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hebberelle's review
4.0
Good! There is the Cinderella remix, but there’s also a nice mystery underneath both of these. Very nice.
I can see where this is going, the author is going to make Nikolas a god guy in the third one and I’m really not here for that at all.
I can see where this is going, the author is going to make Nikolas a god guy in the third one and I’m really not here for that at all.
irish_bookfairy's review
5.0
Cinders like Glass is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story and the second in a series. It was my first book by Clarissa Kae but now I'm eager to read them all! I've always been a fan of fairy tales and folktales, so retellings are right up my alley.
The story is a out Ada, who lives with her adopted mother and brother, but is loved by neither. After her adopted father's death, her childhood stutter returns, making her life harder than it already was. With the Lady of the house constantly grieving and her brother off committing treason; it's up to Ada to keep the household afloat, which isn't easy as a women in those days.
When she gets dragged into the investigation against her brother, she becomes a suspect herself, having to prove her innocence towards the Dark Duke, aka the Duke of Girard. The story surprises us with one twist after the other, giving us clues to a mistery we can't yet solve.
As someone who doesn't have a loving mother and a brother I truly dislike, I understood exactly how Lady Ada, felt. Matching her with the Dark Duke was a perfect fit, if you ask me. I love it when women don't put up with a man's crap and speak their mind. Looking forward to reading the other books!
The story is a out Ada, who lives with her adopted mother and brother, but is loved by neither. After her adopted father's death, her childhood stutter returns, making her life harder than it already was. With the Lady of the house constantly grieving and her brother off committing treason; it's up to Ada to keep the household afloat, which isn't easy as a women in those days.
When she gets dragged into the investigation against her brother, she becomes a suspect herself, having to prove her innocence towards the Dark Duke, aka the Duke of Girard. The story surprises us with one twist after the other, giving us clues to a mistery we can't yet solve.
As someone who doesn't have a loving mother and a brother I truly dislike, I understood exactly how Lady Ada, felt. Matching her with the Dark Duke was a perfect fit, if you ask me. I love it when women don't put up with a man's crap and speak their mind. Looking forward to reading the other books!
meezcarrie's review
4.0
3.5 stars
One of the surest ways to get me to add a book to my TBR list is for it to be a Cinderella retelling, and that’s exactly what first drew me to Cinder Like Glass. Well, that and the gorgeous cover! And while this is a more subtle retelling than perhaps I was hoping for, I enjoyed the story on its own merit as a lovely Victorian romance – and appreciated the subtleties.
Ada is an immediately likable character, and readers will be sympathetic toward her plight. Her distant aunt/mother by marriage and her cruel cousin/brother leave much to be desired in the family department, but I loved the late earl – her uncle who adopted her as a baby when her own parents died. He raised her as his own daughter and treated her with love and kindness, and I’m so glad the author wrote his memory in that way. For one thing, it made the contrast between the late earl and his erstwhile son all the more stark. And it made the kindness of the Duke (when he wasn’t being a dolt) and Mr. Thomas all the more endearing.
As for the Duke, he took me a bit longer to warm up to – he was so focused on his mission to find the traitor and protect the queen that he saw a spy under every bush as it were, even entertaining the notion that Ada might be part of the plot. (Seriously, Duke?) When he is paying attention, however, his attraction to & tenderness toward Ada are quite swoony. And when he finally does come completely to his senses (or surrenders them completely, depending on your perspective), we are treated to a blissfully romantic moment full of sparks and chemistry!
Aside from the romance, I enjoyed the intrigue of hunting for ‘the Tailor’ and the mystery surrounding his identity (though, this is a story arc that ties each book in the series together so expect it to continue in the next book with some loose ends left in this one). The author has done a great job of weaving in plenty of suspects (appropriately loathsome in their own right) and keeping the tension high & the answers just out of reach.
Bottom Line: Cinders Like Glass by Clarissa Kae is a sweet Victorian romance with well-plotted intrigue and interesting history to keep you engaged. I particularly appreciated the portrayal of characters with a speech impediment and dyslexia – and I was sobered by the historical context surrounding how they were labeled and treated by society. While there were times when character development didn’t have enough layers to explain a sudden change of heart or action, I overall still enjoyed this story and am invested in finding out what happens in the next book!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
One of the surest ways to get me to add a book to my TBR list is for it to be a Cinderella retelling, and that’s exactly what first drew me to Cinder Like Glass. Well, that and the gorgeous cover! And while this is a more subtle retelling than perhaps I was hoping for, I enjoyed the story on its own merit as a lovely Victorian romance – and appreciated the subtleties.
Ada is an immediately likable character, and readers will be sympathetic toward her plight. Her distant aunt/mother by marriage and her cruel cousin/brother leave much to be desired in the family department, but I loved the late earl – her uncle who adopted her as a baby when her own parents died. He raised her as his own daughter and treated her with love and kindness, and I’m so glad the author wrote his memory in that way. For one thing, it made the contrast between the late earl and his erstwhile son all the more stark. And it made the kindness of the Duke (when he wasn’t being a dolt) and Mr. Thomas all the more endearing.
As for the Duke, he took me a bit longer to warm up to – he was so focused on his mission to find the traitor and protect the queen that he saw a spy under every bush as it were, even entertaining the notion that Ada might be part of the plot. (Seriously, Duke?) When he is paying attention, however, his attraction to & tenderness toward Ada are quite swoony. And when he finally does come completely to his senses (or surrenders them completely, depending on your perspective), we are treated to a blissfully romantic moment full of sparks and chemistry!
Aside from the romance, I enjoyed the intrigue of hunting for ‘the Tailor’ and the mystery surrounding his identity (though, this is a story arc that ties each book in the series together so expect it to continue in the next book with some loose ends left in this one). The author has done a great job of weaving in plenty of suspects (appropriately loathsome in their own right) and keeping the tension high & the answers just out of reach.
Bottom Line: Cinders Like Glass by Clarissa Kae is a sweet Victorian romance with well-plotted intrigue and interesting history to keep you engaged. I particularly appreciated the portrayal of characters with a speech impediment and dyslexia – and I was sobered by the historical context surrounding how they were labeled and treated by society. While there were times when character development didn’t have enough layers to explain a sudden change of heart or action, I overall still enjoyed this story and am invested in finding out what happens in the next book!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
rachel_loves_2_read's review
4.0
Great read
This was a great spin on the classic tale. It also leaves me wanting to read the next book so I can learn about the overall plot! Ada was a great heroine and I was rooting for her from start to finish.
This was a great spin on the classic tale. It also leaves me wanting to read the next book so I can learn about the overall plot! Ada was a great heroine and I was rooting for her from start to finish.
sassybookishmama's review
4.0
This is the second book in the Victorian Fairy Tale Retelling series and although I am sure you can pick up and read it and be fine I found that by reading the first one I recognized the characters and knew where the storyline was going. They do correlate with each other and it's almost continuing where the first one left off although this is uniquely its own. I'm not going to tell you too much so I don't ruin it for you but trust me when I say that you will definitely enjoy it. It has a good amount of intrigue and mystery that keeps you reading. I kept trying to put the pieces to the puzzle together but to no avail.
The characters were great and you will definitely be enthralled with them. Ada is a lovely character and you feel bad for her as her brother just intimidates and treats her like she is meaningless. You will fall in love with the Duke of Girard!! He is a really good hero in this story. I will say there could have been a bit more romance between them. Don't get me wrong there was but it could've been a bit more prominent.
This definitely was not your typical Cinderella retelling. If you enjoy Victorian era stories, you will definitely enjoy this one.
I received a copy of this book through Prism Tours. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
The characters were great and you will definitely be enthralled with them. Ada is a lovely character and you feel bad for her as her brother just intimidates and treats her like she is meaningless. You will fall in love with the Duke of Girard!! He is a really good hero in this story. I will say there could have been a bit more romance between them. Don't get me wrong there was but it could've been a bit more prominent.
This definitely was not your typical Cinderella retelling. If you enjoy Victorian era stories, you will definitely enjoy this one.
I received a copy of this book through Prism Tours. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
thelittlegreycatreads's review
4.0
Cinders Like Glass was completely unputdownable. This was unlike any Cinderella retelling I have read and had me guessing the entire way through. Ada suffers from a stutter and as such fears she is at the mercy of her adoptive brother, a man who has been nothing but cruel to her. When the Duke of Girard closes in on Nicholas for his role in a plot against the crown, he threatens her to keep her quiet. But the Duke surprises himself with how much he grows to care for Lady Ada, becoming fiercely protective of her almost at the risk of his own investigation.
The push and pull between Ada and Girard was delightful. Ada has been cowed by her brother for so long but almost instinctually feels safe in Girard's presence. The tenderness he shows her as she opens up about her disability just about broke my heart. This book is whip smart and absolutely charming, there is no doubt I will be picking up the next one to see where how the story unfolds.
The push and pull between Ada and Girard was delightful. Ada has been cowed by her brother for so long but almost instinctually feels safe in Girard's presence. The tenderness he shows her as she opens up about her disability just about broke my heart. This book is whip smart and absolutely charming, there is no doubt I will be picking up the next one to see where how the story unfolds.
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