Jazz Abadi has it all. She is an heiress, lives in a luxury mansion, and has the biggest social media following in Maiden City. There’s just one thing missing: the CEO title of her father’s fitness company, Ultimate ME.
As her father’s health declines, naming his successor becomes paramount. But there’s one problem. On paper, Ethan Roth––her father’s dashing and intelligent mentee––is the better candidate. He is a manipulation machine, but he didn’t count on one thing: Jazz is no sucker.
When Ethan proposes Jazz marry him as part of his business plan, she laughs in his face. Jazz runs from the situation, needing time to build a counter-attack. When she finds herself in a drop-in centre for vulnerable people, she is simultaneously invisible and obvious. As she decides to leave, Adrian steals her attention.
Adrian Cassidy is like no man she’s ever met. He’s distrustful of corporations and the wealthy, and treats just another person in the shelter. Jazz has never had a crush, she’s always been adamant that work comes first, but will Adrian be the distraction her heart truly needs?
If Jazz gives into her heart, what kind of person will she become? Will losing focus give Ethan clues to find her? And what will happen if Adrian finds out who she really is?
The Happily After When series is inspired by fairytales. Each book is based on a different fairytale, and Jazz is a modern transformation of Aladdin. The Happily After When series looks at the dangerous lessons fairytales teach young people, including: a woman waiting for a man to rescue her, or young men kissing women without their permission. These books deal with young adult social issues, including: class differences, bullying and racism, lgbt issues, runaways, mental health issues, and violence. They are also contemporary romance stories about beating the odds, with a wholesomeness in an unsettling and dark world.
Emily Bourne is an author from central west NSW, meaning she’s an Aussie Country girl at heart. Emily writes books about self-discovery and finding love. Believing, you can’t have a romantic relationship that works until you truly love yourself. She specialises in teen and young adult novels about social issues, layered with romantic suspense. Emily’s books can have you laughing-out-loud, reaching for the tissues, cramping with anxiety, and your heart swelling double-size. She spends her days diligently writing, procrastinating on Instagram (@iemilybourne), and distractedly playing with her cat Norman.
Why you might enjoy this book? A modern and gritty retelling of an old tale. This book was inspired by Aladdin, but with its contemporary twist and romantic suspense plot, it's now far removed from the material it was inspired by.
If you enjoy strong female leads, villainous alpha males, sensitive men who can actively listen, slow-burn romance, hidden identities, and a powerplay, this book could be for you!
A quick read and the opening to a long book series, why not jump in ASAP!
First off, I am a huge fan of Emily Bourne's writing! "In a Mirror" and "In the Haze" are spectacular contemporary YA Fiction! So when I saw that Jazz was coming out I had to pre-order! And now that I've read it... omg!! I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this book was such a good read! I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down. Not only does it have an adorable romance, but it delved deep into issues of a classist society and how it affects real people. It was a good mixture of dark and humor with a little bit of whimsy mixed in! I highly recommend!!
This is a new author for me and I enjoyed this great retelling of the classic Aladdin with a modern twist. Set in the modern corporate world, Jasmine is trying to be her own woman and stand up to her father and not let society dictate what is expected of her. I loved that she is a strong woman, with compassion and kindness. The storyline sticks pretty close to the original story line and I enjoyed the read, if you love fairytales you would adore this book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this story! “Jazz” is the story of a young woman coming into her own in the corporate world. Jazz, the main character is a strong woman, who refuses to allow her father or circumstances dictate how she lived her life. This is an amazing tale of growth, determination, and self-worth. I loved this enjoyable tale.
I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily
This was a new author for me who put a new and different spin on one of my favorite fairytales, Aladdin. The author did a wonderful job of keeping to the basis of the story but retelling it in a way I have never seen before. This story kept me reading late into the night it was really good! Looking forward to reading more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Emily does such a fantastic job with this retelling. The worldbuilding, cast, and writing are fantastic. Jazz's journey in this book, her arc, is something I think a lot of people need to experience. Not everyone knows about this part of the world, and I think Emily did a great job portraying it, as well as the class divides and motivations. I adore Adrian and Jazz and can't wait to read more about them in the other books. If you haven't read Emily's books yet, definitely pick this series up!
I really enjoyed this original idea for retelling the story is Aladdin. Moving the story into a modern corporate world is not something I have seen before. The storyline follows so closely to the original while still being unique. It was great and I can’t wait to read more of this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
While I really liked In a mirror, this one didn't pull me in as much as I'd like. Also the third person point of view isn't my favorite, so this story was just an okay for me. The beginning was slow in my opinion.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The idea of this story was a great one, but there were some problems with the execution of it. The writing moved back and forth between present and past tense, often in the same sentence. The writing was just not at a level that I would consider ready to be published. If this kind of thing bothers you, don't order this book.
The plot sound really interesting unfortunately the story on itself is a let down and I think it because the author wanted to suck to close of the Aladin fairy tales
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this fairy tale retelling, it had the magic of the original tale and added to it. I look forward to more from the author and this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was an inspiring story about Jazz, a privileged young woman who's life takes a turn due to some events in her life. The way she acquires a new outlook towards life was interesting to read. The story and characters were nicely done and makes for an interesting read.
I liked this retelling of the story. It was imaginative and the author’s take on it was very entertaining. I was swept away by the well crafted scenes and I enjoyed reading this book.
I requested a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It was so fun working out which characters were based on the ones from the Aladdin story. The story was more than I expected. I could see the similarities in the retelling, but it was so different from it! It had me guessing and it also has some funny moments. I’m ready for book 2 now!
I don’t read much romance, but I loved Emily Bourne’s other books, In a Mirror and In the Haze. For fans of those, you might want to know that the protagonist is a bit older and more mature in Jazz. Emily Bourne deftly avoided those tropes that many readers are tired of, such as instalove and love triangles, while maintaining the gushy fun of traditional romance. It is told in present tense, and the chapters are short and brisk with a sense of urgency, so I felt whisked along on Jazz’s journey. I also felt that it was very visual, almost reminding me of a movie script or something at times, making me feel like I was watching rather than just reading. (Netflix, hit Emily Bourne up for the rights to make this a romance series!) While many of the characters were sympathetic and interesting, it was Gene, a fairly minor character, who won my heart. Worth reading just for him.
I don’t read much romance, but I loved Emily Bourne’s other books, In a Mirror and In the Haze. For fans of those, you might want to know that the protagonist is a bit older and more mature in Jazz. Emily Bourne deftly avoided those tropes that many readers are tired of, such as instalove and love triangles, while maintaining the gushy fun of traditional romance. It is told in present tense, and the chapters are short and brisk with a sense of urgency, so I felt whisked along on Jazz’s journey. I also felt that it was very visual, almost reminding me of a movie script or something at times, making me feel like I was watching rather than just reading. (Netflix, hit Emily Bourne up for the rights to make this a romance series!) While many of the characters were sympathetic and interesting, it was Gene, a fairly minor character, who won my heart. Worth reading just for him.
This book is as good as this cover looks!! I loved the following of Jazz through her journey. This Jasmine retelling was amazing storytelling us about a girl who does not need a man to rule her life and who can stand on her own two feet. I loved learning about each character, my heart broke for some of them, some of them broke my heart. Emily Bourne's way of writing blew me away. Yes the first two to three chapters I had a hard time keeping track of everyone but they all developed into their own unique self which made it easy to remember everyone. I cannot wait for the second book! I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. Even if you are unfamiliar with the fairy tale, it does not matter, you can still read this book! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.