Happily Ever After by Kelly Oram
Series: Cinder & Ella, #2
Published April 11, 2017 by Bluefields
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
342 pages
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Find on Goodreads
Get it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tgbYrb

The end of one story is often the beginning of another. Hollywood heartthrob Brian Oliver and his Cinderella princess Ellamara Rodriguez have finally found love outside the digital world. But leaving their anonymity behind creates a whole new set of obstacles for the nation’s new favorite sweethearts. With the stress of Brian’s fame and the pressures of a new relationship weighing down on them, the It Couple quickly begins to wonder if they can hold on to their newfound joy, or if maybe happily ever after is only a fairy tale.

Review

When I heard that there’s going to be book 2 for Cinder & Ella’s story, I honestly wasn’t that excited about it. Yes I got my own copy right after it was released but it didn’t occur to me that I will read it right away. Cinder & Ella was a good story, but I wasn’t really that impressed with how the two of them started their story, it sure got a 4 star rating from me but it wasn’t one of my favorites from Kelly Oram. I don’t know what I was thinking but I just found myself reading Happily Ever After that night and my! It was soooo good.

The reason why I was hesitant to read this story in the first place was because I’ve been dreading to read some annoying third party or Ella having a hard time adjusting in Hollywood that she’ll end up giving up Cinder (Brian in real life). As I’ve said, the first book wasn’t one of my favorites and it ended just fine with me, I don’t want to taint Ella and Brian’s story in my memory.

But I was really glad I’ve read this book. As you can see, I gave this story a raging 5 star rating and it totally deserves it. My! I can’t find the right words to describe how this story made me feel because it was too much. I just love everything about this book.

I love the start, the middle part, the ending, and just everything from front cover to back. And speaking of cover, I absolutely love it. I’m glad that it didn’t follow the style of the Cinder & Ella first edition cover. I love the fairytale vibe it exudes and that it totally lives up with the story’s happily ever after.

Before the happily ever after, this book sure did give us some conflicts that really tugs my emotion. I was one time on the verge of crying, like just one shove and I’ll be crying my heart out. Oy wait, I actually cried hahaha. And it wasn’t just one time, I did it countless times that I lost count. I didn’t bawl like a baby but I cried in a drama actress way haha. But seriously, this story will definitely make you feel something.

I love that this story wasn’t cliché like what I anticipated. It was happily ever after part of Ella and Brian so what would you expect for the conflict eh? As always, the scene about Ella’s family conflict never failed to make me emotional especially that it is more on the father-daughter relationship. Quite perfect for the coming Father’s Day eh?

What I always like about Kelly Oram’s story is that she always outdone her previous books. I was used to reading romantic-comedy books from hers and she made it to a different level this time. I love that this book didn’t just cover Ella and Brian’s happily ever after;  about their love and relationship but also about family and especially about accepting and loving yourself even after what happened to you. Accepting your flaws and learning to accept the bad things that happened before.

I don’t think I ever gush about Ella in my review for the first book, but for this one, I have to say I adore her. I love how this girl who is  insecure and definitely ashamed of her physical appearance learned to accept her scars and love herself. And her love and hate relationship with her father was kind of intense too and made me furious. But I was glad she finally got to know her dad’s side of the story and why he did what he did before. I’m just so happy she’s finally having her own happily ever after not just in terms of romance but also with her family and career. Didn’t I tell you that Ella started as this strange girl that was always the center of stare and bullying and is now the most popular celebrity in America?!

Brian on the other hand, my! I remember I was never a fan of him. I hated his past life and his debauchery. Yep, he’s definitely more than just a playboy. Did I tell you how he became the archenemy of the hottest singer in the whole world of all Kelly Oram’s books?! Nah! I can’t tell you that. You need to read it for yourself, *wink. You can start off with the V is for Virgin series and then head to Ella and Brian’s story which is entitled Cinder & Ella.

By the way, I mean to tell you that I was really really really surprised about Brian. He was definitely far from the ruthless playboy that I first met in the first book. The day he met Ella, he transformed into this mature whipped loverboy. Well, he didn’t actually transform but just came back to the man he was before when he first met and chatted Ella. I don’t buy the story about a guy becoming a playboy because of what they experienced before. I just don’t believe that crap. But man! It’s hard not to when it’s about Brian. I understand where he came from. Despite the perfect handsome appearance is a broken person inside. Well, I blame all of that to his jerk of a dad. I’m just so happy he only has 1 scene in this story. I know it may have been a sudden change especially because of his reputation but I am buying all of it. Man! I can’t even count how many times I was surprised with all of the mature things he did and said. If this is really a fairytale, he’s definitely the perfect definition of prince charming. He was so understanding, and his self restraint was really appalling considering how he grew up being spoiled. Everything in the name of love indeed.

This story was taken both from Ella and Brian’s POV so we’ve got to read what they are really feeling. The execution of lines and the shifting of scenes was perfect too. What else would you expect from Kelly Oram eh? Also, this story cracked me up more than I shed my tears. Man! I can’t really get enough of Kelly Oram’s humor.
Happily Ever After is currently my true definition on how happily ever after should be. If you want to read romance with a little side dish, then this one is absolutely perfect for you. But be sure to read Cinder & Ella first or you’ll get confused.

Challenges

• 2017 Mount TBR Reading
• 2017 eBooks Reading
• 2017 You Read How Many Books?
• 2017 Review Writing

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