Once an Ever After

Once Upon a Con #3.5

by Ashley Poston

Once upon a con short story. Once upon a con 3.5

A link to the "Once Upon a Con short stories" can be found on Ashley Poston's website on the page for Geekerella. It is located below the "buy" button

See the URL listed on this page.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Retellings, Short Stories, Novella, Contemporary Romance

29 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

New York Times best-seller by day, fanfic author by night.

Viist her at www.ashposton.com.

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok I ADORED this ending. I really loved how Poston let her characters grow. Elle tried to live the perfect life with Darien but realized that she lost herself somewhere along the way. I applaud her for taking time out for herself. And of course, I knew they would end up back together. But oh my gosh, my heartstrings were pulled multiple times. Love this series so much.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's probably a good thing that this didn't pop up on Goodreads immediately after being released as part of the Bookish and The Beast Paperback Preorder campaign because the glue that is holding the pieces of my heart together hadn't hardened yet. ***Thank you again Quirk Books for running the pre-order campaign and allowing me to get all three short stories in one beautifully arranged file as a result.***

This short story absolutely broke me. I understand now why Poston has said that Bookish and the Beast is the last book because this epilogue, which focuses on Elle and Darien rather than the characters of B&B (which I have not read yet - I was going to save this short for afterwards until I realized it was about Elle and Darien) completely wraps up their story. And when the main/founding characters' stories have been wrapped up can there still be meaningful story? I can't speak for B&B but...everyone's stories are wrapped up nicely now. Anything after this would either undo all the happy endings (which I don't think I could go through again) or just wouldn't do the characters and their journeys thus far justice.

Part of the reason why this story was so heartbreaking was its realism. This story echoed fears and events that I've felt in my own life when I was Elle's age and I got to tearfully relive some of the bumps that happened on my own journey to happily ever after with Elle. Because even though you know it's coming, the writing on the wall still hurts when it comes to fruition. But sometimes, fairy tales happen and we get a chance to save what we thought we lost. Elle and Darien aren't perfect soulmates, but none of us are perfect when we're teenagers or young adults. But sometimes, we can grow up a little bit and the act of growing up doesn't make the love we have for each other fade and sometimes, just sometimes, fairy godmothers can help us find our real happily ever after. And because you're both a little bit older, a little more ready for the big fairy tale ending, you're stronger soulmates now then you were before. Which is a beautiful ending in a way. An epic ending.



*********************Spoilers Implied Down Below (I don't actually say what happens, but you can easily read between the lines.) You've been warned.*******************************



I love that Elle got to grow into herself and chase her dreams in this by herself. I love that no matter what she never lost touch with the people she cared about and never meant to get in the way of someone else's romance. I'm glad Darien could never quite let Elle go. I'm glad Elle showed us and herself how strong she can be when the tough decisions need to be made. And I'm glad that they were both able to reach their joint happily ever after as individuals who cared about each other and were content with who they were as individuals rather than two people who didn't know who they were and insecure about their relationship.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why was it necessary to break them up(Elle and Darien) in the first place? I don't understand that bit... and the fact that it takes years to bring them back... Like really? I'm disappointed with this series progression...
You can grow as a person and be better and be whole and you don't have to break up with someone... You can ask your boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other to help you out, to be there for you, for his/her/their support, ... Elle and Darien were friends to begin with (also she didn't break up with her other friends... When she decided to grow and to be better...) ... When things go rough you talk to the person in your life you don't just decide for yourself and then run away...

[Yasminnnnn_nn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this was hard, like sobbing hard. I’ve been attached to these characters for so long, and seeing the struggle they go through for years was hard. Idk how I feel about the ending of this novella but ik it wasn’t enough, I needed a more concrete ending for their story, especially when it was given at the end of Geekerella, that ending felt ripped from me, so I needed something as con too replace it. I’ve kept off reading these novellas for 5 years, and wish for something more, idk.

[shannon✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I expected in a good way. I’m glad it all came together in the end, even when it was predictable.

[Gloria_baby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Świetne. Logiczne. Ze zwrotem akcji. Czego chcieć więcej?

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is actually the third time ive read this short story im pretty sure and it is in fact the third time ive cried over it.

they break up at the start of it, they stay friends but are distanced and then finally find their way back to each other and you expect me to be STABLE about it??? nope!

[Slenchabela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Def the best short of the series… the nuance is so accurate 🫶🏼

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man this one broke me. There were ugly sobs and everything. Not really cool. I wanted a cutesy story and I got crushed. Absolutely. Crushed. Emotionally. So you know it was a great finish to the ballad of Elle & Darien.

[Viv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have feelings about this, can you tell?

Spoiler Free Review:
Seeing that this is the Once Upon A Con 3.5 book I don't think there's much I can say that's spoiler free. This is for fans of the series, especially if you're invested in the first book and the story of those characters. There isn't much of a plot, this focuses on the growth of Darien and Elle, especially Elle, and what happens in the ever after of a modern day fairy tail.

In regards to my spoiler free opinions, just know that this hit me right on the feels. I love these characters and see myself in them, and I must confess that while I wanted to see them happy, I wanted them happy on my own terms. I read this story with a sort of weight on my chess, knowing that they would find happiness but not being sure if they would end in the place I wanted them to. This story and characters hit me too close to home, so I'm not sure how often I will come back to this, but I do know that I will carry them with me everyday. Darien and Elle have a especial place in my little fan heart.


Now, moving on to my spoiler section:
Do you think it's fair that a story I read nine hours ago (at the time of writing this review at least) is still emotionally affecting me? Because I don't and yet here I am.

I received this this story as a pre-order incentive for the paperback edition of Bookish and the Beast, a book which in and of itself destroyed me. At leas the ending did. (Spoilers) But at the end of that we are treated to our characters getting together to hang out and it's confirmed that Elle and Darien are no longer together (Fact Check this) and that Darien might be seeing someone else. As someone who fell in love with them-- they are my favorite couple in the Once Upon a Con series and Geekerella is my favorite book-- that tad bit of information destroyed me. I was in denial, and I thought that's how I was going to stay once I found out that Ashley didn't plan to write anymore stories set here, at least for the near future. I was practically writing fanfiction in my head about how things were fine, you hear me, fineeeeee :))))))

This short story opens up at the inciting incident of Bookish, Elle and Vance getting into a car accident and Elle and Darien's decision to break up. That opening killed me and I wanted to stop reading right there. Seeing that Elle and Darien didn't quite fit together hurt, but I understood where they were coming from, which hurt even more because I couldn't be mad. Elle liked the quiet, and Darien's world revolved around the flashlights. Having them stay friends felt bittersweet, and I almost would've wanted them to not. It truly was bittersweet seeing Darien moving on through Elle's perspective. It's not like Elle was miserable, she was happy in her own right, just not in a relationship way. In their time apart, Elle learned to find herself, to be her own person away from Darien and away from the identity of Geekerella, just be Elle.

Them staying friends gave me this sort of quiet happiness, a dim light to hold on to. But I wanted them together so bad it hurt. At some point I thought Ashley Poston wanted to go with the "you don't need a relationship to be happy and feel accomplished", which I agree with, and had that been the end of the story, I like to think I would learn to accept it. I would support them-- reluctantly-- if they learned to be happy separately. But like I said, Darien and Elle are my everything, they are what I would want in a relationship, so not seen them together felt wrong. Yay for them being happy apart, but they could be so much more happy together, I knew that.

Darien's new relationship, I hated it. Kate did nothing wrong, other than not being Elle. She was nice, and I think the plan was to have her be a character with whom Darien could be happy if not with Elle. But I want Darien with Elle. Seeing Darien's relationship develop, and hearing from Elle how happy they were together, I just had That Should be Me by Justin Bieber playing in the back of my mind. Not going to lie, I was happy when I found out they had broken up.

The last few pages, with the in-story five year anniversary of the events of the first book, felt nostalgic. At that point Elle was in her mid-twenties, reminiscing about the modern day fairytale that was her life in the first book. The friendships, the con, the tv show that had been so important to her and that gave her hope in a time when all the stars in her galaxy were going out. She felt accomplished, at peace, she felt fine with her self, if not a little nostalgic for when her life was somehow easier. I knew we were missing a prince, and I wanted Darien to show up so bad. I held my breath, and I felt like a book character when he showed up to the mascarade ball and I released the breath I didn't know I was holding.

Elle and Darien knew they were good, great, perfect for each other. Them agreeing to meet each other half way, felt so wonderful, and knowing that if nothing else, we have this ending to their story where they agree to compromise with each other. The ending felt, open and bittersweet and I guess true to life, because we know they are giving each other one last chance, but there's the openness that they could go their separate ways, and that if they do they won’t cross again. It's like the end of the Drew Barrymore Cinderella, where Cinderella and her prince didn't live happily ever after, they lived.

Part of me knows this is a good ending for a modern day fairy tale. But a bigger part of me wants to ignore this story all together, grab Darien and Elle, wrap them in a blanket and give them hot chocolate, set them up in front of a tv to watch Starfield reruns so they'd be happy together for the rest of their life. Like I said before, this story tugs at my heart strings too much, so unless I want to feel the feels, I might not come back to this that often. But if nothing else, this gives me the reassurance that somewhere in an impossible universe, Darien and Elle are together, trying and succeeding and being happy together.

One good thing that came out of Ashley Poston playing banjo with my heartstrings is that I now see what she's capable of in terms of romance. I know from following her on social media that this story is one of the most recent things she's written, and it makes me all the more exited for the first full on adult romance story, The Dead Romantics. I look forward to reading it!


*This book is part of my personal reading challenge for the summer 2021, #MHA30for30challenge. The goal is for me to read thirty books from my Kindle so that I can reward myself and buy the thirty volumes of the My Hero Academia manga series that are out so far, to my knowledge.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frustrated, disappointed, satisfied, with a bunch of questions left! That's how I felt at the end of the story. My biggest frustration was that it wasn't Rosie and Vance's story still; it was Elle's and Darien's. And the WORST annoyance was that the timeline did NOT fit in with the epilogue of the last book--where they're watching a double feature of Starfield's movies with everyone! But if you ignore the GIANT flaws in the timeline, you can appreciate the story.

[Rebeca (gone for a little while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried. I cried fat tears.
Ashley chose to hurt me when she wrote this but she still got more emotion out of me than most books do so bravo I guess. If I ever read another Elle x Darien story I expect it to be NOTHING but happiness and fluffiness and cuteness.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might be too critical but this short story didn't agree with that part about Elle and Darien in the epilogue of the last book. That detail bugged me a lot.

[kayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect the onslaught of angst to greet me with open arms, but I'm all here for it. While I love Geekerella, the ending left me wondering whether Elle and Darien would work out, especially since they were so young and went public early on in their relationship. This was a great follow-up to that. It was a realistic portrayal of how Elle and Darien fell apart and fell back together through the years. Not gonna lie, I wish this was an actual full-length novel. It had so much potential to be a touching coming-of-age story with a dash of second chance romance. I would've lived for that.

Unrelated but will we ever get a short story featuring Vance and Rosie? Elle and Darien already had theirs, and so did Jess and Imogen with their respective partners. I loved reading about them, but Bookish and the Beast only had 200 or so pages, which was much shorter than the first two books in the series. If there's anyone here who needs a follow-up story, it has to be Vance and Rosie. Also, congrats to Space Dad and Eli! I rooted for them so hard in the third book, so when Elle mentioned they got married, I was absolutely ecstatic. All of these characters have certainly wormed their way into my heart, so whether or not there is a some sort of sequel in the works, I'll always wander back to Ashley Poston's Geekerella universe.

[Ponytaorponyboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, you know(?), this one was much faster to read than the others. Mostly, I guess, because I realized: wait a second, even if it's a fairy tale that wouldn't happen in real life, this sucker for a nice romance story my heart is won't allow for Elle and Darien to NOT be together.
-- but then the months apart turned into years, and I thought: this is actually mature: for all the fairy tales, we see that Rosie and Vance are still together, we see that everyone is still together, it's a mature thing for the author to choose to have the first couple break up.
--BUT MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THAT?! They're the "couple" that the other couples looked up to, for some reason, despite being the same age, they're the couple that stuck together!
-- But you know what, it's... it's real. Not all romances can be good like that.
-- I'm glad that they're back together. Now my question is: HOW DID SHE DEAL WITH THE PAPARAZZIS, DID SHE HAVE TO? OR DID DARIEN JUST QUIT ACTING? I'd like to know.
-- Also, did Sage and the others AND DARIEN plan this out? Because... that might be some kind of betrayal.
--- Anyways, this was a great conclusion to a series that I am not sure I can put myself through again.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whyyyyyyyyy.
I understand Elle's reasonings.
I get she didn't feel like she fit in that world, especially after what happened with Vance, and she wanted to find herself outside of him.
But WHY couldn't she have communicated that with Darien instead of just breaking up with him? After two years together, he definitely deserved a conversation instead of just ending things.
We don't get to see Darien and Kate together. Just some mentions of them from Elle's POV.
Honestly, I think Elle kind of turned whiney. I liked her in the first book. I started to dislike her in this.
I wish the ending had been done better. We get 27 pages of her being mopey and whiney only to have everything wrap up in 2 pages. I feel like the fans deserved more.
Also, this whole novella directly invalidates the epilogue of Bookish and the Beast. That was maybe a year after the start of the book. And this whole novella spans 3 years, if I calculated all the time jumps correctly. There were so many, so it was kind of hard.
I just needed more.

[Zoe (didyoumeanbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The link to this and the other Once Upon a Con short stories can be found on Ashley Poston's website here under the 'Buy' button or directly here.

Okay I really loved this. As a short story for our characters and as a conclusion for the series (it seems to be, at least for now). I definitely felt deeply connected to the characters here; it's been so great to see them grow throughout the 3 books and within the time period of this final story. I think this was an important addition to this world, connecting the fairy tale and the magic with the realistic and "normal" of adult life. Very well done imo.

[renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

this whole series was dipped in fairytale, fiction, and fandom. i found myself slightly frustrated at the unrealistic, the instalove, the ridiculousness of it all. and i would have to remind myself, at my ripe old age of 21, that these books are just not meant for me anymore. but this little novella. it gave the characters just a bit more depth. just a bit more intrigue. it was melancholy, nostalgic. i was actually feeling how the characters were feeling, which tragically could not be said about the previous book. i am enlightened. i would like the author to write just a bit more like this sometimes. books don’t always have to be fantastical and have happy endings. we can have some bumps in the road. and then, we can be happy.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

how did I just find this was a thing...
I got the books in August after finding Geekerella in a local small bookstore. Let me tell you I've loved Elle and Darien from the beginning.


I was concerned for them when I read Bookish and the Beast, and I just found these 2 months after reading. I really feel Elle's feelings, and how her life has changed. I'll say I was heartbroken when they broke up but it was understandable. I liked that they stayed friends, though I always sensed that Dare wasn't feeling 100% that way. I really get Elle's hesitancy in the end, before she makes her final(amazing) decision. Darien wants to be happy even if it means giving up stardom and I think that is very humble.

[Sukriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Once Upon a Con" series by Ashley Poston is a delightful collection of novels that blend the magic of fairy tales with the reality of contemporary life, specifically through the lens of fandom and conventions. The series starts with "Geekerella," a modern twist on Cinderella, where a die-hard fan girl and a teen actor find love at a cosplay convention. Ashley Poston masterfully captures the essence of fan culture, creating a heartwarming and relatable narrative that celebrates geekiness, passion, and finding your own happy ending. With charming characters and engaging plots, this series is a must-read for anyone who loves fairy tales reimagined in a modern setting. It's a tribute to the power of stories and the communities that cherish them.

[ANGEL · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ 4/5 stars ~

This was my favourite novella in the bindup because I liked that it included events from Bookish and the Beast. I didn't like all the time jumps thought but I was shocked at the main plot and I'm glad that everything worked out. I do think that the conflict was necessary to further develop the characters and I think this was a great ending to the series as a whole.

The reason I discovered these novellas was that the pool scene from Bookish and the Beast randomly popped into my mind.

Overall, this was a very cute and cheesy series, but it was really fun to read.

[Katie Seehusen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I'm not sure what I think about this one. I understand that Elle wanted to learn how to be happy by herself and it was hard to be in the the spotlight. She wanted to grow on her own, and see what she could make of herself without being connected to Darien. Except she was never happy. She didn't seem to get very far and was pretty much miserable.

I wanted her to thrive without Darien and eventually end up with him because she loves him, not be miserable while trying to write her script and then eventually end up with Darien because he chooses her instead of his actor life. And now she's happy. I wanted more from this.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Once Upon a Con trilogy as a whole but I am so glad that I found the short stories. This final novella takes place a little before book 3 but mostly after it. Elle & Darien are dealing with the aftermath of Vance wrecking his car while giving Elle a ride home. They wind up breaking up and staying friends. This is the story of their friendship after romance. And I so loved it. All the characters pop in & we find out what is going on with all of them.

[Emilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a punch to the gut. Yes, this short novella had me feeling all the feels, from anger to sad to happy in very few pages which is impressive. But also, was it necessary?? I understand Elles dilemma but did they really have to break up? And then he just forgets his feelings about her and gets with someone else?? I'm not feeling the fairytale vibes from this. And while the ending was good it honestly didn't make up for that whole rollercoaster.

[Ζωή Παππά · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think a short story has ever made me this mad. I considered giving it 3 stars for the ending but no, to be honest I don't think I liked the ending either. It shouldn't have been a short story. It should be a full length novel and explore their relationship. And they both need therapy. I'm so sad, I liked the series.

[Riya Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I teared up reading this particular short 🥹 seeing Dare and Ellle hitting a rough patch hurt my soul so much, but that is life. But it still hurts. It still had a good ending tho so it's all good. But that also means that this marks and end to the dare and Elle chapter, but I really really would love to read more about them being happy 🥹

[Kryssy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the other two shot stories add onto the preceding book, this one did not. And not only because it wasn’t the same characters. I loved getting more of Darien and Elle but I could have done without having to read about them not together. And not just for weeks or months… over a YEAR!!

At least their time apart let both of them know how much the really wanted each other

[Erin Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this book didn’t exist. I sobbed the whole time reading it. I can’t stand when the characters don’t get their happily ever after and you have to watch one live their life with another from the perspective of someone still in love with them. I hated the whole thing because it broke me. Oh my goodness I am so thankful for the ending. This masterpiece was just heart wrenching.

[Sytske · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay this was cute but I’m kinda sad we didn’t get a Rosie/Vance short story. And I’m confused because at the end of bookish and the beast Darien and Elle are sort of back together, and this short story takes place over years before they get back together?? Something is not right. But oh well I’m happy they’re back together

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'M STILL SOBBING

If you want a more detailed review, look elsewhere. All I'm gonna say is WOW. This isn't what I was expecting. I wasn't expecting to cry during the beginning, middle, and end. The tears just won't stop. I didn't even like the series as a whole, but this just GOT TO ME.