Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: First Light

First Light by Michele Paige Holmes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Adrielle doesn’t believe in magic; she merely possesses it, though no one has ever mentioned that her unusual gifts—exceptional speed, a flair for fire, and an intimate knowledge of flora—aren’t things she was born with. When Adrielle starts a fire that burns down the family home, she must deal with both her grief and her siblings’ hurtful rejection.

While journeying to far away Tallinyne, in search of her older, estranged sister—the only relative who might take her in—Adrielle is separated from her escort when the carriage is beset by thieves. Alone, she is thrust into a dangerous and unfamiliar world where she encounters fairies and gypsies, a wild boar, a drunk cook, and an evil queen whose curse is sweeping death across the land. Adrielle also finds love, falling hard for a kind, funny, handsome—and completely unavailable prince.

From the glowing pearls tucked beneath her mattress and keeping her awake at night, to Queen Nadamaris’s curse that seems to thwart Adrielle’s every effort, Adrielle struggles to navigate a world of magic she never imagined, where people she knows and loves are not always what they appear to be. With the glowing pearls—and her fondest desire—within her grasp, she is forced to make a choice no girl should ever have to—satisfying her own heart or saving the kingdom.

I enjoyed this well written fairy tale.  It seemed like a mix of several familiar fairy tales and yet a new and unique story all its own.

It's the story of a Princess who has been hidden until she turns 18 and can marry the chosen Prince in order to save the land from the curses of an evil Queen.  Adrielle has been raised far out in the country along with 11 brothers and sisters.  After her mother and father die within a short space of each other, Adrielle finds out that none of her siblings want to take her on.  Her only hope seems to be her oldest sister Cecilia who went to live at the castle when Adrielle was just a baby.  With the encouragement of some mysterious help and encountering danger and magic along the way, Adrielle makes her way to the castle.  She finds the Prince and Princess getting ready for their marriage but she gets stuck in the kitchen and can't get anyone to help her find her sister.  Meanwhile she meets Christian and they form a bond that will lead to another dangerous journey and a revelation that changes her world.

With fairies, magic pearls, a wicked Queen, adventures, Princes and Princesses, and a battle between good and evil, you'll enjoy this fast paced fairy tale.  :)

*Thanks to Mindy @ Min Reads and Reviews for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*

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Michele Paige Holmes spent her childhood and youth in Arizona and northern California, often curled up with a good book instead of out enjoying the sunshine. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education, and found it an excellent major in which to indulge her love of children’s literature.
Her first novel, Counting Stars (Covenant Communications 2007), won the 2007 Whitney Award for best romance. Her companion novel, a romantic suspense titled, All the Stars in Heaven (Covenant 2009), was a Whitney finalist, as was her first historical romance, Captive Heart (Covenant 2011). My Lucky Stars (Covenant 2012) completed the Stars series.
After having a novella published in A Timeless Romance Anthology European Collection (Mirror Press, 2013), Michele decided to focus on historical romance and began Hearthfire Historicals, with the debut novel Saving Grace. A companion novella, Loving Helen was released February 2015.
Michele has been a member of the same critique group for over fourteen years and feels privileged to meet with fellow authors Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, LuAnn Staheli, Sarah M. Eden, J. Scott Savage, and Robison Wells. She has been a member of RWA and URWA, LDStorymakers, and The League of Utah Writers. Michele enjoys both attending and teaching at conferences.
When not reading or writing romance, Michele is busy with her full time job as a wife and mother. She and her husband live in Utah with their five high maintenance children and a Shitzu that resembles a teddy bear, in a house with a wonderful view of the mountains. You can find Michele on the web at michelepaigeholmes.com and on  Twitter and Goodreads.

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