A Touch of Tiaras and Treachery : A Prince and the Pauper Retelling

Enchanting Confections

by Ashley Evercott

A teaspoon of borrowed identities
A cup of courtly deception
And a serving of peril hidden in plain sight

For Nin, the dream was never a tiara—only survival. But when a desperate bargain promises her brother’s safety in exchange for taking a princess’s place, she can’t refuse. Thrust into a world of luxury and suspicion, Nin must master courtly etiquette to keep the true princess hidden. One mistake could cost more than her secret, it could cost lives.

Captain Cedric Duval lives by a strict code of order, discipline, and restraint. Training a street-smart pauper to impersonate a princess, however, proves far more difficult than any security drill. As he teaches Nin curtsies and royal customs, he begins to question the wisdom of his plan… and his growing feelings for the girl beneath the disguise.

With a royal wedding drawing near, Nin and Cedric must survive a court where danger lurks in the shadows and every dance could reveal hidden truths. Each step closer to uncovering the plot puts their deception—and their hearts—at risk. If they fail, it won’t be a princess the assassin strikes, it will be the girl wearing her tiara.

A Touch of Tiaras and Treachery, a gender-swapped retelling of The Prince and the Pauper, is a standalone novella, complete with tropes such as "swapped identities", "slow-burn", "princess training", and "bodyguard romance". It is a part of The Enchanting Confections series, a collection of clean and cozy stories guaranteed to delight your sweet tooth.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 12, 2026

About the author

Ashley Evercott is a Southern California author of fairytale retellings and romantasy fiction. Known for her no-spice romance, she specializes in weaving stories of magic and star-crossed lovers.

When she isn’t writing, Ashley can be found dreaming of enchanting worlds under a backyard palm tree. She lives with her husband, toddler, and a formerly feral tabby who has fully embraced the quiet life of an indoor cat.

Reviews

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ebook arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. This was a unique retelling of the Princess and the Pauper and I really liked it! I was hooked from the start. I liked Nin. She was strong and brave. She took on a dangerous role and didn’t give up. I do wish we would’ve seen more of her with the princess, especially at the end. Cedric was so mean and rough at the beginning. I didn’t like him. It took a while for him to truly change and for me to like him. I didn’t care for the amount of times he swore under his breath. About over halfway through the book, I did start to like the two of them together. Overall, this was an enjoyable retelling! This is my first by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!

[Tash Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review - A Touch of Tiaras and Treachery by Ashley Evercott.

A sweet and heartwarming retelling of the Prince and the Pauper, part of the Enchanting Confections series.

Nin was such a wonderful character in every aspect. Her caring heart and love for her brother was sweet and touching. She climbed into the hearts of everyone. She was strong and determined to proof herself capable to do what she was set out to do.

Cedric was a fierce protector and a Guard with a heart of gold even if he didn’t always know it himself.

I enjoyed this story from start to end. The writing style of Ashley is easy to follow and understandable.
I will highly recommended to all readers who enjoys a clean, exciting and sweet fairytale retelling.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macarons can be dangerous to a disguise

I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down! Nin isn't the typical street thief. She has an education and an uncanny resemblence to the princess. It's impressive how much she memorizes and can hold her own in a hostile court. The court politics are next level in this book, which allows the flaws in the captain's plan to show naturally. I liked the mystery plot as it added tension and a chance for Nin to have more agency in the story. Captain Cedric started off as a character who was overly harsh, but grew on me as he softened towards Nin and began to see her as an equal partner. The Queen turned out to be a much stronger character than first impression.

Also, I love macarons, so I thought it was neat how the author used them throughout the book. Clean in language and content. I would highly recommend this book, particularly to readers who enjoy intrigue, disguises, and unexpected romances.

*I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[LeeEllen Belcher (Caw) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warnings: stealing, assassination attempts, deceit, religious mentions of the Maker

I really enjoyed this Prince and the Pauper retelling! All of the characters were amazing with each playing their role perfectly! I liked witnessing the court drama and how the royals didn't let it affect them, especially the queen who was very compassionate and observant. I loved watching Cedric slowly realize that Nin was more than just a stand-in for the princess and how Lucille looked after her and helped him see Nin's worth. I loved how resilient and resourceful Nin was, risking everything so her sick brother could get the proper care. It was thrilling to watch them try to figure out who was trying to assassinate the real Princess and why, especially when Cedric stopped trying to keep Nin out of it and started working with her. The plot twist really shocked me. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, I didn't. I highly recommend this slow-burn no-spice fairytale retelling!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy with no expectation of a review. All opinions are my own.

[Jennalee Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This retelling was really sweet. I loved the fact that Nin, a pauper trying to take care of her brother, simply wanted to try a fancy macaron. In order to take care of him, Nin would pickpocket. She was caught and offered an amazing opportunity. Now, I will have to admit that I was slightly confused for the first half of the book how the royals were related. I couldn’t figure out if the Princess Marianne was related to the mentioned king and queen or if she was visiting. The relationship seemed very distant. However, about 3/4 of the way through, everything became very clear causing me to love the characters so much more. The romance was very sweet and ending even sweeter. I would say that the last fourth of the book really made it wonderful for me. Cute story!

I received this as an ARC book, but all of the thoughts and opinions are my own.

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[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the gentle reminder that moments are precious and that we choose to either savor them or let them pass us by.
Cedric has a princess to protect and a hidden enemy to uncover. When he comes across a thief who is nearly identical to the princess a plan of deception falls into place. Switch the princess for the thief. It should be simple. If only Nin would follow his instructions.

Nin has one purpose: keep her brother alive. When she is caught by the Captain of the
Princess’s guard and given an impossible opportunity, it seems like the only way to get her brother the help he needs. Nothing about the situation is simple, and there is a very real chance that she’ll get hurt, but the stubborn captain is determined to make it all work. If only he would smile once in awhile.

I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: I absolutely love this book! The storyline follows Nin, a street-smart pauper who strikes a desperate bargain to save her brother. In exchange for his safety, she must impersonate a princess and master royal etiquette to hide the true Princess. Tasked with training her is Captain Cedric Duval, a disciplined guard who begins to develop feelings for her, but does not want to in the least. Together, they must navigate a court full of suspicion and danger before the royal wedding reveals their deception and I was here for it! I loved every minute of it! If you love no spice fantasy with danger, banter, and no cursing, this one is for you! Check it out, along with the 11 other stand alone books in the series!!

[Amanda Favor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassins, romance, princess-training - quite a twist on the Prince and the Pauper!

I liked the mystery threaded throughout, I enjoyed trying to guess “who-done-it” (and I was wrong!) and quickly sped through the book to figure it out.

There’s a few similarities to the original story (of course they switch places!) but there were a lot of creative changes from the original tale, the most exciting being an ongoing assassination attempt, that I very much enjoyed reading.

Excellent choice for those who love stories of royalty, rags to riches, resilient female leads, and political intrigue.

I read this as an ARC but my review is voluntary and my thought and opinions are my own.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC and have no obligation to review.
Outstanding! 10 out of 5! This is the first book I've read in a long time that I consider good enough to reread.
I absolutely loved this gender swapped retelling of the Prince and the Pauper. The characters are realistic and relatable. Ashley crafts a beautiful story that hinges on a sister's love for her little brother. The pace made me sad I had to put it down to take care of real life things.
Ashley has really taken of as an author and I'm excited to read more of her works.

[Chrissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this advanced reading copy from the author.

I absolutely loved this book! I have read a few of the other Enchanting Confections books and this one has been my favorite. A true princess and the pauper story, Nin isn't a simpering young miss thrust into a princess's life. She is brave, smart, and loving.

The character development and writing was outstanding. I really enjoyed reading this book and did not want to put it down. It was extremely enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this book and will definitely be rereading it.

[Amber Christiansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - I loved it - This was a fun retelling of the Prince and the Pauper. I loved the dual POV seeing things from both Nin and Cedric's perspectives. The added fun of a plot against the real princess and deeper motivation for Nin (the pauper) to want to swap temporarily made for a pretty thrilling adventure. The slowly building romance was sweet and satisfying.

I received an advanced copy from the author and this voluntary review contains my honest opinions.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nin was determined and fierce, and even though life had treated her horribly, she wasn’t angry at the royals or nobles for having what she didn’t have, which I thought was admirable. Lucille the maid was amazing for admonishing Cedric when he couldn’t see how poorly he was doing in teaching Nin, taking his fear and frustration with himself out on her.
I think Cedric should have had to work a little harder to be worthy of Nin, but he was fighting his feelings for most of it anyway.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet romance with fairytale elements (like magic). It is loosely based on The Prince and The Pauper story, but only in that a poor girl trades place with with a princess. It has a mystery to solve, and the characters are likable. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fairy tale novel or a sweet romance. It is enjoyable for adults and clean enough for younger readers.

[Chantel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this little-told fairytale is getting a chance to shine in this brilliant "hidden identity" retelling. The intrigue of discovering the plot against Princess Marianne was so interesting, and I loved how this ended.

I do feel some parts were a bit rushed because I wanted to know more! But overall, a lovely story that I very much enjoyed.

[Bryanna Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨a Touch of Tiaras and Treachery was such a cute story. It has political intrigue, princess lessons, and espionage! I loved poor stressed out Cedric, and Nin is so kind and selfless. Watching their relationship grow was so sweet and I loved the ending. I highly recommend this story. 🥰

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I instantly loved Nin! Her personality was so fun, and her dedication to her loved ones was admirable.
Cedric...he had me questioning for a minute. I knew that I would really like him if I gave him time for character development. And I did end up liking him. His protectiveness was sweet, and not too overbearing.

I enjoyed the plot very much, and I think the ending was perfect!