"When did celebrating the things you love becomes childish? Was I supposed to switch off my whimsy the day I became a legal adult?"

If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted contemporary romance young adult novel, look no further. Bonus points if you love Disney movies and want to read about a new fictional resort - this is the book for you. Madison is a hopeless romantic and she is obsessed with everything Disney. When her girlfriend dumps her right before her Spring Break trip to the new Happily Ever Island, Madison is distraught. You see, the new resort needed to test out all of the new scenes on the island, so everyone in attendance had to write an essay about why they wanted to play a certain character while they spent a week on the island. Madison has been cast as the beautiful Cinderella and can't imagine giving up her spot to visit this new resort. Luckily for her, her best friend Lanie reluctantly agrees to step in at the last minute, taking the place of Merida. Lanie knows the bare minimum about Disney but is willing to dive right into the world of being a badass princess while navigating all the intricacies of being on an island devoted to making all the magic of Disney movies come alive.

If I'm being honest, I didn't have very high expectations for this book going in. I wasn't expecting it to blow me out of the water or anything and I think that helped me enjoy the book more than I thought I might. I loved seeing what life would be like for these average Disney fans as they worked to encompass everything about their assigned Disney character. I loved seeing all of the activities that took place for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen. I also enjoyed both Madison and Lanie's characters. Seeing them learn and grow both together and apart from each other as they spend a magical Spring Break on Happily Ever Island was a lot of fun. This is a genuinely fun way to spend several days.

Now I wish there was a real Happily Ever Island to visit so I can live my dreams of having a giant library and dishes that clean themselves.

TW: panic attack, death

**Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a cute story that I will be recommending to readers who need this. It kept me interested throughout and was a good easy read when I needed to have less brain power than the books I usually gravitate towards need.

I was apprehensive about this book, but in the end I really liked it. It was so corny, but in the best way. It made me laugh and squeel, it honestly was too cute at times, but I still enjoyed it.

I was very excited about the premise of this book but it didn’t live up to my expectations. The two friends relationship didn’t feel real and genuine so their trip and what happened on it held very little interest to me. This was a DNF

Was this book a lot? Yes. But in a good way? Also yes. The drippy sweetness of the writing definitely made me roll my eyes at times. But it really does make you walk away from it in a good mood. So no complaints here. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was adorable. I want to go to happily ever island and I would happily read a 1000 page manual detailing every inch of the place! This book was so much fun to read! The only downside is that both the main characters can be extremely annoying. We all know Disney adults are the worst and Madison is the ultimate Disney adult.

Disney fans will adore “Happily Ever Island,” which features two characters exploring a new immerse theme park designed by Disney. Madison is Disney obsessed, and after a breakup with her girlfriend and struggling to find a sense of purpose while in university, she is on the hunt for the perfect Disney escape. Her bestie, Lanie, seems to have every thing in her life laid out for her but feels like her path is not her own. On the island, the two grapple with real world struggles while learning what Happily Ever After could mean for them!

This is a dual POV novel, with a dash of romance. Lovers of Disney and its particular magic of escapism will enjoy being swept away into every mega-fan’s dream— an island where dreams can come true!

Madison would do anything to be picked for an exclusive trip to the new Disney Island. Where she can become the princes of her daydreams. But when her current relationship is a bust she recruits her best friend Lanie to join her. This story is for the die hard Disney fans and will hit all the right notes with them. While the concept of the island is intriguing, there isnt much time spend building the essence of the island. Fans will be wanting more world building to counter the romances.

Very cute for Disney fans and includes LGBTQ rep. I wish this place was real. There are two POV in this with 2 romances and a friendship. I wouldn’t recommend to a non Disney fan.

I have some mixed feelings on this one. The island sounds amazing if you can remind yourself that its a work of fiction. The costs alone for everything they get (costumes made to their sizes?!) would be wild.

Madison was pretty annoying through most of the book. However I really enjoyed Lanie and watching her let loose a little and her relationship with price charming.

Overall it was a fun read full of Disney cheesy-ness.

The premise of this book is fun, and the setting was well-developed. My issue with the book was the character. They were unlikable and underdeveloped. Also, I'm not sure who the intended audience is. The book is very Disney-centric, which may not appeal to older teens, but the characters' arcs are not relatable to younger teen readers. There are positive aspects of this book, but overall, it was just okay.

As a Disney Parks fan, I had to check out this cute YA about two college students that are invited to attend Disney’s newest resort. The story is one of friendship and two sweet love stories. I found the audiobook on Hoopla and rotated from reading the library book and listening to the audio. It was fun and made me want to plan another trip back to Disney!


🥰 liked || 💗low steam

🤟cute, disney references, lgbtqia rep

📚Kasie West, Dahlia Adler

🎶Happily Ever After by Jordan Fisher + Angie Keilhauer

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

Enjoyed this clever story full of Disney love and two young adults trying to figure out their futures while also finding love. There's a lot here to enjoy, from the creative (fictional) new Disney property to the iconic Disney moments to the coming of age questions and the stirrings of new love. Disney fans should not miss this one!

Cute Disney cheese. But it was a little over the top cheese for me. I like how this was sort of Ren Faire meets Disney, but both girls were too annoying for me to fully get into it. The "conflict" for each was also kind of stupid - Lanie couldn't be with Prince Charming because her lesbian best friend needed her big moment? Madison couldn't admit she liked Val because she wanted to be on her own for a little bit? I guess it really didn't matter though because both "conflicts" were taken care of in 5 minutes.

I really like the idea of Happily Ever Island - where avid Disney fans can apply to be their favorite characters and live out their "hero moments." I actually think that's fantastic. But unfortunately, the execution missed the mark for me.

Absolutely love everything about Happily Ever Island. This was a quick and enjoyable read. Being a Disney fan, this book was right up my ally. Would love a sequel!!

As a Disney Adult myself I was so excited to read this book! Overall I enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review in exchange for an honest review

From the first chapter of Happily Ever Island, I knew this is a book made for me. I am a full-fledged Disney adult like Madison. An island dedicated to Disney live-action role play is definitely up my alley. I actually read some of this book in line at Disney World, which was the perfect place to read it.

I found myself relating to both Madison and Lanie, and it was so lovely to get both of their points of view throughout the story. My organized, type-A side definitely related to Lanie. I may be a lot older than Lanie, but I also often wonder what I want to do with my life. My Disney Park obsessed self who thrives in a customer service role is more like Madison. I loved watching these two grow and learn from one another over the course of the story.

This book exudes Disney magic in every page. The dinner at the Beast’s castle complete with all of the dishes mentioned in “Be Our Guest” had my smile widening with each new lyric referenced. I certainly related to Madison and Val competing over their knowledge of Disney trivia as someone who has spent many hours over the past few years playing Disney trivia. I also loved that the book reminds us that Disney can bond people of all generations as Madison shares memories of watching Disney films with her grandmother, and Ethan talks about Disney films helping his mom through cancer treatment. Happily Ever Island reads like a tribute to the Disney fan.

The descriptions of Happily Ever Island transported me to this beautiful magical place. I felt like I could see laterns during the “I See the Light” sequence from Tangled and could see the ice crystals in Arendelle. I also definitely wanted to eat at Tiana’s Palace and go on a Pocahontas themed canoeing journey. I loved that Val even gives Madison (and the reader) a rundown of how the island is laid out.

Few Disney stories would be complete without a romantic love story (Brave and Moana, I see you). I appreciated that Happily Ever Island took the expected romance and turned it on its head a little bit. Madison comes to the island as Cinderella, but it’s Lanie who meets Prince Charming first and builds a connection with him. Ethan is there for Lanie and is willing to listen to her talk about her personal struggles but is also there to joke around with her about how Prince Charming doesn’t really do all that much. I loved that Val sees Madison for all of her potential and is willing to listen to her suggestions for Happily Ever Island. I thoroughly enjoyed following the development of both of their relationships.

Any massive Disney (and Disney Parks) fan is guaranteed to love this book. I am ready to book my ticket to Happily Ever Island right now.

✨ 2 friends go to the ultimate Disney roleplay island.

💜 When Madison wins a trip to Happily Ever Island, being a major Disney fan, she has to go! And she takes her best friend along, even though she doesn't know much about Disney.

💥I haven't really heard much about this book, and people aren't really talking about it much. But as a former Disney cast member and a fan immersive experiences and roleplay, I had to read it. This books makes me want to jump into the pages and just be on the island, LIKE RIGHT NOW. The ability to live as your favorite character for a week is amazing. Our main2 girls go as Cinderella and Merida (I would totally go as Merida for so many reasons, plus the character who gets to RP her is also name LANIE. Meant to be, no?). Aside from that, they are also trying to understand their future path. This book many not be deep but it made me squeal with joy. One petty thing, the cast members introduce themselves with first and last name, but that is a no-no (per Walt, first names ONLY). Maybe I should go work at this island...please make it happen!

My face at the end: 🤗 🦄

🍪 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to @Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney). I will give you a list of reasons to read!

This book is perfect for Disney Parks fanatics, former cast members (like myself), and current cast members, or anyone who likes happily ever after endings.

I admit that I honestly would love to experience this island and see this as kind of a next gen after the galactic starcruiser hotel, but that's getting a bit too out of topic.

I really liked seeing the journey that the two friends end up on, and how their paths help them discover who they truly are. Crystal really helps to build this world (reminiscent of the Kingdom Keepers series in the tone and flavor) and it makes it seem like a real place.

And as a former cast member, I could really relate to Val and her stressing over making things perfect.

And shout out to the College Program mention!

This YA novel is a great read for Disney fans, with a really fun premise! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.