Happy & You Know It
By: Laura Hankin
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published May 19th 2020 by Berkley
Type: Fiction
My Rating: 4 Stars
I received this book as an ARC with gratitude from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Synopsis:
Musician Claire is recovering from a recent breakup with her band, who has just broken through and is now topping the charts with a mega-hit “Idaho Eyes.” And by recovering, she is avoiding the radio, sinking deeper into depression, alcohol, one-night stands and depleting her meager funds at a rapid pace. She finds a gig, demeaning as it is, to play music for babies for a wealthy playgroup.
The playgroup is headed by the delightful Whitney- perfectly put together Manhattanite (think mom Barbie and husband corporate Ken) with a burgeoning Instagram account. The group of mothers is made up of six vastly different characters, but collectively make up a glamorous mom-group that all other moms would be envious of, put together, fit, and of course, fiercely competitive. Claire quickly finds herself being drawn into the group of women whom she admires. Mystery infiltrates in the background, which comes to a head when several shocking discoveries are made.
My thoughts:
I will be honest- I hated Claire. I didn’t like her or her woe-is-me attitude, her need to self-destruct or her desire to lose herself with one-night stands. It was almost too much. Despite that, I did happen to love many of the other characters- Whitney’s back story was fascinating, and I loved how the story revealed her past, lending new perspective to the “Barbie” we were introduced to. Amara’s story is also super relatable- not as wealthy as the others in the group, she was working and making a name for herself before motherhood put her on a different path. Even Vicki, the quiet, breastfeeding hippie of the group brings a little intrigue to the table. I loved the underlying mystery – which I don’t want to reveal, and though the wrap up on it was a bit farfetched, it was highly entertaining. I enjoyed this book for what it was, a semi satire on motherhood, wealth, becoming instafamous and finding your way in a world that is not always what it appears to be.
Who would I recommend this to?
This is the perfect read for women ages 25 to about 45 who want a fun lighthearted read with some meat behind it.
Get your copy here!
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