I just finished reading my first Janet Evanovich book called “The Rocky Road to Romance”. I am not sure what I expected, but I may have been expecting more than I got. Funny how you have certain ideas about books before you read them. I was expecting mystery, wit and intrigue with some romance. I guess I was expecting more mystery and intrigue and less romance. Then again, I really should have paid more attention to the title.

Maybe my idea of romance – love that grows over months or years, or develop a deep personal connection, are too much to ask from a 200 page book with large font. Do women really want to escape real life like this? I can see now why many women are lulled into the belief that Prince Charming is going to come along and sweep them off their feet. Sweep me off my feet? Can he just sweep the kitchen floor? As for this book it seems to follow the Cinderella theme. Since it can’t be Prince Charming to ‘save us’, why not an oil tycoon who manages a radio station?

The ‘Cinderella’ of this story did not have an evil stepmother, however Daisy (the leading lady here) was over-worked and under-paid. However this situation seemed to have been self-imposed (or doesn’t everyone volunteer as a crossing guard after we deliver the morning papers and before we head off to the radio station for our ‘real job’). As I just wrote that last bit I felt more like Daisy that I realized. I am a freak of nature burning the candle at both ends on a regular basis; Writing blogs, making jewelry, and reading books in between making dinner and listening to my 7-year-old reading his homework. I also can make breakfast, fold laundry and get the kids dressed for school…all at the same time. If squeezing all the things I love to do into a day doesn’t work (I am the master of multi-tasking) I stay up until midnight doing this thing that I love called writing. Maybe this stuff is more like real life than I thought?

I do have a Prince Charming, however he isn’t sweeping my floor, protecting me from killers, or lending me his cool horse to ride (or car to drive). Instead he is fast asleep already. It is only 11:30 PM why does he have to go to bed so early? I wonder for a moment, am I Daisy (a.k.a Cinderella)? Probably, but books are fantasy and real life is, well, lacking perfection. I don’t expect perfection, but it would be nice to escape to it once in a while. I guess that is why novels like the one I just read are so popular. No one wants to read about a ‘regular guy’ do they?