Oh my! I am delighted to have read this one! And I bit tad regretful that it took me so long to find this gem!

The story is a twist retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and probably Sleeping Beauty too (not too sure). It's about one of the twelve sisters, Princess Imelda, and her love story with Prince Ambrose.

The writing is really good, and I love how funny the characters are. Their conversations and banters. I love Horse the Cloak so much. He's a mood.

Both main characters are basically struggling with their own traumatic past, Imelda being trapped dancing everyday in a chained dancing shoe, and Ambrose, his whole life as a shadow to his older and younger brothers.

They were married but cursed, and get to remember again.
I love their story so much! I love everything about this book!

Please do read this one, reccomending this book to everyone, who believes in happily eh, hmm, the author said hopefully though, so <i>hopefully ever after</i>. The end.

Ratings: 4.75 ⭐️

Roshani Chokshi always writes such magical and intense books and this one was no different. I really enjoyed reading about Imelda and Ambrose and their hunt to reclaim their love.
The detail and plot were beautiful and I cannot wait to see what else Chokshi has in store for us!

I really enjoyed this book. A solid 3.5! It was quick, fluffy, and predictable. Just the right amount of sass from the narrator. It alluded to sex a few times but was very clean, so I have several middle grade girls I would highly recommend this book to. Our library will definitely purchase!

I thought this book was enjoyable. It doesn't allow to give half stars but this would be three and a half! Fantasy is usually a bit out of my comfort zone but the characters Imelda and Ambrose were really likeable and had relatable traits. This was my first Chokshi read and from what I've heard, she writes really incredible novels. This was not a fluke by any means but I'm excited to read some of her other works!

This book deserves all the hype it's been getting and more! It was magical, romantic, and all-around delightful.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book. All opinions are my own. As a fan of Chokshi's previous works, I was excited to enjoy this short story. Alternating POV's gives a little more depth to the storyline. Overall, a cute, and quick read!

It's a really quick read and I really loved the writing style and the books is pretty quick paced. Overall I loved this book!!!

This was such a cute and fun read! I read it at the perfect time as I needed something light yet good to break from all the heavy themed books i´ve been reading lately. I loved watching Imelda and Ambrose´s adventure, although I was left frustrated while reading it, and how the book focused on recovering lost love. That´s a theme I never knew I loved until reading this book, so I´m very grateful that it made me discover new tropes that I love! The world-building was easy to picture and the writing is very likeable. I thank Netgalley, the author and the publishing team for the opportunity to read this book!

Imelda and Ambrose are a new fairy tale couple whose love became a curse forgotten. Together, thought unwillingly, they leave on a quest to acquire a dangerous potion to trade for their freedom and future dreams. Finishing this story was reminiscent of reading a longer happier version of one of the Brother Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson type of fairy tales. The writing and story line seemed simple and there were no twist or unexpected surprises, but I still really enjoyed the sweet message of love and adventure that occurred with it. This story went by very quickly; I hadn't realized it was such a short story, 176 pages, but it was nice to have a quick read that left me with a happily ever after.

Loved this one! It was a quick, ridiculous read (in a good way). The story followed the kind of ridiculous logic of old fairytales and it was just so fun to read. It reminded me of Peter Pan or Alice in Wonderland.

This was such a cute magical fairy tale and I loved it! Roshani Chokshi is a master at world building and details and truly creating a universe out of nothing. It felt like you could walk right into the story, I was not in love with the characters. I didn’t hate them either. They were just sort of meh. With such a vivid and descriptive world, the characters were just uneventful, I did read this book in one sitting, and truly enjoyed it, but I found myself wishing for more for the main characters.

Once upon a dream, there was a prince named Ambrose
and a princess named Imelda who loved each other...
But alas, no more.
"What a witch takes, a witch does not give back!"
their friends and family warn.
They resign themselves to this loveless fate...
A year and a day pass.
And then their story truly begins...

Embark on a perilous journey with Imelda and Ambrose as they brave magical landscapes and enchanted creatures on their quest to reclaim their heart's desire... But first they must remember what that is...


Such a fun and amazing fairytale this book was!
It's a story about coursed and unforgettable love with the beautiful adventurous journey of it.

This was a very cute short read! The world building was fantastic, and definitely the most exciting part of the book. The characters fell a bit flat for me, but I understand it's hard to get so much depth in such a short period of time. However, I think having alternating POVs helped strengthen the narrative.

Overall very cute and fun to read in-between other books on your TBR!

This was such a quick, enchanting read! I loved the fairytale way in which this story was told! I haven't read the authors other books but will definitely add them to the list.

I do wish it was a little longer to see the world and relationships a bit more. But overall, this was a fun read!

A good read but I was expecting more from it. It reads fast and it's a nice read but nothing more. You would pretty much predict a lot of what was going to happen but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

Here is how I imagine you will read this book: its a Saturday, maybe its raining or, if you’re lucky, its snowing. You curl up on your sofa or in your favorite reading chair, blanket and tea at the ready, cat optional, and you read this book cover to cover in one afternoon. It is a short story, YA fairytale retelling that you will love.

While I am admittedly fall 15 to 20 years outside the anticipated audience demographics, that did not stop me from quickly falling in love with the snarky commentary and rich tropes that Chokshi created. It was fun, it was quick, and it felt like a movie.

This is not a book that will leave you hungover, but if you’re anything like me, you’re probably bookmarking all of Chokshi’s past and future releases as must reads. Her writing is vivid, descriptive, and seeped in nostalgia.

It´s fine, quick, nice, and cute. But that´s all, the story was really predictable, and everything went as I expected. I definitely expected a little more from the book. I enjoyed the story, but it was just ok, nothing new.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

It's a good one, but it's not my type of book. I was expecting to like because I liked the synopsis but it didn't affect me.

I love everything by Roshani Chokshi and this short, fairytale story is included. What a fun time I had reading about Imelda and Ambrose's magical journey. This is a great short book for anyone looking for something fun in between heavier reads.

Delightfully charming, this novella felt like one perfect bedtime story. Once More Upon a Time was exceptionally written; it was so easy to get lost in these pages. If you’re looking for a lovely fairy tale to brighten your spirits and leave you feeling happy, I recommend you pick this up.