Entwined by Heather Dixon

GoodReads
472 pages, YA fairy tale
Standalone novel

Synopsis

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 2 cents

This book is just beautiful.  The cover, the story, everything about it!  It made me want to put on a princess style ball gown and do a waltz with a handsome man in a tux in a snowy covered forest!  I'm not normally a huge fairy tale type of gal, but this book made me feel it!

First of all, I just love that cover.  I'm not sure why this book didn't make my top ten list of book covers in 2012.  Probably because I based that list off of books I'd already read, and I just got to this book yesterday! But it should have been on that list!  The cover looks much better in person.  It has 3D detail on the silver leaves, is shimmery, and just feels good to touch!

This story felt like a fairy tale retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses, but also it reminded me of the movie Coraline.  The story was fascinating.  I read this book all in one day, I just couldn't put it down!  The story is more than just what the plot suggests. The Keeper doesn't really come into the story until about a third of the way through it.  Its actually more about Azalea's relationship with her father.  She is the oldest of the 12 girls, and their mother has just died while in childbirth with the new baby.  And suddenly she starts to realize, while trying to care for the girls mostly by herself, that her father may not love any of his children at all.

The 12 girls were amazing!  Such vivid, descript characters!  I almost wish this would become a series.  I could read stories about this family forever!  The King is also a very interesting character, as is the villian, the Keeper.  His part of the story is very creepy.  I was glad I was reading with all the lights on!

And there is also some romance thrown in, as the King is trying to figure out how to find suitable suitors for his oldest daughters while they are still in mourning.  Its not appropriate for them to attend balls and such, so he comes up with a unique way to find gentleman callers!  His strict rules are what get Azalea in trouble in the first place.  He has forbidden dancing of any kind, which is absolutely absurd, as that is what the girls excel at.  Their mother taught them daily, so dancing is how they remember her and connect to each other.  He really should have known better!

This book to me, is Fairy Tale Perfection!  I just completely fell in love with it!  5 stars!