I received an ARC of this book to read in exchange for a fair review. Happily Whatever After is a Woman’s fiction novel by Stewart Lewis. After losing her Art Gallery job and being dumped by her boyfriend /place to live, Page has left New York and moved in with her brother Brady in Washington. Starting over is hard, and at a loose end, she starts spending time in the neighbourhood dog park even though she doesn’t have a dog. The park becomes a refuge where she makes friends, finds a temporary job, perhaps a career and maybe a romance. For once, everything seems to be going her way or at least until the third act dark moment. The book has a sweet friends to lovers storyline, the right combination of humour and angst, as well strong supporting characters. I enjoyed reading this book but wish the author had thought to maybe give Page a last name, its one of my bugaboos I know but it frustrates me when characters don’t have complete names. CW secondary character has cancer. Steam Level: Light. Publishing Date: July 28, 2020. #HappilyWhateverAfter #StewartLewis #LakeUnionPublishing #bookstagram #WomansFiction

Thank you NetGallery for a free E-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is a book about second chances after everything in Paige's life goes up in flames in a matter of one day from the loss of her job to her long time boyfriend dumping her, she finds herself moving to Washington D.C. in order to live with her brother and make a fresh start! While Paige is struggling with the way her life is at the age of 34, she spends her days at the local dog park even though she does not have a dog. As she begins to meet and learn about the different people and dogs at the dog park, she begins to find herself on a journey of self discovery and chasing her dreams of opening an art gallery! The book begs the reader to ask the question: "Are you ever too old to have a second chance at finding your dream life?"
This book has a fabulous cast of misfit characters that help Paige along her journey! I loved how witty and strong Paige was throughout this book despite the curve balls life kept throwing at her and her family. Each character was well developed and complex, with a very realistic feel to them. I enjoyed Paige's daydreams about one of the locals that brings his dogs to the park. The pacing was well done! The writing and plot lines kept me engaged until the very end! I had no choice, but to finish this book in one sitting! The romance was very sweet and had me smiling! Overall, I loved the ending and was well satisfied with how things turned out for our favorite couple! I would recommend this book to those who love a sweet romantic comedy and who have always believed it is never too late to have a second chance! I can't wait to read more books by this author!

This was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, the humour and I found myself eager to keep reading, what's going to happen next kinda reading. Will recommend.

I wanted a dog so that I could go to the park to meet a character like Page - although she proved that you don't actually need a dog to hang out there! I loved the community of totally different characters that were all brought together by their uniting factor - dogs. I enjoyed how their lives spiralled outwards from the park and how we got to know them from this base. To me, it showed what can happen when you are brave (eventually) and begin to talk to a few people. You find there's a depth and friendship that takes you on new adventures.
Happily ever after? I'm not going to spoil the fun.

Stewart Lewis' HAPPILY WHATEVER AFTER begins with a promising premise: a woman who loses job, intended life partner, and New York City home in one fell swoop and lands in her brother's apartment in Washington, D.C. Always loving dogs, but not having one of her own, Page becomes attached to a local dog park regulars and visitors and ultimately builds a new, fulfilling life with that humble start. While the story premise was intriguing, the actual telling of the story fails to evoke an amazing city, realistic characters (other than stock, appealing expected types), and logical twists and turns in a struggling person's life. I wanted to like this book, was primed to embrace its escapist heart, but after several chapters, found myself flipping the pages looking for substance. The surface banter, the glib asides and assumptions of inside cultural knowledge were a definite detriment.

I started the book full of expectations. Page was a dog lover who goes every day to sit on a bench at the park to get in touch with the animals she loves. And day after day, she collects new stories and friends.
The premise was good enough but after a few chapters I felt the development of the story was somehow turning slow. Perhaps it wasn't what I was expecting and in a way the interest faded.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this book seemed really great but I just don't feel it was executed well. The main character's story centers around the fact that she goes to a dog park daily even though she doesn't have her own dog. She meets an assortment of characters throughout her visits and each has their own story to tell. I somewhat enjoyed one of the first people she encountered but I couldn't get pas the writing. It seemed like the author was trying too hard to fit in with today's culture by speaking the way millennial's do today but it wasn't working for me. I got some background information on our main character but not enough. I just couldn't connect :-( Maybe for someone else, this will be better!

I was looking forward to this book, since I'm also a dog-sitter in DC. I instantly recognized the park that was mentioned in the first chapter! However, I couldn't get through the first three chapters, which made me put the book down. The writing seemed very juvenile and very showing, not telling. The book had promise but fell short on execution.

Meh. I missed the light-heartedness that other books in this genre have.

Couldn’t really get into it. Story is largely about a bunch of meetings Page has at the dog park, where everyone - invariably - asks her: “Where’s your dog?” Seriously? People without dogs can go to parks too. Unless there is a sign at the gate that says ‘no admittance without a dog’, it’s still a public park. Admittance to all that are not put off by the smell of dog poo.

Apparently it’s a romantic comedy, but for me it lacked both romance and comedy. Page did some lusting after a fellow park visitor, but that’s hardly romance. And Page made regular coarse remarks, which - I guess - must be the humor element, but I rarely found the remarks funny.

Rating: 4 Stars, HJ Recommends

If you are looking for some nifty ideas to reconnect with the world after some life down-turns, Happily Whatever After could be the inspiration needed.

With the central premise focusing on a woman trying to figure it out thirties-style, who just kinda likes dogs, we hang out with Paige in the park, pretty impressed by the assortment of folk she meets there. Through brilliant self-deprecation and glib humour, you will find yourself laughing along at some crazy situations wherein it is becomes evident that connection in a time of disconnection may need to come from random, unexpected situations and indeed, it may put you on the path to love and happiness.

Witty, fast-paced and sharp, this novel lands a bullseye on the light and laughter, only missing the puncture points by an inch when life gets a bit hard and dark. At these moments, you get a sense of stepping in and out, like it didn’t want to wallow there too long and it is here that it needed a little more D&M over a bottle of wine or three rather than just a neighbourly hello. Some of the bigger moments landed via text message, which seemed counter-intuitive, given so much of the novel was about real relationships, siblings, parents, lovers, friends, associates, and with our pets.

Paige ,and the mixed bag of characters she meets along the way were all cleverly crafted and undeniably unique, but she was flung through the climax and resolution like a person who announced the punchline before they told the joke. Despite this, there was a deep understanding about the brother-sister sibling relationship and some rich insight into how our memories tie our hearts together.

Overall, there is tonnes to love about this book, particularly the side theme that our pets or even borrowed ones, can be our pathway to happiness. So with that in mind, it’s highly recommended that you put some joggers on (and treats in your pocket) and get down to the beach or park; you might be amazed at who you find there – perhaps even yourself!

This was a cute and easy read! It focuses on main character Page. When she loses both her job and her boyfriend she needs to get out of NYC. She ends up moving to DC with her brother Brady. For lack of anything better to do, she ends up going to the dog park every afternoon...even though she doesnt own a dog! It's here that she meets a delightful cast of characters who help her figure out the next plan for her life. The story ends up taking a few turns, some of them a bit sad, but overall it is is enjoyable story.

I thought Page was a well rounded character and I really liked her brother Brady. Though it was mildly predictable, I enjoyed the way the story came together! If you like romantic comedies with a little bit of depth, check this one out!

The characters in this book and the writing style were delightful! The main character's talents and tendencies for making connections to others, plus the charming dog park that so much of her circle's lives intersected at, made the reading process so charming.

I have to admit, it took me a while to realize what the point of the book even was, because the beginning felt very slow and not really monumental in any way, but it only made the rest of Page's adventures so much more fun to read.

There were a few details of the plot that had me wary, like why-does-this-side-character-have-to-be-so-casually-creepy wary, but the way that the characters interacted in general and the author's stylistic choices about Page's inner narration made Happily Whatever After an overall pleasant experience.

I loved how the book, while it had its rom-com moments, did primarily serve to chronicle Page's challenges with finding her place and calling after trying for a fresh start (albeit not necessarily an active choice for her).

The loose ends were all addressed at the ending too! As endings go, this one left me a little too satisfied at how nicely events were wrapped up, but the feel-good nature of it all after all of the ups and downs was pretty nice.

My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the wonderful read!

Started out really promising but after about 15% the characters started to feel like cliches that were rather unlikable. Also by 15% I still didn’t know who Page was meant to fall for, as a predominantly romance reader that’s a big no for me but probably won’t be a deal breaker for non romance readers.

Just wasn’t for me at this time.

This is my first book by this author and I think her narrative style is easy to follow, but the plot did not work for me.
The blurb seemed promising, but I found myself in more than half of the book hoping that something would happen and nothing, some chapters were just about Paige going to the park and talking to strangers, like... uh?

So in conclusion, the premise was fabulous, but in the end it didn't deliver.

I am easily pulled in by covers and therefore the bright colors pulled me in. I enjoy contemporary reads and this had that sort of vibe.
Page is the main character in this book. It's not a full on romance book though instead it is more of a self- discovery book. I enjoyed it though! It was a fun read and a bit different from some of the others books I have been reading lately. Really glad I got the chance to read it.



*Thanks for netgalley, the publisher and author for making this available for review.*

4.5 stars

I don't know what drew me in first: the DC setting, the incredibly relatable protagonist, or the completely outrageous cast of characters. All I know is that I absolutely adore this book.

All of the ups and downs of life is on display in this funny and moving portrait of a woman who has hit rock bottom. Each character is so full of life that they completely jump off the page. Considering that Lewis is sparse with the physical descriptions of his character, that is a feat indeed.

However, what stood out to me the most is how none of these characters have their life together. We get to see all of their messy, tragic, and totally human flaws. No one would expect a 35 year old woman to behave the way that Page does in this novel. She is allowed to make mistakes and grow from them. That is not always seen in romantic fiction and I really felt like it lifted the book above the some of the more outdated stereotypes of the genre.

I haven't read anything else that Lewis has written, but if they are all as good as this one, a trip to Barnes and Noble is definitely in my future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

‘Happily whatever after‘ was an okay read for a rainy Sunday afternoon, but I must admit that I wasn’t blown away. I had serious trouble connecting to the protagonist who is just really really unlikable. Her judgmental attitude to everything and everyone was simply tiring which led to me not being very invested in the story. I‘m sorry that I can’t give this book a higher rating than two stars but I need to be honest, and this one just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to the author, Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was excited and enjoyed the premise of this novel. A woman in her thirties going through a change in her career, personal life and trying to learn how to adjust her expectations of herself and others. This is an interesting premise, but ultimately it fell flat for me.

I was overall not able to invest in the main character, Page, her ambitions, choices or thoughts. Page is an extremely opinionated person, which can make having relationships with her challenging. Reading the novel through her eyes was a challenging experience because I was not able to gain any empathy for her thoughts or actions.

I am disappointed in this novel because it had so much potential, but ultimately I found myself unable to connect with the the main character and worst of all I did not care, which is rare for my reading sensibility.

Page moves to live with her brother in DC after losing her job and her boyfriend. Although without a dog, she makes friends when regularly visiting a dog park, and gradually rebuilds her life. A really enjoyable read with lots of different story lines.

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Thank you, Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.⠀
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And I'm about to get REALLY HONEST. I hate being a bad sport and hating books because if I was an author it would break my heart to have someone hate my story... but I absolutely loathed this book. ⠀
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The premise is fabulous. Page is down on her luck: she's in her mid-thirties, she's been dumped by her longtime boyfriend, and fired from her job. She moves to D.C. to live with her brother while she gets back on her feet. Page loves dogs, but since she doesn't have her own yet... she spends her days reading trashy romance novels at the local dog park. Sounds cute, right? ⠀
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It's a labeled a dark romantic comedy. Except... I didn't feel like there was any romance. Or anything I would consider comedy. The only darkness is the black cloud hanging over the main character. Page is the most judgmental and cruel protagonist I have come across in the "romantic comedy" genre. She judges every. single. person. she crosses paths with at the dog park. And let me just tell you... there's A LOT OF CHARACTERS. So many unnecessary characters. The "love interest" is hardly seen (you don't even find out his actual name until you're 80% in). Page makes nasty comments about people's weight, religion, looks, status, etc. the entire book. She mocks her mother who struggles with alcoholism while getting drunk basically every chapter. It was so frustrating to see. Around 80% in, there is an actual storyline that makes you believe Page may change. Maybe I didn't waste my time, I thought. Nope. At the end she reflects and says "maybe I shouldn't be so judgmental" ...and two sentences later she's ridiculing someone's wardrobe choice.⠀
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This is the last book I force myself to finish. It was painful and a waste of my time. I can't recommend. To my surprise, there have been several positive reviews, so maybe my opinion is an outlier. If you want to see for yourself... it will be available on July 28th, 2020!