Olivia Atwater

Effie is a housemaid at a large estate and inconveniently in love with the brother of her employer. When Effie unexpectedly meets a Lord Blackthorn, a Faerie, she knows better than accept anything from him as her mother raised her on tales of all the ways that could go wrong. But Lord Blackthorn is determined to become virtuous, which in his book requires being kind to those less fortunate. When he offers Effie a deal that will allow her to become a lady, in order to catch the attention of show more her love, Effie can't refuse him. But as she spends more time in the world upstairs, Effie increasingly begins to wonder if that's the life she really wants after all.

An utter delight from start to finish, this riff on Cinderella does a great job of turning all of our expectations of such a tale on its head. Effie is a brilliant character who is frequently angry about the injustices of her role in the world (and there's a definite pro-labour motif at work here). Lord Blackthorn is also a delight as the rare exception in this world of a Faerie who genuinely wants to help. Atwater manages to also sneak in a few truly laugh out loud lines into the book, which made the read even more fun. Interested readers should read Half a Soul first, as this book does include some spoilers for the first book in the series. Highly recommended. show less

Ok, wow. This was recommended to me several times when it first came out, and I picked it up but never read it. Too bad for me - it's _excellent_. A rich world, fascinatingly complex characters, and far too realistic problems. Regency romance, sure, so balls and suitors and scheming mothers, also faeries and stolen souls - and the all too real treatment of the poor, in workhouses and elsewhere. Gorgeous on every level - and I really like Dora and Elias, and Albert, and... All the characters, show more really, aside from the villains (of whom there are rather too many. Also painfully realistic, the faerie lord aside). Great story, next please. show less

I just finished this book last night and it was just perfect! Not only was it a wonderful romance, but I love how the author dealt with social issues like the treatment of the poor and disabled, and how so many turn a blind eye, especially those who have so much. Her writing was filled with emotion and empathy that made me feel the horror and anguish the characters felt upon viewing those in the workhouses, and their anger and anguish at cruelty they witnessed. Expertly intertwined with the show more cruelty and horror was wisdom, self reflection, and best of all, humour! The sharp sarcasm of the Lord Sorcerer, and Dora's matching responses, made their banter so much fun to read. I enjoyed the story so much that I had a hard time turning off the light to go to sleep, and stayed up until 3am last night to finish. I will definitely be ordering more of these Regency Faerie Tales! show less

Regency fantasy romance in which the main character, Dora, had half her soul stolen by a faerie as a child and as a result never quite behaves as a proper young lady should. While Dora has no illusions that she'll ever be able to attract a husband, she cares greatly for her cousin, and so agrees to go accompany her to London for the season. What Dora doesn't immediately realize is that her cousin has plans to introduce Dora to the Lord Sorcier in the hopes that he'll be able to help Dora show more recover what the faerie stole. As Dora and the Lord Sorcier work together to solve her problem and a larger magical plague that is hitting the children of the workhouses, neither of them anticipate they might also find love.

I picked up this BB around LT early this year but I can't remember from whom, so whoever you are, thank you! A perfect read for lovers of Jane Austen and fantasy (there's a bit of a Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell vibe, in particular), which definitely includes me. The romance is sweet and gentle, the fantasy world fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed that Atwater explored aspects of the Regency era that don't typically crop up in novels set in the period. Enjoyed it so much, I immediately placed a hold on the second in the series. show less