The Lady Slippers

by L.C. Maxie

Her life has spiraled into disaster. Will a trip to a town full of Fae let her conjure up a happy ending?

Olivia Howard feels like a failure. Dumped by her husband and kicked out of grad school, the driven twenty-eight-year-old retreats to her mother’s backwater North Carolina town, fearful everyone will learn of her shame. But between a handsome rock climber and a series of impossible events, the frustrated young woman wonders if there’s a magic to this tiny place that she’s been missing.

Trying to keep a low profile but impatient to escape her mom’s eerily quiet bookshop, Olivia begins dating the mysterious athlete. And though their outings get progressively weirder and more dangerous, she struggles to resist his glamorous persona…

Can Olivia navigate a bewildering fresh start without getting fooled by fairy gold?

The Lady Slippers is the whimsical second book in the Whippoorwill Gap paranormal women’s fiction series. If you like spooky romance, adorable pets, and believable fantasy, then you’ll love L.C. Maxie’s enchanting adventure.

Buy The Lady Slippers to trade glitz for glamour today!

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2025

About the author

Now that she’s retired, L.C. Maxie pursues a magical life. After the former librarian published two guides to excellent nonfiction books, Library Lin’s Guide to Superlative Nonfiction and Library Lin’s Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs, both featured in Booklist, she ventured into paranormal women’s fiction. Her first novel, The Robins Nest, the first in The Whippoorwill Gap series, is set in the city of Whippoorwill Gap, North Carolina where faeries cavort alongside the human residents. When she’s not writing, L.C. bakes goodies and takes walks in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband Roger and their captivating canine, Dusty Marie.

Reviews

[Emily Babbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

L.C. Maxie’s imagination truly knows no bounds!

In The Lady Slippers, we get to know Harper's adult daughter Olivia. After a recent divorce from her husband and an unceremonious exit from her graduate program, Olivia is forced to start her life over in the small town of Whippoorwill Gap.

She shows up on her mother’s doorstep unannounced with expectations of collecting herself and deciding what to do next. She does not anticipate staying in Whippoorwill Gap with her “weird,” widowed mother. But there's more to Whippoorwill gap than meets the eye. Olivia meets a handsome rock climber, starts working at her mothers bookstore, and makes friends with a couple of locals. There are some odd happenings that she can't explain, and she starts to wonder if maybe her mom is getting back at her for how she treated her during her younger years.

The Lady Slippers is an excellent second addition to the Whippoorwill Gap paranormal women's fiction series. Maxie really digs deep into character development in this book, and I found myself empathizing with Olivia even though I really didn't like her and book one.

It was really fun to see the town of Whippoorwill Gap through a different set of eyes, especially ones that are more skeptical than Harper’s. Olivia's character really goes through the ringer in the story, and Maxie breaks her down to the lowest point that she could probably be in before helping her build back up slowly. It's a story of honesty, introspection, and family relationships.

While Olivia and Harper probably will never be best friends, it was great to see them on better terms by the end of this book. I really enjoyed the character arc for Olivia and the arc of the relationship between Olivia and Harper.

I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal women's fiction and cozy fantasy. You'll see the same cast of characters from book one — all of the fae as well as your favorite watchful owls.

I give this book 5 out of five stars. Next time you're looking for an enjoyable and easy read that also leaves you with some things to think about, grab a copy of The Lady Slipper.

Thank you to L.C. Maxie for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia Howard heads to Whippoorwill Gap after her life comes crashing down around her. Though she’s never seen eye to eye with her mother, Harper Wood, she doesn’t have anywhere else to go to lick her wounds. Disdainful of her mother’s new life, she sees her rescue dog, Biscuit, and the alluring Beau Foxx as the only bright spots in her changed circumstances. Unaware of the magic below the surface of the town, she seeks only to escape. But when her eyes are opened to not only the truth about her parents, but about herself, will she find a new place for herself.

It is a testament to Ms. Maxie’s writing skill to turn a thoroughly unlikeable character into someone you can root for. Olivia is self absorbed, disrespectful to her mother, and entitled when we first meet her and difficult to empathize with. There are glimpses of her strength of character throughout, such as rescuing Biscuit and befriending Quinn. Although she has ulterior motives for volunteering, she does an admirable job coordinating the efforts to minimize flood damage. Her dedication to saving the town that she’s not yet invested in shows her true potential. As the layers are peeled back to show how her perception of her parents’ relationship and attitudes shaped her from a young age, you start to have more sympathy. I hope to see her character continue to develop in future stories. Her eventual introduction to the Fae and the reveal of the danger in the town were a lot of fun and a great payoff to all the came before.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fresh Start ? . . .

Olivia Howard has made some bad choices and needs to take a look at her life. She and her husband are now divorced. She had to leave the grad program under embarrassing conditions. And now returning home to her mother, whom she is insulting and rude to, she is definitely not in a good mood. But her choices are very limited right now, self-inflicted although she doesn’t acknowledge that fact. And it’s painfully obvious she still has much growing up to do! Will the other characters we meet help her deal with her introspection and let her see where she needs to “fix” herself. A good place for her to start would be with her mother Harper! Fortunately the author has cleverly inserted a few characters to give us some smiles along the way, because by the first page, I already disliked the “twit” who was so ungrateful and insulting to others without yet taking a look at her own egregious failings.

[MaryKay Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

" The Lady Slippers ", is one of those cozy mysteries that feels like slipping into a quiet corner of a familiar town, where everyone has a story and even the flowers seem to be keeping secrets. L. C. Maxie blends warmth, curiosity, and just a hint of mischief into a tale that's easy to enjoy and hard to put down.

I loved how naturally the mystery unfolds-nothing rushed, nothing heavy, just a steady trail of clues that invites you to follow along. The characters are wonderfully human, full of quirks and kindness. The setting has that comforting, small-town magic that makes you want to linger a little longer.

If you enjoy gentle whodunits with heart, community spirit, and a touch of whimsy, " The Lady Slippers ", is a great pick. It's the kind of cozy read that leaves you smiling as you turn the last page.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nancy Gerards · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "The Lady Slippers", we get to know Harper's adult daughter Olivia.
After a recent divorce from her husband and an unceremonious exit from her graduate program, Olivia is forced to start her life over in the small town of Whippoorwill Gap.
An excellent second addition to the Whippoorwill Gap paranormal women's fiction series.
The Lady Slippers, is an interesting story that lightly mixed human and fae
L.C. Maxie really digs deep into character development in this book
The characters are intriguing, as is the setting. The puppy and the pranks add fun
I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal women's fiction and cozy fantasy
Thank you for sending me an ARC copy of this book

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading The Lady Slippers. I was a little nervous at first, because I honestly really disliked Olivia in the first book, and she started off the same way. But as the story progressed, she quickly became more likeable and empathetic. Biscuit helped a lot with that. Her growth didn't feel forced or unrealistically fast, as is so often the case with similar stories. Instead, we got to come along as Olivia faced her problems and became a better version of herself against the wonderful backdrop of Whippoorwill Gap. The ending also gave an intriguing set up for the next book, so I can't wait to see what happens there. I highly recommend this book for fans of faeries tales and finding who you are!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Becky Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this fun book about the magical town of Whippoorwill Gap and the enchanted folk involved with the Robin's Nest bookshop. Harper and her daughter, Olivia, find themselves constantly at odds when Olivia arrives home following a heartbreaking divorce. Add to the mix an admirer of Olivia's who seems to be too good to be true, a rescued Beagle pup who is cute as a button, and a bevy of magical friends who give love and support to both grieving women. This is a sweet story and the 2nd book in this series. I plan to read them all.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lady Slippers is Book 2 in the Whippoorwill Gap PWF Series by L C Maxie. I found book 2 to be as enjoyable as first book. Harper and friends are all present although the story revolves around Olivia, Harpers self centered daughter. I enjoyed reading about Olivia as she struggles with bad choices in marriage, cheating in her MBA Masters, and she treats her mother so bad. This is a don't miss book that is very emotional and sometimes intense. I believe that this book and series should be on everyone TBR list. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet and fun read. Olivia finally finds out that her dad wasn’t the man she thought he was but , she also finds out who her mother is. The relationship between mother and daughter has been strained and full of acrimony since Olivia was not much older than a toddler but now that the anger and spoiled little girl have given way to more growth maybe. Walt and Harper are growing together in such a beautiful way. I’m hoping for more with Olivia getting her person to.

received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shea Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lady Slippers, is an interesting story that lightly mixed human and fae, In the adorable town of Whippoorwill Gap. While, the main characters could use more separation to standout, the plot and pacing were well thought out. I would have liked to see a bit more of a redemption arc from the author as well as stronger supporting characters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jennifer Laird-Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful entertaining book. It's is a book about self discovery and reflection that the main character needs to understand about herself. Wonderful characters and a good plot. I would recommend it.

[AMBER CLARK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in the series was great, as was book one. In The Lady Slippers, we get to know Harper's adult daughter Olivia, who it would seem is not a very nice person. Will she find a new place for herself? I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal women's fiction and cozy fantasy.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beau and Olivia charm each other after a flight. They decide to continue getting to know each other. He soon reveals himself to be trouble. In more ways than one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anne Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters are intriguing, as is the setting. The puppy and the pranks add fun. I’m looking forward to more from this author.