There were some interesting parts in this book but overall I was bored. I went into this book thinking that the Cinderella re-telling would make the main character, Cendrillion as a really strong character but I felt she was kind of annoying and whiny. The writing was too "young" or juvenile despite the fact that I read YA all the time and a lot of times really like it, I even read middle grade if we're being honest here. I ended up skimming a lot of the book. It took me weeks to finish this one because I kept reading other ones to keep myself from falling into a reading slump. I think a younger audience might like this better but I need something with better writing. I can't explain how I felt but I was just annoyed the entire experience.

2.5 Stars

I became very excited after seeing the cover for Melissa de la Cruz’s Cinder and Glass, and learning that it was a Cinderella retelling and similar to The Selection. I should have read a bit farther though, as the comparison to Bridgerton was a hint that the book leaned more towards historical fiction and less towards fantasy.

I had to try very hard to finish this book, and ultimately I did but it was rough to get through. I wanted to love Cinder and Glass, but unfortunately, nothing particularly excited me. I never connected to the main character (she was a bit too much of an airhead for my tastes) and the setting was kind of boring. Despite this, there are definitely elements that I think will excite historical fiction fans. For example, there are multiple references to things that actually exist in our world like the Latona Fountain. The fashion seems to be on point for the time period the author set out to portray (I had to look up what a “justaucorps” is). There are also elements that will excite fans of the original fairytale (the evil stepmother and stepsister, the somewhat nicer stepsister, etc.) but they weren’t enough to change my mind and increase the overall rating.

The pacing of historical fiction books is usually slower than that of a fantasy book, and that was another issue for me. Action-packed books always tend to receive higher ratings from me. Cinder and Glass would not fall under that umbrella. Granted, the author did a good job making me empathize with Cendrillion when she’s bored because the court tutor is explaining all the different instances one must bow to the king, but it wasn’t enough to make me invested in Cendrillion’s story sadly.

Ultimately, I don’t think I was the intended audience for Cinder and Glass, but I do think the book will find a loyal fan base in other readers with different preferences. I would recommend this book for fans of historical fiction and classic fairytale retellings. I would not recommend this book for fantasy readers expecting a magical retelling of the Cinderella storyline. I will still be reading books by Melissa de la Cruz in the future, but I’m unlikely to read anything additional related to this particular storyline.

This book was too similar to the original Cinderella story. The writing was not the best. There wasn';t much original besides the fact that it was set in France. I was really hoping for all the Bridgerton vibes and didn't really get that.

This was a fun Cinderella retelling that’s great for tween readers and fans of Melanie Dickerson fairy tale retellings. But unlike Dickerson’s retellings, this one sticks closer to the Disney version of Cinderella that we know.

It takes place in 18th Century France at Versailles. Cendrillon finds herself an orphan living in a new chateau with her evil stepmother and twin stepsisters. She finds herself stuck in a situation where she needs to gain the Crown Prince’s attention to be free from her stepmother but she has feelings for another boy who she met when she was attending court etiquette classes with the other children of nobility before her father passed away.

There really isn’t a big twist or new perspective in this story, but it’s a fun and hits all the familiar plot points of Cinderella. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I would recommend it to those who like the MG/Young Teen historical romances genre.

Cinder and Glass is a fun, inventive re-imagination of the cinderella tale that offers just enough nuance to make the narrative feel fresh and new.

Cinderella at Versailles?! Sign me up!!! How could I not want to immediately read this? It sounded intriguing from the start!!

I started reading this so fast and I’m so happy I did! This was such a wonderful Cinderella retelling! Honestly one of my favorites (even if I’ll never understand why Cinderella won’t just leave her stepmother….but it is what it is) and I was so sad it was over, but so happy by the end too. I mean I was legitimately smiling from ear to ear while reading it.

Guess what, if you haven't figured out by the title this is a Cinderella retelling.

I actually liked this version, not that the first one was bad. This is told almost like a historical fiction retelling, where action takes in a French court, with the Prince eventually having a bachelor type of competition to choose his fiancé. I love the French courts, their absurdity with rules, especially when dealing with royalty. So it was a fun listen.

The story goes, that Cendrillon is left to live with her stepmother and stepsisters, after her dad dies. Being hidden from court by her evil stepmother, she finally runs away to a ball. Afterwards she learns that the prince is going to choose his bride in a competition type of setting, and she was one of the chosen girls to participate. Along with her stepsisters of course. Cendrillon wants to participate, just to spite her stepmother and of course maybe have a chance to get away from her, if she's chosen as a bride. But her heart belongs to someone else. What will she do when she has to make a final choice?

It was a cute story, with a heroine that needs to make some choices for herself. Perfect for younger YA audience. For me this felt a bit flat, and too romance-y. I don't read enough romance, so it is just not for me. I wished for more magic and world building, which is definitely lacking here.

If you're a first timer dabbing into retellings - try this one. It will have that nostalgic feeling of youth and watching princess movies.

Okay, I love retellings and this was a retelling of Cinderella but with a "The Selection" twist and a love triangle with the princes. I liked it a lot.

I found this to be a nice, easy read. The writing style pulls you in and keeps you there.

It was also interesting to see de la Cruz’s take on the original tale. The addition of the competition was unique.

The pull from history was also nice and you truly felt as if the story were taking place at the time intended.

I had a long debate about whether to give this 2 or 3 stars. In the end, I settled for something in the middle. I read Cinder and Glass after binging the second season of Bridgerton, promised it was perfect for fans of Bridgerton. I was disappointed in this regard. It is almost nothing like Bridgerton. So if you go in expecting that, you will be disappointed.

The main character had me almost throwing my kindle across the room due to her sheer stupidity. Like, being naïve is one thing, but this girl is straight up the dumbest person ever. The second hand embarrassment, guys. It was so painful.

The plot was so predictable, I mean it is a Cinderella retelling, but beyond that you could tell from the beginning exactly how it would end. Honestly, the only things it had in common with the fairy tale was her name, the stepfamily, and the ball she runs from. Other than that it was a new story, which I would have appreciated if it wasn’t so damn predictable. The pacing was also super weird. Mostly it was slow, but it felt really rushed towards the end.

Despite all of this, I did find myself rooting for the main couple. They were very cute, if extremely awkward.

Let’s talk about the gays. These two girls were the only scrape of diversity in this book. Besides having absolutely zero chemistry, their relationship was constantly demeaned by the main character treating them like lovesick kids. I honestly expected one of them to die because I wouldn’t have been surprised if this was a kill your gays book, but thankfully they did not. Either way, it felt like the author tossed them in as an afterthought to have some characters that weren’t straight and it showed.

Overall, I really should have DNFed this book. It was a relatively quick read, and I’m not totally mad I read it, but it’s also like four hours of my life I’m never getting back. So there’s that. Overall, I do not recommend this book, personally.

This retold classic was one I really enjoyed! Combining the classic Cinderella storyline with a Selection like twist, it kept me turning pages well into the night! Cedrillion has grown up with the happiness and security of a loving father, but must learn to muster courage when that happiness is lost at the hands of her new stepmother. Will Cinder do anything to be free of her grasp? Or is the price of freedom too high a price to pay?

I can be a harsh critic when it comes to retelling or reimaginings, but by including a bit of French court intrigue and a contest aspect to the romance in this tale, author Melissa de la Cruz was able to develop something fresh without crushing what we love about the classic tale. I enjoyed what she did in Jo & Laurie and am happy at her handling of this one too.

This one was slower than I expected. This cinderella retelling is not like others with mayor magical elements. I was happy with the historical points in the story and the descriptions of the world. However, the dialogue was a bit confusing and the pacing of the plot was just too slow for me. The characters definitely fell flat, I didn't connect with a single one. Hopefully I get a better connection with the author's writing in the future. I will definitely give her another shot. This one just wasnt for me.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love retellings and this was no exception. This Cinderella meets The Selection retelling was such a fun and fast read for me. I loved the characters, drama and all the beautiful settings. Cendrillon is a kind and strong character who keeps on fighting even when life keeps knocking her down. She doesn't give up and continues to fight for herself and her own happiness. She is a character I was able to see myself in, minus the balls and fancy dresses.

I recommend this highly loved fairytale, with a twist.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this because it just seemed to young for me, which is probably more of a me problem than the book. The story just felt flat and nothing new or exciting.

Cinderella is one of my favorite fairy tales and I love reading all the different retellings that I can find, when I found this one by Melissa de la Cruz I knew I had to get it and read it. I love that this retelling has the feel of the classic fairytale but it has a spin that is so fresh and new. I loved the idea of many different women vying for the crown prince’s affections, and the ending and romance of this novel. I loved watching Cinder and Auguste falling in love with each other and the ending was absolutely fabulous. I would have never seen the ending coming but I completely adored this fairy tale romance retelling and recommend it to all lovers of the French court, fairy tales, and the romantics at heart.

The traditional fairytale of Cinderella meets The Selection. I loved how the premise of this story started out with the Cinderella story we’re all familiar with but slowly began to diverge and evolve into something unique and of its own design. I loved the little bits of modernity like Alexandre and Elodie’s romance. And Cendrillion falling for not the heir of the throne but his brother. The forbidden romance was oh so good.
I loved watching all of the characters grow especially Auguste and Cendrillion’s love for each other. Auguste was so sweet as a love interest and his big heart truly makes up such a quintessential part of the story.
This was a fairly easy and short read and definitely a feel good novel if you’re looking for a happy ending.

Cinder and Glass is honestly just a lot of fun. It’s sort of like if The Selection met the classic Cinderella story in a fully historical setting. We follow a girl named Cendrillon (or Cinder for short) who goes to The Ball to escape her wicked stepmother…and unknowingly is entered into a competition for Prince Louis’s hand, even as she is distracted by the prince’s younger brother Auguste.

I LOVED the fact this had little to no “magic” in it. Which is so weird for me considering that I adore magic? And all the best fairytale retellings usually have it. However, Melissa De La Cruz did such a fantastic job describing the atmosphere of Paris and capturing the subtle intricacies of the Cinderella story that this story felt like a real fairytale nonetheless. And that’s something I really respect.

A lot of the characters in this book feel more two-dimensional than I expected, and truly feel at home in this French tale. My biggest complaint? I feel like I’m the wrong audience for this book. It felt more juvenile in comparison to a book like Cinder, and much more so than Throne of Glass. I guessed the “plot twist” almost immediately.

Cendrillion also was just not my favorite heroine. She didn’t have that Cinderella charm that I so wanted. If you’ve ever seen Cinderella III: A Twist In Time then you’ll know that Cinderella isn’t just kind, she’s also determined, witty, and clever. Her stepsister Anastasia also got a great redemption arc in that movie. Reading CInder and Glass felt like reading a younger adaptation of that movie (minus the time-travel stuff). I would definitely recommend this if you like retellings geared towards a younger audience, or if you just want something fun to pass the time.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of Cinder & Glass in exchange for an honest review!

Cinder & Glass is a Cinderella retelling with some twists. & for me, this book suffers from this is just fine, but unfortunately, nothing special.

I do adore both the main romance & the side romance in Cinder & Glass & those were pretty much the highlights for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the chance to read this book in order of an honest review,

In 1682 of the king of France sends out an invitation to all the maidens of the reign, to attend to a number of balls and events so the prince can choose his future bride.
Cendrillon de Louvois had everything: grace, beauty and she was the beloved daughter of the king's favourite adviser. Since her father's death, though, her life was turned upside down and now she's called Cinder and she's the servant of her stepmother and stepsisters at her own chateau. Managing to avoid them, she attends the ball, catching the eyes of the handsome prince Luis and his younger brother Auguste. Even though she didn't like Luis, the only way to escape her fate with her stepmother and stepsisters is to compete for his hand, until she will be forced to decide if following her heart who points her to Auguste or choosing the easier way to leave a life she hates.

First of all, look at this beautiful cover! Who couldn't I request to read a retelling of Cinderella, set in Versailles?
I was over the moon when my request was approved and I loved reading this book! The setting is fascinating, gorgeous and so beautiful and I loved reading about Cinder and her life, choices and struggles. She's a very realistic character, trying to do anything to get her life back and, at the same time, struggling with her feelings and dislikes, sacrifices and what she really wants.
I wanted to see and know more of the stepsister and stepmother, the story is vaguely inspired by The selection, but it's really nice and even though the pacing is a bit slow in the beginning I liked it overall.

This was my first retelling of Cinderella and it did not disappoint. I loved that the evil stepmom was still there and the twist of having two princes. I do wish there was more of a magical element but that did not take away from the story.