Elise Bryant

Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances. Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She's rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she's a true leading lady is in her own writing--in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader. When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she's excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she's ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa's stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming. But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline's list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about--including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She's well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all? --Becky Albertalli, bestselling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Happily Ever Afters

Sophia

I'm pretty sure this is how horror movies start. And you know who dies first in those.

Uh yes?? If she ruins something she better fall on her face and fix it because that's such an asshole move

Does it make me a terrible person if my love story can only exist by taking down someone else's loce story?

Does it make me a terrible person if I want it anyway?

"And the jocks here? The musical theatre kids," Theodore continues. "Everything always has to revolve around them, and they expect us to care about their next big show like little towns in Texas care about football. I don't even need to show you where they are."

He doesn't. There's a huge group singing "Seasons of Love" a cappella on the far side of the lawn.

Bria

This gives early 2000s for some reason. I love it!

Elin Renkema

** spoiler alert **
           OMG best book ever!!! It’s amazing to read about Tessa finally accepting herself! At first I was really annoyed with her when she did all those things for Nico but of course she was because she was finally getting attention!! But he was obviously the wrong choice but she was just blinded by the attention. Sam deserved to be her first choice of course but she just didn’t know she loved him yes. Would 100000000% recommend!

I had fun reading this book but I don't know if it was because of the book itself or the fact that I read it on a beach but I think it's the latter honestly.

Tessa, the fmc, was not very likeable in my opinion. She said she wasn't shallow but she was extremely shallow. What else is judging someone because he's wearing an Hawaii shirt and loving someone because he looks like a guy she wrote even if he said some questionable things? It pissed me off a bit. I cut her some slack because she's only 16 years old but she needs to be better.

I liked how Tessa's place in the family was described because aside from little differences I could relate so much. Sometimes the little sister has to be the big one and help instead of the other way round but we wouldn't change a thing♡ Reading about Miles's fits was like reading about my life growing up and I loved that the author didn't say it was sad or anything, just reality for a family who deals with disabilities.

Back to Tessa. This girl could lie even tho her pants were already on fire omg. She came clean only to immediately lie again💀 I understand her anxiety - because same - but she really needs to figure out another way to deal with it. This was just ridiculous. It stressed me so much haha

One good thing she did was she didn't ditch her old friends when she "found" an in with Nico's group and still ate with them as well which was refreshing to see. She needed to apologize to a lot of people but imo she didn't do anything wrong when it comes to Leonore and Theodore. Sam on the other hand needed a HUGE apology for all the unnecessary shit she did.

I had fun reading this book but I don't know if it was because of the book itself or the fact that I read it on a beach but I think it's the latter honestly.

Tessa, the fmc, was not very likeable in my opinion. She said she wasn't shallow but she was extremely shallow. What else is judging someone because he's wearing an Hawaii shirt and loving someone because he looks like a guy she wrote even if he said some questionable things? It pissed me off a bit. I cut her some slack because she's only 16 years old but she needs to be better.

I liked how Tessa's place in the family was described because aside from little differences I could relate so much. Sometimes the little sister has to be the big one and help instead of the other way round but we wouldn't change a thing♡ Reading about Miles's fits was like reading about my life growing up and I loved that the author didn't say it was sad or anything, just reality for a family who deals with disabilities.

Back to Tessa. This girl could lie even tho her pants were already on fire omg. She came clean only to immediately lie again💀 I understand her anxiety - because same - but she really needs to figure out another way to deal with it. This was just ridiculous. It stressed me so much haha

One good thing she did was she didn't ditch her old friends when she "found" an in with Nico's group and still ate with them as well which was refreshing to see. She needed to apologize to a lot of people but imo she didn't do anything wrong when it comes to Leonore and Theodore. Sam on the other hand needed a HUGE apology for all the unnecessary shit she did.

Jantien 

** spoiler alert **
           This book is about me. I have felt so many emotions while reading it. I understood the feeling of being discovered as a fraud so well! I’m just a teeny tiny bit sad that she didn’t for the more obvious love match from the start, but romance usually doesn’t work like that, does it? Finished it in 24 hours!

Taina 

A delightful read for lovers of romance and happy endings. The best part of this book, however, was the details. The protagonist’s hair routine, and the curly journey spoken of between the lines is something I wished I’d had growing up. The struggle to figure herself out, while dealing with micro-aggressions, and the sheer ignorance of the “in-crowd” is well written. A lovely book.

Debbi

4 💫 — I really like this book. Team Sam forever. <3

Jayla Poindexter 

This was such a good book! I loved the characters so much( even though Tessa got on my nerves a LOT)
It’s a really cute story and i felt really represented in it! GO READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW

Kaley Catron

Let’s be real here. That was incredible. I love how real it was. And I love that it was a journey of her finding herself more than just trying to find love. It’s hard to make those decisions and do it right. To be right for YOU but when you do? You do. And you are finally on your way to being who you already knew you were/are supposed to be without trying. And that I think is in its own way the truest kind of love you can have.

Laura Yaneth Martinez

Incredible. I love this. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read. And breathe ending!!!! I need more, I’m probably going to have to buy the book now and reread and annotate the heck out of it cause it’s just that good. It’s amazing. I resonated so much with Tessa. The all-consuming and spiraling self conscious thoughts are ones I’ve struggled with. Her choice of action were ones I’ve done as well. I just love this. The writing is so perfect. I can see why there was like a 6 month wait to check out from the library. Ughh ima go now and find every book this author has written and binge watch them. Byeeee

Rebecca Briesemeister

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it had a lot of representation and while some things were brushed over, many others were touched on on a deeper level. The main character, Tessa, is clearly not perfect and I love that about her. She shows clear development and remorse from her actions. While I did not like all of the choices and actions she made and how much frustrations they gave me, there is a clear development which I loved. This book really hit home for me and showed how important it is to love and believe in yourself before you can expect that from anyone else.

I'm not usually one to write long/full reviews. But with the issues I had with this book, I felt I needed to share these thoughts. Generally, I'm sad I didn't enjoy the book as much I thought I would have, given the premise of the book...

What I did enjoy: The disability rep was really nice to see. I found myself connecting a lot with the MC since I was often the caretaker of my older brother (who was sick) when I was younger. Without getting into specifics of my personal life, I've had a very similar dynamic with my parents, which was refreshing to see depicted.

TW follows: HP, JKR
What I didn't enjoy: (view spoiler)[ The number of references to HP. The author tried to go into a discussion about how problematics a certain author is. But it felt skipped over too much for my liking. As someone who has been grappling with gender identity, and has seen the hurt the author has done to the trans/NB community, it wasn't enough. The MC and ensemble never truly condemned those harmful words enough for the many times it was referenced. My other main issue had to do with most of the ensemble justifying the MC to go and attempt to break-up a relationship/cheat (and the "hero" is absolutely also at fault in this too). In this scenario, it's a big no-no in my books. (hide spoiler)]

Overall... I'm just disappointed. I really wanted to love this book.

Katie

Although I was extremely excited about this book before reading it, and even as I started the book, as I continued reading, it became more and more clear that this book was not really for me.

After moving to a new school that focuses on the creative arts, Tessa runs into major writing block and imposter syndrome. She and her best friend come up with a plan for Tessa to be able to write her romance books again--by experiencing a romance of her very own with the school's most popular boy, Nico. Although this was a little far-fetched, I can absolutely believe this is the kind of harebrained scheme a couple of high schoolers would come up with, so I'm not mad at it.

What I am mad at, however, is the fact that Nico is DATING ANOTHER GIRL THE ENTIRE TIME. Tessa never even stops to question the morality of her actions, even when another character straight up says she's trying to steal someone's boyfriend. Tessa doesn't care. She also doesn't care when the real love interest, a sweetheart boy-next-door named Sam, clearly shows his interest and is obviously the superior choice. She does whatever she wants to do, screw everybody else. Although there was a moment of reckoning and character growth for Tessa, it all happened too quickly and too close to the end of the book to feel satisfying to me.

This book also tried to have conversations about racism, with Tessa being mixed, and ableism, with her brother having disabilities, but they felt a little disjointed and sparse. I would have preferred the book to have a slightly more serious tone and hone in on these topics more, as well as Tessa's anxiety and her relationship with her mom, rather than promote her scheming to steal another girl's boyfriend just so she can get her writing mojo back.

I did enjoy the writing style and several of the side characters, especially Sam, as mentioned, and Lenore, as well as learning about Tessa's creative arts school, but I just can't get over the borderline cheating that happens in this book. Sadly, this is not everything I hoped it would be, but still a fun(ish) quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy free for review. All opinions are my own.

Marissa Scudlo

** spoiler alert **
           This was a great read!!! I would happily suggested it to everyone. But one of my issue with the both is the beginning behavior with Tessa’s mother and how she is a bit rude to her and yes I understand Miles is a special kid but still treat Tessa the same. But I will say her mother does get better in the end. Nico is a hot guy to look but the fact he doesn’t accept Miles for Miles bothers me a lot as well. But a great book all the same.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this book in a sub box from once upon a book club. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Happily Ever Afters

Author: Elise Bryant

Book Series: Happily Ever Afters Book 1

Diversity: Mixed couples, Mixed main character, disabled brother, gay couple

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: romance readers, ya readers, contemporary fans

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Publisher: Blazer and Bray

Pages: 384

Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, microaggressions, racism, HP talk)

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.

When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.

But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?

Review: I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the story and I thought that even though it was more of a romance book than what I would have usually read that it was very well grounded and didn't get as crazy as some romance contemporary ya books do. The characters were well developed and made very sound decisions throughout the book. The book also did well in talking about the experience a Black girl has in this world and with love. The book wove in talk about racism and microaggressions. It also talked about Black hair and styling, which was really cool. The main characters parents are a mixed couple and she has a disabled brother and I loved the inclusion of those characters because even today we don't see a lot of mixed couples in different media formats and we don't see a lot of children with disabilities either. The book also did well with the world building and the pacing.

The only issue I had with the book is that I am definitely left wanting more and while I don't like the Harry Potter talk in the books I loved how the author wrote them and included their problematic nature and the main characters disapproval and confused feelings about it and she who must not be named.

Verdict: highly recommend!!

Jenni Clark

“And that is the greatest risk, presenting something you love and asking others to love it too.”  

The cover. Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Everything about this book was so sweet! 

This book was amazing and beautiful and so wonderful. I loved how real seeming the characters, especially Tessa, were. I found myself empathizing with Tessa at all points. She was a character with a lot happening in her world and didn’t feel like she could share all of her happenings with others (which I deeply relate to). Her relationships with the other characters showed a depth that I found to be quite realistic.

Tessa’s love for writing comes through from the first page and the mentions of fandoms and fanfiction make the book all the better. The Long Beach setting is made all the better by Bryant’s real-life residence there. The plot moved along at such a nice pace, so the book wasn’t difficult to become invested in. 

*Content warning* for discussions of racism, police brutality, and anxiety/panic attacks.

Heather Harrington

Tessa is an aspiring writer who was just accepted into a prestigious art school to help hone her craft, but on her very first day, it's as if all her creative juices have stopped flowing. She finds herself intimidated by all the other students who seem to have a better grip on their talents than she does. How can her little romance stories ever compare? To help get over this writing slump, Tessa's best friend devises a plan: for Tessa to be able to write romance, she has to find her real-life romance. With the plan in mind, Tessa sets her sights on the broody Nico who looks like he's stepped right out of one of Tessa's stories, but the more she chases after him, the more she feels like she's losing herself in the process. Meanwhile, Tessa can't stop the warm feelings she gets every time she hangs out with Sam, her kind-hearted yet dorky next-door neighbor. With her and Nico growing closer, Tessa soon has all the makings for her perfect love story, but is it truly the one she wants?

I was looking for just a cute quick palate cleansing read, and while this did the job, I'm definitely not in the age demographic this is intended for because it read a bit young. Due to that, I had a hard time connecting with Tessa and her CW-worthy drama. A lot of the problems she goes through in this are from her own making, so it was a bit frustrating to read at times. She doesn't make great choices and then freaks out over the consequences. You could tell from the start that things with Nico aren't going to turn out well, yet she spends so much time pining for him when she should just cut her losses. The main thing that held this all together for me was Sam. He's such a sweet lovable character, and you just can't help but root for him. I enjoyed his relationship with Tessa and watching it grow from friends into something more. He just put a smile on my face throughout the whole thing. Also, my mouth was watering at all the delicious baked goods he made. So, aside from not fully clicking with this, I do still think it's good and would probably work a lot better for someone in the age range it's meant for.

Kelsey Holtaway

Amanda Furlan

Maybe 1.5* 
Basic YA contemporary and not in a good way. Nothing creative or different then other YA contemporaries. Was hoping for a cute love story but this fell flat.

Lynn Braden

Tessa Johnson has just moved with her family into a new neighborhood and she is about to start in her new school, Chrysalis Academy for the arts, where she will be participating in their writing program. One of the first people she meets is a boy she calls Hawaiian Shirt because of his daily attire. Later, she finds that his name is Sam, he lives across the street, and he will be taking her to school because he is in his first year in the culinary arts division of Chrysalis Academy. Tessa is anxious as she approaches her first day of school, but she makes friends quickly and seems to be adjusting until she goes to her first novel writing class and finds that she can't write a word. This goes on for days and Tessa panics, so she calls on her best friend from her former neighborhood, who has a plan to help Tessa get out of her writing slump by getting her a love life.

Happily Ever Afters is a fairly predictable story but still shines due to the well developed characters and realistic emotions. Tessa goes about everything in the wrong way and we can see her make mistakes, but still root for her because her actions are understandable based on her thoughts and feelings. Her attachment to her disabled brother adds to the story because it is clear that she loves him even though, at times, he drives her nuts. Overall, this is a well thought out YA novel with recognizable themes and an enjoyable plot.

Tania Joana da Silva Monteiro

I very cute story! The main character makes a lot of mistakes, partly because of her youth, but I think we get to see why she made those mistakes, her thought process and how she had to deal with the consequences. I also love how the author integrated the fact that the main character is black into the story, like she mentioning the process of washing her hair. It was done in a very natural way but without loosing its importance. I wanted a little bit more for the ending but I guess we were here for the ride, not the destination, cause we all know how romance books end, right? ☺️

Kathryn

** spoiler alert **
           Happily Ever Afters offers the reader a lot of wonderful content. You have POC main character (snaps to that!!), a mixed race family, disability and mental health representation and provides an honest look at what it’s like to be a teenager in any decade. 

I personally had a lot of trouble liking Tessa (or should I say the decisions she made in this book). I felt that I was hit with secondhand embarrassment at times.. but isn’t that kind of what social interactions are like when you’re young? At times the plot sort of read like “She’s All That”/ “Never Been Kissed” which felt on brand in my eyes. 

That aside, a look at Tessa and why she was in this spot of her life was on point. A girl who never wanted to stand out is forced to come to terms with who she really wants to be. Is that to be someone others expect? Or someone you’d admire yourself. That conversation alone was worth the read. 

But man, did I say I love Sam because I LOVE Sam! I love how he saw Tessa, how talented yet reserved he was and most importantly how he interacted flawlessly with her brother! Boyfriend goals!

I think the ending was definitely the best part (romantic and full of character growth!), teaching younger audiences valuable lessons that sadly we must learn one way or the other. 

Lovely debut and I’ll definitely be checking out Elise Bryant’s next novel!

3/5 ⭐️

Hannah Adamson

This book sounds AMAZING! Cannot wait for this to be released

Happily Ever Afters

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