obsession with hot air balloons?
Has anyone ever ridden in one? I NEED TO KNOW.

14 comments:

  1. Monday! Lauri post! *pounces and devours it*

    ACK THIS POST! *huggles it* I LOVED reading your review -- it's fabulous. :D AND THOSE PICTURES OH MY GOODNESSSSSS!!!!!! *flails and stares forever and a day* So. Much. Gorgeousness. O_O I just love seeing it "in person" so to speak! AWK! Such loveliness! Your pictures are always amazing. <3

    Yup, Janelle was quite a different kind of Beauty and I really liked her! DMITRI THOUGH. <3 Yes, so much complexity and depth with him. :) And the twins and all the rest. AWK. *hugs entire cast* THEIR NAMES YESSSSS. And I agree, the dialog was FANTASTIC. <3

    Basically I loved this review and I agree so much! :D Awesome post! *drools over the amazing pics for another century*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *BEAMS*

      Thank you so much!!! I had fun writing it. This book just makes me happy. ^_^

      *FLAAAILS* I'm so happy you like my pics!!! I was pretty satisfied with how they turned out. But really the book is so GORGEOUS. So photogenic. Hehe. It was a very good model. ;)

      Jenelle was great! It was fun having a Beauty veer away from the mainstream Beauty character. AND DMITRI. LOVED HIM SO MUCH. Then of course the twins were amazing. EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING.

      Thank yooouuu!!! I love it when we have the same thoughts on books. Which we usually do because BRAINTWINS.

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  2. Lovely review once again, Christine! And I love your star graphic--did you make that? Also your pictures are stunning. o.o

    Sounds like a sweet story, indeed! Hot air balloons and awesome dialogue and fiery characters... ^_^ I especially like the sound of Maeva, because I share your affinity for characters who aren't all there! (Lady Peg!!!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!!!
      Awww, thanks. I did! Well...I mostly just used the graphics on PicMonkey to put it together. So it really wasn't a big deal at all. But I'm glad you like it!

      Oh, it so is! Such a happy, precious little story. AND MAEVA. I adored her! I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves those types of charries. Lady Peg was amaziiiing! I think you'll LOVE Winter once you meet her in the Lunar Chronicles. :D

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  3. Oh, I defintiely have to read this! I love fairy tales! Never ridden in a hot air balloon. I'm too scared to.

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    Replies
    1. You shooould! It's so fun. And fairytales are my faaave! I just can't get enough of them.

      Hey, that's understandable! I know a lot of people who wouldn't want to. I'm just an oddball. XD

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  4. EEP, THIS LOOKS SO GOOD!!! I absolutely love the way you review books. I don't do reviews a lot because I can never seem to review them in a way that makes sense. XD Ah well.

    ALL THE LAURI PICTURES. *basks in the beauty* Ahhhhh, they're so pwetty! The book has a GORGEOUS cover, and I'm sort of jealous of your magnifying glass. ;)

    I totally need to read this! The characters sound frabjous (especially Dmitri and Queen Maeva...for some reason I realllly want to read more about them :O), and I'm always a sucker for fairytales.

    ALSO HOT AIR BALLOONS. I MUST RIDE IN ONE SOMEDAY.

    Loved this post, Christine, as always! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH MARY. You have no idea how much that means to me. I'm always terrified my reviews are illogical and make zero sense. I struggle with them a lot. SO THANK YOU! You always know just what to say to make me feel better.
      And GIRL. The few reviews I've seen you do were hilarious and witty and just EPIC. Book reviews can be really boring, so I love the unconventional ones! You should totally do more reviews!

      MEEP. Thank you!!! The book IS gorgeous. It was my absolute pleasure to photograph that beauty. Lol! I do love my magnify glass. ^_^

      Mary, Mary, Mary! I think you'd looove it! Dmitri and Maeva were amazing. They ALL were! And yes, FAIRYTALES FTW.

      You too? YESSSH!!! IT IS A MUST.

      Thank you so much! <333

      Delete
  5. This one is on my list, it's so pretty!

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    Replies
    1. Yay! It's such a fun little read. And YES. Too much gorgeousness. *pets book*

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  6. That book cover is gorgeous!
    I really like your blog's new look, btw! <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it though? I just love it!

      Thank you so much!!! I'm still tweaking it, but I'm really happy with how it's turning out.

      Delete
  7. Did I NEVER comment on this post??? Sufferin' cats, where is my head???? WHY HAVE I NOT YET COMMENTED ON THIS???

    Oh, well. C'est la vie.

    I'd just like to go on record here and say that I love how you have a key in the pictures. THAT IS THE BEST EVER!!! I squealed when I saw that. Seriously. And it's properly steampunk-ish and old and awesome and everything. :D :D :D

    AGAIN YOUR PICTURES!!!! <3 <3 <3 GORGEOUS!! I mean I loved the cover beforehand, but this.... THIS. How do you do it?? *le sigh* *huggles the pics*

    And just all the things. I don't have words right now. Eep. :D Your review was smashing! I'm still trying to figure out if it is indeed my book that you wrote about here. It sounds too amazing to be my work. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Girl, you have a busy life! THAT IS OKAY. But your comment made me grin so very much!!!

      *beams* I'm so happy you like it. I have this weird obsession with keys. I love getting them or having patterns of them on things and just...KEYS. They're so pretty! I thought that one matched your gorgeous book perfectly. ^_^

      Uh, girl, YOUR BOOK IS TOTALLY AMAZING. I was worried my review didn't do it justice! I just loveth it so much. *huggles book*

      Thank you, Kiri! You always make me smile! ^_^

      Delete

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