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Not Another Happily Ever After
In the realm of Riches and Ruin, a curse cast by the fallen Fairy Godmother threatens to rot away everything both kingdoms hold dear--including the one heart capable of ending it.
With hope running out, there is only one choice left: place the still-beating heart of the half-dead princess into the hands of a the not-so-charming prince and force a union that might mend what the curse has broken.
That is, if the masked knight sworn to deliver her heart doesn't steal it for himself first.
With hope running out, there is only one choice left: place the still-beating heart of the half-dead princess into the hands of a the not-so-charming prince and force a union that might mend what the curse has broken.
That is, if the masked knight sworn to deliver her heart doesn't steal it for himself first.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 423 reviews
August 11, 2026
I’ve debated writing this review several times. I really do try to be as positive as possible, and I fully admit when books are good but just not for me personally. This is one that I feel is a departure from that classification, and I’ll explain why. I received this as an ARC through a PR company, and after several delays we finally were able to access it about a week before it was due to be published. I was excited to read it, I loved the title and the cover art. I’m a sucker for Corpse Bride anything, really. The prologue started off strong, and then from there it took a hard left. Beware, there are spoilers from this point forward.
This is billed as a retelling or reimagining of the Corpse Bride, and while the main character, Sunday, is… not quite dead, she’s certainly on her way to being so. Cursed due a conflict before her time, she’s destined to die. She’s unable to break the curse because the only way to do that is also unfortunately dead. Like very dead. What happens from there is… chaotic.
Her parents hate her and try to kill her often, she has few allies in her castle save for Gallahad, who meets a dire end. Why? I am not entirely sure. Her father, who hates her, then brokers a deal to marry her off to Prince Charming, who is a complete creep. You with me? From there, she’s now leaving her castle for the first time to get to… honestly, I’m not sure. She’s actively dying mind you, like physically and progressively turning blue. Now she has to get to his castle, I think? And she’s traveling with a large contingent of soldiers, because the road is dangerous. Still with me? The travel time is not short, she’s actively dying each day, and there’s dangerous people and things on the road. Also brothers who are soldiers (who later come to find out have the last name of Grimm), a mysterious masked soldier who is the head soldier who seems cute, but also wears a mask so who knows. And his second may or may not be a werewolf. They encounter a mean unicorn, a siren who is big mad her lake was destroyed, there’s a dragon, and bears, and Goldilocks…
Y’all, I’m tired and I’m still only skimming the surface. This book is 229 pages long. None of this makes sense in the overall narrative. Nothing matches up. There’s so many loose ends, and ultimately the way that this ends YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED.
Everything felt surface level. Looking from the outside, it SHOULD work. But reading deeper into it, the connections and carrythrough are not there. It feels frenetic and disjointed and there’s not enough pages to get invested. This didn’t feel like a dark fairytale retelling. It was elements of a few, smushed together and then a cliffhanger ending. Coupled with the multiple delays in ARC delivery due to editing, this doesn’t feel like a finished product, or even a halfway finished product. Given how close the release date is from when the ARCs went out, I don’t believe there’s enough time to edit this book into what it could be.
This is billed as a retelling or reimagining of the Corpse Bride, and while the main character, Sunday, is… not quite dead, she’s certainly on her way to being so. Cursed due a conflict before her time, she’s destined to die. She’s unable to break the curse because the only way to do that is also unfortunately dead. Like very dead. What happens from there is… chaotic.
Her parents hate her and try to kill her often, she has few allies in her castle save for Gallahad, who meets a dire end. Why? I am not entirely sure. Her father, who hates her, then brokers a deal to marry her off to Prince Charming, who is a complete creep. You with me? From there, she’s now leaving her castle for the first time to get to… honestly, I’m not sure. She’s actively dying mind you, like physically and progressively turning blue. Now she has to get to his castle, I think? And she’s traveling with a large contingent of soldiers, because the road is dangerous. Still with me? The travel time is not short, she’s actively dying each day, and there’s dangerous people and things on the road. Also brothers who are soldiers (who later come to find out have the last name of Grimm), a mysterious masked soldier who is the head soldier who seems cute, but also wears a mask so who knows. And his second may or may not be a werewolf. They encounter a mean unicorn, a siren who is big mad her lake was destroyed, there’s a dragon, and bears, and Goldilocks…
Y’all, I’m tired and I’m still only skimming the surface. This book is 229 pages long. None of this makes sense in the overall narrative. Nothing matches up. There’s so many loose ends, and ultimately the way that this ends YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED.
Everything felt surface level. Looking from the outside, it SHOULD work. But reading deeper into it, the connections and carrythrough are not there. It feels frenetic and disjointed and there’s not enough pages to get invested. This didn’t feel like a dark fairytale retelling. It was elements of a few, smushed together and then a cliffhanger ending. Coupled with the multiple delays in ARC delivery due to editing, this doesn’t feel like a finished product, or even a halfway finished product. Given how close the release date is from when the ARCs went out, I don’t believe there’s enough time to edit this book into what it could be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. It has a lot of features I love in my fantasy books- the kingdom, knights, princes and so much drama!
I loved the fairytale references but feel they could have been used in separate books, they were such great ideas!
I loved the fairytale references but feel they could have been used in separate books, they were such great ideas!
August 9, 2026
I’m not going to lie… I spent a good chunk of this book feeling like I had somehow missed the first 100 pages.
There was so much going on from the beginning with the characters, relationships, history, and world-building, that I often felt like I was supposed to already understand the bigger picture. Instead, I found myself trying to piece things together as I went, and that made it difficult to fully connect with the characters or immerse myself in the story.
I did enjoy the quirky, twisted fairy-tale atmosphere, and there were definitely some fun and unexpected moments. I just wish I’d had a little more context along the way because I think I would have connected with the story a lot more.
Overall, it was an interesting and unusual read, but unfortunately I spent too much time thinking, “Wait… did I miss something?”
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this story.
There was so much going on from the beginning with the characters, relationships, history, and world-building, that I often felt like I was supposed to already understand the bigger picture. Instead, I found myself trying to piece things together as I went, and that made it difficult to fully connect with the characters or immerse myself in the story.
I did enjoy the quirky, twisted fairy-tale atmosphere, and there were definitely some fun and unexpected moments. I just wish I’d had a little more context along the way because I think I would have connected with the story a lot more.
Overall, it was an interesting and unusual read, but unfortunately I spent too much time thinking, “Wait… did I miss something?”
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this story.
September 14, 2026
2-3 stars. The author clearly loves fairytales but I felt like they were trying to do WAY too much in one very short book. It read more towards a draft than necessarily a finished book in my opinion.
August 12, 2026
I really wanted to love Not Another Happily Ever After. The cover is so beautiful, and I thought the description sounded fun. Who wouldn’t love to revisit old fairytales they grew up on but with dark twists? Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me, and I felt it was lacking in a lot of areas.
Not Another Happily Ever revolves around a curse, and the lack of instructions on how to break it is intentional, but still, I was never clear on what the curse entailed. Same with the worldbuilding, so I was confused for a good chunk of the book.
As Sunday sets out to end the curse for good, she meets plenty of fairytale characters we know and love. There are dragons, unicorns, sirens, poisoned apples, an Evil Queen, etc., but they felt used for sensationalism rather than really adding to the story.
Overall, I was a bit let down. I came for a love story and never felt like I got it.
Not Another Happily Ever revolves around a curse, and the lack of instructions on how to break it is intentional, but still, I was never clear on what the curse entailed. Same with the worldbuilding, so I was confused for a good chunk of the book.
As Sunday sets out to end the curse for good, she meets plenty of fairytale characters we know and love. There are dragons, unicorns, sirens, poisoned apples, an Evil Queen, etc., but they felt used for sensationalism rather than really adding to the story.
Overall, I was a bit let down. I came for a love story and never felt like I got it.
August 10, 2026
I would like to thank both A.R. Schilling and Iris Influencer Society for the ARC opportunity🩷
I really wanted to love this book, but I had an extremely hard time following the story at first due to the quick cut-and-jump nature of some of the scene transitions. I had to reread some of the pages several times to understand what was going on.
I definitely see what the author was doing with references to well known fairytales and I think it had a lot of potential, especially in the second half, but then the book ended and we were left with more questions than answers.
To summarize my thoughts, I felt like the story was rushed and very essential pieces were left out, leaving me as the reader confused. I think if this was an initial draft of the book it would be great to build upon, but as a final copy it is lacking the filling we needed.
I really wanted to love this book, but I had an extremely hard time following the story at first due to the quick cut-and-jump nature of some of the scene transitions. I had to reread some of the pages several times to understand what was going on.
I definitely see what the author was doing with references to well known fairytales and I think it had a lot of potential, especially in the second half, but then the book ended and we were left with more questions than answers.
To summarize my thoughts, I felt like the story was rushed and very essential pieces were left out, leaving me as the reader confused. I think if this was an initial draft of the book it would be great to build upon, but as a final copy it is lacking the filling we needed.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
Not Another Happily Ever After by A.R. Schilling • ⭐⭐
Read: 8/7 2026
🌸 Review 🌸
Thank you so much A.R. Schilling and IRIS Influencer Society for this ARC!!
The romance was cute, but the world building would get confusing at times. I’d have to reread sentences because many of the scenes would jump around without really explaining what was happening. Overall, this was an okay read.
Releases August 11, 2026
Read: 8/7 2026
🌸 Review 🌸
Thank you so much A.R. Schilling and IRIS Influencer Society for this ARC!!
The romance was cute, but the world building would get confusing at times. I’d have to reread sentences because many of the scenes would jump around without really explaining what was happening. Overall, this was an okay read.
Releases August 11, 2026
August 22, 2026
DNF - it’s a hot mess
August 8, 2026
This story was all over the place. I was having a hard time keeping up and picturing what was going on. This is a corpse bride retelling with references of Snow White, little red riding hood, Goldie locks, the brothers Grimm, and Labyrinth. Story jumps from one thing to the next with no explanation on how we got there. Half way into the book and the MMC is hardly in the story at all, he is more of a side character than the MMC. FMC has more interactions with all the other characters than she does with the MMC.
It just ends. Does Sunday break the curse? No clue. Does she die? No clue.
It just ends. Does Sunday break the curse? No clue. Does she die? No clue.
August 20, 2026
DNF— I got hyped about this from the social media ads but the book didn’t live up to the hype unfortunately. The concept is interesting, but the execution was lacking. Characters were flat. Backstory was disjointed. Plot was rushed. This book needs more editing to make it into the epic convention breaking fairytale that the author promises in her advertising.
August 16, 2026
The book suffers from severe tonal inconsistency, making it feel like two completely different stories mashed together.
There was no emotional processing, Sunday discovers the brutally mutilated corpse of Galahand, her only confidant, and faints. Yet, almost immediately after this horrific trauma, the plot shifts into a lighthearted road trip. The murder is barely mentioned again, robbing the plot of any actual investigative mystery or emotional weight.
We are repeatedly told that Sunday is dying, turning blue, and suffering horrific abuse at the hands of her father and Prince Thoren. Despite this dark, heavy setup, she is suddenly engaging in quirky, modern-sounding banter with Merrek and Myrrdin about baking cakes and keeping stick bugs as pets. The comedic relief totally undercuts the supposed stakes of her curse.
The development between Sunday and the masked commander moves at a breakneck speed. She goes from being terrified of the "masked murderer" to demanding he take her for a romantic, moonlit dance in a butterfly field within a matter of hours.
The worldbuilding is also lacking. The book says the world is broken, but rarely shows how it functions, relying on vague aesthetics over structural worldbuilding.
The mechanics of the curse itself are incredibly muddy. We are told the curse demands "Innocence for a lie" and a daughter's heart for a firstborn son, but the actual rules of this magic are never clearly established.
The "Kingdom of Ruin" and the "Disenchanted Forest" rely entirely on color-swapped aesthetics (blue trees, crimson vines) rather than a deeply realized environment. When Sunday visits Dire Shire, the poverty is described in generic terms (hollow eyes, empty baskets) before instantly being resolved by her handing out a few biscuits.
Instead of building unique character archetypes from the ground up, the story leans heavily on name-dropping well-known figures to do the heavy lifting.
Like: Wolfe’s tragic backstory as a werewolf revolves entirely around accidentally killing his childhood love—a girl with a basket of bread named "Red". It feels like a forced cameo rather than a natural part of his character.
The narrative throws in references to a peasant named "Ella" locked in the dungeon, an "Evil Queen" who was actually a "Fairy Godmother" trying to grant wishes, and a sadistic villain named Prince Thoren "Charming.” Rather than feeling like a clever reimagining, it reads like a checklist of fairytales crammed into a single setting without a unifying thread.
I fell for the advertising the author did and was kindly sent an ARC. This book was pushed back to us multiple times and still released too fast. This is the beginnings of a draft and I do see why this was not traditionally published, because the story is a mess. It needed multiple more rounds of edits and rewriting. It can’t just rely on saying “a Corpse Bride Retelling with a shy boy.” It needs substance.
I wanted to like this, but it just did not work at all.
There was no emotional processing, Sunday discovers the brutally mutilated corpse of Galahand, her only confidant, and faints. Yet, almost immediately after this horrific trauma, the plot shifts into a lighthearted road trip. The murder is barely mentioned again, robbing the plot of any actual investigative mystery or emotional weight.
We are repeatedly told that Sunday is dying, turning blue, and suffering horrific abuse at the hands of her father and Prince Thoren. Despite this dark, heavy setup, she is suddenly engaging in quirky, modern-sounding banter with Merrek and Myrrdin about baking cakes and keeping stick bugs as pets. The comedic relief totally undercuts the supposed stakes of her curse.
The development between Sunday and the masked commander moves at a breakneck speed. She goes from being terrified of the "masked murderer" to demanding he take her for a romantic, moonlit dance in a butterfly field within a matter of hours.
The worldbuilding is also lacking. The book says the world is broken, but rarely shows how it functions, relying on vague aesthetics over structural worldbuilding.
The mechanics of the curse itself are incredibly muddy. We are told the curse demands "Innocence for a lie" and a daughter's heart for a firstborn son, but the actual rules of this magic are never clearly established.
The "Kingdom of Ruin" and the "Disenchanted Forest" rely entirely on color-swapped aesthetics (blue trees, crimson vines) rather than a deeply realized environment. When Sunday visits Dire Shire, the poverty is described in generic terms (hollow eyes, empty baskets) before instantly being resolved by her handing out a few biscuits.
Instead of building unique character archetypes from the ground up, the story leans heavily on name-dropping well-known figures to do the heavy lifting.
Like: Wolfe’s tragic backstory as a werewolf revolves entirely around accidentally killing his childhood love—a girl with a basket of bread named "Red". It feels like a forced cameo rather than a natural part of his character.
The narrative throws in references to a peasant named "Ella" locked in the dungeon, an "Evil Queen" who was actually a "Fairy Godmother" trying to grant wishes, and a sadistic villain named Prince Thoren "Charming.” Rather than feeling like a clever reimagining, it reads like a checklist of fairytales crammed into a single setting without a unifying thread.
I fell for the advertising the author did and was kindly sent an ARC. This book was pushed back to us multiple times and still released too fast. This is the beginnings of a draft and I do see why this was not traditionally published, because the story is a mess. It needed multiple more rounds of edits and rewriting. It can’t just rely on saying “a Corpse Bride Retelling with a shy boy.” It needs substance.
I wanted to like this, but it just did not work at all.
October 2, 2026
1.75⭐️
Solid premise
Interesting characters
Terrible execution
I spent a half the book feeling like I missed the first book In the series
I was really confused for a lot of it, which is really unfortunate considering that I was genuinely interested in the characters and their lore.
The other really frustrating thing was the lack of descriptions, like for a few chapters you would think the characters were in one place but in reality they were somewhere else and they just didn’t tell you.
I feel like if this had a few more rounds of editing or revisions it would’ve been really good
But as it stood this book felt like a rough draft or a concept idea instead of an actual fully fledged story
Language 3/10
Violence 3/10
Suggestive Content/Romance 3/10
LGBT Content: No
Recommended age rating 15+
Solid premise
Interesting characters
Terrible execution
I spent a half the book feeling like I missed the first book In the series
I was really confused for a lot of it, which is really unfortunate considering that I was genuinely interested in the characters and their lore.
The other really frustrating thing was the lack of descriptions, like for a few chapters you would think the characters were in one place but in reality they were somewhere else and they just didn’t tell you.
I feel like if this had a few more rounds of editing or revisions it would’ve been really good
But as it stood this book felt like a rough draft or a concept idea instead of an actual fully fledged story
Language 3/10
Violence 3/10
Suggestive Content/Romance 3/10
LGBT Content: No
Recommended age rating 15+
Read
August 11, 2026I sat on this review for a while because I had to digest what I’d read.
The premise of this book was so amazing. But the technical skill and execution were poor. The writing was whimsical and nonsensical both. The plot was rushed, but some areas just dragged. There was so much story, but only 250 pages to tell it. It’s a walking contradiction.
This book is in severe need of an editor. While the artwork is gorgeous, an editor would have gotten the author a lot further and would have led to a satisfying read. Instead, it’s a pretty cover to sit on a shelf.
I won’t be reading any more from this series, sadly.
The premise of this book was so amazing. But the technical skill and execution were poor. The writing was whimsical and nonsensical both. The plot was rushed, but some areas just dragged. There was so much story, but only 250 pages to tell it. It’s a walking contradiction.
This book is in severe need of an editor. While the artwork is gorgeous, an editor would have gotten the author a lot further and would have led to a satisfying read. Instead, it’s a pretty cover to sit on a shelf.
I won’t be reading any more from this series, sadly.
November 1, 2026
4.5⭐ (thoughts and content notes below)
🐸☀️What This Book Is About☀️🐸
"A dark curse looms over the realm of Riches and Ruin, a curse that only Sunday can break. There's just one problem. It didn't come with instructions on how to do so. So, when it called for her life the kingdoms took it literally. Or, tried to. For the very same curse that demanded the princess's life, also spared it. But not without leaving its mark...
Now, older and a little less alive, Sunday is tasked with trying once more to break the curse before it's protection fades and old wounds reopen. The issue she's running into this time? There is only one thing left for the half dead princess to part with. The only thing that hasn't yet been sacrificed. Her heart.
The piece of herself that she covets more than the air she breathes is now to be placed in the hands of a prince whose intentions are to do everything but love it.
That is, of course, if the masked knight, duty bound to protect it, doesn't steal it first."
🐸☀️My Thoughts☀️🐸
What an interesting book! I've never read something quite like this and overall I really loved it!
The chemistry between the two characters as soon as they met was insane. I had butterflies every time they were on page together, and every cute moment had me smiling.
The mmc was so cute, oh my gosh. I didn't know a painfully shy mmc was something I needed in my life but it definitely was and I will never forget the experience I had while reading about his character. I just want to bake him some muffins, hug him, and never let go. I also really liked the main girl. She was a really interesting character and the way that she was such a loving person despite the time and things that happened to her reminds me of that Black Widow quote "how did you keep your heart?" I can think of one maybe two times that she said something (usually to the mmc) that did not line up with her character, but other than that, I really enjoyed her as a character. I also really liked the side characters. Aside from maybe one of them, they all felt really fleshed out and they had distinct personalities. They were really funny and lovable.
Some things to note, though I loved this book, is that I feel like it could have been longer. Some of the backstory to the characters and their history together could have used a bit more detail. If we could have got more flashback scenes or extended the beginning of this book back further in time we could have got a better understanding of both of the main characters. A lot of the scenes and the journey that the characters are going on could have been expanded on and made longer. Also the time that we see the main character where she grew up is relatively short so if we would have seen more of her life leading up to the main events of the story, we could have got a better understanding of her and who she is since her past makes up a lot of who she is. Another thing to note is that, while I was reading this book, I loved it so much and I was so invested, however once I finished it I essentially was like "hold on, what actually happened in this book?" The world and the plot are pretty hard to explain even after reading the book which is one of the reasons why I wish we would have got more details and further explanation on the state of the world that this book is taking place in. The final thing to note is that this book is kind of dark which is probably the point but I feel like there were some brutal things that happened, whether in the main character's backstory or during the actual book, that could have been either left out or explained in a way that it didn't feel so unsettling. I do definitely appreciate that there was no spice in this book, however there were some aspects of it that I wish would have been a little bit more clean/easy to read.
I know I had a good bit of critiques, but I really really enjoyed this book and I had such an amazing experience reading it. I really hope that a sequel comes out because if that is just the end I'm simply not going to be okay. Truly, I loved this book and if you like a fairy tale love story and you don't mind some darker themes, I definitely recommend this book!
🐸☀️Content Notes☀️🐸
🤬 Language:
• crap 5x
• h*ll 2x
• f*ck 1x
• sh*t 1x
• d*mn 1x
• God's name in vain
🌶️ Spice/Sexual:
• no spice.
• a kiss.
• a forced engagement.
• the fmc says it's her time of the month.
• a man grabs and rubs the fmc's thigh under a table.
• a man bites the fmc's lip.
• unwanted touches.
• a man looks at the fmc's breasts.
• a man says nothing gets past him and another says that he means nothing with a pair of breasts.
• the fmc says she knows one of her guards would give her anything she asks unless she asks him to sleep with her.
• a comment that the way a man's eyes rake over a woman's every curve is "pure sin."
• flirting.
• some innuendo.
🏳️🌈 LGBT: none
💀 Violence:
• mentions of whippings and other forms of punishment/torture.
• the fmc had her throat slit shortly after she was born (before the book takes place).
• the fmc was blinded in one eye (before the book takes place).
• the fmc's father slaps her more than once.
• the fmc is forced to kill a rabbit.
• blood.
• talk of a man getting killed by his skin being cut to ribbons.
• a man is stabbed in the shoulder by a unicorn.
• death by getting stabbed.
🍻 Drinking/Drugs:
• mention of the smell of whiskey and wine.
• the fmc's mother is drunk.
• the fmc wonders if her disorientation is due to liquor.
• a solider is drunk.
⚠️ Other Content Warnings:
• fmc vomits on page.
• a ghost & hauntings.
• a curse.
• death.
• grief.
Age Rating: 16+
🐸☀️What This Book Is About☀️🐸
"A dark curse looms over the realm of Riches and Ruin, a curse that only Sunday can break. There's just one problem. It didn't come with instructions on how to do so. So, when it called for her life the kingdoms took it literally. Or, tried to. For the very same curse that demanded the princess's life, also spared it. But not without leaving its mark...
Now, older and a little less alive, Sunday is tasked with trying once more to break the curse before it's protection fades and old wounds reopen. The issue she's running into this time? There is only one thing left for the half dead princess to part with. The only thing that hasn't yet been sacrificed. Her heart.
The piece of herself that she covets more than the air she breathes is now to be placed in the hands of a prince whose intentions are to do everything but love it.
That is, of course, if the masked knight, duty bound to protect it, doesn't steal it first."
🐸☀️My Thoughts☀️🐸
What an interesting book! I've never read something quite like this and overall I really loved it!
The chemistry between the two characters as soon as they met was insane. I had butterflies every time they were on page together, and every cute moment had me smiling.
The mmc was so cute, oh my gosh. I didn't know a painfully shy mmc was something I needed in my life but it definitely was and I will never forget the experience I had while reading about his character. I just want to bake him some muffins, hug him, and never let go. I also really liked the main girl. She was a really interesting character and the way that she was such a loving person despite the time and things that happened to her reminds me of that Black Widow quote "how did you keep your heart?" I can think of one maybe two times that she said something (usually to the mmc) that did not line up with her character, but other than that, I really enjoyed her as a character. I also really liked the side characters. Aside from maybe one of them, they all felt really fleshed out and they had distinct personalities. They were really funny and lovable.
Some things to note, though I loved this book, is that I feel like it could have been longer. Some of the backstory to the characters and their history together could have used a bit more detail. If we could have got more flashback scenes or extended the beginning of this book back further in time we could have got a better understanding of both of the main characters. A lot of the scenes and the journey that the characters are going on could have been expanded on and made longer. Also the time that we see the main character where she grew up is relatively short so if we would have seen more of her life leading up to the main events of the story, we could have got a better understanding of her and who she is since her past makes up a lot of who she is. Another thing to note is that, while I was reading this book, I loved it so much and I was so invested, however once I finished it I essentially was like "hold on, what actually happened in this book?" The world and the plot are pretty hard to explain even after reading the book which is one of the reasons why I wish we would have got more details and further explanation on the state of the world that this book is taking place in. The final thing to note is that this book is kind of dark which is probably the point but I feel like there were some brutal things that happened, whether in the main character's backstory or during the actual book, that could have been either left out or explained in a way that it didn't feel so unsettling. I do definitely appreciate that there was no spice in this book, however there were some aspects of it that I wish would have been a little bit more clean/easy to read.
I know I had a good bit of critiques, but I really really enjoyed this book and I had such an amazing experience reading it. I really hope that a sequel comes out because if that is just the end I'm simply not going to be okay. Truly, I loved this book and if you like a fairy tale love story and you don't mind some darker themes, I definitely recommend this book!
🐸☀️Content Notes☀️🐸
🤬 Language:
• crap 5x
• h*ll 2x
• f*ck 1x
• sh*t 1x
• d*mn 1x
• God's name in vain
🌶️ Spice/Sexual:
• no spice.
• a kiss.
• a forced engagement.
• the fmc says it's her time of the month.
• a man grabs and rubs the fmc's thigh under a table.
• a man bites the fmc's lip.
• unwanted touches.
• a man looks at the fmc's breasts.
• a man says nothing gets past him and another says that he means nothing with a pair of breasts.
• the fmc says she knows one of her guards would give her anything she asks unless she asks him to sleep with her.
• a comment that the way a man's eyes rake over a woman's every curve is "pure sin."
• flirting.
• some innuendo.
🏳️🌈 LGBT: none
💀 Violence:
• mentions of whippings and other forms of punishment/torture.
• the fmc had her throat slit shortly after she was born (before the book takes place).
• the fmc was blinded in one eye (before the book takes place).
• the fmc's father slaps her more than once.
• the fmc is forced to kill a rabbit.
• blood.
• talk of a man getting killed by his skin being cut to ribbons.
• a man is stabbed in the shoulder by a unicorn.
• death by getting stabbed.
🍻 Drinking/Drugs:
• mention of the smell of whiskey and wine.
• the fmc's mother is drunk.
• the fmc wonders if her disorientation is due to liquor.
• a solider is drunk.
⚠️ Other Content Warnings:
• fmc vomits on page.
• a ghost & hauntings.
• a curse.
• death.
• grief.
Age Rating: 16+
August 9, 2026
Thank you to the author and Iris Influencer Society for the ARC.
I really, really wanted to love this book. I was so excited to read it. It just didn’t quite work for me.
I thought the premise was great and held so much promise. I loved the dark fairytale feel and I think the author did a great job capturing the atmosphere. I also loved Frog. It’s so refreshing to have a sweet, shy MMC. The scene where he’s teaching himself to dance is adorable! I liked the FMC. It’s nice to have an FMC who isn’t a super talented assassin. She’s just an ordinary (cursed!) girl trying to make the best of a bad lot in life. I would have loved to see more of the sweet relationship between the FMC and her brother. I liked the FMC’s relationship with her old guard too.
Unfortunately I just felt the whole story was a bit messy and could have done with some more editing - there were quite a few grammar and spelling mistakes which jerked me out of the story. I was often left confused with what was going on. There was a lot of information and everything jumped around too much to make sense of it at times. It settled a bit in the middle but I just wanted a bit more time and depth to the events and characters. The ending was so abrupt I thought my Kindle had frozen and I genuinely have no idea what really happened there.
I think this story had so much potential, but needed to be longer so that it didn’t appear to leap about so abruptly. More time was needed to flesh it all out and do justice to what is a great idea.
I really, really wanted to love this book. I was so excited to read it. It just didn’t quite work for me.
I thought the premise was great and held so much promise. I loved the dark fairytale feel and I think the author did a great job capturing the atmosphere. I also loved Frog. It’s so refreshing to have a sweet, shy MMC. The scene where he’s teaching himself to dance is adorable! I liked the FMC. It’s nice to have an FMC who isn’t a super talented assassin. She’s just an ordinary (cursed!) girl trying to make the best of a bad lot in life. I would have loved to see more of the sweet relationship between the FMC and her brother. I liked the FMC’s relationship with her old guard too.
Unfortunately I just felt the whole story was a bit messy and could have done with some more editing - there were quite a few grammar and spelling mistakes which jerked me out of the story. I was often left confused with what was going on. There was a lot of information and everything jumped around too much to make sense of it at times. It settled a bit in the middle but I just wanted a bit more time and depth to the events and characters. The ending was so abrupt I thought my Kindle had frozen and I genuinely have no idea what really happened there.
I think this story had so much potential, but needed to be longer so that it didn’t appear to leap about so abruptly. More time was needed to flesh it all out and do justice to what is a great idea.
August 11, 2026
This book left me in a daze. It felt like a mash up of multiple fairytale stories - Princess in the Pea, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and goodness know what else.
What else didn't make sense is that Sunday was cursed and very sick, yet she is travelling across a kingdom, becoming blue, and is dying, yet she can make the journey???
I just don't know what else to say. I was severely underwhelmed by this book and I won't be continuing with book 2.
What else didn't make sense is that Sunday was cursed and very sick, yet she is travelling across a kingdom, becoming blue, and is dying, yet she can make the journey???
I just don't know what else to say. I was severely underwhelmed by this book and I won't be continuing with book 2.
August 22, 2026
I was really excited for this book just based on the premise alone: a Corpse Bride re-telling with dark, whimsical, and fairytale vibes. Everything about the way this book was marketed ticked all my boxes and should have made this a favorite book for me, sadly I feel like it missed the mark.
I spent a lot of this book genuinely confused. I feel like I didn’t get any information in the short span of this book. I very nearly DNF’ed it just because of plot inconsistencies, writing style, and feeling bored but I hoped that it would get better and it didn’t.
Instead of a corpse bride re-telling, I feel like what I got was a confusing mix-up of a bunch of different stories: Princess Bride, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, Brothers Grimm… I’m sure there’s more and I’m just not remembering. That would have been fine but it just felt so jarring and unnecessary. I’m also not sure how this was supposed to be a Corpse Bride re-telling, I feel like there’s no similarities at all.
The plot consistency was just not there and it frustrated me to no end. Sunday’s (the FMC) parents lock her away, try to kill her multiple times, care so little for her that she barely eats, has literally two dresses she can wash once a month when she bathes, and has no other comforts. However, I’m expected to believe that instead of just letting the “evil prince” and his parents take her back to Castle Riches, her parents insist on sending their personal guards (and some of the most talented at that) to accompany her on the journey. The prince and his parents don’t even travel with them. I don’t know I found that kind of unbelievable. Other minor plot inconsistencies included: her personal guard catching up to their party but he has no horse (how did he get there?), during an argument between the twin guards the names of who is speaking is swaps and then swaps back (very confusing), they stop in a town and she decides to give a starving boy biscuits and then (obviously) is attacked by a swarm of starving people but now they are fighting over bread.
The last thing I will note is that there were parts of this that felt way too convenient, which takes away from the reading experience for me. For example, there’s a random insert of a past memory that Sunday has of the “ghost” in her castle she used to be friends with. She wants to make sure he stays away from her (I think to keep her safe). He had just saved her from falling (which we know she would not have died, because the whole point is she can’t). To keep him away, she tells him “you should’ve let me fall.” I don’t know seems like a weak way to do so but I guess it worked. I think the actual point of the insert was to give us the “There she is” line that comes up again later. The one that really irked me was the whole library thing. They go to a town and Sunday mentions something about one of the twins and a baker going to the back for pounding, yes, she is talking about bread. She then gets teased by the other twin and instead of just explaining it to her he takes her to a library to look up pounding… I can’t make that up. The library has a really inconvenient way of getting questions answered in the form of two imps, one that cannot lie and one that always lies. Instead of asking about pounding, she asks about the masked guard to figure out his identity. How she hadn’t already is beyond me. Why do they know about him? Not sure. Are they all-knowing? Who knows.
I am so bummed this one didn’t work out for me. I genuinely was so excited and am so disappointed that it fell flat. I could not in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.
I did receive an advance copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own and freely given.
I spent a lot of this book genuinely confused. I feel like I didn’t get any information in the short span of this book. I very nearly DNF’ed it just because of plot inconsistencies, writing style, and feeling bored but I hoped that it would get better and it didn’t.
Instead of a corpse bride re-telling, I feel like what I got was a confusing mix-up of a bunch of different stories: Princess Bride, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, Brothers Grimm… I’m sure there’s more and I’m just not remembering. That would have been fine but it just felt so jarring and unnecessary. I’m also not sure how this was supposed to be a Corpse Bride re-telling, I feel like there’s no similarities at all.
The plot consistency was just not there and it frustrated me to no end. Sunday’s (the FMC) parents lock her away, try to kill her multiple times, care so little for her that she barely eats, has literally two dresses she can wash once a month when she bathes, and has no other comforts. However, I’m expected to believe that instead of just letting the “evil prince” and his parents take her back to Castle Riches, her parents insist on sending their personal guards (and some of the most talented at that) to accompany her on the journey. The prince and his parents don’t even travel with them. I don’t know I found that kind of unbelievable. Other minor plot inconsistencies included: her personal guard catching up to their party but he has no horse (how did he get there?), during an argument between the twin guards the names of who is speaking is swaps and then swaps back (very confusing), they stop in a town and she decides to give a starving boy biscuits and then (obviously) is attacked by a swarm of starving people but now they are fighting over bread.
The last thing I will note is that there were parts of this that felt way too convenient, which takes away from the reading experience for me. For example, there’s a random insert of a past memory that Sunday has of the “ghost” in her castle she used to be friends with. She wants to make sure he stays away from her (I think to keep her safe). He had just saved her from falling (which we know she would not have died, because the whole point is she can’t). To keep him away, she tells him “you should’ve let me fall.” I don’t know seems like a weak way to do so but I guess it worked. I think the actual point of the insert was to give us the “There she is” line that comes up again later. The one that really irked me was the whole library thing. They go to a town and Sunday mentions something about one of the twins and a baker going to the back for pounding, yes, she is talking about bread. She then gets teased by the other twin and instead of just explaining it to her he takes her to a library to look up pounding… I can’t make that up. The library has a really inconvenient way of getting questions answered in the form of two imps, one that cannot lie and one that always lies. Instead of asking about pounding, she asks about the masked guard to figure out his identity. How she hadn’t already is beyond me. Why do they know about him? Not sure. Are they all-knowing? Who knows.
I am so bummed this one didn’t work out for me. I genuinely was so excited and am so disappointed that it fell flat. I could not in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.
I did receive an advance copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own and freely given.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2026
I had the pleasure of receiving this as an e-ARC and voluntarily will be giving my honest review. This was a cute read that reference different fairytale retellings. This is a YA fantasy with a found family traveling. Loved the chapter headings with quotes!! Can’t wait to see what is next!!
“In the realm of Riches and Ruin, a curse cast by the fallen Fairy Godmother threatens to rot away everything both kingdoms hold dear--including the one heart capable of ending it.
With hope running out, there is only one choice left: place the still-beating heart of the half-dead princess into the hands of a the not-so-charming prince and force a union that might mend what the curse has broken.
That is, if the masked knight sworn to deliver her heart doesn't steal it for himself first.”
“In the realm of Riches and Ruin, a curse cast by the fallen Fairy Godmother threatens to rot away everything both kingdoms hold dear--including the one heart capable of ending it.
With hope running out, there is only one choice left: place the still-beating heart of the half-dead princess into the hands of a the not-so-charming prince and force a union that might mend what the curse has broken.
That is, if the masked knight sworn to deliver her heart doesn't steal it for himself first.”
August 20, 2026
What a cliffhanger! Точно когато нещата започнаха да стават интересни. 🤯🥲 Имам нужда от следващата книга веднага! Само се надявам да има продължение!
Много ми хареса тази история! ❤️
В началото ми беше малко трудно да свикна с начина на писане. Авторката сякаш ни хвърля директно в света на Sunday, без да ни даде много обяснения, и това на моменти ме объркваше.
Но ако сте фенове на приказните истории, мисля, че тази книга определено ще ви допадне. Тук има доста препратки към познати приказки, но историята има свой собствен чар.
Имаме една не особено жива принцеса и един маскиран рицар, който е безумно срамежлив... 🫠🫠🫠 А финалът?! 🤯 Завърши с отворен край и сега отчаяно се надявам да има продължение, защото имам нужда да знам какво следва! 🥲
Много ми хареса тази история! ❤️
В началото ми беше малко трудно да свикна с начина на писане. Авторката сякаш ни хвърля директно в света на Sunday, без да ни даде много обяснения, и това на моменти ме объркваше.
Но ако сте фенове на приказните истории, мисля, че тази книга определено ще ви допадне. Тук има доста препратки към познати приказки, но историята има свой собствен чар.
Имаме една не особено жива принцеса и един маскиран рицар, който е безумно срамежлив... 🫠🫠🫠 А финалът?! 🤯 Завърши с отворен край и сега отчаяно се надявам да има продължение, защото имам нужда да знам какво следва! 🥲
August 31, 2026
I found this book a little difficult to follow at times but I think the mmc is SUCH a delightful yearner and I can’t wait to see what’s next 🥹 HE’S CALLED FROG!!!!! He wears a mask!!! I love him sm 😭
August 16, 2026
Perfect for millennial fairytale lovers!
There are Easter eggs from all of your favorite fairytales woven throughout the whole book.
It gives you a feeling of nostalgia while also feeling new, fun and interesting.
It’s a super quick read and when you’re done, you wish there was more!
There are Easter eggs from all of your favorite fairytales woven throughout the whole book.
It gives you a feeling of nostalgia while also feeling new, fun and interesting.
It’s a super quick read and when you’re done, you wish there was more!
August 14, 2026
Arc review!
‘I long for her to know me. I dread the day she finally does.’
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the fairytale elements including references and how they were mixed into the story very well. They added to the story and built upon the story without taking you out of the story. I loved how atmospheric the story was and how the writing really elevated the story. I loved the characters and the banter between them. Sunday and Frog were so cute.
This book immediately drops you into the story, which I really enjoyed. I loved the way in which we got to learn about things with Sunday and how she was raised effecting what she believed and what she went against.
The big reveal/twists were not reveals for me one I knew from the second the character was introduced. Like actually you can look at my annotations.
Overall, the story was really nice and I’m glad I got to read it!
‘I long for her to know me. I dread the day she finally does.’
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the fairytale elements including references and how they were mixed into the story very well. They added to the story and built upon the story without taking you out of the story. I loved how atmospheric the story was and how the writing really elevated the story. I loved the characters and the banter between them. Sunday and Frog were so cute.
This book immediately drops you into the story, which I really enjoyed. I loved the way in which we got to learn about things with Sunday and how she was raised effecting what she believed and what she went against.
The big reveal/twists were not reveals for me one I knew from the second the character was introduced. Like actually you can look at my annotations.
Overall, the story was really nice and I’m glad I got to read it!
August 14, 2026
Fast, fun, and very quirky. But the framework kind of lost me.
The writing itself is good and the whimsical energy is clearly there, but it feels like a bunch of fairytale elements got thrown together without a lot of connective tissue holding them in place. They feel a little shoehorned in at times. Things happen pretty randomly and I was confused more often than I was charmed. This lost me a little because quirky tips into trying too hard pretty often.
The characters seem to be written as pretty heavy-handed and a little superficial without a lot of nuance, which made it hard to get attached. But honestly, this is a fairytale retelling and maybe I shouldn't be looking into things too deeply and that's on me.
Still a very unique and fast read if you're in the mood for something strange and whimsical.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you to the author and IRIS PR for the complimentary pre-release copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
The writing itself is good and the whimsical energy is clearly there, but it feels like a bunch of fairytale elements got thrown together without a lot of connective tissue holding them in place. They feel a little shoehorned in at times. Things happen pretty randomly and I was confused more often than I was charmed. This lost me a little because quirky tips into trying too hard pretty often.
The characters seem to be written as pretty heavy-handed and a little superficial without a lot of nuance, which made it hard to get attached. But honestly, this is a fairytale retelling and maybe I shouldn't be looking into things too deeply and that's on me.
Still a very unique and fast read if you're in the mood for something strange and whimsical.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to read and review. Thank you to the author and IRIS PR for the complimentary pre-release copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
August 14, 2026
The book wasn't bad and the charaters were likable but boy oh boy am I confused. First off, the beginning of the book mentioned a bunch of history and plot points that made no sense. If I took a quiz on why the kingdom was cursed or how the curse was supposed to be broke I would most definitely fail. There were so many parts of this book that weren't fully explained and made me go huh? Don't even get me started on the end. I'm pretty sure I understood what happened (Side note: I guessed the plot twist in Ch. 9) but I wouldn't have minded if it was spelled out for me. I still have so many questions like why did Red's death save Sunday's life. Also I'm like 98% sure Riven is the evil queens son since he's like a half dead ghost and because Sunday gave him her heart the curse is lifted. Overall, the story was choppy and the main plot barely made any sense but the romance was wonderful 💖 We love a shy man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2026
Thank you to the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited to dive into this story as the overall concept was super intriguing and seemed like it would hit all the boxes for me.
Unfortunately within the first 25 pages, I was pretty confused with the lack of world building and character development. The writing style was poetic but difficult for me to follow. It felt like I was missing vital information to the plot, I was slightly confused as to who the main characters were, and what was going on in general. The story had some great concepts, but it felt like it was a rough outline of a book that hadn’t been fully written or edited with a lot of random ideas which were all very intriguing, just not quite fully executed.
I was so confused when the book ended because I felt like we didn’t even reach the story’s climax, which is too bad because I think had there more been given to this story, the MMC would have stolen my heart.
Unfortunately within the first 25 pages, I was pretty confused with the lack of world building and character development. The writing style was poetic but difficult for me to follow. It felt like I was missing vital information to the plot, I was slightly confused as to who the main characters were, and what was going on in general. The story had some great concepts, but it felt like it was a rough outline of a book that hadn’t been fully written or edited with a lot of random ideas which were all very intriguing, just not quite fully executed.
I was so confused when the book ended because I felt like we didn’t even reach the story’s climax, which is too bad because I think had there more been given to this story, the MMC would have stolen my heart.
August 13, 2026
I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy. While I enjoyed the book, I felt like there was a lot of backstory that was missing and struggled with following along with what was going on. It felt like it was jumping around and I was supposed to know more than the book had revealed already. The characters were cute and the storyline was ok, but I think adding a lot more context and making the book longer would make it more enjoyable. As it stands, I don’t think I would reach for the next book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Firstly, a thank you to A.R Schilling and Iris Influencer Society for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review for free and completely of my own thoughts and opinions.
This was a quick read and it really did bring the fairy tale vibes with some easter eggs to fairytales we would recognise such as Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks but beyond the vibes matching what I wanted, I honestly wish the book had been longer as I do not think we got enough time to sit with these characters or learn about the world.
The prose in this was lyrical at times and very vibe appropriate and I loved the little poems and the starts for each chapter, they were really well written and added a nice touch to the story.
Sunday was a good FMC, I liked her optimism and her desire to see the good in people. I also really appreciated how she pushed through her embarrassment and was so unashamedly herself, no matter what.
There was some great elements of found family there though not fleshed out quite as much as I would have liked to see, though the skeleton of it is definitely there to continue into the rest of this series.
However, as I mentioned, I personally struggled with the world building and the lack of proper explanation to many things and desperately wish this book had been given more to work with in terms of length as that would have fixed a lot of my problems.
I think this book will work really well for those who love a fairytale, faster paced reads and are happy to accept more scattered world building elements.
I do see myself picking up book two in this series when it comes, mostly as I am curious to see how the story unfolds, but I really hope to see the world and lore expanded on in much more detail.
This was a quick read and it really did bring the fairy tale vibes with some easter eggs to fairytales we would recognise such as Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks but beyond the vibes matching what I wanted, I honestly wish the book had been longer as I do not think we got enough time to sit with these characters or learn about the world.
The prose in this was lyrical at times and very vibe appropriate and I loved the little poems and the starts for each chapter, they were really well written and added a nice touch to the story.
Sunday was a good FMC, I liked her optimism and her desire to see the good in people. I also really appreciated how she pushed through her embarrassment and was so unashamedly herself, no matter what.
There was some great elements of found family there though not fleshed out quite as much as I would have liked to see, though the skeleton of it is definitely there to continue into the rest of this series.
However, as I mentioned, I personally struggled with the world building and the lack of proper explanation to many things and desperately wish this book had been given more to work with in terms of length as that would have fixed a lot of my problems.
I think this book will work really well for those who love a fairytale, faster paced reads and are happy to accept more scattered world building elements.
I do see myself picking up book two in this series when it comes, mostly as I am curious to see how the story unfolds, but I really hope to see the world and lore expanded on in much more detail.
August 20, 2026
I finished it. Why? I don't know. The ending is a very abrupt cliffhanger, which sucks.
Did I hate it? No. Did I love it? Also no.
Did I hate it? No. Did I love it? Also no.
October 3, 2026
I wanted to like this book because the concept was so interesting, and I loved the idea of a mmc who wasn’t a snarky, mean, “bad boy”. However this book had its fair share of issues.
Let’s start with the good. The two main characters were each interesting in their own rights. Sunday is not the typical sword wielding, sarcastic, witty, warrior that we’ve come to expect from fantasy books in recent years. She is kind, gentle, and afraid. She believes she’s walking towards a kind of living death and yet she chooses to do it anyways out of love for her kingdom. Frog is a quiet, gentle giant. He treats Sunday with so much respect (even referring to her as Miss Sunday) and despite his large stature and incredible fighting abilities he is easily embarrassed and is often caught blushing after making eye contact with Sunday. These characters where a breath of fresh air in comparison to the feisty fmcs and almost evil but not quite mmcs that abound in so many books today. The side characters were also great, I especially loved the twins Merrik and Myrrdin, they bring a lot of humor and charm to this story.
Another thing I liked about this book was the premise. The idea of a Corpse Bride retelling where the mfc is literally dying already is definitely interesting. But this is where the good parts of the book end because the execution of that interesting idea was a let down to say the least.
My main issue with the book was the actual writing. The book felt very disjointed in many different aspects, from the way characters moved (or didn’t move? It was hard to tell) through scenes, to the way the plot that didn’t even know what it was supposed to be with all the mish mash of things thrown into it. It was like a soup of ideas but one made without any thought for what got added. There were several times throughout the book when I would be picturing the characters in certain places only to find out that the characters had moved without the narrator telling us. That along with the fact that Sunday seems to be unable to be entirely explain any fact or history lesson means that I was left wondering what was even the happening half of the time. A few spoilers ahead while I discuss my frustration with the plot or lack thereof. Maybe it was a stylistic choice to highlight Sunday’s state of mind as she creeps closer to death but as a reader the constant lack of clarity is annoying more than anything else. All in all it’s not the worst book I’ve ever read (Nightweaver takes that spot) but it certainly left much to be desired in terms of actual plot and continuity.
Let’s start with the good. The two main characters were each interesting in their own rights. Sunday is not the typical sword wielding, sarcastic, witty, warrior that we’ve come to expect from fantasy books in recent years. She is kind, gentle, and afraid. She believes she’s walking towards a kind of living death and yet she chooses to do it anyways out of love for her kingdom. Frog is a quiet, gentle giant. He treats Sunday with so much respect (even referring to her as Miss Sunday) and despite his large stature and incredible fighting abilities he is easily embarrassed and is often caught blushing after making eye contact with Sunday. These characters where a breath of fresh air in comparison to the feisty fmcs and almost evil but not quite mmcs that abound in so many books today. The side characters were also great, I especially loved the twins Merrik and Myrrdin, they bring a lot of humor and charm to this story.
Another thing I liked about this book was the premise. The idea of a Corpse Bride retelling where the mfc is literally dying already is definitely interesting. But this is where the good parts of the book end because the execution of that interesting idea was a let down to say the least.
My main issue with the book was the actual writing. The book felt very disjointed in many different aspects, from the way characters moved (or didn’t move? It was hard to tell) through scenes, to the way the plot that didn’t even know what it was supposed to be with all the mish mash of things thrown into it. It was like a soup of ideas but one made without any thought for what got added. There were several times throughout the book when I would be picturing the characters in certain places only to find out that the characters had moved without the narrator telling us. That along with the fact that Sunday seems to be unable to be entirely explain any fact or history lesson means that I was left wondering what was even the happening half of the time. A few spoilers ahead while I discuss my frustration with the plot or lack thereof. Maybe it was a stylistic choice to highlight Sunday’s state of mind as she creeps closer to death but as a reader the constant lack of clarity is annoying more than anything else. All in all it’s not the worst book I’ve ever read (Nightweaver takes that spot) but it certainly left much to be desired in terms of actual plot and continuity.
October 18, 2026
🩷 Not Another Happily Ever After by A. R. Schilling 🩷
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑 (one kiss)
“I was mistaken. She is not merely the love of my life. She is love. She is life.”
I had been seeing this around Bookstagram and BookTok & let me tell you, i ate this baby UPPPPPPPP. A half dead princess and her shy knight who trembles when she’s near?? We ✨ LOVE ✨ a yearning king and LET. ME. TELL. YOU… Frog (yes that’s his name) can YEARN, baby! 🩷🥹 Reading some entries from his journal at the start of every chapter was SO CUTE and i loved the way it tied in to each chapter. This is somewhat a Corpse Bride inspired fairytale. There are so many other fairytales referenced in this book, i LOVED it! 🖤🤌🏻
The story follows Sunday, who’s cursed from birth to give her heart to the first born son of the Evil Queen - and he is NOT so charming. So, Sunday’s parents agree to marry her off to Prince Charming to hopefully fulfill their end and break the curse.. but little do they know, Sunday doesn’t want to marry the rotten Prince! Sunday is truly full of curiosity, questions, and such innocence. And when her father’s knights are sent to take her to the prince’s kingdom to be married, she doesn’t expect to find comfort in one of her knights. But Frog is shy - and i mean SUPER SHY & he yearns for her so badly. And honestly, i will say, i was a little confused at the ending and i mean, i can assume what happened - and it makes me want book 2 so badly! 🤌🏻😭✨🖤 Ugh! And that reveal at the end of who Frog is 🤌🏻 i knew it, but i was still SO happy to find out! 🩷🖤🤌🏻
If you love a man who yearns, some fairytale aesthetics, OH! And a pocket sized dragon who steals buttons!!! I recommend 🩷🖤
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑 (one kiss)
“I was mistaken. She is not merely the love of my life. She is love. She is life.”
I had been seeing this around Bookstagram and BookTok & let me tell you, i ate this baby UPPPPPPPP. A half dead princess and her shy knight who trembles when she’s near?? We ✨ LOVE ✨ a yearning king and LET. ME. TELL. YOU… Frog (yes that’s his name) can YEARN, baby! 🩷🥹 Reading some entries from his journal at the start of every chapter was SO CUTE and i loved the way it tied in to each chapter. This is somewhat a Corpse Bride inspired fairytale. There are so many other fairytales referenced in this book, i LOVED it! 🖤🤌🏻
The story follows Sunday, who’s cursed from birth to give her heart to the first born son of the Evil Queen - and he is NOT so charming. So, Sunday’s parents agree to marry her off to Prince Charming to hopefully fulfill their end and break the curse.. but little do they know, Sunday doesn’t want to marry the rotten Prince! Sunday is truly full of curiosity, questions, and such innocence. And when her father’s knights are sent to take her to the prince’s kingdom to be married, she doesn’t expect to find comfort in one of her knights. But Frog is shy - and i mean SUPER SHY & he yearns for her so badly. And honestly, i will say, i was a little confused at the ending and i mean, i can assume what happened - and it makes me want book 2 so badly! 🤌🏻😭✨🖤 Ugh! And that reveal at the end of who Frog is 🤌🏻 i knew it, but i was still SO happy to find out! 🩷🖤🤌🏻
If you love a man who yearns, some fairytale aesthetics, OH! And a pocket sized dragon who steals buttons!!! I recommend 🩷🖤
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