AudioBook Review: The Cracked Slipper

 

When Eleanor Brice unexpectedly wins the heart of Gregory Desmarais, Crown Prince of Cartheigh, she’s sure she’s found her happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle.

Eight years of mistreatment, isolation and clandestine book learning hardly prepare Eleanor for life at Eclatant Palace, where women are seen, not heard. According to Eleanor’s eavesdropping parrot, no one at court appreciates her unladylike tendency to voice her opinion. To make matter worse, her royal fiancé spends his last night of bachelorhood on a drunken whoring spree. Before the ink dries on her marriage proclamation Eleanor realizes that she loves her husband’s best friend, former soldier Dorian Finley.

Eleanor can’t resist Dorian’s honesty, or his unusual admiration for her intelligence, and soon both are caught in a dangerous obsession. She drowns her confusion in charitable endeavors, but the people’s love can’t protect her from her feelings. When a magical crime endangers the bond between unicorns, dragons, and the royal family, a falsely accused Eleanor must clear her own name to save her life. The road toward vindication will force a choice between hard-won security and an impossible love.

The Cracked Slipper is a book club friendly fairytale retelling in the vein of Gregory Maguire, with a dash of romance. Set in a pseudo-renaissance, corset-and-petticoats enchanted kingdom, The Cracked Slipper brings a magical twist to women’s fiction.



My Review

I like the world that the author built for this book. Instantly, I was sucked into the story due to the description of the world and the characters. Which really helped me as it was like a mini movie playing in my head while, I was listening to the audio version of this book. Speaking of the audiobook. the narrator did a really good job of portraying the various voices of the many characters. The narrator kept me intrigued.  

When it came to Eleanor, I found that she had a strong personality that I saw grow as the story progressed. While Gregory may be the prince, it was Dorian that I feel like Eleanor. Gregory did come off as a bit more childish than Dorian. Additionally, it did seem like it took a long while for the story to really move forward. 

Although, I do have to admit that this book read as a young adult to me. So, I found myself not as invested in the characters as I have found myself personally having outgrown most young adult books. This is just a personal thing for me, but this should not deter you from trying this book out for yourself. 





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