I once warned that I was a huge fan of K.M. Shea (an indie author who releases a book about every three months) and would be reviewing a lot of her books. Well, I realized I lied because I have only reviewed one! Obviously, today I’m going to review another and make myself an honest person. This one is my absolute favorite and I have read and reread it to try to figure out why. I might have to read it one more time before I know for sure, but I’ll let you know what I’ve figured out so far about the greatness that is Rumpelstiltskin.

Let’s start with the bad. This cover I do not love. It is actually a newer one and I am not a fan. The woman looks nothing like I imagined our young heroine to be and I think the dress is nothing like what our uber-talented seamstress/heroine would wear. I have to mention it because I feel like this cover doesn’t do the book justice.

The story is about Gemma who is talented enough as a seamstress to get a job for a noble family. Her father brags about her talent and she gets into the expected trouble with the mad king who wants her to spin straw to gold. The interesting part is that Rumpelstiltskin (Stil) is a mage who decides to help her for no other reason than the fact that he is a good guy.

Stil is the perfect hero. He’s quirky, mysterious, and adorable. I love him. He is funny, but teases Gemma in really sly ways and is a super nice guy without being a pushover. When he wants to be awesome he is, but he is mostly just humble and optimistic.

Gemma is snarky and strong. She sacrifices a lot for others but has a tough veneer that causes a lot of people to overlook her goodness. She doesn’t really think a mage would ever like a lowly seamstress and when she realizes he does (a hilarious scene) she’s convinced it is a bad idea…for him. She’s just whole lot of amazing in a really standoffish encasing.

Like Shea’s other books, the story is shorter, but this one feels like it is complete. We have time to connect with our character’s and the plot is well developed. This series doesn’t have to be read in order and if you are on the fence about trying out this author, I would read this one first. It is…delightful. That is seriously the best word I can think of to describe this book.

So go get your copy or borrow on Kindle Unlimited. If you like fantasy, fairy tale retellings, or just good solid story-telling, this book is for you. Happy reading, my friends!!