I am a sucker for a good fairytale retelling. I emphasize a GOOD retelling. This one? Definitely a good one. Especially since we get to see in the mind of the “wicked” stepmother. 

Ethel Tremaine Bramley is first and foremost a mother. She will do anything for her girls, and this book highlights the intense protection that mothers try to give their children. Lady Tremaine is a story about motherhood, and it was so beautiful in its telling of that aspect of Lady Tremaine’s life. There were moments where I saw the “wicked” stepmother. Most of the time, though, it was just Ethel trying desperately to give her girls the best they could get. 

The plot was wonderful as it built up to Ellen (our Cinderella in this novel) meeting the prince. Everything after that is so nuanced and thought out that it was a nonstop read for me (after Ellen met the prince that is). Before Ellen meets the prince, it was a little slow, but it was still really good. It really focused on the hardships of being a woman in that time period and how Ethel tried desperately to overcome that status of being “just” a woman.

Spoilers ahead.

The prince being a sleezy rapist who impregnated his own sister? Yeah, could’ve called that one. Loved that Ellen saved Ethel and they finally got that mother-daughter relationship (even if the bonding was burying the prince’s body). I do think, though, that Ethel refusing to marry Otto was overdone and too extreme for the times. It would’ve been more realistic had she just married him, but oh well.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and loved that it focused on motherhood and the lengths that a mother will go to protect her children. It was a retelling that offered way more new content than old and wasn’t your typical Cinderella story. A solid 4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 for social platforms. 

Source: Audiobook from Libby Public Library

(P.S. You can read this book for free by signing up for a free trial of Audible, which gives you two free audiobooks of your choice!)