“People didn’t move across countries, donate organs or spend two months’ salaries on seemingly irrelevant gemstones from Sierra Leone because love didn’t exist. They didn’t quit the dangerous hobbies they adored, get “real jobs” or cohabitate with cats because love didn’t exist. They didn’t contort their too-large bodies around hospital beds, throw themselves in front of live ammunition or reach for their cell phones during their seemingly last few minutes in this universe because love didn’t fucking exist.
Sure, hate, anger, resentment and even ambivalence were powerful forces, but so was love. It might not conquer everything, but it sure as hell is a useful companion to have in your corner when the battle, whatever form it may take, begins.”
— When Happily Ever After Fails
If given the choice between losing a hero or keeping an adversary, Abigail would choose the former. She believed most people would.
In times of sickness and death, people tend to look for the silver lining as a coping mechanism, but what about after the fact? Was Abigail herself sick for thinking she might be better off preserving her relatively happy memories? For thinking, in those dark and hazy moments before she fell asleep, that “maybe it’s better this way”?
— When Happily Ever After Fails
Abigail didn’t know where her mom and dad were at this exact moment. Maybe they were looking down from above, doing their own little toast in heaven. Maybe they were reincarnated, running around outside as rambunctious kids or spoiled pets or free birds. Maybe they were simply resting peacefully, oblivious to all of this, on the grounds of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Maybe they were nothing more than the wind, dust and rain that consistently filled Philadelphia. No one knew for certain.
— When Happily Ever After Fails
A novel by
courtney deane
Courtney Deane's highly anticipated debut novel, When Happily Ever After Fails, delves deep into the complex realms of shattered dreams and harsh realities. With an enchanting blend of poignant storytelling and intricate character development, Deane takes readers on an emotional journey exploring the inevitable clash between fantasy and reality.
