Seriously good! This book was a fantastic romantic comedy. The characters were lovable, and I was so sad when it ended. I loved it!

The idea of the book sounded great but it really didn’t keep my attention. The story the first half was really slow moving and I didn’t really care for the main character. Also the word feminism was used in the description but I didn’t find any feminism in the book. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

Bella, the main character is funny and spunky but she also came off very self centered. Throughout the book I did have many moments where I laughed out loud. Overall, I think the story line had a lot of promise and at times was entertaining but for me personally it didn’t quite hit the right note.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to an advanced reader copy of this book!

⭐️ 3.5/5 (rounded down for platform rating purposes).

Could be a hit or miss, depending on your tastes. While I appreciate what the story was trying to accomplish and thought the idea behind it was intriguing and cute, this book was missing some things for me. Bella was overall difficult to relate to, but I did enjoy her character development by the end of the book. The single stream of consciousness writing style was not for me and was a struggle to follow at times. Romance was a secondary component but still okay. It would have been a quick read for me, but I kept losing interest. I would still recommend this book to a few people I know would enjoy it. 💙

For all the fairy-tale lovers out there, pick this new book up ASAP! I loved every second of this, from the atmospheric writing to the laugh-out=loud characters, this story was a treat through and through.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

This was an odd read for me, because I really didn't like Bella for most of the book. Normally, when I find a main character that dislikable, the book as a whole turns me off. But not this time. I was intrigued by the premise and how slowly the story built. Also the fact that while this seems to be a romance with all the standard trappings of a romance, it really isn't. Not at all. I mean, yes, it's there. And there aren't many surprises but the book is more about how Bella grows up as a human being and moves away from being a selfish person to embrace her potential as a pretty decent (normal) person. The fairy tales were fun, and I truly expected them to roll for the whole book, so I was surprised when they kind of didn't go exactly to plan. Which made it a lot more realistic, although let's be real, going out with a bunch of Smurfs is pretty unreal.

So, while Bella was not my favourite person, in the end, I was rooting for her to get her act together and figure out how awful she had been to the people around her. And when that happened (hopefully not a spoiler) I was annoyed by the way she beat herself up for things that were really minor. Even though, at the time, I was thinking she was a horrible person for doing just what she was beating herself up over too. So, that contributed to my odd feelings. At one point, I found myself thinking "wow, you are being way too hard on yourself" and then in the next breath realizing that I had been just as hard on her for the same thing in the moment it was happening.

To sum up: The characters were well developed. The plot was interesting and really cute at times. And the romance, while secondary to the main plot, was satisfying.

Oh, and no huge conflict to tear the lovers apart was a relief for me. Too many books involve boy meets girl, boy and girl get together, both realize they're in love but don't say it (or only one does), conflict tears them apart, and then there's about 20-50 pages where they figure their stuff out and end up back in each other's arms somehow. NOT how it happens here and I loved that.

This is the perfect contemporary fiction read for smart, young women in their twenties who are still discovering themselves. This book conveys everything that female friends and I are experiencing in our disorganized, hopeful lives right now. I'm a sucker for female characters that enjoyed reading fairy tales growing up because I so relate to that. If you're someone who constantly daydreams and imagines fictional scenarios for yourself, then this is the ideal read for you.

I could not get into this book! I’m the same age as the main character but she seems to be more in her early to mid 20s not almost 30. She is definitely a character that is hard to root for a lot of the time! I did enjoy the fairytale tie-ins. I did not like how Mark was described- it definitely felt like there was some weight shaming going on there.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

Sadly, this book just didn't do it for me and seemed very unrelatable for me. I just got more annoyed with the main character, and I know we are supposed to be, but I just didn't get as invested in it as I wanted to. 3 stars because the main character pulled her head out of her ass at the end of the book and became likeable enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Marten's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for this ARC!

There were definitely cute moments throughout this book, however, overall it fell flat. I did not feel much for the main character. Her thoughts and actions became somewhat predictable to the point where it got kind of boring. I started losing interest from early on in the book, but I wanted to finish it so that I could give it a fair rating/review. I still think it was a cute read, and I also liked the concept of comparing her love life with different kinds of fairytales. In other words, this book wasn't for me, but I would still be open to reading other titles from this author in the future.

Throwing out the traditional format of a romantic comedy, Luci Adams takes an invigorating and realistic approach with her hilarious debut novel, Not That Kind of Ever After. Mimicking the format of sharing random unorganized thoughts in a diary or a personal conversation with a close friend, Luci puts us into the deep end that is Bella’s witty, sarcastic, and unfiltered mind. We aren’t just a person reading her story, we are right next to her, knowing her thoughts, her feelings, peeking over her shoulder at her text messages, side by side with her, every step of the way.

The story begins how you would least expect it, adding yet another failed attempt of a long list of dates to find her Prince Charming. All Bella wants, asides for being a successful writer, is to have the happily ever after of her parents. Her frustration builds as she witnesses those around her finding their "ones". To add insult to injury, her attempts to become a successful writer are mocked by blank pages and blinking cursors. Frustrated, distraught, and spiraling - Bella decides to take advice from a friend and put her misadventures on paper. Opportunity strikes when Bella learns about a platform for new writers where she can share her dating fiascos with a wider audience. What Bella doesn’t plan on is the wild ride that ensues.

What I liked about this book: I loved the full growth of Bella’s character. The casual approach Luci takes has us following Bella on an (almost) day to day basis. By slowing down her interactions with work, friends, and life in general, we are able to witness the full transformation of who she started as in the beginning of the story and who she ended up being towards the end. We also get to see her “human side” where she grows, fails, learns, and tries again. Luci doesn’t wave a magic wand where Bella has one bad experience and all of a sudden she is born anew. We see her make her transformation, move forward, stumble, and try again - that is realistic growth. We also see the future in the same manner as Bella, we have no idea where the story is going and that mystery keeps the reader captivated. There are so many twists, turns, and unexpected paths that you'll find you almost want to take notes just to keep it straight.

What I loved about the book: The fairytale tie-ins! Seriously, I don't think I can look at certain fairytales the same way ever again. As a reader, you start to enjoy the story even more when you find yourself guessing some of the titles of her chapters.

What I didn’t like about the book: Honestly nothing; however, I don’t believe this book will be for everyone. The book is the inner working of Bella's brain, her “ID”, unfiltered, raw, and honest. We are walked through every single thing that is happening to and around her. For some readers, this may be too much detail, an overabundance of information where they just want to get to the romantic comedy portion of the book. This also creates a very slow moving story. The first several chapters are the span of just 1-2 days (following the text message dates help you know where you are in the week). There also isn't a clear path of the story so if you are someone who needs direction, again the format may be off-putting.

What I am indifferent about but feel I should mention: While the format of the book may change, if it doesn’t - I was a little lost on the “parts” of the book. Again this may change upon publishing so I won’t go much further into it but if it remains, I feel I need to reread it just to understand the significance of splitting it into parts and chapters.

Putting a side-splitting twist on some fairytale favorites, Not That Kind of Ever After reminds us that fiction exists as a basis of entertainment, but not a model of life. We aren’t flawless princesses looking for our Prince Charming. Life isn’t perfect and neither are we. We are flawed, we are real, and we are simply people looking for someone who sees us for who we are, good and bad, and still wants to be with us. That is what makes a true ever after.

This book isn't for me DNF.





*************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.******************

I found this novel to be a fun albeit serious one. Fun because of the almost neurotic urgency of the main character, Bell, to achieve her goals. Serious because her relationship with her best friend forever becomes jeopardized by Bella’s actions. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think that this was cute but I did find myself losing interests occasionally in the story. I would rate it almost a 4 except for the fact that I couldn't get through it in one sitting. But I did think the MC was charming and would recommend to some friends who would be able to maintain their focus on the book!

This was a quick read for me. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. The only downside (why 3 stars instead of higher) is that you learn so much just from reading the "back of the book" blurb. I would love it if the author had added about 40 more pages to give each character a little more development.

This was so enchanting!
Bella, an aspiring writer, is looking for her Prince Charming but isn’t having much luck! With her dating app fails, she decides to start writing about her dating woes and goes viral!
Throughout this book, Bella has several not so happy endings with her fairytale like adventures.

Just when she thinks she wont ever find Prince Charming, she finally does.

I loved the fairy tale like stories throughout the book and truly enjoyed this book so much I read it whenever possible.

This is one of those books that would be a hilarious movie to watch and I’m here for it.

I despise the main character and thought she acted younger than she was thats why i had to put it down and DNF it. I couldnt get past 30% i tried for the life of me but i could take another second of the characters

ARC REVIEW
Not That Kind of Ever After by Lucie Adams

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A truly delightful, laugh out loud, page turner

🧚Bella is tired of dating duds looking for her Prince Charming. But when a random hook up inspires a fairy tale look at modern London dating, she finds her writing career falling into place. Will finding her happily ever after be as easy as looking right in front of her?

🧚 This was such a cute read! Here is what I loved.

🧚 The crazy dating. Omg. Some of these dates (and men) had me laughing so hard. Talk about crazy situations. And Bella’s reactions to them were hilarious. I loved the fairy tale connections.

🧚Bella. Some may say she’s too flawed and selfish, but I loved that about her. She needed a place to start in order to show her growth as a person. She honestly reminded me of Fleabag. I was rooting for her, even if she did something cringeworthy. I wanted her to find herself and her happy ending.

🧚 Marty. I’m in love with this man. He is genuine and truly cares for Bella. But is also funny. He is straight up book boyfriend material!!

All in all, this was a perfect British romcom that had heart (I totally cried at times) and humor.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

Release: 3/14

A lower-end review coming in hot for this book. I would say this book is three stars for me. This book did not hold my interest as much as I would have liked. The cover art is suburb. The book seemed like every other plot about romance. This is a cute book that would be good for a quick read but this is not something I would fan over like most others. The characters did not entertain me. This was a cute and funny book but not one I want on my shelf after reading this. For those wanting a cute little laugh, this is the book for you.