About the Book:
Abigail Gardner’s life is circling the drain. Her parents are dead, her “like a brother” BFF is in love with her, and her career as an art teacher has been squashed by an unfortunate viral incident involving sophomores and Spanx. But just as that whirlpool feels poised to suck her under, she’s granted a second chance: she lands a teaching job at Excelsior Primm, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most prestigious preparatory academies. Only problem is, instead of teaching art she’ll be stuck teaching her least favorite subject — literature — and her least favorite theme: tragedy.
Tired of being stuck in her own tragic tale, Abigail starts rewriting every sad ending she can get her hands on, in and out of the classroom. To her surprise, her life soon begins to resemble the fairy tales she adores—great job, hot guy, a career gaining recognition. But when an unexpected plot twist threatens to derail her happy ending, Abigail starts to realize why these outcomes are so hard to come by.
Review:
Years after losing both her parents, Abigail regains her passion for art as a high school art teacher. However, after an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction and the help of social media, Abigail is let go from that position. She believes she's found redemption at competing school, Excelsior Primm, but is instead offered a literature position. Abigail tries to make the best of it, getting to know her kids well, and having them relate to the grim tragedies in the curriculum. When Abigail reluctantly takes on the task of revamping the drama club, she sees the chance to give the students an opportunity to rewrite and perform the ending of Romeo and Juliet. With the help of super cute teacher Nate and cantankerous janitor, Mitch, Abigail might just pull off a successful production and give Romeo and Juliet a happily ever after.
When Happily Ever After Fails is a sweet and comedic romance. Abigail's character is working on herself and some moments of this journey are difficult. She is insecure, unsure of her own emotions and decisions and still finding her way as an adult. I liked Abigail's journey at Excelsior Primm, taking on a role that she didn't think she wanted only to become attached to the students and finding passion with the drama club. Through her class and drama club, Abigail learns to focus on, love and improve herself. Abigail's relationship with Nate was cute with many funny moments. Their relationship showed a lot of patience and understanding as they dealt with larger issues. Mitch, the custodian, was probably my favorite character. I enjoyed his interactions with the students as well as Abigail, showing that growth and change is possible throughout life.
Abigail Gardner’s life is circling the drain. Her parents are dead, her “like a brother” BFF is in love with her, and her career as an art teacher has been squashed by an unfortunate viral incident involving sophomores and Spanx. But just as that whirlpool feels poised to suck her under, she’s granted a second chance: she lands a teaching job at Excelsior Primm, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most prestigious preparatory academies. Only problem is, instead of teaching art she’ll be stuck teaching her least favorite subject — literature — and her least favorite theme: tragedy.
Tired of being stuck in her own tragic tale, Abigail starts rewriting every sad ending she can get her hands on, in and out of the classroom. To her surprise, her life soon begins to resemble the fairy tales she adores—great job, hot guy, a career gaining recognition. But when an unexpected plot twist threatens to derail her happy ending, Abigail starts to realize why these outcomes are so hard to come by.
Review:
Years after losing both her parents, Abigail regains her passion for art as a high school art teacher. However, after an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction and the help of social media, Abigail is let go from that position. She believes she's found redemption at competing school, Excelsior Primm, but is instead offered a literature position. Abigail tries to make the best of it, getting to know her kids well, and having them relate to the grim tragedies in the curriculum. When Abigail reluctantly takes on the task of revamping the drama club, she sees the chance to give the students an opportunity to rewrite and perform the ending of Romeo and Juliet. With the help of super cute teacher Nate and cantankerous janitor, Mitch, Abigail might just pull off a successful production and give Romeo and Juliet a happily ever after.
When Happily Ever After Fails is a sweet and comedic romance. Abigail's character is working on herself and some moments of this journey are difficult. She is insecure, unsure of her own emotions and decisions and still finding her way as an adult. I liked Abigail's journey at Excelsior Primm, taking on a role that she didn't think she wanted only to become attached to the students and finding passion with the drama club. Through her class and drama club, Abigail learns to focus on, love and improve herself. Abigail's relationship with Nate was cute with many funny moments. Their relationship showed a lot of patience and understanding as they dealt with larger issues. Mitch, the custodian, was probably my favorite character. I enjoyed his interactions with the students as well as Abigail, showing that growth and change is possible throughout life.
About the Author:
COURTNEY DEANE has been a writer and pursuer of happily-ever-afters since she can remember. As a full-time freelance writer, her days are spent working for print, digital, and broadcast entities, as well as for a variety of PR and marketing clients.
She continues her craft by dedicating some space each day to work on her fiction books. After both of her parents died, Deane worked to turn those tragedies into something beautiful—an effort that inspired her debut novel, When Happily Ever After Fails.
She holds bachelor’s degrees in English and sociology from UC Irvine and a master’s in journalism from USC. Deane lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog—her very own happily-ever-after. Learn more on her website at http://www.courtneydeane.com/.
Follow Courtney Deane on social media:
Facebook: Courtney Deane | Instagram: @AuthorCourtneyDeane
TikTok: @CourtneyDeane | YouTube: @CourtneyDeane
An Interview with Courtney Deane:
Rom-coms have always been wildly popular. What are you bringing to this genre as a writer?
I’d like to think I’m bringing a fresh spin – though I’m sure every author would like to think that! I appreciate that tropes and formulas exist for a reason, but I’m not a fan of predictability or sticking to “what works.” Yes, this is a rom-com and some of the expected elements are there, but I believe this book has a modern, unique take on these traditions. Because, as we know, happily ever after IS possible…but it may look different than you pictured! ;)
Do you see yourself in any of the characters?
It would be weird if I didn’t say Abigail, right? LOL. There are certainly elements of myself in Abigail, though we are two VERY different people. Like Abigail, my father died of ALS and my mother kind of didn’t recover after his death and failed to take care of herself, which was ultimately her demise. Many (okay, all) of Abigail’s thoughts and perspectives on the subjects of death and parents are from my own experience, but the way she processes them is different from my own.
In thinking about this, though, I guess I kind of did what Abigail did in that I went out and wrote a book hoping that would give this situation a “happily ever after.” That’s not all that different from Abigail changing a play’s ending in the hopes of dodging tragedy for herself and her class. Interesting…
What is your favorite romance movie of all time, and why?
I’m kind of an irreverent person (if we’re not laughing, what’s the point?), so I lean toward the love stories that have some heart AND humor. On that note, you can’t beat “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Always Be My Maybe,” and “Chasing Amy.”
Stories that tug at you and make you feel the longing really resonate with me as well. With that in mind, I love “The Notebook” and the “Before” trilogy (Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight).
Finally, you have to hand it to “Love Actually” for capturing so many different types of loves – and bonus points that not every plot has a happy ending!
What do you hope readers take away from “When Happily Ever After Fails?”
Two things.
One, I hope it gives them a glimpse into what grief and survival can look like for someone who has seemingly “lost it all” (or, at least, a BIG part of who they were and how we identify - our families).
Two, I really wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a crowded room. Your grief, feelings, and circumstances don’t have to reflect mine to understand what it’s like to feel marooned on an island where no one else is around and help doesn’t seem like it can be found. Please, please know that THESE are the people I wrote this book for.
COURTNEY DEANE has been a writer and pursuer of happily-ever-afters since she can remember. As a full-time freelance writer, her days are spent working for print, digital, and broadcast entities, as well as for a variety of PR and marketing clients.
She continues her craft by dedicating some space each day to work on her fiction books. After both of her parents died, Deane worked to turn those tragedies into something beautiful—an effort that inspired her debut novel, When Happily Ever After Fails.
She holds bachelor’s degrees in English and sociology from UC Irvine and a master’s in journalism from USC. Deane lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog—her very own happily-ever-after. Learn more on her website at http://www.courtneydeane.com/.
Follow Courtney Deane on social media:
Facebook: Courtney Deane | Instagram: @AuthorCourtneyDeane
TikTok: @CourtneyDeane | YouTube: @CourtneyDeane
An Interview with Courtney Deane:
Rom-coms have always been wildly popular. What are you bringing to this genre as a writer?
I’d like to think I’m bringing a fresh spin – though I’m sure every author would like to think that! I appreciate that tropes and formulas exist for a reason, but I’m not a fan of predictability or sticking to “what works.” Yes, this is a rom-com and some of the expected elements are there, but I believe this book has a modern, unique take on these traditions. Because, as we know, happily ever after IS possible…but it may look different than you pictured! ;)
Do you see yourself in any of the characters?
It would be weird if I didn’t say Abigail, right? LOL. There are certainly elements of myself in Abigail, though we are two VERY different people. Like Abigail, my father died of ALS and my mother kind of didn’t recover after his death and failed to take care of herself, which was ultimately her demise. Many (okay, all) of Abigail’s thoughts and perspectives on the subjects of death and parents are from my own experience, but the way she processes them is different from my own.
In thinking about this, though, I guess I kind of did what Abigail did in that I went out and wrote a book hoping that would give this situation a “happily ever after.” That’s not all that different from Abigail changing a play’s ending in the hopes of dodging tragedy for herself and her class. Interesting…
What is your favorite romance movie of all time, and why?
I’m kind of an irreverent person (if we’re not laughing, what’s the point?), so I lean toward the love stories that have some heart AND humor. On that note, you can’t beat “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Always Be My Maybe,” and “Chasing Amy.”
Stories that tug at you and make you feel the longing really resonate with me as well. With that in mind, I love “The Notebook” and the “Before” trilogy (Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight).
Finally, you have to hand it to “Love Actually” for capturing so many different types of loves – and bonus points that not every plot has a happy ending!
What do you hope readers take away from “When Happily Ever After Fails?”
Two things.
One, I hope it gives them a glimpse into what grief and survival can look like for someone who has seemingly “lost it all” (or, at least, a BIG part of who they were and how we identify - our families).
Two, I really wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a crowded room. Your grief, feelings, and circumstances don’t have to reflect mine to understand what it’s like to feel marooned on an island where no one else is around and help doesn’t seem like it can be found. Please, please know that THESE are the people I wrote this book for.
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