The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal Reviews

• 
  Jen Terpstra

  I loved this book. You have no idea how much. While it wasn't exactly Hemingway, the subject matter made me pull back and think. Think REAL HARD.
  
  For example....why DON'T we hold "Welcome to real life" showers for women just graduating college, or if they don't go to college and just enter the workforce, high school???? Why should a woman's worth be defined by whether she's getting MARRIED or not. Why should only women who are getting married get the REALLY GOOD STUFF that every woman wants when moving out on her own????
  
  We've come SO far in women's movements, and though I'm no "femi-nazi", it still kind of bothers me that women who aren't getting married are regarded as not worthy of the same things that a woman who IS getting married is. BELIEVE me I would have appreciated a new set of china, new towels, and various kitchen appliances when I graduated college. Why must we wait until we're betrothed? It's ridiculous, me thinks. Tradition? Please. Let's get a GRIP people!
  
  Personally, I'm going to throw a "welcome to life" shower for all the little girls in my life. My friend's daughters, my future nieces. They shouldn't be defined by whether they're getting married or not, and this book helped me realize that. I adored it.
• 
  Jennifer

  This book was a disappointment. I really enjoyed Sarah Strohmeyer's other "fairy tale" inspired books, but this one was painfully predictable, flat, and boring. I found myself skimming chapters just to get through it and see if anything remotely interesting (and not predictable) happened. It didn't.
  
  Hugh was the cliched, stuck-up intellectual elitist. Genie was the cliched devoted, loyal and downtrodden girlfriend. Nick was the cliched "knight in shining armor". Patty was the cliched rough-around-the-edges, yet lovable best friend. Insert faked engagement and predictable hijinks that result and you've got this book. The story had the potential to be a fun, light read, but ended up being boring, boring, boring.
  
  This is the second book in a row by Sarah Strohmeyer that has disappointed me; perhaps I'll have to give some thought to whether or not I'll continue to read her books.
• 
  Desiree

  Not trying to be rude, but I didn't like this book at all. It was kinda a bunch of nonsense. When the character's boyfriend proposes on t.v. to someone else, she lets her friend talk her into pretending the proposal was meant for her to avoid the embarrassment. She goes as far as buying a cubic zirconia wedding ring and letting her parents put deposits down for the wedding... except for her dad really knows, and secretely cancels all the plans after the mother makes them.
  
  Anyway, then it turns out the now ex-boyfriend (and fake fiancee) was faking his proposal... to a fake woman... come on! Unrealistic. Predictable. Nonsense.
  
  Positives? It has a pretty cover.
• 
  Alicia Prevost

  Well this book was...
  
  At first, I wanted to say crap. I read the first half just astonished as how crappy it was.
  
  But by the end, it was kind of like a Lifetime movie. It was so bad that it was kind of...good. Not in a good good way and I certainly wouldn't rush and tell anyone to read it but it was so bad that I found myself desperate to find out what in the world could happen next because...so bad, so so bad.
  
  It was just too over the top. The characters, the plot line, some of the things that happened, they were all so over the top that it just didn't...seem like real life at all. It's the only way that I can think to say it, everything was just...too big, too in your face, too unrealistic that it made the book hard to read, although fun in the long run.
  
  Even Nick...every single women seemed happy to drop her pants for him, it was...nuts. Just...nuts.
  
  And the best friend??? What the hell?
  
  Honestly, this book was a lot of what the hell.
  
  But in a fun, kind of crack like way.
• 
  Ajh

  Not worth finishing.
• 
  Candace

  This book was probably one of my first exposures to feminism when I was younger. I had never thought about the differing treatment for married women versus those who were not married. Afterwards, I was very vocal about how I would need basic kitchen and household supplies long before I was married, because I would be living on my own long before that happened. Accordingly, one of my sisters gave me a set of glasses; that remains one of the most significant gifts I have ever received. Moral of the story: I enjoy this book, partially because it's a comforting, happy sort of read, but also because of the reality it brought to light for me.
• 
  Michelle♥

  I really didn't like this book.
  
  I knew it was based on a lie, but oh my goodness did it get out of hand!
  
  I couldn't stand Genie, but I had to know what happened, which is why I gave it a two star rating. I needed to know how it was going to end, who Hugh's mystery woman was, and how things would end with Nick.
  
  I did not like the style of writing by this author. It took me forever to get through this chick lit, which normally takes me about a day at the most to read these kind of novels.
  
  I feel like I should have spent my time on a better author. Oh well. It's read and done now. Moving on!
• 
  ~☆~Autumn♥♥☔

  This was better than I expected based on the reviews that I read.
• 
  Karen

  Fun chick lit book. Genie's boyfriend Hugh is on tv promoting his book & proposes to another women on the air. After this Genie with her friend Patty,who is a great character, fakes her engagement & discovers her own self value & strength along the way. Great weekend read
• 
  Nikki Wilde

  After reading The Penny Pinchers Club I knew that the book started off a bit sluggish and got a lot better so I was expecting the same from this book as well. Unfortunately, it never really seemed to pick up. There were very few humorous parts. I never really found myself chuckling at all. I chose to read this book after the Penny Pinchers because the plot sounded like a hit. I just kept waiting for the "sticky situation" to pick up.
  
  One thing that really seemed to bother me was from out of nowhere we all of a sudden start bringing up God. It really seemed to have no place in this book and especially from a character you'd least expect. It was just awkward and made me really uncomfortable.
  
  I was hoping for more, I got less.
• 
  Stesha -

  Overall Rating: 2/5
  Short Chapter Rating: 3/5
  
  Can't say this was one that I enjoyed. It was predictable from the beginning and I found the writing a bit choppy. I couldn't really get into the story of the fake engagement and found the characters to be very superficial with not much depth. Can't say I liked any of them in particular and basically got through it. It was fine, but with everything else to read on my list, it was just a filler.
  
  Is this book for you? If you like the idea of fairy tale romances, looking for a light/filler read, fake to real romances...then give this book a go.
• 
  Julie

  I really enjoyed this book and read it really fast. It was cute and I can't wait to read the rest of her books!
• 
  Jodi Downs sedivy

  Genie had me laughing out loud. Somewhat predictable story, still had twists and turns along the way. Quick, easy, fun read.
• 
  Lady Allison

  The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, by new-to-me author Sarah Strohmeyer, weaves a tale of desperation, hilarity, true love, and finally finding yourself. Genie Michaels, a 36 year old admissions counselor, has wanted to get married for a while. She feels like it's time and she's paid her dues. She's ready to get hitched to her British boyfriend, Hugh, and looks for his proposal everywhere (even in the sand as they walk hand in hand on the beach.) She finds it - where she LEAST expects it. On a National TV show in front of millions of people while promoting his book and proclaiming his love for all to see and assume.
  
  Except that he wasn't proposing to her. As a matter of fact, now seems like a good time to completely smash her heart to smithereens and say she was not sexually attractive nor what he was looking for anymore.
  
  But how do you tell THE REST OF THE NATION that your boyfriend (of four years!) who just proposed in the most romantic way, actually asked another woman to be his forever bride? Apparently, you don't. Genie decides that it will spare everyone if they don't know just yet... plus being treated like a bride to be turns out to be pretty special! Every one has advice, people look at you differently, take you more seriously. She is no longer a single woman, she's a woman with a future. She might even buy a house!
  
  Strohmeyer is hilarious. I truly enjoyed flipping all the pages to see what wacky thing Genie would do in order to cover her tracks and get back at the bastard of her ex-boyfriend. She had a lot of growing to do and it was fun to watch her become a much more secure and confident woman - everything she couldn't be or find with Hugh. While transforming into this wonderful new person, she meets Nick, a smexy Greek god (who doubles as her brother's friend and employee). It's hard to describe her relationship with Nick because even though they both consider it to be true love, Strohmeyer doesn't really delve into them that much. 90% of the book, she's fake engaged to Hugh in order to reap the benefits. At the end they get together and it's fireworks - but I couldn't buy it. It didn't have the depth I look for in those "real love" connections with my characters. However, that didn't stop me from completely loving both of them and loving the together even more!
  
  While it definitely took Genie too long to let the farce go, I did like how this girl got her prince in the end - I loved the last scene! I probably wouldn't have been as calm if my girlfriend tossed two carats of diamonds into the grass! I would definitely recommend this as an end of summer beach read - it was light, fun, & silly, and I literally laughed out loud!
  
  This review & others also found on
  Red Hot Books
• 
  R

  The premise of this one, while a little ridiculous, was intriguing enough for me to grab it off the library shelf and bring it home. The execution, on the other hand...
  
  While I'd hesitate to call this thing poorly written - I had several laugh-out-loud moments - the plot premise is just not strong enough for a novel of this length. If it had been about a hundred pages shorter and if Genie hadn't gone so over the top in letting people think that she was engaged, then it could have been tons of fun. As it was, I was starting to get pretty annoyed with the actions of both her and her best friend, Patty. Plus the ending "twist" was disappointing to say the least. Hugh was never engaged to anyone? That's pretty darn weak, even for chick lit. He never has to pay for what he did, either. In the end, everyone thinks Genie called it off!
  
  I also had some issues with the way Patty ended her story arc The independent woman who doesn't want a husband and kids, but has both by the novels end is so overdone. It's fine if you want these things, but Patty is adamant that she doesn't and her ending feels like it was forced upon her by the author. Let Genie get married and let Patty stay happily single.. Combined that with certain cliches surrounding the character Nick a multimillionaire MIT grad? Really? What's wrong with him just being a nice guy who's made a decent living as a talented carpenter. He can be a bookworm and a carpenter, you know. They exist. and the way Genie's brother acts in a certain scene I don't care how sexually liberal you are, there is no loving older brother on the planet that would honestly think that it was okay to tell people how his sister lost her virginity and the fact that he knew how that happened was also pretty far fetched. There's no way Genie would have told him and what guy goes around telling people "hey, I slept with your sister! Here are the details!" and it's a bit of a disappointment all around.
• 
  Kalliste

  I only picked this book up because I was assured it didn't follow the formula that all chick lit appears to follow. This was the book that was going to convince me that it wasn't all desparate/meek/heartbroken women who finally have that light bulb moment.
  
  If you've been told the same, well I'm sorry to disappoint because this is exactly one of those books. The standard women breaks up with boyfriend/husband in a traumatic way and then, after moping for a few weeks/months realises shes worth more. Enter in handsome but argumentative man who she couldn't possibly fall in love with but, ultimately, finds herself attracted too and while protagonist is your regular Mary Jane it turns out that handsome man loves/adores/wants her at first glance.
  
  Enter some dull twist and then BAM! story written.
  
  Hope I didn't spoil you, but then if you're reading chick lit you know all that already.
  
  I did really like how the characters were written though and at least Genie didn't sit down and whine for 50% of the book.
  
  Unfortunately, other than an out of character twist it was all too predictable.
• 
  Laura

  Very cute story. It was maybe a little cheesy that Genie and Patty were able to get away with fake engagements as long as they did...and maybe, just maybe Nick was a little too good to be true. But it was a wonderful modern day fairytale and I'm going to pretend it can really happen.
  
  Strohmeyer's characters had really interesting personalities. Genie was someone I could really relate to. Her best friend, Patty, reminded me a lot of Samantha from Sex & the City. (I loved the 'rivalry' between Patty and Genie's brother.) Genie's parents were funny in their stuffy, traditional ways. And I loved Nick of course!
  
  Overall, this book was kind of a mix of a Friends and a Sex & the City episode. The drama Genie goes through with Hugh kind of reminds me of Mr. Big from Sex & the City. But then there were also moments that were super funny when Genie reminded me of Friends' Rachel (like when she was making up 'pure method house building' when she first meets Nick, or later when she's buying herself a fake engagement ring).
  
  
• 
  Angela

  What would you do if you had discovered you had been waiting for a marriage proposal to transform your life?
  
  Genie Michaels discovers she has been sleep-walking through life when her live-in boyfriend of four years proposes marriage to another woman on national TV.
  
  Her plucky friend, Patti, decides to cover-up Genie's humiliation by pretending Genie is, indeed, engaged. What ensues from this lie is a fascinating roller-coaster ride of never-ending surprises that will leave even the most jaded reader riveted with delight.
  
  When I confessed I had been sleeping in instead of going to the gym or writing because I had been up the night before reading THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL (just one chapter turned into three or four), he said, "That must be a good book!"
  
  I can't wait to read THE PENNY PINCHERS CLUB. Any of Stohmeyers books would be a great gift for your chick-lit loving friend for Christmas! (Hint, hint ;-))
• 
  Shonna Froebel

  This light novel has college admissions officer Genie Michaels feeling in a rut. Her boyfriend of four years, English professor Hugh Spencer shows no signs of commitment and the rest of her life feels stale. When Hugh appears on national television being interviewed about his new romance novel and is urged to propose to his own love, he does, except it isn't Genie. In fact, when Genie gets hold of him, he claims not to be sexually attracted to her. Genie's best friend Patty urges her to pretend that it was her and go with the flow. This is where the fun starts.
  Genie lets her mother take on the wedding planning, gets herself a ring, and looks at buying a house. Her new interest in her life has her making personal changes as well and realizing that she doesn't need a man to make her life interesting, but if a good one shows up that is even better. Great fun, and great characters. A good read.
• 
  Angie

  I really like this book. It took me awhile to fall for the story. Mostly because I would attempt to read it before bed and after about 2 minutes I'd conk out. At no fault of the book though. So I finally started to read it at a reasonable hour and fell in love instead of asleep. I really like how the main character has such a great relationship with her brother. You don't find that often in chicklits. I also thought the inner dialog of the main character was hilarious. The storyline had me going and I must admit Hugh's Fiance' did surprise me. A must read girly book.
• 
  Melissa

  Genie has been dating Hugh for the past four years. It may not be fireworks everyday but they are happy. Hugh is an author who proposes to his girlfriend while on national television promoting his book. The problem? It wasn't Genie who he proposed to. Genie decides she will pretend it is her in order to rack in a few presents and make him look like the jerk that he is in the end. While her mother is planning her wedding, she's falling for someone else.
• 
  Corinn

  TRASH lit at its best! Absolutely horrid plot and the character’s weren’t even believable. I’m ashamed to admit that I even read this vomit (or even finished it! Big YAWN), but what would you expect from an “author” who uses the N word in such a putrid way. Not really saying much about them and their imagination is truly LACKING!
  
  I can honestly say that I’ll never read anything by this filthy, sh!t for brains “writer” again! On to the REAL authors! 🤮
• 
  Michelle

  Good storyline.
• 
  Emily

  Not worth the read.
• 
  Kristina

  This book was hilarious and it had a great message at the end of it too. It’s all about having self-esteem and believing that the only person holding you back is yourself.
  
  Genie has been in a relationship with Hugh, a man on tour promoting his bestseller. So when he is on a morning show proposing to the love of his life, she is surprised to learn that it’s not her. So, to save face her friend convinced her to go with it and pretend to be engaged. What happens is her planning an imaginary wedding. But she finally gets the shower she wanted and the house she has wanted to buy. And on top of that she seems to always be bumping in a hot carpenter, Nick, around town. When Hugh said he wasn’t attracted to her, she wonders if that is the same with Nick?
  
  Genie really ends up finding herself in this story. She pushes rules and checklists aside. She goes for the promotion, the recognition, the house, the new wardrobe, and even the hot new carpenter. No more neutral, she shines bright now. A great message that you don’t need a man to brighten your life, you just need you and the man is a bonus.
• 
  Samantha Oledan

  I found this book randomly at a book sale, and I thought the plot was interesting. I am really glad that I gave it a try because I actually enjoyed reading this book. It was a light read and it helped me get my mind off of work/ school. The main character and the story kind of reminded me of Sophie Kinsella's books, which I used to enjoy a lot. There were some situations in which the protagonist acted irrationally, but I actually found them amusing and funny. I just could not believe how a person could pull off a fake engagement for a long time in real life. But I guess that was what actually drove me to finish this book because I wanted to know what would happen when things start to get out of hand.
  
  4/5 stars only because the ending was too cheesy for my liking. Overall, "The Sleeping Beauty" was a good read for me.
• 
  Adri266

  Tzv chick lit /literatura pre kocky :slight_smile:/ uz necitam tak casto, ale tento pribeh ma dost zaujal, tak som ho aj hned precitala.
  Hl. hrdinka zije 4 roky so svojim priatelom, a ked v televiznej relacii oznami, ze ziada svoju priatelku o ruku, je cela prestastna. Sok vsak pride, lebo to nie je ona a navyse, ked si ziada prekvapenie, tak jej *drahy* vysvetli, ze si nasiel inu kvoli tomu,ze mali medzi sebou slaby sex. Auuu. Hr. hrdinka sa vsak rozhodne, ze bude zasnuby dalej predstierat. Do toho pride novy chlap. A vsetko dobre skonci.
  
  Zasmiala som sa ako uz davno nie.Niektore z tychto romanov su fakt trapne, a aj ked je tento roman v mnohom podobny inym, cital sa dobre, bol humorny, takze ak potrebujete nejaku zmenu, nieco lahke na zakusnutie, tak toto je dobra volba.