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(Alternate cover edition of ASIN B01C85DOQG.)
Forget glass slippers… this time she’s wearing cowboy boots!
Ella has grown used to the casual cruelty of her stepsisters, the complete control her wicked stepfather exerts, and the exasperating way the birds and the mice keep bothering her while she’s trying to do her (extensive) daily chores. But with the big July Fourth celebration coming up in Everland, she’s determined to make her sisters the prettiest dresses possible so that they’ll finally get married and move out of her life. But she doesn’t count on a chance meeting with a handsome shopkeeper…
Having lost a leg at Gettysburg, Ian Crowne knows that he’s no princely catch. He’s got his store and his dogs, so he’s satisfied…until the day when an enigmatic stranger captures his imagination and his heart. Now they’re both dreaming of each other and wishing on stars, and the celebration is only days away...
Heat Level: 0/5 (suitable for all audiences)
Forget glass slippers… this time she’s wearing cowboy boots!
Ella has grown used to the casual cruelty of her stepsisters, the complete control her wicked stepfather exerts, and the exasperating way the birds and the mice keep bothering her while she’s trying to do her (extensive) daily chores. But with the big July Fourth celebration coming up in Everland, she’s determined to make her sisters the prettiest dresses possible so that they’ll finally get married and move out of her life. But she doesn’t count on a chance meeting with a handsome shopkeeper…
Having lost a leg at Gettysburg, Ian Crowne knows that he’s no princely catch. He’s got his store and his dogs, so he’s satisfied…until the day when an enigmatic stranger captures his imagination and his heart. Now they’re both dreaming of each other and wishing on stars, and the celebration is only days away...
Heat Level: 0/5 (suitable for all audiences)
162 pages, ebook
First published February 25, 2016
343 people are currently reading
922 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
November 15, 2016
++SPOILERS++
4.5 stars
An excellent take on Cinderella, and well done for a clean read. Fantastic for a freebie.
Done in a western style we have Ella who's mother married a rich rancher with 3 daughters. Ella's mother died and Ella, having nowhere else to go, remained with her evil step father who used her as slave labor, for himself and his nasty daughters.
Ella meets shopkeeper, a disbaled yankee veteran, while trying to obtain lace for her stepsister's dress for the 4th of July town parade/picnic and they have an instant attraction.
Yadda yadda lots of great conflict happens between the step sisters, and ranch hands.. we have great scenes (and bad) with dogs (for dog lovers) and a gypsy fairy godmother who shows up after Ella wished on a star.
My only regret is that I wanted more, I wanted the step father and sisters to have more punishment. I wanted some sexy times with the H & h, and an epilogue would have been nice too.
Now, I need to get off my chest the reason for the lowered rating.
1. Inconsistancy. One sentence stated the hero started courting a few women(after meeting the heroine).. then about 10 pages later it said he never courted a woman before.
2. I didn't care for the hero's oogling a few women, which happened after he met the heroine. It was innocent, and it was already stated that he had no interest in any other woman than the heroine, nor could those women compare to Ella, which made his oogling seem out of character and unnecessary. I don't understand the author's purpose for it. It seems the author was a bit sloppy in consistancy IMHO.
3. The hero never says I love you to Ella, even though we know it and he thinks it, he never tells her.
A fantastic read, not low angst, I felt so bad for Ella, and was so glad she got her HEA.
Great for a freebie, and I would certainly have paid for this. I would definately recommend and plan to check out other books by this author.
Safety
H & h both virgins (first last and only)
Cheating - no, but hero does oogle a few women, and supposedly courts a few, but then that is an inconsistancy (see above review)
OM/OW-See above
Abuse-Ella used as slave labor, not beaten. Mention of dog fight, but Ella saved a puppy.
Rape-No
Violence-mild
Sex-No. Kisses only
Cursing-No
Adultery-No
HEA/ILY-Marriage proposed, not shown. ILY said by Ella not hero (see above review)
Baby-No
4.5 stars
An excellent take on Cinderella, and well done for a clean read. Fantastic for a freebie.
Done in a western style we have Ella who's mother married a rich rancher with 3 daughters. Ella's mother died and Ella, having nowhere else to go, remained with her evil step father who used her as slave labor, for himself and his nasty daughters.
Ella meets shopkeeper, a disbaled yankee veteran, while trying to obtain lace for her stepsister's dress for the 4th of July town parade/picnic and they have an instant attraction.
Yadda yadda lots of great conflict happens between the step sisters, and ranch hands.. we have great scenes (and bad) with dogs (for dog lovers) and a gypsy fairy godmother who shows up after Ella wished on a star.
My only regret is that I wanted more, I wanted the step father and sisters to have more punishment. I wanted some sexy times with the H & h, and an epilogue would have been nice too.
Now, I need to get off my chest the reason for the lowered rating.
1. Inconsistancy. One sentence stated the hero started courting a few women(after meeting the heroine).. then about 10 pages later it said he never courted a woman before.
2. I didn't care for the hero's oogling a few women, which happened after he met the heroine. It was innocent, and it was already stated that he had no interest in any other woman than the heroine, nor could those women compare to Ella, which made his oogling seem out of character and unnecessary. I don't understand the author's purpose for it. It seems the author was a bit sloppy in consistancy IMHO.
3. The hero never says I love you to Ella, even though we know it and he thinks it, he never tells her.
A fantastic read, not low angst, I felt so bad for Ella, and was so glad she got her HEA.
Great for a freebie, and I would certainly have paid for this. I would definately recommend and plan to check out other books by this author.
Safety
H & h both virgins (first last and only)
Cheating - no, but hero does oogle a few women, and supposedly courts a few, but then that is an inconsistancy (see above review)
OM/OW-See above
Abuse-Ella used as slave labor, not beaten. Mention of dog fight, but Ella saved a puppy.
Rape-No
Violence-mild
Sex-No. Kisses only
Cursing-No
Adultery-No
HEA/ILY-Marriage proposed, not shown. ILY said by Ella not hero (see above review)
Baby-No
June 25, 2016
First book in a new fairy tale series (and my first book from this author), and it left me sufficiently intrigued about future characters ( like, who was that "wannabe" godmother?), for me to give the second volume a try.
This one... well imagine Cinderella living in the wild west.
In a ranch. And she's had enough.
What I found more interesting in it, is that it felt "more" real than the usual retellings that I read. Maybe because it is mostly told in a historical romance tone with traits of the famous fairy tale. In here, there's no glass slippers, but sensible shoes.
No talking birds... although do they seem to be fascinated by our Ella, much to her dismay. And don't even get her started on the rodent!
There's a stepfather who isn't keen on losing Ella's free labour, and three stepsisters whom Ella can't wait to see married of. And yes, they're as vain as always.
As for our "Prince" he's just a regular man, who dotes on his dogs _yes, he's a dog lover _ who he has named after past battles. Also, it was good to see a character who isn't the full embodiment of an Adonis.
The only reason it doesn't get a higher rating is because some things needed more development. With the exception of Ella and Ian (who by the way suffer from insta attraction), the rest of the characters are pretty much cardboard thin, which is to be expected considering the novella length of this story, but even so...
As for the ending, it was way too rushed!
Despite that, this was a promising start for a new series, with some really good moments in it.
TW's: mentions of animal cruelty.
November 20, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.
Ella slaves away for her ungrateful step-father and his three spoiled daughters. But after meeting Ian. She finds herself thinking of a different life with someone to love and who loves her back. Meanwhile, Ian has always had people look at him with pity because of the leg he lost in the war. But the way Ella looks at him isn't with pity. And he loves the way she's looking.
Likes:
~Romance
~Cinderella retelling
Dislikes:
~Non
I think I liked this one even more than the first book. It's basically Cinderella as a western romance with a hint of magic.
Ella slaves away for her ungrateful step-father and his three spoiled daughters. But after meeting Ian. She finds herself thinking of a different life with someone to love and who loves her back. Meanwhile, Ian has always had people look at him with pity because of the leg he lost in the war. But the way Ella looks at him isn't with pity. And he loves the way she's looking.
Likes:
~Romance
~Cinderella retelling
Dislikes:
~Non
I think I liked this one even more than the first book. It's basically Cinderella as a western romance with a hint of magic.
May 24, 2018
I enjoyed this a better than the first one - it's a solid three stars. There is still insta-love, though there is more of an attempt at developing a relationship between Ella and her prince. There is also a dog whose gender changes.
It is a good take on the retelling of Cinderella - in particular the use of the shoes. Nice enough.
It is a good take on the retelling of Cinderella - in particular the use of the shoes. Nice enough.
September 5, 2016
I liked the premise of setting Cinderella in the west (in 1875). I only read about 15% of the book though. I'm not sure where i got the idea that this series was clean, and maybe it is to some people, I just found too much innuendo for me.
May 24, 2017
No character depth, too raunchy
What drew me to this book was the rendition of the Cinderella tale so my hopes were high. Sadly this fell very short.
The characters were flat. My mind kept waving red flags at the "prince".
After only one meeting the "prince" was having wet dreams about Ella. And told her about them on their second meeting.
All he kept wanting to do was possess her. What she could do for him. How she would help him and be good to him. I'm sorry, if you're such a chivalrous prince, you should be talking all about what you can do for her besides save her from another possessive man.
What drew me to this book was the rendition of the Cinderella tale so my hopes were high. Sadly this fell very short.
The characters were flat. My mind kept waving red flags at the "prince".
After only one meeting the "prince" was having wet dreams about Ella. And told her about them on their second meeting.
All he kept wanting to do was possess her. What she could do for him. How she would help him and be good to him. I'm sorry, if you're such a chivalrous prince, you should be talking all about what you can do for her besides save her from another possessive man.
February 27, 2016
Lovely!
I LOVED this! I am a huge fan of fairy tales, and this definitely does the Cinderella story justice. There was so much to love and it was such a fun read. Ian Crowne is a wounded veteran who lives so much in the past, he names his dogs after the battles that affected him. He is one to love, though, and when he meets Ella, the chemistry is just perfection. I could gush for hours. The names of the other townsfolk had me chuckling, and I know this is going to be a series of fairy tale adaptions, and I cannot wait for more!
I LOVED this! I am a huge fan of fairy tales, and this definitely does the Cinderella story justice. There was so much to love and it was such a fun read. Ian Crowne is a wounded veteran who lives so much in the past, he names his dogs after the battles that affected him. He is one to love, though, and when he meets Ella, the chemistry is just perfection. I could gush for hours. The names of the other townsfolk had me chuckling, and I know this is going to be a series of fairy tale adaptions, and I cannot wait for more!
March 1, 2016
I bought this book because I love fairy tales, especially with a new twist. This one is excellent. Ella goes west with her mother and meets a cruel stepfather. Her mother passes away and she is left to care for said stepfather and three sisters. She has dark hair with curls and the three sisters have blonde hair. This was a sweet love story and a quick read. I took about two hours for me to finish it. The only negative I have with the book is the end. It just sort of ended with a rush. I wish there had been more of an epilogue.
November 7, 2016
This could have been a sweet story, but it was smeared by a few sexual references. I don't need to know what's happening in his trousers, thank you very much.
February 18, 2024
I picked up this series for a reading challenge it's a historical romance set in the wild west in Everland Wyoming. The concept for this series is adorable each book has a different couple with just a little magic mixed in. I have devoured each book in just a quick reading session. Every story has it's own unique story and I loved every moment of them. I plan to continue and finish the series as I enjoyed seeing the authors unique twist on the retellings.
March 1, 2017
Cinderella meets the Old West.
I love reading re-imagined fairytales and historical fiction. Ella is both rolled into one.
An enjoyable, quick read. I finished in a few hours and was never bored. Most importantly, for me, it is a clean romance that I can share with my niece. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
I love reading re-imagined fairytales and historical fiction. Ella is both rolled into one.
An enjoyable, quick read. I finished in a few hours and was never bored. Most importantly, for me, it is a clean romance that I can share with my niece. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
September 25, 2017
My Musings
This is a sweet western romance with engaging characters and a satisfying story line. Glad the hero and the heroine found their happy ending.Happy ☺reading 📚!
This is a sweet western romance with engaging characters and a satisfying story line. Glad the hero and the heroine found their happy ending.Happy ☺reading 📚!
December 4, 2016
This was a great introduction to the series and the town of Everand, Wyoming. It was a retelling of Cinderella but with a twist, in that rather than it being the evil stepmother you see in Cinderella it's a wicked step-father. It tells Ellas and Ian Crowne's love story.
All the characters were well developed and believable if not particularly likable in the case of Ellas Elder step sisters and stepfather. The plot kept me hooked from cover to cover.
Ella moved to Everland with her mother as a child when she marries a rich ranch owner with three daughters. She has grown up experiencing casual cruelty from her stepsisters and the complete control of her wicked stepfather which only gets worse when her mother dies. This along with the exasperating way the birds and mice bother her while she's doing her extensive daily chores. Whi
Ian moved to Everland after losing his leg at Gettysburg and taking over his parent's shop after their death. He runs the shop and cares for his dogs
All the characters in this book especially the main ones were developed in a way that you learned what you needed to for the purposes of the book but that there was more than enough room for them to be able, develop further in future books. I really loved Ella, Ian, and Ellas youngest stepsister as they were great characters. Ellas youngest stepsister was a great character because although she was as Nasty to Ella as her sisters when they were around when they weren't around it was clear that she actually genuinely loved Ella because she wasn't as
However, I really hated Ella's Stepfather and elder stepsister's as they were so awful to Ella and she really didn't deserve it. I also didn't like how Ella's stepfather didn't like Ian just because he fought on the wrong side during the war and because of this hadn't got to know him for who he was.
I loved the town and can't wait to find out more about it as I read the other books in the series. The way Caroline described the town, events that occur in the story and the characters in the story really enabled me to connect well with the book as a whole
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book and know that I will enjoy the series as a whole as I have already read one of the other books in the series completely by accident obviously, the third book in the series Beauty. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical western romance retellings because it fits in this genres very well.
This book is one that I will, without doubt, both recommend it to/buy it for anyone who enjoys books that fit into the genre's mentioned above.
All the characters were well developed and believable if not particularly likable in the case of Ellas Elder step sisters and stepfather. The plot kept me hooked from cover to cover.
Ella moved to Everland with her mother as a child when she marries a rich ranch owner with three daughters. She has grown up experiencing casual cruelty from her stepsisters and the complete control of her wicked stepfather which only gets worse when her mother dies. This along with the exasperating way the birds and mice bother her while she's doing her extensive daily chores. Whi
Ian moved to Everland after losing his leg at Gettysburg and taking over his parent's shop after their death. He runs the shop and cares for his dogs
All the characters in this book especially the main ones were developed in a way that you learned what you needed to for the purposes of the book but that there was more than enough room for them to be able, develop further in future books. I really loved Ella, Ian, and Ellas youngest stepsister as they were great characters. Ellas youngest stepsister was a great character because although she was as Nasty to Ella as her sisters when they were around when they weren't around it was clear that she actually genuinely loved Ella because she wasn't as
However, I really hated Ella's Stepfather and elder stepsister's as they were so awful to Ella and she really didn't deserve it. I also didn't like how Ella's stepfather didn't like Ian just because he fought on the wrong side during the war and because of this hadn't got to know him for who he was.
I loved the town and can't wait to find out more about it as I read the other books in the series. The way Caroline described the town, events that occur in the story and the characters in the story really enabled me to connect well with the book as a whole
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this book and know that I will enjoy the series as a whole as I have already read one of the other books in the series completely by accident obviously, the third book in the series Beauty. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical western romance retellings because it fits in this genres very well.
This book is one that I will, without doubt, both recommend it to/buy it for anyone who enjoys books that fit into the genre's mentioned above.
February 10, 2017
I love fairy tales, I love westerns, I love romances. So I can't help loving this book!
I definitely will be reading more of this series!
I definitely will be reading more of this series!
August 1, 2016
Fairly sweet fairy tale
I received this book free from one of my subscription emails.
This was a retelling of Cinderella set in the wild west. It had !many recognizable elements while having a few new elements too. The only objection I had was that the author described the physical elements of arousal a bit too much. Aside from that, the book was clean and the language was too. I really enjoyed it.
I received this book free from one of my subscription emails.
This was a retelling of Cinderella set in the wild west. It had !many recognizable elements while having a few new elements too. The only objection I had was that the author described the physical elements of arousal a bit too much. Aside from that, the book was clean and the language was too. I really enjoyed it.
August 23, 2016
What a perfectly sweet and delightful re-telling of the classic Cinderella story! If I hadn't promised myself I would never rate a story that wasn't original a 5, this one would undoubtably warrant that perfect score! Although it goes exactly along the Cinderella trope with no deviation except the exchange of a Western town with boots rather than castles and glass slippers, the telling is pitch perfect and beautifully done!
November 7, 2016
Mostly Good...
I was pleasantly intrigued by the premise of this story--Cinderella in the old west. For the most part, I think the author did a good job at the execution. I enjoyed her writing style and the development of the story...until the end, which was, sadly, a bit rushed. And while this would be considered a clean read, I could have done without the excessive references to our heroine's breasts and our hero's groin. Wholly unnecessary.
I was pleasantly intrigued by the premise of this story--Cinderella in the old west. For the most part, I think the author did a good job at the execution. I enjoyed her writing style and the development of the story...until the end, which was, sadly, a bit rushed. And while this would be considered a clean read, I could have done without the excessive references to our heroine's breasts and our hero's groin. Wholly unnecessary.
Read
August 18, 2016Not sure why this said heat level zero. After a couple of "tightening in his chest and trousers" and some pretty lustful dreams...nothing too specific but he thinks about laying her on his bed, etc didn't feel the need to continue. Glad it was free and now dah-lete!
September 17, 2020
Wanted to try this series out but I’ll be stopping with this one- they are labeled as clean but really aren’t...
The story and writing seem like a harlequin book I think- no real depth and lots of lust.
The story and writing seem like a harlequin book I think- no real depth and lots of lust.
April 11, 2016
A good fast read! I'll be honest that one of the reasons I loved it was because the hero was disabled. It was refreshing to see a hero not perfect and yet find someone who could look beyond that!
June 24, 2016
Love this book! Both of the main characters are dog lovers!!! This is an amazing Cinderella retelling!
November 14, 2016
I read this book in one evening—It is a delightful modern-day version of Cinderella. There are no glass slippers here—Ella wears a worn pair of cowboy boots. The stepmother is replaced by a stepfather who worked her mother to death and then slotted Ellen into her place to do the cooking, cleaning, and catering to her stepsisters. Fearing that Ella will meet someone and leave, he keeps her isolated on the ranch and has someone assigned to watch her constantly.
Ella’s Prince Charming is a war veteran, who had come to town a few years ago and started a business. He has isolated himself from the community because he cringes from the look on peoples face when they see his impairment. He lives by himself, with a circle of dogs who are also damaged.
This is heart warming story –the Cinderella theme is obvious, but the characters and the situation are unique and very different than the original ones. I felt for Ella, resented her sisters, was glad that she found a couple of allies, in spite of her evil stepfather. I liked Ian Crowne a lot. Together he and Ella found the possibility of something that they never imagined could exist…if Ella could ever break away from her prison to be with him.
If I had one complaint, it was that the book isn’t very long; yet when I thought about that, I realized that it didn’t need to be any longer. The story was complete.
I highly recommend this for an afternoon break—or a space of time when you want to be carried away to another world for a few hours!
Ella’s Prince Charming is a war veteran, who had come to town a few years ago and started a business. He has isolated himself from the community because he cringes from the look on peoples face when they see his impairment. He lives by himself, with a circle of dogs who are also damaged.
This is heart warming story –the Cinderella theme is obvious, but the characters and the situation are unique and very different than the original ones. I felt for Ella, resented her sisters, was glad that she found a couple of allies, in spite of her evil stepfather. I liked Ian Crowne a lot. Together he and Ella found the possibility of something that they never imagined could exist…if Ella could ever break away from her prison to be with him.
If I had one complaint, it was that the book isn’t very long; yet when I thought about that, I realized that it didn’t need to be any longer. The story was complete.
I highly recommend this for an afternoon break—or a space of time when you want to be carried away to another world for a few hours!
May 5, 2017
Always creative
Another great adaptation by this author. The references to fairytales were just right, not too heavy handed. I love the creativity of weaving in the fairy tale elements but still giving its own style. It is so fun and different to see it in a western setting. I am definitely following this author and reading more about the characters from Everland, Wyoming.
I'm not too fond of the sexual references. It's pretty light in this one, yet the word choices are too heavy for my teenagers. I just can't seem to place the intended reading audience. If intended for adults, then it is fine. But so many other elements of the story makes me think it is written for the enjoyment of young adult readers but I don't find the sexual content appropriate for that age group. So, it depends.
Another great adaptation by this author. The references to fairytales were just right, not too heavy handed. I love the creativity of weaving in the fairy tale elements but still giving its own style. It is so fun and different to see it in a western setting. I am definitely following this author and reading more about the characters from Everland, Wyoming.
I'm not too fond of the sexual references. It's pretty light in this one, yet the word choices are too heavy for my teenagers. I just can't seem to place the intended reading audience. If intended for adults, then it is fine. But so many other elements of the story makes me think it is written for the enjoyment of young adult readers but I don't find the sexual content appropriate for that age group. So, it depends.
October 13, 2017
A cute, quick, enjoyable retelling of Cinderella.
I liked this book. It made me a little nervous that it might become smutty, but there was no smut. Just the right amount of "wanting" each other without having to read about the details. I like that!
I look forward to reading the other fairytale retellings.
I liked this book. It made me a little nervous that it might become smutty, but there was no smut. Just the right amount of "wanting" each other without having to read about the details. I like that!
I look forward to reading the other fairytale retellings.
January 25, 2018
I enjoyed this retelling of Cinderella, which is set as a historical western romance. Caroline Lee has a clean writing style that carries you along. I liked how she changed some aspects of the story from the original, such as swapping a step mother for a step father. I really enjoyed the hero of the piece.
February 21, 2019
Not for me
I was wanting to love this story. I love Cinderella and enjoy retellings of it. While it didn't have any sex in it, it does refer to 'tightening in the pants' and 'hard nipples' which I don't particularly care for. It felt more lustful with these innuendos in it. He sees her once and is obsessed and dreaming of sex with her. Anyway, not my cup of tea.
I was wanting to love this story. I love Cinderella and enjoy retellings of it. While it didn't have any sex in it, it does refer to 'tightening in the pants' and 'hard nipples' which I don't particularly care for. It felt more lustful with these innuendos in it. He sees her once and is obsessed and dreaming of sex with her. Anyway, not my cup of tea.
September 15, 2019
A fun story!
This is a fun story to add to the Everland After series. It's cute like fairytales are supposed to be. Yet at the same time it's romantic like historical romances should be. Caroline Lee has a unique way of winding the two together to create a truly entertaining story. Looking forward to my next trip to Everland! Come along with me!
This is a fun story to add to the Everland After series. It's cute like fairytales are supposed to be. Yet at the same time it's romantic like historical romances should be. Caroline Lee has a unique way of winding the two together to create a truly entertaining story. Looking forward to my next trip to Everland! Come along with me!
March 23, 2020
Sweet Historical Romance with Fairytale Accents
As a fan of historical romance, I enjoyed this book. The fairytale theme of this book and the others of this series set in Neverland, are fun and sweet. I love reinterpretations of classic fairytales, and it was a pleasure to read this HEA.
As a fan of historical romance, I enjoyed this book. The fairytale theme of this book and the others of this series set in Neverland, are fun and sweet. I love reinterpretations of classic fairytales, and it was a pleasure to read this HEA.
August 2, 2017
I understand now why everyone is so obsessed with this series! If it's possible, I loved Ian & Ella's love story even more than Red & Hank's! The antagonists were despicable, Ian was a total Prince, and even the birds kept putting their 2 cents worth in! Loved every word!
January 28, 2019
When she came as a little girl to her step father's house she didn't know she was going to be a slave.
Her Step Father worked her mother to death and was trying to do the same to her. He thought she pityed him but she thought of him as her Prince instead.
Her Step Father worked her mother to death and was trying to do the same to her. He thought she pityed him but she thought of him as her Prince instead.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews