Cinderella's Wedding Wish
Grade : B-

Though scoffed at by those who find it uncomfortably retro, the fantasy of being plucked from the crowd by the rich, handsome prince and transformed into a beautiful princess resonates with many. When everyday life is a bit too much of a struggle, it's hard to resist the allure of being swept away from it. This happens for Miranda Fairchild in Cinderella's Wedding Wish when she takes a temp job at the Knighton Group and catches the notice of CEO Rafe Knighton.

Though not love at first sight, Rafe and Miranda certainly intrigued one another from the beginning. So often characters in romance novels meet and immediately start in on vivid mental lusting. The interest in this book starts off more slowly at first and felt entirely believable. Miranda met the handsome, much gossiped about head of the company and it certainly stood out in her mind. Rafe, on the other hand, found someone who spoke to him without being obsequious and who seemed to have more to her than one would see at first glance. From such intrigue, a friendship and then a love story develops.

The heroine in this story irked me at first. I've read plenty of older Harlequins, and Miranda reminded me at first of a throwback to the efficient, self-effacing and often somewhat bland secretaries of old. The author treats us to plenty of mention of Miranda's unflattering clothes, bad hairstyle and so on. It's all mixed in with mention of Rafe's wild attraction to her, but it's difficult at first to see what the attraction is all about. However, as the story progresses, Miranda comes into her own, even if she does take a little too long to do so for my tastes, and she becomes much more interesting. A restaurant scene near the end was dramatic, but it did make me chuckle, too.

While the story definitely entertains, I sometimes found it hard to remember that I was reading a book set in the modern day. For instance, the heroine lost her position in a company failure. Instead of searching out internships, updating her skills, or simply trying to get out there and network, she works as a secretary and cocktail waitress, seemingly unaware of all the opportunities a woman can find in the modern world. The fashion cues seemed a little off, as well. The heroine's baggy suits sounded vaguely like an 80s throwback, and at one point she is described as wearing a scrunchie in her hair. That jerked me right out of the story as I am relatively certain that, in the past 10 years, I have not seen a scrunchie anywhere outside the Quacker Factory. I know that Miranda is supposed to be somewhat frumpy, but this seemed a little much.

Still, Rafe is a rather yummy hero. Heir to a family company and seen by most as a useless playboy, he is determined to bring new ideas to the company and to do a good job of running it. The author's depiction of him is convincing. One can see both why he might have a playboy reputation and also see the ways in which there is much more to him than meets the eye. The chemistry between the two leads is believable, and Rafe excels at charming Miranda out of her shell. At times, one can see these two bringing out the best in one another, and it makes them a convincing couple.

Though the writing style can tend toward the cheesy in the occasional weak moment, Cinderella's Wedding Wish still charmed me. It's basically a simple story. However, even with some of the bobbles in writing, it ended up charming me by the end. It has its weak spots, but still worth picking up for a short, sweet read - not to mention a rather adorable ending.

Reviewed by Lynn Spencer
Grade : B-
Book Type: Series Romance

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : March 14, 2009

Publication Date: 2009

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Lynn Spencer

I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.
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