The Cinderella Plot

by Pepper Basham

Paisley Harper is invisible.

Not in a superpower way. More like the people-look-right-through-you-in-the-hallway kind of way.

She’s the girl with the oversized cardigan, random book knowledge, and the uncanny ability to tutor the school’s star quarterback without actually being seen as anything more than helpful. Meanwhile, her aunt and uncle’s beloved small-town bookstore is under threat from a shiny corporate chain, her best friend keeps giving her looks that feel suspiciously loaded, and Homecoming is looming like a glittery reminder that senior year is running out…and she’s never been kissed.

Enter The Cinderella Plot—a wildly popular self-help book promising total transformation in five easy steps. New hair. New confidence. New life. Maybe even… a date.

With nothing to lose (except her dignity), Paisley decides to follow the plan. Because if fairy tales have taught her anything, it’s that invisible girls don’t get happy endings unless they change something first.

But as Paisley starts stepping into the spotlight, she has to ask herself an important question:
What if being seen comes at the cost of being herself?

Full of heart, humor, bookish charm, and small-town magic, The Cinderella Plot is a romcom about friendship, first love, faith, and discovering that sometimes the greatest transformation isn’t becoming someone new—it’s realizing you were worthy all along.

** CLEAN YA Rom-Com Fiction you can read without skipping a page **

Genres: Romance

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 19, 2026

About the author

Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of the New River Valley in Virginia.

Reviews

[theliterateleprechaun]

4 ⭐

Review to follow on tour date: March 04

[Beth | Faithfully Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd had books like this to grow up with! What a great encouragement for readers (young and otherwise). These characters are seriously adorable and relatable.

I was honored to read an early draft of this story. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Joni Truex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable story with a touching life lesson. Characters are so well articulated that you feel as if you really know them. Small town setting with a book store and coffee shop. Loved this book. This book is definitely worth the read. I received an ARC to read. The opinions expressed here are my own thoughts.

[Gretchen Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited that Pepper Basham is foraying into YA! I loved everything about The Cinderella Plot: the bookish main character, the bookshop setting, the best friends trope... It was clean and it was quirky. It was exactly the kind of YA I'm excited to have my teens read--and that I love to read myself.

Disclosure: I received an early digital review copy courtesy of the author.

[Laura Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up. My first, and definitely not my last by Pepper Basham. Honestly, this made me want to binge all of her books. This book truly had such a cozy feeling, but also took on some heavy topics and themes! Not only that, it’s so hard to find a YA book that is truly YA, at least in my opinion and this was exactly that!

I feel like if I were in the YA Age range, which this is marketed for, it would be a favorite read. This is so relatable especially for those in high school. Not only that, the faith elements in this were also absolutely amazing! The romance was just so wholesome! Highly recommend this one!

[austengirl_710 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the sweetest, sincerest, hearfelt stories! Loved every minute of it! I definitely am recommending this to every book friend out there! @pepperbasham

**I was provided an advance reader copy by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a sweet, feel-good young adult story with all the feels, The Cinderella Plot checks all the boxes. I sometimes forgot these were young adults as the story rings true with points of walking in the truth of who you are and what real, genuine love and friendship look like. There are so many good one-liner nuggets of truth that I would recommend this to any young woman. Particularly the comparing and contrasting of the world’s message and the Bible’s message; all of us need to be reminded of these points at times. I loved the support of friends and family as they gave room Paisely to stretch and experiment and just support her where she was. Not going to lie though, it is Pepper Basham writing and Pepper knows how to write an evocative and compelling romance. The way Chris showed up…wow! Move over Mr. Dracy, Mr. Benson has entered the room, and he has something to say!
I received a complimentary copy from the author and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

[Sarah Brake · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS! THIS BOOK! This is the type of YA book I would have loved to read back in middle school/high school. This has a great story, and even a better message that young girls should hear! I thought this was such a cute read! All the book and movie quotes and references were great!

Ohh and at Ch. 14, when Aunt Diane wants to watch a certain movie with her? I guessed the movie correctly! Just had to add that little piece of trivia 😂

This is a great book for anyone, but a MUST READ for your teenager!

[MJSH · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘what if’
and forget the ‘what is,’ you know?”

What a fantastic debut by the mother-daughter duo Pepper Basham and Phoebe Basham! I loved this young adult novel, filled with teenage angst and that need to find their place in the world balanced by spiritual and Biblical truths.