Fooling Around With Cinderella Review

Fooling Around With Cinderella (Storybook Valley #1)

Author: Stacy Juba

Publish Date: September 24, 2015

Publisher: Thunder Horse Press
Status: DNF

       What happens when the glass slippers pinch Cinderella’s toes? When Jaine Andersen proposes a new marketing role to the local amusement park, general manager Dylan Callahan charms her into filling Cinderella’s glass slippers for the summer. Her reign transforms Jaine’s ordinary life into chaos that would bewilder a fairy godmother. Secretly dating her bad boy boss, running wedding errands for her ungrateful sisters, and defending herself from the park’s resident villain means Jaine needs lots more than a comfy pair of shoes to restore order in her kingdom. First in the Storybook Valley series, a blend of sweet romance, chick lit, and fairy tale fun.

         This book reminded me of Parks & Recreation and Once Upon a Time. There was a cute, funny vibe that met this fairy tale setting sort of thing. But, it took something so light and fun and made it so serious. They made Disneyland remind me of The Devil Wears Prada. (There was a a lady bossing an employee saying her handwriting/wave wasn't good enough. It's an amusement park, it's not being the president. Just because the handwriting doesn't match, doesn't mean the child's childhood is going to be ruined. It's not the Olympics.) Yes, I know Disney actually does this.
         This is one of those stories where a girl undergoes this makeover. I see this story quite often; a girl is oblivious to her beauty, but her love interest sees her beauty. So, she gets a makeover on the outside and goes through this change: more confidence, etc.
         That's what irked me. I read this plot already and there wasn't anything I never seen before. It was cute and a bit... nauseating. There's a forbidden relationship with the boss and the MC looks at him through rose-tinted-glasses. The MC is also a doormat and is a bit resentful, she was "cast away" by her twin sisters and left to her own devices. When the main character tries to branch away from her family and tries to do her own thing, she is pinned down and she takes it! She doesn't stand up for herself. I guess you can say I didn't like this book because there wasn't a strong, female protagonist. 

         I also had issues with the writing. I thought it was cheesy and a bit juvenile, it seemed like the author was trying to write a fluffy, YA book. The female protagonist praised the male protagonist on making lemonade, lemonade... She also said,

"score brownie points a la mode with whipped cream and cherry." 

          I didn't expect this book to be a poignant, life-changing book, but it should at least have better lines.