Book Review & Blog Tour: The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo

We interrupt the regular posting schedule with a special broadcast! (Ahem, you must read that in a radio announcer voice. It's required.)


Today, it is my honor and privilege to be a part of The Reluctant Godfather blog tour and giveaway! I recently got to read Allison Tebo's delightful little spin on Cinderella, and let me tell you, folks: you want to read this. I'll tell you why in my own words in just a minute, but first, here is the official blurb:

About the Book:

A humorous and magical re-telling of Cinderella from a unique perspective.

Burndee is a young and cantankerous fairy godfather, who would rather bake cakes than help humans. A disgrace to the fairy order, Burndee has only two wards entrusted to his care…a cinder girl and a charming prince.

A royal ball presents Burndee with the brilliant solution of how to make his wards happy with the least amount of effort. He’ll arrange a meeting and hope the two fall in love.

Sounds fun, doesn't it? That's because it is! This is a story you could read in one sitting, like a slice of fluffy chocolate cake baked by Burndee himself. It's a light, rollicking adventure seasoned with a generous helping of humor (one of my favorite things in a story) and a sweet dash of heart. So without further ado, let's get into a review/summary of my thoughts.

The Plot

I don't think I've ever read a Cinderella retelling from the perspective of the fairy godmother--er, godfather, in this case. That instantly gave the tale a fresh twist! While the main structure of the plot follows most of the dance steps one would expect of a Cinderella story, Allison deftly weaves them together in a different way. A way that's slightly off-kilter, a way that keeps you nodding in recognition yet still eagerly turning the page.


And that ending was so heartwarming! I enjoyed spending the last few pages seeing where the characters end up and how their lives turn out. This resolution tied up the story in a sweet little bow, while still hinting at future fun and adventures. I love it when there's closure without it feeling like all the excitement is over permanently.

The Characters

This is where the story really shone! Sit tight--I have to take a moment and gush about each of the main characters.


Burndee: He was my favorite! I mentioned on Goodreads that if you took Howl (from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones) and made him someone's godparent, you'd pretty much end up with Burndee. He's cantankerous, temperamental, gruff, and proud, yet still has a soft spot deep inside.


Plus loves baking, which is a fun and unusual trait for a character like him. All the descriptions of food were making me hungry.


Naturally, some who's cantankerous, temperamental, gruff, proud, and soft contributes excellent sass-alogue (oops, I mean dialogue) to the story! Burndee has trouble getting along with most people, so cue the conflict and witty banter! His personality and attitude are such that he has only two wards to look after, as opposed to the dozens that most fairies handle.


Ella: As weird as it sounds, I liked not being in Cinderella's head for a change. It was interesting to see her from the godparent's perspective.


She's a sweet, hardworking girl, exactly what you might expect. But it was endlessly amusing how Burndee viewed her as, well . . . a bit thick-headed and slow. (Mind you, he has zero patience.) And by the end of the story, we see the depth of her faithfulness and efforts to show love to unlovely people.


Prince Colin: He was a hoot as well, especially since he had a penchant for making his own plans outside of Burndee's ideas! The scenes in which they argue over tea were some of my favorites. All those crushed scones . . .


Probably the best line he ever uttered was: "They're hunting me." (In reference to all the girls coming to the ball, you understand.)


I'm just going to stop there, otherwise I'll end up quoting all the jokes and leave you nothing to discover for yourself!

My Verdict

Four stars! I loved the subtle twists on one of my favorite fairytales, and the humor was A+ for sure. (The humor reminded me a smidge of Broken Glass by Emma Clifton.) The only reason I docked a star was because there were a few times early on in the story where I personally would have liked more setting details to ground me in the scene; and the writing style used more adverbs than I prefer.


But all in all, this is a fantastic novella that I recommend adding to your summer TBR (to be read) list! You'll be laughing the whole way through, and--if you're like me--wanting to quote lines to whatever unsuspecting family members are within a ten-foot radius of you.

About the Author

Allison Tebo is a Christian homeschool graduate in her mid-twenties, who works part time as a sales associate for a major transportation company.  A graduate of London Art College, Allison pursues avenues in cartooning and illustrating as well as singing and voice acting.

In her spare time she writes and blogs at www.allisonswell.com.

It is her goal to write fiction that appeals to many different kind of people, by writing clean, classic fun.

Her faith in Christ directly influences all she writes about - or does not write about.  Whether the story possesses a strong message or is simply fun and imaginative fiction - her desire is to bring honor to God - and to provide quality stories for everyone to enjoy.


BUT DON'T LEAVE YET! You haven't heard about the giveaway! As part of her blog tour of spotlights, reviews, and interviews, Allison is giving away some signed copies of her book, along with other goodies. Click here to check it out on her website!

Have you read The Reluctant Godfather yet? (If not, what are you waiting for?) And what would you do if you had a fairy godparent?