Ella's Will

Ella #2

by Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee

Will Hawkins is just a mere stable boy. How can he ever think to woo Ella, his once-wealthy childhood friend who is stubbornly independent, especially when his competition is the prince? Without any magic or fairy godmothers, Will must show Ella that he is her true prince charming in this perspective twist of the Cinderella story.

Genres: Fairy Tales, Romance, Fiction, Clean Romance, Young Adult, Retellings, Cinderella

272 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published July 1, 2016

About the author

Once upon a time—somewhere between laundry piles and bedtime stories—Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee fell in love with fairy tales and the belief that they still matter. She reimagines classic stories through the lens of real life, where courage and love are the truest magic of all.

Her debut novel, Ella, received the Silver Quill Award from the League of Utah Writers, and her third novel, Finding Beauty in the Beast, earned the Gold Quill Award, both in YA Fiction. A passionate advocate for young writers, Jessilyn loves encouraging youth to pursue their creative dreams and has visited schools throughout Utah and surrounding states. A graduate of Brigham Young University with a BA in English, Jessilyn grew up in Southern California in a family of music lovers, movie quoters, and sports fans. Now living in Utah with her science-teaching husband and their five hilarious sons, she is a boy mom who writes delightfully girly books. As you read this, she is probably folding laundry…or should be.

Reviews

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say that there are two sides to every story and that's just what this book shows. In Ella (my review can be found here), the reader is treated to a Cinderella-type story from Ella's point-of-view. But in Ella's Will, the reader gets into the head of Will, a stable boy who is in love with Ella, even though he may not be able to ever have her. It's pretty much the exact same story, with a few twists, as it's from Will's perspective.

I loved that I knew how this story was going to go and how it was going to end, but it was fun to see things from another view point. There were a few details that I understood better coming from Will, but I missed Ella. Yes, I saw her, but the story just wasn't the same without her front and center, as it truly is her story to tell. There are other characters that are more prominent with Will as the lead, as he is closer to them or has a better relationship with them, yet I really did miss Ella. But I can't discount Will. What's not to love about him? This story really brought my admiration and love for him to life on a new level.

It's been awhile since I've read Ella and I think it would be a lot of fun to compare the two by reading them closer together. It would complete the whole picture to get both points-of-view simultaneously.

This is a great read for those who love fairy tale twists, especially coming from a completely different character than is typical.

Content: clean!

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Ella and knew I had a tour coming up for Ella's will. I am so glad I got to be part of this tour. This book was so good.

In this re-telling of Cinderella we get to see Will's view of the things that have happened. I LOVE LOVE LOVE when an author lets us see the "other" side of the story. It is one of my favorite things. It doesn't happen too often, but when it does I always grab them and devour them. I wish we could have all the characters view on the story. It would be amazing. Not realistic, but amazing.

Will, is an amazing man. He is the (bring him home to meet mom and dad) kind of boy. He and Ella have been friends since they were young. Will loved Ella's father as his own. He worked with Ella's father until his death. When Ella's father died the step mother fired everyone or just quit paying them so they left.

Will went to work at the Palace in the stables. Everyone seemed to like him, and he was working hard on his own home "shack" to make a place for him and his family. Ella had no idea those plans included her.

Will tried to keep quiet in the ways he helped Ella. He knew that if Ella's step mother knew Will was helping her she would get punished. So he did things early in the morning or late at night. Little things so as not to be noticed by anyone but Ella.

When it is announced that the Prince has returned from his travels, and plans to have a ball to find his future wife, Will begins to panic a little. He has been working up the nerve to tell Ella he loves her. But this new blip has caused him to reflect whether or not he would be good enough for Ella.

You think you know where the story goes now right? Not with this Cinderella story. The ending is so wonderful. You will have to read for yourself to see how it turns out!

Source: I was given this book as part of a blog tour. I have not been compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

Content: CLEAN and wonderful!

[Chelsea Dyreng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a hard book to read, mainly because my teenage twins kept STEALING it from me. They were totally ga-ga over it, and every time I would ask them about it they would put their hands on their hearts and swoon. Once I had my chance to read the book I could see why. This is definitely a book to savor, with a hero that is worthy of adoration. Not the kind of adoration that teenagers give to bare-chested men or icy cold vampires, but for a man who works hard, who is filled with compassion, and who is utterly selfless...THAT is a man I don't mind my daughters swooning over! It is filled with great wisdom, humor and witty one-liners ("no one should be allowed to have dimples AND money"). The author has an elegant style of writing that, from the very beginning, reassures you that you are in the good hands of a gifted storyteller.
As you might know, this book is the companion book to Ella, a Cinderella story more about the heroine's pluck, determination and compassion than about magic and fairies. It is an empowering story for young women! And this is its perfect partner. The books fit hand in hand. This story is about Will, the young man who is in love with Ella. (Can you think of anything more devastating than being in love with the girl whom everyone knows will end up with the prince?) It is about his internal struggle between wanting Ella for himself (even though he has nothing to offer her) and wanting her to have the opportunity to make a dramatic improvement to her life (going to the ball, marrying the prince, becoming queen). The journey he takes is sometimes agonizing, for you feel Will's pain as he lets Ella go, but the ending is wonderfully satisfying. It is an exquisite tale about the power of selfless love.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Okay, so this is actually the same story as found in "Ella" but told from a different perspective. Instead of Ella's point of view, this book comes from Will. I haven't read the first book but I don't think it's necessary to read the first book in order to understand this one. I will say that now I feel almost compelled to read the first book because I know Ella has a point of view and I long to know it.

What is not to love about Will? He is so devoted to Ella and determined to make her life easier however he can but he knows Ella has to battle through her unfortunate circumstances. Will knows he cannot save her, but his little acts of kindness do seem to save Ella and keep her spirit from shrinking away and dying. It is a tender and sweet love story. Heartbreaking.

Sometimes I felt like things got a bit drawn out and as a reader I was wrapped up in Will's circular thoughts for too long but overall this was an emotional, character driven story. Where old fairy tales are recreated so often, I appreciated the unique perspective from Will's point of view and also the simple twist that changed this story up a bit.

Content: clean, some references to abuse

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jessilyn Peaslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel a little silly giving my own book 5 stars, but what else am I supposed to do ?!? ;) I loved writing this book. I loved writing the Cinderella story from a person's perspective who I didn't even know would exist until he just showed up. I guess that's what I loved the most about Will. As I wrote "Ella," I had no intention of having a "Will." But once he came, he changed everything.

I loved telling a realistic version of the Cinderella story. It is a story of overcoming adversity and rising from a bad circumstance to a better one. But instead of focusing on the outward changes--from peasant to princess--I wanted to focus on the inward changes--from feeling self-doubt to understanding self-worth, going from fear to courage, and from pain and loneliness to loving and living.

What does real love look like? Is it seeing someone in a beautiful dress from across a crowded dance floor? Or is it sacrificing, serving, and seeing the beauty in the person you love through, and because of, their flaws?

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee has written another charming retelling of the story of Cinderella. This time it is from the point of Ella Blackeley’s friend, Will, a brilliant stable hand that once worked for Ella’s father and now works for the royal family. Yet again Jessilyn will capture the heart and attention of her readers with this delightful and magical retelling and twist on one of my all-time favorite fairytales. This is a story filled with a fantastic story and magnificent characters that readers will love. I would recommend this novel to teens that enjoy fairytales and romance.

Genre: young adult, romance, retelling, fantasy, fairytale
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: September 1, 2016
Number of pages: 272
Category: Junior High +
Content Rating: PG
Book Rating: 5 stars

Other books in the series:
2-Ella

A review copy of this novel was provided by Cedar Fort.

[Anna P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different, But It Worked

The book, “Ella’s Will” the second book in it’s series by Jessilyn Stewart was not what I was expecting, but it met my expectations and maybe even went above. The first book in the series is “Ella”, and that book is amazing on it’s own, but this one was just as amazing as the first. The title, “Ella’s Will” can be seen different ways because it can actually be talking about her will, or it can be talking about the man in the book named, Will. In my opinion the title of the book is really well thought out and I really like it.

The author of this book was trying to make a more realistic version of Cinderella, and though many people have tried to do this or tried to make different versions of Cinderella, Jessilyn Stewart made the best one. You felt like you were actually in the book and when you weren’t reading the book, you were always thinking about it. One day I chose to leave the book home, because it was distracting me from my work at school. At home I would have to force myself to not read it until I finished with my homework. You know it’s a really good book when it’s like a magnet to you, that pulls you toward it, forcing you to stick to it until you finish it.

The reason why this book is so different from most sequels is because it is actually the same as the first book, but from the man’s point of view. The author had the main character, Ella, choose a poor man, who was her friend ever since she was a kid, over a prince. In the end, Ella married the man, whose name is Will. This book is based on his point of view. Many people might say that this would be boring, or uncreative because it tells the same story as the first book, but it is really interesting and and kind of changes a 2D story, into a 3D story, with different perspectives and angles to it. If you need more proof that this book is truly amazing, it may help you to know that I read both books in 2 weeks, which isn’t something I would normally do.

My recommendation, is that everyone should read this book, as long they have already read the first book, and as long as they’re prepared for a little bit of romance. The first book is very romantic, but since this book is Will’s point of view, it doesn’t have anything cheesy in it, but still falls under the category of romance. If you want to read the first book without all the cheesiness, the second book may be a better choice for you.

I have read the book, “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer, which is another remake of the original Cinderella story, but it can’t beat “Ella”. “Cinder” is about Cinderella as a cyborg, and I think that the author could have pulled it off, but it was too weird for it to work. Basically you find out that Cinder is this alien also, and apperiently the prince is actually the prince of the world. I won’t go into much detail because honestly it doesn’t make too much sense, and after reading it you kind of just sit there like “What just happened?”. “Cinder” is a good example of a bad remake of Cinderella.

In conclusion, I give “Ella’s Will” 5 stars because of how engaging it is and how well it works out and all comes together smoothly. The book made me want to read, “Ella” again to get the whole effect of what is happening through different characters in a 1st perspective book. Even though the book is the story of Cinderella without the magic, I can’t help but wonder if she used magic to create this perfect story.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved "Ella" and was excited to read this! We learn about Will in this book and what was going through his mind.

Will was close to Ella's father but, after his death, went away for a while so at first he becomes reacquainted with her. He's surprised by what he learns and is impressed with the way Ella handles herself.

I enjoyed Will's story but still love Ella's more! I knew what would happen but didn't feel like it was necessarily the same story. Will's life was different than what I had imagined. I did know how incredibly selfless he was and that he truly wanted the best possible life for Ella, even if that included watching her marry someone else. This book highlights how amazing and genuine he is!

It's been a while since I've read "Ella" and I would love to read them back to back at some point to get more out of the entire story. I missed her voice in this book and have forgotten some of the details. I absolutely love the twists in the story that make it more realistic. These books are fantastic and I will definitely read them again and share them with my daughter. If you enjoy fairy-tale retellings, these are two books you will want to read!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. My opinion is 100% my own.

Mel's Shelves

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down the best Cinderella retelling I have ever read! The twist to it is genius! The main characters were so selfless that I cried my eyes out over them!

I thought this would be a love triangle, but it’s not. You know how stories go where boy meets girl they fall in love but something happens that they have a falling out and then get back together? That is not how this book works. Ella and Will are two people who are selfless and sacrificing for each other. Will has known Ella since her father took him in and treated him like a son instead of just a stable boy.

Ella has a wicked stepmother and has 2 rude stepsisters. Ella carries no anger but she is hurt over her treatment in her own home. She is very strong and independent. As she watches her step family run through the money and make her their servant, she stays there to take care of her home where her memories are still alive when her father was alive.
Will sees that she is independent. He wants to take her away but he has nothing to offer her except a home that is small and not well built and where he sleeps on a small cushioned bed on the floor and some horses.

So, when the prince returns and wants to take a commoner for a wife and choose her from a ball at the palace, Will knows the prince will fall for her and plans for her to go. He wants the prince to marry her so she can have a better life. But as the time gets closer, his moments of time with her become more difficult. He loves her and he is jealous. But he will do whatever will bring her happiness over the conditions she lives in.

But still, I was a stable worker. And horses were horses, work was work, sweat was sweat, and dirt was dirt.

"I guess she lost a shoe and he's planning to find her by trying the shoe on all the maidens in the kingdom." "What kind of idiotic plan is that?"

If you love retellings, a Prince who is charming, horses, glass slippers, selflessness, sacrifices, broken hearts, and finding lasting love than this might be for you!

[Linnae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's not the Prince who deserves the lady's hand.

Will Hawkins grew up in the Blakely home, ever since his own father died. In fact, Henry Blakely taught him more about what it means to be a man and a father than anyone else. His love of horses, and his first horse of his very own, came from working for Mr. Blakely. When Mr. Blakely died, however, Will was let go.

Some years later, as he's passing Ashfield--the Blakely ancestral home--he notices what seems to be a servant girl out in the yard. She is barefoot, though the ground is frozen, and ragged. When he gets closer, he recognizes Ella Blakely--at least, that's who it seems to be--but why the fear the comes over her face when he stops to talk to her, and why in heaven's name is Henry Blakely's daughter in this condition in her own home?

What he discovers is disheartening, to say the least. However, he learns that there is nothing he can do for Ella without causing additional hardship to her. Her stepmother will punish Ella at the slightest sign of help or interference from anyone, including Will. A chance meeting by a pond in the woods later on begins a new ritual of morning visits. He comes to treasure that time spent together.

As they both mature, Will begins to think about and plan for marriage. He's in charge of the Royal Stables, and has managed to save up some money. Then word comes out that the Prince plans to host a ball, to include commoners. What's more, he has stated his intentions of choosing a bride from those attending the ball. As Will thinks about his beloved Ella, he can't ruin her chances of being chosen by the Prince for a life of luxury, so he keeps his proposal (and most of his feelings bottled up) and does his best to support her as she gets ready for the ball. A few kisses may change everything, though.

* * * * *
Of the duo, I actually read this one first, as I mentioned earlier. It was good, though Will has Ella on such a pedestal that it was hard to relate to or like her very much. It was a sweet story about true love--in this case manifesting itself by Will sacrificing his own hopes for the greater good of the one he loved. Some humor in the grounds staff being used as waiters in the castle for the big ball. I was happy with the ending.

Content: clean.


I blog at www.ofbooksandblooms.com

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella's Will is a refreshing palette cleanser for anyone looking for a sweet, romantic read. The storyline follows the classic tale of Cinderella, but told from the POV of Will, a stable boy that's in love with Ella. Will's character is charming, sensitive and overall all the things that makes a girl fall for him. Reading about his growing love for Ella and unwavering determination to help her not only get away from her stepfamily but find a new light in herself is endearing. The side stories in the novel amongst their companions/friends add a nice dimension and help build a new world for this fairytale. Absolutely recommend for fans of retellings and love stories.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good fairy-tale retelling. Stories of Cinderella have been a favorite. I was not disappointed in this rendition of the classic.

This story is told from the point of view of one of Ella's friends, Will. He remembers her father and what life was like before his death. He is astonished when he sees Ella plucking chicken without shoes on her feet. He needs to know what happened to her and her situation,

This begins a friendship and admiration. He wants and needs to make life better for her, even if it is getting her to the royal ball.

I loved the point of view of the book. Will is refreshing. He truly cares for Ella and wants what is best for her. The book is told through the eyes of compassion and admiration. Will is a remarkable character that you can't help but hope that he gets the desire of his heart. Who cares about the ending of the classic, oh wait, this is a retelling with a twist. There is hope! :)

This is a wonderful book for anyone of any age who loves a story of beautiful maiden hoping that her Prince or Knight-in-Shining armor will come. The part that is even better for romantics and forward thinking women is that Ella is a strong character who doesn't feel downtrodden, but like she is the hero saving the day (or family as the case may be). Well, she has her moments when life is hard, just like the rest of us.

This book is a companion to Ella, a book that I really want to read. I have purchase a kindle copy, I just haven't had time to read it yet. When I mentioned that to Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee, she wanted an opinion of this book without having read the first. I want to read "Ella" more now than I did before!

Read either book first. It is the same basic story told from different points-of-view.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of fairy tale retellings. I'm not quite sure why, as fairy tales aren't exactly realistic in most ways. I guess it's the magic of the good being rewarded and the wicked being punished. In a world full of unfairness, it's nice when things work out for those who really deserve it. I really liked the twist on Cinderella that Peaslee presents in Ella's Will. I realize that there is another book called Ella which I haven't read that probably tells the same story from Ella's point of view. I have to say though that I kind of fell in love with Will, Ella's friend. I am one of those people who prefers her heroes to be honestly good and Will definitely is good. How many people would help the person they love go to a ball to fall in love with someone else? That takes real selflessness, not that Will doesn't wrestle with that decision, after all, he wants more than anything to rescue Ella from her horrible situation and marry her. But he decides that the prince has a better chance of success than he, so he does everything in his power to help Ella, despite the pain that causes himself. It's nice to read a YA book that has a sweet friendship and romance without any of the sordidness that often comes with a book that focuses more on the physical aspects of a relationship rather than the emotional. I can heartily recommend this book to those who like me, enjoy their heroes being good, and a sweet clean romance as well as fairy tale retellings with a twist.

[Rachael DeHaan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book. It really is. I remember reading it when I was in High School and enjoyed it. I recently picked it up again and found it...lacking.

As an English teacher, one of the things we emphasize is dynamic characters that change and grow throughout novels. The biggest problem I had with this book is the fact that Will doesn't really grow throughout the story. He enters the story, realizes he loves Ella within the first few chapters, then stays at an almost manic obsession until the end of the book. There isn't really any kind of change or growth there. To mask the lack of growth, the author uses side characters with absolutely wild stories (a blacksmith friend and his rich fiancé that go through some stuff because rich fiancé is making goo goo eyes at the prince--and a stable hand coworker and lady of the court that secretly fall in love despite social class keeping them apart). Will seems to always walk in on/overhear crucial conversations and moments of these side characters so the audience stays engaged, while also making these moments feel watered-down. I'd rather be in the head of these side characters! I want to understand their whole stories! But for this book, they are just a device to fill out Will's Ella-free moments.

That being said, I found myself skimming any part of the book that did not involve Ella because it felt so shallow. The moments that had Ella in it felt the most real to me. It felt like the author was rushing through Ella-free moments to get to the substance. His thoughts and feelings for her are really sweet, but each interaction felt very repetitive. "I love her so much. She has stolen more of my heart. I need to say goodbye and let her go. Uhh it hurts so much!" etc. It just repeats each meeting and separation of the characters.

The good: it's a cute story, it's clean, it's entertaining, it's funny (I laughed out loud several times) and it's a shorter 1-3 day read. Despite how it sounds, I genuinely had a good time reading this book. I just found myself needing to analyze the characters and writing (curse you English degree!). It's fun to get a new perspective on a story you're familiar with. Someday, I'd love to look at both Ella and Ella's Will at the same time and compare the scenes that both Ella and Will are in together just to see both perspectives at once! Could be a fun assignment for my students too!

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

After loving Ella, I was excited to find out about this version through Will’s eyes! The cover is so pretty! This was so good, almost as good as Ella! It brought back all of the feels from that book that I loved so much! Will loves Ella with such a fierce and sweet love! He is such a sweetheart and they’re perfect for each other! I adored watching the two of them finally get their happily ever after! I also enjoyed seeing Corbin from the beauty and beast one and seeing more light shed on his life. I definitely recommend this book and recommend reading it after Ella. I loved this one! The only thing I was missing was the faith content that the Ella one had. But overall, it was so good! 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I wish Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee wrote more books…haha!

🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best takes on the Cinderella tale I’ve ever read. The story is told from the point of view of Will, Ellas’s only friend in the whole wide world.

I found this story very emotional and poignant from start to finish. The characters were sweet and tragic at times. Their backstories were filled with pain, yet both grew into strong and compassionate individuals.

If you’re ready for a unique perspective and some twists on this timeless tale, curl up and read Ella’s Will.

It appears that the same story was told in the previous book titled Ella and told from her point of view, and sadly, I’ve not read it. Well, need I tell you that now I must read it because I definitely want to know her POV.

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the author

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Ella told from Will's perspective. I enjoyed Ella which is a retelling of the Cinderella story with a twist. This is the same story told from Will's perspective. It is a sweet story about what real love is. Will is loving, self-sacrificing, and truly has Ella's best interest at heart. It's a quick enjoyable read with a happily-ever-after ending. Definitely recommend it to my daughter. I hope that the author plans to tell us how Prince Corbin came about. :)

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a giveaway and was very pleased by it. It's a new take on a well loved fairy tale and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and longs for one from an alternate point of view.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. To get Will's story after reading Ella's story. The love he has for her is outstanding. These books are definitely favorites. What a great telling of Cinderella and her prince.

[TheHangryBookDragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same as Ella written from man perspective

[Rebekah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet. This is my favorite book in Jessilyn Stewart Peaslee's series. Absolutely lovely.

[MaryLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing the story from a different view point.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved seeing this story from Will's point of view. This was a great read and a great companion book to Ella. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You must read Ella first... which is lovely- and then this book is from Will’s point of view, which makes me love him even more..

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved hearing Ella's story from Will's point of view, but found myself wishing it were all one book that went back & forth between the 2 character's points of view.

[Lauren Perotto · Rating 4 out of 5]

M review is more about the printing/publishing. I enjoyed the book. But I had to get it on kindle to finish because the physical book had pages 121-168 twice but was missing pages 169-216.

[NaDell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in a series, but this time with Will's perspective. Insightful and entertaining, even though I knew what would happen because I read the first book. Still a few surprises.

[Emily Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but the plot is lacking. This book was filled with a lot of pining after Ella without much substance.

[kate. · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet but i wanted more depth