I recently read Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater and found it a spellbinding sequel. In this regency-set Cinderella retelling, Euphemia ‘Effie’ Reeves has fallen in love with the dashing Mr Benedict Ashbrooke, but she has a problem. She's a housemaid, and could never marry a gentleman. Just as she believes all hope is lost, she encounters the eccentric Lord Blackthorn, an elf who might just have the magical abilities to help Effie get her happily ever after. That is, if he doesn't destroy everything by accident first… 

The novel is an enchanting story about true love and a sensitive commentary on the struggles of the working class in the Regency era. It was refreshing to have a down-to-earth, justifiably angry and yet hopeful protagonist such as Effie. 

Ten Thousand Stitches has a more prominent focus on romance than the first instalment Half a Soul. However, like in the first novel, love blooms as our characters grow individually and figure out the role they want to play in society. What I love about both of Olivia Atwater’s novels is that it shows each character is enough as they are, while there is always space for growth and change, they don't need to become entirely different people to be loved. The tender moments and the beautiful connection between the main characters are so well done. 

If a cozy fantasy romance with a focus on social consciousness sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, I definitely recommend giving both Ten Thousand Stitches and Half a Soul a read.