The Cinderella Rules (Paperback)

by Donna Kauffman (Author) "Do not tell me you had Tugger stop me in the middle of playing midwife to a first-time mother because you're stuck somewhere and need..." (more)
Key Phrases: society smile, glass slipper, limo ride, Cinderella Rule, Four Stones, Morgan Industries (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Kauffman follows The Big Bad Wolf Tells All with another fairy tale-themed comic romance, this one focusing on heiress Darby Landon, who has forsaken her family's glitzy life in favor of a rugged existence on a Montana ranch. When Darby agrees to help out her baby sister Pepper by showing their powerful father's Scandinavian business partner around Washington, D.C., Darby realizes that she may need some style assistance before she can reenter high society. On the way to her makeover at Glass Slipper, Inc., Darby meets Shane Morgan, who has reluctantly returned from abroad to handle the corporate empire he inherited from his grandmother. In between Shane's business dealings and Darby's outings with the sexy but sinister Stefan Bjornsen, the two make time for some sizzling encounters. And as they work together to figure out what Stefan's evil plans are concerning the Morgan conglomerate, they realize that their attraction is more than just sexual. It takes Pepper's unlikely help to foil Stefan, and hard thought by Shane and Darby to blend his footloose existence with her longing for home on the range. Though the fairytale conceit never quite works-Darby is simply too wealthy and attractive to ring true as a downtrodden Cinderella-Kauffman writes with warmth, wit and swashbuckling energy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Kauffman, author of The Big Bad Wolf Tells All [BKL My 1 03], has penned a delightful romance about two appealing characters caught in the whirlwind of their families' business dealings--and their passion for each other. Darby is irked when her sister Pepper calls her and asks her to fly to Washington, D.C., to show their father's business associate around. She is even more reluctant once she learns Pepper has booked her a complete makeover at Glass Slipper, Inc., where the three founders will help her with her hair, makeup, wardrobe, manners, and everything else to get her prepared for her high-society role. Things are looking up when she meets the irresistibly handsome Shane Morgan, who is in town to take over the family company following the death of his grandmother. The sparks are instantaneous and bright, but when Darby's father's business associate turns out to be a handsome Nordic god, Darby has two men competing for her affections. A sexy, spicy romp. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (December 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553382349
• ISBN-13: 978-0553382341
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #230,539 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This "glass slipper" doesn't fit, May 2, 2005

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Total plot failure, May 24, 2004

By	eiie (United States) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great characters - a fun read!, July 5, 2004

By A Customer

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".