Ten Thousand Stitches

by Olivia Atwater

Overview

A housemaid needs some magical help when she falls for a high-society gentleman in this captivating historical fantasy full of wit, charm, and heart-fluttering romance.

Effie has most inconveniently fallen in love with the dashing Mr. Benedict Ashbrooke. There’s only one problem: Effie is a housemaid, and a housemaid cannot marry a gentleman. It seems that Effie is out of luck until she stumbles into the faerie realm of Lord Blackthorn, who is only too eager to help her win Mr. Ashbrooke’s heart. All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favorite jacket.

Effie has heard rumors about what happens to those who accept magical bargains. But life as a maid at Hartfield is so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now she has one hundred days—and ten thousand stitches—to make Mr. Ashbrooke fall in love and propose…if Lord Blackthorn doesn’t wreck things by accident, that is. For Effie’s greatest obstacle might well be Lord Blackthorn’s overwhelmingly good intentions. 

An enchanting faerie tale set in Olivia Atwater’s magical version of Regency England, Ten Thousand Stitches is “a delightful, romantic romp” (Hannah Whitten) with a Cinderella twist and heaps of heart. 

Praise for the Regency Faerie Tales
"Smart and subversive, these charming romances will ignite your heart—and your hope." —Shelley Parker-Chan

"Whimsical, witty, and brimming over with charm." —India Holton

"Sweeps you off your feet in the swooniest way possible." —Megan Bannen

"I wolfed this down with great pleasure." —KJ Charles

"Warm, sparkling with magic, dangerous, and delightful." —Tasha Suri

"Whimsical but never frivolous, sweet but not sugary. I loved it." —Alix E. Harrow

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316463003
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Series:	Regency Faerie Tales , #2
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	67,854
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. When she told her second-grade history teacher that she wanted to work with history someday, she is fairly certain this isn't what either party had in mind. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson.

Editorial Reviews

05/23/2022

Atwater’s second Regency Faerie Tales fantasy (after Half a Soul) puts a sweet, humorous spin on “Cinderella.” Housemaid Euphemia “Effie” Reeves dreams of marrying Benedict Ashbrooke, the youngest adult son of the family for whom she works. Helping Effie to achieve this goal is a faerie named Juniper Jubilee, lord of the faerie forest of Blackthorn. Drawn in by Effie’s righteous anger and magnificent stitchwork, he decides to make her the subject of his own quest to be “kind to the powerless and cruel to the powerful.” Though Effie fears the worst in accepting deals with a faerie, the results of Juniper’s offers to help are mostly humorous misadventures, as when every attendee at a ball separately and unexpectedly turns to Effie for advice due to her magical gown. Meanwhile, Juniper’s persistent kindness and joy awakens Effie to the true unfairness of the power dynamics surrounding her life. Though the ending is a bit too tidy, the powerful message about wielding anger in response to abuses of power is well explored and all the misguided magic brings plenty of fun. New readers and Atwater fans alike are sure to enjoy this egalitarian twist on the classic tale. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"A Cinderella story turned gloriously inside-out, with an underdog heroine you'll love rooting for, and a wickedly intriguing fairy godfather." -Jacquelyn Benson, Author of "The Fire in the Glass"

From the Publisher