I found Happily Ever Afters frustrating while I was reading it, but at the end, I kind of wanted more! Tessa is a teenage romance writer who just moved to a new town and a new school just before her junior year. The new school is an arts magnet you have to be admitted to, and Tessa doesn't think she belongs. She's struggling without her best friend by her side, and with conflicts with her mom about how well or poorly Tessa cares for her autistic older brother, Miles. 

The writing is compelling enough, and I like the points Tessa makes about racism and other discrimination when her clueless white classmates say offensive things. My challenge with the novel are tropes I find annoying--neglecting one's best friend, lying, having an asshole as the object of one's affection.