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A Storybook Wedding
Watch out for karaoke mishaps that result in a fake engagement…because weddings are forever…
When librarian Cecily Jane Allerton and hotshot struggling author Nate Ellis are caught in a compromising position during their MFA program, they decide to get married to keep the haters from destroying their careers. To the horror of Cecily's family - who are all *huge* fans of big white weddings, they elope to City Hall. Now they're back on Block Island, pretending to be a real married couple, and finding that however fake the relationship may be, the mutual attraction is all too real. With Cecily vying for a literary award, Nate striving to get past his writer's block, and plans to annul the marriage after the MFA program ends, what could possibly go wrong?
When librarian Cecily Jane Allerton and hotshot struggling author Nate Ellis are caught in a compromising position during their MFA program, they decide to get married to keep the haters from destroying their careers. To the horror of Cecily's family - who are all *huge* fans of big white weddings, they elope to City Hall. Now they're back on Block Island, pretending to be a real married couple, and finding that however fake the relationship may be, the mutual attraction is all too real. With Cecily vying for a literary award, Nate striving to get past his writer's block, and plans to annul the marriage after the MFA program ends, what could possibly go wrong?
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2024
64 people are currently reading
10987 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
May 19, 2024
3.25 Stars
I enjoyed the unconventional love story and gained some insights into the life of a writer. However, some scenes felt cheesy and even caused me some secondhand embarrassment. Additionally, some of the humor didn't resonate with me. But I still thought the overall story was fun and entertaining. If you're in the mood for a light and enjoyable read featuring a fake relationship storyline, this book may be for you.
***Thank you to NetGalley, K.J Micciche, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
I enjoyed the unconventional love story and gained some insights into the life of a writer. However, some scenes felt cheesy and even caused me some secondhand embarrassment. Additionally, some of the humor didn't resonate with me. But I still thought the overall story was fun and entertaining. If you're in the mood for a light and enjoyable read featuring a fake relationship storyline, this book may be for you.
***Thank you to NetGalley, K.J Micciche, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
did-not-finish
June 6, 2024this book was giving me the worst cringe
dnf @ 15%
dnf @ 15%
April 25, 2025
Meh. I'll review soon
Cecily & Nate
What to expect:
~ dual 1st
~ fake relationship
~ marriage of convenience
~ not great family members
~~~ I really am not a fan when the sister steals the boyfriend cuz she's jelly
~ minimal steamage
Narration notes:
Both did perfectly fine.
Cecily & Nate
What to expect:
~ dual 1st
~ fake relationship
~ marriage of convenience
~ not great family members
~~~ I really am not a fan when the sister steals the boyfriend cuz she's jelly
~ minimal steamage
Narration notes:
Both did perfectly fine.
July 29, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
What a nice, entertaining, quick book.
I really enjoyed the story overall and the ´marriage of convenience´ escapade was super creative.
I feel like this was a cute rom-com, perfect for a summer read.
The main characters were believable and I definitely felt connected to the FMC's overall way of being.
The ´backward love story works perfectly and Nate is just the perfect gentleman.
As always Dreamscape Media audiobooks are flawless and the voice actors were really good.
The karaoke scene was super funny to hear, maybe even funnier than having to read it.
What a nice, entertaining, quick book.
I really enjoyed the story overall and the ´marriage of convenience´ escapade was super creative.
I feel like this was a cute rom-com, perfect for a summer read.
The main characters were believable and I definitely felt connected to the FMC's overall way of being.
The ´backward love story works perfectly and Nate is just the perfect gentleman.
As always Dreamscape Media audiobooks are flawless and the voice actors were really good.
The karaoke scene was super funny to hear, maybe even funnier than having to read it.
March 31, 2024
[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Storybook Wedding releases May 14, 2024
1.5
Cecily is a children’s librarian and has just been granted a $20K scholarship to pursue an MFA in creative writing at the age of 29.
An impromptu night of karaoke after a literary event leads to Cecily drunkenly kissing a faculty member, which ends up being documented publicly. The two of them agree to enter a marriage of convenience in order to save themselves from breaking the “no faculty member/student relationship rule.”
For a book that went so deeply into the craft of writing and how to structure a narrative in a way that is compelling, it’s ironic how this wasn’t able to deliver on any of the points that were mentioned throughout.
The pacing and transitions were awful, and the characters were cringy, awkward, and often gave me second-hand embarrassment.
Too many additional subplots distracted from the main thread of the story, which I assumed would largely tie to a wedding of some sorts (it doesn’t really) — in hindsight, the scene where they were violently vomiting from shellfish poisoning probably wasn’t necessary, and the multiple pages of excerpts from the main character’s manuscripts could have been cut down.
Additionally, I found that the characterizations weren’t consistent. Cecily struggled in the workshop to interact with the Gen Z students, but soon after was naturally using slang like “this is life” and “I can’t even” in her everyday conversations.
For a novel in the romance genre, there was very little romance to speak of. Nothing happens until 70% (not even a convincing slow build of sexual tension), and then a third-act break up ensues 20% later!
The nail in the coffin for me was comparing blue balls to giving birth, which is fucking wild on so many levels.
“Another day of workshops. Another night of painful blue balls. To be fair, I’m actually starting not to notice the blue balls so much. They’re becoming part of me. Like when a woman gives birth and her stomach changes—and it never quite goes back to what it was before because the muscles tear and stretch. Like that. Only it’s my nut sack.”
Or, this: “his full length springs forward like a clock on daylight savings time.”
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
A Storybook Wedding releases May 14, 2024
1.5
Cecily is a children’s librarian and has just been granted a $20K scholarship to pursue an MFA in creative writing at the age of 29.
An impromptu night of karaoke after a literary event leads to Cecily drunkenly kissing a faculty member, which ends up being documented publicly. The two of them agree to enter a marriage of convenience in order to save themselves from breaking the “no faculty member/student relationship rule.”
For a book that went so deeply into the craft of writing and how to structure a narrative in a way that is compelling, it’s ironic how this wasn’t able to deliver on any of the points that were mentioned throughout.
The pacing and transitions were awful, and the characters were cringy, awkward, and often gave me second-hand embarrassment.
Too many additional subplots distracted from the main thread of the story, which I assumed would largely tie to a wedding of some sorts (it doesn’t really) — in hindsight, the scene where they were violently vomiting from shellfish poisoning probably wasn’t necessary, and the multiple pages of excerpts from the main character’s manuscripts could have been cut down.
Additionally, I found that the characterizations weren’t consistent. Cecily struggled in the workshop to interact with the Gen Z students, but soon after was naturally using slang like “this is life” and “I can’t even” in her everyday conversations.
For a novel in the romance genre, there was very little romance to speak of. Nothing happens until 70% (not even a convincing slow build of sexual tension), and then a third-act break up ensues 20% later!
The nail in the coffin for me was comparing blue balls to giving birth, which is fucking wild on so many levels.
“Another day of workshops. Another night of painful blue balls. To be fair, I’m actually starting not to notice the blue balls so much. They’re becoming part of me. Like when a woman gives birth and her stomach changes—and it never quite goes back to what it was before because the muscles tear and stretch. Like that. Only it’s my nut sack.”
Or, this: “his full length springs forward like a clock on daylight savings time.”
May 6, 2024
3.5 stars!
"A Storybook Romance" by KJ Micciche is a fun book with witty dialogue and an interesting dynamic between main characters. People will devour this book on vacation, that's for sure. It might not be the most revolutionary novel I have ever read, but it's still a cute, quick read/listen that won't take a lot of brain power to enjoy. I will admit, the marriage of convenience angle is not always my favorite, and while the premise for CJ and Nate's marriage is flimsy at best, I found that it strangely worked for me over time?! I enjoyed hearing about how their relationship changes over time, as well as how they change each other. They have excellent chemistry with one another. It might be because Kelli Tager and Nick Mondelli bring these characters to life in a wonderful, fitting way. Some of the plot points introduced seem to go nowhere or get dropped by the wayside in favor of the romantic aspect. Nate is not the best developed character ever. In fact, I forgot his name several times during the book. He could have had a little more oomph to his narrative and character. Everything in the plot plays out in a predictable manner, so there were no surprises here, but the banter and commentary on career ambition and personal growth (relationship and work-wise) makes it worthwhile. Again, this book is not reinventing the wheel, but it's definitely worth it for those looking for a light, summertime read.
Thank you to NetGalley, KJ Micciche, and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"A Storybook Romance" by KJ Micciche is a fun book with witty dialogue and an interesting dynamic between main characters. People will devour this book on vacation, that's for sure. It might not be the most revolutionary novel I have ever read, but it's still a cute, quick read/listen that won't take a lot of brain power to enjoy. I will admit, the marriage of convenience angle is not always my favorite, and while the premise for CJ and Nate's marriage is flimsy at best, I found that it strangely worked for me over time?! I enjoyed hearing about how their relationship changes over time, as well as how they change each other. They have excellent chemistry with one another. It might be because Kelli Tager and Nick Mondelli bring these characters to life in a wonderful, fitting way. Some of the plot points introduced seem to go nowhere or get dropped by the wayside in favor of the romantic aspect. Nate is not the best developed character ever. In fact, I forgot his name several times during the book. He could have had a little more oomph to his narrative and character. Everything in the plot plays out in a predictable manner, so there were no surprises here, but the banter and commentary on career ambition and personal growth (relationship and work-wise) makes it worthwhile. Again, this book is not reinventing the wheel, but it's definitely worth it for those looking for a light, summertime read.
Thank you to NetGalley, KJ Micciche, and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
April 12, 2024
Dawwwwwww.
What a cute his and her point of view.
Loved the premise of the book, and also that they were both authors.
Thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
What a cute his and her point of view.
Loved the premise of the book, and also that they were both authors.
Thank you NetGalley for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 6, 2024
I really, really enjoyed this marriage of convenience, dual POV romance that sees a Children's Librarian turned aspiring writer forced to help save her writing professor's reputation by marrying him after a drunken kiss between them gets caught on video. Full of forced proximity, fake dating-ish goodness and lots of insights into the writing and publishing world. This was great on audio and is a new favorite for me by this author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!
Steam level: closed door/fade to black
Steam level: closed door/fade to black
May 18, 2024
This book is hard one for me because my opinions on it are so polarizing.
First, some things I liked:
I listened to it in audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrators. I thought the female narrator was particularly engaging, helping me feel the worries and joys that Cecily was feeling. The male narrator was also good, just not particularly stand-out to me.
This book was genuinely very funny. I found myself smiling often which is a great sign. And the writing was good. It was clever in so many ways, but these things were overlooked by some of the negatives.
Some things I didn't like...
This book was boring. Things are happening (MFA program, wedding, writing books, etc), but it all dragged. Also, it took a while to get into the "meat" of the story. We don't even get to the wedding bits until about 40% in or so. Considering I thought that was a big part of the story (hello, title!), I was very disappointed.
Maybe along similar lines, I like the FMC, Cecily, but Nate, the MMC, was dull. I think that's part of what made the book drag for me. He lacked that sparkle to really make him shine as a love interest and main character. I wasn't falling for him alongside Cecily, and I was barely rooting for him. Lackluster, unfortunately.
Overall, if you're willing to stick it out, maybe you'll enjoy it. It's slower-paced, but well-written and funny. Not my kind of book, but I can see how others would enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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First, some things I liked:
I listened to it in audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrators. I thought the female narrator was particularly engaging, helping me feel the worries and joys that Cecily was feeling. The male narrator was also good, just not particularly stand-out to me.
This book was genuinely very funny. I found myself smiling often which is a great sign. And the writing was good. It was clever in so many ways, but these things were overlooked by some of the negatives.
Some things I didn't like...
This book was boring. Things are happening (MFA program, wedding, writing books, etc), but it all dragged. Also, it took a while to get into the "meat" of the story. We don't even get to the wedding bits until about 40% in or so. Considering I thought that was a big part of the story (hello, title!), I was very disappointed.
Maybe along similar lines, I like the FMC, Cecily, but Nate, the MMC, was dull. I think that's part of what made the book drag for me. He lacked that sparkle to really make him shine as a love interest and main character. I wasn't falling for him alongside Cecily, and I was barely rooting for him. Lackluster, unfortunately.
Overall, if you're willing to stick it out, maybe you'll enjoy it. It's slower-paced, but well-written and funny. Not my kind of book, but I can see how others would enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog • Instagram • TikTok
May 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 3.75/5 – fake dating; friends to lovers
Spice: 1.5/5
Humour: 2/5
This was such a fun read, and I actually enjoyed the premise so much. It had a sweet story of a student (and a librarian) who kisses a professor that works in her school and the two are left having to tie the knot to prevent him from losing his job (don’t worry, there is no age gap nor was he her professor or anything like that). But as they must fake their relationship, their friendship develops into more.
They are both writers, so it was sweet to see them support one another and cheer for each other but the plot did feel rather convenient at times But, nonetheless, I liked it.
Where this book fell flat for me was: humour, atmosphere and the climax/third act conflict - I also loved one of the narrators but unfortunately the other did not work well for me at all, but this is just a personal preference.
1. Humour – Im not sure if Im in the minority here but I often felt that there was a line or a joke that I know I was supposed to find funny but didn’t at all. One of the reasons I usually love romance books is for the humour but with this book, I might have smiled at a joke like once or twice in the entire book. If the authors sense of humour was more ‘my thing’, this book could have easily been a 4 star because I loved the premise.
One small extra thing that bothered me – but that’s because I cringe extremely easily – Again, this is a personal issue I am sure but for me … it’s a no.
2. Atmosphere – it was a classic case of tell and don’t show. The author would mention ‘New York’ for example, and I felt like we were supposed to just imagine the city and the vibe of it. But not everyone who will read this book is an American or someone who might have had the chance to visit certain cities. As much as I can understand that contemporary settings work well in aiding the imagination of the reader without as much work from the author, I have a very basic idea of what New York or other cities in the US feel like – most of which I might have seen in some TV show. And because of that, I was left feeling quite underwhelmed. Even after finishing the whole book, I really just imagine the main character and get blue glasses but nothing beyond that. There were just not many atmospheric vibes in this book.
3. The climax/third act conflict – it was … comical? But not in a good way. It was quite obvious who would cause the major conflict in this book but that did not bother me. what did, was that when they finally revealed their plan, it was as if we got a dialogue from a moustache twirling villain. Not only that, the ‘villain’ also went over all the events of the book + explain how each of them push her further in her plan to Like I just read 80% of the book, I did not need her to tell me again most of the events of the book as she smirked constantly revealing the whole plan.
Additionally, during the climax of the story, we got far too much exposition/info dumping about some smallish events of the main characters lives in quite too much detail. This should have been cut down or put in a different part of the story. I liked the ending, but I really wished that we could keep the ‘high’ going straight into the resolution and not take massive detours.
Lastly, her family were really shitty for the majority of the book and then, in like the 90th%, they were all like nice, understanding and apologising which felt very out of character for them. It should have been explored far more than just one conversation and then suddenly everyone is compassionate. Like her ex – they were together for 6 years, she lost her virginity to and who gave her a promise ring that he would love her forever – I am sorry what? So when they did a 180 from this shitty behaviour to suddenly being all supportive and loving, I had a bit of a whiplash.
The epilogue was by far the best part of the book. It was a sweet and just perfect ending for this book. And honestly left me wanting to increase the rating because I actually think those two would have a cool life together!
Overall rating: 3.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 3.75/5 – fake dating; friends to lovers
Spice: 1.5/5
Humour: 2/5
This was such a fun read, and I actually enjoyed the premise so much. It had a sweet story of a student (and a librarian) who kisses a professor that works in her school and the two are left having to tie the knot to prevent him from losing his job (don’t worry, there is no age gap nor was he her professor or anything like that). But as they must fake their relationship, their friendship develops into more.
They are both writers, so it was sweet to see them support one another and cheer for each other but the plot did feel rather convenient at times But, nonetheless, I liked it.
Where this book fell flat for me was: humour, atmosphere and the climax/third act conflict - I also loved one of the narrators but unfortunately the other did not work well for me at all, but this is just a personal preference.
1. Humour – Im not sure if Im in the minority here but I often felt that there was a line or a joke that I know I was supposed to find funny but didn’t at all. One of the reasons I usually love romance books is for the humour but with this book, I might have smiled at a joke like once or twice in the entire book. If the authors sense of humour was more ‘my thing’, this book could have easily been a 4 star because I loved the premise.
One small extra thing that bothered me – but that’s because I cringe extremely easily – Again, this is a personal issue I am sure but for me … it’s a no.
2. Atmosphere – it was a classic case of tell and don’t show. The author would mention ‘New York’ for example, and I felt like we were supposed to just imagine the city and the vibe of it. But not everyone who will read this book is an American or someone who might have had the chance to visit certain cities. As much as I can understand that contemporary settings work well in aiding the imagination of the reader without as much work from the author, I have a very basic idea of what New York or other cities in the US feel like – most of which I might have seen in some TV show. And because of that, I was left feeling quite underwhelmed. Even after finishing the whole book, I really just imagine the main character and get blue glasses but nothing beyond that. There were just not many atmospheric vibes in this book.
3. The climax/third act conflict – it was … comical? But not in a good way. It was quite obvious who would cause the major conflict in this book but that did not bother me. what did, was that when they finally revealed their plan, it was as if we got a dialogue from a moustache twirling villain. Not only that, the ‘villain’ also went over all the events of the book + explain how each of them push her further in her plan to Like I just read 80% of the book, I did not need her to tell me again most of the events of the book as she smirked constantly revealing the whole plan.
Additionally, during the climax of the story, we got far too much exposition/info dumping about some smallish events of the main characters lives in quite too much detail. This should have been cut down or put in a different part of the story. I liked the ending, but I really wished that we could keep the ‘high’ going straight into the resolution and not take massive detours.
Lastly, her family were really shitty for the majority of the book and then, in like the 90th%, they were all like nice, understanding and apologising which felt very out of character for them. It should have been explored far more than just one conversation and then suddenly everyone is compassionate. Like her ex – they were together for 6 years, she lost her virginity to and who gave her a promise ring that he would love her forever – I am sorry what? So when they did a 180 from this shitty behaviour to suddenly being all supportive and loving, I had a bit of a whiplash.
The epilogue was by far the best part of the book. It was a sweet and just perfect ending for this book. And honestly left me wanting to increase the rating because I actually think those two would have a cool life together!
August 2, 2025
Cecily Jane Allerton is a children’s librarian and it seems like all her dreams are coming true as she has finally been granted a scholarship to pursue a MFA . During the program, Cecily meets Nate Ellis, an award winning author who is moonlighting as a professor to find inspiration for his next book. And unfortunately for Cecily and Nate, an impromptu night of karaoke results in a drunken kiss that ends up being documented publicly. So in order to ensure the safety of Nate's job and Cecily's spot in the program, the two of them agree to enter a marriage of convenience.
Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me. I did enjoy that this was a quick read, and the first third of the book was fun. I also appreciated the dual first person POV - the narrators of the audiobook were great! However, there was a lot that did not work for me. I never really liked Cecily, and probably would have dropped the book if it wasn't for Nate's perspective. Also, I thought their justification for the fake marriage was so weak that it kind of ruined the rest of the book - their lying was just not worth it. And there were so many embarrassing scenes that I wish I had been reading the book so I could skip over the scenes instead of just having to listen to the characters make fools of themselves. And I have realized from this book that I just do not like books that include characters who are authors and share their writing to others (forcing the readers to also read it), especially when their writing relates to personal aspect of their lives. I just find it so cringey.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing the audiobook ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me. I did enjoy that this was a quick read, and the first third of the book was fun. I also appreciated the dual first person POV - the narrators of the audiobook were great! However, there was a lot that did not work for me. I never really liked Cecily, and probably would have dropped the book if it wasn't for Nate's perspective. Also, I thought their justification for the fake marriage was so weak that it kind of ruined the rest of the book - their lying was just not worth it. And there were so many embarrassing scenes that I wish I had been reading the book so I could skip over the scenes instead of just having to listen to the characters make fools of themselves. And I have realized from this book that I just do not like books that include characters who are authors and share their writing to others (forcing the readers to also read it), especially when their writing relates to personal aspect of their lives. I just find it so cringey.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing the audiobook ALC in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2024
Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC!
CJ is a children’s librarian and joins an MFA program to help herself become a published author. Nate is a “literary Nostradamus” but is struggling to complete his second novel, so he becomes a professor at the MFA program CJ is at. A situation where she drunkenly kisses him (in front of QuestLove???) forces them into a sham marriage to protect Nate’s job. Hijinks ensue.
Overall, I thought this was a really cute, fun marriage-of-convenience trope. It felt a little dry throughout, but it made up for it with all of the fun banter and absurdity of the whole plot.
CJ is a children’s librarian and joins an MFA program to help herself become a published author. Nate is a “literary Nostradamus” but is struggling to complete his second novel, so he becomes a professor at the MFA program CJ is at. A situation where she drunkenly kisses him (in front of QuestLove???) forces them into a sham marriage to protect Nate’s job. Hijinks ensue.
Overall, I thought this was a really cute, fun marriage-of-convenience trope. It felt a little dry throughout, but it made up for it with all of the fun banter and absurdity of the whole plot.
May 13, 2024
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡-𝐨𝐮𝐭-𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐠𝐬-𝐚𝐭-𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐡𝐞-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞! 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞? 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐔𝐠𝐡, 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞.
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥! 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐎𝐕 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!
𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒦𝒥 𝑀𝒾𝒸𝒸𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑒, 𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡-𝐨𝐮𝐭-𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐠𝐬-𝐚𝐭-𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐡𝐞-𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞! 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞? 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐔𝐠𝐡, 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞.
𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥! 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐎𝐕 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!
𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒦𝒥 𝑀𝒾𝒸𝒸𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑒, 𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
May 31, 2024
This was a super cute listen! I def recommend. It’s light hearted and fun. A little spice, not much at all.
May 2, 2024
This reads almost like an Emily Henry book but make it a marriage of convenience and in a bookish setting!
Overall this book had a lot of positive details in it, many of it following the plot and the characters themselves. Starting off the plot and the concept of this book itself were interesting and adorable, and I don't think I've ever truly read a book that followed this sort of plot. (Plus it did help that the student and professor relationship was between a 29-year-old and a 30ish year old... so I liked that). The characters were also just such messy and realistic characters. They dealt with doubt, imposter syndrome, expectations of women in a family, family drama, feeling like they don't fit in, and more. Truly because of this, I found them to be very interesting characters.
Now let's get to the nitty gritty, the romance. Let me just say that I loved the chemistry between these two characters, and how it started off small and then ignited like a fire. Truly these two had the cutest little situationship and friendship going on, and how perfectly they just matched each other. They really covered each other's mishaps and flaws, and they really felt like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together.
I do have to say that this book is veryyyy millennial and there were a lot of mentions of current-day (or blatantly 2010) trends and modern media, which sadly just gives me the ick. Fortunately, though this mostly happens at the start of the book and then doesn't come up as much later on. So just push through this a little and you will find a cute and fluffy romance.
Overall I truly love this book and the characters within it. It was a cute and fluffy romance that was written with this floaty summery vibe, and truly I am obsessed with it.
Overall this book had a lot of positive details in it, many of it following the plot and the characters themselves. Starting off the plot and the concept of this book itself were interesting and adorable, and I don't think I've ever truly read a book that followed this sort of plot. (Plus it did help that the student and professor relationship was between a 29-year-old and a 30ish year old... so I liked that). The characters were also just such messy and realistic characters. They dealt with doubt, imposter syndrome, expectations of women in a family, family drama, feeling like they don't fit in, and more. Truly because of this, I found them to be very interesting characters.
Now let's get to the nitty gritty, the romance. Let me just say that I loved the chemistry between these two characters, and how it started off small and then ignited like a fire. Truly these two had the cutest little situationship and friendship going on, and how perfectly they just matched each other. They really covered each other's mishaps and flaws, and they really felt like two pieces of a puzzle that fit together.
I do have to say that this book is veryyyy millennial and there were a lot of mentions of current-day (or blatantly 2010) trends and modern media, which sadly just gives me the ick. Fortunately, though this mostly happens at the start of the book and then doesn't come up as much later on. So just push through this a little and you will find a cute and fluffy romance.
Overall I truly love this book and the characters within it. It was a cute and fluffy romance that was written with this floaty summery vibe, and truly I am obsessed with it.
May 13, 2025
Gives Emily Henry Book Lovers vibes and love the block island setting given I go there often!
July 10, 2024
Cute, charming, and wonderfully diverting, if you're looking for something that's just plain fun to read, go for K.J. Micciche's A Storybook Wedding: An enemies to lovers marriage of convenience romantice comedy. Phew, how's that for a long title? LOL
The audio version is nicely performed by Kelli Tager and Nick Mondelli.
an audiobook copy of A Storybook Wedding was provided by Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
The audio version is nicely performed by Kelli Tager and Nick Mondelli.
an audiobook copy of A Storybook Wedding was provided by Dreamscape Media, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
April 2, 2024
This was a fun book to read. As a writer, I loved the quick humour with literary lines.
If you’ve read KJ’s first book, you you’ll again enjoy her quick humour in this marriage of convenience romance. I laughed throughout the book.
Nate, the hero is likeable with his try-to-be professional attitude while also being charming and funny.
The two main characters are writers so there’s a lot of literary references which any querying writer can relate to. My favourite line is when Nate says, ‘I’ve got a bachelor’s in English and a subscription to Grammarly.’
If you’ve read KJ’s first book, you you’ll again enjoy her quick humour in this marriage of convenience romance. I laughed throughout the book.
Nate, the hero is likeable with his try-to-be professional attitude while also being charming and funny.
The two main characters are writers so there’s a lot of literary references which any querying writer can relate to. My favourite line is when Nate says, ‘I’ve got a bachelor’s in English and a subscription to Grammarly.’
August 28, 2024
The formula to a good romance book is simple; all you need is like-able main characters who have good chemistry. This book has neither. Both main characters are incredibly mean-spirited. They immediately think the worst in those around them and mock others unprompted in their internal monologue. This is not portrayed as a character flaw in either of them. Cecily never got out of her middle school “I’m not like other girls” phase and both her character and the narrative as a whole are very hateful toward women who make choices different than Cecily regarding their careers, marriage, and motherhood. The main characters also have some wild opinions regarding literature (Cecily in particular) given that they are both supposed to be authors. It is a bold call to have a character look down on other characters who read literary and classic books for seemingly no reason other than those aren’t the kind of books she prefers to read. The male main character Nate is just a slightly blander version of Cecily, so there’s not much to say there. At no point in the story was I really rooting for them to get together. There is no real tension between them, so the romance isn’t even compelling.
February 15, 2024
Got my hands on the book this morning and already finished it. It was the perfect Valentine’s Day read. Cecily and Nate were both likable characters that made you cheer for them and their happy ending.
June 14, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars 🌟����🌟💫
A cute marriage of conveince romance focused on Cecily and Nate, two characters on different ends of the spectrum of the literary world. Cecily is an aspiring romance author working in a the New York Public Library System about to join an MFA program to focus on her writing while Nate is already a famed published author who joins the MFA program as an instrutor hoping to find inspiration for his sophmore novel. The two have instant chemistry that eventually finds them in a comprimising position that puts Nate's career and position as an instrutor on the line. In order to save Nate, Cecily proposes a plotline straight out of some of her favorite romance novels, a fake marriage 💒💍
Ulitmatley I thought this was a fun, sweet, read! The story line focuses a lot on the intricacies of the writing and publishing world which could provide a really intresting pespective to readers who are intrested in it. The book itself felt a litte short and I personally wish there was more time spent showing the relationship between Nate and Cecily developing. The ending felt a bit rushed and I wish I could have seen Cecily's hardwork throughout the novel pay off in a more significant way. Overall, I liked the book and enjoyed spending some time emersed in CJ and Nate's world!
Thank you to K.J. Micciche, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with the ALC to listen to 🥰
A cute marriage of conveince romance focused on Cecily and Nate, two characters on different ends of the spectrum of the literary world. Cecily is an aspiring romance author working in a the New York Public Library System about to join an MFA program to focus on her writing while Nate is already a famed published author who joins the MFA program as an instrutor hoping to find inspiration for his sophmore novel. The two have instant chemistry that eventually finds them in a comprimising position that puts Nate's career and position as an instrutor on the line. In order to save Nate, Cecily proposes a plotline straight out of some of her favorite romance novels, a fake marriage 💒💍
Ulitmatley I thought this was a fun, sweet, read! The story line focuses a lot on the intricacies of the writing and publishing world which could provide a really intresting pespective to readers who are intrested in it. The book itself felt a litte short and I personally wish there was more time spent showing the relationship between Nate and Cecily developing. The ending felt a bit rushed and I wish I could have seen Cecily's hardwork throughout the novel pay off in a more significant way. Overall, I liked the book and enjoyed spending some time emersed in CJ and Nate's world!
Thank you to K.J. Micciche, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with the ALC to listen to 🥰
May 20, 2024
This was such a delightful surprise of a book! It has the witty bibliophiles of Emily Henry with a little extra cheese factor, but it grows to a more squeal-worthy happily ever after.
I really enjoyed the "book about publishing a book" element because it really dove into the nitty gritty of becoming a debut author without getting bogged down in the weeds. (I saved some of the resources mentioned.) And the low-res MFA program with delightful small-town characters was a nice balance to the main characters' NYC everyday lives.
Neither character was perfect and I loved that. There were times when each of them handled situations less than ideally, but the way they continued on and remained themselves gave it a genuine feel in an otherwise storybook love story.
thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook galley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the "book about publishing a book" element because it really dove into the nitty gritty of becoming a debut author without getting bogged down in the weeds. (I saved some of the resources mentioned.) And the low-res MFA program with delightful small-town characters was a nice balance to the main characters' NYC everyday lives.
Neither character was perfect and I loved that. There were times when each of them handled situations less than ideally, but the way they continued on and remained themselves gave it a genuine feel in an otherwise storybook love story.
thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook galley in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2024
When librarian Cecily Jane Allerton and hotshot struggling author Nate Ellis are caught in a compromising position during their MFA program, they decide to get married to keep the haters from destroying their careers...
I absolutely could not put this story down! Cecily and Nate are both such great characters. I loved Cecily's own personal story with love, career and family. The story moved quickly and I loved how connected I felt to the FMC. It was interesting to be in the mind of an author and see all the hardworking that gets put into writing and publishing a novel.
You'll love this if you enjoy:
-marriage of convince
-dual POV's
I absolutely could not put this story down! Cecily and Nate are both such great characters. I loved Cecily's own personal story with love, career and family. The story moved quickly and I loved how connected I felt to the FMC. It was interesting to be in the mind of an author and see all the hardworking that gets put into writing and publishing a novel.
You'll love this if you enjoy:
-marriage of convince
-dual POV's
September 9, 2024
3.75⭐, 2🌶️
This book was cute at times, and other just felt a little too kitchy. Like I loved the relatability of it to modern day, and getting to know Cecily's real life struggles as an aspiring author was fun, but then the longer the book went, it got a bit too tired. The marriage of convenience took until the 50% mark to occur which felt oddly paced (and the title and blurb was misleading to the actual plot IMO). And while I like Cecily and Nate's love story, the third act breakup drama felt a tad unnneccesary. So this book was a split for me on the enjoyment scale.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This book was cute at times, and other just felt a little too kitchy. Like I loved the relatability of it to modern day, and getting to know Cecily's real life struggles as an aspiring author was fun, but then the longer the book went, it got a bit too tired. The marriage of convenience took until the 50% mark to occur which felt oddly paced (and the title and blurb was misleading to the actual plot IMO). And while I like Cecily and Nate's love story, the third act breakup drama felt a tad unnneccesary. So this book was a split for me on the enjoyment scale.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
May 20, 2024
Fake dating but make it fake married but they’re actually married? YES PLEASE!!!!
KJ wrote one of the cutest romcoms I’ve read all year. I absolutely adore CJ and Nate and their trials of “pretending to be married” while falling for each other at the same time. So adorable.
I felt that some of the scenarios were a tad too cheesy at times, but let’s be real a romcom isn’t a romcom without some heavy cheese right??
Definitely recommend (:
KJ wrote one of the cutest romcoms I’ve read all year. I absolutely adore CJ and Nate and their trials of “pretending to be married” while falling for each other at the same time. So adorable.
I felt that some of the scenarios were a tad too cheesy at times, but let’s be real a romcom isn’t a romcom without some heavy cheese right??
Definitely recommend (:
June 5, 2024
This book was so cute!! Honestly I think the description of this book was little off, as the marriage aspect didn’t appear until over halfway through and isn’t as big of plot line as i anticipated.
The writers retreat and their journeys were fun to read and well written. The third act conflict was a little predictable but not in a bad way!
The writers retreat and their journeys were fun to read and well written. The third act conflict was a little predictable but not in a bad way!
October 7, 2024
What a delightfully fun romance with rich characters and real-world problems in the literary world. As an author, I enjoyed the insights into publishing that Micciche added to this world. The characters were rich and not just two people looking for love. Love just happens to find them. I would recommend this romance to anyone who likes contemporary romances with rich, realistic characters.
July 18, 2024
DNF @ 52%.
I have been actively trying not to DNF books without giving them a solid chance. I think 52% is fairly solid.
This book gave me so much secondhand embarrassment and made me cringe so hard that I decided it would be better to not listen to anything than to listen to this.
I have been actively trying not to DNF books without giving them a solid chance. I think 52% is fairly solid.
This book gave me so much secondhand embarrassment and made me cringe so hard that I decided it would be better to not listen to anything than to listen to this.
July 21, 2024
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway, so thank you!! I will say, for me it seemed slow at the start. By like the middle things started getting interesting and I felt myself wanting to keep reading. I did really enjoy CJ and Nate realizing that they really care about each other.
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