Review: What a Delightful Read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 9, 2012
We are introduced to the story by Danika, fairy godmother to the bad boys of the fairy tale world.  Rather dismissive of the "Prince Charming" and godmothers of the bippity boppity boo ilk, Danika is on her second attempt to find the Mad Hatters true love.  And it's a rush job, as Hatter is fast becoming more mad every day.Enter Alice Hu, all grown up and new owner of the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe.  Alice has a fascination with the stories that carry her name, and a secret fantasy of her Hatter, styled after the Johnny Depp characterization of the Tim Burton movie.  Alice is the great-granddaughter, and spitting image, of the first Alice Danika introduced to Wonderland - a colossal failure of an introduction, that hastened the decline of Wonderland and the sanity of Hatter.What follows is a delightful romp through Wonderland, liberally sprinkled with snips of other faerie tales, carefully and imaginatively detailed in a way that brings the memories of the original story of Alice to light.Of course, it's a romance with a choice for loss or gain. If Hatter fights to love and keep Alice, he maintains his sanity and lives in Wonderland and love forever.  If Alice stays - she leaves behind her family, friends and business: but has the one man who she dreams of nightly, that fills her every need.There is a ton of action and emotion poured into this novella; while Alice is important, we see more of Wonderland from Hatter's perspective, even laden with the dour quotes from Poe.  He is deliciously detailed, his flights into obscurity keep the reader, and Alice delightfully off balance.  Alice is busy trying to relate the unknown to the world, and book, that she knows - and often comes up short.  While this is a romance, there are some steamier scenes near the end, but those were almost unneeded as the story carries you into the `fireworks on the beach' sort of sense without them.  The twist at the end left me wanting more, and I am sure this is not the last of Alice and the Hatter in this Kingdom Series.I did receive a copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review.  I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.