[REVIEW] Bookishly Ever After

title: Bookishly Ever After (Ever After #1)
author: Isabel Bandeira
genre: young adult, contemporary
published: January 12th 2016 by Spencer Hill Press
my copy: eGalley, 250 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
goodreads

In a perfect world, sixteen-year-old Phoebe Martins' life would be a book. Preferably one filled with magic and a hot paranormal love interest. Unfortunately, her life probably wouldn't even qualify for a quiet contemporary.

Everything changes when Phoebe learns that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section, might actually have a crush on her. So, Phoebe turns to the heroines in her favorite books for inspiration, but becoming as awesome as her book characters isn't as easy as it sounds. When another girl nets Dev for herself right out from under Phoebe's nose, she's crushed.

And, to up the suckage, she gets assigned as his co-counselor at a sixth grade camp and has to spend an entire week tied to the hip with the one guy on the planet she wanted to avoid. Can she make it through the potential danger of romantic bonfires and nature walks, or will her counseling career end in emotional disaster? Can she ever go back to her happy world of fictional boys after falling for the real thing?

bookishly cringe-y but adorable.

I saw this on Netgalley and ended up 'wishing' for the book. It was later became available and I got access. I actually forgot about it by then but I still got a bit excited because books about bookish people! Gotta love that! Took me a while to finally get around this though (because life) but here we are!

Pull yourself together. Maeve would just straighten herself up and keep walking as if she were wearing a designer gown instead of a goofy t-shirt. -loc432

Bookishly Ever After follows Phoebe, your usual booknerd. She's got her nose into her books all the time. She's got this group of friends who doesn't read at all. She's got a crush on this guy in school who kind of looks like her book boyfriend/book crush. She also uses books to interact with the guy she likes. And I like the idea of this as a whole. Kind of like me at some points, maybe? lol. (totally minus using books for reference in real life interactions). 

As a whole, this really feels like your very typical YA contemporary romance. Just plain cute romance with the female protagonist being completely oblivious of her friend's feelings for her despite his really cute ways of approaching her. I LOVED DEV! He's probably the reason I went through with this book until the end. I like how he would talk to Phoebe about the books she reads and how he tries to read them as well (probably what I'd like from a guy, but the guy I like already reads and we read almost the same things so extra points for that I guess. lol). 

"Hello? Shy, bookish knitter here. I don't ask people out. The thought of doing that gives me hives." -loc1688

Throughout the book, I'd say it's interesting to see how Phoebe's feelings really got through a few highs and lows -- kind of part excitement and part disappointment. I can really see myself having the same feelings with the awkward introvert that I am.

Aside from the romance, I really like Phoebe's relationship with her friends and family. There wasn't much on her family's side but her sister was featured enough and I liked it! But not into the intimate kind of relationship (which is disappointing if that's what you want to see. It's really more of just a snippet of her sister and how she's there to help her with Phoebe's fandom that is reading). As for her relationship with her friends, there's really a lot of it here! They were there really pushing Phoebe to Dev and I was so into it!! They keep on pointing out the things he's doing for her!!

However, there will really be all those somewhat cringe times when there will be snippets of the books Phoebe is reading. I'm not sure if it was just me and I'm so done with YA romance but it as really cringe-y for me. Phoebe's footnotes was a nice touch but it also didn't sit well with me. But it's probably just a me thing. Gotta skip all those cringe-y Phoebe fangirling over the books she's reading.

"Never doubt yourself. Others will, and you need to prove them wrong."  -loc3206

OVERALL, Bookishly Ever After is an adorable book that is somewhat relatable (I guess, lol). I love Dev, the love interest. And I like the really innocent relationship Dev and Phoebe had. The development of their relationship and Phoebe's feelings for him was really good. I'd recommend it if you want a quick, somewhat adorable YA romance. 

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