Mystery at the Midnight Ball: A Cinderella Fairy Tale

Regal Retellings

by Kristen Niedfeldt

Once upon a time . . .Ellie bid farewell to her childhood friend Prince Alexander eight years ago and never thought their paths would ever cross again. After all, the two of them lived in separate worlds. He was a prince and she was a humble servant. Surely it was better for her to leave their old friendship in the past and accept her dreary fate.But when she impulsively dons a mask to catch a better glimpse of a ball, their worlds collide, and a mystery at the palace soon pulls them even closer together. Drawn into the intrigue, Ellie must find the traitor lurking in the castle’s shadows before all hope of peace is lost—and before she completely loses her heart.A sweet and clean Cinderella retelling

Genres: Cinderella, Romance, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Historical Romance, Fairy Tale Retellings

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2021

Reviews

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

4 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling (non-magical)

Wait, stop, this was a so cute!? It was exactly what I wanted to read right now. 😌

At first I was concerned that this book would feel too basic or like the normal Cinderella story, but there were some differences that kept the entire story from feeling that way. Such as there being two princes, the younger prince being her childhood friend and the love interest (my favorite kind of MMC!), plus Ellie having a younger half-sister (who was a sassy dear!) as well as the usual step-sister.

With that step-sister though, there’s a big of a political mystery happening that Ellie and Alexander get involved in; which I’ll admit to probably not following the best I could have due to a headache, but I really love the idea of fairytale retellings with mysteries and am now on the hunt for more!

Ellie, our Cinderella character, is very innocent, but I honestly really liked that about her because it made her sweetness work well for her character and feel realistic rather than a character who seems like a fake.

I do think it was wrong to have two characters with similar names—Frederick and Deidrick. Perhaps that’s not super close, but I struggled the entire book keeping them separated and I kept thinking that they were the brothers and not cousins. 😅

One thing I love about Cinderella retellings is when Prince Charming stands up for his girl against her step-family or whoever is talking bad about her—and I got that a few times in this book so I was a very happy camper and you could see me in the backgrounds of those scenes eating popcorn, enjoying her step-mother getting a dressing down.

On the step-mother note, she was bad, but she wasn’t blood-pressure-raising, I’d-like-to-smack-her level of bad, which was honestly refreshing and made the book more enjoyable because my eye wasn’t twitching every time she would appear.

Overall I was very impressed with this non-magical retelling! I definitely will be reading the other books by this author and have to get a physical copy of this one for my shelves!


Age recommendation: If some light kisses/romance elements are okay, I would suggest this book for 12/13+ as it was super clean. I will quote the three kisses below so parents can make an informed decision on whether that’s okay for their reader or not. ☺️


Main Content-
No magic content at all, but Ellie does describe a few things as magic or magical (meaning whimsical or glamorous) and Ellie also describes snow as if it looks like “tiny fragments of magic falling from heaven”; Ellie and Alexander both pray, but it’s not said towards Whom those prayers are towards.

Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of monks & a monastery; Mentions of luck & blessings (mainly by Ellie and sometimes in the same sentence); A couple mentions of churches; A couple mentions of stars aligning for something to happen or fate happening in a situation (by Ellie); A couple mentions of thinking a character is seeing a ghost (because it’s a person he hasn’t seen in a long time, not actually a ghost); A couple mentions of devils (the phrase about riding so fast it’s like devils are chasing a person & then a cat is called a devil); A mention of a young Ellie wishing to “steal a glimpse of heaven and see her mother again”; A mention of miracles; A mention of an omen.



Being grabbed/an attempted abduction & Fighting back (up to a few sentences); Seeing fights/fighting & injuries (up to a few sentences).

Ellie’s step-mother and step-sister are cold to her and burden her with household chores, but aren’t usually deliberately mean; There are some recalling/mentions of Ellie’s step-mother slapping her in the past, though.

Ellie avoids lying to others and does not lie; Ellie eavesdrops on a conversation (for safety/political reasons); A bit of eye rolling & sarcasm.

Mentions of deaths & grief (Ellie for her parents); Mentions of wars, fighting/fights, & spies; Mentions of a fire & arson; Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of a mother being disowned by her family because of who she married; A couple mentions of a small foal possibly not surviving; A mention of stealing.



4 hand/fingers kisses,
3 kiss lasting a couple sentences (see quoted below),
Wanting to kiss (a sentence about it taking all of Alexander’s self-control to keep from kissing Ellie);
Remembering kisses (including hand/fingers kisses, a sentence in length).

Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Tingles, Flutters, & Nearness (up to a couple sentences); Blushes & Winks; A bit of Noticing (a sentence or two).

A few mentions of kisses & seeing or hearing other couples share a kiss; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a plan to force a young woman to marry a man she doesn’t know.


How the kisses are described:
“He smiled down at her, his joy matching her own. She watched his expression shift from pure happiness to a more determined look, and Ellie’s heart began to pound as he drew her forward. Ellie closed her eyes as he bent his head, leaning into him as his lips finally met hers in their long-awaited first kiss.
Their friendship was now changed forever.
She eventually pulled away, feeling more than a little breathless.”

“She wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down to kiss her. She never wanted to let him go. When Prince Alexander finally lifted his head, he took both of her hands in his.

”He brought a hand to the back of her head and wove his fingers into her soft hair. With his other hand at her waist, he drew her close, bent his head down, and pressed his lips to hers. She melted into his strong arms with a sigh.”

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I do not read many fairy tales or romantic mysteries. I agreed to review this book because I have always wanted to review a book before it was published. I had zero expectations of loving the book but I love it! This is not your average retelling of the Cinderella story with a twist. This book includes a fun mystery that keeps you guessing all the way through. The 'Cinderella' character, Ellie, is strong, clever, resourceful, and kind. This book is one for all ages. I plan to share it with my eleven year old daughter. It is not often you find a book that captures the interest and hearts of the old and the young. This book does just that. I give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up. I like this version far better than the original.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Much More Than a Cinderella Story

I’ve always thought that a good fairytale retelling takes the basic story, and the author makes it their own. Kristen Niedfledt nailed it! It has the bare bones of Cinderella: balls, missing shoes, mistreated step-daughter, but there was so much more to this story!
There was political intrigue, treaties, spies, and a childhood friendship turned romance. I loved Ellie and Alexander: their communication, their chemistry, their enduring friendship and sacrifices.
Well done! I can’t wait to discover more of Kristen Niedfeldt’s books!

Content: clean (no language, mild violence, a few kisses)

[Megan McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice clean romance Cinderella retelling. Ellie bid her childhood home and friends goodbye years ago. She never expected to be recognized when she returned though.
This was a good retelling of Cinderella

[Bailey Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually really cute!!! I loved the couple but i felt like they should have sped things up a little faster with the romance.

This was a really cute cinderella fairy tale retelling and i am hoping to read the second as well!!

3.5 - 4.0 stars!!!

[Jamie (The Kansan Reader)]

DNF @25%

I'm bored. I'm not being drawn in. Also, I'm not a fan of this Cinderella. Just meh.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute teen/YA fairy tale retelling! I really enjoyed this story and the cute twists and similarities it has to Cinderella. I was intrigued and had to keep reading to find out who the bad guy(s) were!

[Ella J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I recently won this book in a giveaway here on Goodreads. I'm so happy I did! This was such a delightful Cinderella retelling!
As I have seen another reviewer say, "Mystery at the Midnight Ball," is so much more than just a fairytale retelling. The author really took the original premise and completely made it her own. One of the ways she did that is by adding a mystery subplot to the story.

My favorite thing about this book has to be the two main characters, Ellie and Alexander. Ellie is such a strong and empathetic character. She faces hardships with such determination and doesn't let them make her bitter. She is also very smart and makes a good sleuth. She did a good job of thinking on her feet as she tried to solve the mystery that takes place in this story.
Alexander is also great. He is a generous and loyal character. He is also one of the most respectful and thoughtful love interests I have seen in a long time. I loved that while he was protective of Ellie, he was also very supportive of her, even when she chose to do things he didn't necessary agree with.

I also absolutely loved the romance in this book; It is the most perfect slowburn friends-to-lovers. I may have let out a little squeal when Ellie and Alexander finally confessed their feelings for one another lol. I loved that the author kept the romance very clean, yet still very swoon-worthy. For that reason "Mystery at the Midnight Ball," could appeal to many ages.

I will definitely be checking out other books by Kristen Niedfeldt very soon!

[Bethany Aich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great twist on Cinderella

I loved this Cinderella story. It’s a clean and fun read. I managed not to read the end first and was quite surprised by the ending, in a pleasant way.

[SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella is a classic tale with many iterations in print form and in film; the fact is, the basic elements of this fairytale are so treasured, that Cinderella has been read or watch again and again for generations. And that is why the alure of almost any book with a hint of Cinderella in the title has a good chance of getting me to grab the book. Yep, I’ve purchased various books labeled Cinderella. The positive memories of past replications of the classic Cinderella tale can pull me in and begs me to try another reiteration of this story.

This book had many interesting parts, a step sister who was kinder than found in some versions, some extra villains never seen before, and some mystery with royal kingdom shenanigans never dreamed of in the original. I enjoy the innovativeness and I applaud this author for her creativity.

For me, this was a solid 3.8 that I rounded up to 4.0. Elle and Alexander were enjoyable characters and Cinder the horse was great, and the pumpkins in the field thing was ironic. At times the story dragged out an episode over long, and for me, there were a few to many crisis situations. These situations were novel, but it dragged on the story. I also felt like the dialogue was geared more to a young adult audience. This was a solid story, a story that was creative, a story that the YA adult will particularly enjoy.

[Mbilmey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a fun read. It does some very clever as a non-magical Cinderella retelling.
Ellie is a very sweet character, but also knows how to take care of herself. The prince is too good to be real, but I’m mean...it’s a fairytale. (It was maybe less than healthy for this jaded woman haha).
It was fun to see how the different fairytale elements were incorporated over the course of the story. The author also uses a lot of description and clearly knows a lot of good background information. I actually was pretty gripped into the story. Also, the romance was very cute with the perfect level of adorable-and-tense-without-being-invasive. A+ on judging the levels there. Also, Deidrick is my favorite.
It was admittedly a little cheesy and a little convenient, and I didn’t find the plot like the most compelling thing and a little to...convoluted? It was also very wordy. And it rubs me weird when adaptations mention their adaptation within the story...it feels jarring. So, that puts it around 3-4 stars for me, so we’re leaning four just because it was very fun and left out a lot of cringy stuff I find in similar books. It looked long, but I ready it pretty fast.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Racheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there wasn't a fairy godmother, talking mice or pumpkin carriages in this book, it was still filled with its own kind of beautiful magic. From the first few pages, your pulled into Ellie's world which feels as realistic as it does unfair. I found comfort in Cinder, Prince Alexander and Ellie's half sister as they were all her biggest supporters. I loved that while Ellis was obedient with her step mother, she was still fierce, brave and true to herself through the whole book.The book itself had a historical romance feel to it, which paired with the tale of Cinderella, felt both magical and believable. There were definitely some plot twists towards the end that I didn't see coming, but that made sense. Overall, this was the perfect light and fluffy read I was looking for.

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 5 out of 5]

💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

Oh my goodness! This was SO cute and definitely one of my favorite Cinderella retellings! I loved how Ellie and Alexander knew each other from childhood! It was such a fun twist on the normal Cinderella! Ellie was such a lovely character and I adored her! I loved the addition of her little step-sister, Jocelyn! She was a sweetheart! Alexander, oh my, I loved him! He was so good and they were perfect for each other! I loved watching them fall in love! The stepmother and step-sister were so mean which is no surprise given this fairytale. This was a wonderful book and I absolutely loved it! 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I definitely recommend it as well as the whole series! I’m sad to be done with it and definitely will be reading more of her books!

💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

[UntoldOblivion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.3

The story had some really good point I love when the prince knows what going on and he not clueless up until the end of the book.
That being said I did feel underwhelmed with how it developed especially at the end it seemed a bit juvenile. There were part that could have been so good if detailed and developed correctly and not rushed. Clever the development of the villain I caught on immediately to the first clue but had to wait and see if I was right. Had to add .3 stars for those redemption arcs tho I honestly didn’t see them coming so well done! 👏🏽

Overall good story would have liked a little more tension

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly sweet and wholesome Cinderella retelling.

I liked the main character, she was kind and her background made a lot of sense regarding how and why she was stuck working for her step-mother. I also liked the prince. I enjoyed how this retelling had a thoughtful twist regarding the characteristics of the original story.

I did realize who the villain was pretty early on, and I think that made the story a little bit less interesting. The ending felt underwhelming in comparison to the build up.

Easy read in general, with wholesome content, not too much bullying or cruelty from the sister or step-mother.

Enjoyable, I would read from this author again.

[Sarah Slansky Marcue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Cinderella retelling! It's not your typical Disney Cinderella story. I love that the story already begins so differently by starting with a ball. From there, it takes you on an exciting mystery that builds both Ellie's ("Cinderella") and Alexander's (the prince) characters in new and unexpecting ways. Plus, I'm a fan of regional folktales, and I loved the way that Kristen included a folktale in a folktale in this story, even in a small way!

[Xylo F4i · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Bland and simple. There was romance. There was a plot. But my heart never skipped a beat and I never felt it flutter for them. It was cute, and on paper it was romantic, but it didn’t affect me emotionally. And the plot was a bit predictable. The main character made some questionable choices imo. The prince was… bland. I’d much rather have a romance about the oldest brother/ the crown prince and his fiancée. They seemed interesting.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very well written story. It starts off as what you expect from a Cinderella story, but then takes a few turns that make it an intriguing read. I loved how clean the love story was...a book I'd let my daughters read. The story flows perfectly and had a few moments that truly melted my heart. A great quick read.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Was it life-altering or incredibly personally meaningful? No. But I wanted a book that was clean, fun, had a strong female lead, and kept me coming back for more and this fit the bill. The romance was sweet and the mystery was a good one. I didn’t see it coming!
I received a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading Cinderella retellings--especially when they're as sweet and enjoyable as this one is! It definitely will be added to my list of favorite versions of Cinderella.

A 'Cinderella' you root for their HEA ✅
Kind, caring 'Prince Charming' ✅
Some mild twists and turns ✅
Sweet and super clean romance ✅
Happily Ever After ✅✅✅

[Hope Vollm · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on Cinderella. I enjoyed having a mystery plot and I honestly was surprised at who the bad guy was.

This is a very clean romance though. I was more into the mystery than the romance really. Ellie just really had a helpful spirit and such so she was a bit hard to relate to because I couldn’t imagine.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than Cinderella

I won this book on Goodreads.
I loved this book.
It was so different from Cinderella, but still a Cinderella story.
I love Ellie. And enjoyed that the step sisters weren’t ugly or rude to Ellie.
Obviously the step mom had to be mean.
The plot twists kept me guessing and even though we all know how Cinderella ends, I still loved it.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading fairy tale retellings. I thought this one was good and not too predictable, which is hard to do with retellings. The use of the various Cinderella elements was innovative. Enjoyable read, clean, can be read by a younger pre-teen audience as well as enjoyed by teens and adults who like the genre.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

This retelling of Cindarella was such an enjoyable read. I loved the very likeable characters, except for the obvious villains. There was the usual tension in the story, but not dragged on or uncomfortable. The romance, which I'm usually not a fan of, was light and not overly dwelled on. The pace was perfect with good twists and turns. Highly recommended.

[Cristy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

a wonderful twist on the classic

This had all my favorite elements from the original fairy tale - the evil stepmother, not-so-evil stepsister, animals galore!, a swoony prince worth fighting for, awful chores, and a fairy godmother. Don’t forget the shoe! Seriously, this was a heart-warming HEA fairy tale retelling that I heartily recommend.

[MzDimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book, it was clean, funny, and a great fairytale retelling, plus, I would definitely recommend this book to people. I loved our main girl, Jocelyn, Alexander, and the horses, the plot was beautifully written, the villains were masterfully crafted, and while there was a few miscellaneous things that I didn’t love about this book, it was an enjoyable read.

[Emily F - Seriously Sweet Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great twist

This was a great twist on the Cinderella story. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading more from Kristen Niedfeldt. This was sweet and clean, I'd rate G for thematic violence and mild kissing.

[Heidi Niedfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love fairytale retellings and this book was everything I hoped it would be! Clean, clever, page turning, and romantic. There were fun twists and turns that kept it new and exciting but it had the classic Cinderella romance and sweetness that we all know and love.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I like that the characters referenced the history story of Cinderella. It's a nice nod to the story it is based off of.

I also really liked the characters and how they develop throughout the book.

Highly recommend!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly unique and enjoyable retelling of "Cinderella". I loved how Kristen Nidelfeldt had different settings instead of focusing just on the main character's perspective which can become redundant in other retellings. I hope her next book is a retelling of "Snow White" or "Beauty and The Beast".