Review: review of before the midnight bells
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 28, 2013
What a truly adorable and charming unique spin on the Cinderella tale!  Ms. Jessica Woodard kept me enchanted with not only a make-believe kingdom, appealing characters, interesting plot twists and turns but just a great read over all.I just really loved the spunky, brave, beautiful heroine Ella.  I think what made me like her was that she had dreams but also real aspirations of becoming successful as a seamstress.  Ella didn’t want to marry the rich duke’s son to escape from everything.  She knew that it wouldn’t make everything better due to Max’s responsibilities and obligations.  I admired her strong will to keep her family from financial ruin and you could tell that Ella cared very much for them despite them being her step-family.  The step-mother and step sisters aren’t cruel to Ella like in the fairy tale they treat her with respect and love her too.  That I just couldn’t help but like Ella’s step-family too!  Ella’s step-mother Millicent was just hilarious keeping me laughing with her antics and very flighty but pleasing manner.  Even Prudence Ella’s step-sister who was worried about courting a red-haired man since her daughters couldn’t wear pink.  In fact, I really wanted to read more about them.I did really like Max the handsome hero in the beginning when Ella and him first met but as the book progressed he just seemed to make a mess of everything which made everyone a little mad at him including me.  In fact several times a lot of the side characters were calling him an idiot which I couldn’t help but think that too.  I think the only thing Max had going for him was his unwavering loyalty to Vivienne and Ella both which is an admirable trait but even dogs are loyal to a certain degree so I guess at times I was comparing Max to a lap dog.  I at times think Ella deserved someone more exciting than someone so indecisive.Even though Max's character could have been a little bit better and a few spelling errors I still rated the book four stars.  I enjoyed reading the story can recommend it and will get more works from Ms. Woodard.