Charming Blue, by Kristine Grayson

This is the third fractured fairy tale by Kristine Grayson that I have read and enjoyed. Grayson takes well-known fairy tale characters, mixes stories, introduces modern situations, and creates unique and sometimes humorous scenes. She also adds a touch of gentle romance which makes it even more appealing to me.

I wasn’t sure I would like Charming Blue as much as I enjoyed my favorite, Wickedly Charming, which is about Cinderella’s ex-husband (Prince Charming) and the wicked stepmother from Snow White (Mellie) falling in love. I just wasn’t sure how the main male character, Bluebeard, could be likeable. After all, his track record for killing eight wives and keeping their heads seemed a big hurdle to overcome. But Grayson pulls it off. Charming Blue is now my favorite fairy tale mashup!

Jodi Walters is an agent for many of the fairy tale characters in the Greater World, which is what residents of the various Kingdoms call our modern world. She is kept busy finding studio work for the many trolls, fairies, selkies, dwarves, mermaids, etc. that have made California their home.

She is called from an important meeting one afternoon by Cantankerous Belle, the unpleasant cousin of Tinker Belle. Tank, as she is known, is concerned about a serial stalker who is claiming to be Bluebeard. She’s certain that the stalking will soon move to killing unless Jodi does something about it. And besides, she knows “Blue” and doesn’t think he was really capable of the awful murders he was accused of committing many years ago. She’s worried that he’s being connected to this other stalker unjustly.  Why ask Jodi to help and not the police? Because it’s a fairy tale problem that needs fixing, and that’s Jodi’s special magic.

Jodi reluctantly agrees to talk to Blue about the stalker and see if he has any insight into the case. She goes to the rehab center where he is staying for detox and is surprised by his appearance. The last time she had seen him he had smurf-blue hair, hadn’t bathed in weeks, and was so drunk he could hardly stand. Now he was across the room from her clean, sober, and gorgeous.  After that brief meeting, Jodi can’t stop thinking about Blue. And while part of her feels it must be his charm magic affecting her judgment, she wonders if Tank was right, there may be more to his story than everyone thought. Unfortunately, Blue has also not stopped thinking about Jodi, and that has put her life in danger. They both now have a very personal interest in finding the Fairy Tale Stalker and solving the case.

Pick up this quick read to find out what really happened to Bluebeard’s wives—and find out if Jodi gets her happily-ever-after.

Check the WRL catalog for Charming Blue.