What do you think?
Rate this book
Not That Kind of Ever After
'Utterly hilarious . . . a stellar debut that's sure to charm readers' KATE BROMLEY
'[A] raucously entertaining debut novel' The Times
______________
Gloriously fun, romantic and feel-good, discover a 21st century London fairytale with an unforgettable twist
Once upon a time, in a flatshare south of the river, there lived an aspiring author named Bella Marble. Above all things, above her wish to be a writer, above absolutely anything and everything, Bella wants to find love.But one fateful week changes everything...
When her best friend moves in with the most boring ogre in history and her perfectly paired parents tell her their own love story is coming to an end, Bella's illusions of finding 'the one' shatters.
With the help of her very own knight in shining Armani, Bella ditches the fairytale and decides it's time to write herself a brand new kind of happy ending. And while London may be fresh out of Princes, it's got a surplus of frogs - and as Bella learns, kissing frogs can be extremely fun.
______________
Fresh, funny and intelligent, this book will make any woman who's experienced dating in the 21st century laugh, wince and cry in recognition, and is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Mhairi Mcfarlane and Beth O'Leary.
Find out why everyone's talking about NOT THAT KIND OF EVER AFTER . . .
'A wickedly funny exploration of finding one's own Happily Ever After. If you've ever gone searching for The Fairytale within the hellscape of modern dating, Not That Kind of Ever After is for you' ALISON ROSE GREENBERG
'A laugh-out-loud and totally swoon-worthy read that will keep you turning the pages' JO WATSON
'[A] raucously entertaining debut novel' The Times
______________
Gloriously fun, romantic and feel-good, discover a 21st century London fairytale with an unforgettable twist
Once upon a time, in a flatshare south of the river, there lived an aspiring author named Bella Marble. Above all things, above her wish to be a writer, above absolutely anything and everything, Bella wants to find love.But one fateful week changes everything...
When her best friend moves in with the most boring ogre in history and her perfectly paired parents tell her their own love story is coming to an end, Bella's illusions of finding 'the one' shatters.
With the help of her very own knight in shining Armani, Bella ditches the fairytale and decides it's time to write herself a brand new kind of happy ending. And while London may be fresh out of Princes, it's got a surplus of frogs - and as Bella learns, kissing frogs can be extremely fun.
______________
Fresh, funny and intelligent, this book will make any woman who's experienced dating in the 21st century laugh, wince and cry in recognition, and is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Mhairi Mcfarlane and Beth O'Leary.
Find out why everyone's talking about NOT THAT KIND OF EVER AFTER . . .
'A wickedly funny exploration of finding one's own Happily Ever After. If you've ever gone searching for The Fairytale within the hellscape of modern dating, Not That Kind of Ever After is for you' ALISON ROSE GREENBERG
'A laugh-out-loud and totally swoon-worthy read that will keep you turning the pages' JO WATSON
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2023
88 people are currently reading
15273 people want to read
About the author
Luci Adams
3 books129 followersLuci Adams started out working in tax before moving into copywriting, creating social posts for Apple Music, and assisting with Amazon and BBC productions at Working Title Television. She now works as a senior analyst at The Guardian by day and writes uproariously funny and inventive rom coms by night. Not That Kind of Ever After is her debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 895 reviews
January 7, 2023
There are several chuckle-out-loud moments in this novel, which is about a woman in her late twenties who aspires to be a novelist but has been stuck as a receptionist for a literary agency for years.
Her other goal besides being a writer is the traditional happily ever after resulting in a ring and a white wedding dress. Along the way, through bars, parties, and online dating apps, she meets her share of guys who fall short of Prince Charming. There’s the hairy guy who she turns into a story that harkens the big-bad wolf. From there she continues dating and writing about her experiences and posting them in an online forum. As her followers, comments, and “likes” increase, she gets a little heady with the power of being liked by strangers, which leads her behaving pretty terribly to people who actually know and care about her.
Parts of this got really redundant, and it’s one thing to read a novel in which the protagonist has to face challenges like an actual bad guy, a disease, a terrible circumstance, but it’s much harder to commiserate with someone whose problems are entirely self-created.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 16, 2022.
Her other goal besides being a writer is the traditional happily ever after resulting in a ring and a white wedding dress. Along the way, through bars, parties, and online dating apps, she meets her share of guys who fall short of Prince Charming. There’s the hairy guy who she turns into a story that harkens the big-bad wolf. From there she continues dating and writing about her experiences and posting them in an online forum. As her followers, comments, and “likes” increase, she gets a little heady with the power of being liked by strangers, which leads her behaving pretty terribly to people who actually know and care about her.
Parts of this got really redundant, and it’s one thing to read a novel in which the protagonist has to face challenges like an actual bad guy, a disease, a terrible circumstance, but it’s much harder to commiserate with someone whose problems are entirely self-created.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 16, 2022.
February 3, 2023
Well, I gave it a go until 34% and that was it. I got put off early when the main character, Bella hooks up with a match from her dating app. And after noticing that her match is hairier than the wolfman, she still has a one night stand with him -- still hoping he's prince charming. Yikes!
And as her best friend and roommate, Ellie has plans to move out, Bella is full of resentment. That self centered attitude really turned me off. Especially when Ellie becomes engaged.
Bella's desperation and infantile antics really killed it for me with this novel. I'm sure that there are a number of readers out there that will appreciate this sort of storyline. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. One star.
I received a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
And as her best friend and roommate, Ellie has plans to move out, Bella is full of resentment. That self centered attitude really turned me off. Especially when Ellie becomes engaged.
Bella's desperation and infantile antics really killed it for me with this novel. I'm sure that there are a number of readers out there that will appreciate this sort of storyline. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. One star.
I received a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
September 13, 2022
I received a netgalley arc of this and it was a fun quick read but? I genuinely could've just read the blurb and it would've explained the whole book. It's not that I hate it per se, it's just not attention grabbing enough if I'm being honest. Main characters were so stale too , kind of lifeless. long story short, I don't feel much for bella.
March 1, 2023
I'm confused....
Was this supposed to be a romance?
The book is about Bella. Her age is confusing. The book mentions she is late 20's.... But she mentions she knows her best friend for 29 years. and she is supposed to be around 29? So I guess she knew her friend from the second she was born....
Bella wants her own prince charming. So she goes on this dating app and nothing is working out.
So instead she writes a chapter about her very unfortunate dating experience and things start to spiral from there. Bella suddenly forgets her standards and what she really wants and instead is focused on sleeping around with different guys and writing her chapters about her encounter in form of fairy tales. Including an uncharacteristic out-of-the-left-field threesome, after making several comments about it prior.
Bella is a really annoying character. She acts like she is in a sorority instead of being a damn adult. Her behavior is really immature for most of the book.
She is a shit friend. She cannot admit when she is wrong and is a total jerk to her best friend's boyfriend. She owed him an apology and he came to her to apologize instead. Honestly, she was so nasty to him that I half expected Bella to proclaim feelings for her bestie, at least then this animosity would be more understandable.
I think it's just hard to enjoy the book if you just downright dislike the MC.
The romance plot happened in the last 20 % of the book and she was still awful till about 10%? Her actions in the end really annoyed me
This really just didn't work for me.
Got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, all of the opinions are my own.
Was this supposed to be a romance?
The book is about Bella. Her age is confusing. The book mentions she is late 20's.... But she mentions she knows her best friend for 29 years. and she is supposed to be around 29? So I guess she knew her friend from the second she was born....
Bella wants her own prince charming. So she goes on this dating app and nothing is working out.
So instead she writes a chapter about her very unfortunate dating experience and things start to spiral from there. Bella suddenly forgets her standards and what she really wants and instead is focused on sleeping around with different guys and writing her chapters about her encounter in form of fairy tales. Including an uncharacteristic out-of-the-left-field threesome, after making several comments about it prior.
Bella is a really annoying character. She acts like she is in a sorority instead of being a damn adult. Her behavior is really immature for most of the book.
She is a shit friend. She cannot admit when she is wrong and is a total jerk to her best friend's boyfriend. She owed him an apology and he came to her to apologize instead. Honestly, she was so nasty to him that I half expected Bella to proclaim feelings for her bestie, at least then this animosity would be more understandable.
I think it's just hard to enjoy the book if you just downright dislike the MC.
The romance plot happened in the last 20 % of the book and she was still awful till about 10%? Her actions in the end really annoyed me
This really just didn't work for me.
Got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, all of the opinions are my own.
February 20, 2023
Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams came out on February 16th and is a debut you need to snatch up!
Bella is, likely, the definition of quirky in a character. I would suggest this romcom for people who like to laugh, enjoy fairytale retellings, or related to Bridget Jones' Diary on any level.
Much love to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for my DRC.
Fav quote:
A woman, perhaps half my age, who apparently has the correct qualifications needed to boss me around and make me want to cry constantly.
Bella is, likely, the definition of quirky in a character. I would suggest this romcom for people who like to laugh, enjoy fairytale retellings, or related to Bridget Jones' Diary on any level.
Much love to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for my DRC.
Fav quote:
A woman, perhaps half my age, who apparently has the correct qualifications needed to boss me around and make me want to cry constantly.
August 7, 2023
Konačno još neki dobar čiklit!
February 28, 2023
I was given an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I thought that the writing in this book was very witty and funny and I really enjoyed it. What I disliked about it was the romance because it comes out of left field. Like last 50 pages of the book she releases that Marty was meant for her? Like what? Did I miss something?
And then the MC also said that Mark was super mean but the book just tells us it. They had one misunderstanding where the MC was totally in the wrong and then it’s up to Mark to fix it even though it was the MCs fault. I would have been fine with it is she had remorse for it but she just sulks for the entire book and is like “he’s wrong so instead of apologizing to fix my relationship with my BFF, I’m going to wait until he says sorry”. I found that very annoying.
The plot was fine. I was just irritated by the MC because she does such hypocritical things and doesn’t really get a good redemption.
It was also marketed as a feminist book but only told us which seems to be a pattern. They never showed us what she did to make her a feminist.
Overall, I thought that the book was fine but definitely needs a bit of fine tuning.
2.5/5
I thought that the writing in this book was very witty and funny and I really enjoyed it. What I disliked about it was the romance because it comes out of left field. Like last 50 pages of the book she releases that Marty was meant for her? Like what? Did I miss something?
And then the MC also said that Mark was super mean but the book just tells us it. They had one misunderstanding where the MC was totally in the wrong and then it’s up to Mark to fix it even though it was the MCs fault. I would have been fine with it is she had remorse for it but she just sulks for the entire book and is like “he’s wrong so instead of apologizing to fix my relationship with my BFF, I’m going to wait until he says sorry”. I found that very annoying.
The plot was fine. I was just irritated by the MC because she does such hypocritical things and doesn’t really get a good redemption.
It was also marketed as a feminist book but only told us which seems to be a pattern. They never showed us what she did to make her a feminist.
Overall, I thought that the book was fine but definitely needs a bit of fine tuning.
2.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2022
"Not That Kind of Ever After" by Luci Adams is a serendipitous read loosely based on the premise of the protagonist’s dating experiences being mirrored by fairy tale narratives while she stumbles towards finding her Prince Charming-who-is-perhaps-not-necessarily-a-Prince Charming. I call this read serendipitous only because I am taking a class on writing fairy tales right now, and also I love fairy tale retellings. There are many flashes of brilliance in this book, but it is ultimately not a comfortable read. I would classify it as more Women’s Fiction than Romance. It is written in the first person POV.
The main plotline of the novel doesn’t really start - or at least become clear - until we’re about 50% into of the book. The first half can easily be cut to about half its current length. There are also a lot of characters in the story, and the first half of the book feels confusing because we keep meeting new ones every few pages without any significant forward movement of the plot. We also don’t get to know many of these characters particularly well. Tighter editing would have helped with all of these issues and made this an easier read. This novel reads as significantly longer than average. (It is ~400 pages where the average romance novel seems to be about 350 pages.)
We do not have a likable narrator here. She is judgmental and selfish. I did feel for her, and she was even quite relatable at various points in the story. Those were the flashes of brilliance that I really enjoyed. But, I don’t know that she felt fully redeemed by the conclusion. That’s not necessarily required in a story, but in a Contemporary Romance where we’re looking at HEAs, I generally enjoy feeling like the HEA is deserved.
In regard to the primary conflict of the book, I will first share a disclaimer that best friend break-ups, while an important trope, are also one of my least favorites. Without going further into spoiler territory, this conflict was handled semi-satisfactorily in that there are significant apologies for the shaming of a character’s sexual activities. However, from a style perspective, this process of resolution involves many monologues. The narrator’s internal monologue specifically is the most frustrating because these are stream of conscious clusters telling us (rather than showing us) her every thought as she bounces between self-flagellation/guilt and figuring out what she feels she deserves.
Ultimately, the plot, the primary romantic interest, and the relatability of the protagonist still made this book worth three stars for me. However, I am taking off a star because the narrator’s description of French and German people feels like stereotyping and a bit discriminatory. There was no reason for the characters who were labeled by nationality to be labeled as such either. Emphasizing their nationalities doesn’t add anything to their characters that would have been missed if they were just…additional characters in the book without a clear nationality like most of the other characters. I’ll be curious to see other folks’ thoughts on this book. In addition, thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC!
The main plotline of the novel doesn’t really start - or at least become clear - until we’re about 50% into of the book. The first half can easily be cut to about half its current length. There are also a lot of characters in the story, and the first half of the book feels confusing because we keep meeting new ones every few pages without any significant forward movement of the plot. We also don’t get to know many of these characters particularly well. Tighter editing would have helped with all of these issues and made this an easier read. This novel reads as significantly longer than average. (It is ~400 pages where the average romance novel seems to be about 350 pages.)
We do not have a likable narrator here. She is judgmental and selfish. I did feel for her, and she was even quite relatable at various points in the story. Those were the flashes of brilliance that I really enjoyed. But, I don’t know that she felt fully redeemed by the conclusion. That’s not necessarily required in a story, but in a Contemporary Romance where we’re looking at HEAs, I generally enjoy feeling like the HEA is deserved.
In regard to the primary conflict of the book, I will first share a disclaimer that best friend break-ups, while an important trope, are also one of my least favorites. Without going further into spoiler territory, this conflict was handled semi-satisfactorily in that there are significant apologies for the shaming of a character’s sexual activities. However, from a style perspective, this process of resolution involves many monologues. The narrator’s internal monologue specifically is the most frustrating because these are stream of conscious clusters telling us (rather than showing us) her every thought as she bounces between self-flagellation/guilt and figuring out what she feels she deserves.
Ultimately, the plot, the primary romantic interest, and the relatability of the protagonist still made this book worth three stars for me. However, I am taking off a star because the narrator’s description of French and German people feels like stereotyping and a bit discriminatory. There was no reason for the characters who were labeled by nationality to be labeled as such either. Emphasizing their nationalities doesn’t add anything to their characters that would have been missed if they were just…additional characters in the book without a clear nationality like most of the other characters. I’ll be curious to see other folks’ thoughts on this book. In addition, thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC!
April 24, 2023
I have to be honest here: this is one of the worst books I have ever read. It wasn't written terribly - it was very listenable and readable (although why was it 7 parts and 100 chapters???).
The main character though... Bella Marble is alarmingly self-centered, superficial, judgmental, awkward, entitled, rude, oblivious, lazy, whiny, and straight-up ignorant. Of course it's okay for characters to be flawed and/or unlikable - it's what can make them relatable or realistic or just interesting. But Bella was so terrible that I didn't understand why her friends and loved ones were willing to be around her in the first place, let alone long enough to be used and disrespected by her for an entire book. The main character was so unbelievably unlikable that I was unable to root for her even a little bit, and the point where she "learns her lesson" and tries to fix what she's done wrong came way too late (the literal end of the book!) for it to make a difference for me.
It also seems like a huge stretch to call this a romance. Bella spent the majority of this book interacting with basically everyone else except the "love interest," and didn't decide that she liked him until (again!) the end of the book where he appeared like some sort of amorous deus ex machina.
Honestly, unless you're a big fan of deep, DEEP cringe behavior, I would say to avoid this book at all costs. Sorry Luci Adams - I really tried.
The main character though... Bella Marble is alarmingly self-centered, superficial, judgmental, awkward, entitled, rude, oblivious, lazy, whiny, and straight-up ignorant. Of course it's okay for characters to be flawed and/or unlikable - it's what can make them relatable or realistic or just interesting. But Bella was so terrible that I didn't understand why her friends and loved ones were willing to be around her in the first place, let alone long enough to be used and disrespected by her for an entire book. The main character was so unbelievably unlikable that I was unable to root for her even a little bit, and the point where she "learns her lesson" and tries to fix what she's done wrong came way too late (the literal end of the book!) for it to make a difference for me.
It also seems like a huge stretch to call this a romance. Bella spent the majority of this book interacting with basically everyone else except the "love interest," and didn't decide that she liked him until (again!) the end of the book where he appeared like some sort of amorous deus ex machina.
Honestly, unless you're a big fan of deep, DEEP cringe behavior, I would say to avoid this book at all costs. Sorry Luci Adams - I really tried.
January 7, 2023
What's your favorite fairytale?
Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams
Available on March 14th.
Not That Kind of Ever After is fun, flirtatious and relatable. It was a witty read that kept me smiling throughout. The main character is Bella, a spunky and sometimes a bit ditsy, single author who is looking for her happily ever after. She and her friends are sarcastic and witty, and they have lots of enjoyable banter. Heart-wrenching scenes are interspersed with "get your head-on straight girl" moments. I had a great time with the book and recommend it to those looking for a sweet story.
Thank you NetGalley, and ST. Martin's Press, for sharing this incredible book with me. Your kindness is appreciated. 4/5
#NotThatKindOfEverAfter #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #blogtour #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audible #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b
Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams
Available on March 14th.
Not That Kind of Ever After is fun, flirtatious and relatable. It was a witty read that kept me smiling throughout. The main character is Bella, a spunky and sometimes a bit ditsy, single author who is looking for her happily ever after. She and her friends are sarcastic and witty, and they have lots of enjoyable banter. Heart-wrenching scenes are interspersed with "get your head-on straight girl" moments. I had a great time with the book and recommend it to those looking for a sweet story.
Thank you NetGalley, and ST. Martin's Press, for sharing this incredible book with me. Your kindness is appreciated. 4/5
#NotThatKindOfEverAfter #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #blogtour #readingcommunity #Books #bookfriends #booksbooksbooks #booksta #bookstagram #newtobookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #instabookstagram #bookish #bookishielife #Audible #newtobookstagram #newtoinsta #newtoinstagra #Bookishcom #trending #bestsellingbooks #b
August 22, 2022
While the story was at times entertaining, it just didn’t grab me as much as I would have liked. I wanted more depth and more feeling. Given the length of the book, I was hoping to feel more attached to the characters.
The ending was cute and tied up all the loose ends nicely.
If you enjoy sweet reads, Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams might be the book for you!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The ending was cute and tied up all the loose ends nicely.
If you enjoy sweet reads, Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams might be the book for you!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2023
DNF 3%
Absolutely TF not. What is feminist about Bella? The fact that she still sleeps with the guy she was actively body shaming. I won't put up with books that body shame women and I won't put up with books that body shame men. I'm not giving this book one more page, let alone another almost 400.
Absolutely TF not. What is feminist about Bella? The fact that she still sleeps with the guy she was actively body shaming. I won't put up with books that body shame women and I won't put up with books that body shame men. I'm not giving this book one more page, let alone another almost 400.
March 8, 2023
Nope, can't do it. Not gonna make myself. The start to this book is terrible and the female lead is atrocious. I have no interest in spending page after page of her banging guys she's not actually interested in just because they call her pretty and could be "the one". Stand up girl! Stand up!
February 15, 2023
A different take on romance. Bella has to do things all wrong to get to what is right for her. It’s an interesting tale of a woman who essentially gives up on price charming and decides to just have fun. Like everyone in that “phase” she realizes she can’t just stay there and, thankfully, her Prince Charming is waiting on the other side.
🌀Synopsis
Bella’s life is definitely not going according to plan. She wants to be a writer but can’t write. She wants to find Prince Charming but keeps kissing frogs. After a particularly terrible one night stand she decides she’s had enough and she’s no longer looking for romance.
That one night stand ends up kickstarting her career when she documents it. It also kickstarts a phase of fun experiences for Bella. Instead of looking for the right guy she is looking for the story to tell. Boy, does she find it!
The only problem is, she starts to realize she’s still not happy. She’s made a mess of her life and a couple significant friendships. Now she has to find her way out and, as it turns out, her Prince Charming is waiting right on the other side for her.
🌀Synopsis
Bella’s life is definitely not going according to plan. She wants to be a writer but can’t write. She wants to find Prince Charming but keeps kissing frogs. After a particularly terrible one night stand she decides she’s had enough and she’s no longer looking for romance.
That one night stand ends up kickstarting her career when she documents it. It also kickstarts a phase of fun experiences for Bella. Instead of looking for the right guy she is looking for the story to tell. Boy, does she find it!
The only problem is, she starts to realize she’s still not happy. She’s made a mess of her life and a couple significant friendships. Now she has to find her way out and, as it turns out, her Prince Charming is waiting right on the other side for her.
August 19, 2022
I expected to like this more than I did, I love retellings and fairy tale parodies would be right up my alley, but the humour sadly slid off me like water off a duck's back. The opening scene was catchy and the character's inner dialogue hilarious, but the storyline past that didn't keep my interest and I ended up feeling dissatisfied instead of happy as I usually end up after a light and fluffy plot. I'm sure it's not going to be the same for others, though, humour is always so personal and what's a miss for me will be a hit for another reader.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2023
I really wanted to love this book. The description and cover of the book sounded like something I will enjoy, but it unfortunately did not execute. It was cute and lighthearted, but it had no depth. I can see how the author tried to make the female mc "whiny and immature", in order to have character growth, but it was a little hard to read and get past. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 7, 2023
bella was insufferable the entire time
February 10, 2023
Review based on e-ARC from NetGalley.
I really hate how much I hated this book. I wanted to like it so badly and I just couldn’t. I fought against myself for the first several chapters and then I just gave up on liking it and embraced the uncomfortable reality that I didn’t like it.
Continuity mistakes aside (which, it’s an ARC, I get it), this book is still all over the place. There are times when it’s witty and sly in its modern-day representation of well-known fairy tales, and then there’s times when it just punches you in the face because you’re a stupid idiot and you couldn’t possibly recognize that this quiet, introverted man in a group of seven is supposed to be one of the seven dwarves unless he’s described as “bashful” twice. After having sex with a man named Charles Wolf, she puts on a RED hoodie, and we couldn’t possibly know she’s Little Red Riding Hood unless we were explicitly told multiple times. Give your readers credit or be over-the-top camp about it but the middle ground feels insulting.
I can deal with an immature or unreliable narrator but Bella is an intolerable combination of self-pitying and self-congratulatory. She’s so sad that Mark shows up with a cake when dessert was her thing, but she didn’t even buy dessert, she had someone else buy ice cream. So she pouts about it all evening and doesn’t even notice her best friend is being proposed to until about 1 second before it happens. She’s so invested in being a writer (heavy sarcasm here) that she makes minimal effort to write or improve her career trajectory in any way in 8 years of working at a publishing company. Then some snotty guy comes in and she hates on his entire schtick, then turns around and does the EXACT same thing.
I truly feel like the story would be so much better without any of the writing/blogging aspect. Bella can be just a girl in the world, living her life, kissing frogs, maybe not even realizing herself that she’s living these fairy tales but wink wink, nudge nudge, we know it as a reader.
I’m a Disney- and romcom-loving Millennial. It genuinely pains me to dislike this book so vehemently. There are good bones and when the author’s wit is good, it’s very very good, but when it’s bad, it’s horrid.
I really hate how much I hated this book. I wanted to like it so badly and I just couldn’t. I fought against myself for the first several chapters and then I just gave up on liking it and embraced the uncomfortable reality that I didn’t like it.
Continuity mistakes aside (which, it’s an ARC, I get it), this book is still all over the place. There are times when it’s witty and sly in its modern-day representation of well-known fairy tales, and then there’s times when it just punches you in the face because you’re a stupid idiot and you couldn’t possibly recognize that this quiet, introverted man in a group of seven is supposed to be one of the seven dwarves unless he’s described as “bashful” twice. After having sex with a man named Charles Wolf, she puts on a RED hoodie, and we couldn’t possibly know she’s Little Red Riding Hood unless we were explicitly told multiple times. Give your readers credit or be over-the-top camp about it but the middle ground feels insulting.
I can deal with an immature or unreliable narrator but Bella is an intolerable combination of self-pitying and self-congratulatory. She’s so sad that Mark shows up with a cake when dessert was her thing, but she didn’t even buy dessert, she had someone else buy ice cream. So she pouts about it all evening and doesn’t even notice her best friend is being proposed to until about 1 second before it happens. She’s so invested in being a writer (heavy sarcasm here) that she makes minimal effort to write or improve her career trajectory in any way in 8 years of working at a publishing company. Then some snotty guy comes in and she hates on his entire schtick, then turns around and does the EXACT same thing.
I truly feel like the story would be so much better without any of the writing/blogging aspect. Bella can be just a girl in the world, living her life, kissing frogs, maybe not even realizing herself that she’s living these fairy tales but wink wink, nudge nudge, we know it as a reader.
I’m a Disney- and romcom-loving Millennial. It genuinely pains me to dislike this book so vehemently. There are good bones and when the author’s wit is good, it’s very very good, but when it’s bad, it’s horrid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2023
This is a quirky story about a woman lost in herself and clings unhealthily to her best friends life. (sleeping in her best friends bed while her boyfriend in it, hello boundaries) She wants to be writer working for a publisher company. One day when talking to her boss she learns they are about to give a book deal to a guy who submits his chapters on an app that he got popular on. She is sparked to write about a disaterous one night stand and publishes it on this app and slowly it begins to take off and she goes down the rabbit hole of trying to find one night stands that she can twist into other fairytales like her first chapter called the Wolf. This leads her on a pretty selfish path and she spends some time being immature about her best friend being newly engaged and blinders on toward Marty. She pulled a real d*@%& move after sleeping with him for the first time and setting up a coffee date with a guy who called and said she found her shoe. She was so blinded about getting the fairy tale ending for her book that she doesn't realize what is right in front of her. The heroine is just not very likable and was annoying at times and selfish. She does learn her lesson at the end but how acted for MOST of this story sort of ruined it for me. I did like the narrator. Her voice and accent was pleasant and helped me to finish this story to the end.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the audio for an honest review
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the audio for an honest review
November 22, 2022
This was a cute romcom that drew from all your classic fairytale tropes. Although it did feel a bit predictable at times, I did enjoy it for the most part. I would recommend this if you're looking for a feel-good romance that's a nice and easy read.
Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
March 16, 2023
3.5 Stars!
March 9, 2023
Not That Kind Of Ever After is a charming story about a young woman who is at a crossroads in her life. While everyone is changing and growing up around her, she is at a loss as to what to do next. She continues to look for her own Prince, but only seems to be kissing frogs…so many frogs!
Bella Marble is having a sort of mid-life crisis. Turning thirty, she is nowhere near where she thought she would be in her life at this point. No boyfriend (or husband), not a writer (at all), and living in an apartment with four other singles (not ideal). But at least one of her roommates is her best friend since childhood, Ellie. But her boyfriend Mark sleeps over quite a bit, ugh! And just like that, everything changes.
Ellie and Mark decide to move out and get their own place and become engaged. A suspiciously odd couple move into Ellie’s old room, and Bella still has writer’s block. But after Bella discovers an online site where people write stories which other people read and comment on, she decides to try not only her hand at writing but decides to document her quest to find her Prince Charming. She writes about her not-so-great dates and gives them funny fairy tale headings.
Although her dates do not go too well and she continuously asks Ellie’s brother Marty for help and advice because, well, he is a player, and a handsome one at that, she begins to find she has a following on the site.
Then, her life comes crashing down around her. She and Ellie have a terrible fight and stop speaking. This has never happened before. Of course, the impetus for the fight was Mark, ugh. She then discovers her parents, whose love story has always been the basis for Bella’s Prince Charming, inform her they are getting divorced. Her stories have gone viral, and she now feels pressure to come up with more interesting fairy tales to keep her readers excited. But she can’t seem to find the mojo. Bella’s just tired. Of it all. How on earth does she get her best friend back and prove there is more to her writing than just sloppy dates.
Without Ellie, Bella turns to Marty to steer her in the right direction, only to have everything blow up in her Cinderella face! Can you truly ever find your Prince Charming? Someone who will be there for you forever? Or do you just settle for someone less. Sometimes wishing for something so desperately and getting it is far worse than what you had. Especially when the one person you’ve counted on since you were young is not by your side.
Not That Kind Of Ever After is a hysterical, empathetic look at dating, trying to change your life, trying to become a real adult and hopefully learning a few lessons about life and love.
Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sGriffin #LuciAdams #NotThatKindOfEverAfter for the advanced copy.
Bella Marble is having a sort of mid-life crisis. Turning thirty, she is nowhere near where she thought she would be in her life at this point. No boyfriend (or husband), not a writer (at all), and living in an apartment with four other singles (not ideal). But at least one of her roommates is her best friend since childhood, Ellie. But her boyfriend Mark sleeps over quite a bit, ugh! And just like that, everything changes.
Ellie and Mark decide to move out and get their own place and become engaged. A suspiciously odd couple move into Ellie’s old room, and Bella still has writer’s block. But after Bella discovers an online site where people write stories which other people read and comment on, she decides to try not only her hand at writing but decides to document her quest to find her Prince Charming. She writes about her not-so-great dates and gives them funny fairy tale headings.
Although her dates do not go too well and she continuously asks Ellie’s brother Marty for help and advice because, well, he is a player, and a handsome one at that, she begins to find she has a following on the site.
Then, her life comes crashing down around her. She and Ellie have a terrible fight and stop speaking. This has never happened before. Of course, the impetus for the fight was Mark, ugh. She then discovers her parents, whose love story has always been the basis for Bella’s Prince Charming, inform her they are getting divorced. Her stories have gone viral, and she now feels pressure to come up with more interesting fairy tales to keep her readers excited. But she can’t seem to find the mojo. Bella’s just tired. Of it all. How on earth does she get her best friend back and prove there is more to her writing than just sloppy dates.
Without Ellie, Bella turns to Marty to steer her in the right direction, only to have everything blow up in her Cinderella face! Can you truly ever find your Prince Charming? Someone who will be there for you forever? Or do you just settle for someone less. Sometimes wishing for something so desperately and getting it is far worse than what you had. Especially when the one person you’ve counted on since you were young is not by your side.
Not That Kind Of Ever After is a hysterical, empathetic look at dating, trying to change your life, trying to become a real adult and hopefully learning a few lessons about life and love.
Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sGriffin #LuciAdams #NotThatKindOfEverAfter for the advanced copy.
March 14, 2023
Poor Bella, she just wants a fairytale, but things just start to not go well. Her best friend is with a boring guy and moving out, her parents are getting a divorce, her new flatmates are odd, and she desperately wants to be a writer.
This book had some funny moments, the fairytale one night stands were creative and out there. What I struggled with was not really liking Bella's that much. She comes off whiny, intruding, and not much of a listener. I just wanted to scream at her for trying to force creating writing material. Thank goodness for Marty, he seemed down to earth and more real.
This book had some bright spots and was enoughto heep me reading, but I think I just wanted a more likable main character.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
This book had some funny moments, the fairytale one night stands were creative and out there. What I struggled with was not really liking Bella's that much. She comes off whiny, intruding, and not much of a listener. I just wanted to scream at her for trying to force creating writing material. Thank goodness for Marty, he seemed down to earth and more real.
This book had some bright spots and was enoughto heep me reading, but I think I just wanted a more likable main character.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
August 22, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book!
This rom com grabbed me instantly and felt very relatable! I finally feel seen! It's hard to be the single friend who watches all your friends "moving on" with their lives and you feel a bit left behind despite kissing all the frogs. Having your best friend suddenly have a different best friend is not a hurt that goes away easily. It also wasn't totally obvious where the story was going the whole time, so it was fun to go along for the ride trying to figuring out what Bella would do. I wish we had an epilogue (or maybe a sequel) so we get a little more of Bella's happy ending.
I think this book will be a hit with all the late 20s/early 30s single people who feel a bit disenchanted by romance and dating apps.
This rom com grabbed me instantly and felt very relatable! I finally feel seen! It's hard to be the single friend who watches all your friends "moving on" with their lives and you feel a bit left behind despite kissing all the frogs. Having your best friend suddenly have a different best friend is not a hurt that goes away easily. It also wasn't totally obvious where the story was going the whole time, so it was fun to go along for the ride trying to figuring out what Bella would do. I wish we had an epilogue (or maybe a sequel) so we get a little more of Bella's happy ending.
I think this book will be a hit with all the late 20s/early 30s single people who feel a bit disenchanted by romance and dating apps.
September 5, 2022
Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams
What a cute book! Main character Bella was funny and witty. Many parts of the book had me literally laughing out loud. I would consider this a textbook rom-com. Overall I found this book to be humorous, engaging, and an enjoyable light read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
What a cute book! Main character Bella was funny and witty. Many parts of the book had me literally laughing out loud. I would consider this a textbook rom-com. Overall I found this book to be humorous, engaging, and an enjoyable light read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2023
Bella is looking for her Prince Charming but she seems to be kissing a lot of frogs. She’s been trying all the latest dating apps and not making any connections. She works as a receptionist at a book company and in her spare time she writes, and one day she writes about her latest bad date with a very hairy man and gives it a funny title like from a fairy tale. She takes a chance and puts it out on an amateur writer app and hopes that some people will see it. But when people start seeing it and wanting more, Bella starts putting her standards aside in order to get a story and sleeps around in order to get more content.
Unfortunately, Bella acts quite immature and she isn’t a very good friend which makes her hard to like as a character. I did like once the romantic part of the story came into play, but it was totally predictable who she would end up with from the beginning. I think it probably would have benefited from being a little shorter as well.
The narrator did a good job of keeping the story entertaining and engaging.
Thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.
Unfortunately, Bella acts quite immature and she isn’t a very good friend which makes her hard to like as a character. I did like once the romantic part of the story came into play, but it was totally predictable who she would end up with from the beginning. I think it probably would have benefited from being a little shorter as well.
The narrator did a good job of keeping the story entertaining and engaging.
Thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.
March 18, 2023
Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Adams is a cute romantic comedy about a woman who wants her own fairy tale.
Story Recap:
Bella Marble is an aspiring author, but the closest she comes to writing is being a receptionist at a small publishing company. Her tidy life is starting to unravel. Her parents are divorcing and her best friend, Ellie is marrying Mark, and moving out. She finds some solace with Ellie’s brother Marty but still feels her life is out of control.
Marty tells her that she should stop searching for the one, and instead spend some time just having fun. When she goes on a disastrous one-night stand, she writes a fairy-tale retelling of the night on a storytelling app. The story goes viral, and Bella feels the pressure to keep writing stories about dates gone bad.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this fun story and found it very entertaining. I like stories like this where the main character grows and becomes stronger. I didn’t like Bella much at first, but I don’t think we’re supposed to like her much in the beginning. She’s self-centered and immature. But, through the book, she grows and becomes more self-aware and mature.
I found the book funny at times, and sometimes emotional as well. I enjoyed all the bad dates and felt empathy for Bella for having to go through such a tough time to find her prince charming. And although she was immature and annoying at times, I did grow to enjoy her antics and was rooting for her to find her own happily ever after.
Recommendation:
I recommend Not That Kind of Ever After to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Story Recap:
Bella Marble is an aspiring author, but the closest she comes to writing is being a receptionist at a small publishing company. Her tidy life is starting to unravel. Her parents are divorcing and her best friend, Ellie is marrying Mark, and moving out. She finds some solace with Ellie’s brother Marty but still feels her life is out of control.
Marty tells her that she should stop searching for the one, and instead spend some time just having fun. When she goes on a disastrous one-night stand, she writes a fairy-tale retelling of the night on a storytelling app. The story goes viral, and Bella feels the pressure to keep writing stories about dates gone bad.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this fun story and found it very entertaining. I like stories like this where the main character grows and becomes stronger. I didn’t like Bella much at first, but I don’t think we’re supposed to like her much in the beginning. She’s self-centered and immature. But, through the book, she grows and becomes more self-aware and mature.
I found the book funny at times, and sometimes emotional as well. I enjoyed all the bad dates and felt empathy for Bella for having to go through such a tough time to find her prince charming. And although she was immature and annoying at times, I did grow to enjoy her antics and was rooting for her to find her own happily ever after.
Recommendation:
I recommend Not That Kind of Ever After to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 10, 2023
This book was a little darker than I was expecting - it's not a light frothy romcom by any means but I dug that about it!! Bella is a receptionist at a London publishing house and an aspiring writer. When her best friend moves out of their apartment she starts to feel a little lost. A drunken night and a bad one night stand inspires her to write a first 'chapter' in what becomes a viral loose Fairy tale dating adventure book she publishes online in a Wattpad-esque platform.
While I did enjoy the various dating scenarios at times things were pushed a little too far I thought but to each their own. And Bella certainly gets some on these dates! Funny with lots of great pop culture references and a wonderful friendship story at the core with a delightful best friend's brother romance side story. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review. This cover is fantastic too!
While I did enjoy the various dating scenarios at times things were pushed a little too far I thought but to each their own. And Bella certainly gets some on these dates! Funny with lots of great pop culture references and a wonderful friendship story at the core with a delightful best friend's brother romance side story. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review. This cover is fantastic too!
June 8, 2024
Was this book what I was expecting? Not really. This book isn't a speedy/ brainless romance. I wouldn't even say its forethought is romance. This is a book of life - a book on friendships, career choices, and bad decisions. Is there romance? Yes, but it's a subplot. This isn't a tale of two people falling in love. It's more realistic. An honest take on being a woman in modern society attempting to date - I mean, we all have our phases of frogs 🐸
Want to read
November 21, 2022A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 895 reviews