Cover Image: It Happened One Midnight

It Happened One Midnight

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Member Reviews

It Happened One Midnight is a friends to lovers romance with a touch of humor, angst, and magic. Juniper is a successful romance novelist and her best friend since childhood, Tomas, is a divorce lawyer who doesn't believe love, of the romantic variety, is real. Juniper's godmothers/grandmas decide it's time for them to realize that not only is love, magic & happy ever afters are real but to see what everyone else already does -- they are perfect and all of those for each other. Reading along as they both fought and navigated their way through their feelings and fears along the path of just best friends to lovers with a HEA future made for an enjoyable way to pass the time.

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This was such a fun and magical romance book! I loved it from start to finish, and the best part .... I didn't realize it was part of a series until I started putting my review post together! Eeeeek! I love a good series! 🧐🤓

Best friends since kids, Juniper and Tomas made a pact that if neither were married by 34, they would marry each other. Both are now 34 and neither are married. The fairy godmothers put the engagement in motion and the story just takes off from there. Soooo cute!

My favorite part about this book was the meddlesome fairy godmothers and the magic world of Ever After! I could stay in this bliss forever! Off to find book 1 and 2!

A special thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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What a sweet and magical book. We have the novelist juniper blossom who although she is a best-selling romance author has not managed to get her own happy ending. We also then have the divorce attorney Thomas Rivera but he doesn’t believe in romance. Our favorite fairy godmother‘s of the wonderful town ever after decide to get involved in getting Juniper and Thomas their own happily ever after.As usual all of the towns characters also get involved in the romance with just makes it more fun for the reader. It’s a fun romance and all the shenanigans of the fairy godmother’s as always keep you highly entertained. If you are looking for a whimsical romance this is a book for you.

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It Happened One Midnight returns readers to magical Ever After, Missouri where fairy tales come to life. While each novel in the series could be read as a standalone, it is best to read them all in order as the previous novels are referenced in this one. This story surrounds Juniper Blossom, a romance novelist, who connects via family to the three fairy godmothers are Petunia (“Petty”), Jonquil, and Bluebonnet. Her love interest is Tomas Rivera, a divorce attorney, and Juniper’s best friend. While the two have secret feelings for each other, Tomas does not believe in true lasting love due to constantly seeing couples fall apart in his line of work.

This installment contains a similar style to the previous novels where there is a fun over-the-top style with lots of meddling to ensure that there are happily ever afters mixed in with some steamy moments. Tomas and Juniper made a pact previously where they agreed to marry each other if they are both single at 34-years-old. Since that age is approaching and they are going to Ever After for a wedding, the two of them agree to pretend to be involved with each other to get everyone else off their backs. As the two characters have been friends since they were six, there was a sweet connection between them and I enjoyed the flashbacks. As Juniper believes in love and soul mates while Tomas is not sold on the concept, there is a lot of tension between them. Both are also fearful of messing up their existing friendship despite them having secret feelings for each other.

As the two are involved in a fake dating scenario with some forced proximity when they are in Ever After, there is some predictability to their story; however, the two characters are cute and it was interesting reading about them reaching a possible HEA. As Juniper is familiar with the magic of Ever After, it was enjoyable to read about Tomas learning its secrets. Tomas and Juniper were each enjoyable and I liked their relationship growing. Each of them has their own obstacles that they are working through, but I would have loved their individual development explored a little more. Overall, this was a fun and quirky take on fairy tales that was a great addition to the series!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

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It Happened One Midnight
Saranna DeWylde

It Happened One Midnight was so much fun to dive into. I laughed so much and even had some tears showing up here and there. It was also pretty easy to fall in love with all the characters. 
The plot was pretty see able but it was a great escape into a magical world.
The main characters were engaging and enjoyable.
A sweet and funny romances everyone needs once in a while.

Genre• Romance|Fantasy
Expected Pub Date• December 28th 2021

Quality Of Writing• 4
Plot Development• 4
Characterization• 4
Ease Of Reading• 4
Enjoyability• 4
Overall Rating• 4

Zebra,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

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This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was cute, sweet and fun. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. This book can be read as a standalone story, though it is book 3 in the Fairy Godmothers, Inc. series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in this series as well as other books by this author.

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Can true love change Tomas’s heart and make him believe in magic and in Juniper? They’ve been best friends since childhood and they made a pact that they will marry if they were still single at thirty four. Can they agree for the wrong reasons but really fall in love Andy have their Happily Ever After? A sweet and funny reading.

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Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.
It Happened One Midnight
Saranna DeWylde
Publication: December 28, 2021

This was a super cute, fun modern-day fairytale mixed with best friends who fake a romantic relationship/engagement to get their mothers and (fairy) godmothers off their backs. The couple, Juniper (a romance writer who believes in love and happily ever after) and Tomas, (a divorce lawyer who sees the broken side of relationships and does not believe in love) are both hiding their romantic love from the other. Can the magic of true love win? Read the book and find out!

I do want to note, while the book feels very “Disney-like,” it definitely has its contemporary, adult moments.

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Fun fairytale comes to life!

Author Juniper Blossom’s grandmothers have decided that she is their next project to fall in love and get married. Juniper had promised to marry her best friend divorce attorney Tomas Rivera when they were thirty-four if they hadn’t married anyone else. Little did Juniper know that her grandmother were fairy godmothers and they loved planning weddings in Ever After because the love replenished the magic keeping the town secret.

It Happened One Midnight has a friend to lover with a slow burn because it takes a lot of time for Juniper and Tomas to realize that they were in love especially when Tomas had to figure out what he was missing.

I’m hoping the tables will be turned on the fairy godmothers to be the next project to fall in love!

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

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RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It Happened One Midnight is the third book in the Fairy Godmother's Inc. series! It follows the godmothers own granddaughter, Juniper and her best friend Tomas.

Juniper and Tomas have been best friends forever. They're each others perfect match, and if it weren't for their own beliefs they'd be the perfect couple. But with the addition of a childhood pact, some meddling godmothers and some well-meaning coworkers, this romance novelist and divorce lawyer find themselves on a path that changes their lives forever!

This was a really sweet friends to lovers romance! Much like the other books in this series it was full of magical goodness with all our favourite fairytale characters in a modern setting. In a world where love literally creates magic, this book weaves a picturesque life for two people who just needed a little nudge to see what was always right in front of them!

I liked Tomas's story arc and his journey from being a non-believer to finally accepting magic and with it, love. And Juniper's steadfastness and her ability to put herself first even when it was hard, was admirable and wonderful to watch.

Of course, this book also provided quite a few laughs and I really enjoyed the way the townsfolk started meddling right back in the fairy Godmother's lives! It was hilarious and I can't wait to see where that goes!

While this is part of a series, it can totally be read as a standalone! It's romantic, sweet and sure to make you smile! I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a magical, friends to lovers, opposites attract romance that's as cute as the town it's set in!

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This is the 3rd book in a series set in the magical small town of Ever After, where three fairy godmothers have a wedding planning business. I loved this book for its lighthearted banter and the descriptions of magic and Ever After. It sounds like such a fun place to live!

The fairy godmothers are interested in happy ever afters for everyone, and they’re meddlers when the HEA of their close friends and relatives is involved.

Juniper and Tomas have been best friends since childhood. The godmothers are Juniper’s grandmothers, and they’ve have been trying to set up the two. If Juniper and Tomas can’t work it out, they’ll find someone else for her. Juniper writes romance novels and specializes in the HEA. Tomas is a divorce lawyer and has seen the bad sides of marriage, and he doesn’t believe in a HEA, as much as he supports Juniper and her writing.

So, the two of them decide to pretend they’re engaged when they go visit Ever After. They start to have real feelings for each other, but Tomas can’t get past his belief that HEAs don’t exist. He can’t see the magic in Ever After either. Can the godmothers save this relationship?

This story was stuffed with all the tropes I love, and I can’t wait for the next book. 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I was excited to read the 3rd book in the Fairy Godmothers, Inc. series, and it was as delightful as I knew it would be! Saranna DeWylde's books are like fairy tales for adults, with everything fun and joyful that you could ever wish for, sprinkled with magic, sassiness and spice. This story is all about the fairy godmothers' granddaughter, Juniper, who is a romance novelist, and Tomas Rivera, her best friend. These two come up with a fake engagement scheme to stop the matchmaking godmothers from setting them up, and to help Tomas make partner at the family-based firm where he is a divorce attorney. Everyone believes that they will eventually realize they were meant for each other. But Juniper wonders how this could possibly happen when Tomas doesn't believe in love?
If you haven't read the other books in the series it is worth reading about them in order as the quirky and lovable characters develop throughout the series and they are my favourite part of these books. This book is not currently listed on Goodreads as part of the Fairy Godmothers, Inc.series but I hope this will be corrected soon. I found it as entertaining as the previous books in the series. The side characters' funny antics and the little teasers about what may be coming up in the future for some of them really made the story.

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A glorious third installment of the successful book series of Saranna DeWylde is probably the best one of the three! I loved the romance and the plot, and can’t wait for the next installment featuring the magical aunts!

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Rating edit: 2.5 stars.

Okay, I don't remember reading any 'best friends to lovers' story before this book. This book started really well. It was funny and their friendship was so endearing that I didn't want them to get into a romantic relationship, but at the same time, I didn't want them to fall in love with someone else. I really enjoyed the beginning.

I thought the story would get sweeter and more interesting once they go to magical Ever After but sadly it didn't.

In fact, it got a bit dull. I didn't find the fairy Godmothers' conversations interesting or funny (as it was supposed to, I guess). I didn't find that magical place intriguing.

But my main problem was Tomas and Juniper's relationship. As I said their friendship was so endearing but their love has not been handled well. It was too forced. You can't see them fall in love but you see them 'trying' too hard. And the intimate scenes (almost erotic) was off putting, really. It was like, 'Okay, let's have sex.' Or 'Okay, I pleasured you, now it's your turn to pleasure me.' as if getting physical was the main purpose and their emotions had no role to play.
And then I stopped feeling anything for them, I lost the connection with the protagonists, which I built in the beginning.

When I started reading, I thought it could be one of my favourite reads this year, but I'm really disappointed.

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Sometimes you just want a book that doesn’t require too much thinking or takes itself too seriously. Fortunately, Saranna DeWylde’s It Happened One Midnight is up for the task. Despite being the 3rd book in the Fairy Godmothers, Inc. series, I was still able to enjoy it without reading the other books as the concept and premise are pretty straightforward.

I love the friends-to-lovers trope and immediately shipped Juniper and Tomas. They had such fun banter going on and it’s so obvious that they were meant to be, not just to the reader but to everyone in the book. It was also hilarious just how many characters were trying to get them together, though it does help that Juniper’s Grammas were in fact fairy godmothers and thus were magical, in addition to being quite persuasive. I do look forward to the Grammas getting a taste of their own medicine after all the meddling they did in this book, even if they had good intentions.

If you like fairy tales and all the romance tropes, then look no further as this book has plenty of both. It Happened One Midnight is basically a Hallmark movie on steroids in book form, except way raunchier and more cheeky. A suspension of disbelief is definitely required when reading this book, as even outside the town of Ever After, both Juniper and Tomas live rather charmed lives.

I’m sure there will be at least another book in this series. But if I’m being honest, the only book I want is the one where Ravenna, the (former) evil queen, gets her HEA so fingers crossed we get her story soon. Also, if anyone knows of a book with a divorce lawyer who is a hopeless romantic and a romance novelist who doesn’t believe in love, please let me know, because as much as I loved romantic writer, Juniper and cynical divorce lawyer, Tomas it was just a little too cliche and I think it’s high time we reverse the roles.

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I wasn't entirely sure this book would be my cup of tea. I enjoy fairy tales, don't get me wrong, but I think light and fluffy when you mention fairy godmothers, and I'm not super into light and fluffy.

Having said that, this book is definitely not your kids' version of the fairy godmother character! This book was everything I never knew I wanted in a romance! Three fairy godmothers who are actually matchmaking for their granddaughter, and are hysterical with a touch of whimsy,.but who also keep it real.

Juniper writes romance for a living, so she knows that she wants the happily ever after. Her best friend, Tomas, has been with her through thick and thin since they were children, but he is a realist divorce attorney who doesn't believe in that kind of nonsense. When Juniper's meddling grandmothers push them together, the two start seeing each other in a very different way, one that isn't simply friendly. Are their differences too much though? How can a woman who believes in love and magic find forever with a man who doesn't believe in either?

I'm not sure how Saranna DeWylde escaped my radar, but believe me she is on it now! This book has everything I love in a romance; it has the sweetness of a fairy tale, the spice that I crave, and the beautiful banter that reminds of my own conversations with my besties. The magic is so over the top sweet, that it laughs at itself and takes away from the saccharin that could have done the book in.

This was seriously everything I've come to love in a romance, and looks to be the first in a new series, so you can bet I'll be waiting anxiously for more!

Thanks so much to Kensington Books for sending me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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The Good: I liked the main characters a lot. Juniper and Tomas have been friends since they were six, and best best best friends at that. Except for about three minutes at a party once, they have never seriously considered crossing the line into something more, but they do have a ‘if we are single at 34, we’ll marry each other’ pact. They obviously loved each other fiercely and I liked that their emotional connection was shown rather than just talked about. I was rooting for them from page one.

So, the setup is that they are going home for a wedding, and to keep their meddling family from trying to interfere too much, they will pretend that they have finally come to their senses, and are engaged. I found this deception more believable than some—who hasn’t pretended to be dating someone to get someone else off their back? I know I have, and I’m sure that many people have.

The Less Good: I liked the meddling Moms very much, but add in three meddling Grandmothers and a meddling town, and it was a little much for me. Also, the grandmothers were…they were a lot. Their bickering could have been cute, but it took over the story in parts, and I found myself skimming over exchanges that I am sure were supposed to be the promised hilarity…but were, in fact, just grating. Tone down these fairies and they are more effective.

The weird: I thought that the sexual content in the book was inconsistent with its tone. Do not mistake me—I like a 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 book quite a bit. The steamier the better is usually my motto…but this is a light fantasy, and the trips into erotica were…just odd. When you are trying to one up your best friend at dinner, ‘let’s have explicit sex in the bathroom’ is not the first dare that comes to my mind.

So, enjoyable. Funny, cute, steamy, likeable characters…but with a few weirdly-off elements that kept it from getting a higher rating.


https://fiftytwo.blog/2021/12/15/week-twenty-three-it-happened-one-midnight-arc-publication-date-12-2-2021/

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It didn't really feel like my thing. I want to say it's better suited for middle grade reading, because that is the general vibe I got, but the way the three fairy godmothers were alluding to sex was definitely not for middle grade. It was quite original though, but as I have said, not really my thing, which is why this is definitely the type of book you have to read to find out if it's something you enjoy or not.

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It pains me to say this because I loved the first two books in the series, but I just could not get into this one. I'm not a huge fan of the best friends-to-lovers so that was working against it right from the start. I also just never really attached to the main characters - she was too perfect and he was too cynical. I've also started to get frustrated with the series, I feel like we get teases of these other couples that will get their own stories but never get their stories (Roderick & Gwen, Zeva & Beast) - if we don't get them soon there's a very good chance I'll stop with the series. I'm not ready to give up on Ever After yet, but my patience is growing thin.

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The Fairy Godmothers are back waving their wands to conjure yet another Happily Ever After.

Juniper Blossom a renowned romance novelist who has the ingredients to create a best-selling love story can't seem to match her life with her pages. Secretly she has grown affections for her best friend, Tomas, but he doesn't believe the magic of love. As a divorce attorney, he's seen his fair share of lost love adopting the belief your heart will be broken in the end.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo
Put them together and what have you got?
An adorable novel sprinkled with humor where two people are simply made for each other.
Plus, three meddling Fairy Godmothers who serve ice cream for breakfast.

Thank you Kengsington (Zebra) and NetGally for the advance reader copy. #ItHappenedOneMidnight #NetGalley

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