Raise your hand if Cinderella was your favorite Disney princess growing up! Personally I loved Sleeping Beauty but Cinderella was certainly a close second. I loved the idea of a commoner marrying a prince and finding love with someone completely unexpected and outside of her social rank and standing.
As I have moved into adulthood, I have gravitated toward romance novels that feature this classic troupe. Rich lord meets commoner and marries her anyway, even if it feels unlikely it always seems to draw me in. Over the years my favorite group of Cinderella romance has been replaced with enemies to lovers troupes but there is still a soft spot in my heart when it comes to Cinderella stories.
That was why this book grabbed my attention, I loved the modern take on a Cinderella story with Fran being this basic assistant assigned to work as a celebrity PA at a high profile ball where she meets handsome rich guy completely different worlds from her own and falls in love one night. How much more Cinderella-ish can it get in this description? I immediately decided to give it a go!
Summary
It only takes one night to fall in love…
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Within days of wishing she could change her life, Fran Cooper is acting assistant to a celebrity, on a yacht in the Mediterranean, and en route to a tiny Italian island and the glittering Crystal Ball, along with the world’s rich and famous.
When she – quite literally – bumps into a handsome American called Evan, a man able to keep his cool in the face of chaos, the magic really begins.
Evan makes her a promise: no last names, no life stories, just one unforgettable night. Yet Evan belongs at the Crystal Ball and Fran is a gatecrasher. They may be soulmates, but their homes are an ocean apart, and their lives a world apart. They’ll never meet again – unless, on a night like this, everything can change forever… (summary from Goodreads)
Review
This book was definitely a light fun read and it does fit the modern Cinderella story fairly well but not for the first part of the book. For me the first part read a little slow and it wasn’t until later on in the story that things really picked up for me. There were some funny scenes and there was great witty banter but for me it didn’t really get going until mid way and that was surprising for me. I had hoped to be hooked on this one earlier than I was. It was ok in the beginning but I didn’t fully buy into the story until later on which was a little surprising. I think part of this was due to the fact that Fran didn’t really meet her ‘prince charming’ until later on in the book and honestly I wanted more of them together through the book rather than just the second half. The first half felt more women’s fiction or chick lit with romance thrown in at the end to make it a romance if that makes sense.
What I did enjoy in this one was the lighthearted funny moments and dry wit. This book had some great dialogue that hit smart and dry which I devoured. I was also surprised at the depth of Evan’s character. He gave Fran some things to ponder and that will even leave the reader with some introspection. I wasn’t prepared for this but I was pleasantly surprised by it and it made me like Evan all the more. I thought Evan and Fran did have some good chemistry but their romance felt like it happened too late to be the focus of the story all together.
However unrealistic the romance was, I still enjoyed it just as much as I love Cinderella. This romantic comedy will leave readers feeling content with how things turn out and will no doubt tap into the childhood dream that one night we might meet and marry our own Prince Charming who will give us a life we never imagined possible. It was absolutely an escape from reality and I enjoyed getting to experience the ‘lifestyles of the rich and famous’ for a little bit. Overall I would rate this book a 3 star, good/solid.
Book Info and Rating
Format: 342 pages, paperback
Published: January 18 2022, by Harper Collins
ISBN: 9780008496753
Free review copy provided by publisher, Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: contempo romance
The Lit Bitch 