0.75/5 stars! I was really excited to read this because there are not nearly enough "Sleeping Beauty" retellings out there. I was really disappointed in how this turned out. It is truly unfortunate when the cover is the best, and only great, thing about a book. There was nothing redeeming about this story. The plot was all over the place, the main character wasn't well-defined or likable, and the writing style switched between children and young adult throughout the book. I think the author could benefit from really deciding what genre they want to write and getting some revisions.

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

"No. I was a princess in peril. And I saved myself. I am the permission"

This book wasn't what I was expecting. I love fairytale retellings, so that's why I initially requested the ARC. While it did have the bones of Sleeping Beauty, it also could be a totally new story all of it's own. It was a much darker than I imagined, but I love dark so that was a plus. The author made this rather horrifying other realm that princess Bitsy found herself in come to life. The writing did have a lot of pompous and stuffy language that was annoying at times, but I think it was probably spot on for a story that's taking place in a kingdom about nobles. So, I get what she was going for. Some of the banter was pretty funny. Especially between Princess Bitsy and the Count. The ending was a little disappointing, but it may have been done on purpose. (don't want to give to much away)

I always look forward to reading fairy tale retellings, and I thought this was really well done. I thought Andrea Portes does a great job in creating Princess Bitsy and had a great time getting to know her. It had what I was looking for based on the description and I wasn't disappointed in what was happening. Andrea Portes does a great writing style and I'm excited to see where she goes from here.

"The way they come running over, it’s as if I’m their long-lost sister! I stand stunned as they both lay hands on my devastated blue velvet dress. They peer inches away from every gold thread, every embroidered flower, every bit of lace. They find something new, then alert each other promptly, both of them staring in awe at the gown, commenting, nudging, giggling."

This was such a fun little fairytale retelling, reminiscent of the description of a book I’ve been meaning to read for FOREVER, and this book literally convinced me to give it a shot. (Ever Cursed is the similar book.) I’m convinced that reading Land of Stories at an impressionable age gave me an obsession with fairytale retellings, but I’m not complaining, because I love all of them. If you are like me and love every fairytale retelling put in front of you, you should definitely read this book!

I wanted to enjoy this one but I found the plot, story, and characterizations hard to follow and not really resonate the best for me at times.