Page is at the best time of her life, she has an amazing job at a New York City art gallery and a lovely boyfriend. but her life is crushed when she loses her job and her boyfriend at once. ⁣
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To start a new life, she moves in with Brady, her brother, in Washington DC. She spends most of her time at the dog park and befriend dog owners. Other people found it very weird that she was there all the time without any dog. At the same time all she can think of is her dream of having her own art Gallery and someone to love her!⁣
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I found Page and Brady’s character loving, friendly and delightful. Stewart Lewis has created fully developed characters and I was able to connect with them easily. ⁣
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Brady has a restaurant named Elbow, He is a loving, friendly, successful and caring person. I enjoyed reading his conversation with Page. I loved the Looser to Winner chapter ⁣
I really admired how page took charge of her life after all the things that happened to her in New York City⁣
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The set-up of the story was very welcoming and the details were carefully crafted. This Romantic Comedy Women’s fiction made me smile, laugh and emotional at times. I read the “What not to do at my funeral” several times. It was funny and touching.⁣

Page has found her world upended, and after moving in with her brother in Washington, D.C., Page decides to pass the time by going to the dog park, without a dog.Yes, you heard that right. Although, to be honest, they're often much better than people. Through her adventures at the dog park, she meets a cast of characters, and an owner of a vineyard, who just happens to be extremely handsome. The cliches abound in this book, and while it may be perfect for a light hearted read, this book fell short for me. It felt a bit like Groundhogs Day, and it felt as if I was rereading a previous chapter only to find out the book had moved on, but the story was repeating itself. 

This book would be great for fans of romance novels with a light, airy tone to them. The author is definitely skilled at making the reader laugh, but this novel was not in my wheelhouse. I DNF at 50%, and for that reason, I'm not adding a star rating or a Goodreads review. Netgalley has asked that I leave a star rating here, so I have complied with the request. Thank you to Lake Union, and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.

An enjoyable read. Some bits were strange to read in the respect of a male writing as a female so some of the bits didn't quite add up for me.
Never the less it was an enjoyable read

Review for NetGalley and the publishers -
This book didn't pull me in at all! It's not a 'bad' book, it just wasn't that exciting. I think the descriptions of every dog in the park got boring after a while. Overall an okay book, but not one you'll struggle putting down.

I’m sorry. I really tried to get through this, but I just couldn’t. It just didn’t pull me in. I was confused by who was who, and it wasn’t what I was expecting. It didn’t work out for me, but maybe it will work out for you. I’m going to DNF @ 45%.

I thought the idea for this book was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the descriptions of the different dogs at the park but unfortunately I found parts of the book problematic and was unable to get on board with it.
I know this was a romantic comedy but the way some things were done like the trip to the vineyard and listening to the iPod made it feel like I was reading something more YA as I felt the main characters actions lacked maturity.
I think it was highly problematic that we brushed off one of the characters stalking his ex-girlfriend just because he said he wasn’t doing it anymore.
Another issue I had was with her brother’s cancer. I felt the journey between diagnosis, treatment and him being in remission was rushed and unrealistic.
My favourite character was Michael of Austria who sadly disappeared for most of the book and just popped up again at the end. I would love to have seen an update on how things went with his family.
I usually love romcoms but I think this one played into too many stereotypes and skimmed over a lot of damaging topics like the stalking, weight loss and cancer.

I loved Page relationship with her brother, Brady. Goshh I'm jealous!! 

There is nothing much happening here I mean she got fired, got dump by her boyfriend and moved to D.C to live with her brother. Most of the story are about her visiting the dog park daily eventho she don't have a dog and started to form a friendship with random people. I mean wow is it that easy to make friends? I don't know coz I hate talking to stranger. Btw Page is freaking judgemental. She judge everyone including her own mom. This is one of the reason why I don't like her lol Ohhh and I don't see a lot of romance here. We only found out that guy name almost at the end of the book xD 

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for Happily Whatever After ARC!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the DRC! 

I think it's adorable that Page goes to the dog park, even though she doesn't have a dog. LOL 
This was a sweet, fun story. Can't say it's my favorite book, but it's a nice read.

After being dumped by her boyfriend of four years during the very same week that she is also fired from her job, Page, our 30-something-year-old protagonist, decides to relocate to D.C. for her chance at a fresh start and moves in with her brother, Brady. She doesn't have any plans at all and finds herself in a dog park without a dog, where she happens to meet a lot of different people, including a potential love interest.

I found Page especially relatable, despite the ~10-year age gap between us, because I, too, have felt super lost and in a state of limbo at various stages in my life when it felt like nothing was going as planned. Not to mention the fact that I'm also a huge fan of dogs (but then again, who isn't?).

While Happily Whatever After did deal with some weighty subjects, it was able to sustain a certain level of humor throughout the narrative even during the difficult parts, due in large part to our female protagonist's biting wit and commentary. To me, the whole story was really reminiscent of something that Sophie Kinsella would write. It had that a special charm and lightness about it, even in the face of some heavier topics. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk, and Paige Toon, all of whom give off similar vibes to Stewart Lewis here.

Page has hit rock bottom. She was fired from her job at an art gallery in NYC and her boyfriend broke up with her in the same week. She fled to Washington, DC to live with her big brother and started spending her days at the dog park despite not owning a dog. Over time Page embraces new opportunities with her new two and four-legged friends. She dreams of getting her own place, adopting a dog, falling in love, and finding a job. Just as things start to fall into place life takes a sharp turn. Will Page ever find her happily ever after?

What I enjoyed:
-All the talk of dogs! Dog parks and dog walking.  
-Short chapters made it a fast read
-Not a typical rom-com as there is some darkness and a little bit of tragedy

What I didn't love:
-The plot was slow to build - it did eventually hit its stride 
-There were some very odd behaviors by Page that did not seem realistic for a 35 year-old-woman
-There were a few characters introduced that felt unnecessary 

⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

34-year-old Page is suddenly jobless and single, so she moves to DC to live with her brother. She starts going to a dog park (although she doesn't own a dog) and starts meeting a variety of people.

I must admit that at first I didn't like the main character, and basing on her behavior I thought she was in her early twenties than being 34. Also, some of the encounters with the people in the dog park were rather strange, making a big connection in only one or two meet-ups.

However, in the second part of the book, the relationships with the people in the park were more stable and built-up, and Page was more mature and centered. I liked the second part of the book much more than the first one (except for the sad parts).

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion **

3.75 stars—HAPPILY WHATEVER AFTER by Stewart Lewis is a contemporary, adult story line following thirty-something Page, a  former New York art gallery manager who finds herself in Washington DC, living with her successful, restaurateur brother Brady, whose own life is about to spiral out of control.

Told from first person perspective (Page) HAPPILY WHATEVER AFTER  follows Page as she endeavours to move on with her life. Newly single and recently unemployed, Page moves to Washington DC , to live with  her brother as she struggles to make sense of her life. Daily visits to the local dog park (sans dog) finds Page befriending an eclectic group of dog owners, many of whom will become part of our protagonists inner circle. From dog walker to gallery owner, Page watches from the sidelines believing life is passing her by but Page begins to focus on the what ifs, and sets out to reestablish herself in the world of art. 


HAPPILY WHATEVER AFTER  is a cute story with a little bit of humor, tragedy, heart break and love. Page’s eccentric friends would be better suited to the New York lifestyle but Stewart Lewis’ Washington DC is representative of  the diverse and passionate world of friendships  and relationships brought together by the four-legged animals everybody loves.



THE READING CAFE: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/happily-whatever-after-by-stewart-lewis-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3453545695


AMAZON. COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R12PYUOWXL41P/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3127182832


B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_AT_The_Reading_cafe) posgted

Page needs a fresh start. Not only was she fired from her job at a NYC art gallery, but in the same week, she was dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Jack. Jobless, penniless, and heartbroken, Page runs away to her brother's condo in DC to start over. Always the dog person, while she's in DC, Page spends her days sitting in the dog park both people, and dog, watching. What starts as a self-conscious, yet relaxing endeavor for Page, slowly opens her up to new people (new dogs!) and new opportunity. As Page starts to slowly get her life back on track and figure out what she really wants, life throws her one massive curveball and once again, Page is left wondering if happy ever after was ever meant for her.   

This book was FULL OF DOGS. I loved it. The dogs were better than the people, to be honest, although some of the people were pretty great. It was also a super quick read, broken up by short chapters, and a stream-of-consciousness-esque kind of writing. It had its dark moments, that's for sure, but this book was still funny, light, and a great "do-over" story. Page was flawed (incredibly so) and watching her put her life slowly back together filled me with a glimmer of hope, and I really enjoyed watching her realize that she 1) doesn't need a man for validation and 2) can do whatever she sets her mind to (especially with her people skills and luck). 

Now, I will say there were some things I didn't love, like how Page made some super questionable choices, especially for a 34-year-old woman, and there was zero accountability for them. This girl literally snooped around, and the people who caught her were like "lol just Page being Page" and I wanted to shake them because her behavior was not cool. I also thought one or two of the characters didn't need to be there; they just kind of felt like filler, but I get it. People come in and out of your life super easily sometimes, and so that was kind of emphasized. She was also kind of a hot mess, but to be fair, who isnt? 

All in all, this book was quirky, fun, and made me chuckle. It also had a million and a half dogs, and I loved that.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

Plot line: Page  is in her thirties. She has lost her job and boyfriend. It is devastating. Can she give overcome this? 
In the book 'Happily Whatever After', Page, the main character shows that we can turn a new page in life whenever and wherever we want. A nice book when you want to read something other than self help book for moving on.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. 

I wanted to like this book so much. I used to spend a lot of time in DC and it's, a book where a lot of it takes place in a dog park, but unfortunately that's where the good things ended for me. 

I ultimately DNFd at 55%. The beginning was fun, but after the first few chapters I just felt like the scenarios just kept repeating themselves..

This is definitely a light read, but I felt like it veered a little too much into casual and crude for my tastes.  This writing moves along at a quick pace, but I wasn't always super into the way Page, the MC, internally monologues.  Her relationship with her brother is a high point in the book, but the weird attraction with BR was a bit off-putting at times for me.  The story also rushes a bit to a finish and overall feels off-paced.  

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Kapow- Page lost her boyfriend and her job and really her inspiration all in one swoop.  Wisely, she moves from New York to Washington DC to live with her brother Brady.  She doesn't have a lot to do so she hangs out in the local dog park, despite the fact that she doesn't have a dog.  This is a sort of second chance at yourself novel- it's not a romance and the best relationship is between Page and Brady.  Page learns a lot, slowly, by talking to others.  Know that there isn't much action here but it's a sweet story.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.  A pleasant read that made me smile.

Happily Whatever After is the story of Page, who after being dumped by her long-term boyfriend finds her life with no direction. She moves in with her brother, finds a job as a dog walker and makes eccentric friends through the dog walking park she frequents.

When things finally seem to be going Page's way, her life is thrown a curveball and we see how Page and her family deal with the issue. You can't help but root for Page throughout this book - she's funny, witty and smart and you want her to succeed in reaching her goals. 

I did question where this book was heading when I was around 20% in but I'm so glad I stuck with it as it gets better and better the more you get into it.

I could relate to this story so much. The small things that are mentioned in the book are something that stay with you till the next chapter especially the things in the italics. It's so enjoyable and relaxing and makes you laugh every five minutes. You are missing out on lot of life and laughter if you miss this book.

This book was easy to get into and I made good progress over a weekend morning, but ultimately it was lacking in story and character development. Page was a character I was looking forward to getting to know, she’s a 30-something, down on her luck, lost her job and her boyfriend who moves in with her brother to get back on her feet. She decides to visit the local dog park, without a dog of her own, to connect with new neighbors. 

I really liked a lot of the establishing content, getting to know Page, her exploring the dog park, and even making friends, but by the middle of the book I was getting a bit bored. Page would go on dates which would result in disastrous encounters and short chapters. 

My favorite parts, Page crushing on a dog owner that owns a winery with dogs named after wine, and his daughter who often walks the dogs, was too few and far between to keep me interested. I wanted more romance and comedy, instead of seeing Page’s failed dates, drink filled evenings, and very little planning out her next steps. 

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes lighter-hearted rom-com style stories that are centered on a female main character navigating bad luck with a fresh start and new lease on life. Unfortunately for me, I was expecting more of a typical romance genre with some comedy, instead of more comedy with hints of romance.