Ondine: The Summer of Shambles

'What was the point of falling in love with a man if he turned back into a ferret when the moon went down?' is a sentence not often encountered but one that characterises this quirky novel.

Ondine is amazed to discover her pet ferret can talk – and that he is really a boy (a gorgeous  boy) cursed by a witch. But the Duke’s son is also pretty tasty. Who will she choose? Who can she trust? And why are there jewels stashed under the floorboards?

This ingenious fairy tale reworked (three sisters in search of princes) combines smart, sassy writing ('Lurch went her stomach. Fizz went her brain.'), great characters, humorous asides - and a cracking story. Most entertaining.