Happily Ever After

by Jae

Award-winning author Jae penned thirteen short stories that range from sweet and romantic to hot and erotic, and from humorous to heartfelt. Whatever you’re in the mood for, you’re sure to find it in this collection of lesbian short stories.

The Romance Bet
Sex Sells
Blind Date at the Booklover’s Lair
Christmas Road Trip
The Christmas Grump
Kissing Ms. Santa Claus
The Christmas Elf
Dress-tease
Seduction for Beginners
Change of Pace
Facing the Music
Whining and Dining
The Midnight Couch

The Romance Bet
Reporter Abby James prides herself on never having read a romance novel. She thinks they’re formulaic, shallow, easy-to-write drivel—until romance author Tamara Brennan challenges her to write one. Is it possible that Abby will find the outcome of that bet not so predictable after all?

Sex Sells
Lesbian mystery writer Mara McKinney has had a crush on her editor, Hayley, for ages, even though the two have never met face-to-face. When Hayley calls her to suggest she introduce more romance into her novels, this might be Mara’s chance to work on her own happy ending.

Blind Date at the Booklover’s Lair
Even though Tricia pens lesbian romances for a living, she hasn’t been out with a woman in forever. Her best friend sends her on a blind date in a bookstore, but the woman she meets in the LGBT section isn’t who Tricia thinks she is. What will happen when the wrong date turns out to be just right?

Christmas Road Trip
Meghan Webster is having the worst day ever. It’s Christmas Eve, and she’s stuck on a bus, heading to a location she doesn’t want to go. That is, until the doors of the bus open and a cute woman in a pair of tight bicycle pants climbs aboard.

The Christmas Grump
For Rachel Lewis, a security guard at the mall, the holiday season is one big headache. She wants nothing to do with the celebration of love, peace, and family harmony. Her disenchantment with the holiday slowly begins to change when she meets seven-year-old Tyler and his mother.

Kissing Ms. Santa Claus
Rachel is counting the days until she and Lillian celebrate their first Christmas together as a couple. She is filled with longing for only one thing to make her holiday complete: a long-term commitment from Lillian. She sets out to find the perfect gift that will reflect her love and devotion.

The Christmas Elf
Rachel wants to propose to her girlfriend. To earn the money for the ring, she plans to take a second job as the mall Santa Claus. But luck is not on her side, so Rachel finds herself with bells on her toes, playing a Christmas Elf.

Dress-tease
Nothing could possibly be more erotic than watching the woman you love taking off her clothes in front of you, right? That’s what Lauren thinks, until she witnesses her girlfriend, actress Grace Durand, dressing up for a movie premiere. The reverse striptease gets Lauren’s pulse pounding, and she suddenly decides that they may be running late to that red carpet call…

Seduction for Beginners
For Annie, work always took precedence over romance. But now, recently come-out and involved in a relationship with a woman for the first time, she is determined to seduce her girlfriend, Drew, on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, she has no clue as to the arts of seduction.

Change of Pace
Kade’s homophobic mother is coming to Portland for a visit. Her timing couldn’t be worse. Not only is Kade newly in love with a woman, but she also promised to help her friends move in together. Instead of going to art museums, they will now help U-Haul a lesbian couple. Kade tries to tell herself it’s going to be a nice change of pace, but she knows better.

Facing the Music
Pop star Leontyne Blake is about to introduce her new songs to her fans. But is her relationship with small-town nurse Holly ready for her return to the stage?

Whining and Dining
Lucia Sorrentino may come from a long line of chefs, but her attempts in the kitchen always turn into a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, she’s just as untalented when it comes to her love life. She calls on her best friend, Remy, to help her wine and dine a woman. Will it become another cooking nightmare, or can she pull it off?

The Midnight Couch
At 30, Paula, a technician at a radio station, feels a bit ridiculous for having a crush on Dr. Christine Graham, host of a late-night radio show. Every night when midnight approaches, she vows that this will be the day when she asks Christine on a date—only to chicken out every time. But when Christine hosts a special show about revealing secret love on Valentine’s Day, Paula suddenly finds herself on The Midnight Couch.

73,000 words
Themes: blind date · Christmas · erotic · happy ending · secret crush · Valentine's Day

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Audiobook, Lesbian, Short Stories, Anthologies, Lesbian Fiction

Audiobook

First published April 4, 2018

About the author

Jae is the author of twenty-six award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.

She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.

When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.

Reviews

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
A collection of Jae’s short stories that were originally published as standalones or in a collection.

I believe I’ve read them all at one point or another. The only one I had a problem with was Change of Pace and that was because it’s been years since I read the Conflict of Interest series which this was based. It took me bit to remember who was who and It was made more difficult because she included every character. Or seemed like it. So now I want to revisit the series. Funny one or rather 3 stories I enjoyed the most were the Rachel & Lillian stories that were originally collected in Love Beneath the Christmas Tree. But strangely I only rated the book 3 Stars. I may have to revise it.

So if you want all of Jae’s short stories in one place - this book is for you.

[Guerunche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories by Jae, narrated by the uber talented Abby Craden. What more is there to say, really? It might be beneficial to split this up and not listen all at once. Perhaps group the ones with shared characters together and listen to something else before going back to the others. Only because it will give you a little time to switch gears. A real pleasure to have this collection on audio! 4.25 stars.

[Joc · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the stories in this anthology have been published before and even though I’ve read a number of Jae’s works, Dress-Tease was the only one I’ve read before (and I read it again anyway). The characters in Change of Pace are from the novel Next of Kin which I haven’t read yet but I will now.

On the whole they are all sweet and gentle stories with the only explicit content being in Dress-tease. The ones I enjoyed the most were the three Christmas stories featuring Rachel and Lillian and it might be because I got to know the characters a bit better. Whining and Dining has a great pair of characters and I loved Lucia’s cooking attempt. I could see this working as a novel in the future. The story I like the least was Facing the Music which was odd because I loved the way Perfect Rhythm opened my mind.

I’m a fan of short stories because I read them between novels and on days when I’m battling a short attention span. This anthology is well-worth reading.

Book received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of Jae’s short stories. Some of them I’ve read before, but it doesn’t matter, I enjoyed to reread them. A few, like for example the three of Rachel and Lilian, I didn’t know before, and they were very nice.

Every single storyline is different and well written. The characters are all very likeable and some scenes are sexy.

It made me want to pick up Jae’s books again, especially the ones from The Hollywood series.

My rating 4.5 stars.
Thanks to Ylva Publishing for receiving an ARC for a honest review

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of thirteen short stories by Jae with the common theme of a happily ever after ending. Some of these stories are stand alone (for example, 'The midnight couch') and others act as an epilogue of published books (i.e. 'Seduction for beginners' it's a catch up of 'Something in the wine'). All these stories were previously published but it's good to have them together in one book and definitely more value for your money.

It's hard to rate such a compilation as the themes are very different (Christmas, writers, radio programme, etc). Additionally, the book sequels are more enjoyable if you are familiar with the stories. However, if you've never read anything by this author, 'Happily ever after' is a good start.

Overall, a very good compilation of short stories for Jae fans and new readers alike. 4 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[MaxDisaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Romance Bet
4/5 stars
This was cute. And I really enjoyed the topic. Writing a decent romance novel is probably really hard, considering how few good ones I've managed to find, and it's unfair, that people always underestimate this genre.

Sex Sells
5/5
Cute and sweet. And Hailey is correct, romantic suspense sells definitely better than romance-less murder mystery. And Mara's fumbling entertained me a lot.

Blind Date at the Booklover’s Lair
3/5
This one was a bit weaker. A bit too many stupidly convenient coincidences for my taste. But still decent.

Christmas Road Trip
3.5/5
Can't say I was exactly surprised by the twist, but it was decently done a definitely different from other Christmas stories I've read recently.

The Christmas Grump
3/5
I didn't care much about these characters in terms of their romance. Individually they were all right.

Kissing Ms. Santa Claus
2.5/5
Continuation of "The Christmas Grump".
If they properly communicated it could have been good.

The Christmas Elf
2.5/5
Continuation of "Kissing Ms. Santa Claus"
Considering I didn't like the previous parts, there really wasn't the option of a better score from me.

Dress-tease
5/5
I liked both Lauren and Grace from Damage Control, so I was looking forward to this one.
And I had fun. It was funny, sexy and cute.

Seduction for Beginners
5/5
I've read Something in the Wine, so I knew and liked Annie and Drew before reading this. And I really enjoyed this short continuation of their story.

Change of Pace
5/5
Again, I loved the novels all of these characters are from and I equally liked this short continuation. Homophobic posh parents are my weakness. Especially if they get shut down in an entertaining way.

Facing the Music
4/5
This was very, very short, but really cute. I like those two.

Whining and Dining
3/5
This was passable, but after the last few stories it felt weak.

The Midnight Couch
4/5
Good. Funny, kinda sweet, mostly believable. I'm also a disaster around pretty women

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am typically not a fan of short stories. I am always left wanting more, but since these are more of bonus stories.. I didn't feel that way. I like to revisit characters I enjoyed. Those really good books you reread and sometimes think… I wonder what Annie and Drew are up to nowadays. I had read the majority of the shorts in this book at different times. I always enjoy Jae’s writing and enjoyed this collection even if I couldn’t remember all the books the characters came from originally. Made me want to reread some Jae books. Lillian and Rachel were new to me. I hadn’t read their story before. I enjoyed the 3 short stories about them the most. Worth picking up especially if you are a fan of Jae… and seriously how are you not?

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is a collection of short stories, I'll keep my review short as well:
Short and sweet. That about sums this up.

A collection of epilogues and short stories that are all sweet with (open-ended) happy endings as the name of the collection implies. I particularly enjoyed the bus trip story - though I'd read it before - it's different and bittersweet, but a nice change of pace. Jae is a solid writer that manages to develop her characters well, even with such a limited word count.

I would absolutely recommend this if you're in the mood for some bite-sized stories or don't feel like committing to a longer read/listen. And, as always, I absolutely recommend the audiobook, narrated by Abby Craden! ♥♥♥

[Della B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now tell me who does not read love stories for the Happily Ever After? Romance readers, myself included, have certain expectations and Jae has delivered in spades. We are reintroduced to some of Jae’s characters from her previous novels and meet new characters along the way to finding love and happiness.
The storylines are diverse and interesting while the characters are all very likeable. Jae is a master of dropping you into her characters lives.
I loved this collection and rate it 4.5 stars

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology delivered the quality that is the Jae standard, but I was slightly disappointed to have read several of the stories at alternate points in the past. The new ones were brief but satisfying.

Arc provided by the publisher and author.

[Jane Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Jae’s work, and I had read many of these short stories before in other collections. I like short stories but for the romance genre there’s a real art to getting readers sufficiently invested in the protagonists and their lives so that we care enough about the inevitable HEA outcome to be moved by it. Of course, not all romance short stories have a HEA, but the title of this collection kind of gives away that Jae’s do. Jae is a skilled writer who can quickly bring her characters to life.

I like that Jae’s stories often involve her lived experience as a writer/editor and a psychologist. I wonder if there’s some catharsis in maybe including some real life scenarios to get a little mild revenge on difficult clients or those who make clueless comments – whether or not that’s the case, it makes for amusing reading.

The first three stories involve protagonists who are writers. The next four are Christmas stories written for (I believe) anthologies celebrating the season. The following four stories are about characters who appear in Jae’s novels. These are my favourites, as I can never get enough of reading about characters with whom I have already fallen in love. I’m not sure how well they work as stand-alone stories or teasers to tempt readers to buy the novels, because I’ve already read them and can’t unknow what I already know. These stories are Dress-tease which is a sweetly erotic short story about Grace and Lauren from Damage Control; Seduction for Beginners where we finally get a sex scene involving Annie and Drew from Something in the Wine (to be fair, this short story is included as an epilogue in the revised version of that book); Change of Pace a lovely story about Dawn and Aiden from Conflict of Interest and Next of Kin; and Facing the Music about Leontyne and Holly from Perfect Rhythm. The final two stories Whining and Dining and The Midnight Couch were two stories new to me and I enjoyed them both.

This collection does not contain all of Jae’s short stories but these thirteen shorts should be enough to please both fans of Jae’s work and new readers. I enjoyed rereading those I had previously read and reading the new (to me) stories. Jae is a writer whose works I often return to for a comfort read, and there can be no higher praise than that.

Note: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[M the avid reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great short story collection but only one new story in it

If you're new to Jae's work and want sample it in 'smaller than a novel length' doses, these short stories are a good way to do that. A few contain characters from other books by Jae so they serve as a good introduction to those series which are all identified at the end of the applicable stories.

If you already own all the published short stories by Jae, owning this collection allows you to have some of them all in one place or document. If you're looking for new content however there is only one story in this collection that was not already published previously.

I like having some of these standalone stories together in one place for ease of access but would have preferred some more new content as part of the collection. The writing is excellent and the stories hilarious, hot and heartwarming as expected from Jae so depending on what you already have in your own library, you may not need this book unless you want the standalone stories in one place for convenience sake.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Colleen Corgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happily Ever After pretty much Jae's short stories greatest hits collection. It has some stories from early in her career and some from as recent as Love at First Write, another anthology that was published last year.

Like most of Jae's work, these stories do stick with Jae's formula of well thought-out characters and, sometimes a slow burn. So some of these stories won't have sexy times in them, but the build up to what could come. Which is fine. I enjoy a good sweet romantic moment as much as the next person.

Jae also has a bit of fun with the "first time" story and how one partner can be really nervous about making everything just perfect for the couples' first foray into sex. She showcases a reverse striptease, which was pretty sexy. Then there's the earnest crush that might grow into something more.

There are some definite favorites in here like the stories I've mentioned, but they're all good to excellent and touch on a lot of different tastes.

*I received this ARC from Ylva in exchange for my honest opinion.*

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely little introduction to Jae’s work. It is the first I have read by her and I very much enjoyed the variety of the short stories in this collection. They were all different and each provided a different experience to the reader.

Contained in the middle were three little festive stories following one particular set of characters which was just lovely. The other stories were a mix of introductions to individual characters that left a hunger for more, or to characters that star in some of her novels which has left me, compelled to go and read!

The humour and comic timing throughout the stories is just amazing and so well done. You can see why Jae is so talented and adored as a writer with a fantastic back catalogue. Her writing is just amazing!!!

What a great collection! I would highly recommend this book. It is great to warm your heart, bring you joy, or let you indulge in a good laugh.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read most if these before but I haven't read the holiday stories so that was a lovely treat - I love love love sweet Christmas Stories! There are a few stories that follow some of Jae's novels and it's always nice to catch up with some of your favourite characters. Hands down my favourite short story is "The Romance Bet." I've read that story half a dozen times and I would love to read it as a full length novel or novella - I love that little world.

This is the perfect little book with all of Jae's short stories in one place.

I received an ARC via YLVA in exchange for an honest review.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
A great collection of romantic short stories that are all well written and enjoyable. Some were familiar to me some were new but I think many, if not all, are already published so it's nice to have them all in one book. They are all very good but Whining and Dining and The Midnight Couch are my favourites.
eARC by Ylva Publishing

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute audiobook! 13 short stories. Multiple POV’s. They ranged from cute first date stories to established couples and a couple Christmas themed stories. Two stories had a spicy scene. Written in third person. Narrated by Abby Craden.

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of thirteen short stories by Jae with the common theme, happily ever after ending. Most of the stories I enjoyed because I like a happy ending or at least happy for now ending.

[MJSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of Jae’s short stories, some featuring characters from her novels (Something in the Wine and the Second Nature series), three Xmas stories that tie together, and some stand-alones. Some I’d read before, and some were new to me. They’re all worth a read, but I really liked the Romance Bet and the Midnight Couch. The latter I would love to see expanded into a novella or full length story.

[Aj Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection of short stories from a top notch novel writer...but a writer whose real gift in is writing novels! (That is of course just my opinion). I'm not saying that there are any bad stories here, that is not the case at all but my favourite was Dress-tease, which is a follow on from Damage Control so the characters had already been drawn and the relationships fully developed. As an aside I do actually really like these little top-up stories, giving us glimpses into characters' lives; almost like a non-lazy and separately published epilogue!

One standalone short story that really worked for me was the rather unusual "Christmas Road Trip", I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for others but it's not at all what I expected from Jae and it's wonderful. I remember reading an article by Jeffrey Deaver many years ago about the difference between short stories and novels being that in a novel you have your readers emotional investment for a prolonged period of time, so as as author you have a duty to take care of your readers. However, in a short story there isn't the same emotional investment in the characters, so he was free to do whatever he wanted, no matter how unexpected. I think there's an element of that at play here.

While I had already read a few of these stories in other collections or online, I'm glad I picked up this book, the new pieces are well worth it and re-reading Dress Tease was a great pleasure.

[BookFiend17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happily Ever After by Jae is a collection of previously published short stories. All of these stories have been published in either stand alones or in other collections of shorts. You can never go wrong with Jae’s work so I’d definitely recommend. I received an arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dress-tease", "Seduction for Beginners", "Change of Pace", "Facing the Music", "Whining and Dining", and "The Midnight Couch"
I just want more!
I want to say Whining and Dining & The Midnight Couch were my faves but hell I loved them all.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jae is one of my favorite author's and I'm sure this book will be appreciated by those that have very little spare time. Multiple short and sweet, feel good, predictable stories. Its perfect for reading on your lunch hour, waiting in the Drs office or at bedtime. Anytime you have 20 minutes to fill. If this is your first time reading this author, you should get a feel for her writing style. She's fresh, she's witty, and creates colorful characters and interesting storylines. Be sure to try one of her "50,000" word novels. much more rewarding.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rec'd an ARC from Ylva for an honest review.
A collection of smartly written, all different short stories, some of which were familiar. My favourite was Dress Tease". Jae NEVER disappoints.
4 stars

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Stéphanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happily ever after, by Jae

Happily ever after, or as I would like to call it: the best introduction to all of Jae’s works.

Jae once again found a way to captivate her readers with the collection of her short stories some you might have read at the end of her already published books, such as the one from Something in the wine: Seduction for Beginners.

It is always a pleasure to get a glance again at all those characters I have once fallen in love with in those tales, such as Leontyne from Perfect Rhythm, right before she has to leave for her newest album’s tour.

In this book of short successes, you also get a glimpse at Drew and Annie from Something in the Wine as Annie tries to engage her first intercourse between Drew and her, while her newfound lover is being the perfect gentle woman and not pressuring her into anything she isn’t ready for.

It is also nice to see the other side of the writing process our favorite writers have to go through in the first few stories of the book, where you can see one of the protagonists from the first part clearly in the process of writing Just for Show.

There were also a few other characters some of you might recognize from her previously released books that I haven’t read yet, such as a few of Damage Control’s characters or Dawn and Aiden from Conflict of Interest.

One of the tales that stood up from the lot and I wish there were more of their story to be read in a future book was the third one, Blind Date at the Booklover’s Lair. I found myself intrigued by Jen and Tricia’s universe. It felt like there was a lot more that could be written and I would definitely love to read a book about them in the future.

Special mention to Christmas Road Trip, it was unexpected even if it was short; the ending was a nice surprise.

In true Jae’s fashion, her characters are loveable, interesting and always find a way to win a place in your heart in the few short pages of her stories. I don’t usually read short stories out of their original universe but I have to admit I really loved reading this book and getting lost again in those worlds I already knew a lot about and found myself wishing some stories where a whole book instead of just a few pages long.

I recommend this to all of Jae’s readers, you will love it for sure, and to the others who don’t already know her work, it would be a great way to get a look into her universes and hopefully fall in love with them just as I have.

Rainbow Moose’s Reviews
@RainbowMReviews

[Mazzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great collection of Jae's short stories focusing on happy endings. Some are can be considered epilogues after some of her novels, so you might want to be careful about spoilers if you haven't read all of her works. I already have some of the short stories in my collection, but it's nice to have them all in one place.

There isn't one story I'm not fan of to be honest. All are either very good or great story. I especially enjoyed the mini series of short stories about Rachel and Lillian. They are just regular women with regular jobs trying to living their life. I usually enjoy those more than characters with more glamorous backgrounds.

I also really liked The Midnight Couch. It's such an adorable story about having a crush on a coworker.

Overall I strongly recommend this collection if you want quick reads on sweet and romantic themes.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

'Happily Ever After' is a collection of previously published short stories by Jae, some with original characters, others that revisit characters from her novels. Each story involves a couple meeting and starting a relationship, or an established couple taking a further step in their relationship, or just doing something cute together. Themes of self-acceptance and chosen family are prominent.

This is a nice collection to pick up when you have a few minutes to read, don't want a lot of commitment, and want a guaranteed happy ending. If you've enjoyed Jae's novels and like the idea of revisiting some favourite characters, this story collection is a good bet.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories by Jae, combined into one neat package. Some I had read previously, but others were new. I enjoyed being able to revisit some of the characters from works I had read previously. Some people don’t like characters reappearing, but I love to pop in for a quick visit with some of the prior characters such as Grace and Lauren from “Damage Control”. Actually, prompted me to reread the book again. Enjoyed meeting Rachel and Lillian with the Christmas trilogy. Definitely worth picking up if you are fan of Jae.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet and sexy anthology of Jae’s short stories. Most of them I had already read, but a couple were new to me. I appreciated having them all in one place, especially the three with Rachel and Lillian; I liked reading the progression of their romance. The others reminded me that I need to reread a couple of the full-length books again as I got nostalgic for some of my favorite couples. If you’re new to Jae’s work, this is a wonderful introduction to her work.

I received an ARC for an honest review.