The First Coast Romance Writers are sponsoring the NERFA (National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award) Winner for the ‘Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements’ category!

His Cinderella Sweetheart: A Contemporary Romance

Internationally recognized outdoorsman and business leader Jace McKibbon is not used to feeling helpless, until he sets foot in Disneyland. When his grieving daughter forms a connection with the young woman playing Cinderella, Jace gratefully places himself in the beautiful princess’s hands. Carolina is in her element helping the little family negotiate the park, and Jace’s sparking blue eyes and rugged good looks don’t hurt. But as much as Carolina loves playing Cinderella at Disneyland, she longs for more challenging work in God’s world. Can Jace help Carolina find a fairytale ending?

my point of view:

It was an absolute honor to be a judge for the Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements category, and all three of the finalist books were truly standouts. Which naturally made it all the harder to select a winner….but I had to!

This story had so many wonderful qualities to it that I had to choose it in the end. There is always something that tugs at my heart strings when there is a child involved in the story. Ruthie is absolutely precious in this story, and her dad’s not so bad either, lol! While Ruthie is a terrific little girl, she has never truly mourned the passing of her mother, and Jace has tried everything he can think of to get through to her. Raising his daughter on his own, plus running a huge corporation takes a lot of confidence in one’s abilities, so how does a Disney princess manage to knock him to his knees?

Ah, but Carolina is no run of the mill Cinderella, lol! Carolina is one of the sweetest character’s I have read in a while, and she is all about kindness, which I just loved. When she teaches Ruthie that being a true princess is about being kind and helping others….well, there is a true life lesson there, for sure…..

I think one of my favorite elements of the story was how they each needed to be in God’s will before moving forward in a relationship, no matter how hard the tugs on their connection were. The secondary characters in this beautiful romance also played a very significant roles in each of the main character’s lives, and they add a great deal to the overall story.

About Anna Grace