For daydreamer Maddie, obsessive compulsive Clare, over dramatic Isobel and happy-go-lucky Sophie, life is more a world of tragic than magic. For Maddie it’s a constant battle against the monotony of a job she hates while her heart aches to be somewhere else, for Clare it’s a perpetual struggle to vanquish her teenage insecurities and to see herself for the woman she really is, for Isobel it’s a refusal to reveal her true self for fear it’s not what everyone imagined her to be and for Sophie it’s a willingness to believe in a rumour that threatens to poison her perfect relationship.
But with the love and support of their friends and a little bit of luck, the girls soon realise that happy ever afters are not just reserved for fairy tale fiction – as long as they start believing in them. A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales
A Girl's Guide to Fairytales follows the lives of these four women as their future unfolds. They each have their own chapters as they support each other through thick and thin, encouraging and advising when needed. The story travels through happiness, sadness, anger and despair until I felt I knew each woman as a friend.
When I first started reading I wondered if this was going to be a 'Sex and the City' type of book. The only resemblance to the famous four is the main characters are women. Other than this there are no parallels. Ms Buckland has taken her characters from real life with all their problems, heartaches and happy times. It's not only the story that grabbed me, it's the quality of the writing. I would recommend A Girl's Guide to Fairytales to any reader of light romance. A very good read even if you don't usually read Chic Lit. A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales A delightful UK version of Sex and the City, the city in this case being
and the sex not so much described as viewed from all angles without being prurient.
It’s full of name-dropping, up-to-date references, and some bits of British slang I’m not familiar with (but that doesn't matter), making it as contemporary as can be.
I like this novel. It’s a beautiful rendition of an up-to-date fairytale and one that any reader who likes slightly funny, a little heart-rending but ultimately happily ever after love stories will enjoy. Here, you get four for the price of one. I recommend it.
This novel was supplied by the author and no remuneration was involved in the writing of this review. A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales
If you’re looking for a fresh new romance with a happily ever after, then look no further ladies- this is a book for you to add to your wish lists immediately. Laurey Buckland brings a strong new voice to the romance genre with this tale of friendship and love.
Meet Maddie, Clare, Isobel and Sophie: four best friends who are all facing their own problems. Daydreaming Maddie is stuck in a job she hates, yet doesn’t have the courage to follow her dreams; perpetual romantic Sophie has to face up to the notion that her perfect relationship might not quite be so perfect after all; OCD sufferer Clare struggles to banish the beliefs that have long dominated her life and actress Isobel wants her time in the spotlight, yet is still unable to show people the real her. ‘A Girl’s Guide to Fairy Tales’ follows the lives of these women and upholds the optimistic belief that happy endings aren’t just found in fiction...
Though the premise of love and friendship is in itself nothing new, the writing of this story flowed beautifully and really engaged me as a reader. At first it felt quite ‘dialogue heavy’ which took me a bit of getting used to, but therein lies its charm; and with chapters told from alternating perspectives of the four characters, you feel like you get to know them. In fact, by the end of the novel, they did seem like old friends, each with their own distinct voices.
Character-wise, I have to say that the author has managed to create four very different people, who somehow mesh well together in a group, as well as keep the storyline moving at an appealing pace. Their attributes and personalities fit together, and at the fundamental heart of this story is their close friendship and them being there for one another, offering support and advice in the different ways befitting to them. Maddie, I liked a lot as a character. She resonated with me the most and to me, she seemed the most genuine person out of all four girls.
Isobel, I feel I perhaps only got to know on a surface level, but given her personality traits I’m not sure if this is deliberate on the authors part or not as she did seem a bit ‘aloof’ on occasion. Despite this, I really admired her continual loyalty to the others and her dedicated sense of ambition. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Clare or not either, but as the book went on she seemed to undertake more of a journey than the rest of the characters, and I enjoyed getting to know her and finding out what made her tick. She seemed to be the most complex of the four, and though I started off feeling a bit sorry for her, my opinion later changed. Like the rest, I wanted her to find her happy ending, whatever form it would take.
To be honest, I really couldn’t stand Sophie though. I realise that this isn’t the intention and that the author wanted her to be a fun and likeable girl, but she was too much of an irrational drama queen for me to relate to at all, and her constant use of ‘text speak’ made me repeatedly grit my teeth. Maybe I’m just not ‘down with the kids’ enough to get it, but it genuinely got on my nerves! Needless to say, I’m sure a lot of other readers will like her and probably even be able to identify with her, or have friends just like her.
Text-speaking Sophie and a few minor issues with grammar aside, this was a fun, girly read. It had its moments of drama, humour and tension, but what I found most reassuring about it was the friendship between the four girls themselves which remained rock-steady throughout the plot. I also believe that the way the story ends definitely leaves this novel open to a sequel- I would enjoy catching up with the lives of these girls again in future as well as seeing what Laurey Buckland comes up with next. This is a book I would recommend for fans of Trisha Ashley or Victoria Connelly and would be a great present for your female friends this Christmas. A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales I received a copy of A Girl’s Guide to Fairy Tales by Laurey Buckland in exchange for an honest review. I am sucker for all things fairy tales, I love Disney princesses, so even though the book wasn’t quite in that realm, the title and cover still sparked my appeal. The novel follows four friends - daydreamer Maddie, obsessive compulsive Clare, over dramatic Isobel, and happy-go-lucky Sophie. I know everyone thinks Sex and the City when you hear about four girlfriends, but I really didn’t think that for a second while reading. I thought the plot and the characters were very unique, as well as the author’s voice. I liked each individual character and that she got her own time in the spotlight. I found myself leaning on Sophie more because she had a lot of drama with her live-in boyfriend that I thought was really intriguing. I do wish there would have been some sort of heading when the POV’s changed, because it took me a while to get in the sync of things and that would have helped me out personally. But overall, a cute chick lit read from a new author that I very much enjoyed. A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales Reviewed by Robin
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
Book provided by the author for review
This was a light read and something to take your mind away from the bills from the holidays or the blahs of winter.
Anytime you write about more than one woman you are in for a very interesting book. No two women are alike as much as we look for that kindred spirit, we may find someone with similar interests; there is no one exactly the same as another out there. We do find that friends (good friends) are there for you no matter what.
In this story we support for each other from: Maddie (the daydreamer), Clare (obsessive compulsive), Izzy (over dramatic) and Sophie (happy go lucky). We find ourselves as readers going through all the key points in each of their lives sometimes finding out that we are not so different from the characters that Ms. Bukland has written about. We too are added to the list of friends as we feel the anger, sadness, despair and the happy times. We get pulled into the storyline at times reliving something that we may have gone through at one time or another.
I found the sorry that Ms. Buckland spun rather addictive even with the simplicity of the struggling issues that each of the characters went through. Her quality of writing pulls you into the story and lives of the characters because of the depth she adds making it easy to connect.
I found myself laughing and forgetting about things that were happening in my life because of the antics of Maddie, Sophie, Izzy, and Claire; realizing how simple we fit together no matter how different we are from one another.
So grab some wine, hot chocolate or your drink of choice…curl up in your comfy chair…sit back and relax as you enjoy some fun with new girlfriends. A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales Maddie, Clare, Sophie and Isobel are four best friends who are all at different stages in their lives. Maddie is trapped working in an estate agents office but dreams of opening her own cake shop. Clare is a neat freak wondering if there is more to live than simply following her strict daily routine. Sophie is debating whether living with her boyfriend Tom is what she really wants and Isobel is striving towards a successful acting career. Will these girls be able to find their happily ever after?
I really enjoyed reading this book. Laurey’s modern writing style (there are a lot of references to up to date television programmes such as Dancing on Ice or MasterChef) is very funny and witty. More than once did I chuckle to myself whilst reading the book. All four characters are very endearing. I think there is a little bit of every character in each one of us which makes it really easy to identify with the characters. Clare, for example, uses antibacterial gel on a constant basis (a bit like me) or Maddie doesn’t iron many of her clothes (oops, me again :-)).
A bit of a negative point for me was that all chapters are written alternating from the perspective of one of the girls. I felt that especially in the beginning, the different chapters were not hugely connected to each other. For my taste, the storyline stopped too long after every chapter due to the change of perspectives. I am not very patient and always want to know immediately what will happen next.
A Girl’s Guide to Fairy Tales is Laurey’s debut novel (huge congrats to her!). I can definitely recommend this funny and light-hearted read. I loved the Fairy Tale touch throughout the book and more than once did the girls realise that everything happens for a reason :-).
A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales Laurey Buckland has created something that is really addictive here. The concept is simple, four friends struggling with their own issues yet always there for each other, without question. You might be thinking ‘another Sex and the City’, but this is actually even more enjoyable. Each character has so much depth you never question what you are reading is fiction. Each of the four girls is very different from the other, but you can’t help but connect with something in all of them.
The narrative is bubbly and there is something very believable about Maddie, Sarah, Issie and Clare’s troubles and the way that they unfold. The truth throughout is simply to be true to yourself, whether that means revealing the real you and letting go of the façade, accepting that your dream can become a reality, or just listening to your friends because sometimes they really do know better than you. This is a perfect New Year read, a time when everyone concentrates on how to make their lives live up to their dreams, or would be an excellent gift for someone down in the dumps.
Review by Elizabeth Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com A Girls Guide to Fairy Tales