A Midwinter's Wedding

The Four Kingdoms #3.5

by Melanie Cellier

A retelling of The Frog Prince fairy tale.

Princess Cordelia is used to being overshadowed by her many brothers and sisters. So when she's offered the chance to attend her brother's wedding in a faraway kingdom, she leaps at it. In Northhelm, she'll finally have the chance to stand out. And maybe, just maybe, she'll even find romance.

But not everything in the Northhelmian court is as it appears. With her brother distracted by the wedding, only Ferdinand, the ugliest man at court, will listen to Cordelia's concerns. An observant princess and a strangely amphibious soldier may be the only thing standing between all Four Kingdoms and disaster.

Cordelia will have to overcome prejudice, deceit and danger if she wants to save the day and find romance at A Midwinter's Wedding.

If you enjoy clean romance, adventure and intrigue, then try the books in The Four Kingdoms series now! Each book can be read as a standalone story, however, for greatest enjoyment, they should be read in order.

The Four Kingdoms reading order:
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (Book One) 
The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (Book Two)
Happily Ever Afters: A Four Kingdoms Novella
The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (Book Three)
A Midwinter's Wedding: A Four Kingdoms Novella
The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (Book Four)

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retellings, Retellings, Audiobook

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2017

About the author

Melanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
 She always wanted to write one herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it. 


She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.


She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ✨ for seeing everyone again
4 ✨ for Ferdy
3 ✨ for Cordelia (love her name, but she was a bit annoying)

Hi, yes, why do five out of seven of the Royal children in this family have a ‘C’ name and two do not? I don’t feel like I would react well to that if five of my siblings had connecting names but me and a brother do not. That’s neither here nor there but I had to note my confusion—and the fact I could barely keep tract of all of them.

I didn’t care for Cordelia and how she treated her cursed sister, especially since it’s shared through memories that she was close to her sister before the curse that made her unable to share her smarts out loud with everyone. I’m looking forward to her story next—perhaps with William? Does William get his own story?

It was fun to basically see all the couples from the prior books again! It’s been a year and a half since the first book’s ending happened, so I was excited to “see” everyone again. We don’t see Sarah, but we see at least glimpses of everyone else which was like a party, hahaha! 😁



Main Content:
It’s said that the High King and the godmothers watch over all of the people and the kingdoms; Many mentions of curses, those who are cursed, & trying to break the curse; Mentions of fairy godmothers (in the snow they make snow godmothers instead of snow angels); Mentions of magic items (including one that’s supposed to lead you to your true love).

Being attacked (up to a few sentences); Falling through a frozen lake, pain, injuries, & being rescued (multiple paragraphs in describing what is happening); Seeing someone nearly get ran-over by a horse; Mentions of poisons & plans of harming others (unsaid if it’s death or just causing trouble/a war); Mentions of accidents & injuries; Mentions of mulled wine.

No language stronger than ‘sucker’ and ‘idiot’; A couple mentions of curses (not written out); Cordelia is rude to her sister who was cursed to be a fool (but does feel guilty about it at times and softens her tone).

Three kisses lasting a sentence each; Touches, Embraces, Being held, Noticing, Smelling, & Blushes (up to a few sentences in details); Wanting to embrace (a couple sentences); Seeing couples embrace, touch, & kiss (a couple sentences); Cordelia wants to have romance on this trip & wonders what it would be like to be held by someone; Cordelia is please when people notice her appearance & beauty; Cordelia is told by a young man to take of her wet clothing, but it’s because it’s cold and he doesn’t look/watch; Cordelia doesn’t think about someone in a romance way because of his appearance; Mentions of kissing & mistletoe; A couple mentions of jealousy.



See my content reviews of the rest of the series & spin-off series here:
The Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #2.2, Book #2.5, Book #3, Book #3.5, Book #4, and Book #5.

Beyond the Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, and Book #6.

Return to the Four Kingdoms series:
Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, and Book #6.

The Four Kingdoms Duology:
Book #1 and Book #2.

[ChildOfGod💜🙌🏽 (for God I live and for God I die) ~ in my Christian pop era · Rating 5 out of 5]

December 2024 re-read:

5 stars is there even a question??? 🤭🤭🤭🤭 Gosh…
THEYRE SO CUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
We all love Ferdy and Deli ofc yesss love love love love love. Can’t wait to see more of Cordelia’s sister in the next book 📚! Byeee 😘

August 2024 1st read:

First Reaction:

"You don't have to fight for me Ferdy. I'm already yours."
Gahhhhhhhh 🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍💗💗💗💗💗😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Full Review:
N/A

[Jel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I haven’t read retellings in the longest time and this one was amazing. Ferdy is just swoon worthy. Honestly, I didn’t think that there would be an actual curse and I thought the H would be frog looking until the end. I fell for Ferdy even before he became handsome lol. He was just so kind and patient to the h, even when the h sometimes disregarded him. The h was a bit annoying and a busybody but her skills helped the kingdom.

Lifting onto her toes, she pressed her lips against his. A bright light flashed out and enveloped the entire garden.”

“Dimly Cordelia could hear the others crying out, but she clung to Ferdy. At last the light dimmed, and she could see again.
Except the man she was clinging to had been transformed. His legs were straight and strong, making him taller than before. His bulging eyes were gone, and his features were straight and regular. He was every bit as handsome as William.
She stared at him. She could still see the Ferdy she loved in his features, and his smile still melted her heart, just like it had done the moment before their kiss.
“You did it,” he said. “You broke the curse.”

[Kristen Kooistra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so close to not reading this after the severe disappointment of the last half book novella in this series. I'm so, so, so glad I decided to give it a shot because even though it is a between books novella, it turned out to be my favorite in the series.

In this book I actually loved both the main characters. Cordelia was fun and smart. Ferdy was sweet and brave. I liked that Cordelia is honest with herself in the fact that she wanted to go there to snag someone rich and handsome(preferably a prince). It shows a knowing of ones self. And she admits it's not a good thing that she judges on appearance.

Ferdy listens to Cordelia as in actually listens. She realizes this and it's so cool to watch their relationship develop as they grow in respect for one another.

I wish this had been a full novel because Ferdy and Cordelia were such great characters. Definitely the best romantic couple in the series.

[human · Rating 1 out of 5]

(0/10 would never recommend)

listening to this (because of course it was only available in audiobook form fdnskjnfskjndsk) was an exercise in patience for me, one which i nearly failed. i mostly spent my time listening to this alternating between wanting to pour bleach into my ears and wanting to delete my hoopla account so i could never make a mistake like this ever again.

this was beyond painful. literal hell. never again.

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was the sweetest most heartfelt thing. ✨ I’m just gonna savor this series awhile.

[casserole · Rating 5 out of 5]

UHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM……………………. I’m. Blown. Away.
This was AMAZING. I wish it wasn’t a short story 😭😭😭

🧸Cordelia🧸
Mwah 🤌🤌🤌🤌 this girl and I would’ve been BESTIES. I really related to her, actually! She was super sweet and brave! BUT WHEN SHE FELL THROUGH THE ICE- oh my gosh I had to force myself to go to bed cuz I had told my mom “lemme finish this chapter” 😭😭😭😭

🕯️Ferdinand (Ferdy)🕯️
…this man… 😦 Ferdy was literally everything I ever dreamed of. Like. I thought the curse part was very well thought out! When him and Cordelia kissed, I literally sighed happily. Like, FINALLY.

This book was a masterpiece. If this was a movie, it’d be cinema 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌

[Jasmine (Jazzie) [Jesus Loves You!!] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc!!

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Frog Prince is one of my favorite fairy tales because its theme is so close to Beauty and the Beast in that the characters must look beyond outward appearances to fall in love with a person’s heart. A Midwinter Wedding was not only a charming take on that premise but it was the perfect continuation of Melanie Cellier's Four Kingdoms series.

Princess Cordelia of Lanover—the sister of Rafe from The Princess Pact—has the opportunity to travel to Northhelm for his wedding. While there, she meets Prince William’s friend Ferdinand (whose appearance is strangely frog-like) and begins to overhear suspicious conversations. While others brush off her observations and concerns, she finds a good listener and faithful friend in Ferdy. Together they unravel a plot against the royals of the surrounding kingdoms, all while gradually falling in love.

While A Midwinter Wedding was only a novella, the story arc felt complete and I found the read fun and satisfying. I not only loved seeing the reappearance of old characters from previous novels in the Four Kingdoms series but I particularly enjoyed getting to know Cordelia and Ferdy. Cordelia’s keen observation was admirable and her childlike excitement while experiencing winter and all the Midwinter activities it entails for the first time delightful. I also enjoyed experiencing her journey to distinguish herself while feeling overlooked in her big family but learn what true beauty is. Ferdy was the perfect hero—so loyal and incredibly sweet; he and Cordelia were not only kindred spirits but an adorable couple. Their romance was utterly cute and enjoyable.

Overall I found A Midwinter Wedding to be a lovely retelling of The Frog Prince and a perfect winter read.

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad Ferdy got a happy ending! Cordelia was fine. 😂😂

[Cate]

Last book of 2024!

A sweet retelling of Princess and the Frog with Christmas/winter vibes and a charming love interest.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely come across retellings from the Frog Prince and it happens even more rarely that I actually find ones that are well done. It's a very tricky tale, especially because in the version we all know so well the princess is not exactly the most likeable character. But, there are other versions, versions where the tale is a little differently and more beautifully.

And this book seemed to combine them all. This resulted in a lovely tale with the well known elements of the princess and the frog, like the golden ball and a curse, mixed with a fresh adventure, intrigue and royal balls and gatherings. And all of this in a lovely winter atmosphere combined with winter traditions from all over the world.

Apart from that: Both Cordelia and Ferdy were easy to like characters. They were most of all relatable and very human. Which means that Cordelia needs time to look past Ferdy's looks and that Ferdy needs time to realise that someone can pick him over the crown prince. But it's mostly their relationship, where they both appreciate and trust each other, believe each other and support each other no matter what, that I loved the most. Even though it was only a novella, they got the chance to get to know each other and to develop a friendship before anything else happened and grows, something I really like and appreciate.

I can't wait to read the next book, because the premise once again sounds very interesting and lovely!

[Ellie Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than the first time I read it! I needed a little Christmas(*for we need a little Christmas... right this very minute*-sorry what?) and I had a moment when I emerged from the book where I was like "oh right it's like 90 degrees outside eeww" because the story was so immersing. I loved Cordelia, and I loved seeing all the characters again and also for some reason I particularly loved the uncovering of the conspiracy. also, I wish there had been a bonus scene from Ava or Hans or Hanna's perspective of that reunion! <3 The romance was sweet, and I loved the little epilogue! It's such a great lead-in to the next book. Overall, this was a great romance novella! 11+

[Sydney (sydneysshelves) West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun but not anything crazy new.

[Lillian B (Kaladin Stormblessed version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Four stars
So, I accidentally read this out of order AGAIN and missed this novella. I wish that I'd read this book first.
(I have a tendency to miss all of the novellas in this series! Did I miss any others? Make sure to tell me if there are any other secret ones!)
It was so much fun getting to see everyone again.
Every time Cordelia was introduced to a character from a previous book, I was like, I KNOW THEM!!! I especially liked seeing the people from Arcadia again, that's probably my favorite country in the kingdom so far.
I didn't know anything about this fairy tale other than the basics, so I didn't really know how this story would go.
I ended up LOVING it though!!
The ending was kind of rushed, and I would've liked to see more of Cordelia and Ferdy as a couple. I feel like the romance went from almost nonexistent to Cordelia suddenly being in love with him, which also kind of bugged me.
Cordelia and Ferdinand aren't my favorite couple in this series, (That honor goes to Max and Alyssa), and I know this might be a controversial opinion, but they wouldve been better off as friends.
Cordelia is a great character, and I think "Aurora" should recruit her for th spy agency. (Long story, I accidentally read the series out of order and it happens in the next book.) She notices everything, although I don't like how no one believes her suspicions. That kind of bugs me.
I also don't like what she thinks of her sister, Celeste, mostly because I know the truth about her. (Again, I accidentally read the series out of order.)
It also kind of bugged me how she wrote Ferdinand off at first because of how he looked. Like, really? I know this is a frog and the princess retelling, but it just bugged me.
Ferdinand is a great, confident character too, and I like how he was always there for Cordelia. And that scene at the end was so sweet...
I don't like that this was in third person. I was confused at who was talking at times, and noticed a few missing commas and minor grammar mistakes.
I'm weird about that. Because I'm a writer, I can't read anything normally and literally analyze every scene, wether it's a climatic romantic scene, or kidnapping scene.
Overall, this was a very good book. Not my favorite in the series, but I'd still recommend it.

CW/TW: Attempted mass murder by poison, (the villains try to do it), one kiss, minimal details, Cordelia is put off by Ferdinand's appearance at first, notes his "crooked legs, bugged out eyes", (the curse is lifted when Cordelia and Ferdy kiss at the end of the novela nd he looks normal), an almost kidnapping, mention of magical godmothers, Ferdinand is under a curse, Cordelias younger sister is under a curse, ahe perceives her as not smart.

[Nicole Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one had much as the others 🤷🏻‍♀️. I felt like it didn’t have a powerful ending and just lacked overall compared to the other books in the series.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great like the rest of them, in my opinion. However, if the current pattern of how the villainous plots are revealed persists, I could see myself getting annoyed. But most importantly, FERDY IS LOVELY!!! Be my husband 😭😭! It was low-key sad that the author chose to de-funkify him at the end lol The entirety of Chapter 6 was just hilarious, man. All I really have left to add is a quote from page 98:

Ava helped both Cordelia and Alyssa out of their snow godmothers. Admiring her work, Cordelia almost didn’t notice that all three girls were staring at her. “The two of you seem to get along very well,” said Alyssa. Cordelia looked between the three of them and then across at Ferdinand. She blushed. “We’re just friends.” “Mmmhmmm,” said Ava disbelievingly. “I don’t think of him like that.” Cordelia squirmed. She didn’t want to admit out loud that his strange looks prevented her from thinking of him as anything other than a friend. It sounded ignoble even in her thoughts, but it was the truth. “He’s a good man,” said Marie before letting the matter drop.

[Jacquelyn &#x1f490; {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 5 out of 5]

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Wow! That was so good! This is a super sweet love story novella! I loved it! I was so happy to be back in this world and with these precious characters! I loved seeing Max and Alyssa again! I’ve missed this world so much! Cordelia was awesome and I loved her! Ferdinand was a sweetheart! Their love story was so sweet! Snow godmothers instead of snow angels was great! 😂 This is the perfect winter/Christmas novella and I highly recommend!

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

[Loren Boutin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book because it focused on what is on the inside rather than looks. Normally most romance I see are all about looks. It was so sweet and I love the nonchalant woman empowerment in this series. It isn’t in your face but it is subtle

[Allyson Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a charming story!! I love Melanie Cellier's themes in each of these books and this one especially was truly remarkable! Such a wonderful way of portraying the frog prince!

[Moriah Chavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique retelling of The Frog Prince. I liked how it didn’t have the gross, (slightly concerning) amphibian aspect.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This was such a sweet story. Both of the characters, Cordelia and Ferdy, were very likable. Their friendship to love story was SO sweet. I just loved it. And the winter setting was so much fun! And of course the action was great too. An amazing novella!

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midwinter's Wedding is the novella to be read between books 3 and 4 in the Four Kingdom Series. Okay, y'all should all already know how much I'm diggin' this series. (If you don't, see my reviews for the previous five books, novella, and shorts that I've read in the last week and a half. XD) Well, the Frong Prince was no different! I thoroughly enjoyed Cordelia's character and personality. It was so neat to have the observant MC, good with faces and voices. And who doesn't love William and Ferdy?! Ah, man, the kids and the ice skating, the Midwinter's celebration! This was the perfect little winter read. It has Cellier's trademark sweet romance with a tinge of danger and a nod to the classic tale, of course. An excellent addition to the series, as expected.

No language, no violence, mild romance.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful fairytale novella

I really enjoyed this story. There aren’t too many retellings of “The Frog Prince” fairytale that I’ve come across and liked, but this one was definitely better. I loved the way the author wove a completely new story into the book while still staying true to the original tale. I know it’s considered a novella, but it didn’t really feel like one, probably cause I felt like you got to know the characters so much in such a short time. I felt a little lost at times since I’d never read a book by this author before and didn’t know any of the other characters from other books, but truthfully it only whetted my appetite for more of the books in this series! Can’t wait to read more!

[librarian.of.rivendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that I wish this novella had been made into an actual book because I have never been so in love with a character in my whole booking life. I never really liked the story of the Frog Prince before and this book turned my opinion around and wedged its way into my heart. I can only congratulate Melanie Cellier for such a masterful turn of the story...

An absolutely clean and wonderful retelling no one should miss out on!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story. I love retellings of the fairy tales we all loved growing up. I loved how steadfast and loyal Ferdy was. He didn't negate anything she said but he was there with a steady hand supporting her in any way that he could. I loved all the secrets of the house. I always wanted a house with secrets to explore.

[Ru4repeat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the promise for this novel interesting, and I was blown away by the creative imaginings of the author in pulling it off. I loved the build up between the characters. Their emotions seem real and not rushed.

[Tenille Berezay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of novellas feel incomplete, but this one felt whole. Overall, a satisfying read.

[Hershey]

This apparently has a stupid mc
:)

[Michelle the Magical · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, sweet book. Glad I got to read it!