Cinderella and the Colonel by K. M. Shea
Fairytale Retelling. 272 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Scratching out a living in a land recovering from war and a hostile takeover, Cinderella—an orphaned, destitute duchess—is desperate to save her lands and servants in spite of the terrible taxes placed upon her by the Erlauf queen, even if it means she must don servants’ clothes and work like a commoner.
Her sacrifices aren’t enough, and when a mountain of debt is levied against her, she is given one season to produce the funds. Cinderella realizes it is only a matter of time before she loses everything she has struggled to protect, and it seems that all is lost until she is befriended by the debonair Colonel Friedrich—a member of the Erlauf military and a citizen of the oppressing country that rules her homeland.
From helping her break into the royal library to saving her from a rogue mage, Friedrich draws her closer and challenges her mindset of the queen and the war.
Cinderella knows Friedrich is not all he appears to be, but can she trust him with her country and her heart?
CINDERELLA AND THE COLONEL is fairy tale retelling of love, sacrifice, adventure, and magic. It is filled with humor, deception, and clean romance, and it belongs to the top selling series, TIMELESS FAIRY TALES. The books in this series take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone books.
My Review:
Okay, so. I fully didn’t expect to love this story as much as I did. Let me explain.
Shea is so fantastic at funny. I’ve enjoyed several of her books! (The Snow Queen duology was cute and I really enjoyed it! And I LOVED her King Arthur series!) It’s bee a while since I read the previous books in this series, so there are definitely things I’ve forgotten, but I didn’t love the previous book so I wasn’t dying to pick this one up. Clearly that was a mistake cause I absolutely fell for this one. It was adorable and completely charming. The best one in the series so far!
I’ve always loved Cinderella, but this iteration of her was so much fun. I loved that she was a destitute duchess who worked not because her stepfamily was cruel and oppressive but because she refused to abandon her household. Her work ethic, sense of loyalty and obligation to her people, and her fiery wit easily made her a Cinderella to remember. She was so endearingly stubborn, but for all the right reasons. And her predicament was truly one that felt real and meaningful. There were no easy ways out of her mess, which I appreciated.
The Colonel on the other hand. *clears throat* I have to say. I thought he was a villain at first. He took a little warming up to. And when I far too belatedly clicked together that he was our “prince” figure, I was torn between “him?!” and delight at figuring out who he was before I was explicitly told. The first scene we see him in reminded me of Pierre le Pieu in Ever After so I was sure he would be a Gaston of sorts. An enemy military officer our beloved prince would have to save her from. Boy did I get that one wrong (and it isn’t really a spoiler since we figure out pretty quickly he’s the MMC). I spent so much time confused about why he was the MMC and curious about what on earth Shea was doing that by the time I finally gave in to it, I was completely charmed. He had a unique personality that definitely made me hesitant to trust him, but Shea even handled the objection of his motives in a sweet way.
And his friends! I loved his friends and his men. Guys, this one was just really sweet. I’m grinning just thinking back to it!
The international political stuff was a little confusing (probably since it’s been a minute since I read the others), but also interesting. I love good political intrigue in a story. I will say I expected a different political outcome, but I love what Shea did. She surprised me, but in a way where it all fit so well together. Though I still riffle a little at Frederick’s assessment of the situation and insistence on Cinderella seeing things his way, I did really appreciate his situation and the way he approached it.
There were also some really beautiful themes of hardship, endurance, and forgiveness threaded through the adorable romance, the fantastic characters, and the political intrigue. All in all, this one was definitely one of my favorites of Shea’s books and I’m really hoping the next one is as endearing!
Content: no swearing, mild fantasy violence, and sweet, clean romance (suitable for pre-teens).
More
The prequel novella in the Timeless Fairy Tales is The Princess and the Pea (4 Stars)
Book 1 is Beauty and the Beast (4 Stars)
Book 2 is The Wild Swans (3 Stars)
Book 3 is Cinderella and the Colonel (5 Stars)
Book 4 is Rumpelstiltskin
Book 5 is The Little Selkie
Book 6 is Puss in Boots
Book 7 is Swan Lake
Book 8 is Sleeping Beauty
Book 9 is The Frog Prince
Book 10 is The Twelve Dancing Princesses
Book 11 is Snow White
Learn more on Goodreads with the links above! These each have stood on their own so far, but I imagine reading them out of order may result in some minor spoilers for previous books.
On GraceBought
Check out my thoughts on the prequel series and the previous books in this series below!
Heart of Ice, Princess and the Pea, Beauty and the Beast, and The Wild Swans