Customer Reviews

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Eugenia "Genie" Michaels is a thirty-six year old lady who works as an admissions counselor for Thoreau College. Her boyfriend of four years, Hugh Spencer, has been an aspiring writer and Genie supports him through all the rejection slips and hard times. Suddenly, Hugh's makes the big time. His novel hits the best seller lists and he has become famous. He goes off for a string of interviews and even flies to England to sell some foreign rights. Genie could not be happier for him! Until ...

During a Barbara Walters prime time interview, Hugh proposes marriage to the love of his life. Problem is, Hugh did not propose to Genie! Patty Pugliese, Genie's outspoken best friend and lawyer, does not hesitate to give her some hard advice. Genie has two choices: Ignore it all and continue to go around with her head in the sand or she can actually DO SOMETHING about it. Before Genie can ever choose, friends and co-workers are calling to congratulate Genie on her upcoming wedding. And Patty, being Patty, answers Genie's phone and begins telling everyone that Genie is THRILLED that Hugh proposed to her. It is then Genie chooses to take a risk and lets everyone continue to believe that she is Hugh's real fiancée.

Genie is now the center of attention. Her parents are going all out in planning the wedding. Her siblings are crazy, nothing new there. Meanwhile, on campus, Genie's co-workers are suddenly taking notice of their placid colleague. Yet soon Genie realizes that she never really needed a man in order to buy a home, get a better job, or wear diamonds. But when the right man comes along while she is pretending to be engaged, Genie's plans may backfire.

**** Witty and loaded with fun, this novel is sure to cure any blues you may have left over from the drab months of winter. It is nice to read a novel where the main characters are not so perfect. Human flaws make them seem much more real and ALL of these characters have flaws. Perfect reading for those who enjoy witnessing the underdog win. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Rarely do I drop one book to read another, but when I was given the opportunity to read Sarah Strohmeyer's newest, THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL, I found that I had to due to the intriguing premise and after my glance at the first page.

Genie has supported her boyfriend, emotionally and financially, for years. And then the day comes when he 'makes' it, and proposes to .....somebody else? What would you do? How would you react? For that matter, what would your family and friends do or say if they thought that the one proposed to was you???

This was a fun and witty story, which totally kept me turning the pages to see how Genie would work through these situations while realizing her true power. Read the book to find out what happens...it was a true page-turner that I look forward to sharing with friends and loved ones.

After reading and enjoying the Cinderella Pact, I was happy to see that Ms. Strohmeyer already had another like book available. Sleeping Beauty Proposal was not, however, as good as the previous. It read more like a Sophie Kinsella book, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but here it is. There was a lot more of the f- word than in the Cinderella Pact and the romance/content wasn't as PG either. I'd rather those overt details be left out- to be left up to your imagination. As an avid Christian fiction reader, I had been happy to discover a mainstream author that kept things fairly clean- so that the overall story could shine through. But maybe that was a fluke- because Sleeping Beauty Proposal was quite a different story. It reminded me of Kinsella's Undomestic Goddess- at least the romance part.

The premise of the story was a very original one. Genie Michaels is an admissions counselor at Thoreau College. She has been in a four-year relationship with the now bestselling author, Hugh Spencer. He is off promoting his book and appears in an interview with Barbara Walters who asks if he would like to say anything to his `special someone'. He proposes, on live television.... but not to Genie!!! To get even with Hugh and maybe get some nice presents, Genie decides to pretend that they are really engaged. There are some really sweet and funny moments. But overall, I was disappointed because the story felt vapid and flat compared to the sweet, touching story in Cinderella Pact. Genie comes off as a selfish, needy person whereas Nola from the Cinderella Pact was more genuinely real and relatable. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney fairytale, so I had high hopes for this story. Still a light, fluffy read- a good book to take to the beach. If Ms. Strohmeyer keeps in the same vein of stories, I think it would be fun to do a take on Snow White- where the heroine works with small children, is friendly with animals, has an evil stepmother...

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL by Sarah Strohmeyer
November 15, 2007

Rating **** (4 Stars)

One thing about Sarah Strohmeyer's books is that she gets better with each one. Her "Bubbles" series are hilarious, but her stand-alone novels have more depth while at the same time keep a similar level of humor throughout. In THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL, Genie Michaels ends up dating a very eligible bachelor named Hugh Spencer, a British up-and-coming literature professor at the university where she works. He's good looking and clever and has just written a book. The two have been dating for four years now, and she's wondering when he'll pop the question. When Hugh's book takes off and he ends up on television for an interview, he proposes to his girlfriend in front of millions. Unfortunately, Genie soon realizes that the girlfriend is not she. As she watches Hugh call "her" up on live television, her phone fails to respond. He's proposing to someone else!

Since all of Genie's family and friends find out soon enough that she is supposedly engaged, Genie's best friend convinces her to go along with the act, and pretend that she IS indeed that girlfriend that Hugh proposed to. With Hugh back in England to promote the book, Genie manages to fake the engagement, down to a cheap imitation diamond ring.

Genie had wanted to purchase a cute cottage that her brother is fixing up, and when she's told it's about to go on the market, she and best friend Patty show up to make a deal. While in the cottage they discuss how the whole engagement is a lie. What they aren't sure is whether the carpenter that was in the next room has overheard their conversation. Genie notices that Nick is one really gorgeous guy, and cannot stop thinking about him.

Genie is angry over what Hugh has done to her, but she is beginning to want Nick, although she has to continue this farce of an engagement. There is chemistry between Genie and Nick, but Genie thinks he has a girlfriend waiting for him in Greece, and in the mean time, Genie has to do her best to please her family, in particular her mother, as they begin planning the engagement parties and the wedding. Genie gets deeper and deeper into trouble, while her attraction to Nick grows stronger. And then, she learns that Hugh is back in town!

There are a lot of things to like about THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL. First off, those who are fans of Sarah Strohmeyer will not be disappointed with her latest book. As usual, she creates a likeable heroine with flaws like everyone else, but Genie is not one to let life pass her by no matter what. She takes control of the situation, with the help of best friend Patty, and does what she thinks is the right thing to do to getting back Hugh. She is so caught up in the idea of being with someone, that she does not even think about whether Hugh was really good for her or not. She has always thought that Hugh was the perfect man for her, and that is her biggest flaw, that she is blind to who Hugh really is, and that the perfect man might be around the corner.

The story can be to some a stereotypical romance, with the introduction of man number two, Nick, who is not in the same league as Hugh in terms of career or income. Hugh works at the University and is a writer, while Nick is a carpenter, but as Genie gets to know Nick, she learns that there is a lot more to Nick than there was to Hugh.

The story line takes a sharp turn when Genie discovers that Hugh is engaged to someone she actually knows, and it infuriates her to think all this was happening behind her back. It's a twist in the plot that will keep the reader interested, part of the reason why this book is a page-turner.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL was a funny story about a young woman who desperately wanted to find her prince charming, but discovers too late that maybe she had picked the wrong guy. One can certainly imagine this book as a movie, with Hugh Spencer played by Hugh Grant, and Genie played by Sandra Bullock. The premise is silly and one would think Genie really needed to get her act together, but it's a story where the reader is going to want to cheer Genie on and hope she does find her prince charming and live happily ever after. - courtesy of Love Romances and More - M. Lofton

It is definitely worth hurrying to the store to buy this book. Strohmeyer has pulled out all the stops in her hilarious, intelligent, entertaining new novel. Genie is a believable, likeable character; I found myself rooting for her all the way. She's the kind of (rare!) character you'd actually want to have over for a glass of wine (or several...) to laugh about old boyfriends and conspire about future plans. Her wise-cracking best friend, Patty, would also be more than welcome, with her wit, crazy ideas, and good, old-fashioned die-by-your-side loyalty. Heck, I like Genie so much, I'd even forgive her extraordinary good luck at meeting Nick, the perfect guy. I'm getting all flustered just thinking about him!

Strohmeyer takes the classic stereotype of the aging spinster and turns it on its head: these smart women are happy on their own and won't turn themselves into something they're not, just to get the guy. But their form of feminism is funny, not preachy. No wonder the most desirable men are after them.

Give yourself a treat and read The Sleeping Beauty Proposal. It's one of the most intelligently entertaining books I've read in years.

Fantastic! I could not put this book down. I fell in love with the characters and did not want the book to end. The book is funny, smart and well written! Sarah Strohmeyer has earned the place as my favorite fiction writer!

I enjoy light-hearted, slightly zany & comical reading as a way to unwind. This story met that criteria for me. Reminded me very much of Sophie Kinsella's writing style. Will be looking to pick up more of this author's work in the future.

It was fun and it kept my attention from the start. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and my first by this author. I enjoyed this one so much, I'm already 1/2 way through the first Bubbles book...

Soon after reading this, I went to a bridal shower. I'll be honest - it was difficult not to think about this book as I was there. Still waiting for the wedding ;-) (You'll understand once you're read the book)

Enjoy!

This is the first Sarah Strohmeyer book I've read and I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars. My review of this book is both highly critical and highly praising... From the very first page of this book, I thought, "This is my kind of writer." She's very witty and the book is full of contemporary humor -- I love that. The book is unquestionably and unapologetically chick lit, and I love that too. A review on the back of the book mentions a melding of Sex and the City and Bridget Jones ... this is really spot on. Sounds great, right? For the most part it is. It's an easy light read about a woman named Genie Michaels who spends 4 years in a relationship with a soon-to-be-famous writer named Hugh (a la Grant), only to be dumped on national TV when he proposes to another woman (but only she knows the proposal is to another woman). Her feisty best friend Patty encourages her to pretend that he really did propose to HER and that she is engaged, in order to reap the benefits of a newly engaged woman. The remainder of the book details her lie, her struggle with how and when to come clean, the repercussions and snowball effect of this little lie, and her budding romance with a different man as she reinvents herself as a more assertive, confident, attractive single woman. The book is mostly predictable but still quite enjoyable. That's the "praise" part of my review. Now for the "critical" part ... While Strohmeyer manages to keep up the witt throughout the entire book, the middle still seems to lull a bit. The book starts off great and finishes strong but the middle gets a little tired. There are also some literary stretches for effect (won't go into detail lest I give away too much) that leave you thinking, "yeah right!" And the fairy tale ending has everything falling into place so neatly, it's positively saccharinized. While the book left me with a satisfied smile, it also left me with a bit of an eye roll. All in all, Strohmeyer's writing talent is a bit better than her plot. I've got The Cinderella Pact sitting on my table now and I do plan to read it, so clearly the good outweighed the bad here.