This was my second cattleman’s ranch book but my first in by laQuette. It was so good.def not the typical,category romance that I’m used to.

*scroll to the bottom for content warnings*
Trope: Cinderella
Series or Standalone: can be read standalone but you see characters from other books; #7 in Texas Cattleman's Club: Ranchers and Rivals Series. Texas Cattleman's Club is a Silhouette Desire collection with 17 spinoffs. Each title is by a different author.
Cover rating: accurate for the Cinderella outfit/moment
Book description accuracy: maybe 50%- the last portion: "With their meddling families causing all kinds of trouble, will Zanai finally go after what she really wants?" isn't accurate and definitely gives a false expectation
General review: This was a nice quick read. Glad I read it because it gave me this quote: "...it angered part of him that people had treated her so poorly, her baseline expectation was that no one wanted to be around her"
I was also surprised at how early H finds out who his Cinderella was- it was a nice change from the usual Cinderella retellings I've read.
LaQuette's writing style was a little disjointed for me- I wasn't even aware that both H and h were black until I was a good portion through the book when the dialogue between H's family was what felt like stereotypical "blacks at a BBQ" language. And then that was literally the only scene in the book with dialogue like that. I don't care about skin color- in life or in my reads- but this was just a weird switch it left me feeling awkward and that's what I remember most about the story.
Angst style: not really a true angst moment, but if I had to list one misunderstanding
POV: 3rd person, both POV
Relationship stage reached: moving in together
Epilogue? no
Content warnings: parent with mental illness, parent death by "accidental" overdose, racism, child abuse by parents
I received an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

The relationship seemed pretty shallow to me. The main characters' need for reassurance all the time drew away from the romance.

Quick Summary: A modern day Cinderella story with a just a touch of down home Texas heat

My Review: Cinderella Masquerade by LaQuette was just what the title implies. It was a modern day version of a Cinderella story. This particular retelling happened to include a masquerade themed ball, a handsome, young "prince," and a very accomplished Psy.D whose family treated her abominably.

Cinderella aka The Red Queen:
Dr. Zanai James was a little girl lost, after her beloved mother died. She would have disappeared into the background, had it not been for her close friend, Morgan. Zanai's father, stepmother, and step-sisters all but treated her as less than. Soon, however, her life would be transformed in a grand and memorable way.

Fairy Godmother aka The Best Friend:
Morgan Grandin could always see the beauty, strength, and brilliance that her best friend possessed. She simply wanted others to see what she saw. With a little bit of maneuvering, Morgan acted as fairy godmother to Zanai, convincing her to attend a ball. This was a special ball that held promise, magic, a prince, and Morgan's very own unfortunate frog.

The Handsome Prince aka Jayden Lattimore:
Young and virile, Jayden was a rancher who oozed charm. He was totally over all of the high society stuffiness and preferred to focus on having a good time. He liked to kick back, have fun, and hang with his family. Every thing changed for him the night of the ball. After meeting and losing sight of the mysterious and captivating woman in red, he was willing to search high and low for her, no matter how long it took. All he knew was that he had to embrace his favorite Red Queen once more.

The Texas Heat aka The Chemistry Factor:
Zanai and Jayden experienced sparks from the moment they noticed each other. Even though they had known each other for a while, they finally came to a point of really "seeing" each other at the masked ball. Whether they were talking, touching, kissing, or loving, they shared a passion and a hunger that intensified when they were near each other.

The Evil Family aka Cinderella's Tribe:
Zanai's family was unjustly cruel to her. They treated her like she was an unwanted burden or a speck of dirt on the canvas of life. Her own father was the worst of all. He was a charlatan who had a weak character, even though he tried to hide it with a domineering bravado.

The Evil Intent aka The Conflict-Drama:
The conflict-drama in this story was minimal. Any thing that existed was more so associated with internal character struggles. These struggles carried over into an external manifestation by way of relationships. Self actualization and acceptance were conflict-drama themes, as well.

My Final Say: This romance was creative, sweet, and fiery. I think readers who enjoy fairy tales with a twist and happily ever afters will be thrilled by it.

Rating: 3.25/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. I'm always excited when I see Harlequin on the cover!