Hello! I’m here for what will probably be my last blog post of the year to review my latest win from BookishFirst. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**
2020 truly is the year I’ve surpassed so many of my reading goals. I might dive into specifics and statistics in another post, but since I’ve used books as my clutch to get me through this heinous year, let’s just say I’ve read a lot. This year I also discovered BookishFirst, which truly has allowed me to keep track on some new releases and gave me the chance to win a few early copies for myself. I’ve already discussed several of my prior wins and claims, so today I’ll be talking about Fairy Godmothers, Inc. a hilarious romance [first] in a new series by Saranna DeWylde. The week this book was up for grabs there were some other terrifc options (true crime novel We Thought We Knew You and mystery/thriller Every Last Fear), but I tend to gravitate towards the romance genre. I’m really glad I picked this one up – I had a great time while reading and now I have more books in this world to look forward to in the future.
Ever After, Missouri is in dire need of some magic. Fairy godmothers Petunia, Jonquil, and Bluebonnet realize that love is the source of all magic in the universe, and what better way to bring some love back into the town than a wedding. Yeah, it may be a fake wedding, but it’ll bring some business back to town. They recuit their godchildren, Lucky Fujiki and Ransom Payne, to help with their mission. However, their chances for success seem somewhat slim, as Lucky and Ransom tried their chance at love before, with disasterous results. Plus, Lucky has a bit of an unlucky streak (or a lot, but who’s counting), so she’s afraid to let herself get close to Ransom again, for fear of hurting him, his reputation, and his business even more than she already has. Can the power of love truly save the couple and the town? Only the fairy tale will tell.
This book truly was delightful. There were certain events that were borderline ridiculous (especially with Lucky’s curse, I started to roll my eyes a bit), but the author really leaned into the antics, and the book didn’t try to take itself too seriously. I’m usually not one to root for second chance romances, but Lucky and Ransom truly had my heart. They both made mistakes in college, and have learned to grow and move on from them, or have tried to since their reputations seem to follow them everywhere. But I thought a really important turning point for Lucky was when she stood up for Ransom against those reporters, and said what ever reader was secretly thinking – that sure, they messed up in the past, but people change and shouldn’t be [solely] judged for their past actions. I really enjoyed the chapters from the godmothers perspective, as their sisterly banter was relatable and enjoyable, and they truly wanted what was best for their town and their godchildren (even their informal ones). Once I grew accustomed to Lucky’s streak of god awful luck, I started realize there was so much more to her storyline – here’s someone who brings out the worst in everything, sometimes on purpose but most times accidentally, and through it all she feels like removing herself from other people’s lives, even those she cares so deeply about, is truly the only solution. But she doesn’t take into account what they want – they choose to embrace Lucky for all that she is, flaws and all. And I think that’s just plain wonderful. I also found something the godmothers said to Ransom quite interesting – he was wondering if he and Lucky were going to get their happily ever after, and what they told him was that sure, if they have fairy godmothers it’s practically a given, but the path to get there is all up to them. The book isn’t perfect, and there was a character reveal towards the end I found personally unnecessary, but overall I found the story bingeable, the characters likeable, and the world unforgettable.
I’m primarily a reader of young adult fiction, but whenever an adult book (whether from BookishFirst, other contests, personal purchase, etc.) comes in the mail, my mom will want to read it so we can discuss. I can gladly say she was a fan of this book as well (though occasionally she said it was “driving her crazy” and “she would have liked to see [something different plot-wise but spoilers]”). I’m glad I decided to pick up Fairy Godmothers, Inc. as I needed something fun to light up my life this holiday season. I can’t wait for the next book, Men are Frogs, where we follow Phillip – I truly do hope he finds his true love in Ever After. Fairy Godmothers, Inc. will be released on December 29th, 2020 (which is the day this post should go live if everything goes well) so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy if you’re at all interested. *Thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher, Kensington Books, for the copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Places to find Fairy Godmothers, Inc.:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Saranna DeWylde’s site
Kensington Books
Thoughts About Things 