I had the pleasure of receiving an early copy of this book, and it was an overall pleasant read.  I have a soft spot for fairytale retellings, especially with cute animals! Once Upon an Apple is a cozy, sweet retelling with modern slang that makes for an interesting twist!

Ratings for Once Upon an Apple

Story: 4/5 

Worldview: 4/5 

I loved meeting Sophia and getting to know her backstory. She and Caspian are an interesting pair, and I liked seeing Sophia’s friends, too. There was a moment in the middle of the book, however, where the book suddenly jumped about two or three weeks into the future and that threw the pacing off for me. I did like that Caspian was respectful of Sophia and her boundaries at the beginning. However, I feel like he got a bit possessive/touchy towards the end (e.g. pulling her into his lap, “my Sophia”, etc). A few other details were just part of the cozy fairytale vibe, so I could forgive them, but the sudden turn of Caspian being more possessive did throw me off. 

There were no Christian themes in this book, but the message of the novel itself was nice! The characters learned about how their worth is not determined by other people or by their wealth. They learn that they have a choice in building their futures.   

Overall, a sweet read! Thanks to the author for the opportunity to check out the book!  If you’re interested in reading fairytale retellings with Christian themes, check out A Gentle Hope or A Silent Hope in the Hope Ever After series!