A fun twist on an old tale! Perfect for readings who love Olivia Atwater's books and fairytale retellings from a different perspective. This book was delightful, fun, and the romance was so sweet.

It's very well written and doesn't feel at all like a debut novel. The story is compelling, and the resolution absolutely perfect.
I loved the setting, the atmosphere and the characters, especially Theo, the MC. She is complex, funny, smart and so relatable. The other characters might not be as developed, but each of them bring something great to the table and they worked perfectly together, or against each other.

WOW is all I can say about How to Summon a Fairy Godmother. I adored this from page one. The writing was so immersive and adept, I'm a little shocked this is a debut novel. The cover, too, is just stunning and conveys the tone of the story perfectly.

I love fairy tale retellings, especially from points of view that are not the typical heroine, and Theodosia was certainly an unexpected heroine. She does not want to get married, summons a fairy godmother to assist her, and shenanigans ensue. From the first line, it has a slightly irreverent tone that kept me glued to my seat until the book was done. And as much as I enjoy a retelling from a new perspective, I especially love the ones that explore what comes after the Happily Ever After (I'm looking at you Just Ella).

Also, since this was an audio ARC, I have to say that the narrator did a fantastic job bringing Theodosia to life. Overall, I loved this and I'm so excited to see what Laura J. Mayo comes out with next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for granting me an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous. It’s what made me want to pick it up in the first place. This is a wonderful pick for cozy fantasy readers.

How To Summon a Fairy Godmother reimagines the classic Cinderella tale from the perspective of Theo, one of the stepsisters. Instead of focusing on Cinderella, the novel follows Theo's journey of self-acceptance, and taking charge of one's life. Mayo's writing is rich and humorous, blending fairy tale magic with darker themes of identity and choice. Theo is a flawed but determined heroine. If you're looking for something light, playful, and filled with magical musings, this is a delightful read.

At first, I was unsure if I was going to like this book. I was completely wrong though.

I truly enjoyed reading this books. Theo's growth as a person was amazing. Having never had someone believe in her during her life, once she had people in her life that did, she recognized the potential she had the entire time. I loved it!

Though this has romance in it, for me it was more about a woman trying to find her way in the world in a different way that was acceptable to current society/culture. So relatable. So fun. So lovely.

Hmmm.... I liked this book but didn't LOVE it.

It's a cute, humorous tale about Cinderella's stepsisters AFTER Cinderella gets married and life goes on. In this story, one of the sisters, Theodosia, gets excited when she learns her mother has promised her to a duke! Only to quickly find out the duke is about 10 million years old. Haha.

So, the basic plot revolves around her calling on Cinderella's fairy godmother to get her OUT of her engagement. The godmother sets Theo up with three tasks that she must complete before she'll grant her wish, and the tasks primarily take place in the world of fae.

Now, the imagery is lovely, and the prose is quite good. I have no complaints with those aspects of the story. But unfortunately, the book was a bit slow for me. It picked up a bit when Theo meets a handsome but tricksy fae gentleman, but it wasn't enough to save it for me.

I saw someone's review on Goodreads that said something about the first 1/4 of the book could have been summed up in a single chapter, and I tend to agree with that. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, and this story didn't significantly change that story (other than to make Cinderella a bit entitled and bratty and a little more deserving of her fate). So yeah. I think the author would have captured my attention better if she hadn't spent so much time re-telling the Cinderella story.

By the time she got to the good stuff, I was a little bored with the book already. As I said, the fae bits picked up the pace quite a bit and made the book enjoyable. (Before this point, it was going to be a 1.5- to 2-star book at most.) But since I was already a little bored by the beginning, it wasn't enough for the whole thing to turn around and be "great" for me.

I also had some issues with the ending. The "twist" wasn't a problem. I didn't mind that. But the ending ultimately left me a bit dissatisfied. I can't say more than that without risking spoilers, though.

Still, if you enjoy fairy tale retellings, you might get into this one. It's not a bad book at all.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the free audiobook. I really enjoyed listening to this retelling of the Cinderella story with fairies and familiars. The narrator was excellent and I found the story to be very enjoyable! I am excited that this is the first book in a series, as there are so many characters that I would like to read about again and get to know better. Also, I felt like Theo's story was not fully concluded I'd like to see her makeup with Lock, as I really do think there is more to that story.

The romantic aspects of the book fizzled out in a slightly disappointing manner. However, the descriptions of fantasy and magic were exquisite. Theo's adventures were at turns hilarious, infuriating, and sometimes daring. I loved the wardrobe details and the general sass of most of the characters.

Now that Theo is a familiar, I wonder what animal shape she will take? Additionally, I love that she chose to end her family's cycle of abuse and chose to forgive her step-sister, and to apologize to the little girl she tormented. That in itself was a very satisfying conclusion to her story.

I recommend this to lovers of fairytale retellings and Romantasy, although I will share that the romance elements are not the main focus of the novel. It does read akin to cozy fantasy to me with a few elements of childhood abuse that are discussed throughout the book.

I really wanted to love this, the synopsis sounded so good and the book cover / title pulled me in, but I was unable to get pulled in by the audio. I didn’t enjoy the narrator and she made it hard to want to care about the story. I decided to DNF for those reasons.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Orbit for this Audio ARC Copy! 4.5 Stars

I had such a fun time with this book. I loved every minute of it and the Narrator did a perfect job with the story. I love a good retelling, especially when they focus on well known characters that aren't usually the main character, and in this story we follow 'Cinderella's' step sister. It was really interesting getting the different POV and seeing things out of the fairytale lens.
I really enjoyed the fae in this book as well, definitely more the traditional sneaky fae and not the sexy kind.
I can't wait for the next book in the series!

How to Summon a Fairy Godmother by Laura J. Mayo is a charming twist on the Cinderella story, seen through the eyes of one of her stepsisters. I was hooked from the start! Theo may seem a bit annoying at first, but as her journey unfolds, you really start to connect with her. The story is packed with fun twists, and the mix of romance and fantasy keeps it engaging throughout.

This book was so fun and satisfying! The audiobook narrator is incredible and really brings the story to life. Overall, I loved this book!

Netgalley gave me a free audio copy in exchange for an honest review. I like fairy tales and retellings, but the fae world can get boring for me. This book was not boring at all! Theo is an interesting heroine, not perfect, but you're on her side in general. She learns and grows, but still has her flaws by the end of the story. I like when retellings show the hidden sides of characters that were mostly just props in the original story.

I really liked the premise for this book as a unique twist on the Cinderella story told with one of the 'evil' stepsister's as the protagonist. However, I thought the execution of the story fell a little flat. It started off strong but lost steam for me towards the middle and I struggled to stay interested towards the end. It was still good on audio and I would recommend it for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

“The silence that surrounded them was the auditory equivalent of pudding-thick, heavy, and uncomfortable to sit in.”

I discovered How To Summon A Fairy Godmother through its audio version. I loved how Josie’s Charles’ narration enhanced the writing’s rhythm and sounds, and also made it look like a fairy tale even more. Because a fairy tale it was.
What happens after the end of Cinderella? That’s what explores the book. Theo, one of the “evil stepsisters”, is the main character here, and tries to summon the same fairy godmother who helped her sister to marry the prince. More than a redemption arc –even though it can be considered like that– this story is more a way to look the whole story through her eyes and –maybe– learn to have empathy for her –yes, it’s a tour de force that manages the author here. I loved that, because nothing in life is black and white, but a marvellous shade of greys instead, and discovering all the points of view in a situation is always very enlightening.
This tale was sometimes (very) funny, sometimes enraging, sometimes thrilling, sometimes sad. I loved to discover the fairytale world, to see that not everything is beautiful there too, discovering the whole gallery of side characters, all very funny –and mostly all morality grey, no matter the species.
When I finished listening to the story, I had bittersweet feelings about the whole, and especially the end. But after a few days, I came to the conclusion that it was the best decision possible, as it was –in the end– the best arc possible for that character. I hope, however, that we will see her –and that she’ll have more developments– in the next book of the series.

Thank you Laura J. Mayo, Orbit, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. My opinions are my own.

this is how you write a debut. PHENOMENAL SENSATIONAL SPECTACULAR.

I really had a great time reading this. the writing is full of witty remarks that slowed my reading pace a bit because i needed time to process them but that's part of this book's charm! not to mention that it's SO funny, God help me!! i got hooked since the beginning and it's being consistently interesting throughout the story. the characters are charming, seemed like everyone is beautiful and stunning (with the exception of some that can be counted with 1 hand's fingers). I loved Theo's character development. she's just a daughter that wasn't loved enough and grew up bitter and lonely. the resolution and the twist were a little bittersweet but really smart! truly a fresh spin of Cinderella. can't wait for the sequel<3

lastly, the audiobook narrator was exceptional, her voice was pleasing to hear and really brought out the character's personas. i have no notes 10 out of 10.

What I enjoyed:
1. The Cinderella retelling from the perspective of a stepsister
2. A morally grey and dimensional look into a previously "wicked" character.
3. The twist at the end. I wasn't expecting it and it flipped the classic tale upside down. (Similar to what Wicked did for The Wizard of Oz).

This is more of a 3.5-star read that I'm rounding up to 4 based on the ending. Some points pulled me in, but too often plot dragged along. There was a point where I debated putting it down. I'm glad I didn't, the ending redeemed it. If you enjoy retellings for their different perspectives, this is a good one to pick up,

I listened to this on audio and the production value and narration were well done and enhanced the reading experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC

A fascinating and original twist on the Cinderella fairytale. This time we follow one of the wicked stepsisters (not as wicked after all) as she tries to summon the fairy godmother herself and gets caught up in a deal. I thought it was a bit slow moving at times, but liked the story. I found the concept really fun. Our fmc was kind of naive and the fairy godmother morally grey at best. I enjoyed the bargains and the development of our fmc. A fascinating fantasy.

This was amazing! I skipped the blurb and start reading (or rather listening) blind. The only thing I kind of vaguely knew about the plot was that it‘s a retelling of the Cinderella story. So, you can imagine my surprise when the book was like „yeah, forget about Cinderella, let‘s hang out with one of the step-sisters.“ Perfect. That‘s exactly my type of story. Take a well known fairytale and retell it with an interesting twist and you have my attention. And boy did Laura J. Mayo manage to keep my attention for the duration of the entire story.

I did love following Theo‘s story who I found to be a lot more interesting than Cinderella/Beatrice to be honest. I liked seeing her discover and come to terms with who she really is and how that affected her interactions with the other characters as the story went on. Also, there is that one scene where Theo tells a story from her childhood that will hunt me for a long time. If you read the book you probably know which scene I‘m talking about.

How to Summon a Fairy Godmother was simply put an incredible book with a very unique take on a beloved tale that will keep you under its magic till the last page and beyond.

This Cinderella retelling puts one Theo, one of the wicked step-sisters in the spotlight and boy is it delightful. Theo is messy and complicated in a way fantasy romance leads rarely get to be. I listened to the audio version of this and the narration was well done. If you’re a fan of fairytale retellings, the Assistant to the Villain Series, fairy/regency romance this one will tickle you. I’ll be waiting for more in this series!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

Generally, I thought this was fine. The premise was cute and the characters had potential but I don't know that I loved the execution. It is cozy and a bit whimsical. I would recommend the audio probably over the text to help pull you through the slower bits.

Thank you so much for the audio ARC. I arrest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.