I really enjoyed this twist Cinderella, retelling the story from the stepmother’s point of view. It wasn’t a perfect book, but a strong four and a half stars for me for making an “older” woman the main character, centering mother/child relationships over romance, and adding some fun details like falconing to give texture to the world. If you’ve ever found Cinderella a bit too sweet to be believed, or think that one person’s evil stepmother could be another’s scrappy survivor, this is a worthy retelling.

Content warning for off-page incest

Very good read, throughly enjoyed it and I had a lots of fun reading this; my first by this author, hope it won’t be last. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!

Loved it! I usually don’t like retellings, but I had previously thought that Cinderella from the stepmother’s perspective was a tale worth exploring. When I saw via NetGalley that Rachel Hochhauser accepted the challenge, I welcomed the opportunity to preview it. I’m so glad I did. Whether you love the original (I do!) or hate it, LADY TREMAINE should satisfy you. Impressively, Hochhauser largely adheres to the source material [with one important exception, which I can’t divulge (spoiler!)] but embroiders an additional layer to add nuance. Told through narration both wise and wistful, LADY TREMAINE is a Cinderella for our time!

LADY TREMAINE has its roots in CINDERELLA, but this is not the fairy tale we grew up with! The Cinderella character is a prig and a brat, the prince is anything but charming, and the overall tone is very dark in its emphasis on how little control and power women had at the time this story is set. But the story is well-written, sprinkled with nods to the Disney movie, and extremely gripping. I didn’t want to put it down because I was too eager to see how it would play out.

5/5

This dark and twisty retelling/reimagining of Cinderella gave me so much more than I anticipated, and I loved absolutely every second of it!

It is safe to say I loved this story more than the original. From the very start, it had me questioning and rethinking everything about Cinderella as 'we' know it in its original form. Following Etheldreda Tremaine, the stepmother of Elin (the Cinderella equivalent), we see an imagined truth behind the 'cruelty' of her and her daughters (Matilda and Rosie) toward Elin. Shiny like a perfect apple on the outside (and those that abound on the family's estate), the household has a rotten inside. At least, Lady Tremaine's life does.

We follow Ethel as she desperately tries to bring herself, or, more accurately, her daughters, up from the ground after the death of two husbands, no marriage prospects for her daughters, a crumbling home, and very uncertain futures for them all. All of the women in the house labor behind a facade of being the epitome of respectability and gentility. That is, all except Elin, a thorn in Ethel's side who refuses to put in any work outside of perfecting herself as the 'perfect' lady and future wife. When news comes that there is a royal ball where the prince will choose a wife, Ethel stops at nothing to get her daughters invited, hoping that they will get a chance, whether with the prince or other noble men, at stable futures. When her stepdaughter catches the prince's interest, instead, Ethel is less than pleased. As secrets get revealed, showing the dark side of the royal family, Ethel has to decide whether to put aside her history of clashing with Elin to protect the girl's wellbeing, or whether to keep quiet and hope that her own daughters will still gain from Elin's marriage to the prince. Things are more dangerous than they seem.

This story is utterly amazing in so many ways - the plot itself, the characters, the themes/messages, the metaphors, the writing. I was gripped from the absolute start, enthralled by Lady Tremaine's history and how the story flips Cinderella on its head entirely. I loved getting instantly thrown into seeing the 'evil stepmother' in a new light. Lady Tremaine is crafted as such a complex character that I instantly found myself caring for her. She is shrewd, insightful, blunt, and determined - she delivers poignant reflections through her narration on femininity, performance, marriage, womanhood versus girlhood, family, and love. She speaks on danger and stability. Through her perspective/narration, we also get fresh understandings and rich development of other characters - namely, her daughters and stepdaughter. No longer are they the haughty, airheaded pair that bully their stepsister. These three women are enactors of agency, intelligence, and strength. They are survivalists putting on a 'performance' they've mastered over the years, all in hopes for an eventual future of stability. Elin's character had me flip-flopping back and forth (in the best way) right along with Lady Tremaine. I went from being angry at her supposed self-absorption and lack of help[ing] to sympathizing with her beliefs and hopes, only to be turned around again over and over.

Aside from those women of the house, we get a layered and complex understanding of the royal family as twists and secrets tumble out. It was an absolutely wild ride that had me reading like my life depended on it. Every time I thought I had a prediction, the story surprised me by going a different way/direction. The ending was not what I would have predicted, nor do I think I could have predicted it going into the story, and I thought it was absolutely perfect!

By the end of the story, I loved all of the characters, whether loving them positively or loving to Ihate them. More than that, we see character development ebb and flow naturally in such a way that it wasn't some drastic/sudden change, which I appreciated. The characters truly evolved and grew.

The pacing of the story was perfect for me, and I was engaged the entire time. I loved how there were sort of time jumps during the beginning of the story as we got the background of Lady Tremaine. The history of her character and family was incredibly well developed and offered a really rich understanding of her character, family, and situation as we currently see it in the story.

I highlighted so many quotes in the story because the writing is absolutely beautiful, and the story itself speaks to so many important themes in an elegant way. Ethel's narration delivers messages about:
- deception and reality
- womanhood and girlhood
- love and marriage, including the distinction between the two
- happiness, goodness, and justice
- family and motherhood
- hard work
- the social ladder
- power
- so much more

I loved the darker turn of the retelling while it still managed to be a bold, powerful, and beautiful story that I think will speak to many women!

The writing itself was absolutely exquisite, and for that alone, I will be looking to read everything from the author (though the story itself makes me want to pick up more from her). Every sentence in this book read to me as if it was crafted with every word carefully thought out. Every sentence, every word, every detail was important and had meaning. At the same time, it was neither too flowery nor too complex to be understood. Hochhauser has an absolute talent for writing as an art itself in addition to crafting a compelling, beautiful, and tragic story.

I loved this fresh take on the Cinderella retelling. What a treat. Getting the chance to see things through the stepmothers eyes was so different. Loved!!

This retelling to me felt like it took the Cinderella story and the lady Tremaine villain and created a whole new story. It seemed that it took inspiration from Cinderella more than anything. This was just not for me, I just couldn’t keep up with the side characters and the vast differences. It was not what I expected. Non the less, it was still a good read and a good story. Lady Tremaine was a mother powered by loyalty to her daughters. It was nice to see her in this light.

5 stars

This may very well be one of the best books I’ve read all year! I’m always iffy on retellings, I feel some times they F it up big time. But this was done so beautifully. I won’t be forgetting this one anytime soon. I already want to sit and read it again.

I love a fairy tale reimaginings told from the perspective of the villian and this one did not disappoint!!! This book really takes the tale of Cinderella that we all know so well, and turns it on it's head! It is so well written and engaging, I did not want to stop reading it and really enjoyed all of the new & different perspectives it introduced into the story. You need to read this with an open mind, because this is not the traditional "Cinderella" that you are familiar with - the bones of the original story are there, but this story is much more nuanced than you would expect!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers ebook copy for my honest review.

Lady Tremaine, aka Ethel, is twice widowed, broke, raising her own daughters and a stepdaughter who rejects her, with a falcon that has serious talon energy. She’s fighting to survive, protect her family, and secure her girls’ futures.

The ball could change everything. Opulence and magic clash while secrets and motives hide in plain sight. Beneath every family crest lie betrayal, power, and choices that cut deeply. Ethel must decide between the life she’s fought for and the stepdaughter who won’t let her in.

The characters feel real, layered, messy—far from any flat Disney sketch. And the motherhood themes? Incredible. This is about what we sacrifice, how far we go, and the ways women bend themselves for their children…the ways we bleed for them.

To what ends won’t a mother go to for her children?

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this fantastic book!

OMG, I am still not over this book. I LOVED this retelling, it was unique which made it stand out and above the others - the Cinderella retellings were starting to feel overdone until this one came along. I need more "villain" POV books in my life for the same reasons that I loved this book. Villains aren't born, they're made - or in some cases, exaggerated - and it's retellings like this one that make it fun to read the story from their perspective. We all know how Cinderella goes, but what of Lady Tremaine? Not only did I love this book for being unique, but I loved the emotions this author brought out while reading this. It's always the books that give us trauma that we remember most, and this is one I will remember for a long time. I can't wait to see what this author writes next.

I have a soft spot for a retelling of the classic Princess stories of my youth and so when I see them come across NetGalley, I like to request them for when I need an escapist read.

Lady Tremaine is a reimagining of #Cinderella told with a darker, feminist twist. It’s the story of Ethel, her two girls and the stepdaughter that she inherited by the marriage of her second husband. There is a ball, a Queen, a dashing (evil) Prince, but the story centres more on themes of family, womanhood and the strength a woman can have on their own…. Rather than the fairy tale love story.

For certain there is love, but it’s the backdrop to the author’s tale. I will say I wasn’t expecting it to get as dark as it did towards the end, but it did make “sense” for the feminist aspects of the story.

This story is more about the glass slipper that was never meant to fit. And the reader who didn’t want it there by the end.

I enjoyed this as expected.

“Lady Tremaine” by Rachel Hochhauser
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🤓🤓🤓🤓.25

A reimagining, NOT a retelling, of Cinderella from the perspective of the stepmother that was SO well done. Reading more like historical fiction than fantasy (that is not a bad thing!), this book surprised me at every turn. This is a dark story, but not in the ways you’d think. It tells of motherhood, womanhood, and the ways those intersect. I loved it so much! It comes out March 3, 2026. Mark your calendars, you won’t want to miss this one!!!

Thank you to Rachel Hochhauser and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Lady Tremaine. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

As someone whose favorite Disney princess has always been Cinderella, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this novel — a reimagined backstory for the infamous stepmother and her daughters. But let me stop right there and offer a word of caution: if you're expecting a retelling of the classic fairy tale, you may want to adjust your expectations. This is not that story.

What Lady Tremaine offers is far more nuanced. It's a reminder that every story has another side — and in this case, it’s one worth hearing. To fully appreciate this novel, you must set aside the traditional Cinderella narrative and approach this book with an open mind, free of fairy-tale assumptions.

I’ll be honest: at first, I struggled to connect. I even considered setting it aside. But once I let go of the familiar storyline and allowed myself to fully engage with Etheldreda (Ethel) Tremaine, her daughters, and their unraveling lives, I found myself captivated. What began as a near DNF turned into a solid 4.5-star read — a truly unexpected and delightful transformation.

Ethel has endured a life marked by hardship — twice widowed, tasked with raising two daughters and a stepdaughter in a decaying manor, all while clinging to a thread of social respectability in hopes of securing their futures. Add to that the care of a falcon and two maids, and the weight she carries becomes palpable.

And so the story unfolds — familiar in setting, yet refreshingly distinct.

When the village’s young women are summoned to a royal ball so the prince may choose a bride, only one of Ethel’s daughters receives an invitation. Determined, she sets aside her pride to procure two more. But as we know, it is her stepdaughter who ultimately captures the prince’s heart.

What diverges here, however, is what Ethel uncovers: a disturbing secret buried within the royal family. To reveal it would protect her stepdaughter — but in doing so, she risks losing everything she’s fought for on behalf of her own children.

This novel masterfully deconstructs the myth of the “evil stepmother,” replacing it with the portrait of a woman driven not by cruelty, but by love, fear, and maternal desperation. It’s a powerful reminder that villainy is often just misunderstood pain — and that strength can manifest in quiet, determined sacrifice.

A beautifully written and thought-provoking reimagining. I look forward to revisiting it with fresh eyes. What a remarkable surprise!

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser retells the story of Cinderella through the eyes of the evil stepmother. Not a fairy tale at all, but a realistic story of the stepmother and her daughters and stepdaughter.

At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue. But very glad I did. Not the story I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Wow, this book completely caught me off guard. This story is a retelling of Cinderella but from the perspective of the Stepmother. I liked the premise and it was an interesting take on an old classic. However the last part of the story really blew my mind. I was not expecting what happened at all.

Etheldreda finds herself in dire circumstances after her second husband passes away and leaves her with no money, lots of debt, and a large house to maintain. She also has her two daughters, Matilda and Rosamund from her first marriage, and a stepdaughter, Elin, to take care of. The only way she can see out of this situation is successful marriages for her daughters. When an announcement comes that there will be a ball, Etheldreda must find a way to get money, invitations for all the girls, and appropriate dresses so that the girls can go and meet the prince and other possible husbands. There is of course conflict with her stepdaughter.

The book is set in the Middle Ages and there was some other interesting information about hawking which was a popular sport for the upper classes during this time period. Overall, this was a great retelling and if you have ever loved reading Cinderella or just enjoy a story where there are strong female characters I recommend reading this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Every so often, a retelling comes along that makes you side-eye every Disney VHS you ever owned. Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser is exactly that kind of book. Told from Lady Etheldreda Tremaine’s perspective, this twisted Cinderella story shows us the “evil stepmother” isn’t so much wicked as she is… exhausted, overburdened, and doing her best in a world that’s basically stacked against her. (Relatable, honestly.)

Ethel isn’t twirling a villain’s mustache — she’s a twice-widowed mother trying to keep her daughters fed, housed, and maybe even married off before the roof caves in. Is she sharp-tongued? Absolutely. Is she flawed? Definitely. But watching her fight tooth and nail for Matilda and Rosie made me root for her in ways I didn’t expect. (Also, the stepsisters? Hilarious and refreshing. More of them, please.)

And let’s talk Elin. Our so-called Cinderella isn’t the perfect little princess we’ve been conditioned to adore. She’s complicated, prickly, and sometimes downright frustrating — which only makes the dynamic between her and Ethel all the juicier. Add in the political drama, family secrets, and just a touch of gothic flair, and you’ve got a retelling that’s more grit than glitter.

The prose is sharp, atmospheric, and dripping with tension — like a fairy tale got dunked in gothic drama and came out all the better for it. By the end, I wasn’t asking, “Why was Lady Tremaine so cruel?” but rather, “How did she survive this long without snapping?”

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Lady Tremaine publishes March 3, 2026 — and trust me, you’ll never look at Cinderella the same way again.

“You do not need to be afraid. You do not have to be good.”

I read much, much more than the average person, so hear me when I say that this book is a masterpiece. I hope that this novel gets picked up by every book club, read by every woman, and wins every award. This is a book that I hope to gift my granddaughters someday. Not hyperbole.

To be fair, this book came to me at exactly the right time in my life. I’ve recently deconstructed and left the religion of my youth. This is a deconstructed fairy tale that examines patriarchy and the falsehood of happily ever after and the concept that everything is black and white, right or wrong, good or evil. It stomps on societal expectation and the mythology of “should.” It values authenticity over performance, good over kind, and depth over platitudes. I have a son who is almost ready to leave home. This is a tale of mothers and the sacrifices and complicated feelings that come with pouring your entire soul into a child who then tears a part of you away when they leave. I just lost my own mother and had to grapple with the pain of knowing that things were left unsaid and opportunities were stolen because of expectation and mythology and fear. And, I have a close friend who just lost her husband, leaving her to fend for herself with eight young children and having to grapple with what life looks like after you lose the happily ever after that you were promised and the husband that you depended on for everything.

There was such wisdom in this book that I had tears in my eyes for much of it and literally shrieked and pumped the air with my fist by the end. Finally the fairy tale has been reclaimed with honesty and wisdom and nuance and depth. All the stars. Everyone read this. Seriously. Do it.

Thank you, Net Galley for this advance reader copy.

This book is a retelling of Cinderella from the perspective of the so-called “evil stepmother.” The protagonist/antagonist roles are so flip-flopped and the creativity of this author is incredible! This is my first villain-perspective fairy tale retelling and I admittedly went into it not thinking I could be remotely swayed to empathize with Lady Tremaine. Spoiler — I was wrong! I did struggle a bit because the cast of characters is so rich and the writing is so immersive, but I at times had trouble keeping all of the side characters straight. I don’t know if this is necessarily a sub-genre I will continue to frequently read, but this was a great first taste. So grateful for the chance to read!! Many thanks to NetGalley, Rachel Hochhauser, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

I was absolutely captivated by this book. Rachel does did such a phenomenal job getting the reader to both root and become annoyed with Lady Tremaine! I wish I was in the story with her to help guide some of her decisions, but in the end her backstory was flawless. I wanted to read more. The ending was less shock value than the rest of the book. Which I was indifferent about but satisfied enough.

My favorite part was Elin’s entrance to the grand ball, and how she fainted for attention - but it was shared through the POV of Lady Tremaine. Brilliant!! I also liked there wasn’t any magic drawn into this story on a literal basis. I was half waiting for a fairy godmother and was satisfied that she didn’t appear. Rather, the staging of the coach and horses to make Elin appear proper was also brilliant.

I encourage Rachel to publish more women villain POVs - perhaps the witch from Snow White?? I can’t wait for publishing day because I will be so honored to purchase this book for my shelf! Well done!