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Timeless Fairy Tales #6
Puss in Boots
Though she dreams of adventure, Gabrielle—a peasant girl—is given only a cat for her inheritance and is told she must marry, immediately. So when the cat, Puss, offers her a life of excitement in exchange for a pair of boots, Gabrielle jumps at the opportunity. Through Puss’s cunning and Gabrielle’s good deeds, they become celebrated heroes in small villages across the country.
Their adventurous life is complicated by Prince Steffen—a handsome prince who has a low opinion of love. He befriends Gabrielle and comes to grudgingly respect Puss as they work together to purge monsters and brigands from the countryside.
Disaster strikes when Steffen realizes his growing feelings for Gabrielle, and Puss and Gabrielle fight the evil ogre who rules the lands of Carabas. Can Gabrielle save Carabas? Will Steffen accept his feelings for her before it is too late?
Set in a world brimming with magic, monsters, fairies, and heroes, PUSS IN BOOTS is a retelling of the classic French fairy tale. It is part of TIMELESS FAIRY TALES. The books in this series take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone stories.
Their adventurous life is complicated by Prince Steffen—a handsome prince who has a low opinion of love. He befriends Gabrielle and comes to grudgingly respect Puss as they work together to purge monsters and brigands from the countryside.
Disaster strikes when Steffen realizes his growing feelings for Gabrielle, and Puss and Gabrielle fight the evil ogre who rules the lands of Carabas. Can Gabrielle save Carabas? Will Steffen accept his feelings for her before it is too late?
Set in a world brimming with magic, monsters, fairies, and heroes, PUSS IN BOOTS is a retelling of the classic French fairy tale. It is part of TIMELESS FAIRY TALES. The books in this series take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone stories.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2015
388 people are currently reading
1448 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Shea
119 books4,785 followersMy pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
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VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
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VISIT MY WEBSITE
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I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
May 16, 2019
Rating: 4 stars
Loads of adventure where the h, Gabrielle, gets to save her prince in countless ways. The H, Crown Prince Steffen, was a bit annoying at times, a total commitment-phobe and downright ludicrous but not a complete loss although I could not always understand what Gabi saw in him. But with Roland aka Puss by her side, I guess her life will be balanced after all. I found myself wishing he was a man and not a cat so they could have their own HEA. As an animal lover and the human pet of two cats, it was a joy to read this tale. My hope is that Ms. Shea will do a retelling with a canine companion soon--if she has not done so already.
This remarkable retelling of Puss in Boots is extremely entertaining, vividly descriptive and enormously witty.
Loads of adventure where the h, Gabrielle, gets to save her prince in countless ways. The H, Crown Prince Steffen, was a bit annoying at times, a total commitment-phobe and downright ludicrous but not a complete loss although I could not always understand what Gabi saw in him. But with Roland aka Puss by her side, I guess her life will be balanced after all. I found myself wishing he was a man and not a cat so they could have their own HEA. As an animal lover and the human pet of two cats, it was a joy to read this tale. My hope is that Ms. Shea will do a retelling with a canine companion soon--if she has not done so already.
This remarkable retelling of Puss in Boots is extremely entertaining, vividly descriptive and enormously witty.
June 25, 2023
4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Very sweet story full of adventure. I love the Mashup of fairytale stories in this. Puss is feisty and hilarious. So cute!
January 2, 2019
I love fairytales and K.M. Shea is my new go-to person for their retellings.
Gabrielle is disgruntled when her parents divvy up their inheritance giving her brothers the mill and the donkey, and leaving her nothing, prodding her to marry for her survival. Her mean spirited sister-in-law suggests that she take a stray cat as her inheritance. The cat, who she later names Puss, proves to be a treasure!
I loved the partnership between Gabrielle and Puss: the way that he helped Gabrielle grow and find adventure, and the way they bantered back and forth.
Of course, along her journey, fighting bandits, killing trolls, and eventually defeating an ogre, Gabrielle meets the King of Arcania and the crown prince, Steffen. I enjoyed seeing the Royal family from The Wild Swans, and seeing how Gabrielle and Steffen got together. Although Wild Swans was released first, Puss in Boots occurs first chronologically, and can be read independent of the series. Of course, the series is so great that why would you want to miss any?
I highly recommend this to fairytale fans.
Content: clean (some kissing). Appropriate for a young teen audience, but enjoyed by this adult!
Gabrielle is disgruntled when her parents divvy up their inheritance giving her brothers the mill and the donkey, and leaving her nothing, prodding her to marry for her survival. Her mean spirited sister-in-law suggests that she take a stray cat as her inheritance. The cat, who she later names Puss, proves to be a treasure!
I loved the partnership between Gabrielle and Puss: the way that he helped Gabrielle grow and find adventure, and the way they bantered back and forth.
Of course, along her journey, fighting bandits, killing trolls, and eventually defeating an ogre, Gabrielle meets the King of Arcania and the crown prince, Steffen. I enjoyed seeing the Royal family from The Wild Swans, and seeing how Gabrielle and Steffen got together. Although Wild Swans was released first, Puss in Boots occurs first chronologically, and can be read independent of the series. Of course, the series is so great that why would you want to miss any?
I highly recommend this to fairytale fans.
Content: clean (some kissing). Appropriate for a young teen audience, but enjoyed by this adult!
June 26, 2020
Favourite story from my childhood .. 😍
I used to really like this pussy . Its so smart and helped his master when in dire need.
He was lucky though that those properties were of the villain.
Can i have such a kitty ..:-(
I used to really like this pussy . Its so smart and helped his master when in dire need.
He was lucky though that those properties were of the villain.
Can i have such a kitty ..:-(
January 12, 2018
Puss In Boots is a jolly good time! This one is full of humor, wit, and daring adventures! For a faerie tale that will warm your heart and keep you laughing, look no further!
I couldn't remember if I had ever read the original tale, but certain aspects of the story felt familiar, so I must have read a version at some point or watched an animated version when I was young. Either way, I'd have to say this was my favorite! This tale had such life and wildness to it!
Puss In Boots by K.M. Shea was so fun to read! I loved the feel of the story, and the originality it had. It had some nice twists and unexpected enjoyable moments, and it was just so vivacious!
As a stand alone, it was well developed as far as the world building and characters are concerned. But, as part of the whole Timeless Fairy Tales series, it was astoundingly detailed, and has moved to my new favorite of the tales!! I loved the detail in the world and how it connected to past tales. I loved the quirky, witty characters and how they fit so well in to the amazing, fantasy world!
Gabrielle has become my new favorite character! She was charming, witty, brave, and independent. She was strong and kind and incredibly kick ass! I loved her wildness and sense of adventure!
Puss was so hilarious to read! I loved his magical abilities, and his sassy personality! I loved his courage and his love for Gabrielle, and I laughed way too much at his sarcasm!!
I also really enjoyed getting to know Prince Steffen and King Henrik better! Both of their characters were quite regal, but each had a big heart. Steffen was devilishly handsome and quite entertaining, and I loved how we saw King Henrik's agreeable personality!
I had read a post from a blogger once who stated that it was not possible for someone to love every single book they read from one author. I believe my Faerie Tale Friday posts have proven that blogger wrong. I have loved every single book I've read from K.M. Shea so far! This one has moved in to my new favorite spot. It was beautiful, charming, quirky, and wild! It had heart and soul and carried Shea's themes of strong, uplifting women and the importance of developed love (not love at first sight) and family/friend love!
Thank you to the author for sending me this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review, and as part of my Faerie Tale Friday posts.
I couldn't remember if I had ever read the original tale, but certain aspects of the story felt familiar, so I must have read a version at some point or watched an animated version when I was young. Either way, I'd have to say this was my favorite! This tale had such life and wildness to it!
Puss In Boots by K.M. Shea was so fun to read! I loved the feel of the story, and the originality it had. It had some nice twists and unexpected enjoyable moments, and it was just so vivacious!
As a stand alone, it was well developed as far as the world building and characters are concerned. But, as part of the whole Timeless Fairy Tales series, it was astoundingly detailed, and has moved to my new favorite of the tales!! I loved the detail in the world and how it connected to past tales. I loved the quirky, witty characters and how they fit so well in to the amazing, fantasy world!
Gabrielle has become my new favorite character! She was charming, witty, brave, and independent. She was strong and kind and incredibly kick ass! I loved her wildness and sense of adventure!
Puss was so hilarious to read! I loved his magical abilities, and his sassy personality! I loved his courage and his love for Gabrielle, and I laughed way too much at his sarcasm!!
I also really enjoyed getting to know Prince Steffen and King Henrik better! Both of their characters were quite regal, but each had a big heart. Steffen was devilishly handsome and quite entertaining, and I loved how we saw King Henrik's agreeable personality!
I had read a post from a blogger once who stated that it was not possible for someone to love every single book they read from one author. I believe my Faerie Tale Friday posts have proven that blogger wrong. I have loved every single book I've read from K.M. Shea so far! This one has moved in to my new favorite spot. It was beautiful, charming, quirky, and wild! It had heart and soul and carried Shea's themes of strong, uplifting women and the importance of developed love (not love at first sight) and family/friend love!
Thank you to the author for sending me this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review, and as part of my Faerie Tale Friday posts.
January 31, 2023
Continuing through the series! Minor spoilers for earlier books in 'Timeless Fairy Tales.'
More of a divergence from the original fairy story than in the others; unfortunately, Shea made it back to the utterly formulaic structure. Like the other books in the series, it follows a girl who is 'special' in some way and ends up falling in love and getting her HEA (happily ever after).
However, I enjoyed the references across the books again - this is chronologically (so far) the earliest story. Prince Severin is cursed during the book, and his story is the first in the series. We also have already met our hero! Gabrielle, Steffen's wife from The Wild Swans is the miller's daughter and, whilst her family are content to stay in Iltz with their small-village life, Gabi longs for adventure. When her parents decide to move to Loire with the instruction she must stay behind and marry, she takes her chance and goes off adventuring!
Puss in Boots (or more properly Roland Archibald Whisperpaws the Fifth) is her companion - at first, she's somewhat annoyed by him until they become best of friends. This also has references to other fairy stories - they find a golden goose and there's a bit of slapstick comedy; Gabrielle also defeats the gingerbread man by eating him! Interestingly, Hansel and Gretel are also included, yet their story is completely commandeered - Gabi is the one to save them and push the witch into the fire! I feel rather indignant on the childrens' part!
It was fun to see Fursten Elise, Krownprinz Steffan, King Henrik et al before their story starts - and it also makes The Wild Swans a lot more sensical! The talking cat seemed just too odd for words, but it makes sense now.
I wonder why she chose to put them in this order? If the final few pages had been taken out, there would be no spoilers for The Wild Swans and it would have made it make more sense...
More of a divergence from the original fairy story than in the others; unfortunately, Shea made it back to the utterly formulaic structure. Like the other books in the series, it follows a girl who is 'special' in some way and ends up falling in love and getting her HEA (happily ever after).
However, I enjoyed the references across the books again - this is chronologically (so far) the earliest story. Prince Severin is cursed during the book, and his story is the first in the series. We also have already met our hero! Gabrielle, Steffen's wife from The Wild Swans is the miller's daughter and, whilst her family are content to stay in Iltz with their small-village life, Gabi longs for adventure. When her parents decide to move to Loire with the instruction she must stay behind and marry, she takes her chance and goes off adventuring!
Puss in Boots (or more properly Roland Archibald Whisperpaws the Fifth) is her companion - at first, she's somewhat annoyed by him until they become best of friends. This also has references to other fairy stories - they find a golden goose and there's a bit of slapstick comedy; Gabrielle also defeats the gingerbread man by eating him! Interestingly, Hansel and Gretel are also included, yet their story is completely commandeered - Gabi is the one to save them and push the witch into the fire! I feel rather indignant on the childrens' part!
It was fun to see Fursten Elise, Krownprinz Steffan, King Henrik et al before their story starts - and it also makes The Wild Swans a lot more sensical! The talking cat seemed just too odd for words, but it makes sense now.
I wonder why she chose to put them in this order? If the final few pages had been taken out, there would be no spoilers for The Wild Swans and it would have made it make more sense...
October 19, 2022
This is a re-read for me. I just love how Puss opens Gabrielle's eyes and how she transforms in herself and others. The romance is great here but truly the most important thing here for is the blossoming relationship between Puss and Gabrielle esp as platonic soulmates and how they each overcome their own fears but more so on Gabrielle's side. I live that she is prickly, kinda hard to get snd just dives right in. The epilogue is also very in touch with both characters and show who and what Gabrielle honors and appreciate and values. I'm forever a fan of this book. 😇 This is super clean, closed door etc. Don't expect steam!
April 13, 2025
This book was so good! All the characters had such great chemistry and banter! Puss was hilarious and iconic. The prince's and Gabi's relationship was believable and well developed!
April 26, 2019
Another great heroine + lots of adventure + a little light romance + talking Car = a whole lot of fun.
While most of this series can be read as standalones they do intersect. Characters from other stories pop up and other stories are referenced. If you did start in the middle you would be fine but it does add something to read them in order. Oddly, this book is earlier in time than the prior books in this series. It's also about characters from the book I skipped. I guess I'll grudgingly go back and read it and keep my expectations low for that one book (book 2 in the series). This book was the first time I felt like I missed out on too much by not having read it. Usually the stories don't overlap as much.
While most of this series can be read as standalones they do intersect. Characters from other stories pop up and other stories are referenced. If you did start in the middle you would be fine but it does add something to read them in order. Oddly, this book is earlier in time than the prior books in this series. It's also about characters from the book I skipped. I guess I'll grudgingly go back and read it and keep my expectations low for that one book (book 2 in the series). This book was the first time I felt like I missed out on too much by not having read it. Usually the stories don't overlap as much.
February 21, 2018
This fairy tale retelling features a girl, Gabrielle, and a talking cat. Gabrielle's beauty makes her stand out in her small village and not in a way that she wants. When given the opportunity she leaves her village and with the help of "Puss" heads off for adventure. She becomes the people's hero, helping with issues in villages and in the process meets the King and his son who are touring the kingdom. She must learn to accept that she might be kind of awesome and the prince must learn that someone might like him for himself rather than is crown.
March 31, 2021
Oh, I love K.M. Shea's writings. If anyone can get me out of a book slump it would be her. Her retellings are beautiful and I love how her fairy-tale world is all connected. In some shape and some form, you get snips of past books or future books in each book.
My favorite character has to be Puss. Oh, I am terribly sorry, Roland Archibald Whisperpaws the fifth. His relationship with Gabrielle is so cute and hilarious. Not to mention Prince Steffon and Gabi always jabbing at each other.
I loved this story. Can't wait to get the next book.
My favorite character has to be Puss. Oh, I am terribly sorry, Roland Archibald Whisperpaws the fifth. His relationship with Gabrielle is so cute and hilarious. Not to mention Prince Steffon and Gabi always jabbing at each other.
I loved this story. Can't wait to get the next book.
April 11, 2023
Loved the book and the relationship between our heroine and Puss
July 20, 2024
Gabrielle x Steffen + Puss!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2021
Fun book in a series of re-told fairy tales. I read this book out of order, and actually liked it better than two of the others I read. I liked the strong female protagonist.
March 19, 2022
I want a talking cat.
October 11, 2022
I have been super excited about this book except it didn't work for me. I didn't like the romance at all which is weird considering I liked both the characters in The Wild Swans. I still loved Gabi but I didn't like Steffen. He....I don't know he just wasn't what I imagined he be like with Gabi.
I loved the story line but not so much how it was executed. I felt like I was reading The Wild Swans again. I felt like it would have been amazing if this were a two book series. Because there was so much learning and living for Gabi to do.
This review is my honest opinion. I do NOT know the author and I was NOT given a free copy in exchange for a review.
I loved the story line but not so much how it was executed. I felt like I was reading The Wild Swans again. I felt like it would have been amazing if this were a two book series. Because there was so much learning and living for Gabi to do.
This review is my honest opinion. I do NOT know the author and I was NOT given a free copy in exchange for a review.
August 7, 2015
Another great fairy tale
I loved it. The retold story of Puss in Boots is excellent, and I like that it has romance, action, and comedy in it. It left me feeling satisfied and happy, and I like that K. M. Shea's other books are referenced in it. I would recommend it if you are looking for a fun book to read with independent and strong characters that go on adventures.
I loved it. The retold story of Puss in Boots is excellent, and I like that it has romance, action, and comedy in it. It left me feeling satisfied and happy, and I like that K. M. Shea's other books are referenced in it. I would recommend it if you are looking for a fun book to read with independent and strong characters that go on adventures.
August 13, 2015
Of the Fairy Tales series, this might be my new favorite. Gabrielle wasn't my favorite character at first, but she has a lot of personal growth and quickly becomes quite likeable. Puss is awesome, their adventures are fun, and I think the plot, character development and romance all run at a good pace. Overall very satisfying story and a fun spin on the Puss and Boots story.
April 24, 2017
DNF at 42/196.
August 5, 2021
This is more like a 3.7, almost 4 stars.
What holds this back from being a pure 4 star is, once again, Shea doesn't flesh out her world/characters enough. A large chunk of time is skipped so that Gabrielle goes from an inexperienced character, to a swashbuckling adventurer. I would have liked to see her growth, the lessons she learns, the skills she acquires. I can understand how some of those details don't really matter, but part of what makes a character journey is seeing their skills improve over time.
Gabrielle's home life is glossed over so quickly. All that's apparent is her family don't understand her and she's experiencing unwanted attention from all the men in the village. I want to see more of what makes her yearn for something beyond her village. A conversation with her brothers where they can't understand wanting more. Everything gets frontloaded so quickly: You get no inheritance, all the men in town are creeps, and boom. Magic talking cat to fix everything. A slower start would have fleshed out Gabi's family and made them seem less of antagonists and more people who are content with their lot in life/poor people who don't have much of a choice. Especially because Puss later berates Gabi for her poor attitude towards her village, it would have been better to see that it's less of Ilz is a terrible place to live and more of a bad fit for the main character.
Another flaw is that of Steffan, Gabrielle's love interest. While seeing things from his perspective is nice, I don't feel like he's given the depth he needs. He's the crown prince, reeling from his mother's death, trying to bolster his father, and trying to guard himself against love because he doesn't want the pain of loss. Yet I don't know anything of what he wants outside of these things. These complex issues don't present themselves in a way that makes him compelling. Not only that, but Steffan frequently ends up needing to be rescued--first by Gabrielle and then by his siblings--and it makes him look incompetent, and there's nothing to counterbalance that. I understand that he's not the main character, but there should be more to him than the slow realization he's in love with Gabrielle.
Gabrielle gets preachy about love in a good portion of her discussions with Steffan. While I understand Steffan's rationalization, and it makes sense due to his age and experience, why is Gabrielle the one telling him off? She's never been in love either, and only knows what she doesn't want in a relationship due to being chased after in her home village. King Henrik should have been the one to tell his son that love is worth it because even thought the loss hurts, love is worth it. Plus, doesn't he love his siblings? Is he going to shut himself off of all types of love to avoid the pain? Also, the preachiness feels both forced and tiresome. I get it, love is not about beauty, love should be equal between partners, but...seriously. This might be because some form of platitude about love is present in each book in the series so far, so now I'm getting tired of seeing it.
Towards the end of the book, we're thrust into the future that lines up with the Wild Swans retelling, and we're not shown a thing, not one thing, that Gabi does while her husband and in-laws are out of commission. We're given a few lines that state what she did, and that's it. After spending an entire book with Gabrielle, showing how she is cunning, brave, and stubborn, we don't get to see a thing? It's such a let down. I understand that this story is primarily about how Gabrielle came to be, but it would have been nice to see her running the resistance at the same time. Maybe even have the chapters flip between past Gabi and present Gabi, using her skills from the past to show how she's solving a problem in the present. I don't know, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that in neither story do we see Gabrielle actually doing something during the Wild Swans incident.
Once again, Angelique saves the day because of course she does, once again, sinister forces are hinted at but never really shown...I'm going to guess I won't know what's happening until either a later book in the series or the companion series.
I will say that this book was better than the others since the romance sort of happened naturally as a result of what happened, and the characters had other things to focus on besides falling in love. They were friends and combat partners before the idea of love ever entered into their heads. And that is something I very much enjoyed.
What holds this back from being a pure 4 star is, once again, Shea doesn't flesh out her world/characters enough. A large chunk of time is skipped so that Gabrielle goes from an inexperienced character, to a swashbuckling adventurer. I would have liked to see her growth, the lessons she learns, the skills she acquires. I can understand how some of those details don't really matter, but part of what makes a character journey is seeing their skills improve over time.
Gabrielle's home life is glossed over so quickly. All that's apparent is her family don't understand her and she's experiencing unwanted attention from all the men in the village. I want to see more of what makes her yearn for something beyond her village. A conversation with her brothers where they can't understand wanting more. Everything gets frontloaded so quickly: You get no inheritance, all the men in town are creeps, and boom. Magic talking cat to fix everything. A slower start would have fleshed out Gabi's family and made them seem less of antagonists and more people who are content with their lot in life/poor people who don't have much of a choice. Especially because Puss later berates Gabi for her poor attitude towards her village, it would have been better to see that it's less of Ilz is a terrible place to live and more of a bad fit for the main character.
Another flaw is that of Steffan, Gabrielle's love interest. While seeing things from his perspective is nice, I don't feel like he's given the depth he needs. He's the crown prince, reeling from his mother's death, trying to bolster his father, and trying to guard himself against love because he doesn't want the pain of loss. Yet I don't know anything of what he wants outside of these things. These complex issues don't present themselves in a way that makes him compelling. Not only that, but Steffan frequently ends up needing to be rescued--first by Gabrielle and then by his siblings--and it makes him look incompetent, and there's nothing to counterbalance that. I understand that he's not the main character, but there should be more to him than the slow realization he's in love with Gabrielle.
Gabrielle gets preachy about love in a good portion of her discussions with Steffan. While I understand Steffan's rationalization, and it makes sense due to his age and experience, why is Gabrielle the one telling him off? She's never been in love either, and only knows what she doesn't want in a relationship due to being chased after in her home village. King Henrik should have been the one to tell his son that love is worth it because even thought the loss hurts, love is worth it. Plus, doesn't he love his siblings? Is he going to shut himself off of all types of love to avoid the pain? Also, the preachiness feels both forced and tiresome. I get it, love is not about beauty, love should be equal between partners, but...seriously. This might be because some form of platitude about love is present in each book in the series so far, so now I'm getting tired of seeing it.
Towards the end of the book, we're thrust into the future that lines up with the Wild Swans retelling, and we're not shown a thing, not one thing, that Gabi does while her husband and in-laws are out of commission. We're given a few lines that state what she did, and that's it. After spending an entire book with Gabrielle, showing how she is cunning, brave, and stubborn, we don't get to see a thing? It's such a let down. I understand that this story is primarily about how Gabrielle came to be, but it would have been nice to see her running the resistance at the same time. Maybe even have the chapters flip between past Gabi and present Gabi, using her skills from the past to show how she's solving a problem in the present. I don't know, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that in neither story do we see Gabrielle actually doing something during the Wild Swans incident.
Once again, Angelique saves the day because of course she does, once again, sinister forces are hinted at but never really shown...I'm going to guess I won't know what's happening until either a later book in the series or the companion series.
I will say that this book was better than the others since the romance sort of happened naturally as a result of what happened, and the characters had other things to focus on besides falling in love. They were friends and combat partners before the idea of love ever entered into their heads. And that is something I very much enjoyed.
July 29, 2019
Title: Puss in Boots (Timeless Fairy Tales #6)
Author: K.M. Shea
Format: Kindle (Bought)
[ Enjoyed ] Yes.
[ Last Read ] Finished last night.
[ Reread ] Probably will.
[ Cover Lust ] Nope.
[ Intriguing Title ] Nope. (Not too familiar with the original.)
[ Interesting Premise/Plot ] Didn't look.
[ Preview Impressions ] Didn't preview.
[ Kept My Attention ] Yes. (Ending chapter kind of bored me though.)
[ Got Bored / Mind Wandering ] No.
[ Skimmed/Skipped Scenes/Chapters ] No.
[ Reread Past Scenes For Fun ] No.
[ Reread Past ScenesCause My Memory Sucks To Clear Confusion ] No.
[ Stayed Up Late ] No.
[ Took a Long Break Midway ] Nope.
[ Ending Left Me Feeling ] Onto the bonus short stories then Wild Swans!
[ Easy Light Reading ] Yes.
[ Turn Brain Off ] Sure why not.
[ Guilty Pleasure ] Not sure.
Other thoughts I'm throwing in: (Might contain spoilers; I fail at identifying them.)
At first, all the main characters irritated me. I don't know why, they just did. But they grew on me and I enjoyed each of them and their interactions with one another. (Puss--excuse me, Sir Roland--being my fave!) Until after the major battle in Carabas. The love issue between Gabi and Steffan bored me. (Maybe if I was in the mood for a reading romance novel it wouldn't. Also hoped that the orange cat would turn out to be another magical cat but alas, I predicted wrong.)
I'm not too familiar with the original Puss in Boots and read only one other retelling of it (which I don't remember much of). Being a prequel to in the Timeless Fairy Tales series, I thought reading Puss in Boots would be fine. (I prefer chronological order of events over timeline jumping.) But the epilogue (and one of the bonus short stories) made me realize that maybe I should have read The Wild Swans first. *sweatdrop*
Overall I enjoyed this retelling. There was a good amount of action, plenty of humor to entertain me, some romance, etc. Nitpicking: I didn't like how multiple characters go, "What?," when surprised though. Suddenly what I thought was a funny/cute/entertaining characteristic of one character *cough* Steffan *cough* became too generic.
Author: K.M. Shea
Format: Kindle (Bought)
[ Enjoyed ] Yes.
[ Last Read ] Finished last night.
[ Reread ] Probably will.
[ Cover Lust ] Nope.
[ Intriguing Title ] Nope. (Not too familiar with the original.)
[ Interesting Premise/Plot ] Didn't look.
[ Preview Impressions ] Didn't preview.
[ Kept My Attention ] Yes. (Ending chapter kind of bored me though.)
[ Got Bored / Mind Wandering ] No.
[ Skimmed/Skipped Scenes/Chapters ] No.
[ Reread Past Scenes For Fun ] No.
[ Reread Past Scenes
[ Stayed Up Late ] No.
[ Took a Long Break Midway ] Nope.
[ Ending Left Me Feeling ] Onto the bonus short stories then Wild Swans!
[ Easy Light Reading ] Yes.
[ Turn Brain Off ] Sure why not.
[ Guilty Pleasure ] Not sure.
Other thoughts I'm throwing in: (Might contain spoilers; I fail at identifying them.)
At first, all the main characters irritated me. I don't know why, they just did. But they grew on me and I enjoyed each of them and their interactions with one another. (Puss--excuse me, Sir Roland--being my fave!) Until after the major battle in Carabas. The love issue between Gabi and Steffan bored me. (Maybe if I was in the mood for a reading romance novel it wouldn't. Also hoped that the orange cat would turn out to be another magical cat but alas, I predicted wrong.)
I'm not too familiar with the original Puss in Boots and read only one other retelling of it (which I don't remember much of). Being a prequel to in the Timeless Fairy Tales series, I thought reading Puss in Boots would be fine. (I prefer chronological order of events over timeline jumping.) But the epilogue (and one of the bonus short stories) made me realize that maybe I should have read The Wild Swans first. *sweatdrop*
Overall I enjoyed this retelling. There was a good amount of action, plenty of humor to entertain me, some romance, etc. Nitpicking: I didn't like how multiple characters go, "What?," when surprised though. Suddenly what I thought was a funny/cute/entertaining characteristic of one character *cough* Steffan *cough* became too generic.
July 20, 2022
I was actually gonna read this series in order, since usually reading in order, even when they're technically stand-alones, is the best way to experience a series. However, since this is a prequel and since I loved the story of the wild swans so much and was quite curious to get to know Gabi and her cat a little better I had to read this one before continuing with the rest of the series. I was simply ready to go on an adventure!
And what an amazing adventure it was! I initially thought I wouldn't be able to finish the book today, since I would have to read past my normal lunch time, but I forgot about the usual hunger and just kept on reading because the story was so captivating! This was the kind of story where there was constantly something happening and a lot of action. Our heroes, after all, were going from one adventure to the next.
Although fighting scenes are usually not really my thing, I really enjoyed them in this case, because they mostly showed that fights aren't just won with pure strength and fighting technique, you also need wit. Quite often our heroine managed to win a fight because she simply outsmarted her opponent and also because she took the time to learn everything she had to learn about her opponent to find the weak spot she could exploit.
The characters in this story however were my favorites! More than once I was giggling out loud because of the funny interactions between our heroine and her prince and I think it's impossible not to fall in love with Puss. He's intelligent, he's arrogant, he's very cocky and yet he's also someone you simply have to like, especially because he can love so fiercely in his own way in return. I hope we'll see cameos of them in future stories!
And what an amazing adventure it was! I initially thought I wouldn't be able to finish the book today, since I would have to read past my normal lunch time, but I forgot about the usual hunger and just kept on reading because the story was so captivating! This was the kind of story where there was constantly something happening and a lot of action. Our heroes, after all, were going from one adventure to the next.
Although fighting scenes are usually not really my thing, I really enjoyed them in this case, because they mostly showed that fights aren't just won with pure strength and fighting technique, you also need wit. Quite often our heroine managed to win a fight because she simply outsmarted her opponent and also because she took the time to learn everything she had to learn about her opponent to find the weak spot she could exploit.
The characters in this story however were my favorites! More than once I was giggling out loud because of the funny interactions between our heroine and her prince and I think it's impossible not to fall in love with Puss. He's intelligent, he's arrogant, he's very cocky and yet he's also someone you simply have to like, especially because he can love so fiercely in his own way in return. I hope we'll see cameos of them in future stories!
May 22, 2025
I loved it!
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. This is Book Six of the Timeless Fairy Tales series, each book in this series takes place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone books. This is a retelling of classic French fairy tale, Puss In Boots, set in a world brimming with magic, monsters, fairies, heroes, sweet romance, strong female leads, and sassy cats.
Though she dreams of adventure, Gabrielle, a peasant girl, is given only a cat for her inheritance and is told she must marry, immediately. So when the cat, Puss, offers her a life of excitement in exchange for a pair of boots, Gabrielle jumps at the opportunity. Through Puss’s cunning and Gabrielle’s good deeds, they become celebrated heroes in small villages across the country. Their adventurous life is complicated by Prince Steffen, a handsome prince who has a low opinion of love. He befriends Gabrielle and comes to grudgingly respect Puss as they work together to purge monsters and brigands from the countryside. Disaster strikes when Steffen realizes his growing feelings for Gabrielle, and Puss and Gabrielle fight the evil ogre who rules the lands of Carabas. Can Gabrielle save Carabas? Will Steffen accept his feelings for her before it is too late? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. This is Book Six of the Timeless Fairy Tales series, each book in this series takes place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone books. This is a retelling of classic French fairy tale, Puss In Boots, set in a world brimming with magic, monsters, fairies, heroes, sweet romance, strong female leads, and sassy cats.
Though she dreams of adventure, Gabrielle, a peasant girl, is given only a cat for her inheritance and is told she must marry, immediately. So when the cat, Puss, offers her a life of excitement in exchange for a pair of boots, Gabrielle jumps at the opportunity. Through Puss’s cunning and Gabrielle’s good deeds, they become celebrated heroes in small villages across the country. Their adventurous life is complicated by Prince Steffen, a handsome prince who has a low opinion of love. He befriends Gabrielle and comes to grudgingly respect Puss as they work together to purge monsters and brigands from the countryside. Disaster strikes when Steffen realizes his growing feelings for Gabrielle, and Puss and Gabrielle fight the evil ogre who rules the lands of Carabas. Can Gabrielle save Carabas? Will Steffen accept his feelings for her before it is too late? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.
May 2, 2018
A Good read but give it tone.
At first I truly did not understand this book as I was not sure how Gabriellle and Puss (a magical talking cat) was going to set out on an adventure and end up defeating an ogre if all things. I actually even forgot that Gabrielle married Steffen in the second book of this series. I personally think this should have been before the Swan Prince`s book as it showed you Gabriellle and Steffen and the king before that time when the evil black witch queen took over.
But after reading a chapter or two I really started to enjoy this book I loved Gabrielle's temperament when dealing with Steffen and Puss on their Adventures and how overtime she became a noble heroine who used her knowledge in which to defeat her enemies and the enemies of others. I liked how Stefan didn't know how to approach lady Gabrielle as she was this intelligent feiry Maiden who with her companion (Puss) defeated and solved problems of the Citizens of Arcainia. But as the series has gone on there has been Monsters, magic, Heroes (yet begrudging ones), cunning companions, love, regret and acts of bravery, to provide a delightful story.
I've quite enjoyed this book and will be moving on to the next shortly. My advice to future readers is give it time and persevere as it starts to develop into a lovely story of a peasant girl Gabrielle and her Magical Talking Cat Puss and how they defeat an Ogre and turn her into a Marquise.
At first I truly did not understand this book as I was not sure how Gabriellle and Puss (a magical talking cat) was going to set out on an adventure and end up defeating an ogre if all things. I actually even forgot that Gabrielle married Steffen in the second book of this series. I personally think this should have been before the Swan Prince`s book as it showed you Gabriellle and Steffen and the king before that time when the evil black witch queen took over.
But after reading a chapter or two I really started to enjoy this book I loved Gabrielle's temperament when dealing with Steffen and Puss on their Adventures and how overtime she became a noble heroine who used her knowledge in which to defeat her enemies and the enemies of others. I liked how Stefan didn't know how to approach lady Gabrielle as she was this intelligent feiry Maiden who with her companion (Puss) defeated and solved problems of the Citizens of Arcainia. But as the series has gone on there has been Monsters, magic, Heroes (yet begrudging ones), cunning companions, love, regret and acts of bravery, to provide a delightful story.
I've quite enjoyed this book and will be moving on to the next shortly. My advice to future readers is give it time and persevere as it starts to develop into a lovely story of a peasant girl Gabrielle and her Magical Talking Cat Puss and how they defeat an Ogre and turn her into a Marquise.
July 4, 2018
What a surprise!
I've been zipping through K.M. Shea's "Timeless Fairy Tales" series at an average of a book a day until this one. I'm going to be honest. I wasn't familiar with the original fairytale, the book "backtracks" and takes us to the time before even the first book in the series, and it was with a character, Gabrielle, who we KNEW was going to get the prince because of the second installment, "Wild Swans". What a TURN. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Gabi from this perspective -I gained a lot of respect for her, and I already liked her from the second book! Puss is a charming cat whose sass and sense of adventure matches Gabi for an unlikely duo bent on escaping her small, small, small village of people who were fake to her because of her beauty.
Even though I knew Gabrielle was going to marry Prince Steffan, it was still such a fun read on how they got to where they are! Plus, Shea bridged it exceptionally well with how they grew as people in the "Wild Swans" storyline. Also, because of our knowledge of Elise and her admirers, it made reading it from this perspective all the more fun and enjoyable!
I'm quite glad I read this tale. It was a fun journey as a reader to witness how Gabi grew to be who she is and how she better fits in both the royal family and in the overarching plot of "Timeless Fairy Tales".
I've been zipping through K.M. Shea's "Timeless Fairy Tales" series at an average of a book a day until this one. I'm going to be honest. I wasn't familiar with the original fairytale, the book "backtracks" and takes us to the time before even the first book in the series, and it was with a character, Gabrielle, who we KNEW was going to get the prince because of the second installment, "Wild Swans". What a TURN. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Gabi from this perspective -I gained a lot of respect for her, and I already liked her from the second book! Puss is a charming cat whose sass and sense of adventure matches Gabi for an unlikely duo bent on escaping her small, small, small village of people who were fake to her because of her beauty.
Even though I knew Gabrielle was going to marry Prince Steffan, it was still such a fun read on how they got to where they are! Plus, Shea bridged it exceptionally well with how they grew as people in the "Wild Swans" storyline. Also, because of our knowledge of Elise and her admirers, it made reading it from this perspective all the more fun and enjoyable!
I'm quite glad I read this tale. It was a fun journey as a reader to witness how Gabi grew to be who she is and how she better fits in both the royal family and in the overarching plot of "Timeless Fairy Tales".
July 11, 2018
When I first saw the title of this Timeless Fairy Tales story, I was less than enthused as Puss in Boots is not one of my favorite tales. As ever, though, K.M. Shea surprised me and I finished the story with regret. Our heroine, Gabrielle, is a very beautiful headstrong village girl who despises her looks (as they have only brought her the wrong kind of attention) and thirsts for adventures. She is trapped in her small town and is facing an unwanted marriage when she rescues a talking magical cat who will, of course, change the shape of her future. As stubborn and sarcastic as Gabrielle, the two make quite an entertaining duo and when they meet Stephen, the handsome willful young heir to the throne, fireworks erupt. Shea masterfully twisted the traditional tale to offer the reader a daring tale of romance and adventure. The main characters evolve subtly through the story and, in the end, one has a hard time picturing them as the stubborn youngsters from the first pages. This book is ideal for anyone looking for a fun and sweet story to sweep them away.
July 29, 2022
I have mixed emotions towards this book. It was mostly clean, there was some mild innuendo and mild battle scenes. It took me a while to connect with the characters, but I did like them by the end. And I thought the ending was good. I liked see the prince brothers. There were some cute romance scenes, but I think in general I'm just not a fan of the fairytale "Puss in Boots", which isn't Shea's fault. She wrote it well.
Mostly clean.
Language/profanity: none
Sex/innuendo: Sweet kisses. There were some innuendo moments. A woman mistakenly thinks a man is asking her to sleep with him. A women has finished bathing, but not finished dressing. She is mostly covered, but the writing plays off the embarrassing moment. All these parts were mild, but I didn't appreciate them.
Gore/Violence: Several battle scenes. Mild in description, but there were wounds and deaths.
Dark/Creepy: none
Mostly clean.
Language/profanity: none
Sex/innuendo: Sweet kisses. There were some innuendo moments. A woman mistakenly thinks a man is asking her to sleep with him. A women has finished bathing, but not finished dressing. She is mostly covered, but the writing plays off the embarrassing moment. All these parts were mild, but I didn't appreciate them.
Gore/Violence: Several battle scenes. Mild in description, but there were wounds and deaths.
Dark/Creepy: none
December 8, 2019
Puss in Boots was yet another great addition to this addictive series. I didn't realize that this was a series when I started reading Cinderella and the Colonel, so at this point, I've just resigned myself to reading them out of order.
This book was by no means my favorite of the series, but it was just as fast-paced and page-turnable as the other two I have read. Gabi and Puss are an entertaining duo, but I thought that Steffan was a bit weak. I'm sure many of you enjoyed his character, but I am personally more a fan of Stil from the fourth book.
I'm still very much enjoying this series, and I think the next installation I have picked to read is The Little Selkie. Here's hoping its as enjoyable as all the others have been!
This book was by no means my favorite of the series, but it was just as fast-paced and page-turnable as the other two I have read. Gabi and Puss are an entertaining duo, but I thought that Steffan was a bit weak. I'm sure many of you enjoyed his character, but I am personally more a fan of Stil from the fourth book.
I'm still very much enjoying this series, and I think the next installation I have picked to read is The Little Selkie. Here's hoping its as enjoyable as all the others have been!
December 23, 2020
I like how this books discourses on different strokes for different folks. Gabrielle wants adventure in the great wide world out there, like a certain Disney heroine, but unlike other girls who claim to share that desire, she goes forth to seek that adventure with only a cat. I definitely like how the author shows Gabrielle's growth and development as she becomes the hero she wanted to be - just by helping those she could. I enjoyed Steffan's befuddlement with a beautiful girl who disdained beauty and who inspired him to be more than a placeholder. Like the other books in this series, this one is a fresh take on a classic fairy tale and worth the reading, if only to be introduced to Roland Archibald Whisperpaws the Third.
January 21, 2018
This was a great retelling of this popular fairy tale. Both Puss and Gabi were fun characters, and their banter made for some great on liners. References to smaller fairy tales made the book humorous and drew in some tales that would not otherwise be brought into a romantic fairy tale series.
Be forewarned that this book happens chronologically before the rest of the series, with the exception of part of the epilogue. You should at least read The Wild Swans before reading this book, though even that is not strictly required. Readers that have read the other books in the series will be rewarded with Easter eggs throughout the book.
Be forewarned that this book happens chronologically before the rest of the series, with the exception of part of the epilogue. You should at least read The Wild Swans before reading this book, though even that is not strictly required. Readers that have read the other books in the series will be rewarded with Easter eggs throughout the book.
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