Scan barcode
casimoore's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, nice change of pace. It seriously took me til the end to realize their names were princesses. Cindy .. Ariel.. Belle. LOL
meeghanreads's review against another edition
5.0
Can I just start by saying how much I have been loving contemporary / general fiction / romance stories lately?! I think I might be secretly having a summer read-a-thon in the middle of our winter because I am struggling so much with fantasy at the moment.
Regardless, this series (which I was introduced to by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm) has been an absolute blessing to read in the midst of my current slump. It’s fun and light-hearted, while also dealing with some pretty horrible things, the characters are relatable, and the entire series is empowering, which you can not say enough in regards to a romance story.
The series revolves around three characters: Cynthia/Cindy, Belle and Ariel, each with their own story to tell. Cindy’s story is up first with At the Stroke of Midnight…
As per the blurb, Cindy is perfect as she is. Probably too perfect. So perfect that her husband has left her and she’s trying to maintain this ‘perfect’ facade because she literally doesn’t know what else to do. Oh, and her parents-in-law are chasing her for money her shitty ex stole from them, the bills are overdue and she’s got $50 to feed her daughter for a month. Until a solution appears as if by magic. All she has to do is convince the owner of Charming’s strip-club that she has what it takes. The only thing is, he thinks she’s too uptight to follow through. Maybe some one on one coaching is in order…
This series has everything I love: enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, a good amount of smut (as in there’s more plot than passion), and women who don’t need to be saved.
In terms of characters, Cindy was probably my least favourite character of the trio, but only because she starts off my being so straight-laced about everything. Skirt suits and proper adulting and far too much caring what other people think. Once she started to let her hair down, then she was definitely far more likeable.
There’s obviously lots of Easter Eggs in each of these, relating to the Disney cartoon version of their princesses, which was a tiny but cringey, yet unbelievably awesome.
But ultimately, the one thing that I cannot stress enough is that even though these are a smutty read, the control was always with each of the women; but even more than that, this was about them empowering themselves. And I really liked that aspect.
Regardless, this series (which I was introduced to by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm) has been an absolute blessing to read in the midst of my current slump. It’s fun and light-hearted, while also dealing with some pretty horrible things, the characters are relatable, and the entire series is empowering, which you can not say enough in regards to a romance story.
The series revolves around three characters: Cynthia/Cindy, Belle and Ariel, each with their own story to tell. Cindy’s story is up first with At the Stroke of Midnight…
As per the blurb, Cindy is perfect as she is. Probably too perfect. So perfect that her husband has left her and she’s trying to maintain this ‘perfect’ facade because she literally doesn’t know what else to do. Oh, and her parents-in-law are chasing her for money her shitty ex stole from them, the bills are overdue and she’s got $50 to feed her daughter for a month. Until a solution appears as if by magic. All she has to do is convince the owner of Charming’s strip-club that she has what it takes. The only thing is, he thinks she’s too uptight to follow through. Maybe some one on one coaching is in order…
This series has everything I love: enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, a good amount of smut (as in there’s more plot than passion), and women who don’t need to be saved.
In terms of characters, Cindy was probably my least favourite character of the trio, but only because she starts off my being so straight-laced about everything. Skirt suits and proper adulting and far too much caring what other people think. Once she started to let her hair down, then she was definitely far more likeable.
There’s obviously lots of Easter Eggs in each of these, relating to the Disney cartoon version of their princesses, which was a tiny but cringey, yet unbelievably awesome.
But ultimately, the one thing that I cannot stress enough is that even though these are a smutty read, the control was always with each of the women; but even more than that, this was about them empowering themselves. And I really liked that aspect.
anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
5.0
At The Stroke of Midnight (Naughty Princess Club #1) by Tara Sivec
Romantic Comedy. First in a series. Can stand alone.
There is a reason why Tara Sivec has been one of my favorite authors for 6 years. Her humor just hits me in exactly the right way, and the friendships she writes are second to none. Have you seen Bad Moms? (If not, go, go right now and watch it, then come back here). At The Stroke of Midnight by Tara Sivec is like Bad Moms mixed with Disney Princesses in book form, and believe me, I am NOT complaining. Each book in the series will be another take on a princess story. The first, obviously, is Cinderella.
Cindy has a stick up her ass. Her husband left her, but she is still busy keeping up appearances on her perfect upscale suburban cul-de-sac, Fairytale Lane. She is the PTA mom that makes gluten free/vegan cupcakes that taste like shit. She wears pearls and Chanel suits like her mother-in-law trained her, and never has a hair or a picture frame out of place. But she is broke. Her ex took all the money when he ran off with the babysitter, leaving her with a sullen teenaged girl.
At a block party, Cindy strikes up a very unlikely friendship with Ariel, the totally inappropriate slutty-ish one (she was THE BEST!), and Belle, the nerdy librarian that lives with her dad. They all need money, and they need it fast.
“We are not going to be strippers, have you lost your mind? I’m a housewife and the president of the PTA. You owned an antique store, and Isabelle is a librarian. We are not strippers.”
Once they realize their home-party princess stripping gimmick could make them loads of cash fast, they start to get serious, and they want to learn at the local strip club, owned by the gorgeous PJ Charming.
“I don’t want anything to hit PJ. I don’t even like him,” I lie, picturing his gorgeous face and how nicely he can wear a pair of jeans.
“You don’t have to like him to get yourself some good dicking. You need a good dicking, Cindy. Brian was mediocre at best. You need mind-blowing, toe-curling, forget-your-own-name dicking. And while you’re busy getting fucked into next week, you can also use him for his business knowledge, so it’s a win-win.”
PJ was a total jerk to Cin at first, you know, the equivalent to the 2nd grade boy pulling a girl’s braids if he likes her. But he soon turned into Prince Charming and I loved him! And I loved Cin's inner dialogue as she started loosening up.
I don’t know how to act, and for the love of God, where does one put her hands when she’s sitting on a guy’s lap in a postorgasmic haze? Do I clasp them behind my head, do I hold them up for a high five and an “’Atta boy!”? Are jazz hands appropriate? What about spirit fingers?
At The Stroke of Midnight was a great blend of chick-lit and romance. The friendship between the three woman was just as good as the romance.
“If you can tuck your tits into the waistband and it looks like you’re wearing a diaper, they’re mom jeans. Never wear those again,” Ariel informs me. “Do you not want to get naked because you have a hairy troll pussy? It’s fine, we can fix that with a quick trip to the salon and some hot wax.”
Likes:
- •Tara’s signature humor.
- •I smiled and laughed the whole way through.
- •Tara writes friendship better than anyone else.
- •I love the creativity of the three princesses!
- •It’s not all funny, there was real emotion.
- •Dealing with Cin’s teenage daughter was hysterical.
“Would it be appropriate to just buy ten cases of chocolate, open up her bedroom door, throw them at her, and then run away screaming?”
- •A little cameo from other books.
- •Awesome side characters.
- •It was empowering to women.
Dislikes:
- •Some parts it felt like she may have tried too hard to inject the Tara-style humor into the story, making it feel a teeny bit contrived, but this may be because I know her.
The Down & Dirty:
After living in Parkland since the tragedy here, there is nothing like like reading a Tara Sivec book to make me smile, laugh, and temporarily forget the horrors outside. The three women reminded me a lot of the three moms in Bad Moms, and I loved that movie, so this was a totally fun book to read. I love the creativity of the modern take on three princess stories, it’s so cute and creative! At the Stroke of Midnight by Tara Sivec was the perfect blend of humor, friendship, romance, emotion and sexiness and I can’t freaking wait to read In Bed with The Beast and Kiss the Girl. Once again Tara reinforced her spot at the top of my favorite authors list.
Rating: 5 Stars, 4 Heat
Purchase At the Stroke of Midnight by Tara Sivec
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
5.0
This books is Tara Sivec at her finest.
It's funny, sweet and hot!
Cant wait for the next one!!
It's funny, sweet and hot!
Cant wait for the next one!!
alicia1566's review against another edition
2.0
DNF 50%
I found this story really hard to get into, it was too slow at progressing. The plot seems interesting enough in th synopsis but it just takes too long to get on with the story... Life is too short to finish books that drag on and on and don't grab your interest, especially when you're half way through.
I found this story really hard to get into, it was too slow at progressing. The plot seems interesting enough in th synopsis but it just takes too long to get on with the story... Life is too short to finish books that drag on and on and don't grab your interest, especially when you're half way through.
figjiji's review against another edition
5.0
I have to say, at first I was very hesitant to read this book. Yes, this book had great reviews, but something was just holding me back. Well I am so glad I was proved wrong. This book was absolutely amazing! Lighthearted, funny, and a unique spin on your classic Cinderella. If you have any doubts - don't! This book is absolutely amazing and I can't wait for the next one to come out.
sauriemilia's review against another edition
5.0
5 Charming Stars!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t laughed out loud so much while reading a book in a long time. I’ve heard about Sivec’s wonderful sense of humor before but experiencing it for myself was such a treat.
The entire cast of characters was so endearing and made for an incredible ensamble. The story made me go from laughter to dreamy sighing to fanning myself from hotness from one page to the next.
Cynthia is a recent divorcee who was living the perfect “Stepford wife” life until everything came crashing down. She finds an unlikely ally in her no-filters rambunctious neighbor Ariel and in the shy and still living in her father’s basement Belle. Together they find an unorthodox way to taking charge of their lives.
At the Stroke of Midnight is a wonderful romance story with female empowerment as a focus. These princesses show us they can very well save themselves.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t laughed out loud so much while reading a book in a long time. I’ve heard about Sivec’s wonderful sense of humor before but experiencing it for myself was such a treat.
The entire cast of characters was so endearing and made for an incredible ensamble. The story made me go from laughter to dreamy sighing to fanning myself from hotness from one page to the next.
Cynthia is a recent divorcee who was living the perfect “Stepford wife” life until everything came crashing down. She finds an unlikely ally in her no-filters rambunctious neighbor Ariel and in the shy and still living in her father’s basement Belle. Together they find an unorthodox way to taking charge of their lives.
At the Stroke of Midnight is a wonderful romance story with female empowerment as a focus. These princesses show us they can very well save themselves.
hijinx_abound's review against another edition
5.0
I love Tara Sivec's characters. I was snort laughing so much that my husband finally looked over rand said "What are you reading?" Of course, he didn't really want to know because it would have takes too many words to explain.
I think that Ariel is my spirit animal although the Belle's random fact spewing is recognizable too. These three women all needed something new in their lives and finding one another sure pushed them out of their comfort zone.
Watching Cindy let loose and lose her shit was hysterical and heartwarming in a weird way. I loved that Cindy's daughter was shown as an important side character without making Cindy just a "mom". The dialogue was fantastic and there were a few place that made me laugh so hard that I cried.
I cannot wait to read the other books in the series. I think they will be just as funny and I suspect that Ariel is going to go ass over teakettle for her man.
I think that Ariel is my spirit animal although the Belle's random fact spewing is recognizable too. These three women all needed something new in their lives and finding one another sure pushed them out of their comfort zone.
Watching Cindy let loose and lose her shit was hysterical and heartwarming in a weird way. I loved that Cindy's daughter was shown as an important side character without making Cindy just a "mom". The dialogue was fantastic and there were a few place that made me laugh so hard that I cried.
I cannot wait to read the other books in the series. I think they will be just as funny and I suspect that Ariel is going to go ass over teakettle for her man.
jmilhiser's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Very cute and fun read about a housewife becoming empowered, getting back at her ex, and forging a new path for herself. Lots of fairytale references and dirty humor.
mrsautery's review against another edition
4.0
Not what I was expecting, but I found it very entertaining. It made me laugh a lot. I thought Ariel’s crude humor was hilarious. The plot was unrealistic and silly but I found it so funny that it made up for all the nonsense.