A cash-strapped earl risks everything to take his sisters to the prince's ball, only to be tempted by his fated mate!
The prince’s ball could be life-changing for Ember’s beloved stepsisters. But it will take a painful sacrifice to get them there. Ember has been in hiding, waiting for his twenty-first birthday to take his rightful place as the Earl of Carlysle. He’s naive. He’s afraid the penniless estate will not bring the husbands his sisters deserve, but for them, he must face his fears.
In his quest, he has more allies than he knows. His cool, ambitious stepmother shows a side of herself he’s never seen, and tradesmen like Hugh the brawny blacksmith pitch in out of love for Ember’s family. The entire town of Carlisle Crossing comes together to make Ember’s sisters’ dreams come true, but Hugh warns him against the dangers facing his kind.
They are rules Ember must not break.
On the night of the ball, a chance meeting with a masked man confuses Ember. He loses his heart and his inhibitions. Can Ember believe in a magical future, not just for his sisters, but for him as well?
Will Ember, break the rules?
Will Ember follow his heart and accept the love of his true mate?
On the night of the Prince’s Ball, the Prince is not the only prize.
If you're bewitched by fairy tales, deep family love, emotional sacrifice, and a good-hearted farrier godfather, buy Ember’s Moon today! Ember's moon is an Mpreg, fated mate, fairy tale.
I'm not a big fairytale reader, but I really enjoyed this take on Cinderella. While that tale forms the general framework, this story is so much more than just a rewrite.
Ember is an Earl whose family is facing hard times and who will do anything to help his omega sisters find a good match if not their true mates. When the opportunity for them to attend a prince's ball arises, Ember will make any sacrifice to make sure the girls make a good showing. Even if that means putting himself at risk of others finding out he is a male omega - something that almost never happens.
Kit aka Prince Christopher can't tell his parents that he will never find his mate in a woman and with his mother's poor health, he agrees to look for a mate at a ball to be thrown at the palace. With a little magic his cousin attends in his stead and Kit sneaks off into town. When he finds his true mate in who he believes to be the Earl of Carlyle's coachman, one night leads to a vow to be together, but tragedy, deception and an inability to communicate cause the men to be separated. Kit intends to remain true to his vow to the coachman and will do whatever it takes to find his mate.
I really liked all the characters and adored Kit and Ember. While there is a long separation here I was invested in both their circumstances and could feel the love when they are reunited under unique circumstances. I even shed a tear when they are finally fully reunited.
The story has shifters, magic, a not-so-wicked stepmother, mpreg, plenty of drama and an epic reuniting of two men who were meant to be. I'll be looking forward to diving into the next fairytale Fiona Lawless takes on.
******* Now that I know Fiona Lawless is actually one of my fave authors, Z.A. Maxfield, I'm super excited to read these!
Too much of repetitious info. Seems like the purpose of the book is to educate us on everything alpha/omega and make sure we pass the test if there is ever one. Unfortunately that makes the book boring and the flow of the story uneven. There are some other flaws in the writing style, but info dumps interrupting events and stalling a momentum is my major pet peeve here.
I wish the book was shorter, the writing tighter, because I really like the story behind all these unnecessary words.
The second part of the book made me reconsider the three stars.
The amount of self loathing was out of proportion, considering no real back story was given to support it for Kit. We see him as a decent person in the first part and his growing insecurity only made me dislike his parents.
There was no romance. None. The MCs interaction in human form was maybe 5% of the book.
The island part of the book and the stepsisters episodes dragged forever. Sisters’ mates were continuously referred to as “beaus”. Not mates, not mentioned by name, just Nora’s beau and what was the other one’s name? Her beau. The two evil stepsisters in the original short tale were more alive than these dragged out cartoonish characters. The island omegas were very unlikable, blood thirsty harpies.
The writing got weird-er. At one point Ember “had to get of his horse in order to puke” - how formal of him in this emergency situation. Another character “blinked his eyes” - what else he could have blinked? Omegas’ sheep are referred to us as “foul, fluffy beasts” almost every time they are mentioned. Like I said, weird. There are more of these little mishaps that catch your eye and snag your attention; they ruin the story.
Pleasantly surprised by this Cinderella-esque fairy tale between an omega earl in disguise and an alpha prince also hiding. Lovely side characters and overall plot.
KU, alpha and omega, fairy tale, royalty, wolf shifters
I really enjoy stories based on the Cinderella fairytale. This one didn't disappoint. I liked that it followed the beats of the original but was still its own story. I do wish the MCs had spent more time together but still an enjoyable story.
This was a great fairytale retelling. I like that it didn’t follow the original fairytale very closely. I’d say it just took inspiration from the original tale.
I enjoyed the whole story, but I would have liked it if the main conflict had been resolved sooner and we could see the couple getting adjusted to the palace, I was hoping the pregnancy would be a bit more of a production than it was, but it ended wonderfully, and I enjoyed the journey.
Ember’s Moon is the first in a new series of fairy-tale themed stories by Fiona Lawless. This entry draws its inspiration from Cinderella, but the evil stepmother isn’t really evil, the wicked stepsisters are far from wicked, and Cinderella is far from a damsel in distress. I’m not usually a fan of fairy tales, but Ember’s Moon was well done and held my interest right from the start.
Both Ember and Kit are fully developed and compelling characters. Kit is less mature than Ember, but the author does a good job allowing each man to grow into their roles and do so in a believable manner…well, as believable as a book with shifters and mpreg can be.
Ember is the Earl of Carlysle and it’s his duty to take care of his family. He has sister that need to be taken care of. Kit is the prince and has to pick a mate, but he wants his mate to be his fated mate. I really liked this retelling of Cinderella. Overall, the story was really good, it was really well written, highly recommend! I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
Ember's Moon is a paranormal omegaverse retelling of Cinderella. Although many of the themes are there: stepmother/sisters, the ball, and the prince, that's really where the relationship with Cinderella ends. In this version, the stepmother and stepsisters aren't bad people. They are a bit flighty and a bit spoilt, but they aren't mean. Ember (Cinderella) isn't treated as a servant. However, he does take on many domestic roles in the manor, simply because they can't afford to hire servants rather than just being cast aside.
Like in Cinderella, an invitation is issued to all the eligible omega females to gain a match for the prince. Male omegas are extremely rare and considered fantasy. Ember is one of these rare omegas, although he doesn’t know it (in the beginning anyway). Ember acts as coachman for his sisters, taking them to the ball and waiting for them in the local Inn. The prince who has arranged for his cousin to act in his stead, sneaks off to the inn, where he meets Ember. The rest is history. Of course, a lot more happens, but this is where the story diverts from its Cinderella theme.
I really enjoyed Ember's Moon. The world-building was great for the novella size, and the characters were well developed. I would have liked more interaction between Ember and Kit, as Kit spends much of his time forced into his wolf form (for reasons). Although Ember and Kit are together for a large section of the book, Ember doesn't know that the wolf is Kit, and Kit, in wolf form, can't communicate with Ember. Although there is a connection between them, the lack of real communication doesn't allow their relationship to develop beyond the surface level.
Overall, Ember’s Moon was a lovely story. It wasn’t too heavy on the Cinderella side of things, for which I was grateful as Cinderella is not my favourite fairytale, and it was an interesting story in and of itself.
Ember's Moon was a charming shifter-based ABO story.
Ember, as the Earl of Carlysle, is the head of his family. It's his duty to take care of his two sisters and he's needs to see them settled well. His estate is barely hanging on so he sells his beloved horses to get the money to send his sisters to the Prince's ball. He goes along as the coachman and since he's an omega too, he has to hide out at an inn while waiting for the ball to end. The town blacksmith gives him a few rules. Don't engage with an alpha, don't let an alpha knot him and he must pick his sisters up by midnight. Ember agrees thinking it will be easy to follow the rules but all good plans go awry.
Christopher "Kit" is the Prince who is to pick a mate at the ball and settle down to satisfy his parents. Kit only wants his fated mate so he decides that he's not going to attend the ball and he has a plan to get him out of it. While he's hiding out at the local inn, disguised as Domino, an ordinary alpha he meets Ember. Upon meeting he has to save Ember from some ruffians. He takes Ember to the stables and nature takes it's coarse.
Neither Ember or Kit know each others true identities and this becomes a problem. A tragedy happens to keep them apart for some time but fated mates and true love won't be kept apart for long.
This is a well written book with few errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. It is a fantasy, paranormal, romance book that has a nice spin on the old Cinderella story. Ember is just a lovely man who would do anything for just about everyone and Kit; although, spoiled is a decent guy who cares about his family/friends too. Their chemistry is sweet at times and hot at others. I did wish that the time they were kept apart would've been a little shorter but it is written well as is. I would love for Hugh to get his HEA too. Highly recommended for those that like fantasy/paranormal/romance books.
There was a lot to like about this loose re-telling of Cinderella. Ember is such a good guy and he is an earl without means. His family is not enjoying a good financial time and he does his best to take on more and more chores around the family property and he is a good sport about it. He also cares a lot about his sisters who are of marriageable age and he sacrifices to help them attend the ball that is announced for the Prince to choose an omega to mate and marry. Ember is also an omega, a male omega. Kit, is a prince who is dealing with the reality that his beloved mother is dying and before she dies she wants him to find his mate. He is sad and conflicted because he has not shared that he does not want a bride, he wants a male consort. Both of these men are in circumstances that move them to do things that put them in each other's orbits. It is when Kit is avoiding the ball that he rescues Ember while in disguise at a tavern and they are fated mates so nature takes its course and they create together. Still for Kit, there are things he needs to atone for and for awhile he loses his ability to shift and is stuck in wolf form. But he finds his way to his mate and they learn a lot about themselves and one another while they cohabit in a cabin in the woods. There is so much here about growing up and about realizing what the depth of love will move you to do for those you care about. There are so many issues that are tackled in this story but not heavy handedly and the love that is there in many forms is front and center through so many of the interactions between Ember, Kit and the people in their lives. I really enjoyed this and I am so glad it was a loose retelling because the author made the story fresh with her take. I am looking forward to other stories from her. I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review.
Ember’s Moon is a delightful take on Cinderella, but gay. Ember is the new Earl of Carlysle, and his evil stepsisters are less evil, more naïve, and his evil stepmother is more just absent than anything else. When the girls get an opportunity to go to a ball and meet the prince, Ember does everything in his power to make it happen, because he wants them to have every opportunity possible to have a better life. But when playing their driver gets him into a spot of trouble, he is rescued by ‘Domino’ a man in a, you guessed it, domino mask. After a night of great sex, Ember has to run away from his new man and pick his family up from the ball. Ember is one of the very rare male omegas in this world, and his parting gift from the night of pleasure is a bun in the oven. Fearing for his life, his fairy godmother equivalent helps get him out of town where he’ll be safe. Kit, aka ‘Domino’, goes feral and follows his mate, staying with him in his wolf form while Ember’s pregnancy progresses. It’s a little weird in that Kit is fully aware while in his wolf form and is able to get close to Ember, get to know him and fall in love with him. But as far as Ember is aware, the wolf is just some random alpha who can’t shift back. Which is made even more strange because he still holds a torch for Domino. It’s… yeah, it’s a little odd. Overall it’s a pretty good take on Cinderella. I did feel like the ending was very rushed though. Everything felt like it was wrapped up so neatly in what felt like only a few pages. So I don’t know how I feel about it. Because on the one hand, I did love it. Ember was a wonderful young man, perhaps a bit too self sacrificing, and I empathised with Kit not wanting to just marry anyone, and wanting to forge his own path. But the feral wolf thing, and the ending was just not really me.
Prince Christopher is having a mating ball with all the eligible omegas invited because his mother wants him to choose a mate before she dies. The problem is Kit has no interest in women and the thought of mating one to provide an heir is a nightmare. He escapes the ball while his cousin pretends to be him andgoes to a nearby inn. At the inn he rescues a male omega from three other alphas bothering him. Kit is shocked to have found a male omega and that he is his goddess chosen mate. The two mate in the stable but when Kit goes to get something, his mate disappears. Now he is desperately looking for John the coachman. who left behind only a hat.
Ember is the Earl of Carlysle and wasa rare male omega. His parents kept him close to home. Then his mother died in childbirth along with the baby. His dad remarried a royal omega from another kingdom who had two small daughters. Soon after his marriage, his father died on a business trip and left his family in poor financial shape. Ember's stepmother laid off most of the servants and Ember had to do lot more work on the estate for them to survive. As an omega, he has a special gift with animals so he spends a lot of time with the horses in the stable. When the invitation to the Prince's mating ball arrived, Ember sold off his favorite horses so pay for his stepsisters debut. Lacking servants, Ember becomes their coachman for the evening. This is his first time out as a grown omega in the city and he almost gets in trouble but luckily a masked alpha rescues him. Ember quickly realizes that the man in the domino is his goddess chosen mate and they end up mating in the stable. Ember has to leave while Domino (Kit) is gone to pick up his stepsisters and stepmom from the ball.
This retelling of the Cinderella tale basically takes its queue from the original story line, and turns everything upside down and inside out. I really enjoyed this story, and was pleasantly surprised by the characters and their dispositions. The writing flows smoothly, although there are a few name flubs and such; not nearly enough to make the story tedious or hard to read.
I love how different things can turn out when you take a fantastical story and change it to a shifter, ABO, mpreg retelling. I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this book, but the change in realities really made the story fresh and new. The first part of the book is as close to the original tale as it gets, and even then I was happy to learn about the "new" family dynamics.
The second part of the story doesn't really stay within the lines of a typical Cinderella retelling, but with the new species being involved, it wasn't too surprising. While I did enjoy watching how honestly good Ember was and how impotent the Prince felt, it took up a lot more words/pages/time than I feel was absolutely necessary. There was a lot of angst before and during this time. However, there finally came a power strong enough to make things right.
I truly did enjoy reading this story. From the somewhat traditional beginning, through the completely nontraditional story line, it kept me entertained and read in one sitting. Ember and Kit end up with their own happily ever after that is shared with their families. And they all lived happily ever after...
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest opinion. *
Taking a day off from duties can lead to a happy discovery! Kit,wolf the prince lives under the self perceived burden that he is the cause of his Mom, Maria's illness. He was told that she became ill after he was born. She wants him to be happy and settled with a female omega before she departs life.The King and Queen decide to throw a ball, so Kit can choose an omega bride. He resists, because he is gay and in the closet. He hopes to have his cousin Oliver impersonate him, while he avoids this basic task asked of him. Ember, is the Earl and responsible for his two step sisters. He wants to see them settled well. He is willing to do anything to make that happen. He makes a sacrifice to fun his sister's attendance at the ball. He goes under disguise to keep an eye on them. He is given several rules to follow to avoid confusion and conflict. He must avoid alphas, sex and knots. Sounds easy, but when is life ever easy? Do the two meet? Are the two compatible? Do we get a fun adventure? Can Kit come out? Is Ember an omega? Good story. Nice out of the box cinderfella story. Nicely done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ember's Moon: A Fantassy Tail of Naughty Princes and Duke's Animals.
Fairy Tales are always "tongue in cheek" but also include both sets of cheeks. This one is very challenging with fate twisting opportunities and love between friends, families, royals, animals, desires, missunderstandings, horse stalls, royal balls, sexuality, poverty, crowns, gowns, clowns, purpose, hunting, shepherding, caring, sharing, protecting, weather, parades, babies, stepmothers, sisters, hiding, fairy goddesses cracking the whip, and drunken townspeople celebrating anything.
The point where Cinderella, Cinderfella, and the Christmas story crash together and mix up your mind until you forget who is using which name and witch who is pretending to be someone else to confuse the thickening sheep herd by the prince in wolf's clothing.
You just have to read it to find out how a midwife deals with a male omega in labor in a remote cabin during a blizzard and a full moon without the father present in useable form.
Ember’s Moon by author Fiona Lawless is part of the Faux Fairy Tales series. I found this story to be good. Not spectacular but a good story. It has some problems with pace, and I think the fairy tale aspect it was going for. But they are not bad just felt slightly off. The story itself is good too.
Kit is the crown prince. He has a lot of duties piled on him. Has been this way since birth. He has to find his Omega, and he is dealing with his mom dying too. But she wants him to have his happily ever after and that includes a mate before she dies.
Ember he tends the horses. He lives at the manor. He is Omega and one of the few rare male Omegas. He has no money but his is a great soul.
Overall good story I am glad I got a chance to review it. I also would look for more like these in the future from this author. Was worth the read.
This book is the most delightful Cinderella retelling I have ever read! The MM part is not even the best part! All of the other characters like the step mother and the sisters are not evil people which made this tale so much more refreshing! I love Hugh the big Alpha Blacksmith who helps Ember discover his Omega self as male Omegas are very rare and there has not been one in a very long time! Ember has been secluded taking care of the horses at the stables. Kit our Prince is oh so charming and when these two meet by chance... it is a steamy fated encounter! The real drama here is that they are separated as of course the story goes but neither of them knows who the other is! The writing is flawless and this omega verse is intriguing! I received an ARC of this book and I highly recommend this Cinderella romance! I simply cannot wait for the next fairy tale in this series!
Ember has lived his life a bit differently than expected of an Earl. Now he is twenty-one and though destitute wants his sisters to make great matches at the upcoming ball for the Prince. He has more allies than he realized, especially the local blacksmith who counsels him on how alphas might present a danger to him. Ember is determined and serves as his sisters’ coachman and that is when things go wrong. His farrier godfather gave him rules to follow but confronted with reality Ember is not so sure.
This was beautifully done by modifying a fairy tale and remaking it in the author’s vision. Ember had a hard time, considering who he is and the fact that he met his true mate. But a few little things go wrong and so the story gets better and better. This one is perfect for us who enjoy fairy tales and will surely wind up on your keeper shelf.
I really enjoyed this retelling of mostly cinderella with a bit of a mash of beauty and the beast.
Ember is a rare male omega. None have been seen or heard of in hundrerds of years. In a ball where he plays a coachman for his sisters he meets the man of his dreams. We have a chase through the country, then he become a shepard and befriends a wolf, all whilst pregant.
Kit, wanting to run from royal life, dresses up goes to an inn and meets his fated mate. Upon the loss of his mother he cant cope, wolfed out he runs the length of the country to find his mate, only to be unable to change back. He even protects his mate in wolf form though Ember doesnt know who he is.
I really liked this retelling of cinderella, though id have loved a triple wedding at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I just loved this version which is only loosely based on Cinderella. Fiona Lawless has taken the bare bones of the story and set in a historical England. Ember will do almost anything to help his step sisters, who in this story are not evil and neither is his step mother. I so enjoyed the twists that Ms. Lawless has worked into her book. You need to read carefully if you want to catch all of the references to the original. I didn’t pick up on some until the end. Beyond looking for the ways that the tale copies, diverges from or just subverts the original this is just a terrific read. It far surpassed my expectations and I recommend it to you.
4.25 stars (4.5 for enjoyability, 3.5-4 for romance/world building). A Cinderella take where the stepmother is mostly looking out for her family and the neglect is somewhat unintentional rather than malicious. I liked how she and Ember worked together to help his stepsisters. I also really felt for Kit.
One aspect I was dissatisfied with: There are strong (fantasy) religious elements in this story. Kit falls back on his faith many times over his struggle. We are told several times over the course of the story that Ember is this way by divine design - but we don’t get any insight into what that means. There is no setup for tangible societal changes from Ember being a male omega consort. He does nothing to advocate for or even really discuss omega’s rights.
I enjoyed this fantasy story that is loosely based on the Cinderella fairytale, although it diverges significantly from the original, and creates its own unique story. I loved Ember and his selflessness, especially where his stepsisters were concerned. I really enjoyed this kinder, gentler version of Cinderella, although there are still some challenges and trials standing between Ember and his fated mate (the prince). This was a compelling, enchanting, and thoroughly entertaining story, and I look forward to more alternative MM fairytales from this author.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
The Cinderella story has been a favorite most of my life. I have enjoyed various interpretations since I first seen Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella as a child. Since then I try to experience the various interpretations as I find them. Ember's moon was a fun interpretation. The shifter aspect was interesting. Having a male Cinderella isn't new, (Jerry Lewis' Cinderfella) but having a male pregnancy enter the story, to my knowledge, is. A fun new interpretation to add to my collection. Very sigh worthy!
This is a really good story based on the fairy tale of Cinderella, apart from the basic set up their isn't that much in the way of comparison, it is also an MPreg set in a A/B/O world, Ember even has his own 'farrier' godAlpha, who helps out in a variety of ways. I found this novella to be an interesting read that ended earlier than I would have liked, I enjoyed it enough to want to read further fairy tales in this series.
I really enjoyed this mix of shifter fated mates with Cinderella and a bit of one of my favorite fantasy romance movies Ladyhawke. Ember is a rare male omega, Prince Kit recognizes he's found his mate when he sneaks away from the ball but then, they are kept apart by Kit being forced into wolf form, so these two have a rough road to travel to get their HEA. The world building was totally satisfying and there are some interesting side characters.
A Cinderella Retelling MM romance. With several enjoyable twists. A somewhat gentler version than what we're used to reading from the traditional fairy tale. Not the typical unbearable step family. What was supposed to be an important night for his sisters at the ball, ended up becoming one to change Ember's life forever. Not without it's few hurdles to happiness. This story is chock full of interesting characters.
**I received this ARC via Gay Romance Reviews for my honest feedback.**
This story has some interesting aspects of Cinderella, and, with the help of some good friends and unexpected support, Ember and Kit follow a twisted path to their HEA. Ember is sweet and Kit learns some life lessons. The author also appears to write as ZA Maxfield.
I received an uncorrected ARC in exchange for a review, so it still had some proofreading issues.
Rather than follow the traditional Cinderella with a wicked stepmother and vain stepsisters, this version focuses on the joys of and sacrifice for blended family.
Still hierarchical, with the fair omega winning the attention of the prince, and everyone rewarded with wealth at the end.
This was a frustratingly, delightful read. It felt like a mesh up of Cinderella and Beauty & The Beast. And it was definitely a romance with fluffy spice at the beginning and end.
I could definitely see this as a made for TV movie with maybe a TV-MA (or TV-14) rating. All the characters were pretty well-developed, too. Hugh was my favorite character. I thoroughly enjoyed his interactions with Ember.