82 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jennifer Crusie at her Best!, April 24, 2001
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this book yet! This is my favorite contemporary romance of all time! Smart, sexy, funny, human....My HIGHEST 5-star rating. I can't rave about the quality of writing in this book enough. Great setting, characters, story-- A small, perfect, pleasing gem.
Eccentric Daisy Flattery collects thrift-store furniture, stray cats, and wishes her life were as interesting as the stories she tells.
When her upstairs, uptight, but incredibly gorgeous neighbor Linc Blaise needs a fiancee to clench a position as a history professor in a small-town college, he, against his better judgment, can't think of anyone who could lie better than Daisy Flattery, professional storyteller (and starving artist).
Linc, a workaholic, with his chrome-and-glass furniture and black Porshe has his life just the way he wants it. He finds himself maddened but attracted-against-his-will to Daisy, with her stray cats, cracked Tiffany lamps, and compulsion to embellish her life at faculty gatherings.
When Linc and Daisy conveniently break up after Linc is hired for the position at the college, the chair of Linc's department makes it clear that a fiancee/wife was part of the bargain. Linc is sufficently compelled to make a temporary "Cinderella Deal" with Daisy that will change them both.
This book is so good the above synopsis doesn't do it justice. Jennifer Crusie's other novels provide the best example of her unique, sharp dialogue. Daisy Flattery-Blaise is a frizzy-haired, granny-dress-wearing romantic and also a feminist. She won't change who she is to please Linc or anybody else. The melding of these two characters is riotous, clever, and pleasing.
FYI: Published in 1996 by Loveswept, this romance is now out-of-print, but well-worth finding. It is the length of a serial romance.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely not a pumpkin, October 19, 2001
One of the best romances Ive ever read. A story of a real (and unorthodox) woman who meets a real (and orthodox man). A wicked stepfather, a pretend marriage and a procession of animals keeps the story out of the minds of the characters and in the imagination of the reader. Funny and touching with no incidences of rape, undue influence, physical abuse and victorian morality poipular in traditional romances. A good read for real women.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny & tender, October 1, 2001
"The Cinderella Deal" is a beautifully tender and moving romance. It may be one of Crusie's earlier works, but her inexperience isn't obvious. Crusie manages to inject both funny and touching moments into a wonderfully developed romance.
Linc and Daisy are two very different people, and at first they aren't sure whether they really like one another. But gradually, Linc begins to appreciate Daisy's warmth and compassion, and Daisy notices Linc's steadfastness and deep-rooted passion. Gradually, they come to truly know and love one another in a very special, moving way. This is -not- your typical genre romance.
Both main characters are well-developed, as are the secondary characters. The earnestness of the characters, and Crusie's incredible gift for conveying emotional depth, make this truly a wonderful romance.
"The Cinderella Deal" is a prize, not just for Crusie fans, but also for those who love a good romance. It's also a hoot! I truly hope that the publishers realize what a possible audience they have for earlier Crusie titles ... and gives us some reprints. Personally, I am thankful for interlibrary loan!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
