Published March 5th, 2026 by Orion
Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale, Feminist Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
THE REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK!
‘Feminist, fierce, and wildly fresh. Lady Tremaine is destined to be one of the biggest books of the year’ GLENNON DOYLE
‘A reimagining of Cinderella’s stepmother that explores motherhood, family, and the pressure to be perfect’ REESE WITHERSPOON
Everyone said she was wicked.
Now Cinderella’s stepmother tells her own story…
After the death of her second husband, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two daughters, Rosamund and Mathilde, her simpering stepdaughter Elin, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor buried in the woods.
When a royal ball offers the chance to change their fortunes, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of girls – only for her hopes to be fulfilled by the wrong one: Elin.
Yet as her stepdaughter’s engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn…
Bridgerton meets Circein this breathtaking reimagining of one of the world’s most iconic fairytales, Cinderella.
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MY REVIEW:
We all know Lady Tremaine as the infamous wicked stepmother to poor Cinderella. But what is her story? How did she become the symbol of cruel mothers? In her magnificent debut Rachel Hochhauser answers those questions, exploring the life of Lady Tremaine and turning the well-known fairytale on its head in a fierce and feminist reimagining.
This story is so much more than a fairytale reimagining. It is also an exploration of marriage, misogyny, motherhood, the pressure to be perfect, violence against women and domestic abuse. With beautiful, evocative and razor-sharp storytelling, Hochhauser reclaims the fairytale, peeling back the layers of dysfunction to reveal the truth about this famous blended family. Nothing is what it seems. Instead of the wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters, she reveals a loving family who have no idea how to reach their lazy and entitled stepdaughter/stepsister and are pushed to the end of their patience. It’s honest, nuanced, insightful and filled with understanding that ensures you will never look at Cinderella the same way again.
The eponymous Lady Tremaine is a fascinating and unforgettable character. She’s feisty, strong, determined and will do anything for her children. When we meet her she has been left penniless by her late husband but is trying to keep up appearances, scrimping on meat to buy sugar to maintain the protective cloak of respectability for herself and her daughters. She knows that this is vital if she wants them to make good marriages and secure themselves a better future. I loved her relationship with her daughters and my heart broke as she tried to connect with her stepdaughter. It was a surprise to find myself empathising with those I’d traditionally thought of as the villains in this fairytale but I appreciated how Hochhauser fostered an understanding of everyone’s behaviour in this version, providing nuance, showing us that nothing is ever black and white and reminding us to look to the shades of grey for the truth.
A spectacular and unforgettable debut, it’s easy to see why this was a recent Reese’s Book Club pick. Highly recommended.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
Thank you Orion and NetGalley for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rachel Hochhauser is a writer and co-founder of Piecework, a cult-favorite puzzle brand. Raised in Santa Barbara, she studied at New York University and earned her master’s in fiction from the University of Southern California. She now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two young daughters.
Her debut novel, Lady Tremaine, will be published by St. Martin’s Press (U.S.), Orion (U.K.), and Fleuve-Éditions (France) in March 2026.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx
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