Happily by Chauncey Rogers

TITLE: Happily

BY: Chauncey Rogers

GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings (?)

PUBLICATION: April 3rd 2018 

RATING:

If the shoe fits, wear it.
If it doesn’t, make it.

Laure is a teenage street urchin just trying to get away. Where the rest of the world sees an enchanting love story, Laure sees royal incompetence and an opportunity to exploit it. She’ll have wealth and a way out of a life she detests, if she can only manage to hoodwink the royal family and survive to tell the tale.

This book is such a surprise. It started on a short preview chapter that instantly made me squint my eyes on my kindle. Based on this book’s cover and synopsis, this is a Cinderella retelling and yet I was introduced into a character that is VERY different from any Cinderella I’ve ever met. Laure, the heroine and sole narrator, turned out is NOT Cinderella. (and no! that’s not a spoiler because you’d know that fact as early as 1st sentence.) Because instead of following the story of Cinderella, her horrible life with her stepmother and stepsisters and her magical encounter with the Prince, the author chose to follow a story of one of the other maidens who wants to try the shoe. And that turned out amazing.

A retelling that isn’t quite a retelling. The story took so many wonderful twists and turns and yet managed to still stay on Cinderella’s world. I love that the story stayed in an incredible pace from start to end. It was filled with adventures literally, that there is no single boring moment throughout the story. Well, Laure’s life isn’t boring to start with so there’s that. And then she met Luc right away and the real adventures begun. And I must say the pace stayed till the end.

The characters are lovable. Cinderella or not, nice or not, I develop an instant liking on Laure. She’s this sassy, spunky, sarcastic heroine who is also obnoxious. All sound negative but these are her strengths and instead of pissing me off with her attitude, she had me chuckling everytime. Her conversations with Luc were so much fun to read. Luc who is the total opposite of Laure. Seriously, I’ve met other opposite-attracts couples before but these two is the oppositest. (yeah I know that’s not a word) Luc and Laure is the perfect representation of Black and White.

I also found some moral lessons in this book. Everyone has a fairytale but not every fairytale needs a prince. Or a shoe. Sometimes you just need some good in life to have a great story or acknowledge the good that is already in and around you. Hate won’t help.

And you gotta work. LOL.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to all fairytale lovers. You’ll enjoy this one guys. SERIOUSLY. The only reason I didn’t give it a five cause the ending is a little rushed and I want more. Also the cover isn’t for me. I don’t know I’m not into this kind of covers and if you know me, you’d know how much I value covers. In fact I’m so sure I would’ve judged the book by its cover and don’t read. Thankfully I saw this book from Kim and Dani’s accounts. You might wanna check their reviews. They’re better at this than I am. 🙂

Lastly, big thanks to the author for providing me an eARC. I asked him guys. 🙂 I have a new rule about books now:
If you have the book, read it.
If you don’t, then ask for it.

Okay guys, happy Reading. 🙂 🙂