Dani Collins’s Cinderella’s Royal Seduction is a fairy-tale retelling with a heroine replete with temper and a prince who exhibits alpha-diminishing humility. I loved it. It’s funny, heartfelt, and possessed of baroque love scenes. The HP’s connection to fairy tale is well recorded; so much so that I was afraid, on first opening Cinderella’s Royal Seduction, it would be trite, tired, formulaic. What I found was anything but. It was delightful, fun, fresh. Much of this may be attributed to Collins’s heroine and hero characterization and how it allows the narrative to subsume the fairy tale, instead of being ruled by it.

Cassiopeia “Sopi” (the worst thing about the novel is the poor heroine’s dimimutive) Brodeur is at the housekeeping beck and call of her evil stepmother and sisters at Lonely Lake Spa in the Canadian Rockies, once her beloved mother’s business-child. Though run-down and in constant need of repair, it’s beautifully situated and lovingly cared for by Sopi. Her evil stepmother machinates a visit from Rhys Charlemaine, Prince of Verina, second-in-line to the throne and, unbeknownst to nasty stepmom, horrid daughters, and Sopi herself, due to his brother’s, the king’s, cancer diagnosis, in need of a wife to provide the stability of an heir to their kingdom.

The first night of his visit, Rhys, in all his muscled birthday-suit glory, swims in the deserted spa pool. Sopi, eyes wide with wonder at his beauty, is hidden by the towel rack, amazed she “had not only seen their special guest, the prince of Verina, in a private moment. She’d seen the crown jewels.” This is how Collins wins you over, with wit and chuckles.

The next day, Sopi must take over the masseur’s job when Karl rushes off to his now-birthing wife. The ensuing scene is cracking good fun, sexy, banterish, wonderful. Collins even manages to sneak a contemporary reference to the magical slipper in Sopi’s bedazzled pedicure. With the cares of the kingdom squarely on his tense, capable shoulders, Rhys’s attraction to and liking of Sopi’s firmly masseusing hands, permeates the scene with humour and sensuality:

“If I’ve been too rough — ”

“You haven’t.” He closed his eyes in pleasure-pain. “This is the best massage of my life. I have to cut it short before it turns into something else.” He thought he heard a small “Eep.” He definitely heard her swallow. “Stay mean,” he growled.

Guffaw from me at Rhys’s “stay mean”! Cinderella’s Royal Seduction maintains this splendid level of fun and never rescinds on the pathos so necessary to good romance.

Oh, there are emotional impediments to this engagement-of-convenience romance, especially on Rhys’s part, but Collins’s reins remain on her magnificent narrative, steering with humour, heartfelt relationship growth, elaborate fireworks-worthy love scenes and the true overcoming of emotional blocks to love and commitment. If you’re an HP fan, you’ll love this; if you’re not, then, it’ll make you one. With Miss Austen, we found in Cinderella’s Royal Seduction “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Dani Collins’s Cinderella’s Royal Seduction is published by Harlequin Books. It was released in January and may be found at your preferred vendors. I received an e-galley from Harlequin, via Netgalley.

*Big thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange of an honest review*

3.5 in fact.

This is the 2020 version of Cinderella.

Literally.

Sopi lives in a hotel/spa with her stepmother and two stepsisters. She's like the handyman of the place. One day, her stepmother invites Prince Rys of Verina, who needs to get married so he can produce heirs because his brother, the King, has a terminal illness. As soon as they meet, Rys and Sopi were attracted to each other. Soon he discovers Sopi's stepmother wants to sell the property without her knowing. Rys decided to buy it and give it to Sopi... As her wedding gift!

This is a book that could be a great one if there weren't so many mentions of the original Cinderella story. I mean, a stepmother, two stepsisters, the “Cinderella” treated as a maid and a prince? Seriously?

Taking that Cinderella stuff aside, this book has good and funny moments. The palace games and the intriguing stuff around Rys and Sopi's relationship and their background is excellent. The chemistry between hero and heroine is really hot. The burning-pages type. Together, they were intense and alluring; a genuine romance between them. And the secondary characters (except the step family, of course) brings more attractive things to the story. Specially Henrik and Elise.

A good story... If you get rid of the fairy tale stuff.

I enjoyed this story. The plot was easy to follow and the characters were interesting. I would have liked more story about the step mother and step sisters.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.

Sopi truly lives the life of the fairytale storybook cinderella with a stepmother and sisters that totally ignore her. The luxury spa she works in was owned by her father and should have become hers on his death but instead the stepmother got it and all that he owned. She hears that Prince Rhys Charlemaine is coming to find a princess to marry. What she doesn't know is that her stepmother has plans to sell the spa and get the money while Sopi has been trying to find a way to get it back. Falling for the prince is not in her plans as she is untouched but in his arms she feels things she never thought she would. Will he choose her as his princess, what about the stepmothers plans. what happens when he makes a convenient proposal, and what about the stepmothers plans . So many questions but this is a book by Dani Collins and she always has a way of pulling you into her wonderful story, that you can't wait to find out what happens and then sad that the story ends. An awesome author and truly one you will look for always.

Cinderella's Royal Seduction by Dani Collins is the story of Rhys and Sopi.
This is a modern take on the Cinderella Story. Sopi runs a resort spa with her stepmother and stepsisters, but of course she is the one to do all the work. Things are pretty busy getting awfully busy with Prince Rhys who will be staying there. Sopi has the chance to enjoy Rhys's company which she takes but then a secret is uncovered.
Enjoyed their story.

Sopi's parents are both dead. Her stepmom treats her as a servant. The step sisters are horrible. Then one night she stumbles into Rhys. It is an instant connection; however she wants to marry one of the steps off to him. She wants a life without them in it. She gets what she wants! Just not the way she imagined.

Sopi runs a spa/resort with her (evil) stepmother and (evil) stepsisters. But really she does all the work while the prima donnas pamper themselves and live the good life. She's advised that a prince, Rhys will be staying at their resort and looking for a future bride.

Sopi and this prince meet in the most unusual way and sparks fly. They have several encounters and find themselves in one that things get very intimate.

Rhys needs a wife and finds that Sopi just might be the answer, especially when he uncovers something about Sopi, something she's not even aware of, that seals the deal.

But unbeknownst to Sopi her mother is selling the resort to the Rhys. Rhys eventually plans to have it turned over to Sopi but with the stipulation she marry him first.

This plays out to the cinderella story and surprisingly well too.

Sopi and Rhys eventually return to his country and the wedding plans begin. The development of their relationship is sweet and spicy. Loved the conclusion and really enjoyed Rhys brother and wife secondary story as well.

Rhys is a stubborn man, “Süsse, I will carry you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to. We are not talking here.” I liked this book, I liked Rhys.