The Shoeless Prince: A Puss in Boots Retelling by Jacque Stevens (Once Upon a Prince book 8)

A baker, a tailor, a princess. And a cat.

Archie’s only inheritance is a cat. One he’s convinced is magic, but still a cat. When he refuses to take the baker apprenticeship his brothers set up for him, he turns to the cat for help in finding a job that would make him worthy of the kind and rebellious Princess Ainsley.

Leo knows he’s not a normal cat. He knows he had a life before this, but what that was, he can’t remember. Tabitha is the only one who never asks anything of him, and she’s the one he turns to for solace. 

But a shapeshifting ogre is threatening the kingdom and the fae realm is restless. Can these four find a way to work together to get what they want and save the kingdom in the process?

“She had seen beyond all the masks he tried to wear and saw something of his own soul to cherish.”

Archie and Ainsley have serious Kristoff and Anna vibes and I love it! Archie’s bumbling was so endearing and Ainsley just kept taking everything in stride. Leo was a fun character to follow.

The magical elements built well on themselves, with more and more dangers showing up. The twist of the true bad guy was a lot of fun.

A great retelling of Puss in Boots.

5 Stars
No swearing
A few swoony kisses
A few minor injuries. Imprisonment, and hints of childhood trauma.

(Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.)