Welcome to my tour stop! Check out my review of the newest addition
to Shadow Mountain's Proper Romance line of books below...
Glass Slippers, Ever After, and MeBy Julie Wright
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 336 Pages
October 21st 2019 by Shadow Mountain
Summary
Can the fairy tale bring Charlotte the happiness she’s looking for, or was he always there to begin with?
A modern, reimagined Cinderella story.
When aspiring author Charlotte Kingsley finally gets published, she thinks all her dreams have come true. But the trouble begins when her publicity firm reinvents her quirky online presence into a perfectly curated dream life. Gone are the days of sweatpant posts and ice cream binges with her best friend, Anders, replaced instead with beautiful clothes, orchestrated selfies, and no boyfriend. Only, that carefully curated fairy tale life is ruining her self-esteem and making her feel like a fraud.
When a bestselling author takes Charlotte under her wing—almost like a fairy godmother—she helps Charlotte see the beautiful person she already is and the worth of being authentic. But is it too late to save her relationship with Anders? The clock is quickly ticking towards midnight, and Charlotte must decide between her fairy tale life and the man she loves, before he's gone forever.
Advanced Praise
“This sweet, heartfelt tale of authentic characters facing intriguing challenges is at once very romantic and charmingly chaste.” -Booklist, starred review
“Wright spins a modern-day and very meta Cinderella tale. This fast-paced, lighthearted romance also carries a moral lesson about falsehoods getting in the way of the quest for true happiness.” -Publishers Weekly
“Aspiring author Charlotte 'Lettie' Kingsley writes fairy tales and hopes to be published. When she gets one more rejection, her feelings of pique lead her to an inspired idea: She'll write a self-help book called The Cinderella Fiction that will encourage readers to live their best lives. Lettie's agent has big plans for the book and has created a team to make it a bestseller, including a PR firm that demands a complete makeover for Lettie. From wardrobe to apartment to a new nickname, 'Char,' every detail is changed to create an image that inspires admiration and a legion of followers. However, it also means that her real-life relationships are affected, and the new Char is so different from the old Lettie that she'll have to sift through what she wanted, and what she's gained, so she can live her own best life, authentically. Wright updates 'Cinderella' with a modern twist and smart, satisfying details.” -Kirkus
My Review
GLASS SLIPPERS, EVER AFTER, AND ME is one of those stories that readers will fall in love with by the time they've turned the last page. There's heartache, humor, and romance as the heroine tries to fit her dreams with real life and fight for her own happily ever after. Highly recommended to contemporary romance and sweet romance fans who enjoy stories with self discovery and plenty of heart!
Lettie (and how I love that nickname for Charlotte!) was such a likable and relatable character. I loved her voice from the beginning, although I did have to put up with some drama. I loved her relationship with her sister, Kat, and especially with her best friend, Anders. I don't know anyone who hasn't faced others trying to tell them who they should be and what they should do with their lives, sometimes in very hurtful or misguided ways even when good intentions are involved. I felt like Lettie's struggles with meeting others' expectations and dealing with her life being on social media was very poignant. I loved all the nuggets of wisdom at the beginning of each chapter. I didn't disagree with a single one. I loved that Lettie was a writer and trying to get published and all that it involved.
I loved the best-friends romance, which is one of my favorite tropes and was just adorable here, especially with the shocking jealousy and then Kat's intervention. The way Lettie and Anders interacted and were such fantastic friends, but a little awkward as their relationship changed... just really entertaining and sweet to watch. I was so disappointed with Lettie at points, even though I got it, but then I was so massively angry with Anders later on! Enough that I didn't know if I would be okay with him. Major heartache that even pulled some tears. Talk about all the feels in this story, guys! It's all here. Then the ending... some serious self reflection as these characters figured things out... priceless and perfect.
My only complaint would be that it did take me a little bit to really get into the story at the beginning, and some of the internal rants and descriptions were a little long in the beginning. However, once the story got going, maybe about a fourth of the way through, I was fully invested. The rest of the story, especially the last third of the book, well than more made up for the slower beginning.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I so loved this story! Lovable, fully fleshed characters with plenty of complex situations, a great family dynamic, and a romance with plenty of obstacles. More than that, this is really about a girl who is still figuring out who she wants to be, navigating life, and trying to decide if she believes in her own happily ever after. My favorite from this author yet!
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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About the Author
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