Goldilox and the Three Weres: Review: The White Lily by Juliette Cross

The White Lily
(Vampire Blood #3)
Juliette Cross
Release: October 10, 2017
Goodreads Amazon

To the north of the Varis empire, a mysterious faction spreads propaganda against the vampire monarchy. Friedrich Volya, the Duke of Winter Hill, seeks to discover who they are before his uncle finds them first. King Dominik will punish the traitors with brutal force.

Local schoolteacher, the raven-haired Brennalyn, is on her own mission—to spy on the duke and discover what she can for the Black Lily. She longs to help the commonwealth and bring justice to the many orphans left behind from the ravages of the blood madness, like the children she lovingly keeps in her care. What she doesn’t plan for is the heart-pounding attraction she feels for the duke, enemy to the Black Lily.

But when Brennalyn’s secret puts her life and the life of her children in danger, Friedrich steps in as her protector, she finds out there’s more to the duke than she thought.

Review:
I have loved each book so far in this series but this book is hands down my favorite! There is something special about this series. Something that I’m not sure I can adequately describe with words. It's so good! Each book mixes paranormal romance with a specific fairy tale and it's like instant book crack. And each book just keeps getting better and better!

We've encountered the Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood tales in the first two book so I was intrigued about which fairy tale this book would be based on. I can't tell you how tickled I am that this was a retelling of Snow White. It's not a fairy tale you see retold very often. And it was a glorious retelling in this case. Of all the characters I have met so far in this series, Brennalyn and Friedrich are my favorites. They're amazing together and I was hooked on their story from page one.

Told from both the perspectives of Friedrich and Brennalyn, The White Lily continues the tale of the search for more supporters to join the cause of the Black Lily. Brennalyn Snow is a twenty-three year old schoolteacher who is the foster mother to seven orphans ranging in age from preschool to late teens. But Brennalyn has a secret identity that if revealed would threaten her life and the lives of the children she loves. Enter Friedrich Volya, the Duke of Winter Hill, and a member of the reigning royal vampire family. What ensues is the building relationship between Friedrich and Brennalyn, and the potential fall out when Brennalyn’s true identity is revealed. Except Fredrich has a secret of his own.

Friedrich and Brennalyn have had the best chemistry out of all the couples in this series so far! Therir romance is the best! They try to resist each other but they can't help but fall for one another! I loved how elements from the original tale were included in this story. I loved how the seven dwarves became Brennalyn's seven adopted children. There's even a huntsman, poisonous fruit, an evil queen, and a magical mirror that reveals all to the other side.

This is a story of adventure, action, forbidden romance, and the ongoing war between human and vampires. The premise is entertaining and addictive while the characters are strong-willed and engaging. In true Juliette Cross fashion, the book builds to an intense climax that is enough to give me anxiety and make my heart stop. This book also has sweet romantic words, intense sexy times, adorable children, and heart-pounding action. It has almost everything! I couldn't put it down once I had started reading.

If you haven’t started this series yet, start with the first book, The Black Lily. While this book can be read as a standalone, the series is best read in order. There is a story arc that continues throughout the series and the characters are recurring. I can’t wait to see what Juliette Cross has in store for us next because it looks like the next book will be a Sleeping Beauty retelling! I'm so excited to get my hands on Mina's book!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley