**I got a free copy of this from Netgalley

Okay, when I first started reading this I thought it was a rip off of that television series Once Upon a Time, but it isn't. And I liked the idea of people being trapped within the limits of fairy tales - whether they like it or not - and either accepting their "fate" or rebelling against it. I also liked the way the stories weren't exactly the same as the fairy tale counterparts and that there were some stories/characters included that I never heard of before. I enjoyed reading about how all this came to be - how these people were "marked" - and, therefore, destined to have certain things befall them, like pricking a finger and falling into a deep sleep until being rescued by the brave knight. Or being turned into a beast or condemned to death by your wicked stepmother at some point over your beauty. I liked the secondary characters - at times I liked them more than the main character, though, I'm afraid.

The main character - easily recognizable from nearly the beginning of the novel as a modern day Sleeping Beauty - doesn't seem to actually possess some of the "gifts" the fairy godmothers bestowed on her at her christening. She suffers from insta-love, which gets on my nerves in general, or maybe it's really more like lust than love - but she calls it love. Immediately. And I get that the guy is handsome and has some magical "romance" ability, but still. She falls for him in a nanosecond and is suddenly out buying sexy lingerie. AND even after something bad happens during one of their make-out sessions - something that would tell any normal human to STAY AWAY, she still goes running back to him like a dope. I wanted to yell at her. THEN she flip-flops between feelings for this guy and his equally magical "romantic" brother - named Blue. I wanted to yell at her again. Only this time I wanted to call her names. But I didn't - because, you know, it's a book. :)

Not all of the loose ends are tied up in the end, so I'm thinking maybe there is a sequel in the works...? If there is one, I might be tempted to check it out. The whole idea of this fairy-tale world existing right alongside - or within - the regular world is pretty interesting. Yeah, I'd probably check it out. ( )

I loved Cross' [b:Dull Boy|5895933|Dull Boy|Sarah Cross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1227650857s/5895933.jpg|6068214] so much, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Kill Me Softly. This was a very different reading experience, but I still enjoyed it. The premise, "cursed" teens destined to live out fairy tale tropes, was intriguing. I found myself reading quickly because I wanted to know how major relationships would resolve themselves in the end, so this was a speedy read.

It was really nice to read a stand alone, but I also found myself wanting more story. I wanted to see how the supplementary characters dealt with their curses, because in some cases I was more interested in them than in Mirabelle. One of the themes running through the book is about how much you determine your fate versus how much your curse affects it, and I wish we got to see more of those issues play out. And while I bet many teens will absolutely love this, Mirabelle got on my nerves just a bit. I'm not a big fan of characters who expect to be told everything and then get pouty when they're kept in the dark about things. I know that's nit-picky, but it's something that pops up fairly frequently in YA. It may just be that I've reached a point in my life where I have less patience for whiny shennanigans, but I rolled my eyes at her complaints more than once.

Definitly will book talk this for summer reading, though I wish the cover was more fairy tale and less romance/murder. ( )

This twist on not just one, but multiple fairy tales, makes for fun reading. I was surprised that Mira, the main character, wasn't more cautious and surprised by what she discovered in Beau Rivage - there were a number of weird things going on before she started asking questions. Over, this was a fun book and the ending made me more than ready to dive into the sequel. ( )

Too many times I go into a book with a totally different expectation than what I come out with.

I highly anticipated this book, even though it sat on my shelf for 4mos before I got a chance to read it. But regaurdless, I still looked forward to the day that I would finally be able to Crack it open.

This is a modern retelling of Sleeping beauty..

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns

So yes. I copied that from goodreads. I never do that, but I was having quite a difficult time writing a summary that wasn't too spoilerish.
Ok.. I really enjoyed this book. I love a good retelling. And while this was was good, thats basically all it is. It wasn't fantastic, or spectacular or life changing or even thought provoking. What this was was pure entertainment. It was an easy read, I finished it in a few hours.

Some things I really loved about this book:

The plot. This story had the essence of "Once", which happens to be one of my fave shows. It was set in today's world, but the characters were all fairy tale characters, destined to fulfill their fairytale destiny.

The characters. Some of them... OK so I will be first to admit that the main character, Mira, was probably one of my least favorite characters. Ever. But the secondary characters are really what made this story interesting to me. I wanted to know them better, I wanted to learn their stories and see what their fate would be.

And of course I must mention the cover. I am a complete and total cover hoe. And this one is definitely worth mentioning. I think the cover is initially what pulled me in.

All in all I would give this book 4 stars. The plot line was good. It was a quick fun read. The main thing I really couldn't stand was our main character, she was dull and shallow and pretty much an airhead. But the story and curiosity made up for her lack. ( )

Things I enjoyed about Kill Me Softly

Fairytale Retelling: freaking love them
Includes fairytales that aren’t redone very much.
Bad boy with a good heart
Friends that will help you regardless of their problems
Empowerment of sorts
Characters that don’t want to fate or destiny to determine their lives
Realizing the weight of choices made
The cover!
( )