Callie and the Pumpkin Seed: A Cinderella Retelling

by Sarah Beran

She’s a baker struggling to support her stepfamily. He’s a prince running from the biggest decision of his life. Can their friendship result in something sweet, or is it a recipe for disaster?

Calliope Cendrillon wants nothing more than for her bakery, “Sweet Pea’s Pumpkin Perfections,” to start turning a profit. After her father’s sudden death left her family in dire financial straits, Callie’s infamous pumpkin treats are the only thing standing between protecting her father’s legacy and losing it all.

When Ever, one of Callie’s new regulars, presents her the chance to cater treats for the prince’s Choosing Ball, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. But Ever has secrets he’s been hiding, and when her attendance and premature exit catches the eye of the prince, Callie finds herself participating in a series of unconventional tests. Trying to find a girl using her slipper was unbelievable enough, but finding a worthy princess using a pumpkin seed? That takes the cake.

When a single pumpkin seed has the power to change Callie’s future, will she be able to cater to her heart? Or will her dreams of true love burn to a crisp?

“Callie and the Pumpkin Seed” is a retelling of Cinderella with a side of Princess and the Pea and is part of the “Autumn Fairy Tales,” a collection of eight cozy retellings of your favorite fairy tales. Each book can be enjoyed in any order, so grab your favorite pumpkin treat and “fall” in love with the romance, pumpkin spice, and everything nice of these sweet and clean novellas!

Genres: Cinderella, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Young Adult, Fairy Tales

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2023

About the author

Sarah lives in sunny southern California with her husband, two small children, and dog Pippin. An elementary music teacher by day, when she is not writing or devouring books she spends her free time running, making music, or playing make believe.

Reviews

[Emily ✞ || [fallon's vrs] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐ ┆ clean cinderella retelling┆ 12/13+

⋆ ˚⁎ ❝ you can take the girl out of the bakery, but you can’t take the bakery out of the girl ❞ ⋆ ˚⁎

now playing┆🎶 『 What Makes You Beautiful ⤏ One Direction 』

‧₊ ˚ baby, you light up my world like nobody else ˚ ₊ ‧

-ˋˏ tropes:
⊹ non magical retelling
⊹ secret identity
⊹ golden retriever mmc
⊹ baking!
⊹ (sort of) dual pov

‧₊ ˚ the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed ˚ ₊ ‧

thoughts┆🥧 ‧₊˚ ⋅.

-ˋˏ‧˚⁀➷ this was one of the cutest, sweetest, funniest retellings I’ve ever read. when I finished it, I rated it 4.5 stars, but upon further reflection, this is definitely a five star read for me, no matter how short. this and The Reluctant Godfather are by far, and so far, my favorite cinderella retellings. the humor and the wit in both of these is so creative and just makes me giggle

(I feel so spoiled, I’ve been getting a lot of five star reads lately. I swear five stars are hard to come by with me)

I can’t wait to get my own copy of this and annotate it. y’all wouldn’t believe the amount of things I highlighted in this 😂! Ever’s humor is so silly and cute that practically everything that came out of his mouth I was just cackling, kicking my feet, and smiling so hard it actually hurt!

‧₊ ˚ but when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell ˚ ₊ ‧

one of my favorite aspects was the baking. I am a hardocre baker at heart. I love to make all kinds of sweet treats for people. not only is the task of baking so much fun, but seeing my family and other people smile when they take a bite of something I make. I could relate to Callie so much when it came to her bakery. if I couldn’t be an author, I would be a baker (hmm…maybe I could be both lol)

I liked that Callie baked all sorts of things and they were in detail, but not too much detail that the reader is overwhelmed with info they don’t care about (if they aren’t a baker). it was just enough sugar and spice to cleanse the pallet!

‧₊ ˚ you don’t know-oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful ˚ ₊ ‧

I hated the stepsisters and stepmother with every fiber of my being! I wanted to reach into the book and slap them with my kindle. so many times I wanted Callie to stand up to them, but then I know I would’ve liked this less if she did because she was an example of turning the other cheek, like the Bible tells us to

what made me smile was when the queen told one of the stepsisters to basically shut up when she was bad-mouthing Callie. I wanted to high five the queen.

the romance was so cute and wholesome. I swooned every time Ever couldn’t get Callie off his mind. when he walked her home from the bakery, helped her with the harvest, and appointed himself her official taste tester! 😍 oh be still my beating heart!

the humor of turning the traditional cinderella story on its head, making everything about it that makes it cinderella funny and where everything goes wrong was just pure genius!

‧₊ ˚ if only you saw what I could see ˚ ₊ ‧

───⊹✩⊹───

characters:┆🥮 ‧₊˚ ⋅.

⤷ CALLIE
⊹₊˚‧ I loved her! she wasn’t too meek, nor was she a girl boss (btw, I loathe girl bosses). she was just the right mix of independent and gentle. you see, you can make an independent female character without it being feminist. her love of baking, her love for her father, and her love for every human being out in the world was just touching. a true example of showing Christ-like love while doing something you love

⤷ EVER
⊹₊˚‧ can I get my own Ever please??? he was so sweet and caring! he wanted to help Callie in so many ways. he made sure she was at the ball, he made sure she had a thriving business, all he wanted was for his girl to be happy! and his HUMOR y’all, the puns, the puns, the puns!

⤷ FAYE
⊹₊˚‧ she reminded me of my sister for some reason. energetic, protective, and ready to start a war if somebody hurts the ones she loves. she gave off quirky best friend vibes like in romcoms, and I unashamedly love those characters. I want to get her own story, so Sarah Beran, if you see this, PLEASE consider writing Faye her own happily ever after!
edit: thank you @Jaida for telling me that there is, in fact, a story for Faye!

⤷ ALVINA
⊹₊˚‧ ngl I thought of Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks every time I saw her name 🙈 but she was so sweet too! Callie was def blessed with such amazing friends that came to help her even when she didn't ask for it. she was our fairy godmother but instead a seamstress! so inventive!

⤷ THE STEPFAMILY
⊹₊˚‧ I HATE THEM! DIE IN A WHOLE! 😊

‧₊ ˚ you’d understand why I want you so desperately ˚ ₊ ‧

───⊹✩⊹───

conclusion┆👗 ‧₊˚ ⋅.

perfect fall read with thanksgiving vibes, fit with pumpkins and other fun autumnal treats! I’ll reread this every fall because I just love this to death. I wish it was longer so I can get more and more Ever and Callie moments! they were so cute!


‧₊ ˚ right now I’m looking at you and I can’t believe ˚ ₊ ‧

───⊹✩⊹───

quotes┆🍪 ‧₊˚ ⋅.

I’LL ADD THEM LATER!!! SOMEONE REMIND ME IF I DON’T GET THEM UP WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS!

‧₊ ˚ you don’t know-oh-oh, you don’t you’re beautiful, that’s what makes you beautiful ˚ ₊ ‧

─────୨♡୧─────

content warning┆🥿 ‧₊˚ ⋅.

➸ Christian content:
a few mentions of the Almight and when He calls us to do


➸ spiritual content:
none!


➸ sexual content:
1 knuckle kiss; 1 mildly detailed kiss; 2 non detailed kisses

a mention of Ever being ‘deliciously handsome’; Faye asks which man Callie would rather see first thing in the morning, and Callie scolds her, blushing;

when Ever’s brother barges into Ever’s room, he tells him ‘you realize that once I’m married, you won’t be able to just barge in here any time you like’ his brother then says ‘I don’t need that mental image. rest assured that once you’re married, I will steer clear of your room unless invited’;

a mention of a fling; when Ever stops by Callie’s room to tell her goodnight, she tells him she’s happy to see him, but she’ll be just as happy to see him tomorrow when it’s not after dark and they’re not alone in her room.

a mention of a dress that showed of Adriella’s collarbones and a bodice that hugged her curves;a mention of Adriella being taller and curvier than Callie; a man says Callie found her self a beau; when Ever starts hanging around the bakery, there’s a sudden increase in female patrons; a mention of a harem; an old man wants to marry Callie for her estate


➸ language:
1 ‘for heaven’s sake’; 2 ‘nitwit’s; 2 ‘for goodness sake’s; 1 ‘gah’; ‘1 dunderhead’


➸ drugs/alcohol/smoking:
a mention of a man’s breath always smelling of alcohol


➸ lgtbq+:
none!


➸ magic/witchcraft:
none!


➸ violence:
Callie cuts her thumb with a knife by accident


➸ other:
a mention of losing a husband in a terrible fire; Callie lost her mother when she was eleven


➸ possible triggers:
grief; verbal abuse from the stepfamily; death of parents

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly? 5 stars ✨ this was so, so cute!!

The fact that she describes the Male Lead’s eyes as “a brilliant shade of green that matched the tendrils of a pumpkin vine” and his hair as “the color of rye bread” had me cracking up. If she wasn’t a baker and this wasn’t a fall themed story, I’d think she has a few screws loose, but I loved it for this book. 😂

She has pumpkin seeds for brains that she couldn’t tell he was the prince, but I don’t even care, it was such a cute read! I found myself smiling while reading and I needed that lately! Also the fact that we have a little Princess and the Pea cameo within this plot had me kicking my feet in delight. 🥰

I was so glad when we got his POV a couple of times. I love a good pun and he was spectacular (✨ give me 14 of them right now ✨).

I also really liked that this version didn’t have a fairy godmother who is only there for a night, but dear friends who stepped up in yet another way for our Cinderella. I enjoyed every aspect of this retelling and it’s going down as one of my favorite Cinderella retellings! I’ll be picking up the companion novella next and will definitely be reading the author’s other books!



Main Content-
No magic at all in this retelling; A few mentions of the Almighty & caring for people like He says to do (also a slight discussion about Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to the Almighty).


No major or minor negative language/curses at all; The word “gah” is said once; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Calli’s stepsisters are cruel and say mean things to and about her (she stays on the high road and doesn’t respond but in kindness).

An injury, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to a few sentences); Mentions of deaths (including fires and a ship accident), Calli’s grief for her late father, & their grief together for her mother; Mentions of a break-in, stealing, the thief, & a prison sentence; A few mentions of a young boy being concerned his sister and new baby will die due to lack of food; A few mentions of alcohol & a tavern; A mention of a woman losing her husband and home in a fire.


1 hand kiss,
2 kisses lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting two sentences,
Remembering kisses (one or two sentences).

Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Flutters, Smelling, Staring, & Noticing (up to a couple sentences each); Flirting, Winks, & Blushes; Calli’s friend calls Ever “deliciously handsome”; Calli’s friend also teases her about who she would want to wake up next to when she gets married; Ever’s brother barges into his room and says that because they’re brothers, there’s nothing he wasn’t seen before (Ever comments that he won’t be able to just barge in when he gets married and the brother agrees that he stay away from Ever’s room when that happens).

Mentions of kisses & kissing (including a mention of Calli wondering what it would be like to be kissed by Ever); Mentions of an old man wanting to marry Calli; A teasing mention of a harem (in regards to Ever’s brilliant idea about the shoe contest and it fitting many girls); A mention of a fling.

[Madisyn Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If asked to summarize this book in two words, I would say it's delightfully adorable.

SETTING
A bakery! And a pumpkin patch! You can't get better than that when reading an autumnal-themed book. Beran made you feel like you were in the bakery, watching Callie whip up all types of scrumptious delicacies.

PLOT
Superb. Stupendous. A perfect autumny twist on a popular fairy tale. I adored how unique this was.

CHARACTERS
Callie is a delightful main character. I liked her practicality and love of baking, and Creampuff was just too cute.

Ever is the perfect male protagonist. Can I have an Ever? Pretty please? His puns were atrociously hilarious, and I really, really liked how he didn't put emphasis on wealth or primarily focus on beauty. In today's shallow society, that's all too common, and I think that poisons some fairy tale retellings, too.

Faye and her mom were great, and I would like to request Faye's story, please and thank you. (For that matter, I'll take Niall's, too.)

Other characters, however, were not so great. In fact, they deserved to be beaned upside the head with the biggest pumpkin in the world.

FAITH
The Almighty is mentioned.

SEXUAL CONTENT/ROMANCE
Everything was clean and the romance was too cute and adorable.

OTHER
It is mentioned an odious antagonist has alcohol-laced breath.

CONCLUSION
Once again, Beran has gifted the world with another stupendous fairy tale retelling replete with humor, sweet romance, and grand friendships. If you are a fan of clever fairy tale retellings, this is the book for you.

*I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to leave a favorable review.

[Courtney Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review: https://penspagesandpulses.wordpress....

Sarah Beran's Callie and the Pumpkin Seed is a sweet and whimsical nonmagical retelling of Cinderella and The Princess and the Pea.

I have a confession to make. I don't like pumpkin. I will eat it when forced, but I just don't love it. And yes, I've been reviewing all of these Autumn Fairy Tales which all incorporate a love of pumpkin. Callie and the Pumpkin Seed made me wish I liked pumpkin. And that's saying something.

Callie loves to bake, and she is every bit as sweet and warm as the delicacies she dreams up. I love her big heart!!!! Whenever she sees someone in need, she is the first to help out, whether that be in giving away a smile, giving away free food, or putting up with her grumpy step-family.

Ever wants to lead a normal life. He doesn't love always being in the spotlight and wants to form real connections with genuine people. Ever is just as sweet as his relatable sweet tooth! He loves making people smile with his puns and is so thoughtful!!!

Can we talk about those shoes? I WANT those shoes so much!!!!! They just sound so pretty and elegant! The glass beading is such a creative way to make the glass slippers like in the original fairy tale!!!

The shoes aren't the only way that Sarah throws in wonderful little sprinkles of the Cinderella fairy tale. I love the pumpkins, and the pumpkin carriage, and the gown, and all the rest! It just makes the story feel so nostalgic!

I also enjoyed the unique twist on Cinderella and how it played on the "what if the slipper fit another girl?" idea. The bride competition at the end was also so fun and interesting!!!!!

This book is such a sweet book that has all the fall feels and will make you want to be a kinder person!

And it will make you want to bake.

And eat pumpkin.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.

[Selina Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a confession: I decided to read this because a review promised me puns. Oh, and a cute Cinderella retelling, too, but mostly, I came for the puns. 😆 And the book delivered! This is a sweet story with a cute magic-less twist on Cinderella, all of the cozy autumn and bakery vibes, and a love interest who had me chuckling out loud several times with his cheesy puns. I also noticed as I snagged the book from Amazon it was in a Christian fiction category, which I hadn't expected, and I was curious and admittedly slightly nervous about (I'm not a fan of allegory and was wondering if that was what was about to happen--it was not), and basically it amounts to a handful of fairly natural feeling mentions of "the Almighty" and all people being created by Him. Anyway, if you want a short fairly traditional Cinderella tale with cozy fall vibes and no magic and are a fan of puns, this is the book for you.

[Laura and Literature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairy tale retellings are hit or miss for me and this one was a hit.

Sweet and wholesome. Cozy fall vibes with all the pumpkin you could ask for 😍.

The characters were written well and you could absolutely read this not as a retelling. It had enough of its own storyline to go with.

I loved it! 🎃

[Stacy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's probably the best retelling I've ever read! Absolutely adorable. I LOVED the main characters and all the baking. Perfect pick me up read:)

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Actual Rating 4.5 Stars****

This was so cute! I couldn’t stop smiling!

As you all know I’m not normally one for “cozy” stories, BUT there are always those rare ones and this one DEFINITELY falls under that category! (even though I did want to power-blast Callie’s stupid step family through the roof, but never mind that…)

Callie is a sweetheart, Faye gets the Awesome Best Friend award twenty times over, and Ever is a flirt (kind of because he’s only that way to our girl Callie and not to EVERY WOMAN IN THE KINGDOM like this type normally is) who I LOVE who has the worst yet silliest puns in the world that I both groaned at and snort-laughed over every. single. one. Like seriously if you like flirty banter between a couple and puns left and right you will probably love this book!

Despite being the typicalish Cinderella plot line (along with elements of The Princess and the Pea I quite liked!) but without any magic, there was enough looming uncertainty to keep me worried for Callie and Ever and keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next while also staying shrouded in cozy fall vibes, so much applause to the author for expertly balancing both! (and don’t get me wrong, I love the Cinderella plot line but it can admittedly be done to death which this one wasn’t, just to clear things up)

The ending was satisfying and not rushed in the slightest, the romance was ADORABLE, the characters wonderful and compelling, and just overall this was a fun, sweet read I’d happily read again when I need a pick me up. Definitely going to be trying more from this author!


‼️Content‼️

TRIGGER WARNING: verbal abuse

Language: gah

Sexual: kissing (not detailed)

Other: verbal abuse

[Crystan M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet retelling of Cinderella. I absolutely adored it. There was no fairy godmother or magic pumpkin in this version, but it had something even better, true friends. I appreciated that there was a true development of a romantic relationship and not love at first sight. I also loved the author's allusions to other pieces of fiction. I may need to read this again just to see if I missed any.

[Mary Ann Bulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fabulous! I started reading it before bedtime last night and accidentally stayed awake until I finished it. I loved how it pointed out the flaws in the traditional Cinderella story. Also, I love all things pumpkin and all things Cinderella so this book had all my favorite things in it. I was able to read an advanced copy of this book before it was released in exchange for my honest opinion. Honestly, I think everyone should read it.

[Megan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is honestly really sweet, a little silly, mostly predictable (I mean, hard to get a big plot twist out of a retelling). I enjoyed it much more than I expected. It's as predictable and sweet as a slice of pumpkin pie, and about as substantial. Though there's some good stuff about what a real princess is like, and how to heap burning coals with kindness. I liked it. Maybe closer to 4 stars? But it's just a bit too cloying for 4 stars from me.

[K.J. Haakenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up! I always love a Cinderella retelling and this one was yummy, cozy, and lighthearted. Very much a Hallmark movie style of story but a lovely little read for autumn. Some of the added fairytale things lacked subtlety, but honestly, the vibes made up for it.

[KateLyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Cinderella retellings. I don't care that there are countless of those around, I just love them. I was therefore really looking forward to this book. And although I received the arc from the author incredibly early I still forced myself to wait until release week to actually dive into this book. And guess what? IT'S RELEASE WEEK!

This must be one of the cutest Cinderella retellings I've ever read. I've smiled a lot. I laughed a lot. I fell in love with both Callie and Ever. And in the end I also cried a little. No sad tears. The kind of tears you cry when someone who really deserves it finally gets what they should have gotten ages ago already and you're so happy for them! (The ruined dress ALWAYS breaks my heart...)

I think it's impossible not to love Callie. Maybe she might be a little too perfect and caring and yet it never felt like her character was unrealistic. I know people who are like this and who think like this and who act like this and I wish there were so many more in this world! And then there's Ever. He's charming, funny and he knows what his kingdom and his own heart need.

It's also best to have some cookies and other stuff ready while reading this book. There is a lot of baking and talking about food (if Callie could feed the entire world she would without a doubt do so) and I have to admit that it made me a little hungry. On top of the wonderful characters, romance and food the author also did an amazing job explaining and dealing with the entire shoe fitting issue!

I will for sure check the author's backlist now!

[Anna |This Curly Girl Reads| · Rating 4 out of 5]

How sweet! (Pun intended 😅) I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect of this story, other than a Cinderella retelling, but it was a cute and enjoyable read with loveable characters and some variation from the original story—including a bakery!

Ever’s penchant for cracking corny jokes and Callie’s dry response made me smile! (Does anyone else have a similar relationship? Because my husband and I sure do 😊) The love story was clean and sweet—only a couple of kisses near the end and not descriptive. There really wasn’t any true Christian content except 5 mentions of the Almighty in a reverential way. That’s my only complaint.

Overall, I liked this light, easy read…and now I want to bake something with pumpkin!

*Read on Kindle Unlimited

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story! I like the mash up of Cinderella and Princess and the pea...or pumpkin seed in this case. :) So much heart went into this story.
Ever is just the perfect prince. His charm and bad jokes had me laughing hysterically. 😃
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[librarian.of.rivendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Callie and the Pumkin seed was one of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read. Callie gripped my heart from the start - as a poor and sweet Cinderella - and Ever was the perfect Prince Charming. I read this lovely story in one sitting, losing several hours of sleep, laughing, biting my lips in anticipation and snorting unladylike-ly more than once!

The content was squeaky clean, as is usual with wonderful Sarah Beran.

I totally recommend this book if you’re looking for a cozy fall read with pumpkins, delicious pastries and a prince to sweep you off your feet!

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will be released on October 6th as part of the Autumn Fairy Tales. I was lucky to get an ARC. This story is adorable! Callie makes a good Cinderella with her kind heart towards her unappreciative stepfamily and to those in town. Callie can’t stand to see someone go hungry or without a kind word.
The prince was loyal, charming, and best of all, cheesy with his puns.
I loved how this retelling tackled two major plot flaws to the original story: first, if the prince is ready to marry her, why doesn’t he recognize her or know her name? Second, wouldn’t Cinderella not be the only one to fit the glass slipper?
I loved how Sarah Beran made this story her own. It was positively delightful!

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet and charming story! I read the whole thing in a day and it was just what I needed. It’s a Cinderella retelling with a baking twist. I love Callie’s character, her kind and selfless spirit and hardworking attitude. Ever also is quite adorable, though his puns are ridiculously weak 😜

Definitely recommended for any seeking a light and heartwarming read.

“You do realize that a lot of women share the same shoe size?” Callie asked ruefully. “Unless you plan on forming a harem, you’re going to have a little bit of a problem.”


Content:
Squeaky clean on all fronts. There is no magic or godmothers in this telling. There are several references to The Almighty and serving Him.

[Boeken Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute and adorable Cinderella retelling!!  With a lot of new and cozy elements!

Both Callie and Ever are amazing characters!
Callie is kind, caring, and an amazing baker! She's even loyal to her awful stepfamily.
And Ever is just so cute, funny, and charming. While he's royalty, he is also down to earth and values the right things. He's definitely not shallow!

I loved it that Callie and Ever fall in love gradually, not just in one evening at the ball.

The shoe part is really realistic and funny! And there's even a part that hints to the princess and the pea fairy tale

The worldbuilding is great and delicious 😄 A lot of the scenes are in a bakery, and the descriptions are mouthwatering. It's the perfect setting for an autumn fairy tale!

This is definitely a cozy, cute, and sweet (in every aspect) book!

-----------

I received an e-arc, but that hasn't influenced my review. This is only based on my personal opinion.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was such a cute retelling of Cinderella. I loved Callie and reading all about pumpkins and all things baking. Ever was so sweet towards her and always making jokes. I really enjoyed reading this book. I am now ready for fall and in the mood to bake some pumpkin bread. I highly recommend picking up a copy of this one!


Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this. I received an ARC of this book and was not required to write a review. These are my own honest thoughts.

[Brittany Gillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable, quick read, perfect for fall. Yes, it is a Cinderella retelling, but the ending has a humorous twist that made it unique. I loved the characters of Ever and Callie. Ever has a quirky sense of humor, and Callie has a beautifully kind heart.

Suitable for all ages, especially tweens and teens who will enjoy an elevation of the story they know so well.

[Amanda Mantonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet retelling of Cinderella. Filled with Super corny dad-jokes but adorable.

[Jennifer Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute take on a familiar story. Suitable to read with my 12 year old daughter. Marketed as Christian fiction, but there was almost no actual faith content—would be better described as clean and wholesome.

[kourtnie Kroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Fall Story!

Callie is such a relatable character. I want to try her warm Fall treats! Lovely retelling of Cinderella with a more realistic love story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, autumn read. I loved seeing this sweet Cinderella retelling with autumn touches and no magic.
This was clean fiction that acknowledged there is a God.

Read on Kindle Unlimited.

[Anna (The_Reading_Pantry) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh! I loved it! Like so much! The cover alone was gorgeous and drew me in the first moment I saw it. But seriously. The fall vibes were uh-mazing and all the pumpkin references were making me crave a bakery to go devour anything to do with sugar, butter, and flour. So I’d highly suggest having a reading snack otherwise, you might take a spontaneous trip to the store to gorge on sweets. Just saying.

Callie is a saint and no one deserved her kindness, let alone her stepfamily. For reals, though.

I really enjoyed the way Sarah Beran chose to retell the Cinderella story. It was refreshing and I truly appreciated that Callie’s and Ever’s love grew over time rather than being all of the sudden. Oh, Ever! His jokes were the best and that epilogue. 😍

Callie had all the reasons in the world to be bitter and angry at the injustices placed before her—heck, I was angry for her and wanted to call out her stepfamily for being awful. Instead, she was her sweet-self who did her best to make others comfortable, even if that just meant making sure they were fed.

I loved how it all worked out and liked the twist at the end that extended your usual lost slipper reveal. Well done! This is a super easy read and one that could be enjoyed by an adult like myself or a kid.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Lavay Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read September 2023:

Cinderella is my all-time favorite fairytale, but only two retellings (out of no doubt a thousand) truly captured my heart enough to have them appear on my bookshelf to read and read again.

This one has become my third favorite Cinderella-retelling! (And my first read with an incredibly talented author!)

I had no idea how much I had come to enjoy this delightful surprise from the moment I read the first chapter. I found myself adoring the character of Callie, who has a heart of gold! Not only is she resourceful in her business, but she is also ever so caring to everyone she meets-- even to her lazy and cruel stepfamily who would love nothing more than to make her life miserable. I especially love how she even forms friendships and acquaintances through her love for food and feeding others! But there's also a character growth for her as well, as she learns to let go and simply live with blessings that come her way!

Then there's Ever. Charming. Handsome. Sweet and endearing (and a bit flirty). And so ridiculously silly with his puns!

I adore how the relationship between these two blossomed throughout the story, even when Ever's secret comes to light! The only thing that bothered me A LITTLE me was their occasional meetings, specially Callie's struggle with her feelings. Some of Callie's inner thoughts felt a bit repetitive. Thanfully, this story is short enough that the "romance" doesn't drag along.

What I also like about this novella is that also features strong themes of friendships and community, especially through Callie's interactions with her best friend Faye, and her customers through her bakery.

Oh, where can I begin with the twists! This story went beyond the eventual Choosing Ball and a glass slipper. Woven in are elements of the Princess and the Pea which made this Cinderella retelling WORK. But then there was another literature surprise element towards the end. I will not spoil it, but the moment! I read a certain minor character's name and his situation... I was floored. (I leave it to you read it!) It was this half of the story that really made the story shine!

This is my first book by this author, but I can already tell that Sarah Beran has a gift for not only retelling fairytales, but also weave in multiple ones together to create beautifully new stories! (I'm intrigued to try out her Tales of Eurkya series)!

(Side note: as much fun as the baking scenes were... I'm not a big fan of pumpkin... so it was quite easy to enjoy the book without getting hungry.)

PS: my other top favorite Cinderella retellings are: A Dream Not Imagined and A Wish Made of Glass

[Smasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content:

Language: None.

Violence: None.

Sexual: Mild. Just chaste kissing and sweet moments of tucking hair behind the ear and that sort of thing. Totally clean.

Trigger: As with all Cinderella retellings, there is a facet of abuse with the stepmother and sisters. In this it is taking advantage of kindness and verbally belittling and insulting her. It is all very mild.



Man, I want pumpkin cookies now.

The cozy level of this book was awesome. Callie's bakery and the foods she cooked legitimately had me nearly smelling the spices as I read. I was so hungry! But honestly, it had all the right vibes for a sweet romance and comfy read. Exactly what I was wanting.

The twist on this Cinderella was fun too, as well as getting some fun nods to The Princess and the Pea and Les Misérables. You can bet I was singing Jean valjean's songs after that little Easter Egg. I always appreciate how Sarah Beran can put nods to music in her books, makes it fun for me to see if I can spot them.

Ever was so cute, and I loved how and why he chose Callie. I do wish he'd had more page time, as there were not near enough chapters from his POV for my taste. I think it would've made the romance even better if there had been. I wanted more of his background and character and why he traveled so much and how that affected him.

I can't really review much more without spoiling the fun, so I'll just say that this was lovely and I'll very likely go back to it when I need a comfort read that just gives me all the sweet vibes. It may even need to be a physical copy on my bookshelves in the near future. Super cute.


AUDIOBOOK

Running at just under 5 hours, this was a fun audio. Tawnya Rollins narrates, and she does a fantastic job. Her voice is a nice alto, and her male voices were great because of that I think. She had a nice range. Great audio that I know I'll put on my comfort re-listen list.

[H.S. Kylian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Cinderella retellings I've read! I loved the sweet romance, and Ever's puns were hilarious! There were several times I was reminded of Ever After, the Rogers and Hammerstein play, and even Princess and the Pea! I'm curious if the mention of lentils was actually more of a reference to Into The Woods...or is it in the Grimm Brothers' version too? *checks* Ah, it is.

Anyway...this is the perfect cozy read for fall! And it's making me hungry for pumpkin pie myself...fall can't get here fast enough! (Although it's definitely felt like it almost this entire month!)

Edit: Forgot to add that the twist regarding the shoe at the end was brilliant!

2025 update: Re-read this and it's still one of the best Cinderella retellings I've read!