Book Review-One Shattered Crown

Rebecca Zanetti

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

First Impressions

One Shattered Crown is the most recent addition to the Grimm Bargains series. This was a long awaited story for me as the connection between our hero and heroine was built in previous books so to see them finally get together was beyond satisfying and this is where I do recommend reading these books in order if you can. I think what intrigued me most was seeing how Zanetti unravels the Cinderella retelling. There is such chemistry from beginning to end on this one here. And seeing the way in which they overcome the villain (s) was thrilling.

Book Evaluation:

Plot: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 4/5
Intimacy Level: 4/5
Relationship Building: 5/5
Heart & Feels: 5/5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 5/5
Page Turner Level: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Overall View: 5/5

“She glares at me. I smile. God, she’s cute.”

The Main Protagonists

The Hero: Justice Beathach

The Heroine: Ella Rendale

What I Loved

I think the first thing that comes to mind with this book was JUSTICE!!! What a hero, he is sexy enough that he will curl your toes. Just from the beginning, he sets the tone just right for the story. He is full on alpha and I never get bored with how this author writes her heroe’s. And he matches so well with Ella. Ella is a unique mix of a heroine. And I still fell hard for her even if she has some flaws. Ella has a mix of strength, stubborness and yet relatable in her own way. Her stubborness does put her in danger and she has to learn some painful lessons. Justice is just right for her though. He is strong enough to be able to handle her stubborn nature and stand up to her when he needs to. But the poor thing and all those spankings LOL What made the biggest impression for me is how the author handled her own twist of Cinderella. Its more of a loose retelling but seeing the reveal in the end was PERFECTION!!! It has some twists you don’t see at first and I appreciated that from this author.

“And in the middle of it all, absurd and glittering under the weak light, a tactical knife with a sparkly pink handle. Razor sharp, polished, deadly. Somebody took the time to bedazzle murder.”

What I Struggled With

There was only one thing that kept this from being a 6 star read. The heroine was a bit too stubborn at times and could get TSTL in some ways and I wasn’t a fan of how she treated the hero in some respects. Even though she has her own strengths….she still had vulnerabilities and I do wish that she had been more honest even with herself over those weaknesses that made her human.

Narration

FABULOUS!!! I just love how these narrators handle this series, they just make the characters really come alive in the best of ways. And they build the yearning and tension just right.

Overall Thoughts

One Shattered Crown is a story that digs deeper into the Cinderella retelling while adding in a darker twist to the original tale ……its thrilling, explosive and sensual and will captivate your heart!

“She thinks I want her dead. I should. Except I don’t. I want to trap her at my house in the woods and have her sing. Talk. Joke. Hum. Any sound out of her magical mouth.”

Book Details

Title: One Shattered Crown

Author: Rebecca Zanetti

Series: Grimm Bargains, #3

Publication Date: July 28 2026

Publisher: Recorded Books via Kensington

Genre: Dark Romance

Narrator: Lance Greenfield, Emma Wilder

Length: 11 Hours + 23 Minutes

Tropes/Character Types: Morally Grey Hero, Sassy FMC, Cinderella Retelling, Mafia, Psychic Abilities, Magical, Rags to Riches, Hacker/Computer Nerd

Spice Level:

Steamin’ up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

POV: 3rd POV

Music Song That Is Themed After This Book: So This Is Love from “Cinderella”.

Set in a steamy, neon-lit, high-tech world of magic, money, and explosive desire, this sultry, dark fairytale retelling offers a dystopian romantasy twist on Cinderella.

ELLA
It’s the wedding of the year—a lavish union of two powerhouses. But I’m only here for vengeance against the woman who stole my position as sole heir to my late father’s company, TimeGem Moments, and shipped me off to boarding school. I’ve only made more enemies since. Tonight is my chance to reclaim control. Tonight, TimeGem’s diamond-powered servers are this girl’s best friend. Unless he ruins everything. Justice Beathach, the groom’s unbearably hot brother, with hands built for war and a mouth that spells destruction. He’s lethal, unyielding, and now has me in his crosshairs . . .

JUSTICE
Ella Rendale almost killed my brother once. Now, at his own wedding, she’s almost done it again. I don’t care if he’s forgiven her or if she’s been wronged. I care about one thing: the locked flash drive she leaves behind, spelling my destruction. She can run, she can hide, but when I find her, she’ll give me what I want. But someone else wants her even more than I do—they want her dead. When our enemies close in, I’m forced to protect her, turning the fire between us into an uncontrollable weapon. Now, she’s not just my quarry—she’s my obsession. And I’ll kill anyone who even thinks of taking her from me . . .