I devoured this whole book in one sitting, and absolutely loved it. Its a very easy read, and very very sweet. Effie is a very compelling protagonist, and her interactions with her psuedo fairy-godfather Lord Blackthorn were a delight to read. This book was brilliant, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fairy tale retelling with a twist.

LOVED the concept of this one, it's the perfect escapist read for Fantasy and Bridgerton fans alike. Just like everybody else on the planet, I've found myself obsessed with the world of Bridgerton: add in a dash of magic amongst the now infamous quintessentially British era, along with a fresh new take on the tale of Cinderella and you've got the delightful story of Ten Thousand Stitches.

I really enjoyed Atwaters whimsical writing style, magical world building and her loveable characters. The recognizable yet tweaked and modernised plot makes it a quick, light-hearted read. You'll find yourself losing a couple of very enjoyable hours - the absolute joy of "fairy Godfather" Juniper Jubilee (who singlehandedly brings the story to life) will make sure of that! 🧵✨

Although part of a series, Ten Thousand Stitches easily stands it's ground as a standalone read, so no worries if you're yet to read any of the Regency Faerie Tales. I can't wait to read the next one!

With the second installment in the Regency Faerie Tales, Olivia Atwater spins a heartwarming and funny Cinderella tale filled with dashing dukes, beautiful ballgowns and an over-eager faerie godfather.

One Thousand Stitches follows Euphemia "Effie" Reeves, a maid of the Ashbrooke family of Hartfield. Her work is hard, but her outlook changes when the family’s youngest son, Benedikt, returns from his tour of Europe and Effie develops a crush on him. Problem is, maids don't marry dukes. Luckily, or maybe not, for Effie, she stumbles upon the faerie Lord Blackthorn, who is eager to solve her problem.

Now I absolutely adored this. This story is as charming as the first one and transports you back to the Regency era. The plot takes inspiration from Cinderella but deviates enough from the source material to still be engaging.

Effie finds herself a somewhat frustrating faerie godfather in Lord Blackthorn. I loved how Atwater portrayed the Elves trying to emulate human ways, but failing to understand them because of their faerie nature. The approach reminded me of Holly Black's or Susanna Clarke's faeries. Lord Blackthorn, for example, agrees to help Effie because he wants to learn about English virtue, which he understands as "being kind to the powerless and cruel to the powerful". As a consequence, he offers to turn her into a lady so she can get close to Benedikt. His other solutions include putting people to sleep for a year or "removing" the other ladies from the ball. While grim, I have to admit I started laughing at that.

Whenever Effie asks something of Lord Blackthorn, he takes her commands literally and causes even more trouble for Effie. The misunderstandings between Effie and the faerie were extremely funny, and I loved watching their friendship blossom. They were so wholesome, you guys. Thus, Lord Blackthorn's optimistic nature and his genuine desire to help Effie were one of my favorite parts of the book.

You could find some Easter eggs for readers of the first book, Half A Soul, but it's not necessary to have read it. I predicted some aspects of the romance, but I still found it to be very sweet. I can't say much more without spoiling, but Atwater writes romantic scenes in an understated, yet genuine way that just makes you smile.

Effie was an amazing protagonist. She was rightfully angry at her circumstances and wanted something more for herself than a life spent in servitude to a family who doesn't even acknowledge her existence. Through her, the book shone a light on the hard work of servants at that time. At best, Effie and her colleagues had to endure constant verbal abuse or worse, have full teapots thrown at them in rage. We tend to romanticize the Regency era nowadays because of period dramas and Jane Austen, but for servants, that era consisted of a lot of hardship. I adore that Atwater addresses those problems in her series. So, while the author emphasized the terrible working conditions, she maintained the lighthearted tone and charm of the story.

All in all, Ten Thousand Stitches was an extremely engaging read with a beautiful, flowing prose, and a dash of faerie magic. I recommend it to fans of Holly Black and Julia Quinn. 4.5/5 stars.

Rating
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Prose: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having read the first novel by Olivia Atwater, this novel couldn’t be mistaken for any other author, I think I called her first novel a cookie for the soul, well if that was a cookie, then this is definitely a cupcake, sickeningly sweet and delicious, with a need to consume more.
Ok so this masked Cinderella story, is very smart, its funny, whimsical, and full of regency-era treats, but under the surface, it questions class structure and women’s rights, and Olivia manages this perfectly, Effie’s struggle to be both maid and lady, paints a moral story of greed and ignorance of those around her, add in a fairy Godfather and hilarity ensues
I loved this novel, yes, it’s just on the side of gooey but that’s ok, who doesn’t need a bit of gooey every now and then?

Quite a lovely and whimsical read. Compared to the first book, issues of class structure, the lives of servants and the treatment they receive during this period of England was highlighted which allowed the plot to move forward and justify the female protagonist's anger as well as her actions and decisions. I did enjoy the dynamic between Effie and Lord but Blackthorn. His meddling made the plot so much more enjoyable. He was honestly a favourite.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this delightful book.

Firstly I’d like to thank the Publisher and NetGalley for the eARC ❤️😘

Ten Thousand Stitches tells the story of Euphemia Reeves, a housemaid who’s in love with Mr Benedict Ashbrooke. The problem? Mr Ashbrooke is a gentleman and in Regency England and gentleman don’t even notice housemaid let alone fall in love with them!!

Working at the ball and seeing Mr Benedict there becomes too much for Effie and she excuses herself to have a little cry (I think we all been would 😅❤️) and she stumbles across a strange but wonderful man. Lord Blackthorn however, is far more than what he first appears and is in fact an elf. He offers to help Effie marry Mr Benedict in 100 days if Effie will stitch his jacket in return (ten thousand stitches is no joke guys!!) but things don’t exactly go to plan with Effie and Mr Benedict and there’s so much more to her stitches than she first thought…❤️❤️

I’m a big fan of fae romances and this book is everything 🥰🥰 I loved the interactions between Lord Blackthorn and Effie 😍😍 She’s quirky and strong willed and he’s the most genuine fairy you’ll ever meet!! I also really loved Lydia, her friendship with Effie really made the book!! ❤️❤️ I do wish there was a little more time spent in Blackthorn as I really enjoyed being there but that’s just my preference ❤️❤️

Ten Thousand Stitches is a fun and a wonderful Rengency/Fantasy Romance which I REALLY enjoyed 🥰🥰 It shows the class divide so well and how love was unimportant when it was involved. I loved the influence of Cinderella as well!! I got the ending I was hoping from from the start as well!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This is the second in a series but you don’t need to read the first one to enjoy it!! ❤️❤️

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

en Thousand Stitches is the sequel to Half a Soul, It can be read as a standalone novel, only one or two characters from Half a Soul briefly appear .
The combination of period drama and Faerie was delightful.

A story of those who have and those who have not. Effie works downstairs as a maid but when she meets the handsome Benedict she wishes things could change. A rather unusual magical creature appears and maybe her dreams can come true.

What a whimsical story this turned out to be! I didn't expect to be entertained as I was with this sort of Cindrella re telling. The story of a housemaid with dreams which seem larger than life because of her social stature, unexpected help, the disasters and the little triumphs all made it a page turner. Bonus points for some wonderful lines scattered throughout the book. A couple of my favourite-

*All of life is absurd to some extent or the other.
* If anger doesn't help, why would all humans be born with it.
My favourite character though hands down is the innocent yet impish, Lord Blackthorn..I'd recommend a read just to know him if nothing else😀

Although I enjoy reading almost every genre out there, There’s no better one for me than the fantasy/sci-if genre. It’s my go to when I can’t decide what to read next.
This one is a regency-fantasy offering, with all the usual suspects. Aristocrats/Housemaid/Faeries… They all followed the basic descriptions. Upstairs/Downstairs scenario where the downstairs wanted to move up as she was in love with the Lord she can’t have. Enter stage right…the Faerie Lord.
If it sounds familiar it’s because it is. I had very much “Cinders” vibes upon reading this. Now, having said all that, that’s not to say it’s a bad thing. It just depends on what you’re looking for from a book.
This was a much lighter, easier read than I was expecting. For a quick summer read this is perfect.
I usually prefer a bit more depth to my books as a whole but i would recommend this one.

Euphemia (Effie) Reeves is an ideal housemaid. Though she is underpaid and overworked, she manages to channel her anger into her stitching and creates beautiful embroidery. However, she longs to be truly seen by the upper-class members of the household—in particular by the handsome Benedict Ashbrook, who shows a modicum more consideration for the servants than the rest of his self-centred family.

So when Effie meets a faerie called Lord Blackthorn, despite everything she’s heard about the dangers of faerie bargains, she is drawn into a wager—he will make her into a lady and she will win Benedict’s heart. But although Lord Blackthorn is a very charming and well-intentioned faerie godfather, his attempts to help Effie have unintended and sometimes disastrous consequences.

Regency magic is one of my favourite genres, but I love how Olivia Atwater brings something extra to her books as well—an awareness of social inequality. In ‘Half a Soul’ Dora is consumed by the plight of children in workhouses and is willing to use her own status to create awareness and offer practical help. And ‘Ten Thousand Stitches’ is a Cinderella story with a difference, as Effie is not content to improve her own circumstances but is concerned with the working conditions of all the servants in her own household, and everywhere else. One could argue that it is anachronistic to bring 21st century sentiments into a Regency setting, but no more fantastical than introducing faeries.

‘Ten Thousand Stitches’ is another charming and whimsical romance about finding yourself, channelling your anger and being kind to others—a perfect escapist read. I can’t wait to read the next Regency Faerie Tale.

I read the first book in this series long before it was acquired by Orbit and I enjoyed it very much - I’m excited that this new release will bring Atwater’s books to a whole new audience. Though this wasn’t as good as the first book for me, I still had a lot of fun reading it. The world building is great and the characters very winning.

Cinderella for a modern age. Very whimsical and light, (a bit too light for my taste) not with the usual grittiness of faerie tales. Lord Blackthorn/Mr Jubilee is the saving grace of this and I'd wished there had been more of him

Ten Thousand Stitches is the fun sequel to Half a Soul but can be read as a standalone. Like the first book, it is a quick and entertaining read filled with loveable characters and is the perfect book for Bridgerton fans who are looking for a little bit of magic. The plot isn't overly complex but it's incredibly fun. I really liked the romance although I didn't think that it lived up to Dora and Elias' love story but overall, a really excellent book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This tale begins like many a Regency fantasy - a setting with boorish aristocrats and honest, harried servants. But like any good faerie tale, things are not as they seem…

This is a story of righteous anger and good (but misplaced) intentions. The protagonist Effie manages to be angry - and conflicted about her anger - without coming across as unlikeable or flighty. Atwater also demonstrates impressive historical detail when it comes to downstairs life and 1810 sewing/cleaning practices. It’s a novel on the shorter side, but the pacing is great.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

TEN THOUSAND STITCHES is a Cinderella tale with a twist, a book all about anger. It has both the bad side of anger, the impotent rage of the Ashbrokes that causes them to lash out and hurt those below them (without ever thinking about the fact it will hurt others), and also the anger at injustice that forces you to act. Effie is full of anger and the book is about her coming to terms with the fact that anger isn't always a good thing - it depends on how it's used.

The romance does not go as you might expect from the blurb, which I was very pleased about. At around the halfway mark, I decided there was an ending I wanted, which would have felt more satisfying than the one I thought the blurb was setting up, and lo and behold that was the ending I got.

I loved seeing Lord Blackthorn again! He has a very small moment in HALF A SOUL, where he talks to Dora about what makes someone virtuous, which sets him on his path in this book. He's just so much fun, and steals so many scenes. He has so much enthusiasm - and so little understanding of reality - that his actions have unintended consequences.

With the involvement of Lord Blackthorn, there is more time spent in (and direct involvement from) faerie, which was very nice. We return briefly to Hollowvale to see the changes there, but mostly spend time in Blackthorn itself. I love the idea of lands choosing lords and how that affects interaction. As the name suggests, Blackthorn is a vegetation heavy land that has its own plans for people, and is not above a few small but deft manipulations!

There are a few cameos to HALF A SOUL, but the book stands completely on its own. Hollowvale and Theodora are featured, as is Abigail. And there are a few references to Dora and Elias, but nothing that cannot be understood if you haven't read the previous book. These are companions sharing the same world which can be read in any order (hence the spines just give the series name without a number.)

A fairy-tale twist where women and servants are in charge of their own future.

This book grew and grew on me the longer I read it and I enjoyed seeing Effie’s character became a strong female lead who had the ability to change her own destiny. Lord Blackthorn is an endearing figure who’s sunny optimism successfully balances the miserable world in which the Regency servants live in. Like all fairy tales, we have our villains- these are clear from the first page- however the subversion of the fairy godmother in the original Cinderella tale was clever. I found I liked this one so much better than Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother as he was so much more fun and loveable!

All in all, an enjoyable read. I would recommend this for any fairy tale lover or a less confident reader who wants something to take pleasure in reading rather than slogging through!

I honestly could not wait to read this after finishing Half A Soul and oh my it did not disappoint!

This definitely had Pride and Prejudice vibes that I totally loved and once i started I couldn't put it down. In this we follow Effie, a badly treated house maid who meets and falls in love with a young Lord. Enter Lord Blackthorn (so nice to see him again) who provides Effie with the opportunity to use trickery and magic to get what she wants, but as normal in the fictional world, this does not run smooth.

I think you could read this as a standalone, but highly recommend reading them in their publication order - Half a Soul (out now), Ten Thousand Stitches (out now) and Longshadow (out 18th August 2022)

Thank you once again to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and of course Olivia Atwater for the opportunity to read and review this stunning work.

I adored the first book in this series, Half A Soul and had been desperately waiting to read Ten Thousand Stitches ever since and my goodness, it did not disappoint!

Again the story is a cross between Pride and Prejudice/ Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and I devoured it in a couple of sittings.

Effie is a maid who is treated badly by the Lord and Lady of the Manor and when she meets a handsome young Lord she dreams of finding a way she could possibly marry him. A chance meeting with a faerie, Lord Blackthorn, gives her the chance to use magic and trickery to entice her beau into marriage but the course of true love never did run smooth...

The story had me hooked from the start, I love Olivia's writing style and am already looking forward to reading the next book, Longshadow and hope there will be others in the future!