13 year old Diana didn’t expect her new after-school job at her family’s dry cleaners to end up providing so much adventure. After all, it was forced on her by her harsh step-mom, and she can no longer participate in her beloved drama club. But slipping into the garments of the customers, Diana goes from Broadway to Homecoming. As long as she doesn’t get caught.

It’s a simple premise, but Gold integrates compelling relationships with Diana’s friends in school, her crush on Will, and her friends/enemies within the dry cleaners, not to mention the friction between her step-mom, her dad and her at home. It is because of these relationships that allow for there to be stakes when Diane bends the rules in order to help a friend or be a dumb teenager. The fact that she gets away with it most of the time makes it the ideal wish fulfillment for readers.

1. Change of Dress: The first book of the series has a nice balance between introducing everyone, depicting close and realistic dynamics between Diane and her cleaner friends in a short span of time, and such a magical night on Broadway. Gold perfectly blends escapism and realism with shades of the Cinderella story that’s in the title.
2. Mask Appeal: Great stakes with good suspense as Diane goes through a full Cinderella moment. Not to mention, realizing why Will is her Prince Charming. This is one of the times that Diane succeeds in her manipulations without consequences and you root for her because of how detestable het step-mom is. Her step-mom reaches big bad levels here though, and I seriously wonder what Mr. Donoto can see in her with the double standards she treats his own daughter.
3. Swan Fake: This is a rare occurrence for the last book to come so high up, but I enjoyed the full circle moment here. It’s not quite so obvious, but all this time we assume Diane gets into this scenarios because the temptation is there, and who’d pass up the chance to go to a Broadway premiere/rock star video/etc. But Gold provides an interesting psychological explanation for Diane. Plus it’s nice to see her reach a period of relative peace with her little sisters, and accepting Will and her are officially in a relationship.
4. Prep Cool: Great insight into Diane’s school life with a fun undercover mission for Diane to go through. I just thought the mean girl plot was a bit too predictable.
5. Scheme Spirit: I liked the lesson where Diane learns not to fit everyone in their clique boxes, and that cheerleaders, contrary to popular culture aren’t all stuck-up mean girls, Gold spent too much time setting up the plot and Thanksgiving that the switcheroo took only a small part of it.
6. Rock and Role: This one comes dead last because the whole premise of the series (Diane borrowing an outfit and getting into all sorts of hijinks) feels tacked on to a Disney sitcom plot about auditioning for a pop star.