THE WINDY SIDE OF CARE: Review
Oh good gracious, could a story be more fun or more darling? This completely different take on the beloved Cinderella story is part fairy tale, part Bronte-sisters, and part Shakespearian comedy. I absolutely fell in love with Rachel Heffington's The Windy Side of Care and third tale in the Five Glass Slippers compilation.
Alisandra Carlisle is convinced she is the rightful heir to the throne. She needs look no further than her own face, which is the mirror-image of the King's. That, along with the fact that there is no record of anyone by her father's ridiculous name ever being born or dying in the entire country, makes it plain to her that she was somehow switched at birth with the current prince. However, hidden away as a lowly scullery maid in the home of her supposed step-family, how can Alis hope to gain allies and take back her throne from the usurper?
Prince Auguste wants to be king about as much as Alis wants to be a scullery maid for the rest of her life. His birthday and Day of Accession loom over him like a monstrous shadow of doom... and worse than all that, his parents are insisting that he find a bride. As if a person can fall in love just like that!
When Prince Auguste and Alis have an unlikely encounter, they are both surprised and intrigued. Alis has always thought of the prince as the mastermind usurper of her throne, but when she meets him, she is forced to admit that he is as much a victim as she. They were only babies when this injustice occurred, after all. And she cannot deny that as a man he is noble, kind, humble, and has a sense of humor as sharp as her own.
But this new realization sparks feelings that couldn't, couldn't possibly be... love... could they?
I don't want to say any more, because I really don't want to give away any of the delightful surprises that are in store for anyone who hasn't read this tale yet. To say that I enjoyed this story would be an understatement of vast proportions. It moves quickly, has engaging characters that I wanted all the best for, and an ending as surprising and neat as any Shakespearian comedy ought to have. The twists and turns throughout kept me intrigued and reading to find out what happens next. The dialogue had me chuckling, and even reading out loud to myself - which is high praise, indeed. I'm enough of a Shakespeare buff to know that certain things were not going to work out the way the characters planned, but that only sweetened the surprising way the author wrapped everything up.
I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who likes Shakespeare, Pride and Prejudice, or the movie Ever After.
Remember to tune in next week, as I will have the privilege of featuring the author of this tale, Rachel Heffington here as part of the blog tour for Five Glass Slippers!