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Cannetella by Elodie Rowan

Sypnosis
A lush and dark fairytale retelling steeped in Italian folklore, Canetella is sure to please fans of Elise Kova, Sarah J. Maas, and K.F. Breene.

Cannetella is doomed to marry. As the only child of the bankrupted King of High-Hill, her twentieth birthday spells the end of life as she knows it. Cannetella dreams of adventure, not refilling the kingdom’s coffers. Determined to keep her freedom, she hatches a plan: Cannetella announces she will only marry a man with a face of pure gold. Pleased with her impossible standards, she prepares for a life unburdened by a husband.

But on the night of her birthday, a mysterious man appears. On his face is a mask made of the finest gold. The relieved King declares Cannetella will marry the man with enough wealth to save the heirless and penniless Kingdom of High-Hill. Cannetella is forced to wed and whisked away from the only home she has ever known. But the gilded gentleman is none other than her father’s most bitter nemesis, Enzo Fioravante, an infamous and feared Stregone, a dark Sorceror.

Tied to Enzo with no way of returning home, Cannetella learns she is a pawn in a game of revenge between the two families, and that Fioravante will do anything to gain what was stolen from him five years ago. But as Cannetella delves into her captor’s past, she uncovers a devious plot burrowed in both of their kingdoms, one of magic, murder, and lust. And worst of all, she learns Fioravante is not the villain he appears to be.

Together with her greatest enemy, Canetella and Enzo must break a curse that has claimed the lives of six others, or become the next victims. And as the unlikely pair grows closer, a dark and undeniable attraction blooms. But when magic is involved, no one’s heart will remain unscathed.

Review:
Ever since this book crossed my path a few weeks, I have looked for information about it. I had seen in some places that the book was to release in February 2023 and others have it in either March or April of 2023. I decided that it was time to go look in Netgalley. I am seriously glad I did.

The characters are well-written, pull you into their world, and have you invest in their lives until the very end. And they mean to make sure that you still think of them afterward. This is what you want in your books. Characters that give the story meaning.

Canetella is a young princess who has no desire to marry. Each of her suitors that have graced the castle walls is always sent away. This seems to aggravate her uncle but her father always wants what is best for his daughter and if she has not found the right one, he won't make her marry. As her twentieth-year approaches, she has no choice but to find someone to marry. So, she gives them a ridiculous list for her husband - he has to have gold on him. Thinking she is free from the idea of forced marriage, Canetella finds how wrong she is when her future husband walks right into her birthday party.

Enzo is a Stregone- a dark sorcerer - wanting nothing more than to regain the magic he lost while trying to save Canetella's mother all those years ago. Believing that marrying Canetella would be the key to finding the answer, the two embark on a marriage filled with misunderstandings, attempted murder (on her side), and unfulfilled desires.

But something darker lurks in the shadows and in the necklace that Canetella's father gives her on her birthday. Canetella and Enzo must find the key to break the curse upon the necklace and learn who the dark Stregone is behind the murder of Canetella's mother and Enzo's lost magic.

This book has everything a reader loves - an original story filled with the retelling of Italian folklore. The world-building is small and yet enough to give you an idea of a lush and beautiful world filled with magical beings, different regions that are given small glimpses, and Cursed Woods where the deadliest creatures live. The world is not saturated too much with information and this is what makes it different, and unique in its quality.

The storyline is vivid and well-created. We learn of Enzo's tragic past and his ties to Canetella's mother's passing. Enzo is the tragic character wanting to protect Canetella from his world especially when Lucia threatens to harm her. He also tries to fight the desire he has for her. He wants nothing more than to throw caution to the wind to love her but at the same time, his desire to find the curse to his curse also drives a wedge between them.

Canetella can be seen as bratty and spoiled in the way she acts. She has no desire to marry. She wants adventure and freedom from the chains that hold her as a princess. She knows her father loves her and will do anything she wants when it comes to marrying. This is why she gives a ridiculous list but I love how the tables are turned on her when Enzo, disguised as a king from another kingdom arrives. Every bit of her hope for freedom just flies away. She is not happy. She is furious that she has been thawed. And when he carries her way, it just makes her ire even worse.

But I can see why she gets aggravated in the beginning. Still don't understand the need to try to kill him. xD I mean, he is hot. I would be tearing off his clothes and dragging him to my room. I mean, if she doesn't want him I will gladly take him off her hands. LOL

I loved this book. I loved the characters. I love the retellings. It was everything I had hoped this book would be. I am so glad I looked for this book on Netgalley because it was worth it. Every bit of it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre:
Romance, Fantasy, Fairytales, Retellings, Magical Realism, Netgalley, Folklore, Italian Folklore, Enemies to Lovers

Stars:

5 out of 5