Riches to Rags, Casey L Bond

Most girls dream of being princesses, but one princess just wants to be a normal girl.

Ella Carina, crown princess of Aelawyn, knows brutality and lies — she’s seen the way her father rules. Princess. Possession. To her father, the words had the same meaning. She was only as valuable as the alliance formed with her betrothal. Her freedom comes from an unlikely place: an attack on the castle.

When the conquering King offers to protect her from the betrothal her father arranged for political gain, she consents. Hiding her within a peasant family is the only way to keep her and her secret safe.

In this simpler life, Ella flourishes and catches the eye of the local Blacksmith’s son. For once, she can be herself and make her own choices, but the life of a princess- even one kept secret -was never meant to be easy.

Trevor, crown prince of Galder has been searching for Ella, but not because of their betrothal. She is in grave danger from the very people who hid her away. His plan is to show her the truth and help her to safety.

Nothing goes as planned. When Trevor finds her, it’s to discover she’s fallen in love with a peasant. Now he has two goals: help her regain her throne… and show her that she belongs with him.

Award-winning author Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.

You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:

THIS! Oh my gosh. I love retellings and warring kingdoms and love and unrequited love. If you didn’t get the clue on the cover, it’s a Cinderella retelling. But if you have read this, then you’ll know that this is hardly anything like the Disney story or the original (thank God). It’s one of the reasons why I loved this so much. It kept all the little shout-outs from the story but still made itself its own amazingly beautiful thing.

Ella is fourteen when her story begins, her tyrant king of a father murdered with the rest of the castle by a neighboring kingdom. She’s still young and innocent, but seeing your sister’s dead body or walking through a bloody carnage changes a person. It was a weight she carried with her all the way to Tierney, the conquering kingdom. Going through everything she did, and then flashing forward three years to see her still kind and pleasant, was great. I loved that she had her own snarky thoughts toward horrible people, that she could still crush on a guy and feel that pull. She was normal in the best of ways for me.

The whole story was a sweet tale of family and budding love that turned into a dangerous test of one’s heart and bravery. There were a few instances that drove me crazy, but the excitement and love and teary moments totally earned its overall five stars RECOMMENDED stamp from me. I loved this to the stars, and if you enjoy the village vibe with kingdoms and rightful heirs, this is definitely the book for you.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google