The Princess Companion - Melanie Cellier

The Princess Companion

Melanie Cellier

The Four Kingdoms

SPOILER WARNING

Where to Purchase: Amazon

Official Blurb:

Danger and romance await a woodcutter's daughter in a royal palace.

One dark and stormy night, lost and alone, Alyssa finds herself knocking on the door of a castle. After a lifetime spent in the deep forest, Alyssa has no idea what to expect on the other side.

What she finds is two unruly young princesses and one very handsome prince. When Alyssa accepts the job of Princess Companion she knows her life will change. What she doesn't know is that the royal family is about to be swept up in unexpected danger and intrigue, and that she just might be the only thing standing between her kingdom and destruction.

This retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, reimagines the risks and rewards that come when one royal family goes searching for a true princess.

As a Retelling:
What if the prince's true love was the first to try the bed? What if she just failed to tell anyone that it was insanely uncomfortable, and then she's hired on to be companion to the prince's younger sisters, allowing her to properly get to know and fall in love with the prince? Alyssa is also a woodcutter's daughter instead of being an actual princess. The prince is also the son of Cinderella and her prince, who have fallen out of love due to her feeling like she can't handle the pressure of being queen.

Arista's Thoughts: 

Very sweet romance here, though it was a bit infurating as most of the book's conflict boils down to "lasp in communication." I also was quite disorinted as most of the book was in Alyssa's first person POV, but there were some "extra" scenes that were in Max's and Ava's, also first person. Lily and Sofie were adorable little girls, the showdown in the final act was pretty nice, and the ending was perfect. 

Fairy Tale Romance - The Princess and the Pea

Twisted Tale

Indie

Fallout - Cinderella

Alternative Covers:

Have you read The Princess Companion? If so, leave a comment below with your own short review to help future readers!

The Princess Test - Gail Carson Levine

The Princess Test

Gail Carson Levine

The Princess Tales, #2

Where to Purchase: Amazon

Official Blurb:

King Humphrey has decided it's time for his son, Prince Nicholas, to marry. But he must make sure the bride is a real princess. So he devises a series of princess tests, designed to weed out the phonies and the fakes. Meanwhile, Nicholas has fallen in love with Lorelei, a mere blacksmith's daughter. She's no princess, but he wants to marry her all the same--but how will she ever pass the terrible tests? 

As a Retelling: This is a retelling that seeks to explain the history behind the poor little princess, caught in the rain. And, turns out, she's not a princess, but a blacksmith's daughter who just happens to be very sensitive, and happens to have caught the prince's eye. His parents are the ones determined that he'll marry a "true" princess, and so she winds up competing alongside several actual princesses.

Arista's Thoughts:
It's a quick, short, and sweet story that turns the fairy tale on its head in a hilarious way. While not my favorite of the collection, I highly recommend it.

True Retelling - The Princess and the Pea

Magical

Traditional European

Have you read The Princess Test? If so, leave a comment below with your own short review to help future readers!