Included in each box is two romance paperbacks. One signed by an Australian author, and one paperback by an international author with a signed bookplate. Both books feature limited edition, never before covers. There is also a variety of swag included in each book ranging, but not limited to bookmarks, lip gloss, ebooks, and special edition, one-of-a-kind items.
My Thoughts:
I was fortunate enough to attend a lunch with a bunch of romance readers late last year where Kat, the organiser of this box attended and spoke a little about the box. What was clear right from the get-go was that the passion and enthusiasm Kat had for the Books Ever After Book Boxes and she came up with the concept because as Aussies, we often miss out on book boxes due to astronomical shipping costs and exchange rates. What’s more, Romance is largely under represented by the few boxes available in Australia. I was really intrigued by the promise of the boxes, so much so that I ordered the first box, the December box, that very same day.
As a whole, I was really impressed with both the presentation of the Books Ever After box and the content inside.
Shipped in a white padded postage bag, with the big black sturdy box tucked inside, I was relieved to find that the box for this book was rather large. Too many subscription boxes in the past have either tried to jam the book and swag contents into too-small boxes, satchels and once even an envelope; all of which have resulted in destroyed books and items. For this particular box, the protection off the box, and the inside contents, no corners have been cut in order to preserve the items themselves.
I must admit here, that the picture above is not how the box actually arrived. I was so excited after a long day at work to come home and find the box waiting for me that I eagerly ripped into it to see what was inside. I didn’t wait to take photos immediately – I know, rookie mistake – but I can promise you that the contents were packed much neater and well-presented then my half-arsed attempt above.
The books were laid down flat, with the black shredded material over the top and the swag items loosely nestled in and around the shredded protection. The breakable object, and stand out swag item for its uniqueness and creativity was wrapped in a plastic bag as added protection.
The two books included in my box were a signed copy of Ashton Scott by Nina Levine (Australian Author) and a paperback of Drive by Kate Stewart (International author) with a signed bookplate stuck inside the front cover.
I was worried that I might have already purchased one or both of the books that would be included in this box, but was super ecstatic to discover that I had neither read the two books included, or previously brought them. In fact, both books were ones I had been eyeing off and were on my TBR list on goodreads!
In terms of exclusive covers, the covers themselves are foil printed (or rather the titles are foil printed) with a limited print run to the Books Ever After Book Box run. While I know that is part of the marketing angle of the book box itself, it’s an aspect I can take or leave really; I’m more excited to have two new books that I haven’t read before. The fact that they are both signed (either the book itself or the bookplate inside) is the selling point for me!
I was also surprised to discover a voucher inside the box for an e-copy of Never Never by Lilliana Anderson, bringing the book tally for this book box up to three!
Other swag pieces making up the box included : a Beth Prentice bookmark and lip gloss
an Eden Summers bracelet. The other side of this bracelet reads ‘Romance with a side of sizzle & sarcasm.’
A JA Low door hanger and key ring
Nina Levine included a postcard of her Sydney MC bikers and T. L Swan a postcard advertising her book Green.
Lastly, because it was Christmas and a December gifted box, a Christmas Decoration was included in the box. I’m not sure if all of these items were the same, but I received a purple, glittery, butterfly.
Perhaps though, the most impressive and most unexpected surprise swag was the adorable mini Books Ever After Mug. While somewhat impractical, this is seriously the cutest thing I’ve seen!
I know this particular box costs a lot. Removing the cost of shipping, while lets face it, there is nothing anyone can do about in Australia, the box itself is $50 AUD. $50 for a one-off book box isn’t cheap, but when you look at the box as a special gift every couple of months and attempt to run some of the numbers, I think the box comes out being a good investment for avid romance readers.
With Indie books ranging anywhere from $15 AUD to $30 AUD at books signings it’s a bit hard to estimate the costs of the paperbacks included in this book themselves. Let’s say they are $15 each though, the included ebook is $6.60 on Amazon Australia, and let’s estimate that adorable little mug to be around $15 printed. Our total already is $51.60, that’s not including the Christmas decoration included in the box, the special edition cover, or the lip gloss and various bookmarks, fridge magnets and marketing material. I think it’s safe to say, us readers come out ahead here.
I think this book box is the perfect way for romance readers who haven’t had the chance to get to one of the bigger indie signings a brilliant way to get their hands on signed paperbacks that are otherwise a lot trickier to come by.
Besides, I’m using this box, and the Valentine’s Day one that I’ve recently pre-ordered as a gift for myself and a way to introduce me to some new-to-me amazing authors that I may never had heard of or tried before.
The next book box releases in February and is Valentines Day themed. If you, or someone you know would love one of these boxes, be sure to get your pre-order in quick as a recent post on facebook stated that there were only a few boxes left to pre-order for Valentines Day.
If you happen to be going to Books By The Bridge in February, there is an option to pick your box up on the day to save on shipping costs as well.
To learn more about the Books Ever After Book Box, visit the following social media pages:
