This was a charming read that I picked up because of the artwork on the book jacket! The descriptions of food and surroundings were quaint and detailed - these were my favorite elements of the book. I also enjoyed the characters and their personalities! There were lots of little side plots to track that made it feel a bit cluttered and hard to sink into overall. The pacing of the romance storyline (that I wanted so badly!!!) was particularly slow and then accelerated rapidly at the very end in a pretty unrealistic way. That said, it was a cozy read that I was able to put down and pick back up over a few days around other activities and work. Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is my 2nd read by this author and I loved it more than the first! I was captivated by the characters and the village of Middlemass. It has a small town feeling, and a very relatable main character. Imogen is a scared children's book illustrator wannabe. She and her husband are getting ready to move to their new cottage in Middlemass. She feels like this will be a fresh start for her, little does she know how much. Her Husband Nigel is unexpectedly killed in a motor vehicle accident and now Imogen is starting over on her own, that is until she discovers that she is pregnant. She wants the best for her child and in some ways it makes it a little easier to be brave. I think we can all relate to wanting/needing to be brave in the face of our fears for someone else.

There is also a small side plot of Imogen trying to uncover her husband's possible mistress, so if you like a bit of mystery thrown in... there you go! And it shows some positivity for Imogen's future.

There are also many cute, funny moments, which kept me smiling aplenty! The grumpy groundskeeper that she encounters on her new property is a treasure. She finds out that he has the ability to destroy her new life, and he might not even have a choice. But, the way he looks out for her throughout the story is beautiful! In both big and small ways. I kept rooting for a happily ever after. And the way it unfolded thoroughly pulled me in.

I whole-heartedly say give this one a try! Especially if you enjoy small town British romance or female main characters that learn how much they are capable of. I always wish there was just a little bit more romance in these types of stories, but <b>this one earns a solid 5 stars from me!<b/>

**Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Avon & Harper Voyager, and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review**

While I enjoyed the book, I think the character development needed a bit of work. There were many times I wanted to shake Imogene. At times she was entirely too clueless to be believable. Other times she was sharp and perceptive. I just couldn't see how someone could be both. Oh well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of Storybook Ending!

This was such a cozy, cottage core read! There were some significant elements and story details, but the way the story was told, it didn’t feel intense, just very muted. The reader gets a sense that despite bad things, everything will work out. While I enjoyed that for some elements of the story, there were other parts where it didn’t make sense such as when she found out her husband had passed or when she found out she was pregnant. While her emotions feel muted, it’s clear she’s a bit lost after her husband passes and has to find her way on her own now. I enjoyed both characters - Imogen had a wispy, artsy personality and Gabriel was a total grumpy/broody neighbor next door. So many of the side characters were lovable and had such small town charm to them! I wish they had more presence in the overall story line.

Also, this story was marked as a romance, but it felt like such a subplot! The connection was lacking and didn’t come together until the very end. The resolution didn’t make any sense in the end and makes me want to rate this 2 stars, instead of 3!

loved this romance and her mom wants her to date this guy she has these amazing friends who are all dealing with different relationship issues . loved that she found her way in the job and found love

This book was honestly so cozy and charming. The English countryside setting was perfect for Imogen and her surly cat and I thoroughly enjoyed the writing of this story. Imogen's flightiness is paired really well with Gabriels breading personality and I think they're very well balanced characters. I picked this up when I was itching for a cozy read and it for sure scratched that itch.

This just wasn't for me. The elements necessary for a good story were present, but the execution was lacking.

My biggest issue was the underwhelming character development. Imogen’s reaction to her husband’s death, even before she learned he might have been less than honorable, was bizarrely detached. Same for her pregnancy. And yet she falls in love with a man she seemingly barely knows, less than a year after being widowed. And Gabriel - he was a different character from one page to the next. His main two qualities are apparently surliness and bailing Imogen out of trouble.

I also found the resolution of the conflict to be borderline cruel - surprises are fun and all, but not when the keeping of them causes the recipient to feel abandoned. Not to mention that the resolution felt abrupt.

Speaking of abrupt - the transitions between scenes within chapters were often awkward or jarring.

I'm rating this 3 stars, which may seem high considering the above, but I reserve 2-star ratings for books riddled with plot holes and grammatical issues, and 1-star ratings for books I despise. This book was okay but needed some work.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

An all to familiar story about love and loss... a young woman, Imogen, finds herself adrift after the sudden death of her husband. She moves into the house, in the English countryside, her husband had purchased just before his death. She is adrift; not having an anchor and not knowing what to do with herself. How is she going to afford the house without an income? Her husband never encouraged her work; he wanted her to be a "proper housewife". This is Imogen's tale of finding the fortitude and confidence in herself to make a new life for herself and take chances. Along the way she makes marvelous friends in her new "hometown" and finds herself getting involved in the village.

A poignant look at widowhood and new beginnings. An adventure of self-discovery for the main character. Wonderfully written with realistic characters. This is a delightful and charming story.

If only I didn't have to wait so long for books by this amazing author!!!! The story was absolutely beautiful, the writing was perfect, the characters were endearing, and I loved every moment of my time in this daydream. I would recommend this a million times over, perfect.

The unexpected becomes the norm when life changes in every way, and in ways you won't even realize until much later. Taking chances and discovering found family while rediscovering the family you have, and it indeed takes a village to get things on track. Delightful and fanciful, with a satisfying wrapup.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this novel.

This review contains some spoilers.

I really enjoyed this novel. Imogen and Gabriel were likable characters although I did think there were opportunties for more character development -- which I will get to. The pacing was fairly good and I read this book over just two days -- although I sometimes it felt there were big jumps between chapters (that left me wondering -- how did that end? Or what happened during that time jump).


Okay so I mentioned chartacters could have been developed a bit more. It really really REALLY bothered that Imo didn't ever grieve her husband's death, I've read Alexander's other novels and I'm a huge fan and know she's a great writer. Maybe that's why I was just a bit disappointed. Clearly Imo loved Nigel at some point. Enough to marry him and be intimate etc. His death was a complete shock, but I never felt that she was really upset. If we remove the dreams (which isn't a tool I'm a huge fan of in books), we never see her truly upset he died. Then there's this whole side story of "is he cheating?" Then when we find out he didn't cheat, we just spent time hating a guy who was innocent and had in all other ways seemed to be a rather good husband to a woman who doesn't give a heck he died. There needed to be some form of grieving. I don't like the idea that someone's partner dies unexpectedly and they're like "Oh well, and oh hey I'm pregnant too, but no worries!" So again, while I really did like the concept of this novel and love the characters, this lack of feeling made me wonder if Imo was a psychopath or about to collapse from buried grief at any moment.

I liked Gabriel a lot. I got that he was gruff, and stoic, and hiding his feelings etc. but he also seemed underdeveloped. Also, the two characters didn't spend much time together. There could have been much more interaction (and less chapters about saving the school which seemed like a side-story just thrown in there). His grand gesture at the end of the novel was such a leap from completely avoiding Imo to basically kidnapping her and instantly moving in with her. I was willing to accept it b/c it was a HEA in the end but it would have worked better f the characters had more interaction. Also the love scene was -- well like a sentence long.

Last but not least -- what was the point of Sally and Alistair's marital issues? I'm not sure it even got resolved -- did it? Sally was a workaholic and I'm not sure that changed.

Ultimately it was a really engaging novel that just felt a bit more like an early draft. I still gave it 4 stars b/c I did like it a lot! Thank you so much for letting me read it!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Poppy Alexander for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book interested me. Imogen finds herself newly widowed and moving to the countryside, once there she encounters a grumpy neighbor, Gabriel, who keeps finding ways to save her from sticky situations. There is as much chemistry as there is frustration between Imogen and Gabriel.

The execution of the story itself felt a little rushed and underdeveloped. There were abrupt and choppy jumps between storylines and questionable/inconsistent time references.

Gabriel at times was too caveman, strong-silent type for me and a few times made some pretty drastic leaps that seems extremely presumptuous. I found myself frustrated with Imogen in multiple situations so while I wanted her to get her HEA, it wasn’t as warm and squishy as they often are.

This was a DNF for me. I made it about 35% of the way into the book, and it couldn't keep my attention. It felt really disjointed and the ends to some of the chapters were abrupt. I really wanted to love it- especially because I know how much work goes into writing a novel, but I just didn't and cut my losses,

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 What if the persona we create on social media could really become the life we lead? When Imogen moves to the countryside perhaps she can manifest @Storybook_Ending into existence? Life has not gone her way - widowed and surprised by a pregnancy- she can use all of the good vibes she can get. Storybook Ending is a beautifully optimistic novel about the ebbs and flows of life and finding the balance through it all.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

Loved this slow burn romance. A lot more to it than just romance though. The story of Imogene and her new start, including ups and downs along the way, and a wonderful found family.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Storybook Ending to come out August 20, 2024.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper/Avon Voyager for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my objective review.

2.5 stars. Overall, this was a sweet, romantic story. I enjoyed the main and supporting characters, there were a couple of laugh out loud moments, and a satisfying HEA. However, the transitions between the various storylines were a bit abrupt and choppy. Also, the characters' behavior in certain situations didn't make a lot of sense to me. For example, if Gabriel was only doing business with Louise, why did everyone think he was dating her?

No profanity and one PG-13 scene.

I found myself drawn to this cover. I thought the story was slow for my liking. The writing is good though, and Imogen was a memorable character. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Was definitely drawn in by the cover art and the story delivers the vibe I expected- very much cozy cottage core.

The romance and characters could have used more development, but I’m not that put out- the read was still enjoyable.

I throughly enjoyed Storybook Ending much more than I thought when I first started the book. Thinking it was another book where husband bullies wife and she has no backbone, I was happily surprised to discover the character of Imogene is so much more than what we see at first glance. I loved the chemistry between her and Gabriel, the cottage setting ( the cover is delightful!) and the storyline itself. I was invested in it all and sorry when it ended.

I requested this book on NetGalley because I was charmed by the cover, and it is still my favorite part of the book. This story was convoluted and weird, characters were underdeveloped and in some cases downright unlikeable, and mostly I just really did not like it. Gabriel was a pill, and Imogen was not much better. He was not so much smoldering as like aggressive and sort of creepy. She was completely out of touch with reality. The house sale subplot was illogical to the point of distraction. And aside from Gabriel, no other elements of Imogene’s life felt resolved by the end of the book. The ending was random and unbelievable. It just felt like a bunch of half stories- nothing substantial, and nothing resolved. Not a rave from me. I do still like the cover though. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.