REVIEW Bemused by Farrah Rochon

Bemused by Farrah Rochon
Rating: 5 Stars 
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library, Libro.fm)
Publisher: Random House/Disney

Bemused by Farrah Rochon, a spin off of the original animated Hercules movie from Disney, was entertaining and engaging. I absolutely loved the Muses in the movie, so I was super excited for them to get their own book. The author did a great job bringing their stories to life, and Joniece Abott-Pratt did a great job narrating their story in the audiobook performance (similar to how they narrated part of Hercules' story...)

The story takes place before the events of the Hercules movie, though there is a note in the last chapter that suggests things start to line up. Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore, and Thalia are the daughters of Mnemosyne (a Titan and former resident of Olympus who has left that life behind her). When we initially meet them, they are not the Muses we originally know them as, rather a group of sisters living with their mother in a small, quiet fishing village. When they break one of their mother's only rules and perform together in front of a crowd, things begin to go awry and their mother is ultimately kidnapped. The girls band together to save her, and each of them discovers their special powers along the way.

Getting to watch the girls go from simple villagers to the "Muses" and goddesses of the arts was fun. While there are only five muses in this book, compared to the nine in the original mythology, the author did a great job in honoring all of the areas they are known for. I think Thalia was my favorite. It was also nice for them to be celebrated individually in the story as opposed to a collective (as to the best of my recollection, they are not individually recognized in the movie/individually named).

Overall, an amazing book that was very entertaining and fun. I recommend this book to fans of Disney movies and Greek mythology.

REVIEW Promchanted by Morgan Matson

Promchanted by Morgan Matson
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: March 5, 2024
Format: eBook (Personal Libary, Kindle) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Libary)
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion

"Because when you love a story, you want to stay in that world. Really live in it."

I was first introduced to Morgan Matson's Promchanted after watching her "Putting a Spin on the Recipe" panel at YallWest 2025, and I had to read it because it sounded like so much fun. Main characters Stella and Reece (who have been dealing with their own frustrations and heartbreak) are thrown into the story of Sleeping Beauty together after visiting Disneyland the night of prom.

It's a little Back to the Future-esque and zany, as Stella and Reece quickly realize their presence is messing with the original story and they have to make sure things go right (otherwise they won't get home). The two of them have very different experiences (with Reece staying with Phil, aka the prince, and Stella staying with Rose and her aunts the fairies). I really enjoyed watching them both grow and become invested in the story. I felt for Stella's heartbreak after getting dumped a short time before prom, and struggling to believe in love and happily ever afters from fairy tales anymore. While Reece isn't dealing with heartbreak, he has his own familoy issues at home to contend with.

Overall, this was a great modern rom-com mixed with fairy tale. I was really impresed with all the research the author did to make things feel more real. Audiobook narrator Shaina Summerville did a great job bringing the emotion and action of the story to life with her peformance. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy humorous heartfelt romance reads with a little bit of Disney magic thrown in.