If the Boot Fits

If the Boot Fits is the second installment of the fairytale retellings series called Texas Ever After by Karen Witemeyer. This time we have a Cinderella retelling, which I absolutely love, as a kid the videotape actually turned grey from watching it so often! A Karen Witemeyer book combined with Cinderella, my expectations are through the ROOF. And they came true, entirely… let me start at the beginning.

We have a genderbent fairytale, with a cattle rancher’s daughter Samantha who’s treated like a princess, and a poor man called Asher breaking in on her ball full of single men, trying to uncover foul play. His boot gets lost, and the story starts. I love how the Cinderella retelling is very loose, it definitely feels like an entire new story that stands firmly on its own. I really liked that! I also love how there’s no evil stepmother in this story, as I feel that trope is harmful and used too much. But above all. I love the characters! Samantha is lovely, and I especially enjoyed seeing her difficult relationship with her father, and how she grows to see things in a different perspective. Asher, too, he’s a kind and thoughtful man, burdened by his responsibilities and a bit desperate, but he grows into this amazing man who shoulders everything. I really like him. And Samantha’s dad, aww, he can do no good, can he? He’s a sweetheart really. And the kids are special, too, and provide a lot of comic relief.

The plot is amazing, as always. It makes me laugh (for example Samantha checking out people’s shoes), it makes me think, and there is enough action and suspense to keep me on my toes. In hindsight I can see where the Cinderella plot comes in, but when reading I was absolutely clueless about who the villain was, until that epic reveal!

Having read all of Karen Witemeyer’s books and novellas, this one definitely sits in my top 5 of favorites. It was a perfect read, and I loved every minute of it.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley, but this hasn’t influenced my opinions.