“Not That Kind of Ever After” is the debut novel of Luci Adams. This book is one that has its moments, but those moments aren’t always next to each other. Our heroine, Bella, has a lot going on seemingly all at once. Between her modern dating life issues, her roommates, her best friend, her parents, her work life, and her hoped for side gig at times it felt like there was too much. I did like the nod to modern dating issues - who is that person behind the avatar and why is there a double-standard for males vs females re dating? I also liked the inclusion of the chapter site, though I had some questions about that too. Anyway, I can see a number of people really enjoying this book (it’s got some great one-liners) and I can see others not being as enchanted. I did feel at times that Bella was a bit too much “me centered,” especially for someone nearly 30, but the lightbulb moment at the end helped redeem both her and the book for me. I am glad that I read the book, but I wished that I liked it more than I actually did. This book did hold my interest and was a quick-isa read. For a debut novel, I think this was a great idea but I think with some better editing, it could be a much tighter and stronger novel.

I really struggled liking the main character, Bella. I couldn't relate to her. She was horrible to everyone in her life. Her wake-up call at the end came so late it didn't do much to make me like her.

“Not that Kind of Ever After “

I really enjoyed this book. I was pulled in from the start and found the main characters to be a bit ridiculous in her view of dating but as the story went on I enjoyed the growth she goes through. I appreciate the references to modern day difficulties with online dating - it made the whole thing more like a realistic rom-com than others that I’ve read in which the main character plays a more passive role in getting what she wants. Overall I found this book to be humorous, engaging and an enjoyable light read.

This was a cute romcom, that other from all your classic fairytale tropes. Although it did feel a bit predictable at times, I did enjoy it for the most part. I would recommend this if you're looking for a feel-good romance that's a nice and easy read.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I found myself disappointed in, and disgusted with, this book.

The writing itself isn’t bad, but the flow is uneven (suddenly many things happen at once, then things are dragged out over many chapters), the structure is irritating (WHY are there SO MANY chapters!?), and the book is much, much longer than it needs to be.

Our protagonist, Isabella “Bella” Marble, is not a likable or relatable character for me - or anyone I know. Her delusional, narcissistic, self-destructive actions truly turned my stomach as the book progresses. She is so caught up in her own wants and perceived needs that she fails to take anyone around her into account.

I decided to give this book two stars instead of one, only because she does (thankfully) finally get a wake-up call, but damn, that really felt like too little too late. The only reason I didn’t DNF this book was mostly because my need for continuity wanted to see how the train wreck Bella had made of her life would right itself. Meh.

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

Not That Kind of Ever After by Luci Hart, published by St. Martin's Press, is a witty and fun read. The story of a woman, spunky, witty, fun, flirty, sometimes a bit whiney, and foremost single with great friends.
Bella Marble, writer, doglover, broke and romantic at heart is looking for prince charming, but til today there were frogs only in her dating life. But who needs lover when he has great friends, family.
An entertaining read that kept me intrigued from start til the last page.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed Bella and her misadventures in looking for her modern day Prince Charming. There were plenty of plot twists, like any good fairy tale, and just when I thought Bella had figured it out, surprise she hadn't. I should have realized that was going to happen one more time. I do appreciate a happy ending where the loose ends are tied up however the ending was a little fast for me with not quite enough detail. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.

At first the premise of the book really called my attention. I mean, the single lady looking for a prince charming? sure.

This story is more about a lost woman who’s going through A LOT. Between a friendship break up and an ongoing kinda struggling career, and not having ANY idea what she wants, she’s got it tough. Add the desperate dating into the mix and it creates chaos.

I’m bummed I didn’t love this like I wanted to but I’m thankful to have received this review copy!

This was a good read! And a pretty good debut novel. It has a strong opening scene that will hook readers into the story, as well as spotlight the tone and humor for the rest of the book. Similar to other reviewers, it was hard to be on Bella’s side a lot of the time because she is very in her own head and is sort of self-destructive. I wouldn’t say it is completely justified, however, I can understand why she is this way; her life isn’t panning out how she anticipated, and she’s trying to salvage it and play catch up. People around her are getting into relationships, she isn’t working the job she wants, and it’s getting to her that she isn’t in those same places in life. In a way, I think this helps to make her realistic, and even somewhat relatable.

I like the modernized fairytale retelling aspect, and I think this book will be a good fit for readers who enjoy witty writing and a commentary on relationships and the modern dating scene.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to review this eARC! (:

I loved this book! It was a little predictable but I still enjoyed reading it so much. If you like cute romance give this one a try!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overview | 5.5/10 ⭐️ Bella is a young single woman struggling with the search for Prince Charming in the big bad wolves of London.
Tropes | Best Friend's Brother, Dating App Games, Fairy Tale Retelling
POV | First Person/Present Tense, single narrator
Heat Level | ❄️ Brrr, Chilly. Somewhat spicy talk, but off-page/at a distance sex
Upshot | Chock full of witty one-liners and relatable singleton frustrations.

Not That Kind of Ever After starts with a bang, literally. We meet our heroine, Bella, mid-disappointing hookup with the hairiest man in London. The laugh and cringe humor sets the tone for what is sometimes a delightful, laugh-filled romp through the horrors of modern dating.

The story is told entirely from Bella's perspective, which proves a difficult stylistic choice. First-person POV, present-tense narration feels like being trapped in an elevator with a person who speaks out loud their entire inner monologue. Bella is a take-in-small-doses gal. This creates a struggle to feel empathetic toward an often unlikeable character. In less close quarters, and not being privy to every thought in her head, she would become vastly more sympathetic.

Bella doesn't know what she wants and therefore we, as readers, don't know what we want for her either. She makes decisions for herself and others that are questionable, harmful, and occasionally selfish and cruel while justifying her own stunning lack of self-awareness. Her behavior is rewarded in the end and makes it more frustrating, as we don't see that Bella learned much of anything. Her change and growth seems superficial.

The love story with Marty, what we come looking for in a romantic comedy, felt like the D-story here. The A-Story was Bella's relationship with her own ego. The B-Story was her best-friend break-up with Ellie. The C-Story was Bella's professional growth as a writer. Then we finally get near to the Marty connection, but even that is mostly buried behind her parent's divorce and hookup planning. In the only scenes where we see Marty and Bella relate to each other in a personal way, she is cruel to him for no compelling reason.

Still, there are the bones here of a fun novel. There are downright hysterical one-liners that humanize Bella is such a cute and quirky way. The book is too long for the genre and with the claustrophobic POV feels like we were drug through a bunch of action scenes that didn't matter at all to Bella's inner progress. But if that were tightened down and we had space from her inner monologue, the scenes can be quick hit adventures. Lastly, if the A-Story is finding her great love, then we want Marty’s part of the journey the whole time – not just when Bella remembers he exists. Give us that, and I’d be on board to read another book by this author.

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Thank you to NetGalley and St. Marten's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good romance, especially one that somehow wraps itself around fairy tales. And, this one is just that.

It starts off with the very first sentence to be rather....raunchy. Maybe some people find that as a hook to keep reading, but for me, it was a bit of a turnoff. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading if it started out like that. But, on the other hand, I thought that might indicate some hot and steamy scenes.

Unfortunately, there was no much in the hot and steamy aspect. It was, however, a really cute story where she had some tame one-night stands that were twisted into fairy tales. I did thoroughly enjoy reading it!

Though...I really love a romance novel with an epilogue. I don't care about a last scene with the best friend getting married. I want to know if our heroine finds lasting true fairy tale love, so I was rather disappointed there was not much to the ending.

This was a fun light hearted read and I enjoyed a lot of moments with it. I loved the banter and so many other points of this book

I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to read this book before it was published and can happily say I really enjoyed it. Bella was a hilarious character and very realistic on how she reacts to situations. I loved her even though she did do the wildest things. She and Ellie were a beautiful duo in this book and their feud was so stressful. The ending was absolutely perfect and I loved it. I also wish she realized the perfect man for her was right in front of her the whole time.

This was my first NetGalley ARC, and I have to say I enjoyed this story immensely. While I didn’t initially relate to Bella’s personality, her dating story is relevant to anyone tired of modern dating. I loved the character development and the love story. It was a fun read with characters who felt real and fully formed- even the more outlandish ones were the perfect foil to her journey. Great read and perfect for fall reading!

Thanks to Netgalley for this cute arc. I needed a light, read, and this was it. We may have all lived Bella's life at some point. This book is a fun read!

This was so fun to read and the spicy scenes wow! Not for the faint of heart
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Bella Marble is a character experiencing change around her that feels uncontrollable, all while wishing more than anything to find her Prince Charming. She takes an unorthodox approach, replicating fairytales and, as an aspiring writer, documenting them. In her desperation, this spirals quickly, forcing her to reevaluate the relationships in her life as well as the path she wants to take toward love.

This book is really sweet, and I thought the banter between Bella and her friend Marty was so funny. I loved the friendships in the book more than anything. The pacing was great, and it had a satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy!

Some good qualities, for sure, but a bit raunchy in a way that didn't so much scream 'fairytale' as loudly as 'deeply confused about my pockets of inner misogyny.' Also, I would have like to read some of the author character's writing, rather than simply being told that it happened.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a very fun, light-hearted read with some life lessons in there as Bella is figuring out life, like we all do at some point.

I REALLY love the idea of B-Reader - is this a thing in real life? If so, sign me up. If not, I should make it something!

The ending seemed rushed and I would have liked to see more of that romance blossom from their real first date to the ending point. I didn't feel like there was a major plot twist in this anywhere, but honestly it doesn't always have to be.

This was a different kind of story than your typical one, but I did enjoy it and feel like it will resonate with a lot of people depending on your stage of life.

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**