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Once Upon a RomCom #1
Cinder Luna
Is Luna destined for a happily ever after, or is it "game over" for her love life?
Move to the adorable town of Brookhaven? Check.
Get bumped to first class on the train and meet the most gorgeous, considerate man of my life? Check.
Find a job in video game animation and a cozy apartment of my own? Not so much.
So maybe things in Brookhaven aren’t quite as idyllic as my friend promised. My one saving grace is playing video games every evening with my best online friend, MidKnight. Plus, helping him create his own video game helps me escape the drudgery of my demanding twin bosses and a dusty, cramped apartment.
It’s not long before our relationship turns from friendly to…a lot more personal.
Things get complicated when I run into the man from the train again. He couldn’t forget about me either, and he’s been searching for me. I can’t deny the intense physical attraction we have, but I feel like my heart is being pulled in two directions. But there are things that both guys don’t know about me.
Being brave isn’t my strong suit, but maybe it’s time to find some courage.
Cinder Luna is a closed door, romantic comedy retelling of Cinderella with hidden identities and swoony kisses!
Tropes:
Slow burn
Cinnamon roll MMC
Instant attraction
Hidden identities
Girl next door
Closed door/kissing only
Move to the adorable town of Brookhaven? Check.
Get bumped to first class on the train and meet the most gorgeous, considerate man of my life? Check.
Find a job in video game animation and a cozy apartment of my own? Not so much.
So maybe things in Brookhaven aren’t quite as idyllic as my friend promised. My one saving grace is playing video games every evening with my best online friend, MidKnight. Plus, helping him create his own video game helps me escape the drudgery of my demanding twin bosses and a dusty, cramped apartment.
It’s not long before our relationship turns from friendly to…a lot more personal.
Things get complicated when I run into the man from the train again. He couldn’t forget about me either, and he’s been searching for me. I can’t deny the intense physical attraction we have, but I feel like my heart is being pulled in two directions. But there are things that both guys don’t know about me.
Being brave isn’t my strong suit, but maybe it’s time to find some courage.
Cinder Luna is a closed door, romantic comedy retelling of Cinderella with hidden identities and swoony kisses!
Tropes:
Slow burn
Cinnamon roll MMC
Instant attraction
Hidden identities
Girl next door
Closed door/kissing only
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2024
624 people are currently reading
2169 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 503 reviews
March 20, 2024
3.5 stars, personally.
Cheesy first meeting conversations, but, hey, he was kind and polite which gets points in my book. They did fall pretty quick for the other and was basically the whole “I’ve never had connection with someone like this before I met you”, but ehh, it was cute. They do kiss on their first meeting which was ???? okay, then. 🤨
I don’t do video games so those parts were a bit lost on me, but I did like the banter and conversations that came with those scenes between Luna and Henry. I honestly related to Luna in a lot of ways (minus the video game aspect) and I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Also, I appreciate the mentions of Luna and her best friend choosing not to move in with their guys/a guy before marriage. It’s only mentioned a couple times, but it’s handled respectfully and the guys understand it. It didn’t make Luna or Madeleine look like prudes, it just showed them sticking to their morales. (Am I mentioning this to shade a certain popular “clean” fiction author and a recent release? Yes, yes, I am.)
Also, another positive to me was that there was no drinking or alcohol mentioned by our main characters. (Do you know how rare that is in clean fiction?!)
I love how I completely knew this was a retelling and yet at the most random moments it was like a lightbulb would go off and I would see the connections and hints of the original story. Let’s blame that I was reading this late at night, yes?
So Adam’s story is going to be Beauty and the Beast, perhaps? And Lily Rapunzel? I definitely plan on checking those out when they release. There was a lot of information about characters from other books by this author and it was a bit overwhelming to figure out how everyone is connected (I probably still don’t know), but I just rolled with it because I was more interested in the story I was reading.
Overall I don’t have too much to say about this book. It was really cute and while, yes, cheesy at times that’s just on par for a rom-com and a fairytale retelling, right? I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and liked how main characters. It was cleaner than I was expecting as well (mind you, the bar was low) and the kissing wasn’t over the top. I did skim them instead of actually reading them, but while they had heat to them, the kisses themself didn’t feel lusty or super sexual tension filled? Not sure how to describe it, but I don’t feel like I’ve seen it before. It wasn’t as grabby or moany as most clean fiction books I’ve read, but it was still a bit too much for my tastes, albeit not as blush-causing as other books.
Final verdict? Not bad. Not bad at all.
Main Content-
Kisses that last up to five+ sentences, remembering those kisses, & wanting to kiss again (I would guess a total of 25+ kisses if you include the little minor ones; the longer kisses are implied to be intense with her lips’ “almost bruised” condition being mentioned); Touches, Embraces, Nearness, & Smelling (up to a few sentences in length); Blushes; Luna and Madeleine both have a rule that they won’t stay overnight alone with a guy until they’re married; There’s hints to a guy manipulating a young woman into leaving home and she’s found safe and there’s no other details given (side note: this part was a little strange because all of a sudden Luna breaks the forth wall and tells us, the readers, that it’s not her story to tell); The words ‘hot’ and ‘sexy’ are used; There’s a very slight innuendo/reference to something sexual but it’s mentioned in the way that it’s not that slang for something sexual, but the actual item they are referring to (mentioning this because it happened twice and was a little awkward).
Mentions of dates, dating, & exes; Mentions of flirting & jealousy; Mentions of slimy and creepy guys online (particularly in the gaming community).
No major language, instead phrases and words like ‘holy smokes’, ‘crap’, and ‘stupid’ are used; “Oh, lord.” Is also said once; A mention of “ungodly” hours.
Mentions of car accidents & major injuries (including Lina’s father being paralyzed from one and doing better).
A single mention of praying but it’s about a phone saving a number (not a serious to God prayer).
Cheesy first meeting conversations, but, hey, he was kind and polite which gets points in my book. They did fall pretty quick for the other and was basically the whole “I’ve never had connection with someone like this before I met you”, but ehh, it was cute. They do kiss on their first meeting which was ???? okay, then. 🤨
I don’t do video games so those parts were a bit lost on me, but I did like the banter and conversations that came with those scenes between Luna and Henry. I honestly related to Luna in a lot of ways (minus the video game aspect) and I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Also, I appreciate the mentions of Luna and her best friend choosing not to move in with their guys/a guy before marriage. It’s only mentioned a couple times, but it’s handled respectfully and the guys understand it. It didn’t make Luna or Madeleine look like prudes, it just showed them sticking to their morales. (Am I mentioning this to shade a certain popular “clean” fiction author and a recent release? Yes, yes, I am.)
Also, another positive to me was that there was no drinking or alcohol mentioned by our main characters. (Do you know how rare that is in clean fiction?!)
I love how I completely knew this was a retelling and yet at the most random moments it was like a lightbulb would go off and I would see the connections and hints of the original story. Let’s blame that I was reading this late at night, yes?
So Adam’s story is going to be Beauty and the Beast, perhaps? And Lily Rapunzel? I definitely plan on checking those out when they release. There was a lot of information about characters from other books by this author and it was a bit overwhelming to figure out how everyone is connected (I probably still don’t know), but I just rolled with it because I was more interested in the story I was reading.
Overall I don’t have too much to say about this book. It was really cute and while, yes, cheesy at times that’s just on par for a rom-com and a fairytale retelling, right? I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and liked how main characters. It was cleaner than I was expecting as well (mind you, the bar was low) and the kissing wasn’t over the top. I did skim them instead of actually reading them, but while they had heat to them, the kisses themself didn’t feel lusty or super sexual tension filled? Not sure how to describe it, but I don’t feel like I’ve seen it before. It wasn’t as grabby or moany as most clean fiction books I’ve read, but it was still a bit too much for my tastes, albeit not as blush-causing as other books.
Final verdict? Not bad. Not bad at all.
Main Content-
Kisses that last up to five+ sentences, remembering those kisses, & wanting to kiss again (I would guess a total of 25+ kisses if you include the little minor ones; the longer kisses are implied to be intense with her lips’ “almost bruised” condition being mentioned); Touches, Embraces, Nearness, & Smelling (up to a few sentences in length); Blushes; Luna and Madeleine both have a rule that they won’t stay overnight alone with a guy until they’re married; There’s hints to a guy manipulating a young woman into leaving home and she’s found safe and there’s no other details given (side note: this part was a little strange because all of a sudden Luna breaks the forth wall and tells us, the readers, that it’s not her story to tell); The words ‘hot’ and ‘sexy’ are used; There’s a very slight innuendo/reference to something sexual but it’s mentioned in the way that it’s not that slang for something sexual, but the actual item they are referring to (mentioning this because it happened twice and was a little awkward).
Mentions of dates, dating, & exes; Mentions of flirting & jealousy; Mentions of slimy and creepy guys online (particularly in the gaming community).
No major language, instead phrases and words like ‘holy smokes’, ‘crap’, and ‘stupid’ are used; “Oh, lord.” Is also said once; A mention of “ungodly” hours.
Mentions of car accidents & major injuries (including Lina’s father being paralyzed from one and doing better).
A single mention of praying but it’s about a phone saving a number (not a serious to God prayer).
dnf
October 18, 2024DNF 9%
welcome to the rant I accumulated at 2am while attempted to fall asleep to a cute romcom.
this rant consists of how this isn’t cute at all, and instead just made me want to throw up ⬇️
(this is all just my personal opinion)
-can we talk about how the mom just lets this random girl just walk off with her baby?? Like holding the baby- sure. Walking off with the baby? Uhhh no?
-the female narrator is way too animated in her pronunciation. I feel like i’m listening to the disney channel (ew). It only makes Luna’s internal dialogue cringier than it already was.
-Luna absolutely FAWNS over a stranger after staring at him for only 3 seconds?? She said “whenever I remember this day, I’ll smile” and “he’s perfect”. It all sounds like a TAD much to me, honestly.
-there’s definitely a lot of telling, not showing in what I read.
-She makes it very clear that she doesnt even tell her online friends she’s a female, or any other personal info- and then 5 minutes later she tells a random stranger on the train where she’s moving to, why she’s moving, and where she used to live?! What?!
-I had to stop and take a minute when the pov switched. Luna talking in the male narrator’s voice is too hard to listen to.
-also WHAT? Henry goes all “I’m so attracted to her-I feel a special connection” after talking to her for a few minutes. This is WAY too insta-love.
“I think I want to make her blush forever”
-they kiss within 3 hours of knowing each other-I can’t.
I get some people might like these kinds of tropes and writing, but its not for me 😅
welcome to the rant I accumulated at 2am while attempted to fall asleep to a cute romcom.
this rant consists of how this isn’t cute at all, and instead just made me want to throw up ⬇️
(this is all just my personal opinion)
-can we talk about how the mom just lets this random girl just walk off with her baby?? Like holding the baby- sure. Walking off with the baby? Uhhh no?
-the female narrator is way too animated in her pronunciation. I feel like i’m listening to the disney channel (ew). It only makes Luna’s internal dialogue cringier than it already was.
-Luna absolutely FAWNS over a stranger after staring at him for only 3 seconds?? She said “whenever I remember this day, I’ll smile” and “he’s perfect”. It all sounds like a TAD much to me, honestly.
-there’s definitely a lot of telling, not showing in what I read.
-She makes it very clear that she doesnt even tell her online friends she’s a female, or any other personal info- and then 5 minutes later she tells a random stranger on the train where she’s moving to, why she’s moving, and where she used to live?! What?!
-I had to stop and take a minute when the pov switched. Luna talking in the male narrator’s voice is too hard to listen to.
-also WHAT? Henry goes all “I’m so attracted to her-I feel a special connection” after talking to her for a few minutes. This is WAY too insta-love.
“I think I want to make her blush forever”
-they kiss within 3 hours of knowing each other-I can’t.
I get some people might like these kinds of tropes and writing, but its not for me 😅
July 27, 2025
Very cute and light story! I originally was going to keep this at a four star but after mulling it over more I decided to drop a star due to two glaring things I just cannot get over. (Yes, I’m petty like that, haha 😜)
But first the good stuff! Luna and Henry were cute together and the romance was sweet. I liked how the author wove in Cinderella themes and tropes, if you will, throughout, some in very surprising ways. And even though I’m not a gamer, I liked that realm being brought to the forefront in a positive way and it actually had an impact on the story rather then it just being a side thing.
Now for the two glaring things I can’t get over: one, the ending felt…off. I don’t know if it’s because the author chose to elude to the next books in the series while trying to wrap this one up and couldn’t do it properly or what, but when Luna broke the fourth wall to tell the reader it “wasn’t her story to tell”, I cringed while thinking the author could have done that differently. And two, Luna took WAAYYY too long to come clean on her multiple identities, so much so I really started getting peeved at her while she kept waffling back and forth about telling Henry and moaning at how he wasn’t going to like her because she wasn’t well off (which…wasn’t really even a huge part of the story, so I don’t know why this “problem” was even here). And then when she did reveal it to him, it fell flat due to the nature of how the overall ending was written, so I was still ticked at her by the end and couldn’t be entirely happy for them, lol.
I enjoyed my time with this one, but it’s definitely not a new favorite in any way.
‼️Content‼️
Language: oh my biscuits; holy smokes; darn; screwed up; heck; oh lord (1)
Sexual: kissing (not detailed); a guy’s voice is called sexy
But first the good stuff! Luna and Henry were cute together and the romance was sweet. I liked how the author wove in Cinderella themes and tropes, if you will, throughout, some in very surprising ways. And even though I’m not a gamer, I liked that realm being brought to the forefront in a positive way and it actually had an impact on the story rather then it just being a side thing.
Now for the two glaring things I can’t get over: one, the ending felt…off. I don’t know if it’s because the author chose to elude to the next books in the series while trying to wrap this one up and couldn’t do it properly or what, but when Luna broke the fourth wall to tell the reader it “wasn’t her story to tell”, I cringed while thinking the author could have done that differently. And two, Luna took WAAYYY too long to come clean on her multiple identities, so much so I really started getting peeved at her while she kept waffling back and forth about telling Henry and moaning at how he wasn’t going to like her because she wasn’t well off (which…wasn’t really even a huge part of the story, so I don’t know why this “problem” was even here). And then when she did reveal it to him, it fell flat due to the nature of how the overall ending was written, so I was still ticked at her by the end and couldn’t be entirely happy for them, lol.
I enjoyed my time with this one, but it’s definitely not a new favorite in any way.
‼️Content‼️
Language: oh my biscuits; holy smokes; darn; screwed up; heck; oh lord (1)
Sexual: kissing (not detailed); a guy’s voice is called sexy
October 5, 2025
3.75⭐️ ┆clean romcom/cinderella retelling┆ 14+
⋆ ˚⁎ ❝ she wants you to fight for her. to know that you’ll always be there, by her side, no matter what happens. because that’s what real love is ❞ ⋆ ˚⁎
now playing┆🎶 『 Long Live ⤏ Taylor Swift 』
‧₊ ˚ long live the walls we crashed through ˚ ₊ ‧
-ˋˏ tropes:
⊹ cinnamon roll mmc
⊹ meet cute
⊹ friends + strangers to lovers (you’ll see 🤭)
⊹ hidden identities
⊹ insta love
⊹ found family
⊹ who did this to you?
⊹ non magical retelling
‧₊ ˚ how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you ˚ ₊ ‧
thoughts┆🎮 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
-ˋˏ‧˚⁀➷ fairytale retelling + clean romcom = something I will read. can you blame me? I’m trying to get into more fairytale retellings, and since I do enjoy a good romcom, this was something I had to pick up! I binged this in two days. if it weren’t for my sister performing at a county fair (she did amazing btw!) I would have finished this on the same day!
now, I’m not a gamer. I do in fact have a negative view on grown men and women playing video games for a living, especially men in their late twenties/early thirties using video games and YouTube as a way of income. the Bible tells us when we grow up we are to put childish things away. but I liked how Marie portrayed this. Luna was searching for a job and Henry owned a successful business, so they weren’t just playing games for their job. it was a pastime, which is something I can get behind. designing your own video game? sure! I just don’t support you being an adult and the only thing you do for income is play minecraft or fortnite.
‧₊ ˚ I was screaming long live, all the magic we made ˚ ₊ ‧
on the topic of me not being a gamer, I did not understand some of the gaming topics addressed here, but thankfully I have a gamer brother. he helped me understand some of the know-how going on in this book
I thought how this was both a romcom and a retelling was just genius. at first it just felt like a romcom without the cinderella aspect, but then the author would drop hints throughout the book, and it just tied itself into a nice retelling bow by the end! none of the retelling elements felt weird in a modern-day setting (as some modern-day retellings can feel), but completely believable!
‧₊ ˚ and bring on all the pretenders, I’m not afraid ˚ ₊ ‧
beware, this portion is a bit spoilery, so tread with caution. one thing that stood out to me is when Henry found out ClockStriker (Luna) was a girl, his thoughts didn’t immediately go to romantic or…sexual thoughts. his first thought was that he was lied to, but also that he could’ve been talking to a minor and how that would’ve been bad (not for him, but just in general). and then, wait for it, he went to his sister for help on the situation!
my heart melted at how gentlemanly that was. even after everything was sorted out, he didn’t think about ClockStriker romantically until he found out Luna was Clockstriker! he thought of ClockStriker as a friend, because he wanted to be romantically involved with Luna, so it wasn’t like any of his affections were stretched or divided between the two (same) women
okay, spoilery part is over y’all
the only thing that bothered me was how fast Henry and Luna fell for each other, and the business side of the story was a little unrealistic (like Henry letting ClockStriker work on his game without a contract or even having it copyrighted yet), but other than that, it was a cute, fluffy, bingeable read!
‧₊ ˚ long live all mountains we moved ˚ ₊ ‧
───⊹✩⊹───
characters:┆💎 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
⤷ LUNA
⊹₊˚‧ she was everything a cinderella character should be. she was sweet, kind, and affectionate. she just oozed compassion, but not in a mary-sue-ish or self-righteous way. it was just…her. the author didn’t flaunt her goodness the entire book, it was just a normal trait Luna carried. and I love that she stood up for herself eventually. yes, Marie, I cheered when she did! one negative: I wish she would’ve just told Henry who she was a little sooner
she reminded me of my sister, too. my sister is a gamer, my sister is good at artistic stuff (I’m pretty sure my sis could be an animator if she really wanted to), AND my sister is very attached to our chickens, and when one of them dies, she cries. Luna cried when chickens died in this book. I’m convinced my sis and Luna are the same people 🤭 except my sis wouldn’t take any crap from anybody, so minus that aspect (my sis is a bit of a firecracker)
⤷ HENRY
⊹₊˚‧ he was everything a gentleman should be. this author took cinnamon roll mmc to a whole new level. he was sweet, protective, and concerned with her well-being. I loved that he had a strong relationship with his sister Lily, and that he described his funny thoughts as his ‘inner Aunt Agatha’ lol! he was one of the most understanding men I have ever read about, like when Luna broke his phone and the first thing he did was pull her into a hug and tell her it was no big deal as she was sobbing at her mistake 🥹💘 excuse me while I go into cardiac arrest. however, at times I found him a little dull, but only small moments that weren’t that important
⤷ LILY
⊹₊˚‧ she was so fun to read about! I was a happy, happy girl every time she showed up on the page. I did want to get into a little more detailed about what was happening with her during the book, but there is a book about her coming out soon, so I think the author was waiting for her to tell her own story without spilling all the tea in the first installment
⤷ MADELEINE
⊹₊˚‧ the bestest friend in the whole wide world. I really liked seeing her small moments with Mason, they were so cute together! I actually just finished reading the short story about them (which I think came before Cinder Luna), and I can just see how they’re perfect for each other
⤷ LUAN’S FAMILY
⊹₊˚‧ they remind me of my family, except for the fact that they’re all girls. when we get back to Luna’s family and their house, how it’s described feels like my house (yes, my new house, it’s still cluttered, and I think it will always be until we all move out). I love how they all called her MooMoos (funny, that’s our dog’s nickname) and how Henry and Lily picked that name up too!
‧₊ ˚ I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you ˚ ₊ ‧
───⊹✩⊹───
conclusion┆🫧 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
this was bar far one of the cleanest romcoms I have ever read. if y’all like clean romcoms, but most of them are still too suggestive for your tastes, I’d recommend this. also, if you’re a fan of Katie Bailey, I’d recommend Marie Soleil, but she’s cleaner than Katie.
I think anybody would like this book, if you don’t mind a bit of insta-love.
‧₊ ˚ I was screaming long live that look on your face ˚ ₊ ‧
───⊹✩⊹───
quotes┆👗 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
➸ It may sound overeager and impulsive, but I feel a connection to her I haven’t had with anyone in years.
➸ If it’s possible for him to grin even wider, he does. “Luna,” he whispered to himself. I’m a puddle. Full-on melting.
➸ “You two are…” She raises her eyebrows.
“On a date,” Henry says. Holy smokes. So assertive. I absolutely adore it.
➸ Someone pinch me. Not only is this man gorgeous, he has no qualms with letting a girl know how he feels. Is he real? He seems fictional, like someone I’ve conjured in a dream.
➸ I lift one hand to her face and gently stroke her cheek with my thumb. “Luna. Who hurt you?”
➸ “Luna, you embody your name perfectly. You’re just like the moon - you’re the light amid all the darkness. You see the best in everyone and everything.”
➸ “You’re my soulmate, Luna. You’re everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. I love you. And I’m never letting you go.”
‧₊ ˚ and bring on all the pretenders, one day we will be remembered ˚ ₊ ‧
─────୨♡୧─────
content warning┆🚉 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
➸ Christian content:
none
➸ spiritual content:
a cat is called ‘the devil cat’ several times; a character is convinced a man is the devil in disguise
➸ sexual content:
2 mildly detailed kiss; 3 semi-detailed kiss; 4 non detailed kisses;
3 cheek kiss; 1 head kiss; 1 hand kiss; 3 finger kisses; 1 forehead kiss;
a brief moment of neck kisses that ‘turn a little less sweet’ and ‘hunger’ flowing through Henry; a mention of Luna’s lips almost being bruised after kissing; Luna watches Mason give Madeleine a cheek kiss;
when Luna meets Henry she thinks, ‘have I mentioned his physique? holy smokes. broad shoulders with a chest and arms that I want wrapped around me’; Henry runs his hand down Luna’s arm, reveling for a moment in the softness of her skin
mention of a honeymoon trip (for a couple that is to be married soon); a mention of a woman flirting with someone’s husband (on a reality tv show); both Luna and Madeleine have a rule that they won’t stay at their boyfriends/fiance’s house until after their married (it’s said in a very casual sense) and both men are respectful and agree with it; a mention of infatuation; Katy, Luna’s younger sister, tells Henry and Luna not to get ‘gross’ in the living room (meaning kissing) and Luna scolds her;
a mention of Henry’s voice being sexy; a mention of a man sounding sexy; a mention of a sexy grin; a mention of a pregnant belly (Ivy, Luna’s married and pregnant sister); a mention of pregnancy hormones; a comment that is hinted to be sexual about a man wanting more cake because Luan thinks ‘ew’ after it’s said;
a mention of a curvaceous woman; a mention of Madeleine having curves; mention of a form-fitting dress; mention of underwear and bra (after Luna had to take off a dirty dress, there’s nothing sexual about the mention);
Luna doesn't share her gender online because of the disgusting things she’s seen males say to female gamers (there is no detail as to what they say or what they’re about); it’s mentioned that guys online can me ‘slimy’ and that they write ‘the nastiest things’ and that they can be savvy enough ‘to find you in real life and literally harass you from every angle’ and that’s why the few female gamers Luna/Lily (I forgot which one said this) know all keep their gender a secret; when Henry is told about the slimy guys online, he's started to notice the comments and they make him cringe and he can’t believe ClockStriker and his sister have to endure such disgusting commentary;
Henry wants to keep Stone Technologies to ‘maintain a family-friendly atmosphere, so that means no gore, shooting, or sexual content, it will be a game that the entire family can play’
➸ language:
1 ‘oh my biscuits’; 1 ‘oh lord’; 5 ‘shoot’s; 1 ‘jerk’; 4 ‘goodness’s; 2 ‘oh my goodness’s; 1 ‘dumb’; 1 ‘dumbest’; 1 ‘hot’; 1 ‘crap’; 1 ‘darn you’; 10 ‘stupid’s; 1 ‘heck’; 1 ‘what the heck’; 1 ‘goodness gracious’; 1 ‘bah!’; 1 ‘idiot’;
➸ drugs/alcohol/smoking:
a mention of ‘fancy pants women doing nothing but drinking all day’;
➸ lgtbq+:
none!
➸ magic/witchcraft:
none!
➸ violence:
none, but a character is said to have assaulted (punched) someone at an awards show and is now in jail
➸ other:
a mention of kicking butt; Luna has cookies in her pocket and goes to the petting zoo and goats nuzzle her butt to get the cookies (and Luna describes them as looking like they’ll eat the clothes off her butt to get the cookies); a mention of a bladder; Ivy, Luan’s pregnant sister, threatens to ‘drive her pregnant butt all the way up to Brookhaven’; a mention of ungodly hours; a mention of a dog peeing on fire hydrants; 2 chickens are said to have been killed by coyotes (and Luna recalls a few other times when other chickens were killed by wild animals)
➸ possible triggers:
Luna’s father got into a terrible accident and was paralyzed from the waist down (but he can walk now); Madeleine’s mother suffers from severe arthritis (mentions a couple times); Henry’s mother passed away; a character gets into a terrible accident and is blinded in one eye because of it
⋆ ˚⁎ ❝ she wants you to fight for her. to know that you’ll always be there, by her side, no matter what happens. because that’s what real love is ❞ ⋆ ˚⁎
now playing┆🎶 『 Long Live ⤏ Taylor Swift 』
‧₊ ˚ long live the walls we crashed through ˚ ₊ ‧
-ˋˏ tropes:
⊹ cinnamon roll mmc
⊹ meet cute
⊹ friends + strangers to lovers (you’ll see 🤭)
⊹ hidden identities
⊹ insta love
⊹ found family
⊹ who did this to you?
⊹ non magical retelling
‧₊ ˚ how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you ˚ ₊ ‧
thoughts┆🎮 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
-ˋˏ‧˚⁀➷ fairytale retelling + clean romcom = something I will read. can you blame me? I’m trying to get into more fairytale retellings, and since I do enjoy a good romcom, this was something I had to pick up! I binged this in two days. if it weren’t for my sister performing at a county fair (she did amazing btw!) I would have finished this on the same day!
now, I’m not a gamer. I do in fact have a negative view on grown men and women playing video games for a living, especially men in their late twenties/early thirties using video games and YouTube as a way of income. the Bible tells us when we grow up we are to put childish things away. but I liked how Marie portrayed this. Luna was searching for a job and Henry owned a successful business, so they weren’t just playing games for their job. it was a pastime, which is something I can get behind. designing your own video game? sure! I just don’t support you being an adult and the only thing you do for income is play minecraft or fortnite.
‧₊ ˚ I was screaming long live, all the magic we made ˚ ₊ ‧
on the topic of me not being a gamer, I did not understand some of the gaming topics addressed here, but thankfully I have a gamer brother. he helped me understand some of the know-how going on in this book
I thought how this was both a romcom and a retelling was just genius. at first it just felt like a romcom without the cinderella aspect, but then the author would drop hints throughout the book, and it just tied itself into a nice retelling bow by the end! none of the retelling elements felt weird in a modern-day setting (as some modern-day retellings can feel), but completely believable!
‧₊ ˚ and bring on all the pretenders, I’m not afraid ˚ ₊ ‧
beware, this portion is a bit spoilery, so tread with caution. one thing that stood out to me is when Henry found out ClockStriker (Luna) was a girl, his thoughts didn’t immediately go to romantic or…sexual thoughts. his first thought was that he was lied to, but also that he could’ve been talking to a minor and how that would’ve been bad (not for him, but just in general). and then, wait for it, he went to his sister for help on the situation!
my heart melted at how gentlemanly that was. even after everything was sorted out, he didn’t think about ClockStriker romantically until he found out Luna was Clockstriker! he thought of ClockStriker as a friend, because he wanted to be romantically involved with Luna, so it wasn’t like any of his affections were stretched or divided between the two (same) women
okay, spoilery part is over y’all
the only thing that bothered me was how fast Henry and Luna fell for each other, and the business side of the story was a little unrealistic (like Henry letting ClockStriker work on his game without a contract or even having it copyrighted yet), but other than that, it was a cute, fluffy, bingeable read!
‧₊ ˚ long live all mountains we moved ˚ ₊ ‧
───⊹✩⊹───
characters:┆💎 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
⤷ LUNA
⊹₊˚‧ she was everything a cinderella character should be. she was sweet, kind, and affectionate. she just oozed compassion, but not in a mary-sue-ish or self-righteous way. it was just…her. the author didn’t flaunt her goodness the entire book, it was just a normal trait Luna carried. and I love that she stood up for herself eventually. yes, Marie, I cheered when she did! one negative: I wish she would’ve just told Henry who she was a little sooner
she reminded me of my sister, too. my sister is a gamer, my sister is good at artistic stuff (I’m pretty sure my sis could be an animator if she really wanted to), AND my sister is very attached to our chickens, and when one of them dies, she cries. Luna cried when chickens died in this book. I’m convinced my sis and Luna are the same people 🤭 except my sis wouldn’t take any crap from anybody, so minus that aspect (my sis is a bit of a firecracker)
⤷ HENRY
⊹₊˚‧ he was everything a gentleman should be. this author took cinnamon roll mmc to a whole new level. he was sweet, protective, and concerned with her well-being. I loved that he had a strong relationship with his sister Lily, and that he described his funny thoughts as his ‘inner Aunt Agatha’ lol! he was one of the most understanding men I have ever read about, like when Luna broke his phone and the first thing he did was pull her into a hug and tell her it was no big deal as she was sobbing at her mistake 🥹💘 excuse me while I go into cardiac arrest. however, at times I found him a little dull, but only small moments that weren’t that important
⤷ LILY
⊹₊˚‧ she was so fun to read about! I was a happy, happy girl every time she showed up on the page. I did want to get into a little more detailed about what was happening with her during the book, but there is a book about her coming out soon, so I think the author was waiting for her to tell her own story without spilling all the tea in the first installment
⤷ MADELEINE
⊹₊˚‧ the bestest friend in the whole wide world. I really liked seeing her small moments with Mason, they were so cute together! I actually just finished reading the short story about them (which I think came before Cinder Luna), and I can just see how they’re perfect for each other
⤷ LUAN’S FAMILY
⊹₊˚‧ they remind me of my family, except for the fact that they’re all girls. when we get back to Luna’s family and their house, how it’s described feels like my house (yes, my new house, it’s still cluttered, and I think it will always be until we all move out). I love how they all called her MooMoos (funny, that’s our dog’s nickname) and how Henry and Lily picked that name up too!
‧₊ ˚ I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you ˚ ₊ ‧
───⊹✩⊹───
conclusion┆🫧 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
this was bar far one of the cleanest romcoms I have ever read. if y’all like clean romcoms, but most of them are still too suggestive for your tastes, I’d recommend this. also, if you’re a fan of Katie Bailey, I’d recommend Marie Soleil, but she’s cleaner than Katie.
I think anybody would like this book, if you don’t mind a bit of insta-love.
‧₊ ˚ I was screaming long live that look on your face ˚ ₊ ‧
───⊹✩⊹───
quotes┆👗 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
➸ It may sound overeager and impulsive, but I feel a connection to her I haven’t had with anyone in years.
➸ If it’s possible for him to grin even wider, he does. “Luna,” he whispered to himself. I’m a puddle. Full-on melting.
➸ “You two are…” She raises her eyebrows.
“On a date,” Henry says. Holy smokes. So assertive. I absolutely adore it.
➸ Someone pinch me. Not only is this man gorgeous, he has no qualms with letting a girl know how he feels. Is he real? He seems fictional, like someone I’ve conjured in a dream.
➸ I lift one hand to her face and gently stroke her cheek with my thumb. “Luna. Who hurt you?”
➸ “Luna, you embody your name perfectly. You’re just like the moon - you’re the light amid all the darkness. You see the best in everyone and everything.”
➸ “You’re my soulmate, Luna. You’re everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. I love you. And I’m never letting you go.”
‧₊ ˚ and bring on all the pretenders, one day we will be remembered ˚ ₊ ‧
─────୨♡୧─────
content warning┆🚉 ‧₊˚ ⋅.
➸ Christian content:
none
➸ spiritual content:
a cat is called ‘the devil cat’ several times; a character is convinced a man is the devil in disguise
➸ sexual content:
2 mildly detailed kiss; 3 semi-detailed kiss; 4 non detailed kisses;
3 cheek kiss; 1 head kiss; 1 hand kiss; 3 finger kisses; 1 forehead kiss;
a brief moment of neck kisses that ‘turn a little less sweet’ and ‘hunger’ flowing through Henry; a mention of Luna’s lips almost being bruised after kissing; Luna watches Mason give Madeleine a cheek kiss;
when Luna meets Henry she thinks, ‘have I mentioned his physique? holy smokes. broad shoulders with a chest and arms that I want wrapped around me’; Henry runs his hand down Luna’s arm, reveling for a moment in the softness of her skin
mention of a honeymoon trip (for a couple that is to be married soon); a mention of a woman flirting with someone’s husband (on a reality tv show); both Luna and Madeleine have a rule that they won’t stay at their boyfriends/fiance’s house until after their married (it’s said in a very casual sense) and both men are respectful and agree with it; a mention of infatuation; Katy, Luna’s younger sister, tells Henry and Luna not to get ‘gross’ in the living room (meaning kissing) and Luna scolds her;
a mention of Henry’s voice being sexy; a mention of a man sounding sexy; a mention of a sexy grin; a mention of a pregnant belly (Ivy, Luna’s married and pregnant sister); a mention of pregnancy hormones; a comment that is hinted to be sexual about a man wanting more cake because Luan thinks ‘ew’ after it’s said;
a mention of a curvaceous woman; a mention of Madeleine having curves; mention of a form-fitting dress; mention of underwear and bra (after Luna had to take off a dirty dress, there’s nothing sexual about the mention);
Luna doesn't share her gender online because of the disgusting things she’s seen males say to female gamers (there is no detail as to what they say or what they’re about); it’s mentioned that guys online can me ‘slimy’ and that they write ‘the nastiest things’ and that they can be savvy enough ‘to find you in real life and literally harass you from every angle’ and that’s why the few female gamers Luna/Lily (I forgot which one said this) know all keep their gender a secret; when Henry is told about the slimy guys online, he's started to notice the comments and they make him cringe and he can’t believe ClockStriker and his sister have to endure such disgusting commentary;
Henry wants to keep Stone Technologies to ‘maintain a family-friendly atmosphere, so that means no gore, shooting, or sexual content, it will be a game that the entire family can play’
➸ language:
1 ‘oh my biscuits’; 1 ‘oh lord’; 5 ‘shoot’s; 1 ‘jerk’; 4 ‘goodness’s; 2 ‘oh my goodness’s; 1 ‘dumb’; 1 ‘dumbest’; 1 ‘hot’; 1 ‘crap’; 1 ‘darn you’; 10 ‘stupid’s; 1 ‘heck’; 1 ‘what the heck’; 1 ‘goodness gracious’; 1 ‘bah!’; 1 ‘idiot’;
➸ drugs/alcohol/smoking:
a mention of ‘fancy pants women doing nothing but drinking all day’;
➸ lgtbq+:
none!
➸ magic/witchcraft:
none!
➸ violence:
none, but a character is said to have assaulted (punched) someone at an awards show and is now in jail
➸ other:
a mention of kicking butt; Luna has cookies in her pocket and goes to the petting zoo and goats nuzzle her butt to get the cookies (and Luna describes them as looking like they’ll eat the clothes off her butt to get the cookies); a mention of a bladder; Ivy, Luan’s pregnant sister, threatens to ‘drive her pregnant butt all the way up to Brookhaven’; a mention of ungodly hours; a mention of a dog peeing on fire hydrants; 2 chickens are said to have been killed by coyotes (and Luna recalls a few other times when other chickens were killed by wild animals)
➸ possible triggers:
Luna’s father got into a terrible accident and was paralyzed from the waist down (but he can walk now); Madeleine’s mother suffers from severe arthritis (mentions a couple times); Henry’s mother passed away; a character gets into a terrible accident and is blinded in one eye because of it
February 20, 2024
One of my best book buddies told me I had to read this story, and I’m so glad I did! I absolutely adored Cinder Luna. I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings and this clever, romantic, funny, sweet romcom is a new favorite! It’s a darling, original reinvention of Cinderella that adds a fresh, modern take on the beloved fairytale. I loved the endearing characters and the imaginative way the author included nods to the original story with a clever twist.
Luna’s headed to Brookhaven to help her friend prepare for her upcoming wedding and hoping for a new start after a heartbreaking relationship. Her only enjoyment the last few years is gaming with her buddy MidKnight, where she can be completely anonymous. While traveling on the train, her helpful, kind actions get her upgraded to first class and seated next to a handsome stranger. They have an amazing instant connection, but fail to get each others’ contact information before the charming guy has to hurry off.
When her place to stay in Brookhaven is no longer available, she’s offered a place to stay by two twin sisters who run a bakery. Though she’s worked to the bone, she still manages to find time to play with MidKnight and offers to help him redesign a game he’s working on. But, she’s still dreaming of the guy she met on the train. Imagine her surprise when he visits his aunt in Brookhaven. As her relationship with Henry Stone, the wealthy guy on the train grows, so too does her relationship with MidKnight. Who will she choose, and what happens when Henry learns of her humble circumstances?
I loved Henry and Luna! Their meet cute on the train was so good. *sigh* From there, the story completely drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. Luna is such a kind, thoughtful, positive person. I loved the way she grew more confident and learned to stand up for herself. Henry’s such a dream. I loved the way he pursued Luna. I enjoyed the depth of these characters. They both went through difficult things, Henry with his mother’s death and Luna with her family’s accident and her ex. Their sweet, heartwarming romance was so enjoyable to read.
I also loved the humor: Chickaletta, the way Luna lost her shoe, and the coffee spilling fiasco. All the nods to Cinderella were perfection! Now I can’t wait to read the next book in the series which is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Yay!
Highly recommend this to fairytale, romcom, and clean romance fans! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher but also purchased a copy through Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.
Luna’s headed to Brookhaven to help her friend prepare for her upcoming wedding and hoping for a new start after a heartbreaking relationship. Her only enjoyment the last few years is gaming with her buddy MidKnight, where she can be completely anonymous. While traveling on the train, her helpful, kind actions get her upgraded to first class and seated next to a handsome stranger. They have an amazing instant connection, but fail to get each others’ contact information before the charming guy has to hurry off.
When her place to stay in Brookhaven is no longer available, she’s offered a place to stay by two twin sisters who run a bakery. Though she’s worked to the bone, she still manages to find time to play with MidKnight and offers to help him redesign a game he’s working on. But, she’s still dreaming of the guy she met on the train. Imagine her surprise when he visits his aunt in Brookhaven. As her relationship with Henry Stone, the wealthy guy on the train grows, so too does her relationship with MidKnight. Who will she choose, and what happens when Henry learns of her humble circumstances?
I loved Henry and Luna! Their meet cute on the train was so good. *sigh* From there, the story completely drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. Luna is such a kind, thoughtful, positive person. I loved the way she grew more confident and learned to stand up for herself. Henry’s such a dream. I loved the way he pursued Luna. I enjoyed the depth of these characters. They both went through difficult things, Henry with his mother’s death and Luna with her family’s accident and her ex. Their sweet, heartwarming romance was so enjoyable to read.
I also loved the humor: Chickaletta, the way Luna lost her shoe, and the coffee spilling fiasco. All the nods to Cinderella were perfection! Now I can’t wait to read the next book in the series which is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Yay!
Highly recommend this to fairytale, romcom, and clean romance fans! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher but also purchased a copy through Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.
June 5, 2024
“I kissed a stranger. I don’t even know his name. For all I know, he could be a serial killer. I just kissed a serial killer!”
This story starts out with a bang with two strangers sitting next to each other on a train and ending their first meet with a surprise. Henry and Luna are extremely likable characters and I enjoyed seeing all the many ways their lives intersected–unbeknownst to them.
The video game element was a lot of fun in this modern Cinderella retelling. I loved the unique ways those familiar characters showed up and especially loved the Devil Cat. All the situations piled up to make for a charming read, one that left me enthusiastic cheering this couple on.
Marie Soleil does such a good job of bringing this story to life in a believable and endearing way and I’m beyond excited for the rest of this series.
Henry stole my heart with his smarts, charm, wit, and passion, while Luna captivated me with her true kindness and selfless soul. Together, they collided in a tangle of magic, with sparks of fire and glints of passion.
Content: mild romance; moments of being taken advantage of; vague glimpses of scandal in side characters.
*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
This story starts out with a bang with two strangers sitting next to each other on a train and ending their first meet with a surprise. Henry and Luna are extremely likable characters and I enjoyed seeing all the many ways their lives intersected–unbeknownst to them.
The video game element was a lot of fun in this modern Cinderella retelling. I loved the unique ways those familiar characters showed up and especially loved the Devil Cat. All the situations piled up to make for a charming read, one that left me enthusiastic cheering this couple on.
Marie Soleil does such a good job of bringing this story to life in a believable and endearing way and I’m beyond excited for the rest of this series.
Henry stole my heart with his smarts, charm, wit, and passion, while Luna captivated me with her true kindness and selfless soul. Together, they collided in a tangle of magic, with sparks of fire and glints of passion.
Content: mild romance; moments of being taken advantage of; vague glimpses of scandal in side characters.
*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
November 30, 2024
this might be my favourite audio book, and also my first 🤭
April 3, 2025
Definitely not my typical read, contemporary is not my genre. I’m more of a fantasy, sci fi girl, but I do venture into other genres now and then. I have heard several of my friends talk about this one, and was curious so when given the chance to read it, I couldn’t pass it up.
I binged this in two hours, and definitely enjoyed it. I’m not a fan of contemporary, but there have been some that I’ve liked, including this one! It definitely was a pleasant surprise and I had a good time with it.
I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a sweet, cozy, no-spice romance
I binged this in two hours, and definitely enjoyed it. I’m not a fan of contemporary, but there have been some that I’ve liked, including this one! It definitely was a pleasant surprise and I had a good time with it.
I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a sweet, cozy, no-spice romance
January 31, 2024
I'm at a bit of a loss for how to rate this one. Up until literally the last page of the main story (not counting the epilogues), it was 4.5-5 stars, no question. Luna and Henry were both incredible characters, and I loved their interactions--maybe even more in their online personas than in person, since the in-person ones tended to be heavy on the physical attraction while the online ones got more into what was inside. (Although I did love that Luna's heart captured Henry in their first real-life meeting as well.) And I liked that all the secrets didn't stay completely hidden to the point of absurdity. I loved Henry's sister and Luna's family, disliked her bosses, and liked her friends (although seriously, what is it with me and stumbling onto books with a different connected series lately???). I'm not a gamer, but I've heard enough about it to enjoy the references, and it was overall just an adorably sweet story. Seriously, just about my only complaint was going to be that a couple of the kissing scenes got a little intense for my tastes. (Oh, and a few instances of what I assume was some kind of innuendo from the characters' reactions, but that went straight over my head. :P)
And then we hit the last page, and if the words "The End" hadn't been right there, I probably would have DNFed. Look, I know they didn't cross the line, but that last kiss, where they end up lying next to each other on the couch, "passion and heat passing between us"--that crosses way over the line for me. It was billed as a "kissing only" romance, and it never went beyond that, but...I'm just not comfortable with this kind of heavy kissing. I'm not sure I'll be able to continue the series, which makes me sad because I already see the setup for Henry's siblings' stories, and I was so here for them! But while I appreciate that things didn't go any farther, and that there were even standards set about not moving in together before marriage, that last kiss was way too intense for me.
Thus my problem with the rating. Up until the last page, probably 5 stars. Almost DNFing, 2 stars at most, probably less. I could maybe read it again if I skip the last page, but... I'm going to split the difference and go with 3 stars, which really doesn't feel quite fair on either side, but it's the best I can do.
And then we hit the last page, and if the words "The End" hadn't been right there, I probably would have DNFed. Look, I know they didn't cross the line, but that last kiss, where they end up lying next to each other on the couch, "passion and heat passing between us"--that crosses way over the line for me. It was billed as a "kissing only" romance, and it never went beyond that, but...I'm just not comfortable with this kind of heavy kissing. I'm not sure I'll be able to continue the series, which makes me sad because I already see the setup for Henry's siblings' stories, and I was so here for them! But while I appreciate that things didn't go any farther, and that there were even standards set about not moving in together before marriage, that last kiss was way too intense for me.
Thus my problem with the rating. Up until the last page, probably 5 stars. Almost DNFing, 2 stars at most, probably less. I could maybe read it again if I skip the last page, but... I'm going to split the difference and go with 3 stars, which really doesn't feel quite fair on either side, but it's the best I can do.
February 2, 2025
Such a sweet romance! I loved the nod to Cinderella, the characters and the setting. I loved the added edition of the gaming aspect, I used to be a pretty big gamer when I was younger, so I loved seeing that. And the nod to Cinderella and her stepsisters was such a fun storyline.
May 26, 2024
I just felt so happy the entire time I was reading this lol. I loved it!
February 1, 2024
Favorite Quote:
“Someone pinch me. Not only is this man gorgeous, he has no qualms with letting a girl know how he feels. Is he real? He seems fictional, like someone I’ve conjured in a dream.”
Wowza! This was my first book by Marie Soleil and it was everything I hoped it would be!
I loved the different aspects Marie pulled from the original Cinderella story and made it so much better!
I loved Luna and Henry together! From the moment they met🚂 and all throughout their story, I fell more and more in love with these two video gamers! 🎮
Moomoo 🙂
The family gaming scene!!!! 😂
We get a “Who hurt you” moment!!!! 😆
That epilogue!!!🥹😊
If you love the story of Cinderella and you love video games, you will love this story that has all that, tons of swoon, and a HEA that will leave you in a puddle! 😍
Thank you to the author for the advance copy! All thoughts are my own.
“Someone pinch me. Not only is this man gorgeous, he has no qualms with letting a girl know how he feels. Is he real? He seems fictional, like someone I’ve conjured in a dream.”
Wowza! This was my first book by Marie Soleil and it was everything I hoped it would be!
I loved the different aspects Marie pulled from the original Cinderella story and made it so much better!
I loved Luna and Henry together! From the moment they met🚂 and all throughout their story, I fell more and more in love with these two video gamers! 🎮
Moomoo 🙂
The family gaming scene!!!! 😂
We get a “Who hurt you” moment!!!! 😆
That epilogue!!!🥹😊
If you love the story of Cinderella and you love video games, you will love this story that has all that, tons of swoon, and a HEA that will leave you in a puddle! 😍
Thank you to the author for the advance copy! All thoughts are my own.
May 17, 2025
(Clean Rom-Com)
4 stars!
🥿Cinderella Retelling🥿
🎮 Gamer Romance 🎮
💟 Insta-love 💟
*Not me finishing this in a day 🫣🫢
Oh my goodness..
I had been craving for a sweet romance to read and this definitely gave it!
I definitely had been caught off guard by that first kiss on THE DAY THAT THEY MET.. but hey, everything went according to plan.. I got the romance, the story, and the ending that I wanted so I can’t complain.. much :))
I definitely loved the whole aspect of both main characters being Gamers.. even though I’m not a Gamer or technically very interested in video games (although I do enjoy playing them once in a while).
I’m not gonna lie, there was some corny scenes, but i guess that’s a Rom-Com for ya?
Anyways, let’s talk about Luna and Henry..
I really liked Luna, she was very real in a sense. She wasn’t Miss Perfect where everything was alright and everything was all Cupcakes and Rainbows. No, she actually was going through some stuff and had went through some things as well. I liked that about her.. and while she was clumsy at times, and could be a bit awkward; it wasn’t her looks (though she was pretty), but it was her kindness, and her willingness to see the best in things, even though it was a hard situation; that made her so beautiful in my eyes -as well as Henry’s . And i know that at the end, she was in a complete mess, but she was BRAVE enough to face it. I also adored Luna’s family! I would laugh all the time when her family would come into the picture. There was a right amount of sarcasm, silliness, love, kindness, and faithfulness put into her family by the author.
Henry, for a rich businessman, was very sweet and down to earth. He was loyal to his family, and Luna. The way he treats everybody respectfully and with equality was also admirable. Overall, Henry wasn’t my favorite MMC but I give him a 4/5.
In conclusion, I liked this clean Rom-Com, it just wasn’t one of my favs. If you’re looking for a clean, sweet rom-com with a Gamer’s twist and insta love, then I would recommend this one!😁
Content Warnings⬇️
⚠️ Age recommendation: 16+, but if a 15 year old wants to try they could.
🌹Romance- Closed door: up to kissing (up to detailed). Some words used like, sexy and hot. Some mentions of engaged women not moving into their fiancé’s apartment or house until they are married.
🤬Language- no cuss words
💣Violence- not really any
Duo POVS
4 stars!
🥿Cinderella Retelling🥿
🎮 Gamer Romance 🎮
💟 Insta-love 💟
*Not me finishing this in a day 🫣🫢
Oh my goodness..
I had been craving for a sweet romance to read and this definitely gave it!
I definitely had been caught off guard by that first kiss on THE DAY THAT THEY MET.. but hey, everything went according to plan.. I got the romance, the story, and the ending that I wanted so I can’t complain.. much :))
I definitely loved the whole aspect of both main characters being Gamers.. even though I’m not a Gamer or technically very interested in video games (although I do enjoy playing them once in a while).
I’m not gonna lie, there was some corny scenes, but i guess that’s a Rom-Com for ya?
Anyways, let’s talk about Luna and Henry..
I really liked Luna, she was very real in a sense. She wasn’t Miss Perfect where everything was alright and everything was all Cupcakes and Rainbows. No, she actually was going through some stuff and had went through some things as well. I liked that about her.. and while she was clumsy at times, and could be a bit awkward; it wasn’t her looks (though she was pretty), but it was her kindness, and her willingness to see the best in things, even though it was a hard situation; that made her so beautiful in my eyes -as well as Henry’s . And i know that at the end, she was in a complete mess, but she was BRAVE enough to face it. I also adored Luna’s family! I would laugh all the time when her family would come into the picture. There was a right amount of sarcasm, silliness, love, kindness, and faithfulness put into her family by the author.
Henry, for a rich businessman, was very sweet and down to earth. He was loyal to his family, and Luna. The way he treats everybody respectfully and with equality was also admirable. Overall, Henry wasn’t my favorite MMC but I give him a 4/5.
In conclusion, I liked this clean Rom-Com, it just wasn’t one of my favs. If you’re looking for a clean, sweet rom-com with a Gamer’s twist and insta love, then I would recommend this one!😁
Content Warnings⬇️
⚠️ Age recommendation: 16+, but if a 15 year old wants to try they could.
🌹Romance- Closed door: up to kissing (up to detailed). Some words used like, sexy and hot. Some mentions of engaged women not moving into their fiancé’s apartment or house until they are married.
🤬Language- no cuss words
💣Violence- not really any
Duo POVS
January 31, 2024
I have always been obsessed with fairytale stories and Disney movies ever since I was a kid! The ability to continue to enjoy these stories but that grow up with me is even better!
Cinderella was one of my favorite stories as a child and having this great retelling with a modern day twist is perfection!
The book tropes include:
• Sweet closed door romance
• Slow Burn
• Small Town
• Video game/gamer
I loved Henry and Luna's chemistry and how it was the magical instant attraction/connection that is swoonworthy!
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Cinderella was one of my favorite stories as a child and having this great retelling with a modern day twist is perfection!
The book tropes include:
• Sweet closed door romance
• Slow Burn
• Small Town
• Video game/gamer
I loved Henry and Luna's chemistry and how it was the magical instant attraction/connection that is swoonworthy!
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
May 6, 2024
This was a really fun, mistaken identity, dual POV, kissing only Cinderella retelling that sees Luna meeting a mysterious man on a train and hitting it off only to later discover he's the gaming friend she's been playing with online for years. With a great meet cute, a strong female gaming/artist lead and a perfect nod to the Cinderella fairy tale, this was such an enjoyable listen on audio. Highly recommended especially for fans of authors like Cathy Yardley or Seressia Glass's book, Game on. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
May 21, 2025
4.5
A super cute romcom. Just what I needed and need more of. I love the modern day retelling! Such a sweet story.
Content: kisses and romance (semidetailed-detailed)
A super cute romcom. Just what I needed and need more of. I love the modern day retelling! Such a sweet story.
Content: kisses and romance (semidetailed-detailed)
January 23, 2024
Oh my Cuteness!!! I read the synopsis for this book and I was a goner! Cinderella retelling...SIGN ME UP!!! And it just sounded absolutely adorable that I couldn't pass it up. I'm soooo glad I took a chance. I haven't read any books by Marie Soleil before but have had some reading friends who have, so I've been eyeing her books for a while a debating. This quickly turned into a case of, "Why did I wait so Long?!!!!" Now I just want to dive into all of her books...ALL OF THEM!!! But first I need more of the Once Upon a RomCom series. I guess I'll have to be patient because this is the first book and it's just being released in a couple of days.
Luna's dating life has been non-existent for a couple of years. A heartbreak and a not so good ending to her previous relationship has showed her to be cautious and stick with hanging out with her family and her online gaming buddy she's never met. MidKnight. It's safer that way for her heart. Especially since he doesn't know she's a girl.
Her world upends as she's moving to a new town. While on the train traveling to meet up with her best friend, she meets a guy on the train. Ohlala! She's smitten and he is too. They share enough info to possibly find each other if they really try, but this stranger takes off running because he's late. So much for meeting your best match and not getting his name or info.
I just loved how the author set up the story. Now Cinder has gone from no guys to two at the same time. Be still her heart. When she starts to have more interactions with Train Guy and her gaming life starts to creep into her real life, Cinder will have to figure out how to navigate these two men and decide what her heart really wants.
Seriously it was perfect! I loved all the little connections to Cinderella, which is one of my all time fav fairytales! This book is deliciously sweet and swoony with family and friends at the forefront! Such a delightful read. I kept messaging my book besties while I was reading it, telling them that they HAD to read it. *Sigh* Clear your schedule cause you're not going to want to stop once you start (this is definitely much better than pringles ;-) Just sayin')!
Content: Clean.
I received a copy from the publisher, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
Luna's dating life has been non-existent for a couple of years. A heartbreak and a not so good ending to her previous relationship has showed her to be cautious and stick with hanging out with her family and her online gaming buddy she's never met. MidKnight. It's safer that way for her heart. Especially since he doesn't know she's a girl.
Her world upends as she's moving to a new town. While on the train traveling to meet up with her best friend, she meets a guy on the train. Ohlala! She's smitten and he is too. They share enough info to possibly find each other if they really try, but this stranger takes off running because he's late. So much for meeting your best match and not getting his name or info.
I just loved how the author set up the story. Now Cinder has gone from no guys to two at the same time. Be still her heart. When she starts to have more interactions with Train Guy and her gaming life starts to creep into her real life, Cinder will have to figure out how to navigate these two men and decide what her heart really wants.
Seriously it was perfect! I loved all the little connections to Cinderella, which is one of my all time fav fairytales! This book is deliciously sweet and swoony with family and friends at the forefront! Such a delightful read. I kept messaging my book besties while I was reading it, telling them that they HAD to read it. *Sigh* Clear your schedule cause you're not going to want to stop once you start (this is definitely much better than pringles ;-) Just sayin')!
Content: Clean.
I received a copy from the publisher, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
February 26, 2024
I have been wanting to read a book from Marie Soleil for a while now and all my Bookstagrammer friends were raving so I decided to join the party and so happy I did!
When I was a teen/new adult I was a total gamer...like played video games way way way too often! My brother who is only 18 months older was my best friend and he got me addicted. So seeing that Luna was a gamer as well totally made me want to read this book too! I could relate to her being a female gamer in a male dominated hobby.
I love that this was a Cinderella retelling but that it was also such a fantastic story all on its own. The Cinderella Easter eggs were just the icing on top!
Henry was such a great MMC. I loved that they had insta attraction and just felt a pull towards each other quickly. I love that they were both such kind and caring people. I love that they both had something to prove, moments to be brave, and opportunities to help others.
If you are looking for a sweet romcom that just makes you smile and enough kisses to make you swoon give this one a go!
Physical Intimacy Lvl 2 (Non Descriptive Making Out)
Zero Swearing
Dual 1st Person POV
When I was a teen/new adult I was a total gamer...like played video games way way way too often! My brother who is only 18 months older was my best friend and he got me addicted. So seeing that Luna was a gamer as well totally made me want to read this book too! I could relate to her being a female gamer in a male dominated hobby.
I love that this was a Cinderella retelling but that it was also such a fantastic story all on its own. The Cinderella Easter eggs were just the icing on top!
Henry was such a great MMC. I loved that they had insta attraction and just felt a pull towards each other quickly. I love that they were both such kind and caring people. I love that they both had something to prove, moments to be brave, and opportunities to help others.
If you are looking for a sweet romcom that just makes you smile and enough kisses to make you swoon give this one a go!
Physical Intimacy Lvl 2 (Non Descriptive Making Out)
Zero Swearing
Dual 1st Person POV
February 18, 2024
“Luna, you embody your name perfectly. You’re just like the moon—you’re the light amid all the darkness.”
This book is so much fun!
I had seen several reviews about this book popping up on my feed and there was something about it that definitely drew me in.
I’m not a gamer and I knew that was an aspect of this book.
I love fairytale retellings, especially contemporary versions…when I heard there was a hidden/mistaken identity aspect I was convinced I needed to grab this one.
And I’m so glad I did!
A total escape-I loved the gaming aspect and it did not require me to know anything specific. The romance is cute, the fairytale retelling is pretty light but enough that it complimented every other aspect so well and I even felt that this had a hint of pride and prejudice vibes!
I was thoroughly entertained and had a hard time putting this book down! i totally recommend this one!
Content: a couple of religious exclamations, family issues, being used, romance-kisses only.
This book is so much fun!
I had seen several reviews about this book popping up on my feed and there was something about it that definitely drew me in.
I’m not a gamer and I knew that was an aspect of this book.
I love fairytale retellings, especially contemporary versions…when I heard there was a hidden/mistaken identity aspect I was convinced I needed to grab this one.
And I’m so glad I did!
A total escape-I loved the gaming aspect and it did not require me to know anything specific. The romance is cute, the fairytale retelling is pretty light but enough that it complimented every other aspect so well and I even felt that this had a hint of pride and prejudice vibes!
I was thoroughly entertained and had a hard time putting this book down! i totally recommend this one!
Content: a couple of religious exclamations, family issues, being used, romance-kisses only.
February 3, 2024
3.5
This was cute! I enjoyed reading it. I thought the gaming aspects were unique for a story and provided a fun storyline for Luna and Henry to interact as their secret identities . So, I liked the plot a lot. Picking out the Cinderella references were fun and woven into the story well.
Overall, it's a cute story and fun read. Kept me turning the pages and I look forward to the rest of the series.
Content Rated G
Clean romance, kissing. No language or violence
This was cute! I enjoyed reading it. I thought the gaming aspects were unique for a story and provided a fun storyline for Luna and Henry to interact as their secret identities . So, I liked the plot a lot. Picking out the Cinderella references were fun and woven into the story well.
Overall, it's a cute story and fun read. Kept me turning the pages and I look forward to the rest of the series.
Content Rated G
Clean romance, kissing. No language or violence
March 6, 2024
This is such a cute Cinderella retelling, and it even has a missing shoe. Adorable.
It's magical and swoony and my heart grew just by reading this story that is pure joy. It's a fairy tale love story and my heart is so full.
I loved the theme of "be brave" underscored with "be kind"
It's magical and swoony and my heart grew just by reading this story that is pure joy. It's a fairy tale love story and my heart is so full.
I loved the theme of "be brave" underscored with "be kind"
July 15, 2025
3.5 ⭐
✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ Quick and cute romance of a modern Cinderella retelling where the FMC and MMC have an instant attraction during their first meeting and feel strangely connected to the other. What they don't know is that they've known each other for years, hiding behind their conversations using their video game usernames 🎮
��� ೃ༄*ੈ✩ The FMC, Luna Jones, is a classic girl-next-door. She moved back in with her family after a personal emergency, and she's mostly guarded and withdrawn in relationships following a heartbreak from a previous ex-boyfriend. Out of her love for her best friend, Luna moves up to Brookhaven to help her friend plan for her wedding. She's a bit down on her luck and struggles to find a place to stay until two twin bakers offer her the apartment above their bakery in exchange for what she doesn't know is an unlivable space to sleep and live in and hours beyond what's legally ethical of work standards. Throughout the book and among those she meets along the way, Luna learns to slowly become a braver version of herself and to not be afraid of being loved for who she is on the inside. It definitely takes her some time and a lot of second-guessing, but she becomes strong enough to stand up for herself and for what she deserves 💓
✧ ೃ༄*ੈ The MMC, Henry Stone, is the future CEO of his family's tech company. As the second oldest Stone child, he's set in line to take over for his father soon and is very passionate about what he does. He's very protective of his siblings as well as ClockStriker and Luna (who he doesn't know are the same person yet), and he goes out of his way to be as generous and attentive as they will let him. I liked how it showed that despite looking like he has everything together on the outside, he does worry deeply about his loved ones and constantly thinks about them even with his own internal issues 📑
✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ Honestly, I wasn't really the biggest fan of the "I've-never-met-anyone-like-you-until-now" trope and the insta-love during their first meeting. It was a little awkward to have them have their first kiss right after they meet hours ago, especially since the chemistry just wasn't there initially for me. I also felt like the video game talks and conversations about the logistics and creating the game wasn't really something I was interested in. I did warm up to them halfway through the story and even more so when Luna and Henry meet at the Stone Gaming video game gala. Their scenes together were cute and fluffy with very low angst in the story. Overall, this was a cute and lighthearted take on the Cinderella story and I would recommend it to anyone who's a sucker for a romance with hidden identities involved 🔎
What to expect:
- Girl-next-door FMC x tech CEO-to-be MMC 🐔🏢
- Cinderella retelling 👠
- Hidden identities
- Insta-love
- Clean/closed-door romance 🚪
- Video games 🎮
✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ Quick and cute romance of a modern Cinderella retelling where the FMC and MMC have an instant attraction during their first meeting and feel strangely connected to the other. What they don't know is that they've known each other for years, hiding behind their conversations using their video game usernames 🎮
��� ೃ༄*ੈ✩ The FMC, Luna Jones, is a classic girl-next-door. She moved back in with her family after a personal emergency, and she's mostly guarded and withdrawn in relationships following a heartbreak from a previous ex-boyfriend. Out of her love for her best friend, Luna moves up to Brookhaven to help her friend plan for her wedding. She's a bit down on her luck and struggles to find a place to stay until two twin bakers offer her the apartment above their bakery in exchange for what she doesn't know is an unlivable space to sleep and live in and hours beyond what's legally ethical of work standards. Throughout the book and among those she meets along the way, Luna learns to slowly become a braver version of herself and to not be afraid of being loved for who she is on the inside. It definitely takes her some time and a lot of second-guessing, but she becomes strong enough to stand up for herself and for what she deserves 💓
✧ ೃ༄*ੈ The MMC, Henry Stone, is the future CEO of his family's tech company. As the second oldest Stone child, he's set in line to take over for his father soon and is very passionate about what he does. He's very protective of his siblings as well as ClockStriker and Luna (who he doesn't know are the same person yet), and he goes out of his way to be as generous and attentive as they will let him. I liked how it showed that despite looking like he has everything together on the outside, he does worry deeply about his loved ones and constantly thinks about them even with his own internal issues 📑
✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩ Honestly, I wasn't really the biggest fan of the "I've-never-met-anyone-like-you-until-now" trope and the insta-love during their first meeting. It was a little awkward to have them have their first kiss right after they meet hours ago, especially since the chemistry just wasn't there initially for me. I also felt like the video game talks and conversations about the logistics and creating the game wasn't really something I was interested in. I did warm up to them halfway through the story and even more so when Luna and Henry meet at the Stone Gaming video game gala. Their scenes together were cute and fluffy with very low angst in the story. Overall, this was a cute and lighthearted take on the Cinderella story and I would recommend it to anyone who's a sucker for a romance with hidden identities involved 🔎
What to expect:
- Girl-next-door FMC x tech CEO-to-be MMC 🐔🏢
- Cinderella retelling 👠
- Hidden identities
- Insta-love
- Clean/closed-door romance 🚪
- Video games 🎮
June 7, 2024
𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
𝘗𝘭𝘰𝘵 : 4.5🌟
𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 : 4🌟
𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 : 5🌟
𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 : 4.75🌟
𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 left canyon west ad headed to brookhaven , to help her friend's Madeleine upcoming weeding and hoping to get a new start after he last failed relationship. Her only hobbies these past few years , her gaming sessions with his online friend , Midnight , where she can stay completely anonymous .
While traveling to Brookhaven, her kind actions got her a first class sit , next to the most handsome stranger , who is none other than 𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 , they had an instant conexion..
Henry is her 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜. Since his meeting on a train with this mysterious girl he could not get her out of his head.
When her place is no longer valaible, she is forced to search from a place to rent , who the twin sisters who runs a bakery give her , they been treating her s badly but she never complained..
She has been working to the bone , but still managed to play with Midnight alias Henry .
I loved their first meeting *sigh* so cute ...from there the story completely git me in and couldnt get it down 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 is such a kind , thoughtful and sweet person she tries her best to be perfect but doesn't know she already is , I loved the way she grew more confident and stood for herself by the chapters .
𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 is such a dream *doublesigh* how he pursued 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 by the story and didn't give up on her ..
𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 and 𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 lives were intertwined in so many ways that it made you know these two are destined to be together.
They are both such strong characters and I loved both of them throughout the story. They both grow so much, especially 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖. Seeing how they started and where they ended makes this a book I can’t wait to reread.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
•𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
•𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
•𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴
•𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
𝘗𝘭𝘰𝘵 : 4.5🌟
𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 : 4🌟
𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 : 5🌟
𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 : 4.75🌟
𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 left canyon west ad headed to brookhaven , to help her friend's Madeleine upcoming weeding and hoping to get a new start after he last failed relationship. Her only hobbies these past few years , her gaming sessions with his online friend , Midnight , where she can stay completely anonymous .
While traveling to Brookhaven, her kind actions got her a first class sit , next to the most handsome stranger , who is none other than 𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 , they had an instant conexion..
Henry is her 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜. Since his meeting on a train with this mysterious girl he could not get her out of his head.
When her place is no longer valaible, she is forced to search from a place to rent , who the twin sisters who runs a bakery give her , they been treating her s badly but she never complained..
She has been working to the bone , but still managed to play with Midnight alias Henry .
I loved their first meeting *sigh* so cute ...from there the story completely git me in and couldnt get it down 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 is such a kind , thoughtful and sweet person she tries her best to be perfect but doesn't know she already is , I loved the way she grew more confident and stood for herself by the chapters .
𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 is such a dream *doublesigh* how he pursued 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 by the story and didn't give up on her ..
𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖 and 𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 lives were intertwined in so many ways that it made you know these two are destined to be together.
They are both such strong characters and I loved both of them throughout the story. They both grow so much, especially 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖. Seeing how they started and where they ended makes this a book I can’t wait to reread.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
•𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
•𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
•𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴
•𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
November 28, 2024
When you find yourself grinning your way through a book, it has to be a 5 star review.
This book was soooo delightful.
If you love a good retelling, this one reminds me of an adult version of the Hilary Duff Cinderella Story, but way better.
I also loved that the MMC's name was Henry which felt like a nod to Drew Barrymore's Ever After. He's also just a delightful cinnamon role of a guy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, the family dynamics, the friendships, the plot twists you see coming a mile away because hello it's a Cinderella retelling, but it's so sweet and satisfying to see how it plays out in this setting with these characters.
It also left me wanting to read more from Marie so off I go to find my next Soleil. ✌️
This book was soooo delightful.
If you love a good retelling, this one reminds me of an adult version of the Hilary Duff Cinderella Story, but way better.
I also loved that the MMC's name was Henry which felt like a nod to Drew Barrymore's Ever After. He's also just a delightful cinnamon role of a guy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read, the family dynamics, the friendships, the plot twists you see coming a mile away because hello it's a Cinderella retelling, but it's so sweet and satisfying to see how it plays out in this setting with these characters.
It also left me wanting to read more from Marie so off I go to find my next Soleil. ✌️
May 1, 2025
3 stars ✨
I’m so going to forget this book in two weeks time. I’m not a fan of insta-love. These two kiss in the first 15% of the book. Yet, I still went on, it got better. I loved the gamer aspect of the story, it added some depth to the book without it being cringey. And I KNOW Luna the FMC was annoying but not so much that I actually blocked that out. It’s okay to be annoying but to be annoying AND infantilizing yourself, now that’s a no no. Not that Luna did that, I’m saying she DIDNT do that. As for Henry? Like…. Cmon….. big man baby got his heart hurt Wah Wah, cry about it. YOURE A MAN. STAND UP ⬆️
I’m so going to forget this book in two weeks time. I’m not a fan of insta-love. These two kiss in the first 15% of the book. Yet, I still went on, it got better. I loved the gamer aspect of the story, it added some depth to the book without it being cringey. And I KNOW Luna the FMC was annoying but not so much that I actually blocked that out. It’s okay to be annoying but to be annoying AND infantilizing yourself, now that’s a no no. Not that Luna did that, I’m saying she DIDNT do that. As for Henry? Like…. Cmon….. big man baby got his heart hurt Wah Wah, cry about it. YOURE A MAN. STAND UP ⬆️
July 1, 2024
Since I am a huge fan of fairytale retellings, this sweet gamer romcom has completely blown me away. I loved this modern take on Cinderella with great characters and a very original story reinventing. I also never read any gamer romance, so this was perfect for me. Especially considering that I never read any fairytale retelling that wasn't a fantasy. So this was a completely new experience for me!
An unexpected meeting on the train leads to an amazing instant connection between Luna and Henry, however, they fail to get each other’s contact information, thus, leaving both of them with only a memory of a great time spent together. While helping her best friend with wedding preparations, Luna struggles to find a cozy apartment and a job in the video gaming industry. She is left with no other choice than to live in a cramped and dusty underroof apartment working for her demanding twin bosses who exploit Luna’s kindhearted heart and force her to do an unimaginable amount of work. But at least she has her best online friend MidKnight to whom she can play video games every evening and confide in her hardships. Everything gets complicated when she runs into Henry, a wealthy man from the train whom she kept constantly thinking of. As her relationship with him grows, so does her relationship with MidKnight. In the end, whom will she choose, and what happens when her secrets start to unravel?
I loved Luna’s kind and thoughtful character. Especially the way she grew more confident and learned to stand up for herself. I also loved Henry’s considerate and kind nature and the way he kept on pursuing her without being intrusive. All the Cinderella references were so hilariously on point– her lost shoe, the pumpkin carriage, evil stepsister-boss thing, ruined dress, and hidden identity trope that actually really reminded me of Love on the Brain.
Overall, this was a really sweet and heartwarming closed door romance, and I already can’t wait for the next book that will be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I am so so excited for it!
This audiobook that was kindly provided to me by @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for an honest review. Thank you so much @authormariesoleil , @reneedorian and Joe Jameson for such an enjoyable time spent listening to this gem!
An unexpected meeting on the train leads to an amazing instant connection between Luna and Henry, however, they fail to get each other’s contact information, thus, leaving both of them with only a memory of a great time spent together. While helping her best friend with wedding preparations, Luna struggles to find a cozy apartment and a job in the video gaming industry. She is left with no other choice than to live in a cramped and dusty underroof apartment working for her demanding twin bosses who exploit Luna’s kindhearted heart and force her to do an unimaginable amount of work. But at least she has her best online friend MidKnight to whom she can play video games every evening and confide in her hardships. Everything gets complicated when she runs into Henry, a wealthy man from the train whom she kept constantly thinking of. As her relationship with him grows, so does her relationship with MidKnight. In the end, whom will she choose, and what happens when her secrets start to unravel?
I loved Luna’s kind and thoughtful character. Especially the way she grew more confident and learned to stand up for herself. I also loved Henry’s considerate and kind nature and the way he kept on pursuing her without being intrusive. All the Cinderella references were so hilariously on point– her lost shoe, the pumpkin carriage, evil stepsister-boss thing, ruined dress, and hidden identity trope that actually really reminded me of Love on the Brain.
Overall, this was a really sweet and heartwarming closed door romance, and I already can’t wait for the next book that will be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I am so so excited for it!
This audiobook that was kindly provided to me by @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for an honest review. Thank you so much @authormariesoleil , @reneedorian and Joe Jameson for such an enjoyable time spent listening to this gem!
July 24, 2024
3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4)
This was a sweet, clean romance loosely based on Cinderella. The two main characters, Luna and Henry, are best friends online who game together, and they accidentally cross paths on a train one day. They really hit it off, but neither is aware that they aren’t entirely strangers.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I do love fairytale retellings, and I did really appreciate the gaming elements added to the story. The characters were cute together, but their relationship was a little too much insta-love for me. I also wasn’t very fond of Luna. She acted more like a teenager than an adult at times, and I didn’t enjoy the number of times she “squeaked”. There were a few things that seemed a bit unrealistic, though most of them were easy enough to overlook as the romance was the main focus of the story.
After reading this, I feel as though I probably was just not the target audience for this one. I think people who enjoy small town, light-hearted, clean romcoms with some fairytale and gaming elements might love this story.
This was a sweet, clean romance loosely based on Cinderella. The two main characters, Luna and Henry, are best friends online who game together, and they accidentally cross paths on a train one day. They really hit it off, but neither is aware that they aren’t entirely strangers.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I do love fairytale retellings, and I did really appreciate the gaming elements added to the story. The characters were cute together, but their relationship was a little too much insta-love for me. I also wasn’t very fond of Luna. She acted more like a teenager than an adult at times, and I didn’t enjoy the number of times she “squeaked”. There were a few things that seemed a bit unrealistic, though most of them were easy enough to overlook as the romance was the main focus of the story.
After reading this, I feel as though I probably was just not the target audience for this one. I think people who enjoy small town, light-hearted, clean romcoms with some fairytale and gaming elements might love this story.
May 11, 2024
There’s a little bit of Cinderella vibes in this one, but not many and it felt forced into the storyline.
Luna gets promoted to first class on a train ride and meets Mr. Perfect, who just so happens to be her favorite gaming partner online. What are the odds?
I don’t think this novel is marketed to a younger audience, but I would say it feels like it’s written by a teenager for a teenager. I’m not sure how old Luna is, but I know she’s an adult. She acts and talks like she’s about 16-17 though. The guy seems like he’s 30+, but who knows.
I felt hardly any chemistry between the two main characters. The beginning was way too rushed and then the rest dragged out, but added no plot development.
I’ll be honest, I just wasn’t a fan of this one, but I really wanted to be. This may be a great romance for a 13 year old, but it did not deliver for an adult reader, who likes clean romances.
Narrators- the female’s voice wore on me. The male’s voice wad just okay.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!
Luna gets promoted to first class on a train ride and meets Mr. Perfect, who just so happens to be her favorite gaming partner online. What are the odds?
I don’t think this novel is marketed to a younger audience, but I would say it feels like it’s written by a teenager for a teenager. I’m not sure how old Luna is, but I know she’s an adult. She acts and talks like she’s about 16-17 though. The guy seems like he’s 30+, but who knows.
I felt hardly any chemistry between the two main characters. The beginning was way too rushed and then the rest dragged out, but added no plot development.
I’ll be honest, I just wasn’t a fan of this one, but I really wanted to be. This may be a great romance for a 13 year old, but it did not deliver for an adult reader, who likes clean romances.
Narrators- the female’s voice wore on me. The male’s voice wad just okay.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!
August 1, 2025
WOW! I’M LITERALLY SWEPT AWAY! ❤️😭 This book tops as one of my most favorite romances of all time! Sweet, funny, emotional, and beautiful! And above all, LOVING! 🥺 I’m swooning, please send help. And where can I find my own Henry?! He has a British accent?! 😮💨
🎧 Audio ARC Review - Cinder Luna by Marie Soleil🎧
Narrated by : Renee Dorian and Joe Jameson
Blurb: Luna and Henry first meet in the train and are instantly drawn towards each other. What they don’t know is how they’ve actually known each other for years on another platform. Luna is moving to a new city to help her friend’s wedding but she’s financially struggling and ends up being overworked by two evil shop owners. Luna’s only joy is online gaming. One day her best online gaming buddy “Midnight” asks her to help him with the new game he’s developing. Will this be the opportunity that paves way for her professional career? What about the gorgeous gentleman Henry and the matters of her heart?
Wow! To imagine that I wouldn’t have known about this book if I hadn’t requested the audio ARC! 😭 This book blew me away and made me fall in love with love itself in the most beautiful way! 🥺💕 Why haven’t I seen this book on my feed before? 😭
Lunar is such a sweet girl and my heart was yearning for an HEA for her. I was swept away multiple times by how loving Henry is. I loved how imperfectly perfect he is making his character more realistic emotionally. I was smiling, giggling and flat out laughing as Luna’s internal dialogues were sometimes hilarious. The family relationships, friendships, character arcs are so well written I was listening nonstop till dawn. I loved how the twists are unexpected and how the plot wove together. The narrations are SUPERB!! We all know how that’s the key for the success of an audiobook. I’m out traveling but I’m going to buy a physical copy of this book as soon as I come back! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this sweet, closed door romance with a Cinderella retelling to all my romance lovers 💕
Dreamscape Media thank you for my audio ARC. All thoughts are my own.
🎧 Audio ARC Review - Cinder Luna by Marie Soleil🎧
Narrated by : Renee Dorian and Joe Jameson
Blurb: Luna and Henry first meet in the train and are instantly drawn towards each other. What they don’t know is how they’ve actually known each other for years on another platform. Luna is moving to a new city to help her friend’s wedding but she’s financially struggling and ends up being overworked by two evil shop owners. Luna’s only joy is online gaming. One day her best online gaming buddy “Midnight” asks her to help him with the new game he’s developing. Will this be the opportunity that paves way for her professional career? What about the gorgeous gentleman Henry and the matters of her heart?
Wow! To imagine that I wouldn’t have known about this book if I hadn’t requested the audio ARC! 😭 This book blew me away and made me fall in love with love itself in the most beautiful way! 🥺💕 Why haven’t I seen this book on my feed before? 😭
Lunar is such a sweet girl and my heart was yearning for an HEA for her. I was swept away multiple times by how loving Henry is. I loved how imperfectly perfect he is making his character more realistic emotionally. I was smiling, giggling and flat out laughing as Luna’s internal dialogues were sometimes hilarious. The family relationships, friendships, character arcs are so well written I was listening nonstop till dawn. I loved how the twists are unexpected and how the plot wove together. The narrations are SUPERB!! We all know how that’s the key for the success of an audiobook. I’m out traveling but I’m going to buy a physical copy of this book as soon as I come back! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this sweet, closed door romance with a Cinderella retelling to all my romance lovers 💕
Dreamscape Media thank you for my audio ARC. All thoughts are my own.
March 29, 2024
This was my first time reading this author and I really liked the story!
I liked Luna and Henry and the main tropes in the story (so many!), the little twists that kept it surprising. I liked the references to Cinderella and the secret gaming identities that had Luna and Henry interacting even more. The secondary characters were also great as was the small town setting.
All in all, an extremely adorable story and a great intro to a new series. Can't wait for the next one!
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
I liked Luna and Henry and the main tropes in the story (so many!), the little twists that kept it surprising. I liked the references to Cinderella and the secret gaming identities that had Luna and Henry interacting even more. The secondary characters were also great as was the small town setting.
All in all, an extremely adorable story and a great intro to a new series. Can't wait for the next one!
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
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