At the Stroke of Midnight (The Naughty Princess Club, #1) by Tara Sivec Series: The Naughty Princess Club #1
Published by Swerve on February 27, 2018
Pages: 261
Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy
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Meet the Naughty Princess Club: a brand new series from USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec that introduces readers to Fairytale Lane and the hilarity—and romance—that ensue when three women start a new business to make it rain.
Once upon a time Cynthia was the perfect housewife. Between being the President of the PTA and keeping her home spotless without a hair (or her pearls) out of place, her life was a dream come true. Her husband was once her knight in shining armor, but now he’s run off with all their money…and the babysitter.
Dressed as a princess at the annual Halloween block party on Fairytale Lane, she meets two other “princesses” also facing money troubles: antique store owner Ariel and librarian Isabelle. When the women are invited to wear their costumes to a party where they’re mistaken for strippers, Cindy, Ariel, and Belle realize that a career change could be the best way to make their money problems go bippity-boppity-boo.
But can structured Cindy approach a stripper pole without sanitizing wipes? And could the blue-eyed anti-prince that has been crossing her path become Cindy’s happily ever after? At the Stroke of Midnight is a hilarious, empowering story where princesses can save themselves while slaying in stilettos.
Great news! I can finally fit into my old pair of jeans because I laughed my ass off while reading At the Stroke of Midnight. We’re talking tears rolling down my face laughter that lasted throughout the entire book.
This is the first book in the Naughty Princess Club series. Three women—Cynthia, Ariel, and Belle—meet and bond over their equally dire financial circumstances. They decide to go into business together to help solve their money problems.
The concept is really clever. Each woman shares striking similarities to their Disney princess namesakes, only in modern form. Cynthia (Cindy) went from living with her wretched stepmother and stepsisters in a trailer park to living in a McMansion on Fairytale Lane with her millionaire husband. Ariel is passionate about collecting antiques. Belle lives in her father’s basement and works at the local library.
This is Cindy’s story. She is a snobby prude, a perfect wife and mother, with perfect hair, perfect clothes, a perfect home, and a perfect life. That is until her husband runs off with the babysitter leaving her with divorce papers, bills, and no way to support herself and their daughter. Fortunately, she can count on Ariel and Belle for support.
Ariel is blunt and crass, with a wicked sense of humor. I looked forward to every interaction she has with her friends. Her affect on Cindy is nothing short of hilarious.
For me, this story is less about Cindy’s romance with PJ Charming, and more about her finding her voice and independence. I did enjoy their relationship, though—especially PJ’s decidedly un-princely behavior in the beginning.
There is A LOT of swearing in this book, so if that’s something that offends you this might not be right for you. Too much gratuitous swearing tends to turn me off. However, it’s a key part of Ariel’s personality, and I thought it was hysterical.
Tara Sivec kept surprising me by inserting small touches here and there from the original fairytales. It truly is charming. If this book doesn’t cure you of the blues, I don’t know what will.
Recommended for fans of:
Disney Princesses
Romantic comedy
Single parent romance
Purchase At the Stroke of Midnight
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About Tara Sivec
Tara Sivec is a USA Today best-selling author, wife, mother, chauffeur, maid, short-order cook, baby-sitter, and sarcasm expert. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children and looks forward to the day when they all three of them become adults and move out.
After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. Her novel Seduction and Snacks won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book and she was voted as Best Author in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards for 2014.
In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she’ll do and naps she’ll take when she ever gets spare time.
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