For readers of domestic suspense, book club fiction, and character-driven dramas like
Big Little Lies,
The Whispers, and
Little Fires Everywhere,
Something You Should Know (Book 1 of the After Ever series) follows four lifelong friends inspired by beloved fairy tale heroines (Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Aurora) as they navigate marriage, motherhood, ambition, family secrets, and the dangerous gap between the lives they show the world and the truths they keep hidden.
It’s Big Little Lies energy meets Disney vibes. Because happily ever after comes with far darker consequences than any fairy tale ever warned.
Picture this:
What if the most beloved Disney princesses were modern-day thirty-something women living in Pittsburgh? Meet Bellamy, Jaz, Ella, and Rory—four friends whose lives are anything but a fairy tale.
Bellamy seems to have it all, but behind closed doors her marriage is quietly becoming a prison. Ella is balancing motherhood, financial strain, and grief when a family inheritance sparks a legal battle that threatens everything she's built. Rory has spent her life saying yes—to her parents, their expectations, and the future they've chosen for her. But one shocking discovery will force her to decide who she really wants to be. And Jaz, bold and fiercely independent, is falling for a woman she knows her conservative family may never accept.
When the women reunite to celebrate Bellamy’s thirty-second birthday, tensions, secrets, and lies ignite—and by the end of the night, someone will be dead.
Perfect for readers who love the layered friendships of
Big Little Lies, the emotional complexity of contemporary women's fiction, and modern retellings with a darker edge,
Something You Should Know delivers Disney-inspired characters reimagined for adulthood—where happily-ever-after is never guaranteed.
This book is for you if...- You're looking for books similar to those of Celeste Ng, Shari Lapena, Liane Moriarty, and Sally Hepworth.
- You love domestic suspense with multiple female perspectives.
- You enjoy book club fiction that blends secrets, family drama, friendship, and mystery.
- You want emotionally complex female characters who are flawed, relatable, and morally gray.
- You enjoy modern fairy tale retellings written for adults.
- You love stories about women navigating marriage, motherhood, identity, ambition, and difficult choices.
- You enjoy slow-burning tension that builds toward a shocking reveal.
- You want Disney-princess energy with grown-up problems, darker themes, and higher stakes.
Trigger warning: domestic violence
Ready for more dark fairy tale retellings? Check out Book 2 of the After Ever series: Just Might Come True, inspired by Tiana, Ariel and Rapunzel.