Summary: Prince Armand knows he can be a good ruler. Unfortunately, his father, the king, can’t see past Armand’s stutter and would rather marry him off to strengthen their alliances than listen to him. Unbeknownst to him, however, the future of his kingdom and any hope for his happiness rest in the hands of the kingdom’s most notorious thief.
Cyn’s only hope for redemption from her role in her father’s death lies in saving her family from the streets. Working under her stepmother’s direction, Cyn prepares for her biggest — and hopefully last — heist: to rob the gentry blind at the upcoming masquerade ball. But sparks fly when the handsome prince catches Cyn red-handed and they strike a deal: her freedom in exchange for her help in curing his stutter.
As war looms on the horizon, two proud hearts must learn to trust, forgive, and find the confidence they need in order to save the kingdom and themselves.
the wealthy elite of their finery. Armand is a handsome prince with a problem –
that of continually disappointing his father, the King, with his stuttering. When Armand catches Cyn
in the act of robbing a local aristocrat, the two strike a bargain that is,
shall we say, mutually equitable. Falling in love was never part of the
plan.
‘Stealing
Cinderella’ is a young adult fairytale retelling that has been nominated for a
Whitney Award alongside ‘Tress of the Emerald Sea’ by Brandon Sanderson,
‘The Forest Grimm’ by Kathryn Purdle, and others. It is set in a magical
French-inspired kingdom named Lyonelle, complete with grand estates, masquerade balls, and fairytale magic. The story starts off with a touch of breaking-and-entering, swiftly followed by political intrigue, secret identities, clandestine meetings, and daring rescues. The narrative alternates between Cyn and Armand’s perspectives with chapters that are short
and easy to fly through if the reader is so inclined. I certainly did.
I love a good retelling. It’s always interesting to see where the author will take the old story and spin it in a way that retains the basic framework while somehow making the story feel brand new. I loved how Gage reimagined the ‘fairy godmother’
character, how she tweaked Cyn’s relationship with
her stepsister, Aimée, and, especially, how she chose to convey and address
Armand’s stuttering within the story. I won’t spoil things by getting into
specifics, but it was handled insight and sensitivity. Gage also improved
on the Disney version by creating characters with actual depth and focusing on
themes that amplify loyalty, integrity, forgiveness, confidence, and
self-acceptance. I’m over the moon about those messages.
And that’s not all….
Generally speaking, I feel like romantic retellings go one of two ways — too much romance (TMI)
or not enough (SNORE). Well, Gage has managed to write a book
that hits the sweet spot in-between both of those options and I am delighted to
have read it. It has some lovely swoony moments (without spice),
entertaining chemistry, and humorous banter that often left me grinning at the
page like a goofball. I loved that the author chose to model healthy romantic
relationships and friendships within the story, saving the toxicity for the
antagonists. There is not even profanity, unless you count one tongue-in-cheek
reference to a character wearing a donkey mask (and I don’t). The fact that Gage was able to
keep things ‘clean’ *and* interesting is remarkable. It’s like a unicorn
in book form; rare and hard to find.
Gage’s writing is leaps and bounds
above other books I have read in the ‘clean romance’ genre (and many outside). There are a few moments of Hallmark-level emoting towards the end, but that is to be expected when authors use words rather than
(often spicy) actions to convey romantic love (and I like Hallmarks anyway). Speaking of
made-for-tv movies, I would love to see Stealing Cinderella play out on
screen. *she whispers to the universe*
Long
story short, if you are looking for an entertaining, romantic fairytale retelling without
the spicy content, I highly recommend ‘Stealing Cinderella.’
My
Rating: 4.5 Stars
For
the Sensitive Reader:
Language: No
swearing (unless you count the A word referencing someone dressed as a donkey).
Sexual Content: A few male characters are briefly admired while shirtless. No sex. Moments of
romantic tension and/or kissing (M/F) that would rank at an older ‘PG’ to light
‘PG13’ if the scenes in the book were to play out on screen. The ‘spiciest’ it
gets is a few mentions of a character trying to combat his own ‘ungentlemanly
urges.’
Violence: A few incidents of sexual harassment by an antagonist that could
be triggering. Some violence/disfigurement.
The book’s
official content warning: “This book contains mild depictions of
parental abuse ((physical and emotional), a second-degree burn injury, dealing
with grief and the death of a parent, sexual harassment, and intense
kissing.”
