Kristine Grayson writes wonderful fractured fairy tale romances. This book is actually the first in her original line (a new series was started with Wickedly Charming), and while it isn’t her best work, it is still a fun, quirky read.

Nora Barr is a young attorney wondering where next month’s rent is going to come from. Then two mysterious strangers accost her in the parking lot and she has more business than she could have dreamed of: Working with them on a strange custody suit, getting them off on charges that deal with destroying a neighborhood and killing an elderly lady, storing a van for them, and agreeing to watch over it for ten years and then deal with the contents.

What Nora doesn’t count on at the end of that ten years is the very confused and angry Sleeping Beauty, named Emma, who just happened to be the contents of that van. Emma is in deep trouble – she wants nothing to do with her Prince Charming, Aethelstan Blackstone, but she sure can’t go out on her own. She’s been asleep for a thousand years and knows nothing of the world she’s landed in. Not to mention that she has one very wicked witch out to get her. Nora has every intention of helping Emma catch up and become independent and powerful enough to stand up to both Prince Charming and the evil witch. But how can she when she finds herself slowly but surely falling under Blackstone’s spell?

Blackstone just wants to fulfill the prophecy, get the girl, and stop being distracted by the adorable, intelligent Nora. But Emma wants nothing to do with him and he finds himself completely entranced by the wrong woman. If only his magic could get him out of this mess!

This original and charmingly humorous take on the sleeping beauty tale shows what happens when we are too stubborn to see the forest for the trees. It is pretty obvious that Nora, not Emma is the fulfillment of Blackstone’s prophecy, but after a thousand years of making mistakes in that arena he completely refuses to change direction and save himself. The ladies really shine here as they show the hero the way out of the disaster he has put them all in.

Grayson peoples her world with terrific characters. Nora, as an ethical, strong young woman is a worthy heroine. I liked everything about her, from her work ethic to her creativity and ability to roll with the punches. Emma is a fabulous sleeping beauty – not at all vapid or swoony, she kicks butt and takes names when it comes to the horrible mess that has been made of her life. Sidekicks like Blackstone’s best friend Sancho, Ruthie the secretary, and Nora’s bohemian mother all give depth and humanity to the story, adding just enough realism to this fantasy tale. Especially well done was the way Blackstone actually had a career. It would have been easy to have his character be all magic and bluster, but his ability to (eventually) learn from his mistakes, to finally figure out the great mystery that was the 1000 year freeze, and to make a life for himself wherever he was and whenever he was is impressive. I was especially grateful that he didn’t pull the “Women in my day… ” routine that is the prelude to the hero and heroine going on about the emancipation of modern women. The women Blackstone knew were powerful people, and he treated all women like he expected the same from them.

The only real flaw in this novel is that this is a romance where there is very little romancing going on. It is very much a comedy of errors, where in the end the hero and heroine get together – but most of the book is spent on the errors. I recommend it for the fun aspect, but the love story is assuredly a bit lacking.

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