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The Sleeping Beauty Proposal
A wickedly funny fairy tale for modern women from Sarah Strohmeyer,the “laugh- out-loud funny” (Washington Post Book World) author of The Cinderella Pact and The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives.
“Opening a book by Sarah Strohmeyer is like opening a box of chocolates – sweet, nutty, and absolutely irresistible.” —Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries
At 36, Genie Michaels is beginning to feel that she has hit the snooze button on her life one too many times. When her “commitment-phobic” boyfriend Hugh proposes on national TV—not to Genie, but to an unknown mystery woman—Genie’s wise-cracking friend Patty doesn’t hesitate to give her some tough love: “You remind me of that idiot Sleeping Beauty, lying around like a zombie waiting for your prince. Well, guess what, he rode right past your castle and now you have a choice – you can either go back to bed or you can wake up!”
Genie chooses to wake up. After some questionable advice, her first step is to allow everyone to believe she’s Hugh’s real fiancée. She’ll let him be the one to explain the mistake. Naturally the good news travels fast and, in a heartbeat, Genie’s parents are booking a reception hall while friends are showering her with gifts. Genie feels bad about the deception, but at last everyone is dancing to her tune, and she can’t help but enjoy it. Particularly when a certain too-handsome-for-his-own-good Greek carpenter shows up on the scene thinking he’s hotter than Tabasco. Genie realizes that she never needed a man to start her life – to buy a home, to get a better job, or even to wear a diamond ring. And if Prince Charming wants to show up while she’s at it, she just might teach him a thing or two.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 21, 2007
40 people are currently reading
4635 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Strohmeyer
26 books1,270 followersSarah Strohmeyer is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of 18 novels for young adults and adults, including the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series, SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT and THE CINDERELLA PACT, which became the Lifetime Movie, LYING TO BE PERFECT.
Her first mystery, BUBBLES UNBOUND, won the Agatha Award and Romantic TImes Award for Best First Mystery. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL was nominated for a prestigious RITA™. Her books have been translated into German, French, Italian, Turkish, Taiwanese and a bunch of others.
BUBBLES REBOOTS - #7 in the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series - will be published June 26th in Kindle, Nook and Kobo (pre-order now!) It is an homage to her dearly departed high-school friend, Josh Simon. So 10% of the profits will go to organizations he approved: The Cancer Research Institute & Planned Parenthood.
Her first mystery, BUBBLES UNBOUND, won the Agatha Award and Romantic TImes Award for Best First Mystery. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL was nominated for a prestigious RITA™. Her books have been translated into German, French, Italian, Turkish, Taiwanese and a bunch of others.
BUBBLES REBOOTS - #7 in the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series - will be published June 26th in Kindle, Nook and Kobo (pre-order now!) It is an homage to her dearly departed high-school friend, Josh Simon. So 10% of the profits will go to organizations he approved: The Cancer Research Institute & Planned Parenthood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews
November 29, 2007
I loved this book. You have no idea how much. While it wasn't exactly Hemingway, the subject matter made me pull back and think. Think REAL HARD.
For example....why DON'T we hold "Welcome to real life" showers for women just graduating college, or if they don't go to college and just enter the workforce, high school???? Why should a woman's worth be defined by whether she's getting MARRIED or not. Why should only women who are getting married get the REALLY GOOD STUFF that every woman wants when moving out on her own????
We've come SO far in women's movements, and though I'm no "femi-nazi", it still kind of bothers me that women who aren't getting married are regarded as not worthy of the same things that a woman who IS getting married is. BELIEVE me I would have appreciated a new set of china, new towels, and various kitchen appliances when I graduated college. Why must we wait until we're betrothed? It's ridiculous, me thinks. Tradition? Please. Let's get a GRIP people!
Personally, I'm going to throw a "welcome to life" shower for all the little girls in my life. My friend's daughters, my future nieces. They shouldn't be defined by whether they're getting married or not, and this book helped me realize that. I adored it.
For example....why DON'T we hold "Welcome to real life" showers for women just graduating college, or if they don't go to college and just enter the workforce, high school???? Why should a woman's worth be defined by whether she's getting MARRIED or not. Why should only women who are getting married get the REALLY GOOD STUFF that every woman wants when moving out on her own????
We've come SO far in women's movements, and though I'm no "femi-nazi", it still kind of bothers me that women who aren't getting married are regarded as not worthy of the same things that a woman who IS getting married is. BELIEVE me I would have appreciated a new set of china, new towels, and various kitchen appliances when I graduated college. Why must we wait until we're betrothed? It's ridiculous, me thinks. Tradition? Please. Let's get a GRIP people!
Personally, I'm going to throw a "welcome to life" shower for all the little girls in my life. My friend's daughters, my future nieces. They shouldn't be defined by whether they're getting married or not, and this book helped me realize that. I adored it.
February 18, 2009
I hated the beginning of the book, i dread reading the middle and I was so happy it ended. The premise of the book could have been fun and interested,unique for sure. However I found the characters to be pathetic. Genie seemed so needy, desperate to have a guy love her, pretending to be engaged so that people won't think she is a loser. I really did not enjoy the whole lying to everyone including her parents in order to feel like she is someone worth being loved. It was all so predictable and dull. I am not a feminist and I really enjoy reading chick literature just as much as the next person. This book I did not enjoy reading at all.
November 13, 2008
This book was a disappointment. I really enjoyed Sarah Strohmeyer's other "fairy tale" inspired books, but this one was painfully predictable, flat, and boring. I found myself skimming chapters just to get through it and see if anything remotely interesting (and not predictable) happened. It didn't.
Hugh was the cliched, stuck-up intellectual elitist. Genie was the cliched devoted, loyal and downtrodden girlfriend. Nick was the cliched "knight in shining armor". Patty was the cliched rough-around-the-edges, yet lovable best friend. Insert faked engagement and predictable hijinks that result and you've got this book. The story had the potential to be a fun, light read, but ended up being boring, boring, boring.
This is the second book in a row by Sarah Strohmeyer that has disappointed me; perhaps I'll have to give some thought to whether or not I'll continue to read her books.
Hugh was the cliched, stuck-up intellectual elitist. Genie was the cliched devoted, loyal and downtrodden girlfriend. Nick was the cliched "knight in shining armor". Patty was the cliched rough-around-the-edges, yet lovable best friend. Insert faked engagement and predictable hijinks that result and you've got this book. The story had the potential to be a fun, light read, but ended up being boring, boring, boring.
This is the second book in a row by Sarah Strohmeyer that has disappointed me; perhaps I'll have to give some thought to whether or not I'll continue to read her books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2009
Not trying to be rude, but I didn't like this book at all. It was kinda a bunch of nonsense. When the character's boyfriend proposes on t.v. to someone else, she lets her friend talk her into pretending the proposal was meant for her to avoid the embarrassment. She goes as far as buying a cubic zirconia wedding ring and letting her parents put deposits down for the wedding... except for her dad really knows, and secretely cancels all the plans after the mother makes them.
Anyway, then it turns out the now ex-boyfriend (and fake fiancee) was faking his proposal... to a fake woman... come on! Unrealistic. Predictable. Nonsense.
Positives? It has a pretty cover.
Anyway, then it turns out the now ex-boyfriend (and fake fiancee) was faking his proposal... to a fake woman... come on! Unrealistic. Predictable. Nonsense.
Positives? It has a pretty cover.
April 29, 2014
Well this book was...
At first, I wanted to say crap. I read the first half just astonished as how crappy it was.
But by the end, it was kind of like a Lifetime movie. It was so bad that it was kind of...good. Not in a good good way and I certainly wouldn't rush and tell anyone to read it but it was so bad that I found myself desperate to find out what in the world could happen next because...so bad, so so bad.
It was just too over the top. The characters, the plot line, some of the things that happened, they were all so over the top that it just didn't...seem like real life at all. It's the only way that I can think to say it, everything was just...too big, too in your face, too unrealistic that it made the book hard to read, although fun in the long run.
Even Nick...every single women seemed happy to drop her pants for him, it was...nuts. Just...nuts.
And the best friend??? What the hell?
Honestly, this book was a lot of what the hell.
But in a fun, kind of crack like way.
At first, I wanted to say crap. I read the first half just astonished as how crappy it was.
But by the end, it was kind of like a Lifetime movie. It was so bad that it was kind of...good. Not in a good good way and I certainly wouldn't rush and tell anyone to read it but it was so bad that I found myself desperate to find out what in the world could happen next because...so bad, so so bad.
It was just too over the top. The characters, the plot line, some of the things that happened, they were all so over the top that it just didn't...seem like real life at all. It's the only way that I can think to say it, everything was just...too big, too in your face, too unrealistic that it made the book hard to read, although fun in the long run.
Even Nick...every single women seemed happy to drop her pants for him, it was...nuts. Just...nuts.
And the best friend??? What the hell?
Honestly, this book was a lot of what the hell.
But in a fun, kind of crack like way.
March 26, 2015
This book was probably one of my first exposures to feminism when I was younger. I had never thought about the differing treatment for married women versus those who were not married. Afterwards, I was very vocal about how I would need basic kitchen and household supplies long before I was married, because I would be living on my own long before that happened. Accordingly, one of my sisters gave me a set of glasses; that remains one of the most significant gifts I have ever received. Moral of the story: I enjoy this book, partially because it's a comforting, happy sort of read, but also because of the reality it brought to light for me.
January 8, 2009
Not worth finishing.
August 21, 2024
I kind of want to make a jokey headline about sleeping through this book, but in some ways it felt like a too-much-coffee experience while in others the story felt just lazy, and I don’t have the energy to put a real joke together.
Good things first, since I did give this two whole stars. The writing is base-level competent, and sentence-by-sentence didn’t make me flinch or cringe. There is an actual plot, with subplots, a ‘twist’, rising action and a denoument. Yay. The POV character had a consistent (if annoying) voice, and had a character arc that was not completely flatline though much of it relied on her changing her perception of other characters rather than anything internal. The secondary characters are more interesting than the main, though I didn’t really like any of them or find them more than 2-dimensional.
Wow, I probably should have said ‘okay’ or ‘mediocre’ things first, rather than ‘good’.
I’ll try again. I did really like the inciting incident and found it intriguing. “Genie Michaels’s commitment-phobic boyfriend is finally proposing. On national television. To the woman he’s been seeing on the side.” And I have an unhealthy fondness for what girls’ magazines used to call a ‘wallow’, where the protagonist is being neglected or done wrong by everyone in their life, and how they change this, whether by themselves or with help.
Genie’s boyfriend has found success with his debut novel, a Nicholas-Sparks-clone where he’s getting plaudits for nailing the female POV, largely due to Genie doing an intensive edit-and-revision for which she received no actual credit. (I deeply wanted a payoff where his second novel flops, lacking her input. This did not happen, and I am unhappy.) On a talkshow, he says there’s a woman behind the book who is his soulmate, and the host tells him to call and propose to that woman onscreen, but the call is not to Genie. Throughout the storyline, Genie tries to guess who he actually called.
Genie’s sorta-kinda-outrageous BFF decides they should pretend he did call Genie and that they are now engaged. It is semaphore-level signalled that BFF and Genie’s brother have an enemies-to-lovers subplot but other than the first signalling incident, not a lot of time is spent on this, though it would have been more interesting.
The intriguing potential of this fake-engagement scheme is mostly wasted, not least because Genie is utterly unable to play her part. To her parents, and to the eventual love interest, and to her brother, she half-heartedly maintains the pretence, but to about half of her coworkers and to relative strangers, she admits about half of the truth. I kept waiting for one of the undeceived to let out the truth to the deceived, but that plot point never really developed. Her internal jumpiness and mood swings didn’t help with keeping track, either.
I think that’s the problem. Potential conflicts or crises were introduced, set aside, and defused, sometimes after I’d almost lost track of them. Genie’s eventual love interest is an example. He works with his hands, so will her status-conscious parents refuse to accept him? Nope, turns out he’s actually very well-educated and pretty affluent, and Dad loves him. She lied to her parents to get money? They had money set aside, she just had to ask for it, and Dad guessed she was faking and doesn’t mind. Meh.
I may have had romance expectations from what was written as chick-lit, but the romance aspect of this was pretty pallid, with Bad Boyfriend being far more dimensional in his weakness and pettiness than Good Boyfriend was with his checkbox list of hot, good with hands, supportive during a coffee date, and hot.
If you’re looking for a story you can distract yourself with, that doesn’t require real attention, that you can pick up and put down, this is okay. If you like chick lit that checks the boxes, this is okay. It’s a book about commitment-phobic characters that doesn’t really commit to the characters or to the plot, and takes the easy way out, but since I’m going to put it back in the Little Free Library where I found it, that’s fine.
Good things first, since I did give this two whole stars. The writing is base-level competent, and sentence-by-sentence didn’t make me flinch or cringe. There is an actual plot, with subplots, a ‘twist’, rising action and a denoument. Yay. The POV character had a consistent (if annoying) voice, and had a character arc that was not completely flatline though much of it relied on her changing her perception of other characters rather than anything internal. The secondary characters are more interesting than the main, though I didn’t really like any of them or find them more than 2-dimensional.
Wow, I probably should have said ‘okay’ or ‘mediocre’ things first, rather than ‘good’.
I’ll try again. I did really like the inciting incident and found it intriguing. “Genie Michaels’s commitment-phobic boyfriend is finally proposing. On national television. To the woman he’s been seeing on the side.” And I have an unhealthy fondness for what girls’ magazines used to call a ‘wallow’, where the protagonist is being neglected or done wrong by everyone in their life, and how they change this, whether by themselves or with help.
Genie’s boyfriend has found success with his debut novel, a Nicholas-Sparks-clone where he’s getting plaudits for nailing the female POV, largely due to Genie doing an intensive edit-and-revision for which she received no actual credit. (I deeply wanted a payoff where his second novel flops, lacking her input. This did not happen, and I am unhappy.) On a talkshow, he says there’s a woman behind the book who is his soulmate, and the host tells him to call and propose to that woman onscreen, but the call is not to Genie. Throughout the storyline, Genie tries to guess who he actually called.
Genie’s sorta-kinda-outrageous BFF decides they should pretend he did call Genie and that they are now engaged. It is semaphore-level signalled that BFF and Genie’s brother have an enemies-to-lovers subplot but other than the first signalling incident, not a lot of time is spent on this, though it would have been more interesting.
The intriguing potential of this fake-engagement scheme is mostly wasted, not least because Genie is utterly unable to play her part. To her parents, and to the eventual love interest, and to her brother, she half-heartedly maintains the pretence, but to about half of her coworkers and to relative strangers, she admits about half of the truth. I kept waiting for one of the undeceived to let out the truth to the deceived, but that plot point never really developed. Her internal jumpiness and mood swings didn’t help with keeping track, either.
I think that’s the problem. Potential conflicts or crises were introduced, set aside, and defused, sometimes after I’d almost lost track of them. Genie’s eventual love interest is an example. He works with his hands, so will her status-conscious parents refuse to accept him? Nope, turns out he’s actually very well-educated and pretty affluent, and Dad loves him. She lied to her parents to get money? They had money set aside, she just had to ask for it, and Dad guessed she was faking and doesn’t mind. Meh.
I may have had romance expectations from what was written as chick-lit, but the romance aspect of this was pretty pallid, with Bad Boyfriend being far more dimensional in his weakness and pettiness than Good Boyfriend was with his checkbox list of hot, good with hands, supportive during a coffee date, and hot.
If you’re looking for a story you can distract yourself with, that doesn’t require real attention, that you can pick up and put down, this is okay. If you like chick lit that checks the boxes, this is okay. It’s a book about commitment-phobic characters that doesn’t really commit to the characters or to the plot, and takes the easy way out, but since I’m going to put it back in the Little Free Library where I found it, that’s fine.
April 26, 2012
I really didn't like this book.
I knew it was based on a lie, but oh my goodness did it get out of hand!
I couldn't stand Genie, but I had to know what happened, which is why I gave it a two star rating. I needed to know how it was going to end, who Hugh's mystery woman was, and how things would end with Nick.
I did not like the style of writing by this author. It took me forever to get through this chick lit, which normally takes me about a day at the most to read these kind of novels.
I feel like I should have spent my time on a better author. Oh well. It's read and done now. Moving on!
I knew it was based on a lie, but oh my goodness did it get out of hand!
I couldn't stand Genie, but I had to know what happened, which is why I gave it a two star rating. I needed to know how it was going to end, who Hugh's mystery woman was, and how things would end with Nick.
I did not like the style of writing by this author. It took me forever to get through this chick lit, which normally takes me about a day at the most to read these kind of novels.
I feel like I should have spent my time on a better author. Oh well. It's read and done now. Moving on!
June 11, 2021
This was better than I expected based on the reviews that I read.
March 18, 2017
Fun chick lit book. Genie's boyfriend Hugh is on tv promoting his book & proposes to another women on the air. After this Genie with her friend Patty,who is a great character, fakes her engagement & discovers her own self value & strength along the way. Great weekend read
September 26, 2011
After reading The Penny Pinchers Club I knew that the book started off a bit sluggish and got a lot better so I was expecting the same from this book as well. Unfortunately, it never really seemed to pick up. There were very few humorous parts. I never really found myself chuckling at all. I chose to read this book after the Penny Pinchers because the plot sounded like a hit. I just kept waiting for the "sticky situation" to pick up.
One thing that really seemed to bother me was from out of nowhere we all of a sudden start bringing up God. It really seemed to have no place in this book and especially from a character you'd least expect. It was just awkward and made me really uncomfortable.
I was hoping for more, I got less.
One thing that really seemed to bother me was from out of nowhere we all of a sudden start bringing up God. It really seemed to have no place in this book and especially from a character you'd least expect. It was just awkward and made me really uncomfortable.
I was hoping for more, I got less.
December 20, 2021
Overall Rating: 2/5
Short Chapter Rating: 3/5
Can't say this was one that I enjoyed. It was predictable from the beginning and I found the writing a bit choppy. I couldn't really get into the story of the fake engagement and found the characters to be very superficial with not much depth. Can't say I liked any of them in particular and basically got through it. It was fine, but with everything else to read on my list, it was just a filler.
Is this book for you? If you like the idea of fairy tale romances, looking for a light/filler read, fake to real romances...then give this book a go.
Short Chapter Rating: 3/5
Can't say this was one that I enjoyed. It was predictable from the beginning and I found the writing a bit choppy. I couldn't really get into the story of the fake engagement and found the characters to be very superficial with not much depth. Can't say I liked any of them in particular and basically got through it. It was fine, but with everything else to read on my list, it was just a filler.
Is this book for you? If you like the idea of fairy tale romances, looking for a light/filler read, fake to real romances...then give this book a go.
May 30, 2008
I really enjoyed this book and read it really fast. It was cute and I can't wait to read the rest of her books!
February 6, 2013
Genie had me laughing out loud. Somewhat predictable story, still had twists and turns along the way. Quick, easy, fun read.
August 24, 2023
This was a light, if predictable read. It kept my interest throughout the book and was overall enjoyable. I did find Genie to be annoying at times, especially since she let Hugh use her as a doormat. There were also a few random comments made through the book that never were followed up on, for instance the saleperson having the same wedding date as Genie. I wasn't sure if there was more to come but apparently not. Overall, not bad, but very predictable.
September 5, 2012
The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, by new-to-me author Sarah Strohmeyer, weaves a tale of desperation, hilarity, true love, and finally finding yourself. Genie Michaels, a 36 year old admissions counselor, has wanted to get married for a while. She feels like it's time and she's paid her dues. She's ready to get hitched to her British boyfriend, Hugh, and looks for his proposal everywhere (even in the sand as they walk hand in hand on the beach.) She finds it - where she LEAST expects it. On a National TV show in front of millions of people while promoting his book and proclaiming his love for all to see and assume.
Except that he wasn't proposing to her. As a matter of fact, now seems like a good time to completely smash her heart to smithereens and say she was not sexually attractive nor what he was looking for anymore.
But how do you tell THE REST OF THE NATION that your boyfriend (of four years!) who just proposed in the most romantic way, actually asked another woman to be his forever bride? Apparently, you don't. Genie decides that it will spare everyone if they don't know just yet... plus being treated like a bride to be turns out to be pretty special! Every one has advice, people look at you differently, take you more seriously. She is no longer a single woman, she's a woman with a future. She might even buy a house!
Strohmeyer is hilarious. I truly enjoyed flipping all the pages to see what wacky thing Genie would do in order to cover her tracks and get back at the bastard of her ex-boyfriend. She had a lot of growing to do and it was fun to watch her become a much more secure and confident woman - everything she couldn't be or find with Hugh. While transforming into this wonderful new person, she meets Nick, a smexy Greek god (who doubles as her brother's friend and employee). It's hard to describe her relationship with Nick because even though they both consider it to be true love, Strohmeyer doesn't really delve into them that much. 90% of the book, she's fake engaged to Hugh in order to reap the benefits. At the end they get together and it's fireworks - but I couldn't buy it. It didn't have the depth I look for in those "real love" connections with my characters. However, that didn't stop me from completely loving both of them and loving the together even more!
While it definitely took Genie too long to let the farce go, I did like how this girl got her prince in the end - I loved the last scene! I probably wouldn't have been as calm if my girlfriend tossed two carats of diamonds into the grass! I would definitely recommend this as an end of summer beach read - it was light, fun, & silly, and I literally laughed out loud!
This review & others also found on Red Hot Books
Except that he wasn't proposing to her. As a matter of fact, now seems like a good time to completely smash her heart to smithereens and say she was not sexually attractive nor what he was looking for anymore.
But how do you tell THE REST OF THE NATION that your boyfriend (of four years!) who just proposed in the most romantic way, actually asked another woman to be his forever bride? Apparently, you don't. Genie decides that it will spare everyone if they don't know just yet... plus being treated like a bride to be turns out to be pretty special! Every one has advice, people look at you differently, take you more seriously. She is no longer a single woman, she's a woman with a future. She might even buy a house!
Strohmeyer is hilarious. I truly enjoyed flipping all the pages to see what wacky thing Genie would do in order to cover her tracks and get back at the bastard of her ex-boyfriend. She had a lot of growing to do and it was fun to watch her become a much more secure and confident woman - everything she couldn't be or find with Hugh. While transforming into this wonderful new person, she meets Nick, a smexy Greek god (who doubles as her brother's friend and employee). It's hard to describe her relationship with Nick because even though they both consider it to be true love, Strohmeyer doesn't really delve into them that much. 90% of the book, she's fake engaged to Hugh in order to reap the benefits. At the end they get together and it's fireworks - but I couldn't buy it. It didn't have the depth I look for in those "real love" connections with my characters. However, that didn't stop me from completely loving both of them and loving the together even more!
While it definitely took Genie too long to let the farce go, I did like how this girl got her prince in the end - I loved the last scene! I probably wouldn't have been as calm if my girlfriend tossed two carats of diamonds into the grass! I would definitely recommend this as an end of summer beach read - it was light, fun, & silly, and I literally laughed out loud!
This review & others also found on Red Hot Books
June 7, 2016
The premise of this one, while a little ridiculous, was intriguing enough for me to grab it off the library shelf and bring it home. The execution, on the other hand...
While I'd hesitate to call this thing poorly written - I had several laugh-out-loud moments - the plot premise is just not strong enough for a novel of this length. If it had been about a hundred pages shorter and if Genie hadn't gone so over the top in letting people think that she was engaged, then it could have been tons of fun. As it was, I was starting to get pretty annoyed with the actions of both her and her best friend, Patty. Plus the ending "twist" was disappointing to say the least.
I also had some issues with the way Patty ended her story arc . Combined that with certain cliches surrounding the character Nick and the way Genie's brother acts in a certain scene and it's a bit of a disappointment all around.
While I'd hesitate to call this thing poorly written - I had several laugh-out-loud moments - the plot premise is just not strong enough for a novel of this length. If it had been about a hundred pages shorter and if Genie hadn't gone so over the top in letting people think that she was engaged, then it could have been tons of fun. As it was, I was starting to get pretty annoyed with the actions of both her and her best friend, Patty. Plus the ending "twist" was disappointing to say the least.
I also had some issues with the way Patty ended her story arc . Combined that with certain cliches surrounding the character Nick and the way Genie's brother acts in a certain scene and it's a bit of a disappointment all around.
May 15, 2011
I only picked this book up because I was assured it didn't follow the formula that all chick lit appears to follow. This was the book that was going to convince me that it wasn't all desparate/meek/heartbroken women who finally have that light bulb moment.
If you've been told the same, well I'm sorry to disappoint because this is exactly one of those books. The standard women breaks up with boyfriend/husband in a traumatic way and then, after moping for a few weeks/months realises shes worth more. Enter in handsome but argumentative man who she couldn't possibly fall in love with but, ultimately, finds herself attracted too and while protagonist is your regular Mary Jane it turns out that handsome man loves/adores/wants her at first glance.
Enter some dull twist and then BAM! story written.
Hope I didn't spoil you, but then if you're reading chick lit you know all that already.
I did really like how the characters were written though and at least Genie didn't sit down and whine for 50% of the book.
Unfortunately, other than an out of character twist it was all too predictable.
If you've been told the same, well I'm sorry to disappoint because this is exactly one of those books. The standard women breaks up with boyfriend/husband in a traumatic way and then, after moping for a few weeks/months realises shes worth more. Enter in handsome but argumentative man who she couldn't possibly fall in love with but, ultimately, finds herself attracted too and while protagonist is your regular Mary Jane it turns out that handsome man loves/adores/wants her at first glance.
Enter some dull twist and then BAM! story written.
Hope I didn't spoil you, but then if you're reading chick lit you know all that already.
I did really like how the characters were written though and at least Genie didn't sit down and whine for 50% of the book.
Unfortunately, other than an out of character twist it was all too predictable.
May 31, 2011
Very cute story. It was maybe a little cheesy that Genie and Patty were able to get away with fake engagements as long as they did...and maybe, just maybe Nick was a little too good to be true. But it was a wonderful modern day fairytale and I'm going to pretend it can really happen.
Strohmeyer's characters had really interesting personalities. Genie was someone I could really relate to. Her best friend, Patty, reminded me a lot of Samantha from Sex & the City. (I loved the 'rivalry' between Patty and Genie's brother.) Genie's parents were funny in their stuffy, traditional ways. And I loved Nick of course!
Overall, this book was kind of a mix of a Friends and a Sex & the City episode. The drama Genie goes through with Hugh kind of reminds me of Mr. Big from Sex & the City. But then there were also moments that were super funny when Genie reminded me of Friends' Rachel (like when she was making up 'pure method house building' when she first meets Nick, or later when she's buying herself a fake engagement ring).
Strohmeyer's characters had really interesting personalities. Genie was someone I could really relate to. Her best friend, Patty, reminded me a lot of Samantha from Sex & the City. (I loved the 'rivalry' between Patty and Genie's brother.) Genie's parents were funny in their stuffy, traditional ways. And I loved Nick of course!
Overall, this book was kind of a mix of a Friends and a Sex & the City episode. The drama Genie goes through with Hugh kind of reminds me of Mr. Big from Sex & the City. But then there were also moments that were super funny when Genie reminded me of Friends' Rachel (like when she was making up 'pure method house building' when she first meets Nick, or later when she's buying herself a fake engagement ring).
July 25, 2013
I read The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer and liked it a lot; it was funny, smart, and just plain good. Soooo, I ordered The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, expecting it to be everything The Cinderella Pact was. It wasn't. It's not. It's boring, ardous reading; so formulaic and lazy, I knew everything that was going to happen, which basically ruined continuing with it. I almost just stopped reading and shoved it on a shelf a few times.
The idea was a good one, but the author just couldn't produce. And her inclusions of such archaic sayings as "I'll give you the skinny," calling people here and there a "fink," "hot stuff"...didn't help matters--it's a twenty-first century story...it doesn't take place in the 1950s. I was disappointed and sorry I'd wasted my money; the book is a complete wash.
Judging from the reviews at Amazon, the other books Sarah Strohmeyer's already published don't quite cut it, either. But I hope in the future that she can hit us with a book as good as The Cinderella Pact once again.
The idea was a good one, but the author just couldn't produce. And her inclusions of such archaic sayings as "I'll give you the skinny," calling people here and there a "fink," "hot stuff"...didn't help matters--it's a twenty-first century story...it doesn't take place in the 1950s. I was disappointed and sorry I'd wasted my money; the book is a complete wash.
Judging from the reviews at Amazon, the other books Sarah Strohmeyer's already published don't quite cut it, either. But I hope in the future that she can hit us with a book as good as The Cinderella Pact once again.
December 12, 2009
What would you do if you had discovered you had been waiting for a marriage proposal to transform your life?
Genie Michaels discovers she has been sleep-walking through life when her live-in boyfriend of four years proposes marriage to another woman on national TV.
Her plucky friend, Patti, decides to cover-up Genie's humiliation by pretending Genie is, indeed, engaged. What ensues from this lie is a fascinating roller-coaster ride of never-ending surprises that will leave even the most jaded reader riveted with delight.
When I confessed I had been sleeping in instead of going to the gym or writing because I had been up the night before reading THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL (just one chapter turned into three or four), he said, "That must be a good book!"
I can't wait to read THE PENNY PINCHERS CLUB. Any of Stohmeyers books would be a great gift for your chick-lit loving friend for Christmas! (Hint, hint ;-))
Genie Michaels discovers she has been sleep-walking through life when her live-in boyfriend of four years proposes marriage to another woman on national TV.
Her plucky friend, Patti, decides to cover-up Genie's humiliation by pretending Genie is, indeed, engaged. What ensues from this lie is a fascinating roller-coaster ride of never-ending surprises that will leave even the most jaded reader riveted with delight.
When I confessed I had been sleeping in instead of going to the gym or writing because I had been up the night before reading THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL (just one chapter turned into three or four), he said, "That must be a good book!"
I can't wait to read THE PENNY PINCHERS CLUB. Any of Stohmeyers books would be a great gift for your chick-lit loving friend for Christmas! (Hint, hint ;-))
August 13, 2009
I really like this book. It took me awhile to fall for the story. Mostly because I would attempt to read it before bed and after about 2 minutes I'd conk out. At no fault of the book though. So I finally started to read it at a reasonable hour and fell in love instead of asleep. I really like how the main character has such a great relationship with her brother. You don't find that often in chicklits. I also thought the inner dialog of the main character was hilarious. The storyline had me going and I must admit Hugh's Fiance' did surprise me. A must read girly book.
July 5, 2014
Genie has been dating Hugh for the past four years. It may not be fireworks everyday but they are happy. Hugh is an author who proposes to his girlfriend while on national television promoting his book. The problem? It wasn't Genie who he proposed to. Genie decides she will pretend it is her in order to rack in a few presents and make him look like the jerk that he is in the end. While her mother is planning her wedding, she's falling for someone else.
March 15, 2024
Tomu hovorím príjemné "čítaníčko". Už dlho som sa tak dobre nebavila ako pri tejto knihe. Je príjemné sledovať hrdinku, ako sa vysporiada s údelom, ktorý jej osud nadelil a darí sa jej. Za pomoci svojej najlepšej priateľky sa rozhodne neplakať v kúte miestnosti, ale bojovať. Navyše Hugh práve odišiel na služobnú cestu, pretože do obehu pustil svoju najnovšiu knihu. Všetko jej teda hrá do kariet.
Zvyšok recenzie nájdete tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.sk/2010/11/vy...
Zvyšok recenzie nájdete tu: http://kokina1.blogspot.sk/2010/11/vy...
January 22, 2019
TRASH lit at its best! Absolutely horrid plot and the character’s weren’t even believable. I’m ashamed to admit that I even read this vomit (or even finished it! Big YAWN), but what would you expect from an “author” who uses the N word in such a putrid way. Not really saying much about them and their imagination is truly LACKING!
I can honestly say that I’ll never read anything by this filthy, sh!t for brains “writer” again! On to the REAL authors! 🤮
I can honestly say that I’ll never read anything by this filthy, sh!t for brains “writer” again! On to the REAL authors! 🤮
February 24, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. I’ve read Sarah Strohmeyer’s books in the past and really enjoyed them. However, I couldn’t even make it through this book. I hardly ever give up on books that I’m reading but this storyline was just so infuriating, transparent and plain dumb... I couldn’t put myself through it anymore. Sorry, Sarah, not your best work...
May 22, 2011
Good storyline.
July 12, 2018
Not worth the read.
September 13, 2020
***4.5***
While Genie's recognition/self-declaration of love was sudden/decisive and the overused B plot of her brother and best friend could easily have been the main plot of many romance novels before it, I genuinely liked this book. Very rarely did it feel cringy to me or did I put down the book in frustration with character choices. Perhaps it's how much I identified with the main character's life complex* or the multitude of good quotes that I bookmarked to return to or the fact that it's a modern figurative take on a fairy tale. At any rate, I gobbled this book up. It's the kind of book that makes me enjoy reading and allows me to leave the cares of the world behind.
*I love the author's unexpected take on the sleeping beauty fairy tale. It's so relevant to contemporary readers even though it's a figurative reconceptualization of a familiar tale. I've never thought of SB this way before, and I'll likely never think about it the same way again.
Also, I love the idea of Welcome to Life parties and seriously think they ought to be a real thing. I appreciate the light, fluffy romance book's position on feminist issues of societal roles/values and the institution of marriage (even if the main character and plot had to return to the fold of patriarchy by novel's end). I fully intend to (remember to) host Welcome to Life parties for all the littles in my life when they get to that age. ☺️
While Genie's recognition/self-declaration of love was sudden/decisive and the overused B plot of her brother and best friend could easily have been the main plot of many romance novels before it, I genuinely liked this book. Very rarely did it feel cringy to me or did I put down the book in frustration with character choices. Perhaps it's how much I identified with the main character's life complex* or the multitude of good quotes that I bookmarked to return to or the fact that it's a modern figurative take on a fairy tale. At any rate, I gobbled this book up. It's the kind of book that makes me enjoy reading and allows me to leave the cares of the world behind.
*I love the author's unexpected take on the sleeping beauty fairy tale. It's so relevant to contemporary readers even though it's a figurative reconceptualization of a familiar tale. I've never thought of SB this way before, and I'll likely never think about it the same way again.
Also, I love the idea of Welcome to Life parties and seriously think they ought to be a real thing. I appreciate the light, fluffy romance book's position on feminist issues of societal roles/values and the institution of marriage (even if the main character and plot had to return to the fold of patriarchy by novel's end). I fully intend to (remember to) host Welcome to Life parties for all the littles in my life when they get to that age. ☺️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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