Keep on Believing - A Cinderella Story: Historical Cinderella Fairy Tale (Where Dreams Come True Book 4) by Marie Higgins: A Book Review

Keep on Believing - A Cinderella Story: Historical Cinderella Fairy Tale (Where Dreams Come True Book 4)
Author: Marie Higgins
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Amazon
Release Date: 2016
Pages: 180
Source: This book was given to me by Audiobookworm Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Taking some of the family’s jewels, Ella Spencer and her brother left the kingdom in the dead of night, escaping the clutches of their evil stepmother. Ella realized they need a different life than one of a servant. Now living in a new kingdom, Ella believes this is where they can start over again. So far, it’s working…until her brother’s school teacher starts poking his nose into their business. She cannot tell him the truth, yet deep down inside, she feels that he might be her Prince Charming after all, and be the one who’ll save her from danger.

Christopher Morgan is hiding secrets that he never plans to divulge. The sister of one of his students intrigues him, and he can’t keep from wanting to know more about her. When a man comes around asking questions, Chris fears Ella is not safe and he needs to protect her. But he finds that he is the one in need of a dream-come-true. Can he hope that Ella will be the one to rescue him out of his life before these secrets destroy him?

My Review: Keep on Believing is a retelling of Cinderella. Ella and her brother, Billy, leave the clutches of their evil grandmother and decide to settle in a new kingdom with a new identity. Everything seems fine until Billy’s school teacher starts looking into Ella and her family. Ella tries to hide her secrets, but as she starts to fall for him, she wonders if she should tell him the truth. Can Ella learn to trust him and learn to believe in love?

Ella was a very fun character. She is feisty and stubborn. She is also very practical. One thing that I love about Ella was that she definitely is not a damsel in distress and is very capable of relying on herself. Her only fault is that she spoils her brother Billy, much to his school teacher’s dismay. There were a few times that I disliked her because since she was a wealthy woman, she believed that every situation she runs into could be bought with money. I adored her romance with the school teacher, Chris. At first, they greatly disliked each other, then they gradually start to fall for each other.

Overall, this book is about family, trust, friendship, and love. While I did think that there was not much growth to the characters, I found them all to be likable. The world-building was a bit vague. The novel is mostly told rather than shown. There were also times that I questioned Chris’s teaching practices. Still, I greatly enjoyed the novel. The narrator did a great job in voicing all the characters. It was a very entertaining story, and one that I will definitely listen to or read again. This is a charming, light retelling that is perfect for all fairy-tale fans. I recommend Keep on Believing for fans of Melanie Dickerson, K. M. Shea, and Jenni James.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

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