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Reimagined Fairy Tales Collection #2
The Ugly Stepsister
Only Anna knows the truth about Cinderella: The pauper turned queen wasn't the victim, but the bully.
Anna fled when the castle guards came to arrest her mother and sister on Cinderella’s orders. But leaving them in bondage at the Fairy Godmother’s workhouse? Out of the question. Disguised as a young man and taking the name of Ansel, she’ll do whatever it takes to free her family and set the record straight.
Will, a former royal huntsman, was nearly killed for dissenting Cinderella’s rise as queen in the wake of the sudden death of the king and his son. He hatches a plan to take Cinderella down, and encounters Ansel, who wants revenge just as much as he does.
Drawn together by a common goal and burgeoning feelings neither can ignore, Will and Ansel enact a plan to assassinate the queen. But when that goes awry and buried secrets come to light, they’ll have to choose: continue running from their pasts or accept themselves in order to forge a new future together.
Anna fled when the castle guards came to arrest her mother and sister on Cinderella’s orders. But leaving them in bondage at the Fairy Godmother’s workhouse? Out of the question. Disguised as a young man and taking the name of Ansel, she’ll do whatever it takes to free her family and set the record straight.
Will, a former royal huntsman, was nearly killed for dissenting Cinderella’s rise as queen in the wake of the sudden death of the king and his son. He hatches a plan to take Cinderella down, and encounters Ansel, who wants revenge just as much as he does.
Drawn together by a common goal and burgeoning feelings neither can ignore, Will and Ansel enact a plan to assassinate the queen. But when that goes awry and buried secrets come to light, they’ll have to choose: continue running from their pasts or accept themselves in order to forge a new future together.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2022
73 people are currently reading
2573 people want to read
About the author
Megan Van Dyke
20 books612 followersMegan Van Dyke is a fantasy romance author with a love for all things that include magic and kissing. Many of her stories include themes of family (whether born into or found) and a sense of home and belonging, which are important aspects of her life as well. Megan also watched way too many Disney movies as a child, and adult, and has a deep love for fairytales and happily-ever-afters.
Megan is a former IT risk and security executive and current stay-at-home mom. When not writing, Megan loves to cook, play video games, explore the great outdoors, and spend time with her family. A southerner by birth and at heart, Megan currently lives with her family in Colorado.
Megan is a former IT risk and security executive and current stay-at-home mom. When not writing, Megan loves to cook, play video games, explore the great outdoors, and spend time with her family. A southerner by birth and at heart, Megan currently lives with her family in Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
September 18, 2022
Having Cinderella be the true villain of her own story has become as clichéd in retellings as having Snow White's stepmother be the true victim, and whilst I do appreciate it when this subversion is done skilfully and manages to show the other side's version with nuance, this isn't it. When you can't make your other side sympathetic without degrading the original hero/heroine, then you aren't going to present a layered story, you're simply going to swap places.
And that's what this book does: it turns Cinderella into an emotionally and physically abusive bully, and a murderer to boot. Whilst of course the stepsister is the poor little victim that eventually gets the prince. It was unbelievable even for a fantastical story, and everything wraps up so neatly it'd make Disney envious. Speaking of Disney, even they managed to give the ugly stepsister her time in the spotlight without making Cinderella descend into the gutter, so why couldn't this book do the same or better?
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
And that's what this book does: it turns Cinderella into an emotionally and physically abusive bully, and a murderer to boot. Whilst of course the stepsister is the poor little victim that eventually gets the prince. It was unbelievable even for a fantastical story, and everything wraps up so neatly it'd make Disney envious. Speaking of Disney, even they managed to give the ugly stepsister her time in the spotlight without making Cinderella descend into the gutter, so why couldn't this book do the same or better?
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2022
The Ugly Stepsister is an action-packed retelling of Cinderella with a side serving of Sleeping Beauty. In this one, Ella isn't the victim but rather the perpetrator of some seriously bad deeds and Prince Charming is dead. Instead, we have one of the not-so-ugly sisters come to the rescue. Along with a quirky set of side-kicks, she sets out to defeat the very wicked Fairy Godmother who is anything but sweet, friendly and caring.
Anna and Will are two very endearing and eminently likeable main characters. Both go on as much of a personal journey as they do a physical one, learning about friendship. love, family and forgiveness as they battle to save the kingdom from mindless enslavement. They have amazing chemistry which smouldered in a sexy slow burn before exploding into fiery passion.
I loved Mina and her brothers and really would have liked to see them feature a little more prominently. A third-person fantasy can take multiple viewpoints, this stuck to just our two protagonists. The pace was good and the writing flowed smoothly, such that my attention was readily held by the story. I do think the story could have done with trimming down a little, the premise and plot ideas were strong but at times the story began to feel as though it was covering old ground or treading water. There was plenty happening but not always in a moving-the-story-forward way.
If you enjoy an adult fairy-tale retelling with an engaging plot and solid writing then I highly recommend The Ugly Stepsister to you.
Anna and Will are two very endearing and eminently likeable main characters. Both go on as much of a personal journey as they do a physical one, learning about friendship. love, family and forgiveness as they battle to save the kingdom from mindless enslavement. They have amazing chemistry which smouldered in a sexy slow burn before exploding into fiery passion.
I loved Mina and her brothers and really would have liked to see them feature a little more prominently. A third-person fantasy can take multiple viewpoints, this stuck to just our two protagonists. The pace was good and the writing flowed smoothly, such that my attention was readily held by the story. I do think the story could have done with trimming down a little, the premise and plot ideas were strong but at times the story began to feel as though it was covering old ground or treading water. There was plenty happening but not always in a moving-the-story-forward way.
If you enjoy an adult fairy-tale retelling with an engaging plot and solid writing then I highly recommend The Ugly Stepsister to you.
November 13, 2022
I enjoy fairytale retellings and seeing the story from a different perspective. The Ugly Stepsister is my first Megan Van Dyke book, it is a blend of primarily Cinderella with a touch of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty vibes. I like that the author turns the tables in this book and vilifies Cinderella while making her stepsister Anna the heroine.
Anna's sister and mother are being held captive by Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother. Anna managed to escape. While disguised as a young man, she meets Will, a former royal huntsman with a secretive past and his friends Mina, Koen, and Brandt whose family were also captured. With the common thread of revenge, they set out to free their family and bring Cinderella to justice.
There is a lot of action in this retelling which keeps the story moving along at a nice pace. It took me a while to read this one, but it had little to do with the book and more to do with my hectic schedule this past month. As much as I loved Will and can see how someone would be attracted to him, their instant attraction was a bit much and initially seemed forced rather than occurring naturally over time which I always prefer. Although some parts were predictable, the I enjoyed the story overall and found the ending satisfying. 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC.
Anna's sister and mother are being held captive by Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother. Anna managed to escape. While disguised as a young man, she meets Will, a former royal huntsman with a secretive past and his friends Mina, Koen, and Brandt whose family were also captured. With the common thread of revenge, they set out to free their family and bring Cinderella to justice.
There is a lot of action in this retelling which keeps the story moving along at a nice pace. It took me a while to read this one, but it had little to do with the book and more to do with my hectic schedule this past month. As much as I loved Will and can see how someone would be attracted to him, their instant attraction was a bit much and initially seemed forced rather than occurring naturally over time which I always prefer. Although some parts were predictable, the I enjoyed the story overall and found the ending satisfying. 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC.
March 16, 2024
I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
And the author knocks it out of the park once more! That makes her batting average 3 for 3! But you won’t see me complaining because she wonderfully crafts each story to be unique in its own way.
I was especially interested in this take because Cinderella has never been my favorite fairy take. Mainly because I always wondered about the “other side” of the story. And Megan delivers that beautifully here by delving into how the stepsister Anna has interpreted the tale.
Anna is a wonderful and entertaining character with her own agency and also her own emotional trauma regarding Cinderella. Because…it’s still her stepsister. It’s a great concept for drama and rest assured, the author takes full advantage of it.
The side characters are wonderful because you learn more about them a little at a time so the reader learns alongside Anna, giving it a great, natural feel.
You’ll find spice, lovable reveals, twists and a whole lot more in here. I think this might be my preferred version of the story now!
And the author knocks it out of the park once more! That makes her batting average 3 for 3! But you won’t see me complaining because she wonderfully crafts each story to be unique in its own way.
I was especially interested in this take because Cinderella has never been my favorite fairy take. Mainly because I always wondered about the “other side” of the story. And Megan delivers that beautifully here by delving into how the stepsister Anna has interpreted the tale.
Anna is a wonderful and entertaining character with her own agency and also her own emotional trauma regarding Cinderella. Because…it’s still her stepsister. It’s a great concept for drama and rest assured, the author takes full advantage of it.
The side characters are wonderful because you learn more about them a little at a time so the reader learns alongside Anna, giving it a great, natural feel.
You’ll find spice, lovable reveals, twists and a whole lot more in here. I think this might be my preferred version of the story now!
Want to read
September 1, 2022I love retellings that turn familiar tales we know on their heads. Evil Cinderella and misunderstood stepsister? Yes, give it to me!
December 12, 2022
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Ms. Van Dyke has created a magically mysterious retelling of an old classic, and it turns the fairytale upside down!
Read full review in the 2022 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Ms. Van Dyke has created a magically mysterious retelling of an old classic, and it turns the fairytale upside down!
Read full review in the 2022 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Want to read
February 9, 2022Excuse me,
I need this NOW! 😂
Gosh I hope this ends up on NetGalley… AND that I get accepted! I love love love the idea of this one! 😍
I need this NOW! 😂
Gosh I hope this ends up on NetGalley… AND that I get accepted! I love love love the idea of this one! 😍
September 21, 2022
Once in a while I like to check BookSprout for arcs from authors I don't know yet. Usually I simply type in fairytale and fairy tale and see what comes up. And in one of those searches this book came up. I was immediately intrigued by the cover, I love Cinderella retellings and the story sounded really original. I therefore had to have this book! I was also very excited about reading it and this morning, after the mixed relay, I could finally get started!
Since the book started basically at the end of the well known fairytale and then tells us that everything we thought we knew about this story is wrong, it automatically becomes a fresh and very original take on one of the most beloved fairytales in the world. We meet loads of new characters, we get to know characters in a completely different way and Van Dyke also made sure some good surprises and reveals are hidden throughout the story.
I also loved how elements from Snow White were also mixed into this. I never knew both tales could work so well together! And even though this is a fairytale retelling, based on stories where it's often quite easy to tell who's good and who's evil, the author also managed to create gray characters. Which means that characters have to say sorry, have to apologize and have to admit that they did make some horrible mistakes.
That also means that characters get the chance to grow, to learn and to make up for their mistakes. Especially our heroine, Anna, grows a lot during the story. Partly forced, because of her circumstances and what she's fighting for, but also because she really learns as a person to challenge her fears. I of course don't want to give away how the story ends, but I think she ends up being the perfect girl in the perfect place, but only because of what she's been through.
I will for sure check out the Neverland retelling Van Dyke wrote and I hope she will rewrite loads of other fairytales like this!
Since the book started basically at the end of the well known fairytale and then tells us that everything we thought we knew about this story is wrong, it automatically becomes a fresh and very original take on one of the most beloved fairytales in the world. We meet loads of new characters, we get to know characters in a completely different way and Van Dyke also made sure some good surprises and reveals are hidden throughout the story.
I also loved how elements from Snow White were also mixed into this. I never knew both tales could work so well together! And even though this is a fairytale retelling, based on stories where it's often quite easy to tell who's good and who's evil, the author also managed to create gray characters. Which means that characters have to say sorry, have to apologize and have to admit that they did make some horrible mistakes.
That also means that characters get the chance to grow, to learn and to make up for their mistakes. Especially our heroine, Anna, grows a lot during the story. Partly forced, because of her circumstances and what she's fighting for, but also because she really learns as a person to challenge her fears. I of course don't want to give away how the story ends, but I think she ends up being the perfect girl in the perfect place, but only because of what she's been through.
I will for sure check out the Neverland retelling Van Dyke wrote and I hope she will rewrite loads of other fairytales like this!
December 28, 2022
This captivating reimagined fairy tale turns the story of Cinderella on its tail in the most wonderful way. The depth of character development is stunning, the world building and plot twists are perfection. I loved every moment of this and can hardly wait to see what the author writes next! Megan Van Dyke has become an instant buy author for me.
Read
September 13, 2022A fun, romantic blend of the Cinderella + Snow White stories with just a sprinkle of the original tales’ grit, plus positive sexuality exploration, and redemption.
Disney magic for adults.
Disney magic for adults.
September 15, 2022
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
⮞ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ⮜
The story follows Anna on her quest of saving her mother and sister and getting as far as possible from Cinderella, her cruel stepsister.
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
I enjoyed Anna a lot. She definitely had some sort of way of looking in my imagination, and I liked she wasn’t your “all beauty” girl that everyone will swoon after her, she was beautiful in her own way and in the eye of the right person. I loved how good she pretended to be a boy and how her relationship with Will developed and their feelings were so contradicting, it was definitely delicious.
Loved Will, he was your typical book boyfriend, and loved the fact he was developing feelings way before he even knew that “Ansel” is Anna and is a she and not him – his contradicting feelings were very beautifully made, and at one point I even got confused just as Will, forgetting that Ansel is actually Anna, definitely this part of the book was nicely made and perfectly tricky.
There are other characters too that drive and shape the story, and I’ve enjoyed how unified they were and how they all acted like a big family, even tho they didn’t actually know much about Ansel. You have plenty of funny and embarrassing moments with them that made me giggle because they were funny and silly. Other than the villains I enjoyed each character, they were nicely portrayed and very easily defined in the story.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The world-building was definitely giving me fairytale vibes, which is normal considering the story is a Cinderella retelling. I loved the twists with the godmother and the evilness she was up to. Loved the twist on the sleeping beauty and the cure for it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the descriptions we’ve gotten and the different twists the story has for the reader.
⮞ 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 ⮜
The person that owns magic in the book is the godmother and mostly because of her origins. She used potions and spells and I loved she was having a journal where she kept track of her potions showing us that even as a godmother who knows magic, her potions were no easy feat.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
I liked the fact the story was pretty fast-paced, the information provided was coming at the right moment, and didn’t feel like an info dump to try and retain everything at once. I enjoyed the funny moments because they made me giggle and perhaps blush at the same time with Anna. The book felt like a quick and fast read and I enjoyed it a lot.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 ⮜
I’d say the spice is probably at 2 red peppers, it didn’t feel too detailed or too smutty but it gave you enough information and enough details to have the spice. The moments between Anna and Will were definitely lovely and spicy.
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⮞ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ⮜
The story follows Anna on her quest of saving her mother and sister and getting as far as possible from Cinderella, her cruel stepsister.
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
I enjoyed Anna a lot. She definitely had some sort of way of looking in my imagination, and I liked she wasn’t your “all beauty” girl that everyone will swoon after her, she was beautiful in her own way and in the eye of the right person. I loved how good she pretended to be a boy and how her relationship with Will developed and their feelings were so contradicting, it was definitely delicious.
Loved Will, he was your typical book boyfriend, and loved the fact he was developing feelings way before he even knew that “Ansel” is Anna and is a she and not him – his contradicting feelings were very beautifully made, and at one point I even got confused just as Will, forgetting that Ansel is actually Anna, definitely this part of the book was nicely made and perfectly tricky.
There are other characters too that drive and shape the story, and I’ve enjoyed how unified they were and how they all acted like a big family, even tho they didn’t actually know much about Ansel. You have plenty of funny and embarrassing moments with them that made me giggle because they were funny and silly. Other than the villains I enjoyed each character, they were nicely portrayed and very easily defined in the story.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The world-building was definitely giving me fairytale vibes, which is normal considering the story is a Cinderella retelling. I loved the twists with the godmother and the evilness she was up to. Loved the twist on the sleeping beauty and the cure for it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the descriptions we’ve gotten and the different twists the story has for the reader.
⮞ 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 ⮜
The person that owns magic in the book is the godmother and mostly because of her origins. She used potions and spells and I loved she was having a journal where she kept track of her potions showing us that even as a godmother who knows magic, her potions were no easy feat.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
I liked the fact the story was pretty fast-paced, the information provided was coming at the right moment, and didn’t feel like an info dump to try and retain everything at once. I enjoyed the funny moments because they made me giggle and perhaps blush at the same time with Anna. The book felt like a quick and fast read and I enjoyed it a lot.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 ⮜
I’d say the spice is probably at 2 red peppers, it didn’t feel too detailed or too smutty but it gave you enough information and enough details to have the spice. The moments between Anna and Will were definitely lovely and spicy.
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February 8, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars
I had so much fun with this book. Anna and Will are fun and compelling characters and I found the plot really interesting. I do wish we had gotten a more concrete description of Anna’s appearance (normally I don’t care too much about character descriptions but considering she’s a subversion on the ugly stepsister character and a major part of her mistreatment at the hands of Cinderella is her sister’s bullying about her appearance I really wanted to know what she looks like). I feel like the romance is a bit insta-lovey but I really like Anna and Will and I enjoyed their romance a lot. The spice was really good too. All the side characters were interesting, and everyone except Cinderella was well-developed and easy to root for. While I feel like the climax could have been a bit more exciting, overall I found this book a really fun and enjoyable read and I had a great time with it.
I had so much fun with this book. Anna and Will are fun and compelling characters and I found the plot really interesting. I do wish we had gotten a more concrete description of Anna’s appearance (normally I don’t care too much about character descriptions but considering she’s a subversion on the ugly stepsister character and a major part of her mistreatment at the hands of Cinderella is her sister’s bullying about her appearance I really wanted to know what she looks like). I feel like the romance is a bit insta-lovey but I really like Anna and Will and I enjoyed their romance a lot. The spice was really good too. All the side characters were interesting, and everyone except Cinderella was well-developed and easy to root for. While I feel like the climax could have been a bit more exciting, overall I found this book a really fun and enjoyable read and I had a great time with it.
January 20, 2023
The Ugly Stepsister is a must-read twist on the classic Cinderella tale with hints of Snow White.
Anna is on the run from her stepsister and her Fairy Godmother. She has a few goals: free her sister and mother & bring an end to her stepsister's rule. After disguising herself as Ansel, a down on his luck farm boy, she stumbles upon Will, Koen, Brandt, and Mina - each with their own grudge against the current ruler.
Koen, Brandt, and Mina want to rescue their 4 siblings who have been forced to work at the Fairy Godmother's workhouse.
Will wants to Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, and (most importantly) the Chancellor down. A former huntsman, Will was left for dead after his dissent following the death of the prince and king.
As Will and Ansel grow closer, secrets threaten their alliance against the queen.
I adore Megan Van Dyke's fairytale retellings and love how she adds new twists to classic tales. TUS has so many unexpected developments, I kept being surprised at every turn.
I love Anna/Ansel and Will's relationship! I like how it develops overtime, and Will even starts to fall for Anna when he believes her to be Ansel. Also the sibling trio is great! I adore the interactions between Koen, Brandt, and Mina and how they adopt Will & Ansel into their family. (It's found family in the best way).
There's just so much to love about The Ugly Stepsister from its mash-up of Cinderella and Snow White to how it treats all the book characters (even the evil ones) to how it handles the romance between the two leads. All in all, this is another solid addition to Megan Van Dyke's Reimagined Fairytales.
Many thanks to the author, Megan Van Dyke, for the review copy! I really appreciate it!
Anna is on the run from her stepsister and her Fairy Godmother. She has a few goals: free her sister and mother & bring an end to her stepsister's rule. After disguising herself as Ansel, a down on his luck farm boy, she stumbles upon Will, Koen, Brandt, and Mina - each with their own grudge against the current ruler.
Koen, Brandt, and Mina want to rescue their 4 siblings who have been forced to work at the Fairy Godmother's workhouse.
Will wants to Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, and (most importantly) the Chancellor down. A former huntsman, Will was left for dead after his dissent following the death of the prince and king.
As Will and Ansel grow closer, secrets threaten their alliance against the queen.
I adore Megan Van Dyke's fairytale retellings and love how she adds new twists to classic tales. TUS has so many unexpected developments, I kept being surprised at every turn.
I love Anna/Ansel and Will's relationship! I like how it develops overtime, and Will even starts to fall for Anna when he believes her to be Ansel. Also the sibling trio is great! I adore the interactions between Koen, Brandt, and Mina and how they adopt Will & Ansel into their family. (It's found family in the best way).
There's just so much to love about The Ugly Stepsister from its mash-up of Cinderella and Snow White to how it treats all the book characters (even the evil ones) to how it handles the romance between the two leads. All in all, this is another solid addition to Megan Van Dyke's Reimagined Fairytales.
Many thanks to the author, Megan Van Dyke, for the review copy! I really appreciate it!
August 29, 2022
A delightfully fresh and inventive mash-up of the Cinderella and Snow White stories from the perspective of Cinderella’s “ugly” stepsister, Anna, and an itinerant huntsman named Will.
In Van Dyke’s retelling, Cinderella has gotten everything she’s ever wanted due to the evil machinations of her fairy godmother, while the kingdom suffers under her ruthless, enchanted crown.
After Anna’s mother and sister are taken prisoner by Cinderella, Anna goes on the run, disguised as a man, narrowly escaping capture. She takes refuge with a forest-dwelling family of siblings and the huntsman they’ve adopted into their fold, Will, who has a few secrets of his own.
The blossoming romance between Will and Anna is tender, subtle, and believable, and provides the right balance to the fantastical elements at work in the novel. When Mina, the “Snow White” in the story falls under an evil spell, Anna and Will work together with Mina’s brothers (who take the place of the seven dwarves) to find a cure for Mina’s curse and restore the kingdom to its rightful balance.
Cinderella herself, Ella, is by turns a villainous and sympathetic character. Anna’s complicated relationship with her stepsister adds depth and emotional complexity to the plot, which has many twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. There’s plenty of tension, high-stakes, and action to keep readers turning the pages throughout.
The overarching themes of found family, self-love, and acceptance, as well as Van Dyke’s strong sense of place and atmosphere make for a compelling fairytale that adult readers will thoroughly enjoy. I highly recommend!
In Van Dyke’s retelling, Cinderella has gotten everything she’s ever wanted due to the evil machinations of her fairy godmother, while the kingdom suffers under her ruthless, enchanted crown.
After Anna’s mother and sister are taken prisoner by Cinderella, Anna goes on the run, disguised as a man, narrowly escaping capture. She takes refuge with a forest-dwelling family of siblings and the huntsman they’ve adopted into their fold, Will, who has a few secrets of his own.
The blossoming romance between Will and Anna is tender, subtle, and believable, and provides the right balance to the fantastical elements at work in the novel. When Mina, the “Snow White” in the story falls under an evil spell, Anna and Will work together with Mina’s brothers (who take the place of the seven dwarves) to find a cure for Mina’s curse and restore the kingdom to its rightful balance.
Cinderella herself, Ella, is by turns a villainous and sympathetic character. Anna’s complicated relationship with her stepsister adds depth and emotional complexity to the plot, which has many twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. There’s plenty of tension, high-stakes, and action to keep readers turning the pages throughout.
The overarching themes of found family, self-love, and acceptance, as well as Van Dyke’s strong sense of place and atmosphere make for a compelling fairytale that adult readers will thoroughly enjoy. I highly recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2022
4 stars
Thank you to the author and City Owl Press for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Initial Thoughts
After enjoying the first book in The Reimagined Fairytales series, I was excited to get to this Cinderella x Snow White mash-up and see how Van Dyke could put her own spin on these two iconic fairytales.
What's great about this book?
- I enjoyed the clever weaving of both fairytales into one world. The twists and turns along the way aid in keeping both fairytales relevant throughout and give the reader a unique experience.
- Both main characters have good depth and enough secrets between the two of them. Whilst I guessed Will's secrets early on, I like the revelation moment and the truths that came from it. I equally was relieved that Anna's secret regarding her gender wasn't dragged out too long and accepted well by those she was surrounded by.
- The romance is sweet and very fairytale-esque. I did struggle with how into each other Will and Anna were from the start, but with it following the notable fairytale instalove concept, I came to accept it more when I reminded myself of it. The fact that Will fell for Anna as Ansel and would have her regardless of gender was a nice message for the reader. The spice, as expected by this author, was on point and the heat was ever present once they opened themselves to the passion in their relationship.
- The theme of true love - regardless of whether it's for family, friends or romantic pursuits - was another nice touch. I loved the found family trope in this. Brandt, Koen, Mina, and Will's longest friend that we meet later in the book added to this world. Family was very important throughout this novel, both made and born into, and I appreciated this focus a great deal.
- Making Cinderella morally grey and the Fairy Godmother evil was a fantastic plot device. It was so cleverly woven in with the curses of Snow White, with the side plot of the kingdom looking out for the fairest of them all. I enjoyed the idea of everyone being afflicted by potions and believing the cunning scheme of those greedy enough for the power of the crown. The darkness surrounding this deceit was a nice addition to this world, balancing out the brighter themes in this book.
Things I didn't quite enjoy
- Most of the conflict was resolved with fairytale convenience, which makes sense for a retelling such as this. However, it did feel a little anticlimactic at points because of this easy resolution process.
- Whilst I enjoyed both main characters, their endless self-sacrificing and disbelief in their worth (granted, warranted from their past experiences) grew cumbersome by the midway point.
- The spice, at times, felt a little misplaced during the scenes it occurred in.
Final thoughts
The Ugly Stepsister is another solid story by a talented author with some very creative spins on the classic fairytales I grew up reading. I look forward to reading what Megan writes next.
Thank you to the author and City Owl Press for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Initial Thoughts
After enjoying the first book in The Reimagined Fairytales series, I was excited to get to this Cinderella x Snow White mash-up and see how Van Dyke could put her own spin on these two iconic fairytales.
What's great about this book?
- I enjoyed the clever weaving of both fairytales into one world. The twists and turns along the way aid in keeping both fairytales relevant throughout and give the reader a unique experience.
- Both main characters have good depth and enough secrets between the two of them. Whilst I guessed Will's secrets early on, I like the revelation moment and the truths that came from it. I equally was relieved that Anna's secret regarding her gender wasn't dragged out too long and accepted well by those she was surrounded by.
- The romance is sweet and very fairytale-esque. I did struggle with how into each other Will and Anna were from the start, but with it following the notable fairytale instalove concept, I came to accept it more when I reminded myself of it. The fact that Will fell for Anna as Ansel and would have her regardless of gender was a nice message for the reader. The spice, as expected by this author, was on point and the heat was ever present once they opened themselves to the passion in their relationship.
- The theme of true love - regardless of whether it's for family, friends or romantic pursuits - was another nice touch. I loved the found family trope in this. Brandt, Koen, Mina, and Will's longest friend that we meet later in the book added to this world. Family was very important throughout this novel, both made and born into, and I appreciated this focus a great deal.
- Making Cinderella morally grey and the Fairy Godmother evil was a fantastic plot device. It was so cleverly woven in with the curses of Snow White, with the side plot of the kingdom looking out for the fairest of them all. I enjoyed the idea of everyone being afflicted by potions and believing the cunning scheme of those greedy enough for the power of the crown. The darkness surrounding this deceit was a nice addition to this world, balancing out the brighter themes in this book.
Things I didn't quite enjoy
- Most of the conflict was resolved with fairytale convenience, which makes sense for a retelling such as this. However, it did feel a little anticlimactic at points because of this easy resolution process.
- Whilst I enjoyed both main characters, their endless self-sacrificing and disbelief in their worth (granted, warranted from their past experiences) grew cumbersome by the midway point.
- The spice, at times, felt a little misplaced during the scenes it occurred in.
Final thoughts
The Ugly Stepsister is another solid story by a talented author with some very creative spins on the classic fairytales I grew up reading. I look forward to reading what Megan writes next.
September 6, 2022
Retelling de cenicienta en donde ella es la “villana” y la buena es la hermanastra? AMO!
Me encantó el libro! Justo lo que necesitaba después de leer algo muy intenso, ya leí el primer libro de la serie que me encantó muchísimo, ( mi favorito hasta ahora, retelling de peter pan, donde hook y tink son los protagonistas 🛐🥵 VE A LEER!! *second star to the left* Se puede leer independiente ) pero éste no se queda atrás!! Me gusta muchísimo la escritura de Megan, es muy ligero de leer, lo disfruto mucho, sus personajes y sus mundos son muy bellos 💓, realmente recomendado si quieres leer retellings NA muy entretenidos que se leen rápido 🫶🏼.
Ahora la historia, muy linda 🥹 no solo metió el retelling de cenicienta si no que también tiene un pequeño toque de blancanieves, que a mi me encantó totalmente !.
Los personajes AAHHH me gustaron mucho, podría llamarse una pequeña found family 🥹, los protagonistas y los personajes secundarios? Enamorada 🥹 ella finge ser hombre y él, está incluso interesado? Omg AMO! Amé totalmente a Will y Anna/Ansel💗 como también a Koen, Brandt y Mina 🥹 fueron muy divertidas sus interacciones 😂.
Simplemente encantada con todo, NECESITO MÁS DE ESTA SERIE (y sé que viene más, así que estoy feliz 🥰)
•Review eng:
Cinderella retelling where she is the "villain" and the good one is the stepsister? LOVE IT!
I loved the book! Just what I needed after reading something very intense, I already read the first book of the series that I loved very much, (my favorite so far, retelling of peter pan, where hook and tink are the protagonists 🛐🥵 GO TO READ!! *second star to the left* can be read standalone ) but this one is not far behind!! I really like Megan's writing, it's very light to read, I enjoy it a lot, her characters and worlds are very beautiful 💓, really recommended if you want to read very entertaining NA retellings that read quickly 🫶🏼.
Now the story, very cute 🥹 not only did she add the Cinderella retelling, but she also has a bit of Snow White, which I absolutely loved!
the characters AAHHH i liked a lot, could it be called a small found family 🥹, the protagonists and the secondary characters? In love 🥹 she pretends to be a man and he, is even interested? Omg LOVE!!🙈 I totally loved Will and Anna/Ansel💗 as well as Koen, Brandt and Mina 🥹 their interactions were so much fun 😂.
Just delighted with everything, I NEED MORE OF THIS SERIES (and I know more is coming, so I'm happy 🥰)
thanks to the author for the Arc✨
Me encantó el libro! Justo lo que necesitaba después de leer algo muy intenso, ya leí el primer libro de la serie que me encantó muchísimo, ( mi favorito hasta ahora, retelling de peter pan, donde hook y tink son los protagonistas 🛐🥵 VE A LEER!! *second star to the left* Se puede leer independiente ) pero éste no se queda atrás!! Me gusta muchísimo la escritura de Megan, es muy ligero de leer, lo disfruto mucho, sus personajes y sus mundos son muy bellos 💓, realmente recomendado si quieres leer retellings NA muy entretenidos que se leen rápido 🫶🏼.
Ahora la historia, muy linda 🥹 no solo metió el retelling de cenicienta si no que también tiene un pequeño toque de blancanieves, que a mi me encantó totalmente !.
Los personajes AAHHH me gustaron mucho, podría llamarse una pequeña found family 🥹, los protagonistas y los personajes secundarios? Enamorada 🥹 ella finge ser hombre y él, está incluso interesado? Omg AMO! Amé totalmente a Will y Anna/Ansel💗 como también a Koen, Brandt y Mina 🥹 fueron muy divertidas sus interacciones 😂.
Simplemente encantada con todo, NECESITO MÁS DE ESTA SERIE (y sé que viene más, así que estoy feliz 🥰)
•Review eng:
Cinderella retelling where she is the "villain" and the good one is the stepsister? LOVE IT!
I loved the book! Just what I needed after reading something very intense, I already read the first book of the series that I loved very much, (my favorite so far, retelling of peter pan, where hook and tink are the protagonists 🛐🥵 GO TO READ!! *second star to the left* can be read standalone ) but this one is not far behind!! I really like Megan's writing, it's very light to read, I enjoy it a lot, her characters and worlds are very beautiful 💓, really recommended if you want to read very entertaining NA retellings that read quickly 🫶🏼.
Now the story, very cute 🥹 not only did she add the Cinderella retelling, but she also has a bit of Snow White, which I absolutely loved!
the characters AAHHH i liked a lot, could it be called a small found family 🥹, the protagonists and the secondary characters? In love 🥹 she pretends to be a man and he, is even interested? Omg LOVE!!🙈 I totally loved Will and Anna/Ansel💗 as well as Koen, Brandt and Mina 🥹 their interactions were so much fun 😂.
Just delighted with everything, I NEED MORE OF THIS SERIES (and I know more is coming, so I'm happy 🥰)
thanks to the author for the Arc✨
November 6, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and City Owl Press for the book, here is my honest review!
Actual rating 3.5⭐!
This is my second book of Megan I've read and I really like the first book so I have big expectation for this one but sadly this book didn't meet my expectation.
The book itself is a twisted retelling of Cinderella story, the villain is Cinderella and the heroine is Anna, her stepsister. The event took place after the wedding between Cinderella and the prince, Nik. But, not long after that The King, Nik's father, died. It makes Nik became the King and Cinderella become the Queen. And again, not long after that Nik announced dead and Cinderella become the sole ruler of the kingdom. This is when everything revealed that Cinderella is not like what other people seen.
The book has fast paced plot, from the beginning the author didn't waste time to show us what kind of conflict that will raise in this book. It also more action packed, so many battle, swords, blood in this book. It makes me more excited to know how Anna will rescue her family.
This book also have journey and found family trope. In the forest while hiding Anna met this little family that have the same mission with her and quickly they become a close friend even family. They protect each other and always there for the other, they rely to each other so much.
The book will have 2 POV, from Anna and Will. Anna and Will obviously will develop a special bonding. I love these two relationship. With Anna and Will POV, we know what really happen with Cinderella, we even know Cinderella past from Anna's POV, the real one. Anna and Will really sweet to each other, at first doubt always appeared between them but after that they show a good chemistry.
The unique one is that the author not only show us a retelling of Cinderella but there's another tale that you'll recognize right away. I think it's good but unfortunately it makes me easier to guess the ending.
Actual rating 3.5⭐!
This is my second book of Megan I've read and I really like the first book so I have big expectation for this one but sadly this book didn't meet my expectation.
The book itself is a twisted retelling of Cinderella story, the villain is Cinderella and the heroine is Anna, her stepsister. The event took place after the wedding between Cinderella and the prince, Nik. But, not long after that The King, Nik's father, died. It makes Nik became the King and Cinderella become the Queen. And again, not long after that Nik announced dead and Cinderella become the sole ruler of the kingdom. This is when everything revealed that Cinderella is not like what other people seen.
The book has fast paced plot, from the beginning the author didn't waste time to show us what kind of conflict that will raise in this book. It also more action packed, so many battle, swords, blood in this book. It makes me more excited to know how Anna will rescue her family.
This book also have journey and found family trope. In the forest while hiding Anna met this little family that have the same mission with her and quickly they become a close friend even family. They protect each other and always there for the other, they rely to each other so much.
The book will have 2 POV, from Anna and Will. Anna and Will obviously will develop a special bonding. I love these two relationship. With Anna and Will POV, we know what really happen with Cinderella, we even know Cinderella past from Anna's POV, the real one. Anna and Will really sweet to each other, at first doubt always appeared between them but after that they show a good chemistry.
The unique one is that the author not only show us a retelling of Cinderella but there's another tale that you'll recognize right away. I think it's good but unfortunately it makes me easier to guess the ending.
September 16, 2022
Turn the classic Disney fairytale on its head, the years of conditioning of thinking that evil lies only on the side of the stepsisters and the stepmothers and what you'll get is a funky mish-mash of Cinderella and Snow White (a wee bit) in 'The Ugly Stepsister'.
My rating comes solely from how breathlessly inventive I found van Dyke's take on these 2 tales, where Cinderella is now the evil queen and her plain-looking stepsister Anna Schneider is the misunderstood one desperately clawing her way out of the exiled place she's found herself in. Worn down, tired, dressed as a man and evasive at first with her motivations, her deception can only go as far as the discerning eye can see.
But Anna isn't the only one with a concealed identity--somewhere along the way, she meets the dodgy Huntsman Will who really isn't all that he claims. In a surprisingly steamy (and welcome) take on the prince and the stepsister, I knew I was on for a ride as their relationship developed and grew through the action-filled scenes.
The motifs of the fairytale remain delightful inserts in this story: the glass slippers make their appearance not in a way you'd imagine, the 'true love's kiss' stays in a way that's both cheesy and like a foregone conclusion, fairy godmother who's a little more like a sinister Wizard of Oz.
In many ways, 'The Ugly Stepsister' needs no introduction as it's familiar (yet unfamiliar) to everyone who has an inkling of how these fairytales take their course. As a result, there's so much and also nothing to say about the tale here...have that go at it, and then marvel that HEAs come in many forms.
My rating comes solely from how breathlessly inventive I found van Dyke's take on these 2 tales, where Cinderella is now the evil queen and her plain-looking stepsister Anna Schneider is the misunderstood one desperately clawing her way out of the exiled place she's found herself in. Worn down, tired, dressed as a man and evasive at first with her motivations, her deception can only go as far as the discerning eye can see.
But Anna isn't the only one with a concealed identity--somewhere along the way, she meets the dodgy Huntsman Will who really isn't all that he claims. In a surprisingly steamy (and welcome) take on the prince and the stepsister, I knew I was on for a ride as their relationship developed and grew through the action-filled scenes.
The motifs of the fairytale remain delightful inserts in this story: the glass slippers make their appearance not in a way you'd imagine, the 'true love's kiss' stays in a way that's both cheesy and like a foregone conclusion, fairy godmother who's a little more like a sinister Wizard of Oz.
In many ways, 'The Ugly Stepsister' needs no introduction as it's familiar (yet unfamiliar) to everyone who has an inkling of how these fairytales take their course. As a result, there's so much and also nothing to say about the tale here...have that go at it, and then marvel that HEAs come in many forms.
August 24, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
𝕆𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕒𝕤𝕟'𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕞, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪. 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕟 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒’𝕤 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝, 𝕤𝕙𝕖’𝕝𝕝 𝕕𝕠 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖. 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝, 𝕒 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕣𝕠𝕪𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕟, 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒’𝕤 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕤 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕟. ℍ𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕒 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝔸𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝, 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤. 𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕨𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕪 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕒𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕖, 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝 𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕔𝕥 𝕒 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟.
This one has twists and turns you do not expect, and just wow! There were a few times I literally had my jaw to the floor.
How Megan can take such a well known story and make it completely original is astounding.
This one isn’t as spicy has her previous works, so don’t go into it for that! Could it have used a little more? Sure. But I’m just being picky.
The story is very character driven and I liked how the romance blossoms even as Will believes Anna to be, Ansel.
Her gender wasn’t a factor and it was so refreshingly done and well written.
There’s actually so many elements to this story and I don’t want to spoil anything as I went in blind and it was a cool experience.
It’s a lovely little escape that I’m sure I’ll read again.
If you love a fairytale retelling with a twist, a little spice and a lot of action, this is for you.
Thank you Megan for allowing me to be part of your ARC team! I’m so thankful I get to read your beauties early!
Released: 13/09/2022
Find on Amazon!
𝕆𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕦𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕒𝕤𝕟'𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕞, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪. 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕟 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒’𝕤 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝔻𝕚𝕤𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝, 𝕤𝕙𝕖’𝕝𝕝 𝕕𝕠 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕥 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖. 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝, 𝕒 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕣𝕠𝕪𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕤𝕞𝕒𝕟, 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕪 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒’𝕤 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕤 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕟. ℍ𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤 𝕒 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 ℂ𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝔸𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝, 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤. 𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕨𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕪 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕒𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕖, 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕟𝕤𝕖𝕝 𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕔𝕥 𝕒 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟.
This one has twists and turns you do not expect, and just wow! There were a few times I literally had my jaw to the floor.
How Megan can take such a well known story and make it completely original is astounding.
This one isn’t as spicy has her previous works, so don’t go into it for that! Could it have used a little more? Sure. But I’m just being picky.
The story is very character driven and I liked how the romance blossoms even as Will believes Anna to be, Ansel.
Her gender wasn’t a factor and it was so refreshingly done and well written.
There’s actually so many elements to this story and I don’t want to spoil anything as I went in blind and it was a cool experience.
It’s a lovely little escape that I’m sure I’ll read again.
If you love a fairytale retelling with a twist, a little spice and a lot of action, this is for you.
Thank you Megan for allowing me to be part of your ARC team! I’m so thankful I get to read your beauties early!
Released: 13/09/2022
Find on Amazon!
September 1, 2022
Thank you thank you a million times to the author for sharing an ARC of her book with me !!!!
“But no one knew the truth—Anna’s truth. Those evil deeds were true, but it was Ella, with the help of her fairy godmother, who wrought them upon her family”
“People see what they want to see.”
“Do not get lost in your revenge. Don’t let it make you into the monster she paints you to be.”
It’s because it is good it was amazing!!!!!
I believe by this point I’m in love with everything Megan van Dyke writes !!!
A beautiful, unique Cinderella retelling the likes of I’ve never read before !!!
The plot was amazing. The writing style made the story easy to get through and the book very accessible. The characters were beautiful and their relationships were soo good !!!! (I’m in love with a certain huntsman !!!!!)
And the action and world building was incredible honestly !!!
I wish I could be able to express how good it was in my eyes but, apart from saying that I finished it in day because I couldn’t put it down, I truly wouldn’t know what to add !!!
And don’t let me start on the tropes in it !!!
Fake identity and forced proximity were the actual best !!!!
And the spicy times … ohhhhh they were so good !!! Just as much as the sweet and romantic ones !!!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book and I would recommend it to everyone in love with fantasy romance and retellings !!!!!
“ … the handsome huntsman and the ugly stepsister”
“But I want to touch you, Anna. I want to taste you, to feel you, because to me, you’re lovely. You’re all I want”
“Let’s do together what we couldn’t do alone”
“Sometimes, … the most complicated magic has the simplest cure.”
“But no one knew the truth—Anna’s truth. Those evil deeds were true, but it was Ella, with the help of her fairy godmother, who wrought them upon her family”
“People see what they want to see.”
“Do not get lost in your revenge. Don’t let it make you into the monster she paints you to be.”
It’s because it is good it was amazing!!!!!
I believe by this point I’m in love with everything Megan van Dyke writes !!!
A beautiful, unique Cinderella retelling the likes of I’ve never read before !!!
The plot was amazing. The writing style made the story easy to get through and the book very accessible. The characters were beautiful and their relationships were soo good !!!! (I’m in love with a certain huntsman !!!!!)
And the action and world building was incredible honestly !!!
I wish I could be able to express how good it was in my eyes but, apart from saying that I finished it in day because I couldn’t put it down, I truly wouldn’t know what to add !!!
And don’t let me start on the tropes in it !!!
Fake identity and forced proximity were the actual best !!!!
And the spicy times … ohhhhh they were so good !!! Just as much as the sweet and romantic ones !!!!
I’m so glad I had the chance to read this book and I would recommend it to everyone in love with fantasy romance and retellings !!!!!
“ … the handsome huntsman and the ugly stepsister”
“But I want to touch you, Anna. I want to taste you, to feel you, because to me, you’re lovely. You’re all I want”
“Let’s do together what we couldn’t do alone”
“Sometimes, … the most complicated magic has the simplest cure.”
September 19, 2022
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I love a retelling and this one didn’t disappoint. VanDyke cleverly mixes together Cinderella and Snow White and takes some of our favourite elements of both; fairy god mother, a huntsman, glass slipper, a ball, hidden identity and sleeping maidens, and creates an interesting new story. Cinderella is evil and the stepsister is good, It was full of surprises and some twists I didn’t see coming.
The ugly stepsister is told in dual POV and thats one of my favourite things. I love getting the inside thoughts from both characters. I do wish it told us whose perspective it was at the beginning of each chapter though.
The word building was great and super immersive. I could totally imagine myself there. The story is so fantastically written. I love Megan VanDyke's writing style. ♥️ Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy a great fairytale
Huge thank you to Megan for this #gifted ARC!
I love a retelling and this one didn’t disappoint. VanDyke cleverly mixes together Cinderella and Snow White and takes some of our favourite elements of both; fairy god mother, a huntsman, glass slipper, a ball, hidden identity and sleeping maidens, and creates an interesting new story. Cinderella is evil and the stepsister is good, It was full of surprises and some twists I didn’t see coming.
The ugly stepsister is told in dual POV and thats one of my favourite things. I love getting the inside thoughts from both characters. I do wish it told us whose perspective it was at the beginning of each chapter though.
The word building was great and super immersive. I could totally imagine myself there. The story is so fantastically written. I love Megan VanDyke's writing style. ♥️ Definitely worth picking up if you enjoy a great fairytale
Huge thank you to Megan for this #gifted ARC!
September 23, 2022
Ok look when it comes to retellings Megan Van Dyke Is a freaking genius. Second Star to the Left is one of my favorite retellings to date so when I heard that she had a second novel coming out I had to have it! This Cinderella retelling was unexpected, elaborate, twisty, steamy, and oh so fresh. The character building was immaculate. Anna’s character was so multifaceted and beautifully complex. I truly fell on love with her as a character. Will I loved but through a twist came to realize was just as beautifully complicated which made me love him even more. Every side character came with a strong emotional response from me. And that is more than I could ever ask for in a novel. The world building was fantastic, there was never a point that felt disjointed or incomplete. And the story line….. just *chefs kiss* I hope there are many many more retelling novels ahead that follow these first two!!
October 3, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts are my own.
When I first seen this; I wasn’t sure I would like it since it made Cinderella the villain but not really even Cinderella, it was more The Fairy Godmother corrupting everyone to get what she wanted.
This book gave me part of a Snow White vibe as well. With Mina being poisoned and falling into a sleep and then her 7 bothers saving her. So it’s like she was Snow White and her brother were the dwarves.
I really liked this more than I thought it would. It was a bit predictable especially with “will” being the king. I knew that from the get go. I do like that him and Anna ended up together. She did deserve a happy ending. Cinderella even got a happy ending to which she didn’t deserve but good ole Anna has too big a heart.
All in all this was a great read. If you like retellings, especially princess retellings; I’d recommend this book.
4 stars!
When I first seen this; I wasn’t sure I would like it since it made Cinderella the villain but not really even Cinderella, it was more The Fairy Godmother corrupting everyone to get what she wanted.
This book gave me part of a Snow White vibe as well. With Mina being poisoned and falling into a sleep and then her 7 bothers saving her. So it’s like she was Snow White and her brother were the dwarves.
I really liked this more than I thought it would. It was a bit predictable especially with “will” being the king. I knew that from the get go. I do like that him and Anna ended up together. She did deserve a happy ending. Cinderella even got a happy ending to which she didn’t deserve but good ole Anna has too big a heart.
All in all this was a great read. If you like retellings, especially princess retellings; I’d recommend this book.
4 stars!
October 3, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts are my own.
When I first seen this; I wasn’t sure I would like it since it made Cinderella the villain but not really even Cinderella, it was more The Fairy Godmother corrupting everyone to get what she wanted.
This book gave me part of a Snow White vibe as well. With Mina being poisoned and falling into a sleep and then her 7 bothers saving her. So it’s like she was Snow White and her brother were the dwarves.
I really liked this more than I thought it would. It was a bit predictable especially with “will” being the king. I knew that from the get go. I do like that him and Anna ended up together. She did deserve a happy ending. Cinderella even got a happy ending to which she didn’t deserve but good ole Anna has too big a heart.
All in all this was a great read. If you like retellings, especially princess retellings; I’d recommend this book.
4 stars!
When I first seen this; I wasn’t sure I would like it since it made Cinderella the villain but not really even Cinderella, it was more The Fairy Godmother corrupting everyone to get what she wanted.
This book gave me part of a Snow White vibe as well. With Mina being poisoned and falling into a sleep and then her 7 bothers saving her. So it’s like she was Snow White and her brother were the dwarves.
I really liked this more than I thought it would. It was a bit predictable especially with “will” being the king. I knew that from the get go. I do like that him and Anna ended up together. She did deserve a happy ending. Cinderella even got a happy ending to which she didn’t deserve but good ole Anna has too big a heart.
All in all this was a great read. If you like retellings, especially princess retellings; I’d recommend this book.
4 stars!
October 5, 2022
— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Ugly Stepsister
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 2 of 2 of Reimagined Fairy Tales
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Megan Van Dyke
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fairytale
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 13th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5
As you can probably guess by the title, The Ugly Stepsister is a reimagining of Cinderella. This story follows Anna, Cinderella’s stepsister who is on the run in a kingdom that’s under the fairy godmother’s—and Cinderella’s—spell. With the king and prince presumed dead, Cinderella takes over a kingdom which enslaves the rest of her family, and the families of others.
I enjoyed the double perspective of Anna and Will, although found myself a bit confused with the formatting at times as it sometimes changed from third to first person.
The pacing was nice and quick, although it took me a while to finish because I was so busy. The story was good, I like how things were twisted to suit the plot and the characters had a lovely dynamic going. I found it a bit contrived in parts and mostly predictable, but the overall effect was heart warming.
Initially I felt that the romance was forced; Anna and Will were constantly commenting on how magnetic or attractive they found the other and it felt tiresome without the foundation of a connection. Thankfully, it did blossom into something that was warm and tender and most importantly of all, enjoyable.
I also initially thought it was YA but the romance scenes set fire to that label as though it was timber. I clearly shouldn’t have been so quick to judge this fairytale.
🧚🏻♀️
♡ my bookstagram • my twitter ♡
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𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Ugly Stepsister
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 2 of 2 of Reimagined Fairy Tales
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Megan Van Dyke
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fairytale
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 13th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5
As you can probably guess by the title, The Ugly Stepsister is a reimagining of Cinderella. This story follows Anna, Cinderella’s stepsister who is on the run in a kingdom that’s under the fairy godmother’s—and Cinderella’s—spell. With the king and prince presumed dead, Cinderella takes over a kingdom which enslaves the rest of her family, and the families of others.
I enjoyed the double perspective of Anna and Will, although found myself a bit confused with the formatting at times as it sometimes changed from third to first person.
The pacing was nice and quick, although it took me a while to finish because I was so busy. The story was good, I like how things were twisted to suit the plot and the characters had a lovely dynamic going. I found it a bit contrived in parts and mostly predictable, but the overall effect was heart warming.
Initially I felt that the romance was forced; Anna and Will were constantly commenting on how magnetic or attractive they found the other and it felt tiresome without the foundation of a connection. Thankfully, it did blossom into something that was warm and tender and most importantly of all, enjoyable.
I also initially thought it was YA but the romance scenes set fire to that label as though it was timber. I clearly shouldn’t have been so quick to judge this fairytale.
🧚🏻♀️
♡ my bookstagram • my twitter ♡
↑ follow my socials for more bookish content. ↑
October 3, 2022
I recieved a free digital Ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I’m a Huge fan of fairytale retellings and couldn’t wait to read this one!
The first few chapters didn’t hook me. The whole hiding as a man in full view of 3 grown men and a girl and NOBODY knowing you are actually a woman didn’t do it for me. Especially when it’s obvious from the start Will has some pretty strong feelings for the “stranger” he’s just met.
Aside from that the characters are fairly interesting and I liked some aspects of the plot. I really liked the way the story played out but not going to lie my eyes hard rolled on more than one occasion.
This is not YA! 👀 I checked and nowhere does it warn that this book is spicy 🌶 I think the spice kept the story interesting but if I never have to read the words “delving into her secret forest” again it will be too soon 😷
Overall I didn’t hate the story but it’s not my favourite retelling of Cinderella.
I’m a Huge fan of fairytale retellings and couldn’t wait to read this one!
The first few chapters didn’t hook me. The whole hiding as a man in full view of 3 grown men and a girl and NOBODY knowing you are actually a woman didn’t do it for me. Especially when it’s obvious from the start Will has some pretty strong feelings for the “stranger” he’s just met.
Aside from that the characters are fairly interesting and I liked some aspects of the plot. I really liked the way the story played out but not going to lie my eyes hard rolled on more than one occasion.
This is not YA! 👀 I checked and nowhere does it warn that this book is spicy 🌶 I think the spice kept the story interesting but if I never have to read the words “delving into her secret forest” again it will be too soon 😷
Overall I didn’t hate the story but it’s not my favourite retelling of Cinderella.
January 15, 2024
This is the second book of Megan Van Dyke's fairytale reimaginings and just like the first I absolutely love and enjoyed it! Megan Van Dyke has a way of writing a story that keeps you so enveloped that you get swept away in the adventure and intrigue. The way she recreates the world and characters but still keeps the magic and adds some spice just makes it perfect! For those like me who loved the fairytales as a child but needed more story tension and spice as an adult these are it! I can't wait to read the next!
September 19, 2022
This was an interesting retelling of Cinderella which is quite different and innovative. The story seems like a mix of Cinderella and Snow white. The story is fast-paced and is an entertaining read with a few unexpected twists! I received a free copy of the book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
September 14, 2022
This was so good! I loved the romance so much. There were a few twists that I never saw coming, which I really enjoyed. I can't wait for more from this series. The smut is so good and the characters are amazing.
December 19, 2022
~Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honesy review~
I love Megan Van Dyke's first fairytail rendition, so I knew I had to read this one! The spin was amazing, from Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother being evil to adding in details from Snow White with the mirror and the apples. The characters fell a little below what I was wanting, with their personalities being funny at times and monotonous at others. All in all, this was such a fun read and for a fairytale standalone retelling, I recommend
I love Megan Van Dyke's first fairytail rendition, so I knew I had to read this one! The spin was amazing, from Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother being evil to adding in details from Snow White with the mirror and the apples. The characters fell a little below what I was wanting, with their personalities being funny at times and monotonous at others. All in all, this was such a fun read and for a fairytale standalone retelling, I recommend
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