An Offer From A Gentleman - Julia Quinn

 An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn - 480 pages

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she’d be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball—or that “Prince Charming” would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid’s garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn - 377 pages

Sophie Beckett has been treated as a slave by her stepmother ever since her father's death.  One night she sneaks into the Bridgerton masquerade ball.  It's like a dream.  She meets Benedict Bridgerton and feels like royalty.  Then the clock strikes midnight . . .

This is very obviously a take on Cinderella.  Yet there is a reason there are so many versions of Cinderella.  It's a fun plotline to read with infinite ways to adapt it.  I really enjoyed this version.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - 390 pages

There's a prince, there's a ball, two steps sisters and a step mom, but all resemblance to the fairytale "Cinderella" stops there. Cinder is a cyborg, and a gifted mechanic because of it. But her world changes when Prince Kai himself steps into her booth to bring an android. It seems very important to him, even though the android is out of date, an old model. Even though she used to laugh at girls who tripped over Prince Kai, she finds herself liking him, all the while desperate to make sure he doesn't find out what she is.

But more than that will happen to Cinder. The plague is killing thousands of people, and via a cyborg draft, cyborgs are being tested in order to find an antibody. None of them survive.

This was my third time listening to Cinder, and I still love it.
This is book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles.

Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge

Gilded Ashes by Rosamund Hodge  142 pages

Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings people pain: Her dead mother haunts anyone who hurts Maia, and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, even though she despises them. Meanwhile, Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either - not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. But when Maia's and Anax's paths cross before the royal ball, they discover that love might not be the curse they once thought. And it might even be the one thing that can save them both.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer -- 390 pages

There's a prince, there's a ball, two steps sisters and a step mom, but all resemblance to the fairy-tale "Cinderella" stops there. Cinder is a cyborg, and a gifted mechanic because of it. But her world changes when Prince Kai himself steps into her booth to bring an android for her to fix. It seems very important to him, even though the android is out of date, an old model. Even though she used to laugh at girls who tripped over Prince Kai, she finds herself liking him, all the while desperate to make sure he doesn't find out what she is. 
But more than that will happen to Cinder. The plague is killing thousands of people, and via a cyborg draft, cyborgs are being tested in order to find an antibody. None of them have survived. 

I was thrilled and delightfully surprised by all the details in the plot. 

This is book one in the Lunar Chronicles.

Wayfarer: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow

Wayfarer by Lili St. Crow - 348 pages
A Tale of Beauty and Madness - 2

Ellie's life is horrible since her father died.  Her mother makes her wrong non-stop at home charming shoes to be sold in her business.  The littlest thing will set her stepmother off leading to severe beatings.  Things only get worse when her stepmother's sister comes to live with them, a local boy returns home from boarding school, and her friends try to save her.  But not one can save Ellie . . . except maybe Auntie, the nice old lady who lives near school and teaches Ellie about charming.
This is the second fairy tale retelling by Lili St. Crow after Nameless, her retelling of Sleeping Beauty.  This book retells Cinderella.  I also got a few hints of Hansel and Gretel in the mix.  Overall I enjoyed this book.  The one thing that bothered me was the "wimpyness" of the main character Ellie.  I know it was realistic in the portrayal of abused children being too afraid to get help, but it got very annoying after a while.

Ash by Malinda Lo

Ash by Malinda Lo, 272 pages


A lesbian retelling of Cinderella, Ash is the story of an abused girl who is pursued by a fairy but she ultimately gives her heart to the one woman who showed her kindness. The storytelling is excellent although I was disappointed after being led on that something special was developing between the main character and the male lead only to have the plot twist in the end. I've never been a fan of "pretend to love someone while loving another" type stories, but this book was well written if very sad to me.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1), by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1), by Marissa Meyer, 387 pages

Cinder is a cyborg- part human, part machine- who works as a mechanic for her hateful stepmother.  The prince's annual ball is coming up, and while her vain mother and stepsister plan to attend, Cinder knows she won't be able to go.  See where this is going?  Well, the story soon veers from the classic Cinderella, with a vicious plague outbreak, a long-thought-dead Moon princess, and an evil queen set to take over Earth with mind-reading powers.  I enjoyed this, and I think teens or those who enjoy fairy-tale retellings would also like this first in what is bound to be a series.

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George - 266 pages


Princess Poppy has been sent to a neighboring kingdom as part of a gigantic matchmaking scheme to marry off the royals of all the various countries.  While there she meets a young girl with a godmother determined to marry her off to a prince.  Unfortunately, this is no kindly fairy godmother.
I really enjoyed this sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball.  It was an excellent dark take on the Cinderella fairy tale with an evil godmother and love curses.  While it would definitely be best to read the first book before this one, you do get enough back story for it to be a standalone tale.