Once upon a time, a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel wandered into the forest and came upon a gingerbread house . . . Oh wait, that’s the fairy tale!  Here’s what happened in the true story. 

First of all, Hansel and Gretel weren’t children; they were engaged to be married.  They ended up at the witch’s house because Gretel ran from Hansel when he wanted to seduce her before marriage and they got lost in the forest.  And so begins the fantastic tale told by Molly to Derek Williams and his girlfriend/badge bunny Deena Carlton after she drags him to a writing group being held at Molly’s home on the pretext of a date.  Derek can’t be the only cop not to sample Deena’s favors and he has nothing else to do, so he goes along.  As Molly, accompanied by her enigmatic cat Melvin, spins more of her tale, Derek becomes increasingly enthralled, not only with the story, but also with the woman.  What happens next is a true twist on happily ever after! 

Ms. Taylor’s twist on the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel is an absolutely fabulous romp of a tale that is hilarious and deliciously sexy.  This imaginative retelling of the story from the viewpoint of the witch will set the world of fairy tales on its ear for years to come.  This reviewer would love to see Ms. Taylor continue to rewrite other tales featuring witches as well, especially since several were mentioned in this story.  Deena is a funny exaggeration of the office “sex bunny” we have all experienced at some point in life and her desire for a husband would be pathetic in the hands of a less deft author.  Ms. Taylor’s inclusion of her real life cat as a main character was clever and amusing as well.  Although the one of the main characters is a witch and the story features a shape-shifter as well, none of the usual elements of paranormal romance are evident and no overt magic is contained in this book, other than what would be normal for a fairy tale.  The sex scenes are well written and hot, hot, hot and the premise of the tale is fascinating as well.  Ms. Taylor has a winner on her hands with her first offering, and this review looks forward to reading many more in the future.  Highly recommended!

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