I loved this cosy romance with a gothic twist! Such a fun and easy read that was hard to put down! Perfect quick read! I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the early ARC!

This is another one of those books that had a far more interesting story to be told. Happily Ever After follows Andi as she begins her new job cataloging the library of Lady Dawe’s Templewood estate. While the summary promised twists and turns galore, I couldn’t help but feel they were more like slight curves. There were mentions of things that I felt never led to any pay off and I found the ending to be underwhelming.

For a character who has lived and breathed books, I expected Andi to be way more enthusiastic at the prospect of her mission for Lady Dawe, but she seemed rather unenthused. Her love and life built on literature hardly played into plot except for maybe once, and it was hard to see what she loved so much about the books she read. It felt more like vague references were being made, but there was hardly any emotion behind them. I think if you took out those references and her book lover trait, the story would’ve been exactly the same. I also didn’t find Andi as interesting of a character as Hugo. I think a story surrounding his secret would’ve been far more interesting. In the end when he talked about his future endeavors pursuing his passion, that to me sounded like such a fun story! It also felt as though he put more value on his and Andi’s friendship than Andi at times. The interactions with him and his mother when she found out about his secret is another moment I would’ve liked see more fully fleshed out, rather than the way it played out.

The book did have some moments that I liked, particularly Andi’s interactions with Jay, and The Master. The chapter titles were cute as well, though I’m not sure they were needed. Overall, I just found the whole story dull and not as exciting as I had hoped. It’s unlikely I’ll read anything from this author in the near future.

Award-winning author Jane Lovering has written a modern-day version of Austen’s Northanger Abbey with her latest charmer, Happily Ever After.

Andi Glover loves nothing more than escaping between the pages of a good book – and with good reason. Brought up by unconventional parents who didn’t believe in sending their kids to school and a sister who escaped home as soon as she could, books for Andi have been a refuge, a sanctuary and a best friend when she needed one most. Not having had much experience in the real world, Andi thinks that she’s living in one of her favourite Gothic novels when she starts working for the eccentric Lady Dawe and her son Hugo at Templewood Hall.

Life in the big house is stranger than fiction. With things going bump in the night, a missing heir, ghostly apparitions and long-buried secrets, Andi begins to wonder just what she has let herself into by coming to Templewood Hall. However, things quickly begin to look up when she meets an inscrutable gardener who always appears just when Andi needs him most!

Jane Lovering’s writing shines in Happily Ever After. Heartfelt, whimsical and delightful, Happily Ever After is an enchanting contemporary romance that will make readers laugh and cry. An absolute joy to curl up with, fall in love with the wonderfully eccentric and nuanced characters that make up Jane Lovering’s latest enjoyable romance, Happily Ever After.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

It’s hard to pin down exactly how I feel about this book. The story felt scattered at times, with a meandering plot and eccentric characters that didn’t always hold my interest.

Andi, the protagonist, grew up living in a van with her family and has now adopted a similarly nomadic lifestyle. In search of some stability, she takes a job under the pretense of cataloging books at a grand estate. However, the real task—one she must keep secret—is to uncover the missing diaries of the late lady of the house’s former love, who has been dead for 50 years, so they can be published.

Andi’s tendency to get lost in her imagination, particularly her obsession with author Jane Olsen, often places her in dramatic, book-like scenarios—especially when it comes to Hugo, the heir to the estate. Over time, she begrudgingly forms a bond with “The Master,” the family cat who always seems to be underfoot. Meanwhile, her many blunders never go unnoticed by the estate’s sharp-eyed gardener, Jay.

Overall, the novel had its moments, but its scattered pacing and peculiar characters made it a bit difficult to fully engage with.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Jane Lovering’s books always go straight to the top of my reading pile, simply because they are such a pleasure to read, as well as just how wonderful her writing is and I’m always in awe of her storytelling magic.

Happily Ever After is for all us book geeks who imagine ourselves as the lead character in their favourite story, but needs to understand the fictional world isn’t always everything that sometimes we do need to separate fact and fiction, reality may at times suck but it’s all we have and we have to treasure it.

As always a fantastic and thoughtful creation from the amazing mind of Jane Lovering, the reason I keep coming back for more time and again. I give this and Jane all the stars I can find.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

With all my respect to the author, I find myself cringing so much while reading this book: maybe it's not for me, but I hope for other that they meets their liking
Sorry to say it, but it's a DNF for me :/
Thank you, NetGally, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a joy. It gave everything you'd expect from a book of this genre (and with a front cover like this) but so much more. I'm naturally drawn to the romance genre because of the boost of instant cosy comfort that always comes between the pages. That often means predictability and heavy focus on one narrative or trope. Jane Lovering has so refreshingly given a modernized development on this!

Her character's were all well developed with their own histories and origins; which can be quite rare in a book under 300 pages. Another big highlight for me was that although the book is foremost a romance the actual relationship between our main character and her love interest was not what the story rested on. We're able to follow along as each of our character's comes into their own and travels through their own self discovery arcs. This is then all heightened as they interact with each other and the additional character of Templewood Hall comes into it's own.

I also feel I would be doing the book a dis-justice if I didn't mention the elements of LGBTQIA+. In short - they were naturally part of the story. Lovering tackled quite difficult topics like coming out to your family and the repression that many feel from the overbearing expectations of their parents. These weren't used as hooks or shock reveals. They were just a lovely element of character's that we enjoyably got to learn more about.

I'll happily be recommending 'Happily Ever After' as a refreshing way in which I hope the romance genre will begin to adopt more and more. I'll also be busy enjoying Jane Lovering's other books after having enjoyed this one so much.

I loved this story!, this one felt a little different to me than the usual romantic book and we had the added gothic element and of course a mystery to be solved. Add in that handsome broody love interest and it was pure perfection to me

Highly recommend!

A quirky story of people who aren't very adept at living in society, I did enjoy the isolated nature of the story and it's characters.

Lovering goes slightly Gothic with this slow-burn romance, with a story that also has a mystery to solve and a sister to reconcile with. There are also laugh-out-loud moments to break the tension. In short, this is one heck of a read.

I adored the main character, Andi, though she is a little rough at the start. However, her free-spiritedness and love of books endeared me to her. And she has a fabulous arc – in taking life by the horns, she learns lessons and develops so sweetly.

Then there is the cat. As a Whovian, I was always going to love something called The Master. This stinky side-kick is so funny, and is often Andi’s furry emotional support.

The twists and turns of Happily Ever After keep the story going at a steady pace. It’s never slow nor too fast, and I admire Lovering’s writing ability. There is romance, though slightly more of a side-plot than I tend to like. But it worked here. And there is a happy ending – obviously!

Heartwarming, entertaining, and suspenseful by turns, this story will appeal to fans of romantic mysteries and those who love a book with a touch of magic and mystery. An easy five stars.

Jane Lovering’s Happily Ever After offers a charming mix of gothic mystery, romance, and quirky humor. Andi Glover, a book-loving heroine raised by unconventional parents, lands a job at Templewood Hall, where the secrets run as deep as the eccentricities. Between ghostly apparitions, a missing heir, and a brooding love interest, Andi finds herself caught between a romance novel and a whodunnit.

The novel’s premise is fun, and the gothic vibes add an intriguing layer, but the pacing felt uneven at times. Some plot threads meandered, and while Andi is an endearing character, her journey sometimes lacked depth. The romance had potential, but the chemistry between Andi and her love interest never fully ignited for me.

That said, the witty writing and the blend of mystery and romance make it an entertaining read, especially for those who enjoy books about book lovers. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, slightly offbeat story with a gothic twist, this one might be worth a read!

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This surprising read follows Andi who is starting a new job at Templewood Hall and will be living there whilst employed. She loves to read and is hoping to find true love in the way of the heroines in her books.

The owner of the hall is Lady Dawe, her son Hugo also lives at the hall and soon tells Andi of the ghosts that haunt the house.

With strange occurrences at night Andi starts to believe the stories, and new friendships form as secrets are revealed.
Is the Hall haunted? Will Andi find her Happy Ever After?

This read I say is surprising as I never expected some of the revelations that came as part of the storyline.

Right from the start you are not sure what will happen as the characters Andi is moving into are odd and peculiar.

Along with the added spooky element of hauntings in the house, there are many parts to the storyline to keep you engrossed.

Overall, a surprising read where Andi starts a new job hoping to find her happily ever after.

A bookish heroine, a crumbling estate, and enough secrets to fill a gothic library—Andi Glover’s new job is anything but ordinary. With a dashing yet brooding hero, an eccentric aristocrat, and a house full of mysteries, this novel is a delicious blend of romance and intrigue. Will Andi find love or just another plot twist?

I would be grateful to thank Netgalley and The publisher for the ARC copy of the book. Happily Ever After is a Gothic-inspired mystery novel with a slow-burn romance that gets into full swing towards the end.
Andi comes to Templewood Hall and is confronted by a coarse gardener before she is interviewed for a job that she is anxious she will not obtain since she has no qualifications for any other work and nowhere else to turn.

The book is often laugh-out-loud humorous – but never without those touches of special poignancy the author always manages so well. The atmosphere of the abandoned mansion is just fantastic, and the character building is good too. Andi actually is quite unlikeable at first, but the manner in which she approaches the numerous obstacles in her way witness her developing, taking risks, and becoming ever more sympathetic.

The writing skills of the author are flawless and I was engaged throughout the book without getting bored at all. Through her captivating writing style I could visualise the plot unfolding in front of my eyes like a cozy movie. It was a great read while drinking a cup of coffee. I will highly recommend this book to people who love a cozy book with a beautiful Gothic Vibes. grab your copy today and you will definitely enjoy reading it as much as I did. The book is free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

A bit different than the usual book I've read by the author.
A gothic mystery with a different vibe to it. I wouldn't quite call it a romance. The book has a slow start and picks up the pace towards the ending. A group of quirky characters makes up the lot here and a lovely cat rounds them out. A bit of drama, some unusual twists and turns and a few bumps in the night keep new caretaker Andi on her toes.
Andi Glover loves books and always has a book in hand, but will she find the answers to what really matters including love in the pages of her books?
An entertaining story about second chances and the possibility of growth when you just accept yourself for who you are then others will also.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I've read a number of books by Jane Lovering and enjoyed them, so I approached Happily Ever After with enthusiasm. But it was not to be. I did manage to finish it because I enjoy Jane's writing but I was disappointed. I couldn't warm to Andi, who just seemed to me to be out of touch with the real world. She genuinely appeared to believe she could base her life on books she'd read. By the end I was no clearer about the point of the story than I was at the beginning. I'm sure other readers will rave about it but it just didn't inspire me.

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering. What can I say other than I loved it and read in one day. Happily Ever After is a Gothic-inspired mystery with a slow-burn romance that picks up pace towards the end. It is laugh-out-loud funny in several places and who doesn’t love a neglected mansion for a setting.

I found the characters to be well developed and the Siamese cat clinched it for me even though he was stinky … The Master

I will definitely read other books by this author. I can’t wait to pick up the authors next book!

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Boldwood Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, I felt like it all fell a bit flat for me. It wasn't executed in a way that kept me hooked and wanting more.
I also was very confused by the formatting of the book, as far as the way dialogue was set up. It made it a bit of a difficult read if I'm being honest.

I have read several of this author's books in the past, but it was a long time ago 2011/2012. Somehow I have missed out on her more recent publications until now.

'Happily Ever After' has a dreamy heroine, Andromeda who believes that real life is like the books she read during her unconventional upbringing. While cataloguing the vast neglected library in an old and crumbling mansion, she soon learns that real life is somewhat less predictable.

The setting and the characters are all well developed with the story having twists and turns to hold the readers interest. Clever touch is each chapter having a literary reference as a title heading. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with a touch of romance and humour this is a very readable example of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Jane Lovering for the opportunity to read and review.