Book Review: An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans

I’m so excited to welcome Jaimie Admans back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her latest novel, An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street, book two in the Ever After Street Series. 

A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street…

A tale as old as time…

Since her mum’s death, Marnie Platt has shut herself away from everyone who cares about her. Worse, her beloved bookshop on Ever After Street is suffering too. With sales down and the shop’s garden falling into disrepair, Marnie risks losing the very last thing she loves. Until a chance encounter with her surly and reclusive neighbour….

Dark and brooding, Darcy O’Connell likes to keep himself to himself. But when he hears Marnie needs help, he can’t turn his back on her. Soon they are spending most evenings together in her enchanted garden and a friendship starts to bloom…

With the help of old and new friends on Ever After Street, Marnie’s bookshop begins to thrive again, and with Darcy’s kindness, she starts to get her sparkle back too. She just can’t understand why Darcy continues to shut himself away – especially from her. Can she convince him it isn’t too late to embrace life, and maybe love, again?

Because every story, even theirs, deserves a happy ending….

*****

Marnie runs the A Tale As Old As Time bookshop on Ever After Street but after the death of her mother, everything feels as though she is simply treading water and even that is hard going.

When she receives a letter threatening to take away the only thing she has left, she doesn’t know what to do. However, a chance conversation with her ‘scary neighbour’ sends her life into a direction she never thought possible.

When a book features a bookshop named A Tale as Old as Time that is themed around Beauty and the Beast and a cat named Mrs Potts, you’ve pretty much drawn me in to be honest.

It’s evident to see how lonely Marnie is and I wanted to make her a cup of tea, give her a big hug and sit and talk books with her. She felt so relatable to me and someone I would be friends with.

The fear Darcy feels is brought to the surface very clearly. It’s strange how grumpy and fear can seem like the same thing. He’s someone who has been through a terrible ordeal and has not always been treated well since. Marnie and Darcy are made for each other and it was wonderful to see their relationship develop over the course of the narrative.

Like all fairytales, it’s about how they reach the final ending. Oh, and can someone send an enchantress to get Rick off to his own private island where he isn’t going to bother anyone? Never have I wanted a character to get what he deserved more than that guy. He was like Gaston on steroids.

The plot to this book is wonderful. Pure and simple. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite Disney adaptation and Belle my favourite princess so I may be a little bias but this book is magic. I couldn’t put it down.

It’s a tale about giving people a chance and how, when you find the right community around you, it can make all the difference. You just have to open yourself up to it. It also reminds us that we are not defined by the horrible moments or bad decisions and that everyone is multi-faceted.

An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street is, well… enchanting and perfect if you, like me believe in fairytales and want a tonic against the horrible things. I hope we see these characters again soon. I’d love to know what became of Marnie and Darcy. I also think the bookshop would make a wonderful setting for a Christmas novella….. just saying!

I have become a big fan of Jaimie Admans. This is the kind of novel I hope to write one day. One full of love, friendship and hope. Looking forward to whatever comes next, Jaimie. Oh and friendship dates are a brilliant idea.

About Jaimie Admans –

Jaimie Admans is the bestselling author of several romantic comedies – including The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane and The Chateau of Happily-Ever-Afters.

She lives in South Wales and was previously published by HQ Digital.

Her new work for Boldwood, The Ever After Street Series, is based on the magical world of fairytales, The first novel in the series, A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street was released in Spring 2023. The second novel in the series, An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street was released by Boldwood Books on 11th January 2024. 

Say hello to Jaimie via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

Click to buy An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street on Amazon UK and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.