Better a good neighbour than a distant friend…

Synopsis

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….

My review

Marnie Platt runs a bookstore names ‘A Tale As Old As Time’ on Ever After Street. But since losing her mother, Marnie is struggling with just everything. Not only has she shut herself away from everyone, even the bookstore isn’t running smoothly anymore and its garden needs more than just some TLC.
She knows that things need to change, but just doesn’t know where to start, even if she may lose everything she worked so hard for.
But the last thing Marnie expected was that help would come in the shape of broody and reclusive neighbour Darcy O’Connell. His knowledge is perfect for restoring Marnie’s garden and make it once again a place to be proud of.
And even if Darcy isn’t ready to show himself to Marnie, a friendship start to bloom together with the flowers and the plants in the garden. Just like the bookstore itself is ready to shine again.
Marnie realizes that no matter how much she tried to push every neighbour and friend away, in time of need everyone on Ever After Street wants to see Marnie successful. And could there be something blooming between Marnie and Darcy, even if Marnie has no clue how Darcy looks like and why he keeps himself hidden from everything and everyone? 

As a little Tizi, I always loved fairytales. And Beauty and the Beast for sure was one of my favourites, if not my absolute favourite. But just like everyone else, I grew up, had to become a responsible adult and the Tizi of today knows that fairytales are just that, a fairytale. But that doesn’t mean I cannot enjoy any of them anymore. 

So when this amazing wrote a next chapter in the Ever After Street Series, with a serious link with the so much beloved fairytales, *of course* I had to read it. Not only because I love this author, but also because I loved the first book, and I was very eager to return to such a lovely place and read what else would happen in this street where I wish I could live! 

Marnie was from the start such a lovely character, but unfortunately also a sad one. it’s clear she is a wonderful and kind person, but losing her mother for sure broke her.
I can only try to imagine her pain and her heartbreak, and I could comprehend how Marnie not only pushed everyone away, but also how her loss affected the bookstore.
When you lose someone you love, and you shared the business with, it’s logical that that business which holds so many memories is also a painful reminder of what was and now isn’t anymore.
In a way, Marnie’s inner turmoil is obvious by the state of the bookstore. And it broke my heart too, to see how difficult just everything was for her… 

Somehow, she needed a kick in the *ss to wake up, to try to salvage what she and her mother have been building for so long. And while the notice came as a shock, it was exactly what she needed. and that kick also brought Darcy on her path. 

Darcy is the most reclusive possible character I have read about. Everything he does was surrounded by several clouds of mystery. We have no idea how he looked like, what happened to him and why he avoided contact with just any other person. 

But it warmed my heart to see how, even if he tries to keep his distance, when he hears Marnie and he realizes she needs help, he offers his, even if initially reluctantly. And even then, we never get a glimpse of Darcy, and in fact the largest part of the book we have no idea what he may look like. 

Perhaps that was even why I just adored this book. Because the blooming friendship and feelings aren’t based on aesthetics, but purely based on the had conversations, the understandings between Marnie and Darcy. The feelings develop on a pure level, Marnie likes Darcy for who he truly is, not for the way he looks, as Marnie doesn’t even knows what Darcy looks like.   

Somehow the two of them manage to ignite something in each other. Marnie finds the spark back and comes up with great ideas to save the bookstore, even does the impossible. And Darcy slowly finally finds the courage to let people, Marnie in particular, getting closer to him.  

I absolutely loved how the community once again showed the readers what a wonderful place Ever After Street is. Not only do they show Marnie an unconditional support, but they realize also their mistakes toward Darcy and are adamant on showing him that he also can count on them, as he also is and will always be part of their community.
And seeing my old friends was absolutely delightful! 

Of course a fairytale, even a modern one, needs to have a ball. And this ball was marvellous, magnificent, it took my breath away! It ticked every box a magical ball needs, with all the good things happening, but also (and unfortunately) the bad things.
But the good for sure outweighed the bad ones! 

Jaimie Admans made me d-e-v-o-u-r this beautiful story, about broken and scarred people. But she also shows us that looks don’t matter, as it’s one’s character that make you fall in love with them.
It is possible to fall in love with someone you haven’t seen but have had the most important talks with. You don’t have to physical see someone to *see* them.
if you love fairytales, just like me, and want to read them in a modern way, go on, grab this book and fall in love with every little bit written in it!