If the Boot Fits

Starred review from September 28, 2020
One serendipitous night transforms an aspiring screenwriter’s life in this wonderfully inventive, Cinderella-inspired romance, the second in Weatherspoon’s Cowboys of California series (after A Cowboy to Remember). Assisting the most demanding of Hollywood divas has sucked the joy out of Amanda McQueen’s California dreams. Amanda’s on call for her boss seven days a week and works most nights. But thanks to her friend–turned–fairy godmother, starlet Helene Sawyer, Amanda scores tickets to an A-lister party, where she dances her blues away with Sam Pleasant, a courtly cowboy turned Black Hollywood royalty. Getting footloose on the dance floor transitions into a “mind-blowing” turn in the sheets, which Amanda mistakenly assumes will be a one-night stand. After all, what could a celebrity like Sam want with a woman like her? A lot, it turns out. They like the same pop culture, share similar values, and have amazing chemistry. But issues arise from their differing social statuses: Sam’s at the height of his career while Amanda’s trapped in a job she can’t afford to quit and feels perpetually discounted by the industry. Uniting a heart-stopping hero and a plus-size heroine who knows her own worth, this steamy fairy tale shines by serving realistic conflict alongside swoon-worthy romance. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

September 1, 2020
Oscar-winning actor Samuel Pleasant knows he's living his best life, but it can be lonely at the top. A curvaceous woman catches his eye at an Oscar after-party and they agree to share an anonymous night together, but in the morning he wakes to an empty bed and regrets that he didn't get her name. Cute and quirky Amanda McQueen came to L.A. to be a screenwriter but ended up working as a personal assistant for an up-and-coming actress with severe behavioral issues, sending Amanda's self-esteem plummeting so low that she's unsure if she really deserves the attention of a gorgeous and successful man like Sam. They bump into each other again at a wedding held at the exclusive Big Rock Ranch resort, owned by Sam's family. Unable to avoid fate, Amanda leans into the possibility of something more as Sam gently introduces her to his favorite horse and key members of his multicultural and loving family. Weatherspoon's heart-melting follow-up to A Cowboy to Remember (2020) is a perfect fit for fans of contemporary romance authors Jasmine Guillory and Alexa Martin.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from September 1, 2020

Weatherspoon continues her fairy tale-inspired "Cowboys of California" series (A Cowboy To Remember) with this Cinderella story set in contemporary Hollywood. Amanda McQueen has an uncharacteristic, anonymous one-night stand with heartthrob and new Oscar winner Sam Pleasant, a nice diversion from her overworked and stress-filled life as an aspiring writer and assistant to high-strung starlet Dru. Sam is smitten with the curvy beauty who helped him celebrate his first Oscar win, but she never shared her name before she disappeared. When she appears at a high-profile wedding on his family's ranch, he'll do everything to convince her to take a chance on him. Amanda knows just how wide the gap between Hollywood royalty and a personal assistant truly is, so she must decide if she's willing to brave the spotlight (and her cruel boss) for a chance with her own Prince Charming. VERDICT Although her vindictive boss has damaged her confidence and belief in herself, Amanda is surrounded by supportive friends and a steady, sexy, and respectful love interest in Sam. The sexual tension and flirty banter between the two will have readers rooting them on and anticipating Dru's comeuppance. Another winner from rising star Weatherspoon.--Meagan Day, High Plains Lib. Dist., CO

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