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Fantastic Fairy Tales #2
Charmless
If Ella Upton had any notion of the disasters awaiting her, she would never have got out of bed. . .
The morning after the royal ball, Ella enjoys blissful dreams of kissing Commander Horatio Crushington when she is rudely awakened by a clamor. Horrified, she discovers the one man she hoped to never see again banging on her front door.
After snorting some pixie dust, Prince Florian assaulted her at the royal ball. She only escaped his lustful advances by clobbering him. Ella hoped when the prince sobered up, he’d forget all about her. But alas, here he is, declaring his undying devotion and insisting she must be his bride.
As arrogant as he is handsome, Florian refuses to take no for an answer. He pursues her everywhere, barraging her with flowers and love songs. She can’t even do her marketing without him popping up to recite horrible poetry. It’s enough to put a girl entirely off her turnips!
Florian’s ruthless courtship is more than a nuisance. He vows to fight any rival for her affections and Ella knows the prince once maimed his own brother in a duel. What will Florian do if he ever discovers her love for Horatio?
Ella’s guilty secret already threatens their romance. The night of the ball, she broke into the king’s treasury room and stole a magical orb for her closest friend, Malcolm Hawkridge. Ella believed the orb was nothing more than a family heirloom belonging to Mal’s grandfather.
But if the orb is so harmless, why is the king’s powerful wizard, the Great Mercato seeking to gain possession of it? Could the orb really be the key to an ancient legend about a long-lost prince, the true heir to Arcady, that would threaten Florian’s claim to the throne? Somehow Ella must uncover the truth before the mystery surrounding that orb destroys everything she holds dear, her family, her friend Mal, and especially her beloved Horatio.
Charmless is the second book in the Fantastic Fairy Tales series, continuing Ella’s adventures in the kingdom of Arcady where happily ever after is never guaranteed and a girl needs all her wits and courage to find her one true love.
The morning after the royal ball, Ella enjoys blissful dreams of kissing Commander Horatio Crushington when she is rudely awakened by a clamor. Horrified, she discovers the one man she hoped to never see again banging on her front door.
After snorting some pixie dust, Prince Florian assaulted her at the royal ball. She only escaped his lustful advances by clobbering him. Ella hoped when the prince sobered up, he’d forget all about her. But alas, here he is, declaring his undying devotion and insisting she must be his bride.
As arrogant as he is handsome, Florian refuses to take no for an answer. He pursues her everywhere, barraging her with flowers and love songs. She can’t even do her marketing without him popping up to recite horrible poetry. It’s enough to put a girl entirely off her turnips!
Florian’s ruthless courtship is more than a nuisance. He vows to fight any rival for her affections and Ella knows the prince once maimed his own brother in a duel. What will Florian do if he ever discovers her love for Horatio?
Ella’s guilty secret already threatens their romance. The night of the ball, she broke into the king’s treasury room and stole a magical orb for her closest friend, Malcolm Hawkridge. Ella believed the orb was nothing more than a family heirloom belonging to Mal’s grandfather.
But if the orb is so harmless, why is the king’s powerful wizard, the Great Mercato seeking to gain possession of it? Could the orb really be the key to an ancient legend about a long-lost prince, the true heir to Arcady, that would threaten Florian’s claim to the throne? Somehow Ella must uncover the truth before the mystery surrounding that orb destroys everything she holds dear, her family, her friend Mal, and especially her beloved Horatio.
Charmless is the second book in the Fantastic Fairy Tales series, continuing Ella’s adventures in the kingdom of Arcady where happily ever after is never guaranteed and a girl needs all her wits and courage to find her one true love.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 12, 2024
8 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Susan Carroll
65 books379 followersBorn Susan Carol Cute in 1952, Susan Coppula obtained a Degree in English with complementary studies in History in the University of Indiana. Since 1986, Susan has published books under three different pseudonyms: Susan Carroll, Susan Coppula, and Serena Richards
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 10, 2025
A fun & cynically funny yet innocent Ella retelling, muahhahhaa!
Muahhhahhaa! A thieving Ella who hates the vain druggie prince who’s located her by the shoe she kicked him with? Priceless beginning.
Priceless scene of trying on the shoe in the dungeons as well. And a positive infestation of suitors - 4, 4!!!! I mean, the girl has honey on her butt or something - coz out of the 4 not just 1 but 3 are princes!! And all vying for her love. Some with more luck than others. Trouble & adventures galore.
What if Ella saw the prince’s actions as stalking - even if it was done in public - and what would you do if you had to suffer through bad poetry?
What if Ella had shady friends in league against the king? And what if the glass slippers were meant to turn her invisible so she could steal something? Or get someone out of gaol.
I quite liked this cynical…ahem…realistic Ella, not your usual faffy rose-tinted overworked victim, not at all. Her criminal potion-maker friend Mal’s character reminded me of Jack Sparrow a bit. And all the men after her reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Bit longish book (370pp), but very entertaining. Ends with a promise of a sequel.
Recommended for lovers of twisted clean NA sword & sorcery and fairytale retellings, especially with slightly cynical Cinderellas.
Muahhhahhaa! A thieving Ella who hates the vain druggie prince who’s located her by the shoe she kicked him with? Priceless beginning.
Priceless scene of trying on the shoe in the dungeons as well. And a positive infestation of suitors - 4, 4!!!! I mean, the girl has honey on her butt or something - coz out of the 4 not just 1 but 3 are princes!! And all vying for her love. Some with more luck than others. Trouble & adventures galore.
What if Ella saw the prince’s actions as stalking - even if it was done in public - and what would you do if you had to suffer through bad poetry?
What if Ella had shady friends in league against the king? And what if the glass slippers were meant to turn her invisible so she could steal something? Or get someone out of gaol.
I quite liked this cynical…ahem…realistic Ella, not your usual faffy rose-tinted overworked victim, not at all. Her criminal potion-maker friend Mal’s character reminded me of Jack Sparrow a bit. And all the men after her reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Bit longish book (370pp), but very entertaining. Ends with a promise of a sequel.
Recommended for lovers of twisted clean NA sword & sorcery and fairytale retellings, especially with slightly cynical Cinderellas.
March 9, 2024
This is not the classic version you’ll remember from when you were a child, but it is engaging, action packed, suspenseful and flat out entertaining! This is part two of Ella’s story picking up shortly after the royal ball. Her life has gotten extremely complicated. There’s a meddlesome prince who isn’t quite as charming as he’d like people to believe, the valiant soldier whose heart is true fighting as much as he’s able against an unjust system. A mysterious wizard who’s not what he appears to be and a legend of a lost prince who can save the kingdom from the tyrannical family that rules it. Which gives us the readers a complex and unpredictable story that is enthralling to read! I was hooked from beginning to end and cannot wait to see what’s next for Ella and her friends and family!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 16, 2024
The only thing charmless about Susan Carroll's wonderfully whimsical, entertaining telling of the Cinderella story is Prince Florian, who decided in the royal ball that concluded the first book, Disenchanted, that he wanted Ella Upton for his bride. So he wakes her up early the morning after the ball to press his suit, having located her using the threadbare, discarded old dancing slipper she used to hit him upside the head when he kissed her.
Oh, yes, those kind of mischievous twists are threaded all through the book, and it's a complete delight to watch Ella's world unravel as the consequence of that one teeny, tiny decision to steal a magical orb from the king's treasury while everyone else was dancing the night away. Because this wasn't just a favor for her old friend, roguishly handsome Malcolm Hawkridge; the orb is coveted by the League of the Lost Heir, who is out to uncover the true prince of Arcady, now governed by the ruthless King August and set to fall into the clutches of the vain Prince Florian. But there's also the king's wizard, Mercato, who is pulling strings. Why is he collecting the auras of everyone in the kingdom? And how was Ella's father, whom she thought a reticent scholar, involved in these secret goings on?
Carroll's scenes are so entertaining, her character so lively and distinct, that one can almost miss how cleverly she is weaving a plot of mystery, intrigue, and royal stakes. While Ella is trying to avoid the attentions of an unwanted prince, keep Mal out of trouble, and try to pursue a budding romance with the swoon-worthy Commander Horatio Crushington, she is also falling smack-dab into a web of subterfuge that will have repercussions for the entire kingdom.
Fortunately, as Ella keeps trying to explain to Horatio, she is no damsel in distress, and Carroll's wit is as sharp as her plotting, as elegant as her prose. I loved every twist, turn, and surprise of this book, and the only problem I have right now is that I have to wait for the third book in the trilogy to come out so I can dive back into this world. Highly recommended!
Oh, yes, those kind of mischievous twists are threaded all through the book, and it's a complete delight to watch Ella's world unravel as the consequence of that one teeny, tiny decision to steal a magical orb from the king's treasury while everyone else was dancing the night away. Because this wasn't just a favor for her old friend, roguishly handsome Malcolm Hawkridge; the orb is coveted by the League of the Lost Heir, who is out to uncover the true prince of Arcady, now governed by the ruthless King August and set to fall into the clutches of the vain Prince Florian. But there's also the king's wizard, Mercato, who is pulling strings. Why is he collecting the auras of everyone in the kingdom? And how was Ella's father, whom she thought a reticent scholar, involved in these secret goings on?
Carroll's scenes are so entertaining, her character so lively and distinct, that one can almost miss how cleverly she is weaving a plot of mystery, intrigue, and royal stakes. While Ella is trying to avoid the attentions of an unwanted prince, keep Mal out of trouble, and try to pursue a budding romance with the swoon-worthy Commander Horatio Crushington, she is also falling smack-dab into a web of subterfuge that will have repercussions for the entire kingdom.
Fortunately, as Ella keeps trying to explain to Horatio, she is no damsel in distress, and Carroll's wit is as sharp as her plotting, as elegant as her prose. I loved every twist, turn, and surprise of this book, and the only problem I have right now is that I have to wait for the third book in the trilogy to come out so I can dive back into this world. Highly recommended!
March 11, 2024
What an adventure!! This story is well written and I completely forgot I was even reading!!
Charmed picks up where Disenchanted left off, right after she chose the commander to be her suitor, and after the chaos of the ball.
Prince Florian is in pursuit of Ella, and almost everyone says she needs to accept his proposal because who wouldn’t want to marry the charming prince? He is ever present and won’t let anyone get in his way, including Mal, Ella’s best friend.
Mal still has feelings for Ella but he is deep in his own problems. He has the stolen orb and is trying to figure out how it works. Ella does everything she can to spare Mal from the dungeons and gets into a lot of trouble in the process.
But an unlikely ally comes to her aid, which she’s not sure she should accept but has no other choice!! Oh and those glass slippers do work!!
And as for Horatio, he is trying to protect Ella and do his job, which proves difficult with the trouble Ella keeps finding herself in! But they are so in love with each other!
As the story continues, mysteries come to light, and the twists and turns of the ending will have you excited for the third book! I highly recommend this book (but read Disenchanted first!)
5 star ⭐️ No spice
Charmed picks up where Disenchanted left off, right after she chose the commander to be her suitor, and after the chaos of the ball.
Prince Florian is in pursuit of Ella, and almost everyone says she needs to accept his proposal because who wouldn’t want to marry the charming prince? He is ever present and won’t let anyone get in his way, including Mal, Ella’s best friend.
Mal still has feelings for Ella but he is deep in his own problems. He has the stolen orb and is trying to figure out how it works. Ella does everything she can to spare Mal from the dungeons and gets into a lot of trouble in the process.
But an unlikely ally comes to her aid, which she’s not sure she should accept but has no other choice!! Oh and those glass slippers do work!!
And as for Horatio, he is trying to protect Ella and do his job, which proves difficult with the trouble Ella keeps finding herself in! But they are so in love with each other!
As the story continues, mysteries come to light, and the twists and turns of the ending will have you excited for the third book! I highly recommend this book (but read Disenchanted first!)
5 star ⭐️ No spice
March 12, 2024
Susan Carroll writes books I enjoy reading. I haven't read the first in this series, so I had some difficulty in the beginning. As I continued reading, I appreciated the world-building, the complexity of the characters, and the plot.
Ella has four men who are romantically interested in her. Two of them are princes, one is a solder, and the fourth is her childhood friend. Prince Florian is the crown prince, who wants to marry Ella. She is not interested, but his pursuit is relentless. Prince Ryland disguised himself as a musician named Harper. Her heart broke when he abandoned her. Horatio is the commander of the guard, and Ella is in love with him. He believes she is in love with Mal, her childhood friend. The author skillfully weaves the characters' relationships while keeping the plot moving.
I intend to continue reading Susan Carroll's books and have several books I've missed to catch up on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ella has four men who are romantically interested in her. Two of them are princes, one is a solder, and the fourth is her childhood friend. Prince Florian is the crown prince, who wants to marry Ella. She is not interested, but his pursuit is relentless. Prince Ryland disguised himself as a musician named Harper. Her heart broke when he abandoned her. Horatio is the commander of the guard, and Ella is in love with him. He believes she is in love with Mal, her childhood friend. The author skillfully weaves the characters' relationships while keeping the plot moving.
I intend to continue reading Susan Carroll's books and have several books I've missed to catch up on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 12, 2024
After finishing the prequel to Charmless (Disenchanted), I was practically pacing, waiting for this book to be released. The wait was worth it, and then some!
Charmless picks up right after Disenchanted ended and is a perfect sequel. It has everything I love in a fairytale romance: adventure, magic, strong characters, unexpected twists and turns, and yes, even dastardly villains and dungeons.
Throughout reading this wonderful tale, a few lines from a part of one of my favorite movies kept popping into my head:
"Is this a kissing book?"
"Wait, just wait."
If you haven't read Disenchanted, I strongly recommend you do so. It's the best twist on Cinderella I've ever read. While you're at it, grab this one, too, because you will want to jump right in to find out what happens to Ella next!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charmless picks up right after Disenchanted ended and is a perfect sequel. It has everything I love in a fairytale romance: adventure, magic, strong characters, unexpected twists and turns, and yes, even dastardly villains and dungeons.
Throughout reading this wonderful tale, a few lines from a part of one of my favorite movies kept popping into my head:
"Is this a kissing book?"
"Wait, just wait."
If you haven't read Disenchanted, I strongly recommend you do so. It's the best twist on Cinderella I've ever read. While you're at it, grab this one, too, because you will want to jump right in to find out what happens to Ella next!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 19, 2024
A Fantastic Fairy Tale
This was an excellent fairy tale retelling that kept me turning the pages. The prince wanted to marry Ella, but unlike Cinderella, she wanted nothing to do with the prince. He was selfish and cruel, and Ella was in love with Horatio, a commander in the royal army. Horatio loved Ella, too, but he might have to arrest her. Ella committed a crime by stealing a magical orb from the palace. This orb was said to have the power to find the lost prince. Did the orb Ella stole truly contain the secret to finding the lost prince? Was there even a lost prince, or was that just a legend?
This story is delightfully entertaining. There is romance, adventure, and magic. I hope there will be more to come in this series.
This was an excellent fairy tale retelling that kept me turning the pages. The prince wanted to marry Ella, but unlike Cinderella, she wanted nothing to do with the prince. He was selfish and cruel, and Ella was in love with Horatio, a commander in the royal army. Horatio loved Ella, too, but he might have to arrest her. Ella committed a crime by stealing a magical orb from the palace. This orb was said to have the power to find the lost prince. Did the orb Ella stole truly contain the secret to finding the lost prince? Was there even a lost prince, or was that just a legend?
This story is delightfully entertaining. There is romance, adventure, and magic. I hope there will be more to come in this series.
March 10, 2024
Oh I'm so excited to continue to see where this story goes!!
Ella seems to have the worst luck in the romance department! Dodging Prince Florian, keeping Mal in the friend zone, past loves coming back, and trying to make things work with the captain all while trying to keep her family afloat and dealing with the stolen orb drama!
Book #2 of this series did not disappoint! Adventure, romance, mystery, and mischief follows Ella everywhere.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ella seems to have the worst luck in the romance department! Dodging Prince Florian, keeping Mal in the friend zone, past loves coming back, and trying to make things work with the captain all while trying to keep her family afloat and dealing with the stolen orb drama!
Book #2 of this series did not disappoint! Adventure, romance, mystery, and mischief follows Ella everywhere.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2024
In 2017 I read Disenchanted. Loved it. And looked forward to reading more about Ella, Horatio, and Mel. But whenever I checked on goodreads or amazon ... nothing.
A couple of days ago I discovered that Charmless had been released in March. Finally!
Bought it. Read it. Loved it.
And now the wait for volume 3 begins. (No cliffhanger ending, thank god. Just like in Disenchanted, the main story line is brought to a satisfactory conclusion , but it is very clear that Ella's - and Horatio's - story continues.)
I just HOPE it won't take another 7 years!
A couple of days ago I discovered that Charmless had been released in March. Finally!
Bought it. Read it. Loved it.
And now the wait for volume 3 begins. (No cliffhanger ending, thank god. Just like in Disenchanted, the main story line is brought to a satisfactory conclusion , but it is very clear that Ella's - and Horatio's - story continues.)
I just HOPE it won't take another 7 years!
March 9, 2024
I love the mix of magic, intrigue, and romance in this series!
The characters are likable and interesting, even the supporting ones. The heroine was a little less independent in this one but I still enjoyed her and her interactions with others.
I cannot wait for the remaining book(s) in the series. Though some of the mystery has been solved, there are still a lot of questions and adventures left.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The characters are likable and interesting, even the supporting ones. The heroine was a little less independent in this one but I still enjoyed her and her interactions with others.
I cannot wait for the remaining book(s) in the series. Though some of the mystery has been solved, there are still a lot of questions and adventures left.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 10, 2024
Charmless is a unique fairy tale with elements from the originals. Ella just wants to be happy with the one she loves, but that's hard when he doesn't get along with her best friend. Not to mention, the rude prince who harassed her at the ball has asked for her hand in marriage. In front of everyone! Ella has many hard decisions to make in this book. Will she choose love? Or will she put her family first and choose the wealthy prince? Or will she lose it all trying to save her friend?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
It took me a minute to get into this book… it’s book two of a series follow Ella… a Cinderella take… she is strong fmc who knows what she wants and goes for is. I am a fan of the slightly morally gray character so I was kind of rooting for Mal… I’m hoping we could get more of his story???
December 28, 2025
This was a really good book. I took off 1 star because Ella was so wishy-washy about Horatio. Hopefully, I won't have to wait 7 years for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews