Cinderella's Shoes

Fairy-tale Inheritance #2

by Shonna Slayton

The war may be over, but Kate Allen’s life is still in upheaval. Not only has she discovered that Cinderella was real, but now she's been made Keeper of the Wardrobe, her sole responsibility to protect Cinderella’s magical dresses from the greed of the evil stepsisters’ modern descendants.

But Cinderella’s dresses are just the beginning. It turns out that the priceless glass slippers might actually exist, too, and they could hold the power to reunite lost loved ones like her father—missing in action since World War II ended. As Kate and her boyfriend, Johnny, embark on an adventure from New York to Italy and Poland in search of the mysterious slippers, they will be tested in ways they never imagined.

Because when you harness Cinderella's magic, danger and evil are sure to follow...

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Cinderella, Retellings, Fairy Tales

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

SHONNA SLAYTON is the author of the Fairy-Tale Inheritance Series of young adult novels, beginning with Cinderella’s Dress.

She edited curriculum for an education company before homeschooling her own children using literature-based whole book learning. She’s taught writing using fairy tales in school classrooms and workshops, as well as in public libraries as a writer in residence. Instead of seeing her in person, you can get the Lessons from Grimm Series which includes a writer’s guide and workbooks for writers to learn fiction techniques through fairy tales.

Join her email list and receive a free story as a welcome gift. Be the first to learn of new books and get behind-the-scenes info you can't read anywhere else. Sign up on her website Shonna Slayton

Reviews

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aw, I loved it! I really enjoy WWII-era historical and fairytale retellings ... and Cinderella's Shoes by Shonna Slayton was both! Ominous, but fun. Real, yet whimsical. This is one Cinderella retelling series you don’t want to miss!

Kate Allen recently discovered the magical qualities of some ancient dresses … and her destiny to become the Keeper of the Wardrobe; but shocking secrets still abound.
World War II has ended, but Mr. Allen has yet to return. Even though he was reported missing-in-action, Kate won’t give up, and is hoping Cinderella’s legendary shoes can help. So, along with her boyfriend, Johnny, she embarks on a crazy journey filled with twists and turns; excitement and danger.
Will she find what she’s looking for? Or lose everything?

After quite enjoying Cinderella's Dress (Book One), I was so excited to get my hands on this one and continue Kate's journey! The war is over, but the aftermath is still shockingly real. The historical aspect of Cinderella's Shoes is great; it was thoroughly interesting and I learned a lot, actually! And we got to travel outside America too! The fairytale aspect was also rich and captivating. -The history of Cinderella! ^_^ So fun. So fascinating. And that showdown between Cinderella's descendants, the stepsister's descendants, and the fairy godmother herself! Grand! *grins*

I got annoyed at Kate a few times, but this was a journey of learning and realizing for her! She's actually a relateble and likable character overall, to me, and I so enjoyed reading two books about her and Johnny! *smiles* I hope there's another one!! Oh, and speaking of Johnny ... he was great! And sweet! And just ... they're so adorable! I wish we could have had more time with Johnny! (A couple times he got left out!) But it was good. And that ending made up for it all!!

Besides being great historical and a lovely fairytale retelling (of sorts), Cinderella's Shoes has a bit of magic. It's all mellow and fun though. Nothing huge. Just a touch of fairytale magic here and there. I really liked it!

So did I mention the ending? *swoon* It was sooo sweet and beautiful and happy!! I'm so, so glad that it ended like that! with a ring, because a lot of YA novels don't. I just loved it! Made me sigh happily. Such a sweet ending to a sweet Cinderella romance series. Although, I do hope there's more books to this series! Even if not about Kate, maybe about another character we met! Lidka, perhaps? *grins* Speaking of her, she was quite the interesting character! Hard, and hiding secrets, but strangely vulnerable and confusing at times. I would like to have a story dedicated to her!

So, all in all, Cinderella's Shoes is a sweet, exciting YA historical romance filled with surprises, secrets, danger, and touches of magic! I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and recommend to historical and fairytale lovers alike! So much fun! I want to read more!

[Hannah Rodes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cinderella’s Shoes by Shonna Slayton

Rating-three point five stars.

So, Cinderella’s shoes was a quite anticipated read and when my sister gave this to me for Christmas I was ecstatic. I loved the new characters and the change of scenery we saw in Cinderella’s shoes. Kate was still the awesome Kate. Johnny was still the charming guy, who was simply amazing! I loved how you were never quite sure of Lidka. It kept me guessing and I love that in stories. (Well, who doesn’t.)

Even though I loved this book, it was sort of slow. I mean I was half way through the book and Kate was still not in Poland. It almost seemed as if Shonna Slayton was on a strict deadline and couldn’t put as much into it.

It also seemed….I don’t know. A bit to laid back. What do I mean by that, you ask? So, they are at a really intense part of the book and it just seems like, they didn’t really care. Even though it was life threating for like two people. You didn’t get swept away with the story is what I mean.

Now maybe this was just me. Cinderella’s shoes was totally awesome. So, check it out for yourself. Tip though. Don’t read the last part in public. Yes, I suffered the horror of chocking down laughter that desperately failed and came out in a huge half hiccup and half gasp. Very loudly. In a cubicle. Where like three or four people heard……Yeah, it was awkward.

[Courtney Toohey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley and Entangled Teen in exchanged for an honest review. See the full post for the blog tour at http://www.themoralofourstories.com/b...

For many young girls, there is no better dress than the one that graces the pages of the fairytale Cinderella. In their wistful imaginations, they close their eyes and transport themselves to The Ball in their magical new gown sewn with magic, searching for Prince Charming. But the story doesn’t end there. We all know that at the stroke of Midnight, Cinderella must dash away as to not reveal her true identity. But in her wake, she leaves behind one token that proves her existence. The magnificent glass slipper. These shoes have spurred many a dream and an abundance of shoe addictions. These are the shoes to rule them all. But what if these shoes were real? Would they hold the same magical powers as predicted in the story told for generations and generations hence? Or, would they be even more powerful than we could have ever imagined. This is what Shonna Slayton explores in the sequel to her first book, Cinderella’s Dress.

Shonna Slayton has landed upon a very interesting angle in which to work the fairytale retelling craze by not simply remaking the Disney version of Cinderella. Instead, she has taken a story that we all know, and made it the derivative of her own original plot. While the story rotates around the crux that is Cinderella’s story, she creates her own plane of reality, which is set in the era of the 1940’s. Slayton picks up where she left off in Cinderella’s Dress by immediately addressing the absence of the shoes. So if you haven’t read the first book, TURN BACK NOW or you may encounter some spoilers. However I will do my best to conceal any major plot points.

I appreciate where Slayton has taken each of her characters. Now that the war has ended, her characters are now left to live in the post-war world, which leaves them all changed in their own way. War touches everyone, and Slayton does a great job of showing that, even in the most subtle of ways. Each character has evolved and has begun to grow into themselves. Each character is well rounded and has their individual arch which is something that not many authors achieve. Her follow through in this development is very well done and not hard to miss.

In the first book, I felt that there may have been an imbalance when it came to the plot about just Kate’s day to day life as opposed to her life in reference to being a Keeper of the Wardrobe. There was a lot of backstory that I felt could have been left behind, and not enough about the dress. In fact, there would be several chapters with no mention whatsoever about the dresses. However I wanted to keep going and see how things changed in the second book. I believe that Slayton has found a better balance between the plot about Kate, and the plot about Kate and the story of Cinderella. It is a difficult task to manage two seemingly similar plot lines throughout the same story, and I believe that Slayton has gotten better at this with the practice of writing this series. I do still wish that there was more in reference to the legend of Cinderella, but perhaps that is not the goal of the book. In any case, I enjoyed the plot for what it is, and will not try to wish it into being something else.

I appreciate the attention to detail that Slayton has placed on the accuracy in this work. Her nuances are spot on, all the way down to the slang the teenagers used in that time. I love this time period, and its existence in this book was the second reason I was so drawn to this book, the first being that it was about the wardrobe of Cinderella. For this, I very much enjoyed being ushered into that time in a realistic way. It was refreshing to take a break from 2015 and relax in the times of the 1940’s, even though that time period was nothing but chaotic. The fact that I was able to so vividly picture the reality Slayton has created within the confines of the 1940s is only further proof that her development of the story in this regard is sound.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars I was so very excited to read this book and its predecessor, but it some ways was left wanting. When the title is Cinderella’s Shoes, you expect the majority of the book to be dedicated to that purpose. What I encountered was closer to half. So in this regard I was slightly disappointed. However, the rest of the book and its charms were quite refreshing and a pleasant read. It was delightful to read a story that took me back to a rich time period and engrossed me as soon as I arrived. For this, the book is outstanding. Should the intertwining of the stories been more seamless and balanced, the work would be perfect.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her books always seem to start a little slow but as you read they become more exciting. The magic and fairy tale portions are my favorite parts and always wish there was more. Still a very sweet book with a little fairy tale fun.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War II has been over for a couple years and Kate’s father has been declared missing in action and then deceased. Why, then, isn’t Kate able to accept his death? Although the descendants of Cinderella’s stepsisters are horrible, but perhaps there is some truth to their insinuation that the missing glass slippers might be able to be used in finding people. Perhaps there is some hope for Kate’s dad after all. Now, if only she could make it to Italy and Poland…

Shonna Slayton’s Cinderella’s Shoes is the continuing story of Kate as she grows up, falls in love, and searches out the mysteries behind her family history and the treasures of the Polish Cinderella. Kate, her boyfriend Jonny, and the owners of the dresses travel to post-WWII Europe to spend the summer. As they battle the evil stepsisters’ descendants, they grow as individuals and as friends. It was beautiful to see.

One thing that surprised me when I read the first book, Cinderella’s Dress, and that continued into this book, was that the story does not solely focus on the dresses or the shoes. Instead, a major part of the book was spent in daily experiences with only hints as to the importance of the treasures. You watch Kate and her friends grow up and live their lives in and around WWII—letters to soldiers, fashion trends, refugees, and the like.

After reading the book, I could tell the author did her research into the time period. The aftermath of WWII in Europe was clearly evident when Kate visited. Although the war was over, the people had much struggle to do in order to make peace against prejudice and to rebuild their lives after the war decimated their homes and families. Reading in such a manner about people who hid illegal refugees in their barns or who had survived the labor camps was not something I will soon forget.

Lidka is a character that will stick in my mind for a while to come. The young woman worked in the black market during the war and was later forced into the horrible labor camps. Although her experiences and motivations made her hard to like, I feel she exemplified some of the people surviving WWII. Not only that, but Lidka, as hard as she was inside, was still a young woman in need of love and compassion, and the author did a good job of showing the facets of her character through the story.

As for the shoes, they were an important part of the story. The novel is focused on them because they provide the key to finding Kate’s lost father, or at least, that’s what she believes. But the characters learn that shoes are not the most important thing. Rather, it is people and the peace between them.

Overall, the novel quite enchanted me. The rich historical details brought the story to life and taught the characters lessons and the dresses and shoes added the bit of magic necessary to make it truly a tale of Cinderella. But let us not forget the fairy god-mother.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I hadn't read the first book in this series, but that didn't take away from this one. Overall this was pretty good. It's classified as YA, but the characters are just heading into college, so it is a little older.

I definitely liked the premise, and I thought the author had some unique twists to the classic Cinderella story that we all know (and love). She also threw in the aftermath of war which gave the book a little edge. I felt it was interesting to have Cinderella be Polish, that brought a different flavor to the tale. Like I said, a decent read.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

[books are love · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book does not need Cindrella’s dress to be read and understood but by reading Cinderella’ s dress first you get a better idea and background first. You also get more depth to the characters and the parts they play. Each character has a role and has importance even if it isn’t seen at first.

The building of the era and the surroundings is excellent and needed so that you can transport yourself back to this time. the descriptions and stories make you feel as if you are there living it. The history of Cinderella as we know it is upended and this viewpoint and tale is just as wonderful and beautiful.

Shonna Slayton has taken a fairy tale we all know and adore. One we wish would happen to us and upends it a little. We now have the descendants taking a role but the dresses and shoes are magical. the fairy godmother is a woman named Esmerelda but known to others as something else.

this adventure takes place when Kate is on her way to Italy with the Kodolenko’s and Johnny. Johnny is on his way to work with his dad for the summer, the Kodolenko’s back home after claiming the dresses and Kate to find Cinderella’s shoes and her dad.

Nessa is the next in line for the dresses and boy is she spoiled. she loses sight of what is important and begins to treat Kate as a servant. She forgets that as a princess she is to serve others and not boss them around. The dresses take over her thoughts and she lets the greed that all is warned about consume her. We do however get glimpses of the real Nessa throughout the book and at the end when she learns her lesson. Overall Nessa is a nice caring girl who gets caught up in the idea of being a princess and having something others want.

In a way so does Kate, she doesn’t get spoiled but more possessive. Her fear of not doing what is best for the dresses has her become more green. She thinks of herself as the owner instead of the keeper. It is Johnny and her adventure that has her see this. Her and Nessa are the next generation for the dress and shoes and they are to change the role this has. I hope we get to read how this happens in later books.

Johnny there aren’t enough words for him. He is swoonworthy. So loyal kind and amazing. He loves and supports Kate as she does him. He has the patience of Job for understanding about the keeper role and waiting for Kate to find her way. He is steadfast and wonderful. What lesson he learns when they are pulled into a game and left behind is that he needs to trust Kate like he asked her to trust him. This goes a long way in helping their relationship get stronger. Their belief in one another is never ending and their support of each other is infinite as is the love and respect they have for each other. He is a true Prince Charming and I want to see more of him and Kate and how their relationship builds more in later books.

The story itself is unique and as said before upends the cindrella tale. We get a fun twist about the dresses and shoes and see them be used for good and hopefully find a new tale with them. The adventure through Poland is eye opening and dangerous for Kate. She has to learn to rely on Lidka. Lidka who wants to love but is afraid of losing everything again. Who is angry about the war. When Lidka realizes she was used, she shows herself to Kate and helps her out. Lidka is the complex character who shows us all what can happen when you lose everything and are afraid to show your love. She is the one who helps everyone learn lessons from their greed and want of the dresses.

This is a creatively written, beautiful and alluring tale of hope, dreams and love. About finding faith in those around you and in the love you have for others. About reunions that show what it means to have love and have a fairy tale happen with a happy ending. About finding someone to love and trust and about beginning to open your heart and let someone in. A great adventure for a pair of shoes that can lead to finding a father that leads to danger and lesson learned but also finding out how much someone means to you and learning what greed can do. I hope that this series has more to come because with each book the story got more alluring and entrancing and drew you into the characters, era and tale being unfolded before you. Each book drew you into the book more and had you feel you were living in the moment and feeling what the characters were. A wonderful book and series so far.

[serena482* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinderalla's Shoes, was such a good book. I liked this one even better then Cinderella's Dress. IT WAS SO GOOD! Everyone should read this. Sorry for the terrible review i am no t a writer. :P I recommend it to ages 12 and up. :)

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I liked this. I thought it was a really solid sequel to "Cinderella's Dress," and it was so good to see the conclusion of everyone's story.

There was a lot less of Elsie in this book, which was sad. But I understand why - her health is failing, and she's no longer the Keeper. Most of this book actually took place out of America, so we only got a bit of Josie and Kate's mom, too. But it allowed other characters to shine, which I liked. We also got to meet Johnny's parents - Mrs. Day is a sweetie, and Mr. Day seems like a really OK guy.

Nessa - I was never really sure how I felt about her. I liked her at the end of the first book, but in this one, I always felt kind of off balance. I never really hated her, but I never really adored her, either. She has a lot of ideas about the dresses, and sometimes her attitude was a little too cavalier about them, and she brushed off Kate and her duties more than once. That bugged me. I also leaned little more towards how Johnny felt, at least at the beginning - all her ordering Kate around really got on my nerves after a while, but I think it was supposed to. But I have to admit, she did have her moments where she improved, so in the end I was kind of ambivalent toward her. I didn't hate her, but I didn't love her.

Lidka was a new character in the book, and I felt the same way about her as I did about Nessa - just for different reasons. She was a very mysterious character, and her tie-ins with the family were surprising but understandable. She was a very difficult character, very hard and angry, but it made sense why she was the way she was. In the end she did redeem herself, in a way, and she definitely did help resolve a lot of the issues between the Kolodenkos and the Burgosovs, so I admire her for that. She was the kind of character which always kept me a little off-balance, never really knowing whose side she was on or what she was going to do next. In that way I liked her - mysterious characters always draw me in. I like trying to figure out their motives and next moves. I think I did wind up liking her a bit more than Nessa, and I liked how the end of her story was a hopeful one. Down the road, I almost daresay I wouldn't mind reading a book about her, since like I said, her kind of characters always wind up intriguing me. And I do love a good redemption story.

We didn't see quite as much of Johnny in this book as I thought we would, but I'm oddly okay with it. It made sense because, even though he's involved in this "fairy tale" through Kate, he's not really a part of it, at least not yet. So he kind of stayed to the fringes, though that doesn't mean the romance was lacking. There were several scenes with him and Kate, and the romance built up quite nicely to a very nice resolution on that front.

Kate herself went through a lot of changes. I think I went through almost as many phases with liking/disliking her as I did with Nessa and Lidka. Her confusion plays almost as big a role in "Shoes" as it did in "Dress," though it's more focused in this one. And there were some surprising revelations about her family and their past that gives her even stronger ties to the dresses, shoes, and feud than first thought, which I definitely liked...

And then there's the ending. The ending is kind of why I knocked off a star (actually half a star, but unfortunately Goodreads doesn't let me do half-stars). It's not that SS didn't do a good job tying up all the loose ends - she did. Everything was very neatly left tied up in a bow, with each character's journey either given closure, or given strong hints about their closure. It's her choice of ending paragraph. It just doesn't feel like the kind of sentence that would end the story. I turned the page expecting more, but there wasn't any. It fell flat, and felt like there should have been at least one or two more little paragraphs after that one to bring it to a proper ending. Just talking about the fact Kate was giving the guy who made her hope chest another job of making a wardrobe for the ball gown that included a little cubby for the shoes just didn't do it for me. It's nice and all, but just not really a proper ending.

On the whole, I really did enjoy "Cinderella's Shoes," and I look forward to re-reading it many times in the future. 4.5 stars out of 5, with the nice "I really liked this book and it left me with the warm fuzzies" kind of feeling at the end. I look forward to reading future books by this author!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been almost four years since I read book one, but I still enjoyed this one. It’s sort of a ya historical with a fantasy/magical realism twist. The story was interesting and it was a quick read.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinderella's Shoes is the sequal to Cinderella's Dress, by Shonna Slayton.

Kate Allen's adventures with Cinderella's ancient wardrobe continue, but this time, she is on a quest in Europe to find the shoes. She hopes that they might help her find her missing father, who has been presumed dead. So when the Kolodenkos invite her to come back to Italy with them, she readily agrees.

The quest is filled with danger and choices, as Kate comes to find what she truly wants when it comes to her family legacy, and discovers how precious the people in her life really are.

Cinderella's Shoes is a great book, and I think I like it better than the first. Maybe it has to do with the Europe setting... the old castles... (and old camera, as a bonus! :D) Of course, Kate and Johnny's relationship got more... grew... however you'd say it. :) Johnny is just so sweet. :D
We also get to know the Kolodenkos better. Nessa was kind of irritating at first, but then I liked her. :) And Likda... I like her too. But there are some mysteries about her that would be kind of interesting to discover. Shonna Slayton should write another story in this series, giving Lidka a happy ending. :)

So yes, a worthwhile read... this one had more magic, and it was just a great book. :D Very unique.

Recommend to: Teens, and lovers of: fairytale retellings, World War 2 times, castles and old things, Europe, clean romance <3, adventure!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade: C+
An e-galley was provided by Entangled: Teen in exchange for an honest review.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: My first thought is why are the shoes on the cover pink? The shoes in the book are expressly clear diamonds. Ah, well, that's me being nit-picky. Anyways, onto my actual review.
I enjoyed that Kate's story continued. Most of this sequel focused on Kate searching for her father, her developing relationships with Nessa and the girl's family, and finding the famed glass slippers. Cinderella's Shoes was 400 pages, which I think was way too long. The plot could've easily been wrapped up in 300 pages, but there was needless plot about the movie Johnny's father was making and unnecessary romance drama, even though the romance is barely a subplot. I also thought several parts of the plot were too convenient. Things were resolved too easily; there were few consequences and little lost for the protagonist and the secondary characters. I wanted more excitement and risks. In addition, I thought it would be exciting to see Italy, and especially Poland, through Kate's eyes but the setting hardly comes into play, which was disappointing. At times, I even forgot where the characters were.
Language was mild, as was violence and romance.

The Verdict: Kind of good, but still needed some work.

[Shannon Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was good. It is not my normal read but I enjoyed it.
The characters, magic, and mix of history add to the overall feel of the twisted fantasy tale. It was worth it, but it's not on my going to read again list.

[Brianna Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even more exciting than the first book

I made the mistake of starting this book before bed. It was such an exciting page turner that I finished it all in one night. Highly recommend this book for all ages.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun! A good sequel. Refreshing after all the garbage I've been reading lately. (well written as well as clean) Also Google 'the crooked forest' Fun stuff!

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read about half this book last summer, and then got frustrated with the characters, so I put it down. I forgot about it, and it went into my pile of doom (i.e. the pile of books beside my bed). But I'm trying to read books I've bought and not read/finished this year, so I picked it up today and finished the rest of it in one sitting.

This book in the sequel to Cinderella's Dress, and it picks up not long after the first book, with Kate going with Nessa and her grandmother to Italy, and her boyfriend Johnny accompanying them because his dad is filming a movie out there, on the grounds of the place Nessa and her family live in. Meanwhile, Kate's looking for her dad, so she needs Cinderella's shoes, which are said to find lost loved ones, and he was last stationed in Italy. She has to deal with being the Keeper, and she struggles at times.

I really liked all of the historical stuff in here, as the books are set during and just after WWII, and it was interesting and very sad at times. I don't read much historical fiction, so it was nice to read it in this book, along with the main plot.

While it got frustrating, I think that pushing through to finish a chapter can do wonders, and everything works out wonderfully (and shockingly!) at the end. 4.5 stars.

[Marion Marchetto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to Cinderella’s Dress, this story picks up right where the first one stops. Kate goes along with her friends on a trip to Italy – the home of the displaced Kolodenko family – and makes a trip to Poland where she and her friends finally track down the Burgosovs (rival family of the evil stepsisters). It takes tact but somehow she accomplishes the alliance and in the end finds the glass slippers and uses their magical power to reunite her with a missing family member.

The story is filled with intrigue and uncovers the plot line in layers that I found myself anticipating highly. Of course there is the requisite Happily Ever After – what fairy-tale doesn’t have that? The characters from Book 1 – Cinderella’s Dress – make a second appearance as they join their European family. In the end, Kate remains the Keeper of the Wardrobe.

A wonderful, charming conclusion to the updated Cinderella story. While these books are written for young adults, they ring true to those of us who read the original fairytales when we ourselves were children more than 50-60 years ago.

There is a prequel to this story that I’ll be reading next.

[Ciara Jammine · Rating 5 out of 5]

There will be mild spoilers in this book.

I've said it once and I will say it again, the ww2 time period worked so well with this story. I'm so happy I decided to binge the douollogy.
I don't think I talked about thus in my last review but the history of ww2 is so well researched. It felt like I was experiencing the after shock of ww2 with the characters. One of the best examples of this is Lidka. am the way that she interacted with the rest of the characters was so authentic. Lidka is an amazing example of what war does to young people, most having to abandon childhood to cope with hardships that come with war.

I really admire Kate's determination in this book. She didn't just accept that her father was thought to be dead. She pushed on and found her father even when everyone was telling her to give up.

I really loved how Johnny and Kate's relationship developed in the book. And that swoon worthy scene where Johnny gives her the promise ring was so cute.

All in all this was an amazing sequel and ending to a fantastic Historical Cinderella retelling.

[Lynndell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely historical fiction book!
Cinderella’s Shoes by Shonna Slayton opens as the ceremony moving the protection responsibility from Aunt Elsie to Kate is performed by Princess Kolodenko. Kate is now ward of Cinderella's three dresses but the shoes have been lost. Kate gets the chance to travel to Europe with the royal family and teach Princess Nessa everything she knows about the dresses. Nessa has no respect for the dresses and she’s frivolous with them. After getting to Europe, Kate travels to Poland with Lidka, who Kate isn’t sure about trusting. Princess Kolodenko shares a secret about the shoes with Kate before she leaves for Poland to meet Malwinka, a descendant of one of Cinderella’s stepsisters, who supposedly has the shoes. Once Kate and Lidka reach Poland, things become frightening and magical. A lovely historical fiction book that explains much of what the story of Cinderella left out. 5 stars!

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first, I'm ready to travel!

I really enjoyed the first book, Cinderella's Dress (must read first) and this one didn't disappoint! I think I enjoyed this second even more! As I would read I'd think to myself, "that can't happen", but remind myself it's a story, so anything is possible. The descriptions of places and things were well done and I felt as if I was transformed and on the journey with Kate. I felt the chill of the cave, the cold stone walls of the castle and even, without being told walking on a cobblestone floor in a castle. The heat on a summers day on train in Italy was even flat. The magic of this story felt real and I liked being transformed into another magical world far from today's real work issues. I wish there was more to read about Kate and Johnny. Take me more into their romance and the magic of being a keeper. I want more about their love affair. If I could, I'd write about it as a follow up to these other stories!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Cinderella’s Dress. Kate gets the opportunity to travel to Italy and hopes that she might find some clues regarding her father’s disappearance. She is also hopeful that they might be able to track down the mythical shoes which may help find some answers. Kate is also struggling with her role as Keeper and how she fits in with Nessa and her family, descendants of the original Cinderella. Nessa’s cousin also arrives on the scene and offers to help get Kate to Poland, but Kate is unsure if she should trust her. With some tantalizing clues, Kate finds that she has to put herself in danger in order to find out the truth of the shoes and what has happened to her father. I didn’t like this one as much as the first and the plot had some issues, but overall it brought the story to a reasonable conclusion.

[Limau Nipis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally, 10 months to finish a book! Yes, it was a slow read for me. Yes, my life goes on

Thank God I stick with this book. It turned interesting towards the end.

I do find Nessa is very childish, and that really bores me out of my mind.

Other than that, Kate’s journey crossing America ro Poland is very interesting, with the after war backdrop. It was haunting, and very very heartbreaking to paint an aftermath. Many things were lost.

I am glad even though it took me a long time, I feel satisfied with the ending. Simple and sweet.

[Anna Kuchina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a good and solid historical fiction with elements of magical realism well woven into the post-war world.
It explores deeply how the war affects people, countries and the world. It also shows the importance of traditions but also explores the idea that the old need eventually to give way to the new.
However, the plot drags a bit in the beginning and there are some inconsistencies in the characters personalities.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m giving Cinderella’s Shoes 3.5 stars. I think I could have done without this book in the series. It did not give me the 1940s feel that was promised for the series besides when they traveled on a ship across the Atlantic Ocean. I will probably still give her other books a chance because I liked that they aren’t just a retelling of the original stories, but a reimagining of them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a young-adult adventurous and lighthearted read!

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel was just as good as Cinderella's Dress and I loved reading it. I thought that it was very well written and loved how there was all of these characters that were connected in different ways and in the end it was all revealed. I also liked that fact that it was talking about what the countries were like after all the destruction of the war, something that is not mentioned very much.

[An Extremely Avid Reader's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on the Cinderella fairytale using her shoes as a focus rather than Cinderella herself.

Check out my review of "Cinderella's Shoes" on my blog at:
https://axarr.blogspot.com/2017/11/re...

[Cheri Pickslay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shonna does a superb job in weaving a believable tale that continues to surprise and thrill. I loved the era it was written in and learned even more about what life looked like after W.W.II. The romance was sweet yet not over-done and kept me cheering for Johnny & Kate.

[Mikal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book! This however was not as excited and didn't keep me as riveted. It was ok, not as great. I see that there are more in the series and I will probably still check them out in hopes of one being as good as the first book.

[Sarah Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way to end the Cinderella story

I'm so glad this book tied up the loose ends from Cinderella's Dress. I had so many questions! And just like the other 2 Cinderella books, I could not put this one down

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last several chapters just seem to drag on a little. Each chapter seeming like the end of the book, but there's still more. However, she does seem to wrap up any questions or unfinished stories within those last several chapters.