Rumpelstiltskin by Jenni James

First things first: cover art! I really don't think that the cover art matches the story. I love the girl in it and I like the dress, but this is something that a peasant girl would never be able to afford this dress. So the cover art is just not a win for me. Just like this book... 

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Summary:

A young prince crippled by a witch—

When Fredrico watches his cruel family mourn his false death and announce to the kingdom their cursed prince has died, is the day he truly embraces his new life and new name Rumplestiltskin. How could he be known by anything else? —His skin is completely rumpled and stilted now. He hides away from the king and queen and grows up as a crippled servant in the castle.

Years later, his younger brother, Marcus, becomes king and humors Aubrynn’s father when he boasts that his daughter can turn straw into gold. Intrigued Marcus locks the distraught maiden in a tower and declares to the kingdom that if she can transform the straw, he will marry her, but if she cannot he will kill her father.

Rumplestiltskin is determined to help Aubrynn save her father and marry the king. Now, if only he can remember to keep his real identity a secret and not fall in love with her himself…

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So my sister recommended this book to me when she commented on the very first blog post I ever wrote and only took me forever to finally read this book. It's part of an entire series of stand alone books that are based off other fairy tales and I now have every single one of them from the library. This one was okay. The story is very different from the original right from the very first page, and I liked that about this book. Instead of the creepy weird creature that demands the frightened girl's first born child this book starts with a very misunderstood disfigured prince. I liked that about this book, until the ridiculous insta-love started. 

This is a story that was really never meant to be a love story so insta-love really wasn't supposed to be part of the equations so it doesn't work like it does in Cinderella or Snow White. I think there were at least thirty instances of kissing in this tiny little book! Way to much for this tiny little story, maybe for a couple that had been betrothed or something but this one... I wanted to gag. It was a really good story and a fast read, I just think all the unnecessary kissing in it ruined that. I already turned the book into the library, so I cant quote some of the passages where I said, "Really?" But still some of it was just (shudders). So yeah read this if you like fairy tales but just be warned its just kinda weird. Not my favorite.

Rating: 6 out of 10. I really liked the story but some of the content I wanted to gag.

Content Rating: 2 (12-18). One instance of violence, but there is a lot of kissing.