This is one of my favorite Twelve Dancing Princesses re-tellings ever and that is saying a lot, considering how many I have read and loved. (It is one of my favorite fairytales.) This book is absolutely lovely. In fact, the first thing I noticed was the gorgeous cover. This book is well-written with an original take on an old story. There were moments of sweetness, darkness and beauty that made me smile, laugh and lean in closer.

The characters are wonderful. Azalea was easy to sympathize, as were her sisters and even her father. I loved that the younger girls actually acted their age, unlike so many books where children are precocious or, occasionally, exaggeratedly baby-ish. Lord Bradford was a very likable love interest, though I wish he had a bigger role in the story. As it was, he was the strong and friendly type. :)

Another great thing about this book is that it is nice and thick, a rare thing when it comes to fairytale re-tellings. It is 472 pages long, so I was able to sink into it for hours before it sadly came to an end. Heather Dixon is a new author on the scene, and I really hope she writes more.