Once Upon a Dream by Kate Perry

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About ONCE UPON A DREAM
Summer Welles wants the fairy tale.

The illegitimate daughter of Reginald Summerhill, the Earl of Amberlin, she listened to her mother’s stories about the Summerhill girls all her life. In her mind, Summer was part of the stories too—living in the castle, wearing fancy dresses, and falling in love with Prince Charming.

Her wish came true. Mostly. She lives in the Summerhill mansion. She has stepsisters—nice ones who don’t make her clean the chimney. She even has a magical wedding dress waiting for her special day. The only thing missing is the perfect man.

She knows exactly who he is, and she’s going to confront him at the annual Midnight Masquerade Ball. What Summer didn’t count on was mistaking a masked frog for her prince.

Once she kisses the mysterious man, he won’t go away. And he’s not sweet or charming or princely. He seems more interested in ravishing her rather than riding off into the sunset with her, and—worse—she’s tempted to let him.
Her fairy tale at stake, Summer’s faced with her own quest that neither frog nor prince can rescue her from: sacrifice her Happily Ever After, or turn her back on the one man who makes her feel alive?

*Can be read as a stand-alone novel.

 

 

Quotes from the book!

 

"The fairy princess always goes through tests, to prove that she's worthy of the prince. This is just a quest I have to go through on my way toward happily ever after."

~Summer Welles

 

The bright gypsy scarf didn't belong on someone that sensible. It made him wonder which part of her was the lie. Everyone wore a disguise—he knew that better than anyone.

 

He could practically taste retirement. It tasted of coconut and spicy basil, the salt of the ocean in the air, and old books.

 

She'd been pragmatic—she'd known that love didn't last, especially the kind of love that burned you from the inside out, the way she'd loved him.

 

If she didn't try, she'd regret it forever. And wasn't it time to stop living her life wondering what if?

 

”How many of those have you had?"

"This is my first, but I'm about to get another," Viola said gleefully.

 

"Life doesn't work like a fairy tale, Summer." Why couldn't it? She gritted her teeth, determined to prove them wrong.

 

“I’m picking out her dress, of course. I'm thinking a mermaid green, something magical.”

~Rosalind Summerhill

 

It was a punishing kiss, but it made her feel alive.

 

He studied her, a steady penetrating stare that tried to see under her skin, under her bones to her heart.

 

”Tell me to stop," he said, his voice a harsh rasp.

"I don't want you to."

 

She planned on saving Ryan. Maybe she needed a cape and boots. Or handcuffs, to trap her masked man in his bedroom.

 

She knew him well enough to know he tasted like birthday cake...

 

She wore black, of course, and the black melted into the darkness of the hall, making her eyes appear that much brighter.

 

He tried not to look but, damn it, the sway of her walk annoyed him this morning.

 

The initial contact shocked him, and then it settled into him, molten and fiery, feeding a current in his body that he hadn't known was so strong.

 

”I’m not supposed to want you."

"This is a bad idea," he agreed.

 

He'd consciously avoided her all day. He couldn't trust himself to be able to keep from carrying her off to his room and consuming her.

 

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think about taxes.

 

Maybe she should kiss him again and see if he turned into a prince.

Truthfully, she just wanted to kiss him again.

 

So many thoughts came to mind, lascivious thoughts that belonged in her book.

 

There are always going to be people who say you won't succeed. You don't seem like the type of woman who'd listen to them.

 

"Are you going to change the ending?"

"I don't know how."

"Well that's not a problem. "That's what wine and sisters are for."

 

Jon is no Prince Charming. He's more like the antichrist."

"You wouldn't have slept with the antichrist."

"I didn't mean to sleep with him."

"Didn't you say you initiated it?"

She groaned. "Did you have to remind me?"

 

Chloe turned to Summer. "I'm stuck for life, but you can still run. It's not too late."

Summer blinked. Had Chloe ever talked to her before? "Run to where?"

"Good point." The teenager sighed. "They'll just find you and bring you back."

"You know why?" Viola asked, looping her arms around her daughter's neck.

"Why?"

"Because we love you," Vi said, looking at Summer. "You're ours."

_____

About Kate Perry

 

 

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Kate has tangoed at midnight with a man in blue furry chaps, dueled with flaming swords in the desert, and strutted on bar tops across the world and back. She’s been kissed under the Eiffel Tower, had her butt pinched in Florence, and been serenaded in New Orleans. But she found Happy Ever After in San Francisco with her Magic Man.
Kate’s the bestselling author of the Laurel Heights Novels, as well as the Family and Love and Guardians of Destiny series. She’s been translated into several languages and is quite proud to say she’s big in Slovenia. All her books are about strong, independent women who just want love.
Most days, you can find Kate in her favorite café, working on her latest novel. Sometimes she’s wearing a tutu. She may or may not have a jeweled dagger strapped to her thigh...