The Truth About Happily Ever After

by Karole Cozzo

[Sam@WLABB]

Alyssa was so excited to be returning to Enchanted Dominion to reprise her role as Cinderella. Not only would she be working in one of her favorite places, but she would be reunited with her long distance boyfriend, Jake. Now, she could get started on making her happily ever after a reality. But, her mirth quickly fades, as the cracks in her and Jake's relationship grow bigger and bigger, until it all crumbles. Down and Out, Alyssa must come to terms with what she thought was true and the reality of her situation, but maybe an HEA isn't totally out of reach for her.

I am going to start with the one thing that really bothered me, and it was Cozzo perpetuating outdated stereotypes of sorority women. My fraternity has been around for almost 150 years and boasts 151 active collegiate chapters and over 200 alumnae chapters. I would like to think that not every women is exactly like the other, and I can say my sisters did not fit any the stereotypes, that has been peddled via TV and movies for ages. So, yeah, it bothered me, but I fortunately was able to roll my eyes, move past it, and enjoy Alyssa's story.

Alyssa was a rather complex character. On the surface, she was all glitz and smiles, but there was a lot of substance underneath the shiny topcoat, and I enjoyed getting to know her better. She was genuinely a nice and good person, and I am glad Cozzo let that side of her shine.

I won't lie, Part I of the book was not my favorite, because it's where Alyssa's life was declining. It was sad for me to watch her put herself out there, time after time, while knowing in my heart, that Jake's interest had waned. I saw the complication coming from a mile a way, but what really solidified my distaste for this man was when he revealed the whole story. UGH! So wrong, yet so realistic. Maybe that's why it cut me so deeply.

But, alas, Part II was wonderful! It was a pleasure seeing Alyssa, free of her shackles, exploring new things. I especially loved her friendship with Miller, who was just an absolute sweet little cinnamon roll of a guy. He was all about lifting her up and restoring her faith and confidence in herself, and she really needed it.

Not only was Alyssa unceremoniously dumped, but she also had to deal with the day-to-day scrutinization of her physical appearance. Many jobs have tough requirements, when it comes to appearance, and I guess you can call it the dark side of theme park employment, but princesses were expected to look a certain way. Though Alyssa was cognizant of when she was going overboard with her dieting and exercise, it bordered on obsession. However, this was the price she was willing to pay to wear that ballgown.

Aside from my love for Alyssa and Miller, Alyssa had a fantastic trio of friends. The friendship this quartet shared was fierce, and I loved the way they worked to support one another. When we saw her theme park friendship directly contrast with her school friendship, it's easy to see how it was deeper and more real. That went along with Alyssa's personas. School Alyssa was more surface deep, but there were so many additional layers to park Alyssa, and it was fantastic peeling them back, one by one.

I also adored the setting. Enchanted Dominion was some sort of Disney hybrid, and Cozzo went the extra mile offering some really great detailed descriptions of the park and the various events held therein. I liked all the extras we got, and I could see some of those places so clearly.

Overall: I happily took this journey with Alyssa as she came back from a crushing disappointment to seek her new idea of happily ever after. Friendships, a sweet romance, and a magical setting made this an enjoyable read for me, and will keep me coming back for more of Cozzo's work.

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