4 No Need for Glass Slippers Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
As someone who reads a lot of Romance, it can sometimes feel like a whole segment of the population is left out. We have YA books, New Age books, and our standard Contemporary Romance books chocked full of women worried about turning 30. There has been an inching towards characters who may be 32 or so... but mainly there has been this idea that those who are in the the throes of romance need to be under 35.

Well, it seems some authors and publishers are seeing a need and filling it. Entangled has decided to test the waters for those of us who are older than 35 and has created the imprint August for books having romances with characters who are more 30. It is smart marketing because there is an audience for these books. The trick is to find authors who can bring out the romance with people who have lived more of their lives.

With Knocked-Up Cinderella by Julie Hammerle, I think they started off on the right foot. It had characters who were able to communicate clearly and had a handle of who exactly who they are.

I happened to appreciate how Erin would not let herself be classified by someone else's BS as she stood on the stage as the new principal participating in a Halloween auction for the school. As the M.C. continued spewing how Erin liked twinkling stars, walks on the beach, and was continued addressed by Not properly, Erin took the mike out of the woman's hands and set the record straight.

It Was A Perfect Moment.

It matched how we had met her... where she was feeling like any place would have been better than getting roped into being part of this fundraiser for her new school. Trouble was, she was the principal and was expected to do these things. As she deals with uncomfortable pantyhose and aching feet in a quiet corner of the gardens, naturally the most handsome man would strike up a conversation.

Great.

In a Tux, wearing it well and he turns out he is one of the Elite who is there to donate money for the private school....Oh, and to make matters worse, he had been at the same reunion her ex had dragged her to when they were together. He remembered the little stunt she had pulled and thought it was fantastic. He had always thought her ex was an idiot, she was great and told her. They have a bit of a moment, connect a bit and then Erin is called to get in place for the event.

Ian was an old hand at these auctions. He would be the wingman for his friend who always would bid for his mother. Ian never did any bidding, wasn't his thing. He also had no desire for this particular auction either. He had made the mistake "dipping his wick" with a few of these women who will be up on the stage. It didn't matter he had told them and they agreed on the "rules", no relationships-just fun and basically done. Had he enjoyed women and many, sure but he always was forthcoming with what he could give.

So here is Erin on the stage, annoyed but trying to make the best out of it on Her Terms. Ian sat and watched Erin in all her glory, being a woman who she was...just out there. Then he saw who was bidding on her... all losers, some worse than others. Ian felt she deserved better...and before he knew what he was doing, he put up an outlandish bid and won her.

Erin did not know what to make of all of this...she is pulled aside by her friend and a fellow teacher telling her not to sleep with Ian no matter what. He is sexy but bad news. Erin listens, takes in all of the advice and shares she gets it, no worries.

Well, by the title of this book, you know they slept together and there was a surprise event happening. What is different is the backstory Erin had about wanting to be a mother and how she and her ex were not able to make it happen. The other piece of this tale is how Ian thinks he could never be a decent husband or father...but somehow all of this is proven not to be the case.

This is not your usual story with no communication and all sorts of hiccups... these people believe in talking to each other. There is low angst happening but it all gets resolved. It was a good twist on a tried and true story of surprise baby. I happened to enjoy it and look for more from the author and Entangled's new imprint August.


A gifted copy was provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley for an honest review

It’s been a while since I have indulged in chick lit. I forgot how sugary and cute they can be. And predictable. Boy and girl meet, things go well, throw in some drama, kiss and make up, and TADA! HEA. Simple, predicable formula. It’s kind of like watching the Hallmark channel, just funnier. Don’t get me wrong because there is nothing wrong with any of this…so long as you have all the right ingredients. Which, I am happy to say, Knocked-Up Cinderella has.

Quick run-down of the story: Erin is a school principal of a prestigious school is at a fundraiser where she is to be auctioned off as a date. She’s not a very conventional educator as she is a bit of a wild child and has a potty mouth. Before the auction, she meets Ian, richer venture capitalist who is single, has dating rules and plans on being single forever. On a whim, he buys her at the auction, they get along REALLY GREAT, bump ugly and whoopsie! have a condom malfunction. This is their story from her getting caught scratching her butt to a final HEA.

I really did like the book. It was somewhat hard not to. Erin is fairly sassy and her inner musings were entertaining. Ian has a few issues, but still likable. He’s is sold to us as somewhat of a manwhore, however, while he did have a few dating rules, I didn’t find him to be all that smutty. Their interactions both in and out of the bedroom are entertaining and I did find myself chuckling quite a bit.

I think the real selling point to the story is neither of them are spring chicks. Nope, both are in their 40s…and about to be parents. Which, is a nice change from the standard romance of twenty-somethings getting knocked-up. Erin’s friends are great and but I wasn’t quite the fan of Ian’s. As nice as they were, I found them to border on the man-child side that I’m not a big fan of. Still, their friendships, inputs and added dramas helped the story flow along.

Knocked- Up Cinderella is the first book of Julie Hammerle that I have read. It was entertaining and a nice change of pace from my regular choice of romance. It certainly reads quick and had quite a few selling points to it that I found refreshing. Definitely something rom-com readers will enjoy.


I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine

reviewed by Jac

A new twist on Cinderella! Erin doesn’t lose her shoe at midnight but she does lose her new plan for her life...and gains a baby!
Julie Hammerle’s Knocked Up Cinderella is a fresh new take on the one night stand that doesn’t go quiet as planned. Two 40 year old professionals find themselves pregnant and unwilling to trust each other or themselves when it comes to love. Hammerle’s writing style is fast-paced and snappy but she isn’t afraid to confront the realities of dating and love past your mid-30s in a realistic way; fear of not being enough, fear of changing your way of life, fear of commitment, and having to navigate the advice of your people. It was so refreshing to read about a couple in their 40s who still saw themselves and each other as young and attractive, as opposed to being the “old married couple” or the “cautionary tale of the playboy or spinster.” I’m very excited to read more by Hammerle and the new August imprint from Entangled!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading other books by this great author.

Knocked-up Cinderella was out-of-the-park awesomeness! I loved the fact that this super fun read was based on a couple who was in my age range and incorporated a fresh twist on the stork theme...hit the spot all the way around!

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

3.5/4 Stars

Get ready to laugh your butt off with Knocked-Up Cinderella, a chic-lit-ish contemporary romance.

Erin is 40, recently single and killing it as the new principal at a private elementary school. She loves what she does, but now it also includes schmoozing and fund-raising and that’s how she finds herself dressed as Cinderella and ready to be auctioned off for a date.

Ian is a workaholic. He only has time for work, work and his two best friends who also happen to be his business partners. Against his better judgement, he finds himself being charmed by Erin’s quirkiness, uniqueness and sense of humor. But after one hot as eff (and mostly fade to black) hook up later… well, things are going to get messy.

Erin was great. She dressed as an 80’s pop diva forever stuck in a music video and totally owned it. She was smart and funny, caring and sweet and I just loved her. Ian was charming and sexy, and when he wasn’t actively thinking about his issues he was the best. If it wasn’t because he manages to knock-up Erin from the get-go, I’d wonder if he really had balls. Man, could that guy second-guess himself! Fortunately, he eventually does manage to find his testicles while removing his head from his posterior, which made me deliriously happy.

I really enjoyed this story, it was funny and fresh and even though I wanted to slap some sense into Ian more than once I loved him and Erin as a couple. I smiled and laughed, and although there’s no sexplicity, their chemistry was amazing and they have some really steamy and downright hot scenes.

Knocked-Up Cinderella was a super fun read and I wouldn’t mind getting acquainted with more of this new to me author’s work at all.

I abso-freaking-lutely loved this one!

I've read almost all (read: I missed one--how did that happen?) of Ms. Hammerle's YA books, so when I saw this title and her name with it, I got all grabby-handsy. Seriously. I didn't even read the blurb.

And I haven't regretted it a bit!

I loved that:

-the characters are 40 (even if Ian doesn't always act it)

-the romance is slow burn--verrrrry slow burn, because they're both pretty settled into their own lives (as you are, in your 40s)

-Ian and Erin start out as friends (okay, technically they start out as a one-night-stand, and then they're a one-night-stand with permanent consequences, and then they're friends. Still, friends-to-lovers FTW!)

-even though I was *sure* that these two would end up together somehow, Ms. Hammerle kept me hovering at the knife's edge of despair because OMG THESE TWO WERE NEVER GOING TO GET TOGETHER for, like, 90+% of the book

-their BFFs were awesome (yes, people in their 40s sometimes use "BFF" to refer to their BFFs)

-even though Erin and Ian were totally warm for each other's form and had wild and passionate episodes that included dramatic sweeping off of desks (after non-sweepable items were removed, as is only practical) this was still essentially a closed door romance

-the epilogue got me all teary

I didn't love:

(crickets)

Hmmm. I could come up with something, given enough time.

Maybe.

But why would I want to? ;)

Honestly, if this book is any indication (which I sincerely hope it is!) this line--Entangled's August imprint--is exactly what I've been looking for. I can't wait to read more from it, and (hopefully!) more non-YA reads from Ms. Hammerle too!

Rating: 4 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Rating 5/5

I adored this spin on a fairytale! First off, kudos to the author for creating characters of an older age - it adds even more reality to an already contemporary novel. Erin was such a strong heroine and truly reflects all the power a lady can have and how she owns it throughout the entire story. In fact, Ian had no chance to overpower Erin! Their rom-com romance had all the feels of a movie and more - I was completely satisfied with their HEA and enjoyed this immensely!

i've read hammerle's young adult books, so i was surprised to see that one of her novels was part of entangled's august line launch. but she transitions seamlessly to adult romance. knocked-up cinderella is basically what you get when knocked up (the movie) is mixed with a nancy meyers movie.

forty-year-olds aren't any better at handling unplanned pregnancy than millenials are. i don't know if that's a good or bad thing. anyway, here ian donovan has a reputation. he's upfront that he's not in it for the long haul. women can expect to have him for one night and then nada. but for some reason, erin sharpe seems to be the exception to that rule. and he's not too sure he knows how to handle it. and he is crap at admitting it.

and so when erin winds up pregnant after a one-night stand, she expects nothing from him. and she'd be okay if he offered nothing. the problem is that ian keeps randomly showing up. he keeps coming back to her in ways that she doesn't quite understand. it would be one thing if ian were true to what he advertised himself as, but he keeps showing these hints of more and it makes her crazy.

there's a lot of back-and-forth in this book, highs-and-lows, but in the end, it's a really sweet story of two people finding their way together. i was already pretty much a one-clicker on hammerle's work, this just confirms that it doesn't matter the genre.

**knocked up cinderella will publish on november 12, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (august) in exchange for my honest review.

Erin had an itch under her Cinderella costume and her pantyhose were driving her crazy. She was hiding behind a massive topiary in the hallway outside of the ballroom of the ballroom of the Evanston Hilton Hotel. She had escaped a bunch of drunk second grade parents and their questions. Erin was a private elementary school principal. She had to prove to the parents. The alumni, and assorted boosters she was a team player. Erin was involved in a bachelorette auction to benefit the Glenfield Academy Athletes Association. The auction was the first of many planned fundraisers this school year. Then Erin heard a cough. Erin had thought she was out of anyone’s view, she had scratched her butt and adjusted her pantyhose. Then a hot man said he wasn’t leering he was hiding too. Then Erin stepped out and introduced herself. Erin dropped the F bomb when not at work but if you spent most of your day biting your tongue around surly parents, snippy teachers, and unruly children you would too. It had been big news when Erin left her job with Chicago City Schools to be the principal of Glenfield Academy. The man that said “ your Dirts girlfriend “and Erin thought of the night her ex Dirk that she had been with ten years until he dumped her- had dragged her too his twentieth H S reunion. The man introduced himself as Ian Donovan. Then Ian bid and won the date with Erin. The “date “ men took the bachelorettes they won was a dinner at The Girl And The Goat. Scott was Ian’s friend and business partner as was Tommy. Scott and Ian had developed similar philosophies about their love lives: no sleeping over, no second dates, no strings. These rules had been made out of necessity not frivolity. They owned their own business which took them all over the globe. Tommy was the one who differed he had married and had a baby daughter. Scott and Ian were too busy with work for relationships. Currently only three things mattered to them: friends, family, and Fumetsy Enterprises - the Japanese Tech Company they were currently courting. They were going to be huge…. Once they perfected their technology. Erin wasn’t the one night stand type of person, she went from one long relationship to another long relationship. Ian and Erin went to the dinner and decided to go ahead and have sex with Ian once which the alcohol they had both consumed also helped with the strong attraction they both felt for each other. It was very different for Erin to do this but she kept going for the same type of man and stayed in long relationships maybe being single for awhile would be good for her. Then Erin found out she was pregnant, she would let Ian know but she will let him as it was the right thing to do but also let him know she expected nothing from him and she could do this on her own.
I loved this book. It was a good, easy, romantic read. I loved Erin and Ian together and how they were only supposed to have that one night which evolved into a pregnancy. I loved watching Ian as he grew and changed in this book. I loved the relationships Ian had with Scott and Tommy and they had each others back. I loved how after Ian met Erin his old life just wasn’t satisfactory to him anymore and Ian couldn’t get Erin off his mind as time went on.. I happily found nothing to criticize in this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it

Erin’s gone from one crappy relationship to another. In her forties and ready to take her life back, she decides that a one-night stand is exactly what she needs to take her life back. She’s ready to focus on herself and have fun. However, what she wasn’t expecting was for that one night to lead to her being pregnant. Especially to a man that is neither her boyfriend or husband, and who has to desire to ever tie himself down to anyone, even a kid.

Erin has always wanted to have kids but it never seemed to be in the cards for her. Obviously, her ideal situation isn’t to be knocked-up by a one-night stand who’s got a phobia of attachments. However, she embraces it, puts on her big girl panties and faces reality head on. I really liked that Erin stepped forward and told Ian about the baby and the fact that she neither expected or wanted anything from him. She just knew that letting him know about it was the right thing to do. She knew he didn’t do relationships and that a kid would freak him out more than a clingy girl ever could. So, she gave him an out and went about her life as a soon-to-be single mother.

Ian was a character that you couldn’t really hate, but you didn’t necessarily love him either. I mean, he’s upfront about not wanting a girl friend or even a repeat with any of his partners. He’s got some abandonment issues and never wants to make a woman feel the way he felt as a boy when his mom left him and his dad. So, he lets all the women know that it’s a one-night thing and moves on. So, when this spitfire of a woman not only charms him into bed, but ends up pregnant with his baby, he kind of panics. This was not the life he wants. He doesn’t want anything tethering him down. His job makes him travel a lot. It takes a lot of time and dedication, and the last thing he wants is a kid, his kid, to feel like he isn’t wanted. He tries to be there for Erin and the baby in a platonic way, but every now and then his fears surface and he bails. You wanted to root for him because he was clearly struggling, but sometimes it was kind of hard to due to his quick freak-outs that would leave Erin left hanging.

One aspect to this story that I really enjoyed was that the main characters in this story were in their forties. They had careers and were already secure in who they were. There wasn’t any unnecessary drama. In fact, the characters tried handling all of their issues in a very mature manner.

Knocked-Up Cinderella is a really cute story about a woman who ends up after a night of fun. However, what this story has that most others miss is a cast of mature, older characters. This isn’t a story filled with crazy drama at every turn. It’s a down to earth story about a forty year old woman who finds herself in a position she never imagined and embraces it. I’m glad I picked this book up.

I saw this book on my news feed and the cover caught my eye. I went on NetGalley and the book sounded like something I would read and I took a chance. I have to say as soon as I opened up the book, I was laughing out loud on the first page. I LOVED Erin. She is no nonsense, funny, tells it like it is and has a good heart. Ian is your typical charming, rich playboy with tons of baggage. After Ian bids on Erin at a school auction, they agree to have a one night, no strings attached, adult night. Erin ends up pregnant a few weeks later. Surprise!

I know this is a friends to lover book but it took SO long for them to get on the same page. Ian has so many issues and I felt the book was going on and on about his issues when it should have been about the two of them getting to know each other better. I didn’t feel the passion between the couple. It really felt like two friends having a baby the whole time. I loved the premise but the execution was lacking. This is my first time reading this author and even though the book felt short in some areas, it was still an enjoyable read. Please don’t let my review stop you from reading.

This book was exactly what I thought it would be: fast, fun, and fluffy. A little on the surface, especially in terms of seeing where this was more a romance than a really good friendship, but an incredibly enjoyable read.
As readers, we get to see the back-and-forth first person views of Dr. Erin Sharpe, elementary school principal, and Ian Donovan, globe-trotting venture capitalist. They are both 40 and neither is looking for a relationship. They are good at using condoms (loved the discussion about X-gens and condoms. I've had it with my friends) but something goes wrong and Erin ends up pregnant. They had The Talk before sex and, while both are sure they want to stay out of a relationship, they have ties that may be stronger than their wills.

Four stars
This book came out November 12
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley; opinion is my own

Great read that was funny, snarky, and completely entertaining. I loved these characters. Erin, the f-bomb dropping elementary school principal. Ian, the stoic commitment phobe venture capitalist. Together they make one entertaining couple and bonus they are in their 40's. A more mature look at what is usually a younger situation. The one time Erin decides to cut loose and act on the insane chemistry between herself and Ian she finds herself "knocked up" and dealing with Ian who is surprisingly all in! She's fine doing it all on her own but oh what fun it is having Ian by her side.

I definitely recommend this one.

Erin is a forty something woman, single and a school principle. She meets Ian at a fun auction by which time they decide to have a one-night stand (because sometimes a gal just wants to step out of her control pantyhose and grab life by the baubles). This is where the story moves forward as she gets pregnant and decides to do things on her own. she doesn't need a man to rely on where as Ian is a globe-trotting, bad boy venture capitalist millionaire who coughs up 40k dollars for a dinner date with an elementary school principal just to rescue her from a date with a pretentious creep. Sounds very filmy.

This is classic chic lit with a more realistic approach as well as more mature leads. Of course they have their flaws but thats what brings them together. Its fun, romantic story that will please your corny side. This is the first time I have read a Julie Hammerie book and it was pleasant surprise.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

I like Julie Hammerle's writing style and found myself chuckling a number of while reading this book.

Erin and Ian and their well-ordered lives are thrown for a loop when Erin unexpectedly gets pregnant. She recently gotten out of a long relationship and he is all about his job. What do they do when everything is about to change?

The way the plot unfolds did feel fairly realistic with Erin and Ian's feelings and views on life and relationships. However, I do wish we had gotten to see them spending a little more time together. I think it would have helped me connect with and root for them as a couple more.

Overall a fun, quick read and I am looking forward to reading whatever the author writes next!

That was just adorable! I usually do not like to read about "ooopsie" babies and romance, but this book really worked! The two main characters were funny, witty, and worked together despite being such opposites. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I haven't read Julie Hammerle, she is a new tome author. I'm not even sure what to say, I loved the idea of this book, like I really liked the characters were older then the average character in other books we read, Erin and Ian are in there 40's knocked and confused.

I am a massive romance junkie, I love al my books with heavy plot of romance, and yet this had romance In it but It felt weird, there relationship they created was a friendship, I don't know in the beginning I felt there chemistry and then it fizzled out over the course of the book. I was just really hoping I would love this as much as I love the cover.

I think too if you are friends to lovers, at 70-80% you should be at another stage in your relationship, I don't want at 90% TWO chapters of you being together and happy, this is not for me. I cant get on board with this.

So yes this is a cute fluffy contemp, yes its got humour, yes its sexy at times but its not what I expected.

I sat down and read it from start to finish in one sitting, I liked the authors writing and would look at her other books in the future.

Very cute read with two very stubborn characters. I liked Erin and Ian's personalities. Pace was steady and keep me interested. Story ended well.

This was exactly what I needed right now. A lovely, sweet, romantic story. I liked Ian and Erin a lot. I loved that they were both in their 40's (although, I have to admit, they acted very immature for their age sometimes and that annoyed me). Them falling in love was very nicely done and believable as it didn't happen overnight but it took time for their affections to grow. I really appreciated that. The only reason this didn't get 5 stars from me is the fact that I think Ian got off easy in my opinion. He was acting like such a jerk and he should have groveled more before he was forgiven. A lot more!
But overall Knocked-Up Cinderella was a nice read. It had humor, romance and good plotline. And it was just the right combination of them. Recommended.