Review: Wildest Dreams (Fantasyland, #1) by Kristen Ashley

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Review

Wildest Dreams is the first book in the Fantasyland series written by Kristen Ashley. This book is the first fantasy book I have read of hers and I am amazed at her ability to easily transport me to a parallel world. Writing books that are so descriptive, KA has a way of making you feel like you are actually in the book, looking through the characters eyes, and experiencing everything along with them.

Seoafin “Finnie” Wilde was raised by adventurous parents who taught her to live as they did. They instilled in her a need to experience the world, a thirst for adventure, and to live life to the fullest.

Life was meant to be lived, every breath was a gift, every risk was worth taking.

Unfortunately, some adventures do not turn out as planned and both of Finnie’s parents die in a plane crash. Fifteen years later Finnie is still grieving. She learns of a parallel universe where each person there has a twin on earth. For a hefty price, Finnie decides she wants to trade places with her twin, Sjofn, from the other world to see her parents again, even though she knows they are not truly her parents. She just wants to spend time with them and is willing to go on this adventure to do that. Finnie, along with her best friend, Claudia, meets with a witch named Valentine who has the ability to transport her to the other world for one year. In return, her twin will take her place her on earth living as Finnie. Though Finnie has given her twin several pages about her life, Sjofn did not give Finnie much information, thus sending her into the parallel world with no knowledge of what to expect.

Once Finnie arrives in Lunwyn, she finds out quickly why Sjofn was so eager to leave her home. Sjofn left just in time to avoid her wedding, thus leaving Finnie to wed The Drakkar, also known as The Dragon. Frey Drakkar is intimidating to say the least. He is huge, with terrifying features, and a stern face who would be handsome if he didn’t look pissed and like he wanted to be anywhere but there. She is thrown into the marriage with no insight to who her fiancé is or why he despises her so. It is clear that he does not favor his new wife, Sjofn, but he isn’t aware that it is actually Finnie who he wed.

After the wedding, Frey sweeps Finnie away, and abandons her in his dirty cottage. Obviously, the start to her marriage isn’t great but she makes the best of it and when Frey returns he starts to notice that his wife isn’t the Sjofn that he knows. Slowly, the two open up and a beautiful relationship forms. I absolutely love Finnie and Frey together. Frey is patient, understanding, thoughtful, protective, and so gentle with her.

“And there was something so superbly intimate about…the intense feeling of connection with the man you loved…It made me feel safe, protected, like I belonged somewhere and to someone, and since my parents died, throughout all my roaming, I had not felt either. It was a beautiful thing to have back, a treasure, the best gift I’d ever received.”

I absolutely loved the exchanges between them throughout the book.

“It’s good you’re hot, Frey Drakkar, and good in bed and command elves and dragons or you’d seriously be in trouble.”
He kept smiling but his brows drew together. “Hot?”
I nodded. “Hot. Handsome. Good-looking. Pleasing to the eye.” I leaned into him. “Hot.”
He tipped his chin back and laughed. Still laughing, he rolled me to my back, his arm around my belly tucking my side into his front, he looked down at me and quit laughing.
“And it is good you are beautiful, Finnie Drakkar, or you would have a very pink arse for risking such a venture.”

And I loved the intensity of their love.

“I love you, Frey Drakkar.”

“And I you, Finnie Drakkar…So much,” he murmured belatedly, “I’ll never stop loving you, my winter bride. Not ever. You, everything about you, is beyond my wildest dreams.”

Of course, as with most books, there are decisions made in the book by one character or another that inevitably will come back and bite them in the ass. Frey makes such decisions without consulting Finnie, and these decisions are exposed at the worst possible moment. I knew there were going to be major repercussions because of the decisions Frey made- I mean, come on! They were NOT cool, but KA had a way of making everything turn out well in the end.

“I’m coming to you, baby.”

No, my love, I’ve come to you.”

I loved Wildest Dreams and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

5 “my wee one” stars!!!

 

The Fantasyland Series

Wildest Dreams - 80  Golden Dynasty - 80  Fantastical - 80  Broken Dove - 80  Midnight Soul  

Wildest Dreams (#1) (Frey & Finnie)
Review
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The Golden Dynasty (#2) (Lahn & Circe)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback | Audio

Fantastical (#3) (Tor & Cora)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback | Audio

Broken Dove (#4) (Apollo & Maddie)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback | Audio

Midnight Soul (#5) (Noc & Franka)
Buy:  Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback | Audio

Gossamer in the Darkness: A Fantasyland novella
Buy:  Amazon Paperback

 

For more KA awesomeness, check out our Kristen Ashley Author Spotlight 

 

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