What happens when your dream-come-true strips away the things you already loved about your life? When Charlotte (Letti) Kingsley is finally offered the book contract she’s strived toward, it comes with conditions she never expected.

Charlotte is a character I wanted to both shake and hug at different times during this book. As she embraces her new image, some of her missteps with the important people in her life are cringeworthy.

This neighbors-who-are-friends-who-become-more tale is a very loose spin on the Cinderella story that is humorous, angsty, and pure Julie Wright brilliance.

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Charlotte 'Lettie" Kingsley has always dreamed that she might be able to make it as an author. She's written eight novels and received over 160 rejections. She truly believed her last novel would be "the one" to get accepted by her dream agent and she'd be on her way to becoming a published author. Her hopes and dreams are dashed when she, once again, receives a rejection letter. After pitching a fit, drowning her sorrows in ice cream and Thai food, Lettie decides to write the anti-novel. She takes three weeks off from her job and writes a nonfiction self-help book entitled The Cinderella Fiction. This isn't the usual self-help book, but it does focus on being true to oneself, no matter what, and fighting for what you want. This book not only gets accepted by her dream agent, but she also gets a massive contract from a publishing company for the book in mere weeks after she's submitted it. Lettie's life is turned upside down because she now has to become the personification of a self-help guru. She hires a PR agent, meets her favorite author who becomes her mentor, and completely reorganizes her life. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem since she doesn't really like her job, her furniture is mostly thrift-store finds, and she's always been frugal when it comes to buying clothes, etc. Now her social media persona has to match her self-help author persona. She has a boyfriend that she isn't able to acknowledge publicly, even though that is one of the few relationships in her life that seems to be doing well. She's also dealing with family issues, namely, her mother doesn't seem to understand or appreciate what she's doing or her goals, her stepsister or "sister of the heart" is also struggling with her relationship with Lettie's mother and wants to move in with Lettie. Most people would think a mega publishing contract for a first-time author, best-selling author as a mentor, and a boyfriend that's actually a best friend would make for a fairy tale existence, but looks can be deceiving. Lettie has to decide who she is so she can be true to that person whether it's Lettie or the new "Char" created by the PR firm. Can she be true to her boyfriend Anders, her sister Kat, and her former friends, with all of the changes being asked of her or is this new person a fictional creation no one can live up to? Will Lettie make the right choices about her new dream life versus reality before she possibly loses the love of her life?

I read Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me by Julie Wright in just one afternoon. This was one of those stories that once I started reading, I simply couldn't stop until the end because I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed the characters, especially Lettie, her sister Kat, her boyfriend - Anders, the best-selling author aka fairy godmother - Lillian, and more. There aren't any bad guys in this story, just people with good intentions gone astray, including Lettie's mother. The main character is faced with a dilemma that we all must deal with in terms of being authentic in a time when social media doesn't want to face imperfections. One of the many things I enjoyed about this story, other than the Cinderella retelling, was the family drama, the romance, and the dream-nightmare scenario Lettie faces by having everything she ever wanted coming true. But one of the things I think I enjoyed the most, was the "quotes" from the fake book, The Cinderella Fiction written by the main character. I've got to say, I really want to read this fictitious nonfiction book! Ms. Wright has crafted a story that is sweet, wholly realistic, beyond witty, and, yes, romantic. I could go on about this book, but let me just say that if you enjoy well-written contemporary romance with smart and witty dialogue, and realistic scenarios then I highly recommend you grab a copy of Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me to read. If you're not sure about the romance element, but enjoy reading contemporary stories dealing with family issues, then again, I encourage you to grab a copy of Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me to read. This was a highly enjoyable read for me and I'll be handing my print copy over to my 84-y.o. mother to read (she read the back cover and has decided it's her next read). I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and maybe even rereading Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me.

This review originally posted on 10/25/2019 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2019/10/2019-book-317-glass-slippers-ever-afte.... ( )