Diving into Roshani Chokshi's "Once More Upon a Time" feels like entering a dreamscape woven with threads of familiar fairy tales, intricately stitched together to form a narrative tapestry. The novella follows the journey of Imelda and Ambrose, entwined in a love story that echoes both the enchantment and tribulations of classic tales.

Imelda and Ambrose's quest, orchestrated by a demanding witch, takes them through a world that seamlessly blends known fairy tale elements with unexpected twists. The story introduces a chilly queen, a cursed prince with concealed motives, and an inn harboring secrets, creating an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue. The narrative surprises with unexpected turns, particularly the deadly secrets concealed within the inn, offering readers a fresh perspective on well-trodden storylines.

The characters, Imelda and Ambrose, are archetypes drawn from classic tales, each carrying emotional baggage reminiscent of familiar narratives. Imelda's stubborn quirkiness and Ambrose's restrained demeanor add a layer of charm to their relationship, rooted in clichés yet presented with a cozy familiarity. While the central love narrative may not break new ground, its predictability becomes a source of comfort, akin to revisiting a beloved book that never loses its magic.

Chokshi's storytelling, while not flawless, remains engaging and pleasant. The novella's simplicity allows readers to immerse themselves effortlessly, enjoying the tale without the burden of complexity. It's a narrative that invites relaxation, allowing the reader to savor the story's essence without feeling overwhelmed.

However, the familiarity that adds charm to the love story can also be a double-edged sword. The predictability, while cozy, might leave some longing for more innovation and daring narrative choices. The novella's strengths lie in its ability to subvert expectations, and while it achieves this in parts, there's room for more exploration and divergence from traditional fairy tale norms.

"Once More Upon a Time" is a delightful journey through a reimagined fairy tale landscape, where the echoes of classic stories harmonize with fresh twists. While the narrative offers comfort in its predictability, it hints at untapped potential for even more daring ventures into the realms of subversion.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a funny, quick read that made me laugh out loud multiple times! There were a lot of quirky and fun lines throughout this entire novel and the story was sweet, simple and complete. A fun quick read that I would absolutely recommend.

I thought this was a fun, quick little read. I once saw the author describe it as not reinventing the wheel, but it's a "sparkly, blue one". I think that's a good description. Nothing was super fresh, new, or surprising, but it was enjoyable and cute.
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this was such a lovely little novella and Roshani, as always, delivers exactly what she promises - a beautiful, sweeping, and enchanting fairytale.

“You can wander the world and be beholden to no one, and still find yourself trapped.”

This is just a beautifully articulated novella. I am a big fan of Roshani Chokshi and find her writing to be lyrical and whimsical. While the characters were falling in and out of love, I was finding myself falling in love with the story itself. All in all I really enjoyed this read and found myself not ready to let go of the characters or the world created in the end.

Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi is a stunning novella that manages to both pay homage to and subvert several well-known fairy tales. Ambrose and Imelda, two loves, are forced to carry out a terrible deal with a witch who demands they go on a long adventure to rescue themselves. They each have a lot of emotional baggage from their youth, each of which is based on a well-known story. (Isabella, for instance, was one of the 12 dancing princesses.) They must overcome a chilly queen, a cursed prince with hidden agendas, and an inn with deadly secrets. (This was a storyline twist that readers won't anticipate.)

Additionally, the central love narrative is nothing new, yet it is nonetheless charming. Imelda, who is stubborn and quirky, and Ambrose, who is restrained and harsh, are opposites who are drawn to one another. Their relationship is based on several clichés. However, despite knowing every twist and turn by heart, the predictability of the paths Imelda and Ambrose's relationship takes never becomes tedious; rather, it is cosy and comfortable like a book you love to reread repeatedly and feel the same joy every time.

While Once More Upon a Time's narration isn't flawless, it is entertaining and pleasant. The story never becomes overwhelming or difficult to understand, and the premise is rather simple, so you can just relax and take it all in. It was one that I didn't expect to enjoy but I definitely just enjoyed the whole ride.

3.5🌟

I loved this on audio so it’s no surprises I loved it when I read it as a print book as well. It was a fun, modern take on the general concepts of fairytales and I would love to see Roshani Chokshi turn this into a series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just start this review by saying that Roshani Chokshi is one of my absolute favorite authors and I will read any book that she publishes. While this book was not my absolute favorite book by her that I have ever read, (THE GILDED WOLVES HAS MY HEART!!!!) I still really enjoyed this book.

Roshani's writing style is always absolutely beautiful and it is so hard to put her books down. I really enjoyed both Imelda and Ambrose as main characters and I liked that we got to read this story from both of their POVs.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of Roshani Chokshi!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Mir hat die Geschichte leider nicht so gut gefallen. Es fühlte sich eher wie eine Kurzgeschichte an und ich kam deshalb nie so richtig hinein. Deshalb habe ich auch schlecht Zugang zu den Charakteren gefunden, auch wenn das Setting mich eigentlich überzeugen konnte. Insgesamt habe ich mich einfach schwer getan und muss zugeben eigentlich war es mir fast schon egal wie die Geschichte ausgeht - leider..

I’m a huge fan of this author so I was pumped to be able to get an ARC of one of her works. It was so well written and the perfect mood read for someone who wants a fantasy romance fairytale. The characters, while not super developed, were easily lovable. The plot was engaging, and there was some absolutely wonderful angst that i am HERE FOR- i am a huge sucker for second chance romance and this book def delivered on that end.

I would absolutely say this is a more YA/NA romance. Theres not much spice, but I dont always need there to be on-page spice to enjoy a good story. This is a book that you want to curl up on your couch with a cozy blanket and a strong cup of tea with your fave candles lit during fall to read and fall in love with.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of this book

I have to start this off by saying I’m a massive fan of Roshani Chokshi’s writing and this book hit all the top points for me. Humour, adventure, love, thrills, heartbreak and true love. It’s everything you want from a fairytale.

I remember years ago during a Q&A on Instagram that Roshani said she wrote herself into Star Touched Queen as Kamala. And I feel like there’s a bit of Roshani in the horse-cloak and also Imelda. The horse-cloak for the humour and Imelda for the sass and freedom.

This book is a quick one, but honestly is so great. It’s a wonderful palette cleanser.

This book was a really fun fantasy read. The plot was riveting and kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Although this was so short, it was so delightful. Such a perfect little fairy tale combining many different known tales and I enjoyed every second in this world. I only wish it were longer but I can’t wait to read more from this author, both her backlist and her new release.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted ecopy. All views expressed are my own.

This was a fun and short read! I like the author's take on a fairytale. It feels fresh and new while maintaining traditional fairytale plot and details.

I have gone back and forth on this one for a year. I have tried to read it multiple times, but I just couldn't get into it. It has potential, but it just wasn't doing it for me. However, I did order a copy for my library.

I struggled a lot twitch this one. I felt the plot had a lot of holes and could have been great but it was missing too much and I didn’t stay interested with it.

This copy was kindly gifted to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (submitted on Instagram)

Just the kind of whimsical, magical, delightful middle grade fantasy story that made me fall in love with the genre as a child. It reminds me of being young and innocent and determined to one day seek adventure and freedom and magic fearlessly for myself.

I have never read a Roshani Choshki book before, and I fear I started with the wrong one.

Once More Upon a Time seems to mimic the juvenile-yet-deep writing style of the Princess Bride; instead it comes off as kitsch and awkward.

I enjoyed the reimagining of lesser known tales all mashed into one, and the characters were likable. Besides that, there were not many other positives to make this book truly memorable.