Item: Thief Liar Lady
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Destiny Soria

“Happily Ever After” is a total scam, but at least this time the princess is the one controlling the grift—until her true love arrives and threatens to ruin the whole scheme. Intrigue, magic, and wit abound in this Cinderella fairytale reimagining, perfect for fans of Heather Walter and Naomi Novik.

“A dazzlingly magical, thrilling, and inventive take on a beloved classic.”—Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch

I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen—as the rumors insisted—in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this—to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we wanted in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince—the wrong prince—distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created . . . and that could prove fatal.

There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.

Book Summary:

We've all heard the story of Cinderella. But how often do we get to hear the story from Cinderella herself? This Cinderella has a lot to say about her story – and what they got wrong. For example, it wasn't a magical metamorphosis but a carefully planned con.

She and her stepsisters had one specific goal. Capture the prince. Unfortunately, they may have gotten the wrong prince. What now?

My Review:

It's been a hot minute since I read a fairy tale retelling (read: more than a week, gasp!). So, I decided to pick up Thief Liar Lady. It's a Cinderella retelling, which I feel like have become less common as of late.

I love the overall concept of Thief Liar Lady. The idea that our leading lady is working on a complex plot, which may or may not involve prince-napping, is pretty fun and cool, right? It would have been so much fun if the story had stuck closer to that premise.

As it was, this book does get a little bloated. There were political layers that may not have been necessary, and that's coming from me! However, if that's my biggest complaint about this book, we're doing okay.

Highlights:
Cinderella Retelling
Fairy Tale Vibes
Romantic Fantasy

Thanks to Del Rey and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thief Liar Lady (Thief Liar Lady, #1)

by Destiny Soria

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Oct 17, 2023

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