Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'
And They Lived Happily Ever After by Therese Beharrie
12 reviews
ambi_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, and Grief
holyhead_harpie's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A unique take on magic in a relationship and the impact it has on people; lots of vivid dreams.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent
Mentions/discussion of family abandonment; mention/discussion of foster carejenna_justi2004's review
challenging
dark
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, Car accident, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
victoriafrombookclub's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
thereadersays's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief
paperangel's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
porshea's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Sometimes authors can take a motif and explore its numerous meanings in a way that is both unassuming and delightful. In Therese Beharrie’s And They Lived Happily Ever After, the author achieves this feat by traversing the realm of dreams—real and imaginary.
The protagonist of the novel, Gaia Anders, is a romance author who inexplicably finds herself completing the stories that she writes each time she enters a dream. Over the course of her successful career, she has accepted this magical ability without questioning its origin any further than perhaps having inherited it by her long-dead parents who she can barely remember. So the shock and tumultuous emotions she feels after she finds herself actively interacting with her best friend’s younger brother and most recent kiss partner in her vivid, magically-enhanced dream writing stirs up her anxiety disorder in ways that has her questioning everything—from how he, Jacob, gained entry into her dreams to if she can trust him with the knowledge of her abilities when she’s kept them secret for so long. To even the load of emotional baggage, Jacob has a lot of inner turmoil that he too is afraid of unveiling to anyone. An acknowledged workaholic, he has spent his first eight years outside of college sinking his consciousness into returning glory to the floundering family business that his father and brother abandoned in honor of his late mother. His conflicting feelings about maintaining this success, being unfulfilled by this work, and general detachment and smoldering resentment towards his remaining family all consume his thoughts, which have been awakened after his consensual fondling of Gaia at his brother’s party.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/11/the-plot-thickens-and-they-lived-happily-ever-after/
The protagonist of the novel, Gaia Anders, is a romance author who inexplicably finds herself completing the stories that she writes each time she enters a dream. Over the course of her successful career, she has accepted this magical ability without questioning its origin any further than perhaps having inherited it by her long-dead parents who she can barely remember. So the shock and tumultuous emotions she feels after she finds herself actively interacting with her best friend’s younger brother and most recent kiss partner in her vivid, magically-enhanced dream writing stirs up her anxiety disorder in ways that has her questioning everything—from how he, Jacob, gained entry into her dreams to if she can trust him with the knowledge of her abilities when she’s kept them secret for so long. To even the load of emotional baggage, Jacob has a lot of inner turmoil that he too is afraid of unveiling to anyone. An acknowledged workaholic, he has spent his first eight years outside of college sinking his consciousness into returning glory to the floundering family business that his father and brother abandoned in honor of his late mother. His conflicting feelings about maintaining this success, being unfulfilled by this work, and general detachment and smoldering resentment towards his remaining family all consume his thoughts, which have been awakened after his consensual fondling of Gaia at his brother’s party.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/11/the-plot-thickens-and-they-lived-happily-ever-after/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
allisonwonderlandreads's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This contemporary romance delivers on emotions, humor, and that extra spark of something literally magical. Gaia is a romance writer who dreams what she wrote about that day, filling the starring role. In the dream, she can adjust what happens as she experiences the story. When Gaia wakes up, her draft is already adjusted to match these improvements. Normally too anxious to get close to people in the real world, Gaia is surprised by how comfortable she feels around her best friend's brother, Jacob. A flirty exchange escalates to a steamy kiss, and that night, Jacob finds himself playing the hero in one of Gaia's dreams. Now they must contend with the fact that Jacob has somehow been drawn in by her writing magic and is destined to act in her romance plots in the dream world.
I have found it suprisingly difficult as a great fan of romance and magic to find an intersection that works for me, and this book completely nailed it. It's primarily a romance with all the strengths of the genre that leave me swooning and deep in my feels at different moments. Gaia's role as a romance author provided multiple layers to appreciate all that the genre can do for its readers and the importance of the messages it can convey. This is one of the good ones, people, with all the sexiest features: clear communication, consent, and supporting/pushing each other through big life changes *major heart eyes.*
The real world elements of the book are heavy in the sense that there are complex struggles and emotions on hand; particularly check the author's content warnings for anxiety, panic attacks, and a childhood in the foster care system. Being a romance novel, these topics are attacked head on as part of the characters' ultimately joyful journey. I most love romances with a full range of emotions, and this one delivered. It explores relationships with family, friends, and careers, offering complete side plots that add dimension to our understanding of the characters' lives. The magic added a touch of excitement and wonder with perfect scenarios for funny encounters, and I enjoyed this embellishment with enthusiasm.
This is a strong romance novel in any way you care to measure it. A complete knockout. Thanks to Kensington for my copy to read and review!
I have found it suprisingly difficult as a great fan of romance and magic to find an intersection that works for me, and this book completely nailed it. It's primarily a romance with all the strengths of the genre that leave me swooning and deep in my feels at different moments. Gaia's role as a romance author provided multiple layers to appreciate all that the genre can do for its readers and the importance of the messages it can convey. This is one of the good ones, people, with all the sexiest features: clear communication, consent, and supporting/pushing each other through big life changes *major heart eyes.*
The real world elements of the book are heavy in the sense that there are complex struggles and emotions on hand; particularly check the author's content warnings for anxiety, panic attacks, and a childhood in the foster care system. Being a romance novel, these topics are attacked head on as part of the characters' ultimately joyful journey. I most love romances with a full range of emotions, and this one delivered. It explores relationships with family, friends, and careers, offering complete side plots that add dimension to our understanding of the characters' lives. The magic added a touch of excitement and wonder with perfect scenarios for funny encounters, and I enjoyed this embellishment with enthusiasm.
This is a strong romance novel in any way you care to measure it. A complete knockout. Thanks to Kensington for my copy to read and review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Grief