Thank you so much for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Gilded Wolves, I was so excited to pick up anything else Roshani writes, and this story was charming from the beginning to end. I loved the spin this novella took on some of my favourite fairytales, and it was a beautiful palette cleanser after reading nothing but epic fantasy books. The follows our main characters Imelda and Ambrose, who try to figure out if they truly want to spend happily ever after together, and like any good fairytale there is a beautiful world to escape in and beautiful magic all around. If you love second chance romance or any fantasy romance books I definitely recommend!

QUIRKY FAIRY TALE WITH A TWIST

If you're looking for fun, easy fairy tale retelling to get into on a cold autumn evening look no further! It won't take you to the moon and back, but it'll certainly keep you entertained and warm.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Narrator: The one thing that really sets this story apart from many other fairy tale retellings is the narrator of the story. It's witty, it's quirky and it's hilarious. And to top it off, the narrator is an outside - someone outside the story. That made it even funnier.

Fairy tales: There is a gaggle of different fairy tales in this story, which is something I really love. I liked seeing how the different stories intertwined and interacted with each other.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Predictable: As it usually is with fairy tales and novellas, this was sadly a bit predictive. There were some surprises along the way, but on the whole, I had it figured out.

Once More Upon A Time brings the flirt, the fun, and all the fairytale romance as we find out what happens AFTER happily ever after when love is lost and needs to be found again with Roshani’s signature storytelling of magical prose and cheeky banter.

This novella was short and perfectly sweet! It had just the right amount of quirk and spice and was full of endearing heart. I will always love Roshani’s dreamy fairytales and her fun voice. Her characters were so vibrant and full of spirit, even when they had lost their way.

Overall, it gave me A Crown of Wishes meets traditional Disney fairytale vibes, and I was HERE FOR IT.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

*3.5*

I've never read anything by Roshani Chokshi and I think this little novella was a lovely place to start. Once More Upon a Time is the story of Imelda and Ambrose, a prince and a princess who married and became the queen and king of Love's Keep. Sadly, due to some unfortunate circumstances, the two forgot about their love and now a witch put them on a perilous journey to find something she wants... and maybe even more.

I really liked the main voices in this story, especially the small interventions from the witch. It was so nice to see all of the usual fairytale tropes but with a bit of a twist. The witch and her sarcastic commentary were my favourite things in this novel. She was so sassy and I loved the way she decided to narrate the events.

I believed in the love between Imelda and Amborse, and even in such a short work of fiction I believe that Chokshi did a really good job in portraying these lovely characters. Also, I loved the idea that they found in each other what they never found anywhere else in their lives.

If you like fairytales with a bit of a more modern and funnier approach, I think you could really enjoy this one. It was maybe a bit simple and fast at times, but I still believe it to be a lovely tale.

Never knew I needed this story until I finished it.

This was such a sweet light fairytale reading. But still with a mission to complete.

Both characters have their own vulnerability and that made them stray from their hopefully, ever after. The story itself was very fairytailey. The forest with mysterious inn in the middle of nowhere to a curse creature. I wish the book to be a little longer because I want to read them more after.

“If it’s such a freedom, then why did you take it from us all those months ago?” That’s what I’m asking myself too reading it. Kinda confused with the witch honestly.

This is my first Roshani Chokshi and definitely not the last.


- Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the e-ARC -

This sweet novella is about second chance love for one of the twelve dancing princesses and her husband. They face a curse, a magical potion, cannibals, and family members who think they know best during their journey. The characters grow on you so that you want more of them, possibly the details of their original love story or as side characters in a book about their brothers and sisters. Wonderful introduction to the author for new readers.

This had potential to be a good read, but really didn't develop into the story it could have. It was a shorter story with a good premise, but it never really fleshed out and the characters felt out of place. It was a decent that never really flowed like it should have. I wanted to like the characters but they were just on the surface with no real connection. The worldbuilding was just ok with not a lot of help there, just not a favorite read for me. Not one I would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

A fairy tale novella about one of the 12 Dancing Sister's, Imelda, and her marriage to Ambrose when it was cursed by a witch. This was a cover request for me, and I've loved a lot of Roshani Chokshi's other works so I figured I would give this a go. It's a pretty quick read, and I know there's an audiobook version out as well if that's more your medium for reading.

I wasn't overly thrilled by this book, there was a lot packed into this book but it's still pretty short so there can't be too much explained. There is a lot of magical happenings that aren't explained, but that's the way of fairytales right? Imelda and Ambrose go on a big adventure and end up learning lessons along the way.

Would I pick this back up again in the future? No - I likely wouldn't. Did I enjoy my time reading it? Yes - I would say it's a palate cleanser book with the bits of romance, adventure, magic, and fantasy combined. There are also two POVs which I always appreciate when there is a romance included in a book. But if you're looking for world-building, a well explained magic system, and a full plot? Not the book for you.

**Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

I've always been a huge fan of Roshani Chokshi's storytelling and writing and she continues to amaze me with Once More Upon A Time.

A wondrous retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, I simply could not put this book down. I was enthralled by the aspect of a year and a day and the choice Ambrose made to save Imelda that "doomed"their love. This is a novella that makes a wonderful bedtime story for kids (and adults bc of a few references if you catch my drift.) I'm practically itching to listen to the audio book for this very reason.

100/10 would recommend.

3.5/5. As always, Roshani Chokshi's writing is gorgeous and compelling. I only wish there had been more plot!

Of course, this is a novella so we're given fairly little exposition, but I found myself wanting more of Imelda and Ambrose's history. However, I found what we do see between them very entertaining. This was an extremely quick read, composed of a fun adventure between two individuals who have for some reason fallen out of love. The fairy tale references were fun and charming, and I really enjoyed Chokshi's portrayal of Imelda's strength and Ambrose's snark.

Perfectly delightful for an afternoon of reading/listening, but nothing groundbreaking that I would feel compelled to frequently revisit or mull over.

Will they follow their heart’s deepest desire? Or will they choose to let love radiate as best as they can for each other?

It’s an enchanting story that allows the reader to get a quick escapism in the fairytale world. It reminds me so much of a classic fairytale like Grimm Brother’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses. The book is entertaining because the quest along the way is such a delightful reading experience. The two main characters are well-rounded - a badass heroine and a pompous hero. They surely give satisfaction for readers to follow their adventure all the way.

Overall, it’s a cute and simple story of second chances that will make us believe in happily-ever-after. For YA fans who are keen of fairytales and adventures, please do pick up this book if you wish to sit back, relax and looking for a quick read.

Thank you to @netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this opportunity to read an ARC in exchange of unbiased review.

If you’re in the mood for a grown-up, feminist, fairytale, you will love this quick read.

Ambrose, Imelda, and the horse have a wacky adventure, complete a quest, and find the meaning of happiness.

This novella made for a really entertaining, quick read. Roshani Chokshi's writing is always beautiful, but it's perfectly suited to fairytales. The way this story was told was so witty and fun, and really played with fairytale conventions.

I love a good retelling and this is a good retelling. The story of the dancing princesses and the story of the king with three sons. A witch narrator. A horse-hoar cloak that talks. Please do yourself a favor and read this one.

Firstly, I would like to thanks NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

'Once More Upon a Time" by Roshani Chokshi was my first ever book from the author. I would say the writing is very easy to read and I found it was fun to read this fairy tale-esque story. With a twist on the Twelve Dancing Princess story, we got our Princess, whom loves dancing and went to dance with her other sisters till they worn off their slippers but she crave for freedom. Then, the second prince from another kingdom, Ambrose was in crisis of trying to know what his purpose is. They fall in love and was set to be married the day after the youngest Princess married but they were cursed to fall out of love in order to save Imelda from dying. They build their own kingdom in the Love Keep's palace but were unable to stand each other. However, a witch promised to fulfill their wishes if they could get her a potion from another witch. They agreed and embark on the journey but misadventures and the journey seems to shine a different light to each of them. What will happened next?

This is a short novella that is fun and a breeze to read. We followed both of the main characters where they went from enemies (or ex-lovers?) to them discovering again each other. Its fun to see their interactions and see their fears of the world. Both of them wanted something different, one wished for freedom, the others just want to find a place for himself. So do they sacrifice one thing to get another? The story does reminds me a lot of the fairytale retelling. We got to see from both Imelda and Ambrose's perspective so we get too see what they are thinking about. Then, there is also the 3rd POV as we see what's going on, Its short and I do wish we can get a lot more development but for a novella, this was quite good.

Thank you for an advanced copy of Once More Upon A Time in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is. my second book by Roshani Chokshi, and this book left me with the same feeling that The Gilded Wolves did...as in, it was fine, but not memorable. I enjoyed this book, and it was a quick read. But, truly, the story was pretty formulaic and went as I expected it to. It lacked a surprise factor, and it really didn't do anything to wow me. I liked it fine, but compared to other fairy tale type books I've read this year? Once More Upon A Time was just kind of meh- a solid three star read, but it doesn't do anything special to set itself apart from its peer books.

And, while I found this a decent read, I probably could have received the same satisfaction from finishing the book as not finishing the book. There wasn't anything about the story that kept me enthralled with the characters and the plot, and it's hard for me to stick with a book if I'm not connected to the characters. These characters were fine, but nothing remarkable or exceptional. I was expecting more from this book based on the marketing of the title, and it just wasn't there.

If you enjoy predictable, light, fairy tale-esque reads, you will probably like this book (or if you're a fan of the author's previous work). For me, it was just okay. Solid, but nothing special.

Imelda is one of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Ambrose is the middle son from another kingdom. At the wedding of the youngest princess and her daughter, Imelda and Ambrose fall in love. As a wedding gift, the king grants his daughter and her new husband the corner of the Kingdom, Love’s Keep. “It is an unoriginal and yet instructive name because to protect it and for the land to grow and all the denizens within to be hale and happy, the king and queen must always be in love.” And yet on the day after their wedding, Imelda is poisoned. To save her life, Ambrose begs a conveniently present witch, in exchange for anything. The cost of the prince’s altruism--giving up their love for one another. The story begins a year and a day later, with our couple trapped in a loveless marriage, and about to embark on a quest suggested by the very same witch to retrieve a potion from a faraway kingdom.

This is a remarkably charming and sweet novella. When I requested the ARC, I didn’t remember that I’d actually listened to this book last year as an Audible Original, so this is actually a review of a reread. I liked this one a lot more the second time around! My original comments were “sweet but nothing special.” For my reread though, I was able to pay attention to the quips and sharpness of the prose. It’s a tongue-and-cheek fairy tale, with an adventure and a quest in search of something that turns out to be true love. The cloak/horse makes for a funny sidekick, the witch is fashionable and loves a good purse, and the Honey Badger is a silly interlude. Read this one if you want a short read, a sweet story, and a laugh out loud fairy tale that turns the tropes on their heads.

In a land called Love’s Keep, a King and Queen fall in love, but that love becomes forgotten and then remembered again, when they set out on a journey together.

With witches and spells, magic potions and of course, who could forget the trusty steed, this story transforms into a magical fairy tale full of adventure.

I really enjoyed this whole story. The characters were so vivid and I always enjoy some humor woven in, which is why my favorite character was the horse 😁. If you want a quick fun read, I would definitely recommend this one!

This was a really cute story that presents a different take on classic fairy tales as a genre. I love Roshani's writing so that's always a plus. I really enjoyed the horse cloak - iykyk. However, I don't think this one is going to stick with me, perhaps because it's so short and it was hard to feel really fully connected to the characters. It's quite short, so it's really digestible, and it's fade-to-black on love scenes - I think there's maybe one on page kiss - so it would be a great starter romance for young adults or others.

This is a unique and delightful fairytale. We meet Prince Ambrose, and Princess Imelda, who have fallen in love. In an unfortunate deal with the Witch (and narrator), she has taken away their love for each other. As the story goes on we learn that maybe that was actually a good thing. Imelda has spent her entire life under her controlling father's eye and she longs for freedom. Ambrose is the youngest of three brothers and he has never had respect or power like his brothers. He longs for power. When the Witch sends them on a mission together, with the promise to give them their heart's desire at the end, the two, now an unfriendly couple, embark on a journey. The journey, in true fairytale fashion, has some bumps along the way. The story really feels like a fairytale and was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed Imelda, Ambrose, and even the Witch. I liked how these characters had reasons behind their actions that we don't get normally in a fairytale.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc. This is my honest review