Lost (Cinderella's Secret Witch Diaries Book 1)

This is not my typical reading matter and it took me a while to get into the story, but it truly was worth the effort. The author's imagination takes the reader on a journey spanning continents with royalty, witches and fairies. Cinderella faces tough choices along the way, accompanied by some familiar characters and imaginative and evil new ones. Definitely not a child's fairy tale, but a compelling tale for the mature teens and olderl

This is a dark, deeply compelling retelling of your classic Cinderella story. Vitale weaves a complex narrative that never ceased to surprise me with its twists and turns. The rich characters are so fully developed that they could hop right off the page. They are loveable, relatable and flawed at the same time. Cinderella has more magic in her than we know, but her decisions are based on a dangerous innocence. The bad guy is a tragic, sadistic figure whose methods conflict with his motives. Cinderella's mother... I don't want to spill the beans on what happens, but it will shock you.

I couldn't put this book down. I would recommend it to anyone.

I've waited a while to write a review for this book, and then I couldn't decide if I wanted to give it two or three stars. I guess my biggest complaint is that, I just like the classics and I did not care for this interpretation of the Cinderella's story.

Wow. I can't belive how good that book was. You could never say what would happen next!!! Ron Vitale did a exelent job. I have alway wonderd what would happen next. Was she really happy? Did she ever have kids? This book was not just your odinary romance or fantasy, it is one of a kind. It show that women have minds and can stand on their own feet. It shows you that even if you are "lost" there is always a way back. Love alway wins!! Great book ( verskoon die spelling. Ek is eintelik Afrikaans!!)

Starts out rather well and enjoyable, but then the story takes a huge nose dive about halfway through, becoming overly complicated to keep track of who was who. And the story line becomes rather dark and creepy-like in my opinion. I lost interest at that point.

When a book turns out to be a disappointment it's hard to continue onward, but in an effort to merit being worthy (to myself) of writing a review I continued through the pages. I'm not going to paint a pretty picture here. Instead I'll say straight up that it was really hard to make myself keeping going beyond the 10% marker (as I read the e-book version) yet I did, and it did not get any better. This story had such potential. Generally I enjoy re-tellings of fairy tales, but this one I found highly unsatisfying.

Perhaps it was the fact that it didn't stick to the rules of a re-telling. Usually when you are doing a re-telling of a fairy tale the goal is to make some changes to make it your own while keeping the general structure and not utterly destroying the tale in itself. This does the latter in every way imaginable. From altering the details of the fairy tale in the first place (we don't get to see this part just the aftermath) to destroying it altogether with the book itself. At which point you begin to wonder why it's even a Cinderella story when the story has enough elements to be something of its own in its entirety.

On top of that something that is a fairy tale is shot into a mix with the real world. Now, at times this isn't so bad to do. . . so long as you do it well. In this instance though it turned out extremely poor, and cheesy, as not only is it added with certain historical elements (at one point, as a small example, they actually mention being in a newly discovered America with a "John" who has visited the shores many times) yet at random intervals tossed into the far future. Out of nowhere you suddenly find yourself just jumping around in a way that is highly unpleasant as there's not much in the way of truly logic explanation beyond the naivete and desperation of this "Cinderella" or the manipulation of the antagonist due to naivete of the main character. Something that still does not change even as the book continues to progress toward the end of the bar. I didn't even get a sense of this as a true change in the end, honestly.

Though alot of this could be attributed to how the story was told. When doing diaries or journals it is important to have consistency; along with a creative way to write them that is more interesting than straight story-telling. The method used here was not entertaining in the least. Some were short, some were long, some came at consistent intervals, some came at random intervals, some were not Cinderella due to magic, and some were just plain not diary entries at all. The last ones were more normal ways to write a story that doesn't consist with a diary entry in the least. When you suddenly have multiple people all writing in her book and her being able to write out stuff that she shouldn't be able to perceive or even know due to a writing view switch while passing it off as diary entries. . . it becomes rather confusing.

As a whole this book would've been far better for the elements of the story had it been written with brief diary entries then the rest in normal third person story-telling and without trying to fit in everything and the kitchen sink (so to speak). It was as though the author wanted to do everything with her by having her in this historical setting with political situations of intrigue and interest; yet at the same time instead does nothing with her. In the moments where she could've grown as a character (the naive, desperate shtick needed dropped earlier in the story) she tucks tail and runs, and again trusts people it's obviously not wise to all due to these same feelings that have been messing up her life for years already. If someone sneezed she ran, if someone made her angry she got all uppity then she ran, if someone betrayed her she got hurt (and let us not forget the pretending like she doesn't betray when she does - repeatedly) then she ran, et cetera. Some of this even came after promising starts to the character growth. It made the story lacking and the character just not important to me. I honestly did not care if she won or lost (lived or died), and I didn't feel bad for her. I honestly would've cared more to hear the story of her lady-in-wait or the Queen or anyone else other than her after a certain point.

In essence, had the character been more interesting and given more growth, the setting given some reins on broadness while also being used (instead of vastly ignored the majority of the time), and the writing style done better it would have turned out to be a better book. Usually I'm far more courteous with reviews, but in an effort to write an honest one I have done so and here it is. You can agree or disagree. I just know that I won't touch this book again, or any others in the series(as from the preview taste I got of the next book it doesn't seem after all the time that passed, and what happened in this book, she hasn't grown as a character), nor recommend the series to anyone.

I found this book to be well written. The concept interesting. While I find the Prince shallow and I never got to like Henri the rest of the characters were interesting. I would read it again, which to me says it was a good book.

It was an interesting tale of Cinderella's life after her marriage to the Prince. I like the premise, it got a little "out-there" towards the end.
Overall, it was an easy read for a winter's weekend!

I generally love Cinderella stories and I even like the idea of warped happy endings. So I looked forward to reading this book.
I did not like the format, the story line, nor the characters. I did not finish the book, but I did jump ahead a few times to see if the same things that I didn't like continued on through the story. They did. It is written in the style of a journal, but the "writer" is not a person I could connect with on any level. She seems much too self centered and shallow in her thinking.

I've only started to read this book but I wish there was a review somewhere that told me this book is so poorly written! I'm willing to read books that might not be as well received; and I can look past spelling and grammar errors if the plot is good enough. I have no idea what the plot is...it looks like it's just the sad pathetic musings of a spoiled little rich girl. It's a day-to-day diary of what Cinderella is up to but there isn't anything juicy yet! Just oh no, the prince is hurt, and the queen hates me. Oh no, the queen hates me. Oh no, I miss my dead mother. I'm determined to get through this steaming pile of you-know-what to see if it's still as bad as I think! I'll update my review when I'm done! I hope this'll help you when you look into getting this book.
Apr 18th update:
I finished this god-awful book. It really is a diary...there is no character development, and the last 30 pages were the only half-interesting part of this book. I think if the author had a decent editor, the whole book could be much more interesting with the villan (silver fox) playing a bigger and more interesting role instead of the role he plays in the book as a psychopathic almost split-personality evil "fey lord" bent of destroying anything remotely nice in cinderella's life. I stand by my previous review that this book is awful and don't waste your money on it. Thank goodness it was free!
Here's a plot summary:
Cinderella's husband cheats on her. Alot. The queen is mean to her (oh woe is me). She writes in her diary begging for help from her fairy godmother. Godmother *SPOILER ALERT!!!* (who's actually the evil fey lord) tells her that she'll help but she doesn't actually do a darn thing. Eventually the queen lets cinderella gets to go to France where she has an affair with a playboy. She tries to see a witch to have a baby with the prince but by the time she sees the witch she's already pregger's with the playboy's baby. She doesn't tell the playboy she's preggers b/c she wants to see if he'll love her for who she is but he doesn't b/c he's a playboy (when cinder catches him in the act with her friend/handmaiden). Then she flees to america with the witch (who I might add the godmother told her not to trust but she trusted anyways and then goes back on her word...twice...) And the evil silver fox fey lord starts to take over her brain and does crazy stuff to it. The end. No resolution. No happily ever after in america. Even my review sucks. Because the book is so bad!

That's the theme behind this book. It took me a bit to really get into this book, I'll be honest. It was kinda slow going for me. I wanted to love this book. I love the author and the other works of his I've read. This one just took a little time. But once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It's so not what you expect. It's a must-read, especially for those who are into the twisted fairy tales or the what if, or the what next when to cones to fairy tales. This is right up your alley! If it doesn't speak to you immediately, give it a few chapters. Initially for me, it moved a little slowly. But once the action gets going, it moves!
I received this book at no charge from the author. I've voluntarily chosen to review it. Opinions expressed above are mine and not influenced by gifting of the book or any other outside situations.

What happens to Cinderella after the ball and her marriage to the prince? Now she is unhappy even though she is a princess and is writing in her diaries to her Fairy Godmother. Then she starts whining and wanting her Fairy Godmother to save her again. She does some foolish things; goes into the forest alone at night. And we get fairies, a fairy godmother, witches, a wicked mother-in-law as well as a wicked stepmother; throw in a silver fox who can change into a handsome man and it all gets rather confusing at times.
Cinderella or Sophia has finally found herself and supposedly saved herself even though it was her mother and her mother's friend aka the Fairy Godmother who actually saved her yet again. Her mother ran away with the silver fox and then left him and he is after Cinderella. But Cinderella and her mother bind him into the earth to save Cinderella and her coming child.
I was given an Advanced copy of this book and am freely and voluntarily writing this review.

I have a review for the prequel, "A Room Of My Own." Since, there's no place for the review elsewhere, I'll place it here. I printed it out and took it with me when I was summoned for jury duty. I expected to be there for awhile, so I also took a book,

While waiting to learn if we'd be chosen or not, I talked to a woman next to me. She said that she knew she'd be bored and had forgotten to bring something to read. I allowed her to read the prequel. After reading it, I told her that I'd like to share a review with readers on the store and asked her opinion. She not only enjoyed what she believed was an unusual story, but really wanted to know if there were any additional stories. I told her about the novels and suggested that she search on the store and write a review after reading, as I feel it's important to support authors. She wrote down the information and said that she would.

The Narration ~ Jessica Mann is a new to me narrator and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her. She created magic and brought the story to life. I loved her animated voice and the addition of giving each person a different sound , she added emotion to the story and characters ... sighing and laughing and adding anguish in places where other narrators do not do.
She truly brought this story to life, it was like listening to a play... I will definitely listen to more of her work

The story ~ an interesting story! I am new to Ron Vitale's work and when I was given a chance to listen to his story in audio I jumped at the chance!
I was gifted this audio book by the author and I am grateful
I had no idea what to expect and I was surprised
I have always loved the story Cinderella but I also enjoy the retelling of fairy tales in creative ways
This one was read like a diary ... each entry was a new chapter
but what was within was not what you'd expect ... I was surprised and delighted
fabulous fabulous fabulous!
I look forward to more of this series

I found the idea of a retelling of Cinderella interesting but this book was slow going. Plus, I am a great fan of Regency novels and know a lot about the period so I was a bit bothered by the way the author redid the English royal family of the period. His royals were actually unrecognizable compared to the true British royals of the Napoleonic period. The first half of the book was a bit predictable. I just knew there would be a disruptive story line involving Cinderella's best friend at court. No spoiler but it was clear from early on. The second half of the novel had interesting twists but became a bit confusing to read as the diarist kept changing. On the whole, a novel concept but it just did not click with me as I had hoped..

I received a free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review. This book is not a fairy tale in any sense of the word. It is, rather, a blend of real life with a bit if magic and wonder. Well written, it explores the, "I wonder what happened after they married?" question. The writing is done in the form of a journal and, as things progress, the reader is made aware of the adage, things are not always what they seem. As the first of a series, it can stand alone. However, if you are of a curious bent, as most of us are, most readers will want the story to continue. It certainly took some surprising turns in this book. I enjoyed reading this! It was intriguing, well written, and full of surprises. One theme runs through the whole narrative, but I hate spoilers, so you will have to discover it for yourself. Fabulous read! Discover it for yourself!

It It’s like reading her diary, getting an inside view to her emotions and how things really are for her after her marriage to the prince. So much goes on in Cinderella’s life, she is lonely, feels unloved, and doesn’t seem to be able to produce an hear for the prince. The silver fox appears at the oddest of time, but is always around somewhere. He of course has his own agenda.

In the end of this book Cinderella finds the answer she’s been looking so hard to find, I can’t tell you the question or the answer, you have to read this and find out.

I love reading books by Ron Vitale because there is always a lesson in the books and it really makes you reflect on your own life and see how you can apply these underlying themes.

Ron Vitale does a neat job of taking the Cinderella story, placing it into the real world of history (Europe in the age of Napoleon's conquests) but keeping the magic intact while asking the basic question: what happens after the HEA? Well, I'm not going to tell you (look elsewhere for spoilers, I won't do 'em), but I will say it's realistic yet very original and complex. A neat trick to pull off. Very strongly written and with an excellent plot. My only complaint is that, while the lead does reach a major milestone in her personal journey of development, there's not enough of the (even interim) ending that I'd have liked at this point. I still rate this 4 stars, however, and am definitely looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy.

Lost: Cinderellas Secret Witch Diaries was a good read. I think it should be viewed as its own stand alone story rather than a continuation of the fairy tale, however. I loved the concept and the cover art is beautiful. The authors writing style is good and engaging but would probably be more geared to the young adult frame of mind. I enjoyed the story and have recommended the series to my local library for the teen section. I will be honest though, I will be on the hunt for more of these tales by this author. I appreciate the different perspective and am curious what he planned for our other well known fairy tales.

Mandy's Review:

I wanted to read this book because I thought it had the potential to go very right or very wrong. We all know the classic tale of Cinderella and how her Fairy Godmother helped her transform for the ball to win the prince's affections, allowing her to escape from the wicked rule of her stepmother and two stepsisters.

But ... what happened afterward? We all want to believe that she and the prince lived happily ever after in their own magical bubble, but that's not usually how life happens is it?

The story's set about 10 years after the prince finds Cinderella. The prince has many mistresses and Cinderella is a victim of unrequited love. Part of her believes if she could have a child that would help her win the prince's affections. The Queen requests Cinderella to see a witch in order to become pregnant, at which time the Queen demands the prince to forgo his mistresses for one year. Cinderella reluctantly agrees to see the witch because to deny the Queen is to sign one's death warrant.

By the time Cinderella sees the witch, many things have happened to change her view of the prince and her marriage. The witch, not at all as scary as Cinderella imagined her to be, agrees to help Cinderella escape her life ... as long as Cinderella agrees to stop trying to communicate with her Fairy Godmother.

Will Cinderella agree to go with the witch and deny the one person who helped her when she needed it most?

Ron Vitale has masterfully created the continuation of Cinderella's story. There are so many twists and turns (using the items and people that we're all familiar with) that it will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Evil and goodness are not as clearly discernible as one would think they'd be. I loved this story and the inclusion of the Fae. I cannot wait to read more!

*An ecopy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever wondered what Cinderella's life was like after the fairy tale version ended with its "happily ever after" catchphrase? Was it truly happy? I mean, really now, Cinderella knew Prince Charming for all of a few hours before they decided to get married. Heavenly bliss? I've always wondered, and if you've always wondered, then this is the novel for you.

Vitale has written an epistolary novel that gives readers an in-depth look into the mind of Cinderella after all is said and done in the original tale. And life has not been very good to her. Prince Charming is all but charming, his mother is cold-hearted and desperate for an heir, and Cinderella is locked in a loveless marriage full of infidelity and disrespect. As Cinderella begins her letters to her fairy godmother, pleading for help, the reader is taken on a journey of betrayal and intrigue in which those we've come to love in the classic fairytale become anything but loveable. Not all is what it seems in the classic tale, and Vitale really spins an interesting story.

To be honest, the beginning of the novel didn't pull me in as quickly as I'd hoped. Reading Cinderella's diary/letters made me feel very depressed and saddened for our beloved heroine, but then she begins making choices that make her less likeable and more a rogue, like those around her. She became a real person, with real desires, jealousy, hatred, and lust. I don't think I was ready for that. But Vitale takes it a step further, and as we learn more about the truths behind the fairytale, the story picks up speed and becomes a whirlwind of suspense, mystery, and intrigue. I especially loved that not all are who we've thought them to be, in many senses. And, the addition of the Silver Fox, as well as his identity, completely knocked me over. It was such a great and terrible surprise all in one, and in the end, I really enjoyed this story. Though it took me a little bit to become wrapped within the story itself, I did become enthralled and I highly suggest this novel to anyone out there who likes to read about the after in "ever after," especially when the fey and magical realms become involved.

Review

Fairytales retold, or addressed after the facts, spark magic in my inner soul. I love the very idea of playing with these old tales. However, these are stories passed through the ages, and have stood the test of time for a reason. We have to tread lightly when tampering with them.

Even so, when I came across Ron Vitale's "Cinderella's Secret Diary" (even before I read the premise) I was hooked - and then, I read the premise. The concept is outstanding. Anyone that knows the story of Cinderella has always wondered about the happily ever after, and Vitale addresses just that.

He does it in a diary format with a prose that's strong, clean, and easy to follow. And even under this strict formatting, I was surprised to find a plot that broke out of what you would expect. This would be a continuous daily monotony. No, this plot twisted and turned into real drama. It took me less than a week to read this book. Once the Fey Lord and the Fairy Godmother came into the pages of the diary the story turned dark, and the pages had to be turned with rapid speed. After that, Vitale put it together all the way to the end with intricate logic - I was very impressed.

Characterization did fall short for me in this story. First, I felt even though Cinderella's character was drawn well, she didn't vary much from the helpless Cinder girl from the old Disney movies and I was looking for a woman as bold as the one staring back in Manet's "Luncheon in the Grass". I kept wanting her to act rather than being acted on, or at least stay angry a little longer at those that had wronged her, and then, let her golden heart shine through and win.

The Prince was depicted a certain way and he seemingly stayed this way. I wanted him to grow and part of me wanted something from the previous fairy tale from him. Last, Henri was the other love interest, and I thought would help mend Cinderella's torn heart, but he only served to disappoint.

Now, this is only one viewpoint and coming from small town girl who followed her heart all the way to Las Vegas to be with the one she loved, married him, now have three wonderful children with him, some days not so happily ever after, but some days quite blissful and those great days are why I root for the characters I do. So, please take my opinions for what they are - opinions and read this book. It is very much worth your time, and there is a second book I plan to read, because I'm still looking out for what I did not find in the first. So, perhaps this was Vitale's plan all along.

This was not what I was expecting. I wanted her to be relatively happy in her marriage and fall into misadventures perhaps, but the story just hit a little too close to home for me and my idea of Cinderella will never be the same. The one thing I can say is that she made her own choices. She was not a victim, but made choices based on her reality or perception of, and right or wrong, they were hers. I'm still not sure how I feel about this story.

I really enjoyed this book. While I'm not a huge fan of fairy tales, it's always intriguing to read new takes on them. And of course, who doesn't wonder what happens after the "happily ever after" moment? As any married person can tell you, the adventure doesn't END when you fall in love and get married. It BEGINS.
Vitale's book was clever and surprisingly original, despite stemming from the familiar fairy tale. Written as a series of letters to her fairy godmother, Cinderella discusses her fears and pleads for help. She begins to feel trapped and unloved by her Prince. It only gets worse from there. Once she agrees to go to Paris to consult a witch to help her become pregnant, the story takes an amazing turn. I will not spoil what happens, but it was surprising and unpredictable!
I loved the dramatic turn of events. It is difficult to write this review without including spoilers. I'll just say that as a woman, the naivety of girls in fairy tales has always irked me as does the advice to follow your heart blindly. Yet it's that kind of advice these girls get from trusted sources. The turn of events in the book changed that and finally, Cinderella gets the kind of advice I think women can appreciate. Follow your BRAIN! Watching her grow from a young, scared, naïve princess into a wiser and cautious woman was satisfying.
This is the first twist on Cinderella I've ever read, so I can't compare it to others, yet I realize there are a few popular ones out there. I still think this one is worth reading.
Great novel and one I will definitely recommend.
[...]

I have always loved stories that tell what happens after Happy Ever After. This is a very interesting version of what happened next in Cinderella's life. The writing is very easy to read and easy to follow. The use of diary entries instead of typical chapter format is also really neat. There are certainly some surprises in store in terms of what you think you know about the characters and what you think will happen. The most interesting characters for me are of course Cinderella, but the prince and the fairy godmother. I have certainly had trouble putting this story down!
This has been a very good read and I am excited to read the next two to see what Mr. Vitale has in store!

*received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*

This book was completely different from the Cinderella we grew up with. This takes place 4yrs after Ella has married her prince, and things are not going well. She has yet to concieve and her marriage is indifferent. This book is a journey of Ella and her trying to find answers to her life, that may lead to her finding her own happiness. It was a bit long, felt a bit fustrated with the book at times, but it was a good read.

When I was a child I loved the fairytale of Cinderella. It was one of my childhood favorites. I have to say that now that I am an adult I fell in love with this new story of Cinderella! Lost (Cinderella's Secret Witch Diaries) is now a favorite! Beautifully written and a telling that all who loved the first should read! Love, life struggles, with deception and a yearning to find ones self. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great read and loves to see the development of Cinderella after the happily ever after!

I got this free though I would buy it given the option for the reasons to follow: I didn't have to delete anything from the original text due to gore, violence, sex; It was paced evenly for me; Grammar was not an issue (that said I am not a grammar fanatic and as I use a text to speech reader to listen to all my books and typos unless egregious don't rise to my awareness); and it kept my interest to finish. Now I that all said, as with all things, it has areas of opportunity for improvement. I think the biggest issue for me was getting past who the fox turned out to be and his true intention and the characters while some what fleshed out for me still left me wondering who they really were. Now it's possible that is the intent to draw me to the next book however it more begs the question, do I want to find out more which is where I am left. I think for me at least the problems lie with Cinderella herself as I liked the Prince and Renae more than I did her.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and put together as if it truly were a Diary. I immediately got into the life of this rather rambunctious post-teen as she recited her life after her marriage to the prince. It felt empathy with her as she struggled to find herself in her new world that was so different than the one she left.

I kept having to remind myself that this was written by a man because he got all the right nuances of what it would be like to be a 20something woman in a man's world. The plot was enjoyable and even though it didn't have a bunch of twists and turns like some of the crazy books I've been reading lately, it was definitely a good read and one that I would recommend.

The author did a good job describing the world around Cinder and her friends and family that resided there. I liked the plot even though it was fairly simple and easy to follow. It was just an all-around good book to curl up with and know it was going to have a happy ending no matter what. On my must read list for sure.

Lost was unlike anything I have read before. It tells the story of Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother in a completely new and unexpected way. It is told in diary format and was a creative way to tell the story. Frankly, even though it deviates from the original, I liked it far better. Tons more intrigue, mystery, fantasy, and romance.

The book pulled me and I couldn't put me down. The romance was so well-done and the voice of Cinderella was so perfect that it was hard to remember that it had been written by a man, I also liked that there was a bit of a message in it, with Cinderella's romance story. That loving oneself is just as important as being loved by or loving another. That added a bit of a journey to Cinderella's diary that made it much more personal and made the diary-esque style that much deeper.

The second book, Style, is out now and I am going to be reading that, too!

In a way, it was disappointing to find out that the HEA ending of Cinderella wasn't true. I really didn't like any of the characters or care about what happened to them. Cinderella was a particularly annoying character; I kept wanting her to gets backbone! I don't especially like characters that expect someone else to solve their problems or rescue them. But, it is a fairytale, so what else should I expect?

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this Audio book from the author, Ron Vitale, as a gift. It's my very first audio book and WOW!!! I absolutely loved the story!! A great twist on Cinderella!! Very descriptive and to be honest, I didn't think I'd like listening to someone reading to me...I was pleasantly surprised!!! She made this even better with her amazing voice!!! I'm losing my eyesight due to having MS. Ron Vitale was kind enough to send me this Audio book. I can't thank him enough for such a BRILLIANT story!!! I'm hooked now on this series and will buy more audio books, as long as I get the person who narrated Lost!!!

A brilliant new twist on the usual Cinderella tale , She still gets her HEA but unfortunately it doesn't last . Love the fact its all taken from Cinderella's own words from her diary , The book is a bit jumpy but that didn't put me off , i love a book that makes you think & keeps you on your toes .Like the fact life doesn't all go Cinderellas way & shes not the soppy girl of fairytales .

Have you ever wondered what happened to Cinderella after she married the prince? Well this story tells you with a little spin of course, I really enjoyed this book and it's not the kind of book I usually read but I didn't really like it, Poor Cinderella she sure goes through a lot of stuff in this book. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review.

I teceived this book free for my homest review. This book was tough to get through, but daying that I appreciated a twost on an old fairy tale, but this one would have been better off without that expectation. So much was repeated in her dairy entries that was just filler to stretch it out I guess. There was little honest interaction so the characters kind of just were there.

This is not your childhood fairytale. This takes place four years after HEA which turns into an unhappy HEA. Unable to conceive Cinderella writes to her Fairy Godmother through her diaries. This is about lessons learned through choices she made, good or bad. You'll have to read this book for the details. I liked it.

Cinderella is not my usual genre of reading but I found this story very easy to get into and captivating. The writer takes you on an exciting Adventure Through The Years After Cinderella and the prince were married. There are a host of magical twists and turns to keep you entertained and engrossed in the novel.

The story is a continuation of Cinderella after she gets married. There was no HEA and she discovers she is a witch. The story is everything she has been writing in her diary which is directed to her Fairy Godmother. The story is longer than it needs to be and meanders finally to the end.

I related to the book, and I liked the spin it put on the tale of Cinderella. You never think of Cinderella never having her happily ever after, because that's what you always hear at the end of the fairy tale. I liked the magic that was put in the story. It provides the valuable lesson that you can only save yourself & make your own happiness!

I read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this story. This is not your typical Cinderella story. This is one of those OMG reality comes crash landing and everything is not so perfect after all stories. I give it a 4 of 5 because of the open ending for more in the series.

Don't be fooled by the cover. This is a dark fantasy. I guess I was expecting a chick lit feel, but the story took me by surprise. I usually pride myself on being able to guess twists and turns coming, but I truly didn't see most of the ones in this book. The author's prose is strong and clean, and I found it an easy read that kept me wanting to turn the pages.

My main quibble is with the characters. At times, I found them acting incongruously. Cinderella's relationships with the women in this story are also better drawn-out than with the men.

I do recommend you pick this up to see if you too can spot the surprises that are coming.

I love seeing the fairytales I grew up with rewritten for an older generation with the new twist and turns. Because as we all know as we get older nothing has a happy ever after unless your willing to put a lot of work into it then you might get lucky.

Grown up fairy tales, the idea is happily ever after does not exist. Every young adult girl needs to read this update on the myth. Cinderella is in reality check mode and wants her fairy godmother to help her fix her marriage or find a way to escape her circumstances. You have to read this.

Cinderella's Secret Diary was an exciting take on the fairytale Cinderella. I thought that Ron Vitale's take was well written and I loved the way he transformed the Fairy Godmother to a Fey called the Silver Fox. I definitely prefer the character of Cinderella from Cinderella's Secret Diary over the Disney version of the fairytale because Cinderella was a much stronger character who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself or for what she believed to be right or wrong. How Ron Vitale included real life events and people only made me enjoy the book more and I am very much looking forward to seeing where book 2 will go.

This book focuses on the AFTER. It was a very interesting writing style that I quite enjoyed . I'm not sure I want to read the next 2 books right now, but maybe if I get curious enough later down the line. I recommend this book to anyone who will not mind seeing Cinderella in a completely different light.

I wasn't sure what I expected when I started this book last night -- perhaps some light reading, or humour. Instead, I discovered a powerful reflection on the power of love, betrayal, hope, fear, innocence lost, and magic. I enjoyed the language, though it felt stilted at times, and I was absolutely captivated by the twists in the plot. I will definitely recommend Cinderella's Secret Diary to my friends. Ron Vitale has written a moving and honest examination of a woman's heart and power.

Always interesting to see fairytales rewritten for adults, had some good parts and some not so good parts. Looking forward to seeing what happens next.

** I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book **

This was a free ARC copy for review. When it seems that there will be no heir to the throne and it's Cinderella's fault, her happy ever after starts falling apart. What follows is the story of the aristocracy of the times with the fae and other magic thrown in.

To be straight forward, "Cinderella's Secret Diary" is simply not what you'd expect but that is where the book's strength lies. What happens to Cinderella "after the fairy tale" (and before) is much different than you would expect. Who is the prince? Who is her fairy godmother? Why did she grow up without a mother? This book answers those questions with a HUGE dose of imagination that keeps you guessing as to how Cinderella's life will turn out. And, because I am a huge fan of stories tracing "the hero's journey", I LOVED I got to follow Cinderella's transformation from a young and timid newly married girl into a woman making her own decisions and standing by them. Also, the supernatural element is woven throughout the book in really creative ways and I totally dug that because I love a good fantasy novel (also, this book is cool because it's a cross between fantasy/historical fiction).

This book is definitely worth a read and I'm excited to dig into what will presumably be Book 2 of Cindrella's story. For adults it will be a quick but satisfying read, though I think that young adults/teens will find themselves most familiar with the writing style.

I highly recommend this story and this author as this author writes in such a way that you are transported into the story. This book is a very well written take on the classic cinderella story and one that you don't want to miss out on.

Well, it's definitely not Disney. Or Ever After. Or Once Upon A Time. It's definitely creepy and suspenseful. And I enjoyed it, it's just, well, I don't think I've ever read a book where I didn't like ANY of the characters. I mean, I understand they are "flawed", but I was left feeling...disturbed. And maybe that was the point.

3 out of 5 stars, this story/diary sets Cinderella in a mix of the "real world" for that time-period (the 1700's) and fantasy (as she has fey after her). It's truly a well-written story and if you like reading in a historical diary format with a little bit of magic in it then this is the book for you!!

The only real reason that I gave this book 3 stars is because this book wasn't for me. I choose to read it because of the fairytale aspect of it but I'm so use to reading books from multiple points-of-view that this book wasn't as interesting to me as it should have been.

However, I will freely admit the reason I finished reading this story is because of how the plot laid out, as once I began reading the story I had to find out what happened to Cinderella. The intrigue in this story pulled me in and wouldn't let go. Therefore, with that being said, if you like the mysterious novels you might enjoy this book because of that reason as well.

Review By: From Me to You ... Book Reviews
(read more of this review and two teasers on my blog)

I love stories which twist and turn. Which make me want to see what's around the next corner. Cinderella with a twist. Very good in my opinion and very well written right till the last word. Well worth reading and in some ways it made me feel like it was a whodunnit novel, my favourite kind of novel. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Chose the book on a chance. Excellent choice. I sat down not knowing what to expect. Of course thinking it would be juvenile. I was shocked to discover the many twists and turns the book took. I can't wait to read the second one . A great read highly recommended.

Love these stories, all the childhood ones you so loved presented with new twists! Thanks for keeping me interested time and again with superb writing. Couldn't get audio to work on my Kindle, so cannot comment on the narration of the audio version.