Review: The Cinderella Moment

Title: The Cinderella Moment
Author: Jennifer Kloester
Publication: July 24, 2013 by Penguin
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 4 stars
Reason for Reading: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

A love of fashion.
A couture competition.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance . . .

Angel Moncoeur has always wanted to be a fashion designer, but without money or connections, it's going to be a challenge. When an opportunity to leave her home in New York and head to Paris appears, Angel grabs it – even if it means masquerading as her best friend Lily. That can't be too hard, can it?

But faking things doesn't come easy for Angel, so when she falls in love with her very own Prince Charming and he thinks she's someone else, things start to get complicated.

Angel needs to stop her secrets unravelling if she wants to live happily ever after . . .

From exciting talent Jennifer Kloester comes this fabulous story about high society, mistaken identity, love, betrayal, friendship – and great clothes.

Sixteen-year-old Angel Moncoeur dreams of becoming a top fashion designer while her best friend Lily aspires to be a famous stage actress someday. Both girls are talented and driven, but they come from different backgrounds. Angel’s mom, Simone, is a housekeeper employed by Lily’s dad, Philip. Philip’s social climbing girlfriend Margot and her spoiled daughter Clarissa stay with the girls while he goes to South America. As Angel is putting the finishing touches on her Teen Couture fashion competition entry, she discovers that Clarissa has stolen her designs in an attempt to pass them off as her own. With a 1st prize of $50,000 and the chance to work in designer Antoine Vidal’s Paris salon, Angel desperately wants to win the competition. When Lily’s estranged grandmother invites her to Paris for two weeks, Angel goes in her place and pretends to be Lily in order to expose Clarissa’s theft.

I really enjoyed reading this modern Cinderella tale! It was interesting to read about a talented girl pursuing her passion. I loved all the vivid descriptions of the gorgeous designer fashions, and I could really feel how much Angel loved creating her own designs.

While the Teen Couture competition was the main plot point, there was a sweet romantic storyline as well. Nick, Lily’s childhood friend, fell for Angel before he knew her true identity, and Angel struggled with how soon she should reveal the truth. I have a weakness for cute boys with British accents, so I was immediately swooning over Nick! I felt like I was there in Paris with Nick as he took Angel to art museums, the Eiffel Tower, and other attractions. It definitely gave me the travel bug and made me want to visit Paris again.

As you might expect from a fairy tale retelling, The Cinderella Moment does have some predictable elements. However, there were also several surprises in the plot, especially toward the end. Family secrets were revealed in a twist that I personally did not see coming. The ending was satisfying and heartwarming.

The secondary characters were intriguing, especially Lily (a.k.a. the best friend ever!). I would love to read a story about her pursuing her acting career. Jennifer Kloester is an author I will definitely keep on my radar, and I hope to see more novels from her in the future.