What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball

This is the sort of fluffy, cute story to read while winding down before bed.

Set in a unspecified time in British history (possibly in an alternate Victorian world?), this is very loosely based on Cinderella, with a lot of faerie lore baked in. Hester is a commoner (hence the title), and she goes to the ball thrown by the palace because she otherwise doesn’t have enough food. That sounds grim, but the story is so lighthearted that it isn’t–she really just wants the cheese. Instead she meets the princes, Hugh and the crown Prince Lucas. Playboy Hugh immediately takes to her, and all she wants to do is get rid of him (which seems absurd, but again, the story is told so tongue-in-cheek that you just go with it.) Meanwhile, it’s straight-laced Lucas who really catches her eye, and vice versa: he’s charmed by her open manners, and sends her home with all the cheese she can carry. Soon Hester is plagued by one suitor prince she doesn’t want, while the one she really wants remains aloof.

The main characteristic of Hester that annoyed me throughout the story, which seemed like it was just there to drive the plot along, was her unwillingness to accept favors ever, from anybody. It seemed like a weird pride quirk. Later we find out that this isn’t it at all, and the twist in the story hinges upon this… but I still felt like it was rather contrived.

Still, the story ends happily, and there was nothing objectionable in the content, which is always refreshing for a newer release.

My rating: ***

Language: none

Violence: none

Sexual content: none

Political content: none

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