What happens in a world where fairy tales, and the characters that inhabit them, are real? When they suddenly start behaving as if they were real people – yet not? In this delightful mix of make-believe and real world, anything is possible (just like in a fairy tale), yet tinged with a humorous commentary that made me laugh out loud. Of course the fact that the damsel in distress is neither a damsel nor needs rescue, added to Prince Charming being a little slow on the uptake (or is he?) only made this look at a variation on Rapunzel even funnier.

Robert is a cross dresser. He likes to paint, and he likes to be left in peace. He isn’t interested in people, and he definitely has no intention of getting rescued by any of the idiot princes that keep dropping by. The newest prince, however, is more tenacious and I loved how Robert tries to scare him away. Not having any luck with that he ends up having to go with him to his castle – where he finds out that his issues have only just begun.

Prince Aiden is on a quest to find his princess. He is determined to make it work, and refuses to return home without a suitable candidate. The minor detail that the person he finds, and really likes, is a man doesn’t deter him in the least. It is unclear to me whether he is too dense to notice, or if he does and secretly rejoices he found a man underneath all of Robert's dresses. Not that it really matters, the prince is open-minded enough (in the end) to realize the gender of his partner is totally irrelevant. And like in any good fairy tale he finds a way to let the rest of the kingdom come to grips with this situation as well.

With a fairy tale ending that isn’t at all like the original and adds some very modern elements to this delightfully funny rendition of a story where very few people are what they seem, this short book totally charmed me. It is entertaining, yet carries a serious message about the need to be true to yourself and to accept others the way they are. If you like re-interpreted fairy tales, if you're looking for something to cheer you up, and if a romantic comedy with lots of behind-the-scenes truths is your thing, you will probably like this story as much as I did.


NOTE: This book was provided by Fireborn Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )