Was Cinderella’s stepfamily really all that bad? And was Prince Charming really that charming? This nuanced fantasy recasts the familiar fairy tale from the “evil” stepmother’s point of view. After two brief marriages, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley has a mountain of debt; a decaying manor house; two beloved daughters, Mathilde and Rosamund; and Elin, a sullen, standoffish stepdaughter who does nothing to help improve the family fortunes and is just biding her time until she can lay her hands on her dowry. The prince’s ball could be Lady Tremaine and her daughters’ salvation, until Prince Simeon’s eyes fall upon Elin, who makes her own dramatic entrance into the occasion. Worse still, there’s a darker purpose behind the ball and the prince’s attention, and it’s up to Lady Tremaine to save her prickly, dangerously naïve stepdaughter once it becomes clear that Elin’s not headed toward a happy ending. Bridgerton actor Bessie Carter’s wry narration aptly and sympathetically depicts Lady Tremaine as a resourceful—and when necessary, ruthless—woman doing her utmost to make the best of unfortunate circumstances. This time, she’s a far more engaging character than her stepdaughter.

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