For someone working as a theme park princess, Alyssa's life is decidedly far away from happily ever after...much further than she thought it would be. But with the help of good friends, she might discover that her happy ending is closer than it seems after all. Recommended for fans of contemporary YA romance.

Karole Cozzo is one of my favourite authors and when I heard she was releasing a new book, I was soo damn excited! Unfortunately, this book let me down pretty badly.

Alyssa has her summer perfectly plan out. She’s going to focus more of her job as a Princess in a theme park along with spending time with her boyfriend who is coming for a visit. But things start going the opposite direction that Alyssa had planned. She could let how things are happening to go on or she could take everything in her hands, now the question is what would she do?

I had so much expectation from this book. Usually, her books grasp you from the very first page but for this book, I struggled to finish it. One of my major problem was I couldn’t connect with the characters at all, and that being mainly Alyssa. Although I did love her dedication towards her work but sometimes it felt she was too overfocused on her relationship, which I think deep down even she knew it wasn’t working. Jake felt superficial from the very start and I knew there was something wrong with him and after the truth comes out, I loathed him.

As the story progressed I hoped something or the other would happen that would make me rethink my rating for this book. But nothing sort of interesting ever happened, the events of this book kind of felt a bit repetitive. Alyssa’s friend, Miller was a great guy and it proved you can find your prince charming where you least expect it, but frankly, I couldn’t see an ounce of chemistry between him and Alyssa. The thing is we don’t really get so much of Miller, just a glimpse here and there and suddenly Alyssa is feeling different towards him and everything just felt completely random.

I did enjoy the ending but it didn’t manage to satisfy me either. The progression of the story was pretty slow throughout the entire book and I was so bored throughout the whole thing though there were some parts which I actually enjoyed. I did want to dnf it at some point too but I somehow managed to trudge through to the end.

Overall, The Truth About Happily Ever After was a disappointing read. Although the plot was executed neatly, it just felt meh and the characters didn’t manage to make it any exciting either though the writing was smooth and easy to read. I hope her next book lives up to my expectations!

Recommend it?

Maybe.

In an Oyster Shell – An uplifting romance that will leave you satisfied.

The Pearls – A story about a girl who plays a princess at a theme park. The Same girl who believes in happily ever after. Yes, please! It was a great story that had you rethinking ever after. I like the concept of a more realistic happily ever after. The author well executes this idea.

Alyssa seemed like a weak character at first. Other characters interpreted her that way as well. She surprises us all by being resilient and tough while still being demure. She rises from the ashes almost literally. She shows us all she’s not just some beautiful blonde sorority girl. Alyssa has a lot of depth.

The romance is sweet. The first romance in the book doesn’t work out. It’s a good thing it didn’t. The second romance is even better and more realistic. It’s hard to find a love that is grounded in reality. This one was, and I appreciated that.

What happens when a theme park princess has to put her life back together after her happily ever after falls apart?

Alyssa has the best job, working as Cinderella at a theme park; the best friends a girl could ask for; and a boyfriend who she will finally see again. But her HEA isn't so Happy, her prince (boyfriend) isn't so charming, and this leads to everything falling apart for poor Alyssa.

Alyssa learns that life isn't a fairy tale, like she plays at work. She has to work hard to come to this realization. Miller is their for her and supports her when she can't face anyone else. She's determined to prove to everyone and herself that she is more than just a pretty princess. Fairy tales are great but real is so much better.

I really liked this book. It is about college kids who work over the summer at a theme park. Alyssa plays a major part in a fairy tale role and thinks real life should be just like that. But it isn't and she finds out the hard way this summer. It actually breaks her and has her questioning everything she was and knew. I loved the development of Alyssa and loved the growth of this character. I thought it was a great YA book and fun to read

I started reading this and then forgot I was reading it and moved on to other books, which is not a good recommendation for this novel.

I was a bit conflicted when it came to actually rating this book, cause I liked it, but then at the same time, I found aspects of it to be super annoying.

To begin with, Alyssa, the MC, is an theme park princess who is very dedicated to her job. I liked that her dedication wasn’t superficial, but because she genuinely loves her job and takes pride in giving the park visitors a great experience: so, while I can’t fault her in that, I will say that I found her expectations when it came to her prince charming to be pretty ridiculous.

Alyssa’s boyfriend – her prince charming – A.K.A. Jake, pretty much bothered me from the moment he first walked up onto the page. Alyssa is so excited for his arrival after having parted ways the previous summer, but he proves to be indifferent towards her feelings, and there are just so many sketchy moments, that I’m surprised it takes so long for Alyssa to recognize them…but then again, she does believe it’s love with this guy… Still, I just couldn’t get over how she continued to push her suspicions away.

But fortunately, we have Miller.

Miller makes things right.
His role in this book proves that sometimes your prince charming is the one you might least suspect. Cheesy, yes, but it’s so true in this case. He’s a real sweetie, and though his moments are few at first, his role does grow, as well as his friendship with Alyssa.

So, yeah, cute and cheesy.

Moving on…

The story progression was a bit slow at first, which had me bored for a good portion of it, and then the ending itself felt a bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a good ending – but considering how slow the pacing was, I was surprised things accelerated so quickly towards the end.

Anyway, weird progression aside – as well as things annoying me in general – I liked this book well enough, and will recommend it if you’re looking for a sweet and cheesy contemporary read.

I did not finish this book as I did not connect well with the characters. This was disappointing as the blurb seemed intriguing.

So anyone one who reads my reviews knows that I have been on a Cinderella kick as of late so of course I requested this ARC. I am not a thousand percent sure how feel about this book. The main character is a fashion major in college and works as a princess at a theme park over the summer. She is OBSESSED with weight to in my opinion an over extreme way. That being said she is not a mean girl and doesn't act better than everyone else.

Her original love interest is an ass. It was very obvious that they were not right for each other. I found myself skimming through these pages trying to get past them and on to the next.

I loved Miller he was book boyfriend material ALL day for me. I loved the way he acted with everyone especially Alyssa. He was considerate but never coddled her. I loved that.

All in all I felt like this book is probably for a lot of people but maybe not for me. I liked it but it wasn't really something to write home about or something I would read again. I will be checking out her other books though to see how they stack up to this one. 3 stars.

Once again, Cozzo gives us a realistically romantic story of fairy tale proportions.

What Fed My Addiction:

Fairy tale setting.
The book takes place at a Disneyesque theme park and it was really fun to read about the job and how the people who work there as characters feel about it all. I don't know if Cozzo has any sort of firsthand knowledge of working in this sort of environment, but I felt like her portrayal of it seemed very realistic: She gives us the good (fairy tales all the time! working with adorable kids!) and the bad (having to be "on" and cheerful no matter what, having to live up to certain body standards), and I really loved it all!

Realistic break-up.
Just read the blurb and you'll realize that Alyssa has some rocky times ahead for her in this book. She's been holding on to her "fairy tale" relationship, even though things have been less than perfect. I loved that the depiction of Alyssa and Jake's relationship isn't terribly tumultuous---they aren't constantly fighting or purposely hurting each other. Things just aren't working between them for various reasons. And this sometimes happens in real life. (There are some negatives about the relationship for me as well---but you can read about those in the Take It or Leave It section below).

Alyssa is a beautiful sorority girl with heart.
So often, we see the portrayal of the gorgeous sorority girl who's just plain mean-spirited or shallow. Alyssa embodies the sorority girl lifestyle---she cares about her looks and fashion, she's dedicated to her sisters, and she wants to fit in---but this book shows us that those things don't define Alyssa. They're aspects of her personality, sure, but she's not a cardboard cutout. And sometimes the people around her have trouble seeing that. Alyssa is genuinely nice and sweet---it's not an act she puts on. She strives to include people and make them feel welcomed. She doesn't mind following the rules because she sees the value in them. That doesn't make her a pushover or a doormat---it makes her a genuinely good person. It was kind of refreshing to see this sort of character!

The "real" romance.
Once Alyssa finds her true match, she completely clicks with him and he's all sorts of adorable. I dare anyone not to fall in love with him! I was actually rooting for him right from the top of the book, and I think many other readers will be too.

All the feels.
This book broke my heart in parts and sometimes it made me really mad, but it also made me laugh and swoon and generally overflow with happiness.

Take It Or Leave It:

Alyssa's body image obsession.
Even though I generally love Alyssa, she's a realistic person and not completely perfect. One aspect of her personality that bothered me sometimes was her obsession with her body and working out. It's interesting because Alyssa sort of waffles on her feelings about needing the "perfect body." On the one hand, she seems a bit self-conscious and frustrated about the high expectations of the theme park and how they do inspections to make sure the girls live up to them. But then she's mostly okay with it because she understands why they have those expectations (and she makes some good points about how there are some professions that require a bit more attention to image than others). And there are times in the book where Alyssa seems to realize that she's going a little too far and she makes some adjustments. She also realizes that her body image (and her views on fashion) stem from a need for control in her life. I don't know, I guess I was a bit torn and conflicted about the body image issues in the book---but, in a way, I think that's okay because it's realistic. After all, it's a complicated subject with no cut and dry answers. That's pretty much how it's presented in the book.

The relationship downfall.
While I appreciated that the book was realistic when it came to Alyssa's souring relationship with Jake, I kind of wish that the cheating aspect hadn't been thrown in. It seemed unnecessary since the real reason for the troubles between them seemed to be the simple fact that they didn't click perfectly and weren't really right for each other. On the other hand, I guess that could lead to falling for someone else, but ... I don't know, I guess I just wished Jake hadn't been turned into the "bad guy" so we had someone to blame. Still, it was sort of necessary for Alyssa to end up in the bad state that she eventually got to, so, again, I'm torn. (Oh, and I also thought Alyssa was being pretty selfish about Jake's opportunity, which would take him further away from her.)

What Left Me Hungry for More:

A bit predictable.
I think I predicted pretty much everything that was going to happen in this book right at the beginning. That didn't stop me from enjoying it all as it was unfolding, though!

Okay, I hate it when I write a review for a book I loved and the conflicted part of the review takes up more space than the positives. It's just because the parts I'm conflicted about are harder to describe! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it was a perfect read for my mood---I sped through it in a day! So I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a bittersweet love story (that ends up being sweet!). I give this book an easy 4/5 stars.

The Truth About Happily Ever After is a rollercoaster of emotions. Set in a theme park, this book is about proving yourself and overcoming difficulties. The main character is so likeable and realistic, but also so strong. For those that have ever wondered what it might be like to work at Disneyland, this book outlines both the good and the bad.

This book is so adorable! Alyssa’s summer isn’t going as well as she hoped, and she is going through a rough time since her boyfriend broke up with her. It doesn’t help that others judge her for her job as a princess at a theme park. This story is all about finding happily ever after, with or without Prince Charming, and destroying others’ expectations. I loved all the references to Disney princesses, such as Cinderella, and the amazing cast of characters. Honestly, if you like Disney and a strong female lead, you should definitely pick this one up as soon as possible.

One of the main aspects of this book that really drew me in is the setting. I adore all books set in a theme park, so I knew that I would love The Truth About Happily Ever After. This book in particular focuses on more of the behind the scenes aspects of working at a theme park, which I found to be so interesting. The descriptions of the secret tunnels and the costume rooms are so intriguing, and I would love to see these hidden areas of theme parks in real life. However, it’s not all fun and games playing a princess, and there are such strict expectations that must be met. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed learning about Alyssa’s experience at the park, and I would love to read an entire series with this same setting!

Going back to Alyssa, she is such an epic main character! She is a sorority girl and a theme park princess who is so real. After her breakup, she is so determined to prove that there is more to her than just a princess, and she is such a fierce character. Alyssa even tries out boxing! She goes through some rough moments, and she has her flaws, but she is so good at bouncing back and overcoming hardship. If you like your characters sassy and sweet, you’ll fall in love with Alyssa.

The Truth About Happily Ever After is a story about surmounting difficulties and going against the image that others have of you. It is set in a Disney-like theme park and contains a charming main character. I loved this book, and I would definitely recommend it this summer!

I’m so excited to a part of the blog tour for The Truth About Happily Ever After! This was my first time reading Karole Cozzo and just loved this sweet story. When the novel begins, Alyssa seems to be the perfect, beautiful, blonde sorority girl who is constantly happy, and she is, for the most part. Working at a theme park as Cinderella, she basically lives her life as if it were a fairy tale, until she starts to realize that everything is not as perfect as she thought. Although she experiences hurt and disappointment, Alyssa learns over the summer that life isn’t always a fairy tale and things don’t always go as planned.

This novel was fantastic in that the author took Alyssa from this happy, wonderful Cinderella, to being sad and feeling sorry for herself, to getting to where she was really getting to know herself and what she wanted. Alyssa had all of these “perfect” dreams and ideas about guys, marriage, work, and life – which there is nothing wrong with that. However, as the book progressed, Alyssa realized that happiness comes in different packages and in unexpected ways.

There are no words to express how much I adored Miller. He was the perfect blend of the fun guy friend and adorably sexy. His enormous heart and caring nature was evident so many times throughout the novel, and in so many ways. I was secretly rooting for Miller from the first moment that he was introduced in the novel!

I think this novel actually offers some great lessons to women of all ages. Despite the numerous times that Alyssa was wronged, she maintained very respectful composure, for the most part. She didn’t always deal with hurt in the healthiest of ways, but even when she was hurt or angry she didn’t behave in a way that she would regret later. Also, although this story reminds us that life isn’t always a fairy tale, it also serves as a reminder that our dreams can still come true! I would highly recommend this to YA/New Adult & College readers for a realistic, yet romantic story!

*Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75/5

It seems like Swoon Reads is finally hitting their stride: for the third time this year, I find myself finishing one of their titles with a giant grin on my face. The Truth About Happily Ever After is charming, silly, and fun; it's a pure fluff read but it's one that boasts some great characters in both Alyssa and Miller. The romance between them is as expected as it is sweet but that doesn't detract from the fun and the drama of getting to their fairytale ending.

Though the plot of this is a bit shallow and easily predicted, it's admittedly entertaining to watch everything unfold over the summer at the Enchanted Dominion. Alyssa is a dedicated Princess; she's kind and funny and dorky and pretty earnest -- wholly dedicated to doing service to the image of a Princess. She grows up a lot over the course of a relatively short novel; it all might happen a bit too fast at the end of the book*, but she's an engaging and self-aware person so it works more than it doesn't.

I had fun with The Truth About Happily Ever After but a couple things stood out for the wrong reasons. I do think some of Alyssa's eating behavior verges on the edge of destructive; I appreciate Miller's concern but even before then the rigorous and rigid attitude Alyssa had toward eating was worrisome. Additionally, one of Miller's comments about "other pretty girls [not being nice]" as a way to compliment Alyssa was unnecessary and also a harmful stereotype. Disappointing to see, especially from a character that was pretty atypically swoonworthy at all other times.

The characters here are a bit older than usually seen in Swoon Reads' books - they're in college and pledging sororities with fake IDs and love interests have beards -- and I liked the change. To be sure there are some YA cliches in the pages of The Truth About Happily Ever After but it's one of those books that grows on you as you read.


*[however her dressing up as a giant lizard for her big moment was fabulous and hilarious]

The Truth About Happily Ever After is a sweet tale about a girl named Alyssa who works as a character cast member at a theme park. But not just any character: Cinderella. And she loves filling the role of Cinderella, hanging out with her fellow park workers, studying fashion merchandising, her sorority, and especially her boyfriend, Jack. We notice almost immediately that things are not going well for her and Jack. They had one special summer together, followed by a school year almost entirely apart, and now that summer is here again, Lysa is hoping for a perfect summer again before they go back to school. They have both changed though, and Lysa and Jack need to figure out what they really mean to each other. And as a bonus, Alyssa also has to figure out if she is imagining a relationship between Harper, a new princess at the park, and Jack.

Alyssa is a very sweet girl, easy to like, if not a bit stereotypical at first. She has a lot of fears to overcome. She is nearly OCD about her calorie intake, calculating how much she can eat or drink and what anything would take to work back off at the gym. This is a touchy subject to me, though I imagine it is more common than one might think with all of the apps available. I think it could be triggering for some teens, but its also possible that they are used to it… it’s not something I see often in books, and it didn’t seem like a super healthy relationship with food and maintaining her princess-like figure. But perhaps this was also reflective of what she was trying to do to keep her relationship together too… overcalculating to the point of being unhealthy.

Her relationships to her sorority sisters also highlighted the distance she felt between them fiscally speaking, which was another concern for me, but something that she was working on in a more healthy manner by making sure she balanced her work and personal and school life, making smart choices with her funds… even if she was perhaps still engaging in an unhealthy relationship with them by not sharing the truth. But mostly, they took over the stereotypical sorority girl once introduced, which allowed Alyssa to have a little more depth.

Though the story was predictable, and Jack was less than desirably written in comparison to love interest #2, Miller, overall I did like the story. Having had friends who have also worked as cast characters, I could see a lot of what they said in their stories reflected in these pages, which perhaps propelled me forward at a quicker pace than I expected. An interesting tale for a one-night sitting. 2.5-3/5 stars.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! I honestly couldn't believe how enamored I became so quickly with this one! Normally, I am not a big contemporary reader, I tend to prefer dragons in my books, but this love story was incredible!

First of all, Disneyland/Disney world is the happiest place in the world, fight me. So a book that is basically based off of it?!? WHERE IS THE FLAW??? As soon as I knew that this book was about a park princess I was SOLD! And not only was the book about a park princess but it was also about a sorority blond typical girl that everyone hates. I thought this was really interesting because that was such a disgusting trope and I don't like to hate on other girls. That was another great thing about this book: girls supporting girls. It was incredible. Of course, there were a few "cat-fights," but every fight between girls became quickly resolved and it was awesome.

The girls were the real stars of this book (don't get me wrong I love me some Prince Charming, but the princesses were all amazing). I loved the way the fur characters were portrayed and brought in. It was really cheesy and cute in the best way possible.

This book also has one of the best book boyfriends every just saying.

It is also important to note that this princess destroyed some of the patriarchy along her way and it was awesome. Cinderella here had to defend her job of being a princess and everyone degraded her to some one-minded simple creature, and every time that happened our beloved princess shut those haters down. She demanded that while yes she is a princess, a sorority girl, and a hopeless romantic, she is also a complicated human being with real emotions and bigger dreams than just her prince charming. She is not vain or spoiled like people perceive her to be, but she is strong and selfless and daring, just like any princess.

Ever had one of those relationships where you think everything’s great, everything is right on track, you love them and they love you back? Sure, they might be a little distant at times, but in your head you’ve constructed a happily ever after. Then bam. Prince Charming breaks up with you and you realize that he was never in to you quite as much as you were in to him.

Such is life for preternaturally happy Alyssa, who’s working at her favorite theme park playing her favorite princess, Cinderella. Sure, she’s a little shallow and obsessed with her image, but she’s committed to playing the part to perfection and sharing her joy with little girls.

When Alyssa’s fairy tale life turns out to have a not-so-happy ending, she must pick up the pieces and face the truth about life: it’s complicated. It’s messy. And sometimes, it downright sucks. But in the end you’ve got to pull yourself together. For a girl with a fairy godmother, that shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Damn I enjoyed this book. It hit me right in the feels, over and over and over.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

As a theme park lover, this was such a fun read! I loved seeing the other side of being a theme park princess and while the plot was a bit predictable, I didn't think it took away from the enjoyment of the story at all. I read this in one sitting and might pick it up again on our next vacation because it was such a great vacation read.

This one started off so cute! I loved Alyssa and that she took being a theme park princess so seriously! I thought she was nice and sweet! She never came off as a snob, thinking she was better than other people. She was a genuinely nice person and willing to help others and do the right thing!

I also liked the romance--sort of. It's complicated. See, Alyssa had this long-distance boyfriend who was coming to visit her and she was over the moon. But the moment the reunite, there's sort of a wall between the two of them. I absolutely hated the way her boyfriend treated her, especially when Alyssa had been trying so hard for their relationship--and what he did literally not even 5 minutes after they broke up made me so angry.

The way Alyssa dealt with it was a little disheartening. I've never read a book where the main character focused so much on her weight. It seemed that Alyssa was doing it without a second thought and that kind of seemed iffy. I'm glad that she had someone looking out for her though.

The romance with another person in this novel started off really well! But towards the end, it felt waaaaay too childish, really. The problem seemed silly and the way it was dealt with seemed rushed, which ultimately ruined it for me.

Alyssa has always dreamed in fairy tales, and her life seems perfect. She's got the perfect job as Cinderella at a theme park, her boyfriend is perfect, and life couldn't get any better. But then her dreams are shattered in one day, and Alyssa must rebuild the pieces of her life. It's a good thing her friend Miller is around to help.

I enjoyed this book very much. It was sweet and cute, but at the same time, it made me cry on a couple occasions. Alyssa was a sympathetic character, and I really enjoyed the writing. It was light-hearted but also showed that even sorority girls who play princesses can have depth. Oh, and I'd love for Miller to cook for me.

This book felt like a cliche relationship in every romance novel, and the guy was dreamy, but it wasn't executed as well as it could be. Every step this book took was typical, and I knew the ending by about 50 pages in.
Any, and I mean any, time a detail came out, it was known that it would have meaning somewhere farther on in the book.
Miller was cute, and I loved the "Cinderella doesn't always have to be looking for Prince Charming" aspect of it, but Alyssa going through a downward spiral when it long-distance boyfriend dumped her? Give a girl some respect.
The part that irked me most was that Miller was the only one to comment on her weight loss (which was a lot of weight, in a short amount of time.) All of Lys's friends just kept sending her presents.
While I love the concept of the whole character at a beloved park, but I just think this wasn't executed as well as it could have been.