A fun quick-read romcom with laughs to spare! This story had a good plot but it felt like something was missing by the end of it.

The description of this book sounded right up my alley - a woman with a life that hasn't at all worked out at all as planned and hilarity ensues. The reality is it missed the mark for me. I didn't fall in love with the characters and it was a chore to finish.

Rom Coms that are a perfect read are few and far between. This one hit all the marks. I found the fmc relatable and the mmc was not insufferable.

This was a fun read! I really enjoyed the characters and the book aspect of the story. Definitely bought a copy for the library collection at work.

"Not That Kind of Ever After" by Luci Adams is a quirky and delightful twist on the concept of happily ever after. This novel offers a fresh take on romance and relationships that had me thoroughly entertained and engaged.

Adams' writing style is witty and charming, infusing the story with humor and authenticity. The characters in the novel are wonderfully unique, each bringing their own quirks and personality traits that make them stand out.

At the heart of the narrative is a playful exploration of the unexpected and the unconventional. The author skillfully navigates the challenges and surprises that come with finding love in unexpected places and embracing the unanticipated twists of life.

"Not That Kind of Ever After" delivers a whimsical and lighthearted narrative that celebrates the beauty of imperfection and the joys of embracing the unexpected. The novel's embrace of the unpredictable adds a layer of excitement to the story.

In conclusion, "Not That Kind of Ever After" is a charming and amusing read that offers a refreshing perspective on love and life. If you're looking for a book that challenges traditional notions of romance while delivering a dose of humor and heart, this novel is a delightful choice that will leave you with a smile on your face.

This has been on my NetGalley list for a while so I’m glad I finally got to it. This was a really entertaining book. This is the story of Bella, who has always wanted the fairy tale wedding love story. She has not found her Prince Charming and after her best friend gets engaged and moves out of their apartment, decides to take a different approach and just have a bunch of one night stand.

This was a pretty funny romcom. I enjoyed the different fairy tales and how it all unfolded. It was pretty predictable and the ending wrapped up a little too quickly but overall was a sweet romance. I did find the main character a little annoying and seemed more YA than a 29 year old woman. A few parts were a tad cringey too but it was entertaining and fun. 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I did not enjoy this one as I was very bored. I didn't think that there was good character development as the main character didn't grow at all and the romance wasn't really there until the end despite it being marketed as a romance.

💙💜🩷Book Review:
Title: Not That Kind Of Ever After
Author: Luci Adams
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Super cute cover! It was a cute story, but it was a tad cheesy for my preferred type of rom-com. The main character was just a bit obnoxious, not gonna lie.

Bella Marble is an aspiring writer, and her life isn't the fairy tale that she'd hoped it would be. She is a receptionist, not an author... yet. She's single, and her best friend, Ellie, is moving out to get married. After Bella spends some time with Ellie's smoking hot brother, Marty, she decides to just have fun and enjoy life.

Bella tries online dating, and after each disastrous meet-up, she writes about her experience on a storytelling app as B.Enchanted, but in fairy tale form. They become extremely popular among her readers. Things start to go to her head, and she begins to treat her friends and roommates like garbage. Can Bella turn it around before she loses everyone, including her Prince Charming.

Published: March 14th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley, and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cute but a miss for me felt too much like reading fan fiction and the fantasy of what someone dreamt their life could be - feminism was too much for me.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

DNF at 18%. The heroine is completely insufferable. She is a terrible friend and extremely rude. I was not enjoying her at all. Romance thread was very light so far (first few chapters were an on-page sex scene with another guy).

Cute, quick read but somewhat predictable. The fairytale theme for a writer was an interesting base for a storyline but also a little disturbing. The realistic aspect of the book is a person, who struggles with change, is forced to deal with major changes. She handles these in the worst way possible, which is the most frustrating part of the book. Bella needed someone to step up and be her “voice of reason.” #Net Galley

I love a good, simple romance, and this one fits the bill. There is something about life just not turning out like you thought - and how you can make the life you imagined and the life you lived make sense in your head and your heart. It's sweet and one that is something you can do in one sitting!

This book is the definition of "It's not you it's me" I wanted to love this so badly, but it sadly didn't work for me. Bella as a protagonist was almost insufferable at times, I wanted to pull her out of the pages and shake her! Her poor decisions, lack of communication and inner monologue came together to make one of the least likeable characters I have ever read. I fully understand that was probably the point of this book so that the eventual character development would be all that more satisfying and I was waiting for the pay off, but it never came. The climax of the book wasn't worth it in my opinion, and the end was just ineffective in showing the evolution and growth of Bella. I know there is an audience for this book but regrettably that was not me.

This was one wild ride of a book. I really like fairy tales, so I hoped I'd enjoy a book that incorporated a lot of them, but ultimately it just wasn't my cup of tea. There's so much dimension to those tales that just wasn't explored. I also wouldn't really call this a romance novel. A bit disappointing all around.

This fell flat for me, and it took me over six months to finally make it through. I pre-ordered it and received an ARC, and it still took me a while to read the entire thing. I will be putting the copy I purchased in my free little library. The main character is wicked unlikeable for me, and I was just annoyed by it the entire time. The writing felt a little younger, and I feel like maybe this would have been better as a YA novel. I really struggled to get through it.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of this book. It was very redundant and I found the main character be very unlikeable and immature. The writing was very funny and witty, however nothing really happened until the very end of the book. I wouldn’t classify this as a romance book, maybe more of a contemporary fiction. For that category, it was fine.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bella’s best friend and roommate Ellie, is getting married, and Bella doesn’t know how to cope with the changes. She doesn’t care for the fiancé and feels lost without her friend by her side. Her job has no career growth, and she is not in a meaningful relationship. As a result, she is sulking and unhappy. Enter Marty, Ellie’s twin brother and Bella’s long time friend. He helps Bella through the transition and provides respite when needed.

Though the reader could find Bella self-centered, the author presents her in a way that allows her to be likable and almost pitied, rather than spoiled and selfish. Bella has some crazy dating adventures that help her evaluate and re-evaluate what and who are actually important, leading up to a satisfying ending.

I received a copy from Net Galley and have written an objective review.

A thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Romance, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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Ellie wants to be a writer, but is stuck as a receptionist for a small publishing company, watching other writers move past her and her colleagues move on. Her best friend is also moving out to get married to her long time boyfriend, so Ellie is left in their apartment with strangers for roommates, no romantic prospects, and still no motivation to write. Ellie then discovers a new writing platform, and begins going on dates to rewrite thinly disguised retellings of fairy tales. Basically, Ellie is writing fanfiction from her own lived experiences, without taking into account the men she is writing about, or how this abrupt change could affect her real-life relationships.
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Frankly, Ellie is a terrible friend throughout the book, and I am glad that this is pointed out to her in no uncertain terms. She acts like a jerk to her best friend for having the gall to move in and get married to her fiancé, and she throws her other friends aside because she has no interest in hearing about them or their interests ever. The premise was cute, but I wish it had a stronger follow through.

I honestly don’t know the last time a book made this angry or feel this bad for an author. This was not a romance novel. Just because two people ended up together at the end of the book does not make it a romance novel. This was a chick lit novel. Which is fine, except they presented it as a romance novel and these are fundamentally different things. All of my thoughts on this book are shadowed by the fact that it was not what I was promised and it failed to deliver upon expectations.

In a romance novel, it’s a story about two people falling together. It’s their journey of falling in love. Yes, each character has some personal growth in addition to their relationship but their relationship is the focus. The male romantic interest in this kind of randomly popped up when needed and then disappeared for chapters on end. I didn’t realize he was going to be the romantic interest until over halfway through the novel. And then it kind of felt abrupt and weird (because I am a romance reader with romance reader expectations).

I honestly cannot tell you if I would have enjoyed this book if I went into it knowing that it was not a romance novel because I spent the whole book waiting for the romance to begin and then being angry when it failed to deliver. I find the most fault with the publisher since they’re the ones who chose how to categorize and market this book and did so under false pretenses.

Though, to be honest, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the book all that much if I knew it was a chick lit because if I wanted to hear about someone have a third-life crisis and being quite a bit whiny, I would pay attention to my own life. Bella was pretty unlikable, immature, and excessively self-centered. She read as someone much, much younger than almost thirty and it was impossible to feel sorry for her as she kept creating her own problems over and over again without ever looking to fix them.