Loved the idea but honestly just couldn't get into the writing. I've read Whitney deans books before but this just felt off for some reason.
Maybe it's me and I'll revisit another time but i just didn't gel with the book.

🌟Enemies to Lovers
🌟Forced Proximity
🌟Arranged Marriage
🌟One Horse
🌟Touch her and die
🌟Possessive MMC
🌟Magic/Fae
🌟🌶🌶🌶 3/5
🌟Dual POV
🌟He falls first

Playing with Cinderella 🏰vibes, Whitney Dean has woven a dark fairy tale complete with an evil stepmother, wretched stepsisters, a royal ball to find the prince a wife, and pumpkins galore. But this story contains so much more: a morally black king 👑, enslaved fae, deep family secrets, and betrayals. But not all is dark. We also witness the driving desire to right wrongs, perseverance, hope, facing addictions, self sacrifice, and the vulnerability to experience true love ❤️.

Elora and Finnian’s story is a whirlwind 🌪 taking place over the course of about a week. In rapid succession they go from meeting at the royal ball, to being betrothed, to married, to entering into utter chaos. Though they despise each other immediately, the attraction 🧲 between them is evident and quickly turns molten lava hot 🥵. They both take great pleasure in getting under the other’s skin.

They also share a desire to right the incredible wrongs committed by the king 👑 and align to see his reign of terror ended. Elora is motivated to help restore the lives of her people in the fallen Kingdom of Ashbury and liberate the fae, while Finnian desires to end the unchecked abuse and violence his father unleashes on everyone in the Kingdom of Pumpkin Hollow … Especially his mother, Queen Honora 🫅🏼, sister Princess Irina 👸🏻, and now his wife Elora.

The threat of death ☠️ Is ever present. They will both have family betrayals unravel before them. But they will risk love ❤️ and life to bring peace to both kingdoms.

This was such a delicious read that I completely enjoyed. Once we got to the royal ball and had Elora and Finnian in the same room, I could not put the book 📖 down. I entered into ‘one more chapter, then one more, and one more….’ mode. The banter, chemistry, and sexual tension was 🤌🏼💋. Finnian’s possessive mouth was 🥵

Though originally intended to be a standalone, Whitney has said that Elora’s story isn’t over and she will be very prominent in the next installment of the Dark Hearts Fairytale Retelling series. And I 👏🏼 Can’t 👏🏼 Wait

I received this ARC from netgalley for my honest opinion on the book.

This is my first book by @authorwhitneydean. I have found an auto buy author. This book was great! I loved everything about it. I loved the dual POV and the writing style.

I have loved stories about Cinderella since I was a little girl. I can add this novel to my list of favorite versions. I loved Elora and Finnian. Irina was also another favorite.

There were some spicy scenes, but they were not the focus of the story. Which I liked. There was a plot and reason for them.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

If you are a fan of Cinderella, then I recommend this book.

5/5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
2/5 🌶 🌶

This was a great read! It took be a little bit to get used to the writing style, but the story was a beautiful fairytale that felt both classic and modern with just the right amount of spice. I love the dynamic between all of the characters and the bonds they all share. I recommend this to anyone that loves a good fairytale retelling with plenty of twists to make it unique.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At first I wasn’t so sure as I’m not a huge crazy fan of fairytale retellings. But after the first few chapters I found myself sucked completely in. I finished this book in about two days and fully intend to buy the physical copy. I seriously hope this story continues on Finnian and Ellie’s journey. I would love to see what these two get themselves into next!

𝕽𝖎𝖘𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕮𝖎𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖆𝖊 𝖇𝖞 𝖂𝖍𝖎𝖙𝖓𝖊𝖞 𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖓

"𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬."

⭐ 5/5
🌶️ 3/5

🥿 Cinderella Retelling
🔥 Elemental Fae
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🕰️ Only One Horse
✨ Arranged Marriage
❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn
💕 Dual POV


This was the first book I've ever read from Whitney Dean and OH MY GOODNESS her writing is addictive. If you love SJ Maas and Carissa Broadbent, you will LOVE her.

Rise of the Cinder Fae is a pretty loose Cinderella retelling, with a fae twist and plenty of spice! Elora is an absolute spitfire, and I'm obsessed with her. She's so kind and compassionate, but fierce and loyal to her people. Finn is tortured, and I love seeing him open up. This was an emotional rollercoaster and I can't wait for Whitney to play with my heart again!!🫶

Thank you Whitney Dean and NetGalley for the review copy ❤️

“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒂, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅.”
••••••••••••••••••••
𝑴𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉—𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆.
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🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Arranged Marriage
🖤 One Horse
🖤 Slow Burn
🖤 Found Family
🖤 Dual POV
🖤 Cinderella Retelling
🖤 Spice 3/5

This is my first read of a Cinderella retelling, of course darker and spicier than the original. This did not feel like an exact regurgitation of the story we all know, it had many unique characters and plots that I never knew exactly where the story was going.

Elora pulled on my heart strings from the very beginning. She not only is forced to become the maid to her stepmother and stepsister’s, but she also endures mental and emotional abuse daily and practically starved as punishment.

Finnian, our dashing prince, at first glance seems to be exactly the arrogant, broody, and tyrant prince everyone thinks he is, but we quickly discover that he has much in common with Elora in that they are both controlled and abused by horrible parents.

We get a slow building romance with spice that will have you 🥵🥵 snarky and flirtatious banter that will make you 😂 and side characters that make you wish you could be adopted into the family 😍

This Cinderella retelling hit all my ✅ for what I looo for in a fantasy romance!

Love Love Love. Is there more to say? These are the books that make you fall in love with fantasy. Also the cover is gorgeous!

I really enjoyed this book! It took me a while to get to it and get started but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love any retelling of a classic story, so the Cinderella aspect drew me in immediately. I thought the world building was well thought out and allowed me to really immerse myself in the setting - although at times it felt like it dragged a bit. The slow burn, for me, was a bit slow. However the eventual romance along with the dual POVs more than made up for that. Overall very enjoyable and looking forward to more from the author. Thank you for the E-ARC!

This book roped me in with the dark-Fae-Cinderella retelling, and for the most part, the storytelling works. The characters are dynamic and appealing while the romance intrigues the reader with a smoldering burn. The writing and pacing could be more fluid however, especially when it comes to the world-building, and if this could be refined Dean could probably nail this whole novel on the head and have a real exceptional page-turner.

Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for a digital ARC copy!

Rise of the Cinder Fae was everything I love about fairy tale retellings. This spin on Cinderella was so unique and fun and to read. I found myself thinking about it in my non-reading time.

Whitney Dean weaves a thorough world where Cinder Faeries are enslaved by a selfish King who only wants to have what others cannot.

Elora, friend of the faeries, is forced to a ball where she meets Prince Finnian and attempts to seduce him into marriage in order to protect her friends. Chaos ensues, naturally.

This book is well written and thoroughly enjoyable. The characters had me smiling and laughing out loud as well as feeling empathy for their struggles. They were largely like able characters.


The plot was enjoyable and well thought out. At times it felt a little disjointed like there were too many aspects, but ultimately things all came together.


Overall, I felt like it was a great read!

This book is one of my absolute favourites already this year. The world building completely enraptured me and I adored all of the characters, including King Jasper whom I loved to hate! Would definitely recommend!

I absolutely adored this book! The slow burn was worth the wait, and it definitely included some twists I was not expecting. I'm excited to see what comes next in the series. It's long enough that it took me a bit to read, but I was never bored and enjoyed being able to make my way through it slowly.

This book is well worth taking the time to write a review! It was so so good and I loved every minute of it!

Amazing! I loved this Cinderella retelling so much! Poor Elora is put through the mill, but I absolutely loved her relationship with Finn, the love to hate you vibes were on point!! I also loved how his sister totally took her side!

Jaspers character was made to be horrid and you just hated him more and more throughout the book, which I thought was brilliant.

Loved the little twists and turns throughout and the pumpkin theme from the carriages in the Disney film too!! Perfect!

In Whitney Dean's captivating novel, "Rise of the Cinder Fae," we are transported to the forgotten kingdom of Ashbury, a realm overshadowed by the dominance of neighboring Pumpkin Hollow. Elora, a young woman harboring deep resentment toward Pumpkin Hollow's royals, finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and impending danger. Ashbury, separated from Pumpkin Hollow by a mysterious glass bridge, exists as a desolate and neglected kingdom, solely dependent on Pumpkin Hollow's promise of protection. However, the arrival of the enigmatic Cinder Fae twenty-five years ago brings both warmth and a shroud of mystery. These winged creatures possess the ability to transform mountainsides into coal, providing sustenance for Ashbury. Elora and the Cinder Fae share a profound secret that threatens to unravel the very fabric of their existence. Despite Elora's persistent inquiries, the Cinder Fae remain tight-lipped about their origins and their inability to return home. Driven by desperation, Elora resorts to drastic measures, drinking from an enchanted spring in the hope of enticing Prince Jasper of Pumpkin Hollow to fall in love with her and secure Ashbury's safety. As the plot thickens, Elora's actions set in motion a series of events that challenge her beliefs and test the boundaries of loyalty. Dean masterfully weaves together themes of love, betrayal, and the indomitable spirit of a kingdom struggling to survive in the face of adversity.

SUCH A GOOD BOOK!!! It took me a minute to read it but I loved every minute. The second half is wayyy more emotional than the first but I was here for the twists and turns. Irina is the sister everyone deserves. Honora is amazing as well. Finn and Elora were perfectly matched with scrappiness and love for each other.

Thank you, NetGalley and Undying Raven Press, for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

I had a difficult time immersing myself in this story. I will not leave this review on GoodReads because I think this was a personal issue rather than something inherently 'wrong' with the book. Thank you again for the E-ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! The romance was amazing and it had all the tropes I love so much. The world building was great and the plot was very well thought out.

Worldbuilding is a little stiff but the characters make up for it!

This book is also very tropey & at times fell a little flat for me. Extra star for no third act breakup !!!