Customer Reviews

Cinderella Rules

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Does the romance succeed? Yes. But does the plot succeed? No. This novel leads you on and makes you think that the plot is actually about the heroine's love life and her strained relations with her own family. But the second half of the novel is clearly about playing "secret agent" and has little to do with the emotional development of the heroine. [...] Save yourself the dissapointment of this unsatisfying read and pick up a different book.

Sisters Darby and Pepper couldn't be more different. Darby is grounded and prefers the wilds of her ranch in Wyoming to the schmoozing of Washington DC. When Pepper calls her in desperation to take her place as the date of one of their father's business associates, Darby reluctantly agrees. Enter the makeover mavens from Glass Slipper, Inc. They specialize in taking even the toughest gal and turning her into a princess. They will have their work cut out with Darby.

Shane, the nephew of one of the founders snags a seat on the limo and instantly is attracted to Darby, and watches with amusement as she endures her makeover hell. The story starts out with so many possibilities, and is quite humorous. Then suddenly it becomes an industrial espionage story invovling Interpol and becomes so convoluted, that you just want to say "enough already!!"

I was disappointed - had she stuck with the original premise, the story would have been a fresh take on the fairy tales we grew up with. This one isn't on par with "Dear Prince Charming" or "The Big Bad Wolf Tells All" - might as well skip Cinderella, as this glass slipper does not fit.

The perfect romance for the summer. I loved getting to know Darby and Shane as well as the fairy godmothers. It was a blast. I disagree with a previous writer, concerned with minor details and would like to point out, it's fiction! This was definately worth reading and I can't wait for the "Prince CHarming".

I have to disagree with a reader who posted previously. I am also a long term resident of the DC Metro area who found Cinderella Rules witty, sexy, and just plain fun. I've had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Kauffman at a local signing and happen to know she is a life long resident to the area. As to the inconsistencies noted? Department stores in this area are notorious for being understaffed and many is the time I've been overlooked, regardless of dress. This is also a work of fiction, and my feeling is, it only has to be possible, not probable. As for the centuries old stone mansion? Who knows. I guess artistic license doesn't bother me as much as it apparently does others. I'm more interested in a good story. Kauffman has written stories involving immortals and ghosts, too, but I doubt she actually interviewed any. Oddly enough, I managed to enjoy those stories just fine. I can't wait to read Dear Prince Charming in a few weeks. Go Glass Slipper, Inc.!

I found this to be a fun contemporary romance for the most part. There were slow period throughout the book that kept me from giving this book a higher score. Ms. Kauffman has managed to include humor and provide a rather entertaining twist to the whole Cinderella storyline.

Picture it...two sisters vastly different. Pepper loves to be pampered, shop, and travel. Darby is happiest on her horse ranch, can't be bothered with flying, and her idea of shopping means one store and the end result being jeans. Darby's life is about to be turned upside down when her baby sister calls from South America and askes Darby to fill in and play hostess to their father's very important client. Darby says no way. This means she has to get dressed up, leave her precious horses, and horror of horrors get on a plan and fly to D.C.. Of course she does this, she loves her sister but the beauty spa (Glass Slipper Inc.) is not what she counted on. Never mind the hunky Shane Morgan that calls the three leaders of the spa Godmothers.

Shane is back in D.C. because his grandmother has passed away and the huge Morgan assests are now his. Now, instead of traveling the world he is sitting in meetings and working almost 20 hours a day. The one thing that keeps him sane are the memories of the sweet Darby. Now fate seems to be set on putting these two people together, over, and over, and well...you get the picture. Now somehow they are both going to have to finish what they started not only for their families but between the two of them. Can they make this relationship work?

Again this was a fun story but at times lagged. This is really more of a mainstream novel then a full out romance. Darby and Shane have great chemistry and the three godmothers of Glass Slipper Inc. are great secondary characters. You are in for a nice read if you pick up this book.

I had to take this book back to the library without finishing it because the characters really started to annoy me. One of the things that makes contemporary romances fun to read is that the characters are real people. They have flaws, like everyone else. This book was about two perfect people, with their two perfect lives, get together. There was no mystery...what you expected to happen, happened.

This was a fantastic book, but only for girls(I don't think a guy would want to read this) over 14 or 15, some very mature parts, I loved it, but wouldn't want a little sister reading it.

To bail her sister out of a tough spot, Darby agrees to take her place escorting her father's business associate around Washinton, DC. Darby, howeve,r is a Montana rancher who's been estranged from her father and Washington society for many years. So her sister sends her to Glass Slipper, Inc. for a major makeover so she will fit in.

Shane Morgan is heir to a very large empire and is in Washington to reluctantly claim his legacy as his grandmother has just passed away. Shane is an adventurer who also cut himself off from high society many years ago.

Darby and Shane meet in the limo on the way to Glass Slipper, Inc., share a smoldering kiss and from that point the sparks fly! The dressing room scene will leave you "glowing".

Add in the fairy godmothers, Darby's flaky sister and their father's hot business associate who isn't quite what he seems and you have a story that will keep you laughing and hoping that Cinderella and her Prince Charming will live happily ever after.

In what I find a troubling trend in the romance book industry, this author took what should have been a 50-75 page short story, and shamelessly stretched it into a full-length book by repeating the same character thoughts over and over and making the print larger. All so the publisher could rip off readers by selling for $11.00 what was worth no more than $5.

Donna Kauffman has written some good short stories and books. This is not one of them. The plot is stupid, insulting and completely unbelievable. Not a single aspect of this story would appeal to a woman of the 21st Century. The characters were atrocious. Was I supposed to believe super-rich, super beautiful Darby would for one minute agree to be waxed, plucked and otherwise bullied by The Glass Slipper's glamour nazis? Was I supposed to like the fact that she was so shallow, she actually felt insecure about the fact that she preferred cowboy boots and jeans to high heels and dresses? Was I supposed to feel sorry for "poor-me-I-have-such-a-burden-to-bear" Shane? Was I supposed to find his self-absorbed, narcissistic character appealing?

The plot was also atrocious. It went from dumb to dumber. When it turned out that ditsy, airhead Pepper was a secret agent, I finally gave up and stopped reading. I don't care how Darby and Shane resolve their superficial relationship issues. Or how they foiled Stefan the robot. The only good thing about reading this book is that I didn't pay for it; I checked it out at my local library for free.

I'd give this book 2.5 stars if I could, but then I'd need to subtract one for the continual use of the words "murmured" and "muttered" -- it was all Darby seemed to be doing--- aside from Shane that is.

I thought this book was a real silly story, but since I started on a plane, it helped me to sleep. An over-blown "romance" would be an apt description. I guess I'm just fed up with shallow, self-absorbed characters like Darby and Shane who do nothing but each other, and moan (mutter!) about how they just want to be HAPPY and FULFILLED with their LIFE CHOICES, despite the piles of cash the family has. Boo hoo.

I agree with the other reviewer- when Interpol was thrown into the mix, I returned the book to the library. It was just, well, boring, and I found nothing compelling about the main charcters, the "godmothers" (I kept thinking Golden Girls) or the whole silly premise of the "rules" (darlings.)