I’m so thrilled with this fairytale-ish novella collection! The Finding Ever After stories span a hundred years and are simply delightful!
about the book
Finding Ever After: four fairytale-ish novellas by Pepper Basham, Rachel McMillan, Ashley Clark, Betsy St. Amant
Experience a touch of magic with these four fairytale-ish novellas that span over one hundred years. Linked by an illustrated book of fairytales, each novella is an enchanting combination of a beloved classic sprinkled with the author’s own brand of fairy dust.
Stairs and Stardust by Pepper Basham
Set in 1913 Asheville, NC at the beautiful Biltmore Estate and includes a budding children’s book illustrator, an out-of-the box heir, and a teensy bit of Cinderella romance.Entanglements by Rachel McMillan
This Rapunzel twist is set in 1920’s Boston between a reluctant heiress, a charming piano tuner, and a game of chess.Twice Upon A Time by Ashley Clark
A Beauty-And-The-Beast inspired tale brings a romance novelist back home to her family’s pecan farm… and the ex-fiance she left behind.Once Bitten by Betsy St. Amant
This nod to Snow White includes a fake date with a handsome woodsman, seven geeks, and the world’s best apple tarts.
my thoughts
These stories are everything we love about fairytales… sprinkled with just enough reality to make them genuinely tempting.
Between Stairs and Stardust achieves a depth and complexity not often found in a novella. Basham skillfully fits each intricacy of the plot into place at just the right time as if she’s effortlessly painting the story in Bob Ross fashion, a soothing every anxiety as a happy accident. Stella and James even wander into the philosophical balance of faith, imagination, and fiction, I love these profound little connections!
McMillan is an intelligent and passionate storyteller and her characters reflect that vibrancy and richness. Nic is an irresistible hero, hard-working, brilliantly talented, unwaveringly loyal, and of course, tall, dark, and dashing! Entanglements plagued me with a terrible case of hair envy until Esther started removing all those hairpins one by one in an unforgettable scene worthy of repetitious reading indulgence!
Clark takes readers home to a rural small town (my favorite kind) and authentically relates a few well-known joys and struggles common to these tight-knit communities. Despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that Emma and Sawyer put a solid frienemies spin on the Twice Upon a Time childhood friends romance trope, sparks are definitely flying! I love the life lessons tucked into this story.
Once Bitten receives automatic bonus points for acing the mountain man hero. Griff’s quasi-stoic demeanor is the perfect contrast for bookish, insecure Maggie. St. Amant’s delightful sense of humor and sweetness soften the classically villainous bent of the stepmother with a perspective shift. The inclusion of seven geeks (instead of dwarfs) and apple tarts (instead of a poisoned apple) made me inexplicably happy!
Perhaps those wishes our hearts make aren’t so impossible to grasp after all! I highly recommend Finding Ever After!
I borrowed an ebook copy of this collection through a paid subscription service. The opinions expressed are my own.
about the authors
Pepper Basham | Rachel McMillan | Ashley Clark | Betsy St. Amant
What is your favorite fairy tale, reader friends?
Did you add Finding Ever After to your ereader yet?!
Faithfully Bookish 
My favorite fairy tale is The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
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I’m not familiar with that one, I’ll have to look it up
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