I want to start this review by disclosing my close friendship with Therese Beharrie. That being said, my thoughts on this book are my own and were not influenced by our friendship - I was a fan of hers first and then forced her to become my friend. :) But I still think it's important to let you all know about our relationship so you can make the informed decision as to whether you choose to read this review or not.

As I said, I'm a big fan of Therese Beharrie, so it was obvious that I was going to want to read And They Lived Happily Ever After, even more so after reading the premise. The author has a writing style that is poignant and one that I click with. I think this book is her most ambitious and creative yet, with how she weaved the paranormal elements to explore this story of grief and love.

Gaia is a successful romance author with a secret of her own: every scene she writes, she ends up magically dreaming up. After one steamy kiss with her best friend's brother, he begins to play a starring role in her dreams, and neither Gaia nor Jacob know how to deal with this. Friendship turns into love. Secrets are revealed. But will Gaia and Jacob find their HEA?

As you can imagine, And They Lived Happily Ever After is a very meta novel what with Gaia being a romance novelist herself. She's led a lonely life growing up in the foster system and in a sense, these dreams of hers are her escape from the loneliness of her real life. Essentially, these dreams are her safe space. Therese Beharrie truly puts her feelings and emotions with a deft hand into Gaia's story. Some of the more introspective scenes pertaining to publishing and being an author were so raw that I had put down my Kindle to take a breath.
Having led the life that she has, Gaia is obviously guarded with her feelings. She has a hard time opening up to people and this becomes a hurdle in her relationship with Jacob. I think Gaia might be one of my favorite characters from this author. She's not perfect by any means, and despite her success, she has a lot of growing up to do in order to move forward in life. We all know know how much I love a flawed and emotionally-reserved heroine. I just wanted happiness for her so much, which is a sure sign that I loved the character.

I think I was happier than everyone in this book when she forms a connection with Jacob. What a patient and loving sweetheart. He is her best friend's younger brother and he has had a crush on her since forever. His dreams come true when they share a passionate kiss, but getting Gaia to open up isn't the easiest task. I think Therese did a lovely job with Jacob's character too. There's a gentleness and pushiness (not in a weird stalkery way) to him that Gaia needs in her life. He constantly shows her that she is deserving of love and he goes out of the way to make her happy and feel protected.

I loved the romance here just as much as I loved Jacob and Gaia. It's a slow-burn romance that feels like an uphill battle at times, but it's ultimately emotionally rewarding. There's lightness here to this story in the form of the back-and-forth banter between the two and their chemistry simmers all throughout the book. If tender romances are your thing, you're going to love this one.

You're also probably wondering what I thought of the dreams. At first, I wasn't entirely sure of their role in the book but as they progressed I realized that they spoke to Gaia's mental state at the time. I appreciated so much that these dreams, which at first glance seem like a cutesy magical ability that we'd all love to possess, actually felt invasive at times to Jacob. And he is not shy about speaking out about how uncomfortable they sometimes made him. All in all, I thought they were a clever way to build up Gaia's character.

If you've read Therese Beharrie before, then you know that her books tend to be heavy on the emotions and And They Lived Happily Ever After brought all the damn feels. I'm really eager to read the next book which will feature Gaia's sister, who was introduced in this book, and her ghostly romance. If you're looking for a unique romance read with the friends-to-lovers trope, this one is for you.

I really enjoyed this story! The storyline about the main character’s magical powers actually ended up being less important than her emotional trauma and the relationships between the characters, which I actually found more interesting.

The banter between the characters made me laugh out loud at times, and I appreciated the way the main character used her “power” to work out the issues she and her love interest were both facing. The ending of the book left me curious, so I will definitely be checking out the follow up book!

DNF at 30%. I loved the concept and thought the aspect of meeting up in their dreams was really interesting. Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t work for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

This main character wasn’t very interesting and she read like a stereotype more than a person. I personally like characters that have more personality and aren’t one dimensional. The plot itself wasn’t for me. I don’t think I like magic in a realistic setting in this sense, it just made no sense and I needed it to. It felt like it was there to be there. Not a very thrilling romance book for me.

I adored everything about this book. I've never read a magical realism romance before, and it was delightful. This book had me cackling out loud and swooning right alongside Jade and Gaia over Jacob. Beharrie handles Gaia's struggles with anxiety with humor, sensitivity, and grace. I have anxiety and have never felt more represented in a book, especially in a romance. Gaia's struggles were so incredibly relatable and real to me.

This book was unexpected. I inhaled it. Highly recommend it for fans of Sally Thorne, Talia Hibbert, and Tessa Bailey.

I definitely need to read more Therese Beharrie. Thank you so much to Zebra Books and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this fantastic read.

This has such an interesting concept that the romance author mc would write out her scenes then dream them that night and she wakes up with the manuscript edited for any improvisations in the reenactment. Um where do I sign up for this magical ability?! It sounds great! I no longer dream since I sleep so little but I used to have vivid dreams and sometimes I would actually be reading books in a dream which honestly is your brain making up a story so I don't know how much rest I was actually getting and all I saw was two pages like ok. But I would have control in my dreams and could fly and do all sorts of stuff.

I love dreams and the power of them since I have randomly felt deja vu my whole life from dreams. The week I had my first daughter I had cluster feelings dating back to high school. I have never had that happen before or since so I thought this book was so fun!

Gaia is a romance author that can literally escape into her books in her dreams. When her best friend Seth tries to get her to socialize at a party she runs into his younger brother Jacob who she hasn't seen in years and who has not gotten any less hot. After a steamy makeout session the friend walks in on them and they get in trouble lol. Then he starts making appearances in her dreams as well. And things start to get interesting fast!

I loved how this book spoke about anxiety and the struggle of feeling like someone can and will love you when you feel like you aren't worth the trouble. Gaia grew up in the foster system and had trouble with change and trusting for good reason. And the magic was an escape and she may not be the only one.

OMG the author's note! I share unsolicited kid pics too! It was so hard to work with kids in the beginning of the pandemic especially since you were a new mom with twins. Everyone deserves something sweet.

Thank you kensingtonbooks and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Alas, I needed the prose to meet the concept in this book. I wasn't mad that there was an insta-lust situation in this book, but I wanted the dream segments to have lusher, dreamier prose and I wanted what was set in reality to feel more grounded. This book was often so dialogue heavy I found myself a little unmoored. That said, I really loved Gaia's character and I'm always happy for more portrayals of anxiety in romance.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This was unfortunately not to my taste and I didn't enoy it. I read around 100 romances every year so I'm starting to really know a great romance.

The main characters fell in lust at once and I didn't buy it. Seth was a shitty friend and she should have dumped him a long time ago. I put it down after a while because I couldn't keep my interest in it.

Highly recommend this book! This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters and the story stay with you long after you finish the book. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

This contemporary romance delivers on emotions, humor, and that extra spark of something literally magical. Gaia is a romance writer who dreams what she wrote about that day, filling the starring role. In the dream, she can adjust what happens as she experiences the story. When Gaia wakes up, her draft is already adjusted to match these improvements. Normally too anxious to get close to people in the real world, Gaia is surprised by how comfortable she feels around her best friend's brother, Jacob. A flirty exchange escalates to a steamy kiss, and that night, Jacob finds himself playing the hero in one of Gaia's dreams. Now they must contend with the fact that Jacob has somehow been drawn in by her writing magic and is destined to act in her romance plots in the dream world.

I have found it suprisingly difficult as a great fan of romance and magic to find an intersection that works for me, and this book completely nailed it. It's primarily a romance with all the strengths of the genre that leave me swooning and deep in my feels at different moments. Gaia's role as a romance author provided multiple layers to appreciate all that the genre can do for its readers and the importance of the messages it can convey. This is one of the good ones, people, with all the sexiest features: clear communication, consent, and supporting/pushing each other through big life changes *major heart eyes.*

The real world elements of the book are heavy in the sense that there are complex struggles and emotions on hand; particularly check the author's content warnings for anxiety, panic attacks, and a childhood in the foster care system. Being a romance novel, these topics are attacked head on as part of the characters' ultimately joyful journey. I most love romances with a full range of emotions, and this one delivered. It explores relationships with family, friends, and careers, offering complete side plots that add dimension to our understanding of the characters' lives. The magic added a touch of excitement and wonder with perfect scenarios for funny encounters, and I enjoyed this embellishment with enthusiasm.

This is a strong romance novel in any way you care to measure it. A complete knockout. Thanks to Kensington for my copy to read and review!

This year I’ve gotten to read a lot of different types of romances written by authors of color about characters of color, and it’s been so cool. And They Lived Happily Ever After by Therese Beharrie is a treat because it features a lot of tropes/themes I love—shared dreams, magic, special powers/gifts, pining/crush, and friends to lovers—in an own voices romance. Plus, it’s also about writing, particularly romance novels. All the things I love! Funny, steamy, poignant, thoughtful, and sexy, And They Lived Happily Ever After explores the aftereffects of growing up in the foster system in a nuanced and imaginative way and how grief fundamentally affects and alters family relationships and family members left behind. Beharrie’s description is vivid, and her narrative style is distinctive.

South African romance author Gaia Anders dreams her bestselling novels into being, literally. It’s a gift she’s relied on as an escape from the remnants of her time as a child raised in foster care, and she’s never questioned it until a real-life passionate kiss with Jacob Scott changes everything. Crushing on Gaia, his brother’s best friend, since childhood is status quo for Jacob. He never expected anything to come of his feelings until each night after their kiss, he begins experiencing shared dreams with Gaia that allow them to live out their fantasies. Though they don’t compare to reality for him. Can he convince Gaia it’s worth taking a risk on love in the real world and leaving her dream worlds to be with him, especially when he has family drama and baggage of his own that he’s struggling to resolve?

An imaginative, gifted, free-spirited, snarky, suborn, dreamer, Gaia is lonely, distrustful of people, socially awkward, and hiding more profound pain and secrets from her best friend, the world, and herself. When she starts spending time with Jacob, those secrets are at risk of being exposed. But being with Jacob also brings light to her life and positive emotions and feelings she experiences in the real world for the first time. From the outside, Jacob is a workaholic businessman, who is dutiful, selfless, loyal, perceptive, and the family peacekeeper. But inside, he’s desperately unhappy, trapped between his father and brother, and driven to keep a promise that keeps him from living his own life. Gaia’s and Jacob’s interactions are snarky, hilarious, sparking with chemistry, filled with intimacy and heat, contributing to their excellent character development. Their characters, struggles, and stories are relatable, making it easy for readers to empathize and care for them.

And They Lived Happily Ever After is an emotional, thought-provoking, relatable, laugh out loud, sexy, snarky, and steamy romance about self-discovery, belonging, family, social anxiety, facing your fears, letting go of the past, and opening your heart to accept love into your life.

Why you should read this book:
☁️ romance writer heroine
☁️ magical shenanigans in a contemporary setting
☁️ lots of flirting and banter!
☁️ Best friend’s sexy and dorky brother
☁️ anxiety disorder rep

And the great big cherry on top is that whatever the heroine writes that day in her romance novels ends up in her dreams. AND the hero experiences those dreams with her!!

Although I loved the premise and the push and pull between the main characters, the execution was inconsistent for me. The pacing was disjointed and I sometimes found myself a bit lost.

I enjoyed Gaia & Jacob’s story. The concept that Gaia is an author that dreams about the stories she’s writing was intriguing. Then when she & Jacob kiss then he ends up part of those dreams, it really upped the storyline. I felt invested in the characters & wanted to see what happened next. The addition of Jacob’s family & Gemma & Levi was a nice bonus. I hope Gemma’s story is next.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

And they Lived Happily Ever After
3/5 stars

I was really captured and intrigued by the summary. That’s what led me to request an eARC from Netgalley.
Gaia is a romance author that has a magic touch. Literally. Anything Gaia writes, she will dream about as the leading MC. How freaking cool is that!! Only she knows this so when Jacob, her best friends brother, ends up in her dreams and is able to deviate from the plot/storyline, it leaves Gaia with so many questions. I enjoyed the instant connection with Jacob and Gaia but being more of a slow burn fan myself, it was too quick.

I really did enjoy the backstory for Jacob and to get to know why he’s a workaholic. Though the storyline was very intriguing, i had a hard time finding myself reaching for the book or really understanding what was going on with the story. That may be more on my ability to grasp vs the writing but that’s how I felt. Overall a very cool plot but I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zebra Books for a copy of

Part of her success as a romance author comes from the dreams she has about them. When her dreams is shared by the hero, the secret is out. As the two grapples with the implications of the shared dreams, they became closer. But their relationship is faced with obstacles from their pasts, familial issues, and personal struggles. How will they get their happy ending?

This is a solid start to the series. I liked the portrayals of the main characters in the story. There were a mixed bag of secondary characters that were likable and annoying. I do feel that the story needed to be expanded more as it didn't feel quite complete in my eyes. However, I enjoyed reading the book and look forward to the next one in the series.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

A beautiful story of magical realism that touched upon difficult topics including anxiety and foster care but also delivered on its romance. Super cute and it takes place in South Africa which is a place I hadn't visited in books and now can't wait to visit in real life!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, heartwarming, romantic, and the characters had real life imperfections that they had to deal with to be able to find the love they seek. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

The book starts with the author acknowledging the fact that this book contains depictions of panic attacks and anxiety disorders. Beharrie warns you to take care of yourself and to avoid if it is a trigger for you. This how is how this book starts and this level of care is displayed throughout the entire read. It is written with so much grace and attentiveness. The characters are written with love and depth, and I absolutely adored it.

This was compared with The Ex Hex and Payback’s a Witch in the summary, and I think those comparisons are made because of the element of magic in this romance. In reality though, it is quite different and I think if you are expecting a witchy sort of read you will be disappointed so do not go into this expecting that. The magic is fascinating (I mean, the characters are interacting in dreams in an Inception kind of way) but if I am honest a bit weak. There are no real explanations for anything and so the magical worldbuilding is a bit underdeveloped.

That all said, the stories and the journeys the characters are on are not underdeveloped at all. The chemistry is great and I was very emotionally invested in what was happening between our characters. By the time I turned the last page I was in love with the story and excited because there is a promise of a sequel – with ghosts! If y’all know me, you know I love a good ghostly read. Throw in romance and I am even more excited! All in all, I think this is a romance read not to be missed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for letting me read this lovely book!

I really enjoyed this book! I got really involved with all of the characters and I would definitely recommend this to a friend! Thanks so much for the advanced reader copy!

I'd recommend this for people who like romance with a dash of paranormal, accurate representation of anxiety and family burdens, and deep romances with sweet main characters and love interests.

This book is so meta: a romance author who dreams the scenes she writes and then her best friends brother starts infiltrating her steamy romance dreams. META and I loved that part of it.

I enjoyed this, and will definitely read Gemma's story, but I wanted more. The summary is perfection and unfortunately the writing didn't live up to the amazing story that Beharrie had laid out. I won't stop reading Beharrie: on the contrary; I am even more excited to see her growth from here, see Gemma's story, and learn more about her background. I hope that others read it and really enjoy it.