The plot in this story is quite enjoyable and interesting. But my problem is that the transitions were sloppy and confusing, I couldn’t know whether they were already in reality or not. The characters were okay, but the lack the spark to the story too.

I had a lot of problems with this one and if it hadn’t been for book club I would have abandoned it. Overall the writing style was fine, but the story was all over the place.

I liked the magical dreaming aspect, but nothing really became of it (besides adding some humor). Gaia’s best friend was a terrible best friend. That whole situation drove me nuts - he did not deserve her friendship one bit. Jake was ok, but he had his own issues to deal with.

The thing that drove me the most crazy was a huge bomb was dropped at 30%, nothing else really happened to it until 85% and that would have been so much more interesting than the magical dreaming and having Gaia talk about writing books all the time.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

Cute sweet magical tale, I loved the premise of the book so I had to read it and it did not disappoint too much it wasn’t perfect but overall not a bad story. My first read from the author I’ll definitely be checking out her other work.

Okay so I know I'm giving it a 3 star but it'd a good 3 star rating.

I loved this story. It was lighthearted and fun but emotional at the same time.

I'm so lucky to have read this as a arc and I do plan on buying this book as a physical copy when I can.

Definitely reccomend this book to anyone who wants a lighthearted and fun read on a cozy winter afternoon.

Thank you to Kensington Books publisher and NetGalley for the digital advanced copy and giving me an opportunity to read this whimsical novel.

Liked the magical aspect of the story. I thought the characters were wonderful and the title was perfect. Highly recommended for readers who love rom-com novels with the magic factor.

When Gaia shows up to her best friend Seth’s house party the last thing she expects is to find herself in a compromising position with his cute younger brother, Jacob. Soon, they’re all the other can think about - both in their waking moments and in their dreams. Gaia has a gift that allows her to draw inspiration for her novels from her dreams. After she kisses Jacob, she is surprised to find herself as the main character in her dreams. Even weirder? Jacob is in the dream as well.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, but didn’t love the execution. There was a lot of flirtation and banter right off the bat, but not a lot of action. My mind kept wandering while I read this, which was a bit of a bummer because I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I loved the characters that Therese created and thought they were well written. It was just hard to stay invested at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a review copy.

This was a cute read with charming, well-developed characters. I enjoyed the magic and how it was woven into the story - it was well done. I really liked how the book started - quick pace and right to the meet cute. Unfortunately I think that made the progression of the story (and the main relationship) drag in comparison. And, honestly, the banter was so over-the-top suggestive that the slow burn and low steam of the relationship made me feel like I was constantly waiting for something that never came.

DNF- didn't really like the writing style too much. The plot was super interesting I just couldn't stick it through,


Thank you Netgalley and for the opportunity Kensington Books for the opportunity to review.

This was an awesome read. It drew me in with book cover, brief description and once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. The characters are great, easy reading, entertaining, whimsical and romantic. I loved how there is a bit of the paranormal aspect intertwined into this romance. It added spice to the characters and drew me in. I so enjoyed the idea that Gaia dreams set her on a road to writing her romance books. I think that’s a good idea because when you’re sleep you dream and things come to mind.

Gaia the heroine is a product of the foster care system and she is a romance author and Jacob the hero is a workaholic businessman. He is the younger brother of Gaia’s best friend and has had a crush on Gaia for a long time but has never acted upon his crush. Gaia is leaving a party when she runs into Jacob and the two share a kiss. Gaia is writing one of her romance books and Jacob is front and center and just so happens to show up in her dream and oh what a dream it is.

Pick up your copy today you will not want to miss out on Gaia and Jacob’s journey to romance and an HEA.

Thank you, NetGalley via Kensington Books, for this ARC, I am leaving my review voluntarily.

So magical. I cannot get enough of Therese Beharrie. And I think she may be the first South African romance writer Ive ever read. I am a fan for sure now,

In And They Lived Happily Ever After Gaia is a romance author who avoids social situations like the plague. They make her really nervous in ways that she has never been able to explain. She clings to her best friend, Seth, and feels like he is the only person she can trust due to her history in the foster care system. Except she doesn't fully trust him and is annoyed that he keeps trying to push her into social situations. This us why she finds herself upstairs while at his house party and encountering a towel clad definitely grown up version of Seth's younger brother Jacob. It is a scene out of a romance novel and Gaia uses it for her next story. Only this time there unexpected complications.

Once Gaia writes a scene in her stories, she dreams about it while ahe sleeps. This has happened to her for years without explanation. Yet this time when she dreams, she is in the role of the main female character while Jacob is in the role of the romantic interest. And she is sharing the dream with her! As this has never happened before, it scares the hell out of her, and causes her to completely shut down. And They Lived Happily Ever After has excellent representation recognizes this change in Gaia, who continually tries to push him away that he will hurt her and leave. Yet, he stays and tries to keep her navigate her experience.

Jacob is also working through his own mental health concerns. He had dedicated most of his recent life to the family business trying to repair it and keep the peace between his brother and his father. It isn't until he starts focusing on Gaia that he realizes exactly what he has been missing out on. He's tired of never feeling good enough and this forces him to analyze exactly what is going on with him. As a reader I really enjoyed the mental health aspect of this story. I thought it was well thought out and a captivating way to tell this story.

There is some magic that serves as a backdrop for Gaia's writing. Honestly, I was a little confused by it. I understand this was how Gaia worked through her emotions as well as put her ideas to the paper. For me, I didn't fully hit the way I think it was supposed to. Whenever these moments came up in chapters, I just wanted to get though it and move on to the rest of the story. Especially when she used it as a way to get back at Jacob or understand what was actually happening between them. I couldn't help but feel like that was a tad overdone.

Even with this detail, I did enjoy the dynamic between Gaia and Jacob. They were sweet together and really brought the best out in each other even when they were fighting. Jacob refused to give up on Gaia even when she is at her lowest. He also forced the others around her to face reality as to what was actually going on. This is a very in your face story regarding mental health and one that I think it needed within the book world. Anxiety is a very real mental health concern which is often avoided when it should be addressed.

Overall, I enjoyed And They Lived Happily Ever After because it was a sweet read and relatively easy to follow. I rooted for Gaia and Jacob and wanted them a figure their. stuff out and be happy together. Of course sometimes, people are their own worst enemy. There was also a secondary story (besides the magic) that I also felt was not needed or at least could have been presented better. Apparently there is another book that will follow this one but at this time I think I may pass. Who knows when it gets closer though! I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys sweet contemporary romance with a touch of magic.

Gaia is a romance author who has gotten used to her dreams being the scenes that she writes. Which may not seem so bad since the scenes are on her mind when she goes to bed.

Now Gaia grew up in the foster care system and now doesn't like to be around other people. So when she leaves a party and runs into Jacob Scott, who is the younger brother of her best friend. When they kiss IRL they are both surprised. Afterwards Gaia writes a story like she normally does but this time Jacob shows up in her dreams but this time is much different that ever before. Jacob knows that he is in Gaia's dreams and it blows his mind.

I enjoyed that the author shows you how dreams and real life compare to each other. As much as I liked the book, it was a bit of challenge to get through. But I am very glad that I read it, and I think others will also enjoy reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Zebra publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review..

This was a nice read. It was fast paced and I enjoyed pieces of the story separately. When put all together I was less in love.

Initially I thought I would be a big fan of Gia. She loves books, I love books. However, as the story goes on it’s so busy that I kinda lose sense of who the character was. The story touches on some important topics which I usually enjoy. I would however limit how many issues one character has to endure. I like that Gia had anxiety but then we added this special gift with books, a stalker and bestfriend drama. I just wanted the main character to have a break.

Fantasy element in contemporary romance is cool. Not sure it’s my favorite genre but I was intrigued by it.

I think with more development this could be a great book. I think if the elements were weaved in correctly and illustrated further then the story could work together. For example, you can’t have bestfriend trope without a bestfriend for majority of the book. I struggled jumping from real life to dream/book life.

Overall I enjoyed Gia and Jacob’s relationship. I enjoyed Seth returning as a friend for Gia but was very upset for a long period of time. I expected an “I love my bestfriend” and I didn’t know it moment from his reactions. I’m happy everyone got happily ever afters so far. I would read the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me a ARC in exchange for a positive review.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. The concept of the story kept me turning the page, it felt like no time had passed as I read this book. I liked the tension between Jacob and Gaia, although I ddin't like how long the tension went on for or that it was a fade to black when the tension really resolved. I didn't think the character of Gemma made entire sense until the end of the book. It is a nice way to tie into the next book about Gemma's story. The rest of the story did deliver.
I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

I love Therese Beharrie, but I just haven’t found time to dive into this one yet. Still, it’s good to see light magical elements coming back into contemporary romcoms, I miss that!

A very quick and cute romance by a new author for me! I love reading a new book and getting hooked on it! Can;t wait for more from Therese Beharrie!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I tried really hard to get into this book and it's completely possible it was just my mindset at the time. I can see myself enjoying And They Lived Happily Ever After at a later date but right now, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: anxiety, on page panic attacks, family tensions, discussions of adoption and feelings of abandonment, mentions of foster care, death of a parent (past not on page), grief

Nick recommended this book and as always she was entirely on point

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f insta attraction
-best friend's sibling
-magical realism
-so much sexual tension
-slooow burn
-found family

I adored this book. The writing was luscious, soft and wonderful. This is a love letter to romance, being an author, and escaping your world when you need to. To understanding someone, the trust and fears that go into letting someone love you friend or lover. Ands much consent and sexual tension.

I loved the magical realism element that Gaia was living in a fantasy world of her novels and slowly realized that living in the real world was better. I cannot wait for the second book in this series, I am so very intrigued.

Steam: 2.5/3 (I struggle to call this open door, you know that they are hooking up but no specific terms and ultimately it's off page, maybe peak around the door?)

I’m truly mad at myself for waiting so long to start on this book. Jacob is true Boyfriend Goals, and I truly appreciated his patience with Gaia. Ironically, I related a lot to Gaia’s journey as I too had a lot of romantic dreams I thought about penning into stories.

I could definitely see the setup for book two featuring Gemma, and I can’t wait to read her story. There was a bit of give and go for tension sake, but I also appreciate the slow burn for Gaia as it fits her character.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A beautiful romance story that focuses on strong topics ranging from anxiety to family challenges. JACOB PLEASE MARRY ME RIGHT NOW. This book reminded me of Kissing Booth, with the whole Jacob crushing on his sibling's best friend, but of course this novel was more adult contemporary. But both characters have a lot of secrets and a lot of baggage, and even though feelings are growing stronger day by day, those secrets can really cause some strong effects on the both of them. A wonderful romance story that will make your heart swoon :)