I've always been curious about Jennifer Crusie's long-out-of-print early novel The Cinderella Deal, and it's finally being reprinted (with, sadly, a luridly pink-orange cover). Crusie has said this was her first romance novel that wasn't "cold", so I'm looking forward to seeing what she means—even if she claims there are moments in the book that are "downright weepers", something I usually avoid like the plague. Here's the author's description:

Daisy Flattery is an incorrigible free spirit with a soft spot for strays and a weakness for a good story and a bit of adventure. Why else would she agree to the outrageous deal offered by her button-down, workaholic neighbor Linc Blaise? The history professor is desperately in need of a fiancée to capture a dream job at a local college—and Daisy is up for the challenge. But something funny happens on their way to the altar that breaks all the rules and changes the game. Falling in love was never part of the bargain. Their little charade has taken in everyone—including themselves. Now with the proverbial midnight hour approaching will the fairytale finally be over or will opposites not just attract but live happily ever after?

Sounds cute, right? So where do the weepy bits come in, I wonder? Does the dog die? Because I don't care how much I like Crusie's stuff: I am not signing off on the romance novel equivalent of Old Yeller.

Labels: Jennifer Crusie, Re-releases, Romance