Auctioned to the A-Lister

I really like the modern-day Hollywood retellings of these fairytales. I’m just learning that bully tropes aren’t for me. To be honest, of course I know that Cinderella has a bullying aspect. But, I almost threw my phone and wasn’t going to pick it back up because it hit me that hard. However, that wasn’t the author’s fault, so after a little break I kept reading. I figured it would have some kind of HEA, but sometimes walking the path to one is hard. I liked that when it came to what she wanted, Cindy was mostly tough. It is rough when people use your good nature and make you a doormat. She just wanted to be loved and was hopeful for a bright future. It stinks to think you’ve found the road paved with gold and you get robbed blind. Wouldn’t karma be sweet if all those mean people got what was coming to them, and the fallen could stand and finally get their HEA?

A Tale of Love and Wishes That Do Come True for Cindy and Her Prince

Cindy Brown has never known a mother’s love. Before she walked out on Cindy and her dad, Cindy’s biological mother shared with her young daughter that she had never wanted to have a child. When her dad remarried again to a woman with two daughters, Cindy quickly learned that she would be the stepchild in her own home. Her new “family” had very little use or room for Cindy in their world. And for thirteen years, Cindy has been tolerated only because she was her father’s
beneficiary and upon his unexpected death, those benefits went to her. And if she continued to be in the “family,” those funds could be managed by her stepmother, Marigold, assuring that the monies were “properly used”. And she did “properly use” them to provide her daughters with dance lessons and pageant attire as she promoted their dreams of being discovered by a talent scout. To further promote the dreams of Quincey and Greenlee becoming Hollywood’s newest starlets, Marigold redirected Cindy’s college fund to finance the family’s relocation from Altoona, Wisconsin to LA and to finance the purchase of a dry cleaning business in West Hollywood where Cindy is expected to work diligently, but Marigold, Quincey and Greenlee merely float though to check on things and to see if any of the cleaners’ clients might be useful in furthering the Hollywood dreams of Marigold and her girls.

Unknown to Marigold a contact has been made by Cindy that could open the doors of Hollywood. Isabelle Schmidt Prince, member of a powerful Hollywood family and the set designer specializing in practical effects and props for Nightstalker, a recent release from the Prince studio, was a client of the cleaner. And, in gratitude for the rushed, but quality cleaning performed by Cindy when Isabelle discovered that the werewolf suits had been “borrowed” and used in some sort of furry orgy, she wanted to personally thank Cindy, offering her a ticket to a Hollywood gala where the elite of Hollywood be present.

Borrowing a dress that she had recently cleaned, the LA Cinderella beautifully decked out for the gala, is mistaken for one of the elite LA society. And, as a beautiful woman in attendance at such and elite event, she is invited to participate in the date auction, the tool being utilized for fundraising on behalf of humpbacked whales, the purpose of the event. However, before the auction, when Tommy Prince, A-List actor and member of the Hollywood Prince family, bumps into her, almost spilling his glass of red wine onto Cindy in her borrowed blue silk gown, he is delighted by her humorous and witty response, and asks her to dance. So, when the auction commences and Tommy sees that Cindy is one of the beauties being auctioned, he bids and wins a date with Cindy in her borrowed blue dress.
But, nothing is ever straightforward or simple, especially not love in a fairy tale or in life. And when the ever grasping step-family discovers Cindy’s connection with Tommy Prince, even the magic of love has to struggle to survive.

As Taylor Holloway weaves the unanticipated encounter of the strangers into lovers, she teases the reader with a re-telling of a modern-day Cinderella tale. With humor and style, Holloway effectively captures the magic of love when at odds with the injustices of life in the childhood tale of wishes that do come true when the heart is pure.

I received a free ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review, but I enjoyed the reading experience so much that I will use my Kindle Unlimited to enjoy this series in my “read-again” titles.

Tommy And Cindy’s Story Makes A Timely Observation About The Reality Behind Reality TV And The Sad Fact That Perception Is Reality – Such That Truth Becomes Irrelevant.

Cindy Brown, twenty-three, left Altoona, Wisconsin just over a year ago with her stepmother Marigold and stepsisters Quincy and Greenlee, and settled in LA. Together they opened and operated a dry cleaning business, although most of the dirty work fell upon Cindy’s shoulders. They financed the business with the proceeds from Cindy’s trust, Marigold emphasizing to Cindy the importance of sacrificing for family. Cindy had noted, however, that she was treated differently, and only considered to be family when they wanted something from her. While the small profits they now made went toward efforts to advance her stepsisters’ Hollywood ambitions, Cindy was micromanaged and kept busy working in the back room because she lacked the skills for much else, she was told. She works long hours and is practically a shut-in, sheltered from the outside world. When Isabelle, an appreciative customer, offers Cindy a ticket to a gala organized to raise money for Humpback whales, she gladly accepts the opportunity for an evening of dressing up and escaping her dreary life.

Thomas Prince, thirty-three, is on the verge of winning his long-coveted first Oscar for Best Actor – but he is bored. Currently the highest paid actor in Hollywood and from a famous Hollywood family, he is adored by fans and has the world at his feet. But being famous had its limitations. He was Hollywood’s golden boy. He had worked relentlessly for eight years to cultivate and maintain that image, and his agent Elaine was formidable in her efforts to keep him on his path to winning that first Oscar. He was naturally competitive, so the chance to win a fifteen year bet against his twin Derek to see who could win an Oscar first should have thrilled him. But his heart wasn’t in it and hadn’t been for the last three years.

Tommy and Cindy literally bump into one another at the gala, and both are taken by surprise at the intensity of the moment. Tommy asks Cindy to dance, and they share a glorious three minutes together. When Cindy later volunteers to help with an auction, she doesn’t understand what she is offering to do and soon finds herself on stage in an auction to win a date with her – and notes that Tommy is persistently bidding. In only a few short days they are madly in love, but in the meantime the evil step family has managed to pull the young couple into a huge scandal on their newly launched reality TV show. As Elaine reminds him, the Oscars are in two weeks and he needs to stay focused. Cindy is toxic for his career.

Tommy and Cindy’s story makes a timely observation about the reality behind reality TV and the sad fact that perception is reality – such that truth becomes irrelevant. The couple finds love quickly but is torn apart by Hollywood politics, malicious lies, an eager press, and media consumed with ratings and clicks more so than truth. There is no regard for those damaged in the wake. Tommy leaves to complete his bid for the Oscar. But as if awakened from a deep sleep, he thinks constantly of Cindy and finds himself increasingly disillusioned by those around him. Meanwhile Cindy is left to live out of her van and face the world on her own for the first time. She scrambles to put her skills to work in an effort to support herself. Despite getting away from her family, she is still trapped by them. Their lies have followed her and taken away the one thing that ever mattered to her: Tommy. Everyone is against them, and they buy into it as well for a good part of the story. The couple eventually gets their happy ending.

Tommy and Cindy’s Cinderella-inspired story is an interesting look at the ugly side of Hollywood. The characters are nicely defined. It is written in first person. The POV alternates between Tommy and Cindy. The plot is fairly developed. There are some questions, such as why Cindy hadn’t gone to college while still in Altoona, since the trust money hadn’t yet been spent then. Additionally, it is unrealistic that they organized, filmed, produced, and aired a new reality show in about a day. Finally, the story captures attention in the beginning, but it unfortunately begins to drag, getting lost in tedium. I rate this book 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this bo and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A slow start to the book but a great book overall. Cindy is a girl who is a slave to her stepmother and stepsisters. Running a dry cleaning business they expect her to work and do everything. One night she has a chance to have a night out and meets Tommy. There is an instant connection and he wins a date with her through an auction. They go sky diving and the sparks start flying. He hunts her down and meets her nasty family. He finds her living in her van and next thing you know they are driving to Napa together. His agent finds them and has her assistant talk to Cindy while she is talking to Tommy about needing to go back to LA without Cindy. As the pages turn, you go through an emotional roller coaster with Tommy and Cindy. Get this book and find out if they can withstand all the hate and be together at last!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Auctioned to the A-Lister by Taylor Holloway is a wonderful read.sweet,sexy and enjoyable modern fairytale romance story of Tommy and Cindy, a brilliant, alpha Hollywood hero and a nerdy, plucky girl next door that will keep you entertaine and hooked you from start to finish,well done!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

AUCTIONED TO THE A-LISTER by Taylor Holloway is the story of Tommy and Cindy.
Cindy father married her stepmother when she was about 10 years old but they have never been close. Now at 23 her father has been gone for a while but her evil step-mother with her daughters are still full force. Cindy works at the family Dry Cleaning Business where she works in the back getting stains out of clothes. Cindy’s step-mother is trying to get her daughters into acting and is always pushing that at every chance and of course Cindy is just trying to keep up with everything. When Cindy is offered a chance at a ball which is a fun raiser for Humpback Whale Conservation she decided to go and have a night out of her boring life. Tommy is a famous actor who is tired of the cookie cutter women who throw themselves at him. But when he sees Cindy at the ball he knows she is so different from the other women. Tommy ‘buys’ her at the auction for a date which just showed him more how much he wants her. But Cindy knows her family would cause interfere between them for their own game so she tries to keep away from him but he is on the hunt for her.
This was a modern take on Cinderella Story line. Enjoyed it.

I enjoy a good adult fairytale and this one had me hooked right from the beginning. This is Cindy and Tommy’s book I liked these two but her family damn they were really bad I wanted to bang there heads together. I was so happy when she finally started standing up for herself I thought this was a great read and I cannot wait for the next one.

A good modern take on fairy tale Cinderella , Cindy and Tommy are likeable characters , her family are really awful to Cindy , loved how Tommy makes her see that she’s worth something and it gives her the confidence to stand up for herself with her family , loved the interactions between Tommy and Cindy had to laugh at some of it , loved the storyline , a thoroughly enjoyable read .

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

3 Stars
A Modern Cinderella retelling with a Celebrity Prince twist

Set in Los Angeles, Cindy is stuck working at her family’s dry cleaning company, where she works day and night without any type of social life. Her stepmother is of course evil and her two sisters are self absorbed wannabe actresses. She gets an invite to a Charity Gala where she bumps into Hollywood’s Golden Actor, Tommy Prince.

I liked the modern setting in Hollywood and the spin on this classic fairytale.

I will say that I expected this book to have more laugh out loud and swoony moments, but instead there was more Cringey comedy, which isn’t really my thing.

I do already like this author, so this won’t stop me reading her work again. I love fairy tale retellings but this one fell flat for me. I liked it but I didn’t love it.
Probably just my personal preference on a RomCom, give it a shot and it might be exactly what you’re looking for!