I love retellings of fairytales, especially from the point of view from a villain. Ethel's love for her daughters is very strong and I appreciate that so much. It's always refreshing to see a villain given humanity.

This book was good grab you in from the first chapter I loved the storyline the characters the book was amazing thank you for this read

A fresh, compelling Cinderella retelling, "Lady Tremaine" trades fairy magic for the real magic of a woman determined to build a better life for her children. The Disney villain we grew up with is reimagined as a fiercely protective mother whose ambition is rooted in survival and love.

Beautifully written and deeply moving, this story is as much about motherhood and resilience as it is about reimagined fairytales. I didn’t want it to end.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the free Advanced Reader Copy.

What if happily ever after isn't all it's cracked up to be? Lady Tremaine retells the story of Cinderella through the perspective of the wicked(??) stepmother. I was drawn in from the first page and remained captivated until the final sentence. This novel reflects on what it means to be a woman, a mother, and a survivor. I was entertained by the twist on such a classic tale, but I was moved by the author's portrayal of motherhood and womanhood. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good fairy tale but who REALLY loves a story about female empowerment.

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser is the Cinderella retelling I didn't know I needed. Told from the wicked stepmother's perspective, I could not guess what was coming next and I did not want to put it down.. The well-developed characters and beautiful writing make this gripping novel a must read for 2026! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I got completely pulled into Lady Tremaine’s world — a twice-widowed mother struggling to hold together a crumbling manor and secure futures for her daughters, all while navigating society’s unforgiving expectations. Hochhauser flips the Cinderella story inside out, revealing the fierce, desperate heart of a woman driven not by cruelty but by love and survival. It’s lush, emotionally charged, and turns the fairy tale we thought we knew into a powerful story about motherhood, dignity, and what it means to make your own way.

Every story has more than one view, and that is true for fairy tales, too. I love taking on a beloved fairy tale and recreating it with a different point of view. Cinderella is one of those fairy tales that I loved growing up, but realized once I was older that it had no real base in real life. This story is written from a mother/stepmother's point of view, and as a mother can totally relate. You will not find magic in the sense of a fairy godmother in this version, but you will see the empowerment of women and the love of family. This story has many dark sides and is not a children's fairy tale.
Rachel Hochhauser caught my interest in the first chapter, and I just wanted to read the book in one sitting. I kept being amazed by where the story went, and even though I had a shock halfway through, I kept going and loved the ending. Wow!
Oh, I loved the cover that was chosen for this book. In fact, I was drawn to the book because of the cover, and then after reading the book, I realized that the cover is not only beautiful but it is a good representation of the story too.
I was given an ARC for this book through Netgalley and want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

I sat on my couch reading this and bawling my eyes out. It was so good but also so sad. The female friendships and relationships were wholesome but also tainted just like Cinderella.

A Cinderella retelling where glass slippers shatter, jewels get pawned, and the women save themselves.

Every once in a while, you stumble across a book that refuses to let you go. The kind you’re thinking about while washing dishes, while trying to work, even first thing in the morning when you’ve barely opened your eyes. This was one of those rare reads. Told in first person, it’s a Cinderella story in setting only—strip away the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage, and the glass slipper, and what you’re left with is raw survival, sharp social commentary, and women who are infinitely more interesting than any prince.

The “evil stepmother” here isn’t evil at all. She’s overworked, pragmatic, and doing the impossible to keep three girls afloat in a world that doesn’t care if they sink. She’s flawed, quick-tempered, and resentful at times, but she’s also fiercely loyal, capable, and maternal in a way that has nothing to do with blood. The stepsisters are not cruel, just tired and hardened by the grind of survival, their resentment tempered by moments of tenderness. And that “Cinderella” figure? Let’s just say she’s… difficult to love, which makes the entire family dynamic so much richer and more human. There’s tension, affection, and years of unspoken history running under every scene, all of it grounded in a historical reality where marriage is not a rescue mission but a calculated gamble.

This isn’t a romance in the way fairy tales promise you. Sure, there are dances, and a man who might be worth shipping with our stepmother figure, but the real relationships here are between women. They’re messy, layered, often infuriating, but ultimately strong. Every woman in this story carries her own scars, and each one is forced to navigate a society that measures their worth by their looks, marriage prospects, and obedience. Themes of class, gender, and the crushing weight of societal expectations run under every page, but they never drown the story in moralizing. Instead, they sharpen it. The stakes feel real here—reputations, safety, freedom. There’s no wand to wave, no pumpkin to turn into a carriage. Survival depends on wit, stubbornness, and the willingness to fight back.

The writing itself is intimate and immersive, with that close, confiding voice that makes you feel like the narrator is telling you their secrets. It’s the sort of book that draws you in so tightly that when the tension hits, whether it’s a confrontation in a crowded ballroom or a quiet, dangerous conversation behind closed doors, you feel it in your chest. And the ending is not “happily ever after” in the fairy-tale sense. It’s better.

It’s a slow-burn, character-driven novel that replaces magic with cleverness, gowns with pawn tickets, and fairy-tale endings with something far more satisfying: women who decide their own fate. Very highly recommended.