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Winterland Tale #1
Descending Into Madness
Your holiday season is about to get deliciously naughty...
What if Alice Liddell’s story didn’t happen the way you think? What if it wasn’t Wonderland she fell into, but Winterland. This mad tale is dark, twisted, sexy, and nothing like the legend you know.
After losing her job and finding her boyfriend/boss cheating on her with her replacement, twenty-five-year-old Alice Liddell has moved back home to save money and regroup.
She doesn’t think things can get worse until her younger, more responsible sister, Dinah, gets her a job—as a Christmas elf.
Dressed in a slutty costume with fathers peeking down her top and kids vomiting on her, she wants nothing more than to escape the reality of her life.
When she sees a sexy, shirtless man, carrying a glowing red light, and bearing antlers, her curiosity gets the better of her. But following him might be the biggest mistake she ever made.
Falling into another realm, Alice finds herself in the world of holiday legends and fairytales. But she is not prepared her for the dark madness of this place. Nothing is what is seems and no one is what they are in the fairytales.
Even the mysterious, sexy Scrooge.
Welcome to Winterland, where the good guys from the North Pole have gone bad, and the only way to survive is to descend into its madness.
What if Alice Liddell’s story didn’t happen the way you think? What if it wasn’t Wonderland she fell into, but Winterland. This mad tale is dark, twisted, sexy, and nothing like the legend you know.
After losing her job and finding her boyfriend/boss cheating on her with her replacement, twenty-five-year-old Alice Liddell has moved back home to save money and regroup.
She doesn’t think things can get worse until her younger, more responsible sister, Dinah, gets her a job—as a Christmas elf.
Dressed in a slutty costume with fathers peeking down her top and kids vomiting on her, she wants nothing more than to escape the reality of her life.
When she sees a sexy, shirtless man, carrying a glowing red light, and bearing antlers, her curiosity gets the better of her. But following him might be the biggest mistake she ever made.
Falling into another realm, Alice finds herself in the world of holiday legends and fairytales. But she is not prepared her for the dark madness of this place. Nothing is what is seems and no one is what they are in the fairytales.
Even the mysterious, sexy Scrooge.
Welcome to Winterland, where the good guys from the North Pole have gone bad, and the only way to survive is to descend into its madness.
357 pages, Paperback
Published July 25, 2019
About the author
Stacey Marie Brown
47 books5,786 followersStacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
July 20, 2019
It's 🅲🅷🆁🅸🆂🆃🅼🅰🆂 in July ya'll 🎄 and this book was all kinds of 𝓪𝔀𝓮𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮. 👍👍 An 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕀𝕟 𝕎𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 reimagining with a 🅲🅷🆁🅸🆂🆃🅼🅰🆂 twist and a smokin' hot 𝕾𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖔𝖌𝖊 thrown in for good measure. 🔥🔥 It was ridiculously ¢αмρу. 😝 Laugh out loud ϝυɳɳყ. 😂 Excellent 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 (but 🅩🅔🅡🅞 sex). 🙈 Original. 👍 Well written. 👍 Entertaining. 🎬 A fantastic cast of ĔŃŤĔŔŤĂĨŃĨŃĞ secondary characters. 🐧 🐰 🎅 ☃. And two ҜICҜ-ДSS main characters (🅰🅻🅸🅲🅴 and 𝕾𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖔𝖌𝖊). 💑 This was heading towards 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 right until the end. 👀 I didn't realize that this book would end on a 🅒🅛🅘🅕🅕🅗🅐🅝🅖🅔🅡 and I wasn't a huge fan of the t̳w̳i̳s̳t̳ at the end. 😒 That said, I still 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓰 enjoyed the 🅷🅴🅻🅻 out of this book and can't wait to get my hands on book two. 🙌
August 22, 2021
Yeah so leave it to me to give this book its first written, negative rating. For weeks I've been putting this off because I just hate writing bad reviews for ARCs that I asked for but I promised myself that I'd always be honest with my opinion no matter what.
My biggest problem was the heroine. She was so horny all the damn time and at the most inappropriate and inconvenient times at that (actually both of them but bc the book was written in her POV... so yeah. Like, they were on the run and they still had time to feel aroused and give each other heated glances or she'd suddenly be aware of his hard body or whatever. I mean this is war, there's a fight, what are you doing, run!). Her reactions were so over the top sometimes and her "impulsive nature and mouth" really got on my nerves after a while.
I also didn't like their dynamics. They had this camaraderie because they were in this together but it was kinda hard for me to understand. The Hero would be cruel with his words, she'd hurt for a minute and then just bounce back and return for more. Or, they'd have this sexy moment, the H would push her away and then they'd be back to normal again, and talk like nothing had happened.
I just wanted some resistance from the heroine. She sure thought about it, but in the end the sexual energy between them was just too strong and so amazing that she couldn't help herself 🤦♀️. Such a wishy-washy heroine. The Hero didn't help either by constantly sending mixed signals.
2 Stars for the absolutely amazing secondary characters, Dum and Dee, Penguin, Hare and Rudy!
**ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
My biggest problem was the heroine. She was so horny all the damn time and at the most inappropriate and inconvenient times at that (actually both of them but bc the book was written in her POV... so yeah. Like, they were on the run and they still had time to feel aroused and give each other heated glances or she'd suddenly be aware of his hard body or whatever. I mean this is war, there's a fight, what are you doing, run!). Her reactions were so over the top sometimes and her "impulsive nature and mouth" really got on my nerves after a while.
I also didn't like their dynamics. They had this camaraderie because they were in this together but it was kinda hard for me to understand. The Hero would be cruel with his words, she'd hurt for a minute and then just bounce back and return for more. Or, they'd have this sexy moment, the H would push her away and then they'd be back to normal again, and talk like nothing had happened.
I just wanted some resistance from the heroine. She sure thought about it, but in the end the sexual energy between them was just too strong and so amazing that she couldn't help herself 🤦♀️. Such a wishy-washy heroine. The Hero didn't help either by constantly sending mixed signals.
2 Stars for the absolutely amazing secondary characters, Dum and Dee, Penguin, Hare and Rudy!
**ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
February 13, 2020
You know the writing is exceptional when you don't really care for the narrator but you can't let go of the story. I'm not a fan of single perspectives and I've never really liked the tale of Alice in Wonderland, at least not until I saw the 2010 Disney live-action remake. This story was a modern retelling that had me wondering if I was the one truly going mad!
Alice was a 25 year old woman whose life was in shambles. After being cheated on, dumped, and fired by her boss/lover, her independent life fell apart and she was forced to move back home where, as the older sister, she's seen as the dim one. She's impulsive, a bit deluded, and curious to a fault. One night she sees what she considers an insanely hot half-human/half-reindeer carrying a red light. She follows him and ends up tumbling into Winterland. There she meets Scrooge, Hare, Dee Puck, Dum Puck, Pen, Rudy, Nick, Frosty, the Queen, and so many others. It takes her a while to understand her place in things, not that I think she got there in the end, but she wasn't a worthless contribution to the team. Whenever she was in true danger, things would pop up saying 'eat me' or 'drink me', saving her in the nick of time. She was also indecisive because while I was supposed to believe she was completely into Scrooge, she had the tendency to become attached to any attractive man it seemed. Hopefully this changes in the next book.
I would have a hard time classifying this as a romantic tale. It was more about the action and adventure and the mystery than anything else. It grabs a hold of you with its nonsense, having you question what's real or not, and you can't help but scream for more of Scrooge. I would give my left tit to get his voice!!
Alice was a 25 year old woman whose life was in shambles. After being cheated on, dumped, and fired by her boss/lover, her independent life fell apart and she was forced to move back home where, as the older sister, she's seen as the dim one. She's impulsive, a bit deluded, and curious to a fault. One night she sees what she considers an insanely hot half-human/half-reindeer carrying a red light. She follows him and ends up tumbling into Winterland. There she meets Scrooge, Hare, Dee Puck, Dum Puck, Pen, Rudy, Nick, Frosty, the Queen, and so many others. It takes her a while to understand her place in things, not that I think she got there in the end, but she wasn't a worthless contribution to the team. Whenever she was in true danger, things would pop up saying 'eat me' or 'drink me', saving her in the nick of time. She was also indecisive because while I was supposed to believe she was completely into Scrooge, she had the tendency to become attached to any attractive man it seemed. Hopefully this changes in the next book.
This man didn’t just look at you, he shredded everything you had built around yourself, even the few layers of clothes left. His gaze slipped over your skin, dousing you in fire.
I would have a hard time classifying this as a romantic tale. It was more about the action and adventure and the mystery than anything else. It grabs a hold of you with its nonsense, having you question what's real or not, and you can't help but scream for more of Scrooge. I would give my left tit to get his voice!!
March 28, 2020
"One thing you'll learn quickly here, Ms. Liddell, there is no good or bad. Right or wrong. Up or down. Nothing is ever what it seems. Including you. Understanding this is the only way you will survive."
5++ Very Merry un-Christmas stars!!
I am nearly speechless. I absolutely devoured this book in less than a day as I could not read fast enough. This is hands down the most creative and well thought-out book I have ever read. Every single character was absolutely brilliantly crafted and came into the story at the perfect time, allowing the reader to follow along this mad journey full of surprises and deadly candy canes.
"Alice. There are no stories of you. There is no Alice in Winterland."
This was my first ever Alice in Wonderland retelling, add in the fact that there was a Christmas theme surrounding this twisted tale, and my high expectations were not only met but surpassed exponentially. Every character related to Christmas or Winter in general made an appearance here and was blended effortlessly into the tale of Alice in Wonderland, and I just could not stop reading.
Was I sorry I followed that damn deer down the rabbit hole? Yes. But I would never be sorry for being a curious person, for wanting to know more. To question things. To be uncurious was to be no better than the sheep that followed each other. How dull this world would be without wonder.
Our Alice was such a great heroine. She was impulsive, curious, and tenacious, and she wasn't afraid to admit her faults. Her spontaneous nature tends to get her into hairy situations which is how she ends up working as Santa's elf at a Christmas tree farm. One night she sees a hot guy holding a red light and follows him into the forest where she eventually is swept into the world of Winterland where insanity breeds sanity.
"I've done horrible things in the name of protecting a group like the one you speak of. It did not change anything, and I will not go through it again. I'm stingy and frugal with my trust now. I have learned it is only yourself you can worry about."
There she meets Scrooge and his gang of odd outcasts. And can I just say that I never in a million years would have thought that I would read a book where Scrooge, the cantankerous old bastard, would be the sexy hero! But damn, does SMB know how to write a broody, moody hero who is snared into a hate-to-love-you relationship with our heroine.
This man didn't just look at you, he shredded everything you had built around yourself, even the few layers of clothes left. His gaze slipped over your skin, dousing you in fire.... Every time he touched me, electricity shot through my muscles. Fire and ice. Cinnamon and peppermint. Hot and cold. Spicy and refreshing. The sensation swirled pleasure deeply through my bones.
Besides sexy Scrooge and curious Alice, there were so many wonderfully crafted and amazingly designed characters that inhabited Winterland. We meet a weed-smoking Rudolph, a rabbit missing one lucky foot, a Penguin who sings Christmas carols, a naked hermit Santa Claus, a Rambo-style Blitzen, a vengeful Mrs. Claus, a riddle-speaking Frosty, and so many more. There were also so many hilarious Christmas-style curse words (who knew nutmeg and sugar cookies had a dark side?) and phrases used, and I just about died with laughter every time the Hare launched a new one at Scrooge and Alice whenever the sexual tension became unbearable.
"Fuck! Just load her stocking already," Hare exclaimed, throwing his arms out at us. "Ride his sleigh, will you? Put the rest of us out of our misery."
Overall, I cannot recommend this one enough. It is the most uniquely written and plotted story I have ever read, bringing together so many familiar Christmas elements and blending them together with the beloved and twisted tale of Alice in Wonderland. Even though it does leave off in a sort of cliffhanger ending, I have to say that this is my favorite read so far of 2020! I will absolutely be reading the next book which is the conclusion to this story because I just have to know how it ends! I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
In my world, Scrooge was a cruel, old, crotchety tight-ass. Here? Well, I could definitely say this man had a tight ass. Literally.
My Scrooge with the tight ass and bad boy smirk ♡
July 22, 2019
***5 ‘Losing Oneself Takes Time’ Stars***
Ever since reading a little tease of this story in Such Violent Delights: A Paranormal Romance Holiday Anthology (Sorry it’s no longer available but was chock full of some really great stuff) I’ve needed/wanted/died for more the story, because who doesn’t love a good twist on the already trippy Alice in Wonderland tale? Especially when that twist has it meeting and melding with practically every Christmas story, or story that happens around Christmas time (sooo did not see that one coming. At. ALL)?
Well, let me tell you I got way more than ever expected.
This book is Christmas on crack. I’m mean “Holy Massive Stocking’ on crack. It was a tinsy bit overwhelming at times, but considering what Winterland is/was I got it. I got used to it and have to hand it to Ms. Brown for going big on that point.
And then there are Alice and Scrooge who are, of course, absolutely fascinating. I loved Alice’s free spirit and at times lack of an edit button. But this woman is fierce and even though this is just the beginning of her journey, I loved watching her become more. Scrooge is everything his name implies, but his heart isn’t as black as he wants everyone to believe. He has some HUGE demons riding him, but the man is all that a huge bag of Christmas Cookies and then some (Ok...that was lame, but, hey, I tried). Their relationship is a rocky one, but that spark is there and I NEED to see how it all plays out in the next book.
But, if you know me, you know I ADORE well written secondary characters and this one has them in spades. The baddies I want to gut with a spoon, but...that’s pretty normal. But Hare, Pen, Dum and Dee own my heart as much as Alice and Scrooge. They are the most imperfectly perfect group I’ve ever met and want to hang out with (with lots of mead though)
I have to say, Ms. Brown went big with this one. She took Alice, mashed up a ton of Christmas...everything, and basically birthed a crazy, dark, dangerous and chaotic yet intriguing world. No, this ain’t the happy happy animated kids version. Yes, there are triggers (so beware). This is also a duet and there a cliffy of sorts at the end, but it was done well and as I’ve already said once before, I NEED Ascending From Madness ASAP!
~ Copy provided by The Next Step PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
Ever since reading a little tease of this story in Such Violent Delights: A Paranormal Romance Holiday Anthology (Sorry it’s no longer available but was chock full of some really great stuff) I’ve needed/wanted/died for more the story, because who doesn’t love a good twist on the already trippy Alice in Wonderland tale? Especially when that twist has it meeting and melding with practically every Christmas story, or story that happens around Christmas time (sooo did not see that one coming. At. ALL)?
Well, let me tell you I got way more than ever expected.
This book is Christmas on crack. I’m mean “Holy Massive Stocking’ on crack. It was a tinsy bit overwhelming at times, but considering what Winterland is/was I got it. I got used to it and have to hand it to Ms. Brown for going big on that point.
And then there are Alice and Scrooge who are, of course, absolutely fascinating. I loved Alice’s free spirit and at times lack of an edit button. But this woman is fierce and even though this is just the beginning of her journey, I loved watching her become more. Scrooge is everything his name implies, but his heart isn’t as black as he wants everyone to believe. He has some HUGE demons riding him, but the man is all that a huge bag of Christmas Cookies and then some (Ok...that was lame, but, hey, I tried). Their relationship is a rocky one, but that spark is there and I NEED to see how it all plays out in the next book.
But, if you know me, you know I ADORE well written secondary characters and this one has them in spades. The baddies I want to gut with a spoon, but...that’s pretty normal. But Hare, Pen, Dum and Dee own my heart as much as Alice and Scrooge. They are the most imperfectly perfect group I’ve ever met and want to hang out with (with lots of mead though)
I have to say, Ms. Brown went big with this one. She took Alice, mashed up a ton of Christmas...everything, and basically birthed a crazy, dark, dangerous and chaotic yet intriguing world. No, this ain’t the happy happy animated kids version. Yes, there are triggers (so beware). This is also a duet and there a cliffy of sorts at the end, but it was done well and as I’ve already said once before, I NEED Ascending From Madness ASAP!
~ Copy provided by The Next Step PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
July 17, 2019
Oh how this twisty, action packed, maddening new take on Alice in Wonderland filled my Hatter obsessed heart with joy. Being who I am, I have read countless spins on this classic but have never encountered one done so masterfully before. Stacey Marie Brown’s combination of Alice in Wonderland and Christmas builds a magical twisted new world that will capture you entirely.
I just don’t have enough words for how perfectly done this book is. I’m typically not a fan of slow burns, but the chemistry and heat that exist between Alice and Scrooge it’s so intense and wrought with complexity I found it utterly captivating. Then you add in the entire cast of fantastical characters with their own deep layers, surprises around every corner and heart pounding action all topped off with a level of sarcastic humor that will breaks up some of the tension and this book is a recipe for greatness. This only thing I don’t love is having to wait for the next!
I just don’t have enough words for how perfectly done this book is. I’m typically not a fan of slow burns, but the chemistry and heat that exist between Alice and Scrooge it’s so intense and wrought with complexity I found it utterly captivating. Then you add in the entire cast of fantastical characters with their own deep layers, surprises around every corner and heart pounding action all topped off with a level of sarcastic humor that will breaks up some of the tension and this book is a recipe for greatness. This only thing I don’t love is having to wait for the next!
August 8, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! Stacey Marie Brown had me doubled over laughing so many times. Her twist on Christmas stories and how she merges Alice in Wonderland with them is brilliant. I was completely blown away by her brilliance. Buy the book it's a must read.
December 1, 2021
One star knocked because there was no Christmas Dicking. 🥺
Want to read
November 1, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/1/2019)! 🎁
July 21, 2019
4.5 stars Descending Into Madness is a creative with a somewhat naughty mashup of Alice in Wonderland and Christmas. I am not always certain how things are going to play out when there is a retelling of a popular fairytale, but this has got to be one of the most masterful versions that I’ve ever read. The author’s detailed descriptions of the characters and of Winterland itself made me feel as though I too had fallen down the hole and into this world where everyone is a little bit nutty. Her world building is spectacular and the way the story unravels is clever.
This story has a lot of action as well as humor and then there is Scrooge . . . the hot, sexy, and eccentric man who has more to him than meets the eye. I honestly adored Scrooge! Alice is a fun character. She is a bit of a free spirit who occasionally lacks a filter and tends to jump into things. This is a slow burn romance and the intense heat between Scrooge and Alice nearly melted my kindle. Then there are the secondary characters who really make the book as entertaining as it is as well - I absolutely loved Hare, Pen, Dee, and Dum and then the evil villains I wanted to whack over the head with a candy cane. I received Descending Into Madness for free and I cannot wait until the next book.
This story has a lot of action as well as humor and then there is Scrooge . . . the hot, sexy, and eccentric man who has more to him than meets the eye. I honestly adored Scrooge! Alice is a fun character. She is a bit of a free spirit who occasionally lacks a filter and tends to jump into things. This is a slow burn romance and the intense heat between Scrooge and Alice nearly melted my kindle. Then there are the secondary characters who really make the book as entertaining as it is as well - I absolutely loved Hare, Pen, Dee, and Dum and then the evil villains I wanted to whack over the head with a candy cane. I received Descending Into Madness for free and I cannot wait until the next book.
July 25, 2019
4.5 Alice Stars
OMG I know its July but I'm now in a Christmas mood.
SMB has done a phenomenal job with this very clever twist on Alice in Wonderland mixing it with Christmas. Once you start this book you will be hooked and jumping down the rabbit hole of crazy willingly. It was well written and fast paced so make sure you have no interruptions when you start this one as you will be so captivated in the crazy you will get annoyed if interrupted.
You never know what is going to happen next. I loved the crazy suspense from this book. These characters are completely crazy and highly entertaining.
I honestly can't wait for Ascending into Madness to see what happens next.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review from the Author
https://ilovebookreviewscom.wordpress...
OMG I know its July but I'm now in a Christmas mood.
SMB has done a phenomenal job with this very clever twist on Alice in Wonderland mixing it with Christmas. Once you start this book you will be hooked and jumping down the rabbit hole of crazy willingly. It was well written and fast paced so make sure you have no interruptions when you start this one as you will be so captivated in the crazy you will get annoyed if interrupted.
You never know what is going to happen next. I loved the crazy suspense from this book. These characters are completely crazy and highly entertaining.
I honestly can't wait for Ascending into Madness to see what happens next.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review from the Author
https://ilovebookreviewscom.wordpress...
October 19, 2019
I was all excited for an Alice in Wonderland retelling, but then it just turned into this strange Christmas story with all the Christmas characters you could think of (including Gremlins for some strange reason haha). AND...there's a cliffhanger. It's just not what I was wanting.
November 26, 2019
I enjoyed most of this story. The part I didn’t enjoy was the heroine getting all turned on and wanting sex with the hero even though they were talking about his dead wife and child. That was just ick 🤢
December 15, 2021
2*
I think I need to stop. Every time I read a fairy-tale re-telling, I walk into it expecting to be wowed and amazed (and cuddle up with some more adult themes playing out in some of my childhood favorites). But I’ve had almost zero luck in this department, and I’m slapped in the face with bitter disappointment time and time again.
Descending into Madness was one of those novels. You didn’t have to push me very hard into reading this book when I was told that this was an Alice in Wonderland story filled to the brim with not only the familiar characters we all know and love from the original tales, but pack-full of Christmas characters to boot (and, since I read this book in December, I’m all about that addition). With Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Frosty, Rudolph, Blitzen, Christmas toy soldiers, Scrooge, tiny Tim, Santa’s elves, houses made of gingerbread, and more, I was sure this would get me into the Christmas spirit.
Yet, instead of being enchanted, I’m left feeling aggravated.
It started with the heroine herself. Alice is an arty dreamer, down on her luck. And, while her recklessness and impulsiveness are what get the ball rolling for Alice’s plummet into Winterland, it was something that became a bit irritating as the story went on. Alice seemed to struggle with thinking through some of her choices. She just “jumped in” and expected things to “all work out.” She never considered the consequences and what few thoughts she was able to string together often revolved around her insta-lust feelings for first Rudolph and then Scrooge. Her obsession with their looks and how much she wanted to jump their bones would often pop up in circumstances that were even inappropriate or inconvenient (like when you’re distracted by somebody’s “hot body” right before you’re about to get your head chopped off OR when you’re talking about someone’s dead wife and kid). She couldn’t turn it off.
While Rudy held Alice’s attention at first, her feelings quickly transfer over to the even-more attractive, Scrooge. But the dynamics of all three characters seemed a bit odd. Rudy’s constant pull to Alice and hers to him, their connection, and the help Rudy provides made their relationship hard to understand fully. Honestly, I kept reading this book wondering if this was going to turn into a Revere Harem with the 3 of them thrown in the mix together. But, despite Alice’s distraction with Rudy’s physique and their connection, it would then be brushed aside like there wasn’t anything very sexual about it…except that’s how it sometimes felt. Plus, I think I liked Rudy more. (And based on the genres tagged in goodreads for this book and the next in the series, a RH situation sadly doesn’t seem to be something that happens.)
Scrooge is the secondary love interest. She took one look at this grumpy man and her insta-lust feelings transitioned in a laser-focued fashion directly onto him. I don’t mind brooding, dark, grumpy, bad boys, but here again, things just felt…off. They were so focused on the sexual attraction zinging between them that there’s very relationship development together. It was all “suggestive glances” and “innuendo comments” (because they couldn’t do much fooling around while on the run and with a crowd). AND, even when things do go somewhere interesting, something always interrupted them (which was frustrating for more than just the 2 of them). Additionally, when they were actually talking about regular things, Alice would inevitably lose control of her mouth and say something she shouldn’t and, in turn, Scrooge would shut her down with his own hurtful words (although sometimes he said those without being prodded too). Alice would get her feeling bruised for all of 5 minutes, forgive him (because he’d shoot her another steamy glance and she’d get distracted, obviously) and things would bounce right back to seeming like nothing bad had happened at all. It felt a little unrealistic and forced. Plus, Scrooge couldn’t seem to make up his mind about Alice anyway. He was hot and cold toward her constantly. It gave me whiplash.
Perhaps this is on me here, but even based on the cover of this novel alone, I was expecting some smut. As I mentioned, we’re mildly teased once or twice but absolutely nothing happens in this book. I feel like I was set up.
I also struggled with the plot of this story. I think this book was trying too hard to squeeze both Alice in Wonderland AND all things Christmas into this story. Mrs. Claus is the evil Queen and people turned their backs on Santa. While I think this could have been fleshed out and fully developed, I don’t feel like that really occurs in this novel. Even though we’re told why Mrs. Claus has turned evil, I never felt like I had a good grasp on why, or at least why it was to such an extreme extent. Her backstory seemed really under-explained if she’s going to snap one day and not only turn against her husband, but seek to torture, maim, and kill everyone else too.
I understood that we were in Winter land here, but the language quickly started to drive me nuts as well. I think I could’ve born it from Scrooge, Hare, Penguin, the Puck twins (or really anyone within this Christmas-y world) but the person that I just wanted to slap sometimes was Alice herself. I realize that she’s having to play the part of “Santa’s elf” at the beginning of this story, but the constant Christmas-themed expressions of surprise, aggravation, exasperation, etc. became irritating rather quickly (ex: “holy jingle bells,” “holy tinsel,” “crap on mistletoe,” “holy-silent-night,” “tinsel sh*t,” etc. etc. – these were just a few within the first 2 chapters). These expressions were verbalized to others and even more were expressed in a consistent stream rolling through her inner monologue. Do you talk/think like that all year long?? If so, it’s no wonder she doesn’t have a ton of friends.
Overall, parts of this story were a bit wonky and bizarre (which I guess at least sort of fits into the whole Alice in Wonderland theme). However, I didn’t really love this novel, hated where it ended (and where the next book will have to start), and I don’t think I’ll invest any more time into the series.
I think I need to stop. Every time I read a fairy-tale re-telling, I walk into it expecting to be wowed and amazed (and cuddle up with some more adult themes playing out in some of my childhood favorites). But I’ve had almost zero luck in this department, and I’m slapped in the face with bitter disappointment time and time again.
Descending into Madness was one of those novels. You didn’t have to push me very hard into reading this book when I was told that this was an Alice in Wonderland story filled to the brim with not only the familiar characters we all know and love from the original tales, but pack-full of Christmas characters to boot (and, since I read this book in December, I’m all about that addition). With Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Frosty, Rudolph, Blitzen, Christmas toy soldiers, Scrooge, tiny Tim, Santa’s elves, houses made of gingerbread, and more, I was sure this would get me into the Christmas spirit.
Yet, instead of being enchanted, I’m left feeling aggravated.
It started with the heroine herself. Alice is an arty dreamer, down on her luck. And, while her recklessness and impulsiveness are what get the ball rolling for Alice’s plummet into Winterland, it was something that became a bit irritating as the story went on. Alice seemed to struggle with thinking through some of her choices. She just “jumped in” and expected things to “all work out.” She never considered the consequences and what few thoughts she was able to string together often revolved around her insta-lust feelings for first Rudolph and then Scrooge. Her obsession with their looks and how much she wanted to jump their bones would often pop up in circumstances that were even inappropriate or inconvenient (like when you’re distracted by somebody’s “hot body” right before you’re about to get your head chopped off OR when you’re talking about someone’s dead wife and kid). She couldn’t turn it off.
While Rudy held Alice’s attention at first, her feelings quickly transfer over to the even-more attractive, Scrooge. But the dynamics of all three characters seemed a bit odd. Rudy’s constant pull to Alice and hers to him, their connection, and the help Rudy provides made their relationship hard to understand fully. Honestly, I kept reading this book wondering if this was going to turn into a Revere Harem with the 3 of them thrown in the mix together. But, despite Alice’s distraction with Rudy’s physique and their connection, it would then be brushed aside like there wasn’t anything very sexual about it…except that’s how it sometimes felt. Plus, I think I liked Rudy more. (And based on the genres tagged in goodreads for this book and the next in the series, a RH situation sadly doesn’t seem to be something that happens.)
Scrooge is the secondary love interest. She took one look at this grumpy man and her insta-lust feelings transitioned in a laser-focued fashion directly onto him. I don’t mind brooding, dark, grumpy, bad boys, but here again, things just felt…off. They were so focused on the sexual attraction zinging between them that there’s very relationship development together. It was all “suggestive glances” and “innuendo comments” (because they couldn’t do much fooling around while on the run and with a crowd). AND, even when things do go somewhere interesting, something always interrupted them (which was frustrating for more than just the 2 of them). Additionally, when they were actually talking about regular things, Alice would inevitably lose control of her mouth and say something she shouldn’t and, in turn, Scrooge would shut her down with his own hurtful words (although sometimes he said those without being prodded too). Alice would get her feeling bruised for all of 5 minutes, forgive him (because he’d shoot her another steamy glance and she’d get distracted, obviously) and things would bounce right back to seeming like nothing bad had happened at all. It felt a little unrealistic and forced. Plus, Scrooge couldn’t seem to make up his mind about Alice anyway. He was hot and cold toward her constantly. It gave me whiplash.
Perhaps this is on me here, but even based on the cover of this novel alone, I was expecting some smut. As I mentioned, we’re mildly teased once or twice but absolutely nothing happens in this book. I feel like I was set up.
I also struggled with the plot of this story. I think this book was trying too hard to squeeze both Alice in Wonderland AND all things Christmas into this story. Mrs. Claus is the evil Queen and people turned their backs on Santa. While I think this could have been fleshed out and fully developed, I don’t feel like that really occurs in this novel. Even though we’re told why Mrs. Claus has turned evil, I never felt like I had a good grasp on why, or at least why it was to such an extreme extent. Her backstory seemed really under-explained if she’s going to snap one day and not only turn against her husband, but seek to torture, maim, and kill everyone else too.
I understood that we were in Winter land here, but the language quickly started to drive me nuts as well. I think I could’ve born it from Scrooge, Hare, Penguin, the Puck twins (or really anyone within this Christmas-y world) but the person that I just wanted to slap sometimes was Alice herself. I realize that she’s having to play the part of “Santa’s elf” at the beginning of this story, but the constant Christmas-themed expressions of surprise, aggravation, exasperation, etc. became irritating rather quickly (ex: “holy jingle bells,” “holy tinsel,” “crap on mistletoe,” “holy-silent-night,” “tinsel sh*t,” etc. etc. – these were just a few within the first 2 chapters). These expressions were verbalized to others and even more were expressed in a consistent stream rolling through her inner monologue. Do you talk/think like that all year long?? If so, it’s no wonder she doesn’t have a ton of friends.
Overall, parts of this story were a bit wonky and bizarre (which I guess at least sort of fits into the whole Alice in Wonderland theme). However, I didn’t really love this novel, hated where it ended (and where the next book will have to start), and I don’t think I’ll invest any more time into the series.
September 8, 2020
This was some trippy bizarre shit. And Alice was sometimes annoying with her non-stop diarrhea of the mouth. But, judging from the 4 stars I've given it, I LOVED this book! (And it's a damn cliffhanger too. I'll be getting the sequel by the end of the month... payday).
Anyway... 'Descending Into Madness' was a mashup of Alice in Wonderland and a holiday horror story. The characters were memorable. Besides Alice - who worked as an elf at a holiday store(?) and fell into a 'rabbit hole' of sorts - there was a hot-man/reindeer Rudolf, a cussing Hare with a missing foot, former Santa's elves/siblings Dee and Dum, an over-philosophical Frosty the Snowman, a cute but clueless Penguin, and an uber-hot, top hat wearing Scrooge. That's right... Scrooge. And don't get me started on the vile creatures in the forests, the wooden soldiers, or Mr. and Mrs. Claus. With the humor and medium heat sexytimes, there were also some dark disturbing incidents distributed throughout the story. I won't give any spoilers.
Normally, I would have finished this book days ago, but my Kindle decided to die on me at 85% of the read. Yipee. This bat shit story gets a 4.5 from me, even with the annoying Alice. I can't wait to read 'Ascending From Madness'.
Anyway... 'Descending Into Madness' was a mashup of Alice in Wonderland and a holiday horror story. The characters were memorable. Besides Alice - who worked as an elf at a holiday store(?) and fell into a 'rabbit hole' of sorts - there was a hot-man/reindeer Rudolf, a cussing Hare with a missing foot, former Santa's elves/siblings Dee and Dum, an over-philosophical Frosty the Snowman, a cute but clueless Penguin, and an uber-hot, top hat wearing Scrooge. That's right... Scrooge. And don't get me started on the vile creatures in the forests, the wooden soldiers, or Mr. and Mrs. Claus. With the humor and medium heat sexytimes, there were also some dark disturbing incidents distributed throughout the story. I won't give any spoilers.
Normally, I would have finished this book days ago, but my Kindle decided to die on me at 85% of the read. Yipee. This bat shit story gets a 4.5 from me, even with the annoying Alice. I can't wait to read 'Ascending From Madness'.
August 20, 2019
I absolutely love everything about this book. I absolutely love the idea of Christmas mixed with Alice in Wonderland. I absolutely love all the characters especially Scrooge. The chemistry between Alice and Scrooge is completely off the charts. There is maybe something with Rudolph too. I can’t wait too read more of this series especially how it ended. Hopefully the next book will be out very very soon.
July 23, 2019
A sexy, fantastical spin on a classic, with a holly jolly twist. Winterland is a magical land built from the creative, inventive mind of one of my favorite authors. Not like anything I have read by Stacey Marie Brown, but still with her signature humor, wit and edge of your seat action. The adventure never stops and this crazy rollercoaster ride will have you wondering if you have “given in to the madness, or just accepted it in yourself.” A Beautifully written tale woven with meaningful, loveable characters you can’t help but root for. The only downfall is the wait for book 2. Don’t pass this one up!
July 20, 2019
My first book by this author and I really enjoyed the whole read.
The beginning was a gentle amble that lead to a faced paced finish. I’m not a lover of a cliff hanger but this one gave it perfectly. I felt like I had my story but meant that I knew there was so much more on its way. The twisted Christmas/wonderland concept was an amazing idea and I loved the phrases, monsters and twisted Christmas stories. I even continued reading during a meeting! I just wanted to know what happened next and each twist and turn gave an answer with another question. The author kept you teetering on the insanity/sanity she described.
Very much looking forward to book two and the sneak peek at the end was a tease but a balm at the same time.
The beginning was a gentle amble that lead to a faced paced finish. I’m not a lover of a cliff hanger but this one gave it perfectly. I felt like I had my story but meant that I knew there was so much more on its way. The twisted Christmas/wonderland concept was an amazing idea and I loved the phrases, monsters and twisted Christmas stories. I even continued reading during a meeting! I just wanted to know what happened next and each twist and turn gave an answer with another question. The author kept you teetering on the insanity/sanity she described.
Very much looking forward to book two and the sneak peek at the end was a tease but a balm at the same time.
August 19, 2021
Gostei muito de Caindo na Loucura: ele tem um ritmo gostoso, é louco e tem de tudo um pouco e oh céus, por que terminou desse jeito?
July 22, 2019
Stacey Marie Brown is at it again, with this amazing Christmas time in Wonderland. I loved everything about this book, and it officially just hit in my top 5 favorites. If you get a chance to read this book I highly recommend it. Well done, Ms. Brown. 5 ⭐
October 6, 2019
Descending Into madness is Alice In wonderland but Christmas themed. Which sounds amazing right?
Instead of the mad hatter he becomes Scrooge, instead of the rabbit always being late, he’s a reindeer etc..
I’m loved the way Alice swears with Christmas themes/songs.
While she’s there she meets the mad hatter aka Scrooge and it’s not a great first impression, but they slowly come together because of the events that follow.
Scrooge decision to go to the land of the lost to go and get Santa Claus doesn’t go well with the group and everyone is scared he won’t come back. He feels like he’s the only one that can. After Scrooge is gone for 4 days Alice takes it upon her self to go and save him. Will she be able to? Or will she end up being lost?
The ending was something that I wasn’t expecting but while reading it made perfect sense. Stacy does an amazing job combining Alice In Wonderland and Christmas. I can only imagine what the next book is going to hold.
Instead of the mad hatter he becomes Scrooge, instead of the rabbit always being late, he’s a reindeer etc..
I’m loved the way Alice swears with Christmas themes/songs.
While she’s there she meets the mad hatter aka Scrooge and it’s not a great first impression, but they slowly come together because of the events that follow.
Scrooge decision to go to the land of the lost to go and get Santa Claus doesn’t go well with the group and everyone is scared he won’t come back. He feels like he’s the only one that can. After Scrooge is gone for 4 days Alice takes it upon her self to go and save him. Will she be able to? Or will she end up being lost?
The ending was something that I wasn’t expecting but while reading it made perfect sense. Stacy does an amazing job combining Alice In Wonderland and Christmas. I can only imagine what the next book is going to hold.
July 25, 2019
This book is all kinds of crazy. The good kind of crazy because frankly I couldn’t get enough of this tale of Alice and Scrooge.
The story starts with Alice when she falls into a winterland where nothing and nobody are what they seem. Christmas is the theme but not as we know it. This dark and twisty world is full of dangerous traps and an evil queen. You have to keep your head and your wits when in winterland or the madness could take you.
I loved Alice and Scrooge’s quips and denials it made the slow burn between them even sweeter and hotter.
The secondary characters were really entertaining. Stacey has a real knack for writing great personalities for all her characters.
The end of this book has a cliffhanger but I wasn’t that concerned how it ended because of the unique story it fitted. I am eagerly awaiting book two.
I was given a copy of this book by the Next Step PR for an honest review.
The story starts with Alice when she falls into a winterland where nothing and nobody are what they seem. Christmas is the theme but not as we know it. This dark and twisty world is full of dangerous traps and an evil queen. You have to keep your head and your wits when in winterland or the madness could take you.
I loved Alice and Scrooge’s quips and denials it made the slow burn between them even sweeter and hotter.
The secondary characters were really entertaining. Stacey has a real knack for writing great personalities for all her characters.
The end of this book has a cliffhanger but I wasn’t that concerned how it ended because of the unique story it fitted. I am eagerly awaiting book two.
I was given a copy of this book by the Next Step PR for an honest review.
July 30, 2019
Yes, yes and yes! Descending into Madness checked off all my boxes for an awesome fantasy story. Stacey Marie Brown did an incredible job turning everything you think about not only Alice in Wonderland but Christmas as well, on its ear. I can not wait to see how the story plays out in book 2!
August 20, 2020
Well this was a surprisingly interesting read. I'm not completely sure how I stumbled across it, but when I read Alice in Wonderland meets Christmas with a dark twist, I thought why the hell not.
I'm so glad I did! I was in a slump and nothing sounded good so maybe that's why I picked it up.
You'll get a slow burn, but the tension is HIGH. An interesting world, well thought out. Clever dialogue. Humor. Action. Ridiculously silly characters to completely vile. This book covers pretty much every category and none at the same time. I actually had trouble deciding on how to shelve the damn thing! Lol
I'm currently about 75% into book 2 and am enjoying it as well.
Definitely recommend if you enjoy classic tales with a twist. 4.75 stars!
I'm so glad I did! I was in a slump and nothing sounded good so maybe that's why I picked it up.
You'll get a slow burn, but the tension is HIGH. An interesting world, well thought out. Clever dialogue. Humor. Action. Ridiculously silly characters to completely vile. This book covers pretty much every category and none at the same time. I actually had trouble deciding on how to shelve the damn thing! Lol
I'm currently about 75% into book 2 and am enjoying it as well.
Definitely recommend if you enjoy classic tales with a twist. 4.75 stars!
July 30, 2019
This book has all the “muchness” you need!
I’ve read all of SMB’s books and LOVED them so I wasn’t expecting anything different with this one. But holy gingerbread men was I wrong. This story has “more muchness” than even I expected! I could not put it down!
Descending Into Madness is not your typical Christmas story. It’s deliciously twisted and sexy with a fantastic cast of characters. The storyline and world-building are phenomenal. Alice and Scrooge have awesome chemistry and Hare has such a dirty mouth to be a cute little bunny (don’t tell him I called him that). I just cannot wait for the next book in this series.
I’ve read all of SMB’s books and LOVED them so I wasn’t expecting anything different with this one. But holy gingerbread men was I wrong. This story has “more muchness” than even I expected! I could not put it down!
Descending Into Madness is not your typical Christmas story. It’s deliciously twisted and sexy with a fantastic cast of characters. The storyline and world-building are phenomenal. Alice and Scrooge have awesome chemistry and Hare has such a dirty mouth to be a cute little bunny (don’t tell him I called him that). I just cannot wait for the next book in this series.
July 30, 2019
I really did not know how I would feel about a twisted fairy tale but I loved this! The author has given us something fresh and new in fantasyland. Placing Alice in Wonderland in a Christmas world is absolutely genius. The characters are wonderfully written and the story is fast-paced and full of danger, twists and turns, humour, and romance. An amazingly riveting story that kept me turning the pages with wonder and awe.
I cannot wait for the next book in this fantastic series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I cannot wait for the next book in this fantastic series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 30, 2019
Holy jingle bells!!!!
What a magnificent, maddening story this turned out to be.
Packed to the brim with Stacey’s quirky, unique characters that you fall madly in love with and can never get enough of.
This retelling of ‘Alice In Wonderland’ has got to be the best retelling story I have read to date.
This is a book that you will gladly fall down the rabbit hole to read, and will not want it to end.
I’ve descended into madness, and oh what a brilliant place to be.
What a magnificent, maddening story this turned out to be.
Packed to the brim with Stacey’s quirky, unique characters that you fall madly in love with and can never get enough of.
This retelling of ‘Alice In Wonderland’ has got to be the best retelling story I have read to date.
This is a book that you will gladly fall down the rabbit hole to read, and will not want it to end.
I’ve descended into madness, and oh what a brilliant place to be.
September 1, 2019
This was a DNF. I couldn’t get into this because the writing just wasn’t good. Also, the attraction between the two main characters felt very very forced.
October 29, 2019
This book was epic! Stacey Marie Brown had me laughing and on te edge of my seat. This christmas twist is amazing. I enjoyed it.
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