Scan barcode
thepagelady's review
3.0
How to Survive a Modern-Day Fairy Tale by Ella Cruz
Claire Ventura works in a book store but dreams of opening her own cookie decorating business. When her grandmother is diagnosed with Alzheimers and put into a living facility her already busy life becomes stressful. The pressure from her family to get a steady job, find love, and to also keep her grandmother Lola comfortable starts to add up.
While trying to stay on top of everything she runs into (literally runs right into him) Nate Noruta! When the sparks fly Nate falls for Claire! But with Nate being a CEO of a tech company and a billionaire while Claire is just trying to survive the day to day will they be able to find love or will their backgrounds be too different?
Overall I did enjoy the story! It was well written and I did enjoy the main characters, but there were some areas that I thought were explained more than they needed to be, I would have liked to understand Nate's connection with Claire a little more. I didn't understand why he fell in love with her so fast. But that is not to say the author didn't do a good job with the book. It is well written and the characters' development into their background was well done! If the author has decided to have another book added to the series then I'm sure the other parts will be adventured into more then. Happy reading everyone!
Thank you Entangled Publishing for sharing this ebook with me in exchange for an honest review!
Claire Ventura works in a book store but dreams of opening her own cookie decorating business. When her grandmother is diagnosed with Alzheimers and put into a living facility her already busy life becomes stressful. The pressure from her family to get a steady job, find love, and to also keep her grandmother Lola comfortable starts to add up.
While trying to stay on top of everything she runs into (literally runs right into him) Nate Noruta! When the sparks fly Nate falls for Claire! But with Nate being a CEO of a tech company and a billionaire while Claire is just trying to survive the day to day will they be able to find love or will their backgrounds be too different?
Overall I did enjoy the story! It was well written and I did enjoy the main characters, but there were some areas that I thought were explained more than they needed to be, I would have liked to understand Nate's connection with Claire a little more. I didn't understand why he fell in love with her so fast. But that is not to say the author didn't do a good job with the book. It is well written and the characters' development into their background was well done! If the author has decided to have another book added to the series then I'm sure the other parts will be adventured into more then. Happy reading everyone!
Thank you Entangled Publishing for sharing this ebook with me in exchange for an honest review!
kariniwonderland's review
4.0
Delightful and steamy. The ending was a bit abrupt. I felt that there was a bit more to resolve, but hey!… It’s a fairy tale after all. The ideal read for (spicy) romance lovers.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
antisocial_possum's review
2.0
So I’ll start by saying this book (or what I read of it) has potential. It had its moments where I was drawn in. However, there are so many red flags between the main character and love interest. Not to mention that I absolutely hate the main characters family. They’re selfish and just rude, or they ignore the selfish and rude ones. The red flags are my main issue though.
My first instance of feeling odd about a situation is very early in the story. There was a moment when Nate (love interest) doesn’t show for their 1st date, and Claire (MC) goes home. He proceeds to text her multiple times, and when she doesn’t answer he shows up at her apartment…. That he had never been to before. The address he got off a blank check she gave him (idiot!), that he gave back like 30 mins later. So he memorized her address, and showed up at her house uninvited, and this is like the day after they met! Can you say stalker?
Then, after knowing him for all of 4 days, she goes to Paris with him????? She travels from California to another country with someone she has known for 4 days. And she never really had confirmation until they got there that Paris was where they were going, because it was a “surprise”.
I actually feel like this might be better as a murder, thriller, crime novel. Claire has made all of the mistakes that people make right before they get murdered.
In addition to all of that, she is talking about “falling in love” like 4 days after meeting him….. I was already aware Claire needs therapy. She has middle child syndrome, big time. But, this relationship feels like the same level of development that my high school relationships had, and I’m about the same age as Claire is in the book (early 30s).
Ultimately, I couldn’t get past these issues, and will not be finishing the book.
(Unless, it is a crime thriller and I just haven’t got to the murder yet?? Someone let me know)
Received ARC via publisher on NetGalley
My first instance of feeling odd about a situation is very early in the story. There was a moment when Nate (love interest) doesn’t show for their 1st date, and Claire (MC) goes home. He proceeds to text her multiple times, and when she doesn’t answer he shows up at her apartment…. That he had never been to before. The address he got off a blank check she gave him (idiot!), that he gave back like 30 mins later. So he memorized her address, and showed up at her house uninvited, and this is like the day after they met! Can you say stalker?
Then, after knowing him for all of 4 days, she goes to Paris with him????? She travels from California to another country with someone she has known for 4 days. And she never really had confirmation until they got there that Paris was where they were going, because it was a “surprise”.
I actually feel like this might be better as a murder, thriller, crime novel. Claire has made all of the mistakes that people make right before they get murdered.
In addition to all of that, she is talking about “falling in love” like 4 days after meeting him….. I was already aware Claire needs therapy. She has middle child syndrome, big time. But, this relationship feels like the same level of development that my high school relationships had, and I’m about the same age as Claire is in the book (early 30s).
Ultimately, I couldn’t get past these issues, and will not be finishing the book.
(Unless, it is a crime thriller and I just haven’t got to the murder yet?? Someone let me know)
Received ARC via publisher on NetGalley
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun, SEXY, Cinderella style romance between a Filipino American aspiring cookie decorator and the hot billionaire she accidentally almost runs over. When Claire runs into Nate (literally) the sparks are instantaneous and she is unable to resist his many charms. This was such a fun love story but you really have to suspend reality to enjoy it fully. For me this was somewhat of a cross between Arsenic and adobo and Crazy rich Asians. I enjoyed it for the entertaining escapist read and the steamy open door love scenes. Highly recommend and great on audio!
bookworm472's review
2.0
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. It had all the makings of a Hallmark movie, but the dialogue seemed very robotic. I’m not sure if it was the writing or the narrating. It made it difficult to enjoy the story.
acciolibris's review
I really wanted to like this book, but the romance is incredibly rushed, forced, and unrealistic. The author’s description of a Filipino family and the family dynamics are wonderful, but the romance totally sunk this book. There’s no buildup and there’s no ‘getting to know you’ stage. In the course of one day, Claire meets a stranger, goes on a date, and suddenly they’re dating like they’ve known each other for weeks? The author definitely has potential, but this romance unfortunately falls flat.
jackiepreston's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Dementia, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy
jessential_reads's review
3.0
** thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for giving me an early copy in exchange for my honest review **
This was a fun fast paced book, I read it in 2 days. I'm not a fan of instant love but this book was ok, I read the premise so I knew what I was getting myself into. For any hopeless romantic out there this is for you. Claire is swept away by the handsome, billionaire philanthropist Nate Noruta. She has never felt so intensely for someone and he seems to do everything to make her happy but they come from two very different worlds. Claire is very close to her family, she is a people pleaser and she always wants to do the right thing for everyone, however she also has her own dream of becoming an entrepreneur and have her own cookie business. She is afraid that by being with Nate she will need to give up on her dreams and lose herself in the process, she also struggles to meet her family's expectations and dive into what she really loves to do, which is baking. Will she let her insecurities get in the way of what she feels for Nate? will she find the courage to launch her business and let go of what her family expects from her? Can she find a balance between Nate’s world and her dreams?
I was very pleased with this book in general, although the whole finding a billionaire to fall head over heels for you is not relatable at all, Claire’s struggles and the relationship with her family was. I loved her sweet, caring way of taking care of her Lola (grandma) and trying to get her sisters to reconcile. You can see she tries to please everyone and is afraid to let her voice be heard, I found that very relatable. Even when I got frustrated with her at times I understood her because I'm the same way. So, the book will not reinvent the wheel but it was entertaining and because I connected with Claire I was able to feel for her in some situations. The smut was really steamy and we had a few of those scenes throughout the book which is always a plus for me. I was really dissatisfied with the ending, did she just give up on her dream of being an entrepreneur to be with Nate, would they figure it out later? What was Claire’s grand gesture to get Nate to forgive her, she just showed up where he was and he figured it out so he walked off his anger? Open endings for me are just so underwhelming for me. Other than that the rest was good, I squealed, I laughed, I almost cried only because I'm very close with my grandma too and that just really got to me. If you are looking for a fast, enjoyable, instant love, fairytale in modern age romance, this is a good book to tickle your fancy.
This was a fun fast paced book, I read it in 2 days. I'm not a fan of instant love but this book was ok, I read the premise so I knew what I was getting myself into. For any hopeless romantic out there this is for you. Claire is swept away by the handsome, billionaire philanthropist Nate Noruta. She has never felt so intensely for someone and he seems to do everything to make her happy but they come from two very different worlds. Claire is very close to her family, she is a people pleaser and she always wants to do the right thing for everyone, however she also has her own dream of becoming an entrepreneur and have her own cookie business. She is afraid that by being with Nate she will need to give up on her dreams and lose herself in the process, she also struggles to meet her family's expectations and dive into what she really loves to do, which is baking. Will she let her insecurities get in the way of what she feels for Nate? will she find the courage to launch her business and let go of what her family expects from her? Can she find a balance between Nate’s world and her dreams?
I was very pleased with this book in general, although the whole finding a billionaire to fall head over heels for you is not relatable at all, Claire’s struggles and the relationship with her family was. I loved her sweet, caring way of taking care of her Lola (grandma) and trying to get her sisters to reconcile. You can see she tries to please everyone and is afraid to let her voice be heard, I found that very relatable. Even when I got frustrated with her at times I understood her because I'm the same way. So, the book will not reinvent the wheel but it was entertaining and because I connected with Claire I was able to feel for her in some situations. The smut was really steamy and we had a few of those scenes throughout the book which is always a plus for me. I was really dissatisfied with the ending, did she just give up on her dream of being an entrepreneur to be with Nate, would they figure it out later? What was Claire’s grand gesture to get Nate to forgive her, she just showed up where he was and he figured it out so he walked off his anger? Open endings for me are just so underwhelming for me. Other than that the rest was good, I squealed, I laughed, I almost cried only because I'm very close with my grandma too and that just really got to me. If you are looking for a fast, enjoyable, instant love, fairytale in modern age romance, this is a good book to tickle your fancy.
powersureater's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
How to Survive a Modern-Day Fairy Tale was a lukewarm romance to me for me for three-quarters of the book. It didn’t do anything to offend me but it wasn’t memorable either. Claire was likeable and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with her lola and sisters, as well as her fear of taking risks and chasing her dreams. Nate, even after finishing the book, is very much an unknown. We don’t really get to learn much about who he is and that is a major factor in why I didn’t care for their relationship.
I don’t agree with the ending - I think it completely undermines Claire’s growth and arc that we had been building towards. I understand that goals and dreams change but it didn’t been like the logical conclusion for her based on what she had been expressing for 95% of the book. Also, Nate was doing some emotional manipulation in one of their scenes and I’m not there for that! If that was the extent of developing his character, I could have done without.
How to Survive a Modern-Day Fairy Tale was a lukewarm romance to me for me for three-quarters of the book. It didn’t do anything to offend me but it wasn’t memorable either. Claire was likeable and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with her lola and sisters, as well as her fear of taking risks and chasing her dreams. Nate, even after finishing the book, is very much an unknown. We don’t really get to learn much about who he is and that is a major factor in why I didn’t care for their relationship.
I don’t agree with the ending - I think it completely undermines Claire’s growth and arc that we had been building towards. I understand that goals and dreams change but it didn’t been like the logical conclusion for her based on what she had been expressing for 95% of the book. Also, Nate was doing some emotional manipulation in one of their scenes and I’m not there for that! If that was the extent of developing his character, I could have done without.