Have you heard about the one where Prince Charming falls for the Ugly Stepsister?Darby Livingston is a survivor. If she can survive breast cancer, she can survive the humiliation of accidently flashing her pink panties to a stranger. A sexy doesn’t believe in fairy tales stranger called Reid. Reid is the key to making Darby’s amateur theater production of Cinderella a success, so she’ll swallow … Cinderella a success, so she’ll swallow her pride and beg, bribe, or use her feminine wiles to secure his help, because the play’s donation to a cancer charity means everything to her.
Reid Hudson is used to being judged and ridiculed for his ability to sew amazing wedding gowns for Invercargill’s boutique bridal shop, Next Stop Vegas. Whatever. He’s a man who knows who he is and what he wants in life. But on the list of things Reid Hudson doesn’t want… A) To be roped into costume-making for a cast of wanna-be divas. B) To discover an off-the-charts attraction with the play’s Ugly Stepsister, Darby. And C) To fall in love with that feisty and funny woman who has no guarantee of a happy ever after.
Along with her terrier side-kick, Duke, can Darby convince nude celebs Reid that if the shoe/slipper fits, maybe she’s The One he’s been looking for all along?
Praise for Tracey Alvarez’s books!
“It’s official…I’m hooked on this series! I want to jump on a plane and fly to this island, because apparently they grow them big and HOT in New Zealand…men that is!!!” ~ Swept Away By Romance
“Perfection comes in many shapes and forms, and Ms Alvarez delivers in her contemporary voice and quirky character traits that make a distinctive difference between average and stellar storytelling.” ~ InD’Tale Magazine
“Just as the must-read series of Donna Kauffman (The Bachelors of Blueberry Cove), Jill Shalvis (Lucky Harbor), Terri Osburn (Anchor Island), Marie Force (The McCarthys of Gansett Island), Sherryl Woods (Chesapeake Shores) have entranced me with their seaside settings and caring communities – so has Tracey Alvarez – and I’m adding her series to my must-read shelf too.”~ Fab Fantasy Fiction
Other Contemporary Romances by Tracey Alvarez
Stewart Island Series:
Book 1: In Too Deep. Featuring Piper and West.
Book 2: Melting Into You. Featuring Kezia and Ben.
Book 3: Ready To Burn. Featuring Shaye and Del.
Book 4: Christmas With You. Featuring Carly and Kip.
Book 5: My Forever Valentine. Due South Short Stories.
Book 6: Playing For Fun. Featuring Holly and Ford.
Book 7: Drawing Me In. Featuring Bree and Harley.
Book 7.5: Kissing The Bride. A Due South Short Story.
Book 8: Saying I Do. Featuring MacKenna and Joe.
Book 9: Home For Christmas. Stewart Island novella.
Book 10: Bending The Rules. Featuring Tilly and Noah.
Bounty Bay series:
Book 1: Hide Your Heart. Featuring Lauren and Nate.
Book 2: Know Your Heart. Featuring Savannah and Glen.
Book 3: Teach Your Heart. Featuring Gracie and Owen.
Book 4: Mend Your Heart. Featuring Natalie and Isaac.
Book 5: Break My Heart. Featuring Vanessa and Sam.
Book 6: Tame My Heart. Featuring Tui and Kyle.more
Loved it
Good read
I loved that it addresses the breast cancer issue for a young woman. The way that two people in love handle the pink elephant!
I laughed out loud several times, very enjoyable read!
Slow set up pretty good story
Interesting, not your typical Cinderella story with a twist. Even a ugly stepsister finds live.
Enjoyed the book throughout. Kept my interest even though suspected HEA.
I always enjoy Tracey Alvarez books. This one in particular, had quite a message with a punch. Cancer survivors live with both the hope of remission and the fear that it will recur. There will always be those who make fun, but there will also be those who love and defend them. Highly recommend this book!
Nice sweet romance.
Darby and Reid’s love story was enjoyable read.
After surviving cancer, Darby is trying to move on in life. Reid is a wedding planner and he meets Darby in one of the weddings. Their first meeting was cute with the Cinderella reference being thrown in. Then as they get more closer, they realize their love for each other. Naturally neither of them are willing to commit because of the cancer issues.
Though at times the story seemed slow, thoroughly enjoyed the romance. Lovely read.
I have been waiting for Reid’s story since I read Mackenna and Joe’s story in Saying I Do. Tracey Alvarez always manages to write characters who are unique, interesting, and believable. Darby is a young breast cancer survivor and Reid sews wedding gowns for a living. Love Everlasting combines humor (lots of it!), angst, romance and mortality to make an amazing story that I couldn’t put down.
A great read! Could not put it down until I finished it.
A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start. A tough topic to handle and Darby lives through it and feels she has a handle on it until Reid comes into the picture. Reid has his own way of handling his life and doesn’t feel he could get drawn into Darby’s life. Both have friends to help bring out the topic and help them deal with it. A great series and a standalone read.
Reid was a side character in a previous book and I am so glad he got his own book!!! Darby is adorable and quit sassy – loved her. She just doesn’t see herself like Reid and her friends do. I didn’t really understand how anyone could see her as the “ugly stepsister”. Reid has an outside obstacle to over come – well one that some put on him. These two have sparks flying at first sight!!! Loved their internal thoughts concerning each other and found myself laughing out loud. There is something that could keep them from falling forever. The ending was so sweet and made me smile. There are explicit moments in this book so beware. I requested a copy of this book these thoughts are my own.
4.5 stars
A very moving romance about a twenty-something breast cancer survivor and the man she’s afraid to love because of her uncertainty that her recovery will hold. Reid, the hero, is manly and yet he’s a whiz at the sewing machine! Plus I fell for the heroine’s doggy Duke and loved the fairytale lived on the stage of a community Cinderella production while the story off-stage is so centered on the harsh reality of rebuilding lives post-cancer for survivors and family members alike.
Plus, I love the setting of this romance series at the far southern end of New Zealand. Good, strong characters, both leads and their supporting cast of friends and family (and a conceited jerk or two who, in contrast, makes the hero and heroine all the more attractive).
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Darby is a breast cancer survivor and living life on her terms. She’s more Cindy than Cinderella but she’s comfortable in her sneakers. Meeting Reid who helps with her community theater production’s wardrobe, Darby learns he has his own history with the disease. The future is always an unknown but can these two take a chance on a disease that doesn’t discriminate? Fabulous Alvarez writing and characters. The fairy tale additive is adorable. The romance is great and the dialogue is witty. A great read!
I was given an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Love Everlasting maybe decades long or it may just be until cancer takes you away. This could be a really depressing book, but even though these characters have been ravaged by the effects of cancer on themselves or their loved ones they have persevered. Can they take one more step and take a chance on each other? This touching story is relatable to all of us one way or another, but it is also a sweet sexy romance with so many “feels”. Love, loved it.
“Love Everlasting” by Tracey Alvarez is amazing. This story has some very serious themes about cancer that I thought she handled with sensitivity and yet with humour and humanity interwoven. I loved this story. The characters were incredibly strong and had depth. The story arc was simple and straightforward. The supporting characters were vibrant and unique. It is a gem of a story. I read an ARC of this book and I freely offer this honest review, but I’ve pre-ordered the book to own a final copy when it is released.
Ms. Alvarez has a talent for writing about normal everyday people that grab our hearts. Darby is a slightly wacky cancer survivor. She loves bed taking the stage in the local theatre productions but dreams of being the leading lady. She’d love it if her Prince Charming would swoop in & express his everlasting love. She doesn’t think it will ever happen to her though.
Reid enjoys his job masterminding the organization of weddings & other events. He’s used to “bridezilla’s” but they still manage to surprise him. His boss has volunteered him to assist with the costumes for the production of Cinderella in exchange for publicity. If he has to work with Darby, this may not be so bad.
This was an enchanting story about the right couple meeting & their courtship. Reid has to get past his cynical feelings regarding marriages. His job really doesn’t let him see people at their best. Darby needs to realize she IS a cancer survivor & life is better if you live for today, instead of worrying about what might happen. This story has the right amount of romance, clumsiness & drama.
A sweet, entertaining read!
If you haven’t read Tracey Alvarez before, Love Everlasting would make a great place to start. Its hero, Reid, is best friends with Saying I Do ‘s MacKenna; it’s very much Reid and Darby’s book, though, and stands alone very well.
Though there’s some heavy duty issues here–ramifications of breast cancer play a pretty big role throughout–there’s also an undeniably light-hearted feel to this book too, and many of the situations that Darcy and Reid found themselves in had me LOL-ing throughout. A menagerie of unique animals didn’t hurt either… 😉
It’s hard to argue that Reid ad Darby aren’t meant to be together–it’s clear by the end of the book that literally every one of their friends agrees–which for much of the book make it a delicious read. The black moment, though, seems to come from out of nowhere, and was more than a little aggravating. (Things were going so well! Why was *that* the moment that needed to end it all…?) Still, Darby and Reid manage to pull themselves back from the brink by the end, and their HEA is both sweet and satisfying.
Looking forward to Ms. Alvarez’s next book!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
When I first read that Darby had cancer, I was concerned that this would be a depressing book. Then learning Reid’s mom had passed away from the same thing, I was really conflicted about continuing the book.
I should have known that Tracey Alvarez would have taken a difficult subject and turned out a sweet, sensual, sexy romance full of emotion.
Neither Darby nor Reid were expecting anything when they started to work together. There was an attraction between them that was very obvious. Darby had convinced herself that Hugh was the guy she wanted to the point that her attraction to Reid confused her a little.
I loved the way Reid was supportive and protective of Darby. I did have an issue with Darby making decisions for Reid about their relationship. I understood her reasoning, but it did irritate me a bit.
I also liked that we got to visit some of the Due South friends. Another sweet, sexy romance with a foundation of friendship, love, loyalty, support, and a HEA.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy.