Summer Ever After

by A.J. Wynter

My step-mother is a wannabe gold digger and we've been criss-crossing the country trying to find her next husband. Windswan Lake is beautiful, and full of opportunities, aka rich men. It's her newest hunting grounds. My evil step-sister is poised to follow in her mother's footsteps. She spends her days working out and getting her hair done, while I work two jobs as a maid to keep the lights on.



They find the perfect job for me - a billionaire with a beautiful cottage, but that's not the reason I had to take the job. The billionaire has a son - and my evil step-sister wants him. If motorcycle riding billionaires, evil step-mothers, and a masquerade ball are your jam; you will love the modern day Cinderella retelling in "Summer Ever After."

Genres: Romance

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2023

Reviews

[O’rion Risher · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is full of contradictions and was super cringey. Timelines didn’t match up at times, and it really seemed like it needed an editor. One chapter(rose/rosie/daisy/heidi POV), it’s cold and end of winter/early spring, the next (max POV) it’s JULY and then the next chapter (back to daisy), it’s been two weeks since her last chapter, but it is indeed July. I guess I didn’t realize sometimes entire months aren’t part of reality in books… 🤣 there’s silly things like “strict rules against dating the bosses” that the main housekeeper is enforcing and explaining… but she turns around and decides to set up her boss (max) with the employee (Daisy).

And why did this chick have so many names? So dumb. Rose, but Daisy and also Rosie. Then some dude calls her Heidi because of her braids.

Then the weird plot hole where over 50% of the book just has her step mother expecting her to pay for everything, and then she cuts off her step daughters braid for “embarrassing the family name” even though they live in a shack and the step daughter was literally hanging out with the cream of the crop aka: all the billionaires daughters. Doesn’t really make sense to me! Then the stepmother is revealed as cruel and apparently tries to kill her stepdaughter. Again, felt wrong and seemed to just come out of nowhere.

The head shaving was super random as well. Just bam! And you bet that a huge amount of people would be staring in a bad way, now gawking thinking she’s the most beautiful person in the world or thinking she’s a princess. Honestly, most people see a shaved head and immediately assume the person is sickly. That’s kind of a natural thought. Not that I agree with that or whatever, but it just didn’t seem right in the story with all these fancy billionaires staring at her like she’s royalty. 🤣

The “she’s not like other girls” trope, but also how would you even know since you don’t even know her at all bs is really dumb. And her “I don’t cry” but continues to cry randomly throughout the book… 🙄🫣

The last 15 ish % was the biggest disappointment, though. The main characters don’t even have time to get to know each other before they’re declaring their love for one another and moving in together. They knew each other like half a day? And a lot of that was half truths or white lies.

The name of the book kinda makes you think they’re going to spend the summer together, but in reality it was just a few hours at most.

Also… they just start stripping naked to attack each other at the most RANDOM times! Once while at the lake, totally not hidden. Then again while at the fundraiser, outside of the ballroom area where they suspect there are paparazzi… what the heck?! And every dang time they get close to having sex, something happens. Well, until the epilogue. And even that was anticlimactic.

It’s just… not good. It could be good with some random crap removed and edited. But as it is, I can’t recommend it to anyone in good conscience.

[Marian. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite movies is Cinderella, both animated and live action and "the new Cinderella" and I liked this retelling, it has all the charm of the story but modern, it has the essence of the story but with touches that the author gives it that I liked. Let's see, Max and Daisy only see each other twice (when they meet and when they meet again) and that is true to the Cinderella story, but I loved what happens in between, the author gave Daisy a charming personality and the plot with the stepmother also takes a surprising turn. It was a good story, I had a good time reading it and the ending was nice for me.

Thanks to the author for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!

---

Una de mis películas favoritas es la cenicienta, tanto animada como live action y las de "la nueva cenicienta" y este retelling me gusto, tiene todo el encanto del cuento pero moderno, tiene la esencia del cuento pero con toques que le da la autora que me gustaron. A ver que Max y Daisy solo se ven como dos veces (cuando se conocen y cuando de vuelven a encontrar) y eso es fiel a la historia de la cenicienta pero lo que pasa entre medio me encanto, la autora le dio a Daisy una personalidad encantadora y la trama con la madrastra también toma un giro que quede sorprendida. Fue una buena historia, la pase bien leyéndola y ese final fue hermoso para mi.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying that I really like this author’s writing style, and the book was a nice read. I liked both the main characters.

I wish there was a little more drama. The 2 leads spent almost no time together and I feel like this book could have really expanded AFTER the “Cinderella moment”.

Now. If poor grammar really ruins a book, please do not read this. I have never seen an author so inept with understanding how quotation marks work. It was actually kind of embarrassing, and you would have to reread paragraphs several times to figure out what what being voiced.

Also, this author clearly has no concept of the legal system because (possible spoiler, but I don’t think so, personally): you cannot be charged with manslaughter if the victim is alive.

Overall, a cute story but definitely has a lot of potential. And PLEASE, at least have 1 friend read your work before publishing.

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their Destined Encounters -
Jessica was just biding her time until she could escape the claws of her stepmother when she went to college, so she knew pursuing anything with Max when they met wasn’t worth it. Max felt a connection with Daisy after spending time with her and realised he wanted to get to know her better, as she was different from the vampy gold diggers who always tried to catch his attention.

Even though Jessica was pushing herself to the limit to satisfy her stepmother, her life only seemed to get worse when her stepmother tried to rope Jessica into another one of her get rich quick schemes. However, what Jessica and Max didn’t know was that fate had a path for both of them that brought them back together again. Unfortunately, Jessica’s stepmother tried to get rid of her permanently, but luck was on Jessica’s side and she was saved in time, so she and Max could get the happiness they both deserved.

Wow! This was a fantastic and addictive story to read. It had such a heart breaking storyline, making my emotions fly all over. Their journey to overcoming the past and taking a risk on love in the future, was really amazing to experience. This uplifting story had really interesting characters and some mysteries that unravelled along the way, as I read through the story. This book deserves to be you next Saturday relaxation indulgence.

I received an advanced copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Renee Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Twist

A delightful romantic spin from the traditional story of “Cinderella” except this one is set in the 21st century. Daisy is the strongest & hardest worker in town. All of her earned money goes to her wicked stepmother & stepsister. Unbeknownst to Daisy one day, she helps Max Starling out with his classic motorcycle. A magical afternoon together seals their feelings of being ‘soulmates’ but fate has other plans for these two. The summer is over & Max returns to the big city while Daisy is stuck over the winter dreaming of her Prince Charming.

When Spring returns, so does Max. The Starling family have a huge masquerade fundraising gala on their island where Daisy is hired to clean & help out behind the scenes. Like the fairytale, Daisy is swept off her feet with Max wanting to continue where they left off last summer. The truth surfaces on her background & his protection for her strengthens. Of course, her evil stepmother, Christine has more up her sleeve in trying to becoming very rich & Daisy is the key.

This adult version of Cinderella is a great read. The romantic evening of flowers & crystals at the gala bring out the best of Daisy & Max. They are meant to have their HEA but not without some roadblocks along the way.

I volunteered to read this ARC & leave an honest review.

[Vicky.lovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Ever After by A.J. Wynter

4.5⭐️
3🌶️

Tropes

Small town romance
Fairytale retelling
Found family
Opposites attract

Blurb:

Happily Ever After doesn't happen to people like me.

My step-mother is a wannabe gold digger and we've been criss-crossing the country trying to find her next husband.

Windswan Lake is beautiful, and full of opportunities, aka rich men. It's her newest hunting grounds.

My evil step-sister is poised to follow in her mother's footsteps. She spends her days working out and getting her hair done, while I work two jobs as a maid to keep the lights on.

They find the perfect job for me - a billionaire with a beautiful cottage, but that's not the reason I had to take the job.

The billionaire has a son - and my evil step-sister wants him.

If motorcycle riding billionaires, evil step-mothers, and a masquerade ball are your jam; you will love the modern day Cinderella retelling in "Summer Ever After."
***
This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoy the way she writes. I’m drawn into the story immediately and need to keep reading until I finish. The mmc’s are interesting and I am so happy they got their HEA.

[Dee Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and heartfelt Cinderella retelling.
Daisy used to be one of the upper class, until her father died leaving her with nothing but an evil stepmother and stepsister. She has one perfect, blissful summer day with a beautiful stranger, but it’s just one day in time that can’t last so she lies believing their worlds too far apart.
Max can’t forget the girl he met last Summer, but has been consumed by the charity ball he’s organising for his father’s company.
Can one day, stopped in time, be enough to fall in love?
Unknowingly, they are closer to each other than they realise when she starts working for his family in the lead up to the event.
Sweet and emotional with a little spice, a terrible family vs a wonderful family, new friends, a life nearly lost, a young woman taking control of her life and the man ready to be anything she needs. There’s a lot of drama, some humour and a cast of characters you’ll fall in love with, more than one romance taking place, and a beautiful HEA.

I received a copy from the author and this is my voluntary review.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge congratulations on the creation 😁 Summer Ever After, by A J. Wynter.

The danger and intrigue between Max and Rose, aka Daisy, is amazing and very believable in today's age.

This story is everything you need, intrigue drama steam and romance.

Imagine meeting your soulmate and losing out for over a year trying to find her. It's like she doesn't exist, only in your mind. Discover what happened when the bad boy, Playboy meets the love of his life and vice versa.

However Daisies stepmother has walked on her and treated her like dirt for the past 10 years and now is her chance to break free and discover the love of her life while doing it.

Personally, I have devoured many books by AJ Wynter, and this one is just as exquisite as a next. Follow along as these two souls find their happily ever after, it is more than worth it.

I received an advance reader's copy of Summer Ever After in exchange for my honest and voluntarily given opinion and I could not recommend reading it more.

Absolutely amazing.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very satisfying Cinderella re-telling

A.J. certainly knows how to weave a good tale, and this modern day Cinderella had a very evil stepmother and a self-absorbed stepsister. A.J. also very bravely played the Sleepless In Seattle card, and she made it work so well, masterfully keeping the leads apart.
A chance meeting one afternoon led to sparks flying between Daisy and Max, and affected both of them for a long while afterwards, but Daisy's home life precluded any hope of a life of her own. A real upstairs, downstairs tale follows, with Windswan the venue for the 'great and good' to grace the town with their presence for a charity gala while the townies sweep the path in front of them and clear up after them.
Daisy (a.k.a. Rosie) and Max were great characters, as was Daisy's boss and Max's sister, Jessica, who appointed themselves Daisy's fairy godmothers. I loved their story, and can't wait for Jessica's HEA.

[Only.ever.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
✨Summer ever after✨
Windswan Lake #2

By A.J. Wynter

⭐ 5/5 ❤️ 5/5

✨ Cinderella retelling
✨ Found family
✨ Small Town Romance

Modern Cinderella retelling

She works to make ends meet for her and her stepmother and stepsister. She is a character you will like immediately and root for.
He is the rich boy of Windswan Lake. It is the Lake where Max is the most happy. But he lives and works in the city.
When they meet some day by coincidence they feel an instant connection and spend the day together. But they should not see each other again for a whole year. Because their different circles make them lose touch.
Now Daisy/Maisie works for a rich family as a housemaid without knowing that this is Max’ family. So when they meet again the feelings are still there.
What will it need to get their happy end.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a brilliant heartfelt story and a rewriting of Cinderella.
Rose/Daisy is only just surviving. Living with her evil stepmother and stepsister she works so hard to keep a roof over their heads and pay for whatever the two want.
There's an instant connection between Max and Daisy when they meet and she gets his motorbike restarted. The day they spend together is everything they both want but she knows that it can't go further.
A year later and she is still struggling to pay the bills but now she is working for a rich family getting the holiday home on the island ready for a masquerade ball. What she doesn't know is that it's for Max's family.
When they meet at the ball the feelings are still there but can she escape the clutches of her stepmother and get the happy ending she deserves.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Naughty Nightie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy/Rosie is "Cinderella" living with her wicked Step Mother and step sister doing all the work and bringing in the money to support them all. One day she meets Max walking home after shopping and meets Max who has broken down. Luckily for Max Daisy knows how to restart his bike. They end up spending the day together then he drops Daisy Off "home." Due to circumstances they don't see each other for more than a year. They meet by accident when Daisy gets a job as housemaid for Max's family. Meanwhile her treatment by her family gets worse. Daisy's treatment by her stepmother and step sister gets worse. Will this be their downfall?
I received an arc for my voluntary hones review for NN Book Blog. If you love a romance with angst with a Cinderella retelling you will enjoy this book.

[Kari Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her father passed away Daisy found herself under the rule of her stepmother and stepsister where she was more servant than family. The brief time she spent with Max was a respite from her life however due to their different lifestyles she believes that is all they can share.

Max was smitten by Daisy and even though he hasn’t seen her for a year and has no way of contacting her he hasn’t forgotten her. When he finds out that she is working for his family will this be their second chance or are there too many forces determined to keep them apart?

An enchanting romance that features people you will root for and people you will root against. If anyone deserves happiness it is Daisy and Max proves that he is the man who can give it to her.

[Jen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the play on a classic fairytale, Cinderella references, in this story. Max Starling is our Prince Charming. He is from a wealthy, powerful family and could be considered Windswan Lake royalty. He is happiest when at the lake but mostly lives and works in the city. A charity event - Masquarde Ball, that he is involved in planning, it will take place at the lake which is a first. Daisy/Rosie is our Cinderella, it is difficult not to fall in love with her and cheer her on through this story. This love is instant but the characters lose touch as they are worlds apart in social class. Fate is strongly at work and so is a little fairy dust. Enjoy!

[Jeanette Durant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Daisy and Max's Cinderella retelling love story.

When Daisy meets Max, they both have an instant connection, but where he comes from wealth, she struggles to make ends meet.

I really liked Daisy, she's suffered a lot. Her stepmother was a real piece of work. Used by her stepmother to be a housekeeper and scope out potential wealthy men for her to con, she ends up working for the Sterling family, which is when her life starts to take a turn for the better.

This sweet, small town romance totally captured my heart. Max and Daisy are truly made for each other and I'm hoping for Jessica (Max's sister) to get her own book.

[Rae Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Ever After is a chance for readers to return to Windswan Lake, where Mine for the Summer took place, but this can be read as a standalone as the characters in Mine for the Summer are only referenced in passing.

Daisy (aka Rose) spends a day with Max after a unique meet-cute. At the end of the day, she has him drop her at a house that isn't his, so when he returns later that evening, she isn't there. A year later, their paths run parallel in preparation for the Summer Ever After charity ball held at Max's family's home in Windswan Lake.

I LOVED that this was a modern twist on the Cinderella storyline. The story was well written and the characters well developed, but I wish the main characters had a chance to interact more. They spent most of the story separate, which, although consistent to a Cinderella plot, left me wanting just a little more between the two.

[Kimberly Holmgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Daisy (Rosie) and Max. Insta-love at its best. Daisy is making the most of a bad situation. After her fathers death, she’s stuck with her gold-digging step-mother and her equally awful step-sister. She’s working multiple jobs to take care of them all. One afternoon, she meets Max. One amazing day together and they are instantly taken with one another. A year later and Daisy finds herself working for Max’s family. Although she doesn’t know it’s his family. Once they meet again, the realize the feelings are all still there. The evil step-mother does her best to steal their happily ever after.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max and Daisy have an instant connection when she helps him fix his bike. They come from two different worlds. He is wealthy and she is from the other side of the tracks with a dysfunctional family. Her father has passed, and her stepmother and stepsister are something else. When she gets a job working for Max's family they reconnect and realize the feelings are still there. Will this time around lead them to happiness. This story had me in their corner from start to finish.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book.

[Jenn Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Max and Daisy meet and there's this amazing, intense connection from the start. It's a bit of a retelling, the evil step-mom and evil step-sister, making life absolutely miserable for Daisy. I loved her determination, even with working multiple jobs, she's studying and taking classes to get away from them. Max is a man full of heart and he's hooked immediately! There are ups and downs, a great flow that kept me involved and I enjoyed every minute!

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This was a waste. The two MCs spend a couple of hours together at the beginning of the book and at 75% the still have not reconnected. And randomly at 75% in she shaves her head bald to feel empowered ? Really? She is a total doormat but shaving off all her hair before the ball seems like a good idea? This was just a let down. How is it a romance if the characters spend no time together? Pass on this one….

[Sharon Faurot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a arc member . I give my thoughts of own free will . Daisy walking home from the grocery store and she helps max get his motorcycle started instant connection between them . After an amazing day she realizes that isn’t going to work she is from the poor side and he is rich . Year later she starts working at his parents place and her step mother is treating her worse every day . Such a great story . Can they find each other ? Must read .

[Judy25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book = a modern Cinderella story, complete with an evil step-mother and step-sister. Daisy does everything they ask of her and she is still treated like dirt. Love at first sight plays a prominent part in this book. The theme that hard work pays off in the end was also evident throughout this book.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. It's a heart felt book that will make you sad for rose and everything she's been through and the max the one that made her feel love but let it go, max can't get over the woman he met a year ago but when they come face to face a year later at his masquerade party max knows he's never letting her go. Can she let him him?

[Gin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this story, and it did not disappoint! I loved the characters and A.J.'s interpretation of the classic Cinderella fairy tale.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Carla Aultman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had so much potential to be a great book, but just wasn't. You get maybe 3 chapters total of the 2 main characters being together. The rest is just filler and non climatic things happening. Super disappointing.

[Cherie Maggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this rags to riches story. As expected, this author did not disappoint

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet cinderella story. Max and Daisy are so good together.
I’m looking forward to more stories from this little town.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the story, but the errors were so distracting. I wonder if the book was even proofread before it was published.

[Jennifer Eggleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived every second of this book. I am so looking forward to reading Jessica’s story!!!