Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Rating: 5/5 Hoots


Release Date: March 29, 2011


GoodReads.com Summary:
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

My Review:
Entwined is a gorgeous book!  Heather Dixon presents a new take on the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Azalea and her sisters are charming, spunky heroines. Their personalities were differentiated well (at least the 3 oldest princesses), and they felt believable to me- Azalea is a good leader and a typical first-born, Bramble lives up to her name with a sharp wit and fiery demeanor, and Clover is tenderhearted and sweet. I loved how the sisters cared for one another and related to each other so well. Their passion for dancing and the joy and freedom it brings them is evident throughout the book- I always appreciate when a character's interests are integrated into their personalities, and this was definitely the case with Entwined.

The princesses' relationship with their father, the King, develops wonderfully over the course of the story. He is both gruff and tender, with a dry sense of humor that pops up from time to time to surprise you.

Keeper is an extremely creepy villain, but he is also strangely enticing. The reader is drawn into his web just as the princesses are, and once he begins to show his true nature it is horrifying! The duality of his beautiful appearance and dancing ability with his cruelty is chilling!

My absolute favorite aspect of the book was by far the romances! Of the many gentleman who come to the palace in an attempt to solve the riddle of where the princesses dance at night, 3 suitors stand out. Each is as different, well-rounded, and enjoyable as the sister he pursues. I loved the Austen-esque mix-ups that ensued and the sweet, romantic gestures each suitor performed. Dixon is skilled at writing lovely kissing scenes with just the right amount of build-up!

Like the dance for which it is named, Entwined will quickly have you entangled in this beautiful book!

**Thanks so much to the lovely and talented Becca at Jumping Jax Designs, who created this AMAZING blog design for me!**