Once Upon a Pumpkin

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at first. *Another* Cinderella retelling? But *Once Upon a Pumpkin* disarmed me within chapters. Landi’s twist—centering the story on Dietrich, the stable boy who *didn’t* save the duchess—gives the tale a gritty, almost noirish edge. This isn’t about a damsel waiting for rescue; it’s about a kid drowning in survivor’s guilt who stumbles into a conspiracy that’s equal parts *Anastasia* and *Knives Out*. The mystery unfolds with satisfying precision, though I’ll dock half a point for a mid-act reveal that feels *just* a hair too convenient (a locked-room clue that hinges on a character’s uncharacteristic silence). Jess Moran’s performance is *exceptional*—her Dietrich is a revelation, a voice that’s equal parts exhaustion and simmering rage. The romance subplot, while sweet, occasionally gets overshadowed by the sheer momentum of the plot, which is both a strength and a weakness. At 5 hours, the pacing is relentless, but I found myself wishing for a few more breaths, especially in the ballroom scenes where the tension could’ve lingered. That said, the production is flawless: no awkward edits, no volume dips, just a seamless listen that makes it easy to binge in one sitting. If you’re tired of fairy tales that feel like they’ve been focus-grouped into oblivion, this one’s for you—messy, sharp, and unafraid to let its heroes bleed a little.