The Shadow in the Glass tells the story of Ella, a young housemaid who dreams of a better life. Having been taken in by a wealthy family for a few years before being cast aside, Ella knows that she can’t live without the wealth and security that the world owes her; so when an empty-eyed woman appears and promises seven wishes, Ella jumps at the chance to start a new and better life. As she begins to twist the world to her liking, however, she quickly realises that this may not be quite the bargain she thought it was.

Before I read this book, I was convinced that every possible Cinderella retelling had been done, but The Shadow in the Glass completely proved me wrong. It was a new, dark twist on the tale that would be perfect for readers who prefer their fairytales a little more Grimm and a little less Disney. The overlap between the two stories was expertly done and, although I definitely have a few unanswered questions, so much of the story was answered either by aspects of the original tale or by inventions from JJA Harwood’s imagination that I was completely satisfied.

Ella was a fascinating protagonist. I’m still unsure how I feel about a number of her decisions and her moral position, but it was interesting trying to justify her actions and wondering what I’d do in the same position. I loved her transition too, from indecisive and doubtful in the first part of the story, to committed, serious and downright dangerous when she realised what she wanted.

This book took the darkest parts of Cinderella and made them darker, twisting this into a gothic and grim tale of dangerous magic. A number of incredibly serious themes are tackled from the very beginning and these hinted at how dark this book might get, but I was completely taken aback by how gothic it ended up being.

What started out slow and descriptive with only a hint of magic turned quickly into a gripping page-turner that had my mind wandering back to it every time I managed to put it down. I would recommend this book for adult readers, young adult readers, lovers of fantasy, fairytales and historical fiction. I don’t have too many to compare it to, but this was possibly the most compelling fairytale retelling I’ve ever read, and I’m excited to see what JJA Harwood will write next.

This was a really enjoyable gothic take on the familiar cinderella type tale. Eleanor before the death of the lady of the house enjoyed a life of education and privilege treated like a much loved daughter. However that ends when the master refuses to see her as anything other than one of his servants below stairs whom he can treat as he wishes. I loved the vivid descriptions of Victorian Mayfair with all the sights and smells bought to life. Ella escapes the brutal regime of household tasks by secretly reading in the library and living through the characters stories. One night an old woman appears and offers to grant her seven wishes to make her life of drudgery and limited prospects better. All of this comes at a price Ella is not sure she is willing to pay when she learns that every decision has a consequence.
The descriptions of the hard life of domestic servants during these times was very well written and the limited prospects of women no matter their status. This was an intense, creepy read that I could not put down. I loved the characters and gothic atmosphere created along with the mystery as it unravels with shocking consequences.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced read of this in exchange for an honest and fair review.

A gripping and dread inducing read at times.
Eleanor meets a woman with black eyes, who grants her seven wishes, once she uses them all her soul is forfeit. But will she? That is a question I do not wish to answer or it would spoil the ending. A real page turner, an absorbing read. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you Netgally for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a dark, creepy retelling of Cinderella and how dreams do not come true. I must start by saying that I loved the premise, but some of the reviews I read seemed to condemn the book, however I decided to start it and absolutely loved the book.
The first part is a bit slower, but once she makes her first wish it picks up pace and it kept me wanting to read and find out what happens next. The writing is phenomenal, and J.J.A. Harwood does an amazing job bringing Victorian London to life through her vivid and realistic descriptions.
This is the story of Eleanor (Ella) who makes a deal with the devil and thus hopes that her life will improve. You know from the beginning that a deal with the devil cannot have a happy ending, but you still hope. Elle is someone who cares deeply about those she loves, and she uses them and their misfortunes and tribulations to justify her actions. He dreams big and wants to better herself in life, but her options are limited by her gender and the age she lives in. She is desperate and each wish she makes brings her closer to her fall.
This is a page turner, and I am glad I read it. One of my top reads this year.

With The Shadow in the Glass, Harwood gives us a gritty tale of riches to rags, and back again, with the use of an eerie Victorian setting, a helpless protagonist, and demoniac interventions.

After the death of her mother, Eleanor is taken in by the wealthy Mrs Pembroke and adopted as a lady in training. She is used to fine things, and is confident she’ll go on to live a luxurious life. When Mrs Pembroke dies, Eleanor is relegated to the position of housemaid, with all dreams of finery eradicated. Her only consolation is sneaking into the library of the large house when everyone else is in bed. Here, one night, a black-eyed woman appears to her, and offers to grant her seven wishes in exchange for her soul.

We are soon catapulted into a supernatural tempest as Eleanor begins to make wishes and discover the price she pays for these won’t just be her soul. There are twists and turns, ‘will she, won’t she’ implications, and a whole host of obstacles for Eleanor to navigate - most of which aren’t in any way paranormal.

Many questions are posed here. Although said to be a dark retelling of Cinderella, we have never thought of Cinderella to be dark herself. Eleanor is a complicated and desperate protagonist, willing to commit the most terrible of acts. Sometimes she is looking out for others, sometimes she is only looking out for herself. It’s a very human and realistic characterisation of desire and ambition, yet Harwood forces us to wonder who the real villain is here - demon or human?

I did find the pacing to be a bit frustrating; the novel seems to take an age to kick into action, and although engagement does improve the further in you venture, I felt there were a lot of filler passages containing Eleanor’s ponderings, woe is me floundering, and self-chastisements.

Despite this, Harwood has painted an excellent, if grim, picture of Victorian London and the hardships faced by women in this prejudiced environment. Her setting is consistently bleak - fogs, clouds, grime, rain - which helps to cast a forbidding tone throughout the entire plot.

A forbidding and bleak look at the power of longing, the desperation of intent, and the stark necessities required of a lower class woman in the 1800s. And not forgetting demons.

I enjoyed this book from the beginning. It really caught my attention and I was hungry to find out more

Who of us would enjoy the chance to have our wishes come true, even with the threat of the last one meaning having our soul being owned?

An enjoyable read and an author I will enjoy reading from again

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for ARC

Be careful for what you wish for ...

What starts out as a story about an orphaned maidservant, Ella, who wishes for a better life for herself and her friends, soon becomes a cautionary tale of how wishful
thinking and ignoring consequences can quickly get out of hand despite best intentions and best laid plans.

I found parts of the story went on a bit and a little repetitive - how many times Ella returned to the house, or woke up the following day; and the inspector turning up after each incident.

That said, the story did have a sense of creepy curiosity compelling me to read on and find out what Ella does next.

Just sleeping with a light on ... in case there's something in the shadows ...

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for an eeek-Arc and to JJA Harwood for making me wary of things that might go bump in our night!

I was super excited for this book and desperately wanted to love it but I just didn't feel hooked. The synopsis provided didn't seem to fit the book? Which confused me. All in all, it was a solid book but it wasn't really for me.

Wow, the synopsis did call The Shadow in the Glass gothic but I was not prepared for just how dark this book is! I totally get the comparison to the work of Laura Purcell but the comparison to Erin Morgenstern is a misleading one and one that seems automatic when magic is involved in a story. While Morgenstern’s work feels quite hopeful, infinite and even freeing, open the possibilities of the impossible, The Shadow in the Glass is rather more the opposite in it’s theme.

This is an incredibly creepy book and the ‘fairy godmother’ that Ella strikes her bargain with is menacing and really creates an atmosphere on the page, particularly near the end of the book. Once she is granted 7 wishes, Ella will give the fairy godmother her soul, however what she doesn’t realise that the price of this magic is that for each wish, there will be a death. As Ella’s family circumstances grow more dire, stepfather more dangerous, her love Charles further from her reach, her desperation leads her back to the wishes and, in turn, potentially her destruction. The deaths don’t necessarily appear on the page but the 3rd wish is particularly disturbing and the writing certainly makes you see it!

Ella isn’t always particularly likeable, but then that isn’t always the role of a protagonist, what she is though is a survivor, one who has endured crushed dreams, the perverted reach of her stepfather and who constantly strives for the best for her and her loved ones. Yes she is selfish, sometimes infuriating, but she is a young woman who thought she had been saved as a young girl and who lost her dream, a dream that forever feels just out of reach. You understand her, even if you don’t like her always, or at least some of her decisions.

This isn’t a light read, it’s dark and disturbing, but well done, sadly I think the comparison to Morgenstern just creates the wrong impression and may lead to disappointment.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy to review

I loved the world of this book. It's a unique gothic fairytale that added layers of depth, which I really appreciated in a novel that could otherwise have been a lot of fluff. Thanks for the ARC!

This book is tense, gothic and so creep; a very dark retelling of Cinderella. It takes time to warm up but towards the end, it's fast-paced. Harwood does a great job of bringing the characters and Victorian London to life which made the story that much more interesting. It was a super riveting read that got even better as it went on,

The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood is an excellent novel that has it all: historical fiction, suspense, mystery, fantasy, fairy tale elements, and kept me enthralled throughout.

I really, really enjoyed this story. At first one thinks it is purely a fantasy novel, but gorgeous cover aside, there is so much more.

Yes there is an element of the fairy tale of Cinderella, but that is where the comparison stops. This has a much more real, dark, heavy, and Victorian element to it. The grit and grime of London really was a great backdrop for the feel of the book. At times it even sprouts a moment of gothic and eeriness to it that gave me chills. It slowly draws the reader in initially, but as the story heats up, so does the pace.

I was on the edge of my seat, quickly turning pages to see how the story of Ella and the choices/decisions she had to make based on her circumstances and the wishes that were granted (or not). I enjoyed the twists and turns as well.

I enjoyed Ella as the main character. She was like able, yet imperfect and flawed. I found myself in her corner from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the journey I was able to take with her. The supporting cast of characters really added to the novel as well.

5/5 stars

For anyone that loves a good, dark, gothic, and historical novel that has a dash of fairy tale added.

Thank you NG and HarperVoyager for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

The Shadow in the Glass promised a dark retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella that would appeal to fans of Erin Morgenstern, and to be frank these were the only reasons I had wanted to pick this book up. Not exactly the combination I had expected, but I saw two aspects I liked and I was game. Of course, then I had come in with such high expectations. Whether or not Harwood delivered, is another question.

After the death of her stepmother, Ella has gone from lady in training to Maid within her household controlled by her lecherous stepfather. Her only salvation is burning candles and sneaking into the library to escape into the world of a book. One night, she is visited by a shadow of a black-eyed woman who offers her 7 wishes — the exchange being her soul once all seven wishes are complete. However, each and every wish will come with a price and Ella must decide if the price is worth paying.

I am glad I discovered this book. I’m usually into dark books in general, but there’s just something I always appreciate with twisted retellings of classic fairy-tales. The Shadow in the Glass infuses the classic Cinderella story with a layered, sensual, and embittered flavour. Harwood spares no time for nice yet empty platitudes, preferring to jump into the dark and destitute reality of Victorian London instead. Gone is the often-preached message of “kindness and valor triumphs over all,” and what is left is a darker, more humane story of passion, desperation, desire, and power.

Eleanor, or Ella, is such a riveting character to read. Her background, while reminiscent of the Cinderella archetype—a kind girl hurled into life of destitution and abuse—with all the expectations readers familiar with the classic tale might have for her, hints at a more twisted side that becomes more apparent as the book goes on. She does project the classic traits of being kind and caring to the people she loves, but yet in her lies a darkness buried deep within that begins to surface the moment she gets seven wishes (well, six that she seeks to use anyways) on her hands. Ella cares deeply for her friends, loves passionately, and wants desperately. Ella’s journey is a breathtaking race full to the brim with tension, passion, and desperation. What happens when her desires, both selfish and selfless, rapidly flourish to a rate she can’t control? Temptations are abound, of course. A combination of circumstances, desires, and blooming passion eventually drive Ella’s life to a series of decisions that come with their consequences — and this drives home the question what lengths would one go to for their happily-ever-after, and would that all be worth it?

One of the many things Harwood does well in The Shadow in the Glass is how she engages with her influences in this story. The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus aptly becomes the catalyst to Ella gaining her Faustian bargain of seven wishes for her soul. This book is, to me, one of the more successful takes on the concept of Faustian bargains as it borrows many influences from the original work, yet comes together on its own. There are several moments throughout the book where the parallels between the two become apparent, but The Shadow in the Glass strips away the philosophical and religious grandeur from Dr. Faustus and taps into its more human potential. I found this to work incredibly well in Harwood’s favour as I was able to sympathise more with Ella and understand the temptations she fails to resist. Brought together with the dark and destitute reality Victorian London pose to women of lower social status, The Shadow in the Glass presents an exploration of darker Cinderella archetypes while giving its protagonist ample reason to desire a more active role in her wishes. The vibrant prose and sense of magical realism, while reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern’s works (in a good way), also make way for mysteries, speculations, and multiple readings into what truly happened in this scenario. Was there truly something supernatural involved? Was the truth a lot more mundane then we might think? We’ll never truly know (although if you ask me, I’m in team supernatural), and there’s just something alluring about it.

The Shadow in the Glass had a lot going on in one package, and it all came together with a sense of a twisted beauty. I am honestly surprised at how much I ended up liking this book. Harwood pulled out all her stops for her debut delivering such a unique, dark, chilling, and deliciously sensual book; and she also manages to blend her source materials sophisticatedly to build a brilliant, vivid story of her own. Passion, desperation, and desire run high in The Shadow in the Glass, and with every tick on the clock the tension gradually ramps up until Harwood swings her last heart stopping blow.

I will leave this review with this one question to keep in mind for future readers who plan to pick up this book: who, truly, is The Shadow in the Glass?

The Shadow in the Glass is indeed a Cinderella retelling, but make no mistake: it’s creepy, it’s undeniably gothic; and it’s clear happily-ever-after is not without cost, at least not here.

Dare to make a wish?

The Shadow in the Glass is a dark and atmospheric Cinderella retelling with plenty of teeth. J.J.A. Harwood takes the bare bones of the original tale but spins it in her own unique way, adding a touch of the grit and grime of Victorian London and a Gothic feel which gives it a much more sinister air. I feel like many readers will be taken in by this novel which depicts the realities of life for women in this time period, the choices they must make and the consequences. All tied up with a sprinkle of magic and foreboding.

I went in expecting something other than what this book was, but I was quite pleasantly surprised by what it actually turned out to be. If you could make sense of that confusing sentence then you deserve a medal! I knew this book would be dark, from the synopsis alone you can definitely determine that but Harwood doesn’t shy away from this and embraces it, making for such a chilling and suspenseful story. Like Ella, our heroine of sorts who gradually finds herself making grave choices and dealing with the fallout, as a reader I followed along, reading through my fingers – the tension is palpable and you just know what’s coming but are powerless to stop it.

While this has elements of a dark fairytale of sorts, it can also be read as historical fiction in the way it portrays the Victorian time period. I think this would be a great ‘entry level’ into historical fiction for readers who are trying to dip their toe into the genre or readers who have some familiarity with it but are seeking a modern spin in some ways. Specifically Harwood depicts the life of women, especially those who are less privileged. Now I’m not going to sugarcoat it here, this novel is quite bleak in many ways; from the exploration of sexual assault, power imbalance and desperation many of the characters face. However, I feel like this realism added to the book and it sets up the overarching story of Ella seeking an escape and then the whole wish element really well. It’s understandable why she makes some of the choices she does, even if some of them aren’t exactly agreeable or morally sound.

I really did feel for Ella and the other girls; Aoife, Leah and Daisy as they were forced to navigate their daily toils and labour as well as protecting themselves from the vile master of the house, Mr Pembroke who has a reprehensible reputation. I feel like many readers will feel the same sort of empathy and anger that this was so normalised at the time and while again, it doesn’t make everything Ella does okay – it adds nuance to the conversation at least. In such dire straits, I think anyone would be hard pressed not to make some wishes if a fairy godmother suddenly appeared, I think this element was well done and added so much gravity. Ella realises that not all is as it seems with the wishes and she faces a dilemma each time she indulges which leads to some pretty wild consequences…

Overall, The Shadow in the Glass is a twisty, complex retelling of the classic tale, with small moments of whimsy and light which I would recommend to readers who enjoy retellings that are on the darker side.

#TheShadowInTheGlass #NetGalley
Excellent novel. A must read.
Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.
Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.
One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases.
I can see why Harper Collins has published it. It's a work of a mastermind. Although the ending was so so. But overall it's a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

The Shadow in the Glass is a dark retelling of Cinderella with undertones of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Eleanor is a maid for Mr Pembroke but it wasn’t always this way. An orphan, she had been brought up by the Pembrokeshire as one of their own. When Mrs Pembroke died, Eleanor was moved into service. Eleanor dreams of a different, better life and so begins the dark journey into getting what she wants.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t a classic retelling and the darkness was the right level to keep me hooked. I couldn’t put it down and read it in a day!

The Shadow in the Glass is possibly the darkest retelling I have read to date. It certainly earns it’s gothic depiction, that’s for sure!

Eleanor is a young girl who has lost both parents but is treated like a daughter by her mother’s friend and wealthy woman, Mrs Pembroke. However, upon Mrs Pembroke’s death, Eleanor is expected to work for her guardian Mr Pembroke, and slowly finds herself as Ella, a servant in his household.
Nonetheless, Eleanor’s tragic circumstances cannot stop her from dreaming: finding her escape through books, Eleanor saves her meagre wages and plans to escape to a life of fine clothes and plentiful food, free from the threat of poverty or abuse. When a mysterious book and a paper cut present a black-eyed woman offering to grant Eleanor’s wishes, it seems for a moment that all her dreams have come true. However, all magic comes at a price and this woman is no fairy godmother!

The description of the book on Netgalley is entirely misleading: I don’t think Eleanor ever referred to Mr Pembroke as her stepfather and there is certainly no fairy godmother.
In saying that, I don’t think JJA Harwood has written this description: the connections to Cinderella are so subtle throughout her story and she purposefully leaves all the obvious fairy tale connotations until the end. Any retelling aspect of The Shadow in the Glass is more of an undercurrent throughout Harwood’s writing: I just don’t feel that she would have tried to force her novel into the Cinderella pigeon-hole so brazenly.

I did have to check what category this book will be marketed in as I felt the book description could have been trying to force this into the YA marketplace with the links to Cinderella. I am relieved to see that the publisher has placed this in the Adult category as I feel it is too dark to be considered otherwise. Also, as a mother of a 5-year-old Samuel, the carnage of the third wish may never actually leave me!
For anyone wondering about triggers I should note that there are regular references to sexual abuse, death and graphic scenes of miscarriage.

Another criticism is also one for which I cannot fault the author and this is the format of the ARC. As a regular reviewer of advanced copies I do have a certain amount of sympathy for formatting-particularly on an e-reader- but equally I can see that some reviewers may declare this as a DNF due entirely to the format. Simple page breaks to show the passage of time and different characters’ speech on different lines would really make a difference here. At times it was immensely difficult to determine who was saying what and this distracted from the whole flow of the novel.


The Shadow in the Glass is a strange book for me if I am honest, in that I neither liked it nor disliked it.
I never particularly warmed to the character of Eleanor: I felt empathy for her during the opening pages and I wished for her happiness when she found romance; I really wanted to like her and I did try. However, Eleanor has almost an entitled air about her and constantly flits between wanting money, dresses and rich food to wanting to help the poor and keep her friends safe. An element of this could be intentional by the author in order to represent Eleanor’s young age of seventeen but there just did not seem to be any consistency for me and I found myself feeling indifferent to her fate.
Eleanor is also constantly justifying her actions to herself which I found frustrating. I understand that the hints of her trauma early in life and her behaviour hint at the darkness that already exists inside her and I do applaud this. I am certainly not suggesting that the character should appear as she does to Charles.
However, I think, if the reader could be made to love this tormented soul early in the novel, we would be more invested in her fate and would potentially shout at the later pages in frustration at the choices she makes.

The premise of the tale and the writing itself was very clever: Eleanor’s situation in life and a wish-granting woman appearing at midnight hinted at a Cinderella tale but nothing was forced down the reader’s throat. The sheer darkness of the content was also enough to make you forget about any link to a fairy tale until you reached the epilogue.
The reader is also entirely dependent on Eleanor as their eyes and ears due to the use of the first person perspective. This really added to the mystery behind the story and it isn’t until perhaps the 5th wish that it really dawns on the reader what is happening around Eleanor.
I also loved how the black-eyed woman steadily became less mother-like and more out of Eleanor’s control. It seamlessly hinted at Eleanor’s demise and loss of control of her own actions and thoughts.


The Shadow in the Glass is undeniably gothic, surrounded by the smog and dangers of Victorian London. It is a book which I am glad I read but would not return to again. The unique plot and mystery entrenched in the writing is second to none and the epilogue is a thing of brilliance: reminding us that we were expecting a happily ever after.
Eleanor’s life as a consequence of her actions and decisions is nothing short of a rollercoaster and JJA Harwood’s writing takes us along for the ride. In the end, Eleanor gets exactly what she wanted, riches, love and safety for her friends: but at what cost?

I give this book 2.5 stars. Once again the tagline "A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern." set it up for disappointment. I am a huge fan of Erin Morgenstern, and this book is just different than that. Much more Gothic, dark and destitute. Erin's work always has bright spots and light.

A very dark retelling of Cinderella, Ella (Eleanor) after losing her mother is taken in by a wealthy family, but after the woman of the house dies, Ella is forced into service.
The book is a classic deal-with-the-devil, that you know won't end up well but you still hold onto the hope. Ella is 17-18 years old and the book and though her many many thoughts and considerations would belong to someone that age, it dragged on too much for me. One is responsible for their bad deeds, and most of the book she is trying to justify it.
I believe the book is set somewhere around 1800, and the reality of life for a lot of people was told and explained very well ( I learned tons of new words), but so incredibly sad for a lot of people, especially for women.
The book is well written and sucks you in to olden-days London, but for me the book would have been more powerful if more was edited out.

This really is a dark ‘fairytale’ set in a dark gothic time of poverty and cruelty, where the differences between rich and poor, and male and female are pretty dramatic and dreadful. Where the rich and powerful, particularly men, can get away with anything! But imagine if you could wish for anything you want? What would you wish for? One day young Ella’s wish comes true as a fairy godmother appears seemingly out of one of her beloved books and grants her seven wishes to use as she chooses but each one comes at a price. This is a devilishly good book for lovers of gothic fiction.

A lovely book! Its a lovely cinderella retelling and i would recommend it. I enjoyed reading this book, thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy to review.