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Grimm Bargains #3
One Shattered Crown
Set in a steamy, neon-lit, high-tech world of magic, money, and explosive desire, this sultry, dark fairytale retelling offers a dystopian romantasy twist on Cinderella.
ELLA
It’s the wedding of the year—a lavish union of two powerhouses. But I’m only here for vengeance against the woman who stole my position as sole heir to my late father’s company, TimeGem Moments, and shipped me off to boarding school. I’ve only made more enemies since. Tonight is my chance to reclaim control. Tonight, TimeGem’s diamond-powered servers are this girl’s best friend. Unless he ruins everything. Justice Beathach, the groom’s unbearably hot brother, with hands built for war and a mouth that spells destruction. He’s lethal, unyielding, and now has me in his crosshairs . . .
JUSTICE
Ella Rendale almost killed my brother once. Now, at his own wedding, she’s almost done it again. I don’t care if he’s forgiven her or if she’s been wronged. I care about one thing: the locked flash drive she leaves behind, spelling my destruction. She can run, she can hide, but when I find her, she’ll give me what I want. But someone else wants her even more than I do—they want her dead. When our enemies close in, I’m forced to protect her, turning the fire between us into an uncontrollable weapon. Now, she’s not just my quarry—she’s my obsession. And I’ll kill anyone who even thinks of taking her from me . . .
*** DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION HARDCOVER with stenciled edges, reversible dust jacket, foil stamping, and designed endpapers! ***
ELLA
It’s the wedding of the year—a lavish union of two powerhouses. But I’m only here for vengeance against the woman who stole my position as sole heir to my late father’s company, TimeGem Moments, and shipped me off to boarding school. I’ve only made more enemies since. Tonight is my chance to reclaim control. Tonight, TimeGem’s diamond-powered servers are this girl’s best friend. Unless he ruins everything. Justice Beathach, the groom’s unbearably hot brother, with hands built for war and a mouth that spells destruction. He’s lethal, unyielding, and now has me in his crosshairs . . .
JUSTICE
Ella Rendale almost killed my brother once. Now, at his own wedding, she’s almost done it again. I don’t care if he’s forgiven her or if she’s been wronged. I care about one thing: the locked flash drive she leaves behind, spelling my destruction. She can run, she can hide, but when I find her, she’ll give me what I want. But someone else wants her even more than I do—they want her dead. When our enemies close in, I’m forced to protect her, turning the fire between us into an uncontrollable weapon. Now, she’s not just my quarry—she’s my obsession. And I’ll kill anyone who even thinks of taking her from me . . .
*** DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION HARDCOVER with stenciled edges, reversible dust jacket, foil stamping, and designed endpapers! ***
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 2026
About the author
Rebecca Zanetti
132 books10.4k followersNew York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has published more than seventy novels and novellas, which have been translated into several languages, with millions of copies sold world-wide. Her books have received Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus starred reviews, favorable Washington Post and New York Times Book Reviews, and been included in Amazon best books of the year.
Rebecca has ridden in a locked Chevy trunk, has asked the unfortunate delivery guy to release her from a set of handcuffs, and has discovered the best silver mine shafts in which to bury a body…all in the name of research. Honest.
Rebecca has ridden in a locked Chevy trunk, has asked the unfortunate delivery guy to release her from a set of handcuffs, and has discovered the best silver mine shafts in which to bury a body…all in the name of research. Honest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
July 29, 2026
When the description of One Shattered Crown promised a dystopian romantasy twist on Cinderella, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. As it turns out, this is less glass slippers and pumpkin carriages and more Succession with magic, corporate warfare, shoot-outs, and a whole lot of spice.
One Shattered Crown is the third book in Rebecca Zanetti’s Grimm Bargains series, following One Cursed Rose, inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and One Dark Kiss, inspired by Snow White. While the world-building might have felt more established had I read the first two books, I was still able to follow this story just fine on its own.
The story follows Ella Rendale and Justice Beathach, both members of powerful families with the kind of dysfunctional relationship dynamics you might expect from people in organized crime rings. Ella’s stepmother has taken control of the company Ella was supposed to inherit from her late father, and this Cinderella is anything but docile and obedient. She’s brilliant, angry, technologically gifted, and fueled by vengeance.
Justice, meanwhile, is no Prince Charming. He may have the looks, but he isn’t particularly pleased with Ella, considering she once nearly killed his brother.
Despite their glaring differences—and the fact that they should probably stay as far away from each other as possible—an undeniable, if somewhat perplexing, chemistry is building between them. At his brother’s wedding, Justice can’t help but gravitate toward Ella. She is equally drawn to him despite the fact that he belongs to a rival family and is determined to interfere with her plans. Unlike the sweeter versions of this fairy tale, however, these two aren’t hastily falling in love. They’re falling into lust.
From there, magic, technology, retribution, obsession, and mutual attraction collide. Ella is determined to hack her way back into the inheritance she believes is rightfully hers, while Justice is hellbent on stopping her increasingly evil-genius-level schemes. When a more powerful enemy threatens them both, however, the direction of their efforts begins to change. A common enemy creates a common goal—and leaves plenty of room for something else to develop between these two dark and intriguing characters.
This is the kind of book for readers who enjoy fast-paced, plot-driven stories filled with corporate power struggles, shoot-outs, dangerous families, a possessive male lead, and a heroine fueled by revenge. If you’re expecting a fractured fairy tale whose characters closely resemble the Cinderella and Prince Charming of more traditional retellings, you may be disappointed. This is much darker and grittier: part dystopian romantasy, part dark romance, and part magical mafia-style action story.
I have to admit that this particular combination isn’t really my kind of book. The story rarely stops to breathe between the action, open-door spice, dangerous schemes, and characters racing to protect or take over their respective empires. I would have preferred more room for the characters and their relationship to develop outside of that constant intensity.
At the same time, what didn’t work particularly well for me may be exactly what another reader is looking for. If you like your romance dark, your heroes possessive, your heroines morally questionable, and your fairy tales almost unrecognizable beneath layers of technology, magic, sex, and corporate espionage, One Shattered Crown delivers exactly that experience.
One undeniable strength for me was the audiobook. Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield are clearly seasoned professionals, and their performances bring additional intensity to both the action and romance. Their narration fits a story populated by larger-than-life personalities who rarely do anything halfway.
One Shattered Crown may borrow Cinderella’s crown, but nobody in this story is waiting around for a fairy godmother to fix their problems. These characters would much rather hack the kingdom, overthrow the competition, and take the crown for themselves.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
One Shattered Crown is the third book in Rebecca Zanetti’s Grimm Bargains series, following One Cursed Rose, inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and One Dark Kiss, inspired by Snow White. While the world-building might have felt more established had I read the first two books, I was still able to follow this story just fine on its own.
The story follows Ella Rendale and Justice Beathach, both members of powerful families with the kind of dysfunctional relationship dynamics you might expect from people in organized crime rings. Ella’s stepmother has taken control of the company Ella was supposed to inherit from her late father, and this Cinderella is anything but docile and obedient. She’s brilliant, angry, technologically gifted, and fueled by vengeance.
Justice, meanwhile, is no Prince Charming. He may have the looks, but he isn’t particularly pleased with Ella, considering she once nearly killed his brother.
Despite their glaring differences—and the fact that they should probably stay as far away from each other as possible—an undeniable, if somewhat perplexing, chemistry is building between them. At his brother’s wedding, Justice can’t help but gravitate toward Ella. She is equally drawn to him despite the fact that he belongs to a rival family and is determined to interfere with her plans. Unlike the sweeter versions of this fairy tale, however, these two aren’t hastily falling in love. They’re falling into lust.
From there, magic, technology, retribution, obsession, and mutual attraction collide. Ella is determined to hack her way back into the inheritance she believes is rightfully hers, while Justice is hellbent on stopping her increasingly evil-genius-level schemes. When a more powerful enemy threatens them both, however, the direction of their efforts begins to change. A common enemy creates a common goal—and leaves plenty of room for something else to develop between these two dark and intriguing characters.
This is the kind of book for readers who enjoy fast-paced, plot-driven stories filled with corporate power struggles, shoot-outs, dangerous families, a possessive male lead, and a heroine fueled by revenge. If you’re expecting a fractured fairy tale whose characters closely resemble the Cinderella and Prince Charming of more traditional retellings, you may be disappointed. This is much darker and grittier: part dystopian romantasy, part dark romance, and part magical mafia-style action story.
I have to admit that this particular combination isn’t really my kind of book. The story rarely stops to breathe between the action, open-door spice, dangerous schemes, and characters racing to protect or take over their respective empires. I would have preferred more room for the characters and their relationship to develop outside of that constant intensity.
At the same time, what didn’t work particularly well for me may be exactly what another reader is looking for. If you like your romance dark, your heroes possessive, your heroines morally questionable, and your fairy tales almost unrecognizable beneath layers of technology, magic, sex, and corporate espionage, One Shattered Crown delivers exactly that experience.
One undeniable strength for me was the audiobook. Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield are clearly seasoned professionals, and their performances bring additional intensity to both the action and romance. Their narration fits a story populated by larger-than-life personalities who rarely do anything halfway.
One Shattered Crown may borrow Cinderella’s crown, but nobody in this story is waiting around for a fairy godmother to fix their problems. These characters would much rather hack the kingdom, overthrow the competition, and take the crown for themselves.
Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .
i loved this book sm! it was so fun and addicting! literally binged it in a few hours. also it's a cinderella retelling!! do what you will with this info!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• ella rendale
i loved how she's a girl boss and literally gave no fucks. loved how everytime justice tells her to do smth, she does the exact opposite like a big fuck you. and she crashed his car into a tree lol. also the fact that she's really good at coding??
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• justice beathach
cant say much about him because i don't want to spoil anything in this book and the previous books.. but like honestly loved how he started getting so protective of ella and is always there for her. his banter with ella was soo good!
also ella's godmothers?? absolutely hilarious! i loved whenever they showed up on page!
also the cameos of the other characters from one cursed rose and one dark kiss?? absolutely ate them up like no tomorrow, love the lil found family!
⤷ thank you to netgalley, kensington and rebecca zanetti for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
mhm exactly as i thought, soo good! im literally obsessed with this series, rtc!!!
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
i need a really good book after my last one cuz that was soo depressing (loved the book tho) anyways i'm excited to read this one! LOVED book 1, one cursed rose, and book 2, one dark kiss, so much!! also i just know that the cinderella retelling is gonna eat so hard!!!!
i loved this book sm! it was so fun and addicting! literally binged it in a few hours. also it's a cinderella retelling!! do what you will with this info!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• ella rendale
i loved how she's a girl boss and literally gave no fucks. loved how everytime justice tells her to do smth, she does the exact opposite like a big fuck you. and she crashed his car into a tree lol. also the fact that she's really good at coding??
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• justice beathach
cant say much about him because i don't want to spoil anything in this book and the previous books.. but like honestly loved how he started getting so protective of ella and is always there for her. his banter with ella was soo good!
also ella's godmothers?? absolutely hilarious! i loved whenever they showed up on page!
also the cameos of the other characters from one cursed rose and one dark kiss?? absolutely ate them up like no tomorrow, love the lil found family!
⤷ thank you to netgalley, kensington and rebecca zanetti for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
mhm exactly as i thought, soo good! im literally obsessed with this series, rtc!!!
︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
i need a really good book after my last one cuz that was soo depressing (loved the book tho) anyways i'm excited to read this one! LOVED book 1, one cursed rose, and book 2, one dark kiss, so much!! also i just know that the cinderella retelling is gonna eat so hard!!!!
July 10, 2026
Whew! This one had A LOT going on! An urban sci-fi fantasy retelling of Cinderella that has mafia families, social media empires, gem magic, hacking, corporate espionage, and a whole lot of spicy tension- this one ia little bit of everything for everyone.
The world is well drawn out and you can easily see the relationships between the families that came in the previous books in this series. I came in blind at the third one, and I can say it’s not really a hindrance. Ella is fighting to get her family’s business back into her hands from her stepmother and it’s turning out to be the fight of her life. Justice is the brother of her best friend’s husband, who Ella accidentally almost killed, and Justice is looking for just that. Or is he? Something about Ella is drawing him in whether he wants to or not.
This one was a crazy ride but you are looking for a something that keeps you guessing on every page, this is it!
Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
The world is well drawn out and you can easily see the relationships between the families that came in the previous books in this series. I came in blind at the third one, and I can say it’s not really a hindrance. Ella is fighting to get her family’s business back into her hands from her stepmother and it’s turning out to be the fight of her life. Justice is the brother of her best friend’s husband, who Ella accidentally almost killed, and Justice is looking for just that. Or is he? Something about Ella is drawing him in whether he wants to or not.
This one was a crazy ride but you are looking for a something that keeps you guessing on every page, this is it!
Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
July 31, 2026
Just finished reading an advanced copy of a book that was just released on July 28th called, One Shattered Crown. This is about Ella, she's a hacker and she wants revenge against her stepmother who stole her rightful position within her father's company. She's willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge and the company back that her father left her. Justice is after Ella because she's tried to kill his brother, twice. So he kidnaps her, but little does he know she is someone who refuses to be held against her will, she is super smart and can always figure out a way to escape. But when someone starts going after her trying to kill her, Justice starts protecting Ella because even though she started out as his enemy, she might just be the only one who can help him.
This was a twist on Cinderella but as a dark romance, with technology and magic. This is book three of this series and this was a Mafia story with a dystopian world, magic, a slowburn, banter, spice, mystery, suspense, enemies to lovers, a protective morally gray MMC and a strong badass FMC. The game of cat-and-mouse between these two was really entertaining and well written! I felt like I flew through this book, it easily kept my attention and was a fun story! 🧡📚
Thank you to Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington, and HambrightPR for this ARC of One Shattered Crown, in exchange for an honest review.
This was a twist on Cinderella but as a dark romance, with technology and magic. This is book three of this series and this was a Mafia story with a dystopian world, magic, a slowburn, banter, spice, mystery, suspense, enemies to lovers, a protective morally gray MMC and a strong badass FMC. The game of cat-and-mouse between these two was really entertaining and well written! I felt like I flew through this book, it easily kept my attention and was a fun story! 🧡📚
Thank you to Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington, and HambrightPR for this ARC of One Shattered Crown, in exchange for an honest review.
![Profile Image for Samantha✨ [reads everythinggggg].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1773675787i/154238456._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
July 25, 2026
I received One Shattered Crown by Rebecca Zanetti as an ARC from Kensington Publishing Corp., and I’d like to thank the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this thrilling, adorable, techy, dystopian dark romance!
First, I want to say that I loved the pacing of this book. I was never bored, and everything felt meticulously planned. It kept me engaged from beginning to end.
The lore and the cat-and-mouse game between the FMC and MMC were awesome! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. He made for a great dark romance MMC, and nothing about his character put me off. The slow-burn romance is definitely real here!
Additionally, the FMC being the best at what she does? Let’s go, girl power! I was rooting for her the entire time. I also really enjoyed the sci-fi elements, as that’s not something I’ve experienced in a dark romance before.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Even though I haven’t read the first two books in the series, I’ll definitely be going back to pick them up now.
First, I want to say that I loved the pacing of this book. I was never bored, and everything felt meticulously planned. It kept me engaged from beginning to end.
The lore and the cat-and-mouse game between the FMC and MMC were awesome! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. He made for a great dark romance MMC, and nothing about his character put me off. The slow-burn romance is definitely real here!
Additionally, the FMC being the best at what she does? Let’s go, girl power! I was rooting for her the entire time. I also really enjoyed the sci-fi elements, as that’s not something I’ve experienced in a dark romance before.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Even though I haven’t read the first two books in the series, I’ll definitely be going back to pick them up now.
July 29, 2026
Thank you to the author and Kensington Books for the gifted e-copy.
“She glares at me. I smile. God, she’s cute.”
Vibes: powers meet high tech action movie
I loved this book so much! FMC is a badass hacker. MMC has all the red flags and is only soft for her. He washes her hair! The godmother gang was amazing and spunky with glitter and grenades.
Tropes:
Social Media
Feminine Rage
Cat & Mouse
Twist on Cinderella
Enemies to Lovers
Touch Her & Perish
“She glares at me. I smile. God, she’s cute.”
Vibes: powers meet high tech action movie
I loved this book so much! FMC is a badass hacker. MMC has all the red flags and is only soft for her. He washes her hair! The godmother gang was amazing and spunky with glitter and grenades.
Tropes:
Social Media
Feminine Rage
Cat & Mouse
Twist on Cinderella
Enemies to Lovers
Touch Her & Perish
July 25, 2026
I ate this book UP! I didn’t realize it was part of a trilogy, I’m definitely going to read the other two books! It was my first mafia-esque romance and I loved the darker fairytale retelling!
I loved Ella’s character! She was smart and cunning but didn’t think much of herself, and her man made sure she knew she was EVERYTHING to him. I love how quick and hard they fell for each other.
Justiceeeeee, yummy, broody Justice! I love how she wrote him. He’s definitely someone I would be afraid of crossing paths. He oozes death, destruction, and definitely has an air of “don’t eff with me” about him. He’s definitely an MMC I won’t forget.
I highly recommend this fun, fast, futuristic dystopian with an air of magic to it!
I loved Ella’s character! She was smart and cunning but didn’t think much of herself, and her man made sure she knew she was EVERYTHING to him. I love how quick and hard they fell for each other.
Justiceeeeee, yummy, broody Justice! I love how she wrote him. He’s definitely someone I would be afraid of crossing paths. He oozes death, destruction, and definitely has an air of “don’t eff with me” about him. He’s definitely an MMC I won’t forget.
I highly recommend this fun, fast, futuristic dystopian with an air of magic to it!
Read
August 1, 2026⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m usually not a big retelling reader, but Rebecca Zanetti’s Grimm Bargains series continues to work for me, and this installment was no exception.
What I love about this series is that Zanetti doesn’t simply retell a fairy tale scene for scene. Instead, she takes inspiration from the original Grimm stories and weaves those elements into her own dark, magical dystopian world. This book is based on Cinderella, and readers familiar with the Grimm version—not just the Disney adaptation—will catch so many clever nods and references throughout the story. The Citrine heels? Yes please… (if you know you know)
Even though this is Book 3, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. You won’t feel lost if you start here. That said, reading the series in order has been a lot of fun because each book reveals more about the fantasy world Zanetti has built.
Fair warning: this is a dark dystopian mafia romance with a healthy amount of spice. If light BDSM dynamics or dominant heroes aren’t your thing, definitely check the content warnings before diving in.
The reason this wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me was the repetition. Some of the action felt a bit cyclical, and there were moments where I felt like I was stuck in a Groundhog Day loop. A few of the spicy scenes also felt more gratuitous than necessary and didn’t always move the story forward.
I ended up doing an immersion read, pairing a complimentary physical copy from Kensington Publishing with the audiobook ALC from RB Media via NetGalley. Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield both did a solid job with the narration. Did they elevate the material? Not particularly, but they delivered enjoyable performances, and I appreciated having both formats to experience the story.
Overall, I definitely recommend this one—just make sure you know what subgenres you’re stepping into so you can enjoy the ride for what it is.
I’m usually not a big retelling reader, but Rebecca Zanetti’s Grimm Bargains series continues to work for me, and this installment was no exception.
What I love about this series is that Zanetti doesn’t simply retell a fairy tale scene for scene. Instead, she takes inspiration from the original Grimm stories and weaves those elements into her own dark, magical dystopian world. This book is based on Cinderella, and readers familiar with the Grimm version—not just the Disney adaptation—will catch so many clever nods and references throughout the story. The Citrine heels? Yes please… (if you know you know)
Even though this is Book 3, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. You won’t feel lost if you start here. That said, reading the series in order has been a lot of fun because each book reveals more about the fantasy world Zanetti has built.
Fair warning: this is a dark dystopian mafia romance with a healthy amount of spice. If light BDSM dynamics or dominant heroes aren’t your thing, definitely check the content warnings before diving in.
The reason this wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me was the repetition. Some of the action felt a bit cyclical, and there were moments where I felt like I was stuck in a Groundhog Day loop. A few of the spicy scenes also felt more gratuitous than necessary and didn’t always move the story forward.
I ended up doing an immersion read, pairing a complimentary physical copy from Kensington Publishing with the audiobook ALC from RB Media via NetGalley. Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield both did a solid job with the narration. Did they elevate the material? Not particularly, but they delivered enjoyable performances, and I appreciated having both formats to experience the story.
Overall, I definitely recommend this one—just make sure you know what subgenres you’re stepping into so you can enjoy the ride for what it is.
July 15, 2026
One Shattered Crown, a dark fairytale, Cinderella retelling, with mafia and supernatural elements
I loved the subtle nods to Cinderella in the story, just enough to make the connection without being overdone. Ella is a wild one, and her modus operandi: running away. Whether that be from captors, or just life she doesn't want to deal with, she refuses to be cooped up or held against her will by any means. Justice, initially trying to protect his brother, and get help for himself, thinks kidnapping Ella might be his best chance. Unfortunately for him, Ella is impossible to keep captive for long. And, unfortunately for Ella, Justice runs faster than her, and always manages to catch up.
This story is chock full of action, and not just the cat and mouse game that Ella and Justus play. Someone is making a move on the 4 families, but nobody knows who this "5th" player is. Ella seems to have enemies coming from all angles, including her own stepmother. Without a chance to really dig into who is hacking the various social media companies, Ella is as clueless as everyone else to who the culprit may be.
I love the slow-burn between Ella and Justus, with angsty encounters, and a very wet crescendo when they can no longer deny their burning desires. I love that Ella is the best hacker in this world, and she sure uses that knowledge to get her out of a seemingly impossible escape situation.
And my favorite characters have to be the "fairy godmothers!!" They are just hilarious, and don't shy away from a fire fight. I just love their "profession" too! I also love the addition of Leo, the rescued dog who needed Ella as much as she needed him.
Thank you so much to Kensington, the author, and Netgalley for a copy of this book!
Some fav quotes:
"I hate the smell of his cologne. Expensive, complex, a little sharp. Like black pepper and sin."
"She thinks I want her dead. I should. Except I don’t. I want to trap her at my house in the woods and have her sing. Talk. Joke. Hum. Any sound out of her magical mouth."
"When God gives a man this face and this body, anyone would heat up. Maybe it isn’t God. Justice carries the flavor of the devil."
"She's seventy-three, rocking a neon pink tracksuit that sparkles from ankle to chin."
"She doesn’t understand. Of course she doesn’t. The man touched her. He doesn’t get to breathe after that."
"The sound she makes will accompany me to the grave."
"That grin should be outlawed."
"And in the middle of it all, absurd and glittering under the weak light, a tactical knife with a sparkly pink handle. Razor sharp, polished, deadly. Somebody took the time to bedazzle murder."
I loved the subtle nods to Cinderella in the story, just enough to make the connection without being overdone. Ella is a wild one, and her modus operandi: running away. Whether that be from captors, or just life she doesn't want to deal with, she refuses to be cooped up or held against her will by any means. Justice, initially trying to protect his brother, and get help for himself, thinks kidnapping Ella might be his best chance. Unfortunately for him, Ella is impossible to keep captive for long. And, unfortunately for Ella, Justice runs faster than her, and always manages to catch up.
This story is chock full of action, and not just the cat and mouse game that Ella and Justus play. Someone is making a move on the 4 families, but nobody knows who this "5th" player is. Ella seems to have enemies coming from all angles, including her own stepmother. Without a chance to really dig into who is hacking the various social media companies, Ella is as clueless as everyone else to who the culprit may be.
I love the slow-burn between Ella and Justus, with angsty encounters, and a very wet crescendo when they can no longer deny their burning desires. I love that Ella is the best hacker in this world, and she sure uses that knowledge to get her out of a seemingly impossible escape situation.
And my favorite characters have to be the "fairy godmothers!!" They are just hilarious, and don't shy away from a fire fight. I just love their "profession" too! I also love the addition of Leo, the rescued dog who needed Ella as much as she needed him.
Thank you so much to Kensington, the author, and Netgalley for a copy of this book!
Some fav quotes:
"I hate the smell of his cologne. Expensive, complex, a little sharp. Like black pepper and sin."
"She thinks I want her dead. I should. Except I don’t. I want to trap her at my house in the woods and have her sing. Talk. Joke. Hum. Any sound out of her magical mouth."
"When God gives a man this face and this body, anyone would heat up. Maybe it isn’t God. Justice carries the flavor of the devil."
"She's seventy-three, rocking a neon pink tracksuit that sparkles from ankle to chin."
"She doesn’t understand. Of course she doesn’t. The man touched her. He doesn’t get to breathe after that."
"The sound she makes will accompany me to the grave."
"That grin should be outlawed."
"And in the middle of it all, absurd and glittering under the weak light, a tactical knife with a sparkly pink handle. Razor sharp, polished, deadly. Somebody took the time to bedazzle murder."
August 1, 2026
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
One Shattered Crown is the most recent addition to the Grimm Bargains series. This was a long awaited story for me as the connection between our hero and heroine was built in previous books so to see them finally get together was beyond satisfying and this is where I do recommend reading these books in order if you can. I think what intrigued me most was seeing how Zanetti unravels the Cinderella retelling. There is such chemistry from beginning to end on this one here. And seeing the way in which they overcome the villain (s) was thrilling.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Justice Beathach
The Heroine: Ella Rendale
What I Loved
I think the first thing that comes to mind with this book was JUSTICE!!! What a hero, he is sexy enough that he will curl your toes. Just from the beginning, he sets the tone just right for the story. He is full on alpha and I never get bored with how this author writes her heroe's. And he matches so well with Ella. Ella is a unique mix of a heroine. And I still fell hard for her even if she has some flaws. Ella has a mix of strength, stubborness and yet relatable in her own way. Her stubborness does put her in danger and she has to learn some painful lessons. Justice is just right for her though. He is strong enough to be able to handle her stubborn nature and stand up to her when he needs to. But the poor thing and all those spankings LOL What made the biggest impression for me is how the author handled her own twist of Cinderella. Its more of a loose retelling but seeing the reveal in the end was PERFECTION!!! It has some twists you don't see at first and I appreciated that from this author.
What I Struggled With
There was only one thing that kept this from being a 6 star read. The heroine was a bit too stubborn at times and could get TSTL in some ways and I wasn't a fan of how she treated the hero in some respects. Even though she has her own strengths....she still had vulnerabilities and I do wish that she had been more honest even with herself over those weaknesses that made her human.
Narration
FABULOUS!!! I just love how these narrators handle this series, they just make the characters really come alive in the best of ways. And they build the yearning and tension just right.
Overall View
One Shattered Crown is a story that digs deeper into the Cinderella retelling while adding in a darker twist to the original tale ......its thrilling, explosive and sensual and will captivate your heart!
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Morally Grey Hero, Sassy Heroine, Mafia
Themes: He Falls First, BDSM-Lite
Tropes: Retelling
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Greer Rivers
Giana Darling
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes
Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Narrators:
Lance Crawford
Emma Wilder
July 29, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75 stars)
One Shattered Crown was definitely outside my normal reading comfort zone, and I’m really glad I picked it up! I was immediately drawn in by the promise of a Cinderella-inspired story paired with morally gray characters, and Rebecca Zanetti delivered a unique blend of dark romance, billionaire power, mafia intrigue, and fantasy.
Even though this is the third book in the Grimm Bargains series, I had no trouble following the story as a standalone. In fact, it left me curious enough that I want to go back and read the first two books.
The world-building was incredibly clever. The rival social media empires, crystal-powered magic, and high-tech setting created a fresh backdrop that kept the story feeling original. There were a few moments where I found myself skimming some of the denser world-building details, but the suspense, action, and twists quickly pulled me right back in and kept the pages turning.
My favorite part was spotting all of the Cinderella-inspired elements woven throughout the story. I’d describe this as more Cinderella-inspired than a true retelling, and I loved the creative nods to the fairy tale—especially the godmother and the lost shoe.
Justice was a compelling hero with his bold, protective, take-charge personality, and the chemistry between him and Ella was undeniable. My biggest hesitation, though, was that their romance felt very insta-love and was driven primarily by physical attraction. I kept waiting for a quieter, more emotional moment that would help me fully believe the depth of their connection beyond the chemistry, but that moment never quite came for me.
Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read that introduced me to a world I’m excited to explore further. If you enjoy dark romance with morally gray characters, fantasy elements, and a fresh spin on classic fairy tales, this one is worth checking out.
Thank you to Hambright PR, Kensington Publishing, and Rebecca Zanetti for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
One Shattered Crown was definitely outside my normal reading comfort zone, and I’m really glad I picked it up! I was immediately drawn in by the promise of a Cinderella-inspired story paired with morally gray characters, and Rebecca Zanetti delivered a unique blend of dark romance, billionaire power, mafia intrigue, and fantasy.
Even though this is the third book in the Grimm Bargains series, I had no trouble following the story as a standalone. In fact, it left me curious enough that I want to go back and read the first two books.
The world-building was incredibly clever. The rival social media empires, crystal-powered magic, and high-tech setting created a fresh backdrop that kept the story feeling original. There were a few moments where I found myself skimming some of the denser world-building details, but the suspense, action, and twists quickly pulled me right back in and kept the pages turning.
My favorite part was spotting all of the Cinderella-inspired elements woven throughout the story. I’d describe this as more Cinderella-inspired than a true retelling, and I loved the creative nods to the fairy tale—especially the godmother and the lost shoe.
Justice was a compelling hero with his bold, protective, take-charge personality, and the chemistry between him and Ella was undeniable. My biggest hesitation, though, was that their romance felt very insta-love and was driven primarily by physical attraction. I kept waiting for a quieter, more emotional moment that would help me fully believe the depth of their connection beyond the chemistry, but that moment never quite came for me.
Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read that introduced me to a world I’m excited to explore further. If you enjoy dark romance with morally gray characters, fantasy elements, and a fresh spin on classic fairy tales, this one is worth checking out.
Thank you to Hambright PR, Kensington Publishing, and Rebecca Zanetti for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 30, 2026
This book jumps right in, introducing you to Ella and Justice. And let me tell you, something about Justice is just *chefs kiss*
Since this is the third book, I felt a little out of the loop as Ella played a big role in the previous two books it seems. I also found the fantasy portion of this book a little confusing and did not quite get anything other than that little tidbit.
There’s never a dull moment and Ella is a huge ass brat who continues to be put in her place by Justice.
Finally the end felt a little messy and it was hard for me to keep up but overall I did enjoy this book
Since this is the third book, I felt a little out of the loop as Ella played a big role in the previous two books it seems. I also found the fantasy portion of this book a little confusing and did not quite get anything other than that little tidbit.
There’s never a dull moment and Ella is a huge ass brat who continues to be put in her place by Justice.
Finally the end felt a little messy and it was hard for me to keep up but overall I did enjoy this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
One Shattered Crown is the third book in a series called Grimm Bargains and I highly recommend that you read the first two books in this series to get a full picture of the background story. However if you decide to jump straight to this one once it has been released don't worry it will be fine (I've only read this one🙈).
It was a good book that sometimes felt like I was reading an action movie with a good amount of romance in it (🙌🙌).
I usually don't read books in this genre dystopian romantasy but when a friend of mine told me she signed up for it and that it was a fairy tale retelling I just had to try it out. Thanks for the buddy read Camilla ♥️.
For me this was a fast paced read with good bantern, a good story, some spice scenes and I liked the chemistry between the main characters. There was also a group of older ladies that I just have to mention that I liked because those ladies was wild and kinda funny so I hope I will meet them again in another book 😉.
I would recommend this book to those of you who might enjoy the following tropes listed down below:
💎 Dystopian Romantasy
👠 Cinderella Retelling
🧲 Forced Proximity
🔥 Burning Sexual Tension
🖤 Morally Gray Love Interest
😡 Enemies to Lovers
💀 Touch her and ☠️
It was a good book that sometimes felt like I was reading an action movie with a good amount of romance in it (🙌🙌).
I usually don't read books in this genre dystopian romantasy but when a friend of mine told me she signed up for it and that it was a fairy tale retelling I just had to try it out. Thanks for the buddy read Camilla ♥️.
For me this was a fast paced read with good bantern, a good story, some spice scenes and I liked the chemistry between the main characters. There was also a group of older ladies that I just have to mention that I liked because those ladies was wild and kinda funny so I hope I will meet them again in another book 😉.
I would recommend this book to those of you who might enjoy the following tropes listed down below:
💎 Dystopian Romantasy
👠 Cinderella Retelling
🧲 Forced Proximity
🔥 Burning Sexual Tension
🖤 Morally Gray Love Interest
😡 Enemies to Lovers
💀 Touch her and ☠️
August 1, 2026
I had so much fun with this trilogy. Rebecca Zanetti has officially earned auto-buy status for me.
I loved the way she blended a futuristic dystopian world with dark fairy tale retellings. It felt fresh, unique, and completely pulled me in. Every book added another layer to the world, and by the end I wasn’t ready to leave it.
And can we talk about these men for a second? Rebecca Zanetti writes the kind of dark, dangerous, possessive MMCs that I eat up every single time. Justice was absolutely no exception.
Ella and Justice’s story was the perfect way to wrap up the series. There was action, tension, twists, romance, and just enough obsession to keep me glued to the pages. I was invested from beginning to end.
If you love dark romance, fairy tale retellings, morally gray men, and dystopian worlds that feel completely different from everything else out there, I can’t recommend this trilogy enough.
Audiobook updates yes I already did a reread with the audiobook and I love it even more fantastic audiobook
I loved the way she blended a futuristic dystopian world with dark fairy tale retellings. It felt fresh, unique, and completely pulled me in. Every book added another layer to the world, and by the end I wasn’t ready to leave it.
And can we talk about these men for a second? Rebecca Zanetti writes the kind of dark, dangerous, possessive MMCs that I eat up every single time. Justice was absolutely no exception.
Ella and Justice’s story was the perfect way to wrap up the series. There was action, tension, twists, romance, and just enough obsession to keep me glued to the pages. I was invested from beginning to end.
If you love dark romance, fairy tale retellings, morally gray men, and dystopian worlds that feel completely different from everything else out there, I can’t recommend this trilogy enough.
Audiobook updates yes I already did a reread with the audiobook and I love it even more fantastic audiobook
June 14, 2026
as much as i love the “touch her and die” and “who did this to you?” tropes, i also have a soft spot for the fluffy, tender moments and this book delivers both. it’s equal parts hot and sweet, and honestly, it’s peak swoony material 🥰📚✨ this is my favorite from the whole grimm bargains series. I love justice he’s just so ughhhh 🥰🥰🥰
July 28, 2026
Justice Beathach is a deadly enforcer for the Irish Mafia and brother to the head one of the biggest media outlets.
Currently, he’s standing by the window like a predator in a designer tux.
Ella Rendale has been trying to get her company back from her evil step mother. She’s a computer expert and a total firecracker.
My own personal landmine in lipstick and heels.
The owners of the four social media giants are not there via coincidence. We all come from long lines of crystal-bound bloodlines.
This is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella complete with step sisters. This one kept me guessing and on my toes. There are some authors that knock it out of the park no matter what they write and this is one of them.
Currently, he’s standing by the window like a predator in a designer tux.
Ella Rendale has been trying to get her company back from her evil step mother. She’s a computer expert and a total firecracker.
My own personal landmine in lipstick and heels.
The owners of the four social media giants are not there via coincidence. We all come from long lines of crystal-bound bloodlines.
This is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella complete with step sisters. This one kept me guessing and on my toes. There are some authors that knock it out of the park no matter what they write and this is one of them.
July 30, 2026
4.5 stars
This is such a fun read! Full of action, snark and a sexy and intense enemies-to-lovers romance, it’s a fast-moving, wild ride from start to finish and it is such a great time.
This is the third and final book in the Grimm Bargains trilogy. It’s a loose take on Cinderella, complete with an evil stepmother, nasty stepsisters and fabulous ‘fairy’ godmothers. Characters from the previous books appear, and I enjoyed seeing them again, but you could read this one as a standalone. Being mildly paranormal, there is a bit to wrap your head around, but to be honest the world building was a bit lacking in the first book of this series and I finished it feeling very confused. The last two books have been easier to read.
The series features characters who are the heads of powerful families and who each rule their own social media company. Their servers are powered by crystals which they each have an affinity with, exchanging power with them to keep the servers charged. It’s a volatile and highly dangerous world as they battle to keep their dynasties.
Ella was due to inherit her late father’s company, but instead her evil stepmother claimed the company and has done all she can to cut her off. A talented hacker, Ella is fighting hard to take back what is rightfully hers. Justice is the brother of Thorn (hero of the first book). Ever since Ella’s actions almost got his brother killed, Justice wants her out of the picture. But he needs her and her tech skills.
Ella has no intention of helping a man who clearly wants her dead, and so we get this delicious cat-and-mouse setup where Ella runs, Justice finds her, and they bicker and fight until Ella runs again. It’s fun, and there are usually guns, car chases and/or explosions involved (often ending in kinky punishments for Ella), but each time they come back together, their attraction becomes even harder to resist.
The sexual tension between these two is insane, and when they act on it, it’s steamy, intense, and a little bit kinky. Justice is a man who knows what he wants, and he wants Ella in all the ways. I sometimes felt that Justice pushed a bit too far, and there was entirely too much spanking, but Ella was ok with it, so I was too. Though their relationship is more lust than romance for much of the book, I was fully on board with their explosive chemistry and growing connection.
While fighting, getting steamy and escaping death, Justice and Ella are trying to work out who is trying to kill them, while also investigating a mysterious attack on their companies, solving a virus that can infect their crystals, and all while Ella is still trying to reclaim her birthright. And it’s fast-paced from start to finish.
It’s a non-stop rollercoaster of action and excitement, with lots of violence, sex, bedazzled old ladies and grumpy, protective alpha males. The romance is sexy, but an emotional slow burn, and I loved watching these two finally come together. This book is a really entertaining ride.
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a fun read! Full of action, snark and a sexy and intense enemies-to-lovers romance, it’s a fast-moving, wild ride from start to finish and it is such a great time.
This is the third and final book in the Grimm Bargains trilogy. It’s a loose take on Cinderella, complete with an evil stepmother, nasty stepsisters and fabulous ‘fairy’ godmothers. Characters from the previous books appear, and I enjoyed seeing them again, but you could read this one as a standalone. Being mildly paranormal, there is a bit to wrap your head around, but to be honest the world building was a bit lacking in the first book of this series and I finished it feeling very confused. The last two books have been easier to read.
The series features characters who are the heads of powerful families and who each rule their own social media company. Their servers are powered by crystals which they each have an affinity with, exchanging power with them to keep the servers charged. It’s a volatile and highly dangerous world as they battle to keep their dynasties.
Ella was due to inherit her late father’s company, but instead her evil stepmother claimed the company and has done all she can to cut her off. A talented hacker, Ella is fighting hard to take back what is rightfully hers. Justice is the brother of Thorn (hero of the first book). Ever since Ella’s actions almost got his brother killed, Justice wants her out of the picture. But he needs her and her tech skills.
Ella has no intention of helping a man who clearly wants her dead, and so we get this delicious cat-and-mouse setup where Ella runs, Justice finds her, and they bicker and fight until Ella runs again. It’s fun, and there are usually guns, car chases and/or explosions involved (often ending in kinky punishments for Ella), but each time they come back together, their attraction becomes even harder to resist.
She thinks I want her dead. I should. Except I don’t. I want to trap her at my house in the woods and have her sing. Talk. Joke. Hum. Any sound out of her magical mouth.
The sexual tension between these two is insane, and when they act on it, it’s steamy, intense, and a little bit kinky. Justice is a man who knows what he wants, and he wants Ella in all the ways. I sometimes felt that Justice pushed a bit too far, and there was entirely too much spanking, but Ella was ok with it, so I was too. Though their relationship is more lust than romance for much of the book, I was fully on board with their explosive chemistry and growing connection.
Never in my life have I been the hero, not even of my own story, and I see no reason to start now. Heroes sacrifice. They let go for the greater good.
Fuck that.
I’m keeping her.
While fighting, getting steamy and escaping death, Justice and Ella are trying to work out who is trying to kill them, while also investigating a mysterious attack on their companies, solving a virus that can infect their crystals, and all while Ella is still trying to reclaim her birthright. And it’s fast-paced from start to finish.
It’s a non-stop rollercoaster of action and excitement, with lots of violence, sex, bedazzled old ladies and grumpy, protective alpha males. The romance is sexy, but an emotional slow burn, and I loved watching these two finally come together. This book is a really entertaining ride.
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 28, 2026
One fiery, spunky heroine.
One “I’m going to spank that bottom” hero.
One awesome read!
I had so much fun with these two. Ella never met an order she wanted to follow, and watching Justice realize he wasn't going to win every battle had me grinning more than once. I loved the way she drove him crazy with her slippery antics.
This was a fast paced, action filled story that I couldn’t stop reading. And holy heck, the chemistry between this couple was sizzling! I swear it had me blushing at times.
I’m amazed by the way this author blended fairy tale, magic, technology, and danger into such a unique storyline. I had an absolute blast with this one!
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers per the author
Steam
One “I’m going to spank that bottom” hero.
One awesome read!
I had so much fun with these two. Ella never met an order she wanted to follow, and watching Justice realize he wasn't going to win every battle had me grinning more than once. I loved the way she drove him crazy with her slippery antics.
This was a fast paced, action filled story that I couldn’t stop reading. And holy heck, the chemistry between this couple was sizzling! I swear it had me blushing at times.
I’m amazed by the way this author blended fairy tale, magic, technology, and danger into such a unique storyline. I had an absolute blast with this one!
Multi POV
Safe
Triggers per the author
Steam
July 29, 2026
3.5⭐️ ┇ Bookstagram ┇ BookTok
This is a dark urban Cinderella retelling filled with enemies to lovers, mafia families, hackers, revenge, and plenty of dark spice.
This is the third book in an interconnected series, but I jumped in without reading the first two and had no trouble following along. It can definitely be read as a standalone.
Ella is a badass hacker determined to take back her father’s media company from her evil stepmother, while Justice, the owner of a rival media company, is out for revenge after Ella nearly killed his brother. When he kidnaps her, the attraction between them quickly becomes impossible to ignore.
I loved Justice. His cocky attitude, sharp mouth, and pure mafia energy made him an instant favorite. He is the ultimate “touch her and die” MMC—possessive, protective, and completely obsessed with Ella. I also loved that Ella didn’t make it easy for him and challenged him every step of the way.
Their chemistry was undeniable, and the spice was definitely spicy!! My only wish was for more emotional depth and romance between them.
While this is a Cinderella retelling, it’s more inspired by certain themes and elements rather than a direct retelling. The mafia, revenge, and darker twists made this a fun, spicy read.
‧₊˚✧𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽✧˚₊‧
➳❥ Dark Urban Romance
➳❥ Cinderella Retelling
➳❥ Enemies to Lovers
➳❥ Revenge
➳❥ Mafia
➳❥ Touch Her & Die
➳❥ Hackers
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓕𝓪𝓿 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽t𝓮𝓼
“Her body is warm, tense, dangerous. My own personal landline in lipstick and heels.”
“God, I want her to talk again. Even if it ruins us both.”
“Eyes that impossible, unnamed shade of blue-like they were made just to wreck me. I could spend the rest of my life trying to name that color. The only word that comes to mind is mine.”
“You’ll never outrun me.”
“Heroes sacrifice. They let go for the greater good.
Fuck that.
I’m keeping her.”
This is a dark urban Cinderella retelling filled with enemies to lovers, mafia families, hackers, revenge, and plenty of dark spice.
This is the third book in an interconnected series, but I jumped in without reading the first two and had no trouble following along. It can definitely be read as a standalone.
Ella is a badass hacker determined to take back her father’s media company from her evil stepmother, while Justice, the owner of a rival media company, is out for revenge after Ella nearly killed his brother. When he kidnaps her, the attraction between them quickly becomes impossible to ignore.
I loved Justice. His cocky attitude, sharp mouth, and pure mafia energy made him an instant favorite. He is the ultimate “touch her and die” MMC—possessive, protective, and completely obsessed with Ella. I also loved that Ella didn’t make it easy for him and challenged him every step of the way.
Their chemistry was undeniable, and the spice was definitely spicy!! My only wish was for more emotional depth and romance between them.
While this is a Cinderella retelling, it’s more inspired by certain themes and elements rather than a direct retelling. The mafia, revenge, and darker twists made this a fun, spicy read.
‧₊˚✧𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽✧˚₊‧
➳❥ Dark Urban Romance
➳❥ Cinderella Retelling
➳❥ Enemies to Lovers
➳❥ Revenge
➳❥ Mafia
➳❥ Touch Her & Die
➳❥ Hackers
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓕𝓪𝓿 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽t𝓮𝓼
“Her body is warm, tense, dangerous. My own personal landline in lipstick and heels.”
“God, I want her to talk again. Even if it ruins us both.”
“Eyes that impossible, unnamed shade of blue-like they were made just to wreck me. I could spend the rest of my life trying to name that color. The only word that comes to mind is mine.”
“You’ll never outrun me.”
“Heroes sacrifice. They let go for the greater good.
Fuck that.
I’m keeping her.”
July 28, 2026
Y’all, One Shattered Crown had me hooked from the moment Ella crashed into that glittering, danger-soaked wedding with revenge on her mind. Think Cinderella… if her glass slipper was swapped for diamond-powered servers, corporate warfare, and enough sizzling chemistry to short-circuit the room.
Ella is sharp, fearless, and refuses to let anyone steal what should’ve been hers, while Justice is the ultimate touch-her-and-you’re-toast antihero—equal parts bodyguard, hunter, and walking red flag with abs. Their enemies-to-obsession romance crackles like live wires, and every chase, betrayal, and near-death escape kept the adrenaline pumping.
Rebecca Zanetti blends futuristic tech, magic, ruthless family politics, and steamy romance into a world that practically glows with neon and danger. The pacing stumbled just enough to keep this from being a five-star read for me, but the addictive tension, fierce characters, and explosive twists made it impossible to look away. If you love dark romantasy where corporate power plays meet fairy tales with a wicked edge, this one is absolutely worth the ride.
Thanks to #NetGalley, Rebecca Zanetti and t#Kensington for a copy of One Shattered Crown for my honest, voluntary review. #RebeccaZanetti #Romantasy #RomanticSuspense
Ella is sharp, fearless, and refuses to let anyone steal what should’ve been hers, while Justice is the ultimate touch-her-and-you’re-toast antihero—equal parts bodyguard, hunter, and walking red flag with abs. Their enemies-to-obsession romance crackles like live wires, and every chase, betrayal, and near-death escape kept the adrenaline pumping.
Rebecca Zanetti blends futuristic tech, magic, ruthless family politics, and steamy romance into a world that practically glows with neon and danger. The pacing stumbled just enough to keep this from being a five-star read for me, but the addictive tension, fierce characters, and explosive twists made it impossible to look away. If you love dark romantasy where corporate power plays meet fairy tales with a wicked edge, this one is absolutely worth the ride.
Thanks to #NetGalley, Rebecca Zanetti and t#Kensington for a copy of One Shattered Crown for my honest, voluntary review. #RebeccaZanetti #Romantasy #RomanticSuspense
July 29, 2026
4 stars
I listened to this book on audio and Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield did a great job bringing these characters to life. 5 stars for narration
I didn't realize when I started this book that it was part of a series. It can be read as a standalone but I was a bit confused by the crystals and how it powers social media. Everything else made sense but I just wish Rebecca Zanetti gave some background information in regards to that part.
There are some Cinderella aspects in this book; from the shoe left behind, god mothers, and evil step mother and step sisters. But that's where the similarities end.
The FMC is a stubborn and highly intelligent/resourceful coder/hacker. She is a family member of one of the four big mafia/social media family. After her dad died, the company went to the stepmom and she has been fighting to reclaim her spot over the company.
The MMC is very much a touch her and die mentality but is a cinnamon roll to her. The yearning and chemistry is there but it is pretty much instalove. The banter between them is excellent.
Thank you NetGalley, Rebecca Zanetti, and RB Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
I listened to this book on audio and Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield did a great job bringing these characters to life. 5 stars for narration
I didn't realize when I started this book that it was part of a series. It can be read as a standalone but I was a bit confused by the crystals and how it powers social media. Everything else made sense but I just wish Rebecca Zanetti gave some background information in regards to that part.
There are some Cinderella aspects in this book; from the shoe left behind, god mothers, and evil step mother and step sisters. But that's where the similarities end.
The FMC is a stubborn and highly intelligent/resourceful coder/hacker. She is a family member of one of the four big mafia/social media family. After her dad died, the company went to the stepmom and she has been fighting to reclaim her spot over the company.
The MMC is very much a touch her and die mentality but is a cinnamon roll to her. The yearning and chemistry is there but it is pretty much instalove. The banter between them is excellent.
Thank you NetGalley, Rebecca Zanetti, and RB Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
July 28, 2026
One Shattered Crown is a fast-paced dark urban sci-fantasy romance full of found family, gem magic, cyber attacks, mafia families, and social media empires.
I really enjoyed the read. It was fast-paced. I was kept on the edge of my seat with the game of cat and mouse that Ella and Justice were playing, which brought up the tension and the heat!! 🥵🥵🥵 I loved the dynamic between the two, and I thought Rebecca did a phenomenal job showing the complexities of both characters. The godmothers were hilarious. Plus, I particularly enjoyed the tech-iness of the world.
This book is the third and a set of interconnected standalone novels in the Grimm Bargains series. I picked up this one first. I never felt lost in the story, but I do think I missed out on some of the development of the found family and the early dynamics between Ella and Justice, which would’ve made the payoff even sweeter. Not a bad thing, just wanting you to be aware.
Overall, this was such an enjoyable read— a great way to dip my toe into the world of dark romance.
Thank you so much, Kensington and Crowns and chaos pr for the gifted ARC and eARC.
I really enjoyed the read. It was fast-paced. I was kept on the edge of my seat with the game of cat and mouse that Ella and Justice were playing, which brought up the tension and the heat!! 🥵🥵🥵 I loved the dynamic between the two, and I thought Rebecca did a phenomenal job showing the complexities of both characters. The godmothers were hilarious. Plus, I particularly enjoyed the tech-iness of the world.
This book is the third and a set of interconnected standalone novels in the Grimm Bargains series. I picked up this one first. I never felt lost in the story, but I do think I missed out on some of the development of the found family and the early dynamics between Ella and Justice, which would’ve made the payoff even sweeter. Not a bad thing, just wanting you to be aware.
Overall, this was such an enjoyable read— a great way to dip my toe into the world of dark romance.
Thank you so much, Kensington and Crowns and chaos pr for the gifted ARC and eARC.
July 29, 2026
Did my favorite book in this series finally drop?! It definitely did, and it left me swooning on the floor.
Ella and Justice deliver that burning sexual tension and enemies-to-lovers chemistry that had me kicking my feet and giggling. Y'all just keep telling your silly little selves that "just a few times" is enough. 🤪
There are very few books that will make me excuse tropes I'm not usually down for (sorry, Wesley!), but Justice had me excusing it all. Ella is that tech-savvy, smart brat who's so easy to relate to, making her such a fun FMC, while Justice is the broody grump who's determined to rein her in.
I also loved getting more insight into the previous couples from the other books and seeing them continue to play their roles in the mafia politics. It was so much fun catching up with everyone while still getting an exciting new story, and the fantasy twist woven into this mafia world makes the politics feel unique, and it kept me eagerly flipping the pages.
I would definitely recommend this to dark mafia romance readers who love a high-tension captor/captive dynamic with plenty of spice. And if that doesn't pull you in, there's also plenty of high-stakes, suspenseful action to keep you on your toes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ella and Justice deliver that burning sexual tension and enemies-to-lovers chemistry that had me kicking my feet and giggling. Y'all just keep telling your silly little selves that "just a few times" is enough. 🤪
There are very few books that will make me excuse tropes I'm not usually down for (sorry, Wesley!), but Justice had me excusing it all. Ella is that tech-savvy, smart brat who's so easy to relate to, making her such a fun FMC, while Justice is the broody grump who's determined to rein her in.
I also loved getting more insight into the previous couples from the other books and seeing them continue to play their roles in the mafia politics. It was so much fun catching up with everyone while still getting an exciting new story, and the fantasy twist woven into this mafia world makes the politics feel unique, and it kept me eagerly flipping the pages.
I would definitely recommend this to dark mafia romance readers who love a high-tension captor/captive dynamic with plenty of spice. And if that doesn't pull you in, there's also plenty of high-stakes, suspenseful action to keep you on your toes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 29, 2026
One Shattered Crown👑
One Shattered Crown is the third book in the Grimm Bargains series and is a dark Cinderella retelling🙌
Ella is a hacker and also the true owner to TimeGem Moments. Unfortunately, when her father passed away, this was left to her stepmother - who has subsequently been trying to kill Ella and now suddenly appears to need her help😳 Though what Ella’s stepmother doesn’t know is that Justice, Thorn’s brother needs her to help him as well - so he does what he does best and kidnaps her☺️ Let’s just say Ella is very smart and determined and she certainly keeps Justice on his toes. The banter and back and forth between the characters is funny and sarcastic, which I enjoyed but also lots of action happening throughout which kept the story fast paced in my opinion❣️
I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and voluntarily leave my honest review😍
One Shattered Crown is the third book in the Grimm Bargains series and is a dark Cinderella retelling🙌
Ella is a hacker and also the true owner to TimeGem Moments. Unfortunately, when her father passed away, this was left to her stepmother - who has subsequently been trying to kill Ella and now suddenly appears to need her help😳 Though what Ella’s stepmother doesn’t know is that Justice, Thorn’s brother needs her to help him as well - so he does what he does best and kidnaps her☺️ Let’s just say Ella is very smart and determined and she certainly keeps Justice on his toes. The banter and back and forth between the characters is funny and sarcastic, which I enjoyed but also lots of action happening throughout which kept the story fast paced in my opinion❣️
I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and voluntarily leave my honest review😍
July 21, 2026
I went into this one without having read books 1 or 2, and I never felt lost jumping in with book 3.
This is also a genre I don’t typically reach for, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. That said, it had me hooked from the very beginning! It blends urban sci-fi and fantasy with a subtle Cinderella-inspired twist, creating a world that felt fresh and unique.
I ended up rating this 3.5⭐️. While it wasn’t a new favorite for me, I still really enjoyed the story. If you love fast-paced sci-fi fantasy, unique worlds, and some spice, I definitely think this one is worth checking out. Don’t let my rating keep you from picking it up—this just comes down to personal reading preferences, and I can absolutely see why fans of the genre would love it!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
This is also a genre I don’t typically reach for, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. That said, it had me hooked from the very beginning! It blends urban sci-fi and fantasy with a subtle Cinderella-inspired twist, creating a world that felt fresh and unique.
I ended up rating this 3.5⭐️. While it wasn’t a new favorite for me, I still really enjoyed the story. If you love fast-paced sci-fi fantasy, unique worlds, and some spice, I definitely think this one is worth checking out. Don’t let my rating keep you from picking it up—this just comes down to personal reading preferences, and I can absolutely see why fans of the genre would love it!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
July 29, 2026
One Shattered Crown had me completely and utterly hooked from the first chapter. A dark Cinderella retelling, set in a unique, dystopian world—one where the more information you have equals the ultimate power.
Honestly, why have I not read many fairytale retellings? Because my gosh, did I love all the little nods to the originals throughout this book! It was such a nostalgic reminder of all the fairytales I adored when I was a little girl 🥹
The touches of magic sprinkled through out the story were the cherry on top. So different and unique to what I’ve read! An addictive and fast paced plot, coupled with plenty of drama and the ultimate betrayal, this was such a fun and easy read!
Honestly, why have I not read many fairytale retellings? Because my gosh, did I love all the little nods to the originals throughout this book! It was such a nostalgic reminder of all the fairytales I adored when I was a little girl 🥹
The touches of magic sprinkled through out the story were the cherry on top. So different and unique to what I’ve read! An addictive and fast paced plot, coupled with plenty of drama and the ultimate betrayal, this was such a fun and easy read!
July 29, 2026
If you love a fairytale retellings then I highly recommend recommend this series.
This is a dark mafia retelling of Cinderella. That is set in a dystopian world. We have hilarious Godmothers, who you can’t wait for them to make another appearance.
Ella is fighting her stepmother for her family business, Justice the MMC is dangerous, protective over Ella and a bit possessive, and you will fall in love with him. This was dark and spicy and hot!
I went into this book blind without reading the two books before this, and I didn’t feel lost. I will be diving into the other two books immediately.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and the ALC for a honest review
This is a dark mafia retelling of Cinderella. That is set in a dystopian world. We have hilarious Godmothers, who you can’t wait for them to make another appearance.
Ella is fighting her stepmother for her family business, Justice the MMC is dangerous, protective over Ella and a bit possessive, and you will fall in love with him. This was dark and spicy and hot!
I went into this book blind without reading the two books before this, and I didn’t feel lost. I will be diving into the other two books immediately.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and the ALC for a honest review
July 27, 2026
This was a crazy ride! From page 1 it hooked me in with the Cinderella kind of retelling but also modern and full of computer coding and virus talk. I had no idea where it was going the whole time. Ella is being hunted by her stepmother as well as many unknown forces. Justice is also trying to get Ella but maybe for more than help with the virus infecting him. I love this series - it’s dark and twisty and so so good! And the ending - like who was behind all of the shooting and attempted killing - I DID NOT guess it at all. thank goodness for Ella's allergy to glitter though. Loved this so much.
July 29, 2026
The writing in this is good, but I struggled to connect with the characters. It starts off with such a bang that would have landed better for me personally if I had already been familiar with this world and these characters. It is absolutely set up as an interconnected standalone, but I personally would have enjoyed it more reading it after the other books.
The side characters really stole the show for me. They were charming in their own regard.
This book wasn’t personally my favorite, but I think if you like mafia and retellings then you’ll enjoy this!
The side characters really stole the show for me. They were charming in their own regard.
This book wasn’t personally my favorite, but I think if you like mafia and retellings then you’ll enjoy this!
July 31, 2026
**𝓝𝓞 𝓢𝓟𝓞𝓘𝓛𝓔𝓡𝓢**
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- One Shattered Crown
𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 NetGalley 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, 𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.
⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
(out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
* 🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Emma Wilder & Lance Greenfield (lost half a star for the accent and name inconsistency)
* 📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
* 🌡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 MF 🌶🌶🌶🫑 / 5 -𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
* Which books have I also given this same rating? (𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3⭐️We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
* Genre- Fantasy Romance
* 🎧 11 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 23 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 (I 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 1.7 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚎𝚍)
* 📖 380 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
* 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 Dual 𝗣𝗢𝗩 / 𝚍𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
* 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲- 28 July 2026
* 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉ℯ𝓇
* 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- standalone but part of an interconnected series, book 3 of 3 Grimm Bargains
* 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ❌𝒩ℴ.
* 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- ℱ𝒶𝓈𝓉
* 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈! ℐ 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓇ℯ𝓂ℯ𝓂𝒷ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓋𝒾𝒷ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻ℯℯ𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓁ℯ𝒻𝓉 𝓂ℯ 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽!
* 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? (Disability, plus size, mental health etc...)❌
* ℳℴℴ𝒹𝓈; 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒚, 𝑳𝑶𝑳 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓, 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍, 𝑻𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝑨𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 & 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.
* 𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝒾 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈?✅
* 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ𝓈?✅
* 𝒲ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 ℯ𝓁𝓈ℯ 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇?✅
* 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔? Anyone who likes there men possessive and morally black, loves a strong plot with stronger spice and enjoys a good dose of humour in their dark reads.
⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
💦𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬/ 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
🥵𝒟𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓀
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ ᒪᑌᔕT
🙏𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡
🫦Oᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇs Aᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ
🗡 𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨
⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
☢️mafia ish
🏛️𝑀𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑠/𝐿𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔
🤩Epic Side Characters
🍭𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝕍 𝔾𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕪
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
☠️𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕...
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
⏳𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
✨ TᕼᗴᗰᗴՏ ✨
A dark and seductive twist on Cinderella with mafia ties, magic and advanced technology.
📝Cliff Notes Review-
This is the first book in this series I read, you do not need to read these in order.
I picked up One Shattered Crown as a filler audiobook and somehow ended up discovering one of my favourite reads of the year! This dark Cinderella retelling blends dystopian fantasy, hackers, magic, mafia family politics and slow-burn romance into one ridiculously addictive story. I listened to the entire thing in one sitting because I genuinely couldn’t press pause. Ella is exactly my kind of FMC; smart, resilient, endlessly determined and constantly escaping impossible situations, while Justice is the possessive, obsessed, protective book boyfriend of my dreams. Their cat-and-mouse relationship, hilarious banter, brilliant side characters (especially the godmothers and Leo 🐾) and nonstop action kept me completely hooked. I went in blind, having not read the first two books, and had absolutely no problem following the story. Now I desperately need to go back and read the rest of the series. An unexpected five-star favourite!
❌Also- don’t judge this by the cover, I know it’s crap but the story is amazing and nothing like what the cover leads you to believe.
⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?)
Audiobook was brilliant!
⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The audiobook deserves its own round of applause.
Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield absolutely nailed these characters. Their performances brought even more intensity to the action scenes while making the emotional and romantic moments feel incredibly natural. They were easy to listen to, tracked beautifully at faster speeds and both had clear diction, excellent pacing and strong emotional delivery throughout.
If I had one tiny criticism, it would simply be that a few accents and pronunciations weren’t entirely consistent, especially compared to previous books in the series. It’s a small detail, but one that occasionally stood out. Thankfully it never distracted me enough to lessen my enjoyment of the story.
🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
I picked this audiobook up as a filler.
It had absolutely no business becoming one of my favourite listens of the year.
I went in completely blind, having not read the first two books in this interconnected trilogy, and I genuinely had no trouble following what was happening. There were a handful of references that were clearly callbacks for returning readers, but nothing stopped me from becoming completely invested in Ella’s story.
And invested I was.
I listened to this entire audiobook in one sitting. I carried it from room to room while cooking, cleaning, scrapbooking… I even took it into the bathroom because there was absolutely no way I was pressing pause. Every time I thought, “I’ll stop after this chapter,” another twist, chase or hilarious conversation dragged me straight into the next one.
This book is an absolute adrenaline rush.
It’s a wonderfully chaotic blend of dystopian fantasy, dark Cinderella retelling, mafia-style family politics, hackers, magic, corporate warfare, obsession and slow-burn romance. Somehow it sounds completely ridiculous when listed like that, yet Rebecca Zanetti somehow makes every single element work together.
The pacing was fantastic.
There was never a moment where I felt bored. Every chapter seemed to introduce another problem, another escape attempt, another conspiracy or another reason for Ella and Justice to end up chasing each other across the city.
This whole book is far funnier than I expected.
The humour caught me completely off guard, especially during the second half. Between the constant bickering, Ella’s complete refusal to cooperate, the meddling godmothers and one particularly adorable animal sidekick (Leo absolutely deserves his own fan club), I found myself laughing far more than I anticipated.
The romance is definitely driven by physical attraction initially, but I actually thought it suited these characters. Their relationship develops through constant conflict, reluctant trust and protecting one another rather than endless declarations of love, which worked really well for me.
The mystery surrounding the families and the mysterious fifth player kept me completely hooked. Every time I thought I’d worked something out, another reveal changed the game. The Cinderella inspiration was also cleverly woven throughout the story without ever feeling like it was simply retelling the original fairy tale.
Needless to say…
I’ll be going back to read the first two books immediately.
🧝♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Ella… she absolutely MADE this book for me.
She is exactly the kind of heroine I adore. She’s fiercely intelligent, endlessly resilient and refuses to stay down no matter what life throws at her. What I loved most was that she never simply accepted being captured or controlled. Every single setback became another puzzle to solve. Every imprisonment became another escape plan. She approached impossible situations like challenges instead of obstacles, and I found myself cheering her on every single time she slipped through someone’s fingers yet again.
Justice…
Yeah… I’d like one of those, please.
Possessive.
Obsessive.
Protective.
Powerful.
Utterly devoted.
The man is basically walking red flags wrapped in black armour… and I loved every second of it.
Despite all his power and reputation, what really sold me was how completely gone he became for Ella. Watching this terrifying man slowly realise he’d burn entire empires down for one woman was incredibly satisfying. Their cat-and-mouse dynamic created so much tension, and the banter between them was genuinely funny.
The supporting cast deserves just as much praise as the main couple. Every character felt memorable, whether I loved them, feared them or desperately wanted to punch them. The godmothers completely stole every scene they appeared in, managing to be hilarious one moment and absolute badasses the next.
🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
Overall, One Shattered Crown completely surprised me.
I expected a decent filler audiobook. Instead, I found one of my favourite romances of the year, an unforgettable heroine, a possessive book boyfriend I’ll happily add to my ever-growing collection, hilarious side characters, fantastic narration and enough action to make twelve hours disappear without me even noticing.
𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;
𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
https://www.tiktok.com/@your_bookish_...
IᑎՏTᗩ
https://www.instagram.com/your_bookis...
***********************
𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF
⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action
🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- One Shattered Crown
𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 NetGalley 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, 𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.
⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
(out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
* 🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Emma Wilder & Lance Greenfield (lost half a star for the accent and name inconsistency)
* 📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
* 🌡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 MF 🌶🌶🌶🫑 / 5 -𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
* Which books have I also given this same rating? (𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3⭐️We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
* Genre- Fantasy Romance
* 🎧 11 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 23 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 (I 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 1.7 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚎𝚍)
* 📖 380 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
* 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 Dual 𝗣𝗢𝗩 / 𝚍𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
* 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲- 28 July 2026
* 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉ℯ𝓇
* 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- standalone but part of an interconnected series, book 3 of 3 Grimm Bargains
* 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ❌𝒩ℴ.
* 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- ℱ𝒶𝓈𝓉
* 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈! ℐ 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓇ℯ𝓂ℯ𝓂𝒷ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓋𝒾𝒷ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻ℯℯ𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓁ℯ𝒻𝓉 𝓂ℯ 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽!
* 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? (Disability, plus size, mental health etc...)❌
* ℳℴℴ𝒹𝓈; 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒚, 𝑳𝑶𝑳 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓, 𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍, 𝑻𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝑨𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 & 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.
* 𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝒾 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈?✅
* 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ𝓈?✅
* 𝒲ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 ℯ𝓁𝓈ℯ 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇?✅
* 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔? Anyone who likes there men possessive and morally black, loves a strong plot with stronger spice and enjoys a good dose of humour in their dark reads.
⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
💦𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬/ 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
🥵𝒟𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓀
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ ᒪᑌᔕT
🙏𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡
🫦Oᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇs Aᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ
🗡 𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨
⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
☢️mafia ish
🏛️𝑀𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑠/𝐿𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔
🤩Epic Side Characters
🍭𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝕍 𝔾𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡𝕪
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
☠️𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕...
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
⏳𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
✨ TᕼᗴᗰᗴՏ ✨
A dark and seductive twist on Cinderella with mafia ties, magic and advanced technology.
📝Cliff Notes Review-
This is the first book in this series I read, you do not need to read these in order.
I picked up One Shattered Crown as a filler audiobook and somehow ended up discovering one of my favourite reads of the year! This dark Cinderella retelling blends dystopian fantasy, hackers, magic, mafia family politics and slow-burn romance into one ridiculously addictive story. I listened to the entire thing in one sitting because I genuinely couldn’t press pause. Ella is exactly my kind of FMC; smart, resilient, endlessly determined and constantly escaping impossible situations, while Justice is the possessive, obsessed, protective book boyfriend of my dreams. Their cat-and-mouse relationship, hilarious banter, brilliant side characters (especially the godmothers and Leo 🐾) and nonstop action kept me completely hooked. I went in blind, having not read the first two books, and had absolutely no problem following the story. Now I desperately need to go back and read the rest of the series. An unexpected five-star favourite!
❌Also- don’t judge this by the cover, I know it’s crap but the story is amazing and nothing like what the cover leads you to believe.
⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?)
Audiobook was brilliant!
⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The audiobook deserves its own round of applause.
Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield absolutely nailed these characters. Their performances brought even more intensity to the action scenes while making the emotional and romantic moments feel incredibly natural. They were easy to listen to, tracked beautifully at faster speeds and both had clear diction, excellent pacing and strong emotional delivery throughout.
If I had one tiny criticism, it would simply be that a few accents and pronunciations weren’t entirely consistent, especially compared to previous books in the series. It’s a small detail, but one that occasionally stood out. Thankfully it never distracted me enough to lessen my enjoyment of the story.
🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
I picked this audiobook up as a filler.
It had absolutely no business becoming one of my favourite listens of the year.
I went in completely blind, having not read the first two books in this interconnected trilogy, and I genuinely had no trouble following what was happening. There were a handful of references that were clearly callbacks for returning readers, but nothing stopped me from becoming completely invested in Ella’s story.
And invested I was.
I listened to this entire audiobook in one sitting. I carried it from room to room while cooking, cleaning, scrapbooking… I even took it into the bathroom because there was absolutely no way I was pressing pause. Every time I thought, “I’ll stop after this chapter,” another twist, chase or hilarious conversation dragged me straight into the next one.
This book is an absolute adrenaline rush.
It’s a wonderfully chaotic blend of dystopian fantasy, dark Cinderella retelling, mafia-style family politics, hackers, magic, corporate warfare, obsession and slow-burn romance. Somehow it sounds completely ridiculous when listed like that, yet Rebecca Zanetti somehow makes every single element work together.
The pacing was fantastic.
There was never a moment where I felt bored. Every chapter seemed to introduce another problem, another escape attempt, another conspiracy or another reason for Ella and Justice to end up chasing each other across the city.
This whole book is far funnier than I expected.
The humour caught me completely off guard, especially during the second half. Between the constant bickering, Ella’s complete refusal to cooperate, the meddling godmothers and one particularly adorable animal sidekick (Leo absolutely deserves his own fan club), I found myself laughing far more than I anticipated.
The romance is definitely driven by physical attraction initially, but I actually thought it suited these characters. Their relationship develops through constant conflict, reluctant trust and protecting one another rather than endless declarations of love, which worked really well for me.
The mystery surrounding the families and the mysterious fifth player kept me completely hooked. Every time I thought I’d worked something out, another reveal changed the game. The Cinderella inspiration was also cleverly woven throughout the story without ever feeling like it was simply retelling the original fairy tale.
Needless to say…
I’ll be going back to read the first two books immediately.
🧝♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Ella… she absolutely MADE this book for me.
She is exactly the kind of heroine I adore. She’s fiercely intelligent, endlessly resilient and refuses to stay down no matter what life throws at her. What I loved most was that she never simply accepted being captured or controlled. Every single setback became another puzzle to solve. Every imprisonment became another escape plan. She approached impossible situations like challenges instead of obstacles, and I found myself cheering her on every single time she slipped through someone’s fingers yet again.
Justice…
Yeah… I’d like one of those, please.
Possessive.
Obsessive.
Protective.
Powerful.
Utterly devoted.
The man is basically walking red flags wrapped in black armour… and I loved every second of it.
Despite all his power and reputation, what really sold me was how completely gone he became for Ella. Watching this terrifying man slowly realise he’d burn entire empires down for one woman was incredibly satisfying. Their cat-and-mouse dynamic created so much tension, and the banter between them was genuinely funny.
The supporting cast deserves just as much praise as the main couple. Every character felt memorable, whether I loved them, feared them or desperately wanted to punch them. The godmothers completely stole every scene they appeared in, managing to be hilarious one moment and absolute badasses the next.
🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
Overall, One Shattered Crown completely surprised me.
I expected a decent filler audiobook. Instead, I found one of my favourite romances of the year, an unforgettable heroine, a possessive book boyfriend I’ll happily add to my ever-growing collection, hilarious side characters, fantastic narration and enough action to make twelve hours disappear without me even noticing.
𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;
𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
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IᑎՏTᗩ
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𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF
⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action
🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.
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