When the Slipper Fits

Fairy Tale Trilogy #3

by Lynn Collum

For best friends Sara, Ella, and Rosamund, life thus far has been anything but a fairy tale. They have little to look forward to upon graduation from Mrs. Pearson's Academy for Girls—not even a Season in London! But, as each young lady is about to learn, Fate, for all her fickleness, is sometimes kind—and happy endings may be found in the most unexpected places...

Will a "cinder" tending maid...

For the titled but penniless Miss Ella Sanderson, leaving school means earning her keep as a lady's maid for her social-climbing aunt and her two spoiled daughters. It's a life of drudgery until the day Lady Latimer's carriage breaks down in front of their cottage. Her ladyship, thinking Ella a servant, invites the girl to cook for the party she's giving for her son, the Earl of Shalford...a ball that will end with the earl choosing a wife...

...Become the belle of an earl's ball?

Gabriel Crowe, Earl of Shalford, has no choice but to comply with his father's latest edict—to find a country-bred bride of suitable wealth and position. Gabriel has no interest in the boring, demure ladies being flung at him from every corner of town. But there is one who intrigues him...an adventurous, spirited beauty whose quick laugh and kind manner have stolen his heart. Unfortunately, the lady runs the moment his mother enters the room. But when it comes to true love, no heart can flee—or hide—for long...

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical Romance, Cinderella

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Slipper Fits is the third book in a fairytale trilogy of romances. Obviously a Cinderella retelling, this follows Miss Luella Sanderson home to her... aunt? I think? I was never clear on the relation. Anyway, this being a Cinderella retelling, she's treated like a servant and sent to work for her aunt's brother, Addison Banks, who lives in a nearby cottage and is a balloon scientist (!!!!). Ella and Addison bond almost immediately, and he starts to treat her like a daughter. Meanwhile, Gabriel Crowe, Earl of Shalford, has to find a wife by the end of the month for implausible reasons, and the Cinderella plot is on.

This book edges out A Kiss at Midnight because of Addison Banks, who is AMAZING. Seriously, he's wonderful, I love everything he does. I also really like Ella and her relationship with Addison; the pair have a very close bond and treat each other very much as father and daughter. Unfortunately, Our Hero is not nearly as interesting. Shalford is a cardboard cutout with very little about him that interests me, apart from his affection for his brother and sister. To be honest, I thought his brother was a much more appealing character, despite having much less pagetime and no POV. But Shalford is irritating, and I was hoping that Ella's aunt would get some comeuppance (she did not), and Shalford's father's about-face at the end of the book was abrupt and not at all believable. Alas. But there is Addison and Ella, and they make the book for me.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute Cinderella retelling. I liked that it followed the Cinderella plot, but was still unique. Ella was of course very likable and endearing. Gabe was also very likable, and together they were very cute. I liked the side characters and just thought the whole story was enjoyable.

I didn't realize this was part of a series, now I'll have to go track down the first two books. I think each book could probably stand on its own, I didn't feel like I was missing much by reading it out of order.

Content: Clean.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unexceptional Regency take on the Cinderella story. Started out well, dragged in the middle, and continued to a contrived ending. I liked that it did not stick too closely to Cinderella details and that the hero and heroine did not fall into bed or even into lust but gradually built on their mutual attraction.

[Shari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting version of Cinderella. The characters were likable and it had enough of its own twists that it isn't a strict adaptation of the cinderella story. However I felt like all the problems( the conflict between the hero and his parents) were resolved easily and quickly, as if the author realized she was running out of pages and took the easy way out for the hero. Despite that I found this a quick, enjoyable and light read.