Name: Something Like Happy
ISBN: 9781525811357

Eva Woods

"Annie Hebden is stuck. Stuck in her boring job, with her irritating roommate, in a life no thirty-five-year-old would want. But deep down, Annie is still mourning the terrible loss that tore a hole through the perfect existence she'd once taken for granted--and hiding away is safer than remembering what used to be. Until she meets the eccentric Polly Leonard"--Amazon.com.

Something Like Happy

“A special book that will make you laugh through your tears with its heartfelt take on happiness and friendship.” —Amy E. Reichert, author of The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go and The Coincidence of Coconut Cake Annie is stuck. In her boring job, with her irritating roommate, in a life no thirty-five-year-old would want. But deep down, she’s still mourning the terrible loss that tore a hole through her perfect existence. Until she meets the eccentric Polly. Bright, bubbly, intrusive Polly is determined to wake her new friend up to life. Because if recent events have taught Polly anything, it’s that your time is too short to waste a single day—which is why she wants Annie to join her on a mission… ONE HAPPY THING EACH DAY. ONE HUNDRED DAYS. But just as the daily challenge opens Annie up to the possibility of joy—and perhaps even love with the unlikeliest of men—it becomes clear that Polly is about to need her more than ever. And Annie will have to decide once and for all whether letting others in is a risk worth taking. Told with wry wit and boundless heart, Something Like Happy is an unforgettable tale of celebrating triumphs great and small, seizing the day, and always remembering to live in the moment.

A Novel

Jessica Ford

Great book

This book made me laugh and cry. I read it in three days; it was hard to put down. I’m so sad that I’ve finished it. I would love to have a friend like Polly.

Sarahi Flores

A great way to get a sense that not everything you strive for will be perfect. Sometimes bad things can happen and never know why. This novel can give you a bit of inspiration that you can still find happiness.

Mia Kern

"I think we should all live as if we are dying too – because we are, make no mistake. We should live as if we’re dying at some unspecified but possibly quite soon time. We can’t expect every day to be happy, and there’ll always be sickness and heartache and sadness, but we should never put up with a sad or a boring or a depressing day, just for the sake of it. None of us have time for that, whether we have a hundred days left or a hundred thousand." 

This was perhaps an odd choice for my first audiobook, but my library didn't have an ebook version and I thought "let's give it a shot." And boy am I glad I did.

On the whole, I don't think this is the most creative idea. We've seen countless books/movies/shows about people with terminal illnesses experiencing the last leg of their life to the fullest. However, I do think this is one of the best executed ones. Each character was so fully fleshed out, even relatively minor characters. And, maybe due to the audiobook narration, I really felt like these were real people, like Polly and Annie were two of my close friends. 

It was such an emotional journey. I laughed at loud, sometimes uncomfortably in the middle of my workplace. I cried some, thankfully in the solitude of my own home. I felt downtrodden. I felt optimistic. The story wasn't picture perfect - although it had a great ending, it didn't tie up all the loose ends or solve all of the issues, but that's okay. That's what made it realistic and relatable. As someone who's a bit of an Annie in my day-to-day life, I'd like to think that I, too, learned quite a bit from Polly.

Jolie

I have gotten a few gems from Harlequin lately. They are not romances. These books that I have read have been women’s fiction and they have been good women’s fiction. So, my perception of Harlequin has been changed for the better. I still like their romances but with the women’s fiction that they are putting out is so much better. Something Like Happy is one of those books. I went into reading this book thinking that it was going to be boring but boy was I wrong.

The plot of Something Like Happy was very good and very sad at the same time. Annie and Polly hit it off from the beginning and I loved reading their interactions up until the end of the book. The idea of doing 100 Days of Happiness is intriguing also. I am actually considering doing my own 100 Days of Happiness myself. I want to see where it goes and how far I get.

Something Like Happy fits into the women’s fiction like a glove. I would even go as far to say that it is chick lit. I usually do not read women’s fiction or chick lit but I have found myself being drawn to it lately.

Annie was such a depressing character. She was not happy and it showed in her personality and her life. So when she met Polly at the Dr’s office, I was wondering how that friendship would affect her. It was uplifting to see Annie’s transformation from a bitter, unhappy person to someone who was full of life and forgiveness. She had some pretty ugly things happen to her. Polly forced her to face them and get over them, well, for the most part, get over them. She also forced Annie to go out of her comfort and do some pretty insane things. It was those things that made this book unbelievable!!!

I loved Polly. From the minute Annie met her, you could tell that she was a character. Her outlook on life was something that I could only wish that I had. Her terminal illness only added more depth to her character. I also understood that she wanted to live the rest of her life to the fullest. Which she did with Annie’s help.

There was a small romance between Annie and Dr. Max. That romance was so small that I thought it was only on Annie’s side…like unrequited love. If you want to find out what happens between Annie and Dr. Max, you need to read the book.

The end of the book was both sad and hopeful. I cried for the last 3-4 chapters of the book. When I finished reading Something Like Happy, I had to sit for a while to reflect on what I read and the message that was throughout the book.

5 stars

Summary of Something Like Happy:

Something Like Happy pulled at my heartstrings while I read it. I loved the message woven through out the book as well. It is a beautifully written book that will make you cry and it will make you think.

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Will I reread: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: mild language and some adult situations

I would like to thank Eva Woods, Harlequin, Graydon House and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Something Like Happy.

All opinions stated in this review of Something Like Happy are mine and mine alone

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Something Like Happy

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