The Reluctant Godfather: A retelling of Cinderella (The Tales of Ambia Book 1)

One of the sweetest books I've ever read!I don't even know where to start... this little book was so GOOD. So I'm gonna break it down and have some fun- because this book was so fun OK ahhh.-- Story: I have never read a fairy tale retelling before (that I can recall). Also, I never even got into the Cinderella fairy tale. And I finally know why - little kid me was waiting for THIS BOOK to finally fulfill the story of Cinderella! The story was vibrant, hilarious (OK, I was laughing on page one because... I feel you Burndee. I feel you.), and deliciously sweet-- Writing: The writing style was vivid and inviting, and really told the story well! I loved the pictures the words painted... and the magic scenes, too, were nicely done!-- Characters: AMAZING. That is all. But seriously: the characters were bouncing off the page from page one. It was so incredible - it was like they were all real! The lessons the characters all learned were all so good - and relatable. But more ramblings on these dears later!Things I Loved:-- First, the dear Allison Tebo sent me an autographed copy so eep it's so pretty. Oh gosh. Thank you again, Ms. Tebo!-- BURNDEE. Like... DUH. He was cracking me up on every other page because geez... he was just great.-- Ella was too good... I liked her and the way she was with Burndee, it was so funny and cute.-- The food. But, seriously, am I the only one who would kidnap the Declaration of Independence just to taste on of Burndee's cakes? Because they sound to die for.-- The magic was so well done and like... if this book was a movie, I'd have it on repeat for my nieces... which is HIGH PRAISE because I hate Disney reruns when the kids get attached... But this book was SO GOOD and I honestly plan on reading it aloud one day.Overall, a stunning piece of cake of a book! God bless you, Ms. Tebo, because I CANNOT wait for the next books in this series!

First, a confession: I don't like fairytale retellings (*hides from all of my reader/writer friends coming at me with pitchforks*). I find them predictable, for obvious reasons. But this one came highly recommended by a trusted friend, so I gave it a shot. And while I stand by my position of generally not being a retellings gal, The Reluctant Godfather is a very notable exception to my rule.This book is short and sweet and endearing from page one. The voice is unique, the characters lovable (Colin!<3) and there's a LOT of cake! Also, I can't say enough good things about Tebo's writing style. Her wit and turn of phrase is reminicent of an age gone by, resulting in an utterly charming little fairytale.I saved this sweet little book for a rainy day when I was feeling down, and it delivered in spades. I giggled out loud more than once. The twisting of the original fairytale kept me guessing, and put a refreshing spin on the romance, particularly on the part of the prince. About halfway through the book, I actually whispered aloud to myself, "wait, what? That can't happen... can it?" Then I turned to my husband who was sitting on the couch with me and said, "You're never gonna believe what's happening in my book..."My one complaint is that I wish the story had been a longer. I would have loved the ending to be fleshed out a little more, particularly Ella's thought processes after the ball (not saying too much because spoilers, duh,) I do feel that it ended fast, but I'm excited to see where the Tales of Ambia take me next!All in all, highly recommend this retelling for anyone who wants something short, sweet, and a little bit surprising. I enjoyed this book as an adult reader, but I guarantee my middle-school self would have ADORED it!

This little novella is seriously one of the cutest, most fun things I've ever read! Not to mention it’s SUCH a unique retelling. Why, you ask? Because this story is not told from the point-of-view of Cinderella or even the Prince. It’s told from the POV of the fairy godmother! Er…father. Yes, it’s a fairy godFATHER. Which makes it doubly unique. We get a completely unexpected POV and it’s a guy instead of the expected female. I LOVE IT.Burndee is our fairy godfather who has been entrusted with Prince Colin and Ella as his wards. Except…Burndee isn’t too keen on human kind, nor is making people happy his forte. He doesn’t even want to be a fairy godfather. Unfortunately for him, he really has no choice in the matter.As he realizes he’s got to do something about improving his wards’ lives—that is his job after all—he comes up with a brilliant plan: Make them fall in love and live happily ever after. Killing two birds with one stone. Buuuut Burndee isn’t exactly one’s top notch fairy.Cue the hilarious mishaps.The whole plot had me giggling and grinning all the way through, but the true gold is the characters, ESPECIALLY Burndee. “Disagreeable” is the best word I can think of to describe him. But in a completely hilarious way. He has to spend his life around humans, which he thinks are all silly and not really worth his time. Thus snarky comments ensue. My absolute favorite part of this book was being inside Burndee’s head. His sarcastic, cantankerous nature amused me endlessly. AND HE BAKES. Baking is his passion which…was so unexpected from this grouchy guy. I LOVED THAT. Everything about him broke all stereotypes. A fairy godfather who really doesn’t want to help anyone and who bakes? Like…I cannot get over the uniqueness of this character! I loved him so much. Sweet Ella and sassy Prince Colin also captured my heart. Everyone was so dynamic and complimented each other wonderfully.The writing style was witty and smooth, the whole book was so utterly quotable, and the twists it took on the original Cinderella story were pure brilliance. If you’re looking for a fun, quick read GET THIS STORY. It is a true delight, with sarcasm, wit, hilarity, and tasty treats (because that’s super important). By the ending I just wanted to squeal and hug the book.As an adult, I loved it, but it'd be a great story for middle-grade readers as well. Definitely recommend!

This charming little novel is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story…but with a twist! I’ve read a lot of Cinderella retellings, but this one has got to be one of my favourites. It comes from a very unique point of view, not your typical retelling, that’s for sure! And the twist at the end! Ahhh! I mean, I’m *very* glad it happened, but still…totally wasn’t expecting that at all xD I may not reveal the twist cause DUH but hey, if you’re curious, you should go read it. *hint hint* Really though, I very much recommend this book to basically anyone and everyone!Oh yes and Burndee’s baking! *happy sigh* As a baker myself, I love love LOVE reading about any kind of baking in books :D And the wonderful author, Allison Tebo, not only did an awesome job with the characters and the plots and story telling, she did a marvellous job describing all that baking. Made me feel hungry yet strangely satisfied all at once ;)

An interesting take on an old favourite, with many laugh out loud moments!

A fun twist on Cinderella from the fairy godfather’s perspective! I adore Burndee and relates to him in many ways, haha. His crustiness mixed with reluctant softness is hilarious and sweet. Can’t wait to read more of this series!

If you are in the mood for a quick light (but fun) Cinderella retelling, this is the perfect book for you.