Raewyn, a human girl, meets Stellon, the fae Crown Prince at the markets when trying to sell her mother's locket to feed her little sisters and father. Stellon invites her to the upcoming ball, and she enlists the help of an earth witch to attend. At the ball, things go wrong and Stellon must hide and protect Raewyn from his family.
This was a quick easy fantasy read, with simple world building and a well paced plot. The fae magic in this story was unique but easy to follow.
Raewyn's character only thought of saving her family, to her own detriment, and she was roped in to a twisted plot by the earth witch in order to feed them and support her father's health treatments. Stellon was the classic spoiled prince who doesn't really know what happens in his kingdom and is shocked to hear about Raewyn's life.
There is a Cinderella aspect in Raewyn's attendance of the ball and the way the earth wife dresses her and sends her off.
This book was listed as enemies to lovers - I didn't really feel like that fit the story. Raewyn and Stellon are from different worlds and might fit the star crossed lovers trope, but they weren't really enemies at any point.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and will look for the next one when it is released.

A Court Bright and Broken has the classic elements of fae-variety Romantasy and is loosely based on Cinderella, featuring duel POVs from the girl herself and the prince she finds resistible (at first, of course). I was originally drawn to this book because its outline is a winner, and its cover conveyed bright storybook vibes while hinting at darkness.

I personally found a disconnect between the writing style and content: the book does not shy away from the heavier world-building elements of slavery and poverty, as well as being open about sexual desire, but the prose felt aligned to a much younger audience. Because of this, I ultimately chose to DNF. Readers with different stylistic taste may be satisfied by the many types of scenes a reader could wish for in the abstract.

Thank you Oxford South Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Court Bright and Broken is an engaging Romantasy novel that blends romance with subtle fantasy elements, drawing comparisons to books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass.

The Character-building is one of the book’s strongest points, with a focus on developing the Raewyns', Stellon's and Pharis's characters and personalities from the very first chapter. However it was disappointing there was less of a focus of on the side characters with would have further developed the story. Additionally, the world building whilst subtle introduced the reader to a magical Fae realm full of danger, political intrigue, and secrets that keep you hooked from the start.

The plot centers on a young woman who, desperate to save her family, infiltrates the Fae royal court. There, she catches the attention of two princes, one possessive and protective, the other dark and mysterious. The enemies-to-lovers relationship between the protagonist and the princes is well done, with plenty of tension and chemistry, though the slow-burn romance can feel a bit predictable at times.
The main character is easy to root for, especially as she navigates difficult decisions to protect her family. While the two princes start off feeling like typical romance tropes—one a bit too controlling and the other brooding—they both evolve as the story goes on, keeping things interesting.

The pacing of the book is excellent, with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. Although the overall storyline doesn’t break new ground in terms of plot, it uses pre-existing tropes in a subtle yet engaging manner. if you enjoy romantic fantasy with a lot of tension and some royal intrigue, A Court Bright and Broken is an enjoyable read.

This slow burn, enemies to lovers Cinderella-esque retelling was exciting and tension inducing. Bargains, two possessive princes, and great banter alongside a female main character with strength, grit, and resilience. I really enjoyed this book and the balance between court politics/intrigue and romance. The banter was well done and often left me wanting more of their interactions, but in all the right ways. The cliffhanger? Really sets you up to pick up the next in series. This is my first book of Amy Patrick, but certainly will not be my last. If you love romantasy, pick this up!

Thank you NetGalley and Oxford South Press for an e-arc of this book!

This book was enjoyable! It read more YA that I had anticipated based on the synopsis that was provided. The twist on Cinderella was done well, I enjoyed the sibling aspect between the two brothers Stellon and Pharis and their sister, it was nice not to have a huge rivalry between the three. Raewyn was a quick-witted FMC, I enjoyed her!

I feel as though the world could have been a little more fleshed out with the Elven/Fae and human divide, but it was quick paced. Very dialogue heavy but not done badly at all! I have never read anything by this author, but she did a wonderful job, and I looking forward to reading book 2. This coming out on Valentines Day will be a fun quick read for a fairytale retelling lover.

Absolutely devoured this, I can't wait for the next book I am bouncing off the walls.
Amy did a fantastic job setting up the story, making her characters lovable and enjoyable.

A Court Bright and Broken was an absolutely surprising great read. This is my first book from this author, and I was excited to read this story. It did not disappoint, and it left me excited to read the next book in this series. I devoured this story from beginning to end and was not ready for that cliffhanger ending with Raewyn, Stellon, King Pontus and then Pharis. Raewyn and Stellon characters will have readers interested in them from their very first meeting and leave them wanting more however, there are more characters in this story that will have readers hooked. I don't want to give much away, but I will say that there was never a dull moment in this story. This slow burn romance story was funny, interesting, has a bit of mystery, suspense, anticipation and ends with a cliffhanger ending that left me wanting to not only read the next book in this series. This is definitely a great start to what I hope will be a fantastic series. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out other completed books/series from this author.

I really enjoyed this! This was everything I like in a romantasy book. i was so excited to have received this and given it a try!!! So thankful

This was an intriguing retelling of Cinderella, where Raewyn, a human, is coerced into attending the ball by a witch, and Prince Stellon is the Elf Crown Prince of the Sixlands, tasked with choosing a wife. The mix of familiar fairy tale elements and a magical, Elven world made for a refreshing and creative premise.

That said, I wish their relationship had been more developed. Some of their choices felt a little puzzling, which made it harder to fully connect with their journey. Even so, there were moments of tension and sweetness that I appreciated, and the story kept me turning pages to see how it all unfolded.

Overall, while it didn’t completely hit the mark for me, it’s still an enjoyable read for fans of fairy tale retellings with a fantasy twist. Definitely worth checking out if you love magical worlds and royal intrigue!

I appreciate the opportunity to read this but I will not be finishing.

I liked the Cinderella vibes but for being categorized as New Adult it read a little YA to me. There also didn't feel like there was a ton of world or character building which is something I love to see in a fantasy.

📚A Court Bright and Broken by Amy Patrick📚

Overall Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating:🫑

✨Tropes✨
⚔️Forbidden Romance
⚔️He Falls First
⚔️He Falls Harder
⚔️Cinderella Retelling
⚔️One Bed
⚔️”She’s Mine”

✨Initial Thoughts✨
Wow. Just wow. I went into reading this book with the vague notion that I would enjoy this book. I was blown away. I loved this book so much! There’s just something about this particular Cinderella retelling that combined the comfort of a well known story with enough of a fresh twist that really hooked me. This book has single handedly pulled me out of a reading slump.
Raewyn is a human who is on the verge of starvation when she happens to meet and help a young man, Stellon, in a market place. She later finds out that he’s fae when she escorts him home. Stellon invites Raewyn to the royal ball because he’s both captivated by her and grateful for her help. Raewyn isn’t planning on going, but her village’s witch convinces her to go. She is glamoured to look like Elven Fae and attends the ball. However things don’t go quite according to plan.

✨Pros✨
* Logical and mature FMC
* A cinnamon roll of a MMC
* Enjoyable twists to a familiar story
* The ending!! I need the next book now!! I need to know what’s going to happen.
* Romantasy - there was no spice in this, but I feel like the tension and longing more than made up for it. I don’t necessarily need spice in my romantasies as long as there is enough tension which there was.
* Great pacing. For me, I thought the pacing of this story was perfect.

✨Cons✨
* No real notes except I wish I had the next book in front of me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the gifted copy and the opportunity to review this book.

A Court Bright & Broken is a fun and sweet NA Romantasy based on Cinderella, set in a kingdom ruled by the Fae. It is well written and fast paced, with a unique twist on the Cinderella story. If you are a fan of NA Romantasy, badly behaved but handsome Faerie princes, and court intrigue, I think you will love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

What a compelling and well fleshed out world Amy Patrick has created in A Court Bright and Broken.

This book starts by introducing us to Stellon, a fae royal who likes to masquerade as a human at a local market and then Raewyn, who is a human girl trying to feed her family and look after her father. In this world humans and fae live in the same kingdom but are in completely different classes. Humans are at the bottom and have limited interaction with the fae. After a chance encounter and an invitation to a royal ball, our two main characters are forced to spend a lot of time together.

This book was entertaining, the writing was compelling and had a really nice setting that I was able to imagine while I was reading along.

Fun tropes and romantic tension left me in a position where I was rooting for Stellon and Raewyn. The pacing was pretty good but I felt like the ending was a little rushed and I could have done with another 30 or so pages.

Very excited to see where the story goes.

This was super fun and a great take on Cinderella. I absolutely love fairy tale retellings and this one hit all the boxes. Great characters and great plot.

4⭐️
🫑 (no explicit scenes. Tension based)

Thank you NetGalley and Oxford South Press for an e-arc of this book!

I was intrigued by the blurb of this story. A Fae retelling of Cinderella but throw in plots, magic, secrets, and betrayals.

We have Raewyn and Stellon, who first meet at a local human village market. Stellon, the fae crown Prince, in disguise to watch and draw the human interactions as a way to escape his royal life. Raewyn, a human, desperate to get money for her family to survive. After helping save his life, Stellon invites Raewyn to the ball being held at the royal estate. The problem? The fae and humans are sworn enemies that despise each other. Raewyn is determined to forget her interaction with the handsome fae but fate has other plans. Desperate to help her family, she turns for the local earthmother (witch) for help. The earthmother however, wants something in return. For Raewyn to attend that ball to complete a task she’ll find out later. Disguised as fae woman, Raewyn attends with naivety, not realizing her task is to assassinate the royal family. The pull between her love for her family and fondness of the not so cruel crown Prince becomes her ultimate battle, not knowing what to do.

I enjoyed this story. Stellon, man is a green flag! He’s artistic, genuine, and rational. I was honestly surprised how well written his character was. He has multiple depths.

I really enjoyed the sibling dynamic between Stellon and his brother and sister. I love when writers actually write good sibling relationships and love instead of the typical jealousy and competition. I’m interested to see where the next book takes them.

My one complaint, is this is marketed as a NA book and it felt more YA to me. I was looking forward to even a little spice (the storyline I do agree wouldn’t call for a ton so I’m ok with that). But, I felt a bit wanting for more when I finished. The connection between the FMC and MMC is there but I needed it to be pushed juuuust a bit more. I’m hoping the next book kicks the spice up more.

Overall, an interesting story and I’m excited to read book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very sweet and fun twist on Cinderella with elves and other types of Fair Folk along with humans. I was pleasantly surprised that it takes place in a sort of alternate history North America where the various territories are divided up amongst the Fae nobility (Marinus/East Coast gang represent). There's a really pretty map at the beginning in full color to show all these divisions, and more illustrations to come later after publication. I'm really curious to see the rest of the art at final release, plus there's a very handy glossary in the back for the terms if you really need it, but I found the magic self-explanatory through context (a GREAT thing, more authors do like that please!)

Stellon's probably going to be everybody's favorite; a sweet artistic type who likes to draw. Who doesn't like that? His brother Pharis might be a harder sell, but I liked the both of them as well as our plucky heroine Raewyn a whole lot. This book is very character driven and dialogue heavy, fortunately Patrick writes really nice dialogue. Courtly romance, a little bit of intrigue, lavish descriptions. This is a really nice book to come out on Valentine's Day and I think fans of series like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air) by Holly Black will find a lot to love here.

☆ Fun Factor 4/5
☆ Writing Style 4/5
☆ Characters 4/5
☆ Plot 3/5 (not much happened here, it's more about the characters interacting with each other)
☆ Setting 5/5
☆ Feels 3/5

Ultimate verdict ☆☆☆☆/5

☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Stellon!

In Amy Patrick's created a magical and yet realistic world, where Fae and Humans existed with full awareness of one another. The High Fae utilized their influence and "glamours" to exert control over Humans and lower Fae folks. Humans were left to suffer annd fend for themselves. Aside from the Fae, we have characters known as Earthwives…only “humans” who seem to have magic.

Things I enjoyed about this story:

*Well paced throughout the story
*Some of characters felt awkward yet relatable
*Intrigued by the concept of an EarthWife
*Pharis, he was just entertaining and I love the interactions between him and everyone else.

*There was tension between Raewyn and Stellon, but for me they didn’t feel like they should be “together”

*Raewyn blinded by her need to help her family, she walked into a situation fully unprepared.

Stellon (our crowned fae prince) would rather escape his castle and spend time watching humans at the market than fulfill his princely duties. Stellon doesn’t have much of a backbone due to his father’s belittling throughout the years. Along with his “lesser” glamour, Stellon admits he has done shameful things in the past. Stellon did demonstrate a good heart in wanting to help Raewyn (our FMC). However, I felt like he was too sheltered to understand the full extent of the world and the wrongness that happened under his own roof. His obsession/feelings with Raewyn could easily be twisted into a villainous character twist. I’m intrigued to see what happens with him.

Raewyn (Human) has spent her life taking care of her family. She provides food when possible, teaches them to read (an unheard of skill for the lower class), and still shields them from the horrors of the world. Personally, I feel like Raewyn has a strong foundation and I’m interested to see how she develops. She is still young and naïve when it comes to social interactions and actions of the heart. Her inability to hurt others regardless of the threats against her family, showed me the strength of her heart.

Pharis (fae, second son of the king) He is portrayed as his evil and cruel being. Not unfamiliar with the ladies and has quite a reputation. However, you can see when he interacts with his siblings his is truly the protective type. He does strike me as more morally grey than anything, so naturally I want to find out more about him. His actions to protect Raewyn solely because he loved his brother made me love this character more.

I have so many questions after reading this book, I don’t want to give any spoilers away though.

*I’d like to know more about Raewyn’s mother. There were a few things that made me question Raewyn’s background as well as lineage.
*At one point, Pharis communicates with Raewyn in an unorthodox way…which again makes me question not only her but their connection together.
*How did Earthwife’s come to be?

Overall this was a strong start to a series. I look forward to seeing where it goes as well as hopefully getting some answers.