Review of A Spark of Nature by Susannah Welch

A scholarly wallflower.
A too-charming prince.
Will she choose the protection her godmother offers or risk everything for true love? 

Elliya has spent her whole life as a servant in her stepmother’s home and learned to stay quiet as a way to survive. When a mysterious godmother offers her a new life as an apprentice scholar, Elliya abandons her former home for the one thing she’s always safety.

Living inside a monastery full of women scholars, she didn’t expect to meet Hawthorne, the most charming prince in the queendom. And despite her lifetime of trained silence, she can’t keep her mouth shut around him. Something about him stirs her temper … and her heart.

When the prince is kidnapped, Elliya is the only one who can save him. Will she stay safely tucked inside the walls of the monastery or use her newfound magic to save the man she loves?

A playful and heartfelt retelling of Cinderella, A Spark of Nature is the second book of Heart of the Queendom, a series of interconnected but stand-alone fairy tale retellings that feature strong heroines, dreamy princes, and swoon-worthy happily ever afters.

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I am really enjoying this fresh fantasy world and the fun way it showcases a different fairytale retelling each book with a different prince. It's also fun to see how the shared villainous manifests herself.

While the last book had a flirty heroine and a studious hero, this one gives us the player prince as the hero, and a quiet, studious heroine training to be a celibate scholar. Besides all the complicated and fun elements of that dynamic, she has also vowed to never fall in love after surviving an abusive household. I loved the heroine, because there is more to strength than just being witty and tough, and Elliya manifests a quiet unrelenting strength. While I will always love the eldest prince most, I did like Hawthorne and watching a former player fall for the one woman who refuses to love was beautiful.

Though, I did not like his insistence that Elliya did not need his protection. I understand he was trying to empower her, and she certainly was strong. But that does not mean that she would not need protection someday; he certainly does. It does not make you weak to need help- all humans do. And sometimes asking for help is the bravest thing you can do. So I appreciate that Elliya becomes aware of her ability to save herself and those around her, but she doesn't have to do that alone.

Anyway, besides that, the story was very romantic. There was also a fun combination of science and magic. I also enjoyed seeing a prince doing studies in secret since scholarly pursuits are meant for women, even as his elder brother has to keep his leadership abilities low-key. I was a little sad that there is a ball but no dancing, ironically. But the finally kiss was worth it!

Note to more sensitive readers: the heroine was abused as a child. The hero was a player.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

A sweet and swoony retelling of Cinderella with some fun twists for fairytale lovers. Cannot wait for the next book in the series already!

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