Bandits and Ball Gowns

 

 

Bandits and Ball Gowns
Christina Bauer
(Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, #5)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: November 10th 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

One Prince Finds True Love … And Risks It All

Elle Cynder has fallen hard for Alec, the ‘prince’ of Le Charme Jewelers. Time for some happily in their ever after, right?

Not so much.

While the new couple shares joyful moments–and sizzling kisses–serious trouble is brewing. Elle’s evil stepmother, Marchesa, schemes with none other than Alec’s twisted father, Legend. Their plan? Destroy Elle and Alec, along with everything the young lovers hold dear, including Bry, Knox, and Wilhelm.

Another Royal Freezes His Heart … But For How Long?

As a prince of the dark fae, Jacoby focuses on one goal: avoid assassination. Marrying Elle would certainly aid in that cause, considering how she’s both a Cinderella life template and a powerful fae warden. Even better, Jacoby doesn’t truly love Elle. In court life, deep romantic attachments only mean certain death.

Then Jacoby notices Elle’s youngest stepsister, Agatha.

For the first time in his life, Jacoby’s cold heart warms with true affection. The elven prince struggles to ignore his feelings, but it might be a losing battle. And what would the prince’s newfound emotions mean for Elle and Alec? Could Jacoby really stand by and watch another’s true love be destroyed?

Buckle up for a wild ride as Cinderella’s time-honored story gets some all-new twists.

 

 Read an Excerpt:

Agatha

Shuffle… shuffle… shuffle…

With slow steps, I trudge along the forest path. It takes all my focus, but I carefully arrange myself into the definition of one word.

Misery. 

For me, acting gloomy is a key life skill. It allows me to hide in plain sight, all while limiting how much I interact with my family. On reflex, I think through my sad girl check list. 

Weepy eyes? Got ‘em. I’m also working a single tear on my right cheek. That’s what you call an advanced mope skill. 

Mourning veil? I wear this thing like a pro. 

Slumped shoulders? I’ve spent years honing how to curl myself forward just the right way. 

All the while, I push up my inner sense of gloom. That really helps to nail the overall look. Normally, feeling morose comes pretty easily to me. 

Not today. 

Why? For years, I’m dreamed of visiting one place. Now, I’m finally here.

The Faerie Lands. At last.

I can’t help but soak in the landscape. Stout trees tower nearby, their hefty trunks topped by leafy branches. Blades of grass look so bright, they could be shards of emeralds. A clear blue sky arches overhead. Three yellow suns beam down. Butterflies flit everywhere. Pure happiness bubbles through me. It’s tempting to grin my face off.

Keep frowning, Agatha. You know what happens when you lose the sad girl look. 

Shifting my gaze, I see that reason right ahead of me: Ivy and Marchesa. If you asked Elle Cynder, she’d say Marchesa is my mother while Ivy’s my sister. Together, the three of us make up the evil stepfamily for a Cinderella life template.

But it’s all a lie. 

Not sure how it goes for other evil stepsisters, but this template doesn’t work for me. I’m neither evil nor a stepsister. 

As a matter of fact, I’m not even human. 

I’m an elf. A changeling. Sadly, Marchesa’s second baby died shortly after birth. I was swapped in by parties unknown. Around age eight, a silver mark appeared on my hip that shows a moon and three stars. This became my first clue to my non-human state. Soon afterward, I spied my elf ears. They only appeared for a second. Even so, it was enough to get the general idea. 

I don’t belong. 

Ever since then, I’ve been trying to discover my true identity. No luck yet. 

But perhaps soon, I’ll know everything.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.
Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It!

Website / Blog / Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by: