Book Review: The Better To See You (Transplanted Tales #2) by Kate SeRine

The Better To See You (Transplanted Tales #2)
by Kate SeRine 
Published March 2022 by eKensington
Purchased on Kindle

Once upon a time, a spell went awry and Make Believe characters were cast into the ordinary world. And the results aren’t always happily ever after…

Everyone thinks fairy godmothers can do no wrong. But if not for a certain spell mis-cast by Lavender Seelie, Cinderella’s former fairy godmother, the Tales would not be stuck in the Here and Now. Fortunately for Lavender, she’s about to get a second chance at a happy ending…

The Refuge, a sanctuary for wayward Tales, seems like the perfect place for Lavender to start a new life—especially when she discovers an unexpected ally in Seth, the brooding werewolf who’s been typecast as a villain ever since his run in with Little Red Riding Hood. But when humans from nearby towns start turning up dead, their bodies mutilated with archaic Tale symbols, Lavender wonders if Seth’s deep sensuality has blinded her to the truth. And that distraction could put innocent lives in danger. Including her own…

Review: After reading Red I was eager to know how the Tales ended up in the “Here and Now”. This is Lavender’s story. How she went from one of the most promising fairies to one of the most hated Tales. Ok possibly this is a little melodramatic but it’s how Lavender sees herself. In need of a new start she goes to the Refuge. A place for Tales who couldn’t quite hack it in the “Here and Now” or just need a new start. Red sends her to stay with an old friend, who ends up being none other than the big bad wolf himself. The tension between these two is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Yet neither is ready to be burned again.  

If this isn’t enough to keep you reading there’s the mystery of the missing Tales and dead ordinaries. And lets not forget someone sent hellhounds to stalk Seth and Lavender. While this might seem overwhelming the author does a great job of balancing everything and keeping the plot moving.  

The story is engaging, the characters are likable and easy to empathize with. I felt for Lavender and Seth they were both flawed yet wanted to do the right thing. I really enjoyed this story and the twist on nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and lit characters.