This story embodies the perfect Contemporary romance. It was a fast-paced and the characters were absolutely swoony. We get diversity and great #ownvoices representation (social anxiety, panic attacks). This is a new-to-me author and definitely won't be the last book I will read by Beharrie.

To begin, this plot. WOW. It was incredibly unique and I felt very well executed. It almost had a hint of fantasy undertone but not quite enough that it didn't feel like a romance. I loved it.

There is humor though I don't know if I'd classify it as romantic comedy. More com than rom.

I felt the characters were relatable in their own right. They were no way written to be cookie cutter which I appreciate. There was a lot of self-love involved.

There was a lot going on with this story which may be why I loved it so much but it is definitely worth the read.

I’m sorry but I just couldn’t get into this book and DNF. Perhaps it was my frame of mind at the time so I will try again at another time

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book

A super unique premise, and beautifully written. Therese Beharrie definitely understand romance conventions and tropes, as evidenced by how she uses it in meta ways in her story and in Gaia's dreams within it. The pacing felt a little off to me right from the beginning where deeply introverted Gaia and Jacob, who she hasn't seen in years, suddenly jump right into a physical relationship. There are also multiple storylines that bring more complexity to the MCs' backstories, but they're often dropped for long periods and are somewhat unclear, with not enough necessary information being revealed; in the end, they feel unresolved or too quickly resolved. (For example, Gaia's relationship with her best friend Seth, Jacob's brother, was weird to me -- I felt sure that he was going to confess to being in love with her, given his reaction to Gaia and Jacob together, but without understanding enough of Seth's backstory, it was more confusing that anything about why he freezes them out.)

Lastly, there weren't a ton of stakes in the romantic relationship--there wasn't a solid reason why Gaia and Jacob would have to be apart, except for their own issues. Gaia's mental health issues and the discussion of the foster care system and difficult family dynamics are sensitively handled, though, Overall, I think the story could have been more streamlined to stay focused on Gaia and Jacob.

Thanks to Zebra Books for making this book available to me via # Netgalley

I have to start by saying that I am ashamed that I have never read any of Therese Beharrie books before now and I am taking immediate actions to rectify this deficit because she is absolutely phenomenal. Because this book radiates big brain energy.

Let me just tell you about this book in a single line...

A writer whose writing becomes her dreams (yes her actual dreams) and she has the ability to personalize her characters in her dreams, make them do anything, including making a super hot guy she met strip-tease at a strip club in her dream. If you are not interested after that I have another scenario for you.

Said super hot guy refuses to believe that she has magic, so she continues to write him doing insanely hot things that leaves him sexually frustrated when he wakes up or jumping out of his skin in fear. I tell you this book will not only make you laugh your head off but it will pull tears and anger from you faster than peeling and chopping onions.
Gaia is Jacob's brother's best friend so we have that very sexy trope. Gaia is an introvert who doesn't really trust anyone and that might be because she grew up in the system and was never adopted. I do not want to spoil it but this book is a definite must read.

Where do I even begin with this book y'all? It's such an amazing read... Fight me if you think it wasn't good 😤 Also, thank you soo much for giving me an arc of this book 😭😭

First and foremost, the cover and concept of this book has definitely leveled up my expectations when reading a book. Another thing is the dynamics that this book portrays is another thing that is less to encounter in books, especially Adult ones. This book talks about mental health, anxiety disorder, foster homes, death, consent, sex and so much more. Also, I would like to thank the author for including content warnings before the book began!

Our main character, Gaia, is a romance author and I swear her books are awesome. How do I know? We get glimpses in her dreams and it's honestly so lovely! Talking about dreams, I honestly enjoyed this whole magical concept of Gaia experiencing her books in her dreams. It provided one of the best symbolism of having a safe haven and at the same time working through the main story as well as the story of Gaia's latest romance was truly mesmerising.

One of the things that I want to draw attention is about how beautifully the author handled the whole aspect of consent. It just felt so good reading the story because from page 1 it talked about consent. Another thing is how mental health and anxiety disorder were the core essence of this book and they weren't romanticized at all. It even mentioned the stress a lot of people take up to maintain their family relations and in the way, they end up overworking themselves.

The book was told in dual perspectives, that of Gaia and Jacob, and it explored both of their lives and their bonds with others. In case of Gaia, it was the relationship she has with herself, her best friend and other people she is slowly beginning to trust. In case of Jacob, it was more with his ambition, his responsibilities and his family. I liked how it shed light about therapy - not only people who are diagnosed with a mental illness, but also people in general.

And, it doesn't end there. As Gaia is an author the book also highlighted how authors usually face judgements and assumptions. Like, I won't quote as the book isn't published yet, but it talked about how Gaia being a romance author includes steamy parts to her books as well... Which honestly doesn't mean anything. I mean people have a problem with steamy books being steamy and non steamy books being non steamy which is just 😑💀

Actually, this book made me realize why I read romance novels... Like they are soo much more than romance. I love it when authors discuss about things that plague people everyday, in a daily setting! So, if you ask me whether I liked this book? I'll scream yes multiple times because oh boy, it ended up giving me so many good feels and I am honestly waiting for the next installation about a certain someone ❤😭

*Trigger Warnings (from author's note): anxiety disorder with on page panic attacks, foster care and adoption, mentions deceased parents

I was provided with an arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

In the middle of the book it was clear to me that this book it was a solid five star, if it had ten I would give it ten
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This book took me from the beginning to the end in an endless number of feelings and emotions that evolved making the characters grow towards a perfect ending.
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It is the first book I read by this author and the first contemporary romance book with magical elements that are perfectly resolved without becoming a comedy and maintaining a serious relationship with the characters and their struggles such as loneliness, anxiety, mental health, grief and difficulty to trust in others
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Gaia really touched my heart and through Therese's pen I could feel every emotion that she went through, this incredible writer of romance novels with the twist ability to create a world in her dreams was something great, a world where she feels safe to express her own emotions and where to explore new feelings with others, her owns characters, until she meets Jacob after eight years of not seeing him. The little brother of his best friend, became the kind of hero she usually writes in her books and that first meeting changes her rules and the magic start to shift between them
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The dialogues are incredible, the characters are incredible, the changes in the plot are perfect and I'm dying to know what is coming in the second book of this saga even if this is a perfect standalone, any romance reader or bookworm would love
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Thanks to Therese Beharrie and Kensington Books Zebra , for give me this beautiful and heart warming reading in exchange for my honest opinion

A really cute interesting read. Not what I was expecting when going in but still overall very entertaining. 3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington publications for approving this e-book ARC one shingle for an honest review.

This book was so cute and heartfelt. It was fast paced and also had depth. There were moments that had me smiling and making me feel soft all over. The dream plot was also a unique addition to this book, which was surprisingly good.

If you are looking for a sweet and soft romance, this ones definitely for you!!

This was such a cute book! Gaia was such a great character and I loved seeing her grow throughout the book, and Jacob was so sweet and thoughtful. I found the romance good as well, I just think it moved a little too fast in the beginning without much of an introduction to the character's former relationship, so it felt pretty sudden to me.

I also thought the plot was a little all over the place, the concept with the dreams was definitely really fun and unique but also quite hard to follow. A lot of the side storylines felt a little unnecessary to me, and I think if there had been a more singular focus on the romance, I would have enjoyed this even more. Still, I found this really entertaining and it was an enjoyable, quick read.

I want to say that i am really sorry about what i would say.

I didnt end the book, i wasnt expecting this when i first read the brief, so the reading was a little bit difficult. I really thing Gaia anxiety would be more in the books, well i didnt end the book but well. I like the fact that Gaia is writing about romance.
Well im sad that i didnt enjoy it like i would love to, i think people need to read it and try it because everyone taste is different :)

***Content Warning: lots of talk about anxiety, stress, and depression, foster care, loss of a parent/parents. Always check for potential triggers before starting a book <3 ***

Therese wrote Gaia and Jacob's anxiety, stress, and insecurities so real that I found myself having to take breaks from this beautiful story.

Gaia was someone with who I deeply felt a connection. Growing up feeling like, or being told, that no one wanted you leaves a big chip on your shoulder that is really hard to let go of. Her social anxiety and nerves about others all trace back to those feelings of abandonment and never wanting to feel that way again.

After the death of his mother, Jacob is left feeling like it is up to him to keep his family (his older brother and their father) together. Jacob tries hard to ensure no one can see how much stress and anxiety he carries around.

The attraction between Gaia and Jacob is pretty much instant and only grows stronger the more they talk to each other which both intrigues and terrifies both of them...in different ways. Gaia is scared of putting her heart out there only to be abandoned and Jacob is afraid that Gaia might distract him from keeping his father's company afloat and trying to keep his family together.

This was such a beautifully written book that had me laughing and crying. I cannot wait to read more books by Therese!

3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed reading this one. The chemistry between Gaia and Jacob was no less than fire and reading their story was great. The premise of dreams was quite unique and fun to read. Not only did this book have romance but it also focused on friendship, anxiety, mental health and following your dream. The writing style was great but at some points I felt that there was a lot of unnecessary information like the side stories which could have maybe been avoided. It took a little time for me to get into the dreams part but it sure was interesting.
You should definitely check it out if you love a good romance novel with underlying focus on social issues too.
I just reviewed And They Lived Happily Ever After by Therese Beharrie. #AndTheyLivedHappilyEverAfter #NetGalley

This was a quick read and overall a decent book. I thought the dream plot point was a very unique idea but I also felt like there was too much going on. With such a short book, multiple plot lines can sometimes get confusing as there is not enough time to explore each subplot in detail. In terms of the romance, it kinda felt like insta love which I'm not a huge fan of.

One unexpected kiss . . .
Successful romance author Gaia Anders has a secret: anything she dreams at night is magically written into her bestselling novels. After a lonely childhood in foster care, her dream life is the only one she trusts. Gaia’s waking life just can’t compare—until she gets caught in one utterly surprising, crazy-passionate, real-life kiss . . .
One near-perfect guy . . .
Workaholic businessman Jacob Scott has had a crush on his brother’s best friend, Gaia, since forever—but he never expected to literally share her dreams. Living out their magical night time fantasies is explosive, but it’s their waking desire turning his single-minded ways upside down. It’s making him want a future he didn’t think was possible . . .
One dream that could come true . . .
But Gaia has secrets from her past she won't reveal. And Jacob's attempts to keep the peace in his own fractured family puts him up against her deepest fears. Soon, they’re facing hard truths about who they are and what they’re running from. And the only way to break this curse is realizing true love's real-life power . . .

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I don't really know what to say about this book, primarily because i gave up trying to read it. I felt the writing was clumsy although the main character was ok she lacked depth. From the little i read (Maybe 8/9 chapters) i am guessing the premise is that the two main characters are linked through their dreams?? I would also guess that Gaia has an anxiety disorder which is innovative and of its time, had the plot not been all over the place i may have continued

It was a pleasure to read Gaia and Jacob's story.

Gaia is a romance author who hasn't lived what she is writing in her stories but she dreams them, which might seem a little weird to some people. She has a background of trauma, and experiences anxiety, although she doesn't really acknowledge or understand it but has organised her life and friendships so she has minimal impact from her symptoms. She is primarily reliant on a close friend Seth, who has encouraged her dependence.

Enter Jacob, Seth's brother - professional, handsome, sensitive and not without his own issues. After a brief meeting in Seth's bedroom at a party, Gaia and Jacob explore a friendship, romantic relationship that moves forward through Gaia exploring romance through her dreams. Jacob surprisingly is having similar dreams which seemed to me a little out there but I felt it was likely reflective of the magic of Gaia and their shared experience, that he understood her like no-one else.

In itself, moving forward I think this would have been sufficient plot, however there are other elements at play in this romance. Gaia appears to have a "stalker", possibly someone from a past she's not aware of, having grown up in foster care. It's unclear the risk this stranger, and the person with her, pose to Gaia. Jacob is also struggling with his career choice and his relationship with his father and Seth is impacted because of this, and particularly with Seth as a result of his relationship with Gaia (Seth is eye-rollingly jealous despite having a very nice girlfriend who is very patient with Gaia and Seth).

I appreciated this novel given the premise, the diversity of the characters and issues this book took on. Gaia's anxiety was handled well and different characters responses were true to life. I'm not sure the magic hit the spot, although it gave the book a little whimsical feel and other-worldliness to Gaia and Jacob's relationship. It was a book that translated well to a more gentle romance given Gaia's personality, needs and wants and Jacob seemed like a good fit in this respect. This was a pleasure to read and review.

Thanks to Kensington Books, Netgalley and Theres Beharrie for the eARC of this book to read and review. It's out 30 November 2021.

While I liked the premise of this one, it slowly became a tedious read.
1. I found the relationship between Gaia and Seth to be very interesting, how could you say that you are somebody's best friend and then be upset with them about something as simple as them possibly being interested in dating your brother. Seth was extremely unlikeable and I hated how his awful behavior was written off as him caring too much and as such he didn't think before he spoke.. ok sir we are adults here, your actions have consequences,

2. Also did not appreciate Lizzy coming at Gaia like that, just because you are dating my best friend, it doesn't give you the right to say something out of pocket and expect me not to react, the fate of their relationship had nothing to do with Gaia, and Lizzy should have gone to speak to her man about instead of my good sis. Their interaction brought up another point that I did not enjoy about the story, why is it that the other characters could say some of the most out of pocket stuff to Gaia and she couldn't respond in kind , and then the conversation would end with the other party coming to some epiphany about their way of thinking ...nah,

3. The relationship between Jacob and Gaia felt very forced and I didn't like how every time they were having a serious conversation, one of them had to turn the conversation sexual somehow like ... bro, The way Gaia ran from Jacob in the beginning every time he did something she deemed out of character was also very annoying because she was treating this man like one of her characters and not an actual human being.
4. The way the characters background info, like Jacob's relationship with his dad and Seth was flung into the chapters felt very disjointed and I kinda had a hard time keeping up with it all.
I think this story has great premise it just had a lot of filler and the MCs kept having the same 2 arguments for the majority of the story(something I feel was not adequately resolved).

And They Lived Happy Ever After had a very fun premise with great characters and realistic portrayal of the struggles of anxiety. The two main characters had a lot of heart and amazing banter. There were some times where I forgot if their conversations were in reality or the dream world which got a little frustrating but the idea of the dream world in general had me hooked on finishing this book. Gemma was an interesting addition of the story, one that wasn't completely necessary but still a positive subplot. I really enjoyed the storytelling. I always like the book about an author angle so that was really what made me request this book in the first place. I also saw this book advertised by another book reviewer and that made me interested in the romance. I really liked Jacob, I found him very endearing, despite his faults.

3 stars

This was cute and fun and fast paced. I just wish the plot was constructed better because sometimes felt messy.
I liked the concept of the dreams/reality but it wasn't executed well so it lost me sometimes.
Also the side plot took some of the importance of the main plot and I didn't liked it.
Overall a good book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

(3.5 stars) thank you so much for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Going in, I absolutely loved the pacing and overall plot. I loved the setup and going back and forth between the FMCs dreams and reality. I never read a layout like that before so it was pretty intriguing. However, I felt like there were too many additional plot lines that kept taking me out of the book, but aside from that I truly enjoyed it. The perfect amount of spice and loveable side characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a decent read filled with romance, magic, self-love, and acceptance. It was fast and easy to get through as well. There were some sensitive topics discussed in this book, which included social anxiety and panic attacks that were well handled and written.

Unfortunately, the overall story and plot was a bit all over the place. There was also some plot points that weren’t really resolved or explained. I will say that the concept regarding the dreams was very interesting and unique but it was a bit hard to follow at times.

The main character was very relatable. Her journey regarding her mental health and self-love was just written so beautifully. The romance in this book was a slow burn and the relationship between the main characters was well developed.

The ending was a bit rushed and left several unanswered questions. Overall, a good read with an interesting concept.