4 Stars for Gwynneth Ever After

Synopsis:

Gwyn Jacobs doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Ever since her ex-husband walked out, leaving her alone with three small children, Gwyn has been mother, father, and bread-winner all rolled into one. Her own scarred heart aside, she refuses to open up her children’s lives to the possibility of another heartbreak, and so she has an unbending policy of no dating and no unattached men in their lives.

Until her very own fairy tale falls into her lap...and the hero won’t take no for an answer.

What I thought about Gwynneth Ever After


Oh, I liked this! Gwynneth Ever After is a sweet little fairy tale, only instead of an evil stepmother, there's lots of real life baggage. Babysitters and limited funds, broken cars and precious children with chickenpox. Gwyn Jacobs takes it all in strike. Oh, and she's got her own architectural firm she runs from her home too. Frankly, I wasn't sure how she did all of it.

Gareth Connor is a successful actor. His baggage includes a failed marriage, an uncooperative ex-wife, and tons of paparazzi. When Gareth and Gwyn meet one afternoon by accident, they are both drawn to each other in spite of their different worlds and the fact that Gareth is only visiting for a few weeks.

They fall for each other in spite of themselves, and it takes lots of work to make it work for them. I loved how Gareth came to Gwyn's rescue, and the fact it wasn't by throwing around his money or position was absolutely lovely. I think I may have fallen in love with him myself.

Gwyn has a hard time accepting what is happening to her and her family as a result of Gareth's presence, and I really could sympathize with her situation. Having to do what's best for the children isn't always easy.

The supporting characters were a great addition to the story. Sandy as Gwyn's friend, Gareth's cousin Eric and Amy were awesome additions to the story. I absolutely loved that Amy comes to Gareth's aid at the end, along with help from an unlikely source. That little scene put a huge smile on my face. And no, I'm not saying who Amy is because I don't want to spoil it!

I was actually in the midst of another book when I accidentally opened this on my reader and read the first few pages. I was hooked and ended up putting the other book aside and finishing this in a day. It's not overly long or complex, but I loved it for its simplicity and realism.

This is a sweet happily-ever-after that is a lovely one-day read. The story and writing is engaging and lets you fall right into Gareth's and Gwyn's situation without effort. Very glad I took the time to read this.

Arc courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.