This is a unique, twisted and gothic fairytale retelling i desperately needed in my life and i give it 3.5 stars. I devoured the entire thing in a day so massive thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for granting my wish to allow me an early review copy.

Plot summary:
Ella has gone from lady in training to Maid within her household where the male owner is her lecherous stepfather. Her only salvation is burning candles and sneaking into the library to escape into the world of a book.

One night her wishes are answered and she is visited by a shadow of a 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.

Review:
Plot wise this book was intriguing. It is a fairytale retelling that was extremely unique and gothic that i was instantly drawn in in from the first page. There were some really good twists in this story that came together well for the ending, however a lot of the story as you follow it through you could easily have followed the line of thinking Ella was coming to.

The writing style in this story was really enjoyable and something i really enjoyed. The pacing of this story is quite slow for me to start, but as the story picked up the pacing considerably improved towards the final pages. The ending was satisfying, however i felt it was slightly rushed but never the less left me satisfied.

Character wise Ella was fantastic as the protagonist. She was developed beautifully and she was never potrayed as perfect- something i massively appreciate in female protagonists. All of the side characters had their moments to shine and they were developed as well as they could be based on the amount of time they were in the book.

The world building was wonderful- detailed and worked perfectly for the story to be portrayed.

Final Thoughts:
A wonderful retelling that is definitely unique will be fantastic for anyone who is a fan of dark fairytale retellings.

A classic theme rewrapped as a riches to rags to riches story, which inevitably comes at a cost.

Eleanor works as a maid in the grand house where she was previously a ward of the now dead mistress. A life of drudgery and fear of the lecherous master of the house is only escaped through occasional secret visits to the library at night, where Eleanor loses herself in stories. One night a mysterious woman appears in the shadows offering Eleanor seven wishes in exchange for her soul. Seizing her chance to make a better life for herself and others, Eleanor accepts the bargain. The wishes inevitably come with tragic costs, and Eleanor soon finds herself spiralling into a web of lies and fear.

This classic story is told through the eyes of a servant with a grudge, and fills all the expectations of the simple story of dealing with the devil. A small cast of characters and locations keeps the story tight, and the plot is easy to follow. The uncomplicated dialogue and straightforward story makes for a novel perfect for young teens looking to dip their toe into the ‘historical fiction with a touch of gothic’ genre.

Thank you so much for granting me a copy of this book! Eleanor has a chance to change her life forever when she is granted 7 wishes, but they come with a deadly cost. Wow, I was hooked from the very beginning and loved the story.

I received an advance copy of this from #netgalley. Thank you. (though after having my wish granted and having finished the book, I am slightly nervous now!)

This is a delicious dark and gothic retelling of Cinderella, set in Victorian London. The plot is gripping and fast paced. Orphaned Ella is forced to work in the house of her guardian where she loses herself amongst the books of library. One evening, when reading Dr Faustus, a stranger appears in the library and promises Ella her hearts desire.
Harwood really brings the streets of London to life with vivid descriptions. Occasionally, points are repeated excessively which can become a tad irritating. I enjoyed watching the characters develop and cringing at the choices Ella was making.
A really enjoyable creepy novel.

I found this book quite poorly written, and i just really couldn’t connect with it or with the main character at all.
The ending was also disappointing, the plot was good but it could have been done so much better.
Unfortunately i didn’t enjoy this one at all and only finished it to give a fair review.