A sweet story about an Aunt trying to fulfill her 8 year old niece's only Christmas wish, to go to Disney World in honor of her late Mom.

Sophie's sister, Natalie, died 10 months ago from breast cancer. Since she died, Sophie has been helping out her brother-in-law, Rick, with her 8 year old niece, Ariel. Rick needs to travel to London for three weeks in December and asks if Ariel can stay with Sophie. This will be their first Christmas without Natalie, Sophie asks Ariel what she asked Santa for, the little girl tells her that she just wants to go to Disney World to remember her Mom. Natalie was a Disney fanatic her whole life, Sophie was not. Sophie doesn't know if she's emotionally strong enough for this trip, but she'll do anything for her niece's happiness.

When they arrive at the resort, they meet a nice man who happens to be an easy going, good looking, Disney blogger. They invite him to join them and he adds some magic to their Disney experience, opening up Sophie's eyes for the first time.

A clean romance, a must read holiday story.

Just the word, DISNEY, had me picked up this book. I felt the magic, the holiday spirit, the family love and selfless act of Sophie who set her desire to be with her boyfriend aside to grant the wish of her niece, Ariel, to go to Disneyland.

Well, personally, I don't enjoy having someone who blabs or shares information about the Disney experience (insert Ray) while I'm in Disney. I want to FEEL the Disney magic, myself by experiencing it on my own.

Once Upon a Romance, written by Alex Bailey, is the perfect read if you want a slightly cheesy, sweet, romance story.

After Sophie's sister died a year ago, Sophie has filled in to help Ray , her brother-in-law, take care of her niece Ariel.

Again, a sweet story if you are looking for a romance to read.

The writing is very contemporary and modern and makes for a quick read.

A fluffy romance that will appeal to Disney fans, Once Upon a Romance was sweet.
Honestly, it started a bit slowly for me and was heavy on some descriptions (leaving me pleading "show, don't tell") and nitpicking at little things. However, Sophie's love (and protectiveness) for her sweet, wise niece kept me turning pages, and I was curious to see how her mind would be changed regarding how she saw Ray (you know it can't turn out any other way but given her snobbishness about his appearance, I wondered how she would get from point A to B.)

This book provided all the happy feels but in the end, fell a little flat.

It has Disney and a season. It was warm and heart warming. Really liked it and enjoyed it. My first read from this author. I look forward to another story.

Disney and Christmas are two of my favourite things and I knew that I needed to read this book ASAP so thank you NetGalley for providing a free e-copy.

Alex Bailey has captured everything you need from a Christmas romance book based in Walt Disney World. I loved watching Ariel and Sophie’s relationship bloosom and I’m so happy there was a Disney-ever-after.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for light-hearted easy read, especially if you’re a Disney fan!

I wanted so badly to love this book. Unfortunstely, it took me forever to even finish this book I kept putting it down. For me it was just forgettable. It's very well written and the characters, for the most part, are flushed out throughout the book. It just didn't speak to me and that's more my issue than the authors. ;)

This is the first time I have read this author .I really loved this story set in Disney in Florida. The two main characters Sofie and Prof. Disney end up meeting there. Sophie brought her niece there as it was Ariel's Christmas wish. I think there was some magic that made them meet. Any way they spent a lot of time together and the story goes on. I highly recommend this book especially if you believe in magic.

I love fun Christmas romance novels, they're the perfect treat for cozy days around the holidays. I was looking forward to a sweet story, and I was even more excited when I saw that it would take place in Walt Disney World. I loved the Disney references and it was fun hearing a few inside tips. The romance as sweet and it was nice to have a story in which the main characters get to know each other first, instead of love at first sight.

Issues I had - first, there is nothing likable about the "boyfriend" character, Darren. He's in no way appealing, so much so that you question the likability of the main character, Sophie. While I loved the Disney references, as someone who has had to wake up in the middle of the night just to get Fast Passes and dining reservations, it is beyond annoying that in the story they just talk into restaurants without reservation and have Fast Passes to the top rides when only signing up for them a week beforehand. I know that seems minor, but if you have ever been to Disney, you will understand. The last point that bothered me was near the end when Sophie is in a home library and grabs A Scarlet Letter off the shelf and reads the whole thing while waiting on someone. Weird and unrealistic.

Once Upon a Romance is a quick, nice read, but not special enough for me to recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review of the book.

When Natalie dies, she leaves behind a grieving family in her husband Rick, her sister Sophie, and her eight year old daughter, Ariel. Sophie's entire family are Disney fanatics, her parents, Natalie, and now Ariel. Everyone, that is, apart from Sophie, who gets sweaty whenever she thinks of Disney. So, when it's Ariel's Christmas wish to go to Disney and ride her mom's favourite ride, Sophie feels like she can't deny her, even if it means going back to Hell on Earth.

Generally, I liked this book. It was a really cute read brimming with Disney and festive magic. Once Upon a Romance is a book about second chances, and falling in love with people who are necessary to your life rather than complimentary.

There was a really sweet, light and fluffy tone that was consistently fed throughout the pages. I thought that the romance had a great build up and that Ray Bueno was an adorably thought up character with an infectious personality which I didn't realise the full force of until the ending.

Although, the way Sophie rants and despises Disney lead me to believe something terrible had happened to her there, after reading the entire book I thought that her feelings felt disproportionate to her reasoning, which makes me feel mean to write but it was a bit anti-climatic when I found out the true story.

Even though I have never been to Disneyland, or Disney World, I felt that the magical descriptions gave it justice and felt very authentic as well as being gorgeously depicted and fun.

Overall, this was a really easy festive romance that ticked many boxes for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Once Upon a Romance, writen by Alex Bailey is truly an adorable romance, perfect for Christmas time or any time of the year. Sophie's heart does not know how she is going to handle going to Disney World during Christmas, but she puts her heart into making an effort to do the right thing for her adorable niece, Ariel. She meets a man who is a blogger that she is familiar with and somehow the three of them start enjoying Disney together to make all of Ariel's dreams come true.

When Ariel mentions that she wants Ray as her aunt's boyfriend instead of Darren, it seems like that brings the light the bit of chemistry between Ray and Sophie. I definitely recommend reading this novel as it is a charming read with tons of Disney facts and trivia. It is well written and the character development is good. I love the ending!!!

Once upon a romance is a charming chick-lit with a great Disney twist. Not only is it set in the magical world of Disneyworld (something all Disney fans will most definitely appreciate), but it is also a layered, moving story about family, love and grief. Sophie and her niece Ariel are paying tribute to Natalie’s life (respectively, their sister and mother) being celebrating Christmas in the family’s favourite place, Disneyworld. A common passion that Sophie doesn’t subscribe to.

Sophie is an endearing heroine who will need to overcome her aversion for the family’s love of Disney to make her niece’s wish come true. While offering her niece a magical stay, Sophie will also learn a great deal about herself and what she really wants in terms of romantic relationships.

It is a lovely romantic story best savoured with Disney tunes in the background. A nice guilty pleasure read.

Christmas! Disney! Romance! Does it get any better?!?! Cute fun holiday romance that I found very enjoyable.

When Sophie’s eight-year-old niece, Ariel, asks Santa Claus for a single wish to honor her mom’s memory, Sophie knows she must grant it. Unfortunately for Sophie, Ariel's wish is to ride her mom's favorite ride on Christmas day, and it’s at the last place on earth Sophie wants to visit—Walt Disney World.When I started reading I couldn't put it down. Alex Bailey is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

Fell in love with this book in the first chapter. It only continued to get better and better. Definitely a 5 star read

An easy enjoyable read. I confess I have never been to Disney but I think that I now need to go. A simple romance just right for a chilly cold night.
Review placed on Amazon.

I am a card-carrying Disney-aholic, and in fact just visited Disney World two months ago. So, Once Upon A Romance was a perfect fit for me If you have visited Walt Disney World, want to visit WDW or spend lots of time at Disneyland… or have simply heard of this magical place – and – you love a really good romance then this is your Magic Kingdom pass.

Sophie’s family loves everything Disney and she has thousands of memories spent with her sister at the theme park over the years. But this is the first Christmas since her sister’s death, and once Sophie discovers that her niece, Ariel, has one wish to ride her mom’s favorite Disney ride to honor her this Christmas… well, what’s an aunt to do but try to make that dream come true, no matter how much it’s going to hurt. Never expecting to meet the perfect man for her (since she has a lackadaisical boyfriend), Sophie discovers so much more than painful memories this Christmas… she finds love, and hope and a peace that she never thought to find again.

I enjoyed Once Upon A Romance very much. It brought not only a touching, emotional romance between Sophie and Ray but so many personal memories of my own from this magical place. I do have to admit, I would have loved to have someone with so much detailed Disney information along on my trips that would take those moments to the next level and beyond. *grin* Oh well. If you’re in the mood for a Christmas Romance filled with all types of magic and enjoy getting in on the first story in a series then you’ll enjoy Once Upon A Romance. I know I did and I’ll be watching for what comes next.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Once Upon a Romance is a light romance that touches on the issues of grief and family. I've never actually made it to Disneyland myself but after reading this book I definitely want to take my children there! The whole book feels magical, the interactions between characters and the little coincidences... it's a wonderful book for Christmas time. I'm interested to see how Sophie and Ray would get along outside of Disney World. Maybe that'll be in the next book. Thank you for the chance to read it.
3.5 stars.

3.5 Stars
Once Upon a Romance by Alex Bailey is the First book in the "A Dream Come True' series. This is the story of Sophie O’Connor. Sophie's help to take care of her niece, Ariel after her mother's death. Ariel would like to to do a Christmas at Disney just as her mom would have wanted. Ariel makes a wish that helps with the Christmas Spirit.

When Sophie’s eight-year-old niece, Ariel, asks Santa Claus for a single wish to honor her mom’s memory, Sophie knows she must grant it. Ariel's wish is to ride her mom's favorite ride on Christmas day, at Walt Disney World. It will be the first Christmas without her sister, and reliving childhood memories of her best friend is not how she wants to spend her holiday. Sophie’s only desire is to spend Christmas on the slopes with her reliable and stable beau, Darren, who has reluctantly agreed to postpone their trip until the day after Christmas.

Can a bit of Christmas magic help this ruggedly-attractive stranger win Sophie’s heart when she believes it already belongs to Darren? And will Sophie continue to allow her painful past to haunt her, or will she let it go?

The first book in A Dream Come True series is a heart-warming holiday romance set in "The Most Magical Place On Earth." This is a sweet story that is truly magical and I can't wait for book 2! There really is nothing more magical than Walt Disney World and Christmas, so this is the perfect read for this time of year.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #OnceUponAromance
Pub Date: 13 Nov 2018