Faerie godfathers are supposed to help young ladies find love. Unfortunately, no one told Lord Blackthorn that.
Effie has most inconveniently fallen in love with the dashing Mr Benedict Ashbrooke. There's only one problem; Effie is a housemaid, and a housemaid cannot marry a gentleman. It seems that Effie is out of luck until she stumbles into the faerie realm of Lord Blackthorn, who is only too eager to help Effie win Mr Ashbrooke's heart. All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favourite jacket.
Effie has heard rumours about what happens to those who accept help from faeries, but life as a maid at Hartfield is so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now, she has one hundred days - and ten thousand stitches - to make Mr Ashbrooke fall in love and propose. . . if Lord Blackthorn doesn't wreck things by accident, that is.
From the author of HALF A SOUL comes a whimsical faerie tale set in a magical version of Regency England, with an enchanting Cinderella twist.
What did I think?
I loved Half a Soul, the first book in the Regency Faerie Tales series, so I couldn't wait to read Ten Thousand Stitches. Not only did I love Ten Thousand Stitches, I completed adored it.
Olivia Atwater's characters are so vividly depicted that they almost pop out of the book the moment you turn the page. The main character of housemaid Effie is no exception and I loved her dream of falling in love with Benedict, a gentleman who is out of her league. All is not lost for Effie though, as she makes a bargain with Lord Blackthorn, a faerie, who will grant her wish in exchange for sewing ten thousand stitches on his jacket.
With hints of Cinderella (my favourite Disney film), the well-known fairy tale is turned on its head and makes you question why on earth you would want to marry someone who can't see the real you. Love is more than skin deep and Effie discovers that her Prince Charming may not be who she thought it was after all.
I loved meeting colourful new characters in Ten Thousand Stitches, as well as encountering some old friends from Half a Soul. You can definitely read Ten Thousand Stitches as a standalone and there's a 'Dramatis Personae' included at the beginning which lists all the characters. As much as it's a handy reference guide to the characters it's also very entertaining to read their little biographies, so don't be tempted to skip past it.
Part adult fairy tale, part regency romance, completely brilliant, Ten Thousand Stitches is a delightful tale with a twist. I loved it and already want to read it again. An easy five stars.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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