A Midnight Kiss On Ever After Street - Jaimie Admans.
I can’t tell you just how excited I’ve been to finally read Jaimie Admans’ new book. I’m a massive fan of her work and #AMidnightKissOnEverAfterStreet is another gem in her collection.

Before you start reading this book, park reality for a moment.
You are not going to identify with the characters or their situations… this is a story of pure and wonderful fantasy.

Sadie is our modern day Cinderella. She makes dresses, while her evil aunt lives the high life off the back of Sadie’s hard work.
There’s a Disneyesque setting, a castle that is being sold, and there is the potential of a supermarket being built on it’s site. There is a masked ball to go to and a mystery man who sweeps Sadie off her feet… until the midnight bells toll and Sadie has run.

What ensues is just the most charming and whimsical tale.

I was swept along with the sheer gorgeousness of this story.

The setting is magical. Ever After Street, the businesses on it and the surrounding area are just the perfect fantasy place to live.

The characters are mostly very likeable. I loved Scarlett, Sadie’s cousin. She almost deserves a book of her own (hint hint!).
Sadie’s aunt, Ebony isn’t the most likeable of people, but maybe she still has a little love left in her heart.

The hero of the piece is Witt. A tall, awkward man with a stutter, but oh my goodness, how could anyone fail to fall in love with his sweet charm.

#AMidnightKissOnEverAfterStreet is a refreshingly unique read. Jaimie Admans is a gifted writer. She fills the pages with love, warmth and humour.
The story meanders along at a good pace and has plenty going on to keep the reader turning the pages. And lots of ‘gasp’ moments too.

I can’t recommend this wonderful book enough. Shut the world outside, pop on your glass slippers and let A Midnight Kiss On Ever After Street, cast it’s spell upon you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Reads, Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a digital arc of this title.

Jaimie Admans quickly became a favorite author of mine after reading some of her books around Christmas-time. Once I realized she writes the same heartwarming sweet romances that are NOT Christmas themed, I knew I was in trouble! I’ve lost count of how many I’ve read now, and am honored to have the chance to review an ARC for her!

Sadie and Witt’s story is just as sweet and lovely as I’ve come to expect from Admans. The story of the castle, Ever After street, the ball and the kiss in the secret garden (not a spoiler!) were so so so well told, I felt like I was there seeing and feeling it with them. Such a beautiful and poignant story about love and loss, and reconnecting with the hope of happiness after years of grief.

I love how Admans tells a story and Sadie and Witt are no exception to that. I’ll never get enough of these lovely stories!

A Cinderella story for Sadie and Witt. A great read and I loved both categories. I would have liked an epilogue from Witt's point of view though.

I love Jaimie’s books. This is a real fairytale feel good romance. I loved the Characters and the way they interact with each other. Ever After Street sounds remarkable with the shops and the community spirit. A Castle is about to be sold which would affect these people no end. I thoroughly recommend this lovely story and look forward to the next instalment.

My Review: I absolutely Love Jaimie Admans book and I am so excited that she has signed with Boldwood Publishing. This is an incredibly dreamy, romantic and loveable story, it's also very Disney and Hallmark, you can tell the author loves these. We follow single dressmaker Sadie who works with her aunt Ebony in her mums dress making shop. Sadly, Sadie's mum passed away and her aunt has all the control, with that she makes some rather random choices that are not to Sadie's taste. Scarlett is Sadie's best friend and she plays a big role in the Ever After Story. The Castle in the background is due to be knocked down, but it's part of the whole dreamy allure of Ever After Street, especially with it's Magical Forestry. Will there be love? Can the castle be saved? You'll have to read the book to find out.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, fun and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

A picture-perfect town; a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street... Will a kiss at midnight change her life forever? Sadie Winters has spent her whole life doing as she’s told. But when her overbearing aunt forbids her from going to the farewell ball at the beloved local castle, Sadie has had enough! One magical makeover, one midnight curfew, and wearing a dress of her own creation, Sadie is unrecognizable as Ever After Street's shy seamstress. Sadie might dream of meeting a handsome prince but the only person to cross her path is Witt – the slightly awkward estate agent intending to sell the castle and dash Sadie’s dreams forever. As the clock strikes midnight, Sadie and Witt share a magical kiss and Sadie knows her heart is in serious danger. Surely Witt must feel the same way…? Sadie can't hang around to find out. But as reality dawns the next day, and fate brings Witt to Sadie’s door again, Sadie realises that her mystery estate agent prince has absolutely no idea who she is! Sadie can’t forget their midnight kiss, but is she brave enough to change her life and find love along the way…? 

My Opinion

I loved this book! Those of you that often read my reviews will know that it is rare that I give a 5 start review, but this book deserves nothing less.

It is a great Cinderella retelling with lots of Disney references - what is there not to love. I am not a big fan of dresses but I could even picture myself visiting The Cinderella Shop.

I found this to be a cute, heart-warming read. I struggled when it came to putting the book down and would accidentally start the next chapter when I was supposed to be putting the book down. From the very first page, this book had me hooked and I am not quite sure I am ready for it to be over. I would love to be able to read more about the other occupants of Ever After Street.

I have now read a few books by Jaimie Admans and whilst it is difficult to pinpoint my favourite as she has written some lovely books - this has to be up there. If you are a fan of Disney retellings that you will adore this book.

Rating: 5/5

4.25⭐
Genre ~ women's fiction
Publication date ~ July 4, 2023
Page Count ~ 300
Audio length ~ 10 hours 9 minutes
Narrator ~ Emma Noakes
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ characters in their 30's, small town, slow burn, no steamage

Sadie has always believed in happily ever after and the magic of finding love, and she thinks the abandoned castle nearby is the reason it's possible. When the owner wants to sell it, all of the residents on Ever After Street fight to keep it from becoming a supermarket as they think it's a big draw for tourists to come to their quaint town. But, estate agent, Witt, is just there to do his job, right?

There are a bunch, maybe a bit too many, Disney references, which makes complete sense because fairy tales are what the whole plot is about. I loved the names of the shops: The Cinderella Shop, Rapunzel's Hair Salon, 1001 Nights restaurant and Tale As Old As Time bookshop.

All of the characters are likable, except one, of course. Sadie and Witt were pretty much made for each other. Both would rather be on the sidelines than face crowds, both lost their parents at a very young age. Witt is quite a distinguished gentlemen with his endearing stutter. Cousin Scarlett was a lovely addition to the story. All of the small business owners were lovely, as well.

What would a fairy tale themed book be without an evil character ~ non~existent that's what. Aunt Ebony is her name and she raised Sadie from the age of 10, when her parents died. It wasn't always bad, but somehow Ebony got obsessed with how she thinks the shop should be run and her and Sadie are butting heads about it. Sadie is 35 but doesn't really seem her age. I kind of get why she let Ebony dictate her life, but I didn't like it. I'm glad she finally stood up to her and went after what she wanted.

How fun would it be to nose around in a 93 room castle? I would love to get lost in one and yank every sconce and pull every book to search for secrets and hidden rooms.

Overall, it was a bit repetitive and quite predictable, but that did not take away from my enjoyment at all. It was a slow burn as they definitely took their time to get to know each other. I'm happy with all the plans that were discussed in the end. I see that this is the beginning of a series, but I don't think the next book will be a continuation of their story, but more of a themed series.

Side note ~ I love the vibrant cover.

We've got a Cinderella retelling, a lot of Disney references and gorgeous writing all mixed together in this sweet and very cosy story and I loved every second of it!

I really loved reading this gorgeous book. It has everything that you expect from a Jaimie Admans books- romance, humour, fairytale and magic. I was so pleased when I found out that this book is the first book in a new series which is set in Ever After Street. I am very excited and I can't wait to read the other books.
Sadie and Witt are both lovely characters and I enjoyed the Cinderella like storyline.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

What a gem of a book! I loved the Disney references too. It is a fantastic read and had me hooked from the very first page. Thank you Jaimie for this great read.

Oh Jaimie you did it again. You wrote another absolute banger of a book which is absolutely amazing. Uplifting and swept me up into the book. I loved it.

Now I'm a massive Disney fan. I mean HUGE and I think that was one of the many reasons why I adored this book so much. Because it is the classic Cinderella story but with some modern day twists.

Sadie aka our Cinderella of this book is a talented seamstress working at The Cinderella shop (I mean what a perfect name) on Ever After Street (could it get more perfect). The shop used to belong to her mum. Who has sadly passed away and so Sadie needed to keep her memory alive and so decided to keep the shop running. The shop sells killer ball gowns. Designed in order to make every one who wears them feel like an absolute princes. I really wish this street was real. Because not only was there the Cinderella shop, but there is a Rapunzels hair studio which you just known would make your heart look stunning, the Tale as old as time bookshop, that I could get lost in for hours. Just like BELLE. THE 1001 nights restaurant named for Aladdin and the Frozen ice cream shop and many many more wonderful delights that I would like to visit. It sounds like such a magical and wonderful place. I adored how many nods there are to different Disney movies throughout the book and I loved spotting them and it really did make me smile from ear to ear and fill my heart with joy. This book really is pure delight.

The book as all the classic elements that you need in order to make up a Cinderella style story. But with some modern twists. There is of course Sadie our gorgeous Cinderella. A wicked stepmother in the guise of Ebony, Sadie's aunt who is an unpleasant character. No ugly step sister to be found in this one. However a fairy godmother in the guise of her lovely cousin Scarlett whom she sees as a sister. A handsome prince in the guise of Witt the cheeky, handsome prince. There is also a ball that Sadie was told she wasn't allowed to attend. But which she attended anyway in disguise naturally, and on the stick of midnight Sadie rushes to leave and of course looses her shoe in the process. And naturally Witt uses this shoe to track Sadie down again. Obviously.

To keep it currant the search for the missing princess happens through social media Instead of a search of the land on foot.

I loved the transformation of Sadie and how she grows in confidence and follows her dreams and romance is just around the corner too.

Dreamy

I love a feel-good book, and this did not disappoint. If you love fairy tales and happily ever afters this is a must read. The main character has a Cinderella-like story with lots of sewing and dresses. The romance is great and the male lead is imperfectly perfect.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a real Cinderella story. Sadie is a talented seamstress on Ever After Street, working in The Cinderella Shop which belonged to her late mum. All her creations are beautiful ballgowns designed to make the wearer feel like a princess. I loved the sound of Ever After Street with its Disney themed shops. There’s Rapunzel’s hair studio, the Tale As Old As Time bookshop, the 1001 Nights restaurant and the Frozen ice-cream shop among others. It really sounded such a magical place, a welcoming community. There were lots of nods to Disney films throughout the book and they were fun to spot.

The book has all the classic elements of the Cinderella story, sometimes with a twist.

Cinderella – is Sadie of course, tragically having lost her parents when she was younger.

A wicked stepmother – well not quite. Sadie’s aunt Ebony took her in when her parents died and generally was kind and loving. But in recent years, she seems to have lost her way with regards to the shop and is certainly very unpleasant to Sadie.

An ugly sister – definitely not. Sadie’s cousin Scarlett is lovely and a real support to her. They are as close as any sisters might be.

A handsome prince – check! Witt most definitely counts as the handsome prince.

Someone who maybe shouldn’t have been at the ball – Sadie’s aunt had forbidden her from going to the ball but transformed and in disguise, she went anyway.

On the clock – like Cinderella, Sadie had to be home by midnight and leaves the ball in a hurry as the clock strikes.

A lost shoe – well of course Sadie loses a shoe as she flees which Witt uses to try to find her again. Unlike the traditional Cinderella story though, the search for the mystery woman moves to social media and quickly gains huge interest. Of course, in the best Cinderella tradition, Witt doesn’t seem to recognise Sadie without her mask and finery.

A happy-ever-after – I was cheering Sadie on as she finds the courage to stand up for what she believes in and does what she thinks is right. It was lovely to see her growing in confidence and following her dreams.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a modern day twist on a classic fairy tale. It’s sweet and romantic with a heart-warming happy-ever-after.

4 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming (with a few minor issues)

Sadie Winters spent most of her life doing as she was told. Even at thirty-five, she is an invisible seamstress in her family shop controlled by her Aunt Ebony. The Cinderella Shop on Ever After Street is still her only home.
When the aunt forbids her to attend the masquerade ball in the castle, Sadie is disappointed and dejected. However, she gets a chance to play Cinderella at the ball. Somehow, Sadie’s dreams of meeting Prince Charming also come true.
Yet, midnight strikes, and she rushes back to her regular life. Sadie is shocked and hurt when her Prince Charming (Witt) doesn’t recognize her the next day when he visits their shop. But as days go on, it’s up to Sadie to decide if she wants to follow orders or make her own decisions.
The story comes in Sadie’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
I love the cover and the fairytale-ish setting. The premise is similar to small town-based books and makes for an entertaining read.
Though the book is mainly romance, it focuses on many aspects, such as standing up for one’s self, following your dreams, making the right decisions, and healing from past trauma. The romance is clean, sweet, and cozy.
Though Sadie is 35, her tone is more of someone in their late 20s. However, it suits her character arc. Her growth is gradual and feels realistic. She takes one step at a time and is still insecure about her abilities. She blanks out a little too often (which is annoying), though I blame it on the first-person POV.
Witt’s character is just as good. He is awkward in many ways but without going overboard sounding rude. In fact, he is adorable for most of the book. I’d have loved it if the book had both their POVs (his in the third person).
Scarlet is a cool character, though I wish we had a wee bit more of her. Aunt Ebony reads like a proper fairytale villain. Will she have a redeeming arc? Read and find out. I do wish this was better handled. The first-person POV prevents us from knowing things until they are revealed (which sometimes feels abrupt).
The small town setting, other business owners, the popular progress vs. natural beauty (should the castle be destroyed to build a supermarket?), etc., make up for the other important threads in the plot.
There are quite a lot of fairytale references, and get a tad excessive at times. If that doesn’t bother you, you’ll enjoy the book more.
The pacing is slower than what I prefer for the genre. Also, I’m not fully convinced by Sadie’s idea of happy customers. There ought to be a balance between idealism and practicality. Sadie and Aunt Ebony fall on two extreme ends, and both aren’t helpful in the long run.
There’s a third-act breakup, but the explanation and the climax are well done. And... if you wonder how he didn’t recognize her, trust your gut. There’s enough wordplay to support the reveal and your gut feeling. (Yeah, I was right, as always.)

To summarize, A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a sweet and heartwarming (clean) romance for Hallmark and fairytale lovers. Pick it up when you want something light yet touching. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Jaimie Admans has done it again. She has created a modern-day fairytale, but this time, she acknowledges the fact in the book. Borrowing from the theme of Cinderella, this gorgeous story has it all. Well, it has a Ball and a heroine having to be home by midnight and heaps of romance, but there are no ugly sisters, and the role of wicked stepmother went to an aunt who simply wants to make a success of their business.
Having lost her parents when she was ten, Sadie was brought up by her maternal aunt who has taken control of her mother’s dress shop – Cinderella Dresses. Desperate to ensure the shop’s future, Aunt Ebony is constantly trying to win the endorsement of social media influencers.
Sadie is the shop’s dressmaker and is jaded with creating bizarre, expensive outfits that have no place on the high street or at Cinderella Dresses. Secretly designing beautiful gowns and dresses in her spare time, Sadie dreams of taking control of the shop and returning to the ethos that her mother intended – Unique, beautiful clothes that everyone can afford.
Of course, her plans may lead to nothing if the castle is sold and turned into a supermarket. The magical community of Ever After Street would then lose its impact without the familiar building in the background. Can a search for a lost shoe save the day?
This warm hug of a book stole my heart. It had romance oozing from every page and I was torn between not wanting the story to end, and wanting to discover what the happy ever after would be. Sadie and Witt were clearly meant to be, and I knew that Aunt Ebony was just a little lost.
I absolutely loved the imagination that was invested in the shops and owners on Ever After Street. From the florist to the restaurant, there was no shortage of Disney references and they all worked perfectly.
This book left me with a warm glow and a huge smile on my face. Absolutely delightful.

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is such a lovely story. This is the third book by Jaimie Admans that I read and it certainly did not disappoint. I love how she can create the loveliest Sweet Romance stories and this was not the exception.
I really like the take on the Cinderella retelling and I loved Witt. I do not agree with everything Sadie did, but I liked her too. Ebony I couldn’t stand and it made me so angry the way she treated Sadie. Thankfully, throughout the book we can see some character development and by the end things work out.
It was a perfect read to take a break from life’s stress and it was nice to dream about fairytales. I would definitely like to visit Ever After Street and the castle. And I’d definitely like my own Witt, he was so dreamy.
Regarding the plot twist, I saw a part coming but it was still interesting and it was so gripping, I could not put the book down! The final part was perfect making everything even better.
If you have no read any books by the author this is definitely a good moment, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I don't know why, but I kept thinking this story was set in America rather than the UK, perhaps because of all the Disney references. There were too many Disney references considering the main characters were 35+. I thought Sadie to be immature, having taken so long to stand up to her aunt. Plus I didn't like the way she didn't reveal to Witt who she was for such a long time. Witt was lovely. But there was far too much emphasis on hands, and touchy feely stuff. It was saccharine sweet. Overall, I enjoyed this story. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ever After Street is full of fairy tale themed shops and Sadie is a seamstress who works in The Cinderella Shop, owned originally by her mum and dad before they died and now by her aunt Ebony who will, when she sees fit, pass it onto Sadie to run herself. When the local castle is put up for sale with the chance of being replaced by a supermarket the locals aren't impressed, the owner organises a farewell masked ball and the retailers of the street decide to boycott it, Ebony refuses to let Sadie attend but Sadie has other ideas and goes against her aunt's demands, never expecting to meet her very own Prince Charming and share a kiss with him just before midnight, before fleeing home so Ebony doesn't find out. When Witt turns up at the shop the following day, clearly not recognising her, Sadie begins to wonder if the magic of the night before was all one sided, will she ever find her happy ever after?

Anyone that knows me will know my favourite genre is psychological thrillers but, every so often I need a palette cleanser and nothing does that like a Jaimie Admans book. I loved everything about this story, from the fairy tale themed street to the castle that felt like it had emerged straight from a Hallmark movie. I loved how Witt's belief in Sadie made her confidence soar and how her kind and empathetic nature nurtured him. I loved the references to Beauty and the Beast, which is a favourite of mine, I thought Sadie and Witt were a match made in heaven and so hoped they would get that happy ever after. When you need some escapism from the real world this book ticks all the boxes and I highly recommend it, a huge five stars from me. You smashed it again Jaimie!!

I'd like to thank Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

I do love Jaimie’s gorgeous stories as she always manages to mix in just enough magical moments to capture my imagination and this delightful book was no exception, in fact the fairytale theme was incredibly well executed!
A sort of modern day version of the Cinderella story, with lots of brilliant Disney type references, I was soon engrossed into the story. I loved the chemistry between Sadie and Witt, and found them utterly adorable as they carefully opened up their lives to each other.
An excellent setting too, who wouldn’t want to visit this street and go into the wonderful shops there? It was fantastic to see Sadie follow her dreams and overcome her obstacles and to begin running the shop they way she wanted to, just like her mum.
Such a charming story that swept me off my feet and had me wishing on a star for many more books based in this beautiful setting!