On the Road + #EverAfterBox Review

April has been a bit of a lost month, what with my parents arriving at The Bat Cave for a visit, me taking six days away from the office, killing two car tires (one on My Man's car, one on mine), and then, inevitably, having to go back to work after six days off to scramble around playing catch-up. But I have popped up in other places even if this blog has been a bit quiet.  

First, I'm over at Heroes & Heartbreakers with my most recent Unusual Historicals column.  I do this column monthly folks - which means if I see anymore whining on Twitter about "Boohoo I'm so tired of Regency and why don't they publish books that aren't Regencies?" in my feed I will pop up to slap you into next Tuesday.

Second, I'm over at Vassiliki's Shallowreader blog being featured in her latest Sharing the Shallows. Find out what I really think about reading in the bathroom, what romance trope I will loathe with my last dying breath and if I think guys who drive hatchbacks are worthy of being romance heroes.

+++++

Arriving just in time for me to celebrate surviving my first full week back in the office, the latest Ever After subscription box showed up. I don't regularly subscribe but when I saw the theme for April, Librarians In Love, I mean how can I be expected to resist that?! 

For those who are unfamiliar with the Ever After box, it's roughly the size of a child's size shoe box and typically contains several books (a mix of print and digital downloads), book related swag, and sometimes swag related to the theme at large.  This month you can nominate your favorite local library and Ever After will donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale of this box.

So what was in this month's box?  Well, I have to be honest - nothing here that really surprised me. However, that being said, I try to keep up with librarian-related romances - so yeah.  It would have been more shocking if I had been completely caught unawares.

Contents:

• Card detailing contents of the box
• Quarterly Mini-Magazine sponsored by All About Romance
• Library themed bookmark and note card from Olivia Dade (I got a set of these at RWA last year and they are super cute!)
• Library check-out card socks
• Book light from Kelly Maher 
• Colored pencils in case featuring vintage library poster art
• Coloring card designed by Elizabeth O. Dulemba
• Print copies of The Undateable by Sarah Title and The Librarian and the Spy by Susan Mann
• Download card for Labyrinth of Love by Allie Boniface 

For the most part I liked this box and I really liked how they tied together the theme.  Besides the featured librarian romances I received, Dade, Maher, Title and Mann have all worked, or still work, as librarians.  

The only inclusion to the box that has me scratching my head somewhat is Labyrinth of Love which, as far as I can tell, is about an architect/builder-type hero and a "local historian" heroine who, according to a GoodReads reviewer, works at a tourism center.  So....library?  Librarian?  Anywhere? I guess I'll have to read the book to find out!  

Final Verdict = If you're a sucker for librarians in romance novels this is a solid purchase. I'm unlikely to be a regular subscriber, but I have a hard time saying no to Ever After when there's a theme I'm a sucker for - and you have a one-month plan option.

Lord help me if they ever do a Boss/Secretary or Virgin Hero box. 

Treat Yo Self: A Review of the Ever After Box

Subscription Box services seem to have their own cult-like following.  You subscribe to a plan and every month, depending on the theme of the service, you can revel in your Geekdom, try new snack foods, or get cool pet or cosmetic products.  There seems to be a little something for everybody out there.

The Ever After Box is the brain-child of three romance authors, Jeannie Lin, Shawntelle Madison and Amanda Berry.  I took part in a "focus group" for this concept back at RWA 2015 where Jeannie admitted to loving the various boxes she subscribed to.  Plus, being a bit of a Swag Queen (Jeannie always has great swag at conferences....), the fact that she thought a romance genre theme box would go over well isn't exactly a shock.  They offered to send reviewers a sample box once they got the service up and running and I, of course, jumped at the chance.  My review box happens to be the second box they've ever done, the themed Sweet Tooth box that went out to subscribers in February.

 

I got an e-mail notification that my box had shipped and it literally arrived in two days.  So delivery was very quick.  The box itself is the size of a small shoebox.  It's well packaged and everything arrived in great condition with no shifting around during shipment.

 

The box itself came with this cool card that gives details on everything inside the box. 

A print copy of Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner w/ bookmark
A free download of All for You by Laura Florand
A cookie cutter and cookie recipe from Elisabeth @ Cooking Up Romance
Cupcake themed tarot cards from author Mindy Klasky promoting her Fright Court series
Necco Sweethearts conversation candy hearts
A strudel and spice scented candle
A bath bomb shaped like a cupcake

Cost for a one month subscription is $29.99 (this includes shipping), and there are slightly cheaper 3-month and 6-month plans.  Currently the service is only shipping within the US, although they're investigating international shipping options.



Is it worth it?  It depends on how much you like swag.  Some readers LOVE it, and some could care less.  Retail price on the books (without discounts) is currently $20.99.  What I personally like about this is the idea that you can "treat yo self" and give yourself a little bit of Christmas morning all year around.  I had no idea what was actually going to be in this box before I opened it.  I just knew the theme was "Sweet Tooth."  I really liked how they tied this theme in to cover cotemporary, historical and paranormal romance - and that subscribers got both print and downloadable titles.  My opinion on swag varies depending on what it is.  The better the swag, the more I like it.  And I thought this was a really well-thought out box.

Would I order a plan for myself?  Possibly.  I've been pretty consistently attending RWA conferences for many years, so I usually get my swag fix there.  Also, things like this always boil down to disposable income for me and if I can beat my Frugal Midwestern Tendencies into the nearest corner.  So the answer is - it depends.  If I wanted to give myself a pick-me-up and get surprised by mystery books?  In a hot minute - especially if the monthly theme intrigues (and Sweet Tooth is a great monthly theme).

So yes, mileage is going to vary here.  It honestly boils down to what type of reader you are.  I think it's a cute idea and there are even gift card options if you want to treat friends or have a blog contest you're cooking up.  Nothing is ever universally loved by everybody, but I think this is a fun idea for romance readers and it's nice to see a book-themed subscription box that caters to the genre, designed by people who truly know, "get" and understand the genre.

Final Grade = B+