What do you think?
Rate this book
The Christmas Chronicles
The Midnight Blizzard: A Cinderella Retelling
An ice slipper wasn’t the only thing left behind at midnight…
Noelle Frost only has one chance to reclaim the inheritance stolen from her after her father’s death. With her stepfamily plotting to win the prince’s heart during his bride competition to secure their own power, Noelle must infiltrate the royal ball to confront her stepmother and reclaim her birthright before time runs out. But in order to get close enough, she must compete for a crown she doesn’t want—and a prince she doesn’t love.
The real danger lies in her growing feelings for Jack, the prince’s enigmatic mage advisor. As their forbidden romance ignites, Jack becomes Noelle’s only ally in a world of treachery, with access to the records that could restore her to her rightful place as the heiress of the Frostwood estate. The closer Noelle gets to Jack, the more impossible their future seems.
As the competition heats up and the prince’s attention turns to Noelle, her stepmother offers a risky bargain that Noelle can’t turn down if she wants to protect Jack, even if it means leaving the castle forever. After all, if Noelle and Jack can never be together, does she have any reason to stay?
As midnight approaches, Noelle must decide if she can truly leave her heart behind.
This is a Cinderella retelling, filled with forbidden love, dog sleds, blackmail, and an illegal courtship set in a snowy kingdom. Perfect for a cozy Christmas read, fans of Melanie Cellier, Tara Grayce, and Deborah Grace White will love this no-spice romantic fantasy book.
Tropes in The Midnight
❄️ Forbidden, Illegal Love
❄️ Blackmailed by her Stepmother
❄️ Ice Slippers (instead of glass)
❄️ Cinderella Goes in a Dog Sled to the Ball
❄️ Locked in a Closet and Can't Kiss (but they want to!)
❄️ Jack Frost is the fairy godfather
❄️ Grimms inspired
What Readers Are
"This was absolutely THE PERFECT choice for a cozy winter read! I'm all gushy and stuff now"
"I'm fairly certain I didn't breathe during the last 30% of the book because PLOT TWISTS AND FORBIDDEN KISSES."
"With dog sledding, ice skating, magic ice slippers, and a nod to the 12 Days of Christmas, this “prince picks a bride” competition is magical."
Noelle Frost only has one chance to reclaim the inheritance stolen from her after her father’s death. With her stepfamily plotting to win the prince’s heart during his bride competition to secure their own power, Noelle must infiltrate the royal ball to confront her stepmother and reclaim her birthright before time runs out. But in order to get close enough, she must compete for a crown she doesn’t want—and a prince she doesn’t love.
The real danger lies in her growing feelings for Jack, the prince’s enigmatic mage advisor. As their forbidden romance ignites, Jack becomes Noelle’s only ally in a world of treachery, with access to the records that could restore her to her rightful place as the heiress of the Frostwood estate. The closer Noelle gets to Jack, the more impossible their future seems.
As the competition heats up and the prince’s attention turns to Noelle, her stepmother offers a risky bargain that Noelle can’t turn down if she wants to protect Jack, even if it means leaving the castle forever. After all, if Noelle and Jack can never be together, does she have any reason to stay?
As midnight approaches, Noelle must decide if she can truly leave her heart behind.
This is a Cinderella retelling, filled with forbidden love, dog sleds, blackmail, and an illegal courtship set in a snowy kingdom. Perfect for a cozy Christmas read, fans of Melanie Cellier, Tara Grayce, and Deborah Grace White will love this no-spice romantic fantasy book.
Tropes in The Midnight
❄️ Forbidden, Illegal Love
❄️ Blackmailed by her Stepmother
❄️ Ice Slippers (instead of glass)
❄️ Cinderella Goes in a Dog Sled to the Ball
❄️ Locked in a Closet and Can't Kiss (but they want to!)
❄️ Jack Frost is the fairy godfather
❄️ Grimms inspired
What Readers Are
"This was absolutely THE PERFECT choice for a cozy winter read! I'm all gushy and stuff now"
"I'm fairly certain I didn't breathe during the last 30% of the book because PLOT TWISTS AND FORBIDDEN KISSES."
"With dog sledding, ice skating, magic ice slippers, and a nod to the 12 Days of Christmas, this “prince picks a bride” competition is magical."
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2024
57 people are currently reading
705 people want to read
About the author
Mary Mecham
20 books809 followersMary Mecham writes high stakes, high swoon, no spice romantasy and fairy tale retellings packed full of adventure and romances. Her greatest joy is writing snarky banter and morally grey characters.
She is a born and raised Texan with a love of theater and books overshadowed only by her passion for disability advocacy. Her favorite food is chips and queso, her favorite holiday is April Fool's Day, and her favorite trope is enemies to lovers.
When she isn't writing, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and trying out new experiences, from fire breathing and axe throwing to trapeze flying and power paragliding.
She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three children.
You can get a FREE e-copy of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling, A Curse of Gold and Beauty, when you sign up for her newsletter at MaryMecham.com
She is a born and raised Texan with a love of theater and books overshadowed only by her passion for disability advocacy. Her favorite food is chips and queso, her favorite holiday is April Fool's Day, and her favorite trope is enemies to lovers.
When she isn't writing, Mary enjoys spending time with her family and trying out new experiences, from fire breathing and axe throwing to trapeze flying and power paragliding.
She currently lives in Texas with her husband and three children.
You can get a FREE e-copy of her Rumpelstiltskin retelling, A Curse of Gold and Beauty, when you sign up for her newsletter at MaryMecham.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
January 5, 2025
4 stars ✨ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling - Christmas
original review-
To my family whose dinner was delayed because of this book: I'm sorry, and thank you for letting me exclaim and squee while you patiently waited for food.
The Angst in this book had me Stressed. Yes, capital A and S because oh my goodness 😅 more about that later I need to go feed my people!
proper review-
I had high hopes for this book after reading “Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice” by this author and it being a fairytale retelling of one of my favorites. I'm happy to say that I ended up really enjoying this book—despite the ringer of emotions it put me through. 😅
Here’s the thing with the Forbidden Love trope: I’m Stressed the entire time reading. Yes, capital S in Stressed. The angst in this book (especially regarding a certain evil stepmother towards the end) about did me in. It made dinner late for my family at least. (Sorry, family.)
I don’t think people realize how rare it is for me to be shocked over a plot twist in a book—to not see one coming! Rarely happens, when it does happen I have to shout about it from the rooftops, so here I am shouting about it from the rooftops. I did not see the twist coming. 😱 Let me clarify: the main big reveal I didn’t see it coming, another certain one involving a certain evil stepmother, I figured that one. Major props to this author for not only shocking me with this plot twist in this book but also the plot twist in the prior book I read by her. I’m getting very excited to read all her other books to see if this will follow in the same pattern. 👀👀
Back to the Forbidden Love trope: it’s not usually my thing because of the stress, the angst, and that it really looks like the couple is not gonna be together but they’re getting kissy anyway. So there is those elements in this book, but I appreciate that they at least tried not to kiss for a while because of circumstances. Well, at least on his part. Props to him because she was ready to risk it all for a kiss. 😅 I did really like her though, however, because of her puns and the flirting was really cute. The very ending of how everything worked out in the epilogue was fascinating to me because it wasn’t what I thought would happen after the twist and reveals. I did think it was a little strange for Noelle, but she had the main thing she wanted and saw another side for the rest. I think I would have liked the epilogue to be a little longer with more explanations, though, because a lot is explained in those few pages, so I actually read that final chapter twice to take it all in.
I have to give a shout out to the pups in this book too. I always like seeing heroines who love their dog(s) as my beagle is my own baby. I had to laugh at a misunderstanding about Noelle and her dog and wonder if anyone ever thought that about me and my Daisy with how I talk about her. 😂 I was tickled pink at Cinders and how she came into play for this Cinderella retelling. 🤭🥰
Also, just as a side note, this book wasn’t particularly Christmas-y (really just cold weather and snow/ice scenes) so you could totally read it in January-February as well!
Main Content-
Magic is an important part of this book as the Love Interest is a Mage (who has ice powers) and Noelle is an advocate for mages because they do not receive the same rights as other humans (including being banned from receiving a normal education, marrying a non-mage); Mages will have white hair and the abilities aren’t hereditary at all (randomly appearing); Many Mages face prejudice and discrimination (which is also seen on-page and Noelle stands up for Jack against others); Someone explains that “Magic by itself is inherently neither good nor evil. It’s what mages choose to do with their abilities that is far more telling—just as a knife can be the best of tools or the worst of weapons.”; Many mentions of magic, mages, spells, & powers/abilities.
No major language, instead some fictional world curses like “by holly” and “icicles” are exclaimed; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Noelle does lie a few times (for different reasons but mostly do avoid telling the truth because of her plans).
Noelle is caught by a wolf and almost attached before her dog fights back (her dog is injured and bleeding, but will be fine; up to a few sentences).
Mentions of the death of Noelle’s father and mother & grief; Mentions of a mother dying in childbirth and the father abandoning the infant because the baby was a mage; Mentions of a wolf attack, injuries, blood/bleeding, & and an injured dog; Mentions of blackmail & threats; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of frostbite & amputations (someone has to have toes and a heel amputated because they turned black, up to a few sentences); A few mentions of the possibility of freezing to death; A few mentions of prisons; A few mentions of robberies/breaking and entering; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of a woman acting out to not be chosen by the prince (her plans include picking her nose, belching, and scratching her bottom); A couple mentions of stealing; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a tapestry depicting a hunting scene with blood (a couple of sentences).
2 hand kisses (others that are not romantic leaning),
1 nose kiss,
1 forehead kiss,
4 almost kisses (lasting a few to a handful of sentences),
2 kisses lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
1 kiss lasting a handful of sentences,
Remembering kisses (up to a sentence); Wanting to be kissed, touched, & embraced (up to a few sentences); Staring at lips; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Flutters, Nearness, Smelling, & Noticing (up to a few sentences); Blushes & Flirting; Longing & Desire (both mentioned); Being locked/trapped inside a closet together (major nearness and almost kisses).
Noelle encourages Jack that they could keep their relationship a secret (even though it’s forbid) but Jack says “But it can’t last. I don’t want a taste of something I’ll never be able to keep.” and Noelle thinks “Jack’s reasons were good, but selfishly, I wanted a kiss to remember him by. Even more selfishly, I wanted to ensure that he would never forget me.”; Despite all the reasons they shouldn’t be together, Noelle thinks that “the forbidden nature of being with Jack only served to make him even more desirable.”; Later, she makes a note that he could be kissed (as the law is only about courtship) and makes sure he wouldn’t feel attacked by her kissing him, which his replies “please attack me all you want”.
When checking on Noelle, Jack asks if she’s decent and she teases him about it (not having sisters, he comments that he doesn’t know what women wear when they’re asleep); Noelle teases Jack about wanting her in his room (which he says he doesn’t mean it that way); When hearing Noelle and Jack talk about not having clothes to wear and misunderstands, he comments on his young daughter being in the house and want they’re talking about; A woman accuses Jack of trying to look at her legs (which she was showing to a healer and is rude towards him).
Mages are not allowed to court non-mages and can be thrown in prison or lose their job for it if caught;
Mentions of kisses & kissing; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of untrustworthy men that women are always warned about; A mention of a dress hugging Noelle’s curves; A mention of an item possibly used for stuffing a woman’s bodice to “accentuate their curves” (later discovers it’s use and it’s not this).
original review-
To my family whose dinner was delayed because of this book: I'm sorry, and thank you for letting me exclaim and squee while you patiently waited for food.
The Angst in this book had me Stressed. Yes, capital A and S because oh my goodness 😅 more about that later
proper review-
I had high hopes for this book after reading “Assassin of Fire and Sacrifice” by this author and it being a fairytale retelling of one of my favorites. I'm happy to say that I ended up really enjoying this book—despite the ringer of emotions it put me through. 😅
Here’s the thing with the Forbidden Love trope: I’m Stressed the entire time reading. Yes, capital S in Stressed. The angst in this book (especially regarding a certain evil stepmother towards the end) about did me in. It made dinner late for my family at least. (Sorry, family.)
I don’t think people realize how rare it is for me to be shocked over a plot twist in a book—to not see one coming! Rarely happens, when it does happen I have to shout about it from the rooftops, so here I am shouting about it from the rooftops. I did not see the twist coming. 😱 Let me clarify: the main big reveal I didn’t see it coming, another certain one involving a certain evil stepmother, I figured that one. Major props to this author for not only shocking me with this plot twist in this book but also the plot twist in the prior book I read by her. I’m getting very excited to read all her other books to see if this will follow in the same pattern. 👀👀
Back to the Forbidden Love trope: it’s not usually my thing because of the stress, the angst, and that it really looks like the couple is not gonna be together but they’re getting kissy anyway. So there is those elements in this book, but I appreciate that they at least tried not to kiss for a while because of circumstances. Well, at least on his part. Props to him because she was ready to risk it all for a kiss. 😅 I did really like her though, however, because of her puns and the flirting was really cute. The very ending of how everything worked out in the epilogue was fascinating to me because it wasn’t what I thought would happen after the twist and reveals. I did think it was a little strange for Noelle, but she had the main thing she wanted and saw another side for the rest. I think I would have liked the epilogue to be a little longer with more explanations, though, because a lot is explained in those few pages, so I actually read that final chapter twice to take it all in.
I have to give a shout out to the pups in this book too. I always like seeing heroines who love their dog(s) as my beagle is my own baby. I had to laugh at a misunderstanding about Noelle and her dog and wonder if anyone ever thought that about me and my Daisy with how I talk about her. 😂 I was tickled pink at Cinders and how she came into play for this Cinderella retelling. 🤭🥰
Also, just as a side note, this book wasn’t particularly Christmas-y (really just cold weather and snow/ice scenes) so you could totally read it in January-February as well!
Main Content-
Magic is an important part of this book as the Love Interest is a Mage (who has ice powers) and Noelle is an advocate for mages because they do not receive the same rights as other humans (including being banned from receiving a normal education, marrying a non-mage); Mages will have white hair and the abilities aren’t hereditary at all (randomly appearing); Many Mages face prejudice and discrimination (which is also seen on-page and Noelle stands up for Jack against others); Someone explains that “Magic by itself is inherently neither good nor evil. It’s what mages choose to do with their abilities that is far more telling—just as a knife can be the best of tools or the worst of weapons.”; Many mentions of magic, mages, spells, & powers/abilities.
No major language, instead some fictional world curses like “by holly” and “icicles” are exclaimed; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Noelle does lie a few times (for different reasons but mostly do avoid telling the truth because of her plans).
Noelle is caught by a wolf and almost attached before her dog fights back (her dog is injured and bleeding, but will be fine; up to a few sentences).
Mentions of the death of Noelle’s father and mother & grief; Mentions of a mother dying in childbirth and the father abandoning the infant because the baby was a mage; Mentions of a wolf attack, injuries, blood/bleeding, & and an injured dog; Mentions of blackmail & threats; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of frostbite & amputations (someone has to have toes and a heel amputated because they turned black, up to a few sentences); A few mentions of the possibility of freezing to death; A few mentions of prisons; A few mentions of robberies/breaking and entering; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of a woman acting out to not be chosen by the prince (her plans include picking her nose, belching, and scratching her bottom); A couple mentions of stealing; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a tapestry depicting a hunting scene with blood (a couple of sentences).
2 hand kisses (others that are not romantic leaning),
1 nose kiss,
1 forehead kiss,
4 almost kisses (lasting a few to a handful of sentences),
2 kisses lasting a sentence,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
1 kiss lasting a handful of sentences,
Remembering kisses (up to a sentence); Wanting to be kissed, touched, & embraced (up to a few sentences); Staring at lips; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Flutters, Nearness, Smelling, & Noticing (up to a few sentences); Blushes & Flirting; Longing & Desire (both mentioned); Being locked/trapped inside a closet together (major nearness and almost kisses).
Noelle encourages Jack that they could keep their relationship a secret (even though it’s forbid) but Jack says “But it can’t last. I don’t want a taste of something I’ll never be able to keep.” and Noelle thinks “Jack’s reasons were good, but selfishly, I wanted a kiss to remember him by. Even more selfishly, I wanted to ensure that he would never forget me.”; Despite all the reasons they shouldn’t be together, Noelle thinks that “the forbidden nature of being with Jack only served to make him even more desirable.”; Later, she makes a note that he could be kissed (as the law is only about courtship) and makes sure he wouldn’t feel attacked by her kissing him, which his replies “please attack me all you want”.
When checking on Noelle, Jack asks if she’s decent and she teases him about it (not having sisters, he comments that he doesn’t know what women wear when they’re asleep); Noelle teases Jack about wanting her in his room (which he says he doesn’t mean it that way); When hearing Noelle and Jack talk about not having clothes to wear and misunderstands, he comments on his young daughter being in the house and want they’re talking about; A woman accuses Jack of trying to look at her legs (which she was showing to a healer and is rude towards him).
Mages are not allowed to court non-mages and can be thrown in prison or lose their job for it if caught;
Mentions of kisses & kissing; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of untrustworthy men that women are always warned about; A mention of a dress hugging Noelle’s curves; A mention of an item possibly used for stuffing a woman’s bodice to “accentuate their curves” (later discovers it’s use and it’s not this).
December 10, 2025
Very cute and fun Cinderella/Jack Frost mash-up! I saw the twists coming from a mile away, but I still enjoyed them.
![Profile Image for Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1766269624i%2F169222098._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 10, 2026
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
This is the perfect winter book and I loved it! This is my first retelling of Jack Frost and I loved the twist with Cinderella. It was great! Noelle was a lovely and determined character! Jack was awesome! I adored him! I really enjoyed watching the two of them fall in love and finally get together! The puns in here were amazing and had me laughing! I guessed one of the plot twists, but not the other. Mary Mecham can always surprise me with those twists! The special edition of this book is just as beautiful and magical as the story inside! I definitely recommend!
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
This is the perfect winter book and I loved it! This is my first retelling of Jack Frost and I loved the twist with Cinderella. It was great! Noelle was a lovely and determined character! Jack was awesome! I adored him! I really enjoyed watching the two of them fall in love and finally get together! The puns in here were amazing and had me laughing! I guessed one of the plot twists, but not the other. Mary Mecham can always surprise me with those twists! The special edition of this book is just as beautiful and magical as the story inside! I definitely recommend!
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
December 7, 2024
Oh icicles, this was DARLING!
This winter fantasy is Jack Frost meets Cinderella!
With dog sledding, ice skating, magic ice slippers, and a nod to the 12 Days of Christmas, this “prince picks a bride” competition is magical.
Also, I’m not usually a forbidden romance fan… BUT Jack and Noelle & allllllll the mutual pining were too cute! *cue the heart eyes*
This winter fantasy is Jack Frost meets Cinderella!
With dog sledding, ice skating, magic ice slippers, and a nod to the 12 Days of Christmas, this “prince picks a bride” competition is magical.
Also, I’m not usually a forbidden romance fan… BUT Jack and Noelle & allllllll the mutual pining were too cute! *cue the heart eyes*
December 23, 2024
This was definitely one of the best Cinderella retellings that I have ever read! Most of them usually have a predictable plot and all seem to be exactly the same, but this one had original plot twists and ideas that gave the story a fresh new look, while also keeping the traditional story. Wonderfully done!
I really enjoyed the cast of characters, and was happy with how everyone’s story ended.
Content:
Kissing and wanting to be kissed
Clean romance
I really enjoyed the cast of characters, and was happy with how everyone’s story ended.
Content:
Kissing and wanting to be kissed
Clean romance
January 6, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This has to be my favorite Cinderella retelling to date! I loved the mashup of Jack Frost and Cinderella, so creative!! And Mecham incorporated the 12 Days of Christmas into parts of the story, so fun to catch those!
I normally think the FMC in Cinderella is too much of a pushover but not this one, Noelle is a fiesty one that is passionate in her beliefs and stands her ground. Definitely refreshing for the Cinderella retelling!
The dynamic of mages (individuals born with certain gifts) and how they are seen as lesser than was very interesting.
As usual, Mecham is a master at plot twists and this book is no exception-- love that about her books!
Content: magical abilities
Christian faith rating: 0/3 clean secular fiction
This has to be my favorite Cinderella retelling to date! I loved the mashup of Jack Frost and Cinderella, so creative!! And Mecham incorporated the 12 Days of Christmas into parts of the story, so fun to catch those!
I normally think the FMC in Cinderella is too much of a pushover but not this one, Noelle is a fiesty one that is passionate in her beliefs and stands her ground. Definitely refreshing for the Cinderella retelling!
The dynamic of mages (individuals born with certain gifts) and how they are seen as lesser than was very interesting.
As usual, Mecham is a master at plot twists and this book is no exception-- love that about her books!
Content: magical abilities
Christian faith rating: 0/3 clean secular fiction
December 11, 2024
Read my full review: https://penspagesandpulses.wordpress....
The Midnight Blizzard was such a fun read!!! I loved the forbidden romance, the bride competition, and the puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I suppose I should start with the characters.
Noelle, the Cinderella character, wants to continue her father's legacy of helping some of society's outcasts by reestablishing his school. Her plans are thrown off course when her step-mother steals the will, but Noelle won't let that stop her. I love how Noelle attacks her goals. I love how she uses her ingenuity to confront problems thrown her way. It is interesting seeing the sacrifices she's willing to make to achieve her goals.
Jack, a mage, wants to help Noelle. He loves Noelle, but mages and non-mages aren't allowed to get married. I love seeing how devoted he is to the people -- and doggies -- he cares about. It is so cute watching him interact with his doggies!!!!!!! I love how he prioritizes helping Noelle solve her problems and is willing to sacrifice his own comfort to help her.
I've mentioned the doggies a few times. Basically, Jack has a pack of doggies. Noelle also has a doggie, but Jack has more doggies. The scenes with the doggies are so sweet!!!!!!!! And it's so cute how Noelle and Jack bond over their shared love of their pets!!!!!!
My least favorite character was the step-mother (I am blanking on her name, but I suppose step-mother works). I could understand some of her motivations, but I thought she was way too self-righteous. I understand she's kind of supposed to be a villain, but I still thought she should've used people with her common goal as assets rather than turning them into enemies. I suppose that could've been the point, but it still bothered me a little bit.
I loved the bride competition thing in this book. Essentially, tons of girls are competing for the prince's hand -- and Noelle is one of them. The different tests were so interesting, and I loved how we got peeks into the motivations behind each test from Jack. The tests also contributed to just the overall magical aesthetic of this story!!!
As a retelling, this story was one of the closest Cinderella retellings I've read surprisingly. Mary incorporated some of the parts of the story I thought were least likely ever to be included in a retelling, but honestly, I loved that part!!! Of course, there were major departures (like the Cinderella character not being in love with the prince), but it was still a great retelling!!!
Overall, The Midnight Blizzard was an incredible read!!!!!! It perfectly captured the magic of the Christmas season. If you are looking for a clean fantasy romance to read, you should definitely consider checking out Mary Mecham's The Midnight Blizzard!!!
I received an advance copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.
The Midnight Blizzard was such a fun read!!! I loved the forbidden romance, the bride competition, and the puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I suppose I should start with the characters.
Noelle, the Cinderella character, wants to continue her father's legacy of helping some of society's outcasts by reestablishing his school. Her plans are thrown off course when her step-mother steals the will, but Noelle won't let that stop her. I love how Noelle attacks her goals. I love how she uses her ingenuity to confront problems thrown her way. It is interesting seeing the sacrifices she's willing to make to achieve her goals.
Jack, a mage, wants to help Noelle. He loves Noelle, but mages and non-mages aren't allowed to get married. I love seeing how devoted he is to the people -- and doggies -- he cares about. It is so cute watching him interact with his doggies!!!!!!! I love how he prioritizes helping Noelle solve her problems and is willing to sacrifice his own comfort to help her.
I've mentioned the doggies a few times. Basically, Jack has a pack of doggies. Noelle also has a doggie, but Jack has more doggies. The scenes with the doggies are so sweet!!!!!!!! And it's so cute how Noelle and Jack bond over their shared love of their pets!!!!!!
My least favorite character was the step-mother (I am blanking on her name, but I suppose step-mother works). I could understand some of her motivations, but I thought she was way too self-righteous. I understand she's kind of supposed to be a villain, but I still thought she should've used people with her common goal as assets rather than turning them into enemies. I suppose that could've been the point, but it still bothered me a little bit.
I loved the bride competition thing in this book. Essentially, tons of girls are competing for the prince's hand -- and Noelle is one of them. The different tests were so interesting, and I loved how we got peeks into the motivations behind each test from Jack. The tests also contributed to just the overall magical aesthetic of this story!!!
As a retelling, this story was one of the closest Cinderella retellings I've read surprisingly. Mary incorporated some of the parts of the story I thought were least likely ever to be included in a retelling, but honestly, I loved that part!!! Of course, there were major departures (like the Cinderella character not being in love with the prince), but it was still a great retelling!!!
Overall, The Midnight Blizzard was an incredible read!!!!!! It perfectly captured the magic of the Christmas season. If you are looking for a clean fantasy romance to read, you should definitely consider checking out Mary Mecham's The Midnight Blizzard!!!
I received an advance copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.
August 6, 2025
‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊˚⊹‧₊˚ ₊
❄️~Genres~❄️
Fantasy/Retelling/Forbidden Romance
What if Jack Frost fell in love with Cinderella but it was illegal....?
🌨️~Characters~🌨️
(Noelle) FMC I really liked her she was great. She loves dogs and I loved her relationship with Kody (her dog)
(Jack) MMC I really liked him. He loves dogs as well.
(Valencia) NOELLE'S STEPMOM she was so annoying.
(Vallia) NOELLE'S STEPSISTER i liked her she was a nice stepsister.
(Vanessa) NOELLE'S STEPSISTER she was a brat.
(Beryl) JACK'S FRIEND he was ok.
(Peggy "Pegs") BERYL'S DAUGHTER she was so punny with all of her puns lol I'm so funny.
(Stephen) THE PRINCE I liked him he was nice.
(Octavius) THE STEWARD he was so annoying and resembled a mouse.
⛸️~Quotes~⛸️
Jack appeared equally as nervous as he leaned in. He closed his eyes too soon and miscalculated how short I was compared to him, and his lips pressed against the tip of my nose. “Hey,” I scolded softly. “No nipping at my nose.”
“You look—” I broke off. There were people around. I couldn’t tell Jack how handsome he looked in public. “You look very busy,” I amended. Jack smiled softly. “So do you.” He hurried away and slipped through a side door.
“Noelle,” Jack said softly. “If anyone looks at us when we’re together, they’ll know. I can’t hide it anymore.”
“Are you okay withdrawing? You’d give up the possibility of marrying Stephen.” “I don’t want Stephen. I want… I want you.” A look of pure joy lit up Jack’s every feature, brightening his face so much that his hair nearly glowed.
⛄~What I liked~⛄
The cover, the title page, the chapter headings, The twelve days of Christmas references, The ice skating scene, the closet scene, the ice shelter scene, Pumpkin, The epilogue, The plot twists, the ending, literally everything else!
🛷~What I disliked~🛷
Nothing!
🧊~Trigger/content warnings~🧊
Death of parent's/a dog and a wolf get into a fight and both get hurt (they live), blood, Amputation due to frostbite,
🏔️~Language~🏔️
None.
❄️~Genres~❄️
Fantasy/Retelling/Forbidden Romance
What if Jack Frost fell in love with Cinderella but it was illegal....?
🌨️~Characters~🌨️
(Noelle) FMC I really liked her she was great. She loves dogs and I loved her relationship with Kody (her dog)
(Jack) MMC I really liked him. He loves dogs as well.
(Valencia) NOELLE'S STEPMOM she was so annoying.
(Vallia) NOELLE'S STEPSISTER i liked her she was a nice stepsister.
(Vanessa) NOELLE'S STEPSISTER she was a brat.
(Beryl) JACK'S FRIEND he was ok.
(Peggy "Pegs") BERYL'S DAUGHTER she was so punny with all of her puns lol I'm so funny.
(Stephen) THE PRINCE I liked him he was nice.
(Octavius) THE STEWARD he was so annoying and resembled a mouse.
⛸️~Quotes~⛸️
Jack appeared equally as nervous as he leaned in. He closed his eyes too soon and miscalculated how short I was compared to him, and his lips pressed against the tip of my nose. “Hey,” I scolded softly. “No nipping at my nose.”
“You look—” I broke off. There were people around. I couldn’t tell Jack how handsome he looked in public. “You look very busy,” I amended. Jack smiled softly. “So do you.” He hurried away and slipped through a side door.
“Noelle,” Jack said softly. “If anyone looks at us when we’re together, they’ll know. I can’t hide it anymore.”
“Are you okay withdrawing? You’d give up the possibility of marrying Stephen.” “I don’t want Stephen. I want… I want you.” A look of pure joy lit up Jack’s every feature, brightening his face so much that his hair nearly glowed.
⛄~What I liked~⛄
The cover, the title page, the chapter headings, The twelve days of Christmas references, The ice skating scene, the closet scene, the ice shelter scene, Pumpkin, The epilogue, The plot twists, the ending, literally everything else!
🛷~What I disliked~🛷
Nothing!
🧊~Trigger/content warnings~🧊
Death of parent's/a dog and a wolf get into a fight and both get hurt (they live), blood, Amputation due to frostbite,
🏔️~Language~🏔️
None.
December 17, 2025
What a sweet, charming story! This mash up of "Cinderella" and Jack Frost worked perfectly together! This could be a sweet Christmas romance movie! 5⭐️
January 1, 2025
❄️BOOK REVIEW❄️ The Midnight Blizzard by Mary Mecham
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was literally one of the cutest books I have ever read in my life. Seriously. 🥰 Jack Frost and Cinderella? I didn’t know I needed this, but I’m obsessed!
Noelle and Jack were so cute from the moment they met each other! Their cute banter and flirting was absolutely the best!
I loved the plot of this too, and the forbidden love aspect….I think I’m addicted to this trope now.🫣 It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
The atmosphere was immaculate, also! All of the snow and the dog sledding…such a vibe! Perfect for winter! Especially if you live in Texas and it’s NEVER COLD! (Or it starts out cold and you need the heater but the day goes on and you need the ac 😵💫)
Anyway, I had a great time with this book! Oh, and the author hid cameos of all of the twelve days of Christmas lyrics (hate that song😬🫣) but I found eleven! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Highly recommend! Definitely you should read this book!😁
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was literally one of the cutest books I have ever read in my life. Seriously. 🥰 Jack Frost and Cinderella? I didn’t know I needed this, but I’m obsessed!
Noelle and Jack were so cute from the moment they met each other! Their cute banter and flirting was absolutely the best!
I loved the plot of this too, and the forbidden love aspect….I think I’m addicted to this trope now.🫣 It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
The atmosphere was immaculate, also! All of the snow and the dog sledding…such a vibe! Perfect for winter! Especially if you live in Texas and it’s NEVER COLD! (Or it starts out cold and you need the heater but the day goes on and you need the ac 😵💫)
Anyway, I had a great time with this book! Oh, and the author hid cameos of all of the twelve days of Christmas lyrics (hate that song😬🫣) but I found eleven! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Highly recommend! Definitely you should read this book!😁
November 20, 2024
Love this very original retelling
This Cinderella story is so amazingly original!
We've got Jack... Frost. And his ice magic powers. Forbidden romance. A nod to the twelve days of Christmas and so many unbelievably swoony romance moments.
I loved Noelle and her sassy flirty attitude. Her desire to help mages really endears you and she had a great growth arc.
Jack is just the sweetest from the beginning. Love him so much. He's amazing.
It just felt so refreshingly original. I loved it. The wintery Christmas theme was so fun and perfect.
💋 Kisses only
⚠️Noelle's dad died
This Cinderella story is so amazingly original!
We've got Jack... Frost. And his ice magic powers. Forbidden romance. A nod to the twelve days of Christmas and so many unbelievably swoony romance moments.
I loved Noelle and her sassy flirty attitude. Her desire to help mages really endears you and she had a great growth arc.
Jack is just the sweetest from the beginning. Love him so much. He's amazing.
It just felt so refreshingly original. I loved it. The wintery Christmas theme was so fun and perfect.
💋 Kisses only
⚠️Noelle's dad died
December 27, 2024
I didn't know how bad I needed a case of real "forbidden love" until I read this book! It was so good.
I loved Noelle's passion for her school and her disinterest in marrying the prince. The twist at the end was amazing.
I loved Noelle's passion for her school and her disinterest in marrying the prince. The twist at the end was amazing.
January 13, 2026
Noelle Frost runs a school for mages together with her father, but when he dies Noelle's stepmother hides his will and she's forced to shut down the school. In order to get her inheritance and reopen it Noelle has to participate in the prince's bride competition, but she gets feelings for Jack instead, the prince's advisor. However, Jack is a mage and their love is forbidden.
I got the audiobook as a Christmas gift from the author, as a thank you for being on her street team (still, all thoughts are my own)! The Midnight Blizzard is a retelling of Cinderella, with a touch of Jack Frost. A lot is intact from the original, but I was surprised once or twice!
I love both the characters and the setting! Snow, cold and dog sleds! A mage that controls ice! A young woman who cares deeply for the rights of mages! This book had me feeling a lot and was a perfect read during a cold winter night!
I got the audiobook as a Christmas gift from the author, as a thank you for being on her street team (still, all thoughts are my own)! The Midnight Blizzard is a retelling of Cinderella, with a touch of Jack Frost. A lot is intact from the original, but I was surprised once or twice!
I love both the characters and the setting! Snow, cold and dog sleds! A mage that controls ice! A young woman who cares deeply for the rights of mages! This book had me feeling a lot and was a perfect read during a cold winter night!
January 3, 2025
Awwww, this was exactly what I wanted to read during the week between Christmas and New Year's. Sweet, funny, upbeat, and cozy. And with lovable dogs galore!
This is a Cinderella retelling with a Christmasy twist, though it's really more wintery than Christmasy. It's the first thing I've read by Mary Mecham, but I am sure it won't be the last. I appreciated that it had a playful and charming romance that was kisses-only, totally fine to hand to my young teen who loves fairy tale retellings.
This is a Cinderella retelling with a Christmasy twist, though it's really more wintery than Christmasy. It's the first thing I've read by Mary Mecham, but I am sure it won't be the last. I appreciated that it had a playful and charming romance that was kisses-only, totally fine to hand to my young teen who loves fairy tale retellings.
November 20, 2024
I really liked this frosty retelling of Cinderella featuring one of my absolute favourite childhood characters: Jack Frost.
The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is the ending. I was a little sad that Noelle just let the inheritance matter drop, because it felt a little out of character for her.
Aside from that, this was a cozy swoony retelling I loved!
The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is the ending. I was a little sad that Noelle just let the inheritance matter drop, because it felt a little out of character for her.
Aside from that, this was a cozy swoony retelling I loved!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2024
What if Cinderella didn't want to marry the prince?
I enjoyed this book and the main character who was fighting for a cause she believed in. The book didn't end quite the way I thought it would, but I liked it all the same. It was good enough to keep me up reading last night! Thanks for letting me have an Advanced Reader Copy!
I also loved the Christmas song references and the puns!
I enjoyed this book and the main character who was fighting for a cause she believed in. The book didn't end quite the way I thought it would, but I liked it all the same. It was good enough to keep me up reading last night! Thanks for letting me have an Advanced Reader Copy!
I also loved the Christmas song references and the puns!
November 20, 2024
Woweee Mary has once again delivered! Definitely recommend having a book buddy reading with you so you can freak out and vent after about halfway through the story. Because sheesh does crap go down then! I didn't want to put this book down, I wanted to read from cover to cover because it was so good. The ending gave me that sigh of happiness while part of me felt like there will never be enough of this story. I really adored Noelle and Jack both. They're both fighting for what they want and what they believe is best, using their skills to work together in the hopes of helping Noelle with getting her inheritance and school back on track.
The almost kisses in this book! I heard Mary tell a story about being on writer's retreat and Sarah Beran hitting her with a pillow because too many close kisses and I gotta say, I'm with Sarah. There's especially one scene that I was laughing so hard but the close kisses in it definitely would've made me hit Mary with a pillow if the opportunity was available!
Also, she added a scene with some glorious puns and I really loved it. That scene made me laugh a lot.
So all in all, I laughed, I may have cried, I definitely swooned, and I cheered when the Happily Ever After happened. Definitely a book I'll be reading again in the future!
The almost kisses in this book! I heard Mary tell a story about being on writer's retreat and Sarah Beran hitting her with a pillow because too many close kisses and I gotta say, I'm with Sarah. There's especially one scene that I was laughing so hard but the close kisses in it definitely would've made me hit Mary with a pillow if the opportunity was available!
Also, she added a scene with some glorious puns and I really loved it. That scene made me laugh a lot.
So all in all, I laughed, I may have cried, I definitely swooned, and I cheered when the Happily Ever After happened. Definitely a book I'll be reading again in the future!
July 14, 2025
This was freaking adorable! Totally opened the book planning to just read the first few pages to see if I'd want to read it next and then looked up at 1am after finishing it realizing I'd just completely unintentionally just binged the book. I don't remember the last time I binged a book like that.
Y'all know I'm a sucker for Cinderella anyhow, but this gives all the Jack Frost x Elsa vibes we always wanted, but Cinderella instead of Snow Queen. This book is everything you love about winter wrapped into a delightful story - snow, cozy, warm fires, dog sleds, sweet treats, and of course, a forbidden romance, mages, a marriage competition, and very headstrong entrepreneurial maidens :D (Side note, I breezed past dog sled, but I just have to say I blame Balto for my obsession with huskies and mush dogs and boy does this story scratch that itch!)
The nods to the traditional Cinderella story seemed strategically selected and woven into the story well. I appreciated the little bit of twist with the stepfamily's motives - and, guys the glass slippers!! *melts into a puddle* This story had so much humor, heart, and just...a lightness to it that we need desperately in such a broken world.
Jack was adorable and I loved him. Need I say more? And I really enjoyed Beryl and his family, too. Noelle was headstrong, but just. I loved her sass. I enjoyed the political intrigue of the mages in the kingdom. And the prince was sweet <3 I spent so much of the story wondering what on earth we were going to do about the romance cause clearly Jack and Noelle were meant for one another, but it's a Cinderella retelling! She had to win the prince's heart, right? If not her, then who? It was a fun little dilemma that had me chewing. I can't believe I danced all around the solution without actually figuring it out until it came to pass - a fun little twist Mecham pulled off pretty well if you ask me.
I've been wanting to check out Mary Mecham's work for a while and there could not have been a better book to start with to hook me in deep. I'm quite looking forward to her other books now, but it may be hard to top how truly delightful this one was.
Content: no swearing, not really any violence, and an adorably sweet and clean romance. Suitable for preteens.
Y'all know I'm a sucker for Cinderella anyhow, but this gives all the Jack Frost x Elsa vibes we always wanted, but Cinderella instead of Snow Queen. This book is everything you love about winter wrapped into a delightful story - snow, cozy, warm fires, dog sleds, sweet treats, and of course, a forbidden romance, mages, a marriage competition, and very headstrong entrepreneurial maidens :D (Side note, I breezed past dog sled, but I just have to say I blame Balto for my obsession with huskies and mush dogs and boy does this story scratch that itch!)
The nods to the traditional Cinderella story seemed strategically selected and woven into the story well. I appreciated the little bit of twist with the stepfamily's motives - and, guys the glass slippers!! *melts into a puddle* This story had so much humor, heart, and just...a lightness to it that we need desperately in such a broken world.
Jack was adorable and I loved him. Need I say more? And I really enjoyed Beryl and his family, too. Noelle was headstrong, but just. I loved her sass. I enjoyed the political intrigue of the mages in the kingdom. And the prince was sweet <3 I spent so much of the story wondering what on earth we were going to do about the romance cause clearly Jack and Noelle were meant for one another, but it's a Cinderella retelling! She had to win the prince's heart, right? If not her, then who? It was a fun little dilemma that had me chewing. I can't believe I danced all around the solution without actually figuring it out until it came to pass - a fun little twist Mecham pulled off pretty well if you ask me.
I've been wanting to check out Mary Mecham's work for a while and there could not have been a better book to start with to hook me in deep. I'm quite looking forward to her other books now, but it may be hard to top how truly delightful this one was.
Content: no swearing, not really any violence, and an adorably sweet and clean romance. Suitable for preteens.
November 9, 2024
I received an ARC from the author in return for an early review.
This was a wonderful story about a daughter who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister and even abandoned while enroute to attend a series of balls where the prince will choose a bride. Being left behind with her faithful dog, they are attacked by a wolf but the dog fights it off but is wounded in the process. At the last moment help arrives in the form
of a young man who fights off the wolf with magic and takes Noelle and her injured dog to a healer and later takes her to the castle. She finds out he helped her father draft laws to grant mages equal rights before her father passed away. As she meets the prince she finds she only wants to be with his advisor she has met- Jack.
In trying to find her father’s will to prove he left his estate to her to keep her home and school going she is running she and Jack are discovered by her stepmother. Her evil stepmother betrays her once again but this time it comes back to haunt her!
This Cinderella retelling is a wonderful adaptation of the classic tale with changes to the original story certainly but the magic of the story remains- the evil stepmother, the kind daughter who is orphaned by the death of her father and abused by the stepmother and stepsister. In this tale she takes up the cause of her father to see that mages get the same rights as “ regular” people!
I throughly enjoyed this book and enthusiastically recommend it to readers everywhere to read and enjoy! Fairy tales are never out of style! They should always find a place in our hearts for we grew up with them as children and their influence touched our lives then and can continue to influence our lives now as adults if we’ll let it! The messages found therein are timeless in their simplicity-goodness, kindness, doing what’s right. These things never go out of style but are so lacking in today’s world! Society needs to bring them back again and perhaps by having schools once again having students read fairy tales and report what they mean to them it can be a new beginning again!
I urge you to get and read this wonderful book! You won’t regret it! I guarantee it! Have your children read it as well!
This was a wonderful story about a daughter who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsister and even abandoned while enroute to attend a series of balls where the prince will choose a bride. Being left behind with her faithful dog, they are attacked by a wolf but the dog fights it off but is wounded in the process. At the last moment help arrives in the form
of a young man who fights off the wolf with magic and takes Noelle and her injured dog to a healer and later takes her to the castle. She finds out he helped her father draft laws to grant mages equal rights before her father passed away. As she meets the prince she finds she only wants to be with his advisor she has met- Jack.
In trying to find her father’s will to prove he left his estate to her to keep her home and school going she is running she and Jack are discovered by her stepmother. Her evil stepmother betrays her once again but this time it comes back to haunt her!
This Cinderella retelling is a wonderful adaptation of the classic tale with changes to the original story certainly but the magic of the story remains- the evil stepmother, the kind daughter who is orphaned by the death of her father and abused by the stepmother and stepsister. In this tale she takes up the cause of her father to see that mages get the same rights as “ regular” people!
I throughly enjoyed this book and enthusiastically recommend it to readers everywhere to read and enjoy! Fairy tales are never out of style! They should always find a place in our hearts for we grew up with them as children and their influence touched our lives then and can continue to influence our lives now as adults if we’ll let it! The messages found therein are timeless in their simplicity-goodness, kindness, doing what’s right. These things never go out of style but are so lacking in today’s world! Society needs to bring them back again and perhaps by having schools once again having students read fairy tales and report what they mean to them it can be a new beginning again!
I urge you to get and read this wonderful book! You won’t regret it! I guarantee it! Have your children read it as well!
November 4, 2024
Before I begin, I would like to thank Mary Mecham for the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy of her upcoming book The Midnight Blizzard. While I did receive an ARC, the review below is my honest opinion.
Mary Mecham has done it again!! I absolutely LOVED The Midnight Blizzard. I know from previous experience that when a new Mary Mecham book releases I had better clear my schedule. The Midnight Blizzard was no exception!
Noelle is the main female lead in the story. She is set on reclaiming her inheritance from her step-mother and step-sisters after the death of her father so that she can re-open her school for young mages. In order to do so, she must enter the bride competition for her country's prince so that she can find the true will of her late father. She has no intention of winning the bride competition, unlike her stepsisters or the other noble women and she definitely did not intend to develop feelings for the prince's mage advisor Jack.
Jack is a mage who is not only an advisor to the prince, but also in charge of the dog sled team. He doesn't expect to find a woman and her dog stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by a wolf. After rescuing Noelle and taking her dog to a healer for treatment, he decides to help her in her quest to discover the true last will and testament of her late father. As Jack and Noelle work together to find the will sparks begin to fly. However, romance between mages and non-mages is forbidden.
Will their secret romance be discovered? Will Noelle and Jack find the will before it is too late to save Noelle's school? To find out and learn of some other major plot twists, be sure to read The Midnight Blizzard! I highly recommend it!
Mary Mecham has done it again!! I absolutely LOVED The Midnight Blizzard. I know from previous experience that when a new Mary Mecham book releases I had better clear my schedule. The Midnight Blizzard was no exception!
Noelle is the main female lead in the story. She is set on reclaiming her inheritance from her step-mother and step-sisters after the death of her father so that she can re-open her school for young mages. In order to do so, she must enter the bride competition for her country's prince so that she can find the true will of her late father. She has no intention of winning the bride competition, unlike her stepsisters or the other noble women and she definitely did not intend to develop feelings for the prince's mage advisor Jack.
Jack is a mage who is not only an advisor to the prince, but also in charge of the dog sled team. He doesn't expect to find a woman and her dog stranded in the middle of nowhere being attacked by a wolf. After rescuing Noelle and taking her dog to a healer for treatment, he decides to help her in her quest to discover the true last will and testament of her late father. As Jack and Noelle work together to find the will sparks begin to fly. However, romance between mages and non-mages is forbidden.
Will their secret romance be discovered? Will Noelle and Jack find the will before it is too late to save Noelle's school? To find out and learn of some other major plot twists, be sure to read The Midnight Blizzard! I highly recommend it!
November 17, 2024
I'm trying to limit the amount of review copies I accept and I was on the brink of turning the invitation to read this book down. However, it's Cinderella, it's a winter story, it's not a long book and the upcoming weeks there are no other review copies due. So, I ended up saying yes and this weekend it was time to dive in.
What I absolutely loved about this book is that Ella is very much Ella. She has a big heart, she is kind, she doesn't judge people and she's honest. And although she does want to attend the balls, where noble ladies of the kingdom can win the prince's heart, she's not after his heart. She just needs to find her father's will, making sure that her stepmother doesn't get away with taking everything for herself.
Of course, there is still romance in this book. The moment we meet Jack it's clear that something special will grow between them. And throughout the book the author shows time after time how well these characters work together. We get some really cute and romantic scenes, we see them getting to know each other and we see how they share values and goals.
I also liked how easy it was to like the heroine in this story. Just like her I knew that the stepmother was up to something and although I knew something was gonna happen to keep our girl from her happily ever after I hoped it wouldn't happen. Luckily the author came up with a few really nice twists in the end. Some I saw coming, others came as a well done surprise.
I'm really glad I didn't turn this review copy down!
What I absolutely loved about this book is that Ella is very much Ella. She has a big heart, she is kind, she doesn't judge people and she's honest. And although she does want to attend the balls, where noble ladies of the kingdom can win the prince's heart, she's not after his heart. She just needs to find her father's will, making sure that her stepmother doesn't get away with taking everything for herself.
Of course, there is still romance in this book. The moment we meet Jack it's clear that something special will grow between them. And throughout the book the author shows time after time how well these characters work together. We get some really cute and romantic scenes, we see them getting to know each other and we see how they share values and goals.
I also liked how easy it was to like the heroine in this story. Just like her I knew that the stepmother was up to something and although I knew something was gonna happen to keep our girl from her happily ever after I hoped it wouldn't happen. Luckily the author came up with a few really nice twists in the end. Some I saw coming, others came as a well done surprise.
I'm really glad I didn't turn this review copy down!
December 28, 2024
This took an embarrassingly long time to read 🥲 this had NOTHING to do with the quality or enjoyment of the book. I simply had the single most craziest semester of my life and could only squeeze in audiobooks during the miles of walking to and from class lol. Anyways that's not important.
What's important is this book. Wow. I loved it!! I'm a sucker for retellings, sweet romance, dogs, and snow. And what did I get in this book? All of that!! Noelle and Jack were just too cute! And Kodiak. Oh my gosh. Where do I get my own Kody??
I loved the spin on the original fairytale! My sole complaint was that it was a tad predictable and a little more communication would've solved a lot of problems haha. But overall I loved it!! It's the perfect winter read and I highly recommend The Midnight Blizzard to anyone who loves sweet romance and ice. Lots and lots of ice ❄️ 🙂↕️
Note: I received a free ARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review
What's important is this book. Wow. I loved it!! I'm a sucker for retellings, sweet romance, dogs, and snow. And what did I get in this book? All of that!! Noelle and Jack were just too cute! And Kodiak. Oh my gosh. Where do I get my own Kody??
I loved the spin on the original fairytale! My sole complaint was that it was a tad predictable and a little more communication would've solved a lot of problems haha. But overall I loved it!! It's the perfect winter read and I highly recommend The Midnight Blizzard to anyone who loves sweet romance and ice. Lots and lots of ice ❄️ 🙂↕️
Note: I received a free ARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review
November 18, 2024
Loved this one so much! It was a fun, fast-paced read and I loved the wintery, snowy vibes. And the forbidden romance was *chefs kiss*!!!
Jack and Noelle are adorable together and had such great forbidden romance tension. Their meet-cute was adorable and I loved how their relationship was built on trust and companionship. The single POV lends to the she falls first trope so well and I really liked seeing it from that perspective. All the twists and turns were done so well and I didn't see any of that coming. I loved that! The added depth of the Mage community and Noelle'e relationship with her stepmother really brought so much to the story. I loved seeing it all unfold!
Mecham also added in a fun Christmas twist by adding in the 12 Days of Christmas. It was so fun to search for those, though I haven't found them all. Just means I need to do a re-read and enjoy the story all over again!
This was such a wonderful wintery read!
Jack and Noelle are adorable together and had such great forbidden romance tension. Their meet-cute was adorable and I loved how their relationship was built on trust and companionship. The single POV lends to the she falls first trope so well and I really liked seeing it from that perspective. All the twists and turns were done so well and I didn't see any of that coming. I loved that! The added depth of the Mage community and Noelle'e relationship with her stepmother really brought so much to the story. I loved seeing it all unfold!
Mecham also added in a fun Christmas twist by adding in the 12 Days of Christmas. It was so fun to search for those, though I haven't found them all. Just means I need to do a re-read and enjoy the story all over again!
This was such a wonderful wintery read!
November 19, 2024
Whether you’re reading all of the Christmas Chronicles, or picking and choosing which to buy, The Midnight Blizzard is a must read!
While traveling to the Capitol for the Prince’s bride competition, her stepmother and stepsisters abandon Noelle in the forest a half days journey away. I love to hate her stepmother. Luckily, Jack comes along and rescues her and her brave dog from wolves. She is far more interested in him than the prince, but there are laws about the rights of mages in their kingdom, laws her father had been trying to change.
This story had the intrigue of forbidden romance, the mystery of Noelle’s scheming stepmother, a bride competition, and magic. I loved the stolen moments, the chemistry, but also the strength Noelle and Jack gave to one another. And the glass slippers in this story were so cool!
While traveling to the Capitol for the Prince’s bride competition, her stepmother and stepsisters abandon Noelle in the forest a half days journey away. I love to hate her stepmother. Luckily, Jack comes along and rescues her and her brave dog from wolves. She is far more interested in him than the prince, but there are laws about the rights of mages in their kingdom, laws her father had been trying to change.
This story had the intrigue of forbidden romance, the mystery of Noelle’s scheming stepmother, a bride competition, and magic. I loved the stolen moments, the chemistry, but also the strength Noelle and Jack gave to one another. And the glass slippers in this story were so cool!
December 12, 2025
3.5 bumped up to a 4
Spice: None!
This was pretty good! This is a Cinderella retelling, so the big “twist” at the end was kinda obvious (or maybe it was supposed to be I’m just being a bit too analytical 🤣). I also called out a few other things that had happened so I did dock a tiny bit for being a bit too obvious.
This has no spice! The most they do is some kissing and there is a bit of tension as well!
Over all though it was a pretty good read! Loved the world, and the magic! This is a pretty short one at only 200ish pages so we don’t get a whole lot of world building. Also all the humor had me rolling my eyes and laughing right along with the characters which I absolutely loved!
Spoiler that nobody minds: the dog (Kodiak) ends up being just fine!
Definitely recommend giving it a try!
Spice: None!
This was pretty good! This is a Cinderella retelling, so the big “twist” at the end was kinda obvious (or maybe it was supposed to be I’m just being a bit too analytical 🤣). I also called out a few other things that had happened so I did dock a tiny bit for being a bit too obvious.
This has no spice! The most they do is some kissing and there is a bit of tension as well!
Over all though it was a pretty good read! Loved the world, and the magic! This is a pretty short one at only 200ish pages so we don’t get a whole lot of world building. Also all the humor had me rolling my eyes and laughing right along with the characters which I absolutely loved!
Spoiler that nobody minds: the dog (Kodiak) ends up being just fine!
Definitely recommend giving it a try!
November 18, 2024
"For every girl who would rather champion a worthy cause than wait for Prince Charming."
What if Jack Frost fell in love with Cinderella and gave her ice slippers?
Mary has yet to fail me with her books. This is easily in my top 3 favorites that she has written.
This checks all my boxes:
1) Forbidden love (mages are not allowed to marry non-mages)
2) Grimm inspired pieces (plus a lot of musical Easter eggs if ykyk)
3) A Girl who wants to fight for a good cause + a bridal competition that she wants no part of.
NGL I have always had a thing for Jack Frost (my husband won't see this review I hope😂) So when a couple moments heat up I about screamed (I know I have a problem). If anyone else LOVES Jack Frost and a forbidden romance flare then THIS is the book for you!
Now if you need me I will be hiding under a rock because I am going to be going through Mary Mecham withdrawals.
What if Jack Frost fell in love with Cinderella and gave her ice slippers?
Mary has yet to fail me with her books. This is easily in my top 3 favorites that she has written.
This checks all my boxes:
1) Forbidden love (mages are not allowed to marry non-mages)
2) Grimm inspired pieces (plus a lot of musical Easter eggs if ykyk)
3) A Girl who wants to fight for a good cause + a bridal competition that she wants no part of.
NGL I have always had a thing for Jack Frost (my husband won't see this review I hope😂) So when a couple moments heat up I about screamed (I know I have a problem). If anyone else LOVES Jack Frost and a forbidden romance flare then THIS is the book for you!
Now if you need me I will be hiding under a rock because I am going to be going through Mary Mecham withdrawals.
December 25, 2024
This was absolutely THE PERFECT choice for a cozy winter read! I'm all gushy and stuff now... 🥰
Seriously, I loved it. Jack is the sweetest. I really enjoyed the advocacy aspect of the tale (not surprising given all the advocacy work Mary does irl). And I appreciated that there was more than meets the eye regarding Noelle's stepfamily.
Throw in some drama, tension, a punny friend, and some well-placed winter phrases, and this is the perfect book to read while snuggled under a thick blanket for the evening. ❄️🤍❄️
Side note: Anyone else remember that Rankin Bass film "Jack Frost?" This book is like that for adults -- the super swoony Jack version!
❗️No cursing
🫑 Sweet kisses only
Seriously, I loved it. Jack is the sweetest. I really enjoyed the advocacy aspect of the tale (not surprising given all the advocacy work Mary does irl). And I appreciated that there was more than meets the eye regarding Noelle's stepfamily.
Throw in some drama, tension, a punny friend, and some well-placed winter phrases, and this is the perfect book to read while snuggled under a thick blanket for the evening. ❄️🤍❄️
Side note: Anyone else remember that Rankin Bass film "Jack Frost?" This book is like that for adults -- the super swoony Jack version!
❗️No cursing
🫑 Sweet kisses only
November 6, 2024
Such a magical story, I was captivated from the start!!
This story is a very clever twist on the stories of Cinderella and Jack Frost. The characters of Noelle and Jack are very well written and instantly relatable. I found myself rooting for them to succeed and overcome their many struggles and obstacles. Their connection was undeniable, and swoon worthy! The anticipation of their first kiss was almost unbearable, but so worth it when it finally arrived!! I had the chills, but their kiss melted my heart!!!
As always, Mary Meacham is a master of the plot twist, and again, she did not disappoint!! She always takes the story down a different path than you expected it to go.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fun fairytale retelling with high stakes drama, swoony romance, and all the Christmas feels! I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Keep an eye out for lots of hidden Christmas gifts inside!!
This story is a very clever twist on the stories of Cinderella and Jack Frost. The characters of Noelle and Jack are very well written and instantly relatable. I found myself rooting for them to succeed and overcome their many struggles and obstacles. Their connection was undeniable, and swoon worthy! The anticipation of their first kiss was almost unbearable, but so worth it when it finally arrived!! I had the chills, but their kiss melted my heart!!!
As always, Mary Meacham is a master of the plot twist, and again, she did not disappoint!! She always takes the story down a different path than you expected it to go.
I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fun fairytale retelling with high stakes drama, swoony romance, and all the Christmas feels! I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Keep an eye out for lots of hidden Christmas gifts inside!!
November 10, 2024
I really enjoyed this clean winter themed Cinderella retelling. I loved the way the relationships of the the stepmother and stepsisters was portrayed and the growth of Noelle in her understanding of relationships too. I loved the little Easter eggs of other winter songs and want to re-read with a bingo sheet of all the 12 days of Christmas items. I greatly enjoyed how Cinder and Pumpkin were both dogs! Such a great twist on this tale that makes you want to snuggle up and be cozy as the snow falls.
November 4, 2024
Everything I hoped for and more!!!
Mary Mecham never disappoints! And when I heard this would have one of my favorite tropes (forbidden love) combined with a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales (Cinderella), I knew going in that I would love it. Boy was I right! The author stayed true to the Cinderella story while adding her own twists and wrapping it all up in a Chrismtasy package. (The hidden nods to the song 12 days of Christmas were a very nice touch!) Jack and Noelle are the cutest! But they have a lot to go through, and quite honestly I am glad this was a novella, so my poor heart was not put through anymore throughout the high stakes! Highly recommend and WILL be rereading!
Mary Mecham never disappoints! And when I heard this would have one of my favorite tropes (forbidden love) combined with a retelling of one of my favorite fairytales (Cinderella), I knew going in that I would love it. Boy was I right! The author stayed true to the Cinderella story while adding her own twists and wrapping it all up in a Chrismtasy package. (The hidden nods to the song 12 days of Christmas were a very nice touch!) Jack and Noelle are the cutest! But they have a lot to go through, and quite honestly I am glad this was a novella, so my poor heart was not put through anymore throughout the high stakes! Highly recommend and WILL be rereading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews