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The Wrong Foot
A frothy, romantic short story with a heroine who may happen to fit Cinderella's shoe...but has no interest in being chosen for her shoe-size!
First published in Daily Science Fiction. Republished as a standalone ebook.
First published in Daily Science Fiction. Republished as a standalone ebook.
28 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
14 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Burgis
80 books1,387 followersI grew up in America, but now I live in Wales with my husband, fellow writer Patrick Samphire, our two sons, and our sweet (and extremely vocal) tabby cat, Pebbles. I write fantasy rom-coms for adults (most recently Claws and Contrivances and Good Neighbors) and fun MG fantasy adventure novels, too (most recently The Raven Crown duology). My next series will be the adult romantasy trilogy The Queens of Villainy, published by Tor Bramble, starting in 2025 with Wooing the Witch Queen.
To get early sneak peeks at new stories and novels, sign up for my newsletter here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter.
To join my Dragons' Book Club and get early copies of every ebook that I put out myself (so, all of my novellas, short story ebooks, etc!), check out my Patreon page, where I also published a series of fantasy rom-coms (Good Neighbors) across 2020-2021.
I only rate and review the books that I like, which is why all of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars.
To get early sneak peeks at new stories and novels, sign up for my newsletter here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter.
To join my Dragons' Book Club and get early copies of every ebook that I put out myself (so, all of my novellas, short story ebooks, etc!), check out my Patreon page, where I also published a series of fantasy rom-coms (Good Neighbors) across 2020-2021.
I only rate and review the books that I like, which is why all of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
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December 18, 2018I've been wanting to turn this short story into an ebook for well over a year - and here it is at last! Hooray. :)
For anyone who needs a frothy, fun, rom-com escape for half an hour - and a heroine who's far too smart to be delighted when her foot turns out to fit Cinderella's slipper. ;)
You can find it now at Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords and B&N.
(Updated to add the B&N link! But I promise not to update again - I really don't want to clutter up your feeds.)
For anyone who needs a frothy, fun, rom-com escape for half an hour - and a heroine who's far too smart to be delighted when her foot turns out to fit Cinderella's slipper. ;)
You can find it now at Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords and B&N.
(Updated to add the B&N link! But I promise not to update again - I really don't want to clutter up your feeds.)
June 9, 2024
I hadn't noticed him at the ball last night - I'd spent most of the evening either hiding behind potted palms to escape Mama's terrifyingly implacable mission to find me dance partners, or else working my way through a Cicero translation in my head as I was yanked around the dance floor by her chosen victims.
A delightful Cinderella retelling where Cinderella flees the handsy price and the shoe fits more than one girl. This was funny and delightful read with an underlaying layer of darkness (sexual harassment). I enjoyed this quite a lot, Stephanie Burgis really can't do wrong!
You can listen to the story for free here: https://podcastle.org/2014/03/21/podc...
December 19, 2018
I usually enjoy Stephanie Burgis’ writing and this short story was delightful. The Cinderella story is turned on its head in every possible way and executed with wit and fantastic characterisation. There’s a lot packed into a small space here and it’s an utterly charming read.
December 16, 2018
Perfection!
What a perfectly delightful retelling of Cinderella! I love fairytale retellings, especially when the story is made new again. Love the way the story was flipped around here.
What a perfectly delightful retelling of Cinderella! I love fairytale retellings, especially when the story is made new again. Love the way the story was flipped around here.
January 17, 2019
I love retellings of Cinderella, and this one is excellent. It's a gently humorous story, with a wry Austen-esque style, featuring an intelligent Cinderella, an odious Prince Charming, and an unexpected hero. Worth reading, and a great pick-me-up when you have the doldrums!
December 27, 2024
Delightful and witty, just far too short. Well, it IS a short story!
December 31, 2024
Basic Plot: A Cinderella retelling where the wrong woman fits the shoe.
This was a really funny retelling of the Cinderella story that answers the all-important question of how the heck could a man dance with a woman all night, fall in love, and somehow not recognize her face the next day? Seriously, relying on a shoe to fit seems sketchy at best. I love how this short tale played out. Lots of fun.
This was a really funny retelling of the Cinderella story that answers the all-important question of how the heck could a man dance with a woman all night, fall in love, and somehow not recognize her face the next day? Seriously, relying on a shoe to fit seems sketchy at best. I love how this short tale played out. Lots of fun.
December 16, 2018
Sophia has no desire to be a princess. She'd rather be a scholar and never marry at all. However, the prince comes looking for the woman who fits the slipper she left behind at the ball quite determined to marry her. Since he was too busy looking at her bosom to glance at her face, the glass slipper she left behind is his only clue. Unfortunately, the slipper fits Sophia's small foot perfectly. Hustled by her mother who wants her daughter to be a princess and a queen who wants to get her son married off, Sophia finds herself in the palace and planning a wedding in two days. The prince only looked at the bosom of his fleeing dance partner, but his secretary Harcourt managed to look at faces and knows Sophia isn't the right girl. Since he assisted the actual dance partner - the shoemaker's daughter - in making her escape through a side door, he's willing to help Sophie escape too if she can find someone who actually wants to marry the prince.
This story packed a lot of punch into 28 pages. The dialog was crisp and witty. The characters came to life in just a few telling descriptions from the oblivious prince who is more interested in bosoms than anything else to Sophia's mother who sees her own ambitions being fulfilled in Sophie to the Queen who really wants to get her son married off and will let no obstacles stand in her way.Sophie was smart and smart-mouthed and Harcourt was quite a hero. And maybe Sophie's stance against marriage wasn't quite so firm after all.
This story packed a lot of punch into 28 pages. The dialog was crisp and witty. The characters came to life in just a few telling descriptions from the oblivious prince who is more interested in bosoms than anything else to Sophia's mother who sees her own ambitions being fulfilled in Sophie to the Queen who really wants to get her son married off and will let no obstacles stand in her way.Sophie was smart and smart-mouthed and Harcourt was quite a hero. And maybe Sophie's stance against marriage wasn't quite so firm after all.
December 18, 2024
A light hearted take on an old tale. Who doesn't want to marry the Prince and be a princess? Sophie for one. So, who was the mysterious woman, with the exceptionally small feet at the ball? Will she take her place at the prince's side? Read this upbeat novella and find out, it's a great read.
December 25, 2018
Perfectlly delightful little short story
March 29, 2020
A very uplifting new telling of Cinderella, a perfect 20 minute escape from the world.
February 10, 2019
4.5 stars. This is an enjoyable Cinderella retelling in a short story format. It's cute, funny, and brings something new to the tale. I loved it.
April 29, 2020
Romanceopoly 2020 Challenge
Moon pack:
Winter Has a white, blue and or silver cover
Aww, what a cute way to start 2020. This was a short but very sweet fairytale retelling, I can't really find much to say about it, it was just a very pleasant way to pass an hour or so.
Moon pack:
Winter Has a white, blue and or silver cover
Aww, what a cute way to start 2020. This was a short but very sweet fairytale retelling, I can't really find much to say about it, it was just a very pleasant way to pass an hour or so.
December 25, 2024
A nice short story retelling of Cinderella that explores a few key questions I always had. Namely, what happens when the wrong girl's foot fits the slipper? Additionally, the prince is a creep and our heroine wants exactly none of anything he's offering. An enjoyable addition to the short retellings.
April 1, 2018
Short story is available for free on the author’s website. This was an interesting retelling of Cinderella in which the Prince is a lecherous idiot from whom the young woman had to run away.
January 14, 2019
A witty, SHORT take on Cinderella and Prince Not-So-Charming
The scholarly, sassy heroine isn't Cinderella, just another ball-attendee with the same tiny foot-size (and curvy figure). The Prince is an arrogant idiot who doesn't even realize he's got the wrong girl. Unfortunately, not the stupid prince, nor either of their determined mothers, will even listen to her protests at being rushed into preparations for a wedding she does not want at all.
Now, since everyone knows the original outline of the story, and this retelling is so short, I'll have to try to keep my discussion of what I enjoyed about it fairly vague, so you can still enjoy the clever twists of how it unfolds.
I like the way the classic elements are bent, from the possibility that the actual dance-partner he'd been so attracted to had real reasons for fleeing, to the loving but absent father, to the role of the prince-chasing girl who'd do anything to be in his fiancee's place. The setting is non-specific Euopean historical, but there aren't magic wands being waved about.
I have to mention that I worried a little about how far the can't-even-conceive-of-hearing-a-No prince would be allowed to get, but it stayed fairly light (just a few gropes), with our likable heroine keeping her head and planning well, with some unexpected assistance.
The story is so short (only 20-ish pages, the last few of which are end matter) that the potential romance she does find is just a hopeful beginning as the story ends, but that's fine. I hated short romances that feel all rushed.
The writing is smooth, the dialogue witty, and the proofreading without any glitches (at least that I noticed). I don't usually pay (individually) for such a short work, but I read the sample, and brief as it was, I knew that I'd love the rest. It only took a brief while to read, but it was worth my dollar, especially since shorts are so RE-readable. Stephanie Burgis is an author I'd only read one novella from before, but I'll be getting more, and soon!
The scholarly, sassy heroine isn't Cinderella, just another ball-attendee with the same tiny foot-size (and curvy figure). The Prince is an arrogant idiot who doesn't even realize he's got the wrong girl. Unfortunately, not the stupid prince, nor either of their determined mothers, will even listen to her protests at being rushed into preparations for a wedding she does not want at all.
Now, since everyone knows the original outline of the story, and this retelling is so short, I'll have to try to keep my discussion of what I enjoyed about it fairly vague, so you can still enjoy the clever twists of how it unfolds.
I like the way the classic elements are bent, from the possibility that the actual dance-partner he'd been so attracted to had real reasons for fleeing, to the loving but absent father, to the role of the prince-chasing girl who'd do anything to be in his fiancee's place. The setting is non-specific Euopean historical, but there aren't magic wands being waved about.
I have to mention that I worried a little about how far the can't-even-conceive-of-hearing-a-No prince would be allowed to get, but it stayed fairly light (just a few gropes), with our likable heroine keeping her head and planning well, with some unexpected assistance.
The story is so short (only 20-ish pages, the last few of which are end matter) that the potential romance she does find is just a hopeful beginning as the story ends, but that's fine. I hated short romances that feel all rushed.
The writing is smooth, the dialogue witty, and the proofreading without any glitches (at least that I noticed). I don't usually pay (individually) for such a short work, but I read the sample, and brief as it was, I knew that I'd love the rest. It only took a brief while to read, but it was worth my dollar, especially since shorts are so RE-readable. Stephanie Burgis is an author I'd only read one novella from before, but I'll be getting more, and soon!
February 1, 2019
Please note that I received a Mobi copy in exchange for my honest review from the author.
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The Wrong Foot is a cute twist on Cinderella, and the perfect size for a quick winter read!
Have you ever read the story of Cinderella and wondered just how the shoe could fit just one person out of the whole kingdom? No? Well, I have and this story plays into the scenario perfectly! Our heroine, Sophia, has come into the predicament of fitting the shoe that was lost at a ball at midnight. Her mother is ecstatic that her daughter will become royalty, the prince is thrilled to find his long-lost love, and Sophia is utterly...miserable. What is one to do, when one prefers reading and studying to the politics of court? Read The Wrong Foot to find out!
Stephanie Burgis always has great stories lined up, which is why she is one of my favorite authors! If this short story tickles your fancy, I highly recommend her other works, such as Snowspelled, which is for older audiences. If more YA is to your taste, I definitely recommend the adorable, dragon-filled story, The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, or the series that introduced me to Ms. Burgis, Kat, Incorrigible.
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The Wrong Foot is a cute twist on Cinderella, and the perfect size for a quick winter read!
Have you ever read the story of Cinderella and wondered just how the shoe could fit just one person out of the whole kingdom? No? Well, I have and this story plays into the scenario perfectly! Our heroine, Sophia, has come into the predicament of fitting the shoe that was lost at a ball at midnight. Her mother is ecstatic that her daughter will become royalty, the prince is thrilled to find his long-lost love, and Sophia is utterly...miserable. What is one to do, when one prefers reading and studying to the politics of court? Read The Wrong Foot to find out!
Stephanie Burgis always has great stories lined up, which is why she is one of my favorite authors! If this short story tickles your fancy, I highly recommend her other works, such as Snowspelled, which is for older audiences. If more YA is to your taste, I definitely recommend the adorable, dragon-filled story, The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, or the series that introduced me to Ms. Burgis, Kat, Incorrigible.
December 16, 2018
This short story was so delightful! I was able to snag a copy from the author herself by virtue of being a subscriber to her newsletter (and if that's not incentive to sign up, I'm not sure what is!)
This is a nice retelling of the Cinderella story based on the premise of what if the shoe fit the wrong girl, and what would happen after that. The royals were suitably overbearing and snooty, the prince lecherous and actually a bit sinister, and the protagonist was a delight - a headstrong woman who likes to translate Cicero and dedicate her life to scholarship rather than a man.
Despite the story being so short, it was so fun to read, the romance blooming quite believably, and the way the main character escapes the prince was fun, too - everyone gets what they want in the end, without too much misery involved. I would love to read more of these characters!
This is a nice retelling of the Cinderella story based on the premise of what if the shoe fit the wrong girl, and what would happen after that. The royals were suitably overbearing and snooty, the prince lecherous and actually a bit sinister, and the protagonist was a delight - a headstrong woman who likes to translate Cicero and dedicate her life to scholarship rather than a man.
Despite the story being so short, it was so fun to read, the romance blooming quite believably, and the way the main character escapes the prince was fun, too - everyone gets what they want in the end, without too much misery involved. I would love to read more of these characters!
December 17, 2018
An absolutely charming and very amusing retelling of Cinderella, featuring a scholarly young woman named Sophie, whose feet unexpectedly DO fit into the glass slippers. She, however, is utterly determined NOT to marry the prince who, in this version, is a pretty despicable man. Thankfully she has the help of the prince's secretary to escape from the marriage at the eleventh hour, and she talks him into running away with her, thereby punishing the prince twice over. Though I suspect he'll regret the loss of his secretary more than the loss of Sophie since her contrivance provides the prince with a most willing substitute bride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2020
I didn't realise that The Wrong Foot was going to be such a short read when I started it, but 28 pages later I was finished. Despite its diminutive length, The Wrong Foot was a fun retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella with a quirky twist. I loved that Sophie was intelligent, feisty and a reader, who could stand up for herself in any situation. Harcourt was quite the hero but the prince was definitely NOT charming. A quick, delightful story with a stunning front cover.
December 28, 2024
It’s almost too short to review, but I really wish I could read a longer version. Imagine having tiny feet (I wish!). When the Not-Cinderella bookworm is fitted with the special glass slipper, only her matchmaking mother is enthusiastic.
She’s strong, smart and independent. What does the prince see? Boobs.
She’s not delighted. Boobs.
She’s not a tiny woman. Again, boobs.
I have been devouring dark romances recently but DNF’ing most because they lack individuality. Seeing an old trope completely twisted like this was a breath of fresh air.
She’s strong, smart and independent. What does the prince see? Boobs.
She’s not delighted. Boobs.
She’s not a tiny woman. Again, boobs.
I have been devouring dark romances recently but DNF’ing most because they lack individuality. Seeing an old trope completely twisted like this was a breath of fresh air.
January 5, 2020
Fair warning: This story is definitely 14+
This short story has all of the ferocity and humor I have come to expect from Stephanie Burgis, in addition to being the most realistic retelling of Cinderella I have ever read! I mean, seriously; even with a mask, the prince should have had more to go on than just shoe size.
This short story has all of the ferocity and humor I have come to expect from Stephanie Burgis, in addition to being the most realistic retelling of Cinderella I have ever read! I mean, seriously; even with a mask, the prince should have had more to go on than just shoe size.
December 16, 2018
This is amazing! A wry feminist take on the Cinderella story, which sparkles with the wit that Stephanie Burgis always brings to her writing. You instantly want to be friends with the main character, and the whole story sings with the perfect balance of magic and practicality. A gorgeous read!
December 16, 2018
Strong minded woman, dunderheaded prince, cinderella, upper vs lower class
Short and sweet, with just a touch of insta-love. would be interested to see this expanded into a novel, but at this length there's not much substance to the story.
Short and sweet, with just a touch of insta-love. would be interested to see this expanded into a novel, but at this length there's not much substance to the story.
December 21, 2018
20.12.2018 - 3,5*
Roztomilý kraťas. Sympatická hrdinka a vtipný koncept "hlavních hrdinů". Taková jednohubka, která potěší. Líbila by se mi delší verze, na druhou stranu si nejsem jistá, že by to pak neztratilo právě tu část svého kouzla. ^^
Roztomilý kraťas. Sympatická hrdinka a vtipný koncept "hlavních hrdinů". Taková jednohubka, která potěší. Líbila by se mi delší verze, na druhou stranu si nejsem jistá, že by to pak neztratilo právě tu část svého kouzla. ^^
February 4, 2019
Fun What If Cinderella Tale
Burgis takes the Cinderella trope and turns the entire thing on its head. Sophia is no missish wallflower, nor is she interested in a boarish Gaston. A quick read, only a little over 20 pages. Perfect for short intervals for a pick me up romance.
Burgis takes the Cinderella trope and turns the entire thing on its head. Sophia is no missish wallflower, nor is she interested in a boarish Gaston. A quick read, only a little over 20 pages. Perfect for short intervals for a pick me up romance.
February 6, 2019
Funny and delightful
I started laughing straight away, and carried on till the end of the warm and delightful story. I’ll buy more by this author, and always remember that the prince who didn’t look at ladies faces.
I started laughing straight away, and carried on till the end of the warm and delightful story. I’ll buy more by this author, and always remember that the prince who didn’t look at ladies faces.
June 1, 2021
Really fun short story retelling of Cinderella! I enjoyed the way this one played out a LOT, and it seemed to me like the way the prince and the queen reacted to finding someone—anyone—who fit the slipper was probably way too realistic.
March 5, 2022
is a face so hard to remember?
What a great reimagining of Cinderella. Burgis takes a reasonable question—what if someone else were to fit the glass slipper—and runs with it. And why might a person not want to marry the price after all
What a great reimagining of Cinderella. Burgis takes a reasonable question—what if someone else were to fit the glass slipper—and runs with it. And why might a person not want to marry the price after all
February 3, 2023
I only got about halfway through before giving up. The story is neat but could use more flushing out (even for a short story) and I found myself feeling like I could put it down, never pick it back up again, and be just fine
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews