Princess Valentina, after her mother’s death, is locked in a tower by her father, destined to stay there until she comes of age to be married off. On a chance, Valentina decides to trust a stranger rather than stay any longer in the tower, and makes her escape.

---

Why this book?: Sapphicathon! I was a last minute participant, and this is one of my first reads of the marathon. Plus, I love M. Hollis’s Lilliac Town series.

I’ve adored Hollis’s other novellas, The Melody of You and Me and The Paths We Choose, so when I heard she was coming out with a sapphic fantasy romance, I preordered ASAP. I didn’t get the chance to read it until now, and I do have to say that I am a little disappointed.

Hollis writes the story as if it is being told to you from a book of fairy tales, and it was very endearing and cute! But then it continued on throughout the story, and it got a little tiring. It didn’t allow for the characters to gain any development, and it more or less was like I was reading about a card board cut out than a character. While I did love the characters, they were one-dimensional and hard to LOVE.

I also feel as if the story could use some more development as well. It was very brief, and, while it was a novella, it felt like it didn’t go anywhere. There was the traditional Rapunzel story where she is locked in the tower and is saved, but everything afterwards seemed too convenient, too easy. It wasn’t much of a story, but more of a summarization of a story by only touching on a few different parts.

Final Rating: ★★★☆☆

Overall?

While I enjoyed it, I was really hoping for more. It was all-around a very one-dimensional story, one that was still entertaining and cute and something I could enjoy. Just not something I’d fall in love with.

Would I Recommend?

If you’re looking for sapphic retellings, sure! It’s a quick read, but it’s very basic and not well developed. I love M. Hollis, but I do have to say that I enjoy her Lilliac Town novellas much more.

---

Additional Information:

Published: September 22nd, 2017

Publisher: M. Hollis

Page Count: 60

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy/Romance

Synopsis: via Goodreads

Princess Valentina lives a reasonably comfortable life, but after her mother’s death, her father gets tired of taking care of her and locks her in a tower. She spends years on her own, talking to the birds on her windowsill, and reading books with adventures she will never experience. Her plans of running away are usually left for another day because she knows the vast forest surrounding her tower is too dangerous to cross alone.
Until one day, another girl passes by on her horse and Valentina wonders if she’s finally brave enough to seize her chance of freedom.