I read this as a book club pick. So definitely not something I would’ve chosen for myself, which is exactly why I’m in a book club I guess!

I love a fairytale retelling, it’s always been one of my favorite tinnngs! This just wasn’t my cup of tea I’m afraid. I do enjoy YA, and even a good middle grade… But I found 
this just lacking. It especially did noooot make sense in the love department, and the pacing was a bit off, making certain things too obvious to truly enjoy the reveal. It fell quite flat, for me personally. 

I found the romance immensely frustrating, because there really wasn’t any romance at all, but we were expected to be invested in this pair. Nothing made sense. There is a young prince behaving like a young prince… Every one wants to go to the ball with him, but he wants to go to the ball with the one human who doesn’t (would he like her the same if she had agreed straight away?)? He keeps relentlessly pursuing her, but we’re given almost no reason why whatsoever. She just keeps rejecting him in their very short interactions. Her feelings and obligations at least makes sense… his has just come across as I want the Exactly one person who is rejecting me with a burning passion despite our lack of actual conversations that contain any real depth? Nah. BUT It was fine, and not painful to get through- just not my type of book.

I know people love this series, so don’t come for me 🥹