This was like reading a log of someone's daily activities. I'm questioning the editor on this one. How many pages were dedicated to "got drunk, went to bed, got up, walked the dog". I get that Ace's loneliness was being "developed", but I was more bored than she was about 1/3 of the way in. The people were antagonistic for no good reason and the absence of Mason made no sense. The whole thing made no sense and I started skipping pages to get to the reason I was reading the book. Turns out there was no reason as nothing happened until the last 2 pages and set things up for a third book. I'm willing to bet that there was more ink dedicated to printing the name of the dog and the dog's activities than there was to any type of plot development. Reviewed by: AprilBook provided by: PublisherReview originally posted at Romancing the Book Happily Ever Madder is an excellent story that combines tons of humor, fun and emotions. I guarantee that you will laugh, cry, squeal and shake your head in exasperation.I had previously read Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, which is the book that comes before this one (though they can be read as stand-alones, it adds an extra understanding and depth if you read Diary of a Mad Fat Girl first) and absolutely loved it! Ace Jones is such a hoot and I could not help but fall in love with her and her sassiness and guts! She has such a strong self-worth and isn’t afraid to let someone have it if they tick her off. All I can saw is that there is nothing not to love about this character.In Happily Ever Madder, we get to delve into Ace’s new life with her fiance and the love of her life since she was eleven-years-old, Mason. They have settled into their new lives in Pelican Cove, Florida, Ace has her very own art gallery where she can spend her days doing what she loves – painting – and planning the wedding of her dreams. All should be perfect, but it isn’t. The dreams that Ace had always imagined coming true, have, yet they are not as wonderful as she had envisioned. She misses her friends back in Bugtussle, she has a craggy old lady with a stick up her tush who will do anything to make her life miserable stalking her, Mason is always gone at work and she misses teaching. It’s a good thing for her devoted chiweenie Buster Loo and a rockin new group of friends that she had made in Pelican Cove, or Hurricane Ace would probably wipe out the town.I think that one of the things that draws me to both Happily Ever Madder and Diary of a Mad Fat Girl is the writing style of Stephanie McAfee. She writes in such a no-holds-barred way that I cannot help but be wrapped up within the story and the characters. Her writing style is simply “in your face” hilarious and would more than likely offend the easily offended. I, however, love it and found myself laughing out loud several times. I could not help but be endeared to Ace – she is sassy and holds nothing back, yet there is a soft and slightly insecure side to her that tugged at my heart. The secondary characters are just as lively and vivid as well. I found myself hooked on Ace’s new group of friends consisting of Jalena, Tia, Olivia and Avery – I had a particular fondness for Jalena who has went through men like water, but still holds out hope of finding that one special guy.As for the relationship between Ace and Mason, I went very back and forth with this one. I loved Mason and thought they were a great couple, however the tension and torment of his long hours and all-consuming job as a Real Estate Lawyer add a lot of strain. His devotion to Ace is utterly sweet and their chemistry is good, though not mind-blowing. Of course there is a little bump in the road with a certain hunky sex God on two legs…I finished reading Happily Ever Madder with tears and am dying to read the next book in the series. The ending is the perfect cliff hanger ending and left me with my mouth wide-open for the simple fact that I could not believe that Ms. McAfee would conclude in such a way that left me dying to know what happens next! Ace is the perfect Southern sassy gal with real life problems and very creative ideas on how to deal with her problems. I highly recommend Happily Ever Madder to anyone looking for the perfect sassy Southern girl book that will have you rolling with laughter and your heart tugging with emotion. Stephanie McAfee is a supreme talent and one of my favorite authors!
What do You think about Happily After Madder (2000)?
Not as funny as I had expected. But, still worth reading for entertainment.
—Yulisbook
Pretty good but didn't like the ending this time.
—Sofia
