Paperback Reader

Genie Michaels lives a safe, steady and normal life. She's in her mid-thirties, works as an admission counselor at a university and dates a professor who recently hit it big with a well-received novel. Life is good. At the very least, it's safe, steady and normal. Then boyfriend Hugh goes on television talkshow and, under pressure from an interviewer to call his girlfriend and propose, makes the call and does the deed. Problem is Genie's phone never rings.

With everyone Genie knows thinking she was the woman on the other end of the cell phone (she wasn't) and with Genie knowing her phone never rang (tho she willed it to do so), Genie and her friend Patty come up with a plan. And, why is it plans made by two female friends in popular fiction novels always end so badly...? Well, this one is a gem. While Hugh runs off to promote his book tour overseas, Genie pretends to be the woman at the receiving end of the very public cell phone proposal (and, remember, she wasn't). Thus leading to the hmmm plot set-up where Genie goes through the motions (all of them false) of a happily engaged woman (who does not have an actual fiancee).

At this point Strohmeyer could have veered off into the Land of Silliness. Instead, she keeps the book moving forward by focusing on Genie's doubts even as she gets sucked deeper and deeper into her lie. For example, the very unlikable Hugh figures out there is some "confusion" over a proposal and talks to Genie about setting the record straight (making it clear she was not the proposee). Instead, Genie plunges right into the deep end of the pool (or is it the shallow end?) with the help of a fake engagement ring (think of it as diamond-like) and an engagement party planned to death by Genie's mother (eh, it's about time her parents spent some money on her and not just her siblings).

While spinning her tale, Genie grows more concerned about being found out. After all, Hugh proposed to someone out there. What would happen if that someone showed up and kicked Genie in her not-really-engaged butt? That issue, combined with guilt over the expense of her (fake) wedding plans and discomfort at lying to her handsome handyman Nick (because fictional handymen are always hot - always) about her (again, fake) engagement, make Genie a compelling and realistic heroine who is stuck in a very unrealistic (and all her own fault) situation.

Though her choices are questionable to the point of being eyebrow-raising in their ridiculousness, Genie's underlying motivation is much more this-worldly. She's a going-through-the-motions gal. When faced with public humiliation at the hands of her pontificating boyfriend (that would be Hugh), Genie opts for taking back control of her life. She will set the terms. If that means she collects a few goodies as gifts and gets to be the center of attention for a few weeks, well, so be it. Haven't we all been tempted to do that sort of thing?

The plot set-up, while a bit hard to believe, does work here. Strohmeyer's use of humor and light touch guide Hugh and Nick (who are both a bit one-dimensional) and Genie (who is much deeper than she appears at first glance) through the joys (that's sarcastic) of getting engaged, including all of the doubts, pressures and family interference.

The chick lit and romance aspects work together here to create a very enjoyable and fast-paced read. Now, there are a few downsides. First, the ending is a bit too...perfect. Second, Genie's ability to hold on to her lie, to carry it through every aspect of her life despite her inner turmoil and all of the outside pressures, does come close to overkill. The good news is that those negatives are overcome by smart writing about an intelligent woman with very real insights into family dynamics, the dating world and the life of a single thirty-something woman.

Strohmeyer's real strength in The Sleeping Beauty Proposal is her ability to make you wonder if the scenario spelled out here really does border on unblievable or if maybe you're just jealous you did not think of trying it first. After all, do you have to give back the engagement gifts for a fake wedding that never happens? Technically, the wedding won't be canceled since it was never going to happen in the first place...right? This could be the ultimate gift gab. Think about it.

You can visit Sarah Strohmeyer here and buy this book here or here.