Playing Hearts

by W.R. Gingell

It begins the way it has always begun: with a card on Mabel’s pillow. But Mabel has been in Underland before, and she’s not so anxious to go back. No matter what name it takes, Underland is always bizarre, always mad, always dangerous.

There’s the Queen of Hearts, terrifying, powerful, and possibly insane. There’s Hatter, purple-eyed and undoubtedly mad. March Hare has always been one sandwich short of a picnic, and Sir Blanc is missing his wits.

And then there’s Jack. Jack the aristocratic son of the Queen. Not quite mad, but not far off. Disinclined to help anyone but himself. A liar. And, thanks to an ancient ceremony performed by the Queen, Mabel’s fiancé.

Fall into the rabbit hole with Mabel as she climbs through tea-pots, battles the Jabberwock, and attempts to overthrow the Queen of Hearts herself.

Don’t lose your head.

And whatever you do, don’t be late...

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings

185 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2016

About the author

W.R. Gingell is a Tasmanian author of urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and madcap science fiction who doesn’t seem to be able to write a book without a body suddenly turning up. She solemnly swears that all such bodies are strictly fictional in nature.

W.R. spends her time reading, drinking a truly ridiculous amount of tea, and slouching in front of the fire to write. Like Peter Pan, she never really grew up, and is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.

GOODREADS FRIEND POLICY: I don't tend to friend anyone unless they're a personal friend or someone from my close author circle. I have a limited social battery which needs constant care. If you want to keep up with my reading/writing, you can absolutely follow me here or on pretty much any social media site.

Reviews

[Sylvia Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it's a Gingell book. So you know I loved it. (And it set me on three-book Gingell binge for a bit there!) But I DO wish this one was longer. Her take on Wonderland is so fascinating, I would have loved to have seen it expanded into a full length novel! But it was a great read just as-is, and one I will undoubtedly pick up again.

[J.M. Stengl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it! Exactly what I've always wanted: An entirely new adventure set in Wonderland . . . um, Underland, complete with the evil Queen of Hearts, the enigmatic Jack of Hearts, the Hatter and the March Hare, a deck of "card sharks," and the Red and White Knights. Add in a feisty and sharp-tongued heroine, a touch of great romance, and a lot of mirror magic and plays on words, and you've got Playing Hearts.
Another wonderful story from one of my new favorite authors. Highly recommended!

[Suzannah Rowntree]

A portal fantasy novella inspired by ALICE IN WONDERLAND that reads like a very early version of the CITY BETWEEN series: Mabel can jump through puddles into Underland, where she joins the Hatter and Hare's resistance against the evil Queen of Hearts...but matters are complicated by the magical bond between herself and the Queen's son, Jack. This was funny and light-hearted with occasional gore and some very good homages to Lewis Carroll.

[Sarah Seele · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Mabel, our sharp, pinched little heroine, hiding under tables and darting through reflecting pools
-Hatter and Hare, mad and clever
-The White Knight, chivalrous and witless
-JABBERWOCKY
-Jack, arrogant and lazy and made selfish and apathetic by his “twisted little childhood”
-the Queen of Hearts and her card sharks, extraordinarily scary villains
-homages to the Alice books and Carroll’s work in general

Honestly, I love the Alice books, but…for very specific reasons. Meaning retellings aren’t necessarily going to please me.

This one, though…somehow it combined the nonsense and characters of the original with a fairytale-ish take-down-the-corrupt-monarchy plot and it worked beautifully. It’s so bizarre (as it should be; it’s Wonderland), but it worked beautifully. And it was kind of my favorite thing? I love both those things, but I didn’t know you could successfully combine them.

Moreover, Gingell didn’t change the characters. The Hatter, the Hare, the White Knight, they have all the characteristics of Carroll’s versions, even talking the same way, while also being Gingell’s characters, serving Gingell’s story. It made me happy.

Underland feels like Wonderland. That’s really the best way I can put it. It’s a clever retelling, but it’s a respectful retelling, especially, and that’s the thing.

I even like what a short book it is. I’ve come to decide that whatever the shortest way you can tell your story is, that’s the best way to tell it. Don’t make novels out of short stories or trilogies out of novels. Don’t write 100,000 words when you could write 50,000. Don’t make your movie 2 hours when it could be 90 minutes. Don’t make it the plot of a full season of a TV show when all it needs to be is a two-hour movie. I am tired to death of bloat and dead weight in stories, and you don’t know how refreshing it is to read a story where every word and every scene is necessary and compelling. Where you look over the slim finished product and are amazed at how small it is but more at how much there was packed into that small space. How complete it felt. That’s the mark of good writing. That’s exactly what this story was.

The only thing I had even the slightest quibble with was the romance—and even that I mostly liked, except when it verged too far into normality (mainly in a few of Jack’s lines). Jack’s a very unique character, and I dislike when unique characters say very typical things just because they happen to be in love. Fortunately he mostly didn’t.

TLDR: amazing Wonderland retelling, I’m in actual love

[Che is Slowly Getting Back to Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Aleena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha! Another delightful novella from W.R. Gingell, who is quickly becoming a favorite.
I do wish it was longer, because more details certainly could have been fleshed out, but I don't feel that the story is lacking. I only wish I could linger longer in this world.
The banter is top-notch; Jack is delightfully Cardan-like, and Mab is amusingly distrusting. I'd love to read further about these two if only for more of their barbed exchanges :)

[Andree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to like this more than I did (considering I generally love Alice in Wonderland and W.R. Gingell's books).

Unfortunately, while I enjoyed it, I didn't love it. Like a lot of Alice adaptations, there's a lot of viciousness and violence in this incarnation of Wonderland/Underland, which is much more implied in the original. But there are too many things that I wished had been better developed:
-Mabel's relationship with the Mad Hatter and March Hare (including why they trusted her/where on side so quickly)
-the apparent rebelion
-Jack, both his relationship with Mabel, and his own character arc. Because of his personality, and the fact that everyone in Wonderland is putting on a front (mostly for safety), he's hard to read. Which made the development of his relationship with Mabel difficult to fully engage with (the novella length doesn't help with this either), But it also means that his sudden joining of the resistance near the end comes out of the blue, especially because we're never shown how it happens - we're told it, and it's not particularly effective in my opinion.

I do really like how moving between the worlds is dealt with, and the mirror v. puddle thing. I also enjoy that in most adaptations the lines of loyalty are the same. Hatter, Hare and the White Knight are always the closet allies (with the Cheshire cat being there, but usually more neutral). It's interesting, because it's almost always those four who are predominant, and there are a lot of characters in Wonderland!

Fun, but not amazing.

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice in Wonderland with a darker twist is...kind of awesome.

Despite the darker twist, though, it still remains fairly light and fast paced. I really enjoyed the heroine and her narration (and her 1000% resistance to any charm), as well as her decisive and brisk personality and ability to discover. And I thought the way the writing, plot, and narrative were laid out was very well interlaced so that no parts dragged. I think the only complaint one might find is the romance (as in, the age gap as children, not as pronounced in adulthood) but I found it crafted it well and in a way that didn't seem too creepy.

So overall, it was an enjoyable/awesome read that I liked way more than I think I've properly expressed.

Content: Some gore because the villain likes her creative murderizing (I can appreciate that)...and only a light kiss in the romance category

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so very much.😍😍😍🖤❤️🤍

[Carina Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars // read November 2021

After reading 13 of W.R. Gingell’s books this year, I have concluded that it’s impossible for me to not enjoy anything she writes. Even though I had lower expectations for Playing Hearts since it is one of her earlier books, it still kept me engaged.

Alice fans will definitely enjoy the elements woven in- even some nods to Through the Looking Glass. Somehow the author managed to balance the wacky, unstable nature of Wonderland with things actually making sense. I think City Between fans will also enjoy this, since there are a lot of similar concepts and situations between the two.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. If you haven’t read anything by the author before, maybe try one of her more polished books first, but I’d still definitely recommend.

Content: No language; mild kissing; a brief blood ritual scene; the Queen has a predilection for dismemberment/decapitation, which comes up in a few scenes (the wounds themselves aren’t too graphic, just a fair amount of blood.) Someone is killed.

[Elisabeth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH FER CUTE

seriously, I devoured this in a couple of hours and couldn’t stop smiling after! If you like spunky heroines and broody heros with a good 😘 at the end, here you go. Now I want to read the OG Alice in Wonderland.

[Kitcatscratch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am more of a full length novel sort of person but when a novella is done well I'll be the first to admit they can really hit with an impact.

This was a story I could easily have read 600 pages of. I would also have neglected my family for a few days lost in it if a full length work. As it were I think I neglected my family only slightly and am fairly sure I neglected work today quite a bit (I actually regressed to high school and hiding books beneath my desk...or in this case my kindle).

I simply adored this trip into Alice's Wonderland which is actually Mabel's Underland. This story packed a surprising amount of violence. Or maybe it seemed that way and it was more a little casual violence and a lot of implied violence. The kind of fear that permeates when someone in power thinks nothing of casually terrorizing and torturing someone or a people on a whim.

I loved Mabel and her trips to Underland as she was growing up. I loved how as a child she didn't fully understand what adults were saying but she understood the "fear" behind it like I think all children experience. I loved her relationship with Jack, the Queen of Heart's son. I loved that they didn't really change personalities and have sudden epiphanies as they grew up. I mean, in real life people don't change a lot. You either accept that person or don't. I especially loved her relationship with the Mad Hatter though only seen in small bits. In fact, Mabel reminded me a lot of Mona in "The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking" by T Kingisher. Another book I highly recommend.

But the story moved briskly, the fear was real, the dialogue witty and overall a great short read while I wait for the next City Between book.

Lastly, my favorite interaction with Jack and Mabel:

"I opened my mouth to be less than polite; and Jack must have known what was coming, because he grabbed me by the nape of my neck and firmly pushed my face into his suit lapels where my mumbled insults were too muffled to be understood. More irritatingly, he patted my head with his other hand and said: "There, there, I'm sure it'll pass soon. Shh."

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how DVDs of animated sometimes came with extras, like concept sketches or storyboards used to develop the material? Reading this little piece felt very much like a series of concept sketches for Gingell's excellent (but later) City Between series. Our MC is basically a less-developed Pet (protagonist of Between), and Underland starts off quite like a dark Alice-in-Wonderland but becomes progressively more like Between as we watch. And Jack is not JinYeong or Zero, but he is a sort of emotionally damaged but sharp dressing proto-psycho.

For a fan like me, waiting for Between Family, this is a bit like licking the spoon while the cookies are in the oven - very tasty but not quite as baked as one has come to expect. Plot is fragmentary and character development a bit erratic, with an extremely abbreviated resolution.

That said, there are scenes in the first half that are eerily, dizzyling good as Lewis Carroll homage, and I have no doubt she could write a lot more Wonderland if she set her mind to it. A Hatter and the Hare spinoff please? More tea for me!

[Patience · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story timeline was confusing to follow. It begins at the end. Had to deduct a star for violence description. I'm not opposed to violence in a story. If a character needs to die, then the character needs to die, but YA fiction shouldn't be gory. I rate this for ages 19 and up. Other than that, the Lewis Carroll fan fiction and exploration of if Underland was delightful. And, of course, betrothal is always good in my book!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Really enjoyed this twisted and fun look at Wonderland. I didn’t feel like the romance worked. I didn’t understand why the queen wanted her to be engaged. And I never felt like Jack fully “got it” even though he had one of the best quotes ever:

"Since I’m going to have to live with myself whether or not you ever marry me, I thought the best thing to do would be to change.”

I wish I had seen the change in him. It's implied and told but never shown. But this was a short book. It could have been so much longer. But it was beautiful and fun and delightful!

[Smasher]

DNF at 17%

Gingell is the perfect author to write a book about Wonderland. I, however, am not enjoying the nonsensical tone that is prevalent in anything about Alice in Wonderland. I've never liked Alice in Wonderland, but thought I'd give this a try. My brain hurts trying to follow the oddity though, which is something Gingell excels at, but which I don't care for at all.

My DNF is totally due to my own reading preferences.

[Saffron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I never liked Alice in the Wonderland, it has this dry sort of madness which differs from the usual crazy stuff found in other fairytales, that they even feel sane somehow in comparison. This story is not exactly the retelling of Alice in the Wonderland, it is very loosely based on the orignal, and borrows only some settings and characters, but that's probably one of the reasons I liked it.

The Queen of Hearts is as bloodthirsty as ever, perhaps more so. I liked that she actually has a special ability to control her reign of terror, and her ability to use flat reflective surfaces to spy on subjects in the Underland extends to the real world. The Underland has its own set of laws which results in interesting and sometimes quirky humorous scenes.
Hatter and Hare are the actual vanguard of rebellion here. They speak in code most of the time, which makes their madness relatable. If I tried speaking like that I would go mad too, though I believe they had enough of madness of the highest grade between them to begin with and that rather served as an inspiration for their code talk and not the other way around like it would've been in my own case.
Dormy is the third, I suppose, 'sleeping' partner in said partnership, pun intended. Needless to say we don't see much of him.

So far I loved every single heroine W.R. Gingell wrote and Mabel is no exception. She's figured out how to use moving reflections to observe the Underland and to access it. She's principled and determined person, and doesn't allow others to manipulate her. She has a few faults, but who has not. Mabel's interactions with Jack, who is the Queen of Hearts son, are usualy very entertaining. Jack's probably my favourite Gingell's written hero so far (although he's got less air time than most of them due to the length of the story). That's because I like all the fops in literature, genuine or pretend, they're usually a hilarious bunch. There is something morbidly fascinating about fussy and overly fashion conscious male equivalent of someone like Lady Isabella from Masque. Our guy here really grows in character by the end of the novel, and I particularly like his own explanation about this.
On the whole characters even mad ones like Hatter, Hare or Sir Knight Blanc felt more personal, not as detached as I expected (having in mind Alice in the Wonderland), they formed connections, connection with Mabel; Hatter and Hare for example tried to shield her from harm in their own way.

[Sage Knightly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5

This is a lovely novella full of unique situations, great characters, and similarities to "Alice in Wonderland". It was different in its own way though, despite the similarities, so I applaud the author for a job well done!

In the beginning, we follow Mable as she first visits Underland and is blood bonding to Jack at the young age of 3. We follow her journey all the way to the end when Jack is a month or so away from being 25. At first her visits are pleasant and happy, so she's always eager to return, especially after she met Hater and Hare. But it gradually becomes a place full of terror as the Queen tends to love spilling blood when she's bored. Mable's presence leads to a rebellion, and when something terrible happens to a friend of hers, she swears never to return to keep them safe. However, the rebellion takes action.

I adore how the author wrote Mable's gradual understanding of Underland. She goes from knowing how she gets there to figuring out better methods of visiting. Then she finds out she can see them through water, and then change things, and then hear them. She experiments with things until she finds out a new method of connecting with Underland, which I thought was well paced. Her voice doesn't really change as she grows though, which was a little disappointing, but everything else that changed in her was well done. She takes action, finds out the truth, and she stands up for what she believes in, even if that's freeing a bunch of prisoners or tricking the Queen.

Which brings me to the fight at the end. It was a little too lackluster for me, as it seemed so simple and made me wonder why Mable didn't do it before but it was still good.

The pacing is fast at times, but it mostly maintained an even pace throughout the novella. I like how things happened and I wouldn't change anything, not even to make something happen quicker or not at all.

The plot is great. Mable spends a large portion of the book learning things about Underland and herself, bettering her skill and getting stronger. She does that in multiple ways, whether it's saving her friends from a creature or watching as things happen. This means that by the time she has to fight, she's well prepared.

Overall, this novella is great, and I definitely recommend it to anyone.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fun, mad, and exciting romp. Wonderland is one of my favorite fictional worlds, and this story did a great job with it. I have always felt that underneath, Wonderland has a bit of a dark side. This story showed it without being an overly dark story. All the logic defying magic is still present. There is a lot of humor in the story.

Mabel is a fiercely independent girl. The book begins with her at three first finding herself in Underland and thinking it is a strange dream. As she grows, she discovers how very real it is. She also learns how to use the strange magic of that world. She grows up in Australia, and her strange behavior due to traveling between there and Underland makes her life hard at times. But that just makes her a stronger girl. And a bit of a smart mouth. But I liked that.

The Queen of Hearts is just as evil and insane as expected from someone who likes to "off with their heads". Honestly, I found her very creepy. You don't see her much, but the ripples of her actions spread far.

Finally, Jack. He is lucky he is pretty, because he isn't very likable. He likes it that way too. Keeps the expectations low. But there are hints there that there is more to him than just a pretty face and self involvement.

The only complaint I had about this book was that I wanted to know more about the rebellion happening in the back ground. I know a lot happened in the years when Mabel was too young to understand, and she spent more time out of Underland than in it. But there were a few things that I just wanted to know how they happened.

Overall this was a fantastic read. At approximately 120 pages, it is pretty short and quick to read. Makes for a great vacation book. I plan to let my middle schooler read it next.

[Tony Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a glorious new take on the writing of Lewis Carrol and Wonderland. Instead of Alice, we now have Mabel, and instead of Wonderland, we now have Underland. Two major changes: it is set in the present day and Mabel doesn't just let things happen to her, she becomes involved and tries to do something about the bizarre situations in which she finds herself.
The red queen is a lot more evil than the original. Somehow, the command of “Off with his head” never really bothered me when I read it as a child, they were just fantasy figures and somehow I managed to ignore what that really meant. In this story, we meet a totally ruthless queen who not only oppresses her subjects, but also mutilates and tortures them just for fun. So unlike when I first read “Alice”, I could not ignore what was happening as just fantasy. This is of course that the writer has been able to create characters which are, for the most part, believable.
My three favourites are Mabel herself, Jack and Cat Cheshire.
It is a novella length story, and, as such, does feel a little rushed at some points. The ‘revolution’ was a little vague for my liking, but that’s just my personal opinion.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more work by W. R. Gingell.

[Jannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread, was fun to revisit

---
Another fun one a bit on the bloodier side
Again with TTS this was longer than it would have been from rewinding back to where I dozed off.
I liked Mabel and her weird bendy powers in Underland and the whole twist on Alice/Wonderland etc. It felt more adult in some ways and sinister

[nymeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice story to get lost in for a while, with a great blend of fantasy and romance that had me flipping the pages without pause!

[KL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been particularly interested in Alice in Wonderland, or the retelling of it. This is a really entertaining retelling of Alice in Wonderland, it delves on quite a bit of interesting and creative ideas.

The way this story is told is quite special too. It reads like the protagonist, Mabel, telling her own story. So it's based on her memory, bits and pieces she remembered. The incidents she remembered might not usually be chronological and sometimes it might be meshed together.
So this doesn't read like a real-time adventure like many fantasy stories, instead it reads like a diary or a memoir of Mabel.

One downside is that it is way too short, it seems like a novella. Since it is from the point of view of what Mabel remembered, something might be glossed over. I feel like reading a wikipedia version of her story. (But maybe that's the aim?) If this idea is turned into a series, I guess it will be spectacular because this idea is creative and interesting. It does have a lot of potential.

Jack is also an interesting character. He spoke in riddles and kept mentioning The Rules. His actions are a mystery. If only this is longer such that we can get to know him more or if only his actions are explained. He remains a mystery towards the very end.

This is a fun and whimsical retelling of Alice in Wonderland.

[Graylark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, frightening, and charmingly mad. This book grabbed me the moment I flipped to the finest page, and I couldn’t put it down.

It’s not a light fluffy read like the description might make you think. The story includes some cruelty from the monarchy and some of the ensuing rebellion. It takes place with strange and whimsical characters, in an equally peculiar world, and with a subtle, slow burn little romance woven in.

+ I loved the characters. They were so sharply drawn with so many facets to them and with an edge of lunacy to it all. Jack in particular was a beautifully drawn character, an antihero with all his faults and capriciousness.
+ Top notch world building
+ So many whimsical or thoughtful little gems in the dialogue. It reminds me of the original Wonderland.

“You could just try not lying,” I said flatly.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Mab. There’s nothing more dangerous than the truth. I’m not going to go bandying it about, willy-nilly.”

“He’s a lot cleverer than he used to be, but not quite as wise,” said Jack.

- We missed too much of what was going on with the rebellion. Wish it were long enough to cover these long gaps.
- Ending was just a bit abrupt. Would have loved to see the aftermath and a nice reunion with everyone as a payoff. And yes, more time with Jack.

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this overall, especially once I realized I wasn't going to understand all the magic / portal stuff right away.

Mabel is a great main character, and I liked the overall story progression here (even if I do think we needed more time on a certain character arc.)

I also liked Jack against my better judgment - much like Mabel, really! But it does annoy me that Gingell does a couple of things here I've noticed in some of her other stories I've read, neither of which are things I enjoy:
-a COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY age gap. Why do we keep doing this? There's absolutely no reason for it and it weirds me out. This one wasn't too egregious and I do feel like the characters interacted as equals once the romantic element was fully in play, but I REALLY wish we hadn't lingered so long on ages where the gap was a much bigger problem 🥴
-a love interest EXCLUSIVELY using a nickname they invent for the other character rather than their actual name. Mabel doesn't ever explicitly ask him to stop calling her that or act annoyed by it, so that's something I suppose - but it really grated on my nerves to hear that nickname (which no one else uses!) over and over instead of her actual name. Even just a passing reference to the fact that she liked that he called her that would have worked for me!

CW: Murder, grief, references to: abuse, torture, execution

[Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright.
I mean, my personal dislikes when it comes to books include wonderland-esque nonsensical things, and sort of maybe "arrogant" characters, so I did keep my expectations low when going into this, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless.
I do like that I was actually able to understand the plot, strange mechanics and all, which is a bonus because normally with Gingell's writing, I don't really.
The characters were also fun, not the kind that I get really fond of, but nice enough to follow along for one adventure, and the stakes felt reasonably high for a book that I wasn't really immersed in.

There is one little thing that sort of bothered me, and that was the age gap between the mc and her love interest. 6 years isn't enormous, by any means, but she was 18 while he was 24 and I personally feel like that makes one of them a teenager and the other a real adult, if that makes sense.

That aside, it was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it if you're a fan of Gingell's writing style and general vibe :)

[Martha Braebuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredible!!! It's honestly one of the best Alice in Wonderland retellings that I have EVER read! I loved Mabel and how WR Gingell always manages to create interesting worlds and realities that, although similar to other books like the City Between, is also 100% completely unique. I loved Mabel and Jack's relationship as it was just there, hovering under the surface until it suddenly exploded! I absolutely loved Mabel and how she was always so determined to do the right thing. I also loved Jack's haughtiness and arrogance and I loved seeing Mabel ruffle him. This book had a really Wonderland-ish feel to it - all the madness and craziness but not in a dark way as some other Alice in Wonderland retellings have created. The ending was perfect and I was so satisfied when I finished the book. I only wish the book could have been longer at the end. The entire book was completely enthralling and you can really see WR Gingell's writing style shine through.

[Sara Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Mab are All Kinds of Fun

Not-Alice in Underland is a fun almost-parody of Alice's Wonderland gang. I have never before read W.R. Gingell, but the premise intrigued me, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Mag is kidnapped by the Queen of Hearts at the age of 3 and betrothed to the Queen's son, Jack. Jack is a bit of a stuffed-shirt, but not altogether terrible. Mab threatens him with violence enough to mostly keep him in line. As an Otherworlder, rather than and Underlander, Mab goes back and forth between foster homes in her home world and Underland as she grows up, having adventures with Hare and Hatter, the man who painted white roses, and Cat Cheshire himself. It's completely ridiculous and mimics the Lewis Carroll's nonsensical writing beautifully. I will certainly be reading Gingell again in the future.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little nervous that a little novella (only 138 pages) wouldn't have enough time to make me care about the characters, or the developing romance, but I was very pleased with this book!

I enjoyed all the characters' interactions, even the offbeat riddle-speak in Underland (which could have all-too-easily come off as annoying but instead was oddly charming).

Jack is an awesome character and I appreciated that he was given more depth than some male leads in much longer novels. Also, huge mental high five to W.R. Gingell for not having him change FOR the heroine - I very rarely see that distinction made.

It's also nice just being able to relax into a romance knowing that the author writes clean ones! Looking forward to W.R. Gingell's fairytale series next.

[Chrissy Garwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story.
I loved it so much, I started it at afternoon tea time and kept reading to made sure that I finished it before lights out.
The Hatter and the Hare are marvelous characters with depth and more influence on the story than I first thought. The Queen of Hearts is tricky and unpredictable. Her son Jack, the Knave of Hearts, is both charming and the most annoying boy that could inhabit a story. I especially loved Mab, who despite have such interesting adventures never seems to understand how special she is to everyone else. The ending took me by surprise, which is always a delight.
I have added this to my list of favourites by this author :)