Once Upon Ever After #1
Sebastian & Bellamy
The author insists this book is darker than her usual style… but honestly? What I found was something far more delicious: two main characters who fall for each other at first sight, even if they stubbornly pretend it’s just “attraction.” Please. The electric sparks arcing between them were practically screaming high romance.
Yes, there’s suspense. Yes, there’s a jealous madman. Yes, there’s even a royal curse whispered through the halls of a secluded palace. But all of that only adds to the fun of reading this story.
Eight years ago, Bellamy lost her mother in a car accident—one her father was driving. His breakdown uprooted their entire lives: he quit his psychiatry practice, pulled her out of school, and dragged them across Europe until Bellamy finally put her foot down and chose to study in Messalina, a fictional country tucked between France, Italy, and Switzerland.
Then came his early-onset dementia. Bellamy dropped out of university, took a job teaching English, and stretched every euro to cover her bills and her father’s care. No friends, no social life, no safety net—just grit and survival. And she keeps going.
Enter King Sebastian: grieving, grumpy, and absolutely ripe for sunshine. Three years ago, Sebastian watched his queen’s helicopter explode before his eyes while he and their three children waited in the garden. Convinced the royal curse was to blame, he locked his family away in a remote northern palace and hasn’t let them leave since.
Enter Bellamy’s father, who escapes his care facility with a toaster oven, thinking it’s a great invention and wants to show it at MIT. Instead, he wanders straight into the palace. Bellamy rushes in to save him… and ends up being forced into the role of nanny in exchange for her father’s freedom.
The king had burned through eight nannies in three years. He wanted someone “different.” He had no idea that “different” meant a woman who would enchant his children within minutes and have them demanding she stay. Best decision ever!
What follows is a delicious grumpy‑meets‑sunshine romance. He’s beastly and brooding; she’s sassy and unafraid to poke the bear. The children adore her. The king? He’d love to fire her—mostly because she’s a menace to his self‑control.
Despite the author’s claims that this book is darker, her signature style shines through: a touch of suspense, perfect pacing, a beautiful love story, yummy sexy times, and children who desperately needed another mother—and found the best one in Bellamy.
There’s a hint of Beauty and the Beast: a remote castle, a three‑story library, a grumpy king softened by sunshine, and a legend that may or may not be real. For me? Perfect.
Purchase links
Amazon: http://geni.us/CursedKing
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3WN40GY
Preorder book 2 in the Once Upon Ever After Series today!
About the author
J. Saman is a USA Today and Amazon top 40 bestselling author who writes sassy, swoony, and scorching contemporary romances. She is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).
J. is an admitted lover of second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing funny and emotional romances filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side—especially for their women.
Connect with J. Saman
Website: https://www.jsamanbooks.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14923699.J_Saman
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Saman/author/B01FOIUR46
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jsamanbooks
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jsamansradtasticreaders
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jsamanbooks
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jsamanbooks
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-saman
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jsamanbooks/
