I enjoyed this book. It wasn't something i would normally read but it has fulfilled it's purpose. I found that I kept wanting more of it.

Unnoticed is a Cinderella story, although there were also hints of Pride and Prejudice in the characterisation of Mr and Mrs O’Reilly—at times, Mrs O’Reilly made Mrs Bennett seem astute and intelligent, and Mr O’Reilly made Mr Bennett seem like an attentive father.

Jane O’Reilly is our Cinderella figure, the unloved daughter forced to take second place to her stepmother and stepsisters—all ugly in attitude if not in looks. The description of Jane brings to mind a young Nicole Kidman, so she’s far from the Plain Jane people call her. But she doesn’t see that. She also doesn’t see that beauty is as much about who we are on the inside as on the outside, nor does she understand that God sees her and loves her for who she is. She doesn’t have to be beautiful.

Prince Charming is Price Moreland, an American who has left the country of his birth with noble intentions to bring the gospel to Australia. At least, that’s what he tells himself. But he’s soon distracted by Jane, who he thinks of as anything but plain. It’s good to see a romance where the hero and heroine both have personal faith journeys.

What raised Unnoticed above other fairytale retellings was the way the character histories were woven in. Not just for Jane and Price, but for Mrs O’Reilly (and her sister, the family cook), and Mr O’Reilly. It showed their neglect and mistreatment of Jane wasn’t because of any wrongdoing by Jane, but was a product of their own backgrounds. I especially liked the way I didn’t feel manipulated into feeling sorry for Jane’s parents.

The writing was solid, although there were a few places where it wasn’t as strong. But these are insignificant in the face of an excellent fairytale retelling with a unique historical Australian setting.

Thanks to ACRBA and Rhiza Press for providing a free ebook for review.

Sadly, this book didn't capture my interest and I did not finish it. No comment on plot, characters, etc.

I enjoyed the story and characters. I loved learning more of Australian's culture. I was disappointed by how quickly Jane had a change of heart, but enjoyed the smooth way the author added her spiritual references without having it stick out like a sore thumb.

Loved it great book will tell all my friends to read the book

Unnoticed by Amanda Deed is a completely different take on the classic Cinderella story. This story is based in Australia and makes the story take on a different charm. I really like how Deed creates a unique plot line, settings, and character list that takes this Cinderella type story to the next level. We all have read that classic story and know how she always get her prince. However, this story is based in the Aussie outback with wildlife and interesting characters that help make this a really great love story. The prince does not have a castle and a royal court, instead he is the town dentist and barber. Little does the town know that the family he left in America owns a major railroad empire. If you love a happy ending, this is the book for you.

I’ve read a lot of Christian fiction novels in my time - they’re quite enjoyable in a historical context - but this is definitely the most Christian one I’ve read so far. This is by no means a criticism as it can still be enjoyed by anyone, but more a heads up if it’s not really your thing.

Something I wasn’t sure I could get with was the author’s continuous use of description. You could probably go pages without any real action or dialogue, just the characters reflecting on themselves, which is important but also could happen in other ways. Additionally, miscommunication as a plot line can only be used so many times - and this novel certainly exceeded this.

Aside from this, the characters were pleasantly enjoyable. They were all written in-depth, a far cry from the original telling of Cinderella where people are evil because they just are. Deed certainly displays her deep understanding of human nature in this novel which makes it such a good read. My favourite parts included Deed exploring issues with the Christian community, and when the characters you thought were wicked turned out not to be so wicked after all.

I can honestly say this is nothing like I was expecting. The story is very drawn out and written in a proper language. The characters while reminiscent of Cinderella are very different beyond the smaller points.