Very sweet highschool book ( )

First, what a lovely cover! Writers often make their MC love books or writing and usually it falls flat, but Tessa was fine. It’s fun seeing how her romanticized daydreams turn into story ideas. Tessa’s a hopeful romantic with a mind filled with fluffy thoughts (and she’s an overthinker too).

Her mind is also filled with worries as she lives with anxiety and imposter syndrome. Tessa feels, sometimes, her life and what’s important to her has to take a back seat because of her brother, Miles. I enjoyed Tessa and Miles relationship and the overall family dynamics a lot. I thought the author did a great job showing Tessa’s feelings of frustration but love as well.

At times, Tessa’s narrative feels like “teaching” moments, but I’m sure that’s so a wider audience can understand. It just feels obvious if you already know. Poppy felt a little one note. I mean granted Tessa is trying to move in on Nico and Poppy gotta bad attitude, but it’s up to Nico and Poppy to define their situationship. She’s just nasty though this does get acknowledged at the end.

Overall, cute and light-hearted and familial love plays as big a role as teen romance. I liked the long-distance best friends so much. The ending is fitting. ( )

Tessa Johnson has just moved with her family into a new neighborhood and she is about to start in her new school, Chrysalis Academy for the arts, where she will be participating in their writing program. One of the first people she meets is a boy she calls Hawaiian Shirt because of his daily attire. Later, she finds that his name is Sam, he lives across the street, and he will be taking her to school because he is in his first year in the culinary arts division of Chrysalis Academy. Tessa is anxious as she approaches her first day of school, but she makes friends quickly and seems to be adjusting until she goes to her first novel writing class and finds that she can't write a word. This goes on for days and Tessa panics, so she calls on her best friend from her former neighborhood, who has a plan to help Tessa get out of her writing slump by getting her a love life.

Happily Ever Afters is a fairly predictable story but still shines due to the well developed characters and realistic emotions. Tessa goes about everything in the wrong way and we can see her make mistakes, but still root for her because her actions are understandable based on her thoughts and feelings. Her attachment to her disabled brother adds to the story because it is clear that she loves him even though, at times, he drives her nuts. Overall, this is a well thought out YA novel with recognizable themes and an enjoyable plot. ( )

First, what a lovely cover! Writers often make their MC love books or writing and usually it falls flat, but Tessa was fine. It’s fun seeing how her romanticized daydreams turn into story ideas. Tessa’s a hopeful romantic with a mind filled with fluffy thoughts (and she’s an overthinker too).

Her mind is also filled with worries as she lives with anxiety and imposter syndrome. Tessa feels, sometimes, her life and what’s important to her has to take a back seat because of her brother, Miles. I enjoyed Tessa and Miles relationship and the overall family dynamics a lot. I thought the author did a great job showing Tessa’s feelings of frustration but love as well.

At times, Tessa’s narrative feels like “teaching” moments, but I’m sure that’s so a wider audience can understand. It’s just feels obvious if you already know. Poppy felt a little one note. I mean granted Tessa is trying to move in on Nico and Poppy gotta bad attitude, but it’s up to Nico and Poppy to define their situationship. She’s just nasty though this does get acknowledged at the end.

Overall, cute and light-hearted and familial love plays as big a role as teen romance. I liked the long-distance best friends so much. The ending is fitting. ( )

review here ( )