A Pan of Pumpkin and PastriesA Cinderella Retelling
A dab of pumpkin. A dusting of cinders.
And a drizzle of midnight baking that could change everything.
Celine Blackthorne is the secret ingredient behind the kingdom’s most fashionable bakery. While her stepmother and stepsisters bask in the dining room spotlight, Celine bakes and cleans in the basement kitchen. When a Royal Patisserie Competition threatens to expose her family’s lack of coin and lack of talent, Celine must take matters into her own flour-dusted hands and save the family business.
With the help of the cobbler’s apprentice next door, Celine risks her anonymity to save the people who take her for granted. But when the contest requires her to leave the bakery for the ballroom, Celine’s secret participation may not stay secret for long. As heat rises in the royal kitchen, Celine must decide if she’s baking for her family’s approval or for a love that’s as sweet as it is unexpected.
A Pan of Pumpkin and Pastries, a retelling of Cinderella with nods to the Great British Bakeoff, is a standalone novella, complete with tropes such as friends to lovers, found family, and royal competition. It is part of The Enchanting Confections series, a collection of clean and cozy stories guaranteed to delight your sweet tooth.
A. G. Marshall
A. G. Marshall writes the kind of fantasy that remembers why fairy tales have endured for centuries. Her stories are filled with enchanted forests, hidden kingdoms, clever heroines, and unexpected twists on familiar legends, yet they never feel trapped by tradition. Instead, they explore what happens when beloved tales are viewed from a new angle, allowing old magic to reveal something entirely different.
Long before becoming a published author, Marshall was the child who could always be found in a library, wandering through shelves in search of new worlds. Stories became a constant companion, and writing soon followed. What began as a love of reading gradually evolved into a passion for creating her own adventures, inspired by folklore, fantasy, and the timeless appeal of characters who must discover their own strength.
Enchanting Confections
There is something comforting about a small-town bakery, the scent of fresh pastries drifting through the air, familiar faces gathering each morning, and recipes passed down through generations. Enchanting Confections takes that warmth and adds a touch of magic, creating a cozy fantasy mystery series where every treat may hold a secret and every day brings the possibility of the unexpected.
Enchanting Confections consists of ten primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
This was my first novella by this author but I had enjoyed a couple much shorter short stories by her previously and had high hopes for this since it sounded fun. This book met my expectations and was a really enjoyable Retelling of Cinderella full of fall vibes, wonderful sounding desserts, and interesting characters. I loved getting to know both Celine "Cinder" and Mouse and seeing Celine realize her growing feelings for him. This story also has a lot of fun side characters including the other baker's in the competition. Celine's step mother as well as her step sister Eugenie were extremely unappreciative of all Celine did for them but her step sister Felicity wasn't as bad. The epilogue was a fun look into the future and I plan to read more by this author.