Sarah Strohmeyer, The Sleeping Beauty Proposal

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal

Sarah Strohmeyer

Dutton, Jun 2007, $24.95

ISBN: 0525950184

Thirty-six, Genie Michaels is stunned when her boyfriend proposes on national TV. The proposal would be enough of a shocker as Hugh has permanent commitment issues, but the real disappointment is that she is not the woman he asked to marry. Her best friend Patty tells Genie she is a moron on a level of that "idiot Sleeping Beauty" waiting for Prince Charming to rescue her as if you trust a man.

Genie agrees with Patty's harsh assessment and decides to no longer sleep through life. Genie fails to correct the assumption made by everyone who knows her and Hugh are an entry; that she is not his fianc e; let him correct that misconception. She even goes the diamond route. Her parents are ecstatic and book a hall; her friends are ecstatic and send her gifts. However although she feels guilty about her fabrication by omission, Genie is caught in her web of deceit when Prince Charming arrives, but this is one Sleeping Beauty who is wide awake and ready to do the rescuing.

This is a fabulously humorous, satirical character study of a woman who believed she is incomplete without a man until she is indirectly dumped and forced to reassess her relationship theory. Genie is a delightful protagonist as her reactions to Hugh proposing to someone else is priceless. In some ways peppermint Patty steals the show with her Sleeping Beauty analogy. As she did to Cinderella (see CINDERELLA PACT) Sarah Strohmeyer provides a modern day, jocular, fractured fairy tale spin that wards off the curse of bubbly (even sleeping ones are bubble-headed) females waiting for that dumb hunk to finally arrive only not cognizant of his role.

Harriet Klausner