by Rae D. Magdon

This is an interesting re-imagining of the Cinderella story that features the two step-sisters as important characters, second only to Eleanor herself. It takes place in an imaginary kingdom like the original, but with a stronger political intrigue. It's brutal in places and the personalities of the two step-sisters are well-developed. What I didn't know when I picked up the book is that the author is known for writing lesbian fiction, which puts a different spin on things.

In this re-imagining, the step-mother doesn't appear to be the problem. One of the step-sisters even appears friendly, at first. The other one, however, has a rather nasty disposition to say the least. The writing itself is excellent, but the plotting has some holes. The story overall has a more realistic feeling to it than the fairytale, yet possible ways out of Ellie's predicament weren't explored.

There's more abuse than I felt comfortable with in various ways. I was more bothered by the outright cruelty than any of the sexual aspects, but there was far more of that than I like to read about. I don't care if it's gay, straight or anything else, I'm just not into erotica and adding abusiveness doesn't help.

Scoring according to quality rather than my personal reading preferences. If the plotting were better, the writing and character development would score very high.

This was the first time I had read this classic despite it being on my radar for a looooong time. (I haven't seen the film either...) I have quite a few thoughts about this novel. In fact, I ended up taking notes so that I could let the story sink in a little further before I wrote up my final review.This is a story of oppression in a variety of forms. The setting is rural Georgia (although we do jump to Africa for a portion). It's written in journal format primarily by the main character, Celie, a young black woman coming into her own in the early 1900's. There are a lot of themes in this book besides oppression. One of the biggest is sexual awakening and liberation (not just sexual). Also, pants. Pants play a major role and symbolize independence, comfort, and self-sufficiency to name but a few. This book is teeming with powerful women. The strength of women is shown in a variety of forms. There is Sofia who is physically strong but is torn down by the constraints of her race. However, she learns how to build herself back up and to be better than before. There is Mary Agnes who is originally called Squeak but finds her voice in more ways than one. There's Nettie who might be my favorite as she used her chance of happiness wisely. She stayed strong in her faith not only of God but her sister. Good can happen to good people. There's Shug who can be a difficult character to like. She does what (and who) that she wants and she doesn't apologize for it which is probably the point. Women are taught that we should apologize for doing the same things men do. It is through her that happiness (and pants) makes its way into Celie's life. Then there is our main character, Celie, who had the toughest time and experienced the most growth. Spoiler alert ahead! The character goes from a frightened, sexually abused child to a confident woman in a polyamorous relationship. The book has been adapted for film, stage, and radio. Its message is a timeless one. If you haven't had the opportunity (or the inclination) to read this classic I think there's no better time than the present. :-)

PS I told you I had a lot to say. XD

#Junkie
Cambria Hebert
(GearShark, #1)
Publication date: January 20th 2016
Genres: LGBTQ+, Romance, Sports

Drew Forrester is a total adrenaline junkie.
His high of choice?
Cars.
The faster, the better.
He’s been making waves in Maryland’s underground racing circuit since he crossed the state line, and after speaking with him, we know he’s not hitting the brakes anytime soon.
So what exactly does it take to burn rubber and make a name for yourself in a world where the only rule is there are no rules?
You gotta be hungry…
You gotta have balls…
And you can never back down.
What’ve we learned here at GearShark?
Drew is all of the above.
We also know he’s got some secrets buried under his hood.
Secrets we think are loaded with octane and just might set the world of cars on fire.

Check out the full feature article inside…

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*this is a spin-off of the Hashtag series but it can be read on its own.
**This book contains an M/M romance relationship.

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Book trailer:

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Author Bio:

Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

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