Oooh, loved this magical mystery with Lavender and Seth at the center of it. Kept me flipping to know what was happening, learning more, and to see if the love would bloom.

***FULL REVIEW***
Lavender watches the Charmings's, of whom she's served as fairy godmother for what feels as forever, house burn. James threatens her as he's pulled away by the Authorities. Lavender's been sober since her promise to Red, in Red, and her magics been harder to control since then too. James being as powerful as he is and the crooks in his pocket, Red figures it's best to send Lavender away to safety. Lavender wants a place to be save but to start over as well. Red suggests The Refuge in Seattle. However, The Refuge is full of Tales having a rough time cooping with the Here and Now, which are here due to Lavender's mistake. Going to a friend Red has there that could help protect her, Lavender has a run-in with a dark creature and finds herself in the hands of a dangerous man known to the Tales, and hell hounds hunting her and him. Along with gruesome deaths of Ordinaries carved with symbols. Magic is involved and it could lead straight to Lavender with what she knows. Seth helps Lavender, but then there is something more to his story as well...what trouble has he got himself into? And Lavender is determined to save him as their friendship grows.

Again I LOVE! the Prologue. Such a personal feeling of Lavender with a quick reminder of how the Tales from Make Believe came to the real world along with who Lavender Seelie is.

I REALLY like that Kate eases us in with Lavenders POV but we are in the presence of Red and Nate, the main POV of Red was Red. We are little over a year after Red solves the murder mystery of Red, where she found Nate. In that book I fell in love with them and to start with them right here with Lavender so very pleased me. And the little things we learn about them as they do show up again later in the book as well. Awww, I still do love them! And now I love Lavender and Seth too!

Lavender made me smile. Not only from the magic she worked on James before the fire, *giggle* but her personality is fun. Also when she takes in the sights...of Seth. She finally gets to step out from her enslaved stature with the Charmings and learns to stand strong again...and maybe with the help of another. We get to see the strong Seth! Ooh, that man... Not only do we get to learn Lavender's story, but we learn Seth's as well. Nothing like you would have thought. Loved it. Both Lavender and Seth are ones that people fear and/or hate ~ prejudice. Both are in need of a friend. They are both a bit stubborn and speak up, which leads to great banter between the two, even flirting.

Questions and Mysteries grow!
Hellhound attacks on Lavender and Seth
A dead Ordinary body all carved and covered in symbols
There's a D (fairy dust) addiction in The Refuge
A mysterious little boy who's to be Bo Peeps 'son' and was never pregnant nor came over with her. He just showed up 1 year ago. And his essence feels different from other Tales.

Amazing story with everything in one place. Once again Kate has given me a tale I couldn't put down! Fairy tale character remix with loads of mystery building to solve and love to bloom. Yep, a MUST read. And a MUST series on my list.

Loved it just as much as the first one! It will be a long wait until August when the next one comes out!

We have Cinderella's fairy god mother, Lavender who's a recovering alcoholic, and the Big Bad Wolf, Seth, a world class chef.
This book starts off with Lavender accidentally burning down Cinderella and Prince Charming's mansion after first shrinking his penis. She has no control over her magic and it a fit of rage calls him a little dick, I imagine you can guess how that went. Red sends her to Seth to keep her safe because James Charming might decide to seek revenge, but she just winds up caught in the middle of a couple of murders and disappearances instead.
For this being about 2 lonely characters this book had a lot more funny moments than the others in the series, with her magic fritzing out and weird things happening as a result.

Can I just say I've been loving these new covers? The one for Red was amazing and book two - The Better To See You looks so good as well! It perfectly matches Lavender and the vibes in the book!

I honestly think that this is such an underrated series and I wish more people would read it! In this one - we've got two of the most misunderstood characters, who come with their own backstories and have made different choices after their lives changed. And it's their experiences that bring them together.

Lavender was a talented faerie godmother, till a series of events ends up bringing her and other fairy tale characters from the land of Make Believe to reality, and most people resent her for the spell that made this happen. And so she spends most of the time drunk and bumping around with her wonky magic while being alienated by other Tales, till she has a wake-up call one day!

She ends up going to The Refuge hoping for a second chance and this is where she meets Seth - the sexy, brooding werewolf who gets blamed for most of the murders or anything bad that happens lol. Poor guy! And if anyone can relate to making choices that one would regret, it's him. Both Lavender and Seth end up finding an unexpected partner in each other. But it's not easy for them to catch a break when a new string of brutal murders threatens to shatter the calm that they've been searching for.

I totally loved the relationship development between Lavender and Seth! They're both flawed and strong at the same time and you can't help but root for them. The trust and comfort that they find in each other along with the simmering attraction between them made the book so enjoyable. The author has put a new spin on these fairytale characters and that's my favorite thing about this series! In addition to all of this, there is an intriguing mystery with the murders along with many other twists and turns! I also loved meeting Red and Nate again! There are so many other interesting characters that we get to meet and I hope to see their stories as well!

I'd definitely recommend this series to everyone who's looking for something different - especially if you're a fan of Once Upon A Time or fairytales(especially retellings of them)!

*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

You can also find this review on my blog here and enter the giveaway!

"Seth aka the Big Bad Wolf hasn’t had it easy since the day he was cursed. Now he gets the job of looking after what, a fairy, the same kind of Tale that made him what he is. At first anger is the only thing he can feel toward Lavender but as the days go on his heart begins to feel something completely different. Now he is facing hell hounds, deadly wounds, and magic far beyond his understanding while trying to keep the women he loves out of danger. The problem, he has secrets of his own and the more he hides from her, the more she begins to search for answers. Now with the women he loves in danger he must once again step up and be the knight he used to be.

Lavender didn’t mean to cause problems but with her magic not being what it once was, she does just that. Now she is hiding out in The Refuge hoping that she can finally make a new start. Of course things aren’t at all what they seem here and neither is the Big Bad Wolf she is staying with. When things begin to heat up with Seth and her magic starts coming back, it finally feels like things are going right. The only problem is somebody in town is killing ordinaries and using the very same magic she is sworn to protect. Now she is stuck with only two options, tell the man she loves and hope he will believer her innocence or do her own digging.

Seth couldn’t stand her at first and now he has absolutely no control over how much her wants to touch her. It seems every waking minute is a fight to keep his hands to himself and go to work like a good little wolf. Of course Lavender only makes it worse when she is having trouble with the same feelings. It seems the only thing able to keep these two at bay is the ongoing murders and ever growing secrets hiding within the Refuge. Now they are both on a mission to find out the truth and to keep each other safe.

This series, so far, is wonderful although I will admit I loved the first book more. SeRine had a steady flow throughout the first book but it seems in this one, some things were rushed while others remained steady. The way she portrays the childhood tales we knew is both hilarious and intriguing. She shows a lot of creativity in the book and pairing Robin Goodfellow as the brother to Lavender was perfect. This book holds a little mischief, a fiery romance, and an intriguing mystery. All together an amazing book. I look forward to the next one.

Reviewed by Dani for Cocktails and Books

I didn't hesitate for even a minute when I saw the chance to read and review The Better To See You for this blog tour. After reading and LOVING Red last month, I was excited. Not only was I not disappointed, I was pleasantly surprised. I would say I like it MORE but Red was already five stars so... yeah. But it's a five star read for sure.

Note: Spoilers ahead for Red if you haven't read it yet. While this COULD be read out of order/standalone I really don't recommend it, you'll miss too much of the way the story builds upon itself.

Where to start? I guess I'll go with the characters. We met them both in Red. We've got Seth Wolf - the big bad wolf that Tess "Red" Little had loved once upon a time. I was so excited to get more of his story, as where things ended for him in Red, I was sad for him and felt Red's anguish for him. Learning his full story was so exciting and also seeing him finding a slice of happiness was rewarding.

Then there's Lavender, also known as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. If you have images of a sweet old grandmotherly type singing "bibbidi bobbidi boo" - banish that image immediately. Not only is Lavender the fairy responsible for casting the Tales into the Here and Now (aka, our Ordinary world) but she's basically the most bad-ass, powerful fairy around. Well, she was before she colossal effed up (see the aforementioned casting into the Here and Now). Now she's a fairy without her wings and some misbehaving, erratic magic. When we met her in Red she was a drunk, drowning her sorrows and mistakes in a bottle, unhappily living with Cindy and her prince.

I have to admit, I wasn't super excited about Lavender initially. I was sad that I wasn't going to continue to get the story for Red's POV (don't worry, we do still get a continuation of her & Nate's story!) and didn't know that I would really love her the same. But within the first chapter I was disabused of that notion. Y'all she's so loveable! And if you like a character that grows - here you go! A lot of her growth has happened already but you're getting to see it in the rearview which is also pretty great. And she's really quite a badass.

Also the romance! Like I said, get rid of that "bibbidi bobbidi boo" fairy godmother notion or some of these scenes between Lavendar will be a bit disturbing. For me, that image was gone and instead they had me blushing. *fans self* they are an electric couple. Unlike Red and Nate who spent so much of their book fighting their attraction, these two are on fire pretty quick.

Last - but certainly not least - the plot/mystery. I found myself wishing I was buddy reading this (as I do frequently) because I was DYING to talk to someone about my guesses. Kate SeRine did an amazing job keeping me guessing. I had so many culprits at one point - sure I guessed the right one, but when you have THAT MANY people your considering, you'd be a really bad guesser to still be wrong. So many really good misdirections mixed in with the absolute correct info, I was on my toes the entire time.

Really looking forward to the next book!

Full Review posted on Book Lovin' Mamas

Kate SeRine takes our favorite fairy tales and gives them a new twist to their tales, which some may be considered good, while others wicked evil. Just be prepared to be shocked at who is deemed to be evil.
If you are a fan of the fairy godmother, the wolf from Red Riding Hood and other tales, you’ll enjoy this twisted make and believe tales that Kate writes. I know I am addicted to finding out what is happening to these versions of my favorite fairy tales.
I highly recommend this book and the series and look forward to reading the next tale in the “Transplanted Tales” series by Kate SeRine. =)

When I started this book, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did Red. However, the romance, characters, and plot of this book really drew me in. And I have to say that this was just as good as Red, and maybe even a bit better.

Lavender was a great heroine. She had a really sad backstory, and I really liked following her since she was the reason the Tales had been transplanted. I really liked Lavender, because she began to really come into her own in this novel. She grew more sure of herself, and her place in the world. I loved how strong she became, and had a great time reading this book from her point of view.

The side characters were interesting in this novel. There was Seth, the Big Bad Wolf. Now, I didn't know what to think of Seth. I couldn't remember what I thought of him in book one, so it was as if I read about him for the first time in this book. I discovered that I really, really liked him. He was noble, brave, and loyal to those he cared about. And he and Lavender had a great love story that I fully supported. Then, there was Puck, Lavender's brother. I hated him, and then I liked him. In the end, I was surprised by him, and think he's a pretty good character over all. There were other people in this story, such as Red, Nate, and Trish. But Puck and Seth were the ones who were really explored.

The plot was really well-done. It was a mix of romance, mystery, and following Lavender as she tried to start over in life. Watching her try and find a place for herself at The Refuge was really well-done. Seth and Lavender's romance was great, too. I thought it was a bit fast at first, but the story made it clear just why that was. As for the mystery? I was pretty surprised by some of the people who were involved in the murders, and the action of the last few chapters was great.

In the end, this book turned out to be a really great sequel to Red. It expanded upon the world of the Transplanted Tales, gave the readers an awesome love story, and built upon the mystery featured in book one. I never wanted to put it down if I could help it, and always wanted to know what would happen next. So I definitely recommend reading this if you've read Red. If you haven't, I say you should go and read Red, and then read this novel. The Transplanted Tales series is extremely original, any fan of urban fantasy, romance, or fairytale retelling won't want to miss.

Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.

I read the first book in this series late last year. I had picked up as a free kindle book at the time. I really enjoyed the story, so when I went to go on vacation this summer, I requested this book from the library so I could continue with the series. This series is based on fairy tales and literary characters who have been put into the real world (think Once Upon a Time TV show).

In The Better To See You, we have Lavender Seelie, who has been Cinderella’s fairy god mother in the Make Believe and assistant in the Here and Now burning down Cindy and Prince Charming’s house. She has been a drunk and completely depressed. She is the one who sent everyone to the here and now and that has really messed with her psyche. Red (Yes, she is Little Red Riding Hood and the heroine from the first book. She is an enforcer and kicks ass.) thinks she needs to get out of town for a while, so she sends her to the Refuge. It is a place where Tales who need to get away and aren’t dealing well with the Here and Now.

Seth Wolf, he is the Big Bad Wolf, is hiding outside of the Refuge after he was accused of murder in the previous book. He was quite surprised when he finds someone coming down his driveway. He really doesn’t want her around and someone depending on him, but he also knows the need to get away.

Then people in around the Refuge start getting brutally murdered. Red shows back up with her partner and lover, Nate Grimm, who is a grim reaper to the Tales. Tess Little (Little Miss Muffet) also comes to help investigate. I was glad that we got to spend some time with the Tales we met in the first book. There are also several we meet in this book that I really want to know more too. I won’t go into detail so as not to spoil any surprises. I was actually surprised at some of the twists that took place in this book. I didn’t see them coming at all.

All in all, this was a great book. It was very emotional watching two characters who have had a very tough life, both in Make Believe and in the Here and Now come together and make themselves very happy. I can’t wait to get time to dive into the next book, which is Little Miss Muffet’s. I really like her character, so it should be interesting.