Review: The Itsy Bitsy Liar

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book I've read so far by Abigail Manning, so I figured it would be worthwhile to check out her Once Upon a Rhyme series, which takes popular nursery rhymes and weaves them into fairy tales. The first book, The Itsy Bitsy Liar, is inspired by "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," but it contains no spiders. Instead, it is an exciting princess story that combines elements of "Cinderella," The Princess and the Pauper, and "The Brave Little Tailor." It exceeded all my expectations and provides a powerful commentary on honesty with an adorable fairy tale romance.

Lacey Arachne leads a rough life. Her father was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. To prevent her from talking, the jealous daughter of the real criminal used magic to curse Lacey so she could only speak in lies. This made it nearly impossible for Lacey to find work. Every polite or humble thing she said would come off as rude and dissenting. Therefore, it was a godsend when she befriended a noble lady named Evie and worked as her handmaid. Despite not knowing about the curse, Evie saw the best in Lacey and respected her as a hard worker, if not a little sarcastic. When Evie's parents decided to enter her in a competition to win the hand of a prince, she thought it would be great fun to switch places with Lacey, and Lacey couldn't say otherwise.

I've reviewed several other books about princesses competing to marry a prince, but none were quite like this. Lacey had to win several intelligence tests despite only being able to speak in lies. This created a huge handicap for her, which may have been impossible to overcome if it hadn't been for winning over Prince Carlex early on in the competition. Right after the first test, he knew that she was the one he wanted to marry. He met with her several times in private and, upon learning about her curse, provided her with temporary magical remedies that would allow her to advance to the final round and potentially become his queen.

I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book. It was captivating to read about the various methods Lacey had to use to twist her lies so they wouldn't make her look bad, especially when she was naturally an honest person. It was also fascinating to see how the people who knew about her curse her responded to the lies, such as her mother saying "I hate you too, dear" at the beginning of the book and Evie poking fun at some of her dissenting responses despite knowing what she actually meant. Carlex's devotion to helping her despite knowing about the curse and how difficult it could make their lives if she became queen was touching as well.

The Itsy Bitsy Liar exceeded my expectations at every turn. Abigail Manning's unique blend of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Cinderella," and other classic tales results in a story that is both familiar and fresh. With its themes of honesty, kindness, and devotion, this book is a true delight. Lacey's journey from cursed outcast to beloved queen is inspiring and heartwarming, and her romance with Prince Carlex is sweet and satisfying. I highly recommend The Itsy Bitsy Liar to fans of fairy tale retellings, princess stories, and clean romance – and I'm eager to read other books in the Once Upon a Rhyme series!