Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley

There’s more than one sapphic take on Cinderella and this one is probably the closest I’ve read to the original fairy tale. Since her father died, Cynthia Talbott has become her stepmother and stepsister’s maid. The only maid left, too, since Lady Tremaine and her daughters Dorothea and Stasia have spent all the money Cynthia’s dad left. The Prince of Parmenza comes to England to marry the prettiest girl, and both stepsisters are convinced they’ll be the chosen one, while Cynthia wants to go to the ball to see the prince’s sister, Princess Ammalia, who caught her eye during the Royal Parade.

I’m not sure the story is supposed to make much sense, so just let yourself enjoy it. Ammalia showing up at Cynthia’s house with a beautiful ball gown and making the others wait on their stepsister for once is delightful. The tension between the MCs is thick and while the ending feels a bit too convenient, who cares. Her Princess at Midnight—first published as part of the Pride Not Prejudice anthology minus the epilogue (which you can read on the author’s website with the password “gimmehea”)—is a playful novella, a fun romp that doesn’t pretend to be anything else.