After hearing so much about it, I have finally read Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin. Not only did I read this truly beautiful, heart-warming fairytale in a day, I read it in a day whilst sitting in the glorious Spanish sunshine on holiday and completely fell in love with it. Everything about it was just perfect!
We first meet Milly as she maneuvres a very old car, which is on the verge of breaking down, up a steep and windy road to the village of Clover’s Rest where she has been sent by the company for which she works to find Clover Castle and investigate its origins. Upon arriving at Clover Castle she is absolutely blown away by the sight of the castle before her eyes with its turrets and drawbridge and she becomes even more so when its owner - Cameron - makes an appearance. As together they work to find out everything there is to know about Clover Castle, secrets are uncovered and an unforgettable relationship develops and grows between the two.
I’m a massive Disney fan and I think the thing I liked most about this book was that it just screamed Disney at me. There was our main character, Milly, who if it’s even possible loved Disney even more than I do, numerous references to Disney characters and even our very own Cinderella’s castle. As I was reading it, I could even see and imagine it working really well as a Disney film.
With the stunning and beautifully descriptive writing I was captivated and transported into another world, so much so, that I could really imagine myself being there with the characters experiencing the sights and sounds that they were. Having just mentioned the characters, I thought there was a really great cast of them who all complimented eachother really well, all had their own roles to play and all fit into the story superbly - no character ever felt like they shouldn’t be there.
Throughout the novel there were moments that made me laugh and also some “aww-inducing” moments which I found myself welling up at.
Despite my mentions of Disney in this review I should make it clear that this is not, by any means, a children’s story but is, instead, an accomplished and stunningly-written adult fairytale. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a heartwarming, romantic novel and to be transported away from day-to-day life into what can only be described as a magical paradise.
