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Redneck Cinderella
Raised by her widowed father, Jolie Russell could keep up with any man?that is, until wealthy and sexy land developer Cody Dean struts into her life.
Cody buys the Russell farm with an impossible-to-refuse multimillion-dollar offer, then relocates Jolie and her dad to the Copper Creek Estates. But the country club atmosphere isn?t ready for Jolie?s kind of country. As her two worlds collide, Jolie wonders how she can ever hope to capture Cody?s heart without giving up her grits.
Cody buys the Russell farm with an impossible-to-refuse multimillion-dollar offer, then relocates Jolie and her dad to the Copper Creek Estates. But the country club atmosphere isn?t ready for Jolie?s kind of country. As her two worlds collide, Jolie wonders how she can ever hope to capture Cody?s heart without giving up her grits.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 11, 2009
12 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Luann McLane
43 books302 followersLuAnn McLane writes sexy contemporary romance with a touch of sass and humor. Published in 2003, her novels have appeared on bestselling lists including USA Today, Nielsen BookScan, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Her books have been featured selections for Rhapsody and Doubleday Book clubs. A love of country music led her to a collaboration with superstar Wynonna Judd with the novel Restless Heart. A member of RWA, she conducts workshops on a local and national level and connects with readers on social media. She divides her time between Kentucky, Florida and Arizona and when she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys cooking, beachcombing and spending time with friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 15, 2009
I loved this book! Wonderful rags-to-riches story about farm girl Jolie and her dad Wyatt who become rich overnight when they sell their farm to a development company. Jolie is shocked to see that the development company is now owned by her high school crush Cody. Cody is intrigued with Jolie and sets out to get to know her and along the way learns a little country in the country club is worth looking into further. Will this Prince Charming woo his Redneck Cinderella?
September 28, 2010
Predictable, formulaic romance novel. Upper class guy falls in love with Beverly Hillbillies type girl.
STORY BRIEF:
Jolie and her dad are farmers. A wealthy developer buys their farm for $3.5 million. The developer turns the farm into a gated community for the wealthy with one of the homes built for Jolie and her dad. Jolie and her dad are described similar to Jed Clampett and Ellie Mae of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Jolie is also similar to Daisy Duke due to her walking around in cutoffs and bikini tops. The neighbors look down their noses at Jolie and her dad and complain to the homeowners association about their behavior. The wealthy developer has two sons, Cody and Brett. Jolie has had a crush on Cody since high school but believes he would never want her because of her lower class status. Cody has an IVY League education and has taken over the running of his father’s business. Brett is a high school teacher and coach. Brett is a friend to Jolie and suggests she and her dad take etiquette lessons as a way for her to win Cody’s heart. They agree and Miss Abigail comes to their home to start the etiquette lessons.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I was hoping for an interesting story along the lines of “My Fair Lady,” with Jolie transforming into a butterfly. Or I was hoping for something along the lines of her attempts at improving herself causing funny situations. But there was no detail at all about her lessons or any change on her part. I was disappointed due to my own faulty expectations. What I got was a predictable, run-of-the-mill romance. See the first Spoiler. The setup had potential, but the story didn’t do anything for me. The dialogue style may appeal to some readers. Jolie has a redneck/hillbilly style of talking with phrases like “you betcha” and “we’ve been jabbering” which contrasts with the neighbors’ more polished manner of speaking.
DATA:
Story length: 286 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Cottonwood, Kentucky. Copyright: 2009. Genre: contemporary romance.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
As I mentioned above, I was hoping for a transformation or humor. What I got was the following formulaic plot. Rich boy sees lower class girl. He finds her refreshing and beautiful. He is kind to her and asks her out. Mean girls hurt nice girl’s feelings. Nice girl breaks up with guy because she thinks she is not good enough for him. When he tells her yes she is good enough, they are together again. Some readers might be fine with this. I’m not. I want something creative, different or thought provoking. I’m not happy with merely the formula.
I was also disappointed toward the end. The author skipped the break up part. They’re having their fourth or so date (depending on your definition of date). The next thing you know, it’s a week later, and Jolie has not returned any of Cody’s phone calls. She thinks he wants a society wife and she would never be happy being that, so she’s not going to see him anymore. Once he sees her again, he reassures her that she will fit into his life. The breakup was due to inaccurate assumptions on Jolie’s part, which bothered me. It’s the easy way for an author to create conflict, and it’s too overused in romance novels
Although not a major problem, I was wondering why Cody never interacted with Jolie before. They were in high school together and lived in the same town. Jolie has always been drawn to Cody. Why now, at age 24 is he suddenly taking an interest in her?
I would never have thought of the Cinderella theme if it weren’t in the title. A few parts of the story might fit, but most did not. Jolie was dirt poor, then became rich. She was happy and well loved when she was poor, not like Cinderella who was mistreated and unloved. The prince came along after Jolie was rich, not before. Jolie’s friend did her hair and makeup and helped her choose clothes to wear on her dates with Cody. I suppose that was similar to the fairy godmother, but there were multiple dates, not just one magnificent date. I don’t mind whether or not there is a Cinderella theme, I’m just reporting that it’s not as close as I expected, given the title.
STORY BRIEF:
Jolie and her dad are farmers. A wealthy developer buys their farm for $3.5 million. The developer turns the farm into a gated community for the wealthy with one of the homes built for Jolie and her dad. Jolie and her dad are described similar to Jed Clampett and Ellie Mae of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Jolie is also similar to Daisy Duke due to her walking around in cutoffs and bikini tops. The neighbors look down their noses at Jolie and her dad and complain to the homeowners association about their behavior. The wealthy developer has two sons, Cody and Brett. Jolie has had a crush on Cody since high school but believes he would never want her because of her lower class status. Cody has an IVY League education and has taken over the running of his father’s business. Brett is a high school teacher and coach. Brett is a friend to Jolie and suggests she and her dad take etiquette lessons as a way for her to win Cody’s heart. They agree and Miss Abigail comes to their home to start the etiquette lessons.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I was hoping for an interesting story along the lines of “My Fair Lady,” with Jolie transforming into a butterfly. Or I was hoping for something along the lines of her attempts at improving herself causing funny situations. But there was no detail at all about her lessons or any change on her part. I was disappointed due to my own faulty expectations. What I got was a predictable, run-of-the-mill romance. See the first Spoiler. The setup had potential, but the story didn’t do anything for me. The dialogue style may appeal to some readers. Jolie has a redneck/hillbilly style of talking with phrases like “you betcha” and “we’ve been jabbering” which contrasts with the neighbors’ more polished manner of speaking.
DATA:
Story length: 286 pages. Swearing language: moderate. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Cottonwood, Kentucky. Copyright: 2009. Genre: contemporary romance.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
As I mentioned above, I was hoping for a transformation or humor. What I got was the following formulaic plot. Rich boy sees lower class girl. He finds her refreshing and beautiful. He is kind to her and asks her out. Mean girls hurt nice girl’s feelings. Nice girl breaks up with guy because she thinks she is not good enough for him. When he tells her yes she is good enough, they are together again. Some readers might be fine with this. I’m not. I want something creative, different or thought provoking. I’m not happy with merely the formula.
I was also disappointed toward the end. The author skipped the break up part. They’re having their fourth or so date (depending on your definition of date). The next thing you know, it’s a week later, and Jolie has not returned any of Cody’s phone calls. She thinks he wants a society wife and she would never be happy being that, so she’s not going to see him anymore. Once he sees her again, he reassures her that she will fit into his life. The breakup was due to inaccurate assumptions on Jolie’s part, which bothered me. It’s the easy way for an author to create conflict, and it’s too overused in romance novels
Although not a major problem, I was wondering why Cody never interacted with Jolie before. They were in high school together and lived in the same town. Jolie has always been drawn to Cody. Why now, at age 24 is he suddenly taking an interest in her?
I would never have thought of the Cinderella theme if it weren’t in the title. A few parts of the story might fit, but most did not. Jolie was dirt poor, then became rich. She was happy and well loved when she was poor, not like Cinderella who was mistreated and unloved. The prince came along after Jolie was rich, not before. Jolie’s friend did her hair and makeup and helped her choose clothes to wear on her dates with Cody. I suppose that was similar to the fairy godmother, but there were multiple dates, not just one magnificent date. I don’t mind whether or not there is a Cinderella theme, I’m just reporting that it’s not as close as I expected, given the title.
January 31, 2012
I really regret reading this book. The plot was totally cheesy and predictable.. and my god Skinny dipping on their first date? EASY MUCH!
did-not-finish
February 19, 2020DNF. I felt the heroine had better chemistry with the hero’s brother than with him.
August 9, 2009
This was my first book by McLane and I loved it! I breezed through it in an afternoon with no problems. She does write in the first person which is a bit odd for me but I got used to it.
Wonderful story centered around the Cinderella theme, rags to riches. Funny as well with just a touch of steaminess. Great supporting characters really help add to the story. Eagerly looking forward to her next book and reading some older ones as well!
Wonderful story centered around the Cinderella theme, rags to riches. Funny as well with just a touch of steaminess. Great supporting characters really help add to the story. Eagerly looking forward to her next book and reading some older ones as well!
November 28, 2017
Gosh, there are many so ways to make this book better and the author/editor chose none of them.
June 22, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. Being a southern girl from Kentucky like the girl in the book just made me enjoy it more. I loved how it was about a poor girl turned rich and a rich boy falling in love. It just shows you that love doesn't see money. I laughed a lot through this book because the girl kinda reminded me of myself! Even though I don't want for anything, I am still a mud loving redneck girl at heart, just like her. Loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
LuAnn McLane’s Redneck Cinderella is absolutely, utterly hysterical. Jolie’s Southern-fried tomboy characterization is dead-on perfect, and her unflappable father is a riot. Together, the two of them make unlikely, yet amazing, romance novel heroes! I think my favorite part about the book is that Jolie learns how to fit in when she wants to, but doesn’t become something false in order to do it. In fact, she finally finds herself. Definitely recommended.
December 26, 2019
Oh what a cute story. Loved it.☆☆☆♡♡♡☆☆☆☆☆☆♡♡♡☆☆☆
Read
January 27, 2020I enjoy a great romance story and love when the characters are funny and fun loving!
June 1, 2022
This is a cute and fun spin on love and finding the one. And not changing who you are. It’s a quick and light hearted read that you can finish easily.
February 20, 2017
This book is absolutely ridiculous. That being said; it was absolutely everything I hoped for based on the title and synopsis. I was able to read the dialogue of Jolie, our redneck, as a redneck. I laughed to myself a number of times and truly enjoyed the time I spent reading.
Not a literary masterpiece, but definitely the equivalent to just putting on a cheesy Hallmark movie
Not a literary masterpiece, but definitely the equivalent to just putting on a cheesy Hallmark movie
October 18, 2009
My Thoughts: Another great wonderful take my breath away book. I just love these romance books and I keep finding ones that satisfy my hunger for romance. This book did just that. Cody is the guy everyone wants, his the popular, never would give me the time of day type of guy. And yet the main girl Jolie who reminds me of myself in a lot of ways goes after him even though she believes its worthless and pointless! She's a honky tonk girl who isn't into designer clothes and fancy cars while he has those things and is the town's number one bachelor. She is clumsy and shy but has enough courage to push him into the swimming pool. This book gives you that heartfelt feeling plus makes you want to burst out laughing! I have read a few other LuAnn McLane books and she is just wonderful! They are light but a lot of fun to read. This one kept me up late and night wanting to know what happens. Does Jolie end up with Cody or his super cute brother who she spends time with discussing and analyzing Cody! I definately recommend this book, its one to read in bed with a cup of hot chocolate or down at the beach getting a tan! A Must Read if you enjoy romance books! (Reviewed by Princess Bookie)
May 31, 2011
This is the second book by Luann Mclane and I am quickly becomming a fan. This is hilarous light hearted romance about embracing who you are. Jolie Russell is a dirt poor farmer's daughter who ends up as a millionaire in a ritzy subdivision. Jolie and her father are fish out of water in a funny Beverly Hillbillies kind of way. Cody Dean is the developer who bought and developed the Russell's land and is attracted to her no nonsense ways. Jolie tries to fit in with society and has some hysterical mishaps. Cody seems into her but Jolie doesn't believe they can be together from such different backgrounds. This is such a fun read that I can't say enough about it. If you love romances you need to read this book, It is excellent.
October 28, 2011
3.5 stars
I liked this book but for some reason, the writing in first person bothered me. The story was good and the hero/heroine seemed to fit well. The secondary characters were good and the secondary storylines were interesting. Even the comedic parts were funny. I normally enjoy books written in first person. I can't really put my finger on what the problem was, either. I think it was that Jolie was supposed to be a 'backwoods girl' but she used a language at times that made me think that she really wasn't. (And I'm not talking about foul language either.) I do recommend this book to others, but for me it fell a bit short.
I liked this book but for some reason, the writing in first person bothered me. The story was good and the hero/heroine seemed to fit well. The secondary characters were good and the secondary storylines were interesting. Even the comedic parts were funny. I normally enjoy books written in first person. I can't really put my finger on what the problem was, either. I think it was that Jolie was supposed to be a 'backwoods girl' but she used a language at times that made me think that she really wasn't. (And I'm not talking about foul language either.) I do recommend this book to others, but for me it fell a bit short.
February 12, 2015
I loved this book! Although, yes, a little on the predictable side I thought it was a cute story. It's you typical Cinderella story but what I liked was it wasn't only about "getting the prince". Jolie, the main character, bettered herself and realized in the end she didn't need to change herself for the prince. Unlike Cinderella who changed herself, Jolie went right on doing what she loves, and still got the prince anyway. So, I liked the small twist to the beloved fairy tale most girls grew up fantasying about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2010
LuAnn McLane writes about girls in cowboy boots. Right up my ally! This was a fun, fast read about Jolie who was farm raised by her widowed father. She falls for Cody Dean who is a rich developer. LuAnn does a great job of telling a story about the rich and poor, love and loss and how most girls just want to fit in. There were plenty of laughs. My only complaint was it was just a little slow. But, slow was just what I was looking for in a book this week.
October 6, 2015
This was not a very good romance novel. I had a problem with the heroine's constant assertion that she is a redneck. She was a country girl who grew up on a farm, but that does not make her a redneck. It bothered me the entire time I was reading the book. The characters were relatively two-dimensional. I grew tired of the main character but enjoyed her maid/personal assistant, Carletta, much more.
September 2, 2010
What a change of pace but it was well worth it. I loved this book. It had all the right moves for me.. a strong but slightly insicure woman.. a smoking hot man who needs to let go some.. and a lot of funny goings on that just make me smile. This book warmed my heart and reminds me that even though its fiction.. the underdog can still get its bone. I will totally read more from this author.
September 19, 2020
2018
A cute little romance. I'll admit I was kind of hoping that the author would end up having Jolie and Brett conspire to help each other with their love lives and then have them fall in love. I wasn't totally sold on Cody as Jolie's Prince Charming, but I'm all about happily ever afters
A cute little romance. I'll admit I was kind of hoping that the author would end up having Jolie and Brett conspire to help each other with their love lives and then have them fall in love. I wasn't totally sold on Cody as Jolie's Prince Charming, but I'm all about happily ever afters
July 3, 2009
Redneck Cinderella had an amazing story line. But in all honesty the dialogue was flat at times and predictable. The descriptions of the characters however were what kept me interested most. They allowed me to visualize and relate to the characters more so than other books that i favorite.
June 1, 2010
This was a fluff book, cute Cinderella story. Easy read instead of watching a chick flick. Well written with the process of understanding the guy and eventually accepting his proposal. I enjoy the feel good story.
August 3, 2011
This isn't the deepest of reads and it's far from perfect, but I still enjoyed it. The dialogue is VERY cheesy and the author has the lead character high fiving' and fist bumping way too frickin much, but it's an easy read and perfect book for a beach read. Predictable, but enjoyable.
May 7, 2012
This book is definitely a summer read. It was quick and easy, but the story was good. The writer's voice is quirky and fun. I caught myself laughing countless times. Definitely would recommend if you were going out to the beach or on a trip!
December 31, 2014
Very silly, quick read. Jolie Russell is a Kentucky Cinderella story, and suddenly the rich boy in town notices her. The main character's voice was a little too immature for me, but it was a cute story, although typical.
November 22, 2013
3.75 stars
Charming. It's feel good, delightful reading. Jolie, Rufus and her father are entertaining. The story was a bit slow at times, but pulled through with humor and wasn't obnoxious about redneck references. Will definitely read this author again.
Charming. It's feel good, delightful reading. Jolie, Rufus and her father are entertaining. The story was a bit slow at times, but pulled through with humor and wasn't obnoxious about redneck references. Will definitely read this author again.
October 27, 2015
funny story! Loved how even though her family came into money she still had the "poor, dirt farmer" feel to her. The scenes with her basset hound chasing the neighbor prissy dog were too funny. Great read!
November 24, 2015
Two worlds join as old money and new money find a love no matter the background. " Hey Cinderella does the shoe fit you now..." Suzie B song.
Country girl who grew up with only her father sense the age of ten, finds love with the big business city boy.
Fast read with romance and humor.
Country girl who grew up with only her father sense the age of ten, finds love with the big business city boy.
Fast read with romance and humor.
March 24, 2009
It was funny and a easy read. Time well spent.
May 12, 2014
This contemporary romance is excellent! It's Cinderella crossed with Eliza Doolittle ...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews