Title: Willow and the Harvest Moon

Series: Autumn Fairy Tales #4

Author: Kayla Eshbaugh

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

She’s the shunned, strange and unwanted maiden living alone in the woods. He’s the noble, handsome, and highly eligible personal knight of the King. So why is he always seeking her out? Willow is familiar with the unkind words of others. With her ugly and undesirable grey-white hair and black eyes, the villagers never tire of their mocking. Only one person has ever been kind to her–Sir Thomas. Despite her intense attraction to the kind and handsome knight, Willow knows he could never want her –the cursed outcast with the strange ability to speak with animals. When Thomas takes a walk in the woods on a cool autumn day, he never imagines finding the mythical Westwoods–woods he only knows from bedtime stories told to children. After becoming stranded, he is relieved when Willow stumbles upon him. As they wait out a storm together in a small cave, their feelings for one another can no longer be denied. As they emerge from the cave and search for a way out of the woods, Willow starts to wonder if she could belong with Thomas. Could someone truly want her? However, when they discover secrets about Willow’s true identity, their budding relationship is threatened. Will discovering her past change whatever seems to be forming between them faster than a leaf falling to the forest floor? Or is belonging more than being accepted by others, but accepting one’s self? – summary from Goodreads

Willow and the Harvest Moon is a sweet Ugly Duckling retelling with Fae, friends-to-lovers, and lovely characters!

This was such a cute, cozy book! I’m really loving Ugly Duckling retellings, and this one was really good.

This book is a standalone, but it takes place in a separate Kayla Eshbaugh universe from the Autumn Fairy Tales. You can read this without reading the other books, but it would make more sense if you had read the other books. The author also shares when this book takes place chronologically in that series at the beginning of the book.

The storyline was cute and really cozy. There was a little bit of adventure, though it wasn’t super intense, which I liked. The storyline kept me engaged, but it was really cozy and sweet. It was a perfect cold autumn day read!

The Ugly Duckling part of the story was wonderful. I love how the author was able to weave aspects of the original into the story. I also love how Thomas, the love interest, accepted and loved Willow for how she was. He also didn’t necessarily save her; he just helped her accept herself.

Willow was such a sweet and lovely character! I loved how kind she was to those around her, even those who were unkind, and her animals. I loved the animals in this book, especially Archie and Clover. These two were wonderful additions to the story and I loved them. Clover’s antics were everything!

Thomas was a wonderful character, too! He was so kind and protective towards Willow. I also loved his friendship with Wesley. It was a nice part of the story and I enjoyed that he had a life outside of Willow.

Their relationship was so sweet! I loved their relationship and how they cared for each other. They had also liked each other for many years and they are best friends. I loved them and their relationship so much!

The fae aspect of the book was interesting. I’m fascinated by this world, and the fae deepened the lore and history of this world. I liked the role they played in the story, as well as for the characters. The author also made the fae different from what I normally see in books and I liked the change.

The Autumn part of the book was really good. I loved the idea of the festival at the end of the book, though I do wish it was a little bit more part of the book. It was so sweet and I loved the idea of carving your partner’s name into a pumpkin.

Willow and the Harvest Moon is a sweet Ugly Duckling retelling with magic, animals, and romance!