Allyssa grew up as a woodcutter's daughter with 4 brothers. At 17 she decides to leave home and get a job with her aunt who lives in the country's capital and runs a prosperous inn. On the way, however, she gets lost in a storm and ends up coming across the royal family's winter palace. At first they think she is a lost princess, and invite her to sleep in a special "princess chamber" but she soon informs them of her true status. They keep her on as a companion and playmate for the two 11-year-old princesses. Life with the royal family isn't all fun and games, and there is even danger from those who would like to see their small kingdom gobbled up by a stronger neighbor. To keep the country safe, prince Maximilian must make a marriage of alliance. Allyssa comes to be torn between her desire to help the royal family she loves, and her urge to flee a growing attraction to the man she knows she can never have.
I just stumbled across this one when I was trying to find a new book to read in a hurry. It turned out to be pretty good. I have read a lot of fairytale-retellings, but very few about the story of the Princess and the Pea (this is not a spoiler, it tells you as much in the preface). Cellier does a great job with it, focusing on the court intrigue and character development, with only a small hint of any magic element. I loved the fact that in the end it is Allyssa's intelligence and willingness to do the hard research that saves the day. Plus, the romantic relationship develops over a matter of months, not in one day or a week. Cellier has written a bunch of other fairytale-retellings. I definitely plan to read more. (333p. 2016)
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