Not Your Mother’s Cinderella: Revenge, Redemption, and Reverse Harem

Glass is the second standalone installment in Evelyn Flood’s Forbidden Fairytales series, and while each book can be read independently, they all share a common tone: dark romance with a twisted fairytale foundation. This time, Flood takes on Cinderella—but with a modern, morally gray twist set in the fictional world of Sorelle. And in Glass, Cinderella isn’t sweeping hearths; she’s surviving prison, betrayal, and the grudges of three powerful brothers.

Hope is a delicate thing. Like glass. So delicate that once it shatters, it will never be the same again.

Vilified. Despised. Ruined. Anastasia Cooper is the most hated woman in Sorelle. To avoid the modern slavery charges leveled against her by her scheming stepsister, she opts for a quiet life under house arrest to escape the frenzy of the media. But she wasn’t banking on them. The Tate brothers. Feared by all, everyone knows that Christopher, Silas and Rafael Tate are the real power behind the throne of Sorelle. And they’ve been looking for Stasi for a very long time. Determined to make Stasi’s life as difficult as possible, Kit, Silas and Rafe take every opportunity to remind her how far she’s fallen. But Stasi has her own plans, and she’s not about to let the men who stole her heart once before and smashed it into pieces ruin the only thing she has left. Hope. But as truths come to light, the Tate brothers begin to realize that they might not have the full story. And they won’t let Stasi slip through their fingers again.

Cinderella retelling Contemporary setting Who did this to you Ugly duckling Billionaire gang MMCs Enemies to lovers Grovelling This is a why choose, modern day retelling of Cinderella with three morally grey men and an evil stepsister who knows how to twist the truth.

Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

Opinion

Our heroine, Anastasia “Stasia” Cooper, begins the story in one of the worst possible positions: she’s been convicted of crimes she didn’t commit—specifically, for allegedly enslaving and abusing the Crown Prince’s future wife. The justice system is clearly stacked against her, and her trial is more of a public spectacle than a legal proceeding. She’s sentenced to 20 years, but it’s no spoiler to say that her punishment ends up looking very different than expected.

The premise is bold and refreshingly original. Rather than a retread of the classic Cinderella tropes, Glass plays with expectations. Stasia isn’t just a victim of circumstance—she’s smart, scarred, and determined not to be crushed under the weight of her ruined reputation. The Tate brothers—Kit, Silas, and Rafe—represent the powerful forces of Sorelle, and they have a personal vendetta against Stasia. As children, they shared a deep bond with her. As adults, they believe she’s betrayed them and the nation, and they’re not interested in forgiveness. At least, not at first.

While the story’s reverse harem structure makes the eventual direction of the romance predictable (especially for seasoned readers of the genre), Flood still manages to inject enough tension and emotional stakes to keep things engaging. One scene in particular—a quiet, heart-wrenching moment where Stasia’s despair truly shines through—was powerful enough to bring tears to my eyes. That moment alone elevated my connection to her and reminded me that dark romance can still pack emotional resonance when handled well.

The writing style is consistent with the other books I’ve read from Flood: light on the prose, fluid in pacing, and easy to fall into. That said, while I appreciated the development of the main characters, especially the growth of Stasia, I never fully connected with her dynamic with the Tate brothers. Each of the men—Kit, Rafe, and Silas—are distinct, and their character arcs are well-paced, but something about the romantic chemistry felt just a little too manufactured for me. Maybe it’s because the emotional wounds between them were so deep that their eventual shift into more tender territory felt slightly rushed.

Still, if you enjoy morally gray love interests, “who did this to you” moments, enemies-to-lovers tropes, and a heroine who refuses to fold under pressure, there’s a lot to like here. The themes of hope, resilience, and forgiveness are woven throughout, often with poignant effect. Flood does a great job capturing the idea that “hope is a delicate thing—like glass,” and that once it shatters, rebuilding it is an act of both strength and defiance.

Conclusion

Overall, Glass is a solid addition to the Forbidden Fairytales series. It’s a modern-day fairytale soaked in angst, power plays, and emotional reckoning. While not perfect—and while I didn’t connect with the romantic dynamics as much as I hoped—I still found the book entertaining and emotionally compelling enough to earn 3.5 stars. It’s a great choice if you need a dark romance palette cleanser between heavier fantasy reads.

About Evelyn Flood

Evelyn Flood is addicted to books.
She writes in different subgenres including contemporary romance, reverse harem, mafia, fairytales and omegaverse – but you’ll always find a main course of angst with a side dish of uncontrollable sobbing in every book she writes.
She used to be a tea drinker, but developed an addiction to coffee and can now be found at the nearest coffee shop when she should be writing.
On weekends, she likes to dance and drink espresso martinis.
Find her on Facebook in her readers group, The Evelyn Flood Collective.

Goodreads

this review was also published at:

Alle von mir genutzten Bilder zu Buchcovern sind Eigentum der jeweiligen Verlage und/oder AutorInnen bzw. anderer Rechteinhaber.
All book cover images I use are the property of the respective publishers and/or authors or other rights holders.

Zitate sind das geistige Eigentum der AutorInnen bzw. Verlage/Herausgeber.
Quotations are the intellectual property of the authors or publishers/editors.

Please leave this field empty

Newsletter
abonnieren

This field is required.

Ich sende keinen Spam! Erfahre mehr in meiner Datenschutzerklärung.

Thank you 🙂

• By Evelyn Flood
• Forbidden Fairytales Series
• 3.5 Star Books

Briar ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Kept ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Wonder ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Briar ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Kept ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Wonder ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Kept ♦ Evelyn Flood | Review

Furyborn ♦ Claire Legrand | Review

Undead Gods ♦ Caitlyn Battelle | Review

His Lesson in Submission ♦ Darcy Fayton | ARC Review

Reign of Ruin ♦ Santana Knox | Review