Cinderella and the Geek by Christina Phillips

Synopsis (via Goodreads): I'm not looking for love or a Happily-Ever-After because I know how that ends. I just need to concentrate on my degree and look after myself. But there's something about my boss, Harry, I can't resist. It's crazy since he's so hot and smart it should be illegal.

And then, just like Cinderella, I have my night at
the ball and a midnight kiss, and for a week all my sexy daydreams come true. That fake date changes my life in a way I could never imagine. It turns out, Harry wants me too.

But I’m off to pursue my dreams, and he’s taking his business to the next level. There’s no way this fairytale has a happy ending, but that doesn’t keep me from wishing for it. 

I hold open the door for Alice. As she walks outside, her perfume dives straight to my dick. Don’t even think about rising to the occasion. Too late.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, but I am quoting from what I received.

This one started off so well, until my eye started twitching (which it is still doing). In all fairness, I don't think the eye-twitching is in any way related to Cinderella and the Geek, but the book was responsible for a ridiculous amount of eye-rolling. Alice was so insecure, and I absolutely hated how many times she called herself "ordinary," because she didn't look like a model or have perfect hair every day. There is nothing wrong with wearing your hair in a ponytail if it's what you want to do. 

"He’s the most gorgeous guy ever, and me, well, I’m so ordinary it’s not funny."

Like I said, it started off well. I enjoyed the information about Blitz and The Plains of Exitium. I love RPGs and wish they had gone into a little more detail. Obviously that wasn't the focus of the book, but it would have been a bonus. Watching Alice and Harry come together (after working closely for nearly a year) was fun at first, but their insecurities and cluelessness really started to grate on my nerves. It felt like they were purposefully misreading things just to be difficult. I really wish they had just spoken their thoughts out loud, and maybe confronted some of their ever-present concerns, but no. Things have to completely fall apart before anything can be done about it.

I did like certain aspects of the book. For example, the first time they're intimate with each other is from Harry's perspective. Normally these things are told from a female's view, and it was nice to see how a guy would react in that situation. Those scenes were brief and scarcely detailed compared to other books I've read, but they were sweet and endearing. 

Alice and Harry were choking on unspoken thoughts and feelings, and I was continuously trying to give them a mental Heimlich maneuver. I finished the entire book, but I lost hope about halfway through. The story was interesting enough to make me want to see how everything played out, but even that was anticlimactic.

(I will be posting My Weekly Pull later this week! My son turned four, so we've been doing family stuff the last few days. I'm really behind on everything, but I don't mind! I love spending time with my kiddos. Also, FOUR. MY BABY! 😭)