The ultimate feel-good Cinderella retelling that sees a wallflower seamstress falling for a grumpy 'prince' when they meet one night at a masquerade ball. Sweet and swoony, this was a fun read perfect for all the Disney Princess fans with great disability rep (MMC has a stutter). Good on audio too narrated by Emma Noakes. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!! I'm excited for the next book in this series!!!!!!

Steam level: Kissing only

My heart just sings everytime I see that Jaimie Admans is releasing a new book. It’s the ultimate happy treat to be able to sit and devour one of her books.

I know I sound like a stuck record but I will shout it until the cows come home…Jaimie has this wonderful ability to take something ordinary and ‘normal’ and create something magical and utterly romantic and I am smitten by everything she writes.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is simply a joy to read. It’s a modern, mild take on Cinderella and it works so well.

Ever After Street is such a beautiful setting and I would love to live there. Built in the protection of a beautiful, but neglected castle with a mysterious history, the inhabitants are passionate about their whimsical town. I love the idea of shops with fairy tale names and I especially adored the background story to the dress shop.

I am not a fairy tale kind of girl to be honest but I was completely sucked in by Witt and Sadie. Their meeting and ball evening together was just beautiful and I adored them both. Such real, relatable characters - the sort you immediately want to be friends with and have in your life. I was so angry for Sadie at certain points and really wanted to defend her. Witt is sweet and shy and their chemistry was more on an intimacy and intellectual level - which I loved.

A MIdnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a delight from start to finish. It’s uplifting, heartwarming and joyful to read and I savoured every minute of it. I could read stories about Ever After Street all day long (hint) and I was devastated when it ended as I didn’t want to leave. A beautifully written romance that I cannot recommend enough.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is the first book in Jaimie Admans’ new Ever After Street series. This book felt like a fairy tale for grown-ups, with its nostalgic nods to Disney movies and its magic and romance woven throughout. I want to live and work on Ever After Street, be friends with Sadie, and find myself a swoony hero like Witt.

I loved watching Sadie come into her own, learn to stand up for herself, and do what was right for her. She needed a push to get out of the rut she was stuck in, and Witt sparked that change in her and helped her dig deep to find her courage. I also really appreciated the disability rep with Witt having a speech impediment that left him self-conscious, anxious, and with a feeling of unworthiness. It was dealt with realistically and empathetically, and I loved that. Sadie and Witt saw each other’s true selves, including the parts no one else saw, and helped each other shine. It was beautiful.

I’m excited for the next book in the series!

This story is so magical and I found it so easy to be swept along with the fairytale vibe Jaimie creates with this book. Within a few pages I was hooked and desperate for Sadie to get the happy ending she deserved. The friendship she developed with Witt melted my heart and their later relationship was beautifully written and felt so natural and we'll paced. I will definitely read more Jaimie Admans books after this wonderful 5 Star Read.

Rating 4.5/5

I always know that I’m going to be in a happy mood when I read a Jaimie Admans book because they are usually very uplifting and hopeful and this book did not disappoint. It of course has a setting that sounds utterly magical, a kind of fairytale shopping destination called Ever After Street with a close-knit bunch of shops that are under threat from the possible sale of the nearby castle. This small-town camaraderie in the face of a purchase from a larger corporate company is just always so fun to read about because they always find good ways to band together.

This story focuses on Sadie in The Cinderella Shop who is desperate to see the castle before it gets sold off and goes against the wishes of the residents of Ever After Street and attends a masquerade ball being held there. There was a lot of growth for Sadie as a character, she starts off quite timid and trying to please others more than herself but she soon finds the courage to push her ideas forward and make them happen, there were some scenes with her aunt Ebony that I was cheering her on all the way and was so glad that she stuck to her guns.

The relationship between Sadie and Witt was so sweet, the way it kind of starts as a friendship and then progresses to something more all whilst they are trying to find his Cinderella, there are some very funny moments as people claiming to be his mystery girl come forward. I really liked Sadie and Witt together they complimented each other and I liked that he was so supportive of her promoting the Cinderella story even though he didn’t like being the centre of attention.

The story was so much fun it draws parallels with the Cinderella story that most of us know but in a bit of a fun inventive way, and I loved following Sadie on her journey to evade Prince Charming. There are, of course, some bumps along the way but mostly this is just a book full of hope and wonder. I am always left with a smile after reading a book by Jaimie Admans and this was no exception, perfect escapism and a lovely romance.

Sadie is a seamstress, so one night, wearing one of her own creations at midnight a kiss will make her heart flutter, but soon the spell will be broken and Sadie will be back to her shy self with her prince not knowing who she is.

I found this a modern retelling of the fairytale Cinderella, and Admans writes with just as much magic.

This narrative was as adorable as the characters with the theme of Disney running throughout. This is a ‘make you feel warm and fuzzy inside’ kind of read and I look forward to reading more.

A lovely fairytale read. My first book by this author and it was everything you would expect from a fairytale romance book.

I loved Saidie’s Disney obsession and hope infectious it is with Witt. She really brings the castle alive for him and Ever After Street, I loved the shop names and how everyone bought into the Disney theme. It’s a place I would love to visit.

Witts support of Sadie and her dresses was lovely. He gave her so much strength and courage to be able to see her own worth and speak out to her aunt. In return she restores Witts faith in others and in love. She shows him people can be selfless and love unconditionally and how to see something from a different perspective.

A lovely, dreamy romantic read.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is so much more than a Cinderella retelling. Loosely based on a childhood favorite fairytale, the author magnificently modernized the story. Of course, the story is similar but the author added in a few unique twists, gasp moments, and differences to bring readers a completely different tale. One I loved so much I read it in one sitting. The characters, setting, theme, and writing style had me hooked from the first page.

Sadie is a dynamic character with a great personality. She's not perfect, however, and doesn't do a lot of standing up for herself against her controlling aunt. Aunt Ebony is not a nice person and when you find out why there are the dynamics that there are between Ebony and Sadie, I guarantee you'll like Ebony even less. But then again, what's a fairy tale (or a retelling) without the evil character.

Will was fantastic. I loved everything about him. I used to date a guy with the same disorder and the similarities between the two allowed me to connect with Will as more than just a character inside a book. His backstory was interesting and I loved learning more about him.

✨ My Thoughts✨

Sadie is seamstress working in shop called The Cinderella Shop on Ever After Street which is filled with fairy tale themed shops.

When Sadie gets a gold edged invite to a fairy tale themed masquerade ball at the local castle that’s about to be closed forever and possibly turned into a supermarket ( if the rumours are true) she’s so disappointed because her overbearing Aunt Ebony forbids her to go, the castle holds so many memories from her childhood and her mum and dad.

When her Aunt is away for the night Sadie takes her chance and has a makeover by her cousin Scarlett and goes to the ball and finds her real life Prince Charming, or so she thinks ?.

What follows is a magical and uplifting real life Cinderella style story that has its ups and downs but comes full circle in the end to make so many dreams come true.

I loved the Disney themes, because I’m a huge Disney fan myself and I love everything about it so it was the perfect book for me.

I suffer from a stammer myself and I loved having that representation in this book because mainly I see it represented in books as something to laugh at and joke about so I appreciate it so much, thank you.

I honestly can’t wait for the next book in the series.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street makes all of my Disney dreams come true.

If you are looking for a pick-me-up book that will leave you with a smile on your face, then I recommend giving this book a try. Jaimie is one of my favourite comfort-read authors. I always know that when I read a book by Jaimie, I will feel like I am being wrapped in a cozy warm blanket of happiness. A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is utterly charming and just sucked me in right from the first chapter. The story is wonderful and goes along at the perfect pace. The things that happen in this book often occur purely for romance reasons, but I did not care. I just wanted to go on this journey with Sadie and Witt and watch sparks fly between them. There are so MANY Disney fairy tale references in this book. I couldn't believe how incredibly clever Jaimie was in all the different ways she included these Disney references.

Sadie felt like a kindred spirit right from the first moment I met her. I adored the Disney movie references she made throughout the book and loved her positive outlook on life. She is a shy, quirky character with a true heart of gold. Her passion for being a seamstress and making fairytale-like gowns for others leaps from the pages. Also, her love for Ever After Street and the castle that overlooks it leaps from the pages and makes me wish such a place existed so I could go and visit. Sadie is just one of those characters you cannot help but root for; all you want is for her to get her very own HEA. I adored Witt. He is this wonderful mix of sweetness, charm, and dashing good looks. I loved that Witt wasn't perfect; he struggled to interact with people and was so shy around others. It was cute.
Sadie and Witt are so sweet together. They come together in this charming fairytale-like setting. It felt like Jaimie took the best bits of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast and mashed them together to make Sadie and Witt's meet cute. Their relationship has a bit of grumpy sunshine (which is my favourite trope), forced proximity, and a bit of secret identity. All these tropes worked beautifully together to make a very entertaining love story.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a sweet and unforgettable love story that I want to read again and again.

I have read and loved several of Jaimie's books already, but this book was something else. This was even more of a Disney like story than the others and I absolutely loved every minute of it, which is not really a huge surprise as I really love Disney.

This story is told by Sadie in first person and I loved her right from the start. Her prince charming Witt is a little awkward, but once we get to know him he is so easy to love! In a way this was a very predictable story, as is also the case with most Disney stories, but the journey was so enchanting. I would love to visit Ever After Street and all the cute and picture perfect shops. It sounds like a place where you can remember a carefree childhood, like a real life Disneyland with less crowds, so even better.

I think this is the most times I have used the word love in a review ever, but there simply wasn't another word that would cover the feeling this story evoked.

What a magical read. I was completely swept away with this story and loved the relationship between Witt and Sadie. A modern day take on Cinderella’s story, everything about this book was wonderful. The idyllic setting with the fairytale castle, the engaging characters with Sadie’s self confidence growing by the minute as the magic is worked between her and the shy Witt. The perfect escape read

This is a fun sweet retelling of Cinderella. Sadie and Witt's story was a sweet romance that was fun to read and leaves you with a smile. It was a joy to read!
I received a complimentary copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In a Nutshell: Just what you would expect from a romance novel, plus a gorgeous, fairy-tale-like setting.

Story Synopsis:
Thirty-five year old Sadie has spent most of her life following the wishes of her aunt Ebony, who has raised her after her parents’ death. ‘The Cinderella Shop’, run by Ebony and where Sadie works as a seamstress, is on Ever After Street, a cosy locations where all shops are made around fairy-tale themes, and there’s even an old castle nearby. When her aunt forbids her to go to a special farewell ball at the castle before it is sold to a supermarket, Sadie sneaks her way there in secret, never expecting to meet a charming man who blows her off her feet.
The next day, she discovers that the man is none other than a real estate agent named Witt, who is in charge of selling the castle. Even worse, he doesn’t recognise her at all as the belle at the ball. However, he has come to their shop in the hopes of finding the girl who ran away at midnight, little knowing that he is speaking to her.
Can Sadie use this opportunity to turn around the fortunes of her beloved shop, and maybe, change her own life too?
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Sadie.

I am not much of a romance reader nowadays. In my teen/young adult years, I would have sighed and swooned over such a story and given it a wholehearted 5 stars. But with middle age comes a sense of fatigue, where almost every romance novel looks the same in plot and approach. As such, I have become very selective in picking up books from this genre. One of the few romance authors whose works I will pick without many questions is Jaimie Admans.

Admans has an amazing ability of creating magical settings for her plots. When I had read ‘The Post Box at the North Pole’, I was astounded at how well she has crafted the Christmas-themed holiday village. This time around too, she has blown me away with her beautiful fairy-tale themed nook with a lovely name of ‘Ever After Street’. Yeah yeah, fairy tales are regressive and misogynistic and what not – I get it. After all, princes didn’t bother with consent and princesses had only one task - finding their ‘one true love’ to rescue themselves. But I can’t deny how these very stories transported me into a dreamlike world in my childhood. Keeping aside the outdated elements, fairy tales sparked wonder and awe (and also some ‘awwws’.) This book recreates the same old magic.

It’s not just the presence of the castle and the idea of shops themed around fairy tales that makes a difference here. It’s how the author makes everything sound realistic without being farfetched, and in how she describes the location so well that you can picture the whole scene clearly in your head. The book is full of Easter egg references to various fairy tales (let’s be clear: the Disney version of the stories and not the original darker tales), so if you are a fairy tale movie fan, you will have a lot of fun along the way discovering the references scattered here and there.

The author also has a great ability of creating vulnerable male characters. Witt isn’t presented as the perfect Prince Charming who can’t do anything wrong. On the contrary, he stammers, he jokes, and he even helps around a dress shop without any threat to his masculinity. In other words, Witt is loveable rather than just admirable, and this makes a big difference. Though I must add one thing: he never sounded like someone who was almost forty.

I liked Sadie’s character as well. Usually, I would not buy the idea of a woman in her mid-thirties being such a pushover and so dominated by her aunt, but the plot explains well the reason for her shyness and blind conformity to Ebony’s rules, and also how she finally builds up the courage to stand up for herself. Ebony is a decent character, almost like a typical fairy-tale villain though somewhat flat in portrayal. But her daughter Scarlett is a wonderful and well-sketched secondary character. I loved how she was not sketched as a clichéd ‘evil stepsister’ kind of character. I wish she had an even greater role to play.

In terms of plot, the story is pretty straightforward and mostly predictable, though it does have a couple of surprises. I could guess these much before they popped up on the page, but I was still invested enough in the proceedings. After all, no one reads romances for surprise twists – the couple will obviously have a HEA ending. What we read romances for is the journey to that ending, and in this book, the journey is stunning. (The romance being steam-free was a huge added positive for me.)

Through Sadie’s and Ebony’s interactions, we also have a nice conflict about how a business is supposed to be run. Considering how much I hate the word ‘influencer’, I obviously was against Ebony’s method of buttering insta celebrities in high hopes of name and fame. Sadie’s ideas were more conservative, but they spoke better to my heart. I like how she understood her business’s core competencies and wanted to build a brand around that, rather than running behind something that may be elusive and transient. Happy customers can lead to positive word-of-mouth publicity, and that automatically generates more revenue. There! A practical business lesson from a romance book – how often do you get to say that?

Of course, the book isn’t perfect. It is a bit slow-going and gets a bit repetitive in between. The only major thing that bugged me was the number of times physical gestures and touches are brought up in the couple’s scenes – blushing, hugging, putting head on shoulders, handholding, touching noses, fingers on elbow, hand around waist…. OMG! In all fairness, it seemed like both Sadie and Witt had touch as their love language, and mine isn’t touch, so that could be one reason for my irritation with the overload. So I guess this is more of a ME problem than a BOOK problem.

All in all, if you love romances of the Hallmark kind, and would want a story with a wondrous setting and relatable characters, this book has a strong chance of providing you with satisfaction.

This is the first of a planned series of standalone stories set on Ever After Street. Count this fairy tale lover in for all subsequent books!

A shoutout to that scrumptilicious cover art – so perfect for the story and for this genre!

4 stars.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

“The memories are like childhood stories, long forgotten but coming back in fragmented parts, like a favourite old that you read again as an adult.”

REVIEW

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is Jaimie Admans‘s latest book launched this week. After publishing ten amazing books with HQ Digitals, Jaimie has moved to a new publisher, Boldwood Books. This combo has kick-started their journey together with A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street and after reading the book we are pretty sure this combo is going to be phenomenal.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a re-imagination of all our favourite fairytales as kids, The Cinderella. Obviously with a tinge of a modern twist, Jaimie’s spectacular storytelling skills and read-worthy characters. This book is the story of Sadie, who is a seamstress in a fairytale-like town, which is located near a gigantic castle. The Ever-after-street came into existence because of the castle, all the shops in the ever-after-street is a Disney Fairytales inspired shops. Even these shops are named after fairytales. For example, The Cinderella Shop; Rupanzel’s Salon; 1001 Nights Restaurant; Sleeping Beauty’s once upon a dream shop; Tale as old as time bookshop; The colours of the Wind Museum; Mermaid’s Treasure Trove; Neverland Sweet Shop; Beast’s Enchanted Rose flower shop.

The castle owner has decided to sell the castle to a supermarket which would be catastrophic to the entire Ever-after-street. Sadie alongside all the shopkeepers is against this decision because of this they unanimously decide not to go to the farewell ball hosted by the castle owner. However, Sadie would like to see the castle for the first and last time before it was demolished. So she decides to go to the ball without her aunt Ebony‘s knowledge and that’s where her Cinderella story begins.

First of all, after growing up we all had a lot of issues with Disney’s Princesses especially how problematic it is when Princesses wait desperately for a Prince to show up in order to solve all the issues they are having with their lives. And these princess doesn’t have much of a career or ambitions for themselves. With this book, Jaimie has taken the liberty to tweak the basic plot line of Cinderella and gave a lot more character, ambitions, desires and goals to our Sadie aka the representation of Cinderella in our book. This slight change in the plot line made all the differences. Jaimie has also given a solid reason why Prince Charming aka Witt doesn’t recognise his Cinderella.

“Someone who loved you would love that part of you. They’d love everything about you, every little part that makes you you.”

The characterisation of both Sadie and Witt was genuine. The flaws, crappy decision-making skills, ambitions, and introverted characteristics made these characters relatable and loveable. Though at times, you might wanna strangle Sadie for her decisions and her inability to fight her aunt to make things her way in the Cinderella shop, but if you take a moment, you would’ve done the same thing, if you were in her shoes. These teeny-weeny character traits of the lead characters made the book all the more interesting and magnificent.

One other character who will haul your attention would be Scarlett, Sadie’s cousin. Her impulsive, extroverted and jovial characteristics make her loveable. Scarlett is the kind of cousin everyone deserves to have in their life. The way she supports Sadie through thick and thin, at times defying her mother, Ebony showed how loyal she was to Sadie.

On the whole, it is one nice book you can read to escape the harshness of reality and dwell in the spectacular world created by Jaimie 🙂

Book cover of A Midnight Kiss on Ever After street by the nerdy bookarazzi
“I don’t believe in fairy tales, but I believe in love. I think falling in love is the closest thing we get to a fairy tale in real life.”

MY VIEWS

I love Jaimie, I have been waiting for this book to be launched for a very long time. Maybe right from the moment, Jaimie started her initial discussion with her new publisher. I’m so glad that I was able to read the ARC of the book. You could say I was literally praying for the Publisher to send the ARC to me without fail. That’s how much I was waiting for this book. And did this book actually meet my expectation? Yes! It did!

This book is a quintessential Jaimie Admans‘ book. It will instantly kidnap you from reality and show you good times with its amazing plot line, characters, scenes, sentences, and words. I was living in this wonderful Ever-After-Street near the castle for solid three to four days and it was mind-blowing.

A few things I totally adored about this book was the way in which Sadie made her dresses. All of her dresses have been explained so meticulously that you would go ahead and add these dresses to your cart without a second thought. One of the best things about Jaimie is the authenticity she exhibits through her character and especially through their career. I’m generally obsessed with fictional characters’ careers because that’s how I get to know about certain industries and roles through a microscopic vision. How Sadie passionately talks about her designs and behind the screen how she stitches them and all has been written down beautifully. Even in the case of Witt, as a real estate agent, how much knowledge he has with respect to buildings, especially old buildings were nothing short of excellent.

“I want to make normal people feel special when they put my dresses on.”

The next thing I liked about the book is the castle itself. The library, very similar to Beast’s library, with hidden rooms, tunnels, gardens and towers. Every second spent inside the castle was absolutely exciting. Once you read this book you will feel like you have actually been inside a castle which has so many stories to share. The regular Disney Fairytale references in the book made it extremely wonderful and it ignited a feeling of nostalgia which would make anybody get existed in a fraction of seconds.

I personally liked Witt very much, I liked everything about him and especially the way his character has been designed. I don’t wanna give away a lot because that will spoil all the fun of you guys. The only thing I can say is, I liked the way he reacts to situations. I was also able to relate to Sadie a lot because of her inability to stand up for herself against her family and voice out what she needs. These things made her real to me.

I loved the book so much. My rating for this book would be 4 out of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I would suggest this book to all romance and rom-com lovers. Even young readers can read this book as it has a lot of fairytale moments and young readers would definitely enjoy it very much.

“Sometimes the right people say things in the right way for you to hear it with your heart rather than your ears”

You can go ahead and read the book!

What an enchanting tale from Jaimie Admans, who never fail to capture my heart with her romantic, magical tales. This is a charming read, suspend reality and enter the fairytale world of Jaimie’s creation, where magic, fairytale endings could exist.
Whilst it feels very familiar in theme, you will pick up on the Cinderella-esque storyline, it is modern, full of funny and lightheaded humour as well as being romantic and a cute tale of girl meeting boy, overcoming some issues and trying to each find their own happily ever after.
Sadie is our modern day Cinderella, a great character with a heart of gold. Life hasn’t always been great to her and she dreams of being able to follow her mothers path, creating wonderful dresses in the shop she owned. Unfortunately she has an Aunt, who isn’t quite “wicked step mother” but isn’t exactly helpful nor appreciative of Sadie’s talents. Throughout the book Sadie gains confidence, belief in herself and in how she must do what is right, follow her dreams and show she is willing to leave the community she adores if it means doing the right thing.
Witt is our ‘prince’, I guessed the “revealing” information about Witt pretty early on but I loved how Sadie didn’t work things out. He is another character that has much to overcome, painful memories and personal problems. He may have no confidence himself but he certainly helps Sadie gain hers.
A romantic tale I didn’t want to finish, happy ever afters are all well and good but I would love a return to Ever After Street and more magical, fairy tale fun.

I have read a couple of this author's books before and really enjoyed them but this one was absolutely amazing. If you love all things fairytale and Disney then you will love this book. It is a modern take on Cinderella with lots of Disney and fairytale references. I really wish Ever After Street and the local area was real as it sounded fabulous.

I adored the characters, especially Sadie and Witt. It was lovely to see Sadie gaining strength and standing up to her Aunt. Witt and Sadie's stories stirred up a lot of emotional moments and the interaction and fun between them was great.

If you want a book with pure escapism this is the one for you. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Thank you Rachels Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my gifted copy and spot on the tour. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a delightful and whimsical tale this is, a fairytale romance complete with some compelling and emotional moments. The author did a great job of making a 35-year-old doormat-to-her-aunt, into a sympathetic heroine that one couldn't help but root for. I also found Witt to be an especially engaging character and absolutely adored seeing him and Sadie fall in love.

The story had strong Cinderella vibes with hints of other fairytales sprinkled throughout. Indeed this felt very much like a grown-up fairytale, a little OTT at times, but with enough of a foot in reality to make this a very pleasing read. Jaimie Admans has a wonderful "voice" that exquisitely transports you into the story and has you feeling all the heroine's emotions alongside her.

This is an absolute must-read for any romance reader.

Absolutely brilliant book
Gorgeous story, go take a look
I've no hesitation in recommending it highly and so
I hope you'll get a copy and give it a go!

The first in a new series with a fairy tale theme
With the Ever After Street shops and fantastic team.
From Rapunzel hair stylists to Cinderella gowns
A place for smiles and not for frowns.

However the rumours about the castle on the hill
Suggest a supermarket is buying it and pull it down they will.
The shopkeepers are incensed and sad
If the castle goes, things will be bad.

A ball, a special gown, a night to remember, so true
Exploring, a meeting, a kiss, but time, too.
Escape, a lost shoe, her aunt coming through
Is this the end of Sadie's dreams coming true?

A story with family drama and history,
Secrets, dreams and mystery.
One where at long last there's a chance
For a happily ever after romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this truly delightful read
Now the next in the series is just what I need!
Such a moving story, brilliantly told,
With great characters and a plot that gently unfolds.

I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending this book
And hope you'll do more than just take a look.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

It’s not very often that I’m lost for words when writing a review – and I’ll readily admit that I thought at first I may be a little old for fairy tales, and that this book really might not be for me. But by the end, I’d laughed and cried, desperately hoped for a happy ever after, and remembered why I love reading romance so very much. This whole book was simply gorgeous, so perfectly put together, the product of an extraordinary imagination, beautifully written, and an emotional journey I so enjoyed – a book that everyone who believes in love really must add to their reading list, as I absolutely guarantee they’ll love it every bit as much as I did.

In the shadow of an abandoned castle, you’ll find Ever After Street – on the edge of Full Moon forest with its sparkling lights and mushrooms and fairy doors, it’s a collection of the loveliest fairy tale themed shops like Rapunzel’s hair salon, the Mermaid’s Treasure Trove, the Once Upon A Dream bedding shop, the Frozen ice cream parlour, the Tale As Old As Time bookshop, along with the Colours of the Wind museum and the 1001 Nights restaurant. Sadie is a seamstress, working at The Cinderella Shop that once belonged to her mother who wanted only to create dresses that made the people who wore them happy – when she died, Sadie’s aunt took over the business, with the promise that she’d hand it over to Sadie when she felt she was ready. But that day still hasn’t come, and in the intervening years she’s taken things in a rather different direction – her promise of a refund if you don’t find love while wearing one of their dresses has almost bankrupted the business, the back room is full of returned dresses, and she continues to pursue the celebrity endorsements that she’s convinced will save them while trying to sell increasingly eccentric designs well outside the price range of their customers.

The castle is now up for sale, with the rumour that it’s about to be sold to a supermarket chain – and that’s a threat to every business on the street. Although the farewell masked ball is being boycotted by the community, Sadie desperately wants to see inside the castle, and there she meets her handsome prince – the socially awkward Witt, there to dispose of the castle’s contents – only to have to flee for home at midnight so her aunt isn’t aware of her absence. And, while running away, she leaves a shoe behind – picked up by Witt, who arrives at the shop the next day looking for help to find the woman who won his heart.

Yes, it’s the Cinderella story – but so cleverly given a modern twist, and with a romance at its centre that’s absolute perfection. The developing relationship between Witt and Sadie – both of them a little damaged – frequently made me smile, made my heart ache, and brought many a tear to my eye. As they help and support each other, growing ever closer, I really took them both to my heart, adored every moment of their story, and so wanted them to have their happy ending – but, as you’d expect, there are plenty of barriers and upsets along the way.

The whole book has an exceptional warmth – at times, it really felt like the cuddle we all rather need when things aren’t going quite the way we want them to. And as for the ending… my goodness, I didn’t want to leave Ever After Street behind, but it was just so totally perfect. An absolutely delightful read, and without question one of my books of the year – go on, give it a try, I really think you might just love it too…