Thank you so much to stanfangrunin for letting me read this!
I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time I read this. Darien and Elle are adorable and I hadn’t realized how much I missed these books until now. I don’t want to say too much, but if you’re a fan, you’ll love this. It’s literal sunshine.
I will say that Elle and Darien being an interracial couple is something very special for both me and my boyfriend. We haven’t read many stories together featuring interracial relationships, but he’s a dead ringer for Darien and I’ve told him so much about these books, it’s almost like he’s read them himself. We’re long distance like Elle and Darien are and huge nerds, and it means a lot to see that represented in the books we read. (We’ve taken to calling each other ah’blen and ah’blena before going to sleep, as well.)
I adore this series so much so how did I not know there were these cute little short stories??? Getting to revisit my fave couple as they prepare for their first date was so much fun. I love all of the pop culture references that Poston throws in. It just warms my little fan girl heart <3
What a sweet little companion piece to Geekerella.
The story of Elle's and Darien's obviously turbulent first date with cameos by other beloved characters.
It is sweet, romantic and fun and proves again what great chemistry those two have. It also offers some new insights into the world of the novel and what the characters have been up to. Some surprises are in it for sure.
This one was cute, surrounding Elle and Darien's first official date. Chloe is still the villain in this one, though she's toned down a lot from Geekerella.
I liked seeing the progression of their relationship in the time between the con and the premiere, as well as Sage and Cal's.
I will reiterate that Sage and Cal really need a spinoff.
Very cute novella focusing on Dare and Elle from the first book in the series. I enjoyed it, of course. Not so much too say, but I do still enjoy these characters more than I do the characters from the sequel. Just feel more attached. Not sure exactly how to rate it because it's so short, but it was fun to read about their first official date and the highs and lows.
“Because I don’t know how long this will last. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that everything that begins has an end, and I don’t know what sort of end our story will be. But I find myself wishing that Elle will be in it.�
Very short but slots in perfectly between the end of Geekerella and the epilogue showing us Darian and Elle's first date along with another look at a bunch of side characters.
It was great getting a sneak peek into Elle & Darien’s first date. That they could both be themselves without embarrassment and they could also surprise each other. I mean, this whole series is such a good experience for finding love and mostly finding yourself in that quest. It actually made me want to go back and read Geekerella again and relive all those great moments.
This was super authentic to the fairy tale romance of Geekerella while still having a foot in the real world. Once at Midnight tells the tale of Ellie and Darien's first date, and hints at all the struggles their relationship will have following the events of Geekerella; long distance, paparazzi, Hollywood/non-Hollywood upbringing and all the nerves that come with first love. But what makes their relationship work is what made readers fall in love with their relationship in the first place, their ability to be their authentic, nerdy selves with each other. Neither of them needs grand gestures, all they need is each other, Starfield and a vegan taco or two. When the screen fades to black on a fairy tale that's usually it because there usually isn't a story left to tell once the struggle of finding each other is over, but Poston does a nice job of telling a follow up story without unraveling that happily ever after.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novella from Quirk books as part of the pre-order campaign for Bookish & the Beast's paperback edition (book 3 in the Once Upon a Con series). I am still not emotionally ok from reading the Once an Ever After novella which is not on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ yet because it attacked me in a lot of emotionally vulnerable places. Without spilling any spoilers, Once at Midnight does a phenomenal job of setting up for the events of Once an Ever After to the point where reflecting on this novella is giving me a lot of feels by proxy. This probably wasn't Poston's intent when she originally wrote OaM but my god did she do a lovely job at taking the threads she'd already woven in this novella and weaving them into such a heavy hitting final novella. I now understand why she has said that she doesn't plan on writing any more of these books as the novellas really do wrap everything up in a way that leaves you confident in everyone's ever afters.
"Once Upon a Con" series by Ashley Poston is a delightful collection of novels that blend the magic of fairy tales with the reality of contemporary life, specifically through the lens of fandom and conventions. The series starts with "Geekerella," a modern twist on Cinderella, where a die-hard fan girl and a teen actor find love at a cosplay convention. Ashley Poston masterfully captures the essence of fan culture, creating a heartwarming and relatable narrative that celebrates geekiness, passion, and finding your own happy ending. With charming characters and engaging plots, this series is a must-read for anyone who loves fairy tales reimagined in a modern setting. It's a tribute to the power of stories and the communities that cherish them.
This was sweet, and warm to read. I adore Darien and Elle with my whole heart, and seeing them in their first date was like a ray of sunshine. There isn't much of a plot, and this is more of an indulgent bit for fans. I really liked it, and other than that there's not much else I can say.
*This book is part of my personal reading challenge for the summer 2021, #MHA30for30challenge. The goal is for me to read thirty books from my Kindle so that I can reward myself and buy the thirty volumes of the My Hero Academia manga series that are out so far, to my knowledge.
My only problem with this is that it wasn’t longer!!! I forgot how much I love Ashley Poston’s writing and these characters and story!! Even in a short story Darien and Elle’s characterization come through so much and it was full of so much fandom references. I read the first book years ago and don’t remember the small details, but this story gave me all the good feelings that book bought up. I need to continue this series and I hope we get to see more of this couple. They are definitely top 5 ya couples for me.
Being a big fan of the Once Upon a Con series, I finally got the chance to read this novellas and loved them. It's been so long since I spent time with Elle and Darien and it brought back all the nostalgia. I loved how Poston gives us a taste of their happily ever after, what it's like for them after the credits roll. With signature style, Poston portrays some truly empthetic and charming characters. SUPER CUTE!
It is short, cute, and sweet. This is more of a standalone than a continuation of Geekerella . It gives us a glimpse of the challenges of dating a celebrity but amidst that challenge, what is most important is that what you feel for each other is real and that you find someone you can be real with. I wish we could see more of these two in the next books because I can't get enough of them if you ask me!
Finally! I wanted to read them short stories so bad and I'm just finding out that these were available for free on Ashley's website!
As for the short story itself, there was no love lost between me and the once upon a con series, and I kept remembering how much happiness was infused within the whole story. I still love Dare and Ellle as much as I had loved them before, and this SS made me so happy 🥹
Thank you to Shu’rtugal for the story. I’ve been looking for it everywhere. I can’t thank you enough. This story was super duper cute about Darien and Elle’s first date. Unfortunately, the paparazzis get in the way. Can Darien save the day and give Elle the perfect date she deserves? Read to find out.