Synopsis

Castillo Torres, Student Body Association event chair and serial planner could use a fairy godmother. After a disastrous mishap at her sister’s quinceañera, all of Cas’s plans are crumbling. So when a local lifestyle-guru-slash-party-planner opens up applications for the internship of her dreams, Cas sees it as the perfect opportunity to learn every trick in the book so that things never go wrong again.

The only catch is that she needs more party planning experience before she can apply. When she books a quinceañera for a teen Disneyland vlogger, Cas thinks her plan is taking off…until she finds that real life is more complicated than a fairy tale. Cas soon discovers that the party is just a publicity stunt, and she catches feelings for the chambelán. It’s clear that her agenda is about to go way off-script.

But maybe Happily Ever Afters aren’t just for the movies. Can Cas go from planner to participant in her own life? Or will this would-be princess turn into a pumpkin at the end of the ball?

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This book will be released on 5/28/24. Preorder today!

Review

Every now and then, I like to pick up a YA book. I decided on this one since it is coming out in a few days. The book started off a little slow for me, but it really picked up as I became engrossed in the characters’ lives and situations.

Cas and her sister Po are still reeling from their mother’s passing. Even their father is not handling his wife’s death very well. They are all in denial, and their reactions to situations vary from character to character. Cas wants to be a party planner and give everyone their own HEA. She even has her eyes set on an internship with a well known party planner once she completes another few events. Po has given up on going to college and has recently become obsessed with an influencer, Paulina, who shares all things Disney on her channel. Dad sits in his recliner when not at work and plays video games all night.

Despite the slow start, I really came to like these characters. It takes time to get to the root of the problem and for the family to come together and form a stronger bond. There are also lies and deception regarding Cas’ party planning side gig. This causes heartache and issues for multiple characters. But despite it all, the family does come together and their bond is stronger for all they endure. It just took conversations over delicious food to work itself out. I did drool over the food!

There is some comedic relief throughout the book, and I have to say that the idea of a Star Wars themed quinceañera is genius! It fits Paulina’s character perfectly. There are also several love connections for Cas and Po.

This is a heartwarming story and one I didn’t fully expect. We give it four paws up.

About the Author

As a lawyer and daughter of Guatemalan and Cuban bakers, Jessica C. Parra never objects to an extra slice of cake. She’s a Los Angeles native who loves to write about Latinas with big hair (and even bigger dreams), complicated families, cats living their best lives (all nine of them), and the healing magic of acceptance.

When she isn’t drafting books, you can find her sipping kombucha, cuddling with her kitties, or co-piloting the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge.

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