A charming, swoon-worthy age-gap romance from USA Today Bestselling Author Kim Bailey.Can one unforgettable kiss turn a disheartened cynic into a hopeless romantic?After winning his battle against cancer, Caleb Anderson believes in happy endings. Now he prides himself on living each day to the fullest, seeking adventure every chance he gets. Yet, no matter how he fills his days, he still feels … matter how he fills his days, he still feels incomplete.
Until he meets Zadie, with her strong will and sad eyes. With one glance his heart tells him he’s found the one.
Zadie Fisher’s track record with relationships is littered with disappointment and heartbreak. If her past taught her anything, it’s that following her heart only leads to pain. Still, she can’t deny the unmistakable chemistry she’s found with Caleb.
But when fate hands Zadie another unexpected blow, the news overshadows her budding hope for the future. Now it’s up to Caleb to convince her to take a chance and believe in happily ever after.
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I loved this book! Kim Bailey has written a beautiful story in her usual engaging and witty style. I laughed out loud twice before the end of the second chapter. Her character development is rich, giving them depth and complexity. I’ve loved the character of Caleb since meeting him as a charmingly funny, brave, loving teenager in Complex Kisses. At twenty-one, he’s matured into a gorgeous, sensitive, wise man with a zest for life and a loving open heart. His slow-burning romance with Zadie is a sweet, emotional journey that tugs at your heartstrings. Zadie’s wounded soul was the perfect foible for Caleb’s steady, healing devotion. Enriched by the secondary character Chante, Caleb’s cousin and Zadie’s best friend, Fairytale Kisses gives us not only their happy ever after but an intriguing twist I never saw coming! It really was a fairytale come true. This book was a joy to read and I cannot wait for the next one!
I loved Fairytale Kisses (Here & Now, Book 2) which is the third book in this sexy, romance novel series by Kim Bailey. I have loved Caleb Anderson, the guy at the center of the romance in this novel, since I was introduced to him in the first book in this series. Caleb in that book was undergoing cancer treatments at the age of fourteen; when we meet him in this book he is now twenty-one, and trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life. Caleb is enrolled in college while he lives at home with his parents, who are quite over-protective, scared that something else might happen to him as if they still can’t quite believe that he beat cancer. During a break from school Caleb visits his cousin, Chantal, who lives in Montreal. He then meets Chantal’s best friend, Zadie when they visit the nightclub where Zadie works. Caleb is asked by Chantal to take an intoxicated Zadie home when Chantal, who is an ER doctor, unexpectedly gets called into work shortly after they arrive. Zadie is drunk because her boyfriend, Sean, has just moved out of her apartment for the second time. Caleb is very attracted to Zadie but keeps his promise to his cousin to get her home safely, but not before they share a passionate kiss. Zadie makes it clear to Caleb that she only wants to be friends after she’s sobered up, and tells him that she doesn’t believe in love or “happily ever after”. After Caleb returns home from Montreal and starts his second year of college, he can’t get Zadie off of his mind, even after her rejection. He decides to withdraw from college, go back to Montreal to move in with Chantal, and try to convince Zadie to give him a chance. What happens after that is even more complicated than either of them could have imagined!
I love Kim Bailey’s characters, they are complex and wonderful. She describes them so well that I feel like I can see them right in front of me, especially Caleb, who is such a good guy and so romantic that all I’ve ever wanted is for him to be happy. I have loved all of the books in this series, and I can’t wait until Chantal and Dylan’s book (Book 3) comes out! I obviously highly recommend this book!
This story was truly a fairytale with memorable, lovable characters, obstacles to overcome and so much hope and love. One of a kind, steal your heart read that will have you wishing Caleb and Zadie’s story never ends!
4.5 stars for me
Zadie and Caleb’s love story has just about every obstacle thrown at them and yet Caleb perseveres. He may be young but he’s one hell of a man. I loved the dual POV in this book – I really enjoy getting both sides of the story. I enjoyed catching up with characters from other books and seeing what everyone is up to. There are some major plot twists and enough angst to keep things moving along. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a love story that’s believable and sweet at the same time. Caleb is the best kind of BBF.
Caleb is all grown up now! He escaped his family to go spend time with his cousin. While out at a bar Chante finds her best friend, Zadie, completely drunk and tells Caleb to make sure that she gets home. Being the nice guy that he is he agrees, when he actually sees Zadie he is not at all bothered with the task. While making conversation with her, he finds out that she does not believe in love. Caleb is a huge believer in love, and he wants Zadie to believe too. He basically ends up making it his personal mission to get her to believe in love again…
These 2 have a few obstacles to throw them off. Well I should say that Zadie gets thrown off. Caleb doesn’t see them as a deterrent. Zadie does her best to push him away, but he wont let her do it. This is a great story about a woman who is terrified to love and a man that will not take no for an answer (but not in a sexual predator kind of way). And the drama that happens to attempt to tear them apart when they FINALLY get together was a complete and total shock in the best way! I was not expecting anything even close. This is most definitely a book that I will read again!
Do you believe in fairytales? Whether you answered yes or no, Kim Bailey’s Fairytale Kisses, book two in the Here & Now series, will give you a compelling argument in favor of happy ever after.
Caleb Anderson believes in fairytales. The love at first sight. The promise of forever. The enchantment of it all. After battling cancer and defying death he deserves to believe that there is a woman out there made just for him. And he thinks he’s found her.
Zadie Fisher does not believe in fairytales. The happy ever after. The true love. The soulmates. After what she has been through she knows it’s all a load of crap. Until him.
Can two opposites make their own fairytale and find happy ever after together?
Let me start with Zadie. She is older than Caleb and annoying as hell. The way she kept pushing him away really got to me. Yeah, I get it, but come on give the poor guy a chance. Once she finally accepts how she feels, I started to like her. I didn’t completely climb up on the Zadie bandwagon, but she was someone I could tolerate by the end.
So, Caleb. He is sweet, charismatic, and honest. In a word he is perfect. He was relentless in his pursuit of Zadie. I love when a guy goes after what he wants and doesn’t give up until he has it. Honestly though I would have understood if he had given up on Zadie and her stubbornness. He dealt with a lot in his life before he met her and he is a survivor. To still be able to believe in fairytales after all of that is amazing. If anyone deserves to not believe it is him, yet he chooses to do the opposite. He captured my heart with his strength and I wanted to swoop in and smack Zadie away from him and love him myself.
Kim wrote a wonderfully engaging story that is worthy of a fairytale, even when it didn’t seem like one. The pace was set perfectly. No matter how much Zadie irritated me I still love their story and would love to read more about Caleb. Also, that twist. Where did that come from?
FOUR enchanting stars!
Fairytale Kisses by Kim Bailey is book 2 of her Here & Now series. It can be read as a standalone but does include characters from Complex Kisses (book 1) and Illicit Kisses (book 1.5).
“Hung up on childish fantasies, looking for a princess to save; true love, epic romance—am I fooling myself? Probably. But part of me has always believed, always known, this is life’s purpose.” – Caleb
What an amazing and heart warming story that has you believing in finding love. But this isn’t quite a fairytale and Kim Bailey throws in an unexpected surprise towards the end that leaves you eager to read the next books in this series to see what happens with certain characters. I love that Kim Bailey shows how battling cancer can be turned into a positive experience and even though lives change, you can embrace those changes and forge yourself a new path.
“Fairy tales are just stories. What I want is something more, something real. The only kind of fairy tale I’ll accept is one we make together.” – Caleb
I did become frustrated with Zadie as she blew hot and cold with Caleb but after showing so much determination as a teenager when faced with something no one his age should face, he doesn’t let her put him off and he remains focused on his hopes for the future. I really felt for Caleb who struggled to find his way and build a life that fulfilled him but meeting Zadie changed this and set him on the path that was his. Caleb was also just the guy to give Zadie hope and the strength to take a chance after spending so long not believing that love was worth the risk. I love this couple and hope to see more of them in the next books of the series.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book and all opinions are my own