This is my first book of the Author. & Omgg I love it somuch. This has to be in my collection.

Once more upon a time, A story of princess who fell in love with a prince, was happily married & lived together in their own palace, they were now a king and a queen & everyone knows their love story but the story never ends here. The story actually starts from here.
Due to some reasons, the Queen was in her deathbed struggling to live, The King couldn't see her in pain, and seek help to a witch. The witch says it's easy to cure here but there is one thing he has to pay: his love for the queen. So he does with a heavy heart. But the kingdom they live had a rule that the king and queen must love each other or else they will perish. What did they do ?

I honestly love the Queen, She was so fierce & righteous. Reading this felt like watching a disney movie. I genuinely want this to be a movie. The writing style is so gorgeous, it makes you feel like you are actually in the scene. As a fan of Disney movies & Reader, i would Definitely recommend this to all the fanperson out there :))

This fresh, magical fairy tale is about a second chance at finding love, and figuring out that you had the power to break the curse, inside you all along.

I really enjoyed the journey the two of them took together, and the forced proximity angle, which brought them back to each other and made them fall in love all over again, even though their memory of being in love the first time around had been wiped by the curse.

There are bargains with witches, princesses who’ve been turned into dragons, magical closets (full of shoes), women trying to find their freedom and so much more! All in all, a delightful and super-quick read.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

Once upon a time a prince named Ambrose and a princess named Imelda loved one other, but nothing is simple and between dangers and witches, they have to embark on a journey and fight for their heart's desire.
Once more upon a time is short and compelling fairytale, a sweet and enchanting read, filled with lush and evocative settings, witches, creatures, loves, fight for freedom and so much more.
Told by multiple POVs, the story is short, but really well written, the characters are developed and I loved their journeys, both physical and psychological, how much they grow in the book. It was my first book by Roshani Chokshi and I love the author's writing style, so captivating and evocative, so vivid, it was almost like I was there with the characters.
The book is intense, well written and I loved everything. It was a story ready to be devoured and so I did it. I totally recommed this book to those who want to be capture and be involved into a wonderful and original fairtytale.

Once More Upon a Time is not your classic fairytale, it did start with an excerpt from our widely popular ones but the real story is nothing like that. It has it's own dark adventure, a tale, a witch and love. What makes it different from other fairytales is that it portrays a strong female character and her fight for freedom. The way the princess wants to fly, to go beyond her own limits is what makes all those adventures a page-turner.
I really liked the writing style of Roshani with multiple POVs making the book a fast yet complete read. The character development is rapid but not rushed and the good and bad in them is equally balanced for the story to work out in such a way that it feels relatable yet fantasy.
Thank you Netgalley for this eARC.

This was the perfect little fairy tale escape I was wanting! It reads like a classic, has a timely message, and captivated me from beginning to end. I absolutely adored it, and I highly recommend you pick up this jewel of a story

Special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars!

This was a super fun spin on classic fairytales and I had a great time reading it! I loved Chokshi's writing and enjoyed how she twisted some classic tales and gave the story a darker fairytale vibe. Seeing as it's a novella, the world-building isn't very detailed and the character development was very swift, but I was happy with how the story progressed. There was never a moment of boredom as we journeyed across this fairytale land and encountered a town full of cannibals, a tricksy honey badger, an evil witch queen and a castle full of stone statues, a cursed village and flying glass slippers, just to name a few things! 😉

There are three POVs and all of them were engaging! Our hero and heroine were so easy to root for and I loved how Chokshi expanded on their backstories, taking us down a not-so-happy route that leads them to where they are today. I adored Imelda and Ambrose together and I loved watching them fall back in love again over the course of their very adventure-filled journey to steal from the Witch Queen. They each want different things without thinking that perhaps what they've been looking for has been in front of them the whole time. Was it a little cheesy? Maybe! But it's also a fairytale so you should expect it (and the warm fluffy feels that follow)!

Aside from our hero and heroine, other notable characters include the magical cloak that believes it's a noble steed and it was absolutely hilarious! We also have a narrator who is the third POV and although their chapters aren't long, I still loved their sassy and witty voice! These characters had distinctive voices that I could so easily picture the story play out like a show in my head.

Overall, this was a great novella full of fantastic fairytale vibes and I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick read full of romance and adventure. Oh, and if you're looking for a HEA, of course! 😍

This one sounded so good and I must admit, I adore the cover. Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. It was a nice fairy tale and might be enjoyed by a younger reader. It was just too predictable for me. I knew exactly what was going to happen so there wasn't a lot to hold my attention.

this was weird, Maybe the copy I received was a sample but it felt like I was missing pieces. but the story, as I read it, was hard to follow. the story was good, the parts that I understood. i also did not feel as connected to the characters as I would have liked. overall I feel like this book was not ready to be published

"...how to fall in love. Sometimes it takes coaxing and listening. Sometimes it takes laughter and tears. But the thread is there if you wish to lift it up to the light and follow it down whatever corridors of time it crosses through."

I love a good fairy tale novella and truly was so excited to read this! I've heard nothing but good things about Roshani Chokshi's work and the way she weaves her storytelling. I thought Once More Upon a Time was a good place to start immersing myself in her world of new tales. This was a cute and quick story that overall just made me smile a lot. A second chance love story, with evocative language that was witty and compelling throughout the novel. It was a different take on a fantasy romance and I was here for it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I went into this with high hopes, as I am always up for a fairytale but unfortunately this fell a bit flat for me. While I definitely knew what I was getting into, I thought maybe there would be just a tad more than what we're given. It was short and cute, no surprises really, so if that's what you go in expecting you'll be fine. But the characters lacked any sort of depth and there wasn't much in terms of world-building - a lot of telling rather than showing.

Sweet for what it was, but I think a younger audience would appreciate it more. I'd put this in between middle grade and YA. Give it a try if you like fairytales, it'll be a quick read!

This was a short and sweet fairytale about lost love, whimsy and second chances at happy endings, and it was an excellent palate cleanser from the the horror I've been reading.

This was definitely an unusual fairytale love story, but still very enjoyable. At only 170 pages, you would think the story would be underdeveloped and romance would, for lack of a better word, blah. But it wasn't! It was fleshed out and very cute.

I wanted more though! More pages!!! More story!! More of Ambrose and Imelda being obliviously in love!! It was short and did what it said: told a love story. But it left me wanting more.

If the story were longer and had even more angst and higher stakes, I think this would definitely had been a 4-5 star book. Roshani Chokshi is an excellent writer and storyteller, and I would have loved a longer book with these characters. Some of my favorite lines were when she described the longing that our main characters were feeling for each other (swoon!!).

Either way, this was such an enjoyable and light read that was just what the doctor ordered: fluff.

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

Once More Upon A Time was a charming novella by Roshani Chokshi, author of The Gilded Wolves and other fantasy novels. The premise of this is rather simple, but also not: It’s a retelling of the 12 dancing princesses fairytale, focusing on one specific sister and her ill-fated, cursed marriage.

Because it was a novella, this moved along at a nice clip – both a good thing and a bad thing, I would say.

In this book you’ll find…

💫 A lot of whimsy
💫 Many, many people who are inexplicably related to one another
💫 Witches a plenty
💫 A talking cloak that thinks it is a horse? I never understood this bit.
💫 A sweet forgotten romance
💫 A honey badger that doesn’t give a shit

I know, it feels weird to type.

In all, I give Once More Upon A Time THREE out of FIVE stars. The pacing just felt far too fast – I think it needed to be a full-length novel with more depth, or a novella with less depth. Not what it was, which felt like a novel crammed in a novella’s body.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for this advance reader copy.

Once More Upon a Time is a completely captivating, charming and comedic fairy tale novella about what happens after you find what is supposed to be your happily ever after.

Imelda is one of the twelve dancing princesses. Contrary to popular belief, she and her sisters had good cause to wear their slippers out every night and no, that reason wasn’t a curse. Now that the gardener’s assistant has ‘saved’ them all and ruined her life, she is wondering what to do with herself. Then she, in the manner of all good fairy tale princesses, falls in love.

Ambrose is a prince and a disappointment to his father. He constantly fails at fulfilling his princely duties and instead, always winds up doing something completely unexpected. For example, when Ambrose is sent to kill the dragon harming the family’s patch of heirloom tomatoes, rather than just slaughtering the beast, he talks to him. Ambrose learns the poor dragon is incinerating the delicious delicacies because they had been grown from the poisoned waters of a nearby pool and would kill the population if eaten. In exchange for his charitable endeavors, Ambrose gives the dragon a medal and a job, and now the beast happily incinerates with the full blessing of the kingdom. Ambrose’s older brother had, of course, killed his own dragon and thus laid claim to the throne.

Fortunately, Ambrose attends the wedding of the dancing princess and the gardener, meets her sister Imelda, falls in love, and is offered the throne of the small kingdom of Love’s Keep. As the narrator informs us:

“It is an unoriginal 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.”

Ambrose and Imelda are delighted. They are young, in love, royal and have an enchanted kingdom to rule over. Then Imelda makes the near fatal mistake of having a salad and one of the poisoned tomatoes from Ambrose’s kingdom winds up on her plate. She’s dying when a witch offers to take their love in exchange for a spell to save Imelda’s life.  Ambrose agrees to the bargain.  They no longer love each other but they are allowed to stay at Love’s Keep for a year and a day till the kingdom kicks them out for lacking amore.

Ambrose and Imelda live separate lives in the palace, rarely speaking or crossing paths, with each of them wondering what they had ever seen in each other. Then when their time is up and they are getting ready to leave, the witch reappears and offers them another bargain. And that’s where the tale really begins – but I won’t tell you anything about it because this story is less than 150 pages long and I don’t want to spoil any of it.

Ms. Chokshi does an incredible job of packing a lot into a little. Her short tale covers the realities of marital love, difficult family relationships and how our childhood informs our adulthood. If you are a fan of Disney’s Tangled or the classic film The Princess Bride, (guilty on both counts) I think you will absolutely adore it. There’s a comedic horse, the princess rescues the prince over and over, there’s plenty of adventure and the characters are whimsical, endearing, relatable, intelligent, funny, kind and really add depth to what could have been a very cheesy, breezy narrative.

That said, I strongly recommend Once More Upon a Time to any lover of fairytale romance. It’s subtly sexy, delightful and loads of fun.

Buy it at Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

Visit our Amazon Storefront

This was a short, cute, novella fairytale. I often struggle with novellas because I like having a more developed plot and characters. Since it was such a short book the beginning and the story and character set up was a bit rushed. The writing style was sassy, fun and easy to read. If you’re looking for a quick, fluffy, feel good novella, pick this one up.

I always loved fairytales so this was something I was really looking forward to read.. Best way to explain this is Hallmark meets Disney in a mix of fairy tail elements. Magic, curses, lost love, witches, honey badger, horse cloak, enchanted shoes, imagine it and its there, wrapped in this package of quirky fairytale,
By all means this is a fun read, fast paced and interesting. It’s also really short and for me it felt like the author tried to put as many ideas as possible into it, which resulted in maybe not having enough time. It just feels a little packed yet missing a kick.

This was a very cute second chance romance and I loved every second of it! Roshani Chokshi knows how to write great romances and this story is one of my favourites of hers.

Charming, suggestive and reminiscent of children’s bedtime fairytales, Once More Upon A Time was the perfect light-hearted breather in between books. It filled me with joy and brightened up my day. For a novella, Chokshi accomplished a lot in the space of 264 pages and from start to end, it was an absolute delight to read.

When I requested to review Once More Upon A Time, I was not aware that it had been previously released as an Audiobook nor was I aware that it was a novella. So I can only guess that they released it in book format, as well. I simply saw Roshani Chokshi, romance and I said, yes please! Personally, the story works better in written format as opposed to an audiobook, judging by some reviews on Goodreads.

Ambrose and Imelda are cursed by a witch. During their wedding brunch, Imelda had fallen ill after consuming a rotten tomato and to save Imelda’s life, both of them had to give up their love for one another. Imelda’s father, the king, had gifted the young couple a kingdom called the Love’s Keep which required their rulers to be in love in order for the land to thrive. But, seeing as their love had been taken away, after a year and a day from their wedding day, Ambrose and Imelda are forced from their loveless kingdom and back to the lives they knew. This is where the story starts.

After a year and a day, Ambrose and Imelda have grown accustomed to the quiet and peaceful life they’ve led, despite their loveless fate and are unwilling to return to their previous lives. But, the same witch who cursed them appears as they are about to leave Love’s Keep and promises to give them what they want the most, if they perform a favour for her. Tempted by her promises, Ambrose and Imelda set off on an adventure, along with a cloak that thought itself a horse, where they would meet a variety of quirky characters, get into a series of delightful mishaps and perhaps, even fall in love. Again.

The language used in Once More Upon A Time is simple but in true Roshani Chokshi fashion, is beautiful and evocative. And, the plot does not delve deeper into the intricacies of storytelling. However, while some might consider this a flaw, it works when you consider that it’s meant to follow the vein of fairytales. And, it does so by incorporating thematics such as a princess from the Twelve Dancing Princesses, a snow queen, talking animals, quirky witches, true love’s kiss, enchanted furniture and more!

The narrator is also rather sassy which made for a fun reading experience.

Both Ambrose and Imelda are delightful characters to follow. Imelda is witty, independent, completely capable and dislikes Ambrose. She is also very sassy which makes her perspectives so fun. On the other hand, Ambrose is very sweet and likeable. Their banter was fantastic; akin to enemies to lovers forced to be together. It was heart-warming to follow along on their adventures and watch them slowly but surely fall in love. The two characters shared an undeniable chemistry that spoke volumes of Chokshi’s talents at writing two characters in love in such a short amount of space; they were also well-rounded and compelling.

If there was one thing I could change about Once More Upon A Time is to have it longer because I wanted so much more of the sweet and slightly chaotic silliness that only fairytales such as this can bring about. There’s so many other quirky and cute details I did not include in this review so I highly encourage you to grab a copy of it when you need a laugh and some brightness in your day.

3/5 ⭐️s

This is exactly what it claims to be, and that’s okay. It’s a cute, breezy fairytale that you can read in one sitting. Is it going to blow you away? No. But it’s a great escape for a bit.

This book is a quick and easy read that is basically a fairytale. A King and Queen were cursed by a witch so are no longer in love. A year later the witch sends them on a quest where they begin to fall in love again.

It was a fun read and I did enjoy it but it was quite a simple storyline and pretty predictable (not that that's necessarily a bad thing!)

A really cute book that was a quick and easy read. The two mains were both very likeable and their reluctant yearning hit so good. It’s a little chaotic at times but never to a point you’re not sure on why it’s included.