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.

Andi is hired for job cataloguing the contents of a huge library in an ancient home occupied by Lady Tanith and her son Hugo. Lady Tanith is unusual and she really wants to find something that she's sure is hidden in the library but cataloguing the contents is a useful side effect.

Hugo is the second of two sons, but he's the heir to the estate. He's quiet and shy and wants nothing to than to inherit and move on with his life.

There is a cat, which Lady Tanith thinks is the reincarnation of her one true love. The object of her love is found in a giant portrait that hangs in the library and he was Lady Tanith's long-deceased father-in-law. There is also a cook/housekeeper who has her own quirks and nasty disposition. And a strange gardener who forms an unlikely friendship with Andi.

There are some interesting twists in the story. Things I'd never expect in a million years. And some laugh out loud funny events. Obviously not what I expected, but I enjoyed the quirks in the book.

Andi Glover grew up traveling across the country with her hippie parents in a camper van. Her sister escaped the life as soon as she could to attend boarding school, but Andi never got that chance, learning only from her beloved books. Now her only chance at living a normal life on her own lies in Templewood Hall, where she gets a live-in job cataloging its vast and chaotic library. Dreaming that it will become like one of her Gothic novels and the lord of the manor will fall madly in love with her, Andi never expected the uniquely strange cast of characters in this spooky neglected home. Life is definitely stranger than fiction!
Part Gothic mystery, part clean romance, all slow build. There were definitely a lot of strange twists I never expected and fun dry humor. I really loved Jay with his bashful attraction and quirky personality. Andi was a bit whiny at first and resentful of her sister and it was great to see her grow throughout the story. Overall a good story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc! Finally finished it and the publication date was on the 17th February. This was my first book from this author and I have to say that it was not my favourite. I didn't really like the writing style and I got bored halfway through so I had to push through to finish it. It had its moments but it was not for me.

Everything Andi Glover knows she learned from books. After an unconventional upbringing, she isn't really equipped to live life independently in the real world but she definitely doesn't want to go back to living in a converted bus, or living with her sister who manages to have a normal life.

When she gets a job working in the library of a stately home cataloguing books, she knows exactly how life should go. She will meet the single and available heir, he will sweep her off her feet and fall desperately in love with her, they will marry, have beautiful children and live happily ever after. That's what happens in every gothic romance right? Except.....that's not how it unfolds

Andi has been asked to catalogue all the books in the library at Templewood Hall, currently haphazardly piled up everywhere. Really, what she is being asked to do by Lady Tanith Dawe is to secretly find the missing diaries of Sir Oswald, a famous author who Lady Tanith says she was the muse for, even though she later married his son. Accompanying Andi most of the time is a cat known only as The Master, and he needs to be treated accordingly. Also in the house is Hugo, who is the second son but who is now heir to all he surveys after his older brother, Jasper, forfeited his inheritance. Throw in a very grumpy housekeeper and a very rude gardener and the cast is complete.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. For example, I loved that each chapter had the name of a famous house from literature in it. For example, the first chapter is called Manderley and then we had Northanger Abbey and Bag End (from The Hobbit) as well as many others. I did like how Andi's story progressed and where she ended up, but I did think it took Andi a bit long to find the diaries and everything was all a bit drawn out and convoluted.

This is my third Jane Lovering book. Last year I read and loved The Start of the Story by Jane Lovering (my review). If I was going to recommend anywhere to start with this author I would still start there, but this was a bit of fun and worth reading.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering

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

Blurb

Andi Glover loves nothing more than a good book.

Any book in fact because when you’re raised by unconventional parents who think school’s for squares, alongside a deeply conventional sister who escapes home as soon as she can, fiction is eminently preferable to reality.

The only problem is that fiction isn’t the best way to learn about the real world. When Andi starts her new live-in job at Templewood Hall for the eccentric Lady Dawe and her enigmatic son Hugo, it’s tempting to think she’s fallen into the pages of one of her favourite gothic novels.

But the plot twists at Templewood Hall are stranger than fiction and it’s not long before Andi questions if she’s living in a romance novel or a whodunnit. Bumps in the night, a missing heir, ghostly apparitions and secrets that have been kept for generations - the mysteries mount up. Then there's the inscrutable gardener who seems to appear when needed - is Andi right to hope for a happily-ever-after end to her story?

My Opinion

Andi gets a great job for a booklover. I really enjoying reading books by Jane Lovering so I am always on the lookout for upcoming releases – this one was another great addition to Jane’s catalogue. At less than 300 pages, this was a relatively quick read but there is an awful lot going on. A great read.

Rating 4/5

I thought this was such a unique story! I wasn’t at all expecting it to go in the directions that it did, and I loved being surprised by each twist and turn in the journey at this manor.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Jane Lovering’s Happily Ever After had all the makings of a book I’d adore—quirky heroine, gothic estate, mysterious happenings, and a slow-burning romance. And while it delivered on humor and charm, the story didn’t quite sweep me off my feet the way I’d hoped.

Andi Glover is a bookish, somewhat naïve woman who takes a live-in job at Templewood Hall, an eccentric estate that feels straight out of one of her beloved gothic novels. With a formidable Lady Dawe, her aloof son Hugo, and a brooding gardener who appears at the most opportune moments, the setup had me eager for romance and intrigue. And intrigue, there was! Hidden diaries, family secrets, ghostly disturbances—this book leans into its gothic influences while maintaining Lovering’s signature wit.

The humor was delightful, and Andi’s inner monologue often had me smiling. But at times, the novel felt like it was straddling two genres—romantic comedy and mystery—without fully committing to either. The pacing dragged in places, and some of the twists, while entertaining, lacked the emotional impact I was craving. The romance, too, felt a bit underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more depth between Andi and her love interest.

That said, the writing is sharp, the atmosphere is well-crafted, and there are plenty of enjoyable moments. If you love books that blend humor, romance, and a touch of mystery, this might be a fun read for you!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🎀 𝒫𝓁💞𝓉 🎀 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇᴅᴀ , ᴏʜ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴡᴇ ʀᴇꜰᴇʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴀꜱ “ᴀɴᴅɪ” ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ɢʀᴏᴡɴ ᴜᴘ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱɪᴄꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ. ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀʟʟ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ. ᴀʟʟ ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅᴏ ɪꜱ ᴅɪᴘ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴄɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄɪᴛʏ. ᴀʟʟ ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ 📚.ꜰɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛꜱ ᴀ ᴊᴏʙ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴛᴀʟᴏɢ ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ʟᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴀɴɪᴛʜ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀɪᴀɴ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʟᴏᴏᴋꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀʟʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʀᴇʙᴇᴄᴄᴀ (ɪꜰʏᴋʏᴋ 😬). ꜱʜᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ɪᴛꜱ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏʀ #ᴠᴀɴʟɪꜰᴇ #ꜰʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ #ʙʟᴏᴏᴅʏᴘᴇᴇɪɴɢɪɴᴀʙᴜᴄᴋᴇᴛᴀɴᴅꜱʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢᴏɴᴀʀᴏʟʟᴏᴜᴛᴍᴀᴛᴛʀᴇꜱꜱᴏɴᴀᴛᴀʙʟᴇᴛᴏᴘ.ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ɢʀᴇᴇᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀʀᴅᴇɴᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ ʜᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱʜᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋꜱ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ꜰᴀʟʟᴇɴ ꜱᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴇᴘʜᴀɴ ᴋɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ.
ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴜɴꜰᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀᴇ.

🎀 𝑀𝓎 𝓉𝒽💞𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈 🎀 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴢʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ🥰. ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅɪ , ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʟᴀᴜɢʜ ᴏᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴜᴅ🤣. ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴊᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ🥹😍 ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴄᴜᴛɪᴇ ʜᴇ ɪꜱ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴍɪx ᴏꜰ ʜᴜᴍᴏᴜʀ , ꜱᴘʀɪɴᴋʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ᴜ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ “ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡꜱ”. ᴍʏ ɴᴇᴡ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʙᴏɴᴋᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴜɢɢᴇʀ ᴍᴇ 😂. ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀᴀᴘ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴜɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴄᴏᴀ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ɪᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴏʀ ᴀ ᴅᴏɢ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴜʀʟ ᴜᴘ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛꜱ ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴡɴɪᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜱɪᴀᴍᴇꜱᴇ ᴄᴀᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴀʀᴅɪɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ “ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ” ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ʙʏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱɪᴅᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀꜱ ᴏɴ ɪᴛ😂.
#HappilyEverAfter#Netgalley