Thank you to A.J. Lancaster, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for this ARC!

⭐️- Worldbuilding
Finally, I find a book that really respects faerie folklore and utilizes it in such a creative and compelling way! The descriptions, types of magic and the imagery of faerie land were absolutely beautiful, and very reminiscent of The Cruel Prince. I’m glad we got to see other aspects of faerie land as well from other inhabitants to various monarchies! In terms of the human land, I think the amount of information was just enough to distinguish such a contrast between the two worlds. The world followed the rules of faerie while still being unique enough and true to its own.

⭐️- Plot
The plot was refreshing. While a romance and a retelling of a classic faerie tale, it didn’t feel like it in a way that was detrimental. It supplemented the story but did not feel like the overall point. I’m not much for romance, but this story was satisfying in a way I didn’t anticipate. I found myself intrigued with what would happen next, especially with the climax of the book!

⭐️- Character Development
I found myself absolutely intrigued by the two protagonists, and wanted the absolute best for them. The arcs made perfect sense between the individuals and the way their stories and personalities intertwined made for good lore and banter through if the book. Their magic and how it worked in compliment and contrast had me ever curious how it would play out throughout the book. The side characters also made the story more palpable. It’s finally nice to see a female main character in a romance book who is able to have friends outside of the love interest and his friends/acquaintances. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to access easy relatability with a protagonist twice my age, but I found that she acted somewhat around my age. That being said, I realized this made more sense than I thought it would given how the curse took place and how Gisele’s people skills might have been developed based on who she was able to interact with and so on.

⭐️-Writing
I’m thrilled the story was in third person! Ever a fan, I raced through this book with excitement! The author’s voice was very thorough in characterization for Gisele, which I thought really served the story well in the way it was told. The descriptions and imagery excited the senses, especially in how faerie and it’s magic was explained!

⭐️- Personal Preference
I got a couple chapters in, before I knew I would need to actually buy this book. This book is a definite reread and one I will be recommending to the readers I know. It is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.

Thank you again, this was such a pleasure to read!

Princess Giselle has always known she would be taken to the Fae lands by a wicked fae as a result of a first born bargain her mother made, and so she waits. And waits. Until her 40th birthday passes and she decides to take the matter into her own hands and find her Malediction herself. Unfortunately he's not the evil fae sorcerer she'd thought him to be and he actually needs her help to find his name before they can truly resolve the bargain.

I really enjoyed the nod to Howl's Moving Castle in this one from Malediction's Howl-esque personality to the gorgeousnes of the sentient house Skymallow (seriously I wish my flat was sentient and cleaned itsself!). This is a much more mature retelling of Rumplestiltskin than others I've read and there are some spicy scenes so avoid if thats not your sort of thing with fairytale retellings - I found them to be well written and well deserved after so much yearning!

Its been a while since I read a fairytale retelling and this was a delightful visit back to the genre that bought me so much joy when I was at university 😊

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Thank you so much for the reading opportunity! This was whimsical, sweet and cozy. I appreciated the unique spin on Rumpelstiltskin!

I adored Zingiber and his hilarious demanding personality. It was so fitting for a house cat. I also loved how Skymallow had its own little personality. I’ll always love a magical sentient house.

I appreciated that Gisele was older, however, I do feel like she acted a bit young for being 40. I thought Mal’s cat-like features and reactions were so much fun though! His tail flicking or fluffing up and his ears flattening or perking up depending on his mood added such a cute touch.

My main critique is that I would have either added a bit more action throughout to pick up the pacing just a little bit, or shorten the book overall. It just felt a little slow at times, especially in the first half. But overall, I truly think this is a fun read that will be enjoyed by many fantasy lovers!

My official review is posted to Goodreads and Fable!

Thank you again A. J. Lancaster, the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I must admit to avoiding retellings of well-known tales, but this is very much an exception. It's a really fun take on Rumpelstiltskin and probably improves on the original story considerably. Our heroine is Princess Gisele and she's been cursed in a deal made by her mother before she was born. As she gets older, her curse affects her more and more as time goes on. Finally, when she is middle-aged, and her curse and magic are wreaking more havoc than ever, she decides she will seek out the sorcerer who made this deal. She manages to find her way into faerie and, after much walking, runs into Skymallow, the house owned by the sorcerer. Except the situation is nothing like she expected and the two of them embark on a quest to break the curse.

My favorite part of the book is Skymallow, an amazing house that is sentient and built upon the magic of the Malediction (the sorcerer). It can welcome those is likes and trusts and will keep out those it doesn't. It changes shape and size according to its whims and is just a joyous place to be if you are welcomed. Both Gisele and Mal are characters who have long suffered loneliness and disappointment due to curses and own actions and have quite a bit in common. Both have to move outside of comfort zones, or should I say safe zones. It's probably the continued narrowing of Gisele's space that forces her to take action. And to fix Gisele's problem, Mal is forced to let others in and to move away from safe. There are some side characters who I liked, like Apfela and Nissa who are known to Mal, but not really known. And, of course, we have the villain who caused much of the trouble who is likeable in an evil sort of way but obviously not a good person.

This was an excellent read and I rate it 4.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for sharing this advanced reader copy for free. I have provided my feedback under no obligation.

4 out of 5 stars.

Funny, cozy, and delightfully whimsical—a charming twist on Rumpelstiltskin with witty banter, heart, and just the right amount of magic. A feel-good fairytale retelling you won't want to put down!

This is definitely going to be good for someone dipping their toes into fantasy for the first time or fans of cosy romantasies.

This is a whimsical, cosy rumplestiltskin retelling with an FMC in her 40s which i loved about this book, we need more mature fmcs in our fantasies lol

I did however find this story slow in places and found myself skipping parts, plus the MMC wasn't as morally grey as I would liked him to be.

That being said we can't all like the same things in books we read can we as reading is subjective.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the eArc copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you AJ Lancaster for providing this ARC of How to Find a Nameless Fae in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
Princess Gisele has spent her life waiting for an evil fae sorcerer to collect on a long-owed magical debt: one royal first-born, in exchange for her mother's gold-spinning gift. But decades later, the mysterious fae still hasn’t come — and the unfulfilled fairytale bargain is growing restless.

Review:
This book was the epitome of a slow burn — not just romantically, but in its rich, steady unfolding of story and world. Honestly, the pacing was perfect. I’d half-forgotten the original fairytale behind this, but AJ Lancaster’s reimagining was clever, enchanting, and just the right amount of eerie.

Mal is the classic sarcastic, grumbly love interest, and I was absolutely sold. Gisele? An utter badass. Stabbing first and asking questions later? Iconic behaviour.

Their slow shift from reluctant allies to something more was gorgeously done. The romance, the curse, the emotional weight behind it all — it just worked. Magical in every sense (yes, pun intended).

And let’s talk about the house. Skymallow. I don’t just want to live there — I think my soul already does. No words. Just obsession.

In How to Find a Nameless Fae, Princess Gisele is a breath of fresh, furious air, a middle-aged woman, sharp-tongued, and completely done with waiting around for a mythical fae to ruin her life. Instead of cowering from the consequences of a decades-old bargain, Gisele storms headfirst into faerie territory with a knife, a plan, and zero patience. What makes her so compelling isn’t just her determination, but how she grapples with resentment, loneliness, and the slow, reluctant growth of connection with the reclusive, maddeningly formal fae lord she’s magically bound to. The tension between them crackles, and while the romance takes a cozy, slow-burn path, Gisele’s stubborn spark and no-nonsense attitude keep the story brisk and addictive. This is definitely the perfect little witty romance.

📖 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook.
I felt very immersed in the world this author created. It was a bit slow to pick up, but I flew threw the second half. I would read more by this author.

Thank you Netgallery for allowing access to the ARC!

This book is an enchanting and adventurous romp through the Fae realm that mixes danger, wit, slow-burn romance, and mystery in all the right doses and honestly who doesn't love a book with all of this mixed together?! 😍

The banter between the main characters is electric, with just enough romantic tension to keep you rooting for them without overshadowing the main plot. I've found recently that a lot of books are riding a thin line of overshadowing the plot with a lot of spice and romance but this book does it just right!

The world-building is rich, the stakes are high, and the pacing keeps you flipping pages long into the night which is when ideally i get my reading done between kids.

What stood out most was how the story balanced magic, politics, identity, and romance while delivering some deep emotional moments.

Will be published on my Instagram

Picked this up because I adored the author's Stariel series, so I was curious to what this standalone novel would be like. Unfortunately I didn't realise that it was a fairytale retelling, and they're just not my fave!!

There were things I liked about this book - Skymallow, the sentient house, is a wonderful character, and the 'found family' vibes as more characters come into the story are very sweet. While it was great to see an older MC, I found her immature and hard to relate to - I just never quite got invested in the story. Overall, the writing was probably a bit too cosy for me, but it definitely improved throughout the story.

Not a bad book at all - just not the right book for me!

f cozy fantasy had an awards show, How to Find a Nameless Fae by AJ Lancaster would be winning Best Ensemble Cast in a Heartwarming Yet Chaotic Adventure. This book is an absolute delight—a charming mix of humor, magic, and just the right dose of existential fae drama wrapped in a story as comforting as your coziest blanket.

At its core, the story follows Princess Gisele in her attempt to solve her unfulfilled fae debt, but of course, nothing in her world is as simple as ticking a task off a to-do list. Enter the paranoid and absolutely exasperating fae sorcerer who is determined that he doesn’t need help—but spoiler alert, he totally does. Their dynamic is a delightful dance of sarcasm, reluctant teamwork, and growing mutual reliance that practically sparkles with humor and heart.

The real MVPs of this story? The side characters, who are anything but "side." There's the chaotic cat (because no cozy fantasy is truly cozy without a pet making trouble) and a sentient house with a full-blown obsession with interior decorating magazines. Yes, you heard that right. The house itself has schemes—not the mildly annoying kind, but the ones that make you burst into laughter and wonder, "Why isn’t this a trend in fantasy books?"

Easily one of my new favorite reads, How to Find a Nameless Fae is the perfect mix of cozy, funny, and heartwarming. Whimsical, relatable, and unforgettable!

This was a great retelling and the one I didnt know I needed. This is the fairy tale retelling you need to read.

4.5 ⭐️

This book was fabulous. I didn’t know what to think about a Rumplestiltskin retelling but this book did it fantastically.

I love that the fmc is 40 and not a fresh 18 year old. Such a nice change. The way their relationship developed was fantastic. My Malediction ❤️.

I loved the rest of the ensemble and the found family ending. The way this book handled loneliness on both sides was so great to see.

My favourite was definitely Zingiber! The best cat ever!

I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book!

Thank you to A. J. Lancaster, NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book

Spicy, male female, 3rd person single point of view, paranormal romance. This is my first book by this author and I found it quite delightful. I enjoyed the author's writing style and the premise was so much fun. I enjoyed all of the characters; I especially appreciated a 40 year old female lead. The situations and humor filled my cozy loving heart, and the spice was very nice. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Damn okay. Well, I wasn’t expecting this! (In a good way!)
When I first read the blurb I was like okay sounds interesting… but i was really happy with how the author went about treating certain topics and what the MC has to go through.
It wasn’t just some ‘silly cute’ story despite having its cute and funny moments, it def had a layer to it. It was a nice balance.
I think that if you enjoyed books like Emily Wilde that can be whimsy and a bit interesting prose wise, than you’ll most def enjoy this one too!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this NetGalley ARC.

I was so excited to be sent this ARC. I read AJ Lancaster's Stariel series last year and fell in love, so seeing their name pop up almost gave me a heart attack.

How To Find A Nameless Fae was an amazing read. The emotions of each character, even side ones, were so poignant and touching. Gisele and Mal's unique yet similarly profound expressions of loneliness were absolutely heart wrenching. I couldn't put the book down. Their journey towards discovering the truth about Gisele's curse was incredibly well done, with little clues sprinkled throughout the text that felt entirely natural once you have the solution and can look at them in hindsight. I often find that clues of that nature have been put in kind of as an afterthought without much integration, resulting in the clues being flashing neon signs you immediately flag as the answer, but every facet of the world building and knowledge building felt integral to both Gisele's POV of events as well as the overarching plot.

While arguably this story was more romance driven than the Stariel novels, you will be drawn into the worldbuilding just as swiftly and deeply. I am a sucker for fairytale retellings and especially slow burn romances. I frequently find that intimate scenes in romantasy/fantasy romance novels are a little too detailed and acted too roughly for me to actually believe that the two characters are in love, but that was not a problem at all for me with this story. The balance between emotion and physical desire was *chef's kiss*.

I wholehearted recommend this novel, and any other work by AJ Lancaster if you are a fan of fantasy romance.

Princess Gisele just turned 40, and she's done. Done waiting for the evil nameless fairy sorcerer to come collect her as his firstborn bargain prize. She has worked her ass off to be the perfect... whatever he needs from her. How DARE this surely horrible, monstrous being stand HER up? No matter! Gisele will go find him herself and demand he explain himself. And free her, damn it. Because her curse has gotten so bad, no one in her own realm wants to even be near her. That's not a life. And after decades of waiting, hasn't she suffered long enough? Although the title of the book is "How to Find a Nameless Fae", she locates him spectacularly easily. Briefly traversing through Fairyland, she feels herself pulled almost directly to his mishmash home, Skymallow. And when he opens the door, he's utterly, terribly-
...actually, not so bad looking? Handsome even? Are those cat ears? And his whole set-up with his magical house is... cute? Huh. OK. Gisele can maybe roll with it. But then he has the gall to tell her he'd simply... forgotten about her. FORGOTTEN?!?! The nerve-

AJ Lancaster's retelling of a long-existing, well-known fairy tale had me in absolute stitches. Rather than retell it as a story about a beautiful, world-strange, doe-eyed 16 year-old princess in danger of being taken away by an actual meanie, Lancaster changes the entire dynamic by giving us a hilariously indignant 40 year-old who positively fumes about being forgotten by a really cute guy who has feline ears, a tail and a sentient house. I was thoroughly amused throughout. This book had me at "premise".

I love the representation in this book. The LGBTQ+ community is represented well: for example, the MMC is bisexual. Not only that, but heroines in their forties are in short supply in romance novels as it is, so Gisele's age is a massive plus. Add to it that she's written with gumption, well... That's not a hard decision to make: yes, I'll read the heck out of a book that offers this! I also adored our hero, referred to by Gisele as Mal (as in: her curse, her Malediction). He stumbles a little, here and there. He isn't always the bravest. He is chaotic and antisocial and at times deliciously submissive when compared to Gisele. A breath of fresh air!

Lovable characters are a must for me, and I feel pretty spoiled by How to Find a Nameless Fae's additionally fun side characters. Female characters Apfela and Niressa both have take-no-shit personalities of their own, and readers can count on even more levity by way of a demanding, lazy, chatty cat named Zingiber. But my favorite character (after Gisele) is Mal's house, Skymallow: a sentient house who takes care of its occupants... and dabbles in interior design. I'm a goner for magical houses; it instantly checks off "cozy" on my list of ways to describe a story (and this book is so cozy even without a magical house). Some of the book's sweetest moments are related to Skymallow.

The other sweeter moments are of course found in Gisele and Mal's romance. One of my favorite tropes is forced-proximity-because-of-a-bond-we-can't-shake (be it fated mates, or a curse): there is a quickly apparent reason Gisele finds Mal so easily. Things can only go up from here. And they do. And I love a take-charge heroine, both in moving the plot and the romance forward, and we get an exciting build-up and - because of their refreshing personalities and dynamic - some titillating scenes between these two.

I'm glad to learn there is a preceding standalone novel in this universe: How to Marry a Winged King (a Cinderella retelling). The main characters from this first book do make an appearance in How to Find a Nameless Fae, but these books are legit standalone: you don't need book 01 in order to read 02. That said, I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy more of Lancaster's enjoyable takes on known fairy tales, and I've already put the book on my "to read" list.

How to Find a Nameless Fae is a truly lovely, light, fun read. Mal may once have accidentally forgotten all about Gisele, but I sure won't. 

Thank you NetGalley and Camberion Press for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

It was an interesting magical fairytale.

I liked that the main character was about 40 years old and not an 18 year old like it is in some books. That made the whole love story much better since he is also much older.

The story is a slow-burn which I really loved. The enemy to friends to lovers story was well-paced and enjoyable.

I liked the house. It was truly a unique and magical concept. Also, the cat. How nice would it be to actually talk to cats in our world?

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will be sharing this review on Goodreads and Instagram (it will be posted soon and the link will be added here at that time).

Gisele is a cursed princess, forced to live a life in fear of hurting others and waiting for the faerie who cursed her to come collect her. However, she grows tired of waiting after 40 years and seeks him out only to find out how she envisioned her malediction is very different from reality. In this Rumplestiltskin retelling, Gisele learns a great deal about the world of Fairyland as well as herself, finally stepping into who she was meant to be all along.

This was a fun and quaint book with a bit of spice too. The prose wasn't exactly my favorite as it was a tad windy but overall it wasn't bad! This book also felt a bit reminiscent of The Cruel Prince but I can't decide if it's because both male main characters have tails or not. My biggest issue with this book was I felt some larger plot points were far too drawn out. It took a few chapters to learn about what Gisele's curse even was though it was heavily hinted at from the start. Often, withholding this information makes sense but here it felt a little unnecessary. Overall, this was a fun and easy read and one of the more unique retellings I've encountered!