Altogether Secrets to Happiness was a bit too much of a soap opera for me. I felt the friendships between Holly, Amanda and Betsy were all really shallow with hardly any moral-redeeming qualities. At times I was impressed with Holly's stand against infidelity, but then she had her little 22 year old boy-toy on the side of which she broke his heart. And then there's Amanda who seems to have a great marriage and a small child and she's off having an affair with some other guy that Holly ends up falling for herself. Betsy thinks she's too old to find a man, so she's contemplating the door man. Oh and then there's Holly's ex who's off cheating on his girlfriend with some crazy floozy. I mean really - is being happy all about who you're having sex with? How shallow can we be? I thought it was sad that each character was desperately grasping at something else that might possibly fill that void and make them happy. The only redeeming element for me was the little sick dog that Holly adopts who has a brain tumor. Finally a part of the storyline that has to do with giving and selflessness. That part of the story actually reached me a bit and I was glad it was included. Oh that and the cover, I love the cover!
I really do hate writing a negative review, but I feel I need to be honest of my impression of Secrets to Happiness. But to be fair, please check out these other reviews:
Everyday I Write the Book
Booking Mama
A High and Hidden Place
S. Krishna's Books
Description: Holly Frick just went through the worst kind of divorce: the kind where you're still in love with the person divorcing you. Alex had left her on January 3rd like a benevolent CEO who holds off the pink slips until after the holidays. Holly is left to wonder if she'll ever find happiness again. Like Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse, Holly is intimately involved in the lives of those around her, and she's compelled to give advice with unwavering moral certainty. And, like Emma, she is often completely off the mark. Soon, her advice will get her in over her head, and she'll find herself playing therapist to her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend while at the same time falling for her married friend's lover. Smart and touching, Secrets To Happiness is a hilarious look at the funny things people do to be happy.
Rating: **
Recommend: Sorry, not this time.
2 comments:
I'm so sorry that you didn't like this book. Thanks for the shout-out thought!
See, I was totally wondering if this book was going to be like that.
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