Your holiday season is about to get deliciously naughty…What if Alice Liddell’s story didn’t happen the way you think? What if it wasn’t Wonderland she fell into, but Winterland.This mad tale is dark, twisted, sexy, and nothing like the legend you know.After losing her job and finding her boyfriend/boss cheating on her with her replacement, twenty-five-year-old Alice Liddell has moved back home … Liddell has moved back home to save money and regroup.
She doesn’t think things can get worse until her younger, more responsible sister, Dinah, gets her a job—as a Christmas elf.
Dressed in a slutty costume with fathers peeking down her top and kids vomiting on her, she wants nothing more than to escape the reality of her life.
When she sees a sexy, shirtless man, carrying a glowing red light, and bearing antlers, her curiosity gets the better of her. But following him might be the biggest mistake she ever made.
Falling into another realm, Alice finds herself in the world of holiday legends and fairytales. But she is not prepared her for the dark madness of this place. Nothing is what is seems and no one is what they are in the fairytales.
Even the mysterious, sexy Scrooge.
Welcome to Winterland, where the good guys from the North Pole have gone bad, and the only way to survive is to descend into its madness.
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This book is all kinds of crazy. The good kind of crazy because frankly I couldn’t get enough of this tale of Alice and Scrooge.
The story starts with Alice when she falls into a winterland where nothing and nobody are what they seem. Christmas is the theme but not as we know it. This dark and twisty world is full of dangerous traps and an evil queen. You have to keep your head and your wits when in winterland or the madness could take you.
I loved Alice and Scrooge’s quips and denials it made the slow burn between them even sweeter and hotter.
The secondary characters were really entertaining. Stacey has a real knack for writing great personalities for all her characters.
The end of this book has a cliffhanger but I wasn’t that concerned how it ended because of the unique story it fitted. I am eagerly awaiting book two.
I was given a copy of this book by the Next Step PR for an honest review.
***5 ‘Losing Oneself Takes Time’ Stars***
Ever since reading a little tease of this story in Such Violent Delights: A Paranormal Romance Holiday Anthology (Sorry it’s no longer available but was chock full of some really great stuff) I’ve needed/wanted/died for more the story, because who doesn’t love a good twist on the already trippy Alice in Wonderland tale? Especially when that twist has it meeting and melding with practically every Christmas story, or story that happens around Christmas time (sooo did not see that one coming. At. ALL)?
Well, let me tell you I got way more than ever expected.
This book is Christmas on crack. I’m mean “Holy Massive Stocking’ on crack. It was a tinsy bit overwhelming at times, but considering what Winterland is/was I got it. I got used to it and have to hand it to Ms. Brown for going big on that point.
And then there are Alice and Scrooge who are, of course, absolutely fascinating. I loved Alice’s free spirit and at times lack of an edit button. But this woman is fierce and even though this is just the beginning of her journey, I loved watching her become more. Scrooge is everything his name implies, but his heart isn’t as black as he wants everyone to believe. He has some HUGE demons riding him, but the man is all that a huge bag of Christmas Cookies and then some (Ok…that was lame, but, hey, I tried). Their relationship is a rocky one, but that spark is there and I NEED to see how it all plays out in the next book.
But, if you know me, you know I ADORE well written secondary characters and this one has them in spades. The baddies I want to gut with a spoon, but…that’s pretty normal. But Hare, Pen, Dum and Dee own my heart as much as Alice and Scrooge. They are the most imperfectly perfect group I’ve ever met and want to hang out with (with lots of mead though)
I have to say, Ms. Brown went big with this one. She took Alice, mashed up a ton of Christmas…everything, and basically birthed a crazy, dark, dangerous and chaotic yet intriguing world. No, this ain’t the happy happy animated kids version. Yes, there are triggers (so beware). This is also a duet and there a cliffy of sorts at the end, but it was done well and as I’ve already said once before, I NEED Ascending From Madness ASAP!
~ Copy provided by The Next Step PR & voluntarily reviewed ~
4.5 stars Descending Into Madness is a creative with a somewhat naughty mashup of Alice in Wonderland and Christmas. I am not always certain how things are going to play out when there is a retelling of a popular fairytale, but this has got to be one of the most masterful versions that I’ve ever read. The author’s detailed descriptions of the characters and of Winterland itself made me feel as though I too had fallen down the hole and into this world where everyone is a little bit nutty. Her world building is spectacular and the way the story unravels is clever.
This story has a lot of action as well as humor and then there is Scrooge . . . the hot, sexy, and eccentric man who has more to him than meets the eye. I honestly adored Scrooge! Alice is a fun character. She is a bit of a free spirit who occasionally lacks a filter and tends to jump into things. This is a slow burn romance and the intense heat between Scrooge and Alice nearly melted my kindle. Then there are the secondary characters who really make the book as entertaining as it is as well – I absolutely loved Hare, Pen, Dee, and Dum and then the evil villains I wanted to whack over the head with a candy cane.
Try not to go mad! Stacey definitely has a way with words. She knows how to lure you in to her stories with excellent world building. Scrooge and Alice were great characters. Their tension drove me insane, and I couldn’t get enough. I also loved the quirky side characters. I can’t wait to see what adventures the next book holds.
I received a copy for an honest review.
4.5 stars! I am still need to Stacey Marie Brown, but she has not disappointed! And this re-telling of Alice in Wonderland is fantastical! Making it a Christmas story and bringing other Christmas legends into the tale is inspired! Frosty, The Grinch, Spike and the other Gremlins…..oh my heart can’t take it! I am so glad there are more books already out that I can continue this take, because that cliffy was rough! And what should I say about Scrooge and the gang?!?! The mystery surrounding Scrooge has me on my toes! I can’t wait to find out all his secrets! And the secondary characters are just absolutely amazing that I can’t wait to find out what they do next! If you want a fantastical story where you don’t know what is up or what is down, I feel you will dive head first into this tale and never want to emerge!
Unique. It’s the best word for this book. Alongside, intense, wonderful, maddening, hot…I can go on.
An Alice in Wonderland retelling blended with a Christmas theme and now, thanks to this dark series, I’ll never look at Christmas the same way. Poor Dancer and Prancer…reindeer games…Mrs. Claus… oh the depraved darkness can go on! I think Stacey is working on petrifying me from anything Christmas.
On a serious note, I loved everything about this book. Alice’s situation is so fun and how she handles it all is great. Scrooge is…well, nothing like the story we know. The intensity this man brings…whew *fans self* He nearly lit my book on fire! But he’s more than a pretty face. Throughout the story, his is more and more revealed to us. He has quite the backstory that I can’t wait for book 2 to learn more about it. Also, the secondary characters “the gang” are all great and I found myself laughing so much through this book. Also, Rudy needs a book. If he makes it through the series, I would love for a romance for him. This one shows there’s a definite possibility of him being able to be a main character in some story.
What else to say about this book without spoiling it…Maybe nothing. Just me urging you all to read this. It’s such fantasy fun and I was addicted to every word on the page. I can’t wait to hop straight into book 2!
I also had the horrified realization this is my first SMB book! How?! I own so many of them; how have I never read them..sounds like I need a SMB marathon!
Wonderland meets Christmas and Scrooge has never been hotter. Alice goes chasing after Rudolph and falls into Winterland only to meet a very different set of characters. Action-packed with good amounts of steam and a fun world-building, Descending into Madness kept me turning the pages. This is part 1 and it ends in the middle, so be prepared to dive straight into book 2.
I’m both strangely fascinated and underwhelmed. I loved its originality and the mash-up of Alice in Wonderland and Christmas classics. The little phrases and references struck up laughs and stirred the holiday spirit within me. Rudy, Hare, and Dee were amazing and Pen provided adorable (and revealing) comic relief. The darker elements in combination with the riddles kept me guessing and provided a contrast to the usually happy, uplifting, brightness associated with Christmas. However, I struggled to stay engaged and continue the story as the tension between Alice and Scrooge wasn’t convincing. At times, their reactions were inappropriate, felt forced, or were repetitive. Given the complexity of the story and the amount of world-building, the story didn’t feel it progressed very much overall. They are constantly running with small battles, but not much is revealed about anyone’s motives and no plan is formed or move made to challenge the Queen. There is a fine line between withholding for mystery and madness effect, but in this case, it didn’t work for me. I also felt the ending was too far extended and arrived at an awkward place, detracting from its shock factor. Given the intriguing storyline and its complex foundation, I look forward to seeing if things pick up and improve in the next book.