The Ugly Stepsister
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley and City Owl Press for an eARC of The Ugly Stepsister by Megan Van Dyke!

Everyone thinks they know the story of Cinderella.

What they don’t know? It’s all a lie.

So when guards come to arrest her mother and sister on Cinderella’s order, Anna, one of the famed “ugly” stepsisters runs for her life. Vowing to save her mom and sister, she sets out on a quest to rescue them from the Fairy Godmother.

But when she runs into Will, a former royal huntsman, she’s realizes that there’s more people willing to help save the kingdom from Cinderella.

Working together, Anna and Will hatch a plan to take down Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother once and for all! But when their plans go sideways and secrets are revealed they will have to decide if they can face their past in order to have a future.

Y’all 😍 I am a SUCKER for fairytale retellings. Or in this case, a reimagining! And let me tell you, Megan Van Dyke delivers on such a fun story that makes you question everything you thought you knew about Cinderella!

Full of adventure, romance, and intrigue, I truly enjoyed reading this story and will definitely read more by Megan in the future!

I wanted to like this retelling or re-mix of a well known fairy tale but I felt the overall prose and writing to be weak and the characters to fall flat.

I enjoyed this story. Anna and Will were cute and I liked the twist well enough. It’s just hard because Cinderella is one of my favs so viewing her as “an evil witch” was hard to picture but it was still unique and I can really appreciate that!

I love fairytale retellings and I can never say no to that. When I discovered Megan van Dyke’s series, I had to read the ugly stepsister. I really liked the cover and we sent her a great mixture of Cinderella’s fairy tale and Snow White’s fairy tale. I love the idea that Cinderella isn’t the good guy for once, but here she’s the bad one. Even the good fairy is not as good as you think. The plot is gripping from the start and you really get attached to the characters. The plot is a bit predictable on one hand, but there are twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

I love Anna and I found Will very fascinating right from the start. You can’t help but root for the two of them. The development of the love story was very well presented and the erotic scenes were written appropriately and they fitted well into the plot.

In the end I felt the solution was a bit too simple or I would have wished for something else. But I’m still glad that there was a happy ending. If you like retellings you should definitely check out this series. You will not regret it.

◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦

⮞ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ⮜
The story follows Anna on her quest of saving her mother and sister and getting as far as possible from Cinderella, her cruel stepsister.

⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
I enjoyed Anna a lot. She definitely had some sort of way of looking in my imagination, and I liked she wasn’t your “all beauty” girl that everyone will swoon after her, she was beautiful in her own way and in the eye of the right person. I loved how good she pretended to be a boy and how her relationship with Will developed and their feelings were so contradicting, it was definitely delicious.

Loved Will, he was your typical book boyfriend, and loved the fact he was developing feelings way before he even knew that “Ansel” is Anna and is a she and not him – his contradicting feelings were very beautifully made, and at one point I even got confused just as Will, forgetting that Ansel is actually Anna, definitely this part of the book was nicely made and perfectly tricky.

There are other characters too that drive and shape the story, and I’ve enjoyed how unified they were and how they all acted like a big family, even tho they didn’t actually know much about Ansel. You have plenty of funny and embarrassing moments with them that made me giggle because they were funny and silly. Other than the villains I enjoyed each character, they were nicely portrayed and very easily defined in the story.

⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The world-building was definitely giving me fairytale vibes, which is normal considering the story is a Cinderella retelling. I loved the twists with the godmother and the evilness she was up to. Loved the twist on the sleeping beauty and the cure for it. I’ve enjoyed a lot of the descriptions we’ve gotten and the different twists the story has for the reader.

⮞ 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 ⮜
The person that owns magic in the book is the godmother and mostly because of her origins. She used potions and spells and I loved she was having a journal where she kept track of her potions showing us that even as a godmother who knows magic, her potions were no easy feat.

⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
I liked the fact the story was pretty fast-paced, the information provided was coming at the right moment, and didn’t feel like an info dump to try and retain everything at once. I enjoyed the funny moments because they made me giggle and perhaps blush at the same time with Anna. The book felt like a quick and fast read and I enjoyed it a lot.

⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 ⮜
I’d say the spice is probably at 2 red peppers, it didn’t feel too detailed or too smutty but it gave you enough information and enough details to have the spice. The moments between Anna and Will were definitely lovely and spicy.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Ugly Stepsister
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 2 of 2 of Reimagined Fairy Tales
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Megan Van Dyke
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy/Fairytale
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 13th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5

As you can probably guess by the title, The Ugly Stepsister is a reimagining of Cinderella. This story follows Anna, Cinderella’s stepsister who is on the run in a kingdom that’s under the fairy godmother’s—and Cinderella’s—spell. With the king and prince presumed dead, Cinderella takes over a kingdom which enslaves the rest of her family, and the families of others.

I enjoyed the double perspective of Anna and Will, although found myself a bit confused with the formatting at times as it sometimes changed from third to first person.

The pacing was nice and quick, although it took me a while to finish because I was so busy. The story was good, I like how things were twisted to suit the plot and the characters had a lovely dynamic going. I found it a bit contrived in parts and mostly predictable, but the overall effect was heart warming.

Initially I felt that the romance was forced; Anna and Will were constantly commenting on how magnetic or attractive they found the other and it felt tiresome without the foundation of a connection. Thankfully, it did blossom into something that was warm and tender and most importantly of all, enjoyable.

I also initially thought it was YA but the romance scenes set fire to that label as though it was timber. I clearly shouldn’t have been so quick to judge this fairytale.

🧚🏻‍♀️

Thank you to netgalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a great twist on the classic cinderella story and in this version, her fairy godmother is actually evil and the stepsisters are innocent.
We see so many cinderella retellings now that a twist on the story is such a breath of fresh air. As always, Megan writes beautifully.
4/5 for me

I received a copy of The Ugly Stepsister via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I didn’t absolutely love this retelling it was still good. I think the idea that the step sisters are completely innocent and Cinderella and fairy godmother evil extreme. I personally would like something where they all have things to repent for and learn from mistakes.

This was still a good story with a twist that if you pay attention to the author’s little breadcrumbs you can figure out.

The Ugly Stepsiste by Megan Van Dyke.
rReimagined Fairy Tales, Book 2.
Anna fled when the castle guards came to arrest her mother and sister on Cinderella’s orders. But leaving them in bondage at the Fairy Godmother’s workhouse? Out of the question. Disguised as a young man and taking the name of Ansel, she’ll do whatever it takes to free her family and set the record straight.Will, a former royal huntsman, was nearly killed for dissenting Cinderella’s rise as queen in the wake of the sudden death of the king and his son. He hatches a plan to take Cinderella down, and encounters Ansel, who wants revenge just as much as he does.
A really interesting take on a fairy tale story. 4*.

This was a really interesting twist on the classic Cinderella story, which is so overplayed by now. I really liked the main character, Anna, because she is fierce when needed and more than anything else, a survivor. Also, the love interest is charming and they have such good chemistry together. Furthermore, I'm a sucker for the heroines pretending to be boys trope and watching their love interest slowly piece things together. Overall, it was really charming and the side characters were quite fun in of themselves. Each character had nuance and felt three dimensional. If you want a spin on a classic fairytale with a bit of spice, then this is the book for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Ugly Stepsister is an action-packed retelling of Cinderella with a side serving of Sleeping Beauty. In this one Ella isn't the victim but rather the perpetrator of some seriously bad deeds and Prince Charming is dead. Instead we have one of the not-so-ugly sisters come to the rescue. Along with a quirky set of side-kicks, she sets out to defeat the very wicked Fairy Godmother who is anything but sweet, friendly and caring.

Anna and Will are two very endearing and eminently likeable main characters. Both go on as much of an personal journey as they do a physical one, learning about friendship. love, family and forgiveness as they battle to save the kingdom from mindless enslavement. They have amazing chemistry which smouldered in a sexy slow-burn before exploding into fiery passion.

I loved Mina and her brothers and really would have liked to see them feature a little more prominently. A third person fantasy can take multiple viewpoints, this stuck to just our two protagonists. The pace was good and the writing flowed smoothly, such that my attention was readily held by the story. I do think the story could have done with trimming down a little, the premise and plot ideas were strong but at times the story began to feel as though it was covering old ground or treading water. There was plenty happening but not always in moving-the-story-forward way.

If you enjoy an adult fairy-tale retelling with an engaging plot and solid writing then I highly recommend The Ugly Stepsister to you.

What if Cinderella was the bad guy? This retelling of the classic story asks just that question. What if Cinderella and the fairy godmother teamed up to make the lives of her stepsisters and stepmother horrible? Ella has turned into an evil queen who uses magic to control her people. Her stepsister is on a mission to get her mother and sister beck to her safely and away from the tyrant queen.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I can appreciate the retelling but I don’t feel as though I gained anything from it. The characters were all over the place and dull and the dialogue was uninteresting to me. That said, I’m sure many will love this book. If you like twisted fairytales then be sure to check it out. Just not my cup of tea.

I love retellings and I really enjoyed this one and I treally liked the twist of Cinderella not being the sweet heroine that we are used too. Well written with good character development and a compelling storyline. I LOVED IT.

I'm often pleasantly surprised by City Owl Press, and <i>The Ugly Stepsister</i> is no exception. In this recasting of Cinderella, the maid-turned-princess-turned-queen Ella is the nasty one, and her unfortunate step-family is left to deal with the fallout of her lies and the magical fairy godmother who's enchanted the kingdom to hang on Ella's every word. Step-sister Anna escapes imprisonment and goes on the run disguised as a boy, hoping for some way to show the world the truth about Ella. When she falls in with another band of outlaws, she finds herself drawn to the mysterious leader Will, who gets dangerously close to discovering her identity. But Anna's not the only one keeping secrets, and loyalties will be tested as the band of allies races against time to save their kingdom. There's some cheesy moments and plot devices - Will suspects "Ansel" isn't a boy pretty quickly yet remains absurdly oblivious; Anna almost immediately regrets her disguise because it prevents her from acting on feelings for Will; never doubt the power of true love - but if you can roll with it then the rest is pretty fun. Rated NA.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

Synopsis: This is a Cinderella retelling. Anna has been banished from the kingdom and she's wanted by her sister Cinderella. Cinderella has already captured her other sister and Mom. Anna goes to great lengths to get her sister and mom back. In the process of doing so she bumps into a fellow felon. His crew are also planning against Cinderella to get their family back. Anna is dressed as a boy because she is scared if people found who she was, she would be betrayed. The man is instantly attracted to her, and he can't find out why?

To the people who are leaving bad reviews on this book. What is going on in your brain? I personally loved it. Everyone who is leaving bad reviews is mad because Megan made Cinderella a villain. This is a retelling, quit basing your reviews off the original. She never claimed it to be exactly like the original. This book is one of my tops reads this year. It has romance and betrayals. The romance had me kicking my feet and wanting to giggle. The chemistry is undeniable. The writing style is so beautiful and easy to understand. Anna was the perfect main character. I was rooting for her the whole book. Megan did an excellent job. She made me fall in love with the love interest, by the end of the book I was like Anna, you can't have him, he's mine. I loved the tropes in this book, and I felt like the book did not just revolve around tropes like most romantasy books these days. There was not a time in this book that I wanted to put it down.

Read this book if you like betrayals, angst, unexpected love, and good versus evil.

Thank you NetGalley and City Owl Press Publishers for this Arc.

A fresh twist on a tale as old as time...

This was a surprisinlgy fresh twist on the Cinderella tale. Ella is a villian (more or less). the new queen who is young and beautiful. Anna is one of her stepsisters, hiding out and goes undercover. She meets a cast of characters, reimagined from other fairytales. The Fairy godmother is also a villian.

I don't want to give away any spoilers,
So, Anna sees the best in everyone.
This is a fresh take on a fairytale.
Recommend.

The Ugly Stepsister is a Cinderella retelling in a way I haven't seen many authors do. In this world, we expect Cinderella to be the innocent, sweet girl we know from the Disney stories, but that's not the reality. Instead she's the villain, and her step sister is the misunderstood victim. I actually really enjoyed this retelling because as the reader you're able to see the other side of the story. Will and Anna are so sweet together, that you really can't help but root for them to win against the evil magic at works in the kingdom. This is definitely a book that features found family but also learning to love yourself which was a refreshing new idea that I haven't seen as often as other concepts and tropes.

This was a great retelling and one where no one character is two dimensional. Every character has their depth and their issues, which makes them all relatable in certain capacities! A great retelling & read!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

This want my first Megan Van Dyke book and it won’t be the last.

It had everything that I want in a book, romance, spice and a kick ass plot!

Having Cinderella be the true villain of her own story has become as clichéd in retellings as having Snow White's stepmother be the true victim, and whilst I do appreciate it when this subversion is done skilfully and manages to show the other side's version with nuance, this isn't it. When you can't make your other side sympathetic without degrading the original hero/heroine, then you aren't going to present a layered story, you're simply going to swap places.

And that's what this book does: it turns Cinderella into an emotionally and physically abusive bully, and a murderer to boot. Whilst of course the stepsister is the poor little victim that eventually gets the prince. It was unbelievable even for a fantastical story, and everything wraps up so neatly it'd make Disney envious. Speaking of Disney, even they managed to give the ugly stepsister her time in the spotlight without making Cinderella descend into the gutter, so why couldn't this book do the same or better?

Only Anna knows the truth about Cinderella: The pauper turned queen wasn't the victim, but the bully.

Anna fled when the castle guards came to arrest her mother and sister on Cinderella’s orders. But leaving them in bondage at the Fairy Godmother’s workhouse? Out of the question. Disguised as a young man and taking the name of Ansel, she’ll do whatever it takes to free her family and set the record straight.

Will, a former royal huntsman, was nearly killed for dissenting Cinderella’s rise as queen in the wake of the sudden death of the king and his son. He hatches a plan to take Cinderella down, and encounters Ansel, who wants revenge just as much as he does.

Drawn together by a common goal and burgeoning feelings neither can ignore, Will and Ansel enact a plan to assassinate the queen. But when that goes awry and buried secrets come to light, they’ll have to choose: continue running from their pasts or accept themselves in order to forge a new future together.