#a retelling of cinderella but the noble one is a woman? and she either gets with a guy of lower station or with another woman???

[amatres]

if i cant have eloise and theo i Will happily take eloise and cressida i will admit

[ashleesbookishadventure]

Desperately Ever After by Laura Kenyon

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Imagine what might happen if our most beloved fairy tale princesses were the best of friends and had the dreams, dilemmas, and libidos of the modern woman. How would their stories unfold after the wedding bells stopped ringing? Set in a fictional realm based on New York City, DESPERATELY EVER AFTER sprinkles women’s fiction with elements of fantasy, and encourages readers to rethink everything they know about happy endings.

Years after turning her husband from beast back to man and becoming his queen, Belle finds out she’s finally going to have a child. But before she can announce the wondrous news, she catches him cheating and watches her “happily ever after” go up in flames. Turning to her friends for the strength to land with grace, she realizes she’s not the only one at a crossroads:

Cinderella, a mother of four drowning in royal duties, is facing her 30th birthday and questioning everything she’s done (or hasn’t) with her life.

Rapunzel, a sex-crazed socialite and one-woman powerhouse, is on a self-destructive quest to make up for 20 years locked away in a tower.

Penelopea, an outsider with a mother-in-law from hell, is harboring a secret that could ruin everything at any moment.

One part Sex and the City, two parts Desperate Housewives, and three parts Brothers Grimm, DESPERATELY EVER AFTER picks up where the original tales left off—and reimagines them a la Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. With the wit of authors like Jennifer Weiner and the vision of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, the women of DESPERATELY EVER AFTER rescue each other from life’s trials with laughter, wine, and a scandalous new take on happily ever after.

I really really liked this story and let me preface by saying that I did not know this was part of a series when I started it. Much to my surprise, in the end, it didn’t really end. Total cliffhanger! I guess I will just have to read the next books in the series to know what finally happens. Either way, I love a good fairy tale retelling and I love it when fairy tales are modernized! Our favorite Disney princesses are all grown up and experiencing real-life problems such as aging and infidelity. A lot of the issues these princesses were facing were hilarious because of just how real they are. For a 30-something like me who grew up watching these movies and reading these stories, it’s great. Totally relatable. I think Cinderella was my favorite character partially because I think our lives are somewhat similar. I am not happy with my impending birthday bringing me ever closer to an age I do not want to be and I’m sort of unsure about what to do with myself as well. 

To be honest, I wasn’t that much of a fan of Rapunzel. I get it but I think her story was a little unrealistic. I think someone who was locked in a tower for 20 years would want to get out and see the world and everything/everyone in it. Rapunzel, for reasons unknown for most of the story, distrusts men completely and doesn’t want to form any lasting relationships with men. She was a little pushy and overbearing to her friends who are already married and, for the most part, happy. Just let them be happy. 

Overall, I really did love this story. I thought it was really funny and I love the strength of their friendship. I know that seems a little cliche but a lot of girls are not that great of friends closeup so it was a nice change to see the support, especially towards Belle, who had it worst in my opinion. I think anyone who grew up loving the Disney princesses would get a kick out of this “where are they now?” take on our favorite fairy tales. 

Laura Kenyon is an award-winning journalist and the author of three novels, DESPERATELY EVER AFTER, DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, and SKIPPING MIDNIGHT. Her stories and articles have appeared in Kiwi Magazine, Westchester Magazine, Just Labs, Serendipity, The Improper Bostonian, InD’tale, and Westchester/Hudson Valley Weddings, as well as in myriad newspapers and at PrickoftheSpindle.com. Her first book was a National Indie Excellence Awards chick-lit finalist. The Boston College graduate does not live in a castle, but has been blessed with a heroic prince charming, two beautiful princesses, and a noble steed.