Happily Ever Afters

By: Elise Bryant

Narrated by: Jordan Cobb

Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances.

Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.

When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just...gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.

But as Tessa checks each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?

wonderful read!

I loved this book! Elise bryant is such a wonderful story teller and I cannot wait to read her next book!

Fun read with great characters

Engaging, witty, great characters and love the journey of Tessa - the challenges, realizations and working through anxiety

The book I didn’t I needed!

I was Tessa in HS! Elise Bryant brings so much joy and layers of reality to an experience we all have but perhaps never speak about. Also! Representation Matters! And...lastly I didn’t know how much I missed Long Beach until I read this book.

Must read

It first the main character was not my cup of tea with her mind step but I ended up understanding her in the end. Very sweet inspiring story

The longest disappointment

I had so many high hopes for this novel. a story of a mixed race author of both fanfiction and romance novels. a girl transferring to one of those schools for the arts that I would have died to go to. a love triangle.

however Tessa is mostly just whiney, her anxiety comes off as contrived and the fact that she keeps dancing around the same issues over and over is just exhausting.

maybe if the book had been less than 10 hours (audio) and 380 pages (physical) then the story wouldn't have suffered from the pacing issues that it did.

while I disliked Tessa and nearly everything she did, I got through this story for Sam and caroline. I wish that there was a true resolution for their sake, and mine because now I will never know how it ends up. I am NOT reading the second book.