Cinder & Glass by Melissa de la Cruz

Cinder & Glass

by Melissa de la Cruz

New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz pens a lush, swoon-worthy retelling of "Cinderella" set in lavish Versailles. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton and The Selection!

Cendrillon de Louvois was poised to be the most eligible maiden in all of France. But the death of her father, the king’s favorite advisor, has left Cendrillon at the will of her cruel stepmother and stepsisters.
 
Dubbed Lady Cinder by the court, Cendrillon is forced to become a servant to her new family. But when she attends the royal ball, she catches the eye of the handsome Prince Louis and his younger brother, Auguste.
 
Even though Cendrillon has an immediate aversion to Louis and a connection with Auguste, the only way to escape her stepmother is to compete with the other girls at court for the Prince’s hand.
 
As her stepmother’s cruelty grows, Cendrillon captures the prince’s heart . . . though her own heart belongs to Auguste. Cendrillon’s fate rests on one question: Can she bear losing the boy she loves in order to leave a life she hates?

Reviewed by Kim Deister on

3 of 5 stars

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When I got this, I read the synopsis, and it gave me Cinderella meets The Selection series vibes. I love fairy tale retellings, and I loved The Selection, but this just didn’t really hit me in the same way. It was great in some places, but there were some that just left me feeling a little meh. The characters just felt a little flat to me. And there were times that the MC was naive that it frustrated me. But to be fair, the book was set in 1700-era France, a time when that would be the norm for girls her age.

It was a fun read, but I think it was just one of those books that wasn’t for me. It felt very juvenile at times, and to be honest, Cinderella tales are among my least favorite of the retellings genre.

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Reading updates

  • 14 April, 2022: Started reading
  • 24 April, 2022: Finished reading
  • 19 May, 2022: Reviewed