e-Audio, 09:22:33
Narrated by: Alexandra Ryan
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape (Delacorte Romance)
Read from: July 14-16, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: The Publisher’s App (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher and their app. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Fatphobia, Mental Illness, Panic Attacks/Disorders, Sexual Assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of a Parent, Alcoholism, Bullying
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Fat Leads, Sparkly Covers, Own Voices, Realistic Fiction, Romance, YAIn this joyful celebration of fandoms, whirlwind romance, and plus-size girls, love is the ultimate roller coaster ride.
Lia Baker has spent the last few months wishing time would stand still. Soon her friends will head off to college while she’s left behind, buried under her mom’s anxiety and working a job she doesn’t want. But life throws her for a loop when she wins a spot in the fiftieth-anniversary scavenger hunt at Fableland, a legendary theme park. The contest is a golden ticket to a world where her favorite stories come to life and a chance for her to write some new ones of her own.
Everything seems perfect, especially after she teams up with Mason, a cute rival who knows as much about Fableland as she does. Together, they’re unstoppable. But as Mason’s sweet smile starts to melt her focus, Lia realizes that she may have to choose between the future she wants to rewrite—and a love she hadn’t planned for.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I loved this so much! I’m not sure if it’s because I really bought into the magic as a Disney adult or what, but this was so much fun! There were so many times that I wished I had a real view of the park because she created this cool ass world with just her words.
Ok so obviously I loved the setting. I LOVE theme parks and this one just seems like something that I would love. And Jenny did a damn good job with incorporating the story of the park in this story. She basically gave us two different stories while also giving the main characters a back story while ALSO giving the back stories and the info for the scavenger hunt. If this book doesn’t tell you the type of author she is, I don’t know what will. She actually did some world-building with this one and I was immersed from beginning to end.
I also really admired the way she handled the mom. As a mom who also has anxiety, I can’t say I blamed the mom lol But as a YA librarian, I also get where Lia was coming from. It wasn’t fair for the mom to use her anxiety to control and make decisions for Lia. I admired Lia for letting it happen for so long tbh. Because she could have rebelled a long time ago. Plus she was 18. She deserved that trip and she deserved to be trusted for what she’d done since before then.
I also want to touch on the fat rep. It was so realistic. The ride thing? Yeah, that’s happened to someone I know as well. That really hit home for me. I wanted to hug her because I understood. And the way she took it on the chin and went on like it didn’t bother her showed that she did that far too often and I hated that for her. And the asshole grabby hands part….. Yeah I wish I could climb into this book and knock them out. I identified with many of her other struggles as well as a midsize teen and woman.
Now the good stuff lol I LOVED the romance. It was so cute! Mason was the sweetest. I DO wish they had some more romance scenes tho. This was such a slow burn that they were barely together. And when they finally decided they were, it was time for her to go. Maybe it’s just me (because we all know I’m not a slow burn person) but I wanted more.
This was cute and so good. Much like Disney I think anyone of all ages will love this one. So read it and let me know what you think. I can tell you it was so much more than just a love story. There’s magic, love, and so much more!
Overall, I give this
