A French FairyFail

Title: A French FairyFail
Author: Jessica Larsen
Kindle edition; 113 pages
Published October 2013

About the Book:

A French FairyFail, published by Flipside Publishing, is a Tagalog romance novel.
It’s a story of how one girl found love in a way she didn’t dream of. The main character – Liberty – is a sheltered, naïve 23 year old who grew up in Manila, Philippines and went to France in the hopes of finding her own “Prince Charming” just like in her fairytale books.
And during her very first day in France, she meet Léonce, a man who seemed to have been created based on her preference. However, for every fairy tale there’s an evil stepmother – an in Liberty case – it was in the form of Alexandros “Lex” Perrault, Léonce’s best friend.

It's been a long time since I last read a Tagalog romance novel. I can't even remember the last time I held a Tagalog pocketbook! But I will always be a Pinoy in heart even though I've read a lot of fantasy and YA novels from foreign authors. I will always get giddy and find myself overly "kilig to the bones" when reading "tweetums" stories.

A French FairyFail is a welcome respite from all the tragic events I have been watching recently on TV. This story brought twinkle to my eyes and a smile to my face. Like the main protagonist, Liberty, I had also dreamed of my Prince Charming when I was younger. I had also wanted the main male characters from the books I read to come alive so I could meet them and have a happy ever after.

In Liberty's case, she had been dreaming about Charming and had been writing about him through the fantasy novels. Liberty had successfully published her first story and when her Aunt Francesca learned about it, she invited Libby to stay in France. Liberty was ecstatic. She thought she found her Prince when she met Leonce after he fetched her from the airport. To her, Leonce is the epitome of a true prince-like lover.

But then, she also met Alexandros, another gorgeous yet brooding man, who happened to be Leonce's bestfriend and her uncle's nephew. Lex was every bit the villain in her love story. She thought she would never get into his good side, no matter what she did. She even thought of him as evil, however, she always found herself drawn to him.

Liberty's quest for a fairytale relationship is like a whirlwind fantasy. I was a little disoriented, however, at the latter part of the story. There was a twist in the tale but I loved how it was done. The other characters were also likeable - like Uncle Auguste and Aunt Francesca (who had problems getting pregnant), and even Celeste, Laure & Sandra. Their personalities were nicely engaging and realistic. The author did a great job with the plot too!

What I also loved in the story is the setting. I have always wanted to go to France, it has been my dream location and I have wondered what it was like to be around hot French guys, atop the Eiffel Tower. Thanks Jessica Larsen for taking me there through your book. This is highly recommended to lovestruck peeps and readers who want to sigh and fall in love.