Once Upon a SmileMaria's Story: A Sweet Retelling of the Fairy Tale The Princess Who Never Smiled
She’s tired of regrets. She’s ready for a fresh start. And if disguising herself as a knight is the only way forward, well—so be it.
Maria longs to leave her past behind, but that’s hard to do when her life feels stalled and aimless. Add a string of unwelcome suitors, and she’s desperate for a way out.
So when her brother decides to travel to a nearby kingdom to win the heart of a wealthy princess, Maria aches to join him. There’s just one problem: the journey is dangerous, and her family would never let her go.
Her solution? Strike a secret deal to join the expedition—even if it means she must disguise herself as one of her brother’s knights.
It seems like a simple enough plan—until the untimely moment her deception is discovered.
Inspired by the classic fairy tale The Princess Who Never Smiled, this sweet and swoony double romance follows Maria’s journey to find her own happily ever after as she discovers the transformative power of laughter and love.
Come for the disguise and danger—stay for the redemption of a girl learning to open her heart, in a story for readers who love watching a character earn her second chance.
Note from the Author: Although this is a sequel, you don't have to read the first book to enjoy this one!
Readers also enjoyed
Kristen Niedfeldt
Kristen Niedfeldt is the author of ENDING THE RAIN, FINDING EVER AFTER, PRINCESS WITHOUT A PALACE, and MYSTERY AT THE MIDNIGHT BALL.
After studying elementary education at Brigham Young University, she taught third grade for two years before she "retired" (as her students called it) to stay home with her little baby boys!
She has always adored fairy tales, especially Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED and Shannon Hales's PRINCESS ACADEMY.
When she's not writing, she loves to play outside with her kids, cook, and spend time living out her own happily ever after with her best friend and husband, Peter.
Regal Retellings
Regal Retellings consists of two primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
