If the Slipper Fits
2 Stars

Orphaned at birth, Annabelle Quinn was raised in a school for young ladies. Given the opportunity to take a position as governess to a young duke, Annabelle seizes the chance and finds herself in Cornwall matching wits with the duke’s uncle and guardian, Lord Simon Westerly. Simon has no idea how to handle the vivacious addition to his staff, but is determined to have her one way or the other. Unfortunately, someone has other plans for Annabelle…

Fairytale retellings can be entertaining, but this one falls short.

Neither Annabelle nor Simon are particularly likable characters. Annabelle’s resourcefulness borders on the manipulative and the conniving while Simon’s stoicism is more dispassionate indifference than enigmatic alpha. This is further exacerbated by the fact that the chemistry between the couple is virtually non-existent and the love scenes are more mechanical than sensual.

Both the minor mystery plot and the fairytale elements are underdeveloped. The villain is obvious from the start and the surprising revelation at the end lacks foundation and makes no sense historically speaking. The fairytale aspects consist of vague references to the Cinderella tale, which are more window-dressing than substantial content.

Drake’s writing style is also problematic with excessive descriptions of a variety of irrelevant elements, such as Druidic rituals and Cornish superstitions that play little to no role in the story.

All in all, a disappointing read and this will probably be my first and only Olivia Drake book. ( )

surprised that this book's rating isn't closer to 5 stars ( )

Reviewed by: Allison
Book provided by: book provided by the publisher for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book:

My favorite fairy tale of all time is Cinderella, so I was excited about reading If the Slipper Fits by Olivia Drake. Based loosely on the tale of the lonely Cinderella, we meet Annabelle Quinn on the day her life changes for the better. Abandoned as a child at a school for young women, she grew up and became a teacher, but longed for adventure and a family to call her own.

Sent to the wilds of Cornwall to be governess to an orphaned eight year old duke, Annabelle embarks on a life of quite unlike her past at the school.

Told from Annabelle’s and Lord Simon’s viewpoints, we see this unlikely couple as they meet and feel an instant attraction to each other. But Simon is bitter and completely shuns the young nephew in his charge except for a once-weekly recitation of what the young duke has learned in his studies.

Annabelle quickly sees that not only does young Nicholas need love, but so does Simon. She must fight her growing attraction to him so she’s not sent away from her young charge.

For all that Annabelle is raised by the teachers in the school, she has a wisdom and a love inside her that comes from somewhere deep inside her. She is headstrong and willing to speak her mind on the risk of losing her hard-won position in the household. I quite admired her doing verbal battle with Lord Simon in order to do what is right for Nicholas, and for the tragic Lord himself.

The author did an excellent job in describing the wilds of Cornwall, and I found myself longing to stand beside Annabelle, watching the churning sea. The love scenes were sensual without being overtly steamy.

This is not just a romance, but a mystery as well. Ancient treasure, attempted murder, and kidnapping all come into play in this story. I must admit I had the enemy figured out, but then a devious twist was thrown into the mix. By the time the book ended, I was shocked and very pleasantly surprised. But I won’t tell you what happens, you’ll just have to read and enjoy it for yourself.

This is a must-read for lovers of fairy tales and Historical Romance.
I look forward to the next in the series, to see who the lucky young lady will be to wear the lovely ruby-red slippers. ( )