Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She’s sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she’s happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she’s culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.
Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?
Full of wit and sarcastic humor, Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp.
Review:
Confession time: I started Cinderella Screwed Me Over a couple of months ago and never got past the first chapter. I thought it wasn't for me. Recently, I decided to give it a second chance and I'm so incredibly happy I did. (See sometimes you just have to be in the right kind of mood for a book).
Cinderella Screwed Me Over reminded me of some of my favorite romantic comedy movies.
After a series of horrible, soul-crushing relationships, Darby's given up on love and HEAs. She thinks that Cinderella and the rest of the Disney princesses have screwed her over, because men like Prince Charming and Prince Eric aren't nearly as perfect as they seem on the big screen. But Jake, the owner of Darby's favorite restaurant as well as her neighbor, won't give up on Darby and her pessimistic views. He thinks they can make it work, no matter how hard Darby tries to push him away....
Darby is cynical and sarcastic. She has a slight case of foot-in-mouth disease. More importantly, she's never afraid to speak her opinion, no matter how controversial it may be. When the book begins, Darby sees love in a glass-half-empty kind of way. At first, I had a love/hate relationship with her. I could understand why she had given up on love (some of her past relationships had been rough). At the same time, however, I wanted her to take the risk - to give Jake a try - because while you might not always achieve the most perfect HEA, you can get pretty darn close with the right person. Also, I loved Darby's sass. Some of the things she said (especially on her blind dates) cracked me up.
Jake is charming and relentless hero. He has the patience of a saint. Seriously, Darby wasn't always the easiest person in the world. The minute Jake was first introduced I wanted him to be the one. There was something so incredibly likable about him and I loved how he wouldn't give up on the people and things he cared about.
Cinderella Screwed Me Overis a romance; however, Cindi Madsen also addresses how fairy tales sometimes give girls unrealistic expectations on love and romance (a.k.a "Cinderella Screwed Me Over"). I thought she did a fantastic job of weaving Darby's case studies (i.e. how each of Darby's boyfriend's compared to a Disney prince and what she learned) into the book. They were interesting as well as thought-provoking and I especially loved how close they were to the "true" story. The romance here was slow-burn, and throughout the book it had the "will-they-or-won't-they" feel I love. I especially liked how some parts kept me guessing. For instance, Darby's biggest heartbreak isn't fully revealed until the very end; however, there's slight clues that pop up every once in a while that had me predicting what exactly went down. Additionally, I enjoyed how Darby's best friend's wedding preparations were included as well as Jake and Darby's respective jobs.
Overall, Cinderella Screwed Me Over is a unique, compelling romance. As I said before, I'm so incredibly happy I gave it a second chance!
4.5 stars!!
Cinderella Screwed Me Over is now out!
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This sounds so cute! I love the commentary on how our favorite Disney princesses can give us a complex when it comes to love and relationships!
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