The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss

Enlighten

by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

Like most Winter fairies, Finnegan is one of few words, but he fulfills his princely duties without too much protest. That is, until he meets Sidelle—a Summer fairy princess. For the unlikely pair, it seemed their meeting was destiny. But their forbidden bond is discovered and torn apart.

Now, the Finnegan must escape his mother’s clutches to find his love and apologize, beg forgiveness, and show her the depth of his feelings. But instead of finding Sidelle, Finnegan befriends a dark stranger who leads him down a troubling path, tricking him into becoming someone he despises—exactly how a Winter fairy should behave—one who Sidelle may never trust.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

50 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2015

About the author

**JOIN MY EXCLUSIVE VIP LIST **

https://www.kristinvanrisseghem.com/n...

USA Today bestselling and Award-Winning, Kristin D. Van Risseghem grew up in a small town along the Mississippi River. Currently, Kristin lives in Minnesota with her husband and a pomsky named Elise. She also loves attending book clubs, going shopping, and hanging out with friends. She has come to realize that she absolutely has an addiction to purses and shoes. They are her weakness and probably has way too many of both.

In the summer months, Kristin can usually be found lounging on her boat, drinking an ice cold something. Being an avid reader of YA and Women's Literature stories, she still finds time to read a ton of books in-between writing. And in the winter months, her main goal is to stay warm from the Minnesota cold!

Kristin's books are published by Kasian Publishing LLC.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

There has always been friction between the Winter and Summer Fae worlds. When Finn, the Prince of the Winter Fairy World meets Sidelle, a Summer Fairy Princess, he discovers the warmth of romance, and a passion he must leave behind with one he was raised to believe was the enemy. Sidelle saves Finn’s life, but is left behind when he left and became the victim of his mother’s wrath and magic.

It is now up to Finn to discover a way to escape the Winter Palace and find his true love, little did he know it wouldn’t be as simple as he thought…

THE PRINCE, A BETRAYAL AND A KISS by Kristin D. Van Risseghem is a short novella that stops just short of feeling complete, unless one knows the rest of the story through the Enlighten Series. Clearly this is background to be continued in the series.
Ms. Van Risseghem does have a wonderful sense of storytelling and bringing her readers into her world. She definitely has me interested in “the rest of the story!”

I received this copy from Kristin D. Van Risseghem as part of a multi-author free promo.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Publisher: Kasian Publishing (November 11, 2015)
Publication Date: November 11, 2015
Genre: Children's/YA Fantasy
Print Length: 50 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[G.K. DeRosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick but fun read giving a little bit of back story into the Enlightened Series. It introduces you to Finn, the fairy winter prince and how he met Sidelle, the fairy summer princess. It briefly mentions the quest for the redeemer which is the tie in with A Guardian, A Sword, and Stilettos. It paints a vivid picture of the fairy world which we don't get to see in the series (at least not so far) and fairy politics. I'm typically not a fan of such short stories as I feel like the narrative doesn't get fully developed, but as a companion to the series, it's definitely worth the read and leaves you wanting to know more!

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss
Author: Kristin D. Van Risseghem, Narrated by Jeff Werden
Publisher: Kasain Publishing
ISBN: 1943207208
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/194...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Like most Winter fairies, Finnegan is one of few words, but he fulfills his princely duties without too much protest. That is, until he meets Sidelle—a Summer fairy princess. For the unlikely pair, it seemed their meeting was destiny. But their forbidden bond is discovered and torn apart.

Now, the Finnegan must escape his mother’s clutches to find his love and apologize, beg forgiveness, and show her the depth of his feelings. But instead of finding Sidelle, Finnegan befriends a dark stranger who leads him down a troubling path, tricking him into becoming someone he despises—exactly how a Winter fairy should behave—one who Sidelle may never trust.
Total Score: 3/5

Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel

Summary:
The Summer and Winter Fairies never mix let alone bond. That is until Finnegan, prince of the Winter Fairies, and Sidella, princess of the Summer Fairies, met and kissed. Their determination to be together met the wrath of the Winter Queen.

This was an interesting premise, but the short story took an unexpected twist that was interesting, but did little to advance the story between Finnegan and Sidelle. It is my hope that their will be more to their story in the future.

[Bran Pendergrass · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this novella for an honest review.

I have no clue what I just read or how it has anything to do with the world in which it originates. It was a short read and I am still lost. The main character caused the black plague by befriending a human? After he commandeers a Polar Bear to ride to Europe? Finn was supposed to be finding his love and some human girl that is the savior of the world according to a random Arch Angel shows up at a winter ball in Fairlyland but he is just a rebellious teenage prince who only thinks about escaping his Mother Mab. I still have no idea why angels are helping fairies to teleport to different realms either. Lord, I need the last 30 minutes of my life back...

#ClusterDucks

[Topsues · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great Novella to enhance the Enlighten series. It gave you a quick glimpse into the life of Finn. This again was well written and enjoyable. It is a good addition, as it gives us an insight into the how and why Finn was involved with Sidelle, and going forward will give you a perspective on why he is involved in the Enlighten series. Knowing more about the different characters is a definite plus

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella gives us an idea as to what happened to Finn after returning home to the winter court. It was a interesting novella to read. To see how Finn managed life at home and what he was up to during his brief stay on earth.
I would actually recommend reading it after Swords and Stilettos just so that the reader could appreciate the story of Finn.
I listened to the audiobook at a faster rate of 1.8. I thought the narrator did okay.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok read, background story about Finn (and a bit Sidelle) from the Enlighten Series. I love Sidelle in book 1 of Enlighten Series but her part is a bit too small here. But it's good as we get a bit more information about the faeries and also how Finn and Kieran met.

[Tina Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not what I expected. The winter prince meets and interacts with a lot of the characters we love from the main series. It was interesting to know this backstory but it felt like it could of added even more!

[Nancy Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arc received courtesy of Goodreads.com first reads giveaway.

I was okay with this one. It was a very short read and not quite what I was expecting.

[E.A. Turley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book vaguely carries on with Sidelle and Finn's story, except it is all about Finn and his life at Queen Mab's Winter Court. Although it gives a lot of insight into Finn's reasons for not going back to see Sidelle again as he had promised and his feelings about it, I still felt that there was something incomplete about this installment. Maybe it was the fact that we were already introduced to Sidelle in depth and knew her character that made the previous book a more interesting read, but Finn's character felt slightly "underdone" to me.
He didn't have one that made him stand out as The Prince of the Winter Court, and my personal feelings are that this book could have been better spent developing his personality and character better in the readers eyes. He seems as if he could play a bigger part in the next installment of the main series. If nothing else, then his complicated relationship with Sidelle would have to be resolved.
However, we meet Archangel Michael again as he goes to The Winter Court to ask for Queen Mab's help in searching for the Redeemer. King Oberon from Summer willingly obliged and sent Sidelle in the last book, but this time, Queen Mab from Winter turns him away with a refusal. I felt a lot more could have been made of that scene between them; it was a bit flat. We have Queen Mab threatening The Archangel Michael with "What she can do" unless he leaves and it would have been nice if she had tried something only to have the powerful archangel rebuff it as if it were nothing, unharmed by her magic. Michael also reveals that Finn is no longer of Winter, and Finn is forced to tell his mother, the queen, about him and Sidelle going through a portal to the human world in the last book and his near death, how Sidelle had saved him by forcing some of her fairy essence into him. The Queen is furious and grounds him to the castle; her magic will not let the doors of the castle open to let him out of it. Nevertheless, he manages to find the Queens secret escape portal that no one else knows about and escapes to the human world, going after Sidelle to save her.
Here we meet another character for the first time. Aiden. The pair travels together to many distant lands creating mayhem wherever they go until one day a Guardian Angel called Kieran arrives accusing Finn of having started the Great Plague. It comes to light that when Finn showed Aiden how he tames animals with magic, Aiden had gone out and infused all the rats with an infectious bacteria, thus spreading the disease through many Sea Ports.
Finn is overcome with guilt just wanting to return to Fairyland as he can't be of any use to Sidelle like this. And, of course, Kieran obliges him. There were a lot of things that could have been better off shown rather than told, and many things that were missed out altogether and would have been a more exciting read if included in the story. As to the storyline itself, it felt as if there was a huge hole in it. Whereas Sidelle's story had her going places and doing things, even journeying to the human world, Finn's story had virtually nothing of consequence except for Archangel Michael's visit and Finns escape to the human world too.
I have to say that I was a little disappointed by this one, but that's not to say that it wasn't an enjoyable read because it was. It's just that so much more could have been made of it than was.
But I would still recommend it to all who enjoy this series. The background knowledge for future books in the main series is indispensable!

[Sharon Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative, and a different uptake of the fairy world. In just a few words, a short story, I was drawn into a fascinating world of dueling winter and summer. Impossible love and quest involving life and death and the human race. Who wouldn't want to read more. This made it to my reading list.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss by Kristin D. Van Risseghem Book Review:

One of the best parts of getting invested in a book series is getting to explore secondary characters in one-off stories, and that is what fans
will get when they read The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss by Kristin D. Van Risseghem, a short story in the Enlighten series. Getting to explore
a character's backstory that was only touched upon in the first Enlighten book, fans will be delighted to get this fun look into the Winter faerie
realm and a deeper look into a forbidden romance.

First, the synopsis:

Like most Winter fairies, Finnegan is one of few words, but he fulfills his princely duties without too much protest. That is, until he meets
Sidelle—a Summer fairy princess. For the unlikely pair, it seemed their meeting was destiny. But their forbidden bond is discovered and torn
apart.

Now, the Finnegan must escape his mother’s clutches to find his love and apologize, beg forgiveness, and show her the depth of his feelings.
But instead of finding Sidelle, Finnegan befriends a dark stranger who leads him down a troubling path, tricking him into becoming someone he
despises—exactly how a Winter fairy should behave—one who Sidelle may never trust.

Blending the elements of the first Enlighten book with some historical context and an in-depth look into the other side of the complex relationship
between Winter faerie Finnegan and Summer faerie Sidelle. The action is very fast paced and in just a short amount of time we get some great
character development and get to see another side of this complex war brewing between the various realms, and who is siding with who. The
grand mythology in the Enlighten series is expanded upon greatly here, and gives fans a look at where the characters may be heading in the future
of the series. Be sure to pick up this fun read The Prince, a Betrayal, & a Kiss by Kristin D. Van Risseghem today!

[Robert Zimmermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main issue with this story was that it didn't feel complete. The story felt like it was building up to one thing, then switched to a different track near the end. Then it ended. The change was fine. It didn't feel too out of place. But the story never jumped back to its original focus. I haven't read the other books in this series, but was told that it could stand alone well enough. With that said, it feels like this is just a few chapters within a bigger novel, instead of a story in itself. There are previous events alluded to, which helped a little with setting things up. But it feels like I'll get the unfinished story in the book that comes next.

I also felt that the characters were a bit flat. Even Finn, the main character, didn't feel fully developed. This might be due to the story mostly telling instead of showing. Things just sped on through, as I read, without taking the time to flesh out the story. This is a short story. There are limitations due to the length. But instead of using those words effectively, things just felt rushed.

Despite this, I do think I will try one of the main books of the series. I think Risseghem has some good ideas for this world she's trying to build (even if the world building, and setting in general wasn't up to par for my tastes). I want to see what the author can do without the limitations of a short story. Maybe given more room to flesh out characters, setting, and plot lines I could find this to be a great series.

[Rabid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short novella in the authors Enlightened series that I think is set just before and during the first book in the series. It gives us more information on Fin and Siddle relationship and a glimpse into the working of the Winter Fairy Court. It is an entertaining story that adds depth to Fin's character and makes you hope for the author to write another novella about their original meeting and island adventure that precipitated the changes in Fin. It will be interesting to see what will happen in their relationship and how the changes in Fin might affect both the winter and summer courts in the future. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kieran Reid · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was informative, but bad. There wasn’t really a plot. It was more like backstory unnecessarily turned into a whole book. I knew where all the characters were going to end up, so the suspense wasn’t so suspenseful. The book also slowed down and sped up in strange places. I think a book should feel natural when reading, this book felt forced. The characters were forced to do these things the author talks about them doing. It just didn’t seem like something the character would do. It made the main series make a bit more sense. But that was basically it.

[Kellyann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit confused. This book has a great plot and was going well and just when things got good it ended and it didn't end with any kind of conclusion. Like an unfinished sentence. I believe that it may have been an introductory story to her series that I have yet to read. So If you have not read the series you are left mad. I guess I will have to read the series now and hope to get closure because like I said it really was a great story with lots of promise.

[Boyko Ovcharov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic in Everyday Life!

It is a quick and easy read, which sounds somewhat poetic. Liked the fairy touch and feel of the story; including even the layout. However, the narrative itself does not fully transcend us into the magical realm. That might be on purpose, perhaps. Supposedly, this short story relates some interpersonal and REAL everyday relationships. Might have been a bit longer though, just for the sake of development.

[Ola Adamska · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is short and quick. It has to show world of the series.

We have faeries, angels and humans in this series. This book is about the first one, generaly.

I like it as a pice of the world - i know something and then i want to know more and more :) this book is like that.

Mustread for faeries fan!

[Rodney Siebenaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rec'd this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review: Author K. Van Risseghem does a nice job weaving historical events and adding a twist to them. Also was nice to read from a male perspective. Well done!

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick story that expands on Finn's perspective in the Enlightened series. Good descriptions of the world as he sees it and some interesting ways his life links to the rest of the world. A nice little companion short short to the main series.

[Nicole Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC: This book was awesome! Short and sweet and gave great information and insight into Finn and his relationship with Sidelle!

[KD Siebenaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight and back story of the Winter fairy. Quick and short read, but packed with info.

[Kasian Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This spin off story from The Masquerade, an Altar, & a Fairy is just the perfect length for the reader to get to know the Winter Fairy, his motives, and his journey to win back his love (Sidelle).

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

May or may not contain spoilers....


Finn is a prince of winter who was changed after an affair with Sidelle the summer princess. Then an angel comes and says that Armageddon is coming and they need to find a human. Then Finn accidentally starts the black plague. The End