Book Review: Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen

Cinderella Screwed Me Over. The title itself tells you what the central theme of this book is. If you are the type who loves fairy tales and is eternally looking for Prince Charming, you may want to think twice about reading this book.

I love Darby Quinn. She's smart, funny, tough, and has a pretty unique name. And she's kind even though she has every reason to hate the world. When I read her stance on relationships, I kind of saw it as something too cynical, negative and just impossible. But then she lays out her "case studies" (comparisons of her exes to popular Disney princes and even generic rom-com leading men) and who wouldn't be as jaded as she is when you go through all that? I would have fled to a convent and spend the rest of my life there. There were parts that I was frustrated with her and her ideals but she's just so relatable that I just couldn't hate her.

Jake, on the other hand, is this mega swoon-worthy guy who's not only handsome but also kind, knows how to cook, funny and very, very patient. Like Darby, I was waiting for Jake to make a mistake and I kept getting surprised by how patient the man is. Before the book ends though, Jake unveils his past and well, that's another surprising part of the book.

Reading this book gave me a whirlwind of emotions. It made me laugh and made me cry on the last few chapters (even on the happy parts). I was an emotional mess by the end of the book.

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Cinderella Screwed Me Over is a gem. It's sweet and light. A quick read.It's funny, highly entertaining and has just the perfect amount of romance -- not too cheesy but not bland either.

Despite being a quick read, this book contains valuable life and love lessons especially for women, which is why I'm giving it 5 stars. I think every girl/woman can relate to this. All our lives, we are subjected to gender stereotypes: we get pink cribs and pink rooms and our storybooks are mostly fairy tales. There are all these standards on how we should act or dress or what our job should be. But really, we're more than just princesses waiting for our own Prince Charming.

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Some other lessons/quotable quotes from this book:

“We're not puzzle pieces, Steph. There's 'no you complete me' guy out there, and the beauty of this day and age is I don't need one.”

"I once heard this statement that women marry men hoping to change them while men marry women hoping they'll never change."

"There are a few guys who aren't complete jerks. But it doesn't even matter. Because Fate can be a bitch."

"You can't fix people. They have to learn to fix themselves."

"The hardest lesson: Sometimes love's just not enough."

"I'm so crazy about you that if you asked me to give up watching sports for the rest of my life, I would. Except maybe the world Series, 'cause that's more religion than sport."

"The truth is, fairy-tale beginnings are easy. It's what comes after that's hard. Life doesn't have a clean-cut ending."

I haven't read Cindi Madsen's other books but I loved this book so much (it's one of my favorites now) that I might just pick another one written by her soon. And I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a light and entertaining but realistic read. :)

Have you read Cinderella Screwed Me Over? What can you say about it?

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