Fantasy

Ten Thousand Stitches

Ten Thousand Stitches

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-07-24 07:51:34
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Olivia Atwater
  • ISBN：0356518787
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Summary

Regency housemaid Euphemia Reeves has acquired a faerie godfather。 Unfortunately， he has no idea what he's doing。

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 Effie win Mr Ashbrooke's heart。 All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favourite jacket。

Effie has heard rumours about what happens to those who accept help from faeries， 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 prove to be Lord Blackthorn's overwhelmingly good intentions。

From the author of HALF A SOUL comes a whimsical fantasy romance with a Cinderella twist。 Pick up TEN THOUSAND STITCHES， and dive into another enchanting faerie tale set in Olivia Atwater's charming， magical version of Regency England！

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Reviews

Hallie Roberts ，

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review！ I had received an eARC of ‘Half a Soul’ which is the first in the Regency Faerie tales series so immediately requested Ten Thousand Stitches when I saw it！！ The writing， once again， was so whimsical and so engaging and so easy to read and love。 I loved the main characters in this - Effie， Lord Blackthorn， Lydia etc。 and was routing for them the entire way through。 The male main character was to Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review！ I had received an eARC of ‘Half a Soul’ which is the first in the Regency Faerie tales series so immediately requested Ten Thousand Stitches when I saw it！！ The writing， once again， was so whimsical and so engaging and so easy to read and love。 I loved the main characters in this - Effie， Lord Blackthorn， Lydia etc。 and was routing for them the entire way through。 The male main character was to DIE for！！ He was everything you could ask for - would do anything for his girl， supportive， so kindhearted & a FAERIE。 The ending really gave truth to the sentiment ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and has changed my outlook on how to react when angry/unfairly treated。 It is so rare to find a book you love which also teaches you something so fundamental but here it is！！ Cannot wait to continue the series :） 。。。more

Reese ，

just as heartwarming and charming as the last

Kyra K ，

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Half a Soul， so I went into Ten Thousand Stitches with high hopes， and I was not disappointed！ Effie is a maid for a household who treats their staff poorly， who has grown up hearing how dangerous and cruel faeries are from her mother。 However， when she finds herself acquainted with Lord Blackthorn， she is driven to throw her caution to the wind and make a deal with him; he will make her a lady so she may marry the man she loves， and in return she I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Half a Soul， so I went into Ten Thousand Stitches with high hopes， and I was not disappointed！ Effie is a maid for a household who treats their staff poorly， who has grown up hearing how dangerous and cruel faeries are from her mother。 However， when she finds herself acquainted with Lord Blackthorn， she is driven to throw her caution to the wind and make a deal with him; he will make her a lady so she may marry the man she loves， and in return she will embroider his jacket - one stitch for every minute she spends as lady。 Effie is a fantastic character， realistically fed up of being treated poorly by the family she works for， she strives to be better but knows that society does not allow the elevation of maids。 Lord Blackthorn reminds me somewhat of Dora in the first book， but more exuberant - he desperately wants to help and do what’s best， but somehow finds that things don’t quite go the way he planned。 I adored Effie’s final decision， and that she stuck to her morals and valued herself so highly。 Overall， I enjoyed Ten Thousand Stitches as much as Half a Soul， and would thoroughly recommend it。 I can’t wait for the next Regency Faerie Tales book！ 。。。more

Karen ，

I like these social justice fairy tales！ And the last sentence of this one made me just a tad weepy。

Claire ，

A gorgeous cozy fantasy。 It’s a refreshing change for a regency fantasy to focus on the help， and it’s a great take on staff/family relations。 In the same world as the first one but unrelated。

Julie - One Book More ，

Ten Thousand Stitches is the second book in Olivia Atwater’s Regency Fairy Tales series， and it follows Effie， a housemaid who makes a bargain with a faerie to win the heart of a gentleman she’s in love with。 Lord Blackthorn is very willing to help Effie， if， in return， she sews ten thousand stitches onto his favorite jacket。 Effie knows she shouldn’t make a bargain with a faerie， but she is desperate， and though Lord Blackthorn’s intentions are true， it seems as if everything that could go wron Ten Thousand Stitches is the second book in Olivia Atwater’s Regency Fairy Tales series， and it follows Effie， a housemaid who makes a bargain with a faerie to win the heart of a gentleman she’s in love with。 Lord Blackthorn is very willing to help Effie， if， in return， she sews ten thousand stitches onto his favorite jacket。 Effie knows she shouldn’t make a bargain with a faerie， but she is desperate， and though Lord Blackthorn’s intentions are true， it seems as if everything that could go wrong does。It took me a while to get invested in the characters， and at the beginning， I only had a mild interest in their journeys。 Effie was interesting， and I liked that she wasn’t the typical historical romance heroine， but she was angry all of the time。 Though I understood why， it didn’t make her the most likable protagonist when the story first began。 Lord Blackthorn seemed vapid and too charming， and I didn’t love him either， nor did I like Effie’s love interest or his parents。 However， as their characters become more fleshed out， I became more interested in their stories， especially Effie’s and Blackthorn’s。Effie is relatable in many ways， especially in her anger and righteous indignation over the way she and other employees are treated。 Effie often feels invisible and unimportant， and her bitterness and anger permeate the story in more ways than one。 Lord Blackthorn is a little harder to understand， though his bumbling attempts at helping Effie are charming。 He’s a bit of an enigma， and I wondered throughout the story if he was trying to help or hinder because his intentions seemed unclear。Effie and Blackthorn are so different。 He is naïve and eager， and he always seems optimistic。 Effie is much more of a realist， and she is not as positive and optimistic。 Their contrasting personalities complement each other well， and I like that both Effie and Lord Blackthorn grow and change as they learn more about themselves， their situations， the people around them， and each other。I also liked the social commentary throughout the book。 Fighting for causes you believe in， working together to demand change and fair working conditions， fighting social inequities， and more are woven through this seemingly simple tale。 The story also has some major Cinderella vibes， which I enjoyed。Thanks so much to Orbit Books for gifting me a copy of the book。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more

Katherine ，

Effie works as a maid for one of the finest households in England， toiling day in and day out for a family that seems to hold little regard for their household staff。 Tired of feeling powerless， angry at her lack of options， and annoyingly in love with the family’s youngest son， Effie doesn’t know where to turn- until， that is， she turns right into the attentions of the faerie Lord Blackthorn。 She’s heard the cautionary tales about making deals with a faerie， but there’s no other choice if she h Effie works as a maid for one of the finest households in England， toiling day in and day out for a family that seems to hold little regard for their household staff。 Tired of feeling powerless， angry at her lack of options， and annoyingly in love with the family’s youngest son， Effie doesn’t know where to turn- until， that is， she turns right into the attentions of the faerie Lord Blackthorn。 She’s heard the cautionary tales about making deals with a faerie， but there’s no other choice if she hopes to turn her situation around。 Thus the bargain is struck， and Effie owes ten thousand stitches of embroidery to the faerie， who in turn has promised her 100 days of help while she convinces her beloved to marry her- if he will even notice her first。 But the biggest barrier of all may indeed be Lord Blackthorn himself， whose good intentions and lack of forethought may endanger Effie’s entire plan。 Ten Thousand Stitches is the second book in the Regency Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater， and much like its’ predecessor it is an absolute delight。 This book is a more clear reimagining of Cinderella， with Effie and Lord Blackthorn playing the titular character and the fairy godparent in turn。 Effie is fun， if a little misguided- it’s clear from the start that her “love” for Mr。 Benedict Ashbrooke is no good at all， brought on too quickly and without very good reason。 She finds throughout the course of the book that she has other strengths- her anger， her integrity， and her sense of worth- that are a better guide for her future than hoping for a husband。 Lord Blackthorn is altogether another matter， positively joyful to be helping Effie with such an important matter， but his emotions are also a little clear as we see him start to become a little more attached to Effie as he learns more about her。 His enthusiasm for personal growth and willingness to take direction land everyone in some sticky situations when he turns petty frustrations into rather serious fae punishments- but with a little help from Effie everything is set to rights。 Despite a few predictable elements， this story is absolutely lovely and it was fun to see a couple recurring characters as well as see more of the interesting magic of this version of Regency England。 Ten Thousand Stitches is heartwarming and fun， and I can’t wait to read it time and time again。 。。。more

Amanda ，

This was such a cute take on Cinderella with a little bit of Rumplestiltskin （spelling？）。 I loved Lord Blackthorn and how pure he was！ Can’t wait to read Longshadow next :）

Mina ，

Very nice！ Once again， really happy to have found this author on Netgalley。 I actually bought this book because I enjoyed the first so much。 I think I still prefer the first， but the enjoyability is the same。 I do wish the romance had been spaced out a lot better。 I felt like the author was forcing our mc to be oblivious when I don't think it was needed。 It's just a qualm because I wanted a strong finish but it was instead very mild， at least for me。The plot also wasn't as fleshed out as the fir Very nice！ Once again， really happy to have found this author on Netgalley。 I actually bought this book because I enjoyed the first so much。 I think I still prefer the first， but the enjoyability is the same。 I do wish the romance had been spaced out a lot better。 I felt like the author was forcing our mc to be oblivious when I don't think it was needed。 It's just a qualm because I wanted a strong finish but it was instead very mild， at least for me。The plot also wasn't as fleshed out as the first。 I do think less planning went into this one， which is a shame。 。。。more

Leah M ，

Thank you to Orbit for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Rounded to 4。5 stars。CONTENT WARNING: verbal abuse， threat of violenceI had the distinct pleasure of discovering this lovely and quirky series recently， and was thrilled to start the second book right away。 These book are quick， light， and fluffy reads， incorporating the best aspects of both Regency romance and fantasy， with a smattering of cutting social commentary and the most charming characters that Thank you to Orbit for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。Rounded to 4。5 stars。CONTENT WARNING: verbal abuse， threat of violenceI had the distinct pleasure of discovering this lovely and quirky series recently， and was thrilled to start the second book right away。 These book are quick， light， and fluffy reads， incorporating the best aspects of both Regency romance and fantasy， with a smattering of cutting social commentary and the most charming characters that I couldn’t help but love。Effie， our main character， isn’t a typical Regency romance heroine—she’s a housemaid。 As a member of the working class， she doesn’t have time for picnics and courting and balls and flirting。 She’s busy cleaning and doing chores and other behind the scenes work， as she’s being run ragged by her awfully demanding employer。 An employer who doesn’t view household staff as actual people but more like inanimate objects that simply exist in the house， such as furniture， or wallpaper。 “As always， she was entirely beneath their notice。 A maid at work， Effie thought， could not eavesdrop … because she was not a person。”I could completely understand why Effie was so angry， and would have been more surprised if she was a docile， understanding， and accepting character。 Obviously， her situational circumstances are so bad that she’s willing to do anything， including making a deal with a faerie even though she knows it is likely to be a dangerous proposition with negative consequences。 Fortunately， things aren’t exactly as they seem。Lord Blackthorn， the faerie in question， might be the only faerie who actually seems to want a soul。 He’s actually trying to help Effie achieve her goal so she can win their bet， but his attempts only seem to push her farther away from winning。 And while he isn’t malicious， his meddling isn’t exactly helpful， yet he stole my heart fully。 I couldn’t help but love his character。“‘Lord Blackthorn’s not wicked at all， or at least not on purpose。 I think it’s somethin’ to do with Blackthorn — with the realm， I mean。 It’s always growin’ an’ tryin’ to be somethin’ it wasn’t just yesterday。 I think it convinced Lord Blackthorn to grow too， an’ now he’s almost become something entirely different。’”I loved watching him grow as a person， as well as seeing Effie grow into who she really was。 There’s an amazing dynamic between Effie and her best friend， Lydia， who is also a servant at Hartfield。 Things aren’t easy where they live and work， but they manage to make the best of it on a daily basis， both individually and together， often enlisting the rest of the staff as well， despite the majority of the staff being at odds with each other。 There was very much a sense of unionization throughout the story， with an emphasis on getting people to stop infighting and working together instead to create bigger changes that might be able to help them all。 I loved the feeling of social justice that permeated the story， which wouldn’t have been possible if it stuck to the traditional Regency romance format involving people of society。 However， the only aspect of the story that fell short for me was the way that the characters were painted in broad strokes， with the upper classes painted as universally awful， and the servants painted as angry but universally good-hearted and hard working。 I guess that is to be expected from faerie tales， so it didn’t impact my rating too deeply， especially since this is generally a light-hearted read that doesn’t get in-depth into social justice。 However， this is a wonderful series， and I’m especially excited for the next book in the series， which is a queer love story！！ 。。。more

Leslie ，

You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black 3。5 stars I was able to buddy read this with Julie from One Book More。 We have been enjoying reading this series with each other。This is another Historical fiction mixed with fairytales。 It’s been really fun reading these but I didn’t enjoy this one as the first book， Half A Soul。 It follows a young maid named Effie and a faerie （Lord Blackthorn） who is trying to help her。 Effie is a wonderful seamstress but dreaming of a better life。 I th You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black 3。5 stars I was able to buddy read this with Julie from One Book More。 We have been enjoying reading this series with each other。This is another Historical fiction mixed with fairytales。 It’s been really fun reading these but I didn’t enjoy this one as the first book， Half A Soul。 It follows a young maid named Effie and a faerie （Lord Blackthorn） who is trying to help her。 Effie is a wonderful seamstress but dreaming of a better life。 I thought this book would be about a romance but it was a lot more than that。 We explore anger and the injustices between the classes。 It’s one of the things I like about Atwater’s work， the many themes she likes to shine a light on。This is a shorter read and it’s an easy read。 With that being said， I struggled with the first half。 I couldn’t connect to the characters and it felt very surface level。 There are all these hints to where and what’s in Lord Blackthorn’s past but we never get there。 I would have loved to know more about it and why he was trying to change。 Although I struggled with the first half， I flew through the second half。 Since it’s a shorter read， I think that it did make up for the struggle in the beginning。 I do wish that it would have been longer or if she would have spaced things about more。 The second half was jam-packed full of things that it felt rushed and a little disjointed at times。There are some whimsical moments and settings in this book。 Some of my favorite moments in this and the previous book are when the other side is explored。 I wasn’t really invested in the romance， which made me sad。 I didn’t hate it but I just didn’t feel it through most of the book。Overall， I liked the first book better and I did struggle with the beginning of this one。 I was very satisfied with the ending and I like Atwater’s unique take on the Historical Regency era。 I do plan on picking up the next one in the series！Many thanks to Orbit for providing me with an e-arc via Netgalley。 All thoughts and opinions are my own！ 。。。more

MrsMascara ，

I throughly enjoyed the quirky first book in the series with the half Faerie Lord Sorcier， and his partly enchanted love Dora。 This second book in the series was even more charming。 Euphemia Reeves， a housemaid to Lord and Lady Culver， run ragged in a short staffed and extremely stressed household， is very angry all the time， she manages her emotions by reciting nursery rhymes or embroidery， and is constantly called upon to mend everyone’s cloth8ng。 When she has an interaction with the thoughtfu I throughly enjoyed the quirky first book in the series with the half Faerie Lord Sorcier， and his partly enchanted love Dora。 This second book in the series was even more charming。 Euphemia Reeves， a housemaid to Lord and Lady Culver， run ragged in a short staffed and extremely stressed household， is very angry all the time， she manages her emotions by reciting nursery rhymes or embroidery， and is constantly called upon to mend everyone’s cloth8ng。 When she has an interaction with the thoughtful and pleasant younger brother Benedict Ashbrooke， she wishes her life was different， and that she could be a Lady and marry Lord Benedict。When Effie stumbles into Lord Blackthorn’s realm， she acquires a faerie godfather， determined to help her achieve her heart’s desire， in return for setting ten thousand。stitches into his jacket。 She has a hundred days to make Benedict fall in love with her and propose。 However， the rules of Faerie and human interactions， and Lord Blackthorn’s well meaning but somewhat unexpected good intentions mean things don’t always go to plan。 The intelligent and pretty worried Effie is finding the negotiations between Her Faerie benefactor and herself pretty tricky， but her life at the Culver’s estate is so unpleasant and stressful， Effie would do almost anything to escape it。 However， does she really understand herself and what her heart truly desires？The book has a lovely twist to it， and some acute commentary on the plight of servants and some of the problematic elements of fairy tales。This is an enchanting re framing of the Cinderella story， and very cleverLy done。 I tore through it in less than a day。 Delicious， despite some anachronistic vocabulary。Highly recommended if you like a quirky read。I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Carmen ，

The second in the Regency Faerie Tales series， I found Atwater's Ten Thousand Stitches even more engrossing than the first book。 It's easy to cheer on our heroine， Effie Reeves， a maid who is being literally worked to death， as are the other servants in the household。 To her rescue comes a benefactor， a handsome fae who wants to become virtuous。 His desire and hers （to have one of the men of the household fall in love with her） allow them to come to a bargain， and the story takes off from there。 The second in the Regency Faerie Tales series， I found Atwater's Ten Thousand Stitches even more engrossing than the first book。 It's easy to cheer on our heroine， Effie Reeves， a maid who is being literally worked to death， as are the other servants in the household。 To her rescue comes a benefactor， a handsome fae who wants to become virtuous。 His desire and hers （to have one of the men of the household fall in love with her） allow them to come to a bargain， and the story takes off from there。 It sounds simple enough， but the fae is quite impossible （he really doesn't understand humans at all） and Effie is actually very naive about love and what she truly wants。 While quite innocent in many ways （there may be a kiss？）， the harsh realities of class struggle， cruelty， and human vice are on display。 The redeeming virtue is that， in the end， love and friendship save （and win） the day。 I love these books and hope Atwater keeps writing。 Taking a look at who we are through the eyes of faeries isn't such a bad thing because let's face it， we are rather ridiculous at times。 。。。more

Delaney ，

Review for Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater A huge thank you Orbit for the early copy！ All opinions are my own。 My Thoughts This book was just as delightful as Half a Soul， and this will largely be a repeat of my gushing about how happy both books made me， and the joy that they brought me。 If you haven’t read book one， I’d recommend you start there， though I believe you could read either of these as a standalone if you wished。In Ten Thousand Stitches Euphemia Reeves is a housemaid wh Review for Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater A huge thank you Orbit for the early copy！ All opinions are my own。 My Thoughts This book was just as delightful as Half a Soul， and this will largely be a repeat of my gushing about how happy both books made me， and the joy that they brought me。 If you haven’t read book one， I’d recommend you start there， though I believe you could read either of these as a standalone if you wished。In Ten Thousand Stitches Euphemia Reeves is a housemaid who has fallen for a high society gentleman。 She is convinced that they will end up together and finds her help in faerie form from Lord Blackthorn。 He claims he will help her woo and marry the apple of her eye in exchange for her embroidering his jacket。 Seems like a good deal， what could possibly go wrong？Unfortunately， Lord Blackthorn has no clue how to actually help Euphemia， and the story takes on a hilarious and charming turn from there。Blackthorn trying to be as human and kind and helpful as he can as a faerie is both hilarious and endearing to watch， and I really developed a soft spot for him as the book continued on。 I do wish there had been just a bit more nuance to the class issues， as there was seemingly zero gray area between those of high status， and those without。I think my only qualm was personally connecting a little bit less to this one than the first one。 That is by NO means a downside， just personal preference。 Overall （TLDR） I really enjoyed this one and its predecessor！ I can’t wait to read Longshadow， and love knowing that each time I pick up a new book by this author that it will bring me joy， some laughs， and leave me with a smile on my face。 I really can’t recommend these more！Thank you as always to Orbit for the review copy！ I am always grateful to have the privilege of reading books early to give my opinions on them。Go read this， and then find me on elsewhere！InstagramTwitterWordpress 。。。more

Rusty ，

Review coming soon 。。。

Kate （BloggingwithDragons） ，

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Ten Thousand Stitches is my first time reading a novel by Olivia Atwater， but it certainly won’t be my last。 I didn’t read this novel’s predecessor in the author’s Regency Fairy Tale series， and thankfully， this did not lessen my enjoyment of Ten Thousand Stitches at all， which can be read as a standalone。 I was happily surprised at what a charmin I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Ten Thousand Stitches is my first time reading a novel by Olivia Atwater， but it certainly won’t be my last。 I didn’t read this novel’s predecessor in the author’s Regency Fairy Tale series， and thankfully， this did not lessen my enjoyment of Ten Thousand Stitches at all， which can be read as a standalone。 I was happily surprised at what a charming， eclectic read this novel is， which is anything but a typical Cinderella retelling。Ten Thousand Stitches follows Euphemia “Effie” Reeves as she makes her living as a maid in a noble family’s household。 Rather miserable being a maid due to awful working conditions and treatment at the hands of the noble family， Effie is even more discontent after a run in with the family’s handsome son， Mr。 Benedict， who initially mistakes her for a lady。 In a moment， she has fallen for him， and realizing the sheer impossibility of a maid ever being with a young nobleman， she reluctantly seeks the aid of an eager faerie named Lord Blackthorn。 "'There's really no need to make extra work for you， is there？' he said to Effie apologetically。 He headed up the stairs before she could find the wherewithal to respond。 As his figure disappeared， Effie was struck by a horrified realisation。 'Oh bother，' she said， "'I think I've just fallen in love。'" I really loved the hilarity of Effie’s developing friendship with Lord Blackthorn， who she originally and rightfully suspects of ulterior motives due to the mere fact that he is a faerie。 I was perplexed that Lord Blackthorn was described as both a faerie and an elf with no real explanation of the lore involving this apparently singular race。 But Ten Thousand Stitches keeps things simple and assumes that you have read at least one previous story about the tricky nature of faeries。 Likewise， the nature of the divide between servants and noble characters is remarkably plain black and white。 This is not Downton Abbey where there are a few scheming servants trying to throw other workers under the bus to climb the ladder in the household， or where some of the nobles are great， and others are awful， entitled people。 In the household where Effie works， all of the nobles are universally awful， and all the servants have hearts of gold， despite being apparently worked to the bone。  "'I really can't sir，' she pleaded。 'I'm just a maid。''But of course you can！' Lord Blackthorn exulted。 'Why， I ask for your help especially because you are a maid！ All of the maids that I have met have been the very best examples of English virtue， and so I consider it a high recommendation。' I say “apparently” because the working conditions of Effie and the other servants were not nearly as bad as they actually were in regency England。 Though Effie and her best friend Lydia bemoan their fates of having to wake up to tend to the fireplaces and complain of the sheer amount of tasks they have to do， it’s not quite realistic and certainly doesn’t do justice to the true circumstances of being a servant in Regency England， that were actually tantamount to slavery。 We are only told about the work that has to be done， but not really privy to being shown it。 There are no tales of sore fingers or burns from starting the fireplaces。Lydia， though having her own supposedly endless amount of duties， is only too happy to help Effie with her scullery duties that she is assigned as punishment。 She’s also never jealous of the fact that Effie essentially acquires her own faerie godfather and is eager to help Effie accomplish her goal of marriage to Mr。 Benedict。 She doesn't have any mixed feelings about using a glamour to appear as Effie's chaperone and being told not to speak， something that will expose her accent as indicative of her lower societal standing。Though it’s absolutely lovely to see such an unmitigated supportive female friendship， I think it's almost ridiculous how unreservedly wonderful and secure Lydia is， without any misgivings about told to be seen and not heard， or about about her own fate when Effie becomes a lady。 Though the girls do have one misunderstanding in Ten Thousand Stitches it's so inconsequential in comparison to all of the things Lydia has been willing to do to help Effie。 This woman is purely made of steel to be mostly unbothered by the unfairness of it all。 I couldn’t help but feel their friendship was a little too rosy， especially for two overworked young women without any kind of support systems， and came out far too unscathed for one friend literally getting a fairy godparent and expecting the other to help with no benefit to herself whatsoever。 Despite the fact that Ten Thousand Stitches lacks any kind of nuance or complexity， it’s a purely fun and enjoyable read。 Not to mention that there is the magic and glamours of the faerie， the lovely and unbelievable friendship between Lydia and Effie， and the fact that there is more to Effie’s sewing skills than meets the eye。 It doesn’t hurt matters that the themes of kindness， anger， and social justice are spread throughout Ten Thousand Stitches as well。 Plus， sometimes we all just need to read a novel where all of the characters get a happy ending of some sorts。By far my favorite part of the story was everything involving Lord Blackthorn。 Though I initially suspected his sincerity and earnestness， readers will quickly learn he is， in fact， just as cinnamon-roll-y as he appears。 I would’ve liked to see a little more expounding on his development of feelings for Effie， complete with his confusion and revelation of his feelings， but Ten Thousand Stitches is just such a short and sweet novel， that there isn’t much room for a whole lot of subtlety， foreshadowing， and hints。 "I wanted you know that I think the world of you， [Lord Blackthorn]。 Whatever trouble you have caused， you have also made my life much better with your presence。 I enjoy your company and your good cheer and you refusal to ever give up。 I do not know if that is what you would call virtuous， but it is important to me。" Effie does get her happy ending and it’s sugary and cute， but one really has to wonder if the ending is truly happy when the heroine simply has so few choices in her life。 I truly wish Ten Thousand Stitches had been longer， taken more time to show Effie’s burgeoning feelings for both Lord Blackthorn and the world of faerie， in order to make it seem like she was really choosing what would make her heart happy， and not just the most favorable option available to her。 Because honestly， who would want to remain a house servant when they could live a life of leisure in the world of faerie？ This is especially true as the novel makes sure to tell us under no uncertain terms that （view spoiler）[ Effie will be ruined if she calls of her engagement to Mr。 Benedict after having remained in his house without a chaperone。 （hide spoiler）]Plus， readers are never exposed to any of the downsides of faerie。 There is no scene where Effie is lost in the woods and attacked by an evil faerie， or repeatedly shown her worst nightmares or something， with Lord Blackthorn to come to the rescue。 All of the true horrors of the Effie’s universe take place in the human world， rendering her choice to be with Lord Blackthorn less of an actual romantic choice， as shown by her rather bland confession quoted above， and more as the best option for Effie’s survival。 A part of me couldn’t help but wish that there was some other happy ending， like Effie becoming some sort of faerie godmother herself， using her magical powers to help other servant girls find their happiness under the tutelage of the ever-eager Lord Blackthorn， who simply loves learning more about humans。 This is somewhat alluded to in the ending of the novel， but not specifically spelled out。Though it’s admittedly unrealistic and requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief， how much realism does one truly want in a romance story between a maid and her faerie godfather？ I think this this is the perfect novel for those that love fairy tale retellings， romance， or the regency era。 Personally， I found Ten Thousand Stitches to be a delightful and fluffy read， especially when I didn't look too closely at the lack of world-building， realism， and descriptions of love。 In fact， even purchased the previous work in the series， Half a Soul， which I look forward to reading and reviewing。 Connect with Me:bloggingwithdragons。com My Book Review Policy| instagram | tumblr | twitter |pinterest | facebook | email |["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more

Maria ，

amazing amazing amazing。 I LOVE BLACKTHORN

kayla ，

*3。5

Therese Beharrie ，

This was such a gentle and sweet romance。 I adored it。 I loved how kind the heroine was， and how her anger was framed as beautiful and right and that made me so happy。 The hero was misguided and sweet， which is such a great combo。 Highly recommended。

Coralie ，

Same thoughts I had as for the 1st book。 It's fun and cute。 It's easy to follow， no heavy plot， quite the contrary。 Fun characters， whom I actually really liked， they're really endearing。 Same thoughts I had as for the 1st book。 It's fun and cute。 It's easy to follow， no heavy plot， quite the contrary。 Fun characters， whom I actually really liked， they're really endearing。 。。。more

Jennie Artemis ，

TL;DR: Fantasy regency romantic comedy that takes its simple brief and delivers it perfectlyI'm sort of surprised how much I loved Ten Thousand Stitches （and am loving this series as a whole） given my reservations with it: it is still very white， very straight， and not massively complex in its politics and philosophy。 But its simplicity is honestly its strength: it takes its central theme of class， its central premise of the fairy tale wager， and its tight cast of distinct characters， and zooms TL;DR: Fantasy regency romantic comedy that takes its simple brief and delivers it perfectlyI'm sort of surprised how much I loved Ten Thousand Stitches （and am loving this series as a whole） given my reservations with it: it is still very white， very straight， and not massively complex in its politics and philosophy。 But its simplicity is honestly its strength: it takes its central theme of class， its central premise of the fairy tale wager， and its tight cast of distinct characters， and zooms in on those with razor sharp focus。 Every scene （and perhaps even every witty sentence） has its purpose - this booo benefits so much from not overstaying its welcome。 I love the message we end up getting and I again have a fondness for how neurodiversity is （intentionally or not） explored through fairydom （there's a bit of ADHD and autism to Blackthorn which I think works well）。 This is quite simply a deft and incisive fantasy romcom， and there is nothing wrong with that at all。Rating breakdown4。5 stars rounded up to 59/10 in personal rating system 。。。more

Leighton ，

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater is the second book in her amazing Regency Faerie Tales series。 The story revolves around Effie， a housemaid who has fallen in love with a gentleman。 Fortunately， Lord Blackthorn， a fae， is happy to help Effie with her love dilemma。 The only problem is that Lord Blackthorn is unused to the ways of human courtship， and his ideas of helping may be more than Effie bargained fo Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater is the second book in her amazing Regency Faerie Tales series。 The story revolves around Effie， a housemaid who has fallen in love with a gentleman。 Fortunately， Lord Blackthorn， a fae， is happy to help Effie with her love dilemma。 The only problem is that Lord Blackthorn is unused to the ways of human courtship， and his ideas of helping may be more than Effie bargained for。 Will this Cinderella Story end with a happily ever after or with a broken heart？Here is a lovely excerpt from the Prologue， which introduces us to Effie:"Euphemia Reeves was a very irritable young woman。This would have surprised most of the other servants at Hartfield – in fact， if you had asked the esteemed housekeeper， Mrs Sedgewick， she might have told you that Effie was nearly the ideal sort of chambermaid。 As far as Mrs Sedgewick was aware， Effie never shirked her duties and always conducted herself with perfect composure。Mrs Sedgewick would have been shocked to hear the words that currently spilled from Effie’s lips。“。 。 。 no consideration whatsoever， none！” Effie hissed to herself， as she scrubbed down the wooden floors of the entryway for the third time that day。 Mud caked the floorboards once again， as the men of the Family had come tromping inside one by one from the nasty winter weather outside。 “Ought to be against the law to go out ridin’ when there’s mud an’ snow！”"Overall， Ten Thousand Stitches is a lovely blend of fae magic， Cinderella， and My Fair Lady。 One highlight of this book is the original concept。 Just like the first book in this series， this book is so much fun。 Who wouldn't want to read about Pride and Prejudice， except with fairies？ If I had to complain about 1 thing， I would say that I wish there had been a bit more action。 That's just a personal preference。 I'm sure many readers will be happy with this romance as is。 If you're intrigued by the excerpt above， or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general， I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July！ 。。。more

Crystal ，

*sigh* I am so in love with these books！Faerie godfather。 Hehehe。 I don’t know why that gives me the giggles but it does。 I am absolutely charmed by this book series。 It is very well written。 It’s very easy to slip into the story and then quite hard to put down。 This is cozy fantasy/romance but the stories also have a little bit of a serious edge to them。Effie has trouble expressing her negative emotions。 As a woman … you know how that goes。 The pressure to always present a sweet， compliant fron *sigh* I am so in love with these books！Faerie godfather。 Hehehe。 I don’t know why that gives me the giggles but it does。 I am absolutely charmed by this book series。 It is very well written。 It’s very easy to slip into the story and then quite hard to put down。 This is cozy fantasy/romance but the stories also have a little bit of a serious edge to them。Effie has trouble expressing her negative emotions。 As a woman … you know how that goes。 The pressure to always present a sweet， compliant front to others is significant。 Especially as a person who does not have the privilege of being from a higher class。 Don’t be mistaken。 You are still reading and enjoying a regency setting， with all the pretty dresses， balls and charming gentlemen one could want。 At the same time you also get a story about a young woman who is learning to use her own agency。 Throw in a little bit of unionizing/worker’s rights and it’s a very fun way to look at modern issues。I love these books so much。 I am so looking forward to book 3 which I think comes out in a couple of months。 I am on tenterhooks。 I can’t recommend them to you enough。 Five sparkly stars in the sky。Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley。 。。。more

Elly Winner ，

Begins very straightforward romance Cinderella， but soon opens up into quite a different book。 A romp of righteous and joyous rage。 The hero may be a bit *too* perfect， but his gentleness and kindness are lovely to soak in。

Suz ，

I enjoyed this one much more than the first。 I connected with the characters more deeply and enjoyed the outcome。So far this is a very clean regency romance series with magic and fae。 It's cute， light， and fluffy。 Sometimes that's just the ticket， ya know？ I enjoyed this one much more than the first。 I connected with the characters more deeply and enjoyed the outcome。So far this is a very clean regency romance series with magic and fae。 It's cute， light， and fluffy。 Sometimes that's just the ticket， ya know？ 。。。more

Robin ，

I loved this book 💕💕💕（Thanks to the publisher for an arc before it’s officially published！！！）I found this story to be just so sweet， the author does a really clever job of retelling a classic story in a way that speaks to the problems of the original story while being uniquely its own。 For me it’s reminiscent of books I’ve read by Margaret rogerson and of Howls Moving Castle🤍。 The book is written in what I would consider a classic fairytale style and I find the entire story to be sweet and feel I loved this book 💕💕💕（Thanks to the publisher for an arc before it’s officially published！！！）I found this story to be just so sweet， the author does a really clever job of retelling a classic story in a way that speaks to the problems of the original story while being uniquely its own。 For me it’s reminiscent of books I’ve read by Margaret rogerson and of Howls Moving Castle🤍。 The book is written in what I would consider a classic fairytale style and I find the entire story to be sweet and feel good。 It is a standalone and I recommend it so so much。 ~~ 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

DNFing 60 pages in。 I liked the first one a lot but either I'm not in the same mindset now to read this or the story just isn't drawing me in like the first。 It's a human/fae romance this time around and I'm not big on fae， so it's not my jam。 DNFing 60 pages in。 I liked the first one a lot but either I'm not in the same mindset now to read this or the story just isn't drawing me in like the first。 It's a human/fae romance this time around and I'm not big on fae， so it's not my jam。 。。。more

gold ，

This book was utterly lovely。 Just like the first book， the cast of characters were very endearing and the politics for me added a nice layer of richness。

Kes ，

This is a lighthearted read that is a good palate cleanser。 Euphemia is a housemaid; she falls in love with Mr Benedict Ashbrooke， the first gentleman who seems to notice her and has a great smile。 She meets Lord Blackthorn， a faerie， and， though suspicious， she enters a wager with him for her to marry Mr Ashbrooke。 This allows him to help her （because he cannot just help her）。Lord Blackthorn sets out to assist her， and during this， （view spoiler）[she falls in love with Lord Blackthorn， for his This is a lighthearted read that is a good palate cleanser。 Euphemia is a housemaid; she falls in love with Mr Benedict Ashbrooke， the first gentleman who seems to notice her and has a great smile。 She meets Lord Blackthorn， a faerie， and， though suspicious， she enters a wager with him for her to marry Mr Ashbrooke。 This allows him to help her （because he cannot just help her）。Lord Blackthorn sets out to assist her， and during this， （view spoiler）[she falls in love with Lord Blackthorn， for his earnest try-hard manner。 He is rather adorable - he doesn't quite grasp social nuances but he tries。 （hide spoiler）]I also liked how it dealt with class differences - at one point， Lady Buckley （view spoiler）[says that she has to marry Mr Ashbrooke， or she would be forced to marry an old man。 Effie asks her why she can't be a governess or a housemaid - it's not that her choices are limited。 Lady Buckley is speechless。 We also see the difficulties with Lord and Lady Culver - the Family overspends， and Lady Culver ends up cutting the household budget （including hiring maids） to manage。 This difficulty filters to the household。 Eventually， the household presents a united front and proposes walking out; this results in a somewhat better situation for them （hide spoiler）]。3。5/5 stars 。。。more

Anika ，

cute！！ vibes were fun and enjoyed the underlying theme of righteous anger being something that can keep people afloat :） 3。5 stars

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Ten Thousand Stitches

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Ten Thousand Stitches&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Ten Thousand Stitches&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0