R&R Book Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

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Goodreads Blurb:

"What happens when "happily ever after" has come and gone? 

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven's wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven's fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White's own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing: 

The king is dead. 

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old. 

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what "happily ever after" really means? 

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White."

Review:

Thank you to the author, David Meredith, for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Wow... where to even begin!  There isn't one thing that I didn't like about this book.  It does an excellent job of exploring what happens after the 'happily ever after'.  It is a curious thought because none of the fairy tales include an epilogue of how the happiness together came to end and how that happiness can continue on.  It illustrates how life is full of loss and nothing lasts forever, but you can always find happiness.

From the first page, I was absorbed.  I laughed, cried, and cringed right along with the characters as Snow White and Charming's tale was told.  It was both heart-breaking and heart-warming to see the changes in Snow White.  Just the way it was written, I really connected with Snow White and felt her loss as well.

It's the perfect length as well.  Longer and it would drag, while if it were shorter it would seem rushed.

Final Verdict:

This is a very powerful book with a very powerful message encased within it.  I loved the idea of telling the story of after the 'happily ever after' and Mr. Meredith did an excellent job of telling the story.  I was totally immersed and connected with the characters.

5 stars

"But most importantly, she saw a princess of raven hair and skin of purest snow with lips like the red, red rose who had finally found her happily ever after."