mel_reviews_in_a_pinch's review against another edition
4.0
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Thoughts: I’ve always had that tiny thought in the back of my mind telling me how cool it would be to be a Disney princess. Cinderella was never my first choice, but I still love reading Cinderella story lines. The fact that Fooling Around with Cinderella mixed the fairy tale aspect with contemporary (which I’m currently hooked on), made me want to read it immediately.
As it turns out, it was a cute, quick read. Really the easiest way to describe it is a fun, contemporary that mixes fairy tale elements into the modern world. It’s not a fairy tale retelling, but more realistic fiction. Sort of. I say sort of because I’m trying to imagine this book happening to me and I just don’t see it.
Jaine is a feisty, strong character that is actually a really great role model. She initially goes after a job that doesn’t even exist and she is so persuasive that they create a whole new position for her. Granted, she has to take one for the team first, but I think that just shows perseverance (or desperation, for the cynics out there). Initially, I thought she was going to be a fairly meek character, but then you’re introduced to this fire that I’d actually like to borrow. Whenever someone can stand up for themselves without whining and being a massive jerk, it’s impressive (to me at least).
Dylan is okay. He seemed to really like Jaine, but he wasn’t quite as developed as a character. I also didn’t like his lack of faith in her. It made sense for the story, but just made me love Jaine even more when she called him out on it. They had good chemistry, but it wasn’t great. I actually think that could’ve been solved by making the book a little bit longer. I would not be opposed to a longer version of Fooling Around with Cinderella.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading Fooling Around with Cinderella. It was sweet and really was the perfect thing for me to pick up after finishing a psychological horror story that really messes with you. If you’re a fan of the fun contemporaries that make you smile, I would definitely recommend Fooling Around with Cinderella.
For more reviews, check out Reviews In A Pinch today!
My Thoughts: I’ve always had that tiny thought in the back of my mind telling me how cool it would be to be a Disney princess. Cinderella was never my first choice, but I still love reading Cinderella story lines. The fact that Fooling Around with Cinderella mixed the fairy tale aspect with contemporary (which I’m currently hooked on), made me want to read it immediately.
As it turns out, it was a cute, quick read. Really the easiest way to describe it is a fun, contemporary that mixes fairy tale elements into the modern world. It’s not a fairy tale retelling, but more realistic fiction. Sort of. I say sort of because I’m trying to imagine this book happening to me and I just don’t see it.
Jaine is a feisty, strong character that is actually a really great role model. She initially goes after a job that doesn’t even exist and she is so persuasive that they create a whole new position for her. Granted, she has to take one for the team first, but I think that just shows perseverance (or desperation, for the cynics out there). Initially, I thought she was going to be a fairly meek character, but then you’re introduced to this fire that I’d actually like to borrow. Whenever someone can stand up for themselves without whining and being a massive jerk, it’s impressive (to me at least).
Dylan is okay. He seemed to really like Jaine, but he wasn’t quite as developed as a character. I also didn’t like his lack of faith in her. It made sense for the story, but just made me love Jaine even more when she called him out on it. They had good chemistry, but it wasn’t great. I actually think that could’ve been solved by making the book a little bit longer. I would not be opposed to a longer version of Fooling Around with Cinderella.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading Fooling Around with Cinderella. It was sweet and really was the perfect thing for me to pick up after finishing a psychological horror story that really messes with you. If you’re a fan of the fun contemporaries that make you smile, I would definitely recommend Fooling Around with Cinderella.
For more reviews, check out Reviews In A Pinch today!
msmathy's review against another edition
2.0
** I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. **
I've had this audiobook for quite some time and have stopped and started it several times since. I had a hard time getting into it, partially because the narrator's voice was so different from how I pictured the lead character. The narrator sounds a lot older than Jaine. That was very disconcerting and the overall story was okay, but not riveting. I really wish there had been more interaction between the two love interests and more to support their relationship. This is a sweet, clean book and if you are looking for a light read, this book is for you.
I've had this audiobook for quite some time and have stopped and started it several times since. I had a hard time getting into it, partially because the narrator's voice was so different from how I pictured the lead character. The narrator sounds a lot older than Jaine. That was very disconcerting and the overall story was okay, but not riveting. I really wish there had been more interaction between the two love interests and more to support their relationship. This is a sweet, clean book and if you are looking for a light read, this book is for you.
reading_cat's review against another edition
5.0
Originally posted on Book-o-Craze, on a tour hosted by Tasty Book Tours.
This might not have been an exact retelling of the famous story of Cinderella, but that exactly was its beauty!
When Jaine sign ups for an interview in the amusement park of Storybook Valley for a marketing job position she never expects the events that will soon start unfolding.
Her extremely handsome new boss Dylan, offers her a temporary position as the central princess star of their park, Cinderella, until fall, when she can start fully working as the marketing coordinator. In need of a job, Jaine reluctantly accepts his offer.
From them on, things just kept getting more exciting by the minute!
There is a rather big amount of things I loved about this book. The main characters, the slow and gradual building of Jaine and Dylan's relationship, which seemed so real and natural, the similarities with the popular fairy tale. Everything was amazing!
Jaine is a young, independent woman, that has been looking for a job, ever since she was left unemployed. When she was at a young age she lost her mother, and now that her father remarried another woman and left to leave with her, Jaine is left with only her twin sisters and her young niece in her life! Her sisters might not be the evil twins of the original fairy tale, but they were a little selfish and self-centered, while also being closer with each other and not with Jaine.
Dylan wasn't the son his parents originally wanted to take over the management of the park. But, the course of events forced him to take over. Having previously been a "bad boy" he didn't wanted to prove himself worthy his parents' disappointment.
This is why the attraction between him and Jaine, that was imminent right from the beginning, complicated things...
This was an awesome and very authentic story, with a magical fairy tale twist, and I enjoyed every minute of it!
All in all, 5 stars for an original retelling of one of my favorite stories!
This might not have been an exact retelling of the famous story of Cinderella, but that exactly was its beauty!
When Jaine sign ups for an interview in the amusement park of Storybook Valley for a marketing job position she never expects the events that will soon start unfolding.
Her extremely handsome new boss Dylan, offers her a temporary position as the central princess star of their park, Cinderella, until fall, when she can start fully working as the marketing coordinator. In need of a job, Jaine reluctantly accepts his offer.
From them on, things just kept getting more exciting by the minute!
There is a rather big amount of things I loved about this book. The main characters, the slow and gradual building of Jaine and Dylan's relationship, which seemed so real and natural, the similarities with the popular fairy tale. Everything was amazing!
Jaine is a young, independent woman, that has been looking for a job, ever since she was left unemployed. When she was at a young age she lost her mother, and now that her father remarried another woman and left to leave with her, Jaine is left with only her twin sisters and her young niece in her life! Her sisters might not be the evil twins of the original fairy tale, but they were a little selfish and self-centered, while also being closer with each other and not with Jaine.
Dylan wasn't the son his parents originally wanted to take over the management of the park. But, the course of events forced him to take over. Having previously been a "bad boy" he didn't wanted to prove himself worthy his parents' disappointment.
This is why the attraction between him and Jaine, that was imminent right from the beginning, complicated things...
This was an awesome and very authentic story, with a magical fairy tale twist, and I enjoyed every minute of it!
All in all, 5 stars for an original retelling of one of my favorite stories!
becsa's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a fun look into the theme park Storybook Valley, but it's not without it's villans!
Jaine Anderson is looking for a new job when she goes to Storybook Valley to apply for a job in marketing. The handsome Dylan Callahan is now running Storybook Valley and he is looking to bring new customers back to the park and away from the competitors. He wants a marketer but what he needs right away is someone to play Cinderella and hires Jaine.
Unfortunately there are various "villans" throughout the story making life difficult for Jaine and she must prove what she is capable and play the role of Cinderella!
This was a super fun book and I really enjoyed it! I loved some of the secondary characters like Krystal and hope that she is able to get a book next! I loved that once Jaine embraced the role of Cinderella she really understood how much it meant to the kids and ultimately to herself. I also liked that she did really have her head on her shoulders and really knew what to do to make the park better! Can't wait to read more in this series!
Jaine Anderson is looking for a new job when she goes to Storybook Valley to apply for a job in marketing. The handsome Dylan Callahan is now running Storybook Valley and he is looking to bring new customers back to the park and away from the competitors. He wants a marketer but what he needs right away is someone to play Cinderella and hires Jaine.
Unfortunately there are various "villans" throughout the story making life difficult for Jaine and she must prove what she is capable and play the role of Cinderella!
This was a super fun book and I really enjoyed it! I loved some of the secondary characters like Krystal and hope that she is able to get a book next! I loved that once Jaine embraced the role of Cinderella she really understood how much it meant to the kids and ultimately to herself. I also liked that she did really have her head on her shoulders and really knew what to do to make the park better! Can't wait to read more in this series!
sentrancedbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
Jaine Butler is the main protagonist of the book and she's currently unemployed. She presents a resume to Dylan, the general manager of a theme park, which is not doing so well. She gets offered a job, but only after she dresses up as Cinderella for the summer. Then she slowly, she starts to fall in love with Dylan, 'the logical rebel'.
It was a good chick lit/contemporary read. The book was short and just plain black and white. The romance was poorly written. Okay, not poorly. Hardly would suit better. It was only a couple pages at the most. The villain thing with Gabrielle is just too simple. I would've preferred a little twist but don't mind me, I am just too demanding.
Not a bad read.
It was a good chick lit/contemporary read. The book was short and just plain black and white. The romance was poorly written. Okay, not poorly. Hardly would suit better. It was only a couple pages at the most. The villain thing with Gabrielle is just too simple. I would've preferred a little twist but don't mind me, I am just too demanding.
Not a bad read.
beckymmoe's review
4.0
Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books on 11/8/15.
Such a sweet story!
I really enjoy reading modern versions of fairy tales, so I was excited to get my hands on this one. Ms. Juba does a clever job of twisting the traditional elements of the Cinderella story to make this contemporary retelling. More than once I didn't even realize the connection to the original at first, but once I did it made me smile. I can't wait to see what directions she'll go with the rest of the series--so many fun options!
Like any self-respecting fairy tale, this story is told from the main character--in this case Jaine/Cinderella's--point of view. I loved that she didn't sit back and wait for things to happen to or for her, instead she went out and made her own chances and opportunities. She sent out a cold resume to a theme park that she'd loved going to as a child, and managed to talk the general manager--Dylan, aka the "real" Prince Charming (because of course there's a guy who plays the prince in the park)--into creating a brand new position just for her.
There's just one teensy, tiny catch. It won't be full time until the fall...and in the meantime, she has to supplement her part time hours spent in the office in costume, playing the part of--you got it--Cinderella.
Jaine's never seen herself as the princess type, and isn't a fan of the elaborate costume she has to wear or the long list of details she has to remember in order to stay in character. She's also determined to show that her other position--the one she hopes will be her "real" job--is one that's going to prove invaluable to her new employers, so she's pulling out all the stops on planning a new promotion to bring families into the park. On top of all that, her sisters expect their single, unattached sibling who "only has a cat to care for" to help them out with--well, just about everything they don't feel like doing themselves. (Hmmm. I wonder who the ugly stepsisters are in this scenario? ;))
And then there's the probably inappropriate feelings she has for her boss. She should probably suppress those. Except she doesn't really want to, and Dylan doesn't either...
This version of Cinderella has everything the story needs--an overworked, under-appreciated heroine, a fairy godmother, a magical transformation, a handsome prince, the left-behind forgotten footwear...even the stepmother and "evil" sisters are here, though the true villain turns out to be someone outside the usual suspects. To top it all off, it's a sweet romance that you'd feel comfortable letting your younger teen read.
Did I mention I'm looking forward to the rest of the series? :)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Such a sweet story!
I really enjoy reading modern versions of fairy tales, so I was excited to get my hands on this one. Ms. Juba does a clever job of twisting the traditional elements of the Cinderella story to make this contemporary retelling. More than once I didn't even realize the connection to the original at first, but once I did it made me smile. I can't wait to see what directions she'll go with the rest of the series--so many fun options!
Like any self-respecting fairy tale, this story is told from the main character--in this case Jaine/Cinderella's--point of view. I loved that she didn't sit back and wait for things to happen to or for her, instead she went out and made her own chances and opportunities. She sent out a cold resume to a theme park that she'd loved going to as a child, and managed to talk the general manager--Dylan, aka the "real" Prince Charming (because of course there's a guy who plays the prince in the park)--into creating a brand new position just for her.
There's just one teensy, tiny catch. It won't be full time until the fall...and in the meantime, she has to supplement her part time hours spent in the office in costume, playing the part of--you got it--Cinderella.
Jaine's never seen herself as the princess type, and isn't a fan of the elaborate costume she has to wear or the long list of details she has to remember in order to stay in character. She's also determined to show that her other position--the one she hopes will be her "real" job--is one that's going to prove invaluable to her new employers, so she's pulling out all the stops on planning a new promotion to bring families into the park. On top of all that, her sisters expect their single, unattached sibling who "only has a cat to care for" to help them out with--well, just about everything they don't feel like doing themselves. (Hmmm. I wonder who the ugly stepsisters are in this scenario? ;))
And then there's the probably inappropriate feelings she has for her boss. She should probably suppress those. Except she doesn't really want to, and Dylan doesn't either...
This version of Cinderella has everything the story needs--an overworked, under-appreciated heroine, a fairy godmother, a magical transformation, a handsome prince, the left-behind forgotten footwear...even the stepmother and "evil" sisters are here, though the true villain turns out to be someone outside the usual suspects. To top it all off, it's a sweet romance that you'd feel comfortable letting your younger teen read.
Did I mention I'm looking forward to the rest of the series? :)
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
chrisistrangerthanu's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
This is a sweet and uncomplicated read. With likable characters and a straightforward plot, this was unchallenging and fun. The protagonist Jaine is a doormat to her two older twin sisters and takes a job as the marketing manager for a disney-esque theme park, as well as their temporary Cinderella. Her new boss , Dylan is a delicious hunk of man and things ensue from there.
This is the type of book I would read by the beach or when I just want to relax. It didn't challenge much of the Cinderella tale, or romantic plot line status quo, but I never got bored. In fact, it was all the minor characters, particularly Dylan's grandparents that I most enjoyed. The little exchanges regarding the gnome liberations were so adorable too. Honestly, I think these minor characters deserved a larger role in the book as they were so much fun.
The only reason I haven't rated this book higher was because I felt like the romance happened too quickly and felt a bit arbitrary near the start, plus I longed for a more nuanced villian. Even disney villians had more character depth than the villian in this book. In the end though, I did enjoy myself while reading this book and I had a couple of good laughs.
3.5 stars
This is a sweet and uncomplicated read. With likable characters and a straightforward plot, this was unchallenging and fun. The protagonist Jaine is a doormat to her two older twin sisters and takes a job as the marketing manager for a disney-esque theme park, as well as their temporary Cinderella. Her new boss , Dylan is a delicious hunk of man and things ensue from there.
This is the type of book I would read by the beach or when I just want to relax. It didn't challenge much of the Cinderella tale, or romantic plot line status quo, but I never got bored. In fact, it was all the minor characters, particularly Dylan's grandparents that I most enjoyed. The little exchanges regarding the gnome liberations were so adorable too. Honestly, I think these minor characters deserved a larger role in the book as they were so much fun.
The only reason I haven't rated this book higher was because I felt like the romance happened too quickly and felt a bit arbitrary near the start, plus I longed for a more nuanced villian. Even disney villians had more character depth than the villian in this book. In the end though, I did enjoy myself while reading this book and I had a couple of good laughs.
theangrylawngnome's review
4.0
Note 1: I received a copy of this book in ebook format at my request and for no cost with the understanding that I prepare an honest review. I have no personal or professional connection with this author.
Note 2: I received and read the review copy of the ebook in .MOBI format, the format compatible with Amazon devices and the Kindle app. The copy I received was marked only as the "Smashwords Edition" and contained no ISBN, so the version I read may differ in some ways from that which is commercially available.
A short, sweet review of a short, sweet book: Very predictable, but very fun. Jaine Andersen and Dylan Callahan were two stock characters, their story arc could have been predicted via a tidal chart, the story's conflict barely elicited anything beyond a small eye roll (at least to yours truly) and sexy time (such as it was) was implied rather than actual. And barely implied, even. As in, I'm not sure it happened at least in the confines of this book.
In sum, the sort of book I happily read, enjoy while reading and forget within three days of finishing. The sort of book you can recommend to your religious friends looking for "clean romances." You know what you're getting going in, and you're not disappointed. At least I wasn't.
Except there was in fact a bit more here, and for that I give the author all the credit in the world. The secondary characters were -- across the board -- far more interesting than the love interests, barring only And the setting? Fantastic. Ignoring only the fact that family run amusement parks seem to be a 100% anachronism in this age, well, everything else worked. Truly well imagined, well written, and with a backstory that will doubtless come out in what I'm presuming will be a raft of sequels. The main characters in this book were what they were; competently drawn but nothing special. The supporting characters and setting took this one beyond that.
Legitimate Four Stars. Quite enjoyable.
Note 2: I received and read the review copy of the ebook in .MOBI format, the format compatible with Amazon devices and the Kindle app. The copy I received was marked only as the "Smashwords Edition" and contained no ISBN, so the version I read may differ in some ways from that which is commercially available.
A short, sweet review of a short, sweet book: Very predictable, but very fun. Jaine Andersen and Dylan Callahan were two stock characters, their story arc could have been predicted via a tidal chart, the story's conflict barely elicited anything beyond a small eye roll (at least to yours truly) and sexy time (such as it was) was implied rather than actual. And barely implied, even. As in, I'm not sure it happened at least in the confines of this book.
In sum, the sort of book I happily read, enjoy while reading and forget within three days of finishing. The sort of book you can recommend to your religious friends looking for "clean romances." You know what you're getting going in, and you're not disappointed. At least I wasn't.
Except there was in fact a bit more here, and for that I give the author all the credit in the world. The secondary characters were -- across the board -- far more interesting than the love interests, barring only
Spoiler
Sean, who I guess was supposed to be some sort of tedious foil to Dylan. And was he ever.Legitimate Four Stars. Quite enjoyable.
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