I am not Cinderella, but I live a Cinderella life.
Gracie here, checking in from beneath Maddy’s desk for another issue of Meowy Madison.
I recently awoke from a long nap after a late night. Why a late night, you might ask? It’s Maddy’s new fixation with The Real Housewives of Dubai.
When Did the Rich Become so Entertaining?
Don’t get me wrong, I kind of like this new situation. Since Maddy became obsessed with reality TV about rich people, my treats have upgraded from chicken to shrimp and my toys are more expensive, too. I am definitely moving up in the world. Three years ago, I was an abandoned cat, flea bitten and starving, rescued in a rainstorm. Now I, like the housewives portrayed on TRHOD, am living a life of luxury.
Luxury is cool, and I am not complaining, but it’s weird to Maddy and to me that money versus accomplishment seems to be the new measure of success. From books, TV shows, and movies like Paris Hilton is Getting Married to the real housewives franchise, from Fifty Shades to Taylor Swift videos, from Crazy Rich Asians to the Kardashians, the new source for entertainment is the filthy rich. Okay, this obsession is anything but new.
We’ve Loved Cinderella from the Beginning
Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t forfeit my rags to riches story for anything. I have a basket of toys, heat and a/c when I need them, sunny windows with a decent view of the world—including the alluring black cat next door—and food upon demand. Maddy’s boyfriend teases her about flying in pink sand from the Bahama’s for my litter. He’s not far off the mark. I’m spoiled, but I’m worth it.
Which brings me back to this obsession for the luxurious life, from a love of billionaire and royal romance novels to reality TV about the rich and famous. In Maddy’s case it is usually research, since more of her romance novels are about the wealthy. And why not write about the rich? Romance novels are a form of escape, whether we read about love and happy endings, heroes who know how to treat a woman right, incredibly hot sex where our leading lady has multiple orgasms, or private yachts and black-tie fundraisers.
Maybe our own lives aren’t as bad as Cinderella’s. Mine certainly isn’t. But that doesn’t mean we don’t aspire to more, right? I still dream of filet mignon dinners and I suspect Maddy does too. But she eats hamburger, like most of us do. And that’s the key to all of this—we want a glimpse at the glamour, a hint of how the other half lives, a few hours imagining that luxe life.
We always have.
From fairy tales, to Regency Romance, to today, wealthy heroes sell. The obsession has grown over time, morphed from simple governesses winning their Lord’s hand to smart women, successful in their own right, capturing the heart of the tech giant. Women are more independent but their taste in billionaire and royal romance remains. Maddy is living proof. I’ve heard her say “the more successful the woman, the more she wants to escape into a romance. After all, she’s earned it.”
Romance and Riches are a Potent Combination
There is something so satisfying about a story where the hero can sweep his love off her feet with romance and riches. She will want for nothing ever again. He can offer unending romance, passion and everything her heart desires—from a house in Tahoe to a castle in some tiny fictional European country.
Hallmark is focusing on royal romances again, and Maddy is toying with the idea of one too, for her new All’s Crazy in Love series. Billionaires sell. I wasn’t there when Maddy started her Beguiling Bachelor series, but people who have interviewed her ask her why billionaire romance. “I get to escape to that world as a writer, researching private jets, secluded islands, elegant galas. They are fun to write and wonderful to read.”
I’m fine with that, really, but do we have to watch The Real Housewives of Dubai? A cat has to draw the line somewhere.
Meet the Beguiling Bachelors
Have you read Maddy’s series, The Beguiling Bachelors? Four romance novels and a prequel novella about four successful, smart, sexy as hell men, who have been friends since childhood. Chased by women since college, they have avoided marriage until they reach their 30’s. Then they tumble into love, or their heroines do, sometimes literally.
Meet Wyatt, Randall, Alex and Tyler—not always perfect, but perfectly delightful heroes, who introduce us to romance Chicago style. Each novel offers over the top settings, and luxury from mountain top retreats to private jets, from the best restaurants in the city to shopping sprees in elite boutiques. And always, sassy, independent heroines who win their heroes hearts—and ours.
Get Bedazzled, Beholden, Bedeviled, and Besotted exclusively from Amazon and Kindle unlimited and the prequel, Bewildered, also on Amazon or free for subscribing to Maddy’s newsletter.