If you enjoyed Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson, you need to add the sequel, A Happy Catastrophe, to your list right now. The sequel takes us back to the world of Marnie and Patrick, of course with Blix's influence still permeating the atmosphere. I want to keep this a spoiler free review which is hard to do for a sequel. It was fun to revisit this world and these characters. This book did get a little deeper and darker than the first, and my heart hurt for these characters as they learn to love the life you are living and that "love" may not always look the way you expect.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for the electronic advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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

I thought Matchmaking for Beginners was good. It was a fun, slightly quirky love story and when I saw a sequel for it I was excited! Unfortunately,the beginning of the book and how baby crazy Marnie was in the first few chapters started this book off with a bad taste especially when Patrick let's her know that he can't handle being a father.

I didn't like what the characters I liked in the first book became in this one. The writing is excellent, but it wasn't able to overcome the story for me.

“No matter how dark it gets, how many times you fall down, love steps in to save us, over and over and over again.”

A Happy Catastrophe may be four years after Blix Holiday passed away and left her house and family of misfits to Marnie but she is still very much apart of Marnies’ life. Blix can be seen in her words that are still remembered, her spell book and her passed on matchmaking skills but mostly in the love that she knew was there between Patrick and Marnie.

Marnie is ready to take the next step with Patrick and start a family, but he doesn’t feel quite ready; because of his past, he is holding himself back from loving anyone else. Patrick wants everything to stay the same. They agreed to wait, but the universe had other plans.

Enter Fritzie, a spunky eight year old girl who is too smart for her own good and has never stood in one place too long. Surprise ... she also happens to be Patrick’s daughter, from a weekend fling, that he never knew about until now. Between this little girl and a new art exhibit, Patrick and Marnies’ relationship and her trust in Blix is put to the test.

Maddie Dawson, I said your first book was worth all the late fees. A Happy Catastrophe to me, was worth the lack of sleep! I stayed up until I finished the book because I just had to know how their story was going to end. I loved so many of the passages, I found myself highlighting them to read again. I felt grief and sadness with Patrick, Marnie and Fritzie but also felt so much love and forgiveness. This group of misfits that became a family, has my heart. Fingers crossed there will be a third book, I would love for this not to be the end of their story.

“That’s when I learned that love doesn’t always come in the package we might expect.”

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book and couldn’t finish. I found the plot too out there for my taste

I read Matchmaking for Beginners last year. I got so exited when I saw this one was coming out about Marnie. I have to say I liked it even better than Matchmaking. Loved the story line of Marnie, Patrick and Fritzie and how they cope with the new normal of the situation they are thrown into. I fell in love with Patrick and absolutely adored Fritzie! Her spunk and personality were a true highlight of this book! Even if you haven’t read the first one you can get away with reading this one and not feel lost, but I highly recommend reading them both together!

Patrick and Marnie are at it again in this story of love and life and all the ups and downs it entails. Patrick is still struggling with his past tragedy while Marnie is busy making plans did their future. This story takes them on a journey of love—but will their journey have the same end point? You’ll have to read to find out!

I absolutely adored this sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners! AHC leaves off 4 years later. Marnie and Patrick are still together and in for the surprise of their life... Patrick is a dad! Maddie Dawson sense of wit and charming storytelling is ever present! I want to be friends with Marnie and come hang out in the Fripperie! It’s a fun and easy summer read! I think it would be great for a book club! I hope to see more from this author! I really like her style!

What a beautiful love story! This book has a bit of everything - family, friendship, love, loss, redemption. It's funny, witty, bright and hopeful, dark and gritty and I'd say real and honest, In fact, at times I admit I got a bit frustrated that everything was getting so complicated and difficult and just hard, and then I realized that's exactly how life can be sometimes. Everything was hitting at once for this couple and I truly didn't know if they'd find their way. Spoiler alert: as the title hints, the result is a HAPPY catastrophe.

A Happy Catastrophe is a sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners. I did NOT read the first book, but was pleased to realize that I didn't need to in order to understand and love the story. I absolutely loved Marnie and Patrick's surprise 8-year-old daughter, Fritzie, as well as their whole unlikely group of friends and acquaintances. The community that Marnie built was so inspiring, as well as entertaining. I will say I didn't love the whole storyline with Marnie's mother, but I understand it helped contribute to the whole "catastrophe" situation. Patrick was very difficult to like for most of the book, yet I do understand the demons he was fighting and appreciate the care the author took with his character. Overall, A Happy Catastrophe was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy.

This was a cute story and I loved the elements of magical realism in Marnie's character. However, the summary of the book did not make it clear that this is a sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners. As someone who has not read that book, it was difficult to connect with the characters because it felt like knowing who Marnie and Patrick were was assumed. If I had known that this was a sequel, I would not have read it until I had read the first book. The fact that this is book 2 in a series should be made clear to readers.

This book starts with matchmaker Marnie telling her artist boyfriend Patrick that she is ready to have a baby. That is when everything goes crazy. In comes Patrick's surprise daughter Fritzie, the product of a 2 night stand 8 years earlier. Marnie falls head over heels in love with the quirky yet at times difficult Fritzie. Patrick gets tapped to do an art show where he falls back into his post trauma depression and mentally checks out. Marnie's mom shows up unannounced on Thanksgiving saying she's moving to Brooklyn without her dad and its just another person Marnie has to juggle by herself. This book is adorable, frustrating, heartwrenching and laughable all throughout.

I was so excited when I saw there was a sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners and I loved this story just as much! Catching up with the characters felt like catching up with old friends. In this story, we get to see Marnie and Patrick’s life together continue. Marnie is ready to settle down and start a family and Patrick is against the idea, fearing he is inadequate. Enter in Fritzie, an eight-year-old girl who unexpectedly shows up on their doorstep and throws the couple headfirst into the world of parenting. Fritzie was one of my all-time favorite child characters. She is so bold, fun, lovable, and hilariously opinionated. She was like a burst of sunshine leaping out of the pages. This book is less lighthearted than the first with Patrick dealing with some very serious mental health issues. I appreciated the hardships of the story and the overarching theme that life might not always be what you expect but to love where you’re at and continue to believe in the magic of the universe. I loved the way the story all came together in the end. This book was such a delight to read and I cherished being transported back into Dawson’s world and characters!

Thanks to Netgalley, Lake Union, and the author Maddie Dawson for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This book comes out May 26th!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

I loved Matchmaking for Beginners and I was so excited to re immerse in the world of Marnie and Patrick. This new installment was a little slower for me than the original. It contained less magic and matchmaking. However, Marnie and Patrick are facing new challenges and are actually able to work together as a couple, which is rarely seen in romances - once the couple gets together, the story is over. Patrick is struggling with his emotional recovery and dealing with a new concern - Marnie wants to have a baby. Patrick does not. Some of the middle of the book that focused on Marnie's mom dragged, but I loved the addition of Fritzie to the story!

I was so excited that Maddie Dawson kept Marnie and Patrick’s story going after Matchmaking for Beginners. In this sequel they are moving on to the next phase of their relationship, which Marnie hopes will be creating a family. Patrick is still struggling with issues and insecurities from his past. One day a woman surprises Patrick with the news that she had a daughter from a one-night stand they had years ago. Each character has to come to terms with what they feel and what they want for their future.

The characters are just as wonderful and loveable in this installment of the series. Fritzie, Patrick’s daughter, is fantastic. She adds so much love to the story. The book ends with a heartwarming conclusion and you will be left hoping nothing for the best for everyone, just like the last story. I will say that I found Patrick a bit more frustrating in this one. When we first met him it was easy to understand why he was so introverted and struggling so much. I just wanted him to be a bit more open and trusting now, given the support system he has in Marnie. That one detail did not detract from my enjoyment of this book. It is a must read if you loved Matchmaking for Beginners.

Thank you to Maddie Dawson, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute novel. Had me smiling through out. I am thankful to Netgally and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to devour this book. 4 out of 5 stars

Picking up where we left off in the first book, Matchmaking for Beginners, Marnie and Patrick have now been dating for a few years and things are looking great. Marnie is running a successful flower shop and filling her life with misfits and projects, just like Blix would have done. However, Marnie desperately wants a child and Patrick is still dealing with unresolved issues from his accident years ago which killed his last girlfriend and left him burned.

As it happens in most books, things do not go according to plan for either Patrick or Marnie, when a former two-night stand of Patrick's shows up out of nowhere with an eight-year old daughter that Patrick had no idea he fathered. The two become parents overnight, and while Marnie immediately loves the role, Patrick is not so sure.

Written in the style of the first book, this novel is filled with love and a sprinkle of whimsy. I really became more attached to Marnie and Patrick in this book and was invested in where it would end. Even though I could predict where things were heading, there were some surprises along the way and the book captivated me the entire time. If you are looking for a cozy, sparkling, romance look no further. Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of A Happy Catastrophe!
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I went in to this read thinking it would be something light and airy and this was surprisingly a lot darker than I had anticipated. That did not ruin the story for me, but there were some issues that I had. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, I think mostly because the life experiences they went through, I simply have not. I do think that a lot of people will not run into the same issue.
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Overall, this was just okay for me, but I think several people will enjoy this one, especially if they enjoyed the first!

I am one of the unfortunate few who did not get to meet Marnie and Patrick in “Matchmaking for Beginners.” When I was asked to review a copy of “Happy Catastrophe,” I was not aware the novel was actually a sequel until I was halfway through the book. The good news is “Happy Catastrophe” works well as a stand-alone novel, and the better news is I now get to spend more time with these characters in “Matchmaking for Beginners.”

Marnie owns a florist shop but also has the ability to match people with their true loves. Taking a chance on love is what led her to Patrick who lived in the basement of a house she had inherited from matchmaker, Blix. Now living with Patrick, she is ready to get married and have babies, but Patrick, an artist, is still struggling with the ghosts of his past.

Patrick, who suffers scars both physically and mentally from a tragic fire, tells Marnie he does not want children, but a woman approaches Patrick with his daughter who was consummated from a one night stand. Patrick fears he cannot be a good enough father and those insecurities trick him into believing he is also a failure to Marnie.

As noted, readers do not need to read “Matchmaking for Beginners” to appreciate this book. Maddie Dawson is a fantastic writer and I am amazed at her ability to create lively and relatable characters who sometimes frustrate you with their inabilities to move past their flaws.

The novel alternates between the viewpoints of Patrick and Marnie so the reader is able to review each character’s struggles through the other’s perspective. While the novel deals with dark issues, it does so poignantly. Marnie and Patrick’s story has plenty of humor sparkled throughout it as well as great supporting characters. You really had to appreciate the novel’s theme of taking risks and trusting love.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks also to the Lake Union Publisher and the author.

When I finished this book, I did not realize this was a sequel to another book, but this stands completely on its own. This book is about life and all it’s messiness, and I just loved it.

Marnie owns a flower shop and is a matchmaker on the side (and she might just have a little bit of magic inside her). Patrick is an artist who has suffered through a terrible accident and is fighting many demons. Marnie and Patrick have found each other against all odds and have a happy life together.

In the span of just a few days their lives are pushed to their limits. Marnie declares she wants to have a child, which Patrick does not. On top of that, they find out Patrick has an 8 year old child, from a one night stand and they are told she is going to live with them for a year.

What happens after, is really a happy catastrophe and really everything in between. The author really does a wonderful job portraying all the joys and hardships of a relationship. I love any interjection of a child, but even this is superior to other stories, as she really captured the feelings of an 8 year old.

This is not quite the light read that the cover portrays, however it very lovely book. You will fall in love with Patrick, Marnie and Fritzie and even the supporting cast.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Matchmaking for Beginners was good not great, but I really loved the sequel, A Happy Catastrophe. I was in quite a reading funk when I picked this up, but the simple but thoughtful prose made this an intriguing read that I read in just a few days!

The book follows a Brooklyn couple (who get together in book 1) who work through a myriad of very real 30-something issues - deciding if they want kids, if they should get married, keeping the spark in their relationship, supporting their aging parents - and also issues that were very specific to these characters, including mental health issues. Maddie Dawson did a great job of bringing her characters through their troubles while also keeping the book light-hearted and full of love. The book is told from the perspective of both characters, and I liked how each character was developed throughout the book. I felt much more connected to them than I did in book one.

The only thing I struggled with in this book is that Marnie's perspective was written in first person and Patrick's was written in third person. While I think Patrick's character was developed nicely, I definitely felt like I had a better sense of what Marnie was feeling. It was also a little strange to switch back and forth.

Rating: 4 stars
Recommend? Yes, but you do have to read the first one to fully appreciate it.

I enjoyed Match Making for Beginners and was looking forward to the sequel. This book was not the happily ever after that I was hoping for. This book implies that Marnie and Patrick had four great years and then plops us where the trouble begins. I had a really hard time reading about how Patrick pushed everyone away again, and how Marnie was too distracted to stop it. I feel like he treated her and Fritzie very badly, and I wanted someone to go in and shake some sense into him before he wasted so much time.
I do appreciate the character arc and Fritzie's explanation of how he had to paint out the bad to let in the good, but this story was too messy for me. Things got too low and I feel like they too quickly were put back together.
I did have a happy ending, but I was too annoyed with the characters at the end to celebrate with him.