This was a great Cinderella retelling, set in the same world as The Fair Isle Trilogy, the action happening 21 years later.

She brought vulnerability where I expected power play, she brought honestly where I expected a game of lies and where I thought I’d see exactly Cinderella on paper in a Fae fantasy retelling, she brought a wonderful story touched by elements of Cinderella. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching dog videos or having dance parties in the kitchen with her daughter. He was sweet, funny and caring, while also being really sensitive and vulnerable in a way not many male MCs are portrayed.I will honestly say I went into this book because of this phrase “ ACOTAR meets Bridgerton in this standalone fairytale retelling of Cinderella“. Overall this was a great read and I think I’ve found an Author whose other books I must really look into as this book is the second in a series of retellings. Your face could be hideous by traditional standards, and it wouldn’t diminish your beauty, for I’ve seen the tapestry of your emotions. With the social season in full swing, and bringing with it a horde of husband-hungry socialites, he’ll do anything to delay the pressures of both marriage and the crown. I also liked that the Prince had a playboy exterior but on the inside he is just a soft shy boy-which was fun to read in a ML.

None of that nonsense about a prince not recognizing a woman he supposedly fell in love with one beautiful night. The prince is a fae raven shifter and our main character Ember is the unfortunate half fae stepdaughter to a wicked creature her father decided to marry. Of course, Franco and Ember crossing their paths for the first time doesn't go quite well, igniting a spark of hate in Ember's heart for the Prince.And yes, all hardcover editions will have this art under the dust jacket no matter where you get them!

Ember is half-fae and lives with her step-mother and two stepsisters after a bargain she made, which stated she will have to live and obey them until she turns 19.It also follows Franco, a fae prince who is misunderstood and rarely lets people see/know his true self to the point that he lets people spread a reputation about him that is mostly a series of unfortunate misunderstandings. I suppose I had a crush on them both for a time, but Evelyn was someone I think I could have been happy with. Both characters had a lot of obstacles and doubt that initially made it difficult to understand and like each other, especially as Ember is limited in things she can say due to the constraints of her previous bargains and Franco had a tendency to hold back and not correct incorrect assumptions. It needs to be said that I liked this one much more than the previous book and that's saying something cuz the latter was a beauty and the beast retelling.