Dance of Wishes

Happily Ever After #4

by K.A. Last

Twelve princesses, three nights, one heart.

King Marius is after an heir to the throne of Candorwick, but Princess Adelina is tired of her father’s attempts to marry her off. She wants to be with someone who will love her, not the kingdom’s most arrogant prince.

In a last-ditch attempt to find her a husband, the King enlists the help of a mage. Ginevra casts a spell on Adelina, and the search for her prince begins.

For three nights, Adelina must dance with twelve eligible suitors, all vying for two things … Her heart and the crown.

Will Adelina’s wish for love come true? Or will the winner stop at nothing to take the throne?

Find out in this romantic and magical retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

This novelette is book 4 in the Happily Ever After series. Each book is a standalone story, and they can be read in any order. If you believe in love and magic, start reading this series of retold fairy tales today.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Romance

59 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

K. A. Last is a graphic designer and author blessed with a vivid imagination. She has a Diploma in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in English, and minors in Children’s Literature, Art History, and Visual Culture. She lives in the Australian countryside with her family and a menagerie of animals, where she loves to immerse herself in creativity and nature.

Reviews

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enchanted by KA’s reimagining fairy tales and have loved each one I have read! They are sweet, clean and endearing as true love wins out in the end as the stories we have all loved did as well.

Fairy tales are a wonderful genre that gives us readers hope and courage in these dark days. Even if it’s only in our reading and the good feelings we get when a story turns out as it should that should be enough reason to read these books by the very talented KA Last! Those who love fairy tales will love this series and will want to read all of them and branch out to her other works for you will want to continue to experience the joy and pleasure you had while reading this book!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book and series with no reservations for they are a joy and delight to read! Treat yourself to this series and you too will say it was time well spent for you will feel all is well with the world; and when the feeling starts to fade the remedy is easy-pick up one of the books in this series and reread it again to once again feel the magic within that will warm your heart!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik heb ondertussen stiekem behoorlijk wat boeken van deze auteur gelezen. Deze boeken stonden al een tijdje op mijn Kindle, maar ik ben een trophy lezer en heb toch graag fysieke boeken vast. Van mijn vakantiegeld heb ik de boeken dus maar op papier gekocht.

Hoewel dit een relatief kort verhaal is, werkt het wel ongelooflijk goed omdat de emoties van de hoofdpersoon heel goed overkomen. Ik ging daardoor al vanaf de allereerste pagina met haar meeleven. En natuurlijk wist ik wel dat het ongetwijfeld wel goed zou komen, ik vond het toch enorm spannend tegen het einde. Het einde voelde wel weer een beetje afgeraffeld. Van mij had dat best wat uitgebreider gemogen. Maar, ik heb wel heel veel zin om ook de laatste twee delen in deze serie te gaan lezen.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I'm already seeing a trend where ya writers assume what their readers want is a romance with the trappings of fantasy. Whereas what this reader actually wants is a fantasy that may organically have romance in it but where the romance isn't the sole point. Anyone know where I can find more of the latter?

Anyway, this was a cute quick read. But as a sample book by an author to encourage me to read more of her work, it wasn't long enough. Ive no idea whether she can write a full length book based on just this short novella. It was fun and written well enough, but it had no depth. Which is what I'd expect from something like this, I just don't have any way to tell if the author can handle complex plot and character growth.

May be worth checking out this author if you are one of those 'romance first, fantasy incidental' fans though.

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dance of Wishes is the third story in K.A. Last’s Happily Ever After series of reimagined fairy tales. Each story stands alone, so they can be enjoyed in any order. This is a sweet, clean romance in which Last puts her own unique spin on The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

I wasn’t crazy about the first-person present-tense narration, but otherwise, I enjoyed this. I think every girl longs for someone to love her as Logan loves Princess Adeline. The story is short and a bit predictable, but just right when you want a sweet confection to distract you from life’s troubles.

Give this a try if you enjoy fairy tale retellings or clean romantic fantasies aimed at the young adult market.

I received an ARC from the author via BookFunnel, and I volunteered to provide an honest review.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful retelling of the 12 Dancing Princess. Adelina's father, the King wants her to marry but for him love doesn't enter the picture. Love on the other hand is very important to Adelina because how can she make her kingdom happy if she is not. Another problem is her heart lies with Logan the stable boy, someone her father would never allow her to marry. Ginevra the Mage offers a solution a test that only the person with the truest intentions with win Adelina's hand. A ball will be held for 3 nights and 11 versions of Adelina plus herself will dance with the Princes and Knights. The one who picks the real princess will win her hand. Will the test work and will the King accept the results even if isn't the result he wanted

[OldBird · Rating 2 out of 5]

This retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses gave me deja vu because I could have sworn I've read it before... Maybe it didn't do enough to feel different from other takes on the original for me to really feel interested in how things would pan out when it's all rather obvious. The writing is engaging enough and the tone spot on, but the actual execution of the story and the weirdly changeable characters (like how the King is all for her marriage to the vile Gerard despite his rudeness, but then suddenly right at the end is no longer fine with it because... reasons?) made it not quite as different from others as I'd expected.

-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-

[Jessica Kimbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many of Ms. Last’s fairy tales and loved each of them. Dance of Wishes is just as charming, beautifully written and creative! I was even a little surprised at the suspense and nervousness I felt hoping the correct suitor would choose Adelina.

[Searcher for Unique Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Suprisely this was a good story. Short and sweet, gets to the point. I was never a fan of the 12 dancing princesses but I like how people put a spin on the story. This is one of those times.

[Courtney Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! The twelve dancing princesses often gets overlooked in retellings, and I’m so happy with the way this one turned out. Twelve versions of the princess to find her true love! It’s a quick read and I think I held my breath most of the time. I couldn’t put it down.

[Serena Tyndall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute, short read. Again, even though it is short you get the entire tail of "The 12 Dancing Princesses." I would recommend this story.

[Aizlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a big departure from the original fairy tale but it works really well. It's a sweet, quick read.

[Lorin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this wonderful book! I will be reading the next book in this really wonderful series!

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love K.A.Last's fairytales and this retelling of 12 dancing princesses was no different - loved it! For three nights, Adelina must dance with twelve eligible suitors, all vying for two things … Her heart and the crown. Her heart is already taken and until the very end the author keeps you guessing as to the identity of the mystery prince - is he or isn't he. A wonderful story with lovely character told in such a short space. Recommended for lovers of retellings, rare fairytales, YA romance and HEAs.

[TaniaRina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a different twist...