Happily Ever Island - by Crystal Cestari (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When Disney superfan and hopeless romantic Madison gets the chance to test run Disney's newest fully immersive vacation destination that allows guests to become their favorite Disney character for a week, the eighteen-year-old college freshman jumps at the opportunity and begs her best friend Lanie to come along"--

Book Synopsis

"Happily Ever Island is utterly magical. A fun, fast-paced tale of love, friendship, and finding your own path. I loved it!" --Morgan Matson, New York Times best-selling author of The Unexpected Everything


Welcome to Happily Ever Island, a pixie-dusted rom-com about two besties who win the trip of a lifetime filled with Disney magic.

Head-in-the-clouds romantic Madison and driven pragmatist Lanie are unlikely best friends, but the two would do anything for each other. So when Madison's life starts to fall apart--her adviser tells her she'll fall behind unless she can pick a major like the rest of her class, and her girlfriend unexpectedly dumps her on the eve of their once-in-a-lifetime spring break vacation--Lanie agrees to join Madison for the test run of Disney's newest resort experience. They're headed to Happily Ever Island, an immersive vacation destination, where guests can become their favorite Disney character for a week.

Madison has been the biggest Disney Superman since the first time she skipped onto Main Street, U.S.A., with her grandmother, whereas Lanie thinks she maybe watched a couple of Disney flicks when she was little (a crime against humanity as far as Madison is concerned). For their trip, Madison decides to go as the iconic princess herself, Cinderella, with Lanie as bow-wielding Merida. It's not Lanie's idea of fun, but she knows Madison needs her, and besides, she could use the break from her strenuous courseload anyway. Plus, maybe she'll get to shoot things.

But once on the island, Lanie and Madison begin to drift apart. Madison finds herself either missing out or messing up all the enchanting moments she has dreamed about her whole life, and is forever running into their annoyingly perfect (and distractingly cute) vacation coordinator, Val. Meanwhile, Lanie unexpectedly finds herself swept up in the magic of it all. She begins a secret romance with Prince Charming--but there's no telling whether he's just playing a part.

Soon the friends find themselves on a whirlwind of laughter, tears, and more than just a touch of Disney wonder.

Review Quotes

"Happily Ever Island is the best kind of Disney magic! Crystal Cestari has created a whole new world full of enchanting environments, characters you'll cheer for, and romances that'll have you believing in happily ever after. A must-read for Disney fans of all ages!"--Stephanie Kate Strohm, author of Love à la Mode

"Happily Ever Island is utterly magical. A fun, fast-paced tale of love, friendship, and finding your own path. I loved it!"--Morgan Matson, New York Times best-selling author of The Unexpected Everything

Lanie and Madison are charming, well-rendered characters, and the tertiary players get enough shading to make this a skillfully executed character piece. The action is crisp, and the pacing is clean as the narrative provides plenty of reason to explore every inch of the fictional Disney park with charming detail. A confident ode to Disney magic and the perils of growing up.--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Crystal Cestari lives just outside Chicago with her family. Her hobbies include planning her next Disney vacation and wandering the aisles at Target. She holds a master's degree in mass communication, and writes all her stories longhand. She is also the author of the Windy City Magic series and Super Adjacent. Visit Crystal at www.crystalcestari.com and on Instagram @crystalcestari.