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Happily Ever Afters #1
Happily Ever Afters: A Charming YA Romance About Black Girl Magic, Writing, and First Love
Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances. Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader. When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming. But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2021
262 people are currently reading
26379 people want to read
About the author
Elise Bryant
11 books1,295 followersElise Bryant is the NAACP Image Award-nominated author of Happily Ever Afters, One True Loves, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling, and the forthcoming It’s Elementary. For many years, Elise had the joy of working as a special education teacher, and now she spends her days reading, writing, and eating dessert. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Long Beach, California. You can visit her online at www.elisebryant.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,660 reviews
October 14, 2022
i wanted a summery read, and to me, YA contemporary = summer.
this is cute and nice and has a lot of pastries in it. that's good enough for me.
bottom line: i got what i came for!
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tbr review
summer is YA contemporary season. i don't make the rules
this is cute and nice and has a lot of pastries in it. that's good enough for me.
bottom line: i got what i came for!
------------------
tbr review
summer is YA contemporary season. i don't make the rules
January 2, 2021
Reading this book as just like watching a teen rom-com from the 80s and I just ate that right up.
Tessa loves to write romance, and when her family moves, she gets into a prestigious arts school where she is going to be a part of their writing program. Tessa has never actually shared her writing with anyone but her best friend, but she's excited to write and have this new experience. But the first day, she freezes up and finds herself not being able to write. Anything. The solution her best friend comes up with? Have a real life romance that will inspire her to write. And Nico, the gorgeous guy in her writing class, is the perfect target.
The premise of this book was so fun, but this book also explores a lot of themes and shows just how messy and hard life can be for teenagers. One of my favorite parts of this book was Tessa's older brother, Miles, who has disabilities. Tessa talks a lot about growing up with him, how she deals with other people's opinions of her brother, and how other people treat him. I loved how he was in the book a lot, along with Tessa's parents, and how Miles was important when it came to her friends, especially Sam.
When I say this book was messy, I mean that Tessa makes some very messy decisions that felt so real when it comes to teenagers. She makes mistakes, has a love triangle, messes up with her best friend, and lies to her parents because she just doesn't know what to do and doesn't want to disappoint them. Her decisions became frustrating, but she was making mistakes that she had to make in order to face the consequences and learn and grow from what she does.
I really loved the setting and premise of this book, as well as everything Tessa went through. I was definitely rooting for a specific romance and I really loved the whole journey Tessa went on to find her words and find herself.
Tessa loves to write romance, and when her family moves, she gets into a prestigious arts school where she is going to be a part of their writing program. Tessa has never actually shared her writing with anyone but her best friend, but she's excited to write and have this new experience. But the first day, she freezes up and finds herself not being able to write. Anything. The solution her best friend comes up with? Have a real life romance that will inspire her to write. And Nico, the gorgeous guy in her writing class, is the perfect target.
The premise of this book was so fun, but this book also explores a lot of themes and shows just how messy and hard life can be for teenagers. One of my favorite parts of this book was Tessa's older brother, Miles, who has disabilities. Tessa talks a lot about growing up with him, how she deals with other people's opinions of her brother, and how other people treat him. I loved how he was in the book a lot, along with Tessa's parents, and how Miles was important when it came to her friends, especially Sam.
When I say this book was messy, I mean that Tessa makes some very messy decisions that felt so real when it comes to teenagers. She makes mistakes, has a love triangle, messes up with her best friend, and lies to her parents because she just doesn't know what to do and doesn't want to disappoint them. Her decisions became frustrating, but she was making mistakes that she had to make in order to face the consequences and learn and grow from what she does.
I really loved the setting and premise of this book, as well as everything Tessa went through. I was definitely rooting for a specific romance and I really loved the whole journey Tessa went on to find her words and find herself.
March 23, 2022
This was hard.
Tessa Johnson gets lost in writing romance. At any moment she can envision that perfect scene and put it into words. When she gets accepted into an art school, it’s suddenly all gone. She can’t seem to write because now there’s just so much pressure. Maybe it’s because there is romance lacking in her life, and she needs romance in her life so she can have some inspiration to write again.
Tessa, for most of this book, is pining for a guy who ain't shit. The whole time I kept asking, “Doesn’t this guy have a girlfriend?” Even if he wasn’t, whatever he had with Poppy was so messy, and it just wasn’t worth it. Tessa’s character deserved better. I get that the author was somehow trying to present us with a flawed character, but this just went on for too long and I wasn’t sure what exactly the message was.
Regardless, I still thought some parts of this book were awesome. She has a brother who has disabilities and Bryant does a great job in portraying the effects this has on her family. She was a great sister and I was so proud of her for how much love she showed to him. I think her friends were pretty cool too.
I also really wanted to give a shout-out for some short natural hair representation. Tessa wants to see more of herself reflected in romance books so I think it’s great that some girls will also get to see themselves reflected in this one.
Sam was so good to her. It was incredibly painful that Tessa didn’t see what was in front of her for a while. I was done with her when at one time she wouldn’t even hold his hands in front of Nico. Excuse me?
Overall, this might be harsh, but I wouldn't recommend this book with the enthusiasm I would with other books.
Tessa Johnson gets lost in writing romance. At any moment she can envision that perfect scene and put it into words. When she gets accepted into an art school, it’s suddenly all gone. She can’t seem to write because now there’s just so much pressure. Maybe it’s because there is romance lacking in her life, and she needs romance in her life so she can have some inspiration to write again.
Tessa, for most of this book, is pining for a guy who ain't shit. The whole time I kept asking, “Doesn’t this guy have a girlfriend?” Even if he wasn’t, whatever he had with Poppy was so messy, and it just wasn’t worth it. Tessa’s character deserved better. I get that the author was somehow trying to present us with a flawed character, but this just went on for too long and I wasn’t sure what exactly the message was.
Regardless, I still thought some parts of this book were awesome. She has a brother who has disabilities and Bryant does a great job in portraying the effects this has on her family. She was a great sister and I was so proud of her for how much love she showed to him. I think her friends were pretty cool too.
I also really wanted to give a shout-out for some short natural hair representation. Tessa wants to see more of herself reflected in romance books so I think it’s great that some girls will also get to see themselves reflected in this one.
Sam was so good to her. It was incredibly painful that Tessa didn’t see what was in front of her for a while. I was done with her when at one time she wouldn’t even hold his hands in front of Nico. Excuse me?
Overall, this might be harsh, but I wouldn't recommend this book with the enthusiasm I would with other books.
January 5, 2021
I loved Happily Ever Afters. The story is cute and talks about important issues. Tessa grew up around very few black people. Tessa is in multiple situations with racial problems. Bryant discusses how Tessa feels and why she handles the situations the way she does. After moving, she is now around black people and feels like she fits in. Tessa’s brother Miles has disabilities and she discusses how people don’t usually treat him right. Tessa’s parents are always looking out for Miles which sometimes leads Tessa to feel like she isn’t as important. She works through this with her mom. I loved the characters in Happily Ever Afters. Tessa is deals with fear that she doesn’t belong and anxiety. She wants to do the right thing but sometimes makes bad choices. Sam is a very kind person and always treating everyone with respect. Lenore radiates self-confidence is a great friend to Tessa.
Thank you Balzer + Bray, Harper Collins and Edelweiss for Happily Ever Afters.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
Thank you Balzer + Bray, Harper Collins and Edelweiss for Happily Ever Afters.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
February 4, 2023
This book was definitely cute! But I have never witnessed such a self sabotaging main character like,Tessa, OMG! I found her accepting all the problematic nature of dream boy, Nico, and the villainization of Poppy, even though she was the one trying to steal her boyfriend, to be so annoying. Haven’t we moved past the days of having the main girl hate the “perfect” popular girl who has the “perfect” popular boyfriend? And I get the whole point was to see Tessa’s growth in the end, but I felt we didn’t even get to see that since it was so rushed. Anyways, the book was enjoyable but yeah the main character needed some work.
February 19, 2021
I really wanted to love this almost how desperately Tessa wanted to love someone. Some parts of this book I enjoyed while others I was unimpressed or let down by.
Let's get into this.
Happily Ever Afters had amazing representation which includes: a bi-racial main character, anxiety rep, a disabled character, Black side characters, and a Filipino best friend.
I personally can't judge if (most of) the representation is accurate, but I will say that I personally feel like one of the characters was added on solely to be the gay friend, so do with that what you will.
I am going to touch on the anxiety representation because I myself have pretty bad anxiety that I go to therapy for. I don't think this representation was wholly accurate, and at some points, it felt like it was used as a plot point. Tessa has anxiety about social interactions, but when she is sitting with "popular" people she confidently talks to them and she sends death stares to the girlfriend of the "love interest" (which is a whole other thing I'm going to talk about).
I constantly rethink the things I say, think, or even get told. So if she has social anxiety then why is she so confident in that setting? Why is she being so careless and intone with the people around her? I mean, in other settings, she gets hives from bad anxiety and those situations are kinda similar. She is also trying to steal this girl named Poppy's boyfriend and doesn't think twice about it, reasoning that it is "all part of the plan".
She has the mindset that she deserves him and Poppy doesn't. She then gets mad at the fact that Poppy hates her when she is actively trying to steal her boyfriend. I actually got anxiety from some of the situations that Tessa got into, which shows how ridiculous and frankly disgusting they were. You see, Tessa made a Happily Ever After plan with her best friend, where she has to fall in love with someone (she picked Poppy's bf) by getting into certain situations (getting locked into an elevator, being in the rain together, etc.) and in turn get out of her writer's block.
There is something to be said that she wasn't the person to develop the plan (her best friend did), but as someone with anxiety, the plan seems like a large lying scheme and I would be extremely on edge for the entire course of it.
I would've loved to see a more main focus on her anxiety rather than her constantly obsessing over Poppy's boyfriend Nico, and how she is going to steal him.
Now, let's get into the plan itself and my issues or certain likes about it. I will say that I partly set myself up for unhappiness because the concept of this plan is something that has a lot of situations I get anxious about. Lying to her parents, pushing people away from her, ignoring the blatant issues with Nico, etc. I think the plan to have her own love story to spark her writing again was really clever but she got really blind-sighted and focused on the plan which caused her to be very self-absorbed and rude to her friends.
About Nico: I thought he was so clearly a playboy, user, and selfish person, that it was slightly ridiculous all of the things that Tessa bypassed for him. I think we are learning that Tessas aren't meant to have romances.. He was oblivious to JK Rowling and all of her issues, he was CHEATING ON HIS GIRLFRIEND, he had some really obnoxious friends who used offensive terms and laughed about it and he was an overall terrible person. So yeah, it annoyed me that she kept going for Happily Ever Afters with him.
Spoilers:
END of spoilers
A quick touch on Poppy and how Tessa was trying to steal Nico from her: Poppy is a terrible person and she was never nice to Tessa, but she did have reason to be rude to her. She could clearly tell that Tessa was trying to take her man from her (even if they were on and off again) and she had the right to be mad about it. I am annoyed that practically nobody batted an eye at this and they just let Tessa keep on with what she was doing.
I did enjoy learning about the side characters and the societal issues that this book touched on. I think that Elise Bryant did a good job at developing Tessa's character and some of the teenagery thoughts that she had. I loved all of the different types of artists that were featured from the school, especially Sam and his desserts of which sounded delicious.
Overall I had issue with a couple of things in this book, I liked a few and I came out of it disappointed.
Let's get into this.
Happily Ever Afters had amazing representation which includes: a bi-racial main character, anxiety rep, a disabled character, Black side characters, and a Filipino best friend.
I personally can't judge if (most of) the representation is accurate, but I will say that I personally feel like one of the characters was added on solely to be the gay friend, so do with that what you will.
I am going to touch on the anxiety representation because I myself have pretty bad anxiety that I go to therapy for. I don't think this representation was wholly accurate, and at some points, it felt like it was used as a plot point. Tessa has anxiety about social interactions, but when she is sitting with "popular" people she confidently talks to them and she sends death stares to the girlfriend of the "love interest" (which is a whole other thing I'm going to talk about).
I constantly rethink the things I say, think, or even get told. So if she has social anxiety then why is she so confident in that setting? Why is she being so careless and intone with the people around her? I mean, in other settings, she gets hives from bad anxiety and those situations are kinda similar. She is also trying to steal this girl named Poppy's boyfriend and doesn't think twice about it, reasoning that it is "all part of the plan".
She has the mindset that she deserves him and Poppy doesn't. She then gets mad at the fact that Poppy hates her when she is actively trying to steal her boyfriend. I actually got anxiety from some of the situations that Tessa got into, which shows how ridiculous and frankly disgusting they were. You see, Tessa made a Happily Ever After plan with her best friend, where she has to fall in love with someone (she picked Poppy's bf) by getting into certain situations (getting locked into an elevator, being in the rain together, etc.) and in turn get out of her writer's block.
There is something to be said that she wasn't the person to develop the plan (her best friend did), but as someone with anxiety, the plan seems like a large lying scheme and I would be extremely on edge for the entire course of it.
I would've loved to see a more main focus on her anxiety rather than her constantly obsessing over Poppy's boyfriend Nico, and how she is going to steal him.
Now, let's get into the plan itself and my issues or certain likes about it. I will say that I partly set myself up for unhappiness because the concept of this plan is something that has a lot of situations I get anxious about. Lying to her parents, pushing people away from her, ignoring the blatant issues with Nico, etc. I think the plan to have her own love story to spark her writing again was really clever but she got really blind-sighted and focused on the plan which caused her to be very self-absorbed and rude to her friends.
About Nico: I thought he was so clearly a playboy, user, and selfish person, that it was slightly ridiculous all of the things that Tessa bypassed for him.
Spoilers:
END of spoilers
A quick touch on Poppy and how Tessa was trying to steal Nico from her: Poppy is a terrible person and she was never nice to Tessa, but she did have reason to be rude to her. She could clearly tell that Tessa was trying to take her man from her (even if they were on and off again) and she had the right to be mad about it. I am annoyed that practically nobody batted an eye at this and they just let Tessa keep on with what she was doing.
I did enjoy learning about the side characters and the societal issues that this book touched on. I think that Elise Bryant did a good job at developing Tessa's character and some of the teenagery thoughts that she had. I loved all of the different types of artists that were featured from the school, especially Sam and his desserts of which sounded delicious.
Overall I had issue with a couple of things in this book, I liked a few and I came out of it disappointed.
April 4, 2021
Ahh I started out thinking I was going to give this 5 stars and I feel betrayed!
Tessa goes to a school for the arts (for creative writing) but doesn’t expect to actually have to workshop or share her writing and gets major writers block..which she is trying to cure by having her own happily ever after with someone else’s boyfriend. As someone who has done writing workshops I get the anxiety, but jeez.
She also has a lovely support system, complete with cinnamon roll/Hawaiian shirt Sam.
Tessa is one of the most self-involved characters I’ve read about in a while, which was even more obvious when comparing her to her amazing friends. It was so frustrating to read about her, especially when she frames Nico’s girlfriend Poppy like the villain. Girl, you are stealing her boyfriend, she’d better be murdering puppies for me to like you in comparison.
Can we just have a book about Caroline and Lenore instead? (Especially Lenore, she didn’t get enough pages and she seemed like the most talented and funny character). Sam deserved better too tbh, what a doll. Actually all of the supporting characters needed to be more fleshed out, they seemed like they could have been so dynamic if given more attention.
Okay, now I will say some nice things. I liked the writing style in general and really liked the beginning and the ending, which were both really cute. I thought the parts about Tessa’s experience as a young Black woman were really well done and some of the stuff she had to put up with hurt my heart. I loved Tessa’s relationship with her brother Miles, that’s part of what initially made me want to give this all the stars. Unfortunately, not enough to make up for how much Tessa’s self absorption rubbed me the wrong way?
With all that being said, I would definitely still read more work from Elise Bryant.
Tessa goes to a school for the arts (for creative writing) but doesn’t expect to actually have to workshop or share her writing and gets major writers block..which she is trying to cure by having her own happily ever after with someone else’s boyfriend. As someone who has done writing workshops I get the anxiety, but jeez.
She also has a lovely support system, complete with cinnamon roll/Hawaiian shirt Sam.
Tessa is one of the most self-involved characters I’ve read about in a while, which was even more obvious when comparing her to her amazing friends. It was so frustrating to read about her, especially when she frames Nico’s girlfriend Poppy like the villain. Girl, you are stealing her boyfriend, she’d better be murdering puppies for me to like you in comparison.
Can we just have a book about Caroline and Lenore instead? (Especially Lenore, she didn’t get enough pages and she seemed like the most talented and funny character). Sam deserved better too tbh, what a doll. Actually all of the supporting characters needed to be more fleshed out, they seemed like they could have been so dynamic if given more attention.
Okay, now I will say some nice things. I liked the writing style in general and really liked the beginning and the ending, which were both really cute. I thought the parts about Tessa’s experience as a young Black woman were really well done and some of the stuff she had to put up with hurt my heart. I loved Tessa’s relationship with her brother Miles, that’s part of what initially made me want to give this all the stars. Unfortunately, not enough to make up for how much Tessa’s self absorption rubbed me the wrong way?
With all that being said, I would definitely still read more work from Elise Bryant.
February 11, 2022
2 stars
I mean, it was okay I guess? I juststrongly disliked didn't really care for the MC, Tessa. She was really self-absorbed and whiny, unfortunately. But, hey, it was a good debut and I'm looking forward to the sequel about Lenore next year. *now prepare yourself for some passive-aggressive ranting*
Let's start with Tessa. As said before, very whiny, selfish, etc., etc. The whole of this book was based on her sniveling for a certain, already taken someone to fall in love with her whilst she is starting a new school and battling family challenges. It felt like the author was really forcing the reader to root for Tessa, even when they REALLY don't want to . I mean, (and I stated this in an update) her whole supposed LOVE STORY was based on flirting with and stealing someone else's boyfriend!! That's just not okay, girl! *deep breaths, Em, deep breaths*
On the plus side, Tessa was kinda sortanot really redeemed by her friends. I loved her friend group, especially Lenore. Sassy, supportive, and compassionate, she was everything I love in a good friend!
I really didn't enjoy this one, but I was glad that Tessa didn't Welp. Now I've got it all out :P
P.S. - I'm not even kidding when I'm say that I'm almost positive Sam was inspired by Peeta. Blonde. Loves to bake. Got the boyish look but still strong. They have so many of the same qualities!!
I mean, it was okay I guess? I just
Let's start with Tessa. As said before, very whiny, selfish, etc., etc. The whole of this book was based on her sniveling for a certain, already taken someone to fall in love with her whilst she is starting a new school and battling family challenges. It felt like the author was really forcing the reader to root for Tessa, even when they REALLY don't want to . I mean, (and I stated this in an update) her whole supposed LOVE STORY was based on flirting with and stealing someone else's boyfriend!! That's just not okay, girl! *deep breaths, Em, deep breaths*
On the plus side, Tessa was kinda sorta
I really didn't enjoy this one, but I was glad that Tessa didn't Welp. Now I've got it all out :P
P.S. - I'm not even kidding when I'm say that I'm almost positive Sam was inspired by Peeta. Blonde. Loves to bake. Got the boyish look but still strong. They have so many of the same qualities!!
Want to read
June 10, 2020like Jane the Virgin??? black girl magic ?? wake me up when this is out
January 17, 2021
i have so much love for YA books where the characters act and think and f*ck up and learn and grow like real, actual teenagers, and this book is a perfect example of that. plus, a writer main character and a baker love interest, with an art school setting and a realistic and lovable cast of side characters! i enjoyed this so much.
March 5, 2021
Dear Netflix, I am sincerely begging you to adapt this book into a movie because it is just pure goodness, and I loved listening to the audiobook. Filled with adorable moments of romance and friendship, Happily Ever Afters had me squealing and swooning at every page.
If you’re a fan of loveable rom-coms like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I Believe In A Thing Called Love, or any Disney Channel Original Movie, this is the perfect book for you. Through Tessa, we explore finding first love, reconciling between new and old friendships, and learning to find confidence in yourself.
Happily Ever Afters follows Tessa, a loveable heroine who spends her free time writing romance stories. After transferring to a prestigious arts academy, she finds imposter syndrome hitting her hard. How can she compete against the future Picassos, Vera Wangs, and Gordan Ramseys?
Words that used to flow out of Tessa like water run dry, and her writer’s block only intensifies as she listens to her classmates share their version of the next great American novel during class. In order to find inspiration for her writing, Tessa decides to make her own happily ever after by mimicking the cliches of every romance story.
Nico, the popular and gorgeous guy in her writing class, seems like the perfect target except…he already has a girlfriend. At the same time, Tessa finds herself growing closer to Sam, the boy next door who’s constantly offering Tessa sweets during their carpool rides to school.
There are moments where Tessa makes frustrating choices as a main character, but truthfully, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. If anything, I found the story even more realistic as it explores the insecurities and inner thoughts of a high school girl. Beyond the wonderful fluff and cuteness, Elise Bryant also thoughtfully examines Tessa’s relationship with her disabled older brother, Miles.
All in all, this book has definitely made my list of favorite YA contemporaries, and I cannot wait to see what Elise Bryant writes next. From the wonderful baked dessert descriptions to the fun setting of an arts academy, this would make a wonderful movie…someone please adapt this~!
✨ FULL REVIEW ON MY BLOG ✨
Blog (Read By Tiffany) | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
If you’re a fan of loveable rom-coms like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, I Believe In A Thing Called Love, or any Disney Channel Original Movie, this is the perfect book for you. Through Tessa, we explore finding first love, reconciling between new and old friendships, and learning to find confidence in yourself.
Happily Ever Afters follows Tessa, a loveable heroine who spends her free time writing romance stories. After transferring to a prestigious arts academy, she finds imposter syndrome hitting her hard. How can she compete against the future Picassos, Vera Wangs, and Gordan Ramseys?
Words that used to flow out of Tessa like water run dry, and her writer’s block only intensifies as she listens to her classmates share their version of the next great American novel during class. In order to find inspiration for her writing, Tessa decides to make her own happily ever after by mimicking the cliches of every romance story.
Nico, the popular and gorgeous guy in her writing class, seems like the perfect target except…he already has a girlfriend. At the same time, Tessa finds herself growing closer to Sam, the boy next door who’s constantly offering Tessa sweets during their carpool rides to school.
There are moments where Tessa makes frustrating choices as a main character, but truthfully, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. If anything, I found the story even more realistic as it explores the insecurities and inner thoughts of a high school girl. Beyond the wonderful fluff and cuteness, Elise Bryant also thoughtfully examines Tessa’s relationship with her disabled older brother, Miles.
All in all, this book has definitely made my list of favorite YA contemporaries, and I cannot wait to see what Elise Bryant writes next. From the wonderful baked dessert descriptions to the fun setting of an arts academy, this would make a wonderful movie…someone please adapt this~!
✨ FULL REVIEW ON MY BLOG ✨
Blog (Read By Tiffany) | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
February 8, 2023
I had an amazing time listening to the audiobook, and I want this book to be translated immediately. It gave me all the To All the Boys vibes, with a main character who wants to be a romance author, and a boy who's an amazing baker, baking stuff that I could practically smell, it sounded so good.
I loved how much this book let its main character be messy. She has flaws, she fucks up, she struggles to make the right decisions, and it was so good to see her get that space to grow and learn what she really wants and needs in life.
Additionally, I really liked the disability rep. The main character's brother is disabled, and it was amazing to see such a respectful, loving portrayal, without shying away from how difficult it can be. It was very clear how much Tessa loves her brother and wouldn't change him for the world, and that did things to my heart.
I loved how much this book let its main character be messy. She has flaws, she fucks up, she struggles to make the right decisions, and it was so good to see her get that space to grow and learn what she really wants and needs in life.
Additionally, I really liked the disability rep. The main character's brother is disabled, and it was amazing to see such a respectful, loving portrayal, without shying away from how difficult it can be. It was very clear how much Tessa loves her brother and wouldn't change him for the world, and that did things to my heart.
January 11, 2023
3.5 stars! just a cutesy YA black romance:)
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January 6, 2021
Tessa has never been the hero of her own story, even though she's written plenty of heroes and happily ever afters in her writing. But she's about to start a new school at a prestigious academy dedicated to cultivating fine minds and she's really nervous. Because she's never shared her writing with anyone besides her best friend before and now she's going to have to read aloud to a classroom of gifted students. And worse, her words are gone. Vanished. Blimp.
Her best friend devises a scheme to get Tessa her words back. A simple list, to make Tessa the heroine of her own story, just like the women in her romances. And she knows just the boy to be her hero: suave, sexy fellow writer Nico. There's just one problem. Despite his interest, Nico already has a girlfriend.
I mean...it's basically Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink but with some rearrangements.
In this reiteration, Kady—excuse me, Tessa—is newly arrived from Northern California with her family. She has a mom, a dad, and an older brother named Miles who is disabled. She's a regular girl, except that she's struggling to fit in and she just wants to get her words back and prove that she's good enough to be in the school.
Like Kady, Tessa goes a little too far in her efforts, until the lies wrap around themselves and she loses herself in her efforts to get the boy.
In this case, the boy is Nico, handsome and eerily similar to one of her main characters (a character who predates her meeting him). And Nico is really into her, despite the fact that he has a girlfriend and his friends are kinda racist. However, Tessa enlists her new friends (not Nico's friends) in getting her man to regain her words, and things go progressively downhill. Soon, she's pretending to write in class, submitting old stories to her writing teacher, failing her other classes, lying to her parents to go to parties, ditching her real friends to be with Nico's friends, and drowning in a sea of imposter syndrome.
All throughout the cringe-fest that is Tessa gunning after a boy who is already in a committed relationship (admittedly, the boy is leading her on, so he does bear fault) in a way that is rewired to be progressive and fun and girl-powery, is her growing relationship with Sam, the boy next door.
Sam is wears Hawaiian shirts and zip-off cargo pants (a thing I thought died in 2004), is goofy, an amazing baker, and doesn't treat Miles like he is an alien. As Tessa gains ground on Nico, she finds herself pulled towards Sam, but doesn't she really want the attractive, popular boy instead?
Of course, everything implodes because of course it's going to implode. Tessa is a teenage girl, not a master spy capable of spinning lies and whatnot. And in the aftermath, Tessa finds her self-worth, and finds the strength to regain what she's lost. Her integrity. Her friends. Her words. Herself.
Overall, it's sweet and adorable (despite my words of DOOM), and hits the notes of the desperation of writer's block and growing up really nicely.
There are insightful critiques on the 80s teenage romances, solid representation of having a sibling with disabilities, the realities of loving ice cream even though it makes you have nasty farts, the give and take of friendship, and picking yourself back up after you've pretty much self-imploded. And also commentary on what is art, and what making art means in a school filled with preternaturally precocious and gifted children. Particularly when that art is genre writing and not literary fiction.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
Her best friend devises a scheme to get Tessa her words back. A simple list, to make Tessa the heroine of her own story, just like the women in her romances. And she knows just the boy to be her hero: suave, sexy fellow writer Nico. There's just one problem. Despite his interest, Nico already has a girlfriend.
I mean...it's basically Mean Girls and Pretty in Pink but with some rearrangements.
In this reiteration, Kady—excuse me, Tessa—is newly arrived from Northern California with her family. She has a mom, a dad, and an older brother named Miles who is disabled. She's a regular girl, except that she's struggling to fit in and she just wants to get her words back and prove that she's good enough to be in the school.
Like Kady, Tessa goes a little too far in her efforts, until the lies wrap around themselves and she loses herself in her efforts to get the boy.
In this case, the boy is Nico, handsome and eerily similar to one of her main characters (a character who predates her meeting him). And Nico is really into her, despite the fact that he has a girlfriend and his friends are kinda racist. However, Tessa enlists her new friends (not Nico's friends) in getting her man to regain her words, and things go progressively downhill. Soon, she's pretending to write in class, submitting old stories to her writing teacher, failing her other classes, lying to her parents to go to parties, ditching her real friends to be with Nico's friends, and drowning in a sea of imposter syndrome.
All throughout the cringe-fest that is Tessa gunning after a boy who is already in a committed relationship (admittedly, the boy is leading her on, so he does bear fault) in a way that is rewired to be progressive and fun and girl-powery, is her growing relationship with Sam, the boy next door.
Sam is wears Hawaiian shirts and zip-off cargo pants (a thing I thought died in 2004), is goofy, an amazing baker, and doesn't treat Miles like he is an alien. As Tessa gains ground on Nico, she finds herself pulled towards Sam, but doesn't she really want the attractive, popular boy instead?
Of course, everything implodes because of course it's going to implode. Tessa is a teenage girl, not a master spy capable of spinning lies and whatnot. And in the aftermath, Tessa finds her self-worth, and finds the strength to regain what she's lost. Her integrity. Her friends. Her words. Herself.
Overall, it's sweet and adorable (despite my words of DOOM), and hits the notes of the desperation of writer's block and growing up really nicely.
There are insightful critiques on the 80s teenage romances, solid representation of having a sibling with disabilities, the realities of loving ice cream even though it makes you have nasty farts, the give and take of friendship, and picking yourself back up after you've pretty much self-imploded. And also commentary on what is art, and what making art means in a school filled with preternaturally precocious and gifted children. Particularly when that art is genre writing and not literary fiction.
I think there's something to be said for making art just to make you happy. Not to win awards or impress others or get the attention of your parents who can be a little clueless at times. But art for art's sake. Art for yourself.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
February 9, 2023
i think tessa needs therapy and a lot of it if i’m being honest because how insecure she is, is actually concerning. she self sabotages a lot and she does this thing where someone will say something and she’ll start to assume the worst about what they probably are thinking, even though she has no reason to assume that. she’s also actively trying to steal someone’s man and then acts as if poppy (the girl) is in the wrong??? she was deeply insecure about her writing and i understand that she’s a teen but it became very annoying fast. other than that i liked everything else about the book! i loved the friendships and the family aspect. i really enjoy the authors ability to tell a story. i really loved sam as a character.
Want to read
June 10, 2020June 10, 2020: The cutest cover has just been revealed and I'm so excited to meet Tessa! Mainly because books about readers is THE theme and also because 'creating your own real life love story' sounds fun and I need pointers so I don't stay single forever so yeah, EXCITED.
May 10, 2021
cw // hp & jk rowling references
i just.... stopped liking this after one of the love interests (yes, there is a love triangle) said he wanted to be like jk rowling. plus i wouldn't like anyone who tries to take away someone's boyfriend for herself!!
i just.... stopped liking this after one of the love interests (yes, there is a love triangle) said he wanted to be like jk rowling. plus i wouldn't like anyone who tries to take away someone's boyfriend for herself!!
February 5, 2021
“You need to learn the subtle art of not giving a f*ck.”
Happily Ever Afters was not a book for me.
I can see why it’s compared to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. These books do have many similarities – that’s probably the reason why I didn't like it and stopped caring for the last third of the story.
It started off pretty good. The first few chapters addressed many important topics making the reader more aware of under-representation of black people in the main cast of books, movies, and tv shows and how that effects especially young people of colour. Additionally, it thematized disabilities and how not involved people with their prejudices and reactions are the real problem for the family. I liked how the plot helped the reader become aware of those issues and hopefully made many readers think about it outside of the book.
However, once the main plot started, everything went downhill for me. The very likable and relatable protagonist, Tessa, just stopped being herself somewhere on the way to her first day at her new school. In her desperate need to fit in, I felt like the plot was just one “peer-pressured” act after the other – but there wasn’t even any pressure other then Tessa’s own expectations of what she thought others want her to do, her own thoughts of how the others might think her actions make her look stupid, and her obsession with getting the ONE boy. So, in my eyes Tessa developed from a great character into a shallow false persona obsessed with her fake image.
The light of my life was Sam. I loved how he didn’t give a damn about what others thought of him, how he dressed, or what he did. He was always himself, did what he loved, tried to give good advice, and supported Tessa throughout the story. He is NOT a “pity suggestion” and was what kept me going after chapter ten.
I guess I’m just over such tropes.
I’m over too much teen angst and unhealthy amounts of self-doubt, overthinking literally EVERY breath one takes in public stressing over how others perceive you, while being overly shallow and so fixated on the looks of others.
I’m over girls blindly chasing after boys no matter what they do or say just because they are “everyone’s” dream boy and overlooking both the boy’s problematic behaviour and the girl’s unfounded obsession.
I’m over people not realizing a friend’s life has to go on, too, even if you aren’t there every minute anymore and getting jealous over that fact, especially when your fixation keeps you from trying to live your own life.
And I’m definitely over the enormous amounts of Harry Potter references in this whole story (especially when the MC addressed the latest developments making it clear that JKR f*cked up before the book was published and the author was aware of the pain those references can cause).
I had hoped it wouldn’t be this cliché plot with just another insecure girl, losing herself in her own prejudices and her shallow crush and it had so much potential, because Tessa definitely had some strong, great opinions and positions. Sadly, she was too easily motivated to ignore those views in certain company instead of speaking her mind and looking badass, was too afraid of rejection and judgment and preferred lying over getting help or being upfront with everything.
Nevertheless, I’m glad Tessa’s fears that come with being black in a largely white society were depicted in such powerful scenes, that her anger and frustration about how others treated her in certain situations was described the way it was.
Black girls deserve to see themselves in romance books, but no girl should have to read about someone giving up their own morals and personality just to try and make a boy like you, because that makes it seem like you can’t be loved or deserve love the way you are – because you DO deserve love and romantic relationships DON’T define a person’s value.
In the end that’s obviously just my opinion and I don’t want to make anybody feel offended because of my critique or bad about disagreeing with me.
Happily Ever Afters was not a book for me.
I can see why it’s compared to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. These books do have many similarities – that’s probably the reason why I didn't like it and stopped caring for the last third of the story.
It started off pretty good. The first few chapters addressed many important topics making the reader more aware of under-representation of black people in the main cast of books, movies, and tv shows and how that effects especially young people of colour. Additionally, it thematized disabilities and how not involved people with their prejudices and reactions are the real problem for the family. I liked how the plot helped the reader become aware of those issues and hopefully made many readers think about it outside of the book.
However, once the main plot started, everything went downhill for me. The very likable and relatable protagonist, Tessa, just stopped being herself somewhere on the way to her first day at her new school. In her desperate need to fit in, I felt like the plot was just one “peer-pressured” act after the other – but there wasn’t even any pressure other then Tessa’s own expectations of what she thought others want her to do, her own thoughts of how the others might think her actions make her look stupid, and her obsession with getting the ONE boy. So, in my eyes Tessa developed from a great character into a shallow false persona obsessed with her fake image.
The light of my life was Sam. I loved how he didn’t give a damn about what others thought of him, how he dressed, or what he did. He was always himself, did what he loved, tried to give good advice, and supported Tessa throughout the story. He is NOT a “pity suggestion” and was what kept me going after chapter ten.
I guess I’m just over such tropes.
I’m over too much teen angst and unhealthy amounts of self-doubt, overthinking literally EVERY breath one takes in public stressing over how others perceive you, while being overly shallow and so fixated on the looks of others.
I’m over girls blindly chasing after boys no matter what they do or say just because they are “everyone’s” dream boy and overlooking both the boy’s problematic behaviour and the girl’s unfounded obsession.
I’m over people not realizing a friend’s life has to go on, too, even if you aren’t there every minute anymore and getting jealous over that fact, especially when your fixation keeps you from trying to live your own life.
And I’m definitely over the enormous amounts of Harry Potter references in this whole story (especially when the MC addressed the latest developments making it clear that JKR f*cked up before the book was published and the author was aware of the pain those references can cause).
I had hoped it wouldn’t be this cliché plot with just another insecure girl, losing herself in her own prejudices and her shallow crush and it had so much potential, because Tessa definitely had some strong, great opinions and positions. Sadly, she was too easily motivated to ignore those views in certain company instead of speaking her mind and looking badass, was too afraid of rejection and judgment and preferred lying over getting help or being upfront with everything.
Nevertheless, I’m glad Tessa’s fears that come with being black in a largely white society were depicted in such powerful scenes, that her anger and frustration about how others treated her in certain situations was described the way it was.
Black girls deserve to see themselves in romance books, but no girl should have to read about someone giving up their own morals and personality just to try and make a boy like you, because that makes it seem like you can’t be loved or deserve love the way you are – because you DO deserve love and romantic relationships DON’T define a person’s value.
In the end that’s obviously just my opinion and I don’t want to make anybody feel offended because of my critique or bad about disagreeing with me.
July 1, 2022
This was very cute just not my typical read! I thought it felt a lot like a teen movie which was fun.
April 7, 2021
find this review & others on my blog, here !
rep :
✍🏽biracial black mc with anxiety
✍🏽fat li
✍🏽side black character with cerebral palsy
✍🏽filipina-american side character
✍🏽black side character
✍🏽mlm side characters
i’m going to start with the cons so that i can end this review on a relatively more positive note : firstly, i just could not appreciate the fact that tessa was openly and seriously considering stealing another girl’s boyfriend. i also could not believe that her friends were also openly and seriously encouraging this. i mean, there’s this one point in the book where one of the characters calls her out for it, but then reverts to a ‘hey, no judgement! that’s cool!’ stance. or more specifically :
“Well, that’s just because you’re trying to steal her boyfriend,” Theodore says matter-of-factly
…
he gives my arm a quick squeeze—a first—and looks me in the eye, another rare occurrence. “Hey, no judgment. There’s no shame in going after what you want. ”
what.
i’ve known a lot of people who have had their relationships ruined because of cheating and i cannot believe that while nico’s inability to be faithful to poppy was rightfully called out, nowhere was it pointed out that tessa did wrong too (and no, the above quote does not count, for obvious reasons). she also had the gall to be surprised by the fact that nico’s girlfriend, poppy, doesn’t like her, actively villainizing poppy in the process. society has progressed way beyond the need for the mean girl trope (not that we ever needed it), and this is something i deduct ratings for from a lot of books.
another thing that bothered me was a scene where nico tells tessa that he wants to be like j.k. rowling (i know, big yikes) because he feels that she writes well and is also extremely famous at the same time. tessa questions this by asking him if he really wants to be just like her, considering ‘what she’s said’. he defends himself by saying that ‘she’s still famous’. then we get two lines where tessa thinks about how she and caroline had discussed their ‘heartbreak’ and ‘anger’ when rowling first made her transphobic comments. in the same two lines she also says that she doesn’t want to go ‘too deep’ into the topic and scare off nico. and then they proceed to talk more about their harry potter houses and laugh a bit. i cannot deny that i felt a bit angry about this because while i understand that situations like these are meant to highlight how tessa’s becoming less of herself the more time she spends with nico, this particular scene is never brought up again later on in the story. the words ‘transphobia’ or trans person/trans people were never directly mentioned. saying words like these isn’t ‘too deep’, and tessa keeps sticking with her idea of getting with him even after this.
next, the ‘romance’ between tessa and nico. so here’s the thing; i know that nico and tessa weren’t meant to be together, but we find out towards the end that nico genuinely wants to be with tessa. personally, in the beginning, i thought that this was going to be one of those tropes in which bad boy nico reveals later that it was actually a bet/dare and that he didn’t really like tessa. that’s how contrived his affection for her felt, in almost every scene they interact from the first time they meet. again, i understand that he’s meant to be a douchebag, and that the author was probably focusing on tessa and sam’s relationship, but that didn’t mean that genuine feelings have to be depicted in the way that it was.
now the pros : the writing was sweet, cute and managed to complement the story really well overall — it’s the sort of writing that makes you want to read more. the descriptions of the desserts sam made were done with flair, as was the writer’s portrayal of how racism factors into the protagonist’s experiences without shoving it in our faces, but in a manner that was still very much discernible.
am i going to read the next book? probably. apparently the next bookis going to be about lenore, one of tessa’s friends. i did like lenore for the most part (except, you know, the parts where she encouraged tessa to steal another girl’s boyfriend), and the writing, like i mentioned previously, was enjoyable, so maybe i might pick it up!
would recommend if you’re looking for a cute y.a. contemporary comparable to to all the boys i’ve loved before; featuring a sweet love interest and memorable conversations revolving around the themes of talent, love and friendships.
// 2.5 stars
***
ive finished this & i have some thots
(rtc after my exams are over djasjkfak )
rep :
✍🏽biracial black mc with anxiety
✍🏽fat li
✍🏽side black character with cerebral palsy
✍🏽filipina-american side character
✍🏽black side character
✍🏽mlm side characters
i’m going to start with the cons so that i can end this review on a relatively more positive note : firstly, i just could not appreciate the fact that tessa was openly and seriously considering stealing another girl’s boyfriend. i also could not believe that her friends were also openly and seriously encouraging this. i mean, there’s this one point in the book where one of the characters calls her out for it, but then reverts to a ‘hey, no judgement! that’s cool!’ stance. or more specifically :
“Well, that’s just because you’re trying to steal her boyfriend,” Theodore says matter-of-factly
…
he gives my arm a quick squeeze—a first—and looks me in the eye, another rare occurrence. “Hey, no judgment. There’s no shame in going after what you want. ”
what.
i’ve known a lot of people who have had their relationships ruined because of cheating and i cannot believe that while nico’s inability to be faithful to poppy was rightfully called out, nowhere was it pointed out that tessa did wrong too (and no, the above quote does not count, for obvious reasons). she also had the gall to be surprised by the fact that nico’s girlfriend, poppy, doesn’t like her, actively villainizing poppy in the process. society has progressed way beyond the need for the mean girl trope (not that we ever needed it), and this is something i deduct ratings for from a lot of books.
another thing that bothered me was a scene where nico tells tessa that he wants to be like j.k. rowling (i know, big yikes) because he feels that she writes well and is also extremely famous at the same time. tessa questions this by asking him if he really wants to be just like her, considering ‘what she’s said’. he defends himself by saying that ‘she’s still famous’. then we get two lines where tessa thinks about how she and caroline had discussed their ‘heartbreak’ and ‘anger’ when rowling first made her transphobic comments. in the same two lines she also says that she doesn’t want to go ‘too deep’ into the topic and scare off nico. and then they proceed to talk more about their harry potter houses and laugh a bit. i cannot deny that i felt a bit angry about this because while i understand that situations like these are meant to highlight how tessa’s becoming less of herself the more time she spends with nico, this particular scene is never brought up again later on in the story. the words ‘transphobia’ or trans person/trans people were never directly mentioned. saying words like these isn’t ‘too deep’, and tessa keeps sticking with her idea of getting with him even after this.
next, the ‘romance’ between tessa and nico. so here’s the thing; i know that nico and tessa weren’t meant to be together, but we find out towards the end that nico genuinely wants to be with tessa. personally, in the beginning, i thought that this was going to be one of those tropes in which bad boy nico reveals later that it was actually a bet/dare and that he didn’t really like tessa. that’s how contrived his affection for her felt, in almost every scene they interact from the first time they meet. again, i understand that he’s meant to be a douchebag, and that the author was probably focusing on tessa and sam’s relationship, but that didn’t mean that genuine feelings have to be depicted in the way that it was.
now the pros : the writing was sweet, cute and managed to complement the story really well overall — it’s the sort of writing that makes you want to read more. the descriptions of the desserts sam made were done with flair, as was the writer’s portrayal of how racism factors into the protagonist’s experiences without shoving it in our faces, but in a manner that was still very much discernible.
am i going to read the next book? probably. apparently the next bookis going to be about lenore, one of tessa’s friends. i did like lenore for the most part (except, you know, the parts where she encouraged tessa to steal another girl’s boyfriend), and the writing, like i mentioned previously, was enjoyable, so maybe i might pick it up!
would recommend if you’re looking for a cute y.a. contemporary comparable to to all the boys i’ve loved before; featuring a sweet love interest and memorable conversations revolving around the themes of talent, love and friendships.
// 2.5 stars
***
ive finished this & i have some thots
(rtc after my exams are over djasjkfak )
January 6, 2021
0.5/5 Stars*... Only for Sam (Otherwise it would be a minus star).
Nothing about this book seemed remotely good. The main character Tessa is irritating AF. I'll mention a few things that makes her unbearable :
- Thirsting over another girl's boyfriend and trying to steal him.
- Being a bitch and acting like the victim later.
- Very low mindset, the way she treated her disabled brother.
- Even how she treated her best friend. Thinks the world revolves around her and doesn’t even have the patience to listen to others' problems.
- Constantly judging Sam based on his outfits, even judging his physical features.
- From start to finish, she doesn't even know what she wants or who she wants to be with - only goes around messing up others' lives.
- The things she pulled at the end, it was the nail in the coffin. She's officially "the most disgusting" character I've ever seen any book.
Never in my life I hated a central character this much. And when a central character has so many disgusting sides to her, no way I'm gonna like this book. The plot wasn’t anything interesting anyways after the first one-third. The love interest is an equal amount of asshole. And the romance part - just full with cliches.
I've never written such mean review as well. But I really needed to vent my anger after wasting my precious few hours. Feeling thoroughly disappointed and agitated.
Nothing about this book seemed remotely good. The main character Tessa is irritating AF. I'll mention a few things that makes her unbearable :
- Thirsting over another girl's boyfriend and trying to steal him.
- Being a bitch and acting like the victim later.
- Very low mindset, the way she treated her disabled brother.
- Even how she treated her best friend. Thinks the world revolves around her and doesn’t even have the patience to listen to others' problems.
- Constantly judging Sam based on his outfits, even judging his physical features.
- From start to finish, she doesn't even know what she wants or who she wants to be with - only goes around messing up others' lives.
- The things she pulled at the end, it was the nail in the coffin. She's officially "the most disgusting" character I've ever seen any book.
Never in my life I hated a central character this much. And when a central character has so many disgusting sides to her, no way I'm gonna like this book. The plot wasn’t anything interesting anyways after the first one-third. The love interest is an equal amount of asshole. And the romance part - just full with cliches.
I've never written such mean review as well. But I really needed to vent my anger after wasting my precious few hours. Feeling thoroughly disappointed and agitated.
January 12, 2021
Happily Ever Afters is a YA contemporary romance.
The narrator is 16 year old Tessa (1st person POV). She has recently moved with her family to Long Beach, California.
She is a writer and is starting at a special school for the arts. She has a 19 year old brother with disabilities (this is a big part of the story). And a best friend named Caroline (who is also a big part of the story).
The book has a bit of a love triangle as there are two possible love interests for Tessa.
When I started this book I loved the idea of Tessa being a writer. However unfortunately because of something that happens very early on in the book we barely get to see her write.
There were parts of this book that were cute. And I did enjoy it. Tessa suffers from anxiety and this was a key part of the book.
I really loved the idea of the school. And I really liked getting to see Tessa's experiences there. But I wanted more of her writing. And I wish that there had been another chapter or an epilogue. I wanted to know what happened after the last page. But overall it was an enjoyable YA read.
Thanks to edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for allowing me to read this book
The narrator is 16 year old Tessa (1st person POV). She has recently moved with her family to Long Beach, California.
She is a writer and is starting at a special school for the arts. She has a 19 year old brother with disabilities (this is a big part of the story). And a best friend named Caroline (who is also a big part of the story).
The book has a bit of a love triangle as there are two possible love interests for Tessa.
When I started this book I loved the idea of Tessa being a writer. However unfortunately because of something that happens very early on in the book we barely get to see her write.
There were parts of this book that were cute. And I did enjoy it. Tessa suffers from anxiety and this was a key part of the book.
I really loved the idea of the school. And I really liked getting to see Tessa's experiences there. But I wanted more of her writing. And I wish that there had been another chapter or an epilogue. I wanted to know what happened after the last page. But overall it was an enjoyable YA read.
Thanks to edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for allowing me to read this book
January 25, 2021
There's nothing like a story that allows teens to mess up while learning about themselves in a realistic way. Tessa's not perfect and that's okay, which adds to the vibe of the story ultimately. Furthermore, I loved seeing a biracial girl (black/white) navigate her life in Long Beach, CA (a city often overlooked for L.A., Beverly Hills, and other typical cities/suburbs) with characterizations not often explored (e.g. natural hair, a brother with a disability that is approached realistically, not as a teachable moment).
I highly recommend this story for those looking for a tale, not about overwhelming struggle, but for normal, every day realities that teens of color experience. By the way, I read this story in two days, which says a lot for me with regard to YA. It kept my attention and few YA authors of late demonstrate such a key aspect in my book reading.
4/5
I highly recommend this story for those looking for a tale, not about overwhelming struggle, but for normal, every day realities that teens of color experience. By the way, I read this story in two days, which says a lot for me with regard to YA. It kept my attention and few YA authors of late demonstrate such a key aspect in my book reading.
4/5
Want to read
April 18, 2021
. 
April 29, 2021
5 stars
This is just such an amazing book!! I love it so much!!
A girl named Tessa was just accepted to a pretiotus arts school where all types of art are allowed. Tessa loves writieg. But one day she gets into a writers block. But it is not just any block is is a block that makes her stop writing. Her groove from writing is gone and she can't get it back...
I hope you liked that synopsis.
Well, I honestly loved this book so much. I could relate to the mc in ways I never thought was possible!!
This is just such an amazing book!! I love it so much!!
A girl named Tessa was just accepted to a pretiotus arts school where all types of art are allowed. Tessa loves writieg. But one day she gets into a writers block. But it is not just any block is is a block that makes her stop writing. Her groove from writing is gone and she can't get it back...
I hope you liked that synopsis.
Well, I honestly loved this book so much. I could relate to the mc in ways I never thought was possible!!
January 30, 2021
this book is the epitome of all the good and potential that comes with being the main character of your own story and god dammit do i feel so happy that tessa johnson got the story that she deserves.
this book is tagged as a romance, you see. and a romance it is. but what does that mean? what’s the first thing that pops up in your head when you think about what a romance looks like? i asked this question to myself as i was halfway through this story, as i was aching so badly seeing tessa so desperately hang onto a narrative that didn’t fit her at all but,,,she thought it was the only way to feel like she can belong.
romance is all about the fireworks, the breathless sighs and whirling butterflies that fly around your belly—there’s the bare bones of it, or at least what i think (?) is what most people would assume—and it was what tessa assumed. but it was even more than that—she saw a character from a love story that she was writing herself actually brought to life, almost as if the universe dropped him straight into her lap and said “now go. take this chance and don’t let it go.” and tessa fought like hell to try and hold onto what she thought was her only shot at having an earth-shattering romance of her own. but the most heartbreaking thing is that in trying to cling to an ideal romance that felt like her only chance, she lost her own voice in this story and became a caricature that could hardly recognize herself.
a good romance isn’t just about the main couple, that’s what i’ve learned, the two characters aren’t the entire focal point of the story—it’s so much more than that. it’s about how these two individual characters carry themselves, the support systems they have and the flaws they have that continue to guide the story. you aren’t just rooting for these two to get their happily ever after, you’re rooting for each of them to grow into themselves and become even more certain of where they want their paths to lead and who they want with them, besides just their love interest.
all the characters in this story, supporting and minor alike, were all sort of caricatures in tessa’s love story. they filled roles that tessa herself found to distance herself away from as she thought she needed to focus on “catching the guy”. but what tessa eventually learns is that they’re their own people, too; they have their own lives and they are so steadfast in how more important they become for tessa by the time we reach the end of what we see in her story. the good and bad guys, they have their own stories leading a life of its own as well.
there were so many highs and lows in this one but the most consistent thing that i find so astonishingly beautiful from this story is that all along, tessa thought she had all these steps to follow and that she was failing at all of them or that she just wasn’t doing anything right but,,,,she was wrong. she was so incredibly familiar to me and shined so brightly because i was rooting for her from the very beginning. and it wasn’t for her to “get the guy” but to find herself.
that’s what i cared most about for her. so you can say that for sure, this was a romance to be remembered.
tessa’s writing was always what was most important to who she was but it became obvious that there’s no way to edit or revise her own life to fit a certain image so eventually,,,,she learned she had to carry it for herself. i wanted so bad for her to be happy, to have her get her own happily ever after with herself. bless elise bryant for not giving up on tessa, and bless tessa for not giving up on herself. because this story is just the beginning and i will still be screaming my head off in support for her as she continues to experience her highs and lows.
just,,,,i really liked this story. and so i’m happy.
content warnings//: mild anxiety, depiction of panic attacks, mention of police brutality, allusions to jk rowling’s transphobia + discussions of harry potter, and racism
this book is tagged as a romance, you see. and a romance it is. but what does that mean? what’s the first thing that pops up in your head when you think about what a romance looks like? i asked this question to myself as i was halfway through this story, as i was aching so badly seeing tessa so desperately hang onto a narrative that didn’t fit her at all but,,,she thought it was the only way to feel like she can belong.
romance is all about the fireworks, the breathless sighs and whirling butterflies that fly around your belly—there’s the bare bones of it, or at least what i think (?) is what most people would assume—and it was what tessa assumed. but it was even more than that—she saw a character from a love story that she was writing herself actually brought to life, almost as if the universe dropped him straight into her lap and said “now go. take this chance and don’t let it go.” and tessa fought like hell to try and hold onto what she thought was her only shot at having an earth-shattering romance of her own. but the most heartbreaking thing is that in trying to cling to an ideal romance that felt like her only chance, she lost her own voice in this story and became a caricature that could hardly recognize herself.
a good romance isn’t just about the main couple, that’s what i’ve learned, the two characters aren’t the entire focal point of the story—it’s so much more than that. it’s about how these two individual characters carry themselves, the support systems they have and the flaws they have that continue to guide the story. you aren’t just rooting for these two to get their happily ever after, you’re rooting for each of them to grow into themselves and become even more certain of where they want their paths to lead and who they want with them, besides just their love interest.
all the characters in this story, supporting and minor alike, were all sort of caricatures in tessa’s love story. they filled roles that tessa herself found to distance herself away from as she thought she needed to focus on “catching the guy”. but what tessa eventually learns is that they’re their own people, too; they have their own lives and they are so steadfast in how more important they become for tessa by the time we reach the end of what we see in her story. the good and bad guys, they have their own stories leading a life of its own as well.
there were so many highs and lows in this one but the most consistent thing that i find so astonishingly beautiful from this story is that all along, tessa thought she had all these steps to follow and that she was failing at all of them or that she just wasn’t doing anything right but,,,,she was wrong. she was so incredibly familiar to me and shined so brightly because i was rooting for her from the very beginning. and it wasn’t for her to “get the guy” but to find herself.
that’s what i cared most about for her. so you can say that for sure, this was a romance to be remembered.
tessa’s writing was always what was most important to who she was but it became obvious that there’s no way to edit or revise her own life to fit a certain image so eventually,,,,she learned she had to carry it for herself. i wanted so bad for her to be happy, to have her get her own happily ever after with herself. bless elise bryant for not giving up on tessa, and bless tessa for not giving up on herself. because this story is just the beginning and i will still be screaming my head off in support for her as she continues to experience her highs and lows.
just,,,,i really liked this story. and so i’m happy.
content warnings//: mild anxiety, depiction of panic attacks, mention of police brutality, allusions to jk rowling’s transphobia + discussions of harry potter, and racism
January 23, 2021
Hmm...
I'm giving this book four stars mostly for how lovingly the author writes about Long Beach, a city I've spent many wonderful days exploring and hanging out in. It's always great to read books set in Southern California that are NOT about posh enclaves like Beverly Hills or the OC (mainly Newport Beach). There are wonderful neighborhoods in LA with great people and beloved local places. Even a shout out to Long Beach Creamery and one of its signature ice cream flavors LB Crack - homemade vanilla with fudge and toasted saltine crackers - good stuff, though whiskey vanilla is my personal favorite.
As far as the story itself, well, it IS great to read a fluffy high school romantic story with a biracial Black girl who writes those kinds of stories for herself and her best friend. Speaking of which, I always add a star for best girl friends who go through life together though perhaps not at the same pace. Caroline was tried and true, even if her idea for Tessa's Happy Ending was bound for mishaps and missteps.
Honestly though, I wanted to really love this book and I just DIDN'T quite get there. I like for my heroines to DO things, not just have things happen to them then they react to those things. And while I'm okay with tropes, it's often more fun when those tropes get turned upside down. Unfortunately, that didn't happen here.
Tessa has transferred to an exclusive and diverse arts high school in her new home town of Long Beach (I know exactly where it is, lol) and she's not sure if her romance stories (featuring Black and girls of color) are going to be accepted, especially compared to what she thinks her fellow classmates are doing. Tessa suddenly develops writer's block, alongside imposter syndrome due to her thinking she really didn't belong at such a prestigious school. She wonders if writing romance isn't as "serious" when surrounded by her classmates who might turn their noses up at the genre, which people tend to do.
I wished Tessa had stood her ground a little about her work throughout the story, then by the end turned her perceived detractors into fans. I think if she'd been driven by a need to prove that romance is just as valid as "the classics" might have helped her writer's block and advanced the trying to get the hot guy to fall for her.
Without question I preferred Sam to Nico and wished endless pages hadn't been wasted on Tessa falling for the shiny but shallow object. Despite Nico having his own sympathetic backstory which should have made him less of a jerk, but ended up shelved in order to get to the HEA and the RIGHT guy after all.
Upon further retrospection, Happily Ever Afters is that book for Black girls who don't see themselves in YA romance. Both Tessa and Caroline read popular books in that genre with most that are bereft of girls of color. On that score, this book works as a love letter of sorts. I just wanted for it to come together like one of Sam's yummy recipes. I felt it tried to take on too many themes at once and tried to resolve them too quickly.
I'm giving this book four stars mostly for how lovingly the author writes about Long Beach, a city I've spent many wonderful days exploring and hanging out in. It's always great to read books set in Southern California that are NOT about posh enclaves like Beverly Hills or the OC (mainly Newport Beach). There are wonderful neighborhoods in LA with great people and beloved local places. Even a shout out to Long Beach Creamery and one of its signature ice cream flavors LB Crack - homemade vanilla with fudge and toasted saltine crackers - good stuff, though whiskey vanilla is my personal favorite.
As far as the story itself, well, it IS great to read a fluffy high school romantic story with a biracial Black girl who writes those kinds of stories for herself and her best friend. Speaking of which, I always add a star for best girl friends who go through life together though perhaps not at the same pace. Caroline was tried and true, even if her idea for Tessa's Happy Ending was bound for mishaps and missteps.
Honestly though, I wanted to really love this book and I just DIDN'T quite get there. I like for my heroines to DO things, not just have things happen to them then they react to those things. And while I'm okay with tropes, it's often more fun when those tropes get turned upside down. Unfortunately, that didn't happen here.
Tessa has transferred to an exclusive and diverse arts high school in her new home town of Long Beach (I know exactly where it is, lol) and she's not sure if her romance stories (featuring Black and girls of color) are going to be accepted, especially compared to what she thinks her fellow classmates are doing. Tessa suddenly develops writer's block, alongside imposter syndrome due to her thinking she really didn't belong at such a prestigious school. She wonders if writing romance isn't as "serious" when surrounded by her classmates who might turn their noses up at the genre, which people tend to do.
I wished Tessa had stood her ground a little about her work throughout the story, then by the end turned her perceived detractors into fans. I think if she'd been driven by a need to prove that romance is just as valid as "the classics" might have helped her writer's block and advanced the trying to get the hot guy to fall for her.
Without question I preferred Sam to Nico and wished endless pages hadn't been wasted on Tessa falling for the shiny but shallow object. Despite Nico having his own sympathetic backstory which should have made him less of a jerk, but ended up shelved in order to get to the HEA and the RIGHT guy after all.
Upon further retrospection, Happily Ever Afters is that book for Black girls who don't see themselves in YA romance. Both Tessa and Caroline read popular books in that genre with most that are bereft of girls of color. On that score, this book works as a love letter of sorts. I just wanted for it to come together like one of Sam's yummy recipes. I felt it tried to take on too many themes at once and tried to resolve them too quickly.
anti-library
September 11, 2019As if the 'Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before' wasn't enough, this book is also gonna be 'full of Black girl magic' and like, I already love it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
December 23, 2020
A book I didn't know I needed. I loved it!!!
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