IÂ picked up Lady Tremaine last month because I love books that revisit a story through a different perspective. The villainâs side of the story, the character everyone wrote off, the version we were never supposed to hear. Wicked. Circe. Rump. All so good. Thatâs why, when I heard Rachel Hochhauserâs debut book, Lady Tremaine, was a reimagined story from Cinderellaâs stepmotherâs point of view, I grabbed it from the library and used my monthly Audible credit for the best of both worlds. I figured it would be a fun, fast read, with just the right dark edge to it. It was.
And it was also something else. It felt a lot like a behind-the-curtain conversation about motherhood.
Iâve been recommending it to anyone who asks for a book rec since I finished it, and Iâm not the only one. Lady Tremaine has been popping up on all the bookish TikTok accounts I follow. When I mentioned it in a text, one friend had it from our local library within days, and another put in a request that same week and is still waiting. Itâs a Reeseâs Book Club pick and a Goodreads pick for Best Books of the Year (so far). The book Lady Tremaine is having a moment because it deserves one.
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What is the book Lady Tremaine about?
The novel follows Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley, aka Ethel or Lady Tremaine, and the woman weâve spent our whole lives calling the villain. Twice widowed, financially stretched, and doing everything she can to hold her family together while projecting exactly the kind of calm, capable composure the world expects from her as a mother. Hochhauser gives Lady Tremaine an entire life. Suddenly, the woman you spent your childhood calling âwickedâ and âevilâ has a whole lot more going on than you ever considered.
Lady Tremaine book review: a momâs perspective
If you havenât grabbed the book yet, hereâs my honest review (without spoilers) of Lady Tremaine and why I think youâll love it as a mom, specifically.
Nobody hands over a manual on motherhood
The book opens with Ethel out in a field with her falcon, Lucy, trying to hunt down dinner for her family. Throughout the entire book, I kept thinking about this first chapter. Here is this woman doing something she probably never pictured herself doing. Her family needs to eat, and she is the one who has to make it happen. Thereâs something in it thatâs hard to shake: that mix of I will literally do whatever it takes and I truly cannot believe this is my life right now.
Hochhauser describes it so well. âNo one tells you how to mother. It is presumed to be buried within you, a deep, primordial instinct that awakens in your bodyâin your breastâwhen the time is right.â
Youâre just supposed to know.
âNo one tells you how to mother. It is presumed to be buried within you, a deep, primordial instinct that awakens in your bodyâin your breastâwhen the time is right.â â Lady Tremaine
Except you donât always know. You Google things at the oddest hours of the night. You wonder if the rash is normal, if that long wake window is part of your childâs development, and if everyone else got some memo you missed. Some days, the most honest thing you can say is that you are doing your absolute best while completely figuring it out as you go. Ethel, out there in that field with Lucy, and during the entire book, would get it.
And yet, the book makes it all clear pretty quickly; figuring it out is only half of it. The other half is making sure everything appears like you have your life together.
Moms feel the pressure to appear calm, capable, and good
Thereâs a moment in the book where guests arrive (you know, the men in the carriage declaring the prince is having a ball) at Ethelâs manor, and she does what any host would do: she offers them something to eat and drink. And then she holds her breath, hoping theyâll say âno,â because she literally has nothing to offer them. Sheâs stretching every resource she has to keep her children fed and the roof over their heads, and the last thing she can afford is for anyone to see how thin that margin is.
Her family manor looks the part from the outside, but inside, itâs a different story entirely. Canât we all relate?
How many times have we done our own version of what Hochhauser describes? Showing up to something looking pulled together when we are absolutely not. Responding with âWeâre good, things are goodââon autopilotâwhen someone asks. Sharing the one photo from the one moment of the day that looked nice. The expectation for mothers to appear calm and capable is not new. Ethel was putting up appearances centuries ago, just without anyone to text about it and a literal crumbling ceiling above her head.
âThe expectation for mothers to appear calm and capable is not new. Ethel was putting up appearances centuries ago, just without anyone to text about it and a literal crumbling ceiling above her head.â
What gets me about Hochhauserâs writing is that she doesnât let Ethel be a mess about it. Sheâs not falling apart visibly. Sheâs sharp, composed, and holds the line. And thatâs almost the hardest thing to read because itâs so recognizable. The pressure to be nurturing and capable and selfless and completely unrattled, all at once, all the time, with no one seeing the work behind it. The milk-stained shirts, the 40-minute car ride where the baby scream-cried the entire time, the toddler nap that didnât happen, which meant you havenât had a moment to yourself in, I donât know, maybe 72 hours? Whoâs counting? Moms know that feeling. We just call it a Tuesday.
Motherhood looks like adapting to any situation
Rachel Hochhauserâs book, Lady Tremaine, builds toward the royal event weâre all familiar with and the chance at a match that could change Ethelâs daughtersâ lives entirely. Ethel is working every angle she has to make it happen. And when you understand what sheâs working withâwhat sheâs already been through and whatâs at stake for her familyâthe things she does stop looking all villainy and start looking a lot like, well, motherhood.
âWhen Iâd first heard the rumors, I wasnât afraid of not being invited to the royal ball; I was afraid of one existing. For if it existed, we must go. And if we went, we must succeed. And if we were successful, my daughters would be married and move away from me forever. My own desires contracted each other.â
The book makes you think about how much of motherhood exists in the spaces between what people see and whatâs really going on. The stuff that never makes it into the conversation.
âThe book makes you think about how much of motherhood exists in the spaces between what people see and whatâs really going on.â
Youâll hear things like, âItâs not that hard to get your child to sleep in their own crib. She said her son goes to bed at 9 p.m., isnât that late? Iâd never pack that snack.â
Meanwhile, the kids co-sleep because it works for everyone, and itâs the only way anyone gets some decent sleep. The 9 p.m. bedtime is because that little boy has lower sleep needs and naps at daycare. After all, Mom has to work. That snack is the special treat that was agreed on together because drop-off has been harder lately. Not every decision needs a footnote. Most of the time, the reasoning behind something is a lot more nuanced. So much of what we do as mothers is way more than what others see.
Ethel reminded me of that. Sheâs doing what she has to do for her kids, with what she has, in the circumstances sheâs in. Weâve spent centuries calling her the villain for it because we didnât know what we didnât know about her. Iâm sure the same can be said for many other moms in our lives and for ourselves, too. Youâre probably doing a lot more than anyone can see. Lady Tremaine reminded me of that, and it might remind you that, too.
Is Lady Tremaine worth reading?
If youâre adding to your TBR pile, put this one on the list. Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser is a great read, with plot twists and a main character youâll find yourself rooting for. Ethel is complex and real, and Hochhauser gives her a story that sheâs earned every bit of.
Consider this book for:
- Your book club. The conversation will pick up right away. Maybe you grew up watching Cinderella, and you all know this story. With this read, Hochhauser completely flips it. The dynamic between Ethel and Elin alone is worth talking about for an entire evening. Find Lady Tremaine book club questions on the authorâs website.
- A group text read. Drop the recommendation in your group chat. You will have opinions and thoughts, I promise.
- Your audiobook commute, daily walk, or nap-trap listen. The story moves fast and pulls you in quickly, which makes it a great audiobook for the fragmented listening of mom life.
As a mom, reading Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser may make you feel a bit more generous with yourself. I did not see this coming before reading the book, but I welcomed it.
FAQs about Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
Is Lady Tremaine a good book club book?
Yes, Lady Tremaine is a great book for book club, sure to spark discussion right away. This compelling and original fairytale retelling of Cinderella also has top reviews across platforms, is a Reeseâs Book Club pick, and a Goodreads pick for Best Books of the Year 2026.
How many pages is Lady Tremaine?
The book Lady Tremaine is 352 pages long. If choosing the Lady Tremaine audiobook, expect to spend 12 hours and 41 minutes listening.
Is Lady Tremaine spicy?
There is some light romance in Lady Tremaine, but it would not be considered a spicy book.
Danielle Bouchard, Contributing Writer
Danielle is a New Englandâbased freelance writer and editor whose work focuses on motherhood, family, education, and lifestyle content. As a toddler mom with another baby on the way, she loves exploring the everyday moments that shape modern motherhood. When sheâs not outside playing with her son, sheâs most likely searching for her next great read or walking their very enthusiastic dog.
