No fairy godmother. No magic pumpkin. Just one grumpy girl and a glass slipper.
Title: Happily
Author: Chauncey RogersPages: 299Publication Date: April 3, 2018Genre: YA (MG-friendly) Fantasy/Fairy-Tale RetellingLinks:Summary (Goodreads): If the shoe fits, wear it. If it doesn’t, make it.
Laure is a teenage street urchin just trying to get away. Where the rest of the world sees an enchanting love story, Laure sees royal incompetence and an opportunity to exploit it. She’ll have wealth and a way out of a life she detests, if she can only manage to hoodwink the royal family and survive to tell the tale.
Review: This novel was a really fun read!
I am such a huge fan of retellings, so I definitely couldn’t pass up on this book! But this is such a unique look at the tale of Cinderella – because it isn’t really about Cinderella at all!
I really loved Laure. She was an absolutely fantastic protagonist. Grumpy, rude, and smart – those are just some of her characteristics. I love that she breaks the mold of the typical female protagonists. She’s not the most likable with her gruffness but that is exactly what made me love her! The story is told entirely from her perspective and it is seriously entertaining! At first, I thought it was a little bit unusual that the story takes place in a medieval setting but everyone speaks in a modern way, but I soon stopped noticing because there was just so much going on!
I loved all of the different avenues that the plot took. There was a logical progression of ideas and events, which made me really happy because this doesn’t always happen. I could understand why the characters did what they did because their personalities were so well-formed and it just made rational sense!
I only wish the story had been longer. There were times when I felt the development of certain motives and interactions between characters lacked a little depth, and this could be easily taken care of by extending the story and working those areas a little more. This was something I felt rather keenly about the ending, which was a bit rushed. If it had had more time to set itself up, with some more clues, it would have rounded off the story in a more satisfactory manner.
All in all, this was a really awesome book and I loved being a part of Laure’s adventure! If you like fairytale retellings that are unique, I would highly recommend checking this one out! Solid 4/5 stars from me!
And now, it’s time for the giveaway!
From April 14 to the 15th, the ebook for Happily will be free on Amazon! If you are interested in giving this book a shot (and I hope you are!), click on the link below to access your free copy:
Happy reading ~
Oh wow, it is free! Amazing. I have heard amazing reviews for this one. Excited to read it.
Yes! If you’ve ever wanted to check it out, now is the perfect time!
Yes! Already downloaded 😃 hope to read it soon.