Once upon an Apple
by Gabrielle Landi · Galamere Chronicles #01 · 2024
A lord’s son, a milkmaid, and seven mischievous goats. After running from her past, Sophia built a new life for herself in the Northlands, taking a job as a milkmaid for the local nobility and creating her own family with the friends she meets at the Cozy Cat Café. She spends her days spoiling the goats and finally feels safe, but something is still missing. She wants more than just safety–she wants love and a real family of her own. Lord Caspian Rendon has returned home to–in his Father’s words, get serious–and contemplate his life’s path. As a third son, he doesn’t have much other than his title–and while the past two years of training in the Royal Guard have set him up for a potential career, they haven’t done much in the way of finding him a wealthy wife, which had always seemed the more appealing option of the two. When he runs into the beautiful, sweet, and always kind Sophia taking care of his little sister’s goats, he begins to realize there’s more to life than marrying into wealth. As the baby goats, a mischievous little sister, and Fall Festival planning keep bringing Caspian and Sophia together, he starts to fall for the goat girl. But when Sophia's mysterious past finally catches up with her, Caspian must make a hard choice ... Can he risk it all for love, or will he never see her again? Once Upon An Apple is a Snow White fairytale retelling and the first book in the Galamere Chronicles. Each standalone book is a retelling of a beloved story or fairy tale, with the swoon-worthy sweet romance of a Hallmark movie, the wholesome and heartwarming feeling of cozy fantasy, and the comfort of a found family of friends, with a sprinkling of danger and a dash of magic.
Rating: 4.00/5 from 1 ratings · Heat: 1 · Genres: Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult
Reviews
Katherine Weda — 4/5
This was a sweet, cozy fairytale story with a cute spin on the classic fairy tale of Snow White. I loved the goats and all the little hints that lead up to one big reveal. Sophia was sweet and kind and I loved getting to see glimpses of Thea, Ginger, Dietrich, and Beatrice from Once Upon a Café–which is how I first entered the world of Galamere. Although the novel could be read as a stand alone, I believe that it was beneficial reading OUaC first, because I had prior knowledge of the world and characters introduced. I can't wait to go back and read Once Upon a Cake–Thea's story–and I'm looking forward to seeing Beatrice's journey in Once Upon a Rose! Thank you to Gabrielle Landi for this beautiful novel and the chance to be an ARC reader! I can't wait to add this–and all of the other Galamere books–to my shelves.