Thoughts

This review might not come out into complete sentences because I'm having trouble calming down from how frakking fantastic this book was. I just finished it last night. And the only reason I didn't read it in one sitting is because my body doesn't do sitting still for very long. But I was giddy with happiness from beginning to end. Gah, like I loved these characters. I loved all the geekiness and even the acknowledgements had me holding my chest and grinning.

Let's start off with the obvious. It's a Cinderella retelling. And while normally I'd be all, "There are too many of these" I will say this one felt different. It didn't like the tropes/outline of Cinderella drive what was going to happen. It was like she put the story together and then realized it was Cinderella. The writing just flowed together. And even when I was able to predict some of the plot (because it IS still a retelling) I didn't care and just loved seeing how this particular story weaved together.

The best part of this story though was all the fandom shoutouts. The whole plot revolves about this tv show Starfield which is similar to Star Trek, Firefly, and Battle Star Gallactica. But then there were all these name drops. They talk about Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter, Dr.Who, Sherlock, and Batman. And that was only in the first 20%. As Poston describes the Con (Which I'm pretty sure is a shoutout to Dragon Con in Atlanta) you feel like you are there. These fans come together to support their own. Showing that online friends are REAL friends and that we know how to come together. I was so excited during the whole conference and cosplay contest. While I've never done one myself I have wanted to and would've killed to attend Dragon Con. There are so many fandoms out there and places to share who you are with others who get you. Geekerella really hits on that feeling of belonging that fans tend to find amongst each other. I just couldn't get enough of it. Geekerella will be on my top books for the year. I can already tell.

I am a sucker for Cinderella retellings. Out of all of the fairytales in the world, this is one that just never gets old to me. Seeing one that was a retelling with a fandom twist, well...I was sold. My expectations for anything Cinderella-like...hatred of the stepmother, love of the Cinderella character, and tons of swoons. This book delivered.

Geekerella follows Elle, our nerdy Cinderella character, and Darien, our prince Charming. Both are deep in the world of Starfield (kind of seemed like a mix of Star Wars and Star Trek, with a dedicated fandom like Doctor Who). Obviously Elle is living with her stepmother and stepsisters, while working constantly to try to save up to get out of there. Her anticipation for Starfield to be brought to the big screen is high, until they announce who will be playing the lead...Darien. Not the ideal pick in her eyes, Darien comes across as the Hollywood type that is in it for the money. Little does she know he is a major Starfield fan as well.

This book follows texts, blogs, and various fandom things. It has so much that I think we all can relate to, and what some may dream of in our world of fandoms. The connection between Darien and Elle is something else. It's real, not without it's imperfections, but very much their own. I found myself rooting for them, longing for them to be together. I found myself feeling all the emotions I typically do in a Cinderella story (I even teared up a bit. Seriously, a huge Cinderella nerd here).

This book was adorable and I sucked it all up so fast. It was everything I wanted it to be, and I cannot wait for it to be out in the world for everyone else to get their hands on it. We need more retellings like this. What a wonderful, heartwarming story.

This book was adorable and perfect - I LOVED IT!

Two things that I will never get tired of: Cinderella retellings and books about fandoms. And Geekerella was BOTH - lucky me! This book was everything that I hoped it would be - beautiful friendships, adorable romance, family drama, great self-discovery, and the heart of the story showcased all the positivity that comes out of being a part of a fandom!

There is a great range of diverse characters and they are all amazing. Our main characters are Elle and Darien, and the story is told through their alternating POVs - I really enjoyed this! Elle is such a relatable character, I think we've all felt a little lonely and different at some point in our lives. And for me, I saw myself in her every time she felt weird and different but being a part of a fandom helped her feel less alone. I'm still that girl, so I just loved reading about a character I could relate so easily to.

Then there's Darien - such a sweetheart! I enjoyed seeing his side of the story because his life is the complete opposite of Elle's but similar in a lot of ways, too. He's the current heartthrob and I liked seeing how he dealt with fame. Also, the pressure he experiences to live up to such an important role in a reboot (of an already beloved series) was interesting to read.

I have to point out that the fandom surrounding this series, Starfield, is AWESOME. In this world, it was the first sci-fi series to have a POC playing the lead.. So, I was already sold on this book being awesome from that alone.

The romance is adorable! All the family drama is very much like Cinderella, which I enjoyed since I'm such a fan of the original tale. The friendships are the BEST, and her friend Sage is SO awesome (I miss her already)! Okay. Obviously, I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone who enjoys Cinderella or contemporary stories! :)

Geekerella has been on my radar because of the praise it has been getting from my Goodreads friends. Normally, I’m not one for famous-people-romances, but it was becoming harder and harder for me to dismiss the praise, so I decided to give it a go. And OMG. I’m so so thrilled I decided to read it because this book made my shipper heart indescribably happy. It’s such a sweet Cinderella retelling, which manages to not only be fresh, but memorable in every way.

I honestly thought every aspect of Geekerella was fantastic, but for me what really stood out was how well-developed the characters were. Ashley Poston may have been inspired by an old fairy tale, but she takes her time to flesh out her characters so that they are so much more than their fairy tale counterparts. There’s Danielle, our Cinderella, who I almost immediately connected with because she’s so likeable. She’s pretty much living in hell with her step-mother and the evil step-sisters, but she still manages to have hope, courage and kindness for those around, much like the original Cinderella. I found her exuberance for her favorite show, Starfield, that she bonded with her father over, to be infectious. Just as the title indicates, she was a total geek and an adorable one at that.

We are also luckily privy to Darien’s, a teen heartthrob, who is set to play Prince Carmindor in a reboot of Starfield, voice. I thought it was great that the author added his POV to the book because it added an extra dimension to Geekerella. I loved this boy so much. He may have been a famous celebrity, but he was humble, slightly tortured, and such a genuinely good guy. His complicated relationship with his dad, his desire to want to do a good job as Prince Carmindor even though the fandom wasn’t rooting for him, and his sweet demeanor made him easy to fall for.

His and Danielle’s relationship was the perfect slow burn kind that develops through text messaging – I’ve come to realize just how much I love it when book characters fall in love via letters and texts. It makes everything extra swoony, especially when they finally get around to meeting. I was nervous that when Elle and Darien would meet, there would be unnecessary drama and separation given how Elle wrote a scathing blog post about Darien being cast as Prince Carmindor, but the author manages to keep the romance surprisingly drama-free. It’s a sweet romance with so many deliciously shippy moments, and I 100% felt the connection between the two as they found solace in one another. Besides the romance, we also get a great friendship in the form of Elle’s budding relationship with Sage, her co-worker at the food truck. It was lovely to see a great positive female friendship here.

I also loved how effortlessly diverse Geekerella was. Darien was of Indian descent, and there was also a super sweet f/f ship that I LOVED – seriously, I legit flailed and squeed when it happened because it just was so unexpected, but also I didn’t realize how much I wanted it until it happened. I thought the fandom elements were also written beautifully. It’s an amazing feat, in my opinion, that Ashley Poston was able to make me feel like this fandom was actually real and that I, myself, was part of it. I also really loved how she incorporated elements from Cinderella into the story. The great thing about it all was how it remained cheese-free! I loved all the homage the book pays to the Disney version.

Yeah so, if you’re looking for a book that you will devour from start to finish, that will give you all sorts of swoony feels and make you giddy with all the fandom references, then what are you waiting for? Buy Geekerella ASAP. You will not regret this purchase!

“I hear the observation deck is nice this time of year, Carmindor.”
“Only on the south side of Metron.”

You’d think you’ve seen one Cinderella retelling and you’ve seen them all, right? Geekerella proved me wrong and, trust me, I have seen and read almost all of them. It takes the retelling to a level I wasn’t expecting; I wasn’t disappointed. I knew the anger for her stepmother and stepsisters was going to be off the charts, and it was, but in the end the rest of the story was much more interesting and the frustration for Elle’s situation was put a little bit on the side.

The beauty of this book is that there’s not only Elle’s side of the story. We see as much of Elle’s life and we see Darien’s. We see both stories, both struggles and how their worlds, so different, collides. I loved all the geeky references. I’m happy to say I knew every single one of them. It’s great to see someone else being as much of a geek as you are.

Elle is a super fan of a classic tv series called Starfield. He saw every single episode a trillion times with her father and now that he’s gone, she still feels the show like a big connection between them. She is a Stargunner, that’s the fandom name, and writes a blog about it. It’s funny seeing how the fandom explodes as soon as a reboot of the series is announced. I have seen this happening so many times. We have new fans of the series, old fans, and fans of the actors playing the roles. And it’s a complete chaos. Tumblr drama!

Our dear Darien, a character I loved from the very beginning, is an actor and, yes, he is going to play Carmindor in the new reboot movie. Are the fans happy? Of course not. They don’t know how big of a geek our boy is. Oh, if they knew they’ll be totally in love with him and much more supportive. Playing such a big role, a character people have loved for years, puts a lot of pressure on such a young boy. His life is not going to be the same. Darien is already famous; he acts in a tv series, maybe something like 90210 or Dawson’s Creek, and has lots of adoring fangirls. And with adoring, I mean obsessing.

Elle works in a vegan food truck called the Magic Pumpkin with the eccentric Sage. She has a curfew and has to do every single chore around the house. The poor girl is a mess and needs to find the courage to stand up for what’s right and build herself a better present and future. She doesn’t need to be saved; she needs to believe she can so that she will be free of the injustices life has thrown at her.

"But no one should be that vicious, period. She’s like a Dalek with a blacklist. Absolutely relentless."

Darien, on the other hand, doesn’t have a perfect life like people might think. He is rich, famous and has landed a big movie role, but he isn’t himself, he sells the image his manager, his father, has built for him. He just wants to show the world the things he cares about, he wants to show his weak sides, his fun sides, a lot about him that people usually assumes without taking time to know him better. Darien is such a sweet boy, adorable and funny. There’s so much about him that people don’t see and it’s a pity because I think those sides of him are what makes him the wonderful boy he is.

Needless to say, I loved Elle and I definitely loved Darien. I wanted them to find happiness, to be their best selves and to be free of things that were taking them down. Let’s just say I was glad this was a retelling because if there was not going to be a happy ending I was going to get cranky. I love happy endings.

There’s so much to love about this book. It deals with the importance of representation in the media: Darien is dark skinned and so is Carmindor. A kid seeing someone like him in a tv show is important, can change the way they face the world, it can make a difference. It also has lgbtqia+ characters: they aren’t in the background, only mentioned and soon forgotten. I always struggle to understand how hard can it be to write diverse books. We live in a diverse world and our everyday lives aren’t all one shade. It should be easy, almost too easy in my opinion.

This is my second retelling of the year and, as I said before, I was not disappointed. I have smiled a lot and a book that makes me feel so much has to be a book worth reading. Right?

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite."

Disney meets nerdom in this delightfully geeky Cinderella story. Danielle "Elle" Wittimer is struggling through life with her controlling stepmother and stepsisters straight out of Mean Girls. What she holds onto most is her love of the show Starfield, which is her last remaining connection to her dead parents. Darien Freeman is a teenage actor who lands his dream role playing the lead character in the Starfield reboot movie - but will he be able to break out of the soap opera heartthrob shadow of his previous role and be appreciated by the nerdy Starfield fans? Going back and forth between Elle's and Damien's perspectives, Geekerella provides a modern and geeky twist on the classic fairy tale that will appeal to nerds across all fandoms.

Very, very funny and sweet. I swallow up fandom books whole, and this was a self-indulgent, feel-good look at the world of cons - with Cinderella! I loved Elle and Darien a lot.

“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”

Fairy tale retellings seem to be growing trend within in young adult fiction. But with the added bonus of geekery and fandoms, Geekerella by Ashley Poston stands out among the crowds. Based on the classic tale of Cinderella, this cute and fun romance was a quick and enjoyable read.

Danielle (Elle) Wittimer is our leading geeky girl. Growing up, Elle and her late father would watch this classic sci-fi series Starfield together. This helped fuel Elle’s love for the fandom, and helped her stay connected with her dad even after his passing. However, when Starfield is rebooted for a movie remake, Elle is skeptical of the male lead’s ability to bring Prince Carmindor to life. Enter Darien Freeman, the book’s token celebrity heartthrob. Darien has always wanted to play Carmindor, but due to his overbearing manager and gossip magazine headlines, he’s known more his abs than his geeky obsession. These two characters become intertwined via some digital magic and the story evolves from there.

Now it wouldn’t be a Cinderella retelling without a ball, and the story soon becomes centered around Elle trying to win a cosplay contest to gain an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball. Working for the Magic Pumpkin food truck, another allusion to the classic tale, Elle is determined to make enough money to buy tickets to the Con and win the contest. Darien is also involved with the Con; his celebrity status ensuring that he is used for promotional purposes despite his efforts in maintaining a “normal teenage” life.

With a little magic, and a whole lot of Lord of the Rings references, the story unfolds in a cute and romantic way. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was the wicked stepmother. Catherine, the stepmom, gave Dolores Umbridge a run for her money for most-hated-female-antagonist. She made me so frustrated.

Overall, this book was very entertaining. It had all the classic ingredients for the Cinderella story - the evil stepmother, the crazy stepsisters, even the glass slipper! But with a few twists and turns (and a moment of redemption for a hated character), this rendition felt fresh and new. There were many nods to famous fandoms. Starfield itself seemed like a show that I would want to watch with hints of Firefly and Stargate SG1. It also included some POC and diversity in it’s storyline which is always refreshing to read!

A must read!
If you are a young adult or young at heart this is the perfect read. With a lot of pop culture references and an amazing story line this will definitely capture your heart.
This is the kind of book that will leave you feeling like you just lost a friend when it is over. Can't wait to see more from this author.
Praise Ashley Poston for this amazing installment.

Cute and sweet. It's nice when you have a story that is familiar enough to feel like home but with new twists to keep it relevant and still told well enough that it doesn't make you feel like something from your childhood has been ruined.

This review is in exchange for a free copy received from netgalley.com.

Wow. I have not read a YA book that I've fallen in love with in a lonnnng time. This was such a cute, fun read! I'm so happy I got an ARC for this and am so excited to recommend it to my friends and my students! I love a good Cinderella retelling and the whole geek/nerd/fandom premise is awesome. As someone who has definitely geeked out over various things, I could relate to being a fangirl. I will definitely be purchasing this book to keep on my shelf!

I really enjoyed this modern and nerdy retelling of Cinderella. It had everything from cosplays to cons to fangirling/fanboying moments to sparks flying between nerds - all mixed with a food truck (the pumpkin carriage), a punk girl and lesbian Sage (the fairy godmother) and glass slippers which are part of a cosplay. Elle carries an emotional depth, much deeper than previous Cinderellas in my opinion, and shows the effects of child abuse. While I wanted her to stand up for herself, I understand that she's just a teen and finding the strength to face her abusers is hard - something that resonates with me as someone with anxiety and finding solace in fiction.

I love Darien, the co-protagonist and a PoC (yay!). Not only he is a heartthrob actor starring as the lead of Elle's favourite show/reboot, he's a fanboy himself. Like Elle, he has family/relationship issues and struggles through the hurdles thrown at him. This book is written for us fangirls and fanboys. It doesn't matter that an introvert/nerd developing a relationship with a celeb is far fetched. I didn't doubt Elle and Darien for a second. As for the stepmother and stepsister (there are two but one turns out to be good), they don't get much of a backstory or character development, but that's fine because sometimes villains don't deserve to be sympathised.

This is a must-read retelling!

Prepare for the gush, y'all, because I absolutely LOVED this book! I can count on one hand the number of YA contemporaries I've truly enjoyed: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Upside of Unrequited, and The Female of the Species.

And now Geekerella!

This book is adorable. I don't have any other word for it. You'll find all the familiar elements of Cinderella in this new spin involving a blogger/sci-fi geek, another geek/actor, and a convention that's sure to be out of this world! It reminded me a bit of that movie, A Cinderella Story, the one with Hillary Duff (y'all know the one I'm talking about?). That kind of modern day with the girl who doesn't quite fit in and how she rises above it and gets her happily ever after anyway.

First off: Elle.

This girl is ON FIRE. Her twin step-sisters are absolutely dreadful and so much fun to hate, though I think I hated her stepmother even more. All she wants is to hold on to the one thing that was hers and her father's: Starfield. The show that meant it all and I loved that this was the connection to him, that she was the fan that knew it all and then some, the blogger writing those scathing articles attacking anything that might damage the nostalgia of the show.

Her stepmother makes an excellent villain because not only is she awful and easy for the reader to dislike but she has a backstory for the way she acts. In her own twisted way she wants the best for Elle (what she thinks it the best, at least) and while it doesn't redeem her actions in my eyes, it makes her human. The same with the twins. They're written as being basically the same person but you soon realize that perhaps that's not quite true.

I think what got me most about this book is that it centers around this show, Starfield, and the fact that it's being remade into a movie with a whole new cast and everything. Now, how many of you are already cringing at the thought of your favorites being made into a movie or remade, whatever the case? I know I would.

Elle is all of us. And her prince is the actor taking over the lead role. Darien was an interesting perspective to read because I can't say I know much about celebrity life but I liked the way Poston showed that he wasn't about all the glitz and glam. He's constantly challenged by the show and his career, his texting with Elle, what he wants out of life.

Both of these characters are just so real. The thing about contemporaries, for me, is that I never believe them. Which is crazy because I primarily read fantasy so don't ask me to make sense of that. I'm not sure I can. But with contemporary, it's in our world with nothing else to explain away the unbelievable plot. Geekerella wasn't out-of-this-world in terms of a crazy plot. The story was grounded. This is a girl who has a not-so-great home life, a boy who has been betrayed and hurt, a family in shambles after a death and handling it in their own way, a show that is more than a show.

I saw myself in Elle, in her struggles through life and trying to overcome a bad situation to make a better one. I saw myself in Darien, figuring out what I really want while letting others make the decisions for me until I get to that point. I saw myself with their romance, the late night texts and waiting for the other to respond, spilling secrets before you even realize you're doing it.

This book is pure magic.

For the misfits and the dreamers, the geeks and the cool kids, I say to you: read Geekerella. Because everyone can get something out of this book.

Who needs fluffy Doctor Who Cinderella fan fiction?

I NEED FLUFFY DOCTOR WHO CINDERELLA FAN FICTION.

YES I DO YES I DO.

This book is GLORIOUS, people. The story follows a fangirl blogger and the incoming lead on a sci-fi serial in a You've Got Mail sort of situational romance. It has all of the traditional Cinderella elements we know, but modernized and nerdified.

HOORAY FOR DIVERSE CHARACTERS! One of the leads is POC, and there's also LGBTQIA+ people. It is a Cinderella story, so there is emotional abuse, but that is to be expected.

I read Geekerella in a matter of hours. Once you start this, you won't put it down. It's just the right amount of fluff and substance. And if you're part of the world of geekdom, you'll find this instantly relatable. And who can resist the bright purple cover?

Geekerella was absolutely adorable! I kept debating on my rating for it though and that's because the first 25% was up and down, and I was afraid I wasn't going to like it. After pushing through that 25% I ended up finished the rest of the book in one sitting and can admit that I am indeed a fan. It's got our favorite similarities to the classic it was based off of, Cinderella, yet stills has a unique twist to keep it fun and it's own story. I loved the characters and loved seeing them and the story grow. Reading this and seeing how dedicated our main character, Elle, was to her fandom, Starfield, really makes me want to cosplay for Comic Con this year too! Fans of retellings will definitely love this one, and for fans who do not like retellings, I still believe you should give Geekerella a chance as there's enough differences to keep it unique. Plus if you have your own favorite fandom that you go crazy for, you'll without a doubt be able to relate to this story!

Elle is the "Cinderella" of the tale, abused and misused by her stepmother and twin stepsisters. Her only respite is her love of Starfield, a cult classic science fiction show, which her father used to obsess over. When a movie of her beloved Starfield is made but casts a resident heartthrob as the main character her world looks set to come crashing down. Her vitriolic rant on her blog goes viral.
Meanwhile said heartthrob Darien Freeman is also a huge fan of the show but doesn't think he is good enough to take on the role of a lifetime, especially when he sees a certain blog-post.
Fate lends a hand when the two start texting over ExcelsiCon, started by Elle's father and soon to be graced by the new star. When the two meet for the first time will it be love or loathing?
As a firm geek immersed in all things fandom I was captivated by the description and had to read it. I read it through in one sitting and felt so satisfied when I finished that I immediately wanted to read it again.
Ashley Poston has a great grasp of the life of a fangirl, everything from heartfelt blog posts and how one show can transform your life right down to the utter heartbreak you feel when your beloved character is going to be played by someone you think just can't handle the role.
She also made the world around the main story believable with her insights on celebrity culture, today's obsession with YouTube reaction videos and High School pecking orders.
But I think the best part, for me, was the reality of her descriptions of the science fiction convention and how it is like a family. The scene with the Starfield salute made me tear up. (My best memory ever is Joss Whedon showing up to a convention and everyone spontaneously breaking into "You can't take the sky from me.")
If you are a fan of anything at all, you will love this book.

"Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite". This has to be my favorite book thus far of 2017! This modern day take on Cinderella was just what i needed to pull me out of my book slump. Ashley is an amazing writer and I can see her quickly rising to the top 10 list. Geekerella was so fun for me as I am that fan girl, convention nerd, and misunderstood girl! She wrote a fun story told in alternating perspectives. The supporting cast was well written and make you love/hate them. You will find yourself rooting for Elle, as she endures an evil step mother ans evil step sisters all while trying to find her place in life and come to accept her fathers passing and that she really is her fathers child. Darien makes you wish you could just jump through the book and scream at all the people taking advantage of his stardom. I believe this book will quickly rise up in the book tube community, so i suggest everyone read it. This book was super, super cute and i loved every page of it! Thank you Quirk Books and Netgalley for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review! 5 stars from me!

Ohhhh I LOVED this one !!! It was so cute and emotional and full of Cinderella awesomeness.

I love all the fandom in here, the cosplay, the con.. just so great !! I love those kind of things, and even though I'm not brave enough to cosplay, I've been to a couple of Con's myself and I love it. All the geeks together haha, just great !!

Elle was a great MC, been through so much and she has the most awful people around her. I really felt for her and Darien. I loved how real Darien was, and read about him being in a movie and what it entails ^^

And can we talk about Sage for a moment? She was awesome !! She took Elle under her wing and helped her out so much. She was a great friend and I really liked reading about their developing friendship !!

The only thing that well, I can't say it really bothered me, because it didn't.. but I did notice some things that made me think of Cinder & Ella. Okay like most of the plot is basically the same. But it was just so sweet and addictive and that made it okay?

All in all a great read. Not like super tragic or anything, but a lovely, geeky, piece of fandom awesomeness.

Geekerella fulfilled all of my expectations plus more. It was a fantastic take on the classic story with the addition of fandoms, a crazy convention, unique characters, and one adorable Weiner dog (who I didn't even notice on the cover at first but look! He's SO CUTE!).

Like I said, Geekerella is (obviously?) a modern retelling of Cinderella. However, Ashley makes this story interesting and unique with a fan convention instead of a royal ball, a vegan food truck instead of a magic pumpkin, and an adorable Frankenweiner instead of mice. The characters have more depth, being diverse and representing often overlooked minorities. I loved the small touches that give all the characters life and thought they worked together to make the book original and not too predictable in a story everybody already knows. Elle and Darien make for believable heroines, each with their own conflicts and struggles, particularly with their families, their aspirations, and their love of Starfield.

The other star of this story is the focus on Starfield and the people that love it. I loved the way Ashley discusses the passion fans feel towards their favorite shows, the way both Elle and Darien overcome other's ideas of fandoms to show how much they relate to Starfield and how much it means to them. In a world where they both feel like outsiders and alone, this con and this show gives them a safe place with characters and people they love. The way they gain courage and inspiration from the characters of Starfield is relatable and adorable and really helps both the characters and the plot to be fresh and relevant.

There were points where I wished there was slightly more original elements from Cinderella, though I totally understand why it followed very closely to the classic story. Darien and Elle both spend a good while taking crap from people around them, over and over again, when I felt like it wouldn't have been weird begin to break away a little sooner. I also wished we got even more information on Starfield (I know, I'm crazy, right?!). While I love retellings, sometimes knowing exactly what's going to happen wears on you as read, and I think that for the most part, Ashley did a great job in keeping the story new and different.

Overall, I loved Geekerella. It's a fun, original romp through a classic story. The characters are great (I especially loved Sage and Franko) and the details surrounding the fictional Starfield are fantastic. I loved the modern touches and the representation of characters. The passion with which these characters love the things they do, and learn to love them without shame or embarrassment with those who love and support them, is a wonderful message and is at the heart of this story.

This story is a cool take on Cinderella. Poor Elle Wittimer is being forced to live in an unhappy existence with her stepmother and two semi-nasty stepsisters. Life is quite unpleasant and the only thing that makes it a little better is her love of 'Starfield' an epic sci-fi television show that she used to watch with her dad.

Finding out this old television show is about to be rebooted as a film completely makes her day, month, year but her joy is crushed when teen heartthrob Darien Freeman is cast in the lead role of Prince Carmindor. Elle thinks Darien is far too lightweight to bring gravitas to the role and surely he knows nothing about the original show. He is so not the one or is he?

Through a comedy of errors and a cast of interesting characters, Elle and Darien connect first anonymously through a series of texts and then eventually in person. This is a delightful story with a few twists and turns that aren't always expected. Anyone who has ever cosplayed or been involved with a geek convention or perhaps has totally fangirled out on a particular television show or star will totally be on board with the setting of this story. It was just an all round fun story which brought a smile to my face and a fist pump to the air when certain characters faced divine retribution. Absolutely worth the time and energy to read - you won't be disappointed.