Claim: Puss in Boots Retold

Romance a Medieval Fairytale #26

by Demelza Carlton

A cursed knight. An enchanted cat. A castle to claim.
Once upon a time…
Caterina’s life is complicated enough. When her father dies, she finds herself as the castellan of Burg Rumpelstiltskin. Between managing the Burg’s extensive lands and trying to stop the castle from falling down, it’s a constant struggle to keep her father’s death a secret from the King and Queen.
Until the Queen appoints a new baron to take over the castle…who arrives complete with his new wife and a peculiar talking cat.
Kempenich sacrificed himself for his family. He never expected to wake up centuries later, let alone in the body of a cat. But his family’s castle is crumbling, with no sign of the legendary wealth he left them. His only hope to restore his family’s fortunes is to seduce the castellan’s daughter, in order to uncover the castle’s secrets.
But can a lady with secrets and a knight turned cat save the castle and find their happily ever after?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked the story. Caterina has become the chatelaine of the crumbling, cursed castle of Burg Rumpelstiltskin upon the death of her father, the latest Steward to hold the position. She unexpectedly receives word that the new Baron of Rumpelstiltskin will be arriving to inspect and claim his inheritance. She doesn't expect much. A bored, pampered member of the court would not be interested in staying long or in the running of the huge estate, much less overseeing any needed repairs. But she is surprised when Issac, Tessa, and their strange cat Kempenich arrive on horseback with no servants or wagons of luggage. She is even more surprised when she goes to sleep with a cat in her bed, only to wake up with a naked man. A handsome, well-built, naked man. Ooo-la-la.

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent, loyal, and very capable was Caterina, but with a future that was tied to a promise to keep and when the heir to the castle and his companions arrived, her fate was cast. Kempenich intrigued me right away. Very imaginative what resulted from his sacrifice. A punishment or a second chance? A strong attraction, a mystery to solve and the need to eradicate a possible threat kept me attentive to the outcome of the plot. Interesting, different, and ingenious, this retelling of Puss in Boots where we find characters from several of the previous retellings that make us want to go for their stories. I like how they keep me connecting events and even follow up with the characters! Very creative.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

💰Gold?! What gold? A family curse with benefits!🏰

Entertaining tale with an enchanted cat/man who goes back to his homeland after centuries' absence in search of gold and finds an unexpected treasure called Caterina, the chateleine of his ancestral estate. His distrust for her turns to admiration and then a full-blown attraction. It's a good, imaginative transformation of an old fairytale with some heat.

This is part of an extensive series and characters cross over from one tale to another. But it can be read on its own and has its own HEA.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, Nordic myth & legend fantasy. Caterina Stewart manages Burg Rumpelstiltskin. After her father dies, the King returns the Rumpelstiltskin heir, his betrothed, and their cat, Kempenich.

With its short chapters, the story, moving at an exciting pace, weaves together two love tales. Misconceptions and strong wills add drama. The end is sweet.

Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Happily Ever After. Romantic. Steamy. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.

[Stan Hutchings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful, romantic retelling of Puss in Boots, with crossover characters from Rumpelstiltskin and echoes of King Midas. Puss AKA Kempenich returns to his castle Burg Rumpelstiltskin a thousand years later - as a talking cat. With him is Tessa and Isaak, his descendant. The castle has been managed by generations of women who were widowed by the castle’s curse up to Caterina, the current chatelaine. Finally, Isaak will break the curse and restore the castle as he becomes the baron and Kempenich is returned to human form. There is a HEA for everyone in a double wedding in the spring.

[Mary Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a welcome return to the fairytale series that Demelza does so well. I loved the attitude of Kempenich in cat form, that slowly mellowed out when he became human and then smitten with Caterina. This was a well written story with familiar characters from Demelza's other books that featured them. But, Kempenich and Caterina are the focus. There are some real surprises toward the ending of the book involving gold, and a not so surprising ending. This in not a retelling meant for young people though, adults only, please.

[Stephanie Villere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claim: Puss in Boots Retold (Romance a Medieval Fairytale # 26) written by Demelza Carlton. It’s a short retelling of … you guessed it, Puss in Boots. He shows up at the castle as a cat but is soon returned to a man. It gets a little hard to keep up with after so many retellings of all of our innocent little fairy tales, but it’s a fun read just as well.

[Genoveva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retellings of cartoon stories are everything! Especially when you add some mystery that needs to be solved. In this one we have two major conflicts that our heroes need resolutions to and the journey to solve them was pretty interesting.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun retelling with a few twists thrown in to make things interesting. Made me laugh and groan but found it entertaining. Plus enjoyed seeing parts of the original story and the twists on the tale. A bit of fun and a mystery too. Had to see how it all ends and if everyone gets a HEA.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun medieval fairytale.. I liked it very much! Steam and sweetness, with lots of sass..

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun twist on the Puss in Boots story. The characters are fun and I love how it stays true to the original story while adding a different twist to it.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kempenich is a cat who talks and wears boots. He has been cursed and in this form for a thousand years. He returns to Burg Rumpelstiltskin along with one of his descendants, hoping to break the curse. Although he arrives as a cat, he awakens one morning back in human form. He meets Caterina, the current chatelaine of the castle, whom he comes to love. An entertaining retelling of Puss in Boots, with a few twists.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.